Girls Gone Geek

The million dollar question: Who is White Canary!? Well, we still don’t know. It’s okay though, this issue was excellent.

Jumping right back into the action from issue #1, Black Canary and Huntress face off with White Canary who is serving the Birds some serious whoop ass. Black Canary manages to get a few licks in. Maybe a few licks too many as she responds emotionally to what seems to be some major hater vibes coming off of this new enemy.

Hell hath no fury like a Canary scorned.

Back up comes not a second too soon in the form of Hawk, Dove and Zinda. White Canary immediately launches Hawk into a brick wall, and makes him bleed. Apparently that’s kind of a big deal. Meanwhile, Oracle is watching as Black Canary is being framed as a murderer on live TV, and not a minute later, major law enforcement shows up to the scene in the alley to arrest Dinah. Being arrested was so not on the agenda.

THIS is Gail's Black Canary

Things go from bad to worse. Upon realizing that they’ve been thoroughly set up, Dinah points the finger at White Canary. Her response: “One of you will die every hour for the next six hours. You choose. Or I will.” Cut to Oracle getting a com from an inconsolable Creote. They were attacked by a woman because of their affiliation with the Birds, and now Savant is dead. Creote is devastated, and kills himself while Oracle is listening.

It's never good when Russian bodyguards start snotting themselves.

Back in the alley, the whole crew happens upon a TV set up for their viewing pleasure. The Action 8 news is on with “breaking coverage” of Black Canary’s messy breakup with Ollie, a wildly distorted version of her almost adoption of Sin, and her identity. Dinah is brought to her knees while White Canary watches from a rooftop above.

Even after all THAT, the high impact moment of the issue is at the end. Oracle realizes that she’s become complacent over the past five years, letting the machines do her work. Whoever this enemy is, s/he is using the grid against the Birds. Oracle dries her tears and reminds herself that SHE IS THE GRID, it exists because she allows it to, and she enacts what can only be the ultimate cyber command “Data Womb Code, Omniscient.” I’m pretty sure that means “IT’S ON!”

The art was fantastic, Ed Benes and Adriana Melo are beyond belief talented. Both artists have a lushness to their pencils – expressive eyes and pillowy lips. Still, their respective styles have some distinct differences. It is quite obvious where Ed’s pencils end and Adriana’s start. REEEMIIIX! Melo makes up for the abrupt shift in art with her up-close face panels and the beautiful splash page of Oracle.

Major props to Gail for immediately addressing some continuity issues that were created after she left the book, like the huge, gaping hot-mess that was the Sin story arc. And I’ve always loved Creote and Savant, but the characters fell to the wayside without Gail’s pen. It’s sad that they met their end, but it’s a memorable scene that tied that loose end right on up. It reminds me that Gail loves these characters as much, if not more, than the fans do. I am certain she will keep on serving up excellence in the form of Birds of Prey for as long as they let her. At least we hope so.

Birds of Prey #2
Writer: Gail Simone
Pencillers: Ed Benes & Adriana Melo
Inkers: Ed Benes & Mariah Benes
Colors: Nei Ruffino
DC
Released: June 16, 2010

Variant cover art by Cliff Chiang

The best friendships are the ones where, even after long stretches of little communication, everyone picks up right where they left off. There are no awkward pauses or, worse, internal monologues about how it’s just not the same.

For fans of Gail Simone’s Birds of Prey run, reading issue #1 of the revived series is like that great reunion with an old friend. Simone stepped away from the book three years ago, and it was canceled in 2009. However, she and original collaborator Ed Benes have wasted no time in returning the Birds to classic, crime-busting form — and we missed them terribly. (Spoilers await.)

The four-part “Endgame” story opens in Iceland, where Black Canary has arrived to rescue a diplomat’s 5-year-old daughter from a terrorist/kidnapper. The beauty of this sequence is that it firmly re-establishes Dinah Lance as one of the world’s most skilled combatants, obliterating the sad-sack wife nonsense other writers saddled her with. Let’s just say there’s a lot of blood on the snow in Reykjavik, and it’s not Dinah’s. Or the 5-year-old’s.

"Where my girls at?"

