New Dr Who Christmas Special 2012 Poster & Snowmen Image

Tags

Christmas Special, Clara, Doctor Who, Dr Who, Jenna-Louise Coleman, Matt Smith, Snowmen, The Doctor

New Dr Who Christmas Special 2012 Poster & Snowmen Image

After treating us to a trailer and mini prequel for the Dr Who Christmas Special during the Children in Need Appeal, the BBC has also just released a stunning “movie style” poster for this years Christmas Special. So far every episode of Season 7 has been given one of these fantastic promotional images, it nice to see the trend continuing as we get ready for the Time Lords new festive adventure.

The movie poster features The Doctor (Matt Smith) and his new companion, Clara (Jenna Louise Coleman), while a separate image gives us a close up look at the sinister Snowmen who we caught a brief glimpse of in the Children in Need trailer. If the prequel is anything to go by it would seem that the Doctor is acting very much like Scrooge, having become something of a heartbroken recluse after loosing Amy and Rory to the Weeping Angels. So when the world is threatened again this Christmas it falls to new companion Clara to get the Time Lord take up the fight and save the day.

This Christmas Special also sees the return of fan favourites Madame Vastra (Neve Mclntosh) and Jenny (Catrin Stewart), along with Dan Starkey as Strax. As well as the Snowmen the Doctor and Clara will have to defeat the villainous Doctor Simeon – played by Richard E Grant. The Snowmen looks set to be the most exciting Dr Who Christmas Special yet, and will be all the more special because it will be the 11^th Doctor’s first full adventure alongside his new travelling companion. Time to start counting down the days to Christmas!

Batman #14 Review

Tags

Alfred, Batman, Commissioner Gordon, DC Comics, Death of the Family, Gotham City, Greg Capullo, Harley Quinn, Jonathan Glapion, Nightwing, Scott Snyder, The Court of Owls, The Joker, The New 52

Batman #14

[Contains Spoilers]

Review by Paul Bowler

Realizing that the Joker is re-enacting his old crimes Batman tracked the Joker to A.C.E Chemicals, but instead of confronting The Clown Prince of Crime he encounters The Red Hood, who Batman quickly realizes is just Harley Quinn in disguise, After being trapped inside a bubbling vat of chemicals and left for dead by a distraught Harley Quinn, Batman struggles to free himself as his makeshift prison begins to fill up with the same deadly toxins that created the Joker. Using an explosive device from his utility belt, Batman manages to blow the lid off the vat, even though his proximity to the explosion critically damages his Bat-Suit.

Unable to raise Alfred on the communicator, Batman drives the Batmobile back to the Cave and issues a message to the other members of the Bat-Family, warning them that the Joker is now targeting all of them. Once at the Cave it becomes clear that Alfred is missing. Sensing something is seriously wrong Batman searches the Manor for his old friend, but all he finds is a small package on the doorstep containing an audio cassette. The tape holds a special message for Bruce Wayne. Joker gleefully explains that Alfred Pennyworth is now his hostage and how he will need Bruce Wayne’s employee to provide service for a special event he has planned. The message ends with Alfred screaming in agony as the Joker sprays Ammonia in his eyes.

Batman’s proximity to the explosion critically damages his Bat-Suit

Realizing that Gordon is the Joker’s next target, Batman goes to his home where Jim sits alone in the dark on his bed. With his nerves in shreds, Jim almost shoots the Dark Knight as he enters through the window, but he refuses Batman’s plan to take him to a secure bunker. Gordon knows he must confront the Joker if he is to face up to his fear, he even looks at some old photographs from the night Joker crippled Barbara, but as he does so his fingers begin to bleed.

Batman is shocked as Gordon collapses into his arms, his body bleeding profusely. He quickly rushes Jim to hospital where it becomes clear that the Joker had laced the pictures with a blood thinning derivative of Heparin. With Gordon stabilized Batman meets Nightwing on the roof of the hospital and brings him up to speed on the Joker’s plan. Nightwing is horrified to learn that Alfred has been kidnapped and asks Bruce if he thinks it’s possible that the Joker might have discovered their secret identities, but Batman doesn’t believe he has. Together they set out to face the Joker at the reservoir, where he once attempted to poison Gotham’s water supply, Nightwing heads for the aqueduct while Batman finally confronts the Joker on the reservoir itself.

