Comic Book Review: Mighty Avengers #14: Secret Invasion

Bendis has impressed the hell out of me with his excellent work on the Secret Invasion tie-in issues on New Avengers and Mighty Avengers. As critical as I have been about the lackluster story over on Secret Invasion itself, I am as equally effusive in my praise for these tie-in issues. It appears that Mighty Avengers #14 is going to focus on the Sentry and what Bendis has in store for him during the Secret Invasion event. Let’s go ahead and hit this review for Mighty Avengers #14.

Creative Team
Writer: Brain Michael Bendis
Pencils: Khoi Pham
Inks: Danny Miki

Art Rating: 6 Night Girls out of 10
Story Rating: 8 Night Girls out of 10
Overall Rating: 7 Night Girls out of 10

Synopsis: We begin with a flashback scene to “Years ago.” We see the Sentry in his old school uniform trying to stop the Void from robbing a bank. The Sentry is shocked that the Void is still alive. The Sentry says that he killed the Void.

Suddenly, the Sentry sees a spaceship appearing over the city. The Sentry stops fighting the Void and races off to intercept the spaceship. The spaceship is about to blast into the side of the Baxter Building. We see Skrulls piloting the ship. The Sentry grabs the ship and prevents it from hitting the Baxter Building.

The Sentry then flies the Skrull ship back up outside of Earth’s atmosphere. The Sentry demands to know what the Skrulls are and why they are.., but before Sentry can finish his question, the Skrulls blow up their ship and kill themselves.

We cut to the Sentry waking up in the medical bay at the Baxter Building. Reed thanks Bob for saving them from the Skrull suicide bomber. Reed tells Bob that the aliens are Skrulls and that they hate Reed and want to kill him and the Fantastic Four. Reed says that the Bob is okay. Reed then asks Bob how he feels. Bob answers “I think I’m--” Reed says “What?” Bob answers “I’m just tired” and lies back in the bed. Reed says that Bob is a good friend and that he won’t soon forget it.

We zip forward to a couple of months ago with the Avengers meeting at the Avengers Tower. Jarvis asks Iron Man if it would be possible for him to review the Avengers files on the Sentry. Jarvis says that in light of the unfortunate tragedy with Scarlet Witch that he has been wondering if there was something he could have been more aware of and to have server her and all of them more properly.

Tony responds that he trusts Jarvis more than anyone else and that Jarvis doesn’t need his permission to access all the Avengers files. We then see Jarvis reading the Avengers file on the Sentry.

We cut to a meeting of all the Skrull imposters. Jarvis is addressing the rest of the Skrull imposters. In the crowd we see Henry Pym. Also present in the Skrull Empress posing as a dark haired woman. The Empress asks Jarvis what they are going to do about the Sentry. Jarvis says that all they have to do is simply wait for the Sentry to self-destruct.

Jarvis says that they decided to let the Hulk situation and the Registration Act situation come to a boil and do their work for them. That Thor is gone. The Scarlet Witch is gone. That Doctor Strange will soon buckle. And that the Sentry is going to kill himself. Jarvis says that the Sentry is mentally diseased and has created an alter-ego called the Void. A dark haired woman mumbles that she can’t believe she has to sleep in the same building as the Sentry.

Jarvis continues that the Sentry doesn’t even remember meeting a Skrull before. That even Tony Stark doesn’t know the Sentry’s full power and potential. That even if the Sentry doesn’t kill himself before their invasion is launched that the Sentry will be the easiest to manipulate. That all they will have to do is shape shift into the Void and tell the Sentry that he has launched this entire attack with his mind. That he has betrayed his people. That the only way for him to stop the slaughter of his friends and planet is to hurl himself into this system’s star and end his life.

If the Sentry does not kill himself then he will probably either simply fall into a complete catatonic state or have a mental collapse and kill everyone involved. His friends and the Skrulls included. The Empress wonders why Tony Stark keeps the Sentry around considering he is such a risk. Jarvis responds that Tony does so because he doesn’t know what else to do with the Sentry.

We then cut to today with the Mighty Avengers and the Secret Avengers brawling with the Skrull 1970’s heroes. The Sentry locks horns with the Vision. The Vision then shape shifts into the Void and tells the Sentry that he did all of this. That the Sentry brought the Void back as revenge on everyone for forgetting about him when he needed them the most. That everything is coming together as the Sentry planned.

