wktf
02-02-2006, 11:03 AM
Sam Wilson’s Reviews
Another excellent week at the LCS, starting witih two great trades, the Avengers: Operation Galactic Storm tpb and the Roy Thomas Marvel Visionaries hardcover. Probably the biggest release this week in my opinion is Gotham Central, which serves us with it’s last issue (but the story will continue on in the “52” series out after “Infinite Crisis” finishes up). Other notables this week include Snake Eyes: Declassified, The Punisher (the last part in the best “Punisher” story in a long time) and my pick of the week Fury: Peacemaker. With that being said, let’s get on to the reviews…
Y the Last Man #42
DC/Vertigo Comics
Written by: Brian K. Vaughn
Drawn by: Goran Sdzuka
For those of you who haven’t been paying attention, Y the Last Man is this century's Preacher for DC/Vertigo. It’s epic, engrossing, suspenseful and has a definite conclusion, but will definitely go for as long as it has to before it gets there. In a nutshell, “Y” is about Yorick brown, the last man on Earth. See, there was this huge plague, and it killed all male creatures on Earth, except for Yorick and his pet monkey, Ampersand. Yorick isn’t your average joe though, his mom was a congresswoman, and after the plague she was the highest member of the United States government left alive so she then became the President. After the plague hit (the men died within days) Yorick carefully made his way to DC to figure things out. His mother promptly sent him on a mission to save mankind (no pressure) with Agent 355, a highly trained operative of the US Government who belongs to an agency called “the Culper Ring”. No idea what they’re about, but they’re mysterious. So Yorick makes his way cross-country with Agent 355 to a Dr. Leslie Mann in San Francisco, the Earth’s foremost expert on human cloning, only all her research gets destroyed. She has back up research in Japan, so off they go in hopes to save humanity. Along the way they have run into by Amazons, crazed right-wingers, the Israeli’s and Pirates (yes, Pirates). No one said saving the world would be easy…
Recently in “Y” Yorick has made it to Australia to search for Beth, his girlfriend and didn’t find her. Instead he got his picture taken by a tabloid journalist only to have agent 355 smack the snot out of her. Then we got the origin of 355 which was, well pretty bad a$#ed quite honestly and in issue #42 we have the origin of Ampersand, Yorick's monkey and thus far the only other male to survive the plague. There is not much I can really say here without ruining things, but I can say the little dookie-thrower seems to fit into the greater scheme of things way more than you would think.
So enough already, pick up the book. There are tpb’s collecting all the storylines thus far. It’s a no-brainer. It’s good, well written, well drawn, and damn entertaining.
Supreme Power: Nighthawk issue #6 (of 6)
Marvel MAX Comics
Written by: Daniel Way
Drawn by: Steve Dillon
Nighthawk is the mysterious anti-hero from J. Michael Straczynski’s “Supreme Power” series, a modern take on the classic Mark Gruewald tale “Squadron Supreme”. Nighthawk, aka Kyle Richmond, is the “Batman” of his universe: we find out his parents were killed in a racially motivated incident (Kyle is black) and well, they were loaded and left him a lot of money. Nighthawk patrols the mean streets of South Chicago, and deals with that criminal element with in a brutally physical way. He’s come across with other hero’s of his earth (Hyperion, Blur) and has even worked a case with them, but isn’t their “friend”. He does what he has to do to protect his streets and see that justice is done in a swift and final manner.
Thus far in the “Nighthawk” limited series: a ne’er do well spraying anti-black statements in a black neighborhood, and well, Nighthawk catches him. Then we cut to an imprisoned pharmacist who seems to have genocidal tendencies. Oh yeah, then there is Nighthawk’s very own “commissioner Gordon” (who knew he even had one?). Issue two shows that same pharmacist break out of prison in the guise of a clown (yes, I said clown) and work on a master plan to poison a hell of a lot of people, people who no one gives a crap about, drug abusers (who just happen to be mostly made up of racial and ethnic minorities and the poor). Issue three opens up with a citywide epidemic. Overnight thousands of “crackheads” have shown up at local hospitals and died, horribly and violently. City government is in turmoil, on one hand its just “druggies” who are dying, but still, that’s a hell of a lot of people dead, oh, and the cities largest drug dealer? He’s a judge. Not to worry though, Nighthawk is on the case, and he deals with things in a swift and violent manner, but the way things are left at the end of the issue, his conflict with the genocidal clown is only beginning to heat up. Anyway, the mayor makes some tough comments concerning the victims of this current epidemic, and ends up eating his own words when our “mad clown” sets loose the same poison he is using on the crackheads onto the mayors son’s birthday party, killing most of the attendee’s including his wife and child. Then the mayor does something you would never expect, the crap totally hit’s the fan, Nighthawk finally catches up with the mad clown but the clown gets the drop on him and both are caught in a huge explosion. Nighthawk manages to make it out and gets himself into a hospital, and that brings us to issue six, the big conclusion.
