Johanna's DCU Reviews: Aquaman, Fallen Angel, Gotham Central, JL Adventures
Johanna Draper Carlson
Fallen Angel #8
Gotham Central #16
Justice League Adventures #28
Aquaman #14
Writer: John Ostrander
Penciller: Tom Grummett
Inker: Wade von Grawbadger
DC Comics, 36 color pages, $2.50
Everything a fill-in issue should be, as we learn who Aquaman is through
a wide variety of opinions about him. A reporter's been assigned to do a
story on Aquaman, so his sister sets him up with various people to talk
about their reactions to the hero.
First, a school class exaggerates some of the poor ways Aquaman's been
portrayed over the years. One draws a violent, harpoon-handed fighter.
(I suspect it's no coincidence that the mimicry of a child's art makes
this version literally two-dimensional.) A girl loves the idea of the
Aquafamily, with Aqualad, Aquagirl, and giant seahorses. A bullying kid
sees a literal Aquaman, a being of water who's mad all the time.
Later, the sister's friends envision the sea king as something out of a
romance novel, an excuse for some undersea nookie, and a group of
firemen tell the most straightforward tale, Aquaman as traditional hero.
It's the little touches that make this more than a simple, light-hearted
tour through the character's history. In one case, the smart kid, the
one who gives us the current continuity history of the character, is
told that the reporter used to be just like him, which causes the child
to burst into tears.
The most touching response is when the only woman who's really met
Aquaman gives her encounter away through knowing exactly what color his
eyes are. It's a beautiful description, punctuated by telling off
someone who made up meeting the sea king. "Sometimes they're blue-green.
When he's angry, they get grey. At dawn, they're flecked with gold and
red like the sea. You're a liar, Nicole, and you're cruel."
This brief panel of dialogue is true and real, even though about a
completely imaginary figure. It's made all the more real through the
art, with the speaker sadly looking at her wine glass, touching its rim,
lost in her memories.
Halfway through this comic, I've learned more about the character than I
have in a previous year's worth of issues, and all because of unique,
well-done dialogue that fits the character. These days, too few creators
know how to put the characters' voices above their own. John Ostrander
should be writing more comics.
Fallen Angel #8
Writer: Peter David
Pencils: David Lopez
Inks: Fernando Blanco
DC Comics, 32 color pages, $2.50
I wonder if this book hasn't yet found its audience because it's such an
odd duck. It's certainly not a superhero comic -- there aren't any
heroes in the book, just some people whose motivations are clearer than
others -- and that lack of clear labeling may confuse and disturb
potential readers.
Black Mariah is what used to be called a "white slaver", selling
kidnapped girls into prostitution. (As one would expect from comics,
since she's named Black ___, she's also black-skinned. I know David is
aware of such things, given his knowledge of comic history, so I note
this here as a curiosity, not an indictment.) The Fallen Angel (it works
better for me as a title than a name) is holding Mariah captive,
torturing her for the location of the latest magical Maguffin.
This vaguely reminds me of the infamous Starman issue that prevented me
from reading the series, an issue of nothing but beating up on someone.
There's a bit more included in this case, with flashbacks providing an
alternate setting, but it all still revolves around just two players,
the tormentor and the victim. Depending on whether one's speaking
physically or mentally, the labels flip from character to character.
This torture is one of the many incidents that contribute to the book's
"Mature Readers" warning. That cover advisory is unusual for what would
otherwise be a DCU book and likely damaging to its sales. I know I was
surprised to see such sadistic events from our protagonist. Too often in
DC comics, "protagonist" and "hero" are interchangeable. Here, they're
obviously not. The Angel's actions are purposefully cruel, just because
she can be, and because there's some murky idea of Mariah deserving it.
Perhaps she does, but in this book, that doesn't make her any different
from anyone else. I found myself agreeing with the victim when she
pointed out that the Angel had dehumanized her to allow herself to
torture without guilt. Mariah refuses to believe the Angel's self-pity
and self-delusion. Her honesty makes her the more interesting character
to me.
