Review - Hawkman by Geoff Johns Book One

Hawkman has returned from the dead and much has changed in his absence. With a new Hawkgirl by his side, he has re-joined the Justice Society and has settled down in the sleepy southern town of St. Roch. Metaphoric and literal ghosts from their past return in full force as Hawkgirl launches a campaign to find the identity of her parents’ killer.

Hawkman by Geoff Johns Book One collects Hawkman 1-14 and Hawkman: Secret Files and Origins 1, written by Geoff Johns and illustrated by Rags Morales.

Spinning out of the pages of JSA, Geoff Johns’ Hawkman is a smoothly written series that seeks to resolve the complex and often convoluted elements of the Hawkman mythos. The titular hero and his partner Hawkgirl are the result of a centuries-old curse that causes star-crossed lovers Prince Khufu and Princess Chay-Ara to be reborn ad infinitum in new bodies, only to die before achieving true happiness. Khufu and Chay-Ara now live on as Carter Hall and Kendra Saunders – the winged Hawkman and Hawkgirl – but there’s a new wrinkle in this cursed cycle. Kendra has no recollection of her past and she has no intention of pursuing a relationship with Carter. On his end, Carter is trapped between the knowledge of his love for the soul of Chay-Ara and the reality of his lack of knowledge of who Kendra is as a person. This ratchets up the tension in Hawkman, leading to a truly electric dynamic between the high-flying heroes. For the first time in the history of the curse, the souls of Khufu and Chay-Ara may not fall in love. It’s never made too obvious, but the struggle between fate and free will is a central theme to this collection of stories. This is personified through the main characters’ perspectives. Carter has faith that his destiny will play out as it always has while Kendra seems intent on doing everything possible to ensure that it doesn’t. The contrast between them is highly entertaining in this regard.

The issues collected here are divided into several arcs, but tell one long overarching story. The primary thread is Hawkgirl’s search for her parents’ murderer, which brings the Hawks to India, Tibet, and back to St. Roch. Along the way they must contend with a trio of villains as they attempt to steal a mystical artifact, team-up with Green Arrow to clear his name after he is framed for the murder of several officials in St. Roch, and rescue Kendra’s grandfather after he is kidnapped by the reincarnated Hath-Set. These globe-trotting adventures provide plenty of memorable fight scenes, including a rather intense smackdown with some yeti, as well as a slew of guest stars. Green Arrow and the Atom both show up, with the former bringing out the absolute worst in Hawkman and the latter bringing out the softer side of him. These interactions not only help show some off the different facets of Hawkman’s personality, but they also give us the overall scope of the character’s influence on the DC Universe. That said, the real star of this collection is Hawkgirl. There’s something contradictory about the fact that the series is titled Hawkman when Hawkgirl has equal (if not greater) importance to the stories written. Her action sequences are stunning throughout and her brash personality has a tendency to overshadow that of Hawkman (which is a feat in and of itself). Moreover, her narrative deals with some very heavy issues regarding a tragic event in her past and it’s guaranteed to leave a lingering impact on the reader. Though Johns seems reticent to define the event for what it was, the images and implications are obvious (and gut-wrenchingly so).

Hawkman by Geoff Johns Book One offers a glimpse into one of Geoff Johns’ more underrated works. The affection he has for the history behind the character is evident and it keeps you invested in the story. Rags Morales’ expressive art and dynamic action scenes help to maintain this engagement as well. Beyond that, I appreciate the effort made to explore deeper themes and more mature subject matter without being too heavy-handed or gratuitous. Much of this converges on Hawkgirl and her place within the narrative. She could have easily been relegated into being a sidekick or stock love interest, but she is neither. Kendra is Carter’s willing partner with autonomy of her own. While she frequently falls into the “Action Girl” trope that Johns is often guilty of, Kendra has depth and the fact that Carter’s expectation for them to be together because of their curse is consistently questioned and criticized speaks is refreshing to see in a medium where women are little more than objects. As such, Hawkman proved to be a surprisingly self-aware read with a strong female presence (but Johns gets demerit points for fridging a supporting character towards the end). It's worth a read, though be forewarned that some of its subject matter can be emotionally trying.

