TOP TEN BEST COMICS OF 2022

[10] Justice Society of America #1 - "Legends Die Together, Too"

~ Geoff Johns & Mikel Janin

Yes! The main reason I loved this so much is because I had previously read the old Paul Levitz Adventure Comics E2 JSA stories with Huntress in them, specifically the one Johns uses as reference where Soul Thief empowers a criminal to kill Batman. This is the kind of continuity mining that I want in my comics!

The fact that this issue is titled "Legends Die Together, Too", a clear response to the Adventure Comics #462 title "Only Legends Live Forever!" is awesome.

I loved the roster of the future JSA, and the generations spanning conflict creates such a fun and epic scope for the twin JSA/Stargirl books that is 100% my bread and butter.

Sure the Watchmen stuff is extremely self-indulgent, but I'll give it a pass for my continuity-porn cape popcorn roller coaster comics.

[9] Riddler One Bad Day - "Dreadful Reins"

~ Tom King & Mitch Gerads

Riddler's Killing Joke!

I loved how terrifying King and Gerads were able to make the emerald enigma in this book. The flashbacks were great and addressing the cyclical nature of Batman and his rogues was done extremely well.

I'm a big fan of Batman when a writer is willing to evolve the character or take him in new directions that stay true to his portrayal across his entire history. This evolution of the Riddler was very fascinating, although this story does the most possible to elevate his threat level compared to all the other rogues.

Killing Joke was about two broken men taking trauma in polar directions: a study on the limits of sanity and the breaking points of good men. Dreadful Reins is all about the game; the rules of engagement when two geniuses decide to use the world as their chessboard. The last page was brilliant, and the ambiguous nature of if Batman broke and killed the Riddler vs if he just put him away once more to continue the game is thematically perfect for the overall Killing Joke parallel. I also loved Batman's final riddle, which reminded me a lot of one of Morrison's best Batman stories: "Time & The Batman". The mystery always comes knocking! It's for you to decide to get up and answer the door!

[8] Dark Crisis: Worlds Without a Justice League: Superman #1 - "Out There"

~ Tom King & Chris Burnham

Wow. I hope this issue brings Chris Burnham to the spotlight because he is one of the top 5 artists in the industry right now.

The backup brought this book down for me. I could feel a lot more pages left while reading my physical copy, and when I flipped to the last page and saw the transition to the aquaman story, I was pissed as heck.

Not the biggest fan of King dunking on Orion again, but I get the parallel between him and Jon (could have used Kalibak or Grayven!).

That last page hits hard, and the ["Fourteen"] sequence was one of the standouts.

Tom King's writing has really grown on me. I get that I have very different takes on characters than he does, but that doesn't mean his writing isn't good. It's like reading Identity Crisis; some of the Dibny + Jean Loring stuff may have gone too far but the book is still good IMO.

[7] A.X.E. : Judgement Day #1 - "A Victory By Erosion"

~ Kieron Gillen & Valerio Schiti

"Patience, Moira, Patience. Eternals are Eternal. If nothing else, we will win by erosion."

One of the best openings to an event comic I've seen in a long time. I'm a DC fanatic, but this year Gillen wiped the floor with Dark Crisis. The pacing was fantastic, and the stakes feel grounded because of all the build-up since Eternals and even Inferno/Immortal X-men.

I always find it interesting to see how certain writers and their works end up inspiring and influencing the next generation of creators. You can most definitely create a timeline starting with Kirby and Gardner Fox through Moore and Morrison all the way down to Johns and Hickman who then laid the foundations for Al Ewing and Kieron Gillen. This kind of multi-title/multi-year grand design storytelling is always a pleasure to consume, and I can't wait to see what Marvel pops out in the next year (and I pray that one day both of these creators will try something out at DC!).

[6] Defenders Beyond #4 - "Da'at: The Land of Couldn't-Be-Shouldn't-Be"

~ Al Ewing & Javier Rodriguez

And what then -- when your new timeline doesn't "make the grade"?! "Reboot after reboot", you said!! And each sooner than the last -- always hunting for the "perfect fix" until not even we know if we're the "true story" or your latest "maybe-verse"!

If you want to know what's wrong with DC right now, read this comic. Al Ewing just freaking gets it. He understands the mundaneness of the story serpent; every human on the planet knows the "Hero With A Thousand Faces" like the back of their hand! Al Ewing understands this, and that's why his stories are so good, because he takes it in a direction that is not on the map, a direction in a higher plane.

This is what art needs to do! It needs to evolve, and Al Ewing is one of the few actively trying to push the veil of comic book storytelling.

[5] Swamp Thing #14 - "The Alien Idea"

~ Ram V & Mike Perkins

Holy goated.

Not a page is wasted in this issue, every word chosen by V becomes a piece of this great debate's foundation. Mike Perkins' pencils are only a glimpse into the true vision of Ram V's elemental epic, but even that is more than enough. The symbiosis between Perkins and Spicer is incredible, and their ability to adapt V's world of cosmic beauty and horror to the page is a godsend.

This issue especially goes up against some of the best of Moore's original saga. I would even dare say that it's some of the best stuff done with the character ever.

[4] Black Adam #6 - "Akhet: Sins of the Father"

~ Christopher Priest & Eddy Barrows

Well god damn, that was fantastic. I love Rafa Sandoval, but Eddy Barrows killed this issue! Priest is the last bastion of kino cape-comics at DC right now, and I am loving every second of his run so far.

It's fascinating to see competent and skilled writers tackle a showdown story between two heavy hitters: something so simple to conceive but so simple to execute in an uninteresting and uninspired way. Priest both presents the clash in an unexpected and innovative way as well as loading it with powerful and relevant dialogue and stakes to give it some weight.

