Comic Book Case

Wonder Woman #22  (At least we know they've met before)

This issue is telling us how Doctor Cale and Diana first met at a charity auction where Cale purchased a date with her. There isn't much to this that we didn't already know but we do see what Cale wants at least in this moment. Creating a moment to get Diana to show her lasso so Doctor Cyber can analyze it and use the analysis to find Themyscira and that is pretty much all there is to it. The best thing about the issue was at the end where we see Diana approach Cale saying that she doesn't trust Cale, especially because he knows she had something to do with Doctor Minerva becoming the Cheetah.

Batman #23 (Dead Dad Club meeting 2017)

There has been a murder in Gotham City (big surprise huh?) Lloyd Mcgiin. No one knows anything about him, except that he would only leave his apartment o pay his rent and send and pick up mail. While investigating the scene, Swamp Thing shows up and tells Batman that Lloyd is his biological father who left him and his mother when he was young and not Swamp Thing. Lloyd had been writing him for years so Swamp Thing wants to help Batman find the killer. With the fact that Lloyd was shot on the 84th floor, Batman believes he had help from Kite Man who turns out sold a kite to a mercenary named Headhunter who Swamp Thing finds out is at the Gotham Museum thanks to the Green. When they find him, Swamp Thing kills him as he is talking. Batman is furious at this, saying that Swamp Thing used him and when Swamp Thing tries to say Batman doesn't understand because "it was my father" and that Swamp Thing felt bad about never reading the letters Lloyd sent. Swamp Thing disappears as Batman calls him a coward.

This issue.......... was decent but honestly I have no idea why it happened. The synopsis for the issue said it was dealing with the aftermath of the battle with Bane and that he was going to help Gotham Girl and that sacrifices had to be made but none of that happened. On the basis of the story itself, it did seem appropriate that someone who lost their father and wanted revenge would of course go to Batman who was also trying to solve the case in itself. Batman and Swamp Thing made a good team and they had good banter but the end felt a bit obvious.The whole thing from Swamp Thing and his dad was this song about life and death, the concept of rebirth in one way or another, etc and it all goes out the window when Swamp Thing meets up with Headhunter and Headhunter essentially mocks his father. It was a fun little story but I really hate when the synopsis is not the story we get.

Hal Jordan and the Green Lantern Corps. #20 (leave a book for a few issue and this happens)

So here I just want to give you a rundown on what exactly this book has been doing since we last left off. After Hal Jordan sacrificed himself to stop Sinestro, the Green Lanterns led by John Stewart and the Sinestro Corp led by Soranik have decided to join forces, mainly after defeating Larfleeze and Brainiac. At the same time, Hal was brought back from the dead (or rather a Lantern afterlife) at the hands of Kyle Rayner under the guidance of Ganthet and Sayd. Kyle and Hal later go find Saint Walker and they try to bring his corps members back to life but something or someone (possibly Doctor Manhattan) stops the process from happening.  Things start to go pretty well until Rip Hunter turns up from the future with a Green Lantern Ring and telling of a man named Sarko who has also come to the past to destroy the Green Lantern Corp. Sarko himself is currently out and about in space and is using Krona's gauntlet that Hal Jordan hid to use as his weapon. Hal himself goes out looking for the gauntlet where he last hid it as John uses the two lanterns to hold off the constructs created by Krona's gauntlet.

Hal Jordan and the Green Lanterns is the book for long time Green Lantern fans where Green Lanterns is the book more for newcomers to the book. Robert Venditti has never really been on my list of good writers, primarily because of his run on Green Lantern and Green Lantern Corps felt a a bit stupid which when combined with my dislike of Green Lantern: New Guardians I just kind of had the lowest expectations for him. It also may have been that I was super frustrated with having to buy 3-4 book just to get a full story of his events (DC and Marvel, don't do that again). Here though it seems that he is keeping his focus on one book and with the big story going on in Rebirth with Doctor Manhattan or whoever it seems he can't go TOO far with some ideas. Hal, John, Guy, and Kyle all get times to shine and since they are in the same book it makes it easier to keep track of them. The question is though, who is Sarko? He says that he knows the history of the Green Lanterns as well as anyone as his father told him and he is doing what he's doing to save the Sinestro Corp and he does look a Korugarian so I wonder if he could be Soranik's son?

Green Lanterns #23 (I'll Make a Man Out of You!)