As I’ve said before, “Nighthawk” is all about hate. The clown hates so he kills people, Nighthawk hates so he beats the living crap out of bad guys. In issue six all that hate comes to a head and more people die and more people get their butt kicked, and some even get brought to justice. I can’t really say much more and not ruin the ending, but for the record there is a bright spot at the end and our hero doesn’t quite take that jump into the abyss. So pick this book up if you haven’t already, or wait a couple of months for the tpb which is sure to be announced soon. With it’s top-notch creative team “Nighthawk” is a cool book to read even if you aren’t into the whole “Supreme Power” thing.
Fury: Peacemaker #1 of 6
Marvel Knights
Written by: Garth Ennis
Drawn by: Darick Robertson
For the second Time Garth Ennis and Darick Robertson tack the legendary Marvel Character Nick Fury (the first time being in the often overlooked Marvel MAX series Fury), but instead of his modern adventures they take him back, all the way back. They take him to a time before he even hooked up with the “Howling Commandos” (no, not that lame werewolf title, you know, the “Howling Commando’s”: Gabe, Dum Dum, etc), back to when he was just an infantry SGT in the United States Army during World War Two. If you have ever read any of Ennis’s “War Story” books from Vertigo, you know the man has an affinity for the genre, and who better to script Nick Fury’s pre-Howling Commando WW2 adventures?
Peacemaker opens with Fury and his unit in North Africa. Relatively new to the war, they are currently getting their keisters handed to them by the Germans. The combat is unlike anything he was prepared for and a lot of people die and Fury is pushed and pushed hard. The end of this issue is more like a beginning for Fury and well, you are going to have to pick the book up if you want any more details.
Honestly, I would love to see this series spin off into a new “Nick Fury and his Howling Commando’s” series with Garth Ennis at the helm. Who knows? If this book sells well, it may. Is it good? Yeah, it’s all right. Admittedly this first issue is mostly set up, not a whole lot going on and it can be kind of confusing at times, but I can guarantee you at the end a definite tone is set for the rest of the series. I will be seeing this series out, and I hope it is successful.
Wktf’s Reviews
Decent size dollar week. Picked up the Joe Kubert Batman Black & White mini statue as well as the Superman #1 mini statue. The Roy Thomas Marvel Visionary HC was a must and I added the House of M tpb to that. By the time I got to my lcs they ran out of the Avengers: Galactic Storm tpb, as they did with Ennis’ Nick Fury: Peacemaker, otherwise these would have been on the bill as well. For comics, these three topped my list for the week:
Captain America #14
Marvel Comics
Written by: Ed Brubaker
Drawn by: Steve Epting
Does anyone out there not know about “The Winter Soldier” story arc at this point? Bill Mummy, star of TV and radio, occasional Marvel Comics writer, and (according to his letter in this issue) friend of the late, great Jack Kirby, wrote, “A story this powerful and well done comes along very rarely. As an old fan of the characters, I just had to write and say thanks.” I totally agree and, apparently, so do most of the comics reading public. Not to get caught up in hyperbole, but this is one of those runs, like Simonson’s Thor, Byrne’s FF, or Stern/Buscema’s Avengers, where you were glad you were along for the ride as it was going down.
With the aid of Iron Man, Cap and The Falcon have tracked the Cosmic Cube to an underground facility in West Virginia in hopes the Winter Soldier, whom Cap now knows is his old partner Bucky Barnes, will be there too. Along the way in this arc, the Red Skull has been murdered, a WMD has been set off in Philadelphia, SHIELD agents have been murdered, and Cap has learned the horrible truth about our cold war killer. After Cap and Sam surprise Bucky with a frontal assault they then take it to dozens of armed villains while, it appears, the Winter Soldier has gone to ground. Of course, he doesn’t really disappear. He’s lying in wait for Captain America for their final showdown. And a showdown it is, a physical and psychological battle that tests both men. There are plenty of surprises in this story and, of course, no one expected it to resolve with any real finality. Thankfully, for the sake of future stories, there are a lot of broken pieces to pick up at the end of this issue and we readers should echo Bill Mummy’s thanks for this long arc which truly will change our lead character’s life forever and turns a truism of Marvel history on its head.
