Rebirth Review Month Week Four: Deathstroke, Supergirl, Blue Beetle, Teen Titans

Welcome to the final week of Rebirth Review Month. 17 down, 4 to go, so let's get right down to the last leg of this series I started last Summer.

Written by Christopher Priest

Art by Carlo Pagulayan

Deathstroke had his own solo series when the New 52 began, only to be cancelled at 20 issues. He would get his own title again a year later, probably due to the character's renewed popularity from his appearances in the "Batman: Arkham Origins" video game and the "Arrow" TV series. This title would continue on before being relaunched for Rebirth. I've never read Deathstroke's solo titles, and I've only been familiar with him in an antagonistic role (my first introduction to the character being in the Teen Titans cartoon where he was voiced by Ron Perlman). As my first Deathstroke book, I have to say it didn't really have an impact on me.
The issue involves Deathstroke being hired to kill the Clock King, who's under protection of a warlord known as Jazaki. As it turns out though, Jazaki is an associate of Deathstroke, so he allows him to do his business with the Clock King. As Deathstroke arrives to make the kill, Clock King reveals someone close to Slade is being held captive nearby, and will only give Slade more information if he allows him to live. Slade agrees and infiltrates a compound and finds his old mentor, Billy Wintergreen. It ends there because this is once again more of a prologue issue than a one-shot. Besides that, there's also flashback scenes to when Slade was younger and on a hunting trip with his sons, and let's just say he is NOT a good father.
Much like my feelings about Suicide Squad, it's just hard for me to be interested when the villains are the protagonist of a story. The flashback scenes are probably my favorite part of the issue because of how it presents Slade as a complete bastard. But the present scenes were actually kind of hard to follow for me. I actually had to find a synopsis online to figure out what was going on. I think it's because I'm not clear on the basics of how the life of an assassin is when it comes to contracts or politics.
At the moment, I just don't have an opinion either way on this book. I've heard good things about this series, so maybe when I actually read the first full storyline, I'll be a bit more clear on whatever's going on.

Written by Steve Orlando

Art by Emanuela Luppachino

Much like the Suicide Squad, the latest relaunch of Supergirl was going to take cues from an outside source, in this case being her hit TV show. Comic wise, I haven't really had much experience with Supergirl aside from her guest appearances in the Superman books and being part of the Justice League United book. But Supergirl was a book I was planning to try out for Rebirth anyway, for the art if anything, even though the artist for this Rebirth one-shot is different. All that said, let's dive in.

Working with the Department of Extra-Normal Operations to regain her powers, Supergirl is in an experimental craft powered with a Phantom Drive to get her close enough to the sun to recharge her Kryptonian cells. After she launches, a side effect from the Phantom Drive results in a Kryptonian, Lar-On, coming out of the Phantom Zone; as it would turn out, he was exposed to red Kryptonite and quarantined in the Phantom Zone by Zor-El, Supergirl's father. Because of this exposure he turns into a large red werewolf like creature. As he can only speak Kryptonian, he can't communicate with the DEO troops he encounters. In space, Supergirl is able to hear the trouble through the comms before they go out as she gets closer to the sun. Thankfully, her powers return and she flies quickly back to Earth, sporting a brand new suit similar to her original costume and much better than her New 52 one, to face Lar-On. Since she can also speak Kryptonian, they're able to communicate. She tells him of Krypton's destruction and he blames Zor-El for him having lost everything, wanting to kill her for revenge. Supergirl is able to talk him down, telling him that she knows how he feels and that his family wouldn't want him to honor them with more death. He's placed in a stasis pod where the DEO will work to cure him of his red Kryptonite sickness. The issue wraps with Kara officially joining with the DEO, being placed with Agents Jeremiah and Eliza Danvers as their foster daughter, and going to high school, not to mention a tease for Cyborg Superman for the upcoming first arc.

As a fan of the TV show, adding some of those elements helps had some familiarity for me, like her foster parents being part of the cast. While they are taking cues from the show, there are some differences. For one, Kara's still a teenager. Then there's the director of the DEO, Cameron Chase, who isn't on the show. From what I can tell, she's filling the role of both J'onn J'onzz (Martian Manhunter) and Alex Danvers, since J'onn's doing his own thing in the comics and having Alex be the director would be weird if her parents work as agents under her. But my main takeaway of how this issue reminds me of the show is how Kara handles Lar-On, as she's able to end the conflict without pummeling him; this is something she's attempted and able to do before.

While the art isn't the same as it will be when the main book starts, it's still good. Nothing that really stands out, but still good.

Overall, I was quite entertained by this issue and look forward to how the first arc goes.

Written by Keith Giffen

Art by Scott Kolins

My first real introduction to Blue Beetle was the "Batman: The Brave and the Bold" animated series, and that goes for both Ted Kord and the current version, Jaime Reyes. Reyes' version reminded me of Spider-Man and Venom, being a teenage bug-based hero and having to work with an alien "partner" bonded to him. I didn't read the first Blue Beetle book when the New 52 began, but through a Linkara retrospective video, I learned that the book suffered from rehashing the origins from the old continuity as well as constant shifts in where the book was going, eventually being cancelled after 16 issues. Ted Kord, who had been killed and remained dead until the end of the pre-Flashpoint continuity, was introduced into the New 52 at the end of the "Forever Evil" event. As far as I can tell, Rebirth is Ted's first appearance since then. Since Ted and Jaime never met before, I thought it was a good idea of putting the two together on a book, giving fans of both characters an outlet.

The issue begins with a splashpage of Blue Beetle battling our villains of the issue, Rack and Ruin, with Ted in the background propelling down from a rope coming out of the Bug, his hightech airship. The thing is though, the story doesn't actually start until the next page. This first page was kind of like a second cover, giving us some info about what the issue entails. From what I remember, the very early Spider-Man comics in the 60's used to do this. It may be because of that that I enjoy that they did it here, giving a bit of an old-school feel, while also (again) reminds me of Spider-Man. Unlike this page though, Ted doesn't actually come to help in the actual story. So it is like a second cover, and one that misleads at that.

The story actually begins with Jaime heading off to school and meeting up with his friends, Paco and Brenda, walking in on a bit of a ridiculous argument. The way it's written though also makes me think this is something Brian Michael Bendis would write in Ultimate Spider-Man (both Peter and Miles eras). It's worth noting that they both know he's Blue Beetle too, which reminds me of another teen hero, Danny Phantom, whose friends Sam and Tucker would help him out. Anyway, Jaime gets a call from Ted who tells him of a hostage situation with the takers calling out Blue Beetle. Jaime has to bail on school, meets Ted on the Bug, and they head to the scene.

The best word to describe Beetle's battle with Rack and Ruin is "awkward". Ted's talking to Jaime through a comm, but it doesn't seem like they have a good flow going yet. Ted isn't quick to give Jaime advice, not to mention it seems that he's having more fun than Jaime is, which leads to a lot of bickering. There's also the fact that the scarab does have a mind of its own and Jaime has to use some his own strength to keep it in check. The two villains get the best of Jaime, so Ted fires a gas bomb in and the two retreat. It's worth noting that the two seem to have been hired to take on Beetle and analyze his skills, also taking note that he has someone helping him.

