Comic Book Case

Captain America: Steve Rogers #10 (very Game of Thrones)

Maria Hill has been voted out of S.H.I.E.L.D. while the Sharon and a Senator talk of what will happen next, namely with the S.H.I.E.L.D. Act which will give the organization more power and authority than ever before. Meanwhile Cap tries to get Sharon put in as the new director but finds out that Maria Hill has fled with the plans for the force field and she gets away before he can apprehend her much to the chagrin of Red Skull. Cap later finds out that Jack Flag may wake up after his fall in issue 1 so Cap has to kill him but luckily his family has decided to pull the plug on him so Cap's secret dies with him. While talking to Sharon later that night they talk about not only the death of Jack but also who must take up the reigns as the new director and Sharon say it must Steve. The flashback of this issue is about Steve trying to get close to Erskine to kill him  and while he can't get in the army due to his health he gets close working at Erskine's favorite diner and instead of poisoning him, he gets a chance to prove himself to join the army and possibly closer to Erskine and his work.

When I said this issue was very Game of Thrones, I was mostly referring to the level of intrigue this episode had which was brilliant. Every other issue felt more like espionage but here we are watching Steve attempt to manipulate everyone to putting someone he can manipulate into a position of power. We see how someone can potentially ruin everything for Steve and even more fortuitous he is put in charge of S.H.I.E.L.D. and Red Skull still has no idea Steve is planning to overthrow him. 

Civil War 2: The Oath (best part of Civil War 2)

Steve, now director of S.H.I.E.L.D. has gone to talk to Tony Stark who is still in a comatose state. He talks about how he had been waiting to talk to him, to argue, and how he wanted to say that he isn't who Tony thought he was but he is still the same man. He talks about how every hero has lost there way and how they've focused more on themselves and their own authority over protecting the people. Over the week, Steve was sworn in as director and clashed with Carol about the creation of the Force Field that she got from Maria Hill after she was voted out. Steve tells her that she is doing the same thing she did with Ulysses, constantly using the idea that it will be all right to do a bad thing like closing off the planet or violating due process because of what people MIGHT do. Steve tells Tony about how while he isn't the same man he knew, he remembers everything about that Steve Rogers and how he could have beaten him each time they fought but he chose not to because he valued him as a friend and comrade. How Tony and the others have made the people angry by making them feel bad for being afraid and leaving them behind as Tony and others try to change the world too quickly. Steve ends the conversation by telling him what he saw when Ulysses showed them the vision of Spiderman killing him, an America under HYDRAS rule.

I find it sad that the best thing about Civil War 2 seems to mostly be in how much Steve is just wrecking the Marvel Universe and how much he understands everything. This is what makes Captain America as an agent of HYDRA good. It's an argument that maybe the other side isn't as big a problem as the situations and people that created them and felt very Post Trump. I love how Steve says that the Steve Rogers Tony knew never existed but the same principles remain and how every time Tony thought he had beaten him, that it was just Steve prioritizing their friendship. What's even more interesting is that I find it hard to figure out which one is Superman or Batman in this situation and by that I mean when you look at things like Injustice and Civil War, it's hard to tell which side Superman and Batman would be on and even here I just don't know. What takes the cake the most is how everyone is letting Steve do what he wants BECAUSE he's Steve Rogers and we can trust him with ultimate power and authority. Civil War 2 should just be called "Why Captain Hydra is the best thing Marvel's done in ages".

Wonder Woman #15 (sounds like Deathwatch)

So Diana is still in Nightsong Hospital in England under the name Diana Prince and is still in her mental breakdown after finding out she had never been to Themyscira. On the inside of her head, Diana is talking to a snake that comes out of her wrist where she was bitten all those years ago. Meanwhle, Sasha Bordeaux's people take account on the fact that they can't find Diana, Steve, or Etta Candy and I'm not 100% sure but I think they may be the Ares' daughters and they decide that the best way to find them would be to find Doctor Minerva. Steve later finds Etta and Barbara Anne and Barbara Anne reveals that the people behind this may be part of Godwatch, an organization who sought her out to find Themyscira a year after Diana had arrived. Steve wants to know more but they are attacked by Godwatch and Steve and Etta get away as Doctor Minerva tells them to take her to Cale. Steve and Etta need to find a way to help Diana so they go find an old friend who can help them, the Minotaur.

