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: A-Force Volume 1 - Hypertime

Having been jettisoned from her world, the being known as Singularity finds herself in a new universe and has unknowingly brought the malicious entity Antimatter with her. She recruits She-Hulk, Medusa, Captain Marvel, Nico Minoru, and Dazzler to help combat this threat. Together this new team must overcome their unfamiliarity with one another in order to protect Singularity and save the people of Earth.

A-Force Volume 1: Hypertime collects A-Force #1-4, Avengers #83, A-Force #1 and material from Avengers #0, written by G. Willow Wilson and Kelly Thompson with art by Jorge Molina.

Hypertime picks up after the events of the A-Force mini-series, which was a tie-in to Secret Wars. Singularity, who made her debut in that series, serves as the catalyst that assembles A-Force and becomes the emotional nucleus of the arc. She’s lost in our universe and faces the difficult challenge of both finding a new home for herself and of facing off against the villainous Antimatter. Thankfully, she has the (sometimes reluctant) help of She-Hulk, Medusa, Captain Marvel, Nico Minoru, and Dazzler. Wilson and Thompson do a respectable job of penning this organic origin story for A-Force. They give them a cosmic threat that helps to emphasize the importance and sheer firepower of this team.  It’s an action-packed narrative with plenty of character development that takes us all around the world and into space.

Each character in A-Force has a distinctive voice and purpose, though some more than others. Singularity is an obvious standout. Beyond her absolutely adorable look and behaviour, her dialogue is unique and helps us to view her as childishly endearing. She-Hulk and Medusa are equally as dynamic, with the former serving as the courageous leader and the latter as the haughty monarch. Admittedly, Nico Minoru isn’t as much of a standout as she was in the mini-series and Captain Marvel feels unnecessary. As a Dazzler fan, I have some issues with her characterization, particularly the scene where she punches Singularity for no reason and the snarky dialogue throughout. That said, Wilson and Thompson can’t be held wholly responsible for it seeing as it was Brian Michael Bendis who set the character on this darker path. Fortunately, the creative team here is taking the appropriate steps to bring lightness back to this typically optimistic heroine. The other issue I had regarding characterization stemmed from the clichéd tendency to dumb down the cast in order to make the science expert (Dr. Tempest Bell) sound smart. Her dialogue isn’t that science-y and is easy to understand even for a layman (at least as far as this non-STEM oriented human is concerned), so it’s disappointing that both Wilson and Thompson would be okay with portraying a cast of strong, smart heroines as being unable to understand what Dr. Bell is saying. Dazzler dated a doctor and Beast for crying out loud, not to mention the fact that her powers are super nerdy and she, like She-Hulk, has a postsecondary education! She can follow a little sciencespeak.

Jorge Molina’s artwork is absolutely stunning. Every character is vibrant and unique, which is aided by an unparalleled expressiveness. He captures Dazzler’s sullen attitude as well as he’s able to convey Dr. Bell’s sheepishness and Singularity’s innocence. I also can’t get over how magical hair looks under his careful hand. The work he does on Medusa’s hair alone is awe-inspiring. The combination of Wilson and Thompson’s epic narrative paired with Molina’s art elevates A-Force to a quality that establishes it as A-list worthy. That’s why it’s so heart wrenching that audiences weren’t able to see that.

A-Force Volume 1: Hypertime is a fantastic read. It’s a breezy, globe-trotting adventure that proves itself worthy of being considered as important as the Avengers or Spider-Man flagship titles. The characterization and dialogue is strong throughout, while the art is gorgeous and suits the writing perfectly. The only complaint I have regarding this particular trade is what it collects. Since it’s only a four issue arc, the trade is padded with the first issue of the A-Force mini-series and the issue of the Avengers that introduced the Lady Liberators. The inclusion of these issues is unnecessary and seems like Marvel’s way of justifying charging people $17.99 (and a whopping $23.99 Canadian) for this trade. You’re only getting four new issues! Given its cancellation, they would have been better off waiting to collect issues 5-7 with this set.

RATING: B+

Review: Batman - Cataclysm

After an earthquake destroys Gotham City’s infrastructure and kills thousands, Batman and his allies lead the efforts to find and rescue the remaining survivors. Meanwhile, an opportunistic villain known as Quakemaster has kidnapped a seismologist and is threatening to unleash more tremors should his demands not be met. While Batman aids the victims of the quake, Robin is dispatched to stop Quakemaster.