It is here, at the scene of their very first face-to-face encounter so long ago, that history begins to repeat itself: the waters below are heaving with the bodies of innocent victims, Batman stands poised to knock the detonator from the Joker’s hand with a Batarang hidden behind his back, and Joker’s grotesque new countenance yields an even deadlier secret as he presses the detonator – unleashing a swarm of chatting Joker Teeth from the depths of the reservoir  that quickly ensnare Batman in a web of cables just as Nightwing is caught in an explosion at the aqueduct. With Batman trapped, and knowing that the rest of the Bat-Family will be able to hear him over the Police Wire, the Joker announces that he knows who they really are and that he is going to kill them all over the next seventy two hours to make them pay for making Batman so weak!

Joker’s reign of terror strikes right at the heart of the Dark Knights world

If last issue left you checking under your bed before you went to sleep, then Batman #14 will leave you reeling in shock as Scott Snyder and Greg Capullo continue to ramp up the tension as the Joker’s reign of terror strikes right at the very heart of  the Dark Knights world. The shock of seeing Alfred about to be bludgeoned with a hammer by the Joker at the end of Batman #13 is now supplanted by the discovery of an audio cassette left on the doorstep of Wayne Manor. As Batman listens to the tape Snyder leaves our rapt imagination to fill in the gruesome details, but just like Batman we are helplessly bound to our rage, unable to contemplate quite how this has happened. Before the tape ends Alfred starts screaming when the Joker sprays ammonia in his eyes, his tortured cries are cut short as Batman smashes the cassette deck, shattering our preconceptions to reveal that even Batman is not immune to such horror.

It is rare to see Batman react in this way. Of all the members of the Dark Knights rogues gallery there are few who can get under Batman’s skin quite like the Joker can, even during his darkest hour against The Court of Owls he was able to formulate some kind of strategy, but faced with the anarchic chaos of the Joker he is almost consumed by the grotesque schism of their unholy conflict. He does his best to reign in his emotions, even when later Gordon is almost killed by a blood thinning toxin – applied to the photographs in his bedside table by the Joker – the Dark Knight is once again powerless to prevent one of his closest friends being harmed by the Joker’s madness. It takes some stern talking from Nightwing on the roof of the hospital before Bruce actually acknowledges how Alfred’s kidnapping has affected him, but even here we can sense that Jim Gordon’s warning about never letting the Joker see your fear is still gnawing away beneath the Batman’s cowl.

Few can get under Batman’s skin quite like the Joker

As Batman races on the Bat-Bike to confront the Joker at the reservoir his thoughts are still very much with Alfred: recalling the way he always used to talk over the details of a case with him first, calling him on the way to any given confrontation; almost as if he were seeking reassurance before venturing into the jaws of battle. The masterstroke here is that Snyder not only allows us to see how deeply Bruce has been affected by Alfred’s kidnapping, but he also plays on our own fears, drawing us deeper and deeper into the churning mire of doubt and panic that still surrounds Alfred’s fate.

Snyder also highlights the distinct psychological aspects of how deeply rooted the Joker has become in Batman’s psyche, illustrating how they share an uncanny duality that seems to have become an all consuming obsession beyond anything we could have conceivably imagined. The vat Batman is trapped in fills with the same toxic chemicals that created the Joker: after years of study over many sleepless afternoons Batman has learned the exact composition of this nefarious mix of sodium hydroxide, sulphuric acid, chromium solution, and zinc sulphide – even down to the small hint of copper that infuses this deadly toxin with its ominous green glow. You can just imagine Bruce alone in the cave, studying slide after slide of this toxic brew, looking for some key to the ghoulish monster it created; some small glimmer of understanding amidst all the horror and collateral damage the Joker has caused, only to see his own eyes reflected in the lens of the microscope…

Every panel of Greg Capullo’s stunning art and Jonathan Glapion’s exemplary inks ensures Batman #14 one of the most memorable yet – transfixing us with the horrors inflicted on Alfred and Commissioner Gordon – each page seeming to infuse us with the encroaching dread of Batman’s inevitable confrontation with the Joker. When they finally face each other at the reservoir we get our first close up glimpse of Capullo’s new version of the Joker. The grubby overalls have replaced the garish purple suit of old, the ragged remains of Joker’s face is now strapped to the raw meat of his skull, a monstrous parody of his former life – his workman-like approach to clawing away at the Batman’s resolve through his friends has refined the razors edge of Joker’s obsession into a weapon that is lethal enough to slice through to the Dark Knights greatest secret of all.

