I'm not sure if you've heard, but we comic fans tend to be a pretty passionate and vocal crowd. Every week we shell out our hard earned cash on new comics, so it's only fair we spend a good deal of time talking about the pros and cons in each issue. In a perfect world, every issue would be pure gold. Sadly, we don't live in a perfect world and sometimes there are moments in comics that make us take a step back and say to ourselves, "Wait, what?!"
So, every week (assuming you all find this segment tolerable) I'm going to address two things I loved in my new comics and two things I wasn't especially fond of. If the week is particularly awesome (or even bad), I'll have a bonus rant/rave added. I wish I could read every new comic, but sadly I don't have the cash or even attention span for such a chore. This means there might be great (or terrible) scenes I've missed. If you think something is rant/rave worthy, please feel free to bring it up.
Rant: Green Lantern Simon Baz eluding the Justice League
Okay, Simon Baz's move here was definitely a smart one. There's no way he could take on this team and there's no way he could outrun them, so trying to confuse them while he sneaks away is definitely a logical option. But should I really believe that the likes of Flash and Superman would have trouble following roughly a dozen glowing cars?
Why is Superman picking them up and looking inside when they not only have windows, but he's also sporting x-ray vision? Why is Flash standing around instead of chasing down each car and getting a quick glimpse inside to see if he's found Baz? This by no means took away from the overall quality of the issue but it certainly made me feel like Superman and Flash's effectiveness were being downplayed here. Do you think it was really an obstacle too difficult for Barry and Kal-El?
Rave: The loss of Deadpool's inner voices
Opinions are sure to be mixed and I'm pretty confident I'm in the minority on this one, but I was happy to see DEADPOOL #1 was free of Wade's inner voices. "What!? They're hysterical, fool!" Hear me out first, random reader. The multiple voices in his head are actually relatively new compared to the Merc with a Mouth's entire history. The simple fact is he was hilarious for years before the numerous voices in his head (okay, maybe every now and then he was just downright dislikable) and writers Brian Posehn and Gerry Duggan proved he can once again deliver laughs without appearing entirely off his rocker.
I don't know about you, but I like my Deadpool to bring the crazy while still maintaining a slightly level head (Rick Remender also accomplishes this over in UNCANNY X-FORCE). We're only one issue into the new run, but so far Posehn/Duggan have managed to succeed in that regard. Deadpool's consistently funny without being irritating and that's certainly a tough feat for many writers. I won't be upset if the multiple voices return, but for now it's nice to have a bit of a break from the mess going on inside his mind. Are you happy they're gone or do you hope they'll return?
Rant: Damian's personality
I haven't been following WORLD'S FINEST but I couldn't resist checking out issue 6 because Damian was front and center on the cover. I've really grown to adore the obnoxious child over the year, especially because of writer Peter Tomasi's take on the character over in the pages of BATMAN & ROBIN. Bruce Wayne's son is an arrogant and unpleasant brat, but beneath the ego there's a degree of charm that makes him so darn lovable. You can't help but feel for the character and root for him. Sadly, this charm was nowhere to be found in WORLD'S FINEST #6 and he came off as merely annoying. I went into the issue wanting to see Damian kick all kinds of butt yet I left wishing Power Girl did far more than give him a light kick on the tush. I disliked him that much.
Robin's immaturity might take over every now and then (he is a kid after all), but despite that he's still absurdly brilliant. Talia al Ghul made him go through extensive physical and mental training his entire life. The kid could could probably stomp any of us in Scrabble ten times out of ten, so why is he calling Huntress a thief four times in the issue? I get it; she technically is because she was stealing from Wayne Industries. One could try to justify this as Damian using the word over and over to insult her, but it felt far too repetitive and it was clear the title wasn't agitating Huntress at all. Surely Damian has way more insults in his vocabulary and dubbing her that time and time again was just overly redundant.
Also, "Yours can die with you" is really how he responds to Huntress talking about secrets? I get Damian has a dark past and even crossed the line with Nobody, but yeesh, the kid isn't exactly a murderer nowadays. The remark felt like an unnecessary idle threat, especially after suspecting she's a former member of the Bat-family. I could absolutely see this version of Damian talking to Jason Todd and saying something goofy like, "You betrayed my father. Prepare to die for your treachery!" I'm still going to pick up the next issue because Damian is sticking around (I'm a fanboy like that), but I can't say I have very high hopes for his portrayal after this experience.
Rave: Geoff Johns' brilliant banter
Geoff Johns hasn't made me laugh this hard since AQUAMAN #1 and JUSTICE LEAGUE #1. Hero vs hero encounters happen all the time and often with no solid justification. Because of this, it was natural to think Baz was actually going to fight the Justice League after the last cliffhanger. Thankfully, Johns addresses how ridiculous that is in this case, having Baz point out that there's no way he could take them on.
The shocked expression on his face as he kneels before (ZOD!) the team is priceless. Remarking that Superman alone would wreck him and he might be able to take Batman gave me a huge laugh. Batman might be at the end of a lot of Johns' jokes, but just keep in mind how easy it was for Wayne to humiliate Hal Jordan when he swiftly took off his power ring. The Guy Gardner remark by Flash was just icing on the cake. Thanks for the lols, Geoff.
Bonus Rave: AoA Nightcrawler's most insane teleport ever
We've seen teleporation used to take off body parts and drop a person from great heights, but this was disturbingly brilliant. Let's just say Blob was too durable for Kurt, so he found a way to attack his soft and gushy organs. No words will do this justice, so go check out this week's Best Battles for the painful panels.
Gregg Katzman is a freelance writer for Comic Vine and IGN Entertainment.
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