Comics: Week of December 12, 2007

Green Lantern #25 & Green Lantern Corps #19 - Overall, I found it a satisfying end to what DC treated as a minor side-event (that's what it felt like, anyway). I could be off-base, but it seemed like the company spent more time talking about Countdown and its various spin-offs than the Sinestro Corp War, which is a shame. The Corp War has much stronger central concept that tied in a lot of extraneous bits of continuity that left the two titles a lot stronger than it found them. The finale resonated strongly, as it tied into the beginning of this series and served as a symbolic homecoming to Hal, who began the run worrying about rebuilding Coast City and getting people to come back. He ends here with confidence that that will become reality at last.


I've said it before, but I really do believe that Johns has hit his stride with this book. He's retained a focus on this title that I don't think I've seen before. I nearly felt like applauding after reading the coda. It was as if he was saying "Hey, you thought that the Sinestro Corp War was kick-ass... wait til 2009!". Instead of ending with a bunch of loose tangents and unresolved threads left for others to pick up, it ended on a note of confidence... as if all this was set-up for greater things to come.

The epilogue issue in GLC was especially poignant, allowing some downtime and much-needed checking-in with the major players. I admire the way they've managed to turn Guy into a kind of one-note character to a kind of gruff, older brother figure. It suits him, and the Corp. He's the kind of mentor that no one else can be. One question, though: when did Ice come back? Did I miss that somewhere?

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Suicide Squad #4 - Between picking up this title and tracking down issues of the original series, it's amazing at how consistent they are, which makes me love the new series even more. I picked up the first few issues of the original series back when they first came out, but I don't think I could appreciate them properly at that age. I just read the Secret Origins that introduced the Squad after their debut in Legends, which actaully helped set up this new issue perfectly. I'm wondering if Ostrander had the last page reveal planned af far back as the 80's. Not to knock the Secret Origins story, but it kind of seemed off in parts. Yes, it could be the result of a writer finding the right tone under a tight deadline, or it could be that he had the idea back then that some things weren't/aren't what they seemed.

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Wonder Woman #15 - I missed the first issue of Simone's run, but the plot seemed accessible all the same. I've been looking forward to this takeover since it was announced. I've fished some of her Birds of Prey run out of dollar boxes over the Summer. She's a good writer, though sometimes her central themes get a bit wobbly for me. Where she surpasses many other working writers is her characters; she gives each a distinct voice and way of interacting with others. To me, she's single-handedly responsible for rehabilitating both Barbara Gordon and Black Canary, as well as a lot of other characters that have passed through her hands. It's something that Wonder Woman has needed for a long time. Perez did a good job on the revamp in the 80's, but it was more about world-building around Diana.

My only concern is how much will the company support Simone in the end. They may be looking to her to turn this character around in short order which, frankly, probably won't happen. They need to be patient and hands-off, editorially speaking. This title has been a well-documented fiasco since the restart. If the company lets Simone work, then what will happen is a slow build in character and readership that may pay off down the line. They have a shot of creating an iconic version of a character that hasn't really had one (in comics form, anyway).

Plus, I really like the idea of a good female writer on this title. It's about f*@king time. If the company starts screwing it up, it may send a bad signal in a profession that desperately needs a different point of view.

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green lantern green lantern corps suicide squad wonder woman