Category: DC’s Hardcovers & Trade Paperbacks

Written by Gail Simone

Art by Paulo Siqueira; Joe Bennett; Adriana Melo; Joe Prado; Eddy Barrows;  Bruce Timm; David Lopez; Adam Dekraker; Robin Riggs; Jack Jadson; Will Conrad; Dick Giordano; Fernando Blanco; Hi-Fi Design; Jared K. Fletcher; & Pat Brosseau

Cover Art by Terry Dodson & Rachel Dodson

SUMMARY:

Reprinting Birds of Prey # 86-90 and # 92-95 from 2005-2006, DC Comics released this 223-page paperback in 2007. 

With the Birds relocated to Metropolis, a fresh start pits Dinah “Black Canary” Lance substituting for Superman vs. the Prankster.  Helena “Huntress” Bertinelli is busily setting up a mob sting back in Gotham City.  Regaining feeling in her toes, Barbara “Oracle” Gordon is optimistic about her future.  The sinister Calculator abducts and brutally tortures a Bird associate to reveal Oracle’s true identity.  While Black Canary resolves some old wounds with Green Arrow, Barbara makes a leap of faith re: her father, Commissioner Gordon. 

Sensing an imminent mob massacre, Batman demands that the Birds cease all Gotham operations.  Yet, the Dark Knight’s alliance with the Birds takes unexpected twists.  Hired by the Calculator, Deathstroke targets the Huntress, Zinda Blake (Lady Blackhawk), and a wounded Black Canary.  Going a year into the future, Dinah and Lady Shiva willingly swap places. 

With help from a ruthless Lady Shiva, the Birds must protect a fugitive Crime Doctor and his young daughter from the Secret Society of Villains.  In Southeast Asia, Black Canary endures a brutal training regime.  Prometheus resurfaces to face the Huntress, Zinda, Gypsy, and Shiva.  A transformed Dinah returns, with a surprise in tow.            

REVIEW:

Kudos to writer Gail Simone for this refreshing package of storylines.  Coherently mingling poignant drama, hard action, snappy banter, and well-placed humor together, Simone is at the top of her game.  In particular, her cartoony team-up with Bruce Timm re: Dinah’s hilarious skirmish vs. the Prankster is this book’s wacky gem.  Yet, the spot-on chemistry Simone generates among the four primary Birds (Barbara; Dinah; Helena; and Zinda) is really what gels Perfect Pitch. 

Late in the game, a revitalized Gypsy adds extra glimmer.  Among the scenes worth catching are: Barbara’s revelation to her father; the Gordons’ confrontation with a seething Batman; and the Dark Knight’s reaction to an unexpected kiss. 

More so, an ongoing subplot between Dinah and Lady Shiva is reminiscent of the Kate Winslet-Cameron Diaz comedy, The Holiday, only with vicious martial arts.  Also, Dinah’s new friendship with Sin is a welcome turn in Black Canary’s evolution.  Simultaneously, Shiva’s bumpy ride with the Birds is another element that Simone can be proud of.  Much to her credit, Perfect Pitch is neither sexually-charged nor cheaply relies on profanities as a substitute for dialogue.  However, the action sequences and the Crime Doctor’s storyline definitely aren’t kid-friendly, especially in the book’s second half.

Including the terrific cover images, the various art teams capably support Simone’s work.  Even if the visuals aren’t always high-caliber, the lesser artwork is at worst a B/B- grade.  Considering this book’s length, that’s a remarkable achievement.  While Perfect Pitch isn’t a viable option for kids, this compilation hits a home run for adult fans.

ADDITIONAL CONTENT:

All of the covers by are included, as each issue identifies its cover artists and the interior artists.  The cover art teams are: Adriana Melo & Will Conrad (Issues # 86-90); Terry Dodson & Rachel Dodson (Issues # 92-94); and Brian Hurtt (Issue # 95).  There’s also a two-page ‘Cast of Characters’ that summarizes the Bird team members.

BRIAN’S ODD MOON RATING:            8 Stars

Written by Gardner Fox.

Art by Mike Sekowsky; Bernard Sachs; Sid Greene; Gaspar Saladino; Joe Letterese; Milton Snapinn; & Ira Schnapp.

Original Covers by Mike Sekowsky; Murphy Anderson; Joe Giella; & Bernard Sachs.

Trade Paperback Cover Art by Alex Ross.

SUMMARY:

Released in 2002 by DC Comics, this 206-page paperback reprints comic book history: the first four JLA-JSA cross-overs from Justice League of America # 21-22, 29-30, 37-38, and 46-47, as published from 1963-1966.  Each storyline is a two-parter.

• “Crisis on Earth-One / Crisis on Earth-Two:” The League (Superman, Batman, Green Lantern, Aquaman, Atom, Flash, Wonder Woman, Green Arrow, and Martian Manhunter) joins forces with Earth-Two’s newly-reactivated Justice Society (Black Canary, Hawkman, Dr. Fate, Hourman, Al Pratt’s Atom, & Alan Scott’s Green Lantern) when a half-dozen villains ingeniously scheme to loot both Earths and dispose of the two super-teams.

• “Crisis on Earth-Three / The Most Dangerous Earth of All:” Earth-Three’s sinister Crime Syndicate is introduced.  Ultraman, Owlman, Power Ring, Johnny Quick, and Superwoman alleviate their boredom by seeking out both the JLA and the JSA.  Owlman’s contingency planning is a major component of his Syndicate’s strategy.  The League (Flash, Wonder Woman, Superman, Batman, & Green Lantern), as direct counterparts of the Crime Syndicate, calls upon the Justice Society’s Hawkman, Black Canary, Dr. Fate, Starman, and Dr. Mid-Nite for back-up.