Once upon a time, these kinds of stories had to be told through people
with powers, because that was all the option there was. Now,
possibilities are wider, leaving books that still want to play out adult
themes with superhero-type characters to be orphans, left behind by
mature readers with more choices and other preferred formats.
Many of those explanations are too simple, though. The overall feeling I
have after reading this issue is a vague uncertainty. The characters are
shadows and their motivations slippery. Readers may be looking elsewhere
because they seek more definitive reactions from their four-color
entertainment.
Gotham Central #16
Writer: Ed Brubaker
Artist: Greg Scott
DC Comics, 32 color pages, $2.50
A new storyline begins with a deserving candidate overlooked for
promotion for political reasons. A dead girl's been found in a dumpster.
She was out celebrating the night before, as the detectives find out
during routine investigation. It reads like the TV show Homicide, or a
less stridently political Law & Order. Gripping, no-nonsense cop stories
like this are rare in any medium, let alone comics.
The art continues in the straightforward style, emphasizing faces and
settings, that's worked well for this series so far. The color palette
(by Lee Loughridge) reminds me of the two-color experiment conducted
several years ago with the Batman books, with entire pages in shades of
blue or orange.
I'm curious about the timing of the story, with a Christmas tree in the
background and a mention of holiday break. There are no superheroes or
villains this go 'round, which makes the issue more preferable to me
than others in the series. Sadly, instead of enjoying this state of
affairs, I'm left wondering which costume will show up when. I just
don't know how to concentrate on this month's glass being half full.
Justice League Adventures #28
Writer: Jason Hall
Pencils: Min S. Ku
Inks: Ty Templeton
DC Comics, 36 color pages, $2.25
This issue, guest-starring the Legion of Super-Heroes, is a jam-packed
romp through DC history. The story works directly, as a simple
time-travel adventure in which the Justice League has to stop Kilg%re,
but the more comics one's read, the more allusions will be appreciated.
A scientist's assistant gets caught up in a time travel experiment (like
Per Degaton) and becomes a super-villain (Kilg%re) due to a monkey
setting off a ray mistakenly (like Brainiac's pet). When Kilg%re escapes
to the 30th century, some of the Justice Leaguers follow, where they
meet the Legion.
There are plenty of other references, with reporter Kent Shakespeare
introducing a fan (dressed in Colossal Boy's colors) touring the
upside-down-rocket Legion clubhouse, and the introduction of the
original, room-size mobile Computo. The best part, though, is when
Wonder Woman and Hawkgirl are converted into Legion reservists, in the
costumes of Laurel Gand and Dawnstar.
(It was so natural to me to see those characters that it took me another
half-page to realize that Dawnstar was actually Hawkgirl in disguise. I
thought at first that more Legionnaires were helping out.)
Now, I'm not saying that all of these remembrances were intentional. I
also expected the visiting fan to be revealed with a wink to be a known
character, but I may be too eager to find bits and pieces of the comics
I loved.
There's also a moment or two where I was reminded that these weren't
exactly the characters I grew up with, as when Batman tells Superman to
stop thinking with his muscles. Perhaps that's a distinction they've
made more on the cartoon, which I don't watch.
Shvaughn Erin cusses a bit much for an officer, and I don't blame
Brainiac 5 for not wanting Andromeda hanging on him, cooing "my Brainy".
Still, after dropping the Legion title for being too much out of
character, it was a pleasure to see an intelligent, remote Brainiac 5
who wasn't a jerk or psychotic and a competent, take-charge Phantom
Girl, among others.
This isn't simply a mishmosh of "remember this? wasn't it cool?",
though. It's an action-filled superhero adventure suitable for all ages.
Amongst the imaginative science fiction ideas, summed up in the Legion,
there are also some important philosophical ideas raised about our
dependence on technology, with both the pluses and minuses included. I
was surprised to find myself thinking "maybe Kilg%re has a good point
about taking time away from the computer".
