The stack was kind of small this week, so I thought I’d do a quick run-down. There be tons and tons of spoilers, so be warned.
Adam Strange 4 is a bit of a breather issue, with Adam making his escape from the Thanagarians only to run smack into the Omega Men, a group of freedom fighters from the Vega System (and the 1980s). They’ve been hanging around where Rann used to be, following up on a premonition from one of their companions. The book has a likable script from Andy Diggle, lovely and varied art from Pascal Ferry, and enough developments to pass the content test. I can’t say I’m too enthusiastic about the “end of the universe” portents, because I’ve been enjoying the focused scale of the story thus far. Still, this is one of my favorite DC titles and easily one of the best mini-series in ages.
It’s too early to make any sweeping judgments based on Legion of Super-Heroes 1, but I must admit to being a bit uneasy about this. There isn’t much variety to the voices of the characters yet, and they seem too jaded. The themes turn in on themselves: the young heroes want to buck the existing system, but is this out of altruism or generic rebellion? They relish their civil disobedience, and they’re keenly aware of the usefulness of media exposure. Writer Mark Waid has given them an awfully slick set-up, which is potentially interesting, but there might be pitfalls in it. While there does seem to be an underlying core of sincerity and optimism in the cast, which hopefully will emerge more fully, I can’t say I’m game for another tinny, self-aware super-hero comic that’s ultimately about super-hero comics. Art by Barry Kitson is polished and clean, with nouveau-retro costume designs smack in the middle of Curt Swan and Keith Giffen. There seem to have been some fairly major production problems on a couple of pages, with word balloons drifting around. (Edited to note that I’m not very observant, and this was an intentional visual effect to demonstrate the advanced communication technology.) And the title typeset is really dull.
Supreme Power 14 makes the unsurprising revelation that the U.S. government isn’t just utterly amoral, it’s really, really sloppy. It’s a predictable turn of events, but it provides some decent fodder for future stories. Hyperion, Nighthawk, and Blur make a total botch of their take-down of the super-powered serial killer, which leads to philosophical disagreements and varying degrees of regret. SP often features some interesting, sophisticated ideas and surprising plot twists, but it moves very slowly between bumps of activity. It’s also happily convinced of how cool it is, which can be grating. This is one of the livelier outings in its run, but there’s something unsatisfying about this title.
Teen Titans 19 is something of a rarity for me, the conclusion of an arc (“Titans Tomorrow”) that seems to come about an issue too soon. After a thorough introduction of the Titans West (the grim ones) in the earlier chapters, writer Geoff Johns speeds through the introduction of their more heroic counterparts in Titans East. It’s disappointing, as I’m more interested in finding out how they’ve stayed positive than in wallowing in how their rivals lost their way. Beyond introducing the group, Johns also tasks himself with getting the present-day Titans back where they belong and dropping an enormous number of hints as to what might be coming down the road. As a result, it feels too rushed and crowded. It also leaves the Titans with a specific future they must consciously avoid, which is a specific plot device I wish comic writers would avoid.
Lastly, we have What If Jessica Jones Had Joined the Avengers? Or What If Brian Bendis Wrote Fan Fiction? Okay, it’s not that bad, but it is rather unsettling to see Jessica Jones, one of Bendis’s most rounded, interesting creations, get the full-on Mary Sue treatment. Instead of telling Earth’s Mightiest to blow after escaping from Purple Man’s clutches, Jessica takes the team’s and SHIELD’s offer to become a liaison between the two. Naturally, she thrives, is embraced by all, reluctantly acts as a de facto Avenger, and manages to figure out bitch crazy before the Scarlet Witch can do any serious damage. Oh, and she wins the heart of the whitest man in America. Even by hypothetical story standards, there’s some strained logic here. But seeing art by Michael Gaydos is always a treat.