Batman: Cataclysm collects Batman #553-554, Detective Comics #719-721, Batman: Shadow Of The Bat #73-74, Nightwing #19-20, Azrael #40, Catwoman #56-57, Robin #52-53, Batman Chronicles #12, Blackgate: Isle Of Men #1, Huntress/Spoiler: Blunt Trauma #1, and Batman: Arkham Asylum: Tales Of Madness #1. It features writing by Chuck Dixon, Alan Grant, Doug Moench, and Devin Grayson, with art by Graham Nolan, Jim Balent, Scott McDaniel, Staz Johnson, and more.

Cataclysm is presented as an 18-part event exploring the aftermath of an earthquake through the perspective of Gotham City’s most iconic heroes (and villains). It is comparable to its predecessor Contagion, which was an impactful crossover storyline that dealt with the frustrations and powerlessness of Batman as he was faced with a threat he couldn’t simply toss into Arkham Asylum. However, much of what made Contagion so effective is missing here. Cataclysm is rather episodic and stumbles through its first few chapters as it continually brings the reader back to the moment the earthquake struck. This constant retelling of events, albeit from the perspective of different characters and parts of the city, fails to progress the overall narrative. It also doesn’t help that the major arc of the story, Quakemaster’s kidnapping of Jolene Relazzo, is buried beneath diversionary tie-ins. With Contagion, titles like Azrael and Catwoman were woven into the narrative. Here they’re filler.

Interestingly, some of the best moments come from the filler tie-ins. One of my favourite issues was Huntress/Spoiler: Blunt Trauma, written by Chuck Dixon and illustrated by Eduardo Barreto. In it, Spoiler’s father, the crook Cluemaster, leads a group of Blackgate escapees on a looting spree at the mall. At the same time, Spoiler and Huntress are helping those trapped in the mall. It’s a fantastic one-shot that gives readers an unusual team-up between two heroines who are total opposites. Huntress’ aggressive stance on dealing with criminals ultimately comes into conflict with Spoiler’s more tempered approach. This serves a very important dramatic purpose as it heightens the tension regarding Cluemaster’s fate, which depends upon which of the two he eventually faces off against. Another must-read from this collection is Catwoman #56, written by Devin Grayson and illustrated by Jim Balent. The typically self-serving Catwoman willingly helps to evacuate a building after she is caught inside during the earthquake. It’s an issue packed with an character development that peels away the layers of Catwoman’s character to reveal a vulnerable and altruistic person underneath. It also features the most poignant and emotional moment of this entire event (the specifics of which I won’t spoil here).

Unsurprisingly, Huntress and Catwoman, along with Robin, end up being my favourite characters within this collection. Huntress’ very presence picks at the hypocrisy within Batman’s character. Though he’s admittedly quite heroic and selfless throughout, he’s incredibly condescending towards Huntress when the two cross paths. She’s put in hours of hard work rescuing people and stopping criminals, to which Batman tells her to go home and rest. The context of the situation gives it a misogynistic and hypocritical vibe. Since he fails to provide the same “advice” to Robin or Nightwing, it comes across as him effectively telling Huntress to go back to the kitchen. I love the lip she gives him. Her attitude is refreshing within a cast of characters who are otherwise way too eager to be on Batman’s good side. With regards to Catwoman, despite only appearing twice, those appearances linger long after finishing this trade. As I’ve said in my reviews of Knightfall and Contagion, she has a unique voice as a character and is given a lot of great punchy dialogue. As for Robin, well, he gets brownie points for actually being the only character to do detective work in this storyline to deduce the identity of Quakemaster (which is actually a pretty brilliant reveal, by the way).

Cataclysm isn’t one of the best Batman crossovers out there. It fails to thrill or innovate in the ways that its predecessors did and is largely a slow, meandering storyline that drags over the course of its 18 chapters. There are some bright spots throughout, of which I’ve highlighted a couple. If anything, Cataclysm is really meant for completionists looking to read every modern Batman story. Otherwise, it’s easily skipped and little is missed from it. My suggestion? Read the issues Huntress appears in, Catwoman #56, and the issues of Robin that are included here. Almost everything else is disposable.

RATING: C

Review: Uncanny Inhumans Volume 1 - Time Crush

When the villainous Kang the Conqueror begins systematically wiping out Inhumans from the timeline, Black Bolt and his estranged wife Medusa must travel back in time to prevent their race from being eradicated. Along the way, they discover the involvement of their son in the plot, leading to a blazing conflict between parents and son.

Uncanny Inhumans Volume 1: Time Crush collects Uncanny Inhumans #0-4 and material from Free Comic Book Day 2015, written by Charles Soule and illustrated by Steve McNiven.

