Review: JLA - Volume 1

When a group of mysterious aliens known as the Hyperclan settle on Earth, they begin righting the many wrongs that have befallen Earth’s inhabitants. However, their help comes at a great price. After uncovering the nefarious intentions behind the Hyperclans actions, Earth’s greatest heroes – Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman, the Flash, Green Lantern and Martian Manhunter – band together to defeat this alien menace as the new Justice League of America.

Then, before they can even begin to settle in as a team unit, they must combat the fallen angel Asmodel and long-time foe the Key.

JLA Volume 1 collects JLA #1-9 and Secret Files and Origins #1, written by Grant Morrison with art by Howard Porter and Oscar Jimenez.

The Justice League is arguably the most iconic superhero team in existence and perhaps no incarnation is more beloved or celebrated than Grant Morrison’s late-‘90s take. Teaming up with Howard Porter and John Dell, Morrison re-introduced the Justice League in the best-selling series JLA with a pared down roster and with a distinct focus on global threats. The introductory arc is classic in and of itself, with Morrison and Porter crafting a tried-and-true alien invasion story featuring the enigmatic Hyperclan. This four issue storyline is every bit as epic as it was intended to be and even features a rather clever twist during its climax, one which helps to further develop the oft-forgotten Martian Manhunter. The action is spectacular and the enemies powerful enough to be genuine threats to the God-like members of the Justice League. Morrison even appears to reference the narrative structure of the early stories from Justice League of America by having the heroes split up to divide and conquer over the course of the narrative. The four-part opener is then followed up with a single issue storyline involving a character named Tomorrow Woman, an android whose inventors were responsible for creation of Amazo and Red Tornado. It’s a satisfactory and breezy read that plugs into the theme of free will within an electronic mind. This collection is then capped off by two two-parters, the first detailing the League’s fight against Asmodel and the second involving them being trapped in a sort of virtual reality by the Key. The latter storyline is particularly interesting, as Morrison offers up alternative takes on the main cast. For instance, he presents Superman as a Green Lantern, references Wonder Woman’s iconic mod era and then explores a potential future where Batman marries Catwoman.

As a whole, JLA is an action-first book and delivers this type of storytelling in spades. Porter is well-suited to this task as well, drawing detailed and well-choreographed sequences that emphasize the high octane nature of Morrison’s narrative. While character development is not at the forefront or even a priority in JLA, it is through these scenes that we see the glimmering hints of the personalities behind the characters. Green Lantern and Wonder Woman especially shine during fights, with the former creating constructs that emphasize his youth and interests while the latter is shown to be a formidable fighter whose presence in the battlefield is awe-inspiring. Morrison further supplements the action with dialogue that seeks to counteract the missing component of character development. An example of this would be the contrast between the youthful Green Lantern and veteran heroes like the Flash. He’s portrayed as far more flippant and this implies what the others are like by comparison. It goes without saying that Green Lantern is the most colourful and memorable character in this set of stories.

There are a few shortcomings to this collection. For one, it highlights the rushed nature of JLA as it breezes through its first nine issues with a hectic pace that provides no room for defining the overall team dynamic. The prime example for this being that by issue five the League are already in the process of expanding membership, which shouldn’t be done until the reader has adjusted to the current line-up. Yes these heroes are iconic and six of them had their own comics at the time, but their roles and personalities within the team needed to be established first. The other major failing in JLA is that it is forced to accept and run with the changes made in the characters’ individual books. For instance, the blue Superman is thrown at the readers without any explanation and it’s especially jarring for those who are reading the book in retrospect. Another personal gripe of mine would by how Porter illustrates the John Byrne redesigned Wonder Woman costume. It looks dreadfully dated in most shots, drawn with ridiculously high cut briefs, and she appears to be spilling out of the bodice in far too many panels. Porter illustrates her with a beautiful face and an impressive muscular physique, but she looks uncomfortable and out of place standing next to her Justice League cohorts.

JLA Volume 1 is an entertaining collection of stories that offer a glimpse into what made JLA DC Comics’ best-selling series during the 1990s. It’s an action-packed trade that proves why the Justice League is as legendary as they are by giving them incredibly powerful enemies. The stories themselves are quite memorable, while the dialogue and art gives the reader just enough glimpses at the personalities of the characters. It then goes without saying that this is an important trade for any DC Comics fan, especially those who grew up on and were fans of the Justice League cartoon.

