#stevewands

Review: Action Comics #1088

Writer: Mark Waid Art: Skylar Patridge Colors: Ivan Plascencia Letters: Steve Wands Reviewed by: Matthew B. Lloyd     Summary Clarks attends his first day at Smallville High School and Superboy appears in Smallville for the first time.  They couldn't be related, could they? Positives Well, it's hard to know where to begin, but I'll give it a shot.  It's pretty simple really; Mark Waid focuses Action Comics #1088 on CHARACTER and CHARACTER drives the story.  So well in fact, that he's able to win over this old Superboy reader who will have a few things to say below in "negatives" section.  This is the secret to reinventing the wheel.  It's never necessary to reinvent the wheel, but when you do it has to come through the character and still embody the core of the character.  Waid does this wonderfully in this issue.

Waid maintains Ma and Pa Kent's role in Clark's life and introduces Pete Ross and Lana Lang into this version of Clark's boyhood very well.  With Lana, this contemporary interpretation is able to bring out more in Clark's awareness of Lana's burgeoning womanhood.  Lana's not a little girl and it's incredibly fun to see Clark's reaction.  I wonder how strong Clark's Super-hormones are? Positives Cont'd Waid balances Action Comics #1088 with a classic disaster that requires Superboy to save his high school, and there's also a great use of the classic "Superboy" logo.  As Clark explores his powers, Waid never lets the reader forget what it's like for Clark.  From not quite having fully developed powers to the issues of navigation for long distance flying, Waid makes it interesting and makes it make sense.  It's just some small details, but they are small details that MATTER and really bring the moments to life for the reader.  These moments connect the extraordinary with the ordinary

Skylar Patridge turns in a really nice job on the art and storytelling.  Patridge evokes all the motions from excitement to anger that again connect the extraordinary with the ordinary.  How can the average person relate to Superboy?  Like this...with this recognizable emotion! At the end of the issue Waid throws the reader a surprise and a reveal for readers who will recognize Clark's teacher by his last name- Blake.  I don't think I'm going out on a limb, but I feel pretty certain that this teacher who has figured out that Clark is Superboy after his first appearance in Smallville is none other than Adam Blake- Captain Comet, an infrequently used space hero who first appeared in the 1950's.  Maybe this will bring about a collection in the DC Finest line of his earliest adventures!

Negatives As I pointed out last issue, for a longtime reader, it's difficult to see Ma and Pa so young...and attractive?  Instead of finding Clark when they were an older couple, it appears that Jonathan and Martha found him when they were in ... high school?!?!?!?!  I mean they are YOUNG.  It's a different visual vocabulary for Ma and Pa and it's startling.  A large part of me would like to see more of the classic visual representation incorporated into the stories, but I completely understand WHY; it's a new interpretation of classic elements.

Verdict Action Comics #1088 isn't just a great comic, it's FUN.  I mean REALLY FUN.  It's also entertaining and a perfect form of escapist entertainment.  Despite a few details that wrankle this old reader, this issue by Waid and Patridge is top notch!  Grinning ear to ear and gasping with fun and excitement, everything is done right for what it is and it also transcends the differences as it is a shining example of how to update without losing what's important. Let's hope this runs for a longtime in either Action Comics or maybe that relaunch of Adventure Comics with issue #530?  Wish I had an extra 1/4 icon to make this 9.5/10!

Review: Action Comics #1089

Writer: Mark Waid Art: Skylar Patridge  Colors: Ivan Plascencia Letters: Steve Wands Reviewed by: Matthew B. Lloyd     Summary Mr. Blake's identity is revealed as himself proves he knows that Clark is Superboy.  Blake explains his concerns about Clark's powers, and gives him a challenge.... Positives With this run on Action Comics Mark Waid is retelling and updating Clark's exploration of his powers and how he develops into a young hero.  Back in the Silver and Bronze Ages, Clark was close to fully formed...just a younger version.  That's not to say he didn't have some setbacks and perhaps mistakes, but for the most part, Clark didn't run into a lot of trouble being Superboy.  Post-Crisis, this self discovery was with a Clark who didn't have a costumed identity.  Waid takes us back to a DC Universe in which Clark is Superboy, but also adds a new wrinkle (besides the more modern setting), an older hero who has come to check on Clark.