Afterwards, we get a retread of Jaime and Ted's segment from the main Rebirth one-shot, as well as Dr. Fate appearing to tell Ted that Jaime's scarab is magic instead of alien technology. Time for a history lesson: in the golden age, there was another Blue Beetle who used the scarab, which at the time was believed to be an ancient artifact. Like other characters in the silver age, Blue Beetle got a makeover as a more tech-based hero. When Jaime was introduced, they brought back the scarab and revealed it was alien technology sent to Earth by a conquering race known as the Reach, sending scarabs to bond with a planet's inhabitant to help them in taking over said planet. The scarab that came to Earth though was corrupted, forming a partnership with its host rather than taking it over. I don't know how I feel about this change Dr. Fate is talking about. This appears to be another case of retconning the retcon. It might be too early to judge, but at the moment, it seems unnecessary.

The issue ends with Brenda's aunt Amparo apparently being the one who hired Rack and Ruin, not liking the idea of Beetle having someone helping him. Hmm, a friend of the hero has a villainous relative? There's another Spider-Man similarity!

So overall, I quite enjoyed this issue. I know I kept referencing how much I was reminded of Spider-Man, but not only is Spider-Man my favorite superhero, but he is pretty much the archetype of the teenage superhero, so comparisons aren't hard to make. Ted and Jaime's relationship at this point is interesting. Ted wants their partnership to be like Batman and Robin, but it's hardly that. It's not even like Bruce and Terry in Batman Beyond. This version of Ted is hardly the veteran hero of before, and like I said, he doesn't seem to take it as seriously as Jaime. If anything it'd be like if Dick was monitoring Damian. Or a more apt comparison would be if Peter Parker mentored Miles Morales if he was bonded to the Venom symbiote. All that said though, it does give us something fresh, even if the bickering can be annoying.

Like the other Rebirth books, I was already planning to pick up the first Blue Beetle volume, but after reading this, I may considering continuing reading Blue Beetle even past that.

Written by Ben Percy

Art by Jonboy Meyers

As I've mentioned in past posts, the Teen Titans have had it rough the last few years. Besides the "Go!" cartoon, their New 52 incarnation has not been the best run to say the least. Considering we're on the final Rebirth one-shot, I guess this would be the last instance for me to say that this is yet another mess for the initiative to clean up.

Damian Wayne, the current Robin, had briefly been a part of the Teen Titans before "Flashpoint" but clearly had trouble working with others. But now that the character has had years to grow, surely the time was right to place him on DC's flagship adolescent team. As we'll see in a moment though, he might not have grown too much. The other members announced for this relaunch were Beast Boy, Starfire, and Raven (three characters most people will associate with the Titans), as well as the New 52 version of Wally West, now the new Kid Flash (not to be confused with the pre-Flashpoint Wally West/Flash in "Titans"). From some standpoint, this new version of the team could probably be seen as similar to the line-up of the cartoon, though that's something that isn't displayed in this issue, leaving to the core team building for when the proper series begins.

The issue is pretty much showing what our characters have been up to. Beast Boy is renting a house in the Hollywood Hills and throwing a party. Starfire is investigating human trafficking in the Caribbean. Raven is sneaking into an art museum after hours to be by herself. Wally is running across Central City as Kid Flash to blow off some steam. The four are all knocked out in some way and restrained with power inhibitors in a machine that looks like the one from "The Incredibles". As they all awake, they're greeted by Damian, with his pet giant dragon bat Golitah, who says they're probably wondering why he's brought them all together.

So yeah, Damian kidnapping his future teammates isn't really good for a first impression, for both them and new readers. But as someone who's been following Damian since his creation in 2006, this is right up his alley. As much as the character has grown since then, he can still be a little bastard. There was a brief scene in the main Rebirth one-shot with Damian blowing out candles on a birthday cake indicating he's now 13 years old. So now he's officially a teenager, and apparently his first idea is to build his own Teen Titans. Kids these days, right?

Anyway, as I've grown to appreciate the Teen Titans as a whole lately (which can probably be chalked up to nostalgia for the better days), I can say that the characters are written well and accurately. The art is pretty good too. I'd say it's anime inspired, which is a good fit for the Teen Titans for a number of reasons. From what I heard though, the artist left a book shortly after it started, which kind of sucks. I'd say this issue is almost perfect, and while I'd bring up my problems with it, it's honestly just nitpicking and really not worth mentioning.

I'm not sure which will be better between this and the other Titans book, but I think they'll both have their own aspects that make them good.

That's all folks. My Rebirth Review series is done. I hope you've enjoyed my analyses of each one-shot and that they've given you some ideas of which books to pick up for yourself. For the most part, while some books will definitely be better than others, I'd say Rebirth is a promising new era for DC Comics.

Rebirth Review Month Week Three: Batgirl and the Birds of Prey, The Hellblazer, Red Hood and the Outlaws, Suicide Squad

We're half-way through Rebirth Review Month, so let's not waste time with another long introduction (besides this one).

Written by Julie and Shawna Benson

Art by Claire Roe

Since being paralyzed by the Joker, former Batgirl Barbara Gordon had spent the remainder of the pre-Flashpoint timeline confined to a wheelchair, but still operated as Oracle, a tech genius who could relay intel to Batman or any other hero who needed her help. But when the New 52 began, it was decided for Barbara to get back on her feet and become Batgirl again. Oh, but she was still crippled and operated as Oracle for a time...she just got better. If this was in the Marvel universe, I'd say it was probably a trip to Europe. That usually works for the Osborns. Anyway, I always felt making Barbara Batgirl again was a step backwards for her character. It takes away a physically disabled character that could be looked up to, as well as the previous Batgirl, Stephanie Brown. Steph wouldn't make her debut in the New 52 until 2014, where she once again became Spoiler. Storywise, I've heard her solo book had its ups and downs due to editorial interventions. As for the Birds of Prey, it's a book that just didn't pique my interest because of how different it was from the previous continuity, not to mention it got really bad leading up to its cancellation.

Once again, time for Rebirth to clean things up. It was decided to put back together the trio of Barbara Gordon (now as Batgirl instead of Oracle), Dinah Lance/Black Canary, and Helena Bertinelli/Huntress; the original Birds of Prey.

The issue begins with Batgirl busting up a robbery, and when she looks at one of their phones, she discovers they were sent intel by someone named Oracle. We then get a recap of Barbara's history in the New 52, from being Batgirl to Oracle and Batgirl again. She also mentions that as Oracle, apparently she only worked with Black Canary, giving her intel to bust crimes (I guess they're just ignoring the old team, but I can't blame them for that). Barbara goes to Dinah to get her help on the situation, taking her to her new headquarters inside an old clocktower (a nod to her old HQ as Oracle back in the old continuity) and they find the lead. Elsewhere, Helena is in a church confessional and recaps her New 52 backstory before she kills the father because of his links to the Gotham mafias, who she plans to take out one person at a time. And because we need to get these these three together, by sheer coincidence, Helena's next target just happens to be the guy Babs and Dinah want information from. They end up fighting and the guy gets away, and it turns out they're being watched by this bad Oracle.

