The comic book industry lost an icon this week with the passing of Dennis O’Neil. Denny, as he would introduce himself, was a giant in the industry but you would never know that by the way he spoke to you. To say that Denny breathed life into so many characters that we know, love and revere would be an understatement. This was a man who took Batman from his campy 60’s TV show persona to the Dark Knight detective that we know and love. He took Green Lantern and Green Arrow on social justice crusades that highlighted the events of the day. He brought Professor X back to life in the pages of X-Men. His taste for crime noir was spectacular as he tackled both Daredevil, the Shadow, and the Question.
Born in St. Louis, Missouri in 1939, Dennis O’Neil had a love affair with comics from an early age when he would go to the grocery store with his father or grandfather, and pick up the occasional comic book. He would graduate from St. Louis University with a degree focusing on English literature, philosophy and creative writing. He would later join the Navy just in time to work for the blockade of Cuba during the Cuban Missile Crisis.
Roy Thomas recruited a young O’Neil after reading his bi-weekly columns on the revival of the comic book industry. When Thomas left DC Comics for Marvel, he suggested to Stan Lee that Dennis take the Marvel Writer’s Test. This test led Thomas to hands over the reins, ever so briefly, to O’Neil on Doctor Strange, Rawhide Kid, Millie the Model, and X-Men #65.
After a stint with Marvel, O’Neil’s writing caught the eye of Dick Giordano at DC Comics, and was offered an editorial position. O’Neil is probably best known for his work while at DC Comics where, partnered with Neal Adams, we got some of the greatest works out of both creators. While on Batman, he took the Dark Knight from his campy 50s-era persona and made him into the true detective that has remained the basis for every Batman comic since. We also got the creation of Ra’s al Ghul, who was introduced in Batman #251.
While also with Adams, we bore witness to one of the greatest team ups, and most socially conscious book in Green Lantern and Green Arrow, where O’Neil and Adams used the titular characters to discuss the social ills of the day, whether it be racism, sexism, drug use — you name it, they discussed it. He and Adams also co-wrote the oversized Superman vs. Muhammad Ali, which Neal has called a personal favorite of the collaborations.
O’Neil would bounce back and forth from Marvel and DC Comics. While at Marvel, he and John Romita Jr. created Madame Web in The Amazing Spider-Man #210, and Hydro-Man in #212, over in the pages of Iron Man he created Obadiah Stane aka the Iron Monger; took Tony Stark to the depths of alcoholism; and put Jim Rhodes in the Iron Man suit.
O’Neil also found a young Frank Miller while at DC, who he would later put on Daredevil to legendary results. When Miller took a break on DD, O’Neil stepped in and created the great Yuriko Oyama, who would become the villain ‘Lady Deathstrike’ in the pages of X-Men. We also have O’Neil to thank for naming the greatest Transformer of all time– Optimus Prime. When Denny returned to DC Comics, he found his home within The Question, as well as familiar turf in Green Arrow and Batman in Batman: Sword of Azrael where he and Joe Quesada created the character ‘Azrael’.
His run with the Question remains iconic.
Dennis O’Neil was a giant in the game but when you met him he never let on his importance — he was ever just “Denny”.
Personal story time: I’ve been working on a documentary for about 8 years now and back around 2013, Dennis was at Wizard World Austin (or it could have been here at Comicpalooza in Houston; the cons blend at times after a while), but he was there and I asked if I could interview him. He graciously gave me his email and said to email him and we could try and set something up. I did and we scheduled an interview at his son’s house in Brooklyn. So I get all my gear together, I rent equipment and I fly up to New York and I get an amazing interview. I say thank you and I leave right for the airport. I get home, check the footage and no audio. The mics either weren’t set up correctly or what-have-you, I don’t know. I panic because this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity (and yes, I had checked the mics the night before). So I don’t know what to do and my dad goes “Well, email him, these things happen”, so I email him back and explain to him what had happened and I get an email back where he apologized for “the gremlins that took over my tech” (or something to that effect), and we promptly rescheduled an interview for a few months down the line. I went up there, freezing winter weather (it was a brisk 29 degrees) and he sat down for another 2-hour interview and it was just as amazing as the first time.
