Superman #21 review

In Metropolis, Hector Hammond, the most powerful psionic in the world, is at the centre of a tug of war. Helpess in an induced coma, S.T.A.R. Labs have him. The H.I.V.E. Queen wants him. A lab researcher who's been taken over by H.I.V.E. begins infecting others and soon they're making away with Hammond.

Over in Gotham city, news blogger Clark Kent meets a mysterious source who claims that Senator Hume, who has been campaigning against Superman, is a criminal with a hidden agenda, connected to something called The Twenty.

Chance circumstances see Hammond escape, and mind-touch everyone in Metropolis. Clark, who is is just entering the city's airspace, sees what's happening but isn't affected due to barriers applied by New God Orion. Encounters with Lois Lane, Jimmy Olsen and Perry White see them manifesting aspects of his personality.

And Hector Hammond, no longer helpless, confronts the H.I.V.E. Queen.

Writer Scott Lobdell and artist Kenneth Rocafort are really cooking on this comic, weaving a satisfying web of plots and subplots. If Hammond is the A plot, and Clark's latest story is the B, the C plots would include Jimmy's new status as a boy billionaire and Lois' relationship with live-in chap Jon Carroll. Admittedly, the latter is merely visually referenced this time - Jon appears in two panels, apparently fleeing a Saturday Night Fever convention - but it's there in the background. And Jimmy's new status comes up as part of Hammond's mental takeover.

In Jimmy's case, he's manifesting Clark's feelings of loneliness. I could live without it being posited that Clark is a lonely guy, given he was raised by probably the world's best parents, but then again, they are dead, like his genetic parents; it's not entirely unlikely he'll have some ongoing sadness there.

What I love about this issue, so far as Clark's characterisation is concerned, is this panel.

That's my Superman. Not the alien who hovers over his Justice League colleagues, strange and apart, but the man who won't let his heritage make him forget who he is.

(And I'm thrilled that Lobdell embraces the thought balloon over the fashionable narrative boxes - it's comics, let's love the grammar of the form!)

Other things I enjoyed this time include the new H.I.V.E. mission and accompanying acronym, Holistic Integration for Viral Equality; the way the Queen's communications are represented; and Clark engaging in investigative journalism and missing the Daily Planet. Oh, and there's a nice fake-out involving Lois that had me scared she'd reverted to a Golden and Silver Age schtick.

The art from Rocafort hits every beat of Lobdell's script, giving us such memorable images as the H.I.V.E. Queen's bathtime Cleopatra homage, the biggest Hector Hammond head ever and the look of our hero - there are some great facial expressions in there. Perry is possibly a bit too hot, too cut, but he is meant to be a ladies' man these days, so maybe he's hitting the gym. The storytelling is as good as the individual elements, with a clarity of vision that's great to see. The icing on the artistic cake is supplied by Blond, whose rich colours eschew modern comic fashions, and simply work for this book. And there's good work from letterer Rob Leigh too.

Tyler Kirkham and Arif Prianto's cover of Hammond a la Superman doesn't show a direct story moment but it does capture the mystery of Clark's shared emotions. And it's a creepily memorable image - I wonder if Hammond has the voice to match the formidable mien.

This comic is getting better by the month. If you like Superman, but the New 52 version hasn't been clicking for you, I suspect it will now.

The Flash #21 review

Here's an encounter I've been waiting for since DC rebooted their comics universe, the first meeting between the Flash, Barry Allen, and Kid Flash, Bart Allen. It comes about because someone is killing people connected to the Speed Force and Barry wonders if the Teen Titan knows anything. Bart though, doesn't feel like listening to the adult hero, motivating a round-the-world game of catch-me-if-you-can.

And of course, Barry can, and does, after Bart's impulsive pouring on of speed sees him lose control of his powers. Barry saves the day, but Bart shows no gratitude. He's rude, surly, uncommunicative, worse than a brat. Barry's connection to the Speed Force presents him with a momentary flashback/forward into Bart's past in the future, the 31st century, but Bart refuses to talk about it. Teen Titans readers may recall that Bart doesn't actually remember how he came to be in the 21st century, but he suspects a connection to the Flash. This makes his prickish behaviour very strange - why wouldn't he want to sit down with the man whose name and heroic image he's adopted, share information and find some answers?

Barry should rip off Bart's lightning bolt and tell him, fine, come up with your own superheroic concept, but he's the soul of politeness and understanding before Bart is collected by his Teen Titans pals.

So, we get no real insight into Bart's past here, as I'd hoped. There's simply the repeat of a scene we've seen elsewhere of Bart being sentenced for some future crime, Barry positing that Bart's powers are 'not of this world' and Bart's claim that he and Barry aren't related. I can't blame Flash writers Brian Buccellato and Francis Manapul for not spilling the beans, though, because knowing Teen Titans writer Scott Lobdell's preference for making stuff up on the fly, he's likely not firmed up Bart's current origin.

This is who DC give us in place of Wally West

It's all very depressing. When created by Mark Waid and Mike Wieringo, Bart was the most whimsical, fun kid on the block, a big-footed fella who thought in cartoons. He'd drive you mad by leaping before he looked, but the hero named Impulse would charm the pants off you with his puppyish delight in doing the right thing. A personality rewrite from Geoff Johns for his Teen Titans relaunch several years ago saw Bart become more serious - loads less fun, but still likeable.