This issue is pretty bad. Honestly, what kills this for me is the art, once again, focusing on the faces. I don't know what was going in the process or who thought this was good, but throughout this issue, we have for the most part Barbara, making faces that are just not humanly possible. Either she's showing too much gum (sometimes it looks like she's biting her lip during a weird smile), her tongue's sticking out, or there's a gap between her two front teeth. Besides that, there are times where Barbara and Dinah have really pointy noses. Honestly, the one part of this story that actually looked good was Helena's confessional. But the worst art example of this book was during the flashback to "The Killing Joke" when Barbara opens the door to find Joker about to shoot her. If you remember that scene, Joker has a big smile showing his teeth. Here, his mouth his closed with a smile that looks half-hearted, like he's thinking "Yeah, I'm here. Gonna shoot you now, I guess".

Story wise, I guess it's okay and introduces an interesting idea, but I just can't get past the art. However, this is another issue that ends on a cliffhanger instead of being self-contained. Although had it ended at Helena's scene at the church, that would have been better, because it would have introduced our main characters and the threat before getting to the meat of the story when they all meet. Otherwise, this would have been better as an #1.
One thing I don't get though is why they named it "Batgirl and the Birds of Prey" instead of just "Birds of Prey." The only reason I can think of is from a marketing standpoint.

When I get the first book of this series, maybe the art will grow on me, but at this point, I'm not too invested.

Written by Simon Oliver

Art by Moritat

If you're a fan of Supernatural, you can owe its existence to John Constantine (seriously, they even based Castiel's appearance on him). Debuting in the late 80's and making some appearance across the DCU, Constantine would eventually be relegated to his own title outside the universe, "Hellblazer", which lasted for 300 issues. Shortly before the New 52 began, Constantine had been reintroduced in the proper DCU. He would be part of the Justice League Dark and eventually get his own series.

Outside of his appearances in other books, it wasn't until his short lived TV series that I really started to appreciate and understand the character. I never read his past series, but as I've been trying out new things through Rebirth, why not now?

The issue begins with Constantine about to be sent to Hell by a demon, until John points out how many souls would be waiting for him down there, which would lead to complete chaos (it does make sense for Hell to have some kind of order). The demon lets Constantine live but places a curse on him to force him to leave London, or his body would be eaten up from the inside. After years of planning, Constantine returns to London and is able to remove the curse from himself. The demon reappears and lets John know he's only spread it out to everybody in London, essentially creating a supernatural contagion. Because an influx of souls into Hell would be troublesome, the demon tries to bargain with Constantine, even offering to bring back Astrid, a young girl John condemned to Hell in his early years. It turns out John was biding time though for his psychic friend Mercury to show up and help. She reveals the demon's name, Nybbas, which removes all his power, including removing the curse and saving all of London, and sending him back to Hell. John then ends the issue talking to the reader: "If Mercury hadn't shown up...would I really have stood by while eight million souls were condemned to Hell? Well, that's something you're gonna stick around and find out for yourselves. Or not. Because, quite frankly, at the end of the day--do I strike you as the kind of guy who gives a ****?" I just love that part. It perfectly captures Constantine's contradictory nature as a guy who would stop demons from causing trouble while acting like a selfish bastard the whole time.

As my first ever issue of Constantine, it was pretty good. It helps that it includes elements shown in the TV show, with an appearance by Chas and a reference to Astrid. Before she arrived to help John, I thought Mercury was going to be Zed. In fact, why wasn't it Zed? For fans introduced to Constantine through the show, including Zed would have been a nice touch.
There's also a cameo scene featuring Shazam, Wonder Woman, and Swamp Thing. Shazam and Wonder Woman sense the magical danger and want to intervene, but Swamp Thing stops them, hoping that Constantine will sort this out. It's a scene that doesn't add anything to the plot, but more about making it clear that this title does take place in the DC universe. Besides that, Shazam kind of sounds off for a 15 year old (at least I still think Billy's 15).

Art wise, it's pretty unique compared to the other Rebirth issues so far. I'd like to think that they want to give this book its own style, much like how his own series was kept separate from the rest of the DC line for so long, not to mention this is the only supernatural/horror based book DC has at the moment.

Overall, this was another enjoyable read that has me more interested in picking up the first volume when it comes out.

Written by Scott Lobdell

Art by Dexter Soy

Of all the Rebirth books, this is the one I was most worried about. Aside from a brief interlude, Scott Lobdell has been writing a Red Hood book (both "Red Hood and the Outlaws" and "Red Hood/Arsenal") for most of the New 52, and let's just say there hasn't been much praise. With that in mind, you would think they would get someone new to shake things up with Rebirth. For whatever reason though, Lobdell remained on the character. That said, I went in with low expectation but came out pleasantly surprised.

After a flashback to Jason Todd's first meeting with Batman and induction as Robin, we cut to the present where the Red Hood is attacking the mayor. Batman intervenes, but Jason fights him off long enough to shoot the mayor point blank. At an apparent villain bar, the news is reporting the incident but with no confirmation on the mayor's condition. Nonetheless, Red Hood earns praise from everyone there. He is then approached by one of Black Mask's False Facers, offering Jason a position as the Mask's operation is expanding. Jason then heads back to his own headquarters, where Batman is already there waiting. It turns out Jason had shot an antidote into the mayor, eliminating a technovirus he had been implanted with. Bruce asks why Jason didn't tell him about his plan, but Jason reveals he wanted to use this as a chance to infiltrate Gotham's underground. While Batman doesn't fully support Jason's plan given his history, he decides to give Jason a chance, but warns him he only gets "one strike" and he'll come for him.

Obviously, this issue only focuses on Jason, and the upcoming Outlaws, Artemis (the amazon, not the archer from Young Justice) and Bizarro, will be joining in the first arc. If it wasn't for that, you'd think this would be set-up for a Red Hood solo book, which has never happened. My question is, why not? Does DC not have enough faith in a title with the Red Hood without any other characters? Do they worry about Red Hood being compared to the Punisher? Well, first off, it's not like DC has any gun-toting anti-hero vigilantes with their own book at the moment. Then again, this issue makes it clear that Jason wants to avoid going too far. In any case, DC should consider a Red Hood solo book, like trying it out as a miniseries before giving it an ongoing.

I do have to nitpick though that this issue shows Jason's previous origin in meeting Batman, where he was stealing a wheel off the Batmobile. When Jason's origin was first told in the New 52, he had been receiving medical care from Leslie Thompkins, and when he tried to run off and steal medicine in the process, that's when he met Batman. While Rebirth is all about reintegrating elements of the pre-Flashpoint continuity in the New 52, this is for all intents and purposes, the New 52 continuity. And though I wasn't a fan of how the New 52 changed some things for the sake of changing, Jason's first meeting Batman for example, I feel they really should have stuck to their guns and keep things the way they were. However, if it wasn't for this change, we wouldn't have Jason actually having the Batmobile wheel on display at his headquarters, and I found that to be a really nice touch.

This issue is pretty much a fresh start, introducing the basics of Jason Todd's character and history, while making no reference to his other series (which is another case of being a good thing). What really makes this issue though is the relationship between Bruce and Jason. Despite their differences, there's still a bond between them. Jason still has respect for Bruce and wants to earn his trust, while Bruce still cares for Jason but worries for his soul. If there's one thing I'm not sure about, it's that we have another former Robin acting as a double agent (Jason even makes note that Dick's done the same). I guess it's all about how its done, and it could be different since Jason seems more comfortable playing on the bad side than Dick is.