--
Johanna Draper Carlson
Reviews of Comics Worth Reading -- http://www.comicsworthreading.com
Newly updated: Reviews of Avengers, New Mutants, Abadazad
George Grattan
Johanna Draper Carlson wrote:
> Aquaman #14
> Fallen Angel #8
> Gotham Central #16
> Justice League Adventures #28
>
>
>
>
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>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> Aquaman #14
> Writer: John Ostrander
> Penciller: Tom Grummett
> Inker: Wade von Grawbadger
> DC Comics, 36 color pages, $2.50
>
> Everything a fill-in issue should be, as we learn who Aquaman is through
> a wide variety of opinions about him. A reporter's been assigned to do a
> story on Aquaman, so his sister sets him up with various people to talk
> about their reactions to the hero.
What a great review! I'd skipped over this book (like nearly all of the
issues of this volume since about four or five in), and was planning on
checking out the new team beginning with 15. But I've got to add this to
my list now--especially because Ostrander's always been a favorite author.
>
>
> Halfway through this comic, I've learned more about the character than I
> have in a previous year's worth of issues, and all because of unique,
> well-done dialogue that fits the character. These days, too few creators
> know how to put the characters' voices above their own. John Ostrander
> should be writing more comics.
Amen. Any ideas why we don't see things from him more often?
>
> Fallen Angel #8
> Writer: Peter David
> Pencils: David Lopez
> Inks: Fernando Blanco
> DC Comics, 32 color pages, $2.50
>
> I wonder if this book hasn't yet found its audience because it's such an
> odd duck. It's certainly not a superhero comic -- there aren't any
> heroes in the book, just some people whose motivations are clearer than
> others -- and that lack of clear labeling may confuse and disturb
> potential readers.
>
>
(Snip)
> Once upon a time, these kinds of stories had to be told through people
> with powers, because that was all the option there was. Now,
> possibilities are wider, leaving books that still want to play out adult
> themes with superhero-type characters to be orphans, left behind by
> mature readers with more choices and other preferred formats.
>
> Many of those explanations are too simple, though. The overall feeling I
> have after reading this issue is a vague uncertainty. The characters are
> shadows and their motivations slippery. Readers may be looking elsewhere
> because they seek more definitive reactions from their four-color
> entertainment.
I agree. PAD's posted on his weblog that the issue was designed, at
least in part, to be relentlessly dark, perhaps to shake readers out of
a conception of Lee (easier by far to call her that than Fallen Angel)
as, in fact, a hero--even a dark one. I'd never thought of her as
anything other than protagonist, though (and your observation about DC's
usual conflation of hero with protagonist may need adjusting, if some of
the books in the Focus line are any indication...), so the shock value
of the issue wasn't a factor for me. I liked it, though, for the same
reason I've liked the previous issues: there's more than enough going on
here that intriques me on various levels. I don't know that I "enjoy"
the book, but I do know that I want to see where the story goes, what
happens next.
I think you're right, though, to suggest that FA has suffered by
appearing in an editorial context (and I'd add format to that, as well)
that isn't well suited to attracting the very readers who'd be least
likely to be disturbed by its ambiguities. But that's the price I think
PAD and the book and DC will have to pay for wanting their cake and
wanting to eat it, too: certainly the early buzz around the book hinged
upon its possible connections to the DCU. I wonder why this concept
needs to be a DC book at all, in fact.
>
> Gotham Central #16
> Writer: Ed Brubaker
> Artist: Greg Scott
> DC Comics, 32 color pages, $2.50
>
> A new storyline begins with a deserving candidate overlooked for
> promotion for political reasons. A dead girl's been found in a dumpster.
> She was out celebrating the night before, as the detectives find out
> during routine investigation. It reads like the TV show Homicide, or a
> less stridently political Law & Order. Gripping, no-nonsense cop stories
> like this are rare in any medium, let alone comics.
Reading through the pages here that detail the early breaks in the
investigation reminded me (as watching NYPD Blue, Homicide, or L&0
alwasy do) of a comment once made by a friend of mine on the force in
NYC: "God, I wish it was that easy. Do you know how long it can take to
find out some of the most basic information on someone? It's not like
you gather this great trove of facts in the first few hours like you see
on TV and read in books. Sometimes, but not usually."
