Women getting the shaft on the new DCnU

Now that September has wrapped up and all 52 new titles are out, it is time to start taking a deeper look at the new DCnU.  While some excellent titles reviving the excitement on women superheroes have been released (including Batwoman being superb, Wonder Woman going back to her former glory and Batgirl back into kicking some butt) the new launch of DCnU titles seems to mostly fail trying to portray women comic characters and super heroines in any other way than sex symbols for comic dorks. Is this how they view us male readers? Like that’s what we would like in a comic? Like that’s what a new audience of young women and men would want in a comic? Do they really think I want to be embarrassed reading a comic book? And do they really think I want my daughters remotely close to these books? Here’s at the top of my head what we’ve seen in September:

• Justice League Dark establishes proudly (at The Source) a new record for most ways of killing a blonde woman on the street displayed in one single splash page. Really?
• Amanda Waller’s awesome stature, figure and presence gets reduced to a skinny, younger, exposed bra version of herself that only resembles her in name and race.
• Catwoman likes to have her breasts and bras out in the air a lot. It seems Judd Winick (who I am a fan of) decided to unzip her outfit for every panel.
• Voodoo spent a whole book in her underwear, literally beating Catwoman for exposition time, perhaps because being a lesser known character she needs to get more exposure. But this kind of exposure, really? This gem is coming from the man that put Kyle Rayner’s girlfriend in a refrigerator, who must have read “Boobs do!” instead of Voodoo as his assignment.
• Harley Quinn got the look of a kinky S&M sociopath. That is going to end well.
• Starfire got updated from a see-through bikini to a partial one, but got more splash pages than Playboy and Hustler this month. She also lost all memory of who she was and now has sex with all humans alike because we are all the same. Coming soon to a comic fan bed near you!
• Karen Starr (Power Girl) showed up not in a book of her own but as a potential squeeze of the hour for Mr. Terrific. That's just that, terrific.
• Hookers are getting killed in Gotham in the times of All-Star Western.
• Iris West (not Allen anymore) is a stalking Barry. But that’s just because “she comes on a little strong”
• Bleez’s behind gets a lot of screen time in two books that are not about her exclusively, and there is a great cover with her in a blood bath coming soon.
• Martha Kent is dead.
• Mary (from I, vampire) mixes sex with every item of conversation
• Carol Ferris is not Star Sapphire anymore, she just wants to have Hal’s babies. He just wants a cosign for a car loan.

It is a shame that some of the good releases will be outdone by the multiple faux pas DC makes every week with the revamped DCnU. But DC is not even trying. Adding diversity and women in your books by making Ms. Izzy Izquierdo a partner in crime with Perry White is not going to cut it if you are going to destroy most women characters and over-sexualize the others.

Week 3 in the new DCnU

Wow. What a week. This week was filled with controversy for the wrong books, with further character assassinations that add Red Arrow, Starfire, Catwoman and most unfortuantely Jason Todd, to the Amanda Waller book of how not to have a reboot. A real shame because it should have been about how spectacular Batman was, how Wonder Woman is back to being interesting and how the Green Lantern Corps dealt with the same idea the Green Lantern book did in more successful fashion. Reviews follow below:

BATMAN #1
by Scott Snyder and Greg Capullo
The Good: Everything about this book is stunning and it has to be tied for first place with Batwoman for the best book thus far in the new 52. Batman #1 throws in a mixture of the mysteries of Gotham and a mystery a little reminiscent of Seven in which both the culprit and the detective are way ahead of the viewers in intent and depth. There are beautiful little tributes to everything that Batman is and has been lately, and it's delivered in quick witty writing. Snyder really gets everyone, from a cameo of Jim Gordon Jr. in Arkham that says so much in one panel and no words, down to one liner delivered by Damian in the whole issue that says it all, right in the middle of a perfect Batfamily portrait. Just beautiful. And the ending sets up the biggest most exciting change in dynamics I have seen in the DC world thus far.
The Bad: Snyder is always wordy, but effective. I felt Bruce's speech could have been edited for brevity since the point was made clearly by everything else in the scene. But other than that, this book is flawless.
The Grade: A+
Status: Stays in 