But the Kid Flash here is a horrible little oik, unworthy of the Flash name (click on image to enlarge).

With no lead from Bart, Barry resolves to check out new super-speedster Sprint, whose connection to the Speed Force puts him in the sights of the killer we, but not Barry, know is the Reverse Flash. Rather than follow up immediately - after all, people are being offed - Barry changes back to civvies to organise a shindig for girlfriend Patty Spivot's parents. So much for priorities.

Patty herself has a scene in which she whines internally about Barry apparently standing her up, even though she knows he's the Flash and is likely off saving lives. Which he isn't, because he's party planning.

Potential love interest Iris West, meanwhile, is having dinner with her former jailbird brother Daniel, and we learn that he's estranged from their father. Soap far, so good, but I do wish Buccellato and Manapul would get on with the Daniel West storyline, it's been a subplot for months now, and not the most compelling one.

Full marks to Buccellato and Manapul, though, for bringing Barry's science training to the fore, and giving him several funny lines.

The writers are also the artists, with Manapul drawing and Buccellato colouring. As ever, they produce excellent work, with energetic layouts aplenty and standout scenes such as the spread of Flash and Kid Flash zooming around the world ... check out their differing strides. There is one fail, though - when Bart loses control, something happens, but rather than let us see it clearly Manapul draws it in longshot, and Buccellato hides what's occurring with colour flares. It's a puzzlement.

I hate their cover concept, though - I don't wish to see an adult hero throttling a kid, no matter how annoying he is. The image is well executed in terms of composition and colour, but too nasty by half. As for 'The Deadly Secret of Kid Flash', that must refer to his current personality.

All in all, a decent but pretty skippable issue. The comic that should have been a highlight of the run is simply solid, due to a lack of revelations and a hugely unsympathetic guest star.

Age of Ultron Book 10 AI review

Reeling from the events of the Age of Ultron, Hank Pym looks back on his beginnings and re-embraces life as a costumed adventurer.

And that's it, really. This is a prelude to the upcoming Avengers AI series, in which Hank Pym leads a bunch of robotic types as they ... well, I dunno. This comic gives no real clues as to the direction or approach of the coming book. What it does, courtesy of an insightful, amusing script from Mark Waid, is show us Hank's boyhood, all of which is new to me - I suspect this is freshly minted material. We meet Hank's super-average parents, Brad and Janet ... sorry, Doris, and his grandma, Angela, sole encourager of an unusually imaginative child (click on image to enlarge).

Seriously, l'il Henry is adorable, and it's sad to see everyone but Angela try to steer him into being safe, and useful. It's perhaps no wonder he's been pulled in so many directions as an adult - jobbing scientist, superhero, mad scientist, scientific adventurer, teacher.

Waid doesn't mention Hank's first wife, Maria, and second wife-cum-creepy-replacement Jan appears in but a couple of panels as the Wasp. So happily, there's no mention of a certain incident that too many Marvel writers have allowed to define Hank down the years.

Conversely, though, there's also no mention of Hank's recent stable period as Avengers Academy principal and Eternity-appointed Scientist Supreme. The inference is that Hank's been a bit of a nothing for awhile, but he's now giving himself a good talking to and getting out there to make his mark.

The biggest problem with this story is that the recap page spells out the events that follow, so that we already know what Hank sees as his biggest triumph before it shows up in the book. So if you're planning on reading the issue, ignore the opening text.

The illustrations by Andre Lima Araujo are pleasant, expecially in the flashbacks, with the Pym family delightfully amiable. When we get to Hank donning his Giant Man costume towards the end, though, the illustrations could do with being a bit showier - Waid has our hero do cool new things with his size-changing Pym Particles, but there's no change in tone, no increase in intensity.

Awesome - not

A scene of ants growing to giant-size, for example, is thrown away, with faint lines to imply movement rather than ever-bigger images to indicate growth . Yes, Hank is back superheroing, but he's just kinda there, the opposite of what the story is saying. Editors Lauren Sankovitch and Jake Thomas really should have sent these pages back and asked for an injection of oomph - had Waid been in his old editorial chair, rather than writing, I'm sure he would have.

Colourist Frank D'armata is the Goliath of the art team, doing a lot of heavy lifting, modelling with tones and lifting the staid compositions. He deserves the cover credit he gets.

The cover itself is the work of artist Sara Pichelli and colourist Marte Grace and it's excellent, a real grabber that reflects a scene inside in concept, but trumps it in execution.

If you're looking for a fantastic preview of the Avengers AI book, this isn't it; it's a well-constructed comic with a better than average script, but it won't have you salivating for what's to come. If you want a fun ten minutes with one of Marvel's founding fathers, though, you could do far worse.

Batman/Superman #1 review

It's several years ago and Metropolis-based Wayne Enterprises staff are being murdered. Hoping for a lead, young Daily Star reporter Clark Kent tracks down billionaire contemporary Bruce Wayne in Gotham. Suspicious of the stranger, Bruce refuses to discuss the matter, leaving Clark sitting in a gloomy park.

Later, in Metropolis, Batman catches Catwoman acting strangely, robbing the home of a Wayne security chief. Superman shows up and the pair battle, until a previously unseen fourth player sends the young heroes elsewhere. We don't see where Batman ends up, but Superman finds himself in a field, knee deep in mystery.