But what's often on display here in GC is the "fantasy" of police work,
the appealing idea that good (if sometimes grey) cops can, in fact, pull
together a workable narrative of crime in a very short time and, by
doing so, begin to make sense of the senseless. The great appeal of this
genre is that these folks get the job done, more often than not, and
that any suffering that happens along the way happens to the initial
victim and then to the hard-luck cops (usually in their personal or
professional lives, as here, though sometimes with an actual death, as
we had last issue)--our stand-ins trying to make sense of a violent world.
>
>
> I'm curious about the timing of the story, with a Christmas tree in the
> background and a mention of holiday break. There are no superheroes or
> villains this go 'round, which makes the issue more preferable to me
> than others in the series. Sadly, instead of enjoying this state of
> affairs, I'm left wondering which costume will show up when. I just
> don't know how to concentrate on this month's glass being half full.
I had the same problem. I've become so worried about the overwhelming
effects of Batman et al on this book that I, too, now read each cape or
mask-free issue while waiting for those guady shoes to drop.
>
> Justice League Adventures #28
> Writer: Jason Hall
> Pencils: Min S. Ku
> Inks: Ty Templeton
> DC Comics, 36 color pages, $2.25
>
> This issue, guest-starring the Legion of Super-Heroes, is a jam-packed
> romp through DC history. The story works directly, as a simple
> time-travel adventure in which the Justice League has to stop Kilg%re,
> but the more comics one's read, the more allusions will be appreciated.
I'll just add that this issue had me smiling on page 1, and kept it
there through the finish. Laurel Gand and Dawnstar, indeed. :-) (And the
Gand costume was all the better for Andromeda's presence in the story at
the same time.)
A good crop of books that time out, huh? Great reviews.
--
-------
Shalom, Peace, Salaam
George
Brian Doyle
"Johanna Draper Carlson" <johann...@comicsworthreading.com> wrote in
message news:6ih2g1-...@enzym.rnd.uni-c.dk...
> Aquaman #14
> Fallen Angel #8
> Gotham Central #16
> Justice League Adventures #28
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
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>
> from reading the series, an issue of nothing but beating up on someone.
Infamous to you perhaps, but I have no idea what issue you're talking about,
which one was it?
I'd add that I think you really missed a treat if you didn't read the whole
thing because of a single issue, and I'm also curious, and not ina
flamewarr-y sort of way, but real curiosity, why you let this one issue put
you off the rest, and yet you continue to read and review stuff you clearly
dislike because you see it as some dort of reviewery duty.
Michael S. Schiffer
wrote in news:6ih2g1-...@enzym.rnd.uni-c.dk:
>...
> There are plenty of other references, with reporter Kent
> Shakespeare introducing a fan (dressed in Colossal Boy's colors)
> touring the upside-down-rocket Legion clubhouse, and the
> introduction of the original, room-size mobile Computo. The best
> part, though, is when Wonder Woman and Hawkgirl are converted
> into Legion reservists, in the costumes of Laurel Gand and
> Dawnstar.
I thought the big wraparound cape-thing was Laurel Kent's (though
Diana's didn't have the little Super-family S as the clasp). Did
Laurel Gand use that outfit too?
Mike
--
Michael S. Schiffer, LHN, FCS
msch...@condor.depaul.edu
Johanna Draper Carlson
> I thought the big wraparound cape-thing was Laurel Kent's (though
> Diana's didn't have the little Super-family S as the clasp). Did
> Laurel Gand use that outfit too?
Yes. I may have been thinking of Laurel Kent, though. It all came
together in a big montage in my head with this issue.
--
Johanna Draper Carlson
Reviews of Comics Worth Reading -- http://www.comicsworthreading.com
Newly updated: Reviews of Avengers, New Mutants, Abadazad,
Aquaman, Fallen Angel, Gotham Central, JL Adventures
Dan McEwen
news:6ih2g1-...@enzym.rnd.uni-c.dk:
> Aquaman #14
> Fallen Angel #8
> Gotham Central #16
> Justice League Adventures #28
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> Aquaman #14
> Writer: John Ostrander
> Penciller: Tom Grummett
> Inker: Wade von Grawbadger
> DC Comics, 36 color pages, $2.50
> Halfway through this comic, I've learned more about the character than
> I have in a previous year's worth of issues, and all because of
> unique, well-done dialogue that fits the character. These days, too
> few creators know how to put the characters' voices above their own.