BLUE BEETLE #1
by Tony Bedard and Ig Guara
The Good: This is a great origins story, as far as getting things started within the reboot go. It's great for new readers and for old ones, but most importantly it welcomes everyone into the breadth of the universe where Blue Beetle exists, it shows you both the intergalactic origin of the scarab and how it lands into the back of a kid named Jaime and the reality of his earthy world. It has been interesting to see how different the books of the new DCnU read and contain, while some have almost nothing going on in them, some others feel like you have gone on a fantastic journey and like they are a great read at the end. This is one of the latter.
The Bad: While the story is very well written, I was not crazy about the character introductions and development. I'm curious though if the development is something we'll  just have to wait for, and thus I'm excited since there is a lot going on here in terms of characters and what they will mean to each other. I was also not crazy about the art, which feels in parts rushed like in other new DCnU books. I really think DCnU should be showing us the upper echelon of what comic book art can be in this relaunch, and only a few books have achieved that.
The Grade: B
Status: Stays in

CAPTAIN ATOM #1
by J.T. Krul and Freddie Williams II
The Good: An action-packed first issue that introduces a series of new characters while giving a sense of clear and present danger.
The Bad: There were many ways this book could have gone, including my favorite: following the story of Nate becoming something other within the realm of his powers, something not human, something beyond the physics we understand. While the book explores a little bit of that dimension, it also seems to confuse Nate with Firestorm (both stylistically and story-wise) and with Dr. Manhattan (which was inspired in Captain Atom), without really giving clarity of the direction of the book. I would kind of be interested if they took him into Watchmen territory and turned him into a being so powerful, not even Superman could match him. That would be interesting. This book was just confusing (and confused) and, again, art that is just OK should not be cutting it in the new DCnU.
The Grade: C-
Status: Dropped

GREEN LANTERN CORPS #1
by Peter Tomasi and Fernando Taparin
The Good: I am shocked as to how much better this title was at dealing with GLs on Earth (this time Guy Gardner and John Stewart) than the titular Green Lantern #1. This was an awesome read filled with earthly lives and contemplation, and the advantage that these guys over Hal Jordan of being able to get back to work as interstellar police. Not only that but the art is what you should expect of a new 52. It's exciting and detailed, particularly in the scenes in outer space and in the main action sequences. After the OK run right before War of the Green Lanterns I was expecting not to be interested in this book, but it's just become my favorite Green Lantern book (although I am a Hal guy to the end)!
The Bad: A little less violence (oh my gosh, that opening sequence is brutal) seems to be a common complaint from me. And this may just be the new 52 modus operandi, but at least it was done in a way that makes the story interesting.
The Grade: A
Status: Added

NIGHTWING #1
by Kyle Higgins and Eddy Barrows
The Good: Beautiful art, particularly in an opening sequence that reminds us of what a sight Dick Grayson is while patrolling the city. We get action packed beginning and end and some interesting development in the middle, with the origins of the first Robin coming back to town to haunt Dick in more ways than one. It is not an easy first issue for first readers, but it is a fantastic one for long-time fans of the series
The Bad: What is up with Daken/X-23 wearing a hydra costume showing up at the end of this issue? I have no idea, but it would be nice if there was a little more oroginality in the character design (unless, of course, if this is an older character I'm not aware of).
The Grade: B
Status: Stays in

RED HOOD AND THE OUTLAWS #1

by Scott Lobdell and Kenneth Rocafort

The Good: One of my favorite characters even, Jason Todd, finally gets his own book (no, the Lost Years mini does not really count), and the good news is that it centers on him, more than in the other characters. Hopefully there will be further development of the myth of Jason Todd through this series, which would be a lot of fun to see.