I correctly identified Mr. Blake's identity in the review of last issue as he's revealed as Captain Comet in Action Comics #1089.  With Waid's New History of the DC Universe currently being published, it makes sense that he's utilizing these Superboy stories to flesh out some of the moments from that new history.  Captain Comet gets a mention in that series, but here he tells Clark and Ma and Pa Kent a bit of his past adventures.  It's nice how Ma and Pa are familiar with him but Clark has never heard of him.  It gives a sense of the generational quality of the DC Universe and gives a sense of how much time has passed and that Captain Comet is not really known to people Clark's age.

Positives Cont'd Captain Comet gets a nuanced treatment.  We know he's a hero, a good guy, but his presentation here demonstrates a wariness of Clark's powers and indeed the idea of super-powers in general.  I don't think Waid will turn Captain Comet full villain, but he's also not here to simply be a gosh-gee-whiz-let-me-help-you mentor either.  One of the really clever aspects of Waid's story is how Captain Comet "helps" him in this issue.  He sets him up with a challenge that Clark has to work out for himself.  In that respect, Clark is figuring it out on his own, but Waid is still able to use Captain Comet as a hero from an older generation, providing Clark guidance while not giving Clark one-on-one instruction.  Giving Clark a teacher would not feel right, Clark needs to come into himself mostly on his own.

Skylar Patridge continues to excel at communicating emotions both large and small.  Even Captain Comet's concern and emotional distance comes through clearly in her visual.  Even the non-powered moments are laid out well and keep things interesting. Negatives General Sam Lane's appearance and apparent alliance with Captain Comet at the end of Action Comics #1089 presents a cause for some concern, but I have faith that Waid will keep it from becoming a Hulk-vs. Thunderbolt Ross situation.  Similarly, Clark's run in with Kenny Braverman at school in this issue comes across very much like a Peter Parker/ Flash Thompson analog.  This issue seems to give a sense that Waid won't make it that, but it certainly makes sense to have at least a few moments like it as Clark learns the importance of staying under the radar.

Verdict Action Comics #1089 is another great installment in this updating of the Adventures of Superman When He Was a Boy by Mark Waid and Skylar Patridge.  There's a great focus on character and use of DC Comics history to bring thing together as he effectively updates and brings modern storytelling sensibilities while also incorporating longtime DC history.

Review: JSA #10

Writer:  Jeff Lemire Art: Rafael De Latorre Colors: Luis Guerrero Letters: Steve Wands Reviewed by: Matthew B. Lloyd   Summary Kid Eternity meets the deceased members of the JSA to find her purpose and understand the legacy into which she has been thrust.  Plus, things go haywire for the living members of the team!

Positives This series since issue #1 has had multiple storylines running concurrently and without question the strongest aspect of the story in JSA #10 is the Kid Eternity storyline.  Writer, Jeff Lemire places this new Kid Eternity into the history of all the previous versions of the character.  Instead of some sort of reinvention, this is just another in a long line of Kid Eternity's.  We also learn that she isn't the last, there will be more to come.  It may be hard to believe that she's he most important at this point as she herself is told in the issue, but at least it gives the reader something to get excited about.  Lemire gives the reader something to latch onto with this character as she learns about her past along with the reader.  It's a proven technique and it works again here.  It's genuinely enjoyable to see the previous Kid Eternity's show up even if it's very brief.

The notion of the deceased JSAers being able to be part of this story and have some agency despite the drawback of no long being alive is a neat idea adds something exciting that is missing from this series.

Regular artist Diego Olortegui is replaced by  Rafael De Latorre and he does a solid job.  Luis Guerreo  helps maintain a continuity of appearance with his colors.  Visually the books remains consistent while also providing something a little different.  JSA #10 sports a really nice cover by Leonardo Romero which merges the JSA and Kid Eternity in an interesting visual manner.

