JUSTICE LEAGUE #1

It's a bold idea, I'll admit that. DC Comics is re-numbering every book #1 this month and most of them are getting new writers and artists. There are some new books, too, like this one, the flagship title, written by Geoff Johns and pencilled by Jim Lee. I'm actually very surprised such a bonkers idea got green lit. I bet Marvel is laughing their ass of, assuming this is a last ditch effort by a struggling, second tier company. All comics are struggling, though, and I bet DC gets a big boost this month in sales. The problem is that it won't last. The other problem is this: next September will Justice League #13 be out with Jim Lee and Geoff Johns still on board? Highly unlikely. DC isn't just re-numbering and shuffling writers and artists. They've also changed the entire universe. Superman and Batman haven't met until the final page of this issue. And superheroes in general are on the run, on the fringes. It's a new day, baby. That will make this book interesting, as it gives us a lot of story to sort through and uncover. But all of DC history is gone. That's a little ridiculous and will definitely be a problem for some books. This book in particular is a solid effort but nothing extraordinary. The art is colorful and vibrant and the banter between the Green Lantern and Batman is cute. It doesn't do enough, though, to make me care about the next issue. I've never read a mega-superhero group book that was downright awesome. They're usually all over the map and feature too many characters to let anything cohesive happen. This, really, just feels like another issue of Flashpoint. **

RACHEL RISING #1

You can't read everything, right? Just like you shouldn't make a big deal if your friends never seen The Godfather, I don't think it's a big deal that I've never read a Terry Moore comic book. He did the semi-famous Strangers in Paradise book and the sci-fi-esque Echo book. This is his newest creation. Moore does it all; he writes, draws, inks, letters. It's a one-man show. There's a price for that, though, as the book is only 18 pages and can be read in a few minutes. The premise is a good one: a girl wakes up buried alive and has to dig herself out and figure out how she got there. The big, shocking conclusion gives us another question in this mystery: is this even the same girl? If not, why does she look like Rachel and have her memories? Yeah, if she's dead than this book sucks, but I'm guessing even Moore has a better imagination. The black and white art is very nice; nature is detailed, the characters crisp. It's a good start and intriguing. **1/2

THE LEAGUE OF EXTRAORDINARY GENTLEMEN: CENTURY 1969

A new Alan Moore book is a big deal these days. He quit writing for mainstream American comics a few years back and hasn't done much lately (his mini-series, Neonomicon, finished earlier this year and was interesting). This book is part two of three in the LOEG: Century mini-series. The first book took place in 1910 and dealt with an occultist, Oliver Haddo, as well with a pirate's daughter inheriting a brutal legacy. This issue picks up the Haddo story. Haddo changes bodies through the years and is on the verge of finding a moon child that will apparently cause catastrophic changes in the world. We get to see the gang; Alan Quartermain, Mina, and Orlando in London's swingin' 60's as they attempt to thwart Haddo's grand plans at a psychedelic concert in Hyde Park. The big problem Century has is the same problem The Black Dossier had: the more interesting characters, The Invisible Man and Dr. Jeckyl and Mr. Hyde, are dead and thus not in the book anymore. There's also less action than the first two mini-series, although the occult story is right up Moore's alley. As usual with the LOEG books this is an interesting, bizarre, pornographic and engrossing read. Artist Kevin O'Neill is sloppy and often off-kilter, but his style works in this strange world. Alan Moore is obvious famous for a lot of dark, serious books like V For Vendetta and Watchmen, but I've always felt that the LOEG was his funnest and most entertaining work. The second LOEG mini-series, where the gang battled martians, is the best thing Moore ever wrote. Getting a new LOEG book is like welcoming an old friend to dinner. I felt right at home reading it and getting wrapped up in it. The coda of the book, while certainly bleak, is the exact way the second LOEG mini-series ended. It was such a great ending then, why not do it again? ***

DAREDEVIL #1

Daredevil has been dark for a very long time. Is that apropos since the main character is blind? I suppose. Bendis, Brubaker, and Diggle's runs on the book were dark, mostly crime based. Diggle brought in demons and magic, but it was still gritty and violent. Writer Mark Waid is the new writer on the book and his stamp is to make it light, airy, and fun. So far it doesn't work...at all. It is a good idea to change a book. You can't have Daredevil brooding and covered in blood for decades, can you? One problem is that Matt Murdoch is a prosecutor and thus he'll always be involved in gangsters, crime, and violence. Can you really make him happy-go-lucky? Isn't that what Spider-Man is for? The art, by Paolo Rivera, is crisp and pretty and neat. It fits the new template, but it's also barren of feeling, emotion, or oomph. The plot has Daredevil fighting The Spot, a truly lame villain, and then eventually running into Captain America. Along the way he finds a new way to live life; he smiles, appreciates things more, and jokes around. It might be positive but it's certainly not fun. I already miss the darkness. *