Batman issues a warning that the Joker is now targeting all of them

After ensnaring Batman in the cables spewed from the chattering teeth that fly from the waters of the reservoir, Joker reveals that he knows who they are, presenting Batman with a book he claims to have made from the skin of bats from the Bat-Cave itself – one filled with the secrets he has gathered as he watched and waited while Batman struggled against The Court of Owls. Batman still believes Joker is lying, yet as Joker screams his punch line up at the storm filled sky, you can’t help but sit back and wonder if the Joker might actually get to have the last laugh this time around.

Whether he actually knows the Batman’s secret identity or not, and those of his allies, the Joker has just opened the ultimate jack-in-the-box that will no doubt have serious ramifications over the coming months as Death of the Family spills into the rest of the Bat-Titles. Batman seems unperturbed by the Joker’s revelation and is convinced he is bluffing. They both know each other so well; it’s almost as if the masks have become the greatest joke of all, their lives now intrinsically bound together in ever decreasing circles of secrets and lies that neither would really seem complete without the other. In playing this ultimate “Joker” card Scott Snyder has given us one of the most delicious juxtapositions ever, one that alters everything but proves nothing, planting a seed of doubt that is as insidious as any of the Joker’s mind games. The Joker’s relationship with Batman has now evolved into something so dark and heinous that it transcends all that has gone before, and this time the stakes have never been higher. Joker’s warped fixation on what he perceives as the Batman’s weakness has made him more dangerous than ever, he is determined to tear down the support network Batman has built up around himself, and he seems genuinely disappointed when his “King” fails to realize how far he has fallen in his old foes estimations when they square off at the reservoir.

Batman is trapped in a vat of the same toxic chemicals that created the Joker

Scott Snyder and Greg Capullo will take your nerves and shred them into tiny pieces with Batman #14, the closing moments on the reservoir mark one of the greatest standoffs ever seen between the Joker and Batman. This issues backup story (Men of Worship) features a clandestine meeting of almost biblical proportions between the Joker and the Penguin in a church on the outskirts of Gotham that literally oozes with menace. The blood splattered congregation of slaughtered lieutenants from every major crime family in Gotham sit silently amongst the shadows as the Joker makes Cobblepot an offer he cannot refuse. This chilling little tale serves as a perfect footnote to the main storyline and really empathizes just how meticulous the Joker has been about his return to Gotham City.

Death of the Family is only just beginning. We can’t even begin to imagine what Scott Snyder has in store for us next, but with the Joker involved, I think we can rest assured that there are twisted times ahead for anyone who crosses his path…

All New XMen #1 Review

Tags

All New X-Men, Bobby Drake, Brian Michael Bendis, Cyclops, Hank McCoy, Iceman, Jean Grey, Marvel, Marvel Comics, Marvel Now, Next-Generation Mutation, Original X-Men, Scott Summers, Storm, Stuart Immonen, The Beast, Warren Worthington III, X-Men

All New X-Men #1

Review by Paul Bowler

 Now that new Mutants are beginning to appear worldwide after the dissipation of the Phoenix Energy during the climax of AvX, the X-Men try and settle back into their lives at The Jean Grey School for Higher Learning. Cyclops and the core members his extinction team are now fugitives championing the rights of new Mutants, using whatever means necessary to help them. Back at the school Storm, Kitty, and Iceman can hardly believe their eyes when they watch a TV report featuring Cyclops and his team as they violently protect a new time warping mutant in Australia.

Iceman is all for confronting Cyclops and “shutting him down”, but Storm is vehemently against such a course of action, believing that it could very well lead to the X-Men being bitterly divided by a Mutant Civil War. The Beast stands listening, quietly watching another incident with Cyclops and his team as it plays out on a tablet device – this time rescuing a young Mutant with healing powers from Police custody in Michigan – and wearily Hank agrees with Iceman’s strategy. When his friends notice how exhausted Hank is he makes an excuse about being tired and walks away, but they are unaware that Hank is secretly suffering from the agonizing physical trauma of a Next-Generation Mutation – one that could very well prove fatal.