An especially nice touch was this issue’s cover. Cap and The Winter Soldier face off against each other with Alex Schomburg’s cover to 1943’s Captain America #27, with Cap and the young Bucky on motorcycle, in the background. From allies in battle during WWII to battling each other today. What a swiftly ironic touch.
Gotham Central #40
DC Comics
Written by: Greg Rucka
Drawn by: Kano
As good as this month’s Captain America was, Gotham Central is my pick of the week.
Farewell, Gotham Central. We hardly knew ye. You gave us 40 issues of, for the most part, some of the best stories and story arcs in all of comics. It’s sad you never really found your critical mass audience to support you. But thanks for the great stories which, we can only hope, DC will continue to reproduce is tpb form.
Crispus Allen is dead, shot in the back by Jim Corrigan. The OTHER Jim Corrigan, the heinously crooked cop who collects evidence for the GCPD. And, with Allen murdered, Renee Montoya who has risen from a b-string character, known more for partnering with Harvey Bullock on BTAS than anything else, to one of the most complicated characters in all of the DCU, is about to go over the edge. Corrigan is brought in smiling and she knows he has rigged some scheme through which he’ll get off. Corrigan and his kinky cop girlfriend are interrogated separately, but this is Gotham City. Justice rarely happens within the law.
One of the most painful parts of this brutal book is at Allen’s post funeral reception. Montoya has a brief chat with Jake, Allen’s son, and both of them agreeing it should have been her to die rather than Crispus. This conversation sends her straight to the bar where she gets liquored up enough to turn truly ugly. Special kudos to Kano, by the way for contorting Renee’s face through sadness, anger, despair and pure rage. This is as clean and pure an emotional range depiction as you get in comics.
Would any of these characters feel any better knowing that Crispus Allen is the new host for the Spectre, per the last Infinite Crisis installment? Probably not. He’d still be dead after all. However, when he rose from the autopsy table with Corrigan’s name on his lips, we have to believe we’ll be coming back to Gotham Central soon, if not necessarily in this book. Plus we are promised more on the life of Montoya. I, for one, will be looking forward to more about all of these fine characters.
Green Lantern #8
DC Comics
Written by: Geoff Johns
Drawn by: Carlos Pacheco
Between his run on Superman/Batman with its nod to “What Ever Happened to the Man of Tomorrow?” and, now, Green Lantern and its tip of the hat to “What Do You Give The Man Who Has Everything?” Carlos Pacheco is going to develop a reputation for following in Alan Moore’s Superman stories footprints. His art’s so damn fine, though, he should be able to do whatever he wants.
Last issue Mongul, son of the Mongul who destroyed Coast City and set Hal Jordan on the long path of madness (okay, we now know he had some help from Parallax), came to Earth to continue his father’s work of domination. One could argue Johns is trying to draw parallels to George W. Bush and George HW Bush (both sets of fathers and sons share the same name) but that discussion probably would be a bit of a stretch in a comic book review. Hal is so hell-bent on stopping Mongul Jr. that he deserts his brother’s family and his nephew Howard’s birthday, with no promise of making it back on time, to pursue him with Green Arrow in tow. Unfortunately for our heroes they’ve been trapped by the same fantasy-inducing plan Mongul Sr. used on Superman all those years ago and now both are nearly comatose living out their versions of a perfect life.
The only difference is that Green Lantern and Green Arrow’s consciousness are joined together by a single plant and, as Hal’s will trumps Ollie’s, Green Arrow begins to recognize the world Hal’s thoughts create for him cannot be right. But their fantasies are intriguing, revolving around the family life that both truly wish they could have, most especially Hal. Both Hal and Ollie at the end of the story make moves in reality to act on this dream of a stronger family. But, before they can do that both have to get through Mongul and Mongal (?), Mongul’s sister with whom Mongul states he no longer wishes to share their father’s legacy. We don’t fully appreciate this statement at the time it’s made, as our heroes launch into battle with the two superpowerful villains, but fully realize its grisly weight at the tale’s end.
All in all, this was a decent enough two-parter whose art far outstripped the story, in the end. Unfortunately, it wasn’t much more than a distraction which is surprising for as fine a writer as Johns and, for the most part, this book has not lived up to its “Rebirth” predecessor. However, the next story involves the Batman in which the teaser copy asks, “Plus, just what does fear mean to the Batman? Be here to find out!” Well, maybe. I fear this book may have run its course with me.