RATING: B

Review - Justice League Season One

After being accidentally awakened on their native planet, a group of Martians launch a full scale invasion on Earth. Seven of Earth’s greatest heroes band together to stop this threat and become the legendary team known as the Justice League. Together they are Earth’s only hope against despotic aliens, treacherous Atlanteans, and nefarious supervillains.

Justice League is an animated series that made its debut in 2001, created by Bruce Timm and Paul Dini. Its first season consisted of 26 episodes and featured the voice talents of Kevin Conroy, George Newbern, Susan Eisenberg, Phil LaMarr, Michael Rosenbaum, Carl Lumbly, and Maria Canals.

As far as iconic superhero cartoons go, Justice League is way up there with Batman: The Animated Series and X-Men: The Animated Series. This seminal adaptation of DC Comics’ premiere team introduced a generation of kids to superheroes like Wonder Woman, the Flash, and Hawkgirl alongside old favourites Batman and Superman. With its sophisticated multi-episode story arcs and streamlined animation, it stood above its contemporaries (and even most of its successors) in terms of quality. What also helped to set it apart was its pitch perfect casting. From Carl Lumbly’s ambivalent Martian Manhunter to Maria Canals’ attitude-filled Hawkgirl to Michael Rosenbaum’s comedic Flash, the voice work on Justice League is distinctive and embodies each character flawlessly. In fact, it’s so good that it’s hard to imagine anyone else in these roles.

The series opens with “Secret Origins,” a three-part saga that sees Superman and Batman assembling a team of heroes to defeat a Martian invasion. It clearly draws inspiration from the first arc of Grant Morrison’s JLA run, though it’s streamlined significantly and features a slightly different roster. While the alien invasion narrative is predictable, it does its job of assembling the team in a way that makes sense and provides the epic grandeur that is necessary for origin stories of superhero groups. It does struggle a bit with its introductions. Green Lantern, Hawkgirl, and the Flash are without actual origins, while Wonder Woman’s gets mangled to the point that it’s unrecognizable (more on that later!). Still, it’s a great start.

Aside from the opening arc and the concluding one, the rest of the first season is comprised of two-part arcs. These vary in quality. The Aquaman-centric “The Enemy Below” is a standout. It introduces the King of Atlantis as he deals with the treachery of his half-brother Orm. Orm covets the throne and will do whatever it takes to get it, including starting a war with the surface world and attempting to murder his own brother. It’s a surprisingly dark storyline with some truly harrowing moments. Beyond that, it also accomplishes portraying Aquaman as someone who is not to be trifled with.

“Paradise Lost” and “Fury” are also some of the better episodes from the first season, though both are somewhat hindered by their failure to properly portray Wonder Woman and the Amazons. “Paradise Lost” sees Wonder Woman striking out on her own to recover artifacts for the sorcerer Felix Faust, who has turned her Amazon sisters to stone and won’t reverse his spell unless Wonder Woman completes his tasks. It’s a fun globe-trotting adventure that feels very reminiscent of Indiana Jones. It also features one hell of a smackdown between Superman and Wonder Woman while they are under the influence of one of the artifacts. “Fury” is an all-female romp as Wonder Woman and Hawkgirl team-up after a renegade Amazon unleashes a plague that only affects men. It’s enjoyable from a superficial level as it gives the series’ lead heroines the opportunity to interact with one another and get to kick butt without their male teammates sucking up the spotlight. However, its thematic elements are problematic as it’s clearly attempting to tackle feminism, but is done through the lens of a male writer and a male director.

“Injustice for All” is another noteworthy episode. Long-time Superman foe Lex Luthor escapes from prison and enlists the aid of Ultra-Humanite in order to assemble a gang of supervillains capable of taking down the Justice League. These types of superhero team vs. supervillain team are typically among my favourites whenever they crop up in comics and adaptations. They generally provide for a lot of interesting interactions and “Injustice for All” does not disappoint. From Lex and Ultra-Humanite’s rivalry to Cheetah’s flirtations with Batman, writer Stan Berkowitz gives us plenty of fun dynamics that punctuate this episode. Its only shortcoming (surprise, surprise) has to do with Wonder Woman. Cheetah is amongst the cast of villains used in this episode, yet she’s not acknowledged or even portrayed as a Wonder Woman villain.