RATING: B

Review: Jem and the Holograms Volume 1 - Showtime

With a deadline looming for entries into a music contest, singer-songwriter Jerrica Benton is gripped with anxiety and strage fright. Facing the prospect of dropping out and letting her bandmates down, Jerrica overcomes her fear by transforming into the glamorous Jem with the help of a holographic computer program created by her late father. After a splashy online debut, Jem and the Holograms achieve viral popularity – much to the chagrin of the spastic Misfits.

Jem and the Holograms Volume 1: Showtime collects issues 1-6 of Jem and the Holograms written by Kelly Thompson and illustrated by Sophie Campbell.

As a team, Kelly Thompson and Sophie Campbell were charged with a rather challenging task – update an iconic (and totally outrageous!) ‘80s cartoon for today’s comic book readership. What they accomplished was spectacular and inspired. They hit the ground running by telling the origins of the titular Jem and the Holograms, eschewing the villainous Eric Raymond and Starlight Records in favour of having their popularity stem from a music contest held by the Misfits (who have been seemingly established as an A-list rock group in this version). Thompson’s dialogue improves upon the characters we know and love from the cartoon, particularly giving them more distinct personalities that help the reader relate to them more. Aja is more sarcastic and has constant playful banter with Kimber, while Kimber herself is seen as an always-late flake that is as loud as she is talented. Shana sits comfortably as the voice of reason, filling the role of mediator whenever arguments arise. Interestingly, Thompson seems to lose Jerrica’s voice and personality in the process of fleshing out her sisters. I love the new dimension of Jerrica suffering from anxiety as it makes her easier to relate to personally and her relationship with Rio seems much more organic than it did in the cartoon, but she isn’t as pronounced as a savvy businesswoman and her quietness makes her seem dull in comparison to her bandmates.

From their debut onwards, Thompson and Campbell unravel a series of events that serve to develop the characters further. Kimber begins a secretive relationship with Stormer of the rival group the Misfits, Jerrica must contend with Rio’s negative perception of Jem (basically he thinks Jem is selfish and not a team player), and the Holograms pull double duty trying to prepare for the Mistfits’ music contest and a charity event for which they’ve volunteered their talent. The pacing is great as it moves the story along with a jaunty pace – occasionally tossing in splashy musical scenes artfully rendered by Campbell. The mix of interpersonal drama and their musical exploits is handled well, thankfully never veering too far into the melodrama box its animated predecessor often did. Thompson and Campbell work well together in this respect, as they’re able to balance camp with serious drama. Kimber’s relationship with Stormer becomes an emotional focal point for the readers. While there’s a humorous side to the subplot, it’s played straight (pardon the pun) and we see an impeccably well-written relationship that feels neither exploitative nor forced. It’s a development I love and one which helps to, not only endears me to, but relate to both Kimber and Stormer. On the other side of the equation, Thompson and Campbell do not pull back from the absolute insanity that is Pizzazz. They allow her to have epic meltdowns, often cumulating in fits of rage. It gels with her animated persona and it’s absolutely hilarious to see, made all the more gut-busting by Campbell’s unrivaled expressiveness.

While Thompson’s dialogue and plotting is flawless throughout, not nearly enough can be said about Campbell’s work as the book’s artist. It’s vibrant, outrageous, colourful, expressive, dynamic, glamorous, punk, girlie, sexy and a million other things. Everything from the way she draws hair to the special care she takes to create characters that are visually distinct from one another makes this book truly extraordinary. Part of what I love about this book is how inclusive it is. Not only is it explicitly and unapologetically LGBTQ+-friendly, but Campbell came up with a series of character designs that speak to today’s modern society. She gives the cast different body types, all of which more accurately reflect what we see in the real world. For instance, I adore that Stormer is portrayed as a desirable love interest for Kimber and as the key to the Misfits’ success (she writes their songs) rather than as the sassy or supportive best friend archetype as would usually be the case based on the body type Campbell draws her with here.