The Bad: There has been a lot of outrage out there about the character assassination of Kory (aka Starfire) as a sex toy, and what a mess this really was. In a week where DC releases an unbelievable Batman and a return to form in Wonder Woman, all of that is thrown out the window with horrible writing of characters and changes that were not necessary at all. Not only Starfire becomes, splash page after splash page, nothing but a sexual object that sees all humans the same therefore anyone will do for a little quickie, but it's so in your face it hurts. Let alone that two important characters in the mythos of Nightwing have been dropped in this book and become completely unrecognizable. Roy Harper, who admittedly grew a lot in the old DCU, has become a shadow of himself or as Jason would put it, a contender for "the wors sidekick"in the history. The art is just OK, and it seems to have most of its focus on Kory's body and on the fact that Jason's mechanical mask is now malleable to allow him to make facial expressions while checking Kory's body out.

The Grade: D

Status: Dropped

SUPERGIRL #1

by Michael Green, Mike Johnson and Mahmud Asrar

The Good: The art is pretty good. There is also the fact that we get to see the arrival of Kara on Earth, although with the twist that she goes through Earth all the way to Siberia. As an origin story including the discovery of her powers works well...
The Bad:... but man was that slow. Aside from the good items listed above, nothing happened in this book. It just felt like it all happened in one scene and only leaves us asking for more on the very final page with a very special guest appearance.
The Grade: C
Status: Dropped unless it really picks up with the next issue

WONDER WOMAN #1
by Brian Azzarello and Cliff Chiang
The Good: Wonder Woman is back, back to awesomeness, action and intrigue. She's back to (as close as you can get to) her beloved original costume and to being a tall amazon. How awesome is that? There are all the the elements of a good Wonder Woman story. There is mysticism, there is action, there is a story that makes you intrigued, there is a heroine you can believe in. All things done in Odyssey, and done so poorly. In only one issue, Azzarello proves that you can do all those things right and fun again.
The Bad: It somewhat took a lot of time to get momentum to get there. But by the time you get to it, it really kicks into high gear. Also, in a book about the most powerful woman in the DCnU and with the thought of re-empowering women with a fresh take on a taller, lean and mean Diana, it is kind of a shame to have unnecessary images of violence against women in the opening and closing scenes. I understand that this is to frame the level of evil of the antagonist, but it still felt a little gratuitous.
The Grade: A-
Status: Stays In

Lastly, the following books were not reviewed and their Status remains unchanged for me: Browsed Through, Still Not Interested.

• Birds of Prey
• Catwoman
• DC Universe Presents
• Legion of Super-Heroes

Week 2 in the new DCnU

BATMAN AND ROBIN #1
by Peter Tomasi and Patrick Gleason
The Good: A very good starting point that covers a lot of ground in showing the growth of Bruce Wayne, something we haven't seen in the new DCnU Batbooks until now. Also, we haven't seen major traces of Batman Inc until this issue, which is also refreshing, even though the fate of the Batman Inc character introduced is rather unfortunate. Overall a good launching pad for how this very interesting relationship is going to have to grow as both a father and son duo and a criminal fighting duo. All Robins have been in one way or the other heirs to the throne, and here comes the first son of the Bat, who is harder to trust or like than any of his predecessors. There is nothing but an awesome story to tell here. Let the games begin. In addition, we get an international enemy of Batman Inc as the villain that presents real, palpable danger. A great first test brewing for the new dynamic duo.
The Bad: Sometimes it felt like Bruce and Damian were having separate conversations, which I think was the point in part, but it resulted in being more distracting than leading to making a point. I am actually not sure how crazy I am about Bruce being so happy and so OK about the event that made him (his parents' murder) as much as that may make sense after the RIP and The Return of Bruce Wayne storyline. Also, DCnU relaunch notwithstanding, Damian seems a little more annoying than before, and I figured that some time with Dick would have made him outgrow that a bit.
The Grade: B+
Status: Stays in

BATWOMAN #1
by JH Williams III and Haden Blackman
The Good: This is the comic book of the week. Stunning and original art from beginning to end, every inch of this book is beautiful. Splash pages that leave you gasping. It definitely is a unique way to enjoy a comic, and there is nothing like it in the new DCnU. That's just the art. The writing is impeccable, and clearly complemented by the art. This is something that is extremely unique in the new DCnU thus far and I hope that sends a message to everyone on what comics should be about. The interesting thing, as I've posted before, is that this book existed in this form and shape (with minor tweaks) prior to the DCnU relaunch. So to award the success of this book on the relaunch would be ludicrous, this book should be what good comics should be about and it was completely independent of the relaunch.
The Bad: Absolutely nothing.
The Grade: A+
Status: Stays in (for the long haul!)