So the Beast decides that what time he has left to try and get Cyclops to see reason should be used to resolve the situation as quickly as possible, and to do that he takes the drastic measure of travelling back in time to talk to the Original X-Men: Scott Summers, Jean Grey, Bobby Drake, Warren Worthington III, and his own past self before his current mutation, Hank McCoy. The Beast appeals to Scott and his flabbergasted team mates, quickly explaining what has happened before asking them to travel back to the future so Scott can try and prevent his future self from committing Mutant Genocide!

Of all the new Marvel Now titles All New X-Men #1 has been perhaps one of the most highly anticipated, and with Brian Michael Bendis and Stuart Immonen at the helm for this premier issue X-Men fans are in for a real treat. With the world still reeling from the events of AvX, Bendis skilfully crafts a tale that provides a perfect fusion between two eras. Now that Cyclops and his Extinction team are helping to save new Mutants from persecution, we are presented with a world that now fears and mistrusts the Children of the Atom more than ever before. It will also be interesting to see how the other members of the original X-Men will cope when they encounter their future counterparts, as well as the strange new world they find themselves in.

Stuart Immonen’s dramatic artwork successfully highlights every aspect of Bendis’ intricate storyline, as well as showcasing the entire cast of All New X-Men #1and balancing the quieter – more character driven moments – with the big action set-pieces. This issue also has the superb Wade Von Grawbadger on inks, vibrant colours by Marte Gracia; with letterer and production wizard Cory Petit ensuring that every nuance of Bendis’ story is flawlessly realized.

Right from the outset we are plunged into Hank McCoy’s plight to conceal his Next-Generation Mutation from his friends. His pain and suffering is hard to watch, as is his decision to hide the condition from his friends, but even he can see that history might well be repeating itself as he watches Cyclops using any means necessary to protect the two new Mutants introduced this issue. Storm is right to wish to avoid another conflict, although they are surprised when Beast agrees with Iceman that they should take a more proactive stance against Scott this time – however none of them could realize that Hank might try to resolve the situation himself by attempting to recruit the Original X-Men from the past.

All New X-Men #1 poses many tantalizing opportunities for Brian Michael Bendis to explore in the coming issues. Aside from possibly breaking every law in space, time, and probably physics to bring the Original team of X-Men back to the present, we are sure to have some great encounters between each incarnation of Scott Summers – especially if the older Scott Summers gets to meet the younger version of his lost love Jean Grey. The possibilities are endless, although I hope the Beast isn’t left to suffer for too long and that his younger self will help him find a cure to stabilize his mutation.

The X-Men have been splintered for far too long, All New X-Men #1is the first confident step in restoring these teams to their former glory, fusing the X-Men’s past with their present in this brilliant addition to the ongoing Marvel Now range. I had my doubts about the return of the original X-Men, but I’m happy to say that Bendis and Immonen have done a fantastic job with it. All New X-Men #1 is one of the most innovative new titles from Marvel Now, it’s great to see the original X-Men again, and I look forward to seeing how this storyline develops over the months ahead.

The Walking Dead: Issue #104

Tags

Carl Grimes, Charlie Adlard, Image Comics, Jesus, Negan, Rick Grimes, Robert Kirkman, The Saviors, The Walking Dead, Walkers, Zombie Apocalypse, Zombies

The Walking Dead #104

Review by Paul Bowler

After being left with no choice but to cooperate with Negan and the Saviors, the people of Alexandria watch helplessly as Rick allows their supplies to be plundered. As Negan and his men leave Rick’s friends begin to question his decision, unaware that he is secretly trying to buy them all some time so Jesus can follow Dwight and find out where  the Saviors are based. He turns on them angrily, telling them they are welcome to take their chances outside the walls of Alexandria if they don’t agree with him. After ordering everyone to help replenish the settlements supplies so they can be ready to make their next tribute to Negan, Rick returns home to talk to Carl but finds that his son is missing.

Rick and his friends have never seemed so vulnerable and divided

Dwight’s friends find him as he nears the Saviors base, informing him that he has been followed. They capture Jesus and drive back to The Tower, a huge industrial complex surrounded by chained and mutilated Walkers. As they enter the complex Jesus manages to get free from his bonds and escapes. Negan’s convy arrives soon after, but as they begin to unload their spoils from Alexandria, they find they have a young stowaway on board – Carl Grimes!