As one can imagine, it’s difficult trying to adapt the seminal Jem and the Holograms three decades later. Thompson and Campbell capture the fashion, aesthetic and nostalgia surrounding the series. The comics obviously lack the same structure, given the fact that each episode of Jem contained music videos and are comics a strictly visual medium, but does an admirable job of trying to stay true to the essence of the outrageous cartoon. There’s camp and drama – but most importantly there’s glamour, glitter, fashion and fame. Thompson and Campbell make me invested in these characters, while the latter especially creates a gloriously technicolour world full of distinctive musicians and crazy fashions. While it’s not a facsimile or a continuation of the original cartoon, Jem and the Holograms Volume 1: Showtime is a vibrant update on a classic. It’s clear that its creators have respect for the source material, so much so that we see little nods to the series via cameos (Ba Nee! Ashley! Lindsey Pierce!) and fashion choices. I thoroughly enjoyed this first set of issues and look forward to the rest.

RATING: A

Review: Avengers - The Serpent Crown

When Hawkeye goes missing, Thor and new Avenger Moondragon must travel into the past in order to recover their arrow-slinging ally. There, they must confront the villainous Kang as he schemes yet again to conquer Earth. Back in the present, the remaining Avengers duke it out with the Squadron Supreme after uncovering a plot by the corrupt Roxxon Oil Corporation.

Avengers: The Serpent Crown collects Avengers #141-144 and #147-149, written by Steve Englehart and illustrated by George Perez.

With the superstar talent of Englehart and Perez behind it, The Serpent Crown stands as one of the most notable collection of stories from the early Bronze Age Avengers. Set during the Beast’s probationary period with the Earth’s Mightiest Heroes, this trade collects two concurrent storylines involving the Avengers’ conflicts with Kang the Conqueror and the Squadron Supreme (AKA Marvel’s “tribute” to the Justice League). It’s a tightly written, dynamically drawn seven issue arc that is packed with character development and incredible action. Englehart’s scripting sets the tone by creating an electric chemistry between the characters and sticking to a set theme of corporate corruption, while Perez’s pencil work fills each panel with expressiveness to match.

There are a lot of developments in The Serpent Crown, which is perhaps what has marked it for collection purposes above many other story arcs for the Avengers from the 1970s. Notably – Captain America re-joins the team after a lengthy leave of absence, Hawkeye departs from the Avengers to pursue a (mostly) solo career out west, and Patsy Walker makes her debut as the superheroine Hellcat. As mentioned previously, it’s also set during the Beast’s early days adventuring with the Avengers, which itself is important as it’s shortly after he turned his iconic blue hue. In fact, it is the interplay between Hellcat and Beast that makes this arc as interesting as it is. The habitually bickering duo is at odds with one another, which adds a layer of humour to their dynamic. Beyond all of that, Englehart and Perez seem to be setting new precedents for the portrayal of women in comic books.

Aside from a questionable line in which Hellcat declares that she’s no “women’s libber,” The Serpent Crown seems to be concerned with the pursuit and control of power when wielded by women. Newcomer Moondragon is unashamed and confident in her incredible psychic gifts. She employs them with a mastery that was often unseen amongst female characters in comic books. In fact, she seems to consider herself an equal to Thor and even questions why he (and by extension her) is “slumming” it with the mortal Avengers. Similarly, Scarlet Witch is seen embracing her status as a true witch and her power set seems to have grown exponentially as a result of this. A key scene in this collection involves Wanda becoming the caretaker for the Serpent Crown and must use her formidable willpower to free herself from its evil influence. Though Vision tries to intervene and “rescue” her, it’s clear that Wanda needs no one but herself to save the day. It’s an internal battle that is portrayed earnestly through Perez’s art and is a moment that is not to be overlooked, though it might be easy to do so given the incredible physical feats accomplished by the men in this book.