DEMON KNIGHTS #1
by Paul Cornell and Diogenes Neves
The Good: I had no idea of what to expect from this book. Aside from Etrigan and Xanadu, everyone else seemed like characters I didn't know or care about. But enter Vandal Savage and my heart is filled with warmth, and all of the other random characters that join the motley crew make this book not only fresh and original, but also fun. I was hearing a report on NPR about how most revolutions (military, political and ideological) have assembled in a bar, particularly in the US throughout its history. How fitting that the gathering of these heroes should happen in the same place in such an organic manner. The art is fun and perfect for this story and way of story telling.
The Bad: As much fun as I had, very little actually happened in this book. I am looking forward to the origin stories of other characters in the books to come, since we only got abbreviated versions of Etrigan and Xan. Most definitely want to know more about their encounters with Savage in previous times.
The Grade: A-
Status: Enthusiastically added!

GREEN LANTERN #1
by Geoff Johns and Doug Mahnke
The Good: Doug Mahnke and Geoff Johns continue their story as if the relaunch had not happened. This story picks up where the aftermath of the War of the Green Lanterns left off and that's good news because it puts two of its most developed characters (Thal Sinestro and Hal Jordan) in the most interesting position they could find themselves. The art is as always gorgeous and the issue does a good job at introducing new readers to the situation while letting the rest of us that have been enjoying this ride since Rebirth see where it takes us.
The Bad: I would have hoped that Johns let both Sinestro and Hal simmer a little longer in their undesirable new situations longer, really have them sit in the reality of what these new positions they find themselves in are and do further character development. It does not look like Sinestro will be leaving the green ring any time soon judging from December solicits, but I don't like the idea that they already may have a plan to start putting everyone back in their place. We'll see how it plays out.
The Grade: A-
Status: Stays in

GRIFTER #1
by Ntahan Edmonson and Cafu
The Good: Cafu's art is gorgeous, particularly in the opening sequence that feels takes straight out of Lost or 24. Very well done across the board. 
The Bad: The story is just OK, and Grifter is written so much channeling Sawyer, and I really don't get to care about any of it (including the mysterious otherwordly villains) by the end of it. It's a bland origin story and I was hoping for much more.
The Grade: C-
Status: Dropped

RED LANTERNS #1
by Peter Milligan and Ed Benes
The Good: In very few pages we get Atrocitus origin story, the renewal of his rage depite the events of War of The Green Lanterns, the beginning of a revolution within the Red Lanterns and the prequel to an origin story of a new Red Lantern (tentatively) back on Earth. That is a lot of a small book, and it does so seamlessly both welcoming new readers and old. We even get (I think) a pseudo-tribute to the art of Kevin O'Neill in the famous "Tygers" story with the opening scene. This is a universe that has a lot of potential to be developed, there are so few Red Lanterns that we have gotten an origin story form, and this is a nice opportunity to see what drives all of these creatures from all over the universe, while exploring familiar ground.
The Bad: There was quite a bit of violence in this book, which is to be expected, but it may only descend into more chaos. This is a complaint many readers of the new DCnU are getting, and I don't think it's totally unjustified. There is also the matter of the mumblings of the Red Lanterns, how they operate out of pure rage and can barely put a thought together while communicating, whereas Atrocitus looks and sounds like a genius compared to his troops. It makes for difficult reading, but also leaves readers scratching their heads a bit.
The grade: B+
Status: Stays in