Let this be known: I am not a fan of the Rock's version of Black Adam. If the popularity boosts sales of Johns' JSA and 52 I'm all for it, but if it results in the character being shifted to resemble his movie's counterpart then you've completely lost me.

Thank God we're blessed with having Chris Priest working on this title to prevent any sort of movie influence from truly affecting the character.

[3] Danger Street #1 - "Atlas The Great"

~ Tom King & Jorge Fornes

Loved this! Now to read all the 13 issues of "1st Issue Special" to get backgrounds on all these characters!

I've been one of King's harshest critics in the past. I'm not a fan of his Batman. I'm not a fan of Heroes in Crisis. Even if I dislike his interpretations of our beloved Silver Age characters, I will admit that he is without a doubt one of the best writers of this generation.

The way Tom King structures his mini-series is brilliant: 12 issues is the perfect pace, a design that hits the sweet spot of publication and trade quotas while facilitating the growth of narrative at an optimal rate.

Another thing I adore is his use of obscure Silver and Bronze Age characters. Tom King is that invisible hand, plucking untapped potential from Limbo to exploit and debase! I hate myself for saying this, but I've hit the point where I'm eager to read anything he puts out.

It's only been one issue as of this blog post, but I have very high hopes for these next 12 chapters, and I can't wait to see what angles King will bring us.

[2] Action Comics Annual 2022 - "A Tale of Two Titans"

~Philip Kennedy Johnson & Ian Churchill + Dale Eaglesham

Everyone needs to be reading this book right now!

The Clark section was beautiful. It was reminiscent of Jeph Loeb's tribute to his late son in "Sam's Story" back from Superman/Batman #26, but the continued reinforcement of the Kent's lessons of humility and moral virtue in Clark are awesome. I hope that this gets more popular so we can phase out all of the Hack Snyder DCEU supes personality from the zeitgeist.

The Mongul section was enjoyable as well, the reverse moral code of war-world to ours is extremely fascinating. It makes a lot of sense that the Mongul dynasty would be "Mongol-like"; Genghis Khan fathered so many children, the Mongul's spread their seed and wait for the successor to come and pay for the throne with blood.

Phillip Kennedy Johnson continues to impress with his take on Superman, and I believe this is shaping up to be one of the best modern takes on the character since Morrison's Action and Rucka's Adventures of Superman.

[1] Flash #781 - "All Pedal, No Brakes"

~ Jeremy Adams & Fernando Pasarin

This is easily one of the best Flash stories I have read in a while. I started reading comics during the cusp of the Rebirth era, so I was caught in a tale of two Wallys and have great appreciation for both of them. Jeremy Adams does character interactions better than anyone in the industry right now. He does Bendis better than Bendis. This was an entire issue of two cousins having a heart to heart and it never failed to keep me interested. Pasarin's art suits Adam's style better than any other artist, the expressions along with his beautiful rendition of Wally's Flash suit is always great to see. This was a brilliant issue and I continue to look forward every month to picking up this book.

Adventures of Superman #627-640 Review

Come one, come all to the Countdown before Countdown! We are post Identity Crisis, the powder keg paving the way for the event to end all events. I will stand here and say that this era of the DCU might be the most unified and exciting it has ever been (though a close second would have to be 2016-2017 Rebirth era). I would even dare call Countdown itself an event with how much impact it has line wide. With Geoff Johns, Greg Rucka, Gail Simone, and Judd Winick at the helm maneuvering all the power players into the places they need to be, there's not much that can go wrong!