• “The Earth Without a Justice League / Crisis on Earth-A:” Earth-One’s rogue Johnny Thunder usurps his dim-witted Earth-Two counterpart’s magical genie to launch an unstoppable crime spree.  At his evil master’s bidding, the genie even eliminates the League from existence.  It’s up to  the JSA (Al Pratt’s Atom, Dr. Fate, Jay Garrick’s Flash, Alan Scott’s Green Lantern, Hawkman, & Mr. Terrific) to thwart this lookalike’s gleefully nasty bag of tricks, which includes an alternate League composed of hoodlums.  

• “Crisis Between Earth One and Earth-Two / The Bridge Between Earths:” Cosmic chaos ensues, as an anti-matter giant threatens both Earths.  Among various characters swapping places on Earths-One and Two are the fearsome Solomon Grundy and Blockbuster.  This team-up features the League’s Batman, Atom, Flash, Green Lantern, and Hawkman, with the Spectre, Black Canary, Dr. Fate, Sandman, Wildcat, and Dr. Mid-Nite representing the JSA. 

Notes: As of this writing, DC Comics has published Crisis on Multiple Earths Volumes 2-6, plus two additional team-up editions (i.e. individual crossovers between the Atoms, Green Lanterns, Hawkmans, Flashes, etc.).  There isn’t any word yet of a Volume 7 to complete DC’s Crisis on Infinite Earths continuity.  For instance, the retroactive origin of Dinah Laurel Lance replacing her mother as Black Canary would likely be part of this proposed volume.

However, DC is presently re-releasing this series as ‘books,’ where two volumes are compiled together.   

REVIEW:

This compilation’s nostalgia meter surges off the charts re-discovering DC’s kid-friendly Silver Age magic.  Putting the old school fun aside, it isn’t surprising that these vintage team-ups don’t age well in the 21st Century.  Legendary writer Gardner Fox coherently plots the first three cross-overs, but the interchangeable dialogue amongst so many characters makes for a stilted and often clunky read. 

It’s unfortunate that the rudimentary artwork can’t hide Fox’s sappy dialogue exchanges.  At least, Fox’s plot twists (i.e. the evil Johnny Thunder’s spur-of-the-moment schemes) effectively prolong the challenges faced by the two super-teams.  Case in point: the ‘Earth-A’ sequence of the JSA impersonating the League celebrates Fox’s propensity for conjuring up wily surprises. 

Despite arguably this collection’s best artwork, the fourth team-up is possibly the worst JLA/JSA storyline that Fox ever concocted.  Aside from the League’s cool face-off vs. Solomon Grundy, this ultra-contrived “Crisis” teeters between utterly wonky and utterly stupid.  One awful stretch is a prolonged battle vs. an anti-matter baddie where Fox’s terrible banter makes DC’s ludicrous comic book science even more cringe-worthy. 

Unfortunately, the Spectre’s Silver Age return is sabotaged by pushing some lesser elements to ridiculous extremes.  Case in point: Black Canary is depicted suffering from a Rapunzel-like curse of never-ending hair, or that Wildcat, Flash, and Batman inexplicably say aloud (let alone believe) that their mortal punching will somehow help clobber an anti-matter creature.  Even accepting the characters’ effortless talking and breathing in outer space, there are far too many instances to demonstrate this fourth story’s eye-rolling deprivation of basic logic.            

Apart from a high-caliber Alex Ross painted cover, these excessively tame stories won’t likely entertain newcomers.  Yet, with impressive production values refurbishing these old stories, Crisis on Multiple Earths, Volume 1 serves as a welcome forerunner of vintage JLA/JSA team-ups still to come in the next five volumes.

ADDITIONAL CONTENT:

The original covers are each reprinted in a full-page format.  Veteran writer Mark Waid provides an insightful, two-page “1 & 2 = Crisis” foreword.  Each issue’s credits are provided. Make no mistake: the Alex Ross book cover is absolutely this paperback’s best asset.

BRIAN’S ODD MOON RATING:                6 Stars

Written by Marv Wolfman  & Art by George Pérez

SUMMARY:

Released by DC Comics in 2000, this 364-page epic paperback collects the complete twelve-issue 1985-86 series commemorating DC’s 50^th Anniversary. 

An unknown cosmic force is annihilating DC’s innumerable parallel universes one after another via unstoppable waves of anti-matter.  Having analyzed Earths-One & Two for the past year, the mysterious Monitor assembles a group of possible saviors (including Earth-Two’s Superman) to protect these two Earths from imminent destruction.  Three other endangered Earths: “S” (for Fawcett’s Shazam Family); “4” (for Charlton’s Blue Beetle, Captain Atom, etc.) and “X” (for Quality’s Freedom Fighters) later join this coalition.

The Monitor’s associates: Harbinger; Pariah; and Earth-Three’s Alex Luthor must unite the remaining heroes and villains, if there is any chance of survival.  At least three heroic Silver Age icons will fall defying the monstrous Anti-Monitor.    

Lex Luthor and Brainiac unleash an interdimensional insurrection that may doom the remaining Earths.  As the hourglass runs out for DC’s legendary multi-verse, the greatest assembly of super-heroes and super-villains ever in comic history mount a last-ditch counter-strike to thwart the destruction of DC’s reality.       

REVIEW:

To accommodate DC’s intent to simplify future storytelling, Wolfman and Pérez overcome innumerable logistics to reward readers with a timeless epic.  Wolfman’s expertise is stunning, as he coherently builds several pivotal moments without relying upon filler material.  Even more so, the complexity of this series somehow keeps its sub-plots mostly self-contained, so readers won’t have to frequently search elsewhere for answers.  Still, Wolfman couldn’t have accomplished this staggering feat without Pérez’s stellar artwork.  How Pérez penciled so many distinct characters in such tight spaces is nothing short of visual magic.