Armed with an assault rifle, Carl opens fire, determined to kill Negan and make him pay for what he has done to his friends. Carl kills several of Negan’s men, but the weapon is too powerful for him to control. He drops the rifle and Dwight quickly overpowers the boy as Negan gloats over his latest victory.

The Walking Dead #104 hardly gives the reader a chance to catch their breath as this issue races along towards its thrilling conclusion. Robert Kirkman continues to pile on the pressure as Rick Grimes leadership at Alexandria begins to crumble. We also get to see Jesus in action, before being captures and taken to The Tower. He manages to escape, just as Carl Grimes leaps from a truck and goes on a killing spree. We can only hope that Jesus is watching from the shadows, and will somehow be able to help Carl escape from Negan’s clutches.

Carl is determined to make Negan pay for what he has done to his friends

The approach to The Tower is another showcase for Charlie Adlard’s art as the derelict building is surrounded by Walkers: chained up, impaled on spikes, or horribly dismembered. These striking images are what make The Waking Dead such an intoxicating vision of the Zombie Apocalypse, and it never ceases to amaze me how Adlard continually finds new ways to utilize these decaying monsters.

The Walking Dead #104 is packed with action set-pieces. Rick and his friends have never seemed so vulnerable and divided as they are right now, and the cliffhanger ending is sure to leave you on the edge of your seat!

Iron Man #1

Tags

Extremis, Greg Land, Guru EFX, Iron Man, Jay Lesiten, Kieron Gillen, Marvel, Marvel Comics, Marvel Now, Pepper Potts, Tony Stark

Iron Man #1

Review by Paul Bowler

Billionaire playboy Tony Star’s flirtatious evening with a mysterious blonde woman at MJ’s night club is curtailed when news that Maya Hansen has been kidnapped and forced to reconstruct the Extremis technology. Stark and Pepper begin to realize the horrifying implications of this security breach. In an attempt to prevent this technology falling into the wrong hands Stark decides to infiltrate the AIM presentation headed by Colin Forty Four, where the Extremis V2 is being marketed as Homo-Extremis; a revolutionary new biological fusion of man and technology that will supposedly offer a programmable new era of health and prosperity for the human race.

When Stark hacks into the presentations computer systems he is discovered, fortunately he has managed to smuggle a liquid “smart metal” suit in his briefcase, and is quickly transformed into Iron Man when the liquid putty bonds with his subdermal exoskeleton. Iron Man is attacked the by super strong, and fire breathing, AIM Extremis Enhanciles, but he has come prepared for this eventuality and defeats them with a new armour -piercing taser. After managing to persuade Colin Forty Four to talk – by dangling him in mid air – Tony Stark’s worst fears are realized when he learns that the Extremis technology has fallen into the hands of four different people determined to exploit Extremis at any cost.

Iron Man #1 is a great new addition to the new Marvel Now range of titles. This new issue reintroduces us to Tony Stark’s Billionaire lifestyle, and we learn much more about what makes the Armoured Avenger tick in one issue than we have in recent years. Tony has come to revaluate his place in the world as this issue begins, with Iron Man soaring over the New York skyline as he questions the fundamental points of the decisions that have shaped his life so far.

After his great stint in AvX Consequences Kieron Gillen casts his assured eye over the Iron Man legacy and brings it bang up to date for Marvel Now, causing Tony Star to reflect on the recent events in the Marvel Universe, drawing on familiar Iron Man concepts like the Extremis while skilfully offering a technologic slant on the classic Demon in a Bottle storyline.

One of this issues most striking features is the terrific artwork by Greg Land’s. From the opening skyline of New York to the moment Tony Stark dons his new suit of Iron Man armour, every scene is complemented by Jay Lesiten’s inks and swathed in the gleaming colours provided by Guru EFX. It’s a neat idea to have Tony shaves off his moustache so he can sneak into the AIM presentation unnoticed, it’s a fun interlude, as is the way he sneaks his new liquid metal armour past security in his briefcase. The scene where Tony suits up is of course the highlight of this issue, as is the new Iron Man armour itself. The new suit is a stunning redesign that bristles with raw power and advanced weaponry. I also like how this new suit seems more heavy duty than the more recent versions, bulkier, and with a darker colour scheme that really enhances the organic quality of the liquid metal it’s formed from.