So here's the latest version of DC's World's Finest Comics, in which readers can find 'your two favourite heroes in one adventure ... together'. Given that DC have been publishing a series titled Worlds' Finest Comics (note apostrophe placement) for awhile, starring Huntress and Power Girl, this gets to be Batman/Superman, which is far better than the previous series, which rather than a title, went under an ugly combo of the two heroes' chest symbols.

Art by Jae Lee and June Chung

The first thing you notice is the art - illustrator Jae Lee and colourist June Chung's cover sets the tone, heralding page after page of ornate, gothic, silky, work. There isn't a panel from the pair that isn't suitable for framing. And while the pages invite the eye to rest, to take in the naturalism of the figurework and detail of the backgrounds, the layouts never bring the story to a full stop, always serving the narrative. The contrast between Clark, in the bright red of Smallville, against the Gotham night, implies that maybe he doesn't belong here - but to my mind, Superman belongs in Gotham as much as Batman belongs in Metropolis, they're the questing knights, ready to go wherever they're needed.

Art by Jae Lee and June Chung

Lee and Chung don't do the entire 25pp book, though, as Ben Oliver and Daniel Brown step in for the last seven pages. And while I'd rather a single art team worked on the entire issue, they do an excellent job, with a scene change helping 'explain' the different approach. The layouts simplify but the work continues to tease the eye. And occasionally dazzle ...

Art by Ben Oliver and Daniel Brown

It's not all about the artwork, though, as the story also impresses. Writer Greg Pak utilises the now traditional 'duelling narration' to compare and contrast the characters of our stars. I was wary when Clark's first words brought a Smallville anecdote but, as with Scott Snyder's Superman Unchained script a week or two back, the reminiscing brings something to the table - and it motivates Lee and Chung's exquisite title spread.

There's another echo of a recent Snyder DC book, Batman #21, as Pak presents a tender scene between the boy Bruce and father Thomas Wayne, and while Lee and Chung portray it superbly, it's the word picture Pak paints that truly adds to the Batman legend.

There are no real surprises with the way the heroes are portrayed, with Bruce cynical, seeing life as one long fight for the ordinary guy; and Clark dismayed by the gloom of Gotham, while never the naive farmboy people take him to be. That's not a negative, though, it's Pak being consistent with modern tellings of the heroes' early relationship.

The villain of the piece isn't immediately recognisable to me, but the odd BOOOM sound effect tells us there's an Apokolips connection. And the closing image puts Superman in a very interesting place, physically and mentally. I can't wait to see what Batman's equivalent encounter will be next month.

There's a headscratcher of a moment in which Superman describes a frightened child's heart as running at 'two hundred beats per second' - per minute, surely?

We get bonus material with a look at the variant covers of Guillem March and Kenneth Rocafort, making the issue even more of an artistic treat. The only small misstep is a marketing matter, with DC's super-cheery 'The New 52' slug sitting uncomfortably on Lee and Chung's moody artwork and alongside the Art Deco logo font. Oh, and it's a tad mean of DC to put Oliver's name in a slightly smaller font than those of Pak and Lee - without him, we'd not have the comic. And seriously, the colourists deserve to be featured, too.

Niggles aside, this is a confident, absorbing opener, beginning in a familiar place before giving us a new spin on the first meeting of Batman and Superman. Yes, it's yet another DC book centred on the big two, but it earns its place in the line because, well it's a great-looking, well-told tale featuring - all together now - your two favourite heroes together!

Supergirl #21 review

The image that opens this issue's story, Be Careful What You Wish For, is an arresting one - Supergirl on a space motorcycle. She's borrowed it - well, nicked it, actually - from super-scientist Dr Veritas to answer a deep space distress call. It isn't said, but presumably it allows her to save her yellow sun energies for whatever lies ahead, rather than use them for travel (click on image to enlarge).

What lies ahead is an encounter with a very strange planet, I'noxia, where nano-bottish clay brings memories to life. And if you're a regular reader, you'll know where this is going - Supergirl wondering if a simulcrum of Krypton is possible.

Well yes, says the kindly old alien who takes the form of Supergirl's childhood heroine, Val-Ro, tamer of the vicious beast Dramonicus. Mind, things aren't as straightforward as they seem - Supergirl has been lured to the planet, seduced with promises, by - we finally learn - the Cyborg Superman.

But don't expect Kara to fall under his spell the way she swooned before H'el a few months back; she's learned her lesson. She's grown in other areas too - rather than meet the massive creature apparently threatening I'noxia with violence, she responds like this.

Wow. The New 52 Supergirl is getting closer to the classic with each issue, her every instinct on this strange world is to help people and it's only when she learns the people ain't people that she considers her own desires.

Kara isn't all Silver Age optimism throughout, mind. As well as taking the space bike, coincidentally (ha!) called the KR-1, she's very glass half-empty as she tells pal Siobhan that she's leaving Earth. Writer Michael Alan Nelson gives us a terrific exchange (below). It's home truths like these, along with happy planets turning out to be deathtraps, that should see Supergirl commit to making a life on Earth, and soon. And if Nelson gives us a few more supporting characters with personalities as distinctive as Siobhan's, so much the better.

Regular artist Mahmud Asrar isn't around this month, but penciller Diogenes Neves and inker Richard Bonk aquit themselves wonderfully. First off, they make Kara's horrendous outfit look less sleazy than usual. They show a fine knack for believable expressions. They don't shy from wonderfuly wonky aliens. And their storytelling is first rate ... I'd be delighted to see this pair take over whenever Asrar moves on.