Unlike its belated sequels (i.e. Infinite Crisis and Final Crisis), this Crisis isn’t fixated on nonsensical plot twists, mindless battles, and excessive gore.  Wolfman capably divvies up necessary depth and insights to a vast multitude of characters (from the front-liners to Earth-Two’s Lois Lane-Kent) — having twelve issues (including two double-sized installments) to operate obviously helps, too.  Hence, Wolfman’s characters express consistent personalities that have long defined them vs. exchanging clichéd cardboard statements interchangeable amongst a large cast (like in a standard Silver Age JLA-JSA cross-over). 

Comparatively speaking, Wolfman’s poignant storytelling (especially, its dialogue) vastly outclasses Geoff Johns’ 2005 controversial sequel: Infinite Crisis, where Johns’ bewildered characters (much like readers) far too often comment that they have no idea what’s going on.

Another asset is how Crisis screen time is surprisingly distributed.  Case in point: Earth-One’s Batman, Atom, Black Canary, Green Arrow, Hawkman, and Wonder Woman have surprisingly minor roles or even mere cameos, as opposed to Firestorm being a major participant.  Silver Age icons, such as Supergirl and Barry Allen’s Flash play significant supporting roles, but newer heroes like Blue Devil; John Stewart’s Green Lantern; Firehawk; the New Teen Titans; and Batman’s Outsiders squad make worthy appearances. 

The two Supermen predictably play vital roles, in comparison to various members of the Justice League and Justice Society appearing in supporting roles.  Wolfman smartly integrates Earth-4’s Blue Beetle (Ted Kord) and Captain Atom; Earth-X’s Uncle Sam; and Captain Marvel/Shazam of Earth-S into strong contributors later in the saga. 

While the female Dr. Light’s debut is memorable, other heroes, i.e. Kid Flash (Wally West), Hawk & Dove, a second-generation Doom Patrol, and Guy Gardner’s Green Lantern, are recruited back into action.  Only a few familiar faces don’t resurface, i.e. Bizarro and the briefly-retired Hal Jordan’s Green Lantern (whose contributions are limited to his own series that he now shared with Stewart & Gardner). 

Wolfman’s unpredictable plot twists boost Crisis on Infinite Earths far beyond a glorified JLA-JSA team-up.  As for this book’s purported casualty list, several familiar names vanish — many of whom DC Comics would eventually resurrect in some capacity while others haven’t been.  Yet, if one contemplates why certain characters don’t survive — in most instances, the casualties make sense.  To his credit, Wolfman subtly dispatches familiar characters suddenly deemed expendable with a great deal of class. 

Still, Crisis on Infinite Earths is overwhelming for a first-time read — just for its massive cast alone.  What may work best is to consuming this storyline in smaller doses and casually enjoy the saga for what it was meant to do.  Also, this super-epic amply earns its creative license in justifying all the impossible elements (i.e. talking and breathing in outer space, let existing in an anti-matter universe).  As a DC Comics treasure trove, Crisis is first-class entertainment.  This gem richly deserves its special place in comic history.

ADDITIONAL CONTENT:

Wolfman’s insightful 1998 introduction book-ends with former editor Dick Giordano’s afterword.  Remarkably, their commentaries don’t shamelessly shill for DC Comics.  They even concede that Crisis on Infinite Earths dubiously inspired comics’ copycat mega-event trend (including the ‘necessity’ for endless cross-overs).  Pérez’s black-and-white sketch gallery consists of Pariah; the new Dr. Light (Kimiyo Hoshi), Harbinger; and the Monitor.

Note: One consideration to make between this bare-bones 2000 release and DC’s series of bells-and-whistles re-releases is that this first compilation delivers the story in a first-class manner and is worth the price of admission itself. Bonus features aren’t necessary.

BRIAN’S ODD MOON RATING:            10 Stars

Note: DC has published at least two Crisis tie-in collections.  However, for some recommended mid-80’s back issues, readers may like:

• In a Pre-Crisis storyline, there’s All-Star Squadron # 36-37, which includes Earth-Two’s Golden Age Superman, Wonder Woman, & Green Lantern (Alan Scott) vs. a Nazi-controlled Shazam Family over London. Highly recommended! 
• All-Star Squadron # 50-53 is a direct Crisis crossover including the Golden Age Captain Marvel/Shazam’s return, Mr. Mind’s invasion of Earth-Two, and the Monster Society of Evil vs. the Golden Age Superman; and
• Green Lantern # 198 is a Crisis crossover heralding Hal Jordan’s return as Green Lantern, which simultaneously occurs during the final events of Crisis. 

Written by Darwyn Cooke

Art by Darwyn Cooke; Dave Stewart; & Jared K. Fletcher

Cover Art by Darwyn Cooke

SUMMARY:

Released by DC Comics in 2005, this second 208-page softcover finale complies DC: The New Frontier # 4-6 (previously published in 2004). 

In 1958 Central City, after his near-capture by federal authorities, Barry Allen’s Flash hastens his public retirement a few days later.  Hal Jordan is demoted from lead pilot on the top secret Operation: Flying Cloud vessel to the control room.  The prototype starship’s inaugural mission proves a tragic disaster.  Desperately trying to go home, J’onn J’onzz is captured. To the nation’s horror, the hammer-wielding John Henry meets a grisly fate by the Ku Klux Klan.  Wonder Woman urges Superman to reconsider his future as a federal government stooge. 