 [Superman : Unconventional Warfare] ~ {Written by Greg Rucka}

• Adventures of Superman #627 - Battery, Part I : "Girls, Guns, & Replikons" = Interesting. Rucka sets the stage for Superman and his supporting cast: Clark seems to be working with other reporters as correspondence at the Metropolis Police Headquarters, Lois gears up to report on an American invasion of Umec (Unidentified Middle Eastern Country, hilarious Rucka), and Superman deals with a wonderful bronze age pull in the form of Xum, the Replikon! Matthew Clark's art fits the tone Rucka is going for, and I'm eager to see who the major villains will end up being (if there are any).
• Adventures of Superman #628 - Battery, Part II : "You Used To Be A Reporter..." = Not much to say since not much happened, but I will defend Rucka's slow burn style of story-telling. I felt a little ambivalent at the start of his Wonder Woman, but once the train catches steam it does not stop for anybody! I think the dialogue is the strongest part of his books, and the fleshing out of new characters like Lupe and Jerry is done in an extremely smart and competent way. Some creators can get obnoxious with their OC's, but Rucka makes it so seamless that I have to check and see if they were pre-established before this run. The Replikon stuff is ok, but I enjoy the nonchalant cameos of Diana and John Stewart that emphasize the interconnected-ness of the DC universe at this time. Who attacked and killed Replikon's family? Who is the "weapons test" at the end of the issue? Is it another Replikon? Finally, the Lois/Clark sequence was brilliant: the stakes are there, Clark can't save her if stuff goes down since Superman can't be seen in the midst of a war (a very interesting angle). You can really tell that Clark is trying to suppress his concern and let her do her job, but he just wants to keep his wife safe! If you didn't already know, Rucka frekaing rules.
• Superman Secret Files and Origins 2004 - "Suicide Watch" = Very much a mixed bag. The idea of clandestine agencies colliding with the White House in the DC universe sounds awesome to me, but man are both the script and art rough. Jim Fern looks better suited for Japanese manga, while Johns' dialogue is bogged down by having to work with his brother (I assume?). I enjoyed the Pete Ross stuff, but Amanda Waller's dialogue sucked, and the end sequences made no sense at all whatsoever. Amanda didn't want to rat anybody out, but she did to Clark so the Daily Planet could take the credit? Who was Nemesis working for? It has to be Checkmate because of the chess piece calling card, but does that mean Maxwell Lord is behind this? Is that who threatened President Horne at the end of the issue, and does that mean that the blueprints we see are for Brother Eye satellite?! As for the Rucka Mxy story, holy smokes that was so much fun! Jon-Bog killed it with the pencils and the fusion of the two imps has me hyped for his appearances in this upcoming run.
• Adventures of Superman #629 - Battery, Part III : "War-Zones" = Lois seeks truth in times of war, a hostage alien fights against an unknown puppeteer for his own free will, and Superman comes face to face with... sexual tension? Even though nothing crazy is happening, the pot is still stirring, seeds are being sown, and Rucka continues to kill it. Lois writing to Clark at the beginning of the issue was some beautiful prose, while her shenanigans in UMEC are entertaining as mess. The fact that the Replikon we see is the son of Xum is depressing, and it really puts into perspective the fact that Rucka took a Bronze Age one off and debased his entire family to prop up a villain. Who is this mysterious entity with a hate boner for the Man of Steel?
• Adventures of Superman #630 - Battery, Part IV : "Villain Interruptus" = The best issue yet, and one of the best Mxy stories I've ever read! What can't Rucka do?! The use of Mxy is so much fun and I loved how they embraced the meta 4th wall breaking nature of his character, referencing STAS, the Matrix, and even whatever's happening in the other books of the Superman line. My favorite page had to be Mxy's warning, which essentially amounted to him spouting self-reflexive nonsense that incorporated titles of various events from that era. I loved his  short term memory, the ballistic nature of his concentration, with Clark having to remind him every couple panels. Matthew Clark does a phenomenal job with the visual gags, something I was not expecting since I had gotten so used to his gritty and grimy style from the first couple issues. The check-in on Lois was great, and I'm surprised we've been introduced to Ruin this early, but his motivation sounds interesting; animosity because Superman's powers steal solar energy? Loved the reveal of Replikon's weapon charging Ruin's battery (the title of the arc), and as for Mxy's final tip: who or what are the twins?
• Adventures of Superman #631 - Battery, Part V : "Casualty of War" = Fuuuuuuck! I wish the cover didn't spoil it! Without a shadow of a doubt, Lois' segment in Umec stole this issue. Her and Beau pinned down at the mercy of a lone sniper created some wonderful tension that one would never expect to find in a Superman book of all places. It's perfectly juxtaposed with Supes getting trashed by Xlim and Ruin. Matthew Clark's pencils were great in the Star Labs scenes, but Renato Guedes carried the weight with Lois' plot. Even the little moments like Clark stopping Xlim from killing Ruin echoes one of my favorite Superman quotes: "Vengeance is not Justice" ~ Action Comics #796 (Joe Kelly). Lois looks like she got tagged around the heart, but will being faster than a speeding bullet get her to proper medical attention in time?
• Adventures of Superman #632 - "Time Elapsed" = I think this was the issue that cemented Rucka's work on Superman so far as one of the most compelling I've ever had the pleasure of reading. Paired with the brilliant Paul Pelletier, this book is simply unstoppable. Everything about this was awesome, not a single page wasted, not a single dull moment. Ruin continues to develop as a fascinating villain while Superman shuts out the world, locked on to Lois' heartbeat. We finally get who the twins Mxy warned us of are, Ruin's motivation, Wally dressed up like a GI, and a cameo by the best JSA member, the chad himself Pieter Cross Doctor Mid-Nite! Best sequences were the prison transport, Jimmy and Perry, and that heartbreaking final page.

[Superman : That Healing Touch] ~ {Written by Greg Rucka}

• Adventures of Superman #633 - That Healing Touch, Part I : "Twin Parasites" = Wonderful opener to this arc, very interested to see how the twins play into the grand design of Ruin's plans. Did he always plan for them to get doused in chemicals? I assumed that the explosion occurred from Mxy removing that one piece from the battery, but maybe Ruin was going to use the chemicals on them anyways? I loved the interaction between Lupe and Supes, while the cat & mouse style hunt for Ruin is something I'm constantly fascinated by; I've said this before but, Jesus, you never see this kind of stuff in  Superman comic and I love it! Don't care for the melo-drama with Lois' family, but I enjoy that it's reflected onto Lois and Clark since they're sick of it as well.
• Adventures of Superman #634 - That Healing Touch, Part II : "Narrative Interruptus Secondus" = Jeez if that boy Mxy is tweaking about how it ends, I have no idea what cataclysm is approaching! Loved the sequence where Mxy interacts with the early 2000's DC bullpen, I felt as if I was traveling back in time to that era while still being immersed in the present plot. Rucka is able to pull off this fourth wall break so expertly as to not jump the shark, and it doesn't feel forced at all. The twins are interesting enough, but Mxy stole this whole issue. 
• Adventures of Superman #635 - That Healing Touch, Part III : "Drained" = Even though I've had a lot of fun with this arc, I will have to admit that it has been the low point so far (and that's just a testament to how good "Battery" was). Loved the John Henry cameo as well as the Lupe confessional, while the fight with the Twins ended up being some dumb fun even with their flimsy motivations. Matthew Clark continues to kill this book, and I'm excited to see this Superman/Ruin confrontation.