As much as we see Moondragon and Scarlet Witch embracing their fierceness, the slightly dippy Patsy Walker still has a ways to go. In fact, The Serpent Crown is very much her story and focuses on her rapid maturation from silly romance heroine to sassy superheroine. Much is made early on about how burdensome Patsy is as she accompanies the Avengers, with some members laying blame on her for their predicament when they are captured by the Squadron Supreme (namely, Vision). Through flashbacks, we see that Patsy lived a relatively unfulfilling life in a small town and that her marriage was disastrous. We learn that she’s always dreamed of being a hero and that she’ll do anything it takes to be one. By the time she finally dons the Cat costume, she’s adamant about dedicating her life to heroism. It’s admirable and her spunk is infectious, though the disdain from her male cohorts (and concern – on Captain America’s part) looms heavily over her. Thankfully, she does appear to prove herself and she’s shown to be quite fearsome in battle (though it’s implied that the suit may be doing most of the work for her).

The Serpent Crown is an enjoyable – albeit dated – read. Englehart and Perez make for a great team, one which suits the tone and aesthetic of the Avengers. As with his previous work on the title, Englehart always adds an angle of social relevance to the book and taps into themes that can be related to even today. His dialogue is satisfactory, though verbose at times, and he has a good grasp on the characters involved. I’m also rather impressed by how he handles the many women present in this collection. It also goes without saying that Perez’s pencils are gorgeous to look at. Given that this represents some of his earlier work, the art is not quite as defined or detailed as it would be later in New Teen Titans or Wonder Woman. There are minor issues with proportions and perspective every now and then. If anything, The Serpent Crown represents a strong showing from an era oft forgotten by comic book fans. Plus – it’s got Hellcat and Moondragon in key roles!

RATING: B

Review: DC Comics Bombshells Volume 1 - Enlisted

With World War II in full swing, government bigwig Amanda Waller puts together an elite squad of untapped resources – women – to contribute to the war effort. Dubbed the Bombshells, these incredible heroines are sent behind enemy lines in order to undermine the Nazi regime.

DC Comics Bombshells Volume 1: Enlisted collects issues 1-6 of DC Comics Bombshells, written by Marguerite Bennett and with art by Marguerite Sauvage, Laura Braga, Ming Doyle, and various others.

Based off of the popular DC Collectibles line of statues, DC Comics Bombshells re-imagines the iconic women of the DC Universe as World War II era heroines. While the statues were quite obviously created to superficially portray them as little more than sexy 1940s style pin-up girls, the world that Marguerite Bennett and her artists build in this series is nothing short of brilliant. Bennett takes cues from the statues – such as initially portraying Batwoman as a baseball player – and manages to create something wholly unique in the process.

Enlisted largely serves as an origin story for the Bombshells. It introduces each member individually, but focuses primarily on the narratives of Batwoman, Wonder Woman and Supergirl. Batwoman, as mentioned previously, is portrayed as a baseball player who spends her nights combatting crime as a masked vigilante. She is one of the first to be recruited by Amanda Waller and is tasked with venturing to Europe in order to rendezvous with Contessa Selina DiGatti (the DC Comics Bombshells version of Catwoman).  Bennett writes a wonderfully layered Batwoman, examining her relationship with Maggie Sawyer and utilizes her as an almost James Bond-esque kind of a figure within the narrative. Standout moments include her banter with Selina, as well as the gorgeously drawn vignettes of Kate’s time with Maggie prior to her enlistment (Marguerite Sauvage is a total artistic goddess!). Wonder Woman, perhaps as a result of already being a World War II era creation, is left largely unchanged within this universe. Her story plays out much the same – Steve Trevor lands on the Amazons’ island and Diana going off to fight bad guys in Man’s World. What is different here is the inclusion of Mera as Diana’s closest friend and the Amazons seem even more disconnected than usual. Finally, we have Supergirl – who crash-landed in Russia rather than America. Kara, along with her adoptive sister Kortni, enroll in the Night Witches program. When she is discovered to have superpowers, she and Korti become the Russian heroes Supergirl and Stargirl. It’s a fascinating twist, particularly since it allows readers the opportunity to see beyond the American or British involvement in the Second World War. Bennett clearly shows that she’s done her research in that respect. I also love that she seems to reference Justice League Unlimited (or at the very least Justice League United) by linking Supergirl and Stargirl in this way.

