Mixed Plate Comics- Week of 10.19.11

Dark Horse continues to drop quality titles that find their fine spines into my piles to the point they have taken the #2 spot over Marvel on publisher pulls for the month.  Here are this weeks reads playa-  Mass Effect: Invasion #1 / Nightwing #2 / Dark Horse Presents #5 / Conan: Road of Kings #5 / Wonder Woman #2 / Birds of Prey #2 / Batman #2 / Green Lantern Corps #2 / Justice League #2 / Catwoman #2 / Star Wars: Knight Errant- Deluge #3.  As for what were the sureshot grinds...

5    Nightwing #2   Kyle Higgins & Eddy Barrows
Good to see that some vital elements to Dick Grayson hasn't changed post-New52-- like his taste for redheads.  After squabing some with the masked mystery-killer that is on the hunt for Grayson-- Dick gets a surprise visit from a childhood friend Raya Vestri (had to let you know that isn't Babs) who is in need of his help.  As they fly over to Atlantic City, Raya informs Dick that Mr. Haly (of Haly's Circus) asked her to bring

Grayson to see him in person that same night to carry out a dying man's last wish.

After receiving the deed for Haly's Circus and learning that Mr. Haly knew all along that he was Nightwing-- Dick realizes he was being tailed by the killer who goes by the name of Saiko (slang for cool or awesome in Japanese).

Saiko leads Nightwing back to Mr. Haly-- who was tortured into revealing Dick's heroic alter ego and they brawl again.  They go evenly matched until Dick brings the roof down on Saiko the Psycho.     

Before Mr. Haly passes, he apologizes to NW into bringing him into all of this...and with that we are left with questions as to why Saiko wanted Dick Grayson dead and how that now connects with the secret of Haly's Circus.  We all know that Saiko will return yes??  Higgins and Barrows got me more into their story and made me take another look at #1 again to see why I wasn't so into it.  The answer to that-- along with some of the other #1s I wasn't feeling as much as the second issues is getting past the reintro to the character-- which for many, hasn't changed dramatically.  But for those #1s that had major shakeups- like Action, Detective, Justice League and Wonderwoman, well they just rocked.


4    Wonder Woman  #2  Brian Azzarello & Cliff Chiang
Azz & Chiang bring us to Paradise Island where we get introduced to a very different looking Queen Hippolyta that doesn't need to bear the same look as Diana being that she was never part of the JSA in the New 52.  Really dig the simplistic, medieval stylings of the Amazons to contrast the decadent Olympians. 

Seeing how the two daughters-- Strife / Diana interact with their mothers-- Hera / Hippolyta also serves for fabulously layered characterizations.  Thanks for that Azz!
 
We learn of Hera's deep jealousy of Zeus' many bastard children as Hippolyta warns her daughter of helping to protect Zola.  Hermes recounts the origin of Wonderwoman, perfect for not being created by the seed of a male.  As some of us already know, we learn that is not entirely true.
 
Strife attacks Paradise Island by making the Amazons attack one another and WW lassos up some truth from her only to find that Zola isn't the bastard she came looking for.

Nope, the bastard is...Diana!!  Eww, ahh, ohh...lame that some of us had to hear that spoiler from the NY Post last week..but hey at least Wonder Woman is making the news over things with more substance than hotpants. 


3   Batman #2  Scott Snyder & Greg Capullo

Love this grand scale of story being served up by Snyder and Capullo where they are not merely tinkering small changes in Batman but to the whole of Gotham itself.  We have always known of the Wayne family's ties and influence to the city and how they were instrumental in its societal & physical landscape.  Now, lets throw in the potential of some other secret society-- lets call it the Court of Owls-- and imagine how far their reach goes through Gotham.

Nice dramatic touch to have Batman believe it as a myth too.  I so love that the concept of Owlman is being fleshed out as a major antagonist to the Dark Knight and the redesign is ill!  Does resemble the Immortals from 300 some but that is genius to pull from anyhow.  Capullo's style is growing on me more and his depiction of Nightwing was on point.

Yeah, I am feeling like that cat Lincoln is associated with the Owls in some way cause yo...when does anybody ever tower over Bruce like that?  The backward sequencing from end to start to end again was a treat and the fight scene with the Owl vs. Bruce & Gotham City architecture killed me. I can't remember all of the Batbooks being so damn delish.  Mike Marts is the man.



2    Catwoman  #2  Judd Winick &Guillem March
Winick, March and Morey are blessing their creative juices all over the place leaving Catwoman fans like you and me pumping our fists in the air. So Bats does know Selina is Cats while she is unaware and doesn't seem to care of his alter-ego.  Enjoying the sensual dynamic and refreshing to see Bats get some action

rather than it just be as Wayne.

Hilarious scene when Bruce is macking on Selina when she is incognito at some mob gala and Alfred pops up from out of nowhere to inform him that he traced the call she was making. 

Though Catwoman seemed to have the ruskies in line-- all with a wig, pink bedazzled cell, whip and a firecracker-- the outro filled with Bone and his henchmen will go beyond her fill with Bats in for the save.

Poor Lola.

This is the book you wanna read that truly personifies the street-realness grit and scum of Gotham thug life. 

I really don't get why this title isn't getting more positive reviews and accolades.  Whatevs, I can be the lone torchbearer if necessary.  Keep things moving ya'll!  Only one other creative combo and title could top Catwoman for the weekly reads and that is...



1    Justice League #2    Geoff Johns & Jim Lee
Last ish we got a glimpse of GL and Bats vs Supes-- more of the same with a helping of  "the man whos never been touched"-- the Flash.  Sickness how Lee illustrates the speed battle between Flash and Supes.  Some real shit to see how truly overpowered the three are individually when matched up against Superman.

Batman eventually gets through to Kal-El through logic and reasoning (yeah those weren't in his utility belt huh?) as the four go underground to escape some military vehicles sent in to contain the metas.  We are then brought over to STAR Labs where Victor and his pops argue about his future when simultaneously the mother box goes BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!!!

Out comes a horde of Parademons chanting out For Darkseid!!!  And we see how Cyborg comes to be in this Johns & Lee production.  Justice League is a grandiose, epic, page-flipping behemoth of a read that gives us first looks of iconic heroes meeting, dealing with eachother, the general public and a force that is bigger and more powerful than any of them can handle individually.  Up next Wonderwoman.




This post was written by:
big O