- Aquaman #11
- Deadpool #58
- Green Lantern #11
- Justice League Dark #11
- Teen Titans #11
SPOILERS beyond this point.
Aquaman #11
Just to start, if you haven't read the new "Aquaman", give it a try. Read the first issue and if you like it, the rest is just as good. If you think Aquaman can't be interesting, you REALLY need to give this a try, because you're wrong.
Anyway, as for this issue in particular, it continues the arc regarding Aquaman's new past in the post-Flashpoint era involving Black Manta and a new group of superheroes called The Others. This arc has done a good job of bringing in new characters and establishing who they are without losing the central focus regarding Black Manta's mysterious plan and Aquaman's secret involving Black Manta's father.
Sometimes the exposition can feel a bit forced, but it never distracts from the matter at hand too much, and it's certainly better than the tactic that "Teen Titans" uses (we'll get to that later).
Definitely pick up "Aquaman". Seriously, go do it now.
Sometimes the exposition can feel a bit forced, but it never distracts from the matter at hand too much, and it's certainly better than the tactic that "Teen Titans" uses (we'll get to that later).
Definitely pick up "Aquaman". Seriously, go do it now.
Deadpool #58
Last time I talked about how this arc felt a little too uneventful. This issue picked things up a little bit, but we continue with the same trend of having a different bad guy each issue while Deadpool figures out how to live without his healing factor. We also get some rather funny scenes, including one involving a shower curtain that's borderline cartoonish. Still, not much really HAPPENED in the issue that was of true consequence, except of course for the tease at the very end showing that he'll next be facing BLACK TOM CASSIDY.
Black Tom was one of the primary villains in Deadpool's first solo outing "The Circle Chase" and he's also a relative of Siryn, who to Deadpool is "the one that got away".
OK Way, you have my attention.
Green Lantern #11
About a year ago, out of all the New 52 stuff, I initially wasn't planning on picking up "Green Lantern". I had heard that it was going to involve Hal Jordan, my least favorite GL, and that it was just going to pick up where they left off before the relaunch as though nothing had happened. I figured I wouldn't bother. Then I saw the cover featuring Sinestro and the first page showing him speaking the Green Lantern oath and I just had to check it out.
I'm still reading and my favorite part of the series is still the buddy-cop-style relationship between Hal and Sinestro. Hal's smug doucheyness is a lot easier to handle when he has a pragmatic sourpuss abusing him every few pages. They balance each other out very well and it makes for a very fun dynamic. Additionally, the plot, while a bit overdone (surprise, the Guardians are evil again) is still intriguing enough, especially as they continue to flesh out certain characters and underdeveloped Corps.
This issue finishes up the Indigo Tribe arc, which I loved, and starts involving Black Hand, who has gotten the Black Ring back and is planning to fuck shit up. Not sure I like this plot detour, but I have no complaints yet.
Justice League Dark #11
I'm still glad I picked this up. Jeff Lemire has so much fun with magic and he never forgets to make the characters interesting too. There's a bit of a subplot involving Madame Xanadu and a kid I've never heard of, but it's not so confusing that I'm lost. I would have liked a little more time in the Black Room and I would like it if Zatanna gets her father's hat as Constantine promised (though it's implied he was lying), but this issue was a lot of fun and I'm glad I added this series to my pull list.
Teen Titans #11
OK, I've been very forgiving of "Teen Titans" since the beginning. The previous arc involving Legion Lost and the Harvest or whatever left me confused and bored, but issue #10 slowed things down and brought it back to basics, bringing in some much needed fresh air. The stage was set for a clean slate and they no longer needed to rush things.
So of course they fuck it up in the very next issue.
The core story here is not too complicated. Wonder Girl is having some kind of weird problem controlling her powers and it starts to wreak havoc. That's enough to fill out a whole issue, but they decided to overstuff it with a random bad guy named Loose Cannon that Bunker invited via a CraigsList rip-off (seriously), some other naked dude we don't know who apparently knows... something, some random girl who's living with Superboy, who I assume is from the "Superboy" comic that I don't and won't read, really poorly-paced and staged action scenes, and unnecessary expository text boxes.
Seriously, the ONLY thing keeping me from dropping this title is that I'm genuinely curious to see what's up with Wonder Girl's powers. Unless this series finds something else to keep my interest, I think I'm done with it. I love some of the characters, but Lobdell can't plot his way out of a paper bag sometimes.