I thoroughly enjoyed Enlisted. Its focus on the women of the DC Universe is great, but it’s ultimately the world that Bennett and her artists build that drew me in. I found myself curious as to how she’d re-imagine each Bombshell and seeing how she’d take inspiration from their statues. For instance, Zatanna is a cabaret performer in Berlin who works under duress due to her Jewish-Romani heritage. Bennett also rather hilariously works in Constantine being turned into a rabbit (a rather prominent feature of Zatanna’s Bombshells statue). Beyond that, the dialogue is a major strong point of this series. Bennett really captures the punchy way in which we often envision this era, which creates a constant electric interplay between the characters and injects the book with some rather clever (and often queer) double-entendres and subtexts.

DC Comics Bombshells is fairly unusual as a series for quite a few reasons. It’s outside of the main canon, it’s set in an imagined past and it has a high rotation of artists. That last point is somewhat contentious, as it invites quite a bit of inconsistency in terms of quality. Some artists, unfortunately, aren’t as good as others in this collection and it ends up taking away from the overall aesthetic of the world being built around these characters. That said, I absolutely adore the sheer amount of female talent that explodes out of this book. Bennett is joined by a host of ridiculously talented female artists and, if anything, it ends up proving that badass female artists are not as hard to come by as the industry pretends they are. Marguerite Sauvage handles the art chores in the first issue and totally knocks it out of the park. Her style is very fresh and cute. It seems strange, but I’m also in awe of how she draws hair. Another favourite of mine is Mirka Andolfo, who brings us the art for Harley Quinn’s section of the book. Her style is extremely expressive and vibrant. She’s a perfect match for the zany Harley. Then there’s Bilquis Evely, who is primarily responsible for the Supergirl and Stargirl sections. Her aesthetic is sketchier, but there’s a quality to it that seems to mimic the setting in which those sections are set. Other standouts include MLSanapo and Laura Braga, both of whom get to draw Wonder Woman. Their style is much more traditional in its approach to comic book art.

Aside from the inconsistency in quality brought on by rotating artists, I could not find or admit to a single flaw in DC Comics Bombshells. I love the direction, tone, and dialogue present in this title. Bennett creates an absolutely fascinating world of whimsy and wonder, which is further brimming with a pop art sensibility thanks to its talented artistic creators. There’s also a welcome sense of gravity to it, as Bennett further explores the harsher realities of World War II since some of the book’s characters are Jewish (notably Batwoman and Zatanna) and since a queer character is placed at the forefront (again, Batwoman). As someone who fits squarely into an LGBTQ+ readership, Bennett and DC Comics Bombshells itself offer a sense of both representation and of normalcy amidst such a turbulent setting. In essence, this is the book we need and deserve. DC Comics Bombshells Volume 1: Enlisted is quite possibly one of the best comic book trades I’ve read in a good long while! It’s a must-read for sure!

RATING: A+

Review: X-Men - The Wedding of Cyclops and Phoenix

Having captured Sabretooth following a violent murder spree, Professor Xavier seeks to rehabilitate the villain. The X-Men are uncomfortable with the situation, with Jean Grey in particular questioning her mentor’s sanity. Before she can commit to a future with her long-time love Cyclops, Jean must assuage her doubts and confront the violent creature living amongst them.

X-Men: The Wedding of Cyclops and Phoenix collects X-Men #27-30 and Annual #2, X-Men Unlimited #3, Uncanny X-Men #308-310 and Annual #18, X-Men: The Wedding Album, and What If? #60. It is written primarily by Scott Lobdell and Fabian Nicieza, with the art talents of Andy Kubert, John Romita Jr., Ian Churchill and Mike McKone.

The Wedding of Cyclops and Phoenix is assembled as a loose collection of stories leading up to the titular nuptials of two of the X-Men’s most iconic members. It picks up immediately after the events of Fatal Attractions. While the X-Men are still grappling with the defection of Colossus and Wolverine’s departure from the team, they are sent on a mission to apprehend Sabretooth and stop his murderous rampage. Upon doing so, he is locked in their basement and is given treatment by Professor Xavier. The purpose is to rehabilitate him, as was done previously with Wolverine and Rogue, though the X-Men are not convinced Sabretooth is worth the trouble. Jean Grey is the most reticent, her doubts magnified by her distaste for Xavier crossing the line when he psychically lobotomized Magneto and by her own sorrow regarding the absence of Wolverine around the mansion. She must reconcile all of these feelings before her engagement and eventual wedding to Cyclops. It's a nifty story arc for both Xavier and Jean Grey, giving both characters some much-needed panel time.