With Paradise Island decimated by the monstrous Centre, an injured Diana seeks out the Man of Steel.  Jordan is skeptical of his destiny as Green Lantern, as he pensively waits for guidance from the Guardians of the Universe.  Partnering with Robin, Batman passes on ominous data to a new ally.  King Faraday strikes up kinship with his Martian captive.  Once Cape Canaveral under siege by the Centre, DC heroes (i.e. Superman; Green Arrow; Barry Allen’s Flash; Challengers of the Unknown: etc.) assemble versus a common foe.

With their best hope evidently killed in action, the remaining heroes launch a desperate counter-attack.  Yet, DC’s most symbolic Space Age legend must step up to ensure Earth’s future.  Glimpsing the 1960’s, this saga’s epilogue is narrated by a pivotal speech from one of the real world’s icons of that era.   

Note: A wicked scene depicts a young girl shouting a racial slur at a wounded John Henry.

REVIEW:

Writer-illustrator Darwyn Cooke has conjured up a stellar DC Silver Age homage.  Nearly all of the interwoven sub-plots from Volume 1 reach a satisfying fruition, as Earth faces its darkest hour.  Set amidst the paranoid ugliness of McCarthyism and the horrifying evils of unchallenged racism, Cooke’s storyline exudes historical edginess.  No matter who all survives this saga, Volume Two is a gripping read.  As to who scores this epic’s MVP, Cooke’s rationale makes perfect sense.   

Still, the plotting is imperfect.  Re: the blob-like Centre, increasingly muddled storytelling conveying its sheer vastness makes this monster/alien invasion difficult to fathom.  Cooke also doesn’t address some glaring plot holes that tend to distract from the primary storyline. 

Instead of ignoring his ghastly demise, why doesn’t any DC hero, for the sake of justice, avenge John Henry?  Or why couldn’t a new African American hero show up at Cape Canaveral to join the fight in Henry’s name?  Where is the retired Justice Society during this high-profile Florida crisis?  Shouldn’t other Silver Age Justice Leaguers Aquaman, Hawkman, and the Atom have been substantially involved? Why is an opportunistic Lex Luthor a non-factor?  Is there a reason that King Faraday hint that a supposedly-dead Hourman is  locked up in federal custody?  Intentionally or not, there’s threads for Cooke to exploit in a potential sequel.                 

Volume Two’s best asset is the multi-dimensional personalities imbued in numerous DC icons, especially Hal Jordan.  Hence, Cooke’s New Frontier incarnations far exceed the Silver Age’s penchant for colorful heroes as talking cardboard.  Case in point: mortal risk-takers, such as Rick Flagg, King Faraday, Nathaniel Adam (a pre-Captain Atom), and Ace Morgan are capable of poignant heroics.  Cooke’s old-school visual style completes a fresh perspective re: re-examining DC’s Silver Age legacy.  Embracing the Space Age’s awe and wonder, DC: The New Frontier, Volume Two is a fan’s dream.     

ADDITIONAL CONTENT:

There’s a six-page cover gallery.  Cooke’s afterword is followed by a full-page, black-and-white Wonder Woman sketch, plus two color pages (assembled collage-style) of eleven unpublished New Frontier images of developmental artwork.

BRIAN’S ODD MOON RATING:        8 Stars

Note: Volume One was first released in 2004 (five months before this book).

Written by Darwyn Cooke

Art by Darwyn Cooke; Dave Stewart; & Jared K. Fletcher

Cover Art by Darwyn Cooke

SUMMARY:

Released by DC Comics in 2004, this first 208-page softcover volume packages DC: The New Frontier # 1-3 (from earlier that year). 

On a remote Pacific Island in 1945, the elite Losers squad sacrifices itself against a man-eating dinosaur.  Col. Rick Flagg is the mission’s sole survivor.  1948’s young Hal Jordan meets his late father’s colleague (and Hal’s personal idol), Chuck Yeager at Edwards Air Force Base.  During the Cold War, the U.S. conducts nuclear testing while the era’s McCarthyism shames the Justice Society into reluctant retirement. 

With super-heroes now deemed criminal vigilantes, one Golden Age legend falls resisting law enforcement in 1952.  Only Batman and Barry Allen’s Flash remain active, as Superman, Wonder Woman, and the elite Task Force X are the U.S. Government’s top enforcers. 

At the Korean War’s end, idealistic U.S. fighter pilot Hal Jordan makes a haunting decision in late July 1953.  A dying astronomer urges the lone Martian he has met to carefully hide from human society.  In Indo-China, Superman confronts Wonder Woman re: a shocking massacre.  Rescuing a child from a bizarre religious cult, private eye ‘Slam Bradley’ and John Jones encounter Batman. 

With numerous heroes in civilian garb attending boxer Ted Grant’s World title bout in Las Vegas,  Barry Allen’s Flash steps up against Captain Cold.  Jordan’s confidant, Ace Morgan, becomes one of the Challengers of the Unknown.  Losing one of their own, Task Force X battles a pterodactyl.  Rising from a horrific racist attack that kills his wife and child, new vigilante John Henry is the hammer-wielding worst nightmare of the Ku Klux Klan.  Jordan accepts a mysterious new piloting gig under Flagg’s command while romancing his other boss, Carol Ferris.

Batman confronts the mysterious John Jones.  Several months later, Jones realizes Earth is in peril from an ancient menace.  Pushed aside by the U.S. Government, Wonder Woman senses that her progressive views are now deliberately stifled.  Jordan discovers from surly secret agent King Faraday what top secret NASA mission he has really been recruited for.                  

Note: There is one scene where Faraday utters a racial slur.

REVIEW:

DC: The New Frontier, Volume 1 certainly proves an artistic masterpiece.  Advancing a number of intriguing sub-plots, writer-artist Darwyn Cooke is at the top of his game.  His stellar visuals convincingly deliver the old school approach this saga seeks to convey.  Including subtle touches (i.e. Wonder Woman’s towering Amazonian height and accurate historical elements (Chuck Yeager’s cameo), Cooke imbues a mesmerizing degree of realism. 