We are still in the very early days of Marvel Now but so far Iron Man #1 has been my favourite title from this new range. There is plenty to enjoy here for Iron Man fans, and this title in particular really showcases the concepts behind Marvel Now, teaming some great writing and top notch artwork with the opportunity to refine the character of Tony Stark and make this premier issue a confident new beginning for the Invincible  Iron Man.

Earth 2 Issue #6 Review

Tags

Alan Scott, Apokolips War, Commander Khan, DC Comics, Earth 2, Green Lantern, Hawkgirl, James Robinson, Jay Garrick, Nicola Scott, Solomon Grundy, Terry Sloan, The Atom, The Flash, The New 52, Trevor Scott

Earth 2 Issue #6

Review by Paul Bowler

With the Earth now engulfed by the decaying tendrils of the rot the new wonders of Earth 2 struggle to make their final stand against Solomon Grundy in Washington.  Realizing that Grundy’s power is somehow linked to his own Earth Energies, Green Lantern entrusts the Flash, Hawkgirl, and the Atom to protect him from Solomon Grundy while he uses his spirit form to confront The Grey in its bizarre otherworldly realm. Meanwhile in the World Army Central Intelligence Hub floating above the ruins of Metropolis, Commander Khan can only watch helplessly as Terry Sloan assumes command of The Sentinel and orders a nuclear strike against Washington to destroy Grundy.

As the nuclear missiles home in on the capitol Flash, Atom, and Hawkgirl fight bravely to defend Green Lantern’s helpless body from Grundy, unaware that The Grey is trying to deceive Alan Scott’s spirit form with an facsimile of Sam (His recently deceased lover) into forging an alliance – promising to resurrect Sam from the dead if Green Lantern will willingly join forces with it and let Solomon Grundy destroy the world. But just as his allies are about to be overwhelmed by the rot, Green Lantern manages to see through The Grey’s illusion; his brief moment of joy giving way to rage as he obliterates Sam’s doppelganger with his power ring and returns to his physical form.

Flash, Atom, and Hawkgirl defend Green Lantern’s helpless body from Grundy

Green Lantern attacks Grundy and pummels the monster into the upper atmosphere, giving the Atom, Hawkgirl, and Flash time to get free as the rot begins to recede now that Grundy is no longer present on Earth. The Atom tries to carry out his original orders and capture Hawkgirl, but the Flash helps her and they manage to escape the giants grasp. With Green Lantern and Solomon Grundy’s furious battle taking them perilously close to the brink of space, Alan Scott is horrified to see the wave of nuclear missiles about to strike Washington. Although his powers begin to fade as they reach Earth orbit, Green Lantern uses the last vestiges of his power rings energies to take out the missiles, tossing them harmlessly into space before blasting Solomon Grundy into exile on the moon – effectively rendering the creature powerless as there is no energy for The Grey to utilize or corrupt on the lunar surface.

With his power ring completely depleted, Green Lantern plummets back to Earth, but Hawkgirl swoops in to rescue him and together they rejoin the Flash. It seems that Green Lantern’s ring has been recharged upon his return to Earth, so he uses it to give the planet a boost of energy to help undo some of the damage inflicted by the rot. The crisis may be over for now, but Flash reminds them all of the warning Mercury gave him about a new danger they will soon have to face, one that could be even greater than the Apokolips Invasion itself. Green Lantern reveals how the Green Earth Entity that gave him his power ring also warned of such a threat, but he dismisses the Flash’s idea that they work together and form a new Trinity of Wonders, believing himself to be powerful enough to handle any situation from now on without their help. So Green Lantern bids them farewell, soaring into the sky, leaving Hawkgirl disgusted by his arrogance and the Flash to ponder their future as flowers begin to bloom in the rapidly regenerating dirt beneath their feet.

Earth 2 #6 is the culmination of several plot threads that have been carefully developed by James Robinson  over the course of this new series, and it is this careful plotting and attention to the finer details of these classic character that continues to make this parallel version of the New 52 DCU so appealing. Not only has Robinson given fan favourites Jay Garrick and Alan Scott exciting new origins, he has reintroduced Hawkgirl and the Atom, as well is the incongruous menace of Terry Sloan and a plethora of new supporting characters to spawn a whole new mythology steeped in the rich lineage of the Silver Age which Earth 2 so successfully seeks to emulate.