Colourist Dave McCaig makes the space background beautiful and chooses a refreshing pallette for I'noxia, while letterer Rob Leigh gets almost everything right.

The cover is a fine companion piece to last month's Superboy cover, in that it shows the star of the book as a thing of nightmare ... and doesn't reflect the interior at all. It's brilliantly executed, and a real turn-off for me. I don't know why DC editors seem to think readers are more attracted to a frightening portrayal than a virtuous one, but they need their heads examined. The new Superman film tells us the El family crest means 'hope' but going by these hysterical covers it's 'hope to get away alive'. DC Comics was built on heroism, not blood - remember that and the company might get a few more sales.

That's the one blight on my favourite issue to date. Even with her mini-moan, Kara is now someone I'd happily spend time with, a thinking, noble, fun superheroine. Long may that continue.

Legion of Super-Heroes #21 review

There's a real sense of doom around current Legion issues. It's not just that the 31st century universe is being torn apart by the Fatal Five, it's the real-world knowledge that an end is coming. That the series is being cancelled in a couple of months, to be replaced by a future Justice League series. Yes, that may turn out to be a backdoor Legion revival, but at the moment everything feels so depressing.

This issue doesn't help, with relentless setbacks for the Legion throughout. We begin with Duplicate Damsel apparently dead at the hands of the Persuader, motivating a brutal battle with Ultra Boy and Chameleon Boy. They're joined by other Legionnaires and look to have the advantage, until Persuader's fellow Fatal Five members Tharok and Emerald Empress arrive. The three bring Metropolis around our heroes' ears.

Along the way there are prophecies of doom from Dream Girl and the (supposed) ghosts of Ferro Lad and Earth Man. Legion leader Phantom Girl is a no-show, having fled to her home dimension. White Witch, Blok and Glorith aren't seen either. The only moments of hope come as Chemical Kid reveals he may be able to help Mon-El, dying after battling the Empress, and at the very end, as Legion veterans Saturn Girl and Lightning Lad arrive.

There's a touching show of faith in Phantom Girl from longtime love Ultra Boy, one the Persuader is delighted to dash - Jo just knows she'll turn up with a plan, but his enemy jeers, says she's gone. Me, I reckon she'll turn up and save the day before the end - writer Paul Levitz isn't going to let one of his - and the readers' - favourite Legionnaires become a figure of shame.

This is a busy issue, but it all feels like padding. Lots of fights. Lots of foreboding. Precious little in the way of  planning or teamwork from the Legion - at one point we have nine Legionnaires vs three villains, but the bad guys have them totally on the backfoot. A couple of months back the Empress was encased in intertron - the future's strongest material - by Element Lad, but her escape is simply waved away. We still don't know who the current Fatal Five's fifth member is. There's no grand plan from resident super-genius Brainiac 5. There's not even a simple pile-on, with one-on-one attacks followed by speeches which give the villains time to regroup. It's a shabby showing all-round.

There may be something coming from Brainy - at the start of the issue he seems to have two ideas, one of which is likely the summoning of Saturn Girl and Lightning Lad. I only hope this is actual set-up from Levitz, rather than a red herring en route to a humiliating defeat.

Jeff Johnson's art is effective in the big fight scenes - that's most of the issue - especially when the Fatal Three show up. Occasional facial expressions are a tad wonky, but marks for trying to convey big emotions. Javier Mena's colours are as vibrant as ever, while Dezi Sienty's lettering is unshowy, but does the job.

The excellent Francis Portela's cover is an interesting composition, but figures are either too big or too small to make an impact - the Empress is so squeezed into the corner that she looks like an elf, the Persuader's USP axe is hidden by the logo and the Legionnaires are barely there.

Two issues to go. I really hope Levitz and co pull something amazing out of the bag, so the Legion book can go out in a blaze of glory. And  that means life, and victory, not darkness and death.

Age of Ultron #10 review

The Avengers fight the Intelligentsia, a spaceknight turns into Ultron, Hank Pym defeats said mad robot with a computer virus and psychology, the Age of Ultron is averted. And time breaks.

Thus concludes another Marvel event. Or rather, 'concludes'. The main focus of the story, the alternate world created by Ultron, is tied up, but a whole bunch of related threads are begun. And rather shamelessly, if you ask me.

Because the book ends with a series of epilogues: Ultimate Spider-Man sees something scary over New York; Hank Pym gets an idea; and the Big Mystery Character so Big and Mysterious That This Comic Comes In a Plastic Bag vows vengeance against whomever got her shifted across universes. Each of these vignettes is followed by a house ad telling us where the storylines continue. It's like a free sampler, but for 'free' read '$3.99'. As I said, shameless - Marvel doesn't even pretend the Age of Ultron event meant anything, that it might have earned a moment in which readers might consider, and compliment, the ride. Nope, it's more 'now toss your dollars on these new bonfires'. Because if these spin-offs - Hunger, Avengers AI and a Guardians of the Galaxy arc - are as well-thought- through as Age of Ultron, they'll be thin gruel indeed.

For Marvel have given up on following their well-established rules of time travel, leading to one hot mess. Wolverine and Sue Storm have changed their own timeline a couple of times, when decades of storytelling have it that if you go back and, say, kill Dr Doom as a baby, when you return to 2013 he's still around - you've simply created a timeline in which Mr and Mrs Von Doom have had a terribly sad life. And the heroes have likely created extra Logans and Sues in their own timeline - Rich Johnson explains it all over at Bleeding Cool.