The depth attributed here to various DC heroes is perhaps one of the best Elseworlds concepts ever-devised.  This first New Frontier volume is grand entertainment, making it irresistible to track down Volume Two.

ADDITIONAL CONTENT:

Comprising seven pages, there is a cover gallery.  DC writer Paul Levitz pens a two-page introduction.    

BRIAN’S OOD MOON RATING:              9 Stars

Note: Volume Two was first released in 2005 (five months after this book).

Written by (See Credits Below)

Art by (See Credits Below)

Cover Art by Ariel Olivetti

SUMMARY:

Published in 2017 by DC Comics, this 168-page paperback consists of: Booster Gold/Flintstones Special # 1 (with a Jetsons back-up feature); Green Lantern/Space Ghost # 1 (with a Ruff ‘n’ Reddy back-up tale); Adam Strange/Future Quest Special # 1 (with a Top Cat-Batman back-up caper); and Suicide Squad/Banana Splits # 1 (with a Snagglepuss back-up story), which were individually released earlier that year. 

Booster Gold/Flintstones: Booster Trouble (32 pages, including cover/variant cover).  Writer: Mark Russell, with art by Rick Leonardi; Scott Hanna; Steve Buccellato; Dave Sharpe.  Cover art by Michael Allred & Laura Allred, with the variant cover by Dan Jurgens; Norm Rapmund; Hi-Fi.  To avert a 25^th Century alien invasion of Gotham City, Booster Gold & Skeets visit the distant past.  Needing his time-traveling vehicle repaired , Booster relies upon Fred Flintstone and mechanic Barney Rubble.  To resolve a hostile time-loop crisis, Booster’s sole chance of saving Gotham is returning to the future, with some unlikely allies in tow. 

The Jetsons: Eternal Upgrade (8 pages).  Writers Jimmy Palmiotti & Amanda Conner, with art by Pier Brito; Alex Sinclair; and Michael Heisler.  Judy Jetson accompanies her grandmother for a high-tech medical procedure.  The other  Jetsons race to try and stop them. 

Green Lantern/Space Ghost: The Wonders of Space (32 pages, including cover/variant cover).  Writers: James Tynion IV and Christopher Sebela, with art by Ariel Olivetti and A Larger World Studios.  The cover is by Olivetti (which doubles as this collection’s cover), while the variant is by artists Doug Mahnke; Christian Alamy; and Alex Sinclair.  In deep space, Green Lantern Hal Jordan encounters Orange Lantern Larfleeze, Zorak, and the mysterious Space Ghost.  Drawn to a nearby planet’s plea for emergency intervention, the two heroes mistakenly neutralize each other.  Yet, a common cause brings them together to thwart this alien world’s true enemy.       

Ruff ‘n’ Reddy! (8 pages).  Writer-Artist: Howard Chaykin, with assistance from Wil Quintana and Pat Brosseau.  The black-and-white Golden Age of Television is lampooned by an embittered dog-and-cat stand-up comedy team.

Adam Strange/Future Quest (32 pages, including cover/variant cover).  Writers: Marc Andreyko & Jeff Parker, with art by Steve Lieber; Veronica Gandini; and ALW Studios’ Dave Lanphear.  The cover artist is Evan “Doc” Shaner, with the variant cover by Steve Lieber & Ron Chan.  Helping an amnesiac Adam Strange stranded in the Lost Valley, Jonny Quest’s team is pursued by F.E.A.R. agents for Strange’s dimension-breaching technology.  Birdman and The Herculoids make guest appearances.      

Top Cat/Batman: Out of the Alley (8 pages).  Writer: Dan DiDio, with art by Phil Winslade; Chris Chuckry; and Nick J. Nap.  In a Gotham City alley, Batman & Catwoman’s ‘date night’ is sidetracked by a garbage can-scrounging Top Cat. 

Suicide Squad/Banana Splits: Suicide Splits (Hey, It Beats ‘Banana Squad’) (32 pages, including cover/variant cover).  Writer: Tony Bedard, with art by Ben Caldwell; Mark Morales; Jeremy Lawson; and A Larger World’s Troy ‘n’ Dave.  Caldwell is the cover artist, with the variant by artist Carlos D’Anda.  Arrested during a traffic stop, a befuddled Banana Splits band wind up in Belle Reve Penitentiary.  Deeming them highly expendable, Amanda Waller repackages the Splits as a commando squad to rescue the Squad (Katana; Col. Rick Flagg; Killer Croc; Deadshot, and Harley Quinn) off a snow-capped mountain from an army of lethal robotic girls. 

Snagglepuss: House Fires (8 pages).  Writer: Mark Russell, with art by Howard Porter; Steve Buccellato; and Dave Sharpe.  Set during the McCarthyism era in Washington D.C., 1954, accused Communist playwright Snagglepuss befuddles a congressional committee pushing him to expose his ‘co-conspirators.’  To his acquaintance, Augie Doggie, the verbose pink feline reveals a tragic experience from his past. 

REVIEW:

‘Huh?’ doesn’t really cover it.  This disappointing mash-up falls far short of the conventional Scooby-Doo/DC crossover-title: Scooby-Doo Team-Up, which is brilliant in comparison.  Dropping any pretense of kiddie hijinks, DC’s hook here is exploiting nostalgia by devising adult-oriented reboots of Hanna-Barbera properties. 

What DC badly misjudges is why endearing characters, like Snagglepuss, innocently charmed kids in the first place.  Far too often, DC Meets Hanna-Barbera sabotages any incentive a new generation might have to discover the original TV magic of these Hanna-Barbera icons. 