SUPERBOY #1
by Scott Lobdell and RB Silva
The Good: I was not expecting this book to be this decent, since I was thinking I'd drop it after the first issue. There's good writing, good action good twists. In very few pages we have a "recreation" of the escape of Superboy from the lab from Death of Superman, in a brand new fresh (and violent!) way. But we also get to meet all these new and old characters, with fun winks (two versions of Rose Wilson!) and interesting hints (the Dr. in charge of Superboy is either called Dr. or "Red", but never by her last name- perhaps a Luthor?). 
The Bad: This is one of the outfit redesigns I have been the least happy about, but I guess it may have to grow on me. I'm also curious of how they treat the origin of the human DNA for Superboy as such a mystery, while dropping way too many hints as to the obvious answer. They may be pulling our leg for a big reveal later on, or making this unnecessarily mysterious even for new readers. As enjoyable as it was, I'm not enthralled by this book at this point and may only stay in my pull list for a short period of time. Unless of course, the overlap with Teen Titans is phenomenal and the story develops a little more complexity. We'll see. 
The Grade: B-
Status: Stays in for a couple of issues

Lastly, the following books were not reviewed and their Status remains unchanged for me: Browsed Through, Still Not Interested.

• Legion Lost
• Deathstroke
• Resurrection Man
• Mister Terrific
• Frankenstein, Agent of S.H.A.D.E.
• Suicide Squad

Random thoughts on Week 2 of the DCnU

The new DCnU continues to raise questions, and here are some as I'm preparing reviews for this week's issues #1:

1. Is Red (in Superboy #1) a Luthor? All signs point to maybe!
2. With Batman Inc in full swing (as indicated in Batman and Robin #1) is it public knowledge that Bruce Wayne funds the Batman? If so, why does the Batman continue to seem like this force of nature Gotham is still getting used to?
3. Amanda Waller was awesome as she was before. This sexified, younger, skinny new version stinks and does not help a book (Suicide Squad #1) already swimming in mediocrity. Is the DCnU not going to have any adult figures with everyone getting young-ified?
4. Is Renee Montoya dead? Or is she just in a list of officers outside of the office. Very hard to tell, and very nicely left up in the air since this book as originally to be in the "old" DCU.

Justice League #1

Story: Geoff Johns

Art: Jim Lee, Scott Williams

Publisher: DC Comics

Publication date: August 31, 2011

The good. Whether we are all in, or we're partially interested or we have officially abandoned DC, the new DCnU is here. Today is the day. I have to confess that, as critical as I have been of this reboot, I find myself pumped and excited about more stories than I thought I would and Justice League was one of them. It does well as it opens with a bang of visuals, splash pages and action worth of a good number 1 issue. Jim Lee is spot on drawing a "new" universe for a new generation of readers that looks indeed exciting. The wink-wink moments hinting at the big bad wolf around the corner, which is the reason why these heroes will band together, are well written. A lot of Batman, a character Johns has not touched, is done relatively well as well.

The bad. This was to be Geoff Johns' day. Only two DC titles are being released and both are written by him, shepherding the end of an era and the beginning of a new one. It's a big deal. And yet, while Flashpoint #5 suffers from one of Johns' most recent problems in writing big events (see review), JL#1 feels remarkably brief and flat in content for being *the* relaunch of this new universe. Johns' Batman, while decently portrayed, feels a lot like a rehash of Miller's All Star Batman (admittedly, Jim Lee's involvement and the interactions with GL could play a big role in this impression). But something feels off with the caped crusader, and it's not only the fact that this is 5 years later and our heroes are younger, brasher and less used to each other and the larger superhero community. On a similar note, Hal Jordan is even more unrecognizable. This is Johns' "baby" though! This is the man he brought back from the dead and turned into a book I looked forward to in every delivery. And yet, Green Lantern suffers from the Bob Dole syndrome of speaking about himself in the third person, over and over again. This is not a cocky Hal Jordan meeting the world, this is just downright annoying. It's also interesting that while both books are multi-character big event comics, both Flashpoint and JL have only a fleeting cameo of the most iconic DC (and all comics) character: Superman, while instead focusing on relationships between Batman and other main players (Barry and Hal) that feel forced and out of character.