> John Ostrander should be writing more comics.
I felt the same way. I wasn't overly enamored with Aquaman during the
first 12 issues, and I was seriously considering dropping it. This
Ostrander issue was fantastic. I would love to see more of his work.
Mark J. Reed
it up.
Sounds like I'm doing the right thing by letting GC go a few issues before
picking it back up.
Thanks as ever, Johanna.
-Mark
Michael R. Grabois ... change $ to "s"
<johann...@comicsworthreading.com> wrote:
> "Michael S. Schiffer" <msch...@condor.depaul.edu> wrote:
>
>> I thought the big wraparound cape-thing was Laurel Kent's (though
>> Diana's didn't have the little Super-family S as the clasp). Did
>> Laurel Gand use that outfit too?
>
>Yes. I may have been thinking of Laurel Kent, though. It all came
>together in a big montage in my head with this issue.
I read your review and mentally substituted "Kent" for "Gand" without even
noticing it.
Did you notice what was in the trophy case on the second to last page?
Starfinger's armor, Lightning Lad's arm, a jet pack, and a statue (of
Superboy?).
The "animated" Legion's roster can be seen (in a scan from the original
episode) at
http://wf.toonzone.net/WF/superman/episodes/NewKidsInTown/Screens/Pan03.jpg
Anyone have "Adventures in the DC Universe" #11, with the first "animated"
Legion appearance, handy to compare?
--
Michael R. Grabois # http://chili.cjb.net # http://wizardimps.blogspot.com
"Do me a favor, Lightning Lad... shut up and dance!" (S/LSH 232)
Ken from Chicago
"Johanna Draper Carlson" <johann...@comicsworthreading.com> wrote in
message news:6ih2g1-...@enzym.rnd.uni-c.dk...
> Aquaman #14
> Fallen Angel #8
> Gotham Central #16
> Justice League Adventures #28
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> Aquaman #14
> Writer: John Ostrander
> Penciller: Tom Grummett
> Inker: Wade von Grawbadger
> DC Comics, 36 color pages, $2.50
>
> Everything a fill-in issue should be, as we learn who Aquaman is through
> a wide variety of opinions about him. A reporter's been assigned to do a
> story on Aquaman, so his sister sets him up with various people to talk
> about their reactions to the hero.
>
> First, a school class exaggerates some of the poor ways Aquaman's been
> portrayed over the years. One draws a violent, harpoon-handed fighter.
> (I suspect it's no coincidence that the mimicry of a child's art makes
> this version literally two-dimensional.) A girl loves the idea of the
> Aquafamily, with Aqualad, Aquagirl, and giant seahorses. A bullying kid
> sees a literal Aquaman, a being of water who's mad all the time.
>
> Later, the sister's friends envision the sea king as something out of a
> romance novel, an excuse for some undersea nookie, and a group of
Someone's been reading ATLANTIS CHRONICLES.
Peter mentioned on his weblog, www.peterdavid.net, that original DC has
planned a line of Mature Readers comics somewhere between Vertigo and the DC
Universe lines of comics, but someone at some comic shop freaked, and DC
cancelled the rest of the MR line, leaving FA all alone, neither fish nor
fowl.
> Black Mariah is what used to be called a "white slaver", selling
> kidnapped girls into prostitution. (As one would expect from comics,
> since she's named Black ___, she's also black-skinned. I know David is
> aware of such things, given his knowledge of comic history, so I note
> this here as a curiosity, not an indictment.) The Fallen Angel (it works
> better for me as a title than a name) is holding Mariah captive,
> torturing her for the location of the latest magical Maguffin.
Actually, in the previous issue, which flashbacked to FA's and BM's first
meeting, BM introduced herself as "Mariah" and that some of the
less-imaginative people around her, called her "Black Mariah".