Still, this DC Meets Hanna-Barbera isn’t all bad news.  Case in point: Green Lantern Hal Jordan & Space Ghost’s intergalactic adventure is this compilation’s best asset (a B+ tale).  Even in a team-up no one asked for, Adam Strange’s encounter with Jonny Quest and Birdman at least delivers a mildly entertaining read. 

The book’s few giggles, shockingly enough, arise from the Banana Splits & Task Force X (aka the Suicide Squad) as a demented tag-team parody.  Despite its lukewarm moments, writer Tony Bedard concocts a quirky miracle converting the Squad’s bloody violence quotient into something closer to kid-appropriate fun.  Bedard’s wry ending deserves a few kudos for amusingly updating the Splits.    

The book’s glaring unforced error, however, belongs to the morbid Booster Gold/Flintstones.  This dumpster fire squanders a prime opportunity at crossover comedy gold.  For one thing, a beefy Fred & Barney appear in name only, as their reboots have zero charm in comparison to their goofy TV counterparts.  Also, writer Mark Russell’s crummy gags re: half-severed aliens; time travelers being eaten by monsters or killed amidst other mayhem; and even an erectile dysfunction joke flunk good taste.  DC’s most flagrant offense is targeting pre-teens with this offensive dreck.

Re: the back-up features, adult re-imaginings of other Hanna-Barbera characters can’t deflect the dismal storylines.  Meant for adults and mature teenagers, the Jetsons’ tale aims for poignancy, but it’s just plain creepy.   More so, co-writers Jimmy Palmiotti and Amanda Conner should have had a field day playing up Jetson-style humor.  Instead, they punt that opportunity for a sci-fi plot akin to The Outer Limits. 

The Top Cat/Batman and Snagglepuss tales are far too surreal to be humorous.  A human-sized Top Cat resembles his snarky TV counterpart, but comparing this revamped Snagglepuss with his witty TV persona ends with the same shade of baby pink fur.  Re: Howard Chaykin’s vile Ruff ‘n’ Reddy tale, the less said the better. 

Wasting high-caliber artwork by multiple creative teams, DC Meets Hanna-Barbera deceptively passes itself off as kid-friendly entertainment.  No matter how stale Hanna-Barbera cartoons often were and still are, that studio proudly adapted DC Comics into multiple TV incarnations of The Super-Friends.  Yet, DC can’t be bothered to return the courtesy, as far as this collection goes. 

Considering this mishmash of DC’s ‘ain’t it cool?’ reboots mostly deliver kid-repellant tripe, calling this book a bait-and-switch on unsuspecting parents is a fair assessment.

ADDITIONAL CONTENT:

In full-page color, the covers and variant covers are included.  A four-page sketch gallery depicts the development of some of these covers.  For the Booster Gold/Flintstones Special # 1, it’s artist Dan Jurgens while artist Steve Lieber handles Adam Strange/Future Quest Special # 1.  Then, there is artist Ben Caldwell’s effort re: Suicide Squad/Banana Splits Special # 1. 

BRIAN’S ODD MOON RATING:          3½ Stars

Note: Despite some unnecessarily ghoulish elements, DC Meets Hanna-Barbera, Volume 2 is a mild improvement. Its one-shots include Hong Kong Phooey/Black Lightning and Blue Falcon & Dyno-mutt/Super-Sons.

Written by Neal Adams

Art by Neal Adams & Clem Robins

Cover by Neal Adams

SUMMARY:

Released by DC Comics, Deadman’s 2017-18 mini-series is reprinted in this 168-page collection.  Boston “Deadman” Brand might finally gain justice vs. the shadowy group that orchestrated his murder years before.  Evidently, the series sub-title is: “Still Dead … After All These Years!” 

In Japan, Deadman & Batman thwart an assassination attempt on Commissioner Gordon, who is a temporary U.S. ambassador inspecting Japanese nuclear sites.   Deadman encounters the assassin Hook and a ghostly Sensei, both of whom contributed to Brand’s assassination. 

The Spectre, Phantom Stranger, and Etrigan the Demon become involved, as the trail leads Deadman to a family reunion at the circus he once starred in.  Borrowing his twin brother Cleveland’s body, Deadman learns some shockers from their parents, including that his brother Aaron and sister Zeea disappeared long ago.

With the Spectre’s aid, Deadman uncovers his own family’s involvement with Ra’s Al Ghul and his League of Assassins.  Etrigan is violently rebuffed trying to rescue Aaron Brand from Al Ghul’s minions.  Seeking answers, Deadman’s gambit returns him to mystical Nanda Parbat.  In an extended Himalayan battle, Deadman relies on Zatanna Zatara; Doctor Fate; the Spectre; Taj Ze the samurai; and Etrigan at his side vs. mutants, monsters, zombies, and robots.  Deadman explores some weird possibilities, including whether or not he’s really a ghost.  

REVIEW:

As a writer-artist, Neal Adams is known for decades of phenomenal work in the comics industry, i.e. for Batman.  In this instance, however, Adams’ visual talents far exceed his inexplicably muddled storyline.  First up is Deadman’s trademark body-hopping, which contributes to a chaotic read. 

Other oddities include: since when is James Gordon a designated expert in inspecting foreign nuclear facilities?  Or why is the Spectre seemingly so out-of-character?  Or why is Etrigan’s assault by the League of Assassins strangely dropped, so Etrigan is at Deadman’s side for the Himalayan battle?  Or why is Batman deceptively advertised for the last segment when he isn’t involved?  The list goes go on and on. 

As fair warning, this last chapter is the book’s worst segment since Adams doesn’t resolve any pertinent loose ends.  Exceedingly patient readers will be disappointed by an unsatisfactory finish.  Despite Deadman’s sub-par scripting, Adams appears at top of his game in terms of its artwork. 