I'm not quite sure what Tony Stark's line 'we broke the space-time continuum' means, beyond various heroes making faces at montages - are aspects of alternate timelines seeping into their universe? Is the Thing now in his Blackbeard persona from Fantastic Four #5, 50 years ago? Is Wolverine getting the memories of alt-Logans? The illustrations are striking, but baffling - a few words from Brian Michael Bendis - him being the writer and all - would help enormously here. 

Are we getting a Marvel version of Crisis on Infinite (actually, I think that would be seven) Earths? Please God not a Flashpoint-style Earth Mash-Up.

As for the enigmatic wifey, actually, I can reveal all, as Marvel themselves spoiled it weeks back. It's Angela,  minor Spawn character, of interest to some because she was created by Neil Gaiman, but me, I read 1602. Why Marvel fans are expected to get excited about a scowly tart twirling tickertape I have no idea. Her upcoming stopover in Guardians of the Galaxy won't prompt me to purchase because, well, I really don't know anything about her beyond press release stuff; this isn't DC bringing back the original Captain Marvel, it's Marvel reviving someone most everyone had forgotten - if they'd actually heard of her in the first place.

There are incidental pleasures in the book. The odd Bendis line (...a group of fairly intelligent criminal masterminds'). SWORD's term for a cosmic threat being Code Phoenix. The artwork of Bryan Hitch, Paul Neary, Brandon Peterson, Butch Guice, Carlos Pacheco, Roger Bonet, Tom Palmer, David Marquez and Joe Quesada is suitably flashy. The artwork of Alex Maleev is distinctly unflashy, and makes Hank Pym talking to Hank Pym my favourite scene.

What a bitch

Peterson's cover is an effective mood piece. Beats me who that figure with the glowing circles is, though. The Harlem Globetrotter Cosmic?

Overall though, this issue could win an award for the disparity between amount of hype surrounding it, and success in terms of emotional, intellectual and visceral payoff - it's just superheroes going through the motions, and more promises of great things. Heck, we're told Hank's plan to take down Ultron on the recap page and it goes off without a hitch - not a single reversal of fortune. If you haven't already bought this so-called event, don't worry, there'll be another one along in a minute. And I doubt that would repay your interest, either. 

Batman #21: Zero Year review

One of the biggest problems with DC's New 52 revamp is the insistence that pretty much all our heroes' exploits fit into a five-year period. When it's a character whose story has basically begun again, such as Wonder Woman or the Flash, there's no problem - stuff happened, but we have little idea what said stuff was.

When DC tells us that most of Batman's stories of the last couple of decades still count, though, things are more problematic. Claims that Dick Grayson, Jason Todd, Tim Drake and Damian Wayne all served time as Robin the Boy Wonder - on a superhero work experience programme, no less - are greeted by fans with equal parts laughter and despair.

You might expect that two years after the linewide revamp, DC, recognising the problems, would begin soft-focusing that five-year figure, say things happened 'years ago' and let the reader fit events in as they will. But no, here's the first of an 11-part serial further concretising the timeframe, with the action announced as occurring 'six years ago'.

The idea of Zero Year  is to show us Bruce Wayne becoming Batman in the revamped DC Universe, without calling it 'Batman Year One' - Frank Miller and David Mazzucchelli's 1987 storyline under that banner remains a critical favourite and steady seller in collected editions, so why step on its toes and risk consumer confusion?

Batman #21 grabs from the first page with pictures of a decaying Gotham, where fish swim in flooded subways - an image which doesn't need the usual darkness of a Batman comic to be memorably eerie. A proto-version of Batman rescues a kid from masked thugs, before the boy intrigues with these words:

Flash back five months earlier, and a disguised Bruce saves a group of kidnapped rich guys from the Red Hood gang with his daredevil driving skills.

The book then goes back further, showing us the boy Bruce exploring the city after school, revelling in the anonymity a famous rich kid can rarely enjoy.

Scene change and it's immediately after Fast and Furious Bruce's adventure, as we learn that Bruce has returned from his world travels intent on making Gotham a place where little kids don't see their parents die before their eyes. Bruce and family retainer Alfred aren't in Wayne Manor, but a converted brownstone on the former Park Row, aka Crime Alley - the spot where Thomas and Martha Wayne died. Outside, Bruce is confronted by Uncle Philip Kane, brother of his mother. He wants his nephew to head a new Wayne Industries, on the basis that Gotham distrusts Kanes, but loves Waynes.

Back in Bruce's boyhood, there's a tender scene in the hanger where his dad relaxes by tinkering with classic cars. Thomas shows Bruce a very interesting invention of Lucius Fox's, known as The Witch's Eye.

The penultimate scene reveals that Philip isn't the benevolent man he seems to be, as we meet his partner, an enigmatic figure. This segues into the final image, as young Bruce comes across a hole in the ground familiar to Batman readers of old.

Yes, it's the hole that previous continuities had Bruce fall down, discovering the future Batcave and gaining a fear of bats. Whether Bruce is finding it for the first time, or whether the fall has already happened and he's come back, isn't clear, but I look forward to finding out.