Dennis O’Neil will be missed by all. His warmth, his compassion, and empathy are all things that should be and will forever be admired, respected, and something to aspire towards.
Well, well, another week, and yet another Fistful of Comics coming your way, care of GodHatesGeeks. We’ve got a who’s who of titles, and publishers, and you best believe we’re gonna give you our say in which ones to pick up! From heroes, to villains, to antiheroes, to Jesus Christ Himself, we’ve got more characters here than you can shake a fist at, with some books so good, one of our faithful just had to write two reviews!
Let’s get right to it, geeks and geekettes…!
Rob Deep Maldonado @deep2hbTHE BATMAN’S GRAVE #4 – DC Comics
This was Bryan Hitch’s issue. Bryan choreographs a pretty stiff fight. He captures Batman’s necessary brutality in taking down enhanced thugs who do not feel pain. Sometimes it seems his movements are off balance and awkward but Bruce is enjoying every second.
Warren Ellis is on cruise control and injects his wit in the form of Alfred’s comedic retorts to let the reader know it’s still his book. I laughed out loud on two occasions. Warren Ellis and Bryan Hitch seem to be criticizing but also having fun with the BATMAN mythos since issue one. It’s definitely worth picking up, and I hope they collect it in giant sized hardcover like an an Authority Omnibus. 3.5/5 Bibles.
Second Coming has ended its initial run with issue #6, and this series has been an absolute, hilarious blast with a surprising amount of heart and pathos for a plot that could be boiled down to “What if Jesus Christ and Superman teamed up?” Creators Mark Russell (writer) and Richard Pace (artist) show a deep understanding not only of Christian and biblical lore, but also superhero lore itself, and have managed to successfully merge the two in a way that is genuine, sincere, and actually shows respect to both mediums, while not shying away from ultra-violence, or swearing (it is remarkable how staying true to the Bible results in gratuitous violence and nudity). God tasks Sunstar (the equivalent of Superman) with keeping an eye on Jesus, and to “toughen Him up”. Meanwhile. Sunstar and his girlfriend (Lois Lane surrogate Sheila) are traversing their own relationship problems before having a third wheel dropped in on them, and Satan himself is taking advantage of Jesus’s return to present one final temptation, while convincing God to end reality if Jesus fails to succumb to it. Here, with Sunstar incapacitated, Satan presents Jesus with his final temptation…and with genuinely surprising results.
The series itself found God allowing Jesus a second chance at coming down and preaching on Earth, only to find that the planet has changed considerably in the 2000 years since He left. And while society at large has grown up much more jaded and rough, perhaps in ways that are less discernible and obvious, it’s also stayed the same. The temptations are the same, only now, with 2000 years between appearances, His lessons and teachings have been subverted and used in callous, often selfish ways. Russell’s characterization of God Himself is a riot: angry, despondent, and impatient, God is here self-centered, a Father who can’t be bothered to be responsible for His children, His creation, or to face the fact that He perhaps just doesn’t care about any of it. He comes off almost like a drunk father toeing the line of abuse…which tracks surprisingly well with the Old Testament. He’s petty and disinterested and seemingly fickle (in a scene recalling Abraham’s faith, God almost blithely commands him, “I’m gonna need you to cut off a piece of your dick”, like it’s the most normal thing; or, following Jesus’s crucifixion, during a flashback: “Forgiveness? You call THAT a religion?!”).
Subversive, irreverent, and with a rather unexpected ending, this is one of the more surprising titles I’ve stumbled upon, and there’s enough respect (and introspection, and dissection) of the source materiel that it actually works as an exploration of biblical themes…from a critical angle, and not proselytizing, which I greatly appreciated. Don’t let the use of the Bible as a source of inspiration put you off (I’m not at all religious), but if you come in with at least a base understanding of Christianity (or Christian tropes in general), you’ll be surprised at how much you might enjoy this title. I know I was. Where this title goes from here is anyone’s guess, but I’m in it for the long haul. 4.5/5 Literal Bibles.