This was a fund decent issue. One thing I really like about this book is that it does what I haven't honestly seen: a broken down Wonder Woman. I've seen Superman broken, Batman, Flash, multiple Green Lanterns, but never really Wonder Woman. To see a character who has been hailed for her strength and resolve a broken down shell of who she was is brilliant. There wasn't a lot to say other than we know about Godwatch so we have an idea of what is going on and we now have the Minotaur!

Detective Comics #949 (strong independent Batwoman)

Batman and Batwoman engage Soldier Prime and it gets pretty intense as the SP shows how good he is. He's here for Kane but also to show Batwoman up. There honestly isn't much story here but it's a fun story as Batwoman effectively shows us that she is getting her own book as she beats the crap out of Soldier Prime, forcing him to take the Monster Serum to flee. Batwoman's memories of studying Batman two years ago, and her coming to terms with how she is different from Batman and her willingness to talk to her father. It's a decent issue and if you like Batwoman now I'm sure we will enjoy her upcoming book next month. This issue and the ones since the end of the Victim Syndicate arc are really just building up to that.

Justice League vs. Suicide Squad (really great but lacking a bit)

So I had actually read the whole thing and I would have reviewed it one by one if it all didn't come out so quickly and had been like Civil War 2. In a nutshell, Batman informs the League about Amanda Waller's Suicide Squad which he found out after the events of I am Gotham, and I am Suicide as well as Waller going into the Batcave to look at the info Batman has on them. The League later attempts to apprehend the Suicide Squad, not liking that Waller is using criminals for covert missions but with the help of Killer Frost, they are able to incapacitate the League and lock them in Belle Reve. Batman later breaks out and talks to Waller about Suicide Squad and they don't seem to really agree on any part of it but Waller then cuts to the chase about why they were brought here. It turns out long time DCU enemy and member of Checkmate Maxwell Lord(1) has broken out Lobo, Rustam, Johnny Sorrow, Doctor Polaris, and Emerald Empress (the first Suicide Squad) to attack Belle Reve to obtain the Eclipso Diamond is hidden by Waller.

Lord later attacks Belle Reve with his team and while the League and Suicide Squad are able to hold them off, Lord is able to get to the Diamond and uses it to control Superman, Flash, Cyborg, Wonder Woman, as well as the Green Lanterns who he uses to lock down the planet with Waller there with him at the White House as his hostage. Batman then assembles a team with the Suicide Squad and Lobo to go after Lord and destroy the Eclipso Diamond which is revealed to actually house Eclipso, a malevolent being set on spreading madness and evil throughout the world and the universe. With the help of Killer Frost creating a prism to fire light through, they are able to remove his influence from the people and destroy the Eclipso Diamond. Everyone goes back to their lives for the most part though Batman tells Waller to let Killer Frost go free and he gets Lobo to join a new Justice League.

Final Thoughts

For DC's first major event this was honestly really good but like I said in my title, it was a bit lacking. It doesn't need the knowledge of what happened in any of the books it branches off into like Suicide Squad, Batman, or Justice League to appreciate it. Amanda Waller is in great form here as she shows how capable a manipulator and planner she is and her argument for the Suicide Squad is mostly in the idea that she can control them. Max Lord is a great return to the DCU as he not only is an interesting character but he doesn't really have much to do as he mostly rehashes ideas from Injustice: Gods Among Us with taking over the planet in a way Superman and his team did. What didn't work in the book was the lack of interaction between a lot of characters. The Justice League is mostly taken out of the story rather early, with Batman being the only hero from start to finish and it makes sense because underestimating Batman is the key and there are too many characters as it is. Points for them playing up the fact that something is wrong involving time as both Max Lord and Emerald Empress says something is wrong with time (Empress being from the future and her Eye is similar to GL tech). The fight scene in the beginning was great and Harley and Lobo provided the best overall one liners. This was a better event than Civil War 2 and Night of the Monster Men but that was honestly because this one here knew what it was a small event designed to set up a new book, didn't span to other books minus non-vital tie ins, as well as hint at what's been going on with the DCU. It's an event that really is a harmless, fun read that sets up the stuff to come later down the line and I'd say pick it up.