The best episode from season one may be the three-part conclusion “The Savage Time.” In it, the Justice League (sans Batman – thank the Gods) are transported to an alternate past where the Nazis won World War II with the aid of the immortal villain Vandal Savage. Along the way, the League are fractured and must rely upon the aid of others to prevent Savage’s further assault on western Europe. Hawkgirl and the Flash ally themselves with the high-flying Blackhawks, Green Lantern becomes a part of the US military unit known as Easy Company, and Wonder Woman takes part of a sabotage mission alongside the spy Steve Trevor. Savage is a menacing villain and the technology that he introduces into the war makes for some great imagery. More importantly, “The Savage Time” digs deep into the motivations and emotional core of its lead heroes. The trio of Hawkgirl, Green Lantern, and the Flash are integral to the overall plot, but they also offer differing point of views on war. The contrast between Hawkgirl and the Flash is especially fascinating. Hawkgirl has a more militaristic, greater good approach whereas the Flash has a “no man left behind” perspective that’s more personal in its nature. Green Lantern, meanwhile, proves himself as a capable hero without the use of his ring. This is crucial to showing the audience that he’s more than just some ring-slinging space cop. I also must admit that I quite enjoyed all of the interactions between Wonder Woman and Steve Trevor. While I may not like them much as a couple in any medium, their dynamic here was quite cute.

The rest of the episodes from season one vary greatly in quality. Those that feature Green Lantern more heavily (“In Blackest Night,” “The Brave and the Bold,” “Metamorphosis”) tend to be on the duller side. “Legends” is a frustratingly disposable entry as it uses analogues for the Justice Society rather than the actual characters, which would have made for a more impactful storyline. “War World” suffers from being ridiculously predictable by pulling out the gladiator games trope (which is done in just about every TV show – including Smallville, Supergirl, and twice in Justice League Unlimited). If that weren’t enough, it’s also one of the (many) episodes where we see Superman severely depowered in order to make him seem more vulnerable.

Part of what makes Justice League so special was its strong adherence to character development. The first season is significant for its plotting of a budding relationship between Hawkgirl and Green Lantern. Both are very militaristic characters, though the former is wilder and more impulsive. She’s exciting and gives the usually straight-laced Green Lantern a foil. We see this replicated with his dynamic with the Flash, who serves as the comedic relief on the team. Ultimately, these are the characters that help to ground the series and they end up being the standouts. While this trio was afforded a lot of great character development that endears them to the audience, the same cannot be said for Wonder Woman. It’s clear from the onset that the producers don’t understand her character and they don’t even seem to like her. Where Hawkgirl is the cool girl on the team and can hang with the guys, Wonder Woman is presented as the prissy ice princess who is antagonistic towards men. In this series, Wonder Woman is very aggressive and there’s very little warmth to her. She’s not driven by any kind of divine mission of peace, which is evidenced by the shift in her origin story from a warrior who earns the right to be the Amazons’ champion to a petulant princess who steals her armour. Her lack of compassion and the overall harsh nature of her character betrays a very shallow portrayal. This is extended towards the Amazons as well. They’re not given any kind of depth or interiority. Instead, they’re man-hating extremists whose isolationist views are coded as weird and aggressive. It’s a place that Wonder Woman can’t wait to escape from, rather than a peaceful home that she loves to return to from the harsh realities of Man’s World. The problem is that the series is plotted by a bunch of men who can’t seem to understand why women would want to isolate themselves from the rest of the world (i.e. men) and who have a very difficult time writing women as anything more than love interests or aggressive warriors. It’s clear that they were pulling mostly from a late Silver Age or Bronze Age context for the Amazons, but it feels dated and unnecessary as they chose to ignore (and thus disrespect) George Perez’s influential work on the character and her mythos.

After all these years, Justice League still holds a special place in my heart. While it can at times adhere too much to common tropes and it fails miserably at portraying a well-written Wonder Woman, there’s a lot to love about its first season. The voice work is stellar and the amount of character development that is packed into these 26 episodes is nothing short of amazing. Hawkgirl remains the star for me and she steals every single scene she’s in, so further applause is in order for Maria Canals for that. The complex storytelling that is achieved is also brilliant and is worthy of praise. While the first season doesn’t quite hit a home run, it’s always worth a watch – though some mild cherry picking may be necessary.