-J.L. Caraballo
“Cardinal” Roberto de Bexar @RobBex2VENOM: THE END – Marvel Comics
In a slightly stunning return to “The End” one-offs, Adam Warren and Chamba Cruz bring us Venom’s final battle and it isn’t the battle we thought it would be. The two “ends” that stick in my mind are the Hulk’s, and the Punisher. Hulk ends with him turning back to Banner one last time to let him die and then the Hulk gets his wish, to finally be alone; and with The Punisher, Castle finds himself in a nuclear holocaust killing one last bad guy before succumbing to radiation poisoning and seeing his family as he passes away. In both of these one-shots, the titular hero faces one more battle that we are used to, but in Venom, Warren takes us a different way.
We see a Venom that has kept Eddie Brock “alive” for centuries until he literally turns to dust. Earth, and the Milky Way, has been overcome by a techno war between the Phalanx and the A.I. of Tony Stark. Once those two entities join forces, it’s them versus the symbiote that is Venom. He then decides to reach into his codex to pull out the mutant powers of various X-Men to literally reproduce the galaxy. But here is where it gets even crazier: by the end, he finds out that he can create whole galaxies by ripping himself apart and re-starting the Marvel Universe 1 trillion years in the future. So Venom’s end is Marvel’s recreation. That’s it.
The writing is pretty clever, and I will admit that Warren did a great job of writing the issue in a witty and unexpected ways. I did appreciate that it never explains the connection between Venom and Eddie Brock, because you don’t really need that. The art by Cruz and colorist Guru-eFX is crisp and clear and vibrant and really beautiful. The issue is fun and entertaining, but I don’t think I’ll be going back to this one like I have The Punisher’s End. While I appreciate that this issue took Venom’s end in a very heroic fashion, but I think maybe a final battle with Spider-Man might have been maybe more dramatic and maybe there could have been more intriguing. But maybe that’s just me. 2.5/5 Bibles.
-Robert Bexar
THE QUESTION: THE DEATHS OF VIC SAGE #2 – DC Black Label“El Sacerdote” J.L. Caraballo Twitter @captzaff007
The original Question — Vic Sage aka Charles Victor Szasz — is back from the dead…only to awaken in Hub County, in the late-1880s. While issue one ended with Sage seemingly dead, this issue finds him considerably less stiff…at least until the end of the final page. Here, we get a better sense of what has happened to our duality-obsessed antihero. Hub County has no shortage of unsavory types, quick to judge and even quicker to violence, and Sage fits right in, trying to right wrongs in an attempt to find out if there is any good left in him, and a larger understanding of what is actually happening to him is slowly coming to light: someone called the Man With A Thousand Faces is either forcing Sage into the past at various points in history, or he is reliving past lives. As it is explained to him by a native seer, the Man With A Thousand Faces has existed for as long as humanity has existed, and only a specific someone named “Charlie” will end him.
Jeff Lemire once again brings a lot of psychological depth to the Question, with the art team of Denys Cowan and Bill Sienkiewicz once again knock it out of the park here. The art is harsh, moody, vibrant, and utterly alive; dreamy and jagged and as crisscrossed with lines as Sage’s mind is with doubt. The creative team is perfect for this title, and now that there’s a better idea of what the actual story is and where it seems to be going, the possibilities are growing. Next issue finds Sage in the 1940s, as a gumshoe, and if Lemire is content with showcasing the seedier sides of once-reliable and heroic genre staples, he could not have picked a better antihero than the Question.
Moody, violent, mysterious, and misanthropic, this is a series that isn’t pulling punches (some of the plot points were downright shocking: let’s just say Lemire isn’t afraid of Game-Of-Thrones-ing some characters. And NO, I DON’T mean ignoring character developments! Stop it!) If you liked the debut issue, you’ll like this one. If you like Cowyn or Sienkiewicz, you’ll like this one. And if you like Lemire, then you best believe you’ll like this. 4/5 Bibles.
