Bee has opinions

Alan Scott starts written by Mart Dellon (Mart Nodell) and Bill Finger and it's sometimes a hard read. Not just cause of poor scan qualities,

but the odd comic-book over explained grammar of the sentences is genuinely hard to follow a lot of the time, even in these early simplistic stories about good and evil. Every issue, especially of All-Star comics the JSA book feels incredibly long

I am having a fun time reading these '40s stories though. It's very magazine strip, which makes sense half the book is funny pages. Green Lantern's powers are just whatever is needed for the story, which is fun. All the secret identity shenanigans are really silly, Alan Scott seems to be (based on his voice in my head) such a terrible actor, but it works for him.

Plus the villains are largely evil business owners, corrupt government officials, and the war machine. Lots of gangsters, which whatever - I find it hard to imagine there being quite so many in real life. And there is a definite fear of the foreign as well, unsurprisingly for the time but still unfortunate to read

I also just wanna highlight one panel I found very funny:

30 seconds?! That's absurd. And they run that bit into the ground (which is good). Overall though, the comedy is pretty hit and miss, mostly miss for me I think. Very pun heavy - especially in the villain names, basically Ace Attorney writing. Green Lantern's early sidekick "Doiby Dickles" is a character that I don't understand existing at all. He's very Sluggo from Nancy, but as an adult. And he's very reoccurring it's so strange.

There's also an obvious charm to the way things have aged. All scams and crimes are "Rackets" and inflation goes crazy

5 dollars?!

What I'm surprised by, especially compared to my experience reading '60s Fantastic Four, is how non-uniform the paneling is. It's still almost always 9 a page, but they expand and shrink to whatever is most necessary and overlap each other, it's the type of shaping I'm not used to seeing until much later. I wonder if as I read I'll watch that disappear. (Examples)

I'm also surprised by just how fast the JSA showed up, and without much fanfare involved. Suddenly - a team! Mostly though the JSA is a framing device. Even when the plot directly involves them as a team the magazine is a series of solo stories. I've been skimming, each character's story is usually somewhat identical. But I like Johnny Thunder

Made it to the The Dark Knight Returns films and was greeted with an overly edgy Batman story. I didn't love it. The politics were unclear and the action was great, but the overall story just didn't particularly compel me. I'm not one for needless darkness.

But I was kinda surprised by my reaction, because DKR is one of the most loved comic stories of all time.

So then I went to the comic and, as much as I love to be a contrarian, I do get it. The paneling and narration work is superb. Work of art, incredibly compelling Batman story. I think the movie is missing the internal monologue of Bruce so hard. Plus the less interesting art and lack of humor.

I found an issue by issue list, though it's not quite as extensive as I would want (No JSI/JSA/Crossovers). But it was just linked as an FAQ on Green Lantern subreddit and separately is a trade/omnibus guide that has some key JL runs that I might just slot in

The art of course remains great. Bathorse

So The War of Shadows arc, while a controversial one, works for me. I think the first 6 issues serve to reaffirm Cass' beliefs about being a good person, but after witnessing the death of her mother (which is horrible however much she was terrible) those ideals get to be challenged, can she actually live up to them? And it's a story about the power of love and belief in good, which I always love. Some people say this is an arc that has been resolved in Batgirl 2000, but I don't think any of the arcs in that story are really fully resolved, and besides I like angsty Cass. I'd prefer her more brooding than the angry version we get in these issues, but her mom did just die so whatever.

The Curse of the Blood arc is fine, but is unfortunately basically the same arc. Yeah it makes it specifically about familial ties, but it's so similar feeling. Not a terrible arc, I like the ending. I like the spirit world. I just wish it were later. One absolutely incredible paneling moment though

And that takes us to the most recent issue #20. Start of a new arc. I like this issue a lot! It's more retreading backstory trauma and like retcon stuff, and I hope it does something interesting (and I'm honestly not too hopeful). But I love what's happening with Bruce as a father figure, detective stuff is great, and some of those images are pretty gnarly body horror which I fuck with.

I like the first arc a lot! Heavy angst Cass is very fun! Personally, I really enjoy Cass and Shiva's terrible relationship, and I think this run does best at making it feel interesting. Post-2000 a lot of the moments between them feel kinda easy, in The Outsiders they kinda just work together and I love that that isn't what Brombal gives us at all.