Review: Earth 2 Volume 3 - Battle Cry

After staging a violent coup, Steppenwolf becomes the ruler of the nation of Dherain and immediately engages in a war with the World Army. The wonders of Earth unite against this threat, but Steppenwolf’s warriors may be too powerful for them to defeat. Meanwhile, Hawkgirl continues her search for answers regarding the death of Green Lantern’s fiancé.

Earth 2 Volume 3: Battle Cry collects Earth 2 #13-16, Earth 2 Annual #1, and Earth 2 #15.1, written by James Robinson and illustrated by Nicola Scott. Additional writing is by Paul Levitz and art by Yildiray Cinar.

Battle Cry is a bit of a mess. Where the previous two collections featured some solid character development, this one fails to deliver on that end and instead focuses on a war between the World Army and Steppenwolf that doesn’t quite get the build-up it needed. There are also numerous subplots – namely the introduction of a mysterious new Batman, Fury’s pursuit of Mister Miracle and Big Barda, and Hawkgirl’s investigation into the death of Sam Zhao. As such, Robinson is throwing too much at the reader and doesn’t spend nearly enough time developing the cast he’s reinvented. I would have preferred for him to focus more on Hawkgirl, Fury, and Big Barda since the few female characters in Earth 2 have very little to do.

There are some highlights to this trade. I really enjoyed Robinson’s take on Commander Steel (named Captain Steel in this series). He manages to reinvent the character’s origin in order to make him more relatable and to increase the diverse representation Earth 2 has become known for. He’s a character I’d loved to have seen more of, but he’s sadly not folded into the main cast. Robinson manages to get in a few good twists as well. The appearance of a new Batman adds intrigue (though the cover to this trade kind of spoils that surprise) and there’s a surprising reveal during the battle against Steppenwolf that I certainly didn’t predict. Finally, Nicola Scott’s art continues to be excellent throughout. The men she draws continue to be scrumptious and I’m glad that she’s finally given more women to draw besides Hawkgirl.

This is the final volume collecting James Robinson’s work on Earth 2 (he is replaced by Tom Taylor by issue 17) and he unfortunately goes out with more of a whimper than a bang. He began the series with a lot great ideas and concepts, reinventing Golden Age characters brilliantly for a modern audience. After two decently entertaining arcs, he stumbled with this collection and ended up delivering a lead-up to Taylor’s run rather than neatly tying up the loose ends of his own. The art and high octane action compensates for this, but the drop in quality is far too noticeable not to lament.

RATING: C+

Review: Earth 2 - The Tower of Fate

Having been spirited away to another dimension, the Flash must work together with the newly minted Doctor Fate in order to rescue his mother from the clutches of the nefarious sorcerer Wotan. Then, Green Lantern seeks out Hawkgirl’s help in investigating the death of his fiancé.

Earth 2 Volume 2: The Tower of Fate collects Earth 2 #0 and 7-12, written by James Robinson and illustrated by Nicola Scott.

This trade opens up with the prequel comic Earth 2 #0, which provides exposition for the (apparent) Big Bad Terrence Sloan. As one of the original wonders, he betrays Earth’s heroes and commits a grievous crime before eventually being appointed as the head of the World Army. It’s an issue that provides some much-needed context for the character, but is largely diversionary and does little to actually establish the origins of Earth 2’s heroes (which is what the New 52 #0 issues were intended to do). The art is provided by Tomas Giorello, whose style isn’t quite as detailed as series regular Nicola Scott.

When we return to the present, we meet Khalid Ben-Hassin, a young Egyptian man who is struggling to accept his fate as the vessel for the ancient mage Nabu. He is reluctant out of fear of losing his sense of self in this new mantle. In the midst of this personal crisis, Khalid is forced into battle against Wotan after the sorcerer kidnaps the Flash and his mother. The Tower of Fate thus functions as a neat character arc for Khalid and examines the themes of identity and insanity. It also serves to further develop the Flash and establishes him as the runaway star of the title (pun intended). Jay’s growth from screw-up to full-fledged hero makes him relatable and easy to root for. The dynamic he has with his mother is also quite touching and adds an additional layer to his character.