Negatives   Like many issues in this series, JSA #10 has too much going on.  The multiple storylines isn't really doing this series any favors.  Two or three would be ideal, but there are five or six right now and they aren't coming together in an interesting manner just yet.  Part of the problems is that it's easy to see how they fit together, but it just isn't that engaging.  So many times in this series Lemire seems to be doing things that "should" work, like internal team conflict for instance, but he's not doing the work to make it meaningful.  

The sequence between Hawkman and Hawkgirl is particularly weird.  Lemire seems to not understand exactly where Hawkman is in his life right now.  His over the top anger which Kendra calls him on just seems like it comes out of nowhere.  Their relationship continues to be confounding.  While Kendra no longer has any of Shiera/ Shayera's soul, they are connected and they feel it, but there's just too much else going on to explain what's going on.  It's awkward and without any context.  It's written like the reader is supposed to understand why they are acting this way, but Lemire attempted to make sense of it.  It's very similar to the Jesse Quick/ Hourman situation.  They are presented as a couple that is having issues, but we don't know anything why they are like that.  The same thing happens with Ruby Sokov when she has some misgivings about what the Injustice Society is doing.  Again, it's presented as if the readers understands why she betrayed the JSA and how it went down, but we don't and it's not presented in a way that comes off as an interesting mystery, it is also just confusing and disappointingly underdeveloped. Verdict JSA #10 is like most of the issues in the series, mostly disappointing with one or two elements that are genuinely good.  It continues to be hard to read this series as Lemire is clearly overwhelmed with the pacing and balancing of so many plotlines.  It may turn out better as a single long read, but as individual issues it's difficult to want to keep reading.

Review: JSA #4

Writer: Jeff Lemire Art: Joey Vasquez Colors: Luis Guerrero Letters: Steve Wands Reviewed by: Matthew B. Lloyd     Summary Beth/ Dr. Midnight infiltrates Injustice Society HQ while Todd Rice/ Obsidian finally gets some attention as he discovers he's been captured and takes action to free himself!

Positives JSA #4 is a pretty action packed issue as various plotlines come together.  Beth is spotlighted in the opening sequence as she has to face Solomon Grundy without the use of her goggles and ability to see in the dark.  The stakes feel realistic and Beth comes through with a startling revelation by the end of the issue.  However, Todd Rice's role in the issue is what carries.  Since issue #1 we've known that something happened to the real Obsidian and that Johnny Sorrow has been impersonating him in the JSA.  Todd discovers he's been captured and takes steps to escape.  It's a nice moment for Todd as he gets some agency.  He's so often portrayed as a victim of his own darkness, it's nice to see him be his own light (even if he fights with darkness!)!

This section changes the tenor of the whole series.  While we've known that Todd has been captured, it alleviates the shadow (no pun intended) that has hung over the series/ his character since issue #1.  It creates some excitement and some drive for the story that had been otherwise missing, it finally feels like something different is happening and it's not something we've seen before.

Positives Cont'd These sections while advancing the plot also provide some important character work.  It's subtle, the comic is still focused more on plot than character, but it's just enough to make a difference in this issue.  One has to hope that Lemire will go on to revisit where Todd is in his personal life.  When he got shunted off to limbo with Flashpoint and the New 52, he was in a relationship with Damon Matthews.  Will this come back into play?  There was some good an interesting relationship development between Alan and Todd, as Alan was still coming to grips with his son's sexuality.

With the unnecessary and troubling retcon to Alan's own sexuality and damaging details depicted in 2023's Alan Scott: The Green Lantern mini-series it changes the dynamic of their father/ son relationship.  It remains to be seen how this will play out.  Pre-Flashpoint, there was some nuance, subtlety and realism present as Alan's attitudes and mores of the 1940's created some friction with his son.  It created interesting and engaging character moments for both characters.

Negatives It's tough to really gauge negatives in this issue.  There's still a lot of focus on plot, but what does happen with Beth and Todd in JSA #4 mitigates this.

Verdict JSA #4 is easily the best issue of the series so far.  The characters seem to be more important, and Todd especially benefits.  The entire storyline has a better feel and is just more enjoyable than the first three issues combined.  The construction of this story from issue #1 has been awkward and not always worked, but going forward there is the sense that things are on the upswing.