The Sentry screams “NO!” and flies off into space. We see the Sentry arrive next to Saturn. Sentry sees a dark spot in the rings of Saturn. The Sentry has a shocked look on his face. The Sentry then curls up into a little ball in a vast sea of blackness and starts crying.

We cut back to Times Square right now in the present. The Super Skrulls are laying waste to Manhattan. The Young Avengers are brawling with some of the Super Skrulls. We shift over to the Sentry’s Watchtower. We see a Super Skrull busting into the joint. The Super Skrull is about to kill Lindy when a dark shadowy figure suddenly appears and beats the crap out of the Super Skrull.

We then see that the dark shadowy figure is the Sentry in his Void form. The Void Sentry tells Lindy that they are under attack. The Void Sentry says that Bob couldn’t handle it and he ran away. That is why he is here. That he will take care of Lindy. That he will do whatever Bob cannot do. The Void Sentry holds Lindy and promises her that everything is okay. Lindy starts crying and saying “No” over and over. End of issue.

Comments
The Good: Mighty Avengers #14 was another strong tie-in issue. Bendis continues to turn in much stronger reads on these tie-in issues than what we get on Secret Invasion. Bendis serves up a nicely paced issue. This issue has an enjoyable blend of drama and action. I liked that this issue begins with a measured pace as it builds to the climactic action packed ending.

Mighty Avengers #14 was well plotted. Bendis is notorious for delivering titles that are plagued with plotting issues. This has not been the case with the Secret Invasion tie-in issues. Bendis has constructed well focused stories that move with a purpose and destination in mind. What is truly impressive and makes these tie-in issues so much fun to read is how well Bendis has planted the back story to Secret Invasion into the Marvel’s continuity from the past couple of years. Bendis manages to pull this off in a fairly seamless and organized fashion.

Bendis whips up some great dialogue in this issue. The best part is the noticeable and enjoyable absence of the ubiquitous Bendis speak. The Sentry has his own proper external voice that is devoid of any snappy witty banter. Bendis has such a nice feel for Sentry’s character. I really dig how Bendis writes the Sentry. And the character work that Bendis performs on the Sentry in this issue is simply brilliant.

The flashback scene in the beginning of this issue gives the reader a glimpse at the seeds of the Sentry’s mental illness that we later see bloom into the debilitating condition that he currently suffers from. Bendis shows how the Sentry keeps his budding mental illness a secret from even a close friend like Reed Richards.

Bendis builds logically off of Sentry’s mental illness and the long period when the rest of the 616 universe forgot about him in order to fashion a logical plan for the Skrulls to employ in order to remove the Sentry from the battlefield during Secret Invasion. The scene with Jarvis plotting with the other Skrulls shows the logical progression of how they would decide to deal with the Sentry.

Bendis does a nice job showing that the Skrulls laid back and allowed the events from Civil War and World War Hulk to work in their advantage. The Registration Act fractured the super hero community which made Earth more vulnerable. Then World War Hulk removed from the table one of the more powerful members of Earth’s super hero community.

Bendis has Jarvis touch on the fact that Thor and Scarlet Witch are both gone. There goes two more powerful weapons in Earth’s arsenal. Jarvis then states that Dr. Strange will break soon. And we do indeed see Bendis removing Dr. Strange from the playing field as he has retreated to heal himself and re-dedicate himself to the mystic arts.

Bendis neatly shows how all these various events from the House of M to Civil War to World War Hulk have all helped pave the way for the Skrulls Secret Invasion. This was a well crafted effort on Bendis’ part to connect seemingly disparate plotlines into one cohesive back story that serves as a sound foundation for Secret Invasion.

Of course, there is one noticeable change since this meeting between Jarvis, the Empress and the other Skrull spies. Thor has returned. I’m curious to see what happens when the Skrull’s Secret Invasion attracts the Thunder God’s attention.

The Skrulls’ plan to play off of Sentry’s schizophrenia and the long period where the entire world forgot about him in order to debilitate the Sentry was nicely done. By playing off of Sentry’s mental illness, Bendis has the Skrull Vision convince the Sentry that he concocted this entire attack on Earth as revenge for his friends and comrades forgetting about him for so long and not being there for him when he needed them.

The possible results from the Skrulls’ plan were all nicely thought out. Either Sentry kills himself or he goes into a catatonic state or he kills everyone on Earth. And it was cool seeing the Skrull Vision following the plan and quickly playing off of Sentry’s illness to remove him from the playing field.