As far as villains go, Wotan is a step up from Solomon Grundy. His motives are flimsy, but there’s at least an attempt made to establish a history for the character. Wotan is a fairly standard vengeance-seeking antagonist who is further motivated by the pursuit of infinite power. I do wish a more credible and personal vendetta had been established between Nabu and Wotan in order to better solidify the mad sorcerer’s centuries-old grudge as what we got was a bit lazy. Robinson also fails to develop Hawkgirl any further. She gets a couple of great scenes, but aside from that she’s largely absent from the action throughout this arc. As the only female wonder, the optics of her exclusion is really bad. What we do get of her I love, so we really need more.

The Tower of Fate is a satisfying continuation of the Earth 2 line. I appreciate the fact that it furthers the diversification of the (mostly white) JSA cast and brings them into the 21^st century. Khalid Ben-Hassin is a great addition to the cast and is shown to be quite complex as a character. The story itself is entertaining and features a lot of great action sequences. As always, Nicola Scott’s art is on point and is a major selling point for this title. That said, given how small the cast is, I wish that Robinson would spend more time actually developing these characters. He does excellent work on Jay and Khalid, but everyone else falls to the wayside. Of course, the Steppenwolf subplot is really intriguing, especially with the usage of Fury as his right-hand woman. It’s not difficult to become invested in this world and to wonder how Robinson and Scott will further reinvent the JSA, so The Tower of Fate is still a great read for that reason alone.

RATING: B

Review: Earth 2 Volume 1 - The Gathering

On an Earth without Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman, a new age of heroes rises up against the threat of the monstrous Solomon Grundy. Green Lantern, Hawkgirl, the Flash, and the Atom are the only ones who have a chance of preventing their foe from turning the planet into a barren wasteland. Having only recently come into their powers, these heroes must learn to master their abilities and work together as a team to save the Earth.

Earth 2 Volume 1: The Gathering collects Earth 2 #1-6, written by James Robinson and illustrated by Nicola Scott.

Earth 2 is conceived as an updated take on the Justice Society of America and the concept of the Silver Age multiverse. Its traditionally multi-generational cast is revamped as a singular group of young heroes coming into their own shortly after acquiring their unique abilities. Alan Scott (Green Lantern), Jay Garrick (the Flash), and Kendra Saunders (Hawkgirl) form the nucleus of this book. For decades, Alan and Jay have been depicted as middle-aged veteran heroes, so seeing them as 20-somethings is both jarring and refreshing. It’s exciting to read stories about these characters at that age from a modern perspective, even if it does negate part of what helped distinguish them from their Silver Age successors. Thankfully, we get a clear sense of their personalities and Robinson makes it easy for us to relate to their struggles (Alan has just lost his partner, while Jay’s girlfriend has dumped him). Kendra is not nearly as developed as they are, but there’s a mystique about her character that makes her intriguing.

The arc itself features a creative reimagining of Solomon Grundy as the Big Bad and who is the agent of the Grey (similar to the Rot from Jeff Lemire’s Animal Man run). With an origin more grounded in mysticism and natural forces, it contrasts nicely against the Justice League’s foundation (which was based around a conflict with alien forces). The resolution of the conflict is smart and the usage of the characters throughout is managed rather well. That said, there is a bit of a pacing issue. Given that the cast is on the smaller side, it’s disappointing that Robinson only ever scratches the surface of who they are. He introduces them in relatively quick succession, provides a bit of contextualization, gives them powers, and then has them face off against the Big Bad almost immediately. As such, there’s this sense of something being missing from this first arc.

The most consistent and praise-worthy work in The Gathering is done by artist Nicola Scott. She’s perennially impressive in her output. It’s expressive, dynamic, and distinctive. She really knows how to set a scene and illustrates textiles in such a way that they feel tactile. While she didn’t come up with all of the designs for this book, the ones she did are those that stand out the most. Hawkgirl’s is especially fierce in both its colour scheme and functionality. Similarly, I admire what she came up with for Jay’s Flash seeing as he’s basically only ever worn one costume prior to this. Her Wonder Woman redesign is quite possibly superior to Jim Lee’s New 52 look (which I adored), though I could do without the lobster tiara and the overly ornate gauntlet. There’s very little I enjoy seeing more than Nicola Scott’s Wonder Woman, so it’s a real treat to have that in the series’ first issue.

