Book of the Month: December 2011

Imagine a world where a small spacecraft from far, far, away crash lands.....not in Kansas, but rather 12 hours later....in the Ukraine. Raised in the Soviet Union, taught the beliefs of the communist, dedicated to the Proletariat against any and all threats....what would Superman be like? SUPERMAN: RED SON explores and challenges the mythos of comic's greatest icon.  This is one of the best Superman books ever published, a self-contained story that would make a great Christmas gift for the comic book fan in your family!

(from President Eisenhower) "My fellow Americans, it has long been the duty of this great office to make public those developments which may affect our standing as a free and democratic Nation.  I regret to inform you that such a development took place this morning.

The Soviet Authorities today released to the world, secret government pictures of a costumed individual more effective than our hydrogen bomb...an alien Superman committed to communist ideals whose very existence threatens to alter our position as a world superpower forever..."

Superman/Batman: Big Noise (Review)

(

Citizen's Grade: O.K.

The tenth collection of the Superman/Batman series.  This series has impressed over time despite no promotion from DC Comics since Jeph Loeb left.  The artwork and writing have always been at least O.K., and on some occasions quite impressive.

Big Noise was written by Joe Casey (known most recently for writing Ziggy Marley's superhero,  Marijuana Man), with artwork from Ardian Syaf & Scott Kolins. This veteran group of creators deliver a "veteran" story in Big Noise (I'll explain "veteran" story further down).

A Kryptonian Ship appears out of nowhere with all it's inhabitants murdered.  A missing escape pod. As Batman & Superman investigate the ship's past and try to track down the one missing escape pod, an assassin attacks the Dailey Planet in an attempt to murder reporter Clark Kent.  These are the clues to the mystery that lays before The Man of Steel and The Dark Knight.

All-Star Superman (Review)

Citizen's Grade (Graphic Novel): Impressive.
Citizen's Grade (Animated Movie): Impressive.

After years of failure and frustration, the ever diligent Lex Luthor masterminds another plan to destroy The Man of Steel....and this time it just might work. Sabotage is his plan, as he interferes with Dr. Quintum's first manned Sun mission. In order to save Quintum and his associates, Superman puts himself in harm's way once again. But this time, Superman's heroics come with a price.

The sun; the very source of Superman's many superpowers, poisons his cells....Superman is dying! Poisoned by solar radiation, with just weeks to live, Superman embarks on a mission to fulfill his life's dreams.

War of The Supermen (Review)

Citizen's Grade: Sigh...

New Krypton has been destroyed, tens of thousands of Kryptonians are dead at the hands of Brainiac, and Earth was behind it all! Zod is angry! All the remaining Kryptonians are angry! Superman & Supergirl are angry! Earth must pay! The remaining remnants of New Krypton have declared WAR on EARTH!!

They will have vengeance....that is the theme of War of the Supermen....and what can humanity do to stop thousands of Supermen? Absolutely nothing. Earth's mightiest heroes try to slow the onslaught,

Last Stand of New Krypton (Review)

Citizen's Grade: O.K.

After the build-up of Geoff John's New Krypton story arc, the Last Stand of New Krypton by James Robinson & Sterling Gates followed through with the next chapter of what was turning into a great couple of years of Superman comics. Just as New Krypton was molding into a society that could flourish and evolve...even though it still faced the challenges any society does......but just when things were looking up, forces from Earth (i.e. Lex Luthor) make their move.

Brainiac returns to reclaim Kandor! Sending his robotic army in droves, his forces begin killing off Kryptonians at an alarming rate. Superman & Supergirl fight alongside their fellow Kryptonians in an effort to unite them and drive off Brainiac and his mighty army.

Meanwhile, the Legion of Superheroes, Superboy, Mon-El, Brainiac 5 and others fight to save New Krypton, Brainiac's other shrunken cities, & Brainiac 5's personal vendetta to reclaim his family's honor destroyed by Brainiac.

The action is immense and intense, the "human" factor is exactly what we would expect us to do, and Brainiac 5's mission to save his family's honor is noble. Robinson's & Gate's writing is good and the artwork is decent. In the end; HOWEVER, it doesn't really matter...which is why I'm not going in-depth of the two volumes in this review because despite the great build-up of New Krypton & Last Stand of New Krypton, the "finale" was horrible.

The "finale"? War Of The Supermen.

Superman/Batman: Night and Day (Review)

Citizen's Grade: Impressive.

Night and Day is the 9th volume of the Superman/Batman ongoing series, written by Michael Green & Mike Johnson, Scott Kolins, & Peter Johnson. Artwork by Francis Manapul (also does artwork on Flash), Scott Kolins, & Rafael Albuquerque.