The scene with Bob in space as his mind is reeling from what the Skrull Vision just told him was well done. Bendis takes Bob’s schizophrenic disorder to an all new height. I’m still not too sure exactly what the Sentry saw in the rings of Saturn. However, the sight of the world’ most powerful man curled up in the fetal position in total darkness drove home the point the Sentry’s fragile and weak mental state. There is simply something I find so compelling and intriguing about a Superman class character with a mind so fractured and feeble.

Of course, Bendis always has a trick up his sleeve. And the fantastic hook ending threw a cool swerve at the reader. Just when the reader thought that the Skrull plan to remove the Sentry from the battle worked perfectly we see something that we never thought would happen. Bob returns back to Earth as some hybrid version of the Sentry and the Void. Very cool.

Lindy’s reaction to Bob’s new physical form was perfect. Just when she thought Bob’s mental condition could not deteriorate any more it does. Bob now displays a third personality to compliment his Sentry and Void personas. It should certainly be interesting how this plot twist plays out.

The Bad: I found Khoi Pham and Danny Miki’s artwork to be average at best. It was inconsistent from panel to panel. Some scenes looked great while others were quite dull. Pham also seemed to struggle with giving each character their own distinct look. I had a hard time telling who some of the characters were. I could not tell if the Empress had indeed selected Spider-Woman’s persona to impersonate. Jarvis and Hank Pym were the only two Skrull impersonators that I could recognize.

Overall: Mighty Avengers #14 was another excellent Secret Invasion tie-in issue. The joy of Secret Invasion continues to be the back-story and build up to the event rather than the event itself. With this big event the journey is truly more compelling than the destination. Even if you are summarily unimpressed with what Bendis is giving us on Secret Invasion itself, I would still recommend giving Mighty Avengers #14 a try. These tie-in issues are well crafted and balanced reads.

Comic Book Review: Justice League of America #21

Justice League of America continues to disappoint The Revolution. It seems that the main purpose of this title is to set up stories that are going to take place in other comic books, whether it is Tangent: Reign of Superman or Salvation Run. Not much effort has been placed on crafting actual plotlines for Justice League of America itself. And it looks like Justice League of America #21 is going to serve as set-up for events to be seen over on other titles like Final Crisis and Final Crisis: Rogues’ Revenge. Hopefully, Justice League of America #21 will be better than what we have gotten the past couple of months. Let’s go ahead and do this review.

Creative Team
Writer: Dwayne McDuffie
Pencils: Carlos Pacheco
Inks: Jesus Merino

Art Rating: 8 Night Girls out of 10
Story Rating: 6 Night Girls out of 10
Overall Rating: 7 Night Girls out of 10

Synopsis: We begin with Batman, Wonder Woman and Superman meeting at the Hall of Justice. They enter the Slideways with their communicators tuned properly to a specific channel in order to transport into a hidden room in the JLA headquarters. We see the three heroes appear in a room with stairs and a round table with three chairs. The room appears to be floating in space.

Wonder Woman explains that they are in an inter-dimensional bubble in the hyperspace tunnel between the Hall of Justice in D.C and the Watchtower in Earth orbit. That John Henry Irons reverse-engineered it from Boom Tube technology and that John Stewart drew the plans for both structures and this room. They are the only two people outside of the three of them that know about the room. The rest of the League has no knowledge of it.

Superman says that it is a place where the three of them can meet privately. Superman says that he calls it the “Lounge.” Batman sarcastically calls it the “Star Chamber.” Superman asks Batman if he is suddenly against secrecy. Batman responds he is simply against self-delusion and that they have to admit to themselves why they are doing with meeting in a secret room.

Wonder Woman says that none of them have time to run the League, but that they should get together occasionally and give things a nudge when necessary. Superman adds that they don’t always have to talk business. That they can use this meeting room to catch up with each other and talk about their personal lives. Batman surprises me by agreeing with Superman.

Batman then asks Superman what he was doing making out with Vixen a couple of weeks ago while they were fighting the Injustice League. Superman stammers nervously to try and explain himself. Batman interjects that he can’t blame Superman for straying. That Vixen is a beautiful woman. (And Lois has been drawn rather poochy for quite some time now.)

