Men In Tights 1: Sieges, Speedsters and Ring-Slingers

To start off, I’d like to thank Merin (Jim) for helping me along to make my first posts here at InGenre. I look forward to becoming your regular reviewer here.

Now, I had a longer spiel written which introduced myself, gave a basic rundown of the kind of comics I read, etc. But my computer crashed and I lost those, so that will wait for next month. For now, on to the reviews.

Here there be spoilers!

THE FLASH #1 – DC Comics

script by Geoff Johns
art by Francis Manapul

After the events of Flash: Rebirth, Geoff Johns returns to the Flash family that he wrote for so many years, and this run looks to be as good as his last on the title.

Continuing the amazing characterization that has distinguished his writing since his first work on Stars and S.T.R.I.P.E., Johns lends a unique personality and motivations to every person (and even Central City itself!) in this book. Barry Allen, who had been passing the world by for so many years, now feels right at home in this world of high-speed internet, instant communication via cell phones, and frantically busy people going about their business in the city that never stops moving.

Starting off the first arc of this series, a corpse dressed in the outfit of legendary Flash foe and key member of the Rogues, Mirror Master, is discovered in the streets of Central City, seemingly killed by a mysterious and unidentified streak of blue light. Upon further investigation though, we find that this is not the original mirror master, Sam Scudder, nor his Scottish successor, Evan McCulloch. Barry Allen is scarcely given time to ruminate on this before a group of Rogues arrive in yet another flash (HA!) of blue light. Claiming to be from the 25th Century. They charge Allen with the murder of Mirror Monarch, presumably their time period’s successor to the Mirror Master legacy.

To be honest, I’ve never cared much for Manapul’s art. It’s a little blocky and slightly sketchy for my tastes. On this book though, his drawings seem to mesh well with the high-speed tone of this book. The pencil lines which had always seemed a tad erratic and misplaced to me lend movement and feeling to the book, such as in the opening sequence where the Flash chases down a car carrying his foe the Trickster.

Overall, this is a very good book, and I highly recommend it. If you are a fan of Johns’ work on Green Lantern or the Flash, you will not be disappointed if you pick this up.

If the “Flashpoint” teaser at the end of this series’ initial installment is any indication, we can expect many good things to come from Johns’ pen, and Adam Kubert’s legendary pencil.

GREEN LANTERN CORPS #47

script by Peter J. Tomasi
art by Patrick Gleason

It is the end of Blackest Night, and its effects are being felt throughout the ranks of the Corps. The  now-halved Guardians find themselves faced with opposition to their perceivedly oppressive laws, even from their right-hand man Salaak.

In this issue we see further development of the relationship between ex-torchbearer Kyle Rayner and Sinestro’s daughter/Korugarian surgeoun Soranik Natu. Oddly missing from this issue, though, is any mention of Jade, Kyle’s formerly dead girlfriend. Methinks there may be some triangular issues brewing in Kyle’s future.

Patrick Gleason delivers his usual consistent art, which, while not my personal favorite, does a pretty good job of emotionalizing the characters in this book and delivering on the feeling that Tomasi puts into his scripts.

Also present in this issue is the consistent theme of rebuilding and rebirth present since the Recharge miniseries five years ago, though this time the rebuilding necessary may be a little less than the reconstruction-of-Oa, restoration-of-the-Guardians-of-the-Universe, complete-restructuring-of-the-universe’s-greatest-police-force that was needed after Hal, Kyle, and company got the Corps going again way back when.

Speaking of the creative team, this is their last issue of Green Lantern Corps. Starting with #48 they are handing over the reins of this series to writer Tony Bedard (of R.E.B.E.L.S. fame) and penciller Adrian Syaf
(whose work I cannot place at present). But parting it is not for Tomasi and the Corps. Starting in August, he will be writing a third GL title, Emerald Warriors, starring Guy Gardner and Kyle Rayner, to be drawn by
artist Fernando Pasarin.

Overall, this issue doesn’t do entirely too much to further the story (other than the totally unsurprising revocation of the Guardians third law, banning physical and emotional relationships between Corps officers.) If you have been following either or both of the Green Lantern books for any length of time, though, this is a must-have for the continuing saga of the ringslingers.

THOR #609

script by Kieron Gillen
art by Billy Tan, et. al.

The siege of Asgard continues, and H.A.M.M.E.R. makes its final push against the Aesir. Kelda (former godly girlfriend to Midgardian Bill) is brutally shot up by some of Osborn’s goons at the beginning, and Volstagg puts up one hell of a fight in Broxton.

Gillen’s scripts do a pretty good job of carrying on the legacy of possibly the greatest Thor writer in decades, J. Michael Straczynski, but I have to admit that I lost a little interest in this book after he left. Billy Tan and his army of inkers, colorists, and a co-penciller keep the art pretty consistent throughout, and overall this issue is pretty satisfying.

Towards the end of the story, we find out why Balder is really called Balder the Bright. (And it’s “not because of [his] towering intellectual gifts”, either. The last page features Loki, looking up at Balder after his banishment, declaring that he cannot be stopped from “saving” Asgard’s new king.

This begs the question: How many more times are the Asgardians going to be duped, murdered, and just generally betrayed by Loki before they behead him? With the brutality that many of the Norse gods have shown towards the Frost Giants, the Dark Elves, and assorted other Enemies of Asgard, it would seem that Loki would have been axed by now.

But, then again…

Anyway, if you’re following either Siege or Thor, it would be a good idea to pick this up. It’s by no means a must-have though.

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This is Evan Henry, signing off.

P.S. Next month: More books, more reviews, more publishers. Same Bat-time, same Bat-channel!