I like to give comics a little time to age to perfection before reviewing them. Usually, though, it’s because I forget to actually stop by the comic store. Sometimes I forget on purpose, since the thought of seeing multiple “Infinite House of Crisis M&Ms” crossover comics gives me headaches.
Hmm, looks like a lot of number threes today. Hope none are number two.
Zatanna #3
Ah, cheesecake cover. Lovely. Luckily, the story is quite involving and the dialogue is snappy and smart. I enjoy how Grant Morrison uses Zatanna’s history to his advantage, rather than ignoring or rewriting it. It reminds me of when Alan Moore would write great Green Lantern Corps or Superman stories: he used what other writers had done as jumping off points.
We get a tie-in to the Shining Knight series, but it seems more organic to the story and not an afterthought: always nice to see series that are planned to overlap, but still maintain their own stories.
Son of Vulcan #3
Since Comics Should Be Good demanded it, here’s what I thought about Son of Vulcan #3: it’s still a fun read, but three issues in and we’re still explaining backstory.
At the end of the last issue, the new Vulcan, Miguel, had failed to prove that he was indeed entitled to be Vulcan, so Vulcan’s valet, Praetor, expelled him from Vulcan’s HQ, the Forge. Pandora, another of Vulcan’s assistants, rescues him (and we find that she’s a robot of some kind, with removable limbs). The sequences of Miguel being expelled, Praetor dematerializing parts of the Forge, and Pandora’s rescue were quite confusing to me. It was hard to understand what exactly was happening: the art wasn’t helping much either.
Still, seems like most of the exposition is over, and the main plot is kicking in. I am still enjoying the comic for the most part (and I certainly appreciate that the Justice League cameo wasn’t plastered all over the cover (though I’m sure the comic could use the sales bump)).
Return of Donna Troy #3
Insane Donna breaks free and starts pounding on the Titans and Outsiders (I have no idea why the Outsiders are in this, really: Jade and Shift are barely used). Meanwhile, the secret of the planet the Titans of Myth covet is revealed: it’s got a Sun-Eater factory (a doomsday weapon from the pre-Crisis universe, used more recently in The Final Night crossover event). I guess I’m not sure why the Titans of Myth needed surrogates to dig a hole to Sun-Eater: you’d think being gods would give them some super-digging ability. Anyhow, everyone gets to beat up on Donna and Donna gets to beat up on them, until Nightwing finally gets smart and has Raven do a mind-meld with Donna to fix her up (which would have been my first move, really, but I can accept that).
So now Donna is good again and it’s time to fight the Titans of Myth. Next issue. Final one, thank X’hal.
Some stuff finally happens this issue. I get the feeling that this mini-series could have easily been about three issues, possibly two. Phil Jimenez’ scripts are too talky: explaining every little thing along the way, rather than showing it. The plot is the ever popular “fight your friend until she comes to her senses.” Since all the narration is done by Donna, there’s not a lot of doubt as to where it all ends up.
While this issue was better than the previous two, it still strikes me as being a four-issue exercise in futility. Donna Troy is a pretty messed up character, continuity-wise, and her death was handled as badly as this rebirth was. The writer is trying to make me think that Arsenal and Donna would make a good couple, when it seems an unlikely match (of all the indignities this character has suffered, surely the off panel killing of her husband and son ranks up there).
City of Heroes #3
All the heroes get their powers back and kick the villains’ butts. Killed characters come back to life. Nothing really changes.
I expected more from Mark Waid, but this story arc was quite disappointing. It felt like an episode of Star Trek: no matter what happened, you always knew that the main characters would be just fine at the end of the episode. Same is true here: the status quo is maintained.
I do find it rather amusing though that in the comic, when the heroes all got their powers back, they apparently got upgrades: more powerful blasts, new powers, etc. In the game itself, though, the players are all getting downgraded. Interesting.
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