Wonder Woman asks what is going on. Superman explains that he can’t walk about it. That he promised Vixen not to say anything. Batman tells Wonder Woman that Vixen’s powers have changed and that she is leeching off her teammates instead of animals.

Superman is horrified that Batman told Wonder Woman Vixen’s secret. Batman points out that he never made Vixen any promises and that it was stupid of Superman to make one. Superman counters that people have to be able to trust him completely. He is Superman. Batman then surprises me again by agreeing and saying that he didn’t consider the position that Superman is in.

Batman comments that he thought something was up with Vixen back when she raced Jay Garrick and neat him. And then a few weeks before that she punched a hole in Amazo. Batman tells Superman that he had better talk with Vixen. That the JLA cannot operate effectively as a team if everyone is not aware of everyone else’s abilities.

Wonder Woman makes the point that Clark was right that they are the Justice League and they need to be able to trust each other implicitly. Batman sarcastically interjects “Secret meeting rooms notwithstanding.”

Wonder Woman then says that Black Canary told her that Batman has been undercutting her authority in the field. Batman readily agrees that he has. Batman says that Dinah is still developing and needs an occasional challenge to her authority to help season her. Diana retorts that it had nothing to do with Batman feeling responsible for everything Joker does when he is on the loose. Batman curtly responds that it is possible to achieve more than one goal with a single action.

Superman then says that they need to add some formal reserves for the League. Superman asks about Martian Manhunter and if anyone has heard from him. Batman says that once J’onn has completed his work then he is sure that J’onn will be rejoining the team.

Wonder Woman comments that the new Atom has been contacted and is thinking about joining the League. Superman says it doesn’t feel right. That it feels like they are giving up on Ray. Batman doesn’t feel the same way. Batman says that they are honoring their friend’s choice and moving on. Batman says that if Ray wanted to be found he would let them know. Batman says that Clark can’t fix everything and that Ray needs time to heal.

We cut to Baltimore, Maryland where a minor criminal named Mike Miller, also known as the Human Flame is breaking into a bank. Human Flame thinks how he only pulls safe jobs and is no longer a big super villain. That he just wants to avoid super heroes. Unfortunately, as Human Flame leaves the bank Hawkgirl and Red Arrow arrive on the scene.

Red Arrow begins beating up Human Flame until Human Flame fires up a big explosion that envelops Red Arrow. Human Flame then runs for it while Hawkgirl puts out the fire around Red Arrow. Roy says he is okay and Kendra goes ahead and chases after Human Flame.

Hawkgirl catches up to Human Flame. She is about to lay a beating on him when Libra suddenly appears on the scene and knocks out Hawkgirl. Libra then tells Human Flame to come with him.

We shift to Central City where Libra is meeting with a bunch of low level super villains and some rather high profile super villains like Lex Luthor and Gorilla Grodd. We slide back to the Hall of Justice where Red Tornado gives Red Arrow, Hawkgirl and Firestorm background information on the Human Flame. They learn that J’onn captured the Human Flame years ago. Red Tornado then says that Libra was the alien warlord who assembled the original Injustice Gang. That his power is incalculable.

We hop back to Libra’s headquarters in Central City. Lex is highly doubtful that this ridiculous plan of Libra’s will ever work. Libra tells Human Flame that he can give Human Flame his heart’s desire. That Libra can give Human Flame revenge on the Martina Manhunter who defeated him and humiliated hum. That Human Flame’s life has been a bitter series of failures ever since that day. That Martian Manhunter took everything away from Human Flame.

Libra promises to give Human Flame enough power to return the favor. Libra says that Human Flame wants enough power to see the Martian Manhunter dead by his own hands. Human Flame answers “Yes.” Libra says consider it done.

We cut to elsewhere on a distant planet. We see J’onn standing there. A boom tube fires up and teleports J’onn from the planet. End of issue.

Comments
The Good: Justice League of America #21 was a solid read. I have to admit that McDuffie pulled off a much better issue than I was expecting. This was a fairly well paced read as McDuffie balances the slower first half of the issue with a faster paced second half.

Justice League of America #21 is a tale of two stories. The first half of this issue feels nothing like the second half of the issue. What made Justice League of America #21 so much more enjoyable than previous issues was the magnificent first half of this issue dealing with the meeting between the big three.

I will openly admit that I have never really viewed McDuffie as anything more than a journeyman writer. However, the fact is that McDuffie delivers some wonderfully crafted dialogue between the big three. Each of the big three possess a proper external voice. The dialogue between the three old comrades has such a pleasant flow.