Since the stories in this trade weren’t originally planned or composed as a neat six-issue arc, the quality and focus varies from issue to issue. For instance, the events of X-Men #27 seem out of place and disjointed with the overall narrative due to its introduction of the character Threnody and the inclusion of Mister Sinister. Neither character plays any kind of substantial role in the proceeding issues. While it is poignant in its thematic usage of the Legacy Virus, it is also unrelated to just about everything else in this trade. If anything, it emphasizes the overall nature of storytelling during the 1990s. Each individual issue features a self-contained story that builds on or, at the very least, references events that have occurred previously. This makes it less accessible.

As a team, Lobdell and Nicieza introduce a lot of interesting developments. The rather brief “Sabretooth is imprisoned by the X-Men” arc from the animated series is expanded upon here and is used as a plot device in order to create a schism between Xavier and the X-Men. With Sabretooth living in the mansion, we get a lot of great moments that develop the characters further. Jubilee begins having nightmares, Psylocke finds an unsettling similarity between herself and the villain, and a connection between he and Gambit is hinted at. This insight into their characters helps readers to relate to them and allows for further speculation regarding the directions they may take in subsequent issues. The best moment, however, occurs in X-Men #28. With Sabretooth demanding psychic pacification after deeming Psylocke’s offering too paltry, Jean Grey ventures down into his cell to fulfill his request. It is a tense scene in which the “good girl” is placed in such a seemingly vulnerable position against one of the X-Men’s deadliest enemies. The implications of what Sabretooth might do to her are uncomfortable and scary. However, such fear turns out to be unfounded. Nicieza and artist Andy Kubert defy expectations. Jean shows no distress and is confident in her superiority to Sabretooth. She unleashes the totality of her psychic abilities on Sabretooth, owning him and essentially turning him into a whimpering dog. It’s brilliant and it’s a moment that helps to define who Jean is as both a hero and as a woman. She's tough and showcases just how much of a boss she can be when need be. She's all too often underestimated or overlooked as a character (especially during this era), so it's great to see her being the powerhouse that she's built up to be. She would have another standout moment two issues later when she used her powers in an entirely different way – by lifting Xavier into the air so she could dance with him at her wedding.

The most contentious aspect of The Wedding of Cyclops and Phoenix rests with those responsible for pencilling the issues collected here. While Andy Kubert had previously done impressive work in preceding issues, there’s a distinctive decline in his art here. He especially seems to have difficulty in the all-important wedding issue. His perspective is wonky in numerous places and any panels featuring numerous characters look extremely rough, with many posed awkwardly or are drawn lazily without defined hands or feet. John Romita Jr.’s art, featured in Uncanny X-Men, fares better. His characters are more distinctive and he experiments with his splash pages, but the colours laid on top of his work aren’t the best and sometimes there’s an unfinished quality to the art. There are also a couple of issues drawn by Mike McKone and Ian Churchill when they were still early into their careers. Churchill’s effort is the more impressive, particularly as it seems McKone had yet to figure out how to properly place facial features (i.e. Rogue appears with a rather puzzlingly large forehead).

The overall direction of this collection is well-done and the character work achieved by the writers is fairly impressive. They engage with some tough subjects, particularly regarding morality and the ability to change for the better, which is reminiscent of what Chris Claremont would do during his legendary run on Uncanny X-Men. One of the only shortcomings would be their usage of such a large cast, as it makes it difficult to develop each character for the readers. In other words, not everyone gets their moment in the spotlight. The focus of this trade is also primarily on the patented soap opera drama the X-Men are synonymous with, so don't go expecting lavish or epic action scenes. As mentioned previously, this collection also isn’t the most accessible and is probably best read in succession with X-Cutioner’s Song, A Skinning of Souls and Fatal Attractions. Even still, there are quite a few moments here that are not to be missed (i.e. Jean Grey vs. Sabretooth and the titular wedding).

RATING: B-

Review: The All-New Atom - The Hunt for Ray Palmer

With questions growing regarding the verity of Ray Palmer selecting Ryan Choi to be his successor as the Atom, Ryan begins a quest to find his missing mentor. This journey takes him to the jungles of South America and into a temporarily alliance with Donna Troy, Jason Todd and a Monitor. Then, Ryan must work to solve a mystery when Ivy Town and its citizens are transformed into hippies from the 1960s.