I think, besides parental angst, what works about the first arc being Shiva focused is that the series does a really good job at walking the line between giving Cass more and reckoning with her past. Generally love the voice Cass gets, I'm into the body language narration a lot. And interaction with Shiva is great for sign posting change. Like, for instance, whenever she shouts outs the other bats

Overall, I'm super enjoying the series. It feels like a good continuation of Cass specifically. Unique voice, angst, fun action. I'm having a good time.

But I do struggle a bit with what I've read of the second arc so far (7-10). 7 and 8 are backstory issues about Shiva, and I don't like how mythic it becomes. I think the high drama of it means that the rest of the story is going to unfold only because the main character is Cass, which is something I tend to not like in superhero stories. I don't want her to feel so important to the wider world, and that's something that this The Blood connection does. Suddenly she's not inserting herself in conflict to accomplish something, conflict is happening to her because she was born related to Shiva. (who also suddenly has boosted importance)

Issues 9 and 10 introduce me to Tenji, and I do like those ones. Her whole conflict with the Tiger is super fun. Batgirl comics are at the best when action is a set for melodramatic character conflict. This sorta thing is great:

And you know, it's a bunch of single issues. I don't have a super lot to say, but my reaction to Ram V's Detective Comics had me taking a step back and doing a larger self analysis of this read through. Because his Cass stuff was super good! Impeccable art, and I love how he characterizes her.

I think the trying to be Batman thing (one whole issue) is super interesting, and tracks for me - and I love the return to quieter, angrier Cass that the Nocturne apocalypse or whatever brings out

But, that characterization that I'm loving honestly just feels like a return to Batgirl (2000) so I have to look at myself large scale and ask, am I just not wanting Cass to develop as a character?

Honestly, I'm not sure. But I think no - I want her to develop, I just want her to feel distinct. I think a problem with Batfamily writing is that "development" is really just smoothing over. For most of the life span of her comics Cass became very generic, in the same way that (as someone who hasn't read all of the Batman comics) the rest of the family can feel same-y. Unfortunately, I think the most distinct she's felt is the beginning of her run, back in 2000. So interesting writing, almost as a necessity, becomes regressive writing.

Especially cause it was like Dungeon Crawler Carl, which

Isn't great imo

some art and comedy appreciation

It stays fine to good. Maybe a bit worse than the first half. I think the tone remains a mess, but when we get to action scenes there is a much needed intensity that makes the writing convincing. Characters feel mad, people get hurt. It works. Great sense of pacing in the climactic moments.

I will say the final arc. 25-28, I just didn't like. The most confused the tone gets. I think all "The Unreality" stuff is stupid in a way that wasn't fun for me. And it all comes back to The Seam a thing I don't care about being in Gotham.

Regarding Cass. Still funnier than I'd like, but at least it's in a way that does really feel like Cass. I'm a big fan of her just being friends with Constantine sorta.

Anyways Cass is mainly here to be the best fighter and actually get things done. Understood to be the most competent and likable on the team. She infiltrates, she tracks people, solves mysteries, makes plans I do wish they gave her more interiority, she's sorta treated as if any possible arc she could have is finished and now she can be a bouncing board for other people's (like Sin's) problems. Also a lot of the time she is Cass and not Batgirl, which I don't know if I love? Like she's long past the point of Batgirl only, of course. But in the field being Cass? is so strange.

But when we do get to see her being Batgirl, or even just moments away from the team, I think it's pretty great. I love that Cass has ended up being characterized, and it is pretty consistent, as just the most caring person on Earth. Of everyone she's most worried about Barbara and Barda. We get to see her dealing with random people on the streets - which I don't think we see anyone else do in this run.

It sure is a comic.

That's dismissive when it is basically the best thing I've gotten from Cass since Tynion's Detective Comics run. Kelly Thompson understands her voice and is able to write a comedic character that still does feel like Cass

And while the run so-far is unbelievably far from having actually moving moments, I do think Thompson understands the emotional core of Cass in a group setting pretty well. There are a few sweet moments with her at the center

Plus I do enjoy the art a lot. Romero's faces aren't my favorite thing ever but I do love the blocky - Lichtenstein-like work

(okay so actually neither of those art examples are from Romero, but they're cute and I like them)

But it's still just tonal problems. Birds of Prey remains very light, plot focused DC and I just find it hard to care about. None of these characters emotionally connect with me. The 5 issue Worlds Without End arc is incredibly formulaic. And I don't love the modeling show bit it's just strange.