The character work on the big three was impressive. McDuffie simply nails their personalities perfectly. McDuffie delivers Batman as the true individualist. Superman the true idealist. And Wonder Woman is a calming balance between the two of them. After reading this scene the reader gets the impression that despite Superman and Batman seemingly overshadowing Wonder Woman, the truth is that Diana is the rock that serves as the foundation for the Trinity.

McDuffie manages a difficult task of being able to make Superman the icon of Truth, Justice and the American Way and making Batman the bad-ass and cynical detective who knows everything without putting one character over the other. Too often writers fall into the trap of making Superman seem like a naïve idiot and Batman the ultimate human who can do no wrong. McDuffie manages to show the reader that both men are important in their own way to the DCU and that both of their contrasting styles actually complement each other rather than conflict.

McDuffie’s excellent feel for the big three’s characters combined with the well crafted dialogue created some fantastic chemistry between the big three. Seriously, this is some of the best chemistry that I have seen a writer generate between the big three in quite some time. The blunt talk between the characters is appropriate for old friends who respect each other greatly and have no qualms talking frankly.

I laughed out loud when McDuffie had Batman matter of factly call out Superman about smooching Vixen. Even better is that Batman never judges Superman by stating that Superman’s straying is understandable since Vixen is a hottie. This is exactly the kind of conversation that you see between old friends.

I dig how McDuffie handles the conflicting philosophical views of Superman and Batman concerning the meeting room. Superman does not operate in secret like Batman does. Superman is a much more upfront straight forward character. However, Kal-El has always had his Fortress of Solitude, his secret hideaway where he could find sanctuary and time to be alone with his thoughts. This “Lounge” is simply an extension of the Fortress of Solitude where Superman can go and socialize with Batman and Wonder Woman.

However, Batman who operates in complete secrecy is the true individualist and distrusts any government or group of individuals who claim to know what is good for the general public. It makes sense that Batman would automatically view the “Lounge” with a derisive attitude by calling it the “Star Chamber.”

I also appreciate that McDuffie has Batman recognize two of Superman’s points during their running debate. Batman surprisingly agrees that a secret meeting room where the big three can catch up with each other and talk about their private lives is a good thing. And Batman again surprises me by conceding the point about Superman needing to keep his word to Vixen. Batman acknowledges that Superman’s position within the DCU that means he has to operate far differently from Batman. That people have to feel that they can trust Superman implicitly simply because he is Superman. Superman is the embodiment of the perfect ideal that serves to inspire people. Batman is the urban myth that embodies fear and punishment that serves to deter people from committing crimes.

These two moments during the running debate demonstrate what an excellent version of Batman that McDuffie delivers. Make no mistake, McDuffie gives us a Batman that is totally bad-assed. McDuffie gets it that Batman must always seem “cool.” However, McDuffie tempers Batman’s sarcastic jerk persona in order to keep Batman from coming off as just a raging asshole. This wise move gives the reader a Batman that has some depth and texture.

I dig how McDuffie handled the topic of the new Atom and Ray Palmer. McDuffie nails Superman’s loyal nature that is prone to nostalgia in refusing to replace Ray with another Atom. That is simply doesn’t feel right to Superman. On the other hand, Batman has the proper pragmatic approach concerning replacing Ray with the new Atom. To Batman, as long as Ray wishes to be alone that they must respect his wishes. Out of all the JLA’ers, Batman can probably relate the most to Ray’s situation. Batman understands the desire of wanting to withdraw from society and the world in general due to painful life experiences.

The second half of Justice League of America #21 was an advertisement for the upcoming Final Crisis. I have had this strange nagging feeling for the past year that Martian Manhunter was slated for a dirt nap. I hope that isn’t true, but J’onn would be a big enough name character to make an impact on readers with his death, but not such a big name character that fans would be upset over his death and clamoring for his return.

Carlos Pacheco and Jesus Merino provide for some excellent artwork in this issue. I have always been a fan of this duo since they consistently deliver quality work. Pacheco is equally adept at drawing slower paced dialogue heavy scenes as he is drawing faster paced action scenes.

The Bad: Once again, Justice League of America serves as a lead in for a story to be continued on another title. It seems that DC has reduced this title as nothing more than an advertising tool to launch stories on other titles. The second half of Justice League of America #21 was generic and failed to match the intensity and effort that McDuffie placed into the first half of this issue. It had an awkward flow and consisted of standard issue comic book dialogue. It felt like McDuffie just phoned in the second half of the issue.