Happy Tuesday, geeks and geekettes. It’s Thanksgiving week, and that means we’ve got plenty of goodies and comics for which to be thankful! We’ve got some titles coming your way to let you know just what to do in between servings of stuffing and turkey. Let’s dive right in!
THE QUESTION: THE DEATHS OF VIC SAGE #1 – DC Black Label“El Sacerdote” J.L. Caraballo Twitter @captzaff007
Denny O’Neil and Steve Ditko’s faceless hero, The Question, gets reinterpreted this time out in DC’s Black Label line. As the outspoken, yet trusted, face of the news media in Hub City, reporter Vic Sage moonlights as the faceless psuedo-antihero, exposing not only a corrupt politician’s connection to a long-defunct secret society, but also stumbling upon what may be his very own past lives (apt title, eh?)
Writer Jeff Lemire has proven more than capable of handling superhero tropes, as well as deconstructing those very tropes, and given the setup here, I anticipate that’s where the story is going. This feels like a long lost O’Neil/Denys Cowan Question yarn, and having Cowan back doing the art (and the masterful Bill Sienkiewicz inking) makes this a great return to form. Cowan hasn’t lost his touch, and this is a moody, dreamy, torrid and dreamy piece of work brewing. I love the initial Question line (still collecting, if anyone has any they might want to part with!), and this is definitely being added to my pull list.
There’s not too much in the way of reintroducing the Question to readers unfamiliar with him, though, and that might prove detrimental down the line, but if you enjoy a good, moody mystery, this might just be for you. 4/5 Bibles.
-J.L. Caraballo
HE-MAN AND THE MASTERS OF THE MULTIVERSE — DC ComicsRob Deep Maldonado @deep2hb
Remember that movie where Jet Li is traversing the multiverse to be the One? This is of similar ilk.
Enter He-Man of Hellskull absorbing the energy from Power Swords from his alternate versions. This story is a fun tale set to spark laughs and nostalgia, especially from Gildor, the key, and He-Lundren. What really has me locked in is Prince Keldor, a doppleganger of Skeletor, before the face deforming accident. If you’ve watched various social media videos of Skeletor insulting his crew and laughing videos, then Keldor as comical but Prince Adam-like prankster as the protagonist is perfect. Panthor is his Cringer, and Beastman is his Duncan. There’s even a Spider Ham-y version of He-Man which makes fun of the various action figure gimmicks.
Overall, Masters of the Multiverse #1 is a fun read and I’m not mad at all, and writer Tim Seeley has a great ear for the characters and world. It’s not at the top of my stack, but it has its place. The art, by Dan Fraga and Richard Friend, is comical but solid, especially the last splash page (no spoilers!) I’m digging this. 3.5/5 Bibles.
You knew it was coming. In the traditional spirit of Villains Month and Future’s End, GHG is back once again doing the damn DC Comic monthly thing. In this very special edition of The Sunday Stash, our cast and crew take a look at the first 10 of the publisher’s 40 new monthly titles during this widespan event, as well as the goods (or bads) on the titular comic.
Just remember, if one Superman isn’t enough for ya, every single version of Supes (and Batman and Wonder Woman and Captain Carrot, etc. etc. etc.) ever is bound to make an appearance in this one! Let us know which Convergence title proved your favorite this week, over @GodHatesGeeks.
CONVERGENCE #0 & #1 – DC Comics
Convergence is upon us, and “Cardinal” Brooks has the duty of reviewing the main series– starting off with its zero issue and debut this past week. Convergence #0 focuses on the prisoned-by-Brainac New 52 Superman (read: the guy we know now). As Supes fights to escape a strange world — where Brainiac has captured 40 cities from different universes — he will encounter multiple versions of his ghastly green buddy. What kept this issue, co-written by Jeff King (TV’s White Collar, Continuum) and Dan Jurgens (Booster Gold), strong was an enjoyable depiction of Brainiac as this super intelligence that controls time and space. The Man of Steel, on the other hand, feels a little helpless and underpowered throughout #0. The consensus on this comic so far has been split– but I’m just here for the Ethan Van Sciver (The Flash) art.