> This vaguely reminds me of the infamous Starman issue that prevented me
> from reading the series, an issue of nothing but beating up on someone.
> There's a bit more included in this case, with flashbacks providing an
> alternate setting, but it all still revolves around just two players,
> the tormentor and the victim. Depending on whether one's speaking
> physically or mentally, the labels flip from character to character.
>
> This torture is one of the many incidents that contribute to the book's
> "Mature Readers" warning. That cover advisory is unusual for what would
> otherwise be a DCU book and likely damaging to its sales. I know I was
> surprised to see such sadistic events from our protagonist. Too often in
> DC comics, "protagonist" and "hero" are interchangeable. Here, they're
> obviously not. The Angel's actions are purposefully cruel, just because
> she can be, and because there's some murky idea of Mariah deserving it.
>
> Perhaps she does, but in this book, that doesn't make her any different
> from anyone else. I found myself agreeing with the victim when she
> pointed out that the Angel had dehumanized her to allow herself to
> torture without guilt. Mariah refuses to believe the Angel's self-pity
> and self-delusion. Her honesty makes her the more interesting character
> to me.
Peter likes to paint with the gray shades every once and awhile, as
evidenced by glimpses in his STAR TREK: NEW FRONTIER and SIR APPROPOS line
of novels. It was really on display with the relannch of his CAPTAIN MARVEL
series where Genis goes insane with the power of cosmic awareness,
nigh-omniscience. Or simply look at the bar Lee hangs out in, or the
bartender.
> Once upon a time, these kinds of stories had to be told through people
> with powers, because that was all the option there was. Now,
> possibilities are wider, leaving books that still want to play out adult
> themes with superhero-type characters to be orphans, left behind by
> mature readers with more choices and other preferred formats.
>
> Many of those explanations are too simple, though. The overall feeling I
> have after reading this issue is a vague uncertainty. The characters are
> shadows and their motivations slippery. Readers may be looking elsewhere
> because they seek more definitive reactions from their four-color
> entertainment.
<snip>
> --
> Johanna Draper Carlson
> Reviews of Comics Worth Reading -- http://www.comicsworthreading.com
> Newly updated: Reviews of Avengers, New Mutants, Abadazad
All, or much, will be made clear in the next issue.
-- Ken from Chicago
Brian Doyle
"Johanna Draper Carlson" <johann...@comicsworthreading.com> wrote in
message news:6ih2g1-...@enzym.rnd.uni-c.dk...
> Fallen Angel #8
> Gotham Central #16
> Justice League Adventures #28
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> Writer: Peter David
> Pencils: David Lopez
> Inks: Fernando Blanco
> DC Comics, 32 color pages, $2.50
>
> kidnapped girls into prostitution. (As one would expect from comics,
> since she's named Black ___, she's also black-skinned. I know David is
> aware of such things, given his knowledge of comic history, so I note
> this here as a curiosity, not an indictment.) The Fallen Angel (it works
> better for me as a title than a name) is holding Mariah captive,
> torturing her for the location of the latest magical Maguffin.
A "Black Mariah" was also the old name for a Police Wagon (Hence, irony)
and was, apropos of very little, the original name of the character who
would become Morticia Addams in the Addams Family TV series.
Andrew Stephenson
No_...@freeserve.co.uk "Brian Doyle" writes:
> A "Black Mariah" was also the old name for a Police Wagon
> (Hence, irony) and was, apropos of very little, the original
> name of the character who would become Morticia Addams in the
> Addams Family TV series.
FWIW, here is what Brewer's Dictionary of Phrase & Fable (edition
date uncertain but <=1937) says about "Black Maria" -- and please
do note that I am quoting verbatim:
The van which conveys prisoners from the police courts to jail.
There is an unsupported tradition that the term originated in
America. Maria Lee, a negress of great size and strength, kept
a sailors' boarding house in Boston, and when constables
required help it was a common thing to send for "Black Maria,"
who soon collared the refractory and led them to the lock-up.
[mention of "BM" being a nickname for a big WW-1 smoke-shell]
--
Andrew Stephenson