The New 52 Part 5: The Dark

            Well, after a two month hiatus, it’s finally time for me to be a complete nerd once again and finish up the first run of the New 52 and this time we’ll be looking at The Dark.  Now, I’m going to apologize in advance if this article seems a little lax, as their really weren’t too many lines in this section that I loved or hated and as a result, I don’t really have too much to say about them.  Not to mention I read a good chunk of these back in February before I got distracted by Mass Effect and had a good chunk of it written out then.  Unfortunately due to technical problems I lost that entire document and had to start from scratch and I was too lazy to reread all the first five issues of these comic.  I’ll also be including my thoughts on Issues 6-8 as they’ve all come out and it is necessary for my reviews to be valid.   So here it is at last.  The Illusive One’s Review of The New 52 Part 5: The Dark.

Justice League: Dark

            First on our list for the day is Justice League: Dark, and I have to say, this one really impressed me and is, in my opinion, the best line with Justice League in the title.  In the first five issues the plot involves various magic using heroes, anti-heroes and possible villains as they try to stop an insane witch from destroying the world in an uncontrolled fury.  In Issues 6-8 it crosses over with I, Vampire in which they help the vampire hunters of that series stop an ancient evil from taking over the world. 

            So, what works with this particular line?  Well, for starters, the art direction is good and the story moves at a decent pace.  The plot involving magic is fascinating and keeps the reader wondering what will come out next.  The story involving the witch/enchantress was good and kept the reader involved and the second part featured really great action and fantastic crossovers as the editing worked perfectly with I, Vampire.  The characters were also really enjoyable.  Whereas in JL:I they seemed a little to on the light side, and the ones in Justice League were unlikable douche bags, they had just the right amount here.  They weren’t anti heroic enough to where they came off as emo but still not light enough to where I thought they didn’t seem like people.  And that’s what works about them.  They do seem like they are actual people with real problems.

            However, there are some things that will probably keep some people away.  For as fascinating as the magic concepts are, it can get really confusing and at times a little overly complex, and at times you aren’t sure what the hell is actually going on and this does drag the story down.  While the characters are good, they’re another group of C listers and people may not be as interested in them.

All around the problem mentioned above do drag this line down and keeps it out of my Read section as I can easily see why someone wouldn’t like it because of those things.  But even with that in mind, it is the best story with Justice League in the title.  If you can get past the fact that these characters aren’t A Listers, or some of the confusing aspects of the story, then I recommend you give this one a look.

Verdict

Browse

Swamp Thing

            Holy Hell!  This one is good and easily one of the best of the New 52.  Now, to be honest, I went into this line not really knowing what to expect.  I was vaguely familiar with the character and knew that Alan Moore was involved with the early stages of the series, (although contrary to popular belief, he did not co-create it), but other than that, I didn’t know much.  But for a newcomer like me, this line was perfect.  It follows Dr. Alec Holland after he has become human again, (they never exactly explain how), as he is once again call upon to become Swamp Thing to battle and evil force known as The Rot. 

            As I mentioned before this line is great but there were three major things that sold me on it.  First was the mythology and the forces of The Green, The Red and The Rot and how they were all in constant battle with one another.  It was something that kept me engrossed the whole time and was nothing short of incredible.  The second was the protagonist, as he was incredibly compelling and you sympathize with him as well as his not wanting to turn into one of those creatures again.  The third was the villains and just how demented and evil they were.  The art work is also really good, with the gore and Rot creatures particularly grotesque and works with the comic perfectly.

            The only real issue some people may have with this comic line is that it takes a while to get started.  But other than that, it had great characters, great villains, a great plot, great art work, and great concept to tie it all together.  Easily on of the best of the New 52 and one that I highly recommend that you read.