[Superman : Road To Ruin] ~ {Written by Greg Rucka}

• Adventures of Superman #636 - Road to Ruin, Part I : "Identity Compromised" = HE KNOWS! Is this when Batman first finds out? Or did he know at the end of Identity Crisis? This was absolutely fantastic, even if the whole issue was Supes getting dunked on. I love moments like this where the Trinity has to go head to head on the difficult decisions, and it's just so cool to have creators like Johns, Meltzer, and Winick on the same page as Rucka while they all simultaneously craft an epic throughout all the books DC is releasing. Rags on art was the icing on the cake, and Ruin is working for Luthor!
• Adventures of Superman #637 - Road to Ruin, Part II : "Two Truths & A Lie" = Not a fan of Renato Guedes art, but at least we got some Matthew Clark in there. Besides that, while not much happens, we still get some wonderful set up on a couple of fronts. I'm not sure if the Luthor/Pete flashback took place prior to "Ending Battle" since Manchester Black erased the secret identity from Luthor's mind at the finale, but they're definitely doing a whole lot to set up Pete as the prime suspect of Ruin. The Lois subplot seems the most interesting, and if her shooting was really connected to Ruin, then Clark is in much more trouble than he thinks. Getting Jimmy to hit on Jerry was hilarious, but tragic that he got dunked on immediately. Laughed out loud about that final panel since I'm pretty sure this next issue is a Mxy one: super-antics ensue! 
• Adventures of Superman #638 - Road to Ruin, Part III : "Narrative Interruptus Tertiarius" = YES YES YES! I live for these Mxy issues! Revelations from the trickster, invisible string cast across times not yet passed, a slot machine of futures to unfold! Composite beast villain, which of his rogues gallery will strike!?! Superman and Lois, mother and father of DC Comics, everything really does happen because of them!
• Adventures of Superman #640 - Road to Ruin, Part IV : "Exposed" = God damn was that a good comic. I love it when writers and artists try to experiment with the storytelling format, and this definitely reminded me of how Wolfman and Perez interspliced the Harbinger sequences with the main narrative during the final issues of Crisis on Infinite Earths. Very interesting that the top half was presented through various forms of media after the fact: newspapers, security footage, cellphones, web images, live television, etc. Makes you wonder who was watching? Lex? Max Lord? The REAL Ruin? Lois's narration stole the issue, and it really makes you wonder; how many red herrings on top of red herrings are we being fed? Lex to Pete to even Emil Hamilton, suspicion unbound! But this reveal, there's no way it's over! He's a pawn!