The All-New Atom: The Hunt for Ray Palmer collects issues 12-16 of The All-New Atom, written by Gail Simone and Roger Stern with art by Mike Norton.

The bulk of the issues collected in this edition act as a tie-in to the then-current event known as Countdown. As such, the narrative flow of this series is interrupted and creates a disjointed feel that works against it. The premise of the four-part “The Hunt for Ray Palmer” arc is for Ryan to find his one-time pen pal and get answers to the many burning questions he has for him. Unfortunately, the arc leaves just about everything unresolved. Ray Palmer remains as elusive as ever and Ryan is left uncertain as to why he was given the size-changing belt. The problem here is that this series is being roped into an ongoing storyline elsewhere, specifically the “Search for Ray Palmer” arc from Countdown. That means that there can be no resolution since the main story happens in an entirely different book.

Of course, Gail Simone and Mike Norton do deliver some great content. Visually, Norton continues to excel as the penciller for the series and provides some stunning panel work. His characters are memorable and distinctive. He’s also given the chance to draw Donna Troy, which is nice since there have been so few women in The All-New Atom. Simone, despite seeming like she’s writing after being backed into a corner, does incredible character work as always. The interactions she’s able to write between the individuals featured in this arc is really entertaining, particularly the dynamic she creates between Atom and Donna Troy (the former has a bit of a crush on the latter). It’s also interesting to see the way in which Simone explores some of Ray’s past as the Atom, particularly as she devotes an entire issue to the Morlaidhans.

For issue 16 in this collection, legendary comic writer Roger Stern takes over the writing duties. What he creates is obviously filler. Though Stern understands Ryan’s character and the tone of the book, he appears to phone in his work here. The premise is clichéd and the events predictable. Ivy Town goes through a time flux and is transformed into something straight out of the 1960s, leaving Ryan as the only one unaffected by the change. The story does fall under the “weird stuff happens here” status quo Simone established, but doesn’t do anything inventive or engaging.

The Hunt for Ray Palmer is an unfortunate letdown after the impressive second collection of stories from The All-New Atom. While Simone continues to show her incredible grasp on Ryan’s character and her dialogue remains quite humorous, this collection’s tie-in status really drags it down. Though Simone would later prove herself capable of writing tie-in material that is often superior to that of the main event (i.e. Batgirl: Death of the Family), such is not the case here. Despite its shortcomings, The Hunt for Ray Palmer is still entertaining. Simone’s usage of Chronos is fantastic and her homage to kaiju films is absolutely hilarious. Norton’s artwork also helps to elevate the title and establish a consistency that is needed for the book.

RATING: C+

Review: X-Men - The Animated Series (Season Two)

With the fanatical Friends of Humanity stoking the public’s fear of mutants, the X-Men are faced with unprecedented levels of paranoia and hate. To make matters worse, their mentor Professor Xavier has gone missing and the villainous Mister Sinister has set his sights on capturing Cyclops and Jean Grey for his wicked experiments.

The second season of the animated ‘90s classic X-Men contains 13 episodes, airing between 1993 and 1994. It features the voice talents of Cedric Smith, Norm Spencer, Catherine Disher, Cathal J. Dodd, Lenore Zann, Alison Sealy-Smith, George Buza, Chris Potter and Alyson Court.

After a strong debut, the X-Men’s second season on the small screen fell short of the quality established in its preceding year. This season establishes an ongoing subplot involving Professor Xavier and Magneto forming an alliance to survive in the Savage Land, while Mister Sinister plots behind the scenes in order to acquire Cyclops and Jean Grey’s genetic material. The X-Men remain oblivious to the circumstances of their mentor’s disappearance and are unaware of Mister Sinister’s machinations. Instead, they become embroiled in a series of episodic conflicts. Unfortunately, most of these are forgettable and lack depth.