The ugly. I did not find anything particularly ugly about the book per se, but more about the repercussions of releasing a mediocre first delivery of the new DCnU. I am looking forward to many books and many stories despite what I see as unnecessary sacrifices of some of my favorite stories in the old DCU, and I'm intrigued to see what specific people do with specific characters in what I think will be magical combinations (Snyder's Batman, Simone's Batgirl, Azzarello's Wonder Woman, heck even Johns' Aquaman). But this was the day for DC to shine and show us how it all was going to change and I really think it felt incredibly flat and underwhelming.

The grade: C+

Flashpoint #5

Story: Geoff Johns

Art: Andy Kubert

Publisher: DC Comics

Publication date: August 31, 2011

WARNING: MAJOR SPOILERS AHEAD

The good: The issue does a decent job at wrapping up all the stories of Flashpoint into one place, despite quick and messy demises of some key characters. It even makes Superman's appearance useful, even if incredibly brief (although I'm still processing how he could intervene with something magical in such an efficient way). It gives us some moments of weight between Barry and his mother, and Barry and Bruce. Artwise, not many complaints here, since I have enjoyed the consistency of the main book in terms of art whereas Falshpoint tie-ins seemed rished in that regard.

The bad: As all things need to come to an end, I expected a decent explanation for the new DCnU. Instead we get a rushed merging of "timelines", and changes in outfits through a crucial yet absurd spread. Calling the three merging imprints a set of three timelines makes no sense at all, as if there had not been other timelines previously or concurrently. Also, hadn't Brightest Day already done part of the job of merging certain aspects of this (John Constantine, Swamp Thing)? This is what irritates me the most of this mediocre explanation through Flashpoint. That this merging done by Barry somehow is responsible for Swamp Thing entering the DCU, or Sinestro being on the wrong side of the law to a Green Lantern (thus negating his growth and the event s of War of the Green Lanterns that led to that).

The ugly: I think the most unfortunate aspect of it all is that this reboot was a chance to stop making the event books (anything with the word "Crisis" in its title, Blackest Night, etc) and doing away with the writing style for the sake of setting a seed towards the next "big event". This was an opportunity to do Justice League 1 from the get-go witha fresh new take on it. This was an opportunity to start characters like Aquaman from #1 into hundreds of great issues if written properly. Instead, we get the seed of the unknown character, we get the "impending arrival" of some evil presence who apparently had planned separating the "timelines", and we get whispers about the "cost" that will be eventually paid. Basically continuing the horrible tendency of Geoff Johns to write while planning on the next big event (something I hoped the new DCnU would avoid) instead of focusing on good writing and good characters. This is NOT a new way of making comics, it's precisely the old one.

The grade: C-

The 'Other' New 52

So, more and more it seems that the new 52 is ballooning into way more than just 52 new titles. Of course, some of these titles could be limited series (Batman Inc), but some involve characters not listed in the current DCnU 52 that should certainly be missed (Ahem! Stephanie Brown! Ahem! Power Girl!). Let us not forget that according to 2 separate polls by CBR, most books seems to have an inverted bell-shape curve in terms of interest (with either people really excited about them or really hating the idea) and that the only clear winners are a handful of familiar titles (Batman, Green Lantern, Justice League).

I've decided it's a good time to venture some guesses regarding who else will be coming in the fall 2011 and in 2012 to be part of the DCnU roster. Feel free to contribute your thoughts and rumors to this post. Let's start with #53:

53. Huntress #1 (confirmed in solicits)
54. T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents #1 (confirmed in solicits)
55. Batman Inc. #1 (2012 release confirmed by Morrison at The Source)
56. Batman Beyond #1 (2012 release confirmed in the last issue of Batman Beyond)
57. Justice Society of America #1 (2012 release confirmed at the Source)

and here the list starts getting sketchy, based on suppositions from strong titles/characters not present in the announced DCnU, as well as hints in books.

