Tonight, while flipping through the comics I picked up this past week, I realized something. It’s been awhile since I did one of my quick review/preview posts of the books I picked up and read for a particular week. Not only am I far behind in my comic reading, but I’m behind on my posts concerning those trades as well. So, I thought I’d throw this past weeks books out there.
Dial H #1 (DC Comics) – Part of the second wave of The New 52, Dial H is … well … I’m not really sure yet. The book – from what I could tell – follows an obese man who has had a minor heart attack. He is assisted by his friend, who isn’t in the best of shape himself. They get into an argument when the friend suggests a change in lifestyle to get rid of some of the weight, then leaves in a hurry. Having said some harsh words to his friend, who was just trying to help, our main character of the book, Nelse, goes after him. He comes across a few guys roughing up his friend, beating him senseless.
Here is where I lose all coherent thoughts, folks. Nelse runs to a pay phone, picks it up and starts to dial – the police? Either way, for some reason, he instead dials 4376 (which spells, H E R O), and all hell breaks loose. I’m not sure what happens, and at times I find it difficult to know who is speaking or even who they are talking to. For a first issue book, I really lost me right off the get-go, but I’m a sucker for punishment and will see it through a few more issues.
Earth 2 (DC Comics) – Another title from the second wave of New 52, Earth 2 takes place on an alternate Earth in DC’s multiverse. Here, things are familiar, yet completely different because of slight (or major) changes that occurred off kilter from our own timeline. In the first issue here, we discover that Earth has been over run by Apokolips’ parademons. Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman are about to make a last ditch effort to try and bring down the creatures, but it will cost them everything – including their lives. The three die in the wastes of what was once Metropolis, Supergirl and Batman’s daughter (and the current Robin) vanish in a flash of bright light.
We are then offered two peeks at some other folk. Alan Scott has provided the voice over for the memorial video that was created for all to see, detailing the events that lead to the superhero’s deaths. Another glance gives us a 21 year old Jay Garrick, who is seeing his girlfriend off to college. Correction, make that, ex-girlfriend, as she is fondly dumping him as she gets into her car. The issue ends with the god, Mercury, appearing to Jay with a final plea. End issue 1. Looking forward to a “fresh” take on the already familiar universe. But I wonder how long it will be before Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman are resurrected in this universe?
Action Comics #9 (DC Comics) – Ahh, DC’s Multiverse. It strikes again here, but not with Earth 2! Here, we get a look at Earth 23, and more specifically, the Superman that lives there. Similar birth origin, except this Superman was found and raised by a poor black couple when he crashed (that’s okay, you see, he’s black, too – Superman is.) If fact, from what I could tell, all the Justice League that was features was also black. Clark wasn’t Superman’s alter ego, though. On Earth 23, Superman goes by the name Calvin Ellis and he is President of the United States.
Issue 9′s side story opens with Superman fighting Lex Luthor. He destroys the mechanical suit Luthor has created then ventures into the lab his arch nemesis was working in. Inside, he discovers a portal to parallel worlds, and as he is staring at it, three figures come running through, two of them badly burnt. One of the burnt figures dies instantly, the woman of the group proclaiming, “No! Jimmy!” but her second companion is still barely alive. She reveals his name to be Clark. The woman tells Superman that they are from a world where their imaginations – via a neat little machine – have the power to bring ideas to life. In their world, Superman was thought to life, however he could only maintain form for less than an hour. So, they sought out funding to build a more powerful machine.
The people that bought it, however, didn’t need a more powerful machine, they just needed more brain power. With hundreds of people thinking the same thoughts, they created a killing machine. A Superman with no feeling or remote – a faceless killing machine. Calvin isn’t going to stand for it and swears to protect the group, instantly locking in combat as the hate-filled Superman comes through the portal.
I’ll leave the end for any readers to discover. Needless to say, anything can happen in parallel worlds because we may never even go back to visit those. Heros can die, change, be bad guys, etc. But at the end of the book, an interesting observation is made about this world’s Superman, especially concerning his status to the public as President of a free country versus defender of the free world. It was nice to read a little something different in the line, but I wonder if this was just an off the wall one-shot, or if the writers have something up their sleeve for the future.
Detective Comics #9 (DC Comics) – “Night of the Owls” is the subtitle of this cross-title adventure. The book opens with Arkham Asylum on lock-down and the police recommending Dr. Arkham take refuge in the hospital’s safe room. He instead chooses to go check on a patient who claims to have been cured. No sooner has he entered the room than all heck breaks loose. It seems a group called The Court of Owls had decided Arkham must die for aiding the criminals in his institution. Luckily, Batman just happens to bust in to save the night.
Arkham seems a bit unstable as he talks to himself in the book. The things he believes he is doing to actually help the insane rogues gallery his prison holds is a bit off whack. When he is saved by Batman and sent fleeing, he decides Batman is just as much an intruder as the Owls. So, he does the most logical thing – he recruits False Face to take down Batman and releases all the other criminals to fight the Court of Owls.
I liked it, check it out. I’m behind in my reading of this series, but jumping into this book didn’t seem to have me behind at all on what was going on. As a bonus, at the end of the first Owls story, we are given a 2nd story featuring Two Face called, 50/50.
I despise story lines that make me buy titles I do not even read just to get the complete “story.” I’m not really sure this one is going to be worth it to buy all the Bat titles.
G.I. Combat #1 (DC Comics) – G.I. Combat gives us 2 stories to sink our teeth into. The first takes us to North Korea where there is something strange going on. The special forces team in route has no idea what they are about to encounter because nothing is coming in or out of the area. As the team is briefed on their reconnaissance mission, the scene cuts to one of the choppers being attacked by a pterodactyl (or whatever they’re calling them these days.) And this leads us to The War That Time Forgot, the first story in the book. I do not like the art, but since I’m not professional on the subject, all I can say is that it isn’t to my liking. Too clean and cartoonish (as in television cartoon). And considering the story is cut short to make room for the second feature, titled The Unknown Soldier.
The Unknown Soldier picks up in Afghanistan as a soldier is kicking down a door and preparing to lay down fire on some terrorists. No dialogue interrupts the scenes, but the text presented is in the form of a letter being written to a lady named Darla. The person narrating wishes them to know about the man known as The Unknown Soldier. Again, I’m no art major or critic, but this time the art is dark and dirty. The story, however, is good enough to make me want to come back for the next issue. It’s the typical story of a disfigured man with no idea of who he is called into service by his country because of a certain skill set. You know, the usual.
I’d give G.I. Combat a heavy “meh” because of the mixture of the stories. One is so-so, the other has potential.
Teen Titans Annual #1 (DC Comics) – Here is the second book I read that is setting up a cross-title arc. This Teen Titans Annual brings us into a 4-part arc titled The Culling. The Culling is a Battle Royal between meta humans. They fight it out to see who survives, and those that live become part of a group known as the Ravagers. Of course, the Teen Titans have other plans, and are joined by Legion Lost (oh look! A crossover!) Good story, good art, as usual. I like this team for the most part but, again, not sure if I’m going to invest in the other three books just to finish the arc started here.
Just a reminder folks, I’m no professional reviewer, I just call ‘em as my little mind see ‘em. These were the titles I picked up for the week of May 2nd, and of the 6 books I picked up, I’d say 2 1/2 actually captured my attention. Better luck next week! 
Superman? Batman? When someone, these days, thinks of the Justice League of America, those are two of the most iconic figures that come to mind. But here, in the 12-issue arc of 