This week sees Convergence shift focus towards the heroes of Earth-2 as they encounter Telos– Brainiac’s apostle. If you hadn’t been reading DC’s Earth-2: World’s End saga, confusion may occur if you didn’t take the time to check the recaps in Convergence #0 or wiki info on their fateful battle with the Apokolips and Darkseid. Plain and simple, DC is bringing back many of their long-lost realities, with the possibility of mashing them together to make everyone happy. Yes Marvel is about to do the same thing with Secret Wars. Thing is, Marvel doesn’t have cool video game characters to throw into their Universe…
We catch a glimpse of Injustice‘s war torn Gotham City in issue #1, and — finally — geeks will see what happened after the end of the game. Will another Injustice comic series come out of this, or (with Mortal Kombat X in tow), are they going to bury this world until the video game sequel? As for the core story of Convergence, it’s a battle to end all battles (imagine a cross between Under the Dome and The Hunger Games) to see which of these cities/earths/worlds and heroes survive from their respective realities. As basic and straightforward as it appears, DC is just as content in making this story as convoluted as possible.
#0 = 3 (out of 5) Bibles. #1 = 3.5 Bibles.“Cardinal” Gary Brooks facebook.com/gary.brooks
As with Convergence #0, the real star of this book is Carlo Pagulayan‘s artwork, including some incredible 2-page spreads. The granduer of the stage is set; the characters, including that of Telos, are imposing and whimsical enough; and, the array of widescreen speed and splash is appreciated for such an event of this magnitude. A different color from Jason Paz would have helped during Telos’ muddled dialogue bubbles, however.
In closing, I’m not sure what to make of Convergence just yet (sorry, I know!). The plot feels a little too familar, despite the possibility that any combination of DC’s near-infinite realties converging with others may wind up great; if only we can ever get past the set-up, which, for some reason, took a whole TWO comics (40 pages at that) to explain. But, hey, if the payoff is as weak as the majority of major comic events are concerned, at least there’s some pretty great art to admire.
***SPECIAL GUEST REVIEWER!***
CONVERGENCE: TITANS #1“Deadpool” Wade Wilson @VancityReynolds
Well… Riddle me a retconned clusterfuckery of DC comikaze crazy, right down Brainiac’s Toilet Bowl of Oblivion, on this one, son! Convergence: Titans #1 (from Fabien Nicieza… WAIT! Yeah, didn’t thus guy write the GREATEST. COMIC. EVER? Sheettt) did virtually nothing to titillate my nipples into a tizzy. Hey, look! It’s Gotham City. Covered under some kind of cyber dome.. Over here! It’s our heroic trifecta: Donna Troy, Starfire, and Arsenal. Guess what? Nobody has their superpowers anymore. Hey, listen! Do you hear that creepy voice in the sky? Oh, my! The cyber dome is coming down! I…I’ve got…my…superpowers…back now. And so do my friends! And buildings and shit are blowing up down the street! And no other heroes are around… Fade in on: A fistful of rogues: Lord Havok and the Extremists… Gotta go help my friends beat up some bad guys! Only to have the aforementioned comic book cast of creators here, leave us with a stereotypical, clichéd cliffhanger ending! Betcha can’t wait until the sequel! To see what happens!!! Uh…no. I’m good. I’d rather hang brains in front of my open window and wave to my neighbors walking their shih tzu down the block… 2.5/5 Failed Cybernetic Limbs.