Earth 2 Volume 1: The Gathering is sure to be contentious amongst fans of the Justice Society. On the one hand, it gives us the opportunity to see these characters from a new and fresh perspective by seeing them reimagined in a way that takes us back to the beginning of their careers. On the other, doing so erases a lot of what made them so unique in the world of comic books. Regardless, this volume is enjoyable and is further elevated by the quality artwork done by Nicola Scott. For those looking for a more diverse alternative to the Justice League, Earth 2 is worth a read.

RATING: B

Review: Injustice - Gods Among Us Vol. 2

As Superman's crusade to end terror picks up traction, the world's greatest heroes flock to his side in a show of support for his aggressive stance against supervillains. But not everyone is happy with the Man of Steel's new initiative. 

Batman and a small group of insurgents are eager to undermine Superman's efforts. They're willing to do whatever it takes to make him see the error in his ways, but can only do so if Batman lays all his cards on the table. Can the famously secretive Dark Knight let them in?

In this volume, Tom Taylor continues his electric run on this comic book prequel to the best-selling video game Injustice: Gods Among Us, delivering action galore and plenty of character development. 

Tragically, some of the issues I had in the first volume are still present. He fails to understand the complexities of Wonder Woman's character and paints her as a manipulative Lady Macbeth, who pushes Superman towards villainy. Her thirst for violence is sure to make any Wonder Woman fan uncomfortable. This is not the Diana we all know and love. By the end of this volume, you're left only with antipathy towards her.

Comparatively speaking, it's much easier to understand why and how Superman is turning towards despotism. He's lost so much and is fearful of losing what little he has left. Taylor takes the time to flesh out his character and, for better or worse, it's necessary for Superman to play the role of the antagonist. The same cannot be said for Wonder Woman.

Despite my rather low opinion of Taylor's treatment of Wonder Woman, I must say that he's spot-on with just about everything else. While the story itself owes a lot to Kingdom Come, it's his knack for writing compelling dialogue that makes reading Injustice: Gods Among Us so exciting. 

The scenes between Batman and Catwoman are among some of the best in this collection, as they show a tender side to both the Dark Knight and the Feline Fatale. Catwoman may be a thief, but being heroic seems to come naturally to her. As such, it's truly fascinating to see her in a role where she is essentially Batman's righthand. It's a clever juxtaposition, as Taylor posits her and Batman as the doubles for Superman and Wonder Woman. What's especially brilliant is how the former typically represent the darkness, whereas the latter represent the light, but it's reversed in this particular story.

However, the real scene stealers in Injustice are Green Arrow and Black Canary. Their banter is sheer perfection. It's funny, it's sexy, it's playful and it's totally on point for this pairing. While I may not be the biggest fan of them as a couple, Taylor really makes me love them here. Black Canary never takes Green Arrow too seriously and consistently keeps him on his toes, something which adds a punch of colour to an otherwise ominously dark storyline. 

Beyond all of that, they also serve a very special function. They are a couple we can invest in and relate to, thus becoming the emotional core of this particular part in the narrative. They get caught in the crosshairs in the battle between Batman and Superman, which ultimately leads to a shocking (not so shocking if you played the game) and gut-wrenching death. Taylor writes this so beautifully and tragically that you can't help but feel moved by it.

As much as I'd like to criticize Injustice: Gods Among Us for its characterization of Wonder Woman, it's hard for me not to get sucked into the overall story. Taylor expertly crafts a compelling narrative that elicits an emotional response from his readers. Yes, Superman and Wonder Woman are incredibly arrogant and are completely unlikeable, but that only makes it that much more satisfying when they finally get their comeuppance. The ultimate battle between Batman and Superman makes all of the nitpicks melt away, especially given the surprise twist at the end. 

Injustice: Gods Among Us is like a good popcorn blockbuster. It's action-packed, full of incredible fight scenes and enough explosions to put a Michael Bay movie to shame, but it's got a heart and soul that will keep readers invested.