THE RED WING #1

Writer Jonathan Hickman killed off The Human Torch in Fantastic Four. He also started a long-delayed S.H.I.E.L.D. series that was beautiful to look at but mostly terrible to read. With The Red Wing, Hickman gets back to a creator-owned series for Image. He's brought artist Nick Pitarra with him. The big problem is that so far this is mediocre. It has to do with guys that fly Star Wars-type fighter spaceships that can travel through time. Why? Well...who knows? Who cares? Since this is merely a 4-part mini-series, will we actually get any definitive answers? Hickman comes across as being a "smart" writer. He attempts to write about space and time as if his comic books carry weight and substance. For some reason, few things connect to form a full, engrossing narrative in almost anything he's done so far. The big reason Hickman may be "one to watch" as they say is that he's had great luck in having phenomenal artists draw his books. Steve Epting has done a terrific job on FF and Dustin Weaver did some glorious spreads for S.H.I.E.L.D. Pitarra draws characters in a loose, organic way, far from the boxy, muscled heroes of 90's lore. The Red Wing certainly looks good, but so far it hasn't gotten completely off the ground. **1/2 (out of ****)

FEAR ITSELF #4 + FLASHPOINT #3

I'm looking forward to Amazing Spider-Man's big "Spider Island" event this month because in the summer I like to read guilty-pleasure books. I don't want super-serious, I want dumb fun. It fits the mood, the lightness of summer, of peaceful tranquility, mindless beach days, and not wanting to think too hard when the temperature hits 96 degrees. This is the reason I enjoyed last summer's Daredevil epic, "Shadowland," which everyone loathed. Right now there are two big event books going on; "Fear Itself" for Marvel and "Flashpoint" for DC. Fear Itself is very serious (hell, Bucky Barnes died in #3). Flashpoint is a little more fun, although still a tad dark. Both books are entertaining and nothing special. Fear Itself #4 is a gorgeous book, though, thanks to pencils by Stuart Immonen, inks by Wade Von Grawbadger (is that a real name?), and colors by Laura Martin. The book is just a feast for the eyes. The story is semi-interesting, albeit the usual heroes-band-together-to-fight-a-big-evil that defines most comic book events. Flashpoint is a little different. It's basically the plot of Back to the Future II, if you remember that. In Flashpoint #3, Batman and Cyborg free Superman from an underground, government vault. The catch, in this parallel universe, is that Superman was captured when he landed on Earth and has been held captive ever since. Now he's free. Cue #4. The art by Andy Kubert in Flashpoint is great, though the writing by Geoff Johns isn't anything particular fresh or super-exciting. These two event books are entertaining but fall short of being shockingly great. Kind of like my summer. Fear Itself #4 *** Flashpoint #3 **1/2

SCALPED #50

Maybe Erik Larsen has me spoiled. If you read Savage Dragon then you know that when a big-number issue hits (i.e. #100, #150), you're in for a very large, very special, very shocking issue. It's a big-number issue, a milestone, why not make it a special book to celebrate all the years, the hard work? Lately, though, the big issues have been retrospective issues and all-together lame, often chucking the good, main artist for a bunch of fill-in artists. I'm thinking of Ultimate Spider-Man #150 and Superman #700, which were downright awful, but Scalped #50 plays into that as well. Scalped is a great book. The art by R.M. Guera helps. His stuff is dark, edgy, detailed, and off-kilter. It fits the bleak mood to a T. The dialogue, pacing, and plot by Jason Aaron are almost always top-notch. The main character might be the biggest anti-hero (and total asshole) you've ever met, but that doesn't mean you aren't rooting for him to save the day (and stay alive). The problem I've had with this book is that it's been treading water for way too long. The premise is that Dash is an undercover F.B.I. agent that has infiltrated the nefarious, criminal world of his Indian reservation that's led and ruled by Red Crow. Eventually Red Crow will find out that Dash is undercover and the shit will hit the fan. The problem is getting to that crucial juncture. There have been a ton of fill-in issues about other characters and issues not drawn by Guera that just haven't worked. #50 is no exception. It basically follows the "history" of scalping and leads into a bunch of splash pages by guest artists. For a big issue, this is a complete letdown. It's the big 5-0...do something that actually pushes the plot forward. Do something surprising, shocking. How many Vertigo titles even make it this far? Will this book just keep stalling for another fifty issues? Seriously, dude, wrap this fucker up. * (out of ****).