Another excellent week at the LCS, starting witih two great trades, the Avengers: Operation Galactic Storm tpb and the Roy Thomas Marvel Visionaries hardcover. Probably the biggest release this week in my opinion is Gotham Central, which serves us with it’s last issue (but the story will continue on in the “52” series out after “Infinite Crisis” finishes up). Other notables this week include Snake Eyes: Declassified, The Punisher (the last part in the best “Punisher” story in a long time) and my pick of the week Fury: Peacemaker. With that being said, let’s get on to the reviews…
Y the Last Man #42
DC/Vertigo Comics
Written by: Brian K. Vaughn
Drawn by: Goran Sdzuka
For those of you who haven’t been paying attention, Y the Last Man is this century's Preacher for DC/Vertigo. It’s epic, engrossing, suspenseful and has a definite conclusion, but will definitely go for as long as it has to before it gets there. In a nutshell, “Y” is about Yorick brown, the last man on Earth. See, there was this huge plague, and it killed all male creatures on Earth, except for Yorick and his pet monkey, Ampersand. Yorick isn’t your average joe though, his mom was a congresswoman, and after the plague she was the highest member of the United States government left alive so she then became the President. After the plague hit (the men died within days) Yorick carefully made his way to DC to figure things out. His mother promptly sent him on a mission to save mankind (no pressure) with Agent 355, a highly trained operative of the US Government who belongs to an agency called “the Culper Ring”. No idea what they’re about, but they’re mysterious. So Yorick makes his way cross-country with Agent 355 to a Dr. Leslie Mann in San Francisco, the Earth’s foremost expert on human cloning, only all her research gets destroyed. She has back up research in Japan, so off they go in hopes to save humanity. Along the way they have run into by Amazons, crazed right-wingers, the Israeli’s and Pirates (yes, Pirates). No one said saving the world would be easy…
Recently in “Y” Yorick has made it to Australia to search for Beth, his girlfriend and didn’t find her. Instead he got his picture taken by a tabloid journalist only to have agent 355 smack the snot out of her. Then we got the origin of 355 which was, well pretty bad a$#ed quite honestly and in issue #42 we have the origin of Ampersand, Yorick's monkey and thus far the only other male to survive the plague. There is not much I can really say here without ruining things, but I can say the little dookie-thrower seems to fit into the greater scheme of things way more than you would think.
So enough already, pick up the book. There are tpb’s collecting all the storylines thus far. It’s a no-brainer. It’s good, well written, well drawn, and damn entertaining.
Supreme Power: Nighthawk issue #6 (of 6)
Marvel MAX Comics
Written by: Daniel Way
Drawn by: Steve Dillon
Nighthawk is the mysterious anti-hero from J. Michael Straczynski’s “Supreme Power” series, a modern take on the classic Mark Gruewald tale “Squadron Supreme”. Nighthawk, aka Kyle Richmond, is the “Batman” of his universe: we find out his parents were killed in a racially motivated incident (Kyle is black) and well, they were loaded and left him a lot of money. Nighthawk patrols the mean streets of South Chicago, and deals with that criminal element with in a brutally physical way. He’s come across with other hero’s of his earth (Hyperion, Blur) and has even worked a case with them, but isn’t their “friend”. He does what he has to do to protect his streets and see that justice is done in a swift and final manner.
Thus far in the “Nighthawk” limited series: a ne’er do well spraying anti-black statements in a black neighborhood, and well, Nighthawk catches him. Then we cut to an imprisoned pharmacist who seems to have genocidal tendencies. Oh yeah, then there is Nighthawk’s very own “commissioner Gordon” (who knew he even had one?). Issue two shows that same pharmacist break out of prison in the guise of a clown (yes, I said clown) and work on a master plan to poison a hell of a lot of people, people who no one gives a crap about, drug abusers (who just happen to be mostly made up of racial and ethnic minorities and the poor). Issue three opens up with a citywide epidemic. Overnight thousands of “crackheads” have shown up at local hospitals and died, horribly and violently. City government is in turmoil, on one hand its just “druggies” who are dying, but still, that’s a hell of a lot of people dead, oh, and the cities largest drug dealer? He’s a judge. Not to worry though, Nighthawk is on the case, and he deals with things in a swift and violent manner, but the way things are left at the end of the issue, his conflict with the genocidal clown is only beginning to heat up. Anyway, the mayor makes some tough comments concerning the victims of this current epidemic, and ends up eating his own words when our “mad clown” sets loose the same poison he is using on the crackheads onto the mayors son’s birthday party, killing most of the attendee’s including his wife and child. Then the mayor does something you would never expect, the crap totally hit’s the fan, Nighthawk finally catches up with the mad clown but the clown gets the drop on him and both are caught in a huge explosion. Nighthawk manages to make it out and gets himself into a hospital, and that brings us to issue six, the big conclusion.