Batman finds himself in a Gotham City he isn't familiar with, while Superman experiences the same in Metropolis.....but wait, they are both in the same city! Gothamopolis; a composite city of Gotham & Metropolis, is filled with strange apparitions of heroes and villains that Superman & Batman are unfamiliar with. These strange heroes don't know the Man of Steel or the Dark Knight either! See how Superman & Batman must work with these new heroes

Superman/Batman: Finest Worlds (Review)

Citizen's Grade: O.K.

In this eighth volume of the ongoing Superman/Batman series, Finest Worlds is just that....as friends and foes alike drag The Dark Knight & The Man of Steel into other worlds and bring others into theirs.

In the aftermath of Superman's battle with the All-American Boy (see: Superman/Batman The Search for Kyptonite), the entire Justice League shows up in Smallville to rebuild the town. They find an artifact that looks Kryptonian in design, and it "activates" when Superman touches it. Unknown to Batman & Superman, it has triggered a Kryptonian artifact secretly hidden in the Batcave by Batman's deceased father.

Superman/Batman: The Search for Kryptonite (Review)

Citizen's Grade: Impressive.

"He's faster than a bolt of Lightning. He can stop a missile with two fingers. He can mold titanium between his molars like gum. But there is one substance that can tear him apart from the inside out. One substance that can kill him." What is that substance that can kill Superman? Kryptonite.

Superman/Batman: Torment (Review)

Citizen's Grade: O.K.

What seems to start out as a simple burglary of a Lex Corp facility by Killer Croc, turns into a universe-spanning mystery for the Man of Steel & the Dark Knight.

As Batman investigates Killer Croc, and the item stolen from Lex Luther, Superman begins having dreams & visions that he can't control. Unable to tell fiction from reality, Superman falls prey to an unexpected villain....Scarecrow. Just as Batman figures this out, he realizes that he may be too late, the item stolen from Luther is made to control even Kryptonian minds. A mysterious benefactor is behind the scenes directing Scarecrow and others, and Superman is their target.

Superman/Batman: Apocalypse (Review)

Citizen's Grade: Impressive.

Maybe I'm just liking animated movies more, or DC Comics is doing a better job translating their great Graphic Novels into movies. Superman/Batman: Apocalypse; just like Batman: Under the Red Hood, does a wonderful job taking Jeph Loeb & Michael Turner's Superman/Batman: Supergirl and turning it into a good animated movie. I think they did a better job with this than Superman/Batman: Public Enemies.

After a mysterious spaceship splashes down in Gotham Bay, Batman & Superman discover the ship was inhabited by a mysterious girl.....

Superman/Batman: Enemies Among Us (Review)

Citizen's Grade: O.K.

The fifth volume in the Superman/Batman series, and the first that was written by someone other than Jeph Loeb. Written by Mark Verheiden (Executive Producer of Battlestar Galactica), with artwork done by Ethan Van Sciver (Green Lantern: Rebirth & Flash: Rebirth)and others.

Most of the story is narrated by Bruce Wayne's Butler; Alfred, who's first-hand knowledge and relationship with the Dark Knight gives him a unique perspective. When the Martian Manhunter attacks Batman for no reason, he contacts Superman for help. They come away confused that an old friend would attack Batman, and other sudden ambushes from other alien friends & foes only confuse them more.

Superman: New Krypton (Review)

Citizen's Grade: Impressive.

Geoff Johns, James Robinson, Sterling Gates, & Greg Rucka weave a masterful tale of the lost, "bottle" city of Kandor and the new civilization of Krypton. After Superman had saved both Metropolis and Kandor from the clutches of Brainiac, Kandor had "re-grown" to original size in the antarctic (at the site of Superman's Fortress of Solitude), Supergirl had destroyed Brainiac's missile fired at the Sun (which would have sent it Supernova), and Superman had beat down Brainiac. But all that came at a cost....as Pa Kent was killed because of a second Brainiac missile fired at the home of Pa & Ma Kent (See: Superman: Brainiac for the whole story).

As Clark Kent comes to grips with the death of his adopted Father, Superman must come to grips with the resurgence of Krypton...New Krypton.

Superman: The Coming of Atlas (Review)

Citizen's Grade: O.K..

Atlas, ruler of a world through the power of his might. After conquering all, he is tricked by the magic of a servant.....and transported through space and time, caught and brought into the world of "now" by a secret and dangerous organization. This secret group; ran by a shadowy General, is bent on studying and ultimately destroying Superman.