Time Crush is an epic time travel story reminiscent of classic battles between the Avengers and Kang the Conqueror. Through flashbacks, we learn that Black Bolt has arranged a deal to protect his son from a potential apocalypse by leaving him in the care of Kang. When this disaster is averted, the estranged King and Queen of the Inhumans assemble a team of heroes to rescue their son and save their race from extinction at the hands of Kang. Despite the complexities of time travel, the narrative is fairly straightforward and features a number of great action sequences.

Family is a central component of this arc, with Black Bolt and Medusa’s strained relationship taking center stage.  Their failed marriage and their son’s feelings of abandonment help to establish a dynamic that elevates the story beyond its somewhat simplistic premise. Unsurprisingly, these are the characters that stand out the most and who serve as our emotional touchstones throughout. I especially have to give kudos to artist Steve McNiven as he’s able to masterfully convey the complexity of Black Bolt’s character solely through his expressions. Even though the character only ever says a couple of words, we’re able to sympathize with him because of the art. Similarly, Soule and McNiven work in tandem to capture the multi-faceted layers of Medusa as a fierce warrior and as a loving mother. In fact, one of my favourite sequences involves Medusa covering herself in a suit of armor constructed entirely of her prehensile hair. The imagery of it is really neat, but it also helps to emphasize an aspect of her character that is often ignored (i.e. her being a warrior).

Where Time Crush falls flat is with the rest of its cast. I enjoy Reader as a character since he comes across as relatable and his friendship with his dog adds an emotional layer to the story. However, everyone else seems disposable and lacks depth. Soule has failed to sell me on Medusa and Human Torch’s relationship. It just seems icky considering Johnny dated Medusa’s sister back in the day. It certainly doesn’t help that there’s no chemistry between them. Then there’s Beast, who comes across more as a plot device than a fully-formed character. Then again, I could be harsher on him due to the fact that his numerous questionable decisions in recent years have affected by perception of him. Lastly, I want to like characters like Triton and Iso, but ultimately their roles are minimal and their personality never really shines through.

Uncanny Inhumans Volume 1: Time Crush will bring readers back to a classic kind of superhero storytelling. The usage of time travel and Kang’s presence really harkens back to a simpler time at the House of Ideas. Soule and McNiven make for a great team, as they’re able to deliver a really expressive narrative that has some depth. It’s not the most accessible of books and the cast is probably too large, but its central themes make it both relatable and engaging.

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: Storm Volume 2 - Bring the Thunder

When Storm is wrongfully detained by the FBI following an attack on an airplane, she must escape and prove her innocence by finding the true culprit. Then, she faces the harrowing task of protecting those she loves most after a disgruntled student from her past returns to enact his revenge on her.

Storm Volume 2: Bring the Thunder collects Storm #6-11, written by Greg Pak and illustrated by Victor Ibañez and Al Barrionuevo.

Taken as a whole, Greg Pak’s Storm tells a full story with a complete and compelling character arc. The series finds Storm at a crossroads in her life, growing bored with the mundane activities that are required of her status as headmistress of the Jean Grey School and feeling uncertain in her role as the leader of the X-Men. What follows is an intimate study of her character and a narrative that sees her finally having some fun after being portrayed in a rather buttoned-up manner. I really enjoy Pak’s writing of Storm as she’s friendlier, more accessible, and more humorous than how most other writers tend to portray her. He also stays true to her mythos and continues to cleverly work in characters and plots that are relevant to her character. For instance, a particularly memorable adventure in this collection sees Storm and Gambit teaming up to steal an artifact from the Temple of Hermes before Gambit’s rival within the Thieves Guild can. It’s a story that acknowledges Storm’s oft-forgotten skills as a thief and makes use of her incredible chemistry with Gambit.

Like the preceding volume, Bring the Thunder is episodic in its structure. Each story is told roughly in three, two, and one issues (respectively), which can feel like filler when not executed correctly. Pak smartly links everything together not only through a consistent main cast, but also through an overall sense of connectedness with the narrative direction. Beyond that, I appreciate that this volume pulls in themes that are relevant to the current societal climate, with a particularly prescient scene occurring on an airplay where Storm is confronted with direct mutantphobia. It’s a jarring reminder of what happens in reality and it’s a sad reminder of how far we have yet to come as a society.

Storm Volume 2: Bring the Thunder is a bittersweet ending to Greg Pak’s Storm run. His take on the character is arguably the strongest since the Christopher Yost-penned X-Men: Worlds Apart mini-series. I like the direction he’s taken with her and appreciate his willingness to emphasize the fact that she’s more than just a superhero. While the issues not illustrated by Ibañez aren’t as consistent, the art is striking regardless. I wish that this title had sold better than it did and that this creative team could have continued onwards with more stories. However, the work they put out stands well on its own and is worth a read.

RATING: B+