Verdict

Read

Animal Man

            Next on our list is Animal Man, or as I like to call it, Swamp Thing’s Less Talented Brother because that’s the biggest problem with this line in a nutshell.  It basically has the same concepts and villains as Swamp Thing, only not done as well.  But I’m getting ahead of myself.  As you probably already know this series revolves around Buddy Baker, also known as the Animal Man as he to battles the Rot for the Red, (a faction of nature mentioned in Swamp Thing), while also trying to deal with the effects his battles are having on his family.

            As I mentioned before, it ultimately comes off as Swamp Thing’s less talented brother, with inferior artwork and concepts that aren’t explained nearly as well or draw you in as much and because of this, you’re better off reading Swap Thing as it’s the superior story.  However, that doesn’t mean that this line isn’t good.  Buddy Baker is a compelling protagonist and it’s refreshing to see a hero who actually has a family and a life and real day to day problems.  The concepts, especially concerning the Red, are good, (but I’ll have to stay vague for spoiler purposes) and do keep the reader engaged.  There are also a lot of creature designs that are very Lovecraftian and I just love it.  And like Swamp Thing, a lot of the Rot creatures are grotesque and I just love the way they consume their victims.

            Again, it’s a good story but I would recommend Swamp Thing before I would go to this one.  On its own, it’s decent, but compared to the former, it’s just ok.

Verdict

Browse

Frankenstein: Agent of S.H.A.D.E.

            This series is a little odd to talk about because it has a very bizarre concept.  It follows, (and I am not kidding about this), the Frankenstein Monster as he battles various monsters and organizations for a shady government organization, (how many does that make now?) known as S.H.A.D.E.  The first four issues follows the monster and his team of mutated humanoid creatures as they battle extra-terrestrial creatures who want to consume the Earth, (how many aliens does that make who want to destroy and/or take over the world?).  Issue 5 follows a brief battle with OMAC, Issue 6 and 7, another mutant from Frankenstein’s past and an attempted elimination of S.H.A.D.E., and Issue 8 following the hunting of a creature unexpectedly close to Frankenstein.

            They made great use of the alien creatures in the first four issues and the various ways that they had to kill them.  The art direction is good as is the action and the characters are interesting.  The concept of S.H.A.D.E. is also a decent one but I’m starting to question just how many shady government organizations they can have in this universe, (by my count it’s around five or six).  I also like the way the stories are a bit more episodic and don’t really follow any apparent long term story as it allows the character to fight new creatures and the readers to see new things and I feel that that’s a strength in its own right.

            However the characters ultimately leave something to be wanted and aren’t nearly as fleshed out as they should be and we don’t really connect with any of them.  While I do like the kid of episodic thing they have it results in storylines that leave something to be wanted.  Their doesn’t seem to be any rules regarding the creatures, in terms of what they can survive as we see them go through all kinds of hell and get through it relatively easily and without much harm and this is something that I find really distracting.

            While this one does have some good ideas going for it, I really wouldn’t call it great.  I can’t exactly pinpoint what it is but everything about it just leaves something to be wanted.  But still, it’s a decent enough read and I’d recommend getting your own opinion on it.

Verdict

Browse

I, Vampire

            I, Vampire is a line that I find a little difficult to talk about because I don’t feel much towards this line, (love or hate), and what I do feel towards it is mixed.  The storyline follows vampire Andrew Bennett as he tries to keep his former lover, Mary Seward from wiping out humanity with her army of vampires.  And that’s really all it is in terms of plot.

            So what works about it?  Well, it has great action and the crossovers with Justice League: Dark was well done.   I liked the way they actually made vampires bad guys and had less in common with the vampires of modern pop culture.   The problem that I have with it is that it doesn’t really do anything new.  I just feel like I’ve heard this story before in a dozen different places and I just can’t bring myself to support it because of that.  However, the crossovers with Justice League: Dark in Issues 6-8 make it worth wile and the payoff is pretty damn good and you should read it if only for that reason or if you want to see more traditional vampires and Batman fighting off an army of them in Gotham City.  But other than that, it’s just ok.