If Adams had added an insightful introduction or afterword, it might have offset his bewildering one-man show.  Short of an infuriated Deadman unambiguously telling off Batman, the Spectre, and a few others at regular intervals that they “suck,” Adams exerts too little effort to fix his storyline’s incoherent twists.  It’s a shame that long-time Deadman fans will likely find this storyline a squandered read. 

ADDITIONAL CONTENT:

All seven full-page covers (including a Deadman # 1 variant) by Adams are included.  Also, eight full pages of his pencil sketches (specifically: pages 1, 5-6, 8, 12, 14 20, and 22) from the first issue are part of this package.  Character images help decorate the separation of chapters.

BRIAN’S ODD MOON RATING:                 4 Stars

Written by Scott Snyder; James Tynion IV; & Joshua Williamson.

Art by Francis Manapul; Marcus To; Riley Rossmo; & Jorge Jimenez; Hi-Fi; Alejandro Sanchez; and Andworld Design.

Cover Art by Francis Manapul.

SUMMARY:

Released in 2018 by DC Comics, this 144-page collection presents Justice League: No Justice # 1-4 and its prelude from DC Nation # 0 from earlier that year.  As both Earth and Brainiac’s home world, Colu, are threatened by four cosmic entities, a contingent of DC’s heroes & villains form a resistance under Brainiac’s command. 

Once Brainiac is seemingly destroyed, separate squads emerge: Mystery (Superman; Starro; Sinestro; Martian Manhunter; and Starfire); Entropy (Batman; Lex Luthor; Beast Boy; Deathstroke; and Lobo); Wisdom (Harley Quinn; Flash; Cyborg; Damian Wayne’s Robin; and the Atom); and Wonder (Wonder Woman; Zatanna Zatara; Etrigan the Demon; Raven; and Doctor Fate).  Each team investigates a cosmic tree linked to one of these entities.  Yet, they must coordinate their efforts to save Earth and Colu.      

With Earth mostly undefended, Amanda Waller takes drastic action that Green Arrow & Supergirl may regret.  Green Lantern Hal Jordan and four other Lanterns must answer Green Arrow’s mayday call for Earth’s last stand.  Ultimately, a new status quo is established re: the immediate future for DC’s major super-teams. 

REVIEW:

Justice League: Too Far Out of Its League, unfortunately, is a more apt title for one of DC’s worst-ever mega-events.

All too ironically, the actual title foretells what readers get in return for buying this kid-friendly dreck.  Is this muddled, would-be epic remotely comprehensible?  The answer is emphatically ‘no,’ as there’s virtually zero depth and logic in motion.  A few bits and pieces are conveyed (i.e. Batman’s repeated paternal scoldings of Damian Wayne’s Robin; Lex Luthor’s untrustworthiness; the gradual building of team chemistry among these four squads), but far too little else happens. 

Worsening this book’s ultra-contrived storytelling is lukewarm sludge posing as artwork.  Clearly, half-hearted visuals won’t disguise the New Age-inspired cosmic nonsense that the writing team is incoherently peddling.  In retrospect, an awe-inspiring, galactic team-up of heroes & villains under Brainiac’s command might have had some intriguing potential as a premise. The caveat being that an inspired lead writer needs to take command and make the storyline work.  

The weakly-executed Justice League: No Justice, however, isn’t the answer, as its creative team is asleep at the wheel throughout this Crisis wanna-be.  For all the plot’s exploration of ‘cosmic trees,’ all hapless readers come away with is eye-rolling sap.

ADDITIONAL CONTENT:

Full-page color covers are included.  There’s a five-page color sketchbook from artist Francis Manapul that includes some of this project’s imagery and team portraits.   

BRIAN’S ODD MOON RATING:                  2½ Stars

Written by Grant Morrison.

Art by (See Credits Below).

Collection Cover Art by Ryan Sook.

Notes: To clarify possible confusion, the complete Seven Soldiers saga was initially compiled into four paperback volumes in 2006-2007.  This same 400-page compendium (it’s the equivalent of 2006-2007’s Volumes 1-2) first appeared in hardcover form in 2010. This title is also available digitally. Lastly, there is a nearly 800-page Omnibus hardcover version, which compiles the complete epic.

SUMMARY:

Released in 2012 by DC Comics, this mammoth 400-page paperback reprints the first half of the Seven Soldiers saga consisting of: Seven Soldiers of Victory # 0; Seven Soldiers: Shining Knight # 1-4; Seven Soldiers: Guardian # 1-4; Seven Soldiers: Klarion the Witch Boy # 1-3; and Seven Soldiers: Zatanna # 1-3.  The concluding fourth issues for Klarion and Zatanna appear in Volume 2. 

• Seven Soldiers of Victory # 0.  Art is provided by J.H. Williams; Dave Stewart; and Todd Klein; with Williams & Stewart as the cover art team.  Greg Saunders – the elderly Golden Age Vigilante (a member of the original Seven Soldiers) recruits five D-List super-heroes/mercenaries to help him hunt the monstrous Buffalo Spider in the Arizona desert.  Once their mission ends horrifically, the enigmatic Seven Unknown Men of Slaughter Swamp initiate a contingency plan to thwart the extra-dimensional threat known as The Sheeda.

Note: Continuity-wise, Seven Soldiers of Victory Issue # 0 occurs shortly after Zatanna # 1 and before Shining Knight # 3-4.