While this is a promising start, I have to wonder with Lobdell involved how long until the shoe drops, as well as how this book will go when Artemis and Bizarro show up. Seriously DC, consider giving Jason a solo.

Written by Rob Williams

Art by Philip Tan

Things lined up perfectly for the Suicide Squad, as the movie was coming out and Rebirth was in full swing. Which of course meant one thing: make the team in the comics match up with the movie. Suicide Squad was another thing in DC I never really had much interest in, but again, Rebirth would be a good test run, and I am curious as to how they make the book similar to the movie. Whether it means a good story or not is another thing.

The issue opens with Amanda Waller being chewed out by President Obama (DC seems to prefer to show the current President instead of placing them in shadows like Marvel does), telling her that the Suicide Squad is over and that the implications of their actions and potential discovery of them being sanctioned by the United States could be dire. In true Waller fashion, she's able to convince him to keep it going, both by saying bad things have to be done to ensure America's security and that she'll be placing someone with morals to lead the bad guys. Enter Colonel Rick Flag, making his first appearance in the new continuity as far as I know. Apparently, Flag has been secretly place in Guantanamo Bay after refusing to follow an order that got his fellow soldiers killed, so his superior had Flag locked up to keep him quiet, and not even the President or Pentagon know he's there. She makes her pitch, but Flag doesn't want to be part of it at first. Waller says he's damned either way, so why not do some good in the process?

Flag then joins Deadshot, Harley Quinn, and Captain Boomerang (holdovers from the previous series), on a mission to retrieve a kidnapped metagene researcher in China, who has been forced to make a metabomb giving a couple hundred war criminals super powers. They try to retrieve both the researcher and the bomb, but as he's being dragged away, Boomerang cuts off his hands, which was holding the bomb, and Deadshot shoots him in the head, making sure no one can use him again. But thankfully, the metabomb can also work in reverse. Harley presses the button and removes the powers of everyone there, with the issue ending with the Squad cutting everyone down.

If there's one thing I really liked about this issue, it's that it shows that the actual bad guys in the Squad are bad people, best shown by Boomerang and Deadshot's actions toward the researcher. Honestly, this does a better job at portraying the characters than the movie did. In the movie, they were bad guys somewhat looking for redemption fighting an army of innocent people turned into monsters. Here, they're still bad guys fighting actual other bad guys in control of their own actions. Now that I think about it, criminals wanting to get their own superpowers would have been a better plot for the movie than whatever Enchantress' plan was.

The art in this issue is okay, but it seems a bit rushed, almost like a poor man's Jim Lee (who does actually work on the main book after this issue).

It's not a bad introduction to the Squad, even though we don't have the full team yet, thought I'm not exactly impressed either. It might be because that I don't really read books starring villains, but maybe this book's first volume will make me think differently.

As we wrap up Rebirth Review Month next week, we take a look at a master assassin, the girl of steel, a boy and his scarab, and some super adolescents.

Movie Review: Justice League Dark - The Horror! The Horror!

For a long while, a live action film had been talked about based on the Justice League Dark, a team made up of magic users and supernatural based characters in the DC universe. Nothing had really come of it, aside from a shortlist of a possible cast that included Colin Farrell as Constantine, which is an actually good choice in my opinion. While it could still happen eventually, for now, fans would have to settle for a film set in DC's animated movie universe. The last few Justice League films in said universe have usually been used to focus on other characters besides the League. "Throne of Atlantis" had a good focus on Aquaman, but still felt like a League movie. "Justice League vs. Teen Titans" mostly served as a launchpad for the Titans, but still gave almost even ground to both teams. When it comes to "Justice League Dark", this approach works for and against it.

Let's start with the characters and voice cast. Matt Ryan returns to voice John Constantine after portraying the character in the short lived TV series and his guest spot on "Arrow". At this point, its needless to say that his portrayal has left a mark on the character and fans. Hell, I even hear his voice when I read Constantine in the comics. It only made sense to bring him back for this film, and he's as good as ever. The way I see the character, he's an asshole who still tries to do good, and that shines through in this film. A running gag I love is how all the characters know who he is and show some animosity towards him, something Constantine just shrugs off like "yeah, I'm used to it."
A bit of a subplot is Constantine's relationship with Zatanna, voiced by Camilla Luddington. There's hints at a previous romance between the two, something they're apparently not over, and the chemistry between the two really shines through. Aside from that though, Zatanna's as entertaining as you can expect from the character, but I still prefer Lacey Chabert's voice and the traditional costume over the New 52 version she has in the movie.
While not a major character compared to the others, Ritchie Simpson, an associate of Constantine's, is part of the film and they even got the actor who betrayed him on the Constantine show, Jeremy Davies, to return to voice him. I found that surprising.
The main villain of the movie is Destiny, and while there's nothing really past him besides being all powerful and wanting to take over the world (which we've gotten before with Darkseid and Trigon), he gets extra points for being voiced by Alfred Molina, who just has a perfect villain voice. But he also gains strength through making people cause pain and death toward each other, which I think is a pretty decent power, particularly for a supernatural villain.
Deadman acts as one would expect from the character, but the voice they chose for him, Nicholas Turturro just really irks me. He's usually the comic relief of the film, but he didn't need such a funny voice. Honestly, the best voice I've heard used for the character was Michael Rosenbaum on "Batman: The Brave and the Bold."
Much like Deadman, I have problems with the voice for Felix Faust as well. He's supposed to be a powerful wizard, but his voice makes him sound like a novice. Besides that, he's used mostly as a red herring and doesn't really bring anything to the plot.
I don't really have an opinion on the voice of Jason Blood and Etrigan. They act as you'd expect, but a nice touch is that Etrigan has the sword he uses in the New 52, something I don't recall him having before in animation. The two also have a character arc that I won't spoil, but adds a nice touch of brotherhood between the two despite their differences.

And like the other movies in this universe, Batman's in it too. Real world reasoning: marketing. Story reasoning: he brings a touch of skepticism to the film. At the beginning of the story, he doesn't really buy into a paranormal theory of why people are inexplicably killing each other, based on his own experiences with the criminally insane. Ironically, he's the driving force that bring the JLD together (with some coercion from Deadman). A running gag the film has is that whenever something really out of this world happens, Batman lets out a "Hmm." It's like, he's impressed or surprised by what's going on, but he can't let it show because he's Batman.

But let me get to the main problem of this film: too many characters. As I've said, the last few Justice League movies have been used to focus on other characters, but the League still had some purpose or capacity. In this film though, they really don't serve much of a purpose other than beginning the main investigation of the movie. Superman, Wonder Woman, and Cyborg are back with a few lines (the first two more so). Flash and Aquaman make non-speaking cameos. Shazam is mentioned but not present. And apparently, the League got some new members since the last movie: Hawkman, Martian Manhunter, and John Stewart/Green Lantern. Out of the new members, only Stewart speaks, but just a total of three lines. While I know these movies are mostly made for fans, I'd still like to know the context of how they join. These movies don't stand alone anymore; it's a shared universe. Don't just throw in new characters and act like they've been there before. Not only that, but Wonder Woman mentions other magic users the League have faced before, like Trigon in "Justice League vs. Teen Titans", but also Circe and Faust. I feel like the point could have been made by just mentioning Trigon. Circe has not appeared in these films, and they could have just introduced Faust here. Honestly, the main League didn't need to be in this movie. They could have just had Batman investigating strange deaths in Gotham, finding out from Wonder Woman about similar instances around the world, dismiss her paranormal theory, and the film could have played out the same from there. I don't know what next year's movies will entail, but I'm kind of hoping we get another movie focusing on the main League.