As I’ve said before, “Nighthawk” is all about hate. The clown hates so he kills people, Nighthawk hates so he beats the living crap out of bad guys. In issue six all that hate comes to a head and more people die and more people get their butt kicked, and some even get brought to justice. I can’t really say much more and not ruin the ending, but for the record there is a bright spot at the end and our hero doesn’t quite take that jump into the abyss. So pick this book up if you haven’t already, or wait a couple of months for the tpb which is sure to be announced soon. With it’s top-notch creative team “Nighthawk” is a cool book to read even if you aren’t into the whole “Supreme Power” thing.
Fury: Peacemaker #1 of 6
Marvel Knights
Written by: Garth Ennis
Drawn by: Darick Robertson
For the second Time Garth Ennis and Darick Robertson tack the legendary Marvel Character Nick Fury (the first time being in the often overlooked Marvel MAX series Fury), but instead of his modern adventures they take him back, all the way back. They take him to a time before he even hooked up with the “Howling Commandos” (no, not that lame werewolf title, you know, the “Howling Commando’s”: Gabe, Dum Dum, etc), back to when he was just an infantry SGT in the United States Army during World War Two. If you have ever read any of Ennis’s “War Story” books from Vertigo, you know the man has an affinity for the genre, and who better to script Nick Fury’s pre-Howling Commando WW2 adventures?
Peacemaker opens with Fury and his unit in North Africa. Relatively new to the war, they are currently getting their keisters handed to them by the Germans. The combat is unlike anything he was prepared for and a lot of people die and Fury is pushed and pushed hard. The end of this issue is more like a beginning for Fury and well, you are going to have to pick the book up if you want any more details.
Honestly, I would love to see this series spin off into a new “Nick Fury and his Howling Commando’s” series with Garth Ennis at the helm. Who knows? If this book sells well, it may. Is it good? Yeah, it’s all right. Admittedly this first issue is mostly set up, not a whole lot going on and it can be kind of confusing at times, but I can guarantee you at the end a definite tone is set for the rest of the series. I will be seeing this series out, and I hope it is successful.
Wktf’s Reviews
Decent size dollar week. Picked up the Joe Kubert Batman Black & White mini statue as well as the Superman #1 mini statue. The Roy Thomas Marvel Visionary HC was a must and I added the House of M tpb to that. By the time I got to my lcs they ran out of the Avengers: Galactic Storm tpb, as they did with Ennis’ Nick Fury: Peacemaker, otherwise these would have been on the bill as well. For comics, these three topped my list for the week:
Captain America #14
Marvel Comics
Written by: Ed Brubaker
Drawn by: Steve Epting
Does anyone out there not know about “The Winter Soldier” story arc at this point? Bill Mummy, star of TV and radio, occasional Marvel Comics writer, and (according to his letter in this issue) friend of the late, great Jack Kirby, wrote, “A story this powerful and well done comes along very rarely. As an old fan of the characters, I just had to write and say thanks.” I totally agree and, apparently, so do most of the comics reading public. Not to get caught up in hyperbole, but this is one of those runs, like Simonson’s Thor, Byrne’s FF, or Stern/Buscema’s Avengers, where you were glad you were along for the ride as it was going down.
With the aid of Iron Man, Cap and The Falcon have tracked the Cosmic Cube to an underground facility in West Virginia in hopes the Winter Soldier, whom Cap now knows is his old partner Bucky Barnes, will be there too. Along the way in this arc, the Red Skull has been murdered, a WMD has been set off in Philadelphia, SHIELD agents have been murdered, and Cap has learned the horrible truth about our cold war killer. After Cap and Sam surprise Bucky with a frontal assault they then take it to dozens of armed villains while, it appears, the Winter Soldier has gone to ground. Of course, he doesn’t really disappear. He’s lying in wait for Captain America for their final showdown. And a showdown it is, a physical and psychological battle that tests both men. There are plenty of surprises in this story and, of course, no one expected it to resolve with any real finality. Thankfully, for the sake of future stories, there are a lot of broken pieces to pick up at the end of this issue and we readers should echo Bill Mummy’s thanks for this long arc which truly will change our lead character’s life forever and turns a truism of Marvel history on its head.