For Scott Snyder produces one of his best scripts in Batman #21, playing on old continuity while expanding and originating. There's not a wasted page, as we get snapshots of Bruce's life before he dons the cowl, and see what Gotham was like at various points. Uncle Philip,  previously a Wayne, is one of the more obscure members of the Batman family, having seldom been seen, so it's interesting to see him beginning to be fleshed out. His partner makes perfect sense, as a future criminal mastermind, and their scene together crackles. Alfred, meanwhile, doesn't have the sarcastic tongue he's known for today, being more concerned with keeping Bruce off a dark path than trading barbs.

Hands down, the best vignette is the conversation between Wayne father and son, a beautifully tender blend of script and art. Penciller Greg Capullo and inker Danny Miki nail the emotion, just as they hit the bullseye on every other page. Those opening panels, silent and border-free, lend Gotham the feel of a fairytale kingdom under some dark enchantment. It's sleeping, and Batman is the dark knight come to wake it up. The sunset palette of FCO Plascencia contributes greatly to the scene's success.

The colourist is equally impressive in the Red Hood gang scene, making gorgeous blue skies and cotton wool clouds the backdrop for Bruce's bout of James Bondery. Capullo and Miki choreograph the scene well, and the sight gag that concludes it is something you just don't see in a Batman comic.

Hmm, do you think, just maybe, Bruce inherited that car?

Capullo and co deserve massive credit for actually drawing people rather than comic book archetypes: Thomas and Bruce aren't the usual blandly handsome leading man and mini-me, they have real character. You see the warmth of Thomas, the enquiring mind of Bruce. Philip, too, looks like a guy rather than Rich Man #1, with something of the boxer about his battered features.

The backgrounds, too, are a treat, with the rarely seen daytime Gotham a feast for the eyes.

Letterer Nick Napolitano is also a vital player, rising to the challenge of his featured moments with ease, and ensuring Snyder's script is stylishly readable every step of the way.

The creative team also finds room for the odd Easter egg, such as the Gotham City Transit Authority shield, which is a take-off of the old EC Comics bullet.

The story isn't perfect: the Red Hand gang's MO is a tad too Court of Owls, and I can't for the life of me understand Uncle Philip's thinking as regards a certain future Batcave prop. But it's a darn good beginning to a serial that's aiming high in echoing one of the classics of the Batman library (this is DC, where to say 'canon' is to have the comic gods laugh at you).

The back-up strip, 'Where the hell did he learn to drive?', spins out of a comment in the lead story. It's 19-year-old Bruce Wayne in South America, picking up street racer tips as he hangs out with a decidedly dodgy character. Snyder co-writes with James Tynion IV, Rafael Albuquerque draws, Dave McCaig colours, Taylor Esposito colours and all earn their pay cheque - it's a diverting, good-looking page filler that sews the seeds for the Batmobile concept (well, the cool Batmobiles, not the stupid, clunky tank of the recent films).

The only boring thing about this issue is the cover - series logo at top, serial logo at bottom, murky blue-grey in between. Inside, Capullo and Plascencia get a credit - was there an alternate cover design I missed, with actual narrative art? Oh, and it's embossed card, which is jolly super if that's your kind of thing. Still, at least DC didn't bump up the price. No silly fold-out panels here >ahem< - just a good story with lots of potential, and beautiful artwork. The best gimmick of all.

Superman Unchained #1 review

There are no chains from which Superman breaks free in this issue. A better title would be Superman Unfolded, by virtue of the worst gimmick any DC comic has ever offered the world. Worse than stick-on Lobo. Worse than cardboard Bat heads. Worse, even, than plastic 'diamonds' that wreck every other comic around them.

It's two pages of story that fold out of the comic, each four times the size of a regular page. You're thrown out of the story as you try to figure out how it works. Which direction do you pull it from to avoid destroying the thing? Is that actual glue?

Finally, you gingerly unfold the images, expecting something awesome for the $4.99 this comic has cost you ...

... can you say 'underwhelming'? The first page has Superman smashing through a plummeting space station and you have to squint to see the Man of Steel. On the other side, there's an oddly contorted Superman, bashing something, with narration panels obscured by the cardboard the page is stuck to. Literally, every other page in this comic is more engaging. None of them, though, deserves to be seen at four times the regular size. Heck, none of them deserves to be on the extra-thick stock this series gets. I'll take 20 pages for $2.99, or 30pp for $3.99 (which is how many we'd get without eight of them being used for two images). I don't want 24 pages including a gimmick that not only adds nothing, it detracts from the story.

And it's a good story from Scott Snyder and Jim Lee. It doesn't need any kind of gimmick to sell big - even without their reputations, this issue would move units because it's a good Superman book, and DC has printed too few of them over the last few years.

Snyder's story ranges from Nagasaki in 1945 to Earth's outer atmosphere today. A human bomb that may have been the true cause of the city's destruction looks to have descendants today. Something, anyway, is knocking objects out of the sky, including the new Lighthouse international space station. One, though, has wound up in the sea. And it's asking for one of Superman's friends ...

'The Leap' also sees Lex Luthor outline his plans for a futuristic power source in Metropolis, Jimmy Olsen discover a new bagel palace and Lois Lane demonstrate that she may be an excellent news gatherer, but she can't write to length.

Or perhaps she's so in love with her own prose that she won't, as implied in an unbelievable scene that sees Lois moving a paid-for advertisement around the Daily Planet's pageplan to make more room for her story. It's unbelievable not because the Planet's 'book' is manipulated via Minority Report-style floating holograms, but because no reporter has advertising department privileges. Honestly, I can suspend my belief only so far.