Aside from the previous characters though, there are a few more introduced in the film I didn't mention yet. The first is Black Orchid, who is actually the spirit of the House of Mystery taking on a bodily form and follows Constantine's orders. There's not much to her, honestly. Although she and Deadman share like three sentences together, which is apparently enough for them to hook up by the end of the film.
And of course, there's Swamp Thing. When he first appears in this film, you automatically feel his presence as he rises out of the swamp to meet with the JLD, and has a very powerful voice. He even has a great fight scene with Destiny that shows off the extent of his powers. Unfortunately though, Destiny gets the upper hand and rips out Alec Holland's corpse from the Swamp Thing body (it'd be easy for you to Google his origin than for me to explain it), which causes Swamp Thing to return to the Earth...and that's the last we see or hear of the character. I mean, Holland's body probably just landed in the middle of the streets of Metropolis. Is he even still connected to the Green? Is that the last we've seen of Swamp Thing in these movies? They had something awesome going and they just cast it aside. Honestly, it feels like they just introduced Swamp Thing and the Green just so they could have some precursor to Brother Blood and the Red in the upcoming Teen Titans film.

A few last notes:
* Going in, I kind of expected this to be the superhero horror movie we didn't know we wanted. We do kind of get that in the first few scenes, a hospital fight scene with a literal shit monster (yes, you read that right), the Shrouds, and Swamp Thing's introduction. But for the most part, there's just a lot of magic being used like you've seen in Harry Potter or more recently Doctor Strange.
* For what's supposed to be a team movie, they don't actually form an official Justice League Dark. At least half of the members go their separate ways by the end, which makes a group shot before the credits a little strange.
* The music's a little good and bad, with the main score being similar to the opening titles to the Constantine TV series, but then you have some weird dubstep during the fight between Swamp Thing and Destiny.

"Justice League Dark" is the weakest film of the DC animated universe since "Son of Batman", but mostly better voice acting, character interaction, and the clever way the villain is defeated keep it from being the worst. It introduces new elements not seen before in these films, but doesn't give it enough focus as it should have. But still, if you're looking for a bit more horror with your superheroes, I'd give it a view.

Rebirth Review Month Week Two: Green Arrow, Cyborg, Green Lanterns, Titans

Welcome to week two of Rebirth Review Month. You probably know the basics of this by now, so let's just jump right in.

Written by Benjamin Percy

Art by Otto Schmidt

Green Arrow has had a bit of an odd journey since the New 52 began, which can be understandable when a majority of your history has been erased. For the most part, his character design was revamped to match what he looked like on the "Smallville" TV series. Eventually, the character got a boost in popularity thanks to the "Arrow" TV series, and like comics do, they try and make things match up. Among all the writers (and there were a lot) through out Green Arrow's New 52 run, the only one who seemed to receive a favorable reception was Jeff Lemire. Even when Andrew Kreisberg and Ben Sokolowski, writers from "Arrow", took over the comic, it received criticism for trying too much to make it like the show. After they left, Benjamin Percy took over the book, and from what I heard, it wasn't that good. I think there was a bit about him becoming a werewolf, so take that as you will. But once again, we have Rebirth to thank for cleaning up previous messes, but with Percy being one of the only writers to remain on their current book, there was cause to be wary.

While I didn't read the main Green Arrow book, he was part of some of the Justice League books and events. Much like my view on Superman in the New 52, I didn't really have a problem with how this version of Green Arrow was written, but it seemed a bit off compared to what I'm used to from the character. As we enter Rebirth, it's evident that the classic feel of the character was back, right down to the goatee. At this point in the new continuity, Oliver barely had facial hair, which made him seem younger. Giving the goatee back makes him seem a little older, but when it comes to Rebirth trying to recapture the classic feel for some characters, that makes it okay. In a way, this issue kind of seems like a complete restart, so that we don't really need to read the previous New 52 series, and from what I've heard, there's not much to look at outside of Lemire's run. He also has a new costume which resembles the one from season four of "Arrow". It looks good for the most part and it's nice to get a revamp after keeping the "Smallville" suit for so long, plus the goatee brings it all together.

But aside from looks, Oliver's character seems in line with that I'm familiar with, particularly from Justice League Unlimited, Young Justice, and Injustice, with a bit of Stephen Amell's version sprinkled in. For the most part, he's a man at the top who still cares for the little guy, no matter who they are. This is best illustrated in this story with how he helps a homeless boy rescue his mother from a human auction run by "The Underground Men", who sell people they believe won't be missed to mysterious bidders in masks.

Another aspect that makes its return to the Green Arrow book is his relationship with Dinah Lance, the Black Canary. This relationship was erased after Flashpoint and this issue is only their second ever interaction with each other in the current continuity. The issue does a great job (re)developing their relationship from the two getting past their preconceived conceptions about the other and eventually making quite a connection.

If there's a theme to this issue, it's second chances. Green Arrow's whole crusade is a second chance to make up for his past life style (which in a way makes him kind of like Iron Man), Black Canary has come to Seattle to get a fresh start, and Oliver even talks about how the city got a second chance itself after the Great Seattle Fire. I get the feeling that this new volume of Green Arrow, as well as Rebirth as a whole, is a second chance, learning from the mistakes of the past and building a better future for the character.

Overall, this was a great issue and I look forward to picking up the first collection.

Written by John Semper Jr.

Art by Paul Pelletier

Most people are probably more familiar with Cyborg as part of the Teen Titans. When the New 52 began, Cyborg was given a major push by being retroactively made a founding member of the Justice League (replacing Martian Manhunter), and that push has continued outside the comics as well, with the character also founding the League in the DC animated movie universe and in the upcoming live action movie. Despite his upgraded status, strangely enough, Cyborg wouldn't get his own solo ongoing series until four years later. I heard something before that it'd be hard to market a non-unique name like Cyborg, but it hasn't stopped them now has it? Cyborg's previous volume lasted over a year before Rebirth began, which is where we're at now. I've gotten to know this version Cyborg well since he's a main character in the Justice League, so I hope I'm not missing much when it comes to his previous series.

The main plot of this issue is Cyborg fighting off a cybernetic organism known as Malware, who is trying to break into a secret area of STAR Labs that even Victor doesn't know about. Also during this fight, we're told by an unknown narrator about Victor's backstory, going back all the way back to when his parents met. We see them date, marry, and have Victor, but then his mother is stricken with cancer. His father works tirelessly to prolong her life, but neglecting Victor in the process. His mother is still there for him though until the day she finally passes. I was aware of Victor's issues with his father and that his mother had passed, but didn't know the full backstory until now. It's pretty sad, and I feel a little more sympathy for both Cyborg and his father, who I've really only seen in the present helping his son.