Justice League of America Prelude: The Atom (big shoes to fill)

Ryan Choi is a new student at Ivy University and things go well as he's content to just sit in place and quietly answer questions until Professor Ray Palmer calls on him to answer questions and this is the standard for the first year until Palmer calls him in and asks him why he's here as part of his one year review. Ryan says it's because he doesn't have control over his life (he has phobias and allergies) and that he wants to be like Palmer but Palmer asks for the real answer because Ryan is really smart and has helped him in a lot of his work and they even have awards. Ryan then says it's because he feels small and he wants to feel like he's important so he studies science because in science, even the smallest particle matters. After hearing this, Palmer reveals that he is the Atom and the two begin working together as the Atom for another year but then Palmer goes missing. When checking his office, Ryan finds a recording saying the he has found the Microverse and that that's where he is but Ryan needs to find him so he made another Atom belt for him so Ryan becomes the new Atom.

This issue is a lot like what we saw in DC Rebirth, the event that started this whole thing with Wally West and the reveal of Doctor Manhattan. Ryan may be the most likable nerd I've ever seen in comics but honestly this issue is more about him and Ray Palmer than just Ryan. In a lot of ways it reminds me of the dynamic between Hollis Mason and Dan Drieberg in Before Watchmen. Hollis sees a lot of potential in Dan when he takes him under his wing and Dan really does come into his own while working with Hollis in a way similar to Ryan and Ray. This also feels a bit similar to what happened with Ant-Man accept there the girl wanted to be his sidekick and sneaked into his house using her own suit. 

Justice League of America Prelude: Vixen (surprisingly interested)

Mari McCabe is an international sensation, rising from an orphan in Zambesi to a model, reality tv star and animal rights activist. Everything seems to be going great for her until she finds out that one of the girls at the school she created has been trying to reach her for months to help her find her mother. Deciding to take matters into her own hands to find her, Mari dons her mothers Tantu Totem and goes looking for her and she finds her and this kicks off her superhero debut as Vixen.

After reading this I had kind of come to terms with the idea that these one shots wouldn't be that deep or interesting, just showing off how these characters have come to their costumes and abilities though thankfully I'll be wrong with the very next issue. Mari is an interesting character not because of her backstory (her mother was killed by a warlord and her father by her uncle looking for the totem) but because of what makes her want to be a hero which is her failure. She did all of the right things but didn't really attend to them. We find out that Mari had never been to any of the schools she created and it would stand to reason she hasn't been responding to any other emails. In a lot of ways it reminds me of what Steve Rogers said about heroes forgetting the people, she's so busy trying to help them that she doesn't see when they need help. It's the power and responsibility angle in a much better way. In a lot of ways this is Mari really coming into her own as a person as she embraces not only the role of superhero but her own family history by using her mother Totem.

Justice League of America Prelude: The Ray (a bit by the numbers)

Ray is a kid who lives in the dark because any form of light can cause him harm, he can't even have artificial light for too long. He doesn't have any friends because his mother won't let him go out and the one friend he did have, Caden was taken to the hospital because he was hurt by Ray's condition and hasn't been seen since. Ten years later, Ray has had enough (and he's gay) and after cutting his hair in the dark he decides to leave the house at night ignoring his mother's wishes. Things seem fine at first that night but when he goes to shake someone's hand his body erupts with light and some people get injured. Ray discovers that light doesn't hurt him, it sustains him but too much causes it to erupt from his body but he can create things with this light and can even turn invisible which he often is. Later on, Ray finds out his buddy Caden is running for office and goes to see one of his rallies. Caden says that Vanity City was named the most depressing city (guess Gotham is it's own sub category) and how people are afraid. Caden talks about how he came here as a bi-racial, half blind, gay man and that seems to set one of the protesters off calling his group the Sons of Liberty and attempts to attack Caden with a light weapon and Ray apprehends him and in the skirmish is able to blind the guy and turn him into light before turning him back and he's now naked (I don't get it). Ray and Caden share some words and Ray becomes Vanity's new superhero.