There is still an alarming paucity of plotlines for the JLA itself on this title. Seriously, there has been practically no effort or attention paid to the JLA itself or to any plotlines unique to this title. The Justice League of America really has lost its focus and purpose and merely consists of random one-shot stories and lead-ins for stories on other comic books. I cannot think of another team title currently on the market that really have so few plotlines. There really is nothing at all going on in this title. DC seriously has to start allowing its supposed flagship title to focus on its own plotlines and stories.

Overall: Justice League of America #21 was a solid read. If you are a fan of Batman, Superman and Wonder Woman then you will definitely enjoy this issue. The strength of this issue is the wonderful first half of the issue dedicated to the big three. I hope that the upcoming weekly title Trinity can capture this type of dynamic between the big three.

However, no matter how much I enjoyed the first half of this issue, the fact remains that nothing at all happened in this issue. No JLA plotlines were created in this issue and no JLA related plotlines were advanced. If you aren’t a fan of the big three and actually are interested in reading a JLA story then I would recommend passing on Justice League of America #21.

Comic Book Review: Justice Society of America #15

The Revolution loved the last issue of Justice Society of America. Johns finally stepped on the gas and got this lumbering story arc moving. The ending to the last issue was flat out awesome. I cannot wait to see Alan Scott armored up with Obsidian by his side clash with Gog. Let’s go ahead and hit this review for Justice Society of America #15.

Creative Team
Writer: Geoff Johns & Alex Ross
Pencils: Dale Eaglesham
Inks: Prentis Rollins

Art Rating: 9 Night Girls out of 10.
Story Rating: 9 Night Girls out of 10.
Overall Rating: 9 Night Girls out of 10.

Synopsis: We begin with Gog still engaged in a massive battle with the JSA. Alan Scott and Obsidian attack Gog. Gog says that he is not here for the JSA. That he is only here for the Superman from another Earth. Obsidian turns into a black shadow and enters inside of Gog through his mouth. Obsidian then turns Gog’s eyes black and blinds him. The other members of the JSA take this opportunity to attack Gog while he can’t see. Gog then pukes Obsidian out of his body and then battles back against the JSA.

However, the newer members of the JSA get involved. Lightning blasts Gog. Gog then tries punching Steel but can’t budge Steel an inch. Steel then hammers Gog. Then Judomaster attacks Gog. Gog then blasts Judomaster.

We then cut to the JSA brownstone where Jakeem is knocked out and, therefore, cannot give a verbal command for Thunderbolt to join the fight against Gog. Suddenly, Sandy appears out of the Earth back and better than ever. Sandy says that the man they are fighting is not Gog. The man’s name is Matthews. Sandy says that the real Gog is somewhere else entirely.

We cut back to Matthews about to impale Judomaster. Matthews rants that the world was created in seven days and that Gog’s scripture says he will save it in seven more. Lance, Hawkman, Amazing Man, Steel, Mr. Terrific, Damage and Superman all dog pile on Matthews before he can kill Judomaster. Suddenly, a boom tube teleports Matthews and the JSA’ers who were on him away from the scene.

Sandy appears from the Earth and tells the remaining JSA’ers that Matthews and their teammates were transported back to the temple in the Congo. That sandy have Mid-Nite the exact coordinates. Sandy says he will meet them there and sinks back into the Earth.

We cut to Matthews and Lance, Hawkman, Amazing Man, Steel, Mr. Terrific, Damage and Superman appearing back at the temple in the Congo. Lance then fires an energy blast at point blank range directly into Matthews’ face. Sandy then appears from the ground and asks Matthews what Gog wants. Matthews says that Gog wants to save them all. That there must be no others. No false gods. That Gog is their only hope.

Suddenly, the purple rocky face in the temple wall comes alive and says “Blasphemy.” The rocky face then opens its mouth and transforms Matthews into green energy and sucks him into his mouth. Then the rocky face comes rising out of the ground.

Sandy says that the Earth told him that the stone head did not belong. That it is thousands of years old but it is not from their world. We see the purple rocky face grow a body. We then see a giant armored figure towering over the JSA’ers. The figure says “People of Earth. I come in peace.” End of issue.