Jessica and Simon begin their training under Guy and Kyle. Guy taking the role of drill sergeant douchebag, running Jessica through a variety of challenges while he yells and berates her while Kyle essentially plays Game Master as Simon is tasked to land one solid hit on him. At the same time Volthoom, still in Rami's body is going through Rami's files trying to find a way to destroy the Green Lanterns but finds that his Travel Lantern is still around, he just needs the first seven rings created to do get it and with that he can return home and hopefully save his mother.

This issue was just fun on so many levels. We got a lot of additional lore to the Green Lanterns, how the first lantern was from the Third World, named Alitha. Jessica and Guy's training is intensely hilarious as Jessica's internal dialogue is once again brilliant. When Killowog arrives we see what the purpose of the training may have been, to know that her Willpower will always be there, there is no "I'm out" and it may also be to see how long before she belts Guy in the face. Simon's was a bit more obvious, Kyle says he needs to be more dynamic and creative with his constructs, more creativity and imagination. It's essentially Jessica learning from level 1 with Simon being at level 2.

Detective Comics #956 (a decent ending)

Batman and Orphan engage Shiva and her forces while Batwing and Azrael try to diffuse Shiva's bomb while Clayface keeps Batwoman safe. Shiva talks of how Orphan and Batman lack the conviction to kill and how Ra's has too much reach in Gotham City and that the only way to stop it is to destroy Gotham City, comparing killing to removing a cancer. Orphan herself takes the point here, saying that she is not less than anything and that has made her choice and proceeds to gain the advantage in the fight, not killing Shiva but hurting her. Before Shiva can tell Orphan why she has become this person who burns down cities, she is shot by Ra's. Ra's is here to handle clean up, thanking Batman and Orphan for their help. Shiva whispers something to Orphan  Ra's says he will handle everything here and Batman and company leave. A week later, Batman and Kate talk about what how Cassandra seems to be handling things as they prepare to take her to the ballet, Batman tells Kate that after what he has remembered from Ra's using magic to free his memory, he realizes that he has to go back to something from his past, to when he entered a world that was never his: the world of magic.

This issue and story were a bit........... lacking in some places. Maybe I missed something but the conversation between Orphan and Shiva seemed a bit lacking on Orphan's side and that is sad because everything else about their dynamic was great. Maybe it was because we never really get the feel of Batman in parallel to Shiva as a parental figure to Orphan. Jake showed again that his love for his daughter may be his one saving grace in a way to similar to General Lane. Shiva felt dynamic, controlled, and the idea that she was once like Batman before she realized exactly what Ra's is planning I felt was excellent but kind of is overshadowed by her first fight with Orphan where she totally discards her daughter. I'm wondering how Batman being accused of murder is going to impact later stories in this book. Overall, solid issue, decent story.

Superman #23 (Ohhhhh, so that's who that guy is!)

As Lois tries to free herself from Cobb, Superman tries to find out what sort of tubes Batman and the others are in as well as find Jon. Before he can, Cobb starts to hurt Lois which Superman hears and he just erupts from the ground to save her. Before he can get more info out of Cobb, a monster attacks the city and Superman goes to help with Lois. The mayor and others try to kill the monster while Superman is trying to save both the people and the monster which ultimately ends with Lois getting her leg cut off in the skirmish. Lois cauterizes the wound and takes Lois to the hospital before leaving the whole time, Jon has been watching on a screen, with Manchester Black of the Elite revealing himself to be in control.

This was an interesting reveal that it turns out, most Superman fans knew was going to be the reveal. This makes a lot of what we see make sense when he says he doesn't want to hurt Jon or Lois. Manchester Black wants there to be a newer, better, Superman who sees things in black and white, to realize that killing your enemies is better than leaving them alive. This doesn't exactly explain everything like the milk which is interfering with Jon's powers, or what role Kathy plays in this though. Ultimately a good reveal that leaves me wonder what is coming next.

Batman and Flash: The Button (Love it)

Batman is busy in the Cave, partially watching the hockey game while at the same time contemplating the Button that appeared in the Batcave back in Rebirth when it reacts to the Psycho-Pirates mask and all of a sudden, Batman sees Flashpoint Batman, Thomas Wayne. Before Batman can do anything he disappears so he quickly calls Flash who says he will be there in minute and then Reverse Flash shows up saying he sensed a power that woke him from his "death". Batman tries to hold him off but there is little he can do to Reverse Flash, he can't even stop him from tearing up the letter Flashpoint Batman wrote Bruce. Reverse Flash grabs the Button and then disappears only to reappear scared out of his mind saying he saw God before he dies as Flash shows up.