What can be appreciated about the cartoon’s second season is that the writers made a more concerted effort to develop its characters by creating episodes that focused on individual members of the team. For instance, “Whatever It Takes” featured Storm and Rogue travelling to Tanzania in order to protect Storm’s spiritual son from her hated foe the Shadow King. It’s an admirable effort as it attempts to emphasize Storm’s undeniable willpower and maternal instincts, but falls flat in its execution. Similarly the Beast-focused “Beauty & the Beast” tells the story of the titular hero falling for a blind girl, who is subsequently kidnapped by the Friends of Humanity due to her connection to him. It concludes the conflict with the Friends of Humanity, who acted as the season’s pseudo-Big Bad, and does a satisfactory job of handling the comparable topics of racism and homophobia. However, the most successful and entertaining character-centric episodes are “Repo Man” and “A Rogue’s Tale.” The former focuses on Wolverine’s return to Canada, where he is ambushed by his former team Alpha Flight. It’s a loose adaptation of Uncanny X-Men #121 and helps to elaborate on Wolverine’s past. The voice acting is questionable, but the action is well done and the plot is engaging. It’s definitely one of the best episodes from the series. “A Rogue’s Tale,” meanwhile, details Rogue’s past prior to joining the X-Men. It’s a much needed episode that helps to fill in the blanks of a character who had been quite enigmatic up until this point. We learn that she was once Mystique’s pupil and was a member of the Brotherhood, leaving after a mission gone awry. The episode itself blends together elements from Avengers Annual #10 and Uncanny X-Men #269, which means the writers take a concerted effort to align Rogue with her comic book persona. Understandably, her origins are sanitized in order to make her far more sympathetic. Where she was a psychotic villain in the comics, here she is portrayed as a sympathetic victim in Mystique’s schemes. Aside from getting some great character work on Rogue, we also see rare interactions between her and Jean Grey. These tender sisterly moments always stand out within the series.

When season two pulled its focus away from the individual members of the X-Men, the quality suffered tremendously. The two-part “Time Fugitives” sees the X-Men working to stop further panic after an outbreak of a mutant virus. Bishop and Cable guest star as allies to the X-Men with contrasting goals. One wants to stop the virus, while the other wants to allow it to continue on. It’s a Groundhog Day-style two-parter that repeats events with different outcomes, which makes it cliché and predictable. Furthermore, it was a very shallow attempt at creating a storyline analogous to the HIV/AIDS epidemic. It pulls elements from X-Cutioner’s Song and Fatal Attractions, but lacks the depth and heart required to tell such a meaningful story. Similarly, the two-part “Reunion” serves as an unremarkable way of concluding the season. It does a satisfactory job of tying up all of the loose ends – Professor Xavier’s disappearance, Mister Sinister’s schemes and even the re-appearance of Morph. However, it feels like a very paint-by-numbers story wherein the X-Men land in the Savage Land to rescue their mentor and find themselves without powers, they must then find a way of beating Mister Sinister and his henchmen without the benefit of their mutant abilities. Naturally, there’s a device that must be destroyed and a subplot involving Ka-Zar. That said, the worst episode of the season is easily “Mojovision.” In this filler episode prior to the finale, the grotesque Mojo kidnap the X-Men at a mall and transforms them into stars of television shows in his dimension. The episode itself parodies TV and the programming on it, but there’s really not much depth and it features some terrible attempts at humour. It’s also got a rather glaring continuity error – when the X-Men are kidnapped from the mall Rogue is not amongst them, but when they all appear in Mojo’s dimension she’s with them.

For the most part, the second season of X-Men is skippable. Aside from a few memorable episodes like “Repo Man” and “A Rogue’s Tale,” the quality of the stories told is inconsistent and lacks the same tension that was present in the preceding season. The development done on characters like Rogue, Wolverine, Gambit and Beast help make them even more likeable and relatable, while others like Cyclops and Jean Grey remain somewhat stodgy and one-dimensional. Jean Grey, for instance, continues to be portrayed as little more than a woman caught between Cyclops and Wolverine and who is easily quelled in battle. The Xavier/Magneto subplot is lackluster and Mister Sinister never quite delivers as this season’s Big Bad quite like Magneto and the Sentinels did in the first. My recommendation is watching the best episodes of the season – “Red Dawn,” “Repo Man,” “A Rogue’s Tale” and “Beauty and the Beast” – and moving onto the third season.

RATING: C