Shortly, Oracle begins reassembling the team to deal with an anonymous mofo who has a frightening amount of information about the Birds and all their friends/associates. Zinda is dispatched to recruit Hawk and Dove, one of whom has some serious anger management issues. (I wouldn’t have held it against Hawk if he’d tossed that silly, bank-robbing cheerleader off the roof, but that’s just me.) The addition of these newbies to a well-established group is potentially rich with drama, and I’m looking forward to seeing how everyone adjusts, or doesn’t.

This is the REAL DC Trinity

Simone’s affection for these characters comes through on every page, especially in the funny, familiar banter that flies between Canary, Zinda, Huntress and Oracle. The Birds also look fabulous, thanks to Benes’ gourmet cheesecake illustrations and colorist Nei Ruffino’s glowing, moody palette, which really suits poured-on leather under moonlight. Those panels of Huntress cracking skulls while talking to Oracle via cell phone could launch 1,000 gym memberships alone.

As if that weren’t enough, the Big Villain Reveal on the final page is a total surprise, and still a bit of a mystery. I figured it would be Lady Shiva, or even a tween Sin, but the ending suggests that our heroines are in for even bigger trouble. It is totally on — and I couldn’t be happier.

Birds of Prey #1 hits comic shops today. To celebrate this joyous occasion, here’s a tribute.

In my search for the ideal tribute, I stumbled across another gem. Cheers to the bored fangirl who poured awesomesauce all over this. It went perfectly with my LMAOnade.

Dinah is a wicked hand-to-hand combatant, but Cheshire is a poisonousness, merciless biotch. What say you?

Cover art by Greg Horn

Justice League: The Rise of Arsenal #1
Writers: J.T. Krul
Pencils: Geraldo Borges
Colors: Hi-Fi
DC Comics
March 24, 2010

Spoilers ahead!

In spite of the Un-awesomeness of JL: Cry For Justice, I still wanted to read JL: Rise of Arsenal. I don’t know much about Roy Harper, but I’m all for reading stories about unfamiliar characters. It can be more interesting with an unbiased brain.

Issue one opens with a playback of the events that took place on the JLA satellite in the last issue of Cry For Justice. We see Roy having his last conversation with his daughter, an adorable and realistic debate about ice cream vs. cookies for dessert. This sweet moment is followed abruptly by an intense, bloody face-off with Prometheus. From the heart-tugging conversation with his soon-to-be-dead child to the splash page of Roy’s graphic dismemberment, JT Krul set one hell of a stage.

Jump to Roy waking up in the hospital, surrounded by his concerned friends and teammates. He’s still in serious physical pain, but that is quickly overshadowed by the realization that Lian died during Star City’s destruction. Krul manages to convey the shock, awe and pure devastation of what it’s like for someone to lose not just a limb, but their own child. Where James Robinson dropped the ball with contrived writing and unearned moments in Cry For Justice, Krul delivers an authentic punch in the gut. I got a little teary-eyed when Roy went to the morgue to see Lian’s body. What else would a grieving parent do but imagine their dead child’s final moments? Geraldo Borges’ image of Roy hugging Lian’s lifeless body is one of the most powerful that I’ve seen. Understandably, Roy starts to go a little crazy, but not before kicking an ass or two with one arm. I had no idea he was such a skilled hand-to-hand combatant. The nod to Roy’s past as a drug addict — and the temptation to start using again — added depth to the issue.

Kudos to Krul for bringing this story back to life, making me care and turning an unbelievably shitastic story arc into “pretty damn good.” With Cheshire on the horizon for issue #2, good is going to get better.

P.S. Thanks for not making Black Canary suck at life in this issue.

By now you’ve probably heard all about the outcome of Justice League: Cry for Justice. DC’s resident douchebag, Oliver Queen, killed Prometheus with an arrow to the head. In my opinion, Prometheus deserved to die. He annoyed me anyway, and anyone who can make Lady Shiva run away from a fight (channeling my best British accent) BOTHERS me. I won’t miss him one bit.

Prometheus’ death was the only shining moment in Cry for Justice, which is one of the most sucktastic stories I’ve ever read, rivaled only by Chuck Dixon’s Birds of Prey run (and, OK, Trinity). There were times when I was