Supergirl #12
Even if the story doesn’t work, you need to pick up this book and I’ll give you one simple reason: Amanda Conner’s artwork. If you’re going to show a superhero avoiding work and trying to have fun, there’s no one else who can depict fun quite like Amanda Conner. There aren’t many good funny book-type cartoonists who can still draw a strong superhero book but Conner can. The club that Supergirl is in looks bright and lively and maybe even somewhat dangerous for a 16 year old. She fills the background of most pages with much more interesting moments and stories than what Palmiotti and Gray are trying to to in the main story. And heck, Supergirl actually looks like a girl. Remember the emaciated heroin-chic model that Michael Turner introduced to us in Superman/Batman? She’s nowhere to be seen. Instead, we get a girl full of fun and real emotions, even if she doesn’t seem to be all that super.
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newuniversal #1
If there is a critical problem with this book, it may ultimately turn out to be the timing of its release. Normal people suddenly getting mysterious powers? Mysteries and conspiracies about why and how these events are happening? Does any of this sound familiar? While the original concepts here outdate Heroes by about twenty years, the thematic ground covered here is very close to that popular TV show. While I have faith in Ellis that there will be no “Save the Cheerleader, save the world” mumbo jumbo here, it is hard at this early stage not to draw these comparisons. But it’s only the first issue and we’ve barely seen what this book is going to be about.
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Justice Society of America #1
Let’s be honest with each other for a moment here: the re-launch of Justice Society of America is purely motivated by money. There was nothing wrong with the previous JSA series and the post One Year Later cancellation of it came out of nowhere. Unlike the terminally broken JLA title with its rotating cast of creators, JSA’s creative team remained relatively solid and good though out the Identity Crisis/Infinite Crisis brouhaha. Geoff Johns, while needing a break, had found an old-school replacement in Paul Levitz who, in plenty of critical hindsight, crafted a fun story. Yet Levitz’s story lacked the emotional impact and gravitas needed for the end of a great series and future re-launch. It felt as if DC had reached a point and simply ran out of stories while they waited for Geoff Johns to return.
With Justice Society of America #1, Geoff Johns finally returns to the team, this time joined by Secret Six penciller Dale Eaglesham. Like all good restarts, this series begins with the rebuilding of the team. Reminded of what they should be by Batman, Superman and Wonder Woman, the three old timers Wildcat, Flash and Green Lantern regroup most of the previous JSA while also extending invitations to the children and grandchildren of other Golden Age heroes. The newbies include a emotionally unstable Damage, a mentally unstable Starman and Cyclone who may not be unstable but has all the spunk and energy of a superhero wannabe.
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