Atlas is "brought up to speed", and is recruited through his vain pride to help this organization in bringing down the Man of Steel. Let loose in the city of Metropolis, Atlas wreaks havoc upon the citizens of Metropolis, calling out a challenge to Superman!

Superman/Batman by Jeph Loeb (Review)

Citizen's Grade: Awesome.

The Superman/Batman series is AWESOME!! How; if you are a fan of either character...or even more if a fan of both, can you not love and collect this great series? I find myself asking that question more and more as I see sales dwindling every month to the point that the "cancellation" whispers have begun....the only answer I can come up with is that Jeph Loeb is no longer writing the series. He IS that good!!

Loeb wrote the first four Volumes of the Superman/Batman series that generally sold around 80,000-100,000 issues per month (compared to the 30,000-40,000 that it is selling now under different writers).....making it one of DC's best sellers. The "out-of-continuity" series was in a universe all it's own, with Loeb as mastermind of this universe, and include the following volumes:

Superman by Geoff Johns (Review)

Citizen's Grade: Impressive.

Geoff Johns is my favorite Writer, so when he began tackling the most difficult DC Comic's character to write; the iconic Superman, I had complete confidence that it would be great! I have not been disappointed. After years of average Superman stories (see: "O.K." Superman (Review)...), and a horrible movie (see: Conspiracy Theory.....How Marvel Comics tried to kill Superman)....I was just about ready to give up on Truth, Justice, and The American Way, but Geoff Johns has saved my love for The Man of Steel!

The following Volumes are in chronological order following the "O.K." Superman Volumes:

Trinity (Review)

I must admit; as a Catholic, that I sometimes feel guilty refering to Superman, Batman, & Wonder Woman as the "Trinity". I understand DC Comic's reasons, and that they are not trying to turn the three into gods for us to worship, but you just have to wonder who really might be behind that name (if I may be cryptic for a moment..lol). There have been two collections titled "Trinity" released in Graphic Novels (that I am aware of), Matt Wagner's and Kurt Busiek's. They couldn't be more opposite....

"O.K." Superman..... (Review)

Citizen's Grade: O.K.

Let me start off by saying that the following Superman Graphic Novels are not bad! They are just not as "Impressive" as the others, so I've grouped them all together here....some of the artwork is stellar, the best being Talent Caldwell's in Superman: Godfall (it looks so much like Michael Turner's artwork, it's hard to tell the difference!). The best writing would be Brian Azzarello's in Superman: For Tomorrow.

Superman: Our World's at War (Review)

Citizen's Grade: Impressive.

Anytime you can get Darkseid, Brainiac, Lex Luthor, & Superman in the same book....it is going to be awesome!! Just about every character in the DC Universe is involved in this story, and includes great writers (including Jeph Loeb, Peter David, & Phil Jimenez...who also did some artwork) and artists (including Ed McGuinness, Doug Mahnke, Kano, Ron Garney, & Mike Wieringo).

This mega-event; which occurred mainly through the monthly Superman titles

Superman: Emperor Joker (Review)

Citizen's Grade: Impressive.

In Emperor Joker, a multipart story throughout the Superman titles, the Joker steals Mister Mxyzptlk's (a Superman Character from the 5th Dimension) reality altering power, remaking the entire world into a twisted caricature, with everyone in it stuck in a loop, repeating the same patterns over and over. The conflict focuses on the fate of Batman in this world, with the Joker torturing and killing his adversary every day, only to bring him back to life and do it over and over again.

Superman "new era" volumes 1-6 (Review)

Citizen's Grade: Impressive.

I am a huge Superman Fan! That said, I will admit that a lot of times (to my great frustration) Superman comics are hit or miss. That is because the Superman character is so hard to write. Superman: Exile and SM: Strange Attractors literally put me to sleep, Superman: Red Son and Emperor Joker had me begging for more.....I suppose you have to put up with some of the lesser stories to get the great ones, but in my extensive comic book collecting, Superman is the only character like this. These six volumes; however, are definitely worth buying, and are some of Superman's best!

These six volumes collect the "new era" throughout Superman comics following his death and rebirth (and Dan Jurgens, Louise Simonson, & Roger Stern leaving the Superman titles). I loved this series, with great writers (including Jeph Loeb, Geoff Johns, Mark Millar, Greg Rucka, Joe Kelly, Joe Casey, & Mark Shultz) and artists (including Ed McGuinness, Doug Mahnke, Ian Churchill, Kano, Dale Eaglesham, & Tom Nguyen).