CONVERGENCE: JUSTICE LEAGUE #1
Despite adhering to a tired template of predictable comic tale tedium, the league of DCU freaks who’ve converged to craft this title have forged a just weapon of feminine fortitude. Convergence Justice League #1 (from Frank Tieri, words; Vincent Cifuentes, images) drops Gothamesque dime, with a one-two punch of superheroine chic– wrapped lycra-tight inside fashionista-manicured fists of iron. Again, our protagonists, our heroines, are in a city of parallel sin; sometimes known as Batman Town. Big, bad Braniac’s got ‘em all domed up! Super powers gone! Impending knuckledusting’s coming on! Why this offering, flayed upon the blood-stained Altar of Convergence, seems to sate the hunger so well has to do with the six points of the Justice League hexagram harkened forth here (delivered by a talented team, who give us humanized characters both vulnerable and strong, existing within visceral urban grit, while awash in saturated spectrum). Uber-estrogen solidarity personified, in the guises of: Zatanna, Vixen, Supergirl, Jesse Quick, Mera, and Jade. A salty dog by the name of Arthur, may not be who he initially seems as he spirits away an aqueous love. A conch-happy henchman, calling forth a Kraken of Watchmen-worldly character. Our just and lethal ladies, re-empowered leagues above the sea, ready to render a reckoning upon a writhing wretch and his many-gilled minions… I’m ready to go all Jacques Cousteau on the next episode of this mako mauler! I’m breaking out my frog suit right now, and I’m hooking up the nitrous and ether canisters; alongside my mixture of oxy-acetylene! Huff on this gas hose, and load your harpoon gun!!! 4/5 Dragon Rolls, with Curry Sauce.
CONVERGENCE: THE QUESTION #1 / SUPERMAN #1
To me, this book is a little bit like somehow hatin’ a recipe but lovin’ the dish. The character of The Question seems like an anachronism, and I don’t think highly of DC’s Convergence arc — another cheap marketing gimmick to inexplicably “mash” things “up” — but I have to say it does allow especially good writers to walk a narrative high-wire, with such characters that might seem out of their own time. And Greg Rucka (Detective Comics, Wolverine) is definitely one of those. All at once the series sets its bearings as a hard-boiled noir thriller in a dystopian urban landscape, as Renee Montoya — taking up Vic Sage’s mysterious mantle — and her girlfriend, The Huntress, and her ex-girlfriend, Batwoman (!!!), join forces with Harvey “Two-Face” to do battle with an intergalactic force they can’t possibly understand. 4.5/5 ?????’s
“Father” Joe Tower @whateverjoe
YAWN — Stakes might be high for Clark Kent and Lois Lane in their Convergence timeline, but most of the “action” of this issue (from Death of Superman scribe Dan Jurgens) is filler — note that I use the term “action” loosely, because just hang on a sec while Supes and Lois spend a whole panel kicking back on their sofa to enjoy the view. I think it all comes off as cheaply expositional, if not totally cheeseball. I mean, OK, the Man of Steel has his powers back, so, cool, now he can use X-ray vision to spoil the surprise of whether or not he and Lois’ unborn child is a boy or a girl? And it turns bullshit local fisticuffs into easy vigilante justice, but it doesn’t make this story arc and dialogue seem any less like a comic book “paint-by-numbers.” Sorry, Superfans. 3/5 Supe Cans.
In truth, I haven’t read enough of DC’s massive catalogue to understand the weight of the greater story here. However, as a comic book lover and with an understanding of the characters, I can confidently say that longtime comic vet Steve Pugh (Animal Man, Hellblazer) delivered a worthwhile story. The best part about this particular book is getting to see everyones favorite anti-heroine, Harley Quinn, continue her constant struggle between good and evil. We find her back to normal (ish) after a robbery gone awry, but that doesn’t last long. Fellow Gotham City Sirens, Poison Ivy and Catwoman, are forced to pull her back into the bad guy fold in order to help save Gotham. Catwoman gets the best line of the book with “You really think it’s the powers that made us special?” But seeing Harley step out into her own and not just being in the shadow of The Joker– is fantastic. 4/5 Bibles.
