Comic Book Case

All Star Batman #3 (Kind of Sweet and Scary at the same time)

Our story opens with a nice flashback of two boys in laying in the grass, just talking about what they see. one of them, with a 2A on his shirt talks about how a new form of technology is coming that will change how we see the world, essentially putting the internet in a contact lens. The other boy, with a 2B shirt doesn't seem to care and would rather sleep. We are then brought back to the present day where Batman is trying to fight of the KGBEAST and are saved by Duke but not before Harvey is severely injured via SHURIKEN IN HIS EYE! KGBEAST goes after them but not before wasting the Royal Flush Gang. Meanwhile, Penguin, Black Mask, and Whale talk about how they don't have the money to pay KGBEAST what they'll owe him but Penguin doesn't seem too worried. Meanwhile, Bruce and company go to a safe house run by Harold Allnut, a mute from waaay back in pre-52 who in addition to making Batman equipment, also patches him and Harvey up. Duke and Bruce then talk about what's been going on, how Harvey's safe house may have a cure for Duke's parents and why Bruce is going so far for this. It turns out that Bruce and Harvey were boy 2A and 2B and how the two of them became friends at a therapy camp. As they travel through the pipeline, they are attacked by some of Two-Face's men who are able to pin both Bruce and Duke down. Two-Face then asks Batman if he ever thought that maybe he (Two-Face) was turning Harvey into him as he takes a vial of what he says is the cure and he pours it in Batman's eyes as Batman lets out a loud scream.

This issue I admit to enjoying much more than the last one. It has the action/story combo that felt much more interesting for the most part and it took time to flesh out Bruce and Harvey's backstory. When Tomasi did his a while back it didn't go that far back but here Snyder does something that feels out of the first animated series and The Batman but instead of Clayface, the childhood friend is Two-Face. The idea that Harvey saved Bruce from becoming a sort of Flashpoint of Batman is interesting in itself and it gives us a reason why Bruce is so set on helping Harvey because Harvey saved him when he was at his lowest. 

 Batgirl and the Birds of Prey #3 

Batgirl, Canary, and Huntress find out where Oracle's next target it with help from Frankie but Huntress is still a bit skeptical about and being, well Huntress in that she is totally willing to kill the mafia family for what they did to the Bertenelli's. When they arrive they wait a bit but nothing and they realize that the real target is the safe house with Gordon. Sure enough the group The Snake (stupid name) that we saw heading for the safe house last issue finally attacks but luckily Batgirl and co arrive in time to save the day but not the hostage. Batgirl and Huntress have an argument over Huntress using lethal force to stop a snake but Batgirl forgives her when she finds out that that action saved her father but Huntress has had enough and decides to go her own way. Meanwhile, the person who has been calling herself Oracle, and I have no idea who it is but she is apparently supposed to be dead. 

This issue was rather interesting but not really because of the story or the because of the dynamic between Batgirl and Huntress, it's pretty much Dinah who makes the story. In addition to providing great humor and serving as the peacekeeper between the two, we also get more of her backstory, how she left the orphanage, her tutelage under sensei Lamarr, and her coming to terms with her mother. I'm hoping we get more of this in the next issue for the other two.

Superman #8 (Superman on an island of dinos? HELLS YEAH!)

While working in the Fortress of Solitude on a science project (totally unfair and overly ambitious), Jon's saucer gets into some Kryptonian technology and transports the two and Krypto to mysterious island full of old WW2 tanks, and DINOSAURS! The two are trying to find the saucer to get home since even with his hearing and vision, Clark can't tell where he is because of the clouds that seem to dampen his sight. As they search the island they come across a soldier's grave and in a cave they find a wall that has what looks like the soldier's stories carved.

A rather straightforward issue for our new story. Superman and son on an island of dinosaurs with no visible way out is an interesting story. It seems to rely more on simplicity and that's good, I think Superman stories often fail because people try too hard to find ways to give a big threat to him and this is more of a mystery and a way to have Clark and Jon bond more, especially in a presumably private place so Jon can go full superpowers, did not know he couldn't fly properly yet. Besides, they're gonna be fighting DINOSAURS, HOW COOL IS THAT!?

Supergirl #1-2(She's back and still kind of dull)

So instead of a big review of the previous issues I'm honestly going to just talk about the direction this book has taken and how it honestly feels rather boring but that it has gotten me interested in the Supergirl tv series. Kara has gotten her powers back (her powers started shutting down for reasons at the end of her New 52 book) and now she is set to be a hero again but this time working for the D.E.O. under Director Chase but other times she is be Kara Danvers and attend the local high school. Then the book honestly goes in the direction of wanting to be the Supergirl tv series fused with the comic book world. Does that work? Well it could if the book was willing to go in a different direction than the book. When DC had the Rebirth panel and they talked about how Cyborg Superman was Supergirl's father, I shook my head because that was already revealed in New 52 and the same thing with Krypton/Argo City coming back. So the comic element isn't working here so I'm honestly going to drop it for now and I'll probably finally start watching the tv series which the book seems set on doing as we now meet Cat Grant and how Kara ends up working there.