Commander Khan confronts Terry Sloan

The winning combination of Nicola Scott’s art and Trevor Scott’s inks once again make Earth 2 a delight to behold. Few titles really capture the energy and excitement of a story, but Earth 2 #6 perfectly encapsulates the epic scale of Green Lantern’s struggle with Solomon Grundy in orbit as the nuclear missiles descend over Washington. It also highlights just how Green Lantern’s and Grundy’s powers are connected to the Earth itself, providing a highly plausible limit to their immense abilities. The rich colours by Alex Sinclair enhances every panel, superbly complementing the kinetic action, all serving  to make Earth 2 one of the most vibrant looking team books of The New 52.

The 6^th issue of Earth 2 is bursting with character set-pieces: when Alan Scott nearly succumbs to The Grey’s false image of Sam his retribution is swift and precise as this Green Lantern’s emotional turmoil seems to elevate his rings power to almost unimaginable levels, Hawkgirl’s tactical skills play a crucial role in helping the new wonders hold the line in Washington, and even the Atom seems to realize just how much his loyalty to the World Army has been tested by the crisis when the chance to apprehend Kendra slips through his fingers once again.

For me though, Jay Garrick has been the biggest revelation in Earth 2. This quite, and unassuming character is easily the most appealing we‘ve met so far in this alternative reality. Even in the heat of the battle with Grundy, his thoughts reveal just how much he doubts his own abilities, although he does his utmost to hide his insecurities from the Atom and Hawkgirl. It comes as something of a shock when his hand of friendship is coldly brushed aside by Green Lantern at the end of the story, completely crushing the young heroes dream of building a new Age of Wonders, even Hawkgirl is surprised by Green Lantern’s indifferent attitude towards them. This scene sits awkwardly with the sense of camaraderie that was starting to evolve between the heroes, it also leaves you feeling a bit cheated by the ending, although events are sure to bring them all together again soon.

Although it seems like Green Lantern was behaving very badly, we have to remember that Alan Scott is a man who is used to giving orders as the owner and CEO of GCE, and is probably just delegating, using cold logic to try and come terms with the death of his partner as well as the full magnitude of his newfound powers. That power is in itself symbolized within the ring he was going to use to propose marriage, which in a cruel twist of fate, also served as the instrument that vanquished The Grey’s effigy of Sam and a dream of eternal bliss. There is no excusing Alan Scott’s behaviour towards the Flash and Hawkgirl – particularly as Hawkgirl just saved his life – but it is clear that Green Lantern has some serious issues to deal with, and I’m sure in time he will come to realize that he should have been much more gracious in victory.

The new wonders of Earth 2 make a final stand against Solomon Grundy

This small quibble aside, I think Earth 2 has a very promising future. One aspect I would like to see explored further is the story behind Terry Sloan and Commander Khan’s furious confrontation on The Sentinel. These two characters obviously have a great deal of bad blood between them: most evidently when Sloan taunts Khan about his real father, which yields further revelations about how Khan single-handedly faced Parademons and Terrornauts during the height of the Apokolips War, as well as recalling Sloan’s acts of genocide that saw a third of Khan’s homeland destroyed in that conflict. Khan also gets to turn the tables on Sloan when his faith in the New Wonders is validated by their victory, and it’s a serendipitous moment when Khan smiles and delivers the “wonderful” news to Sloan.

Above all we still have the portent of a new threat yet to be revealed, as well as the exciting prospect of even more classic Silver Age characters waiting to be reinvented within the context of this alternative universe. Earth 2 issue #6 has been one of the most exciting so far, in spite of the somewhat unsatisfactory coda with Green Lantern, and never the less successfully sets the scene for the next chapter in this exciting new age of wonders.

The Fury of Firestorm #13 Review

Tags

Al Milgran, Dan Jurgens, Dataxen, DC Comics, Firestorm, Grey Conway, Hi-Fi, Jason Rusch, Ray McCarthy, Ronnie Raymond, The Fury of Firestorm The Nuclear Man, The New 52

The Fury of Firestorm the Nuclear Man #13

Review by Paul Bowler

The new direction established for The Fury of Firestorm The Nuclear Man continues to build on bringing the series closer to its original concept as we join Ronnie Raymond and Jason Rusch’s parents, Al Rusch and Joanne Raymond, as they bump into each other at Walton Mills High School for a parent-teacher conference only to find Ronnie and Jason have failed to show up. The two of them compare notes about their kids new life as the merged entity known as Firestorm, worrying that their studies may be effected, but resigned to the fact that they have been somewhat sidelined by Ronnie and Jason’s newfound life as a superhero.