This was a decent enough story but I like more how it's done than what it is. The entire story is narrated via letters to Caden from Ray about his life and what he's going through. Ray comes off as a character who wants to be saved, who wants to step into the light but is honestly waiting for it to happen. When he finally goes outside and becomes invisible to look around, he finds there aren't any heroes and this seems like more of a story discussing gay rights loosely. We can argue that Ray leaving the house is his first coming out party and the end is his real one. Ray becomes the hero he always wanted to see, and it is by watching someone he looked up to. Looking through the issue again, I was hoping that Ray would at some point patch things up with is mom who reminds me a bit of the mom in the movie Jack but more stressed out, primarily because she was doing it alone. If there was one thing this issue had over the other two is that there is more story to it. With Ryan and Mari, while I understood their characters I found their story more flat than anything else. 

Justice League of America Prelude: Killer Frost (Beautiful character) 

Caitlin Snow, AKA Killer Frost is waiting to leave as Amanda Waller tries to recruit her to the Suicide Squad, trying to convince her that she is a real killer and won't resist feeding. You see, to survive, Caitlin needs to absorb heat as a form of nourishment, namely body heat but if she does that there is a good chance of her killing someone and if she does kill someone, her chance for early release goes out the window. So Waller temps her. First with a jerk who tries to scare her into touching him and then with a pyrokinetic named Heatstroke with literal fire coming out of her head. This one is the hardest for her but she manages until Heatstroke gets attacked by some people looking for revenge (probably Waller) and Caitlin goads them into touching her so she can use her powers to subdue them. Waller calls Caitlin in and tries to convince her that she wont' last much longer, that she is a killer and that she belongs here but Batman steps in and says it's over and Caitlin has earned the right to leave where Batman is waiting for her, asking if she's ready for what's next and if she has her power under control. Caitlin flashes back to any person she's brushed up against or accidentally tripped and how she's been absorbing heat that way in small doses and says she's ready for anything.

Caitlin Snow is by far my favorite character in this new run so far for the JLA  book. In the Justice League vs. Suicide Squad event we saw a lot of her and we got her backstory about how she was inspired by Superman to finish college and be a scientist, how there was an accident and she was betrayed by her team and is now in this state. DC has portrayed Caitlin as someone who can be anything she wants, she hasn't committed to doing anything wrong nor has she shown any desire to do anything other than good. She also isn't really a fighter yet, she has the powers and she understands how to use them but JLvSS implied that she hasn't been using them much in fights and she probably doesn't know everything about them. The idea at the end that she didn't go totally cold turkey with heat was nice and it did show that she knows how to manage off of very little but it remains to be seen exactly how much control she has overall, like can she only take small or big amounts of heat? Ultimately this and Vixen  were my favorite issues of this so far and with Black Canary and Lobo also in this story under Batman's leadership, I honestly can't wait to see what's next and hoping that this Justice League of America won't be a letdown like the others #Stargirl4JSA.

1.

For those of you that don't know, Max Lord was a major figure in DC who in the Pre-Flashpoint universe, was a member of Checkmate, and had the power to influence people with is mind, most notably controlling Superman and using to attempt to kill Batman and other heroes. He was killed by Wonder Woman in order to break his hold on Superman but that was also part of his plan as the snapping of his neck is played on a loop on every television on the planet. He was later brought back in the event Brightest Day. In the New 52-Rebirth universe this stuff hasn't happened but Superman remembers because he's from that Pre-Flashpoint universe.