Rating: B+

Review: Injustice - Gods Among Us Vol. 1

When the Joker manipulates Superman into murdering his wife Lois Lane and their unborn child, the Man of Steel vows to rid the world of villainy for good. This quest leads Superman astray as he veers away from heroism and towards tyranny, while his one-time ally Batman builds a rebellion to stop him.

Injustice: Gods Among Us chronicles the events leading up to the bestselling video game of the same name. Written by Tom Taylor, this collection caters to both fans of the seminal fighting game and of the comics.

When Injustice: Gods Among Us hit shelves in the spring of 2013, it opened to rave reviews and proved that DC Comics' pantheon of superheroes make for compelling video game fighters. The narrative used in the games explored a reality where Superman goes off the rails and becomes the dictatorial ruler of Earth. Sadly, this plot is not unfamiliar to longtime fans. We've seen it before in the cartoon Justice League, with the character Ultraman and it also borrowed from the iconic Kingdom Come. That's why it must have been a daunting task for Tom Taylor to come along and write a compelling story that doesn't feel reductive of what's been done before.

While the individual elements of the story may not be wholly original, Taylor's emotional approach to the material gives the reader the ability to sympathize with the characters. The death of Lois Lane and the destruction of Metropolis hits Superman hard, so hard that it should be enough to affect the reader. It's not difficult to feel the same emotions Superman is feeling, particularly his rage towards the Joker. That's why his murder of the Joker is both terrifying and satisfying. We're seeing the degradation of Superman through an event that many have called for over the years. After all, how many have died at the hands of the Joker? This is what makes Taylor's writing so compelling. He's determined to lead with characterization and works well within the themes woven into the material.

While it's easy to sympathize with Superman, Taylor's approach to all of the characters isn't as worthy of praise. His characterization of Wonder Woman as a hyper-aggressive bloodthirsty warrior who seems eager to push Superman towards tyranny is as confusing as it is distasteful. Fans of the Amazing Amazon will be left scratching their head and wondering why such a usually pleasant heroine is now a hair's width away from being a supervillain. She is perhaps at her most unlikeable during a sequence in which she attacks Aquaman (mostly) unprovoked.

Wonder Woman is not the only flaw in Taylor's writing. There are a lot of characters present and not all of them add something extra to the story. The Justice League come across as fairly generic as they mindlessly go along with Superman's plans, though Taylor does eventually redeem himself with the Flash during a rather memorable sequence in which he realizes what's gone wrong. At the same time, I'd be lying if I said it wasn't actually pretty great to see cameos from characters that never appeared in the games. Notably, we see Cheetah, Batwoman, Black Lightning, Huntress and Black Canary.

Injustice: Gods Among Us is just as much about the degradation of Superman as it is about how some of Earth's heroes rise to the occasion of fighting oppression, even when that oppression comes from Earth's greatest heroes. It should be no surprise that Batman is posited as the hero of the story, but what is surprising is just how well Catwoman comes across. Her dialogue with Superman points out some serious flaws with his view on crime, while her alliance with Batman is handled really well. Another character that Taylor helped to shine was Harley Quinn. Though she does very little within the narrative, her dialogue is punchy and zany, which is perfect for her persona.

For fans of Injustice: Gods Among Us, this collection will be a treat as it fills in the blanks rather well when it comes to what is left out during the game's story mode. Taylor's writing is on point, despite his questionable characterization of Wonder Woman, and the art is gorgeous at its most consistent. Even those with only a little working knowledge of these characters will be able to follow the story, making this graphic novel extremely accessible to newer readers, especially those who are only familiar with DC Comics' adaptations.

RATING: B+

Review: Brightest Day

            After the universe altering events of the Green Lantern-centric Blackest Night, numerous heroes from the DC Universe were resurrected and tasked with missions by a mysterious white light in order to 'earn' their existence. This follow-up was known as Brightest Day.