Never mind, I like Snyder's Lois - sharp, non-bitchy, helping Clark with his newsblog start-up. I like his Perry, who knows enough to remind Lois that advertisers actually pay for certain positions. And I like his eager beaver, yet not stupid, Jimmy (though Snyder insists on folk calling him Jim as if there's something wrong with Dick ... er, Jimmy - for a second I thought Superman was being radioed by Commissioner Gordon)

My favourite aspect of this book is Clark's narration, which speaks to his intelligence; I often baulk at folksy Smallville reminiscences, but there's one here that tries to explain what it means to have the power or a god and still remain human. And away from his inner life, Snyder presents a Superman not feared and hated, as in many of his recent appearances, but trusted by the world - just as it should be.

Luthor is obnoxiously up himself, which is how I like him, quietly delighted that Metropolis city chiefs are allowing him to, no doubt, literally plant a weapon among them in the shape of his Golden Tree project. I might rail at their stupidity, trusting a man who has proven dangerously unstable, but it's not as if city councillors aren't known for hubris - they obviously believe that if they keep him on a short leash, he'll perform.

(I just hope this isn't the start of Snyder importing the widespread stupidity that allows Gotham's Arkham Asylum to serve as a revolving-door-respite-home for psychotic criminals.)

Intriguing plot seeds for the future include a terrorist group named Ascension, and new Metropolis supermax, The Maw - Luthor's latest home. There's also an evolution of one of Superman's powers, at least in terms of description.

Jim Lee and inker Scott Williams produce powerful panels aplenty, with a good-looking Superman dominating every scene in which he appears. The new costume Lee designed for the Man of Steel looks best when you can pretend it's the old one, like here. Otherwise, it still looks weird, especially the too-skimpy cape.

The supporting cast look good generally, especially Jimmy, who gains an old-fashioned reporter's trilby. Lois, though, should be depicted wearing actual clothes, rather than, it appears, body paint. Silly fold-outs apart, the action scenes impress, while the new character who debuts at the end of the issue has a memorable design.

Dustin Nguyen draws a two-page epilogue, presumably due to some deadline crunch, as it's indisputably part of the main story. He does bring a doomier, darker style to proceedings, which works for the sequence ... this is partly due to a different colourist, as John Kalisz takes over from Alex Sinclair. Both artists help the pages look good. Sal Cipriano letters throughout.

All in all, a solidly entertaining debut with some fine stylistic flourishes and hints of big things to come. As I said, this isn't a comic that needs to hide behind a gimmick. One thing we learn this issue is that even handcuffed, Lex Luthor is an ace at origami - if only the master paper cutter had been put in charge of Superman Unchained's opening gimmick.

Adventures of Superman #5 review

Breezy, that's the word for this fifth instalment of DC Digital's Superman title. Writer Joshua Hale Fialkov and artist Joëlle Jones present a day in the life tale which sees Lois and Clark battling for the Daily Planet front page, even though the most exciting thing in the diary is the Metropolis Dog Show. With Lois refusing to let Clark share her cab to the event, our hero has to make his own way there, and en route he finds one or two distractions ...

Fialkov and Jones are the latest pair of creators to demonstrate why this 99c digital-first, weekly gem could easily be titled This Is Superman! They give us the Man of Steel in his traditional costume, capture the classic Clark/Lois dynamic and throw in plenty of action and heart. And so far as humour goes, there's a terrific gag involving time travel in the DC Universe.

I love the Forties stylings Jones gives our reporters, just look at Lois, classic and cool. I'm fine with believing that even though we're in the 21st century - you'll notice the odd hoodie and laptop - Planet newshens still know how to rock the Rosalind Russell look. And Jones seizes the opportunity to give us her take on timeless bits of Superman business.

Putting Fialkov's words on the page is letterer Wes Abbott, while Jones' stripwork is brought to colourful life by Nick Filardi - it's an excellent performance all round, under the auspices of editor Alex Antone.

I hope to see Fialkov and Jones back soon to give us their take on a full-on villain encounter, but for now, so far as fun overviews of the Life Super go, I doubt this could be bettered.

If anyone at DC Entertainment is seeking a creative team for a playful new Superman Sunday strip, Fialkov and Jones may just be the Kent and Lane they need.

Action Comics #21 review

Superman fights the Hybrid creature created by a Lex Luthor virus, bidding to dismantle it into its constituent parts - ordinary citizens of Metropolis - and he's doing well until the bigger threat of Doomsday comes along.

Doomsday

Oh, hang on, that's not Doomsday, it's Lex Luthor in a hulking great power-suit. It certainly had me fooled, as drawn by writer/artist Tony S Daniel in the wrap-up to the story begun by writer Andy Diggle two months ago. Diggle is still credited, as co-plotter, but heaven knows if this is the story as intended. It's certainly an efficient, entertaining piece, perfectly serviceable and good-looking - but unremarkable. After the opening issue, which I loved, it's sad to see the promise unfulfilled, but well done to Daniel - artist on Diggle's issue - for staying the course and doing what he could.

Lex with a Doomsday sound effect

He certainly gets points for making Lois and Jimmy a constant presence in the issue, and there's a very clever bit of business involving Lois's boyfriend, Jonathan Carroll, and a restaurant sign. And Daniel's dialogue gets stronger with every outing, even when it's simple beatdown corn ('You are a scourge on this planet. Your kind is not welcome here. I will show you the way off.').