Ryan “Salvation” Scott @ radio_adventure
The character of Nightwing has always been an enigma to me. On one hand he appeared no more than a shoddy attempt to make the Robin thing cool, and on the other hand perhaps he’s just a rad character in his own right. In this “chapter” of Convergence, it’s probably more of the former; but that doesn’t really get in the way of an otherwise very compelling storyline. In this corner of the Convergenceverse, Mr. Dick Grayson and Barbara Gordon are trying to keep an under the dome Gotham clean by stopping Mr. Freeze from his usual no goodedness, but that soon becomes a moot point when a couple of other worldly winged bad motherfuckas swoop in and start some shit. Oh yeah, and that happens just after Dick and Barbara have themselves some kind of epic moment (cue General Hospital music). So, without giving TOO much away, Nightwing and Oracle are left with an ultimatum from said other worldly winged bastards, which makes for some compelling drama. Gail Simone (Wonder Woman, Secret Six) does a standout job with this issue writing wise, accompanied by some nice art to boot from the trio of Jan Duursema, Dan Parsons and Wes Ozioba. 4.5/5 Bibles.
CONVERGENCE: BATMAN & ROBIN #1 / BATGIRL #1
Writer Ron Marz (Silver Surfer, Batman/Aliens) has whisked us DC comic fans back to our beloved Batman and Robin chronicles! Although it seems like this collection will be fairly close to the Batman comics from the past, it’s a nice reboot of a classic hero (one of my favs– no spoiler here). Marz focuses chiefly on the relationship between Bruce and son Damian with the struggles of them working side by side. Strangely, there isn’t much growth from this teaming that was witnessed during brilliant runs from Peter Tomasi and Grant Morrison. So much for continuity! Yet, despite the risks taken, this debut is still a fully-fledged fun, adventurous read for those looking for an old school time. The artwork provided by skilled Denys Cowan (The Question) and Klaus Janson (um, everything) really hits the tail on the bat. Their beautiful visuals make this tie-in with a spin. 3/5 Bat Bibles.
“Priestess” Eva Ceja @evaceja
Being the Batgirl-fangirl that I am — and hyper-jealous of all of the fine work of Sister Croft’s during WonderCon on my favorite superheroine — this Priestess was super-excited to pick up Convergence: Batgirl #1. Then my reading turned to utter disappointment, as the majority of the story felt pushed with too many characters, and I can’t even begin to say how cliche Catman is– but yeah. Having never read Secret Six (badgirl! badgirl!), I couldn’t help but “LOL” when The Goddamn Catman came onto the scene. With the help of Robin and Cassandra Cain, STEPHANIE BROWN fights off Catman and Gorilla Grodd. In this issue, she also questions her own desire to be a superhero. I wanted Batgirl to kick some serious ass, but this series didn’t start out as hoped. With words from stalwart novelist Alisa Kwitney (also editor at Vertigo) and pictures by Mark Pennington (Shade, the Changing Man) and Rick Leonardi (Cloak and Dagger), I expect the thrills to overcome the series many spoils by the next issue. 2/5 Bibles.
CONVERGENCE: SPEED FORCE #1 / THE ATOM #1
In Speed Force #1, we meet up with the pre-Flashpoint and New 52 Wally West, dragging his kids in tow, when the dome comes down rendering him powerless. A year passes, the dome comes down, and we find Wally to be the hero he always was – but is he ready to face Flashpoint’s brutal Wonder Woman? Meanwhile in The Atom #1, the pre-Flashpoint Ray Palmer is dealing with being trapped in a domed Gotham in his own way – by seemingly going quite mad. He, weirdly, is not rendered entirely powerless; it’s just that his power now is to make one hand really big. Only the one hand. We follow Atom as he asks the bigger questions: what is “justice”? And is the voice really in his head?
Luke “Heirophant” Anderson IG @LUKEPOISONER
Tony Bedard (Exiles, Black Canary) and Tom Grummett (Superboy, X-Men Forever) craft an exciting Flash tale, and it’s a treat seeing the old Wally West in Action. Tom Peyer (Hourman) and Steve Yeowell (2000AD, The Invisibles) bring you an off-kilter sci-fi superhero romp with a slightly maddened Ray Palmer cracking under his own guilt and confusion, though no less a hero. DC’s Convergence is equally confusing to begin with, but promises to be filled with nonsensical guilty pleasures. Ahh, comics. Speed Force #1: 4/5 Years in the Wilderness; The Atom #1: 3.5/5 Meek Inheriting the Earth.