Cyborg and Malware's battle eventually gets to the secret area, where Cyborg is able to hack into Malware and shut him down. However, the secret area is still breached and we see what's inside: hidden recorded notes by Cyborg's father, questioning whether his attempt in saving his son's life and transforming him into Cyborg actually means he's alive or just a replication in a metal shell, as well as what it will mean for the future of mankind. Cyborg, while upset by this, doesn't let his father know he heard his notes. Elsewhere, our unnamed narrator is speaking with other machine based DC characters (including the Metal Men, Cyborg Superman, the Brain, Amazo and OMAC), and he's revealed to be another cyborg like character who believes Victor is the key to a machine uprising. I don't think this character's name is given, and while I could easily look it up, I'm not going to. He's so freaky and intimidating looking, that I can hold on until I pick up the first trade of this series to find out more.

So this comic was pretty damn good. I've always been used to Cyborg as more of a 'team' character that I didn't know what to expect out of a solo story. But color me impressed. Plus as an introductory issue, it does a good job at showing who the character is and  The art is great as well, reminding me of Ron Garney's work on Spider-Man within the past decade. I'm not sure how I feel though about apparently more father-son drama being a plotpoint in this book, especially since as far as I know, Vic and his father finally reconciled back in "Forever Evil".

I do have a few nitpicks though. Apparently, Vic has been Cyborg for "5 years, 31 days". On that, I call bullcrap. The Justice League's New 52 origin takes place five years before the present timeline began, and given EVERYTHING that's happened, not just to Cyborg, but EVERY other character in the DCU, I find it very hard to believe that it all happened within 31 days. Besides that, there's a flashback to the first Justice League story, but they show him in his current armor, which he didn't get until "Forever Evil." At this point though, art inconsistency across continuity has become a norm unfortunately.

Overall, this is another great issue that gets me excited for the first story arc.

Written by Geoff Johns and Sam Humpries

Art by Ethan Van Sciver and Ed Benes

For whatever reason, Earth seems to get more Green Lanterns more than any other planet. We've had Hal Jordan, John Stewart, Guy Gardner, and Kyle Rayner. In recent years, there have been two more: Simon Baz and Jessica Cruz. Simon debuted a year into the New 52 and while his debut had gotten attention, he eventually and unfortunately fell into obscurity. Jessica debuted in the Justice League series, being possessed by the ring of Earth 3's Power Ring and taken under the League's wing to use that power for good. Eventually, she was able to destroy that ring and had been chosen to become a Green Lantern herself. As Rebirth approached, not only would Jessica be getting more of a push, but Simon was finally coming back to the forefront along with her. While the veteran Lanterns would be off in their own book in space, the two rookies would be co-starring in their own series as Earth's official Green Lanterns.

This issue is set sometime after the Rebirth issue of Hal Jordan and the Green Lantern Corps, as Hal in full Lantern mode is shown putting the rookies to the test with a Manhunter drone. As expected, the two don't work well together, so to make sure they do better, Hal fuses their Lantern Batteries, pretty much forcing the two to be partners to protect Earth while Hal is off looking for the rest of the Corps and stopping Sinestro. Hal also makes a comment about how the rings seem to keep choosing more Lanterns on Earth because they know something is coming.

The issue is a bit introductory for the two Lanterns, giving you a feel for who they are if you hadn't read about them before. Simon is a formerly accused terrorist, but the stigma still remains because he's a Muslim (and considering the current political atmosphere, we could use a role model like this). Before she became Power Ring and eventually a Lantern, Jessica was a shut-in with a fear of going outside. This issue shows her coming to the soccer game of her little sister (who is surprised to see Jessica outside), and even her inner thoughts show she's still uneasy and thinks the ring may have made a mistake in choosing her. We also have a bit of set-up for Atrocitus and the Red Lantern Corps being our first villains, but they don't have too much bearing on the plot.

The art is split up again between two artists. It starts out being done by Ed Benes and is taken over by Ethan Van Sciver. The change-up doesn't really bother me as much as the other issues that have done it, since both artists do very well. Plus Van Sciver's involvement begins once Hal Jordan arrives in the book, which adds some significance because his involvement in the past of the franchise.

Overall, I think this issue is okay. It's good, but it doesn't wow me, especially since it's mostly set-up and (re)introductions. And while I don't have anything against these new characters, I kind of have more interest in the veteran Lanterns' book given my familiarity with them. Maybe after reading Simon and Jessica's first story arc, I'll warm up to them a little more.

Written by Dan Abnett
Art by Brett Booth

Much like Superman, the book to keep an eye on going into Rebirth was Titans. The reason for that would be that it would feature the newly returned pre-Flashpoint Wally West. For those who read the proper Rebirth one-shot that started it all, Wally had been trapped in the Speed Force for years, and due to the events of Darkseid War, he was able to break free and interact with the New 52 Prime Earth. Unfortunately, due to the manipulations of time, no one knew him, and each time Wally tried to talk to someone without success, he disappeared further. In his last shot, he spoke with Barry Allen, and even if Barry didn't know him, Wally still wanted to thank him for the life he's led. Thankfully, Barry's memories of Wally came back and he was able to pull Wally from the Speed Force back into the real world, making it an emotional moment that was a sign of good things to come from Rebirth. Wally knows someone manipulated the timeline and erased him from everyone's memories, and he's going to find out who. In the Flash's Rebirth issue, Barry and Wally have an extended conversation, where Wally decides to go find the Titans and creates a new costume, and uses the Flash codename (as he once did in the old continuity) with Barry's blessing.

This brings us to the Titans Rebirth issue. Prior to this, Dick Grayson, Donna Troy, Roy Harper/Arsenal, Garth/Tempest, and Lilith Clay/Omen reunited as a team years after they were once the original Teen Titans, but through a little convoluted series of events, their memories of the team and each other were erased. While they were back together, they still felt something was missing...or someone.

The issue begins with a flashback of our characters taking a team picture together. We shift to the present where Wally in costume arrives at the Titans' loft (I'm guessing they live in a loft), where he finds the picture they took, but he's missing. Dick (now back to using the Nightwing identity) arrives, and of course, he doesn't know Wally. Dick tries to fight Wally, but Wally accidentally gives Dick a shock, which reignites Dick's memories of Wally. The rest of the Titans show up and fight Wally, thinking he's done something to Dick. While Wally tries to avoid the fight at first, he figures out that physical contact and a shock from the Speed Force reignites the team's memories of Wally. Eventually, the fighting stops and everyone's happy to see Wally again. Much like his conversation before with Barry, Wally explains what's going on, and that "the Titans are going to figure this out...together" while holding up the team picture once again featuring Wally.

Bringing back the classic Wally West was a sign of the old continuity resurfacing in the new, and him being a part of the reformed Titans is more proof of that. When he reignites the others' old memories, it's almost as if they're transformed back into their old selves. Well that technically applies to Donna and Garth, who haven't really been part of the new continuity too long. Dick's been more or less the same, and while Roy's been around just as long, I haven't been a fan of his New 52 depiction. As for Lilith, I've never actually heard of her until this book. The flashback segments were probably my favorite parts of this issue, as it helps establish the forgotten past, and in a way, makes me think of the versions we've seen in the Young Justice animated series (particularly the interactions between Dick, Roy, and Wally). The rest of the series going forward will probably them picking up the pieces and making up for lost time.