Comments
The Good: Justice Society of America #15 was a fantastic read. Johns is en fuego right now on this title. This issue was all about one thing: action. After giving us several slow and plodding issues, Johns more than makes up for it with some seriously furious fighting. Johns treats the reader to just an awesome brawl that stretches throughout this entire issue. The monstrous fight had such a wonderful flow to it and was masterfully choreographed. Johns certainly proves that he can dish out action scenes that are as good as what you will get from any other writer.

Justice Society of America #15 was a well paced read that was a stark contrast to the prior issues on this story arc. This issue is a fast read, however it never felt rushed. This issue was also a well plotted read. Johns progresses this complex story arc in a focused fashion. I appreciate that Johns is letting this story arc unfold organically and that each answer yields an even great question.

Johns does a nice job letting the new members of the JSA show that they belong on the team. And I like that Johns does so naturally without forcing the new members on the reader by jobbing out the older JSA members just to let the newer members grab the spotlight.

Instead, we see Lightning, Lance, Judomaster and Steel getting their shots in on Matthews. And we then see them taking a beating just like the older JSA members receive. This was an effective way of showing that these new members can be just as valuable in a brawl as the more experienced members.

I have to say that Steel was pretty bad-assed when he mixed it up with Matthews. I dig how Steel does his best Blob impersonation by telling Matthews that nothing can budge Steel. Johns certainly gets across to the reader that Citizen Steel is one of the JSA’s heavy hitters.

I also liked how Johns handled Lance’s character during this brawl. Lance shows that while he may be new to the JSA, that unlike some of the other new members of the JSA, Lance is no newbie to fighting. Lance is a soldier and he shows just that as he blasts away at Matthews. I have to admit that Lance is beginning to grow on me.

It was wonderful to see Sandy back and better than ever. Evidently, Sandy’s powers make him incredibly hard to kill. Sandy is hands down my favorite JSA’er. I completely dig everything about his character. Sandy has one of the best character designs that makes him so cool looking. Sandy also possess some of the most interesting and unique powers in the DCU. It was a blast to see Sandy back in action with the JSA.

Johns ends Justice Society of America #15 with an incredible hook ending. I was not expecting Matthews to get swallowed up by the rocky facing the temple wall. And then the dramatic “re-birth” of Gog was one attention grabbing way to end the issue. And you know that you can never trust anyone who claims that they have come to Earth in peace. I definitely cannot wait to learn more about Gog.

Johns then treats the reader to a cool teaser page at the end of this issue. The teaser page consists of four panels. The first panel suggest that someone male dies. We don’t know if it is a JSA’er or not. But, I would imagine that it probably is. We know that the dead person cannot be Dr. Mid-Nite, Mr. Terrific or Jay Garrick. And that is good since I like all three of those characters.

The male JSA’ers that I wouldn’t mind seeing take a dirt nap would include Jakeem Thunder, which will never happen, or Wildcat 2.0, since I’m not that attached to him. I actually dig almost all of the male JSA’ers. Too bad it isn’t a female that Johns is offing. I would be more than happy to nominate either Stargirl or Cyclone to take a dirt nap.

The second teaser panel shows Power Girl reunited with her Earth-Two brethren. With the return of the Multiverse, you knew that this had to happen at some point. I am extremely excited for this plotline. It should be neat to see Power Girl’s reaction to seeing her Earth and her friends back and better than ever.

The third teaser panel shows that Magog from Kingdom Come is evidently slated to make an appearance. This certainly piques my interest and should lead to an action packed story.

The fourth panel, and quite possibly the coolest of the four teaser panels, shows us Black Adam with none other than Isis by his side. We learn that Black Adam and Isis are now in control of the Rock of Eternity. What a huge swerve! I love it. I am a big Black Adam fan and Johns has done such a wonderful job handling Adam’s character. And I’m psyched to see that Isis will be returning. I loved her character over on 52.

There is no doubt that Johns has some huge plotlines in store for us over the course of this year. Johns continues to amaze me by always striving to top himself on the JSA. This is exactly why the JSA remains one of DC’s stronger titles.

Eaglesham and Rollins dish out some artwork that is just phenomenal. Eaglesham continues to impress the hell out of me with his action scenes. Eaglesham gets the reader to feel like they are right in the middle of this brawl. The reader can actually feel the tremors and blows from this fight. Eaglesham does an excellent job conveying to the reader the massive scale of the battle between Matthews and the JSA.