Identity Crisis + Flash: The Secret of Barry Allen Review

[Identity Crisis] ~ {Written by Brad Meltzer}

• Identity Crisis #1 - "Coffin" = And away we go! Coming back to this after so many years was a breath of fresh air. For all the haters this book has, Meltzer and Morales show them up completely with sleek and yet classic art paired with powerful prose. Meltzer does an incredible job of sucking you in; while many dig on the retcons, Meltzer finds a way to stay true to the personalities of these characters, it all feels real. I can't recall a death in the DC universe being this meaningful since Supergirl and Flash during the Crisis, or even the Man of Tomorrow himself. The use of minor characters by Meltzer is excellent as well; Bolt and Calculator on the phone makes the universe seem so big, a commodity that just doesn't seem to exist in today's DC landscape. The foreshadowing is wonderful as well, and I do believe the murder-mystery to be one of the strongest aspects of this story.
• The Flash #213 - "Slow Motion" = So that's why Mirror Master's nose was bleeding! This issue suffered from the same problem I have with most Flash books; any villains besides the classic Rogues and Reverse Flashes are absolute trash. You can try to spin the Turtle to be a foil of Flash as much as you want, but at the end of the day he's still a stupid and boring character. The reveal that Ashley Zolomon didn't die in the crash came as a surprise to me, but the fact that Hunter somehow got out is even more interesting. Howard Porter's art wasn't that great in this, I'm hoping it gets better in time for Rogue War. The Identity Crisis mentions were fun, my only peeve was the discrepancy between how Boomerang looks in this compared to the actual IC book.
• Identity Crisis #2 - "House of Lies" = This is a tough book! As much as I understand the criticisms, everything else is so good! The c-listers and their underworld, the satellite league justifying themselves to the Wally and Kyle, and my boy Pieter Cross gets a sequence! Compared to any Millar or Ennis indulgent edginess, the rape scene done in this book was done as tastefully as one of these scenes can be done. The framing of the Leaguers mentalities at the moment of the mind-wipe makes sense, and I enjoyed the mention of Barry's decision being influenced by the death of Iris West. Merlyn dishing out crap on each of the villains is so much fun, and I'm excited for more of these snippets across the rest of the book.
• Identity Crisis #3 - "Serial Killer" = Super-Brawl! I for one love this fight; a perfect fusion proving and disproving the famous adage, "No plan survives first contact with the enemy...". Ollie breaking Slade's concentration is such a great way to take out the one-eyed assassin, and the quarrel that ensues is hilarious. Meltzer's internal monologue for Ollie is fantastic, and definitely makes me want to check out his Green Arrow run. The manner in which Light's memories are reactivated is wonderful, and I sure as mess spotted the foreshadowing in the flashback discrepancy. Ollie explaining to Wally the justifications for the mind-wipes may create a sense of grimdark infecting the bronze age, poisoned nostalgia, but this stuff makes sense! The clean-up works in the League's continuity! Ollie's line regarding him and Carter's differences is great, that is easily one of my favorite rivalries/friendships in all of comics. The Tim Drake sequence is easily the least interesting, but the set-up makes sense given what happens later in the series. Framing the ending with Jimmy cutting to Jean being "attacked" works flawlessly, and Rags executes every panel with grace and precision.
• Identity Crisis #4 - "Who Benefits?" = Gah damn, it just gets better and better! While the red herrings increase by the page, what gives this book life is how the DC universe responds to the mystery. The sequences with the villains, Batman's increased paranoia, the Slipknot scene, and even Spectre Hal coming down to increase the stakes. We can definitely say that Ollie is secured as our viewpoint character going forward, and I am not complaining whatsoever: he's the perfect fit for the tone of this story. The villain scenes are still my favorites, Meltzer has turned Merlyn and Calculator into some of my favorites.
• The Flash #214 - The Secret of Barry Allen, Part I : "Dear Wally..." = Fantastic issue! Johns was able to balance the run's current plot points alongside the fallout from IC extremely well. Wally's built-up despair has snowballed since Blitz and Ignition, and it spilling into this arc sets us up for some fascinating character exploration alongside this mystery surrounding Barry's letter. I enjoyed the reveal of the League's meeting with Wally from #209, connecting the mind-wipe themes. Once again, Ollie stole this issue and is continuing to steal this whole event with his witty dialogue and engaging pathos as a result of him and the League's sins being found out.
• Identity Crisis #5 - "Father's Day" = Dang! This book is a blast to read, mainly because I can agree with the criticisms while still getting everything I want out of it. You can definitely see the editorial mandates starting to seep into the narrative: Firestorm's random death, Jack Drake pruned to get Tim Drake into the orphan club and give him some pathos. The Boomerang death sticks for me, mainly because I'm eager to learn more about Owen Mercer. That whole sequence was very well put together in my opinion, and even though the image of an obese and disheveled Captain Boomerang busting into the Drake home is pretty jarring, Meltzer and Morales find a way to keep me engaged through every single panel.
• The Flash #215 - The Secret of Barry Allen, Part II : "Reformed" = Wow, I guess I was expecting something completely different. Let's get this over with; I don't care about the Top or whatever happened to his mind as a result of Zee's magic. The hilariously dumb and convoluted silver age lore dump on Roscoe Dillon brought some chuckles, but Barry's plan and execution was absolutely trash. I'm glad they're following up on the Top's scene from #210, but if we could just get to the Rogue War stuff already! The Wally pathos is still great, and the IC snippets were the standouts; let's see Zatanna try to put this rabbit back in the hat!
• JSA #67 - "The Autopsy" = Just wow. This might have been one of the best issues of JSA ever. Dave Gibbons killed this entire issue, though I shouldn't be surprised since he drew the greatest comic book ever. This whole book was a perfect storm: great art, great writing, tie in to a great event, and centered on the best member of the JSA: my boy Pieter Cross. The pacing and splicing of the check-ins with each JSA member were fantastic, but that Wildcat Mirror Master sequence had to be the best. The Power Girl stuff had me a bit confused until I remembered that at the end of the Loeb Supergirl S/B arc they kept Kara in hiding to prevent Darkseid's forces from coming back to kill her. Terrific and Mid-Nite cement their bro-bond (if they haven't already) in this, and I loved Michael going to confront his wife's accidental killer in the midst of all this IC chaos.
• Identity Crisis #6 - "Husbands & Wives" = Aftermath! The sequence with the lost family members of the JLA was fascinating: so much history in each member, a wonderful fusion of Bronze Age and Post-Crisis elements to give each character weight like we've been alongside their struggles and losses for years. There's something about Doctor Light remembering the rape that is extremely unnerving, I'm eager to see how this plays out in the upcoming Teen Titans arc. If I'm not mistaken, this whole event is what spawns the Green Arrow/Deathstroke rivalry that gets folded into the zeitgeist (Arrow) which I think is really cool. Now about that final sequence... GAH DAMN! Meltzer does an insane job of building that tension, and the biggest red herrings of all red herrings is planted, a twist to trick before the twist of the final issue!
• The Flash #216 - The Secret of Barry Allen, Part III : "Spinning" = I'm not sure if it's a result of the heavy hand of editorial, but why do comics require the invasive recap in the first couple of pages? It's kind of hard to get to the plot when there's a giant info dump shouting in your face. As for the twist, I get what Johns is going for, and I will admit that I am intrigued. The idea that this d-list villain used his powers to trick the Flash Rogues Gallery into reforming while maintaining the ability to turn it off at any moment is kinda cool. The classic Rogues may not get personal, but Johns has created the circumstances for Wally's villains (Top, Zoom, Grodd) to get pretty damn personal. It's a lot easier to see now that the Top will in fact be a major player in the Rogue War, given the scene with James Jesse's Rogues framing them as the future victims of the Top. The lovely red herring during the final sequence had me genuinely happy; someone needs a win right now!
• Identity Crisis #7 - "The Hero's Life" = What is most impressive about this final twist is that the set up for Atom being the murder has some perverted sense to it. Atom wanted his wife back, so he engineered this entire crisis to make way for her back into his arms. He leaves the JLA during #214 of the Flash to go set up that attempted murder of Jean Loring, he hires Boomerang, he sends the letter to Lois and the gun to Jack Drake. But it's not him, Ray is a Silver Age darling, nothing could justify him breaking bad, he's untouchable, it couldn't be him... but it could be his wife! Man, this one hurts, but it's supposed to I guess. Like the Arthur Miller quote included in this, Identity Crisis is the death of the Silver Age. It's a tone setter, a prelude for the end of the Post Crisis universe, an appetizer for the comics Dark Age of the 2010's. It hurts, but this book is so damn good that I just might have to keep on chewing. One of the saddest parts is that we won't be seeing Ray Palmer until that horrendous Countdown book (which I may or may not force myself to read in the far future). As for the mind-wipe ramifications, this is exactly what leads into Countdown to Infinite Crisis and the OMAC Project; that final scene with Bruce staring down Wally was perfect, the framing of Wally and the lasso of truth, and I like to think that in that moment he knows.
• The Flash #217 - "Post-Crisis" = WHAT THE HECK WAS THAT LAST PAGE? Jesus Christ, that actually made me audibly gasp. I really enjoyed this issue, great segmentation of Wally/Linda + Digger's funeral + Batman confrontation. The Hunter/Cheetah stuff was fun as well, and it seems like it's setting up the upcoming two part crossover. I do wonder what Bats said to Dick when he joined the Titans, but I was expecting some kind of mention of the mind-wipe stuff to follow up the Identity Crisis threads a little more. Then again, I don't think Bats would go to his face; he's definitely more likely to take other measures...
• The Flash #218 - "Rogue Profile: Heat Wave" = That was fire! I can tell it's hit or miss with these Rogue centered issues based how much I care, but when you get Johns and THE Peter Snejbjerg to do a book on Heat-Wave, you best know I'm going to read the mess out of it. It was so easy to get sucked into Mick's narration, and I love how Johns is able to set him and his motivations apart from the others. I get that the whole gallery has distinct personalities, but you can really tell when Johns hits the mark. The re-framed rivalry between Heat-Wave and Cold sets up an exciting conflict for the upcoming Rogue War, and I'm very interested to see how this and the other threads play out.