Art-wise, Brett Booth is in his usual form. I know some people don't like it, but I think it's okay. It's stylized, but can be off sometimes.

If there's one thing I have to take off points for, it's that Roy is still wearing the trucker hat he's had since the New 52 began. I mean, here's Rebirth, where you're giving characters a new start and new designs (sometimes reflecting the classic continuity), and they keep one of the most ridiculous aspects of the present. I mean, what function does a trucker hat serve for an archer?

Nonetheless, with Wally back and the Titans fully reassembled, it seems like this is going to be one of THE books that best emphasize Rebirth's goal of returning a classic feel to the DCU.

Next week, we deal with some ladies of Gotham, a petty dabbler in the dark arts, a gun-toting vigilante, and a bunch of misfits trying to do some good.

Rebirth Review Month Week One: Superman, Wonder Woman, Hal Jordan and the Green Lantern Corps, Aquaman

Welcome to Rebirth Review Month! For those who don't know, this is a series of reviews looking at the eponymous one-shots of DC's "Rebirth" initiative, the goal of which is to reincorporate elements of the DC universe lost in the wake of "Flashpoint" and the New 52 reboot, providing new jumping on points for new or lapsed readers. Last year, I've already reviewed one-shots for series I read regularly: Batman, The Flash, Justice League, Nightwing, and Batman Beyond. But now I have the large DC Universe Rebirth Omnibus, collecting all the one-shots in one place. With five down, this month will be looking at the other sixteen, four each week. All that said, let's begin.

Written by Peter J. Tomasi and Patrick Gleason

Art by Doug Mahnke

One of the biggest aspects of Rebirth was that the Superman of the pre-Flashpoint DCU was returning to the forefront while the New 52 Superman was going to die. For those unaware, one of the repercussions of DC's "Convergence" event was the pre-Flashpoint Superman along with his wife Lois and newborn son Jon ending up on the New 52 Prime Earth, living in secret for years, even before the Justice League formed to fight Darkseid. Until this point, their story had been covered in the eight issue run of "Superman: Lois and Clark". Eventually, the two different Supermen would meet, although it would be unfortunately brief due to the New 52 Superman's untimely death.

Putting the pre-Flashpoint Superman back in the focus along with his family was a great move in my opinion. While I didn't start reading Superman until the New 52, most of my experience with the character outside of comics had been based on the classic version, right down to his relationship with Lois. In the New 52, Superman's main romantic relationship was with Wonder Woman. Since part of Rebirth was reestablishing past relationships lost before, having Clark and Lois together again (a version we're already familiar with to boot) was great. Though I did, for the most part, enjoy the New 52's take on the character, something always felt a bit off. The best story to come out of it was Scott Snyder's "Superman Unchained", which as I mentioned in my review of the story that it had been in the works for years even before the New 52, so it makes sense that it still had a classic Superman feel.

When it comes to Superman's Rebirth issue though, it feels more like an epilogue issue to the "Final Days of Superman" storyline, which featured the New 52 Superman's death. This issue deals with pre-Flashpoint Clark and New 52 Lana Lang discussing the aforementioned death, meeting by accident for the same reason: to retrieve New 52 Clark's body. Pre-Flashpoint Clark tells Lana that her Clark may be able to come back from the dead as he had done and we get flashbacks to his fight with Doomsday way back in the 90's. Unfortunately though, what was used to bring back the old Superman isn't available on this Earth to revive the new one. They both accept that New 52 Clark may be gone for good. Something I noticed that I may have overlooked or forgotten about is that New 52's Superman's Fortress of Solitude included a statue of Jonathan and Martha Kent holding up the Earth next to Jor-El and Lara holding up Krypton, which is a nice touch, and by the end, Clark carves New 52 Superman in between the Kents holding up the Earth.

Like I said, this serves as more of an epilogue, but it features a lot of talking, particularly referring to past and important storylines: "The Death and Return of Superman", "Superman: Lois and Clark", and "The Final Days of Superman". To be fair, the issue does a good job at feeling self-contained and referring to those stories without feeling necessary to actually read them. The art by Doug Mahnke is top-notch as always, especially in his recreation of the battle between Superman and Doomsday.

Much like how I felt about Batman Beyond's Rebirth issue, Superman would have benefited from an issue spotlighting pre-Flashpoint Clark's transition from the bearded black suited secret Superman into the new official Superman in a more traditional suit.

Overall, this issue feels more like an ending than a new beginning, but it's still nice to have the old Superman back.

Written by Greg Rucka

Art by Matthew Clark and Liam Sharp

This is the beginning of new territory for me. I've never read a Wonder Woman solo comic in my life, though I am familiar with some aspects of her history. But that's the point of Rebirth, right? To try out things you hadn't before.

This issue focuses on Wonder Woman questioning her past, remembering different versions of her origins. There's the classic version where she was made out of clay and given birth by the Gods, and the more recent New 52 version where she is the biological daughter of Zeus and Hippolyta, Queen of the Amazons. While it's not explicitly stated here, Wonder Woman's existential crisis can probably be rooted to the end of the "Darkseid War" storyline in Justice League where she discovered that she had a twin brother. Her doubts are further founded when she succeeds in crushing the helmet of Ares, which should be impossible. An interesting aspect of the story is that she uses her Lasso of Truth on herself where she discovers that she has "been deceived", but we don't get much more than that. There's a nice touch where in a rage, she smashes a mirror, and in the shards, we see past scenes from not just the New 52, but the pre-Flashpoint DCU as well. She then goes to what she believes to be Olympus, only to be attacked by automatons made by Hephaestus. In the New 52, not only is Diana the daughter of Zeus, but she also became the God of War after besting Ares. Her being attacked, even though she is in all respects "one of [their] own" as she puts it, further confirms deceit has been at hand.

As we know from the proper DC Universe Rebirth one-shot, not only had continuity been altered from Flashpoint, but it had also been manipulated by unseen forces. This is just another example of the old continuity pushing its way through, which raises the question of how powerful this manipulator can be if he can even affect mythological beings as well.

For what's a jumping on point, I feel like it does a good job at presenting the history, or historIES, or Wonder Woman. If you read the classic stories, the New 52, both, or only one of them, you get a sense of who the character is or has been. And if at any point you get confused, then you're right there with Wonder Woman.

If I had to fault this issue for anything, it changes artists for the last third. For the most part it's done by Matthew Clark and then suddenly it's done by Liam Sharp, who would be the main artist for Wonder Woman's solo book following this one shot. It feels a little weird though to have a consistent art style, only to have someone else come on to finish it. However, I will say that there's significance in the change, as Wonder Woman sheds her New 52 costume in lieu of the new Rebirth design (which also resembles Gal Gadot's costume in the DCEU; hooray for synergy!).

Overall, this issue succeeds as an interesting new start for Wonder Woman and makes me excited to pick up the first volume of this series, figure out what the hell's going on with her past, and how it relates to the overall mysteries of Rebirth.

Written by Robert Venditti

Art by Ethan Van Sciver

While I don't regularly follow Green Lantern comics, I've grown to learn much of the lore. That can be attributed to the boost the franchise got in 2011 thanks to the movie and the animated series. Of course, the movie was an overall bomb (though I didn't think it was as bad as many make it out to be), and the animated series, while a critical success, only lasted one season due to the movie's failure and the ridiculous aspect that toy sales were a factor in the series' continuation (that's what also got Young Justice cancelled until recently). In actuality though, it was the Lantern focused "Blackest Night" event in 2009-10 that got me interested in the broader DC universe outside of Batman, and that was before the New 52 reboot. So in some aspect, I owe a lot to Green Lantern.