• Seven Soldiers: Shining Knight # 1-4. Art is provided by Simone Bianchi; Dave Stewart; Nathan Eyring; and Rob Leigh, with Bianchi & Stewart as the cover art team.  Escaping Camelot’s destruction by demonic forces, young knight Ystin (Justin) and a flying white horse, Vanguard, are mystically propelled into modern-day Los Angeles.  Once an immortal mobster takes custody of Vanguard, his posh, heavily-armed estate is brutally attacked by The Sheeda.  A fugitive Ystin later seeks the local police’s help.  Taken captive by the demonic Sheeda Queen known as Gloriana Tenebrae, a defiant Ystin’s secret is revealed.    

• Seven Soldiers: Guardian # 1-4.  Art is provided by Cameron Stewart; Moose Baumann; and Pat Brosseau; with Stewart as the cover artist.  Recruited as a crusading New York newspaper’s in-house super-hero, ex-cop Jake Jordan (aka the Manhattan Guardian) battles gruesome subway pirates beneath New York City to rescue his girlfriend.  Jordan then saves surviving hostages from a state-of-the-art robotic theme park where one of its creators has gone amok. Seeking to quit, a disillusioned Jordan learns from his benefactor the shocking truth re: the original Newsboy Army’s mission to Slaughter Swamp.  Another revelation pertains to background characters also appearing in Shining Knight and Zatanna. 

Note: The bleak finale has only one panel implying who a homicide victim must be.  Scenes in Zatanna # 2-3 also briefly allude to this same mystery.

• Seven Soldiers: Klarion the Witch Boy # 1-3.  Art is provided by Frazer Irving & Pat Brosseau, with Irving as the cover artist.  Klarion and his feline accomplice, Teekl, flee their underground home known as Limbo Town (the home of the lost Roanoke colony) to explore the surface world.  Yet, Gloriana Tenebrae’s treacherous husband, Malmoth, manipulates a naïve Klarion in a covert bid to invade Limbo Town.

• Seven Soldiers: Zatanna # 1-3.  Art is provided by Ryan Sook; Mick Gray; Nathan Eyring; Jared K. Fletcher; Nick J. Napolitano, with Ryan Sook & Dave Stewart on the cover image.  At a New York therapy group session for super-heroes, a seemingly powerless Zatanna Zatara confides her self-blame for the recent incineration of some trusted friends helping her in a personal matter.  Despite her depleted confidence, she embarks on a cross-country road trip with a mysterious young female, Misty, whose own magical powers replicate Zatanna’s by using a mystical die. 

Note: For continuity purposes, the Zatanna # 3 segment occurs shortly after Shining Knight # 4.

REVIEW:

Seven Soldiers’ first half is a definite game-changer re: mature and sophisticated super-hero story-telling. Hence, writer Grant Morrison’s nightmarish vision oozes considerable potential, but it’s far from perfect.  As seen in Shining Knight # 1-2, Klarion # 1-2, and some scenes in Zatanna # 1, Morrison’s muddled epic becomes near-incomprehensible once all the Vertigo Comics-style weirdness just stops making sense. 

Even deliberately grisly visuals justify only so much of the murkiness permeating Seven Soldiers.  Think of it this way: deciphering large sections of Seven Soldiers is like trying to fathom mind-blowing science fiction like Robert A. Heinlein’s novel, The Number of The Beast, or Kurt Vonnegut Jr.’s Slaughterhouse Five – as far as casual reading is concerned.  At least, Morrison (or maybe it’s really DC) bleeps out sporadic profanities to keep his dialogue somewhat clean.   

Still, Morrison and his art squads overdose on the macabre, which results in some vile excuses for shock value.  Unsurprisingly, these plot elements don’t help explain what exactly either The Sheeda or The Seven Unknown Men of Slaughter Swamp are, let alone what they intend to do.  That’s where perhaps Morrison makes his biggest misjudgment. 

For all the ingenious crossovers bridging these four mini-series, Morrison doesn’t try hard enough conveying better hints of what’s really going on to his audience.  Yet, the premise that these Seven Soldiers will supposedly never meet, or even know of each other’s existence, still seems brilliant – at least, in theory.   

As ghoulish as many of this saga’s scenes are, the worst offense is a late plot twist depicting a child molester/murderer.  The fact that Morrison exploits this putrid sub-plot with an issue title of “Sex Secrets of the Newsboy Army!” inexcusably speaks for itself.  Perhaps it’s best that Morrison doesn’t divulge specifics beyond implying the culprit’s fate.  In other words, the repugnant ‘Newsboy Army’ murder-mystery really has no business in Morrison’s grand scheme, as it’s more like a diversion vs. finally getting some helpful insight re: The Sheeda.    

Despite Morrison’s unforced creative errors, his wicked storytelling improves at some necessary junctures (i.e. both Klarion # 3 and Shining Knight # 3-4 make far more sense than their first two issues).  His impressive Zatanna series (which is faithful to her character’s history, including interaction with the Phantom Stranger) is easily this book’s winner, though Guardian early on scores some fine moments, too. 

As for this collection’s best asset, it’s the potentially high-caliber visuals (including this volume’s terrific Ryan Sook cover).  The flip side, unfortunately, is a nasty fixation on can-you-top-this? carnage.  Melding DC continuity with Vertigo Comics-esque storytelling, Morrison’s Seven Soldiers of Victory, Volume 1 is a formidable read. Yet, its deep flaws should have a necessitated a definitive edit, if only for good taste’s sake.

ADDITIONAL CONTENT:

Morrison’s two-page introduction elaborates his somewhat pompous rationale for this project.  Each of the individual stories appears with its full-page cover image.  A full-page advertisement reveals a black-and-white sketch image of the second volume’s cover.  A ten-page section insightfully explores the artistic evolution of the Seven Soldiers saga, including some detailed character costume design sketches for Morrison’s new Seven Soldiers.  A two-page color spread vividly reflects the original Books 1-2 paperback covers from 2006.   

BRIAN’S ODD MOON RATING:            6½ Stars