JSA/Hawkman Black Reign + JSA #59-66 Review

 [JSA : Black Reign]

• JSA #56 - Black Reign, Part I : "Men Became Gods Overnight" = THIS JUST GOT REAL! Loved this first chapter even though most of it was Black Adam giving expo on the members of his task force and stuff we already knew. The focus on Al and the "true" justice of murder and vengeance is fascinating, and brings forth a significant amount of thought and discussion to the entire "do superheroes kill" debate. It's going to be argued to death for the end of time, and Johns has already spent a huge amount of his run dealing with that theme, but man does it bring some good stories! Let's see how the JSA (and especially my boy Carter) respond to the liberation of Kahndaq.
• Hawkman #23 - Black Reign, Part II : "No Rest In St. Roch" = The JSA takes St. Roch! Power Girl hinting, Pieter giving out doctor's notes, Rick getting over his genetics, and Carter severely maiming a D-List villain; what's not to enjoy! I loved Jay's expression as he noticed Courtney and Billy, while Ted recounting the glory days is always hilarious. I wonder what Nabu said to Hector? You can definitely tell this is moving at a breakneck pace, and Carter taking over is great but also pretty alarming. Onto the next one!
• JSA #57 - Black Reign, Part III : "The Liberators" = From bad to worse! Civil war in the JSA! The handling of the no kill stuff is actually really interesting, and the entire scene inside the meeting room before they invade Kahndaq was fantastic. You can tell everyone cares about each other, and they hold their code to the highest standard. Who or what is plaguing Al's mind? What is Brainwave Jr's true purpose? What is Carter's job for Pieter? The dichotomy they're creating between Adam's faction and the JSA is interesting, and the lines drawn with conflicting perspectives brings some compelling pathos. The Nabu sequence was great as well, with Nabu, Carter, and Adam all relics of a bygone era; each with possibly antiquated moralities in relation to today's world.
• Hawkman #24 - Black Reign, Part IV : "The Invaders" = YOOOOOOO! Rex Tyler is freaking back! This was a great chapter, and now that we're past the halfway point, the endgame's design starts to come together. Is the voice in Al's head Ray Palmer? After the T-Sphere scene I'm definitely starting to think it's him. Nabu hijacks Hector, Courtney's staff gets sliced, Al stomps on everyone, and Billy gets smacked to oblivion. What is the secret within Carter's mind? Is it just the fallout from the fight with Headhunter that has him messed up? The final gambit Rick makes is crazy: time runs out!
• JSA #58 - Black Reign, Part V : "Judgement Comes From Inner Voices" = Holy mess! The Venusian Worm is back! Easily the best reveal of this storyline so far. This issue was a standout, WTF comics all day - every day! Love that Hector uses the Fate pantheon against Nabu, and the struggle between Jay and Carter was compelling as mess. What sets apart the JSA from other super-teams is that they are veterans of the war to end all wars, they've seen combat and the horrors, which is why Jay and Carter's argument maintains so much weight. The deaths of Nemesis and Eclipso caught me off guard; god's wrath plays the long game and Alex was stupid to think he could truly master the Black Diamond. The Billy/Adam sequence was fantastic as expected, and I love the taunting Adam does to cement his purpose and place in this world. I'm happy I got the Ray Palmer reveal but Mister Mind coming back was something I had no way of expecting. Is that Brainwave's true purpose: to be used as a vessel for Mister Mind? Did Mister Mind cure him of his troubles like Adam mentioned in the earlier chapters? 
• Hawkman #25 - Black Reign, Part VI : "Sunrise in Kahndaq" = What a crossover! Very interesting how everything ended up going down, I could definitely feel this was analogous to the then-current wars in the middle east. Sometimes America (and in this case the JSA) can't and shouldn't be the world police, and sometimes westerners have no business trying to force their vision of prosperity onto a culture that they have no understanding of. So the JSA does the right thing: there's been too much bloodshed, it's time to pull out. When an unstoppable force meets an immovable object, the only outcome is for one of them to surrender. I do think it's the right move for Carter to leave the Society, and I hope he gets his stuff together. Very sad to come to the end of Johns' time on this title, though I can confidently say this goes up there as one of the best explorations of the character I've ever encountered.