58. Spoiler #1 (starring Steph Brown, maybe based on a DiDio announcement)
59. Superman Beyond #1 (based on his return to Metropolis in Superman Beyond #0)
60. Power Girl #1
61. Xombi #1
62. Secret Six #1

and beyond this point the list gets sketchier with characters present in the DCnU that could still get their own titles:

63. Booster Gold #1
64. Zatanna #1
65. Deadman #1
66. Jonah Hex #1
67. Donna Troy #1

This Week's Comics in 20 words

I'm starting something new, with quick reviews of books from each week in 20 words or less, hopefully bringing up some discussion on key aspects of these books as well as hopefully without spoiling too much. So, here is what happened in comics this week:

• Action Comics #904: Superman gets to help a stranded alien (again) and Grounded gets yet another unnecessary epilogue. C-
• Batman Incorporated #8: Bruce Wayne's Internet 3.0 hurt my eyes and took the Batman Inc story off rail a little bit. C
• The Bionic Man #1: Intriguing start to an origin story that already has an evil bionic man in it. Cool. B+
• Chew #20: A slow start through a bad trip quickly speeds up to an awesome nail-biting conclusion. A
• FF #8: Doom wins team player award (and possibly the reins of FF after Fantastic Four 600?). A-
• Flashpoint: Kid Flash Lost #3: Does this change the meaning of "Everything will change in a Flash"? (as in a singular Flash). C+
• Flashpoint: Lois Lane and the Resistance #3: Another meh tie-in comes to an end but ends with a boom. C-
• Flashpoint: Project Superman #3: Great story arc with an OK ending that raises expectations for Kal's involvement in Flashpoint 5. B+
• Kick-Ass 2 #3: Millar makes up for delays with unfathomable violence (WTF?) and the reincorporation of two favorite characters into the story. B+
• Superman Beyond #0: Superman was not gone long enough to be missed. Will this book be among the "new 52" in 2012? C+
• Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #1: Not much happens, but worth at least a browse with one of the original creators at the helm. B-
• Ultimates #1: Nick Fury has a bad day at the office in one of the best books this week. A
• Wolverine #14: The twists in this book bring Logan to his knees and will make you reread the last issues again. A-

What Flashpoint did not change

We are less than a week away from the final issue of Flashpoint (and the final issue of the DCU as we know it), and all the regular DCU titles have bid adieu in their own particular way. All that's left is a single issue and then we all press the reboot button and forget about what we have learned, and get ready to enjoy (or hate) a new take on the DC Universe.

And in the midst of it all, the epicenter of this reality/numbering altering event is the event that "will change it all": Flashpoint.

With all of the issues and side-stories of Flashpoint wrapped to a close and only the final issue remaining next week, it seems like a good time to revisit what has Flashpoint taught us (mind you, SPOILERS ahead). In particular, about how even when everything changes, everything stays the same. So here it goes, regardless of the universe the following will stay true:

•  Hal Jordan will be reckless but Carol will love him to pieces.
•  Aqualad gets the shaft in all universes. Poor Garth, really.
•  The Guardians are still mean, methodical, predicable morons.
•  Some writer, somewhere will yet find a lousy excuse to mess with Wonder Woman's outfit. It won't be pretty. The reason behind it will be horrible.
•  Atrocitus will have plenty to be angry about.
•  Anything written by Azzarello or Snyder will be the only things worth reading, everything else will be close to literary toilet paper.
•  Abin Sur will total a spaceship, and his witness will always be a Hal Jordan of Earth.
•  Deathstroke, dad of the year.
•  Plastic man will play a role that is totally forgettable.
•  Dick Grayson will make an unfortunate fashion choice.
•  Guy Gardner will have the wisdom of a fortune cookie.
•  Incredibly powerful beings like Captain Marvel or Martian Manhunter will not use their powers, and will die at the hands of ridiculous lesser beings.
•  Wayne Manor will be light enough to be built on top of a gigantic hollow cave.
•  Mera will be the only interesting character from the whole Atlantean race.
•  Zoom will have beef with the Flash.

But most importantly, nothing will really change. And even when it does, if it's done by a great writer (Snyder, Azzarello, Simone) it will still most likely be really good. Bring it on DCnU, let's se what you got.