The Bad: I have no complaints with this issue.

Overall: Justice Society of America #15 was a brilliant issue. Johns continues to impress me with his work on this title. The story that Johns is weaving on the JSA is one of the more intriguing ones in the DCU. Justice Society of America offers the reader a pleasant balance of good dialogue and character work with plenty of action and adventure. If you dig DC continuity then you will adore what Johns is doing on the JSA. Even if you aren’t heavy into DC continuity, I think that you will still enjoy this title as Johns does his best to make the story as new reader friendly as possible.

JSA is such a balanced title that it should appeal to a large cross-section of comic book readers. If you still have not given the Justice Society of America a try then I urge you to do so. This title is well worth the cover price. If you don’t want to get the monthly issues, then I definitely recommend getting this story arc when it is released in trade paperback format.

New Comic Books For May 21, 2008

DC COMICS

BATMAN AND THE OUTSIDERS #7
BRAVE AND THE BOLD #13
FLASH #240
JUSTICE SOCIETY OF AMERICA #15
SUPERMAN BATMAN #48
TANGENT SUPERMANS REIGN #3

MARVEL COMICS

AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #560
CAPTAIN AMERICA #38
FANTASTIC FOUR #557
GHOST RIDER #23
IRON MAN DIRECTOR OF SHIELD #29
MIGHTY AVENGERS #14
ULTIMATE X-MEN #94
WOLVERINE ORIGINS #25
X-FACTOR #31

Even though it is still the Summer of Iron Man, the Month of Hulk begins in a week with the debut of the Hulk movie slated for June 13. With that in mind, Marvel.com has released a second trailer for the new Hulk movie. Now, I don’t expect the Hulk movie to be as good as Iron Man, but I think we are in store for an entertaining romp.



All right, let’s check out the comic books for this week. We have 15 titles headed to the Bunker. This week’s shipment of comic books is still Marvel heavy. And there are a lot more quality titles headed our way from Marvel than what we are getting from DC this week.

Which DC comic book am I most looking forward to reading? Tangent: Superman’s Reign #3 is sure to be another entertaining read. It is shame that I have not been able to post a review for this title because I have really enjoyed this story so far. Of course, I’m a sucker for a story set on one of DC’s multiple Earths.

However, the title that I am most looking forward to reading is Justice Society of America #15. The last issue of the JSA had one incredibly awesome ending. I have been chomping at the bit to read this issue. I cannot wait to see what Johns has in store with us as the JSA continues to brawl with Gog.

Which DC comic book am I least looking forward to reading? Batman and the Outsiders #7 doesn’t get me that excited. This title has been a disappointment up to this point. The roster is in a constant state of flux and there is a lack of chemistry between the team members. I would like to see Dixon concentrate a bit more on character work since all the characters are a bit one-dimensional.

Flash #240 is sure to be another dull read. This title continues to be a huge miss with The Revolution ever since Wally came back. Flash has been a subpar read ever since Johns left this title a couple of years ago. My only hope is that Morrison plans on bringing back Barry Allen on a permanent basis and that Barry takes over this title. I’d much rather read about a single Barry Allen dealing with conquering death than I would a Wally West who is married and with two kids.

Which Marvel comic book am I most looking forward to reading? This is a tough decision to make since there are so many excellent titles headed our way from the House of Ideas. The Iron Man love-fest continues as we get yet another Iron Man title this week. However, I cannot say that I am particularly excited to read Iron Man: Director of SHIELD #557. The reason is simple: the Knaufs aren’t writing this upcoming four issue story arc. Instead, we get back up writer Stuart Moore. Needless to say, I am disappointed.

Mighty Avengers #14 should be another great read. Bendis’ work on his Secret Invasion tie-in issues has far outshined his work on Secret Invasion itself. We are going to get to see Nick Fury’s new Howling Commandos in action in this issue. I was interested in the new Howling Commandos when we met them in the last issue of Mighty Avengers and I look forward to learning more about them.

Fantastic Four #557 is sure to be an entertaining issue. I have completely enjoyed Millar’s run on this title. Millar has whipped up one exciting story that has an excellent mix of drama and action. I am excited to see Reed grab the spotlight in this issue as he attempts to save the world from CAP.

Of course, you can never go wrong with Peter David’s X-Factor. This title is always a good read as David consistently pours his heart into his work. X-Factor #31 should be another excellent read as we see X-Factor