[JSA : Lost]

• JSA #59 - "Time & Time & Time Again!" = Well dang! This was a wonderful issue, and I am really hoping it isn't a one off on Degaton's character. The non linear storytelling was a lot of fun to piece together, and the character interactions were super interesting. Sean Phillips art is great as usual, and the new dynamic post Black Reign is something I'm very eager to see play out in the following issues. How will Jay Garrick die? What will happen to Rick? Was it Daniel Hall who talked to Degaton through the mirror?
• JSA #60 - Redemption Lost, Part I : "Anatomy Of A Murder" = Terrific spotlight! Having Mandrake do the pencils for the flashback sequence was awesome, and I love the recontextualization of Spirit King/Sloane/Spectre dynamic that sets up this arc. Terrific and Mid-nite having back and forth is exactly what I want to see from this series. The debate is intriguing as well; Johns tackling some of these themes is so refreshing considering how bland his work throughout the 2010's is. The continuation of the Rex Tyler/Hourman stuff is great as well, and the pathos associated with this generational legacy brings you into the headspace of Rex, desperate and broken, distracting himself from his missing son with a d-list clean-up overload.
• JSA #61 - Redemption Lost, Part II : "Revenants" = Loving this! Kramer is killing it with his pencils, but Mandrake's renditions of the JLA/JSA crossover with the death of Terry Sloane had to be the highlight of the issue for me. The angle Johns has tackled with regards to the Spectre and Hal is very dynamic. No part of this arc has been dull so far, and it's break-neck action paired with quiet character moments are making this arc stand out as one of the best Johns has done for JSA. The real question is how Terrific can still be an atheist when God and the Devil have made their presences known through battles against superheroes over and over again. Denial is a heck of a drug?
• JSA #62 - Redemption Lost, Part III : "Vengeance & Judgement" = Johns has once again unveiled his grand design! This whole thing was merely a prelude setting things up for GL Rebirth!. The various pathos presented between the members of the JSA were so fun to witness: Jay is especially one character who's had some great moments throughout this entire run (Injustice Be Done, Black Reign), and the collusion with Spirit King brought forth some tragic growth for the golden age speedster. Mid-Nite and Terrific's dynamics are a delight to read as always, and I'm glad Mike got his full circle after this religion plot got set up in his All-Stars issue. Now that I think about it, this arc is also paving the way for Day of Vengeance too!

[JSA : Smoke & Mirrors]

• JSA #63 - Waking The Sandman, Part I : "Insomnia" = Neil Gaiman's Oneiromancer meets Gardner Fox's All-Stars! The weaving of the Sandman lore into the DC Universe is pretty god damn mind blowing. I simply can't believe we're getting this many concrete references. Granted, we did see Daniel in the first issue of the run, but this is still crazy! Jerry Ordway's art is a joy to look at, and the fact that he's still this good makes me so happy. Love the use of Cave Carson and the mighty mole squad, as well as the Fate pantheon putting Nabu in time-out. Development of Fury is super interesting, and finally resolving the Sand loose end is dope (I'm assuming that's him in the Kirby costume?).
• JSA #64 - Waking The Sandman, Part II : "Night Terrors" = Excellent! Return of Brute & Glob, references to the Endless, wholesome Fates, Power Girl/Wildcat banter, and Rex finally reveals himself to his wife! The icing on the cake is Ordway's art, who truly knocks it out of the park with every freaking page. Bringing back the Hawkgirl angle for Sand is a little out there in my opinion, but it works in the context of the story since she acts as his "lightning rod". Johns folding in the events of Sandman is awesome, and it really hurts to think that we might not have this wholesomeness for very long... for Day of Vengeance is waiting at the door! A wonderful obscure reference I caught was Cave Carson's mention of the 90's Resurrection Man series where Immortal Man and Cave team up with Mitch and Vandal to beat the cosmic Warp-Child. Love you for that Johns!
• JSA #65 - Out of Time, Part I : "Dead On Arrival" = Just when I thought I was going to be bummed out for good, Johns throws a curve ball to keep me guessing! Rick jumping in to take his father's place has me assuming that we'll see a redux of the Extant fight from Zero Hour, but how does Per Degaton factor into this? As of the time I'm writing this, Johns is using Degaton as the main villain of his new JSA series; will this build-up be put on hold and only followed up in the present JSA? The Rex reunion sequence was heart-breaking, but I'm glad that his internal turmoil was resolved and he can go out in peace like a champ. Hourman Android coming back was dope as well, and I hope to see more of him before this run ends. 
• JSA #66 - Out of Time, Part II : "Time To Die!" = Hype, Hype, Hype! Definitely did not expect Rex to survive this issue, and him getting a happy ending is a bright light in this endless cloud of grimdark fog leading up to Infinite Crisis. Hourman Android's sacrifice was epic, the recreations of the sequence from Zero Hour was on point, and the fact that Rex will spend his time rebuilding the Android makes everything come full circle. Don Kramer's art was spectacular, possibly even better than his work during Black Reign. The final sequence with Al and Rip Hunter has me super excited for the penultimate arc before Countdown (and I have hope that the Degaton stuff will be resolved too!).

Wonder Woman #195-205 by Greg Rucka Review

[Wonder Woman : Down To Earth]