An especially nice touch was this issue’s cover. Cap and The Winter Soldier face off against each other with Alex Schomburg’s cover to 1943’s Captain America #27, with Cap and the young Bucky on motorcycle, in the background. From allies in battle during WWII to battling each other today. What a swiftly ironic touch.
Gotham Central #40
DC Comics
Written by: Greg Rucka
Drawn by: Kano
As good as this month’s Captain America was, Gotham Central is my pick of the week.
Farewell, Gotham Central. We hardly knew ye. You gave us 40 issues of, for the most part, some of the best stories and story arcs in all of comics. It’s sad you never really found your critical mass audience to support you. But thanks for the great stories which, we can only hope, DC will continue to reproduce is tpb form.
Crispus Allen is dead, shot in the back by Jim Corrigan. The OTHER Jim Corrigan, the heinously crooked cop who collects evidence for the GCPD. And, with Allen murdered, Renee Montoya who has risen from a b-string character, known more for partnering with Harvey Bullock on BTAS than anything else, to one of the most complicated characters in all of the DCU, is about to go over the edge. Corrigan is brought in smiling and she knows he has rigged some scheme through which he’ll get off. Corrigan and his kinky cop girlfriend are interrogated separately, but this is Gotham City. Justice rarely happens within the law.
One of the most painful parts of this brutal book is at Allen’s post funeral reception. Montoya has a brief chat with Jake, Allen’s son, and both of them agreeing it should have been her to die rather than Crispus. This conversation sends her straight to the bar where she gets liquored up enough to turn truly ugly. Special kudos to Kano, by the way for contorting Renee’s face through sadness, anger, despair and pure rage. This is as clean and pure an emotional range depiction as you get in comics.
Would any of these characters feel any better knowing that Crispus Allen is the new host for the Spectre, per the last Infinite Crisis installment? Probably not. He’d still be dead after all. However, when he rose from the autopsy table with Corrigan’s name on his lips, we have to believe we’ll be coming back to Gotham Central soon, if not necessarily in this book. Plus we are promised more on the life of Montoya. I, for one, will be looking forward to more about all of these fine characters.
Green Lantern #8
DC Comics
Written by: Geoff Johns
Drawn by: Carlos Pacheco
Between his run on Superman/Batman with its nod to “What Ever Happened to the Man of Tomorrow?” and, now, Green Lantern and its tip of the hat to “What Do You Give The Man Who Has Everything?” Carlos Pacheco is going to develop a reputation for following in Alan Moore’s Superman stories footprints. His art’s so damn fine, though, he should be able to do whatever he wants.
Last issue Mongul, son of the Mongul who destroyed Coast City and set Hal Jordan on the long path of madness (okay, we now know he had some help from Parallax), came to Earth to continue his father’s work of domination. One could argue Johns is trying to draw parallels to George W. Bush and George HW Bush (both sets of fathers and sons share the same name) but that discussion probably would be a bit of a stretch in a comic book review. Hal is so hell-bent on stopping Mongul Jr. that he deserts his brother’s family and his nephew Howard’s birthday, with no promise of making it back on time, to pursue him with Green Arrow in tow. Unfortunately for our heroes they’ve been trapped by the same fantasy-inducing plan Mongul Sr. used on Superman all those years ago and now both are nearly comatose living out their versions of a perfect life.
The only difference is that Green Lantern and Green Arrow’s consciousness are joined together by a single plant and, as Hal’s will trumps Ollie’s, Green Arrow begins to recognize the world Hal’s thoughts create for him cannot be right. But their fantasies are intriguing, revolving around the family life that both truly wish they could have, most especially Hal. Both Hal and Ollie at the end of the story make moves in reality to act on this dream of a stronger family. But, before they can do that both have to get through Mongul and Mongal (?), Mongul’s sister with whom Mongul states he no longer wishes to share their father’s legacy. We don’t fully appreciate this statement at the time it’s made, as our heroes launch into battle with the two superpowerful villains, but fully realize its grisly weight at the tale’s end.
All in all, this was a decent enough two-parter whose art far outstripped the story, in the end. Unfortunately, it wasn’t much more than a distraction which is surprising for as fine a writer as Johns and, for the most part, this book has not lived up to its “Rebirth” predecessor. However, the next story involves the Batman in which the teaser copy asks, “Plus, just what does fear mean to the Batman? Be here to find out!” Well, maybe. I fear this book may have run its course with me.