Verdict

Browse

Resurrection Man

            I have to admit that when I first heard about the idea of Resurrection Man, I honestly thought it was one of the dumbest things that I had ever heard.  A guy who can’t die?  Well, you could say the same thing about any of the D.C. heroes.  They die all the damn time yet somehow keep coming back.  But then I actually read the comic and holy hot damn was it good.  It follows Mitch Shelly, The Resurrection Man who has no memory of whom he is and has the unusual ability to resurrect after death with superhuman abilities that change after each death while the forces of heaven, hell, mysterious corporations and government agencies hunt him for their own reasons.

            What makes the story in this line work is the great mystery involving the protagonist, who has no memory of who he is which makes him incredibly compelling.  You want to know who he is and find out how and why he has his powers.  The actual story arcs work very well, sometimes taking an anthology route and others that involving people who claim to know him and angels and demons who want to claim his soul.  It’s also incredibly fascinating to see how he uses all these powers and what he’ll have after he dies again.  Finally, the art direction is great as are the action panels.

            The only things that may keep some people away is the fact that the character is a D list one and their area few questionable design decisions, (wired fan boy pleasing stuff with hints of lesbianism).  Other than that, however this is a great line and, in my opinion, one of the best of the New 52.  If you can get past the fact that this guy is a D lister I highly recommend that you give it a read as it’s worth both your time and money. 

Verdict

Read

Demon Knights

            Finally, we have Demon Knights, a line that takes place thousands of years before events of most of the current comics in the Dark Ages.  The storyline follows Jason Blood and his demon counterpart, Etrigan and various other immoral characters included Madame Xanadu, the female Shining Knight, (although the character doesn’t acknowledge being a female so I don’t know what’s up with him/her), and Vandal Savage before he became a big super villain of the D.C. Universe and a few other characters as they try to defend a village from a massive army that is attempting to invade a nearby kingdom.

            Now you would think that given my love for series like First Law or the Shannara series that this one would be right up my alley.  Well….Ok let’s just start with the good.  For starters, the art direction is fantastic with everything looking amazing.  The action is also great, especially when the full blow battle starts in the later issues.  The characters are all likeable and fascinating in different ways, and I think it’s really cool to see some of Vandal Savage’s pre-super villain exploits.  However, it takes a while for things to get started and I found some of the concepts involving Camelot and Merlin to be more than a little confusing and felt that it could have used better explanation and the actual story doesn’t really impress me.  It’s just ok.

            All around if you want to see a fantasy comic line, then you could do a lot worse.  However, I think that if you want a good fantasy story, you better off looking for novels by Joe Abercrombie or George R.R. Martin.  But as it stands, this one is just ok and is one that I recommend that you get your own opinion on.

Verdict

Browse

            And that’s it for my look at The Dark.  It took me over two months but I finally finished them all.  But out of all of them, this one was the least interesting.  I mean, Swamp Thing and Resurrection Man were both great and I really enjoyed Justice League: Dark, but those aside none of these lines really made that big of an impression.  Not that any of them were horrible, but most of them were just ok and I suggest that you get your own opinions on them.  Next time I’ll be reviewing The Edge and from what I’ve read of them so far, they’re frikkin awesome so I’ll probably have a lot more to say in that article.  So until next time, this is The Illusive One signing off.

Justice League of America: The Injustice League

            Around the same time I was reading The Killing Joke and Across The Universe: The D.C. Stories of Alan Moore I came across a more modern comic, revolving around The Justice League entitled Justice League of America: Sanctuary.  The premise of the story was that most of the supervillains in the D.C. Universe had been abducted by Task Force X, a.k.a. The Suicide Squad and the few that remain go to The Justice League for protection which put them at odds with Task Force X.  While the premise was good, the comic just left me confused and I only later found out that it was actually a continuation of another comic called The Injustice League and seemed only to be a bridge between it and the Final Crisis crossover event. 