Barry starts to go over the scene of Reverse Flash's death while Batman recovers, noticing that Reverse Flash's body is covered with his Speed Force energy. This makes him wonder if he himself killed Reverse Flash. He decides to use the Cosmic Treadmill to hopefully find the button that wasn't on Reverse Flash's possession. Using the Cosmic Treadmill, Flash and Batman attempt to find it and they go through the time stream where they see a variety of different times with different moments of the Justice League involving the two of them, most noticeably Identity Crisis. A storm then knocks them into the Flashpoint Universe where they meet Thomas Wayne.

Thomas Wayne isn't exactly happy to see Flash let alone to be alive as he thought that Flash returning to his own time meant that Bruce never died and with Aquaman and Wonder Woman's forces agreeing to kill him, he's in no mood to keep going and lashes out at Flash. Flash says that while it may feel like years for him, it has only been months since he himself first entered and left Flashpoint. Bruce and Thomas have a bit of a chat though reluctant on both sides, they fight the forces of Aquaman and Wonder Woman while Flash repairs the treadmill. Bruce tells his father that one thing he always wanted to tell him was that he has a son, and that means he is a grandfather. Before anything more can be said, the universe starts to fall apart. Flash finishes the treadmill and begins to power it up, Bruce wants Thomas to come with them but Thomas refuses and says Bruce should stop being Batman, that he doesn't need to do it for him or his mother and that he should just be a father to his son. As Bruce and Flash head off, Thomas remembers what he told Bruce when he was a boy, that Wayne's don't stay down, they rise as he charges into the light that is destroying the universe. While Bruce and Flash talk about what just happened, they realize that something kept the Flashpoint around and only destroyed it afterwards, which makes them wonder if they did it because it was the only possible way to kill the two of them, outside of their own universe. As they contemplate this, Reverse Flash runs past them, still holding the button, he says he has seen things they wouldn't believe and the his going to kill the person behind it. This is Reverse Flash who disappeared, meaning he will son reappear in the Batcave dying.

As Flash and Batman (called him Bruce when was with his dad) chase after Reverse Flash, Batman hears a voice calling and though Flash dismisses it as an echo of a dead time line, Reverse Flash speeds up from them as the treadmill begins to break. Reverse Flash finds himself face to face with the person behind this and he is afraid for his life as he begs to be spared. Batman and Flash begin to be dragged into the hurricane but the voice speaks out to them and Flash recognizes the voice and yells out Jay which is what the voice needs to be able to become solid and physical to save Batman Flash, bringing them back to the Batcave. Flash asks the person who they are and before they can take hands to remember, he is zapped away in a blue light. Later one, Bruce and Barry stand in front of the graves of Thomas and Martha Wayne and wonder who or what killed Reverse Flash and while they know more, they don't know enough. Later that night, Bruce watches the Bat-Signal, the words of his father in his head still clear as Alfred asks if he will be heading out to which Bruce doesn't answer. Elsewhere, Doctor Manhattan picks up the button and recites what he said to Laurie in Watchmen, how everything is pre-ordained, even his plan. 

This event was honestly awesome. The character Jay, or Jay Garrick was the first Flash is personally my favorite and I'm not sure if he is dead at the hands of Doctor Manhattan or just placed somewhere else. I'm hoping he isn't dead because it has felt like the JSA has been hinting at a return with members from the Legion of Superheroes, and JSA members essentially acting like something happened that one else knew about. With that in mind, I haven't seen Star Girl or Shazam anywhere, both former members of the JSA team. The story itself was really good, it did feel like the book felt it could solve the mystery of the button totally. A recent interview with Geoff Johns did say that a lot of what happened there was designed to make Batman doubt himself and get him out of the way and this makes sense since Batman has been preparing for SOMETHING big and Batman is like a fusion of Rorschach and Ozymandias with a dash of Nite Owl. The moment with Thomas Wayne does feel like Ozymandias' plan to keep Manhattan off his game and off planet. Ultimately this story was great and I really really wish we could have gotten Jay back but maybe Barry was right, maybe he wasn't the lightning rod he  needed to come back and hopefully he isn't dead. Really great story that promises more and more from the mystery of the button.