I like Daniel's art a lot - keeping the story to a minimum (I suspect that not knowing Diggle's full plans, he didn't want to second-guess and get things wrong - 'do no harm', and all that) allows room for the big, splashy moments at which he excels. A two page-spread heralding the arrival of Not Doomsday is like a gut punch with eye candy, but my favourite moment sees Superman swoop down and thoroughly biff Luthor. It's very nice work from Daniel, with inkers Batt and Norm Rapmund.

The only thing I don't like about the story is the appearance of Dr Veritas who, with her teleporting holographic red sun devices or whatever, may as well be called Dr Deus Ex Machina. Oh, for a simple Professor Potter, or bungling Emil Hamilton.

This issue's back-up continues the story begun last time, as cadet Lara Lor-Van battles a planetary coup by her military bosses. Seeing Superman's future mother - entrenched in my mind as a weepy young mum - beating up General Zod takes some getting used to. Maybe Superman is actually hard-wired to like the Amazon type ...

Jor-El, meanwhile, is still exploring underwater in this good-looking tale by writer Frank Hannah and artists Philip Tan and Jonathan Glapion, with no idea that the military want to kill him and ...

... oh, that's it. Six pages, not the expected ten. There's a two-page Superman family house ad filler, then the useless Channel 52 ad spread and the dull All Access page and that's it - 26pp of story and art instead of the promised 30pp. I hope this is an aberration, rather than the implementation of a new policy - I'm already buying DC's $3.99 books on a begrudging basis, not really caring for the back-ups, so really don't want to be short-changed to boot.

Trinity of Sin: Phantom Stranger #9 review

Did you spot that we have a new title this time? A longer title, announcing that we're entering Crossover Land? Our guide is the Phantom Stranger, currently positioned by DC as one of the Trinity of Sin, the other points being Pandora and the Question.

One of them, the Question, cameos this issue, but really, event fans can safely ignore this month's story as it doesn't seem to touch on the upcoming Trinity crossover in the Justice League line. Good story fans, though, should grab this issue as writer JM DeMatteis - apparently no longer scripting from Dan DiDio's plots - gives us one of the best looks at DC's celestial realms in years.

Or rather, the celestial realm known as hell (we're going to heaven next month). The book opens with the Phantom Stranger nailed to a tree in a very personal abyss, sacrificing himself in a bargain to release his mortal family from the horrific state they've been placed in by the Sin-Eater. If you read last issue, you'll recall that this character was once Philip Stark, a serial killer who was about to murder his wife and children. The Stranger put a stop to that, casting him away from Earth, and taking over his identity and family ties. That's one good act and one morally dubious act, and it's the family who are now paying, and will continue to pay unless the Stranger's sacrifice succeeds.

'Burning Bright' guest stars the Demon Etrigan, with the Spectre as the Ferryman. Hell, according to this issue, is filled with as many lands as there are souls, so finding one lost family isn't easy; thankfully, the Justice League Dark are also on hand, and Zatanna eschews backwards magic to manipulate other energies and send the Stranger to the hell within himself. How the Stranger gets out again, after an uncomfortable meeting with the Sin-Eater, well, that would be telling, but DeMatteis plays fair with the reader, building on a relationship already established in this series.

It's ironic that as the Stranger's afterlife body is eaten by carrion, DeMatteis fleshes out the character, making evident the love he has for his 'adopted' family. We're also shown the growing trust between him and Justice League Dark that will likely feed the Trinity crossover, as they fight on his side. DeMatteis also seeds a subplot, as the Nightmare Nurse promises to somehow bill her for saving his life last issue. Meanwhile, the man who killed the Stranger, Dr 13, is offered consolation by the Question, in the latter's single panel appearance. And kudos to the writer for not shying away from the Demon's rhyming tendencies, making story-progressing scansion look easy. This is efficient, stylish work from DeMatteis, who displays the imaginative mind of a tyro and the discipline of a veteran - whether he's writing a dark comic such as this, or a lighter title in the Justice League stable, DeMatteis always delivers.

Drawing the book, Fernando Blanco provides the finest artwork we've yet seen, conjuring up a vision of hell to haunt nightmares, and contrasting it with the more mundane magical setting of the JLD's House of Mystery (click on image to enlarge). He presents the Stranger's suffering on a tree in a visceral, yet not gratuitous, manner, and follows up with chilling shots that see the Stranger carry his soul-deadened family through hell. Both sets of imagery recall the trials of Christ, presumably deliberate given that the Stranger began his life as Judas Iscariot. The most disturbing moments I'll neither show nor describe - they require a strong stomach, but they're certainly justified by the story being told.

If ever there was an argument for DC putting colourist credits on their covers alongside writer and artist, this is it - Brad Anderson perfectly captures the mood DeMatteis and Blanco are suggesting, enhancing the tale at every moment. The oranges, greens and browns of hell, the greys of the House, the blurring of red to pink as hell meets heaven ...it really is stunning work.

Letterer Travis Lanham also adds to the mood, with different fonts for the various characters, distinctive colours for their narrative balloons and boxes - there's excellent creative synergy on display inside this comic.

And outside it, another striking cover from illustrator Jae Lee and colourist June Chung, as a darkly humorous idea is superbly executed.

If the Trinity of Sin branding brings a few new readers to this overlooked book, I couldn't be happier; it's getting better by the month, and as a quality blend of horror and superheroics, deserves to be a hit.