            Now, I'm just going to be very honest about this.  Story ordering with comics confuses the hell out of me.  With this, I wasn't sure if this comic was supposed to be a direct predecessor to Final Crisis, if it took place before Countdown to Final Crisis, or in a parallel dimension to Countdown Final Crisis, at the same time, or if the writers were just flat out lying to me by ending Sanctuary with it's To Be Continued in Final Crisis bit.  It was just a nightmare trying to figure this out. 

            On top of that, just trying to figure out which Crisis they were talking about was a bit of a challenge.  When they said Final Crisis I honestly wasn’t sure at the time which Crisis event they were talking about.  Was it Crisis on Infinite Earths?  Was it Infinite Crisis?  Crisis on Earth-Two?  Identity Crisis?  I just couldn't figure it out because there were so many damn spins on the Crisis title that it made it difficult to figure out just which one they were talking about.  Finally I did the logical thing and looked on the last page of Sanctuary where it said To Be Continued in Final Crisis which sort of cleared it up for me but the brought about the questions stated above.  To put it simply there are just to many events with Crisis in the title and it's annoying and confusing and everything mentioned above are more or less the reasons I've had such a hard time getting into comics.

            So now that I've gotten all that out of my system, you’re probably wondering what the hell am I trying to get at.  Well, I just wanted to state how confusing comics can be for me before I actually get into today's review and why I do so few of them.  So what shall I be reviewing today?  Well, the comic Justice League of America: The Injustice League, the first in what I would like to call, The Illusive One's Final Crisis Trilogy.  Over the next few days I shall be reviewing this comic, Sanctuary, and finally Final Crisis.  I'm not going to get into Countdown or any of the other Final Crisis buildup because again, that would just be way too confusing for me and Linkara has already made it clear that I should stay as far away from that crap as humanly possible.  So for now it’s time for part one of The Final Crisis Trilogy.  This is the Illusive One's Review of Justice League of America: The Injustice League.

            The plot involves Lex Luthor, The Joker and Cheetah as they form an alliance of supervillains with the purpose of taking down the Justice League and, you guessed it, take over the world. 

Couldn't Resist

           

            And that's all you really need to know about the story so let’s start digging into the pros and cons.

            On the positive side, there was a lot of great dialog.  Most of it consisted of simple exchanges between the characters but the conversations were extremely enjoyable and there were a lot of really cleaver moments that really stuck out.  The most notable of which was a lot of Batman's dialog and an exchange between Hal Jordan and John Stewart, where they directly address the issue of having two Green Lanterns on Earth.  It was also interesting to see just how Lex Luthor controlled all these villains.  Usually alliances like these rarely work out but it was interesting to see how he kept it all together.  On the same note, I also really liked the traps Luthor set up for the Justice League and how the heroes keep falling into them.  Most of them were really clever and kept the reader on his or her toes and wondering just how they would escape said traps or how Luthor would trap them.

I also really liked the general drawing style of this comic.  To put it simply, I thought everything was really well drawn, colored and looked the way it should look.  Right alongside that, I felt that the action panels were well done as well and did a good job depicting the action.

            On the negative side, it didn't really seem like much more than an excuse then to get a lot of the super heroes and villains in one room to beat the crap out of one another.  There were a few moments that had a lot of depth at the beginning but after that it became pretty shallow and just a typical hero verses villain type story.  I also felt that the climax was a tad underwhelming and there were a couple of plot holes at this point that you could drive a truck through.  Not to mention a lot of the villains you see in the Injustice League never actually fight or have any dialog and that might irritate some people.

           

            All around, I'd say this was a comic definitely worth reading.  The dialog was enjoyable, the writing was all around good, the action was well depicted and it was just cool to see the way the villains all worked off one another.  If you're a comic book reader, then definitely check it out because it's worth your time.

All Around

7.75/10

            So that's it for part one.  Check in next time my thoughts on the follow-up to this story, Sanctuary.  So until next time this is The Illusive One signing off.