Geoff Johns had revitalized the Green Lantern franchise starting in 2004, but when he left the book, from what I heard, that specific line of books had taken a dive in quality with endless crossover events. Then in the period between Convergence and Rebirth, trying to figure out DC's continuity became a mess. On the Lantern side of things, the Green Lantern Corps had gone missing after being blamed for acts of atrocity in the universe while Hal Jordan took the blame on himself, becoming a 'renegade' and using an ancient Oan gauntlet, a precursor to the power ring, belonging to Krona, one of the Guardians of the Universe who went bad. Again, I hadn't really kept up on the whole of Green Lantern comics, especially after Johns left, but again, Rebirth was a good time to clean things up.

The issue tells the story on two fronts. Sinestro apparently has control of the planet sized ship of Warworld (which belongs to Mongul) and has traveled to the spot Oa once resided at the center of the universe. I can only assume that like always, Sinestro wants to set up his Corps as the ultimate authority in the universe. An interesting aspect is that Sinestro is using Parallax as the battery to power Warworld.

Meanwhile, Hal Jordan is apparently becoming consumed by Krona's Gauntlet, transformed into a construct and only holding onto himself with his own willpower, constantly reminding himself of who he is (going through his origin story to boot, most likely for the new readers). He also talks about what I did above about how the Corps went missing and he became a renegade. He'll disappear unless he gets rid of the Gauntlet, but he needs it for one more task: combined with his willpower, he's able to forge his own Green Lantern ring, an act that creates a boom heard around the universe by anyone connected to the emotional spectrum, including the missing Corps, the remaining Guardians, and even members of the other different color Lantern Corps. Hal states that only the Guardians could create rings, so I love this idea that with one's own willpower, a ring could be created; I mean, technically he's using another a weapon made by the Guardians to make it, but it's still cool nonetheless. It ends with Hal reciting the oath, becoming a full-fledged Green Lantern again with the goal of finding the rest of the Corps and reclaiming their rightful place in the universe.

As these Rebirth one-shots are supposed to act as prologues to the upcoming series, this issue succeeds very well in that aspect, introducing Hal as the main protagonist, signaling the rest of the Corps as the cast, and setting up Sinestro as the upcoming threat. I guess if there's any villain you want for the first arc of a new era, it's the one who represents the antithesis to our heroes: fear. In a way, this makes me think of how Geoff Johns started on the book; back then, the Corps was gone with Kyle Rayner as the only Green Lantern before Hal Jordan was resurrected and the rest of the Corps came back in tow. This issue talks about the dark times the Corps have been under and we get the sense that things are about to get cleaned up, which means its a good time to jump on if you have any interest in the Green Lantern franchise. It does talk about past events that I mentioned, but for me personally, it doesn't particularly make me want to go back and look at them in depth. It's time to make way for the future with the Lantern's light burning bright once again.

For a final note, I'm glad Ethan Van Sciver was back to draw this. Since he was part of the Green Lantern book with Johns when he revitalized it, so it just seemed right for him to be part of it once again. Besides that, the dude's a really good artist. He even did some work on Batman, but unfortunately kept having to get fill-in art even in the middle of stories, which made it hard to really appreciate them.

Written by Dan Abnett

Art by Scot Eaton and Oscar Jimenez

For some reason, Aquaman has a reputation of being joke hero. He's been the subject of jokes on shows like Robot Chicken (which can be forgiven since that show makes fun of everything) and on the Big Bang Theory when Raj dressed up as Aquaman for a group costume contest, and it didn't help that this costume apparently included a sea horse to ride like he did in the old cartoons. Aquaman wasn't my favorite hero, but I never got the hate. A lot of the ridicule seems to stem from the fact that he talks to fish, which I think is what a lot of people think that's all he does. There's more to Aquaman than that. For starters, he can breathe underwater and he's the king of Atlantis. Come on, that's cool. He also has dense skin (allowing him to survive under water and take more damage than a normal human) and he's super strong (once even giving Superman a punch that sent him flying). But besides that, would you really want to make fun of a guy who can summon sharks to eat people?

Again, Aquaman isn't a character I really followed closely in the comics. From what I heard though, when the New 52 began, they decided to take the idea of him as a joke to the public and apply make it canon in a very meta way. Aside from that, apparently Aquaman has had a tough time being accepted by both humans and Atlanteans, being he's a half-breed. Going into Aquman's Rebirth issue though, I wasn't exactly sure what would be new or different from before. What I found though was very basic.

The main antagonists of this issue are an Atlantean terrorist cell known as the Deluge, who Aquaman is trying to stop from using Fusion Bombs against the surface, as Aquaman is trying to build bridges between the two worlds. Aquaman's battle is being watched at an Atlantean embassy on the surface in Massachusetts by Mera and a few other Atlanteans (including Garth/Tempest). One of the guards takes note that "Our king fights his own people to spare the dry-landers", to which Mera replies that they are terrorists and not their people. After defeating them, he goes to eat at a nearby restaurant that he apparently frequents and is joined by Mera. All the while, we have a narrator throughout the whole issue talking about Aquaman, his upbringing, the perception of him by Atlanteans and humans (both being a joke and a menace), and his relationship with Mera. Though we do learn that his power to talk to fish is more of a mental command, like a Jedi mind trick of sorts. The narrator is then revealed to be classic Aquaman villain, Black Manta, vowing to destroy every aspect of his life, starting with Mera, who he believes lightens the burdens Aquaman carries. It's not a bad plan. If we learned anything from the Flashpoint universe, kill Mera and you get an Aquaman with no sense of morals. While it's still early to find a pattern, between Sinestro and Black Manta, they seem to be bringing in the well-known villains for a series' latest relaunch, which was the opposite of when the New 52 began with introducing brand new villains.

Like Wonder Woman's issue, this is a book with two artists, and it really hurts the flow in my opinion. For the most part, it's drawn by Scot Eaton, who does good but nothing special. But the weird thing is that the issue's first three pages and last two are done by Oscar Jimenez, and it's kind of bad in my opinion. While I'm not that familiar with his overall work, I get the sense that he's one of those artists who adds to much detail and ends up making it look messy (like Joe Quesada), especially in the faces of both Aquaman and Mera. I do give him props on his full costume shot of Black Manta on the final page though. But art styles aside, I don't understand how or why they structured the art this way. It's not even like when Wonder Woman's book changed artists because there was significance, or even a chapter break of sorts.

Like I said before though, it's very basic. If you never read Aquaman before, this would be a good starting point for you. But if you're familiar in any way with him, you really get nothing new here. He's the king of Atlantis, he's half-human, wants to keep peace between the two worlds, and Black Manta hates him. Unlike the other one-shots I've reviewed thus far, nothing is introduced that adds to the character or the overall mysteries of Rebirth. I'll still be getting the first volume of this series, but at this point, I don't really have any expectations.

Next week, we deal with an emerald archer, a half-robot, a couple rookie space cops, and a team of young heroes.