Green Lantern #65

Story: Geoff Johns
Art: Doug Mahnke, Keith Champagne
Publisher: DC Comics
Publication date: April 20, 2011

The good: From a shocking and beautiful cover, to the first haunting image that leads into an action-packed sequence, this is a solid delivery on the War or the Green Lanterns. We see our heroes reunited, and forced to fight back now that they have regrouped, with nothing but a rash (and yet, seemingly logical) decision from top honcho Hal Jordan. What are the consequences of this decision? The coming issues will tell, but this is a pivotal moment in the War, and it's delivered beautifully. Speaking of beautiful, I'm going to miss the look of the green lantern world when and if Mahnke leaves. The last page reveal is just powerful and gorgeous, and the "All we have to do is choose" close up of Hal is epic and makes a big deal out of this change in the rules of the game.

The bad: (minor spoiler) I'm at a loss as to how the rings are working at this point. Usually, regardless of color, the rings would choose the nearest, most adequate bearer. This time around, not only do John, Kyle, Guy and Hal pick their poison, but they do so with input and dissuasion from Hal. Although I recognize that it's a story element to put Hal in a place where he knows these people best (hopefully?), I would have expected them to be boys big enough to pick on their own. It puts the three other lanterns within a spectrum of knowing who they are. Guy knows exactly what he needs to become, much like Hal thinks he knows what to go for (even at the risk of what it will do to them). Kyle is hesitant and yet correct to go for what he knows in his heart. John is just plain wrong about himself (or is he?).

Final grade: A

Random thoughts:

• This issue moves us forward leaps and bounds compared to the next part (part five of War of the Green Lanterns) in GL Corps #59, also out this week. Nonetheless, make sure to check out the variant covers that make with next week's Emerald Warriors a full spread of the war, as fought across all three GL titles.
• The decisions made here seem kind of important in the vein of who will be left as GL of sector 2814 and who will leave to do something else. An important factor not brought to my attention until recently is that there are no Green Lantern solicits for July (panic gasp!)
• I have thought for a while that this was the story of Hal Jordan, how long he's been without taking the ring off for a while, and how history is meant (or not) to repeat it self with Krona, Sinestro and Hal. I would like to think that Hal leaves the role of Green Lantern for a while, for a temporary retirement. But after this issue, I'm not sure that's where this is headed.

Green Lantern #64

The good. First thing you'll notice is the stunning art, and we are reminded of it from the very useful intro for newcomers, to the stunning spread of Krona with the entities. The writing is spot on as always, great timing and delivery from all characters, including the characters that appear briefly before being blown/transported into oblivion (see Sinestro). A very powerful ending, that leaves the open question of whether there will be a little bit history repeating itself. Will Krona lead the GL Corps to the same path he led the Manhunters? Great dire straits to leave Hal at, and a great moment to switch channels to see what's going on on Green Lantern Corps #58.

The bad. Aside from highlights and moments for long-time GL readers, not much happens really. The pieces of this chess game keep on moving and now Hal Jordan is officially in a corner (some pieces are missing, some are out of sight). This also may be a minor complaint, but shouldn't the Ion-possessed guardian look a little more like the representations of Ion we have seen before (Kyle, Sodam)? The Ophidian, Butcher and Predator possesions look spot on, for comparison purposes, so it's hard not to look for the same in Ion.

Random thoughts:

• Speaking of chess pieces, and if we go back to Hank Henshaw and Lyssa Drak's involvement in this, there are a lot of them - was the missing Ganthet part of Krona's plan the whole time, for a final count of 6 guardians for six entities, leaving Parallax to return to the green lantern power battery? Or were we supposed to see a repeat of Green Lantern Rebirth? 
• Is Hal Jordan destined to fail like all the other Guardian's failures (the first lantern, Krona, Sinestro)? Or is he different in some way because he has embraced (at odds with the Guardians) what they fear but usually saves the day? 
• You have to wonder what will Sinestro do with the book’s info. You know that's not going to be left at that, and it's hard not to root for him. 
• Lastly, a wacky thought. Has Parallax been controlling Krona this whole time? Their eyes and smile look almost identical right before Parallax “goes home”. Parallax creepy and ominous first words inside the central power battery (“My precious Hal”) almost indicates that the whole mission was about this particular moment.

Final grade: B+