• Wonder Woman #195 - "The Mission" = Awesome! Supporting cast seems to be a lot of fun, though it might take some time to learn everybody since they're all regular humans (besides Ferdinand ofc), but the dynamic and framing of this run's direction is extremely interesting.
• Wonder Woman #196 - Down To Earth, Part I : "Publish or Perish!" = I am loving the heck out of this! Wonder Woman's world and supporting cast and rogues have never been more interesting and engaging than this since the Rebirth run written by the same author! The Psycho sequence had to be my favorite; a perverse misogynist with psychic powers playing around in your mind is way scarier than any Doomsday or Darkseid brawl. The Olympus sequence got me hooked right from the start; presenting these gods so casually brings a fascinating juxtaposition, let me see more of that! I had no idea this was Veronica Cale's first appearance nor did I know that Rucka created her (I know she's based off of a golden age character called Veronica Callow). Even without any world ending Geoff Johnsian threats or Morrisonian meta-trippiness, this book stands tall leaning against the enormous monolith that is Rucka's prose. Everything in this is spectacular.
• Wonder Woman #197 - Down To Earth, Part II : "The Flash & The Furious!" = Flash is on the cover, but even though he only has a brief sequence it's still freaking great. That whole forest fire scene really epitomizes Diana's character: she sees the whole picture, she isn't impulsive like many attempt to characterize her (Johns, Azzarello, sometimes Kelly). I loved Kelly's Golden Perfect arc during his JLA run, but Rucka's presentation of Diana is much more an attempt to move forward from the headstrong and instinctive Diana, which I think is really cool. Also, Cale is Texan? I wonder what her motivations are going to be for the smear campaign of destroying the Amazon Princess.
• Wonder Woman #198 - Down To Earth, Part III : "Bad Medicine!" = It just gets better and better! One of the biggest strengths of this book lies in Rucka's ability to bring relevance and intrigue to every single subplot. I'm baffled by my investment in Diana's human entourage, Cale's machinations are scene stealers, and the Olympus check-ins are so much fun! I have to give a mention to Drew Johnson, who's pencils fit the script so freaking well. it does tend to fall in the 2000's cringe color trope, but his line work makes up for it. The use of Bastalleros and Silver Swan has me hyped, and that debate sequence was perfectly written. At the end of the day, I'm pretty depressed that anthropomorphic minotaurs don't exist to make me crepes. 
• Wonder Woman #199 - Down To Earth, Part IV : "The Truth Hurts" = Wow. Ares committed the robbery and stole the heck out of this issue. The mirror sequence with him and Diana might be some of the most fascinating comic book writing I've ever had the pleasure of reading in my life. I absolutely love the idea of shifting hierarchy in Olympus based around the emotions and fears of humanity. Having the Olympians tethered to the sentiments of every day people brings a whole new perspective to how these gods operate (alongside the wonderful fashion choices). Was that feather connected to Silver Swan? Why does Ares want collusion between Zeus and Artemis? What is Cale's animus with Diana? What horrors will Psycho unleash?
• Wonder Woman #200 - Down To Earth, Part V : "Sensational" = Dang! I had to do some research regarding the current state of Themyscira/Paradise Island (apparently they're floating islands now post Our Worlds At War?), but Hera kicked that thing down like a sandcastle. Diana's monologue was wonderful, and the Silver Swan fight was brutal as mess. Loved her refusal to give up on her friend, who is most likely being controlled by Cale. The Psycho stuff was great, but even though the bait was laid out, I know he isn't dead due to his presence in the Secret Society during Infinite Crisis. Wonderful back-up with Cassie and Ferdinand, excited to see the Gorgons return hopefully later in this run.

[Wonder Woman : Bitter Rivals] ~ {Written by Greg Rucka}

• Wonder Woman #201 - "Ripples" = This one felt so short! Love the introduction of the Gorgons as well as Circe, her dialogue especially is a lot of fun what with the references to Odysseus and Achilles. The stressful back to back dilemmas plaguing Diana create an interesting conflict for her; it appears that both Ares and Cale's machinations have resulted in a don't stop till you drop barrage of ordeals: Silver Swan to riots to flooded Themyscira to stopping a tsunami and sacrificing the invisible jet's consciousness. No time to breathe for the amazon princess! Let's see where this arc takes us.
• Wonder Woman #202 - "Leaks" = Fascinating dive into the enigma that is Veronica Cale! IIRC the motivations here are different from Rucka's Rebirth stint, but I do still love this female-Luthor type character, not necessarily embodying the anti-Wonder Woman traits but more of a rival without super-powers. Sadowski's pencils were great, and it's nice to see him outside of Johns' JSA run. Interested to see Cale's counter-attack now that she's dealt with the mole who leaked the playbook.
• Wonder Woman #203 - Bitter Pills, Part I : "Amazons In Need" = Very much a calm before the storm issue, checking in with each subplot with some connecting tissue starting to manifest. I'm not sure if it works as well as an opener to a story arc, but Rucka's writing continues to be captivating. The most interesting sequence has to be with Artemis on Themyscira; I'm a total sucker for any of the Greek mythology dumps. The gorgon stuff is fun as well, but I would love some more of the Olympus plot-line that was hilarious during the first volume.
• Wonder Woman #204 - Bitter Pills, Part II : "Behind The Veil" = WHAT THE MATH!?! The Fallon body reveal and the final twist with Psycho has my head spinning! How does the continuity work? Was the Cale we saw in #202 not Cale? No way, it has to have been after #202 because of the origin stuff and Fallon being alive... wait! That Fallon could have been Psycho all along, and the real Fallon murdered after the Embassy crisis in #200! I would also like to say that the Circe/Poseidon segment was so good that I had to go back and read the Cassie story from #200 where she explained the backstory behind the Gorgons. Everything is coming together!
• Wonder Woman #205 - Bitter Pills, Part III : "A Gorgon Reborn" = What an arc! The funniest thing about this issue is the payoff for the cover; I spent so much time trying to think about how Rucka was going to introduce Joker someway into the storyline, just for it to be one of Psycho's hallucinations! Brilliant! The chase was so much fun, expertly conveying why Psycho is so dangerous, while the Leslie/Veronica stuff brings up an interesting theory: did Cale really fake her capture to trick Wonder Woman? That would explain Psycho getting out, but it doesn't justify killing Fallon (unless she needed less loose ends because of the embassy incident?). We need these answers! Medusa coming back was cool, and I wonder how she will factor in with the Cale/Psycho stuff.