Justice League #6 (Nothing good ever happens at dinner)

The issue begins with the League badly fighting off a mysterious unknown energy that is causing them all to panic and fear, even Batman and Wonder Woman are freaking out. It is then that Simon and Jessic remind us all what it means to be a Green Lantern as the bust out their rings and with some help from the others push the enemy back completely. Deciding to call it a day everyone goes their separate ways with Superman passing on a conversation with Batman, Cyborg and Simon going to a football game, Aquaman asking Wonder Woman for some help with something and Jessica and Flash agreeing to dinner. We get a cut of Batman trying to call Dick Grayson who isn't available and Superman telling Lois he has a headache but feels fine. Later Jessica and Barry are at their restaraunt and something goes wrong, Jessica becomes more paranoid than usual and Barry is kind of edging her on. The issue ends with Clark and Lois sitting and dinner and him saying that Batman is dangerous and that he refuses to trust him and that he's going to kill Batman.

This issue is interesting because it really does seem to showcase everyone's fears in one form or another. It makes sense that Jessica would be the first to really respond to it and it's implied a little that Batman is also feeling it but no one could really tell. With Barry and Clark though it's a bit different, Barry seems to so not himself in how teases Jessica that I almost think he's been replaced and Superman may be so afraid of something, like Batman never trusting him that it's turning into rage. That one is a bit of a reach I know, but this shows us that whatever it was they fought earlier in the issue still has some cards to play.

Green Lanterns #7-8

Jessica is at Simon's house helping Simon prepare Ma'amoul cookies but Jessica isn't sure she can deal with the chaotic atmosphere of the house and wants to leave but Simon is able to convince her to stay and help when he tells her that it's for his mom and that Ma'amoul cookies are better than regular cookies. Simon starts freaking out when things start to go wrong but Jessica is able to get him to calm down and we see that Simon is afraid his mom will be disappointed in him and e wants to get these cookies right to show that he has grown up from the kid who was accused of being a terrorist. Understanding how important this is to him now, Jessica helps him prepare the cookies and tells Simon that he should also tell his mom that he is a Green Lantern. When she arrives, while she isn't impressed with him being a Green Lantern, she loves the cookies and says she is proud of him making a difference. As the they are about to go trick or treating with Simon's brother, they find out Rami has left with the Phantom Ring, because the Dominators are coming!

Simon and Jessica go looking for Rami and he reveals that he doesn't trust them, especially Simon who still carries a firearm over just his ring. He then reveals how he was exiled for creating the ring because not only can the ring be used by anyone but it can use any emotion on the spectrum. He was exiled until he could find a way to destroy it and he's tried everything he can think of. Simon and Jessica then save him and some kids from the Dominators and Simon says Rami is just going to have to accept their protection. Later on we see someone heading down, looking for the Phantom ring.

These issues were relatively interesting and a nice cool down from the rather chaotic adventure the duo had. The cookie issue was great in that it showed Simon and Jessica as friends outside of work. The issue with the Phantom Ring was good because it showed exactly what Rami did to get exiled form the Guardians. I honestly don't think the issues had the character writing for it but that's more of a nitpick because you do understand what's going on. They were just fun little stories that gave us a little more into the lives and histories of some of our characters.

Wonder Woman #8 (Finally making Cheetah interesting)

Our story opens in England with a young Barbara Ann being called in by her teacher to speak to her father who tells her that it's time to stop studying mythology and grow up as he throws her play sword and shield into the fire. Fast Forward years later to Barbara Ann in the Ukraine with an archaeological team essentially debating the existence of the Amazons, battlefield graveyards and debunked myths like the amputation of the right breast for archery. During the night, Barbara Ann is woken up and goes to the cave site they are excavating and find a newly excavated part of the cave showing a temple that is dedicated to the 12th Queen of the the Amazons but before she can find out more, the cave collapses, and the rest of the team decides to call it quits. Barbara Ann then travels around the world looking for more crews like Bulgaria, Greece, Malta, Gabes, and in Tunisia she gets a new realization and head for the Black Sea and finds an island that shouldn't be there but it is deserted.

This issue was really great and I honestly don't think I gave it the work it deserves. Barbara Ann and the Cheetah has never really come of as a character so much as just an antagonist. It's a bit sad that Diana's rogue's gallery is possibly the most underdeveloped, even compared to Flash and the JSA. Rucka has really devoted more time to telling her story over Diana's and I kind of wonder how we got to the point of her being Wonder Woman's biggest enemy next to Ares in most media. But this at least shows us that Barbara Ann was interested in the Amazons before meeting Diana, if anything Diana was her saving grace. With the reveal that Wonder Woman is bisexual (which was the most uninteresting news I'd ever heard), I kind of wonder if they are planning a possible romance between her and Barbara Ann. Who knows, all I know was that this was the best I've read of the character in my time reading and Watching DC.