Sure enough, Firestorm is trying to take down a giant robot called Dataxen that has attacked an air force instillation. Unfortunately Ronnie’s overconfidence almost proves their undoing, ignoring Jason’s warnings, after Dataxen seems almost unaffected by their combined powers of explosive energy and transmutation. As the battle between Firestorm and Dataxen intensifies, General Eiling prepares to retaliate by scrambling bombers, but after Firestorm stops a wave of missiles launched by the robot – transmuting them into tin cans to avoid innocent casualties – Dataxen mysteriously disappears.

As Dataxen returns to a secret underground base for the data it has collected about Firestorm to be analysed by a secret organization, Firestorm changes back into Ronnie and Jason at the High School, but they have missed the conference. Jason’s girlfriend Tonya, the only other person beside their parents who knows they are Firestorm, is there to meet them as Coach Conway gives Ronnie a dressing down for missing the conference and letting his grades slip.

They all go to Ronnie’s house so Tonya can help him catch up on a history paper due for the next day, but an attack on S.T.A.R Labs by a new team of villains: Black Star, Relay, and Skull Crusher means they have to leave their studies to tackled the threat as Firestorm. The new trio of enemies attack Firestorm as soon as he arrives at S.T.A.R Labs, the fight doesn’t go well for Firestorm: he is battered by Skull Crusher, his energy blasts have little effect on the living black hole called Black Star, and Relay uses her telekinetic powers to drop some machinery on him. As Firestorm struggles to fight back, every moment is being monitored by the secret underground organization, while somewhere a mysterious figure watching the computer screens begins to emerge from the shadows…

The changes wrought by Zero Month begin to seriously fan the flames of nostalgia as this new era gets under way with Firestorm #13. Right from the outset Writer/Artist Dan Jurgens successfully captures the fun fuelled spirit of adventure that will have many fans of Firestorm welcoming the return of the series leaning more towards the original premise created by Grey Conway and Al Milgran during the 70’s. Its also great to see the rivalry between Ronnie and Jason evolving into something more light hearted, its also somewhat ironic that Ronnie now seems to relish being Firestorm much more than Jason, who missed his powers when they were gone. Now they are teamed up as the newly merged Firestorm, with Ronnie in the driving seat and Jason proving the intellectual back up. They are both polar opposites, one worried about dating and sports, the other concerned about grades and science projects, but both are still typical teenagers who are slaves to their mobile phones – checking their text messages the instant the superhero work as Firestorm is done!

By casting off the global espionage and brining the series back to a High School environment, Dan Jurgens has the opportunity to flesh out some of the supporting cast, setting up a possible love triangle between Ronnie, Tonya, and Jason. There is a real fan pleasing moment when Coach Conway (A great reference to Gerry Conway) berates Ronnie for neglecting his studies, as well as some nice scenes between Joanne Raymond and Al Rusch who also seem to be getting very close, and its great to see Firestorm smiling again after being so consumed by rage and angst for the majority of the previous story arc.

New villains Black Star, Relay, and Skull Crusher have some interesting powers, and the robot Dataxen is equally impressive. We don’t really learn much about the secret organization they work for during the course of Firestorm #13, but they seems to be studying Firestorm to assess his powers, for reasons as yet seemingly known only to a shadowy figure behind the organization.

The art by Dan Jurgens really stands up to the high bench mark set by Yildiray Cinar,  Firestorm #13 feels like a step in the right direction, enhancing what has gone before while giving it a subtle makeover for the new storyline. Jurgens works is superbly inked by Ray McCarthy and swathed in Hi-Fi’s glorious colours. I really like Firestorm’s new costume, established in Firestorm #0, and the way Ronnie and Jason are starting to learn collectively about their shared powers. The action in Firestorm #13 is pretty frenetic, throwing us straight into the battle with Daxaxen, but the interludes of everyday life, and action packed cliff hanger certainly puts Firestorm back on track for some amazing new adventures.