Weekly Comic Review for 6/10/15
It’s a much smaller pile of comics this week as we get back from Convergence.
Constantine the Hellblazer #1 – The first thing that hit me about this issue was the artwork. Totally not my thing. They are really setting up his personality though, bringing out some of his asshole-ish nature that tends to come out. They also really push his bisexuality. One of the best part of the book is seeing him hit on a big burly bear bartender. (Didn’t plan on that alliteration but it really works.) Sadly, just as the flirting is getting going, a female demon drags him off to have sex and then pulls him into a really big mess. All the ghosts of the people he wronged that hang out around him is kinda weird though. I’m not really sure if I like the book or not. The quirkiness of it is kind of interesting but, like I said, I’m not font of the art. Plus, and this may be because it was a first issue, everything in it seemed really rushed. I am interested in seeing if they follow up much with the gay side of John or if they pushed it more in the first issue to draw people in and will drop it for the most part.
Earth 2: Society #1 – The issue jumps between “present” time (one year after the landing) and where things left off at the end of Convergence. The present day stuff mostly focuses on Batman/Dick Grayson. He’s chasing down Terry Sloane who is also being chased down by Johnny Sorrow. (I wonder what they are going to do with him given who he was on the old Earth 2.) The whole planet landing post Convergence was a big mess too. I have a feeling this is going to be a lot of now and then flipping back and forth which I really can’t stand.
Fox #3 – We get the return of Madam Satan as she attempts some cross between hitting on the Fox (EWWWW!!!) and trying to capture him for the bounty. Meanwhile, other villains go after his son, the Ghost Fox, thinking it’s him. The She-Fox is back in costume though to help keep an eye on her son. I’m really not sure what to make of this Mr. Smiley guy either.
Harley Quinn #17 – Harley Quinn and her team of Harleys are getting into the swing of things as they get out there and handle all sorts of stuff. It’s definitely going to take a while to get used to all the new personalities. Harley is also making sure that they are able to do their vigilante work even if it means blackmailing people. Meanwhile, the team’s first big problem shows up in the form of a radiated, psychotic Popeye wannabe. Yikes!
Marvel Zombies #1 – Battleworld/Secret Wars tie-in – As big as the whole Marvel Zombies thing is, they aren’t the reason I picked it up. It’s because of the main character, Else Bloodstone. I’ve always liked the Bloodstone characters for some reason so I had to check this out. It turns out Elsa is the commander protecting the wall against the zombies. In a battle with zombie Azazel, sheends up getting dropped in the middle of the zombie zone where she runs into some kid who doesn’t know who he is. They cross zombie versions of Doctor Octopus and Juggernaut. The bloodstone activates in the latter battle so I’m waiting to see what more they do with that. I think I’m going to have to check out more of this one.
Starfire #1 – I read the first issue or two of Red Hood and the Outlaws. That’s all I know about Starfire in the New 52. She came off as a slut and a bimbo and just not a really nice person. Following that, I wasn’t sure what to expect out of this series. Let’s just say that what I found I never saw coming. I think everyone’s seen her more modest looking outfit. Well, to go along with that, she now has the naivete of the character in Teen Titans Go. She has problems with things like idioms and metaphors which usually cause thought balloons filled with pictures of a comical nature. She doesn’t even understand the concept of money. This really doesn’t seem like the character I read about before so I’m not sure if this is a reboot following Convergence or what. We get introduction to the supporting cast as she shows up in Key West just in time for a major storm. It’s a cute book but this simple minded Starfire could get real old real quick as the main character.
For just 6 books, it’s definitely a mix of styles. With 4 first issues, it’s definitely going to be a bit before we know how they are really going to go. The top 3 definitely go to Harley Quinn, Marvel Zombies, and Starfire though.