            Brightest Day was an ambitious series that spanned the course of 24 issues and focused on several characters in vaguely interrelated narratives. At its core, it was an anthology run that retold and rewrote the origins of its protagonists. Blackest Night’s runaway star Mera received the most notable overhaul. The revelations made about her past as a sleeper agent in the Atlantean ranks is unique and her decision to abandon her mission for the man she loves is especially touching. As one would expect, her past comes back to haunt her and is largely responsible for the conflict within Aquaman’s narrative. Though she may only play a supporting role in Brightest Day, Mera is presented as tremendously powerful and she steals every single scene she’s in. Aquaman himself is written spectacularly and the introduction of the new Aqualad is nothing short of genius. As such, Aquaman’s story within the anthology becomes the most captivating of the bunch. Hawkman and Hawkgirl’s narrative also stands out. Their plot revolves around the curse that the villainous Hath-Set placed on them eons ago and deals with the notions of everlasting love as well as with tireless ambition. Hawkgirl comes across as a true warrior with a spit-fire temper but there’s also a remarkable softness about her that endears her to the reader. Deadman, meanwhile, operates as the link between each character involved in Brightest Day. He is the emotional centre of the series and becomes someone the reader invests in. His blossoming relationship to Dove feels organic while his sympathy for others is inspiring.

            Unfortunately, not all the narratives in Brightest Day are created equal. Firestorm and Martian Manhunter’s stories are tedious and dry. Firestorm’s requires the reader to have a basic understanding of the character's history in order to attach emotionally to him while Martian Manhunter’s fails to really be as captivating as the others. The issues focused largely on these two often leave the reader with the following question – when is Aquaman going to show up again? Another point of contention is a scene in which Batman is declared the greatest and most intelligent hero by Deadman. He may be iconic and have a mindless horde of fans but to decide he’s the best is a bit absurd especially coming from writer Geoff Johns who spent his entire run on Green Lantern trying to convince readers that Hal Jordan is the greatest hero of all-time. Being the 'greatest' is a fairly subjective notion especially with fictional characters but upon reading Brightest Day it's hard to imagine any male being the 'greatest' when it is the female characters who come across as the most interesting and exciting.

            With 24 issues to its series and a handful of characters to deal with, it’s hard to expect Brightest Day to be perfect. Given the anthology nature of the stories, some are inevitably more interesting than others. Nevertheless, there is some solid work done within the narratives and is worth the read if only to get to the parts with Aquaman and, of course, Mera.

Grade: B-

Review: Hawkgirl, Injustice - Gods Among Us

                Made popular by her appearance in the cartoon Justice League, Hawkgirl is the only other female member of the Justice League to appear in Injustice: Gods Among Us alongside Wonder Woman. Like the Amazing Amazon, she is a powerhouse fighter whose style emphasizes her warrior training.

                Hawkgirl is one of the easier characters to get a grasp of in the game. Her fighting style revolves exclusively around her mace and each special move shows off a different way to utilize this medieval weapon. As such, Hawkgirl has good range which makes her extremely versatile. Additionally, Hawkgirl is characterized as a tank in the game which means she can interact with the heavy objects strewn around each stage, enabling her to toss such things as motorcycles and large robots at her opponent. Where developers went wrong with Hawkgirl, however, was in her super move and her character power. Her super move sees her hurling her enemy into the air and delivering two high-powered blows to their body with her mace. It lacks the flare some of the other characters have and denies the character the opportunity to really let her opponent have it with her trademark weapon. In terms of her character power, she was given the passive ability to fly upon pressing the character power button. It’s not a very useful ability as battle is best waged on the ground. A better suggestion for her character power could have been heightening the electricity on her mace to cause additional damage for a short period of time.

                Very little is known of Hawkgirl in her narrative aside from the fact that she’s the first Hawkgirl and that her husband Hawkman has died in the alternate universe ruled by Superman. She’s hardly in the story mode and it’s rather disappointing since that makes her one of the only League members not to receive a chapter in that mode. Luckily, her costuming is at least on point. While her default costume is undoubtedly reminiscent of Kendra Saunders’ Hawkgirl costume it is still stylish and features some interesting textures. Her alternate costume is an Egyptian-inspired costume that’s both regal and badass. Having two great costumes in the game is a luxury most of the other characters don’t have.

                Hawkgirl is a treat to fans of Justice League and DC Comics more generally. They took a risk with a winged character and it paid off to some degree. She’s a brilliant warrior whose mace proves to be a rather fun weapon to toy around with on the battle field but the lack of attention paid to other aspects of the character is disappointing. While she’s hardly the worst female fighter in the game, she’s not the best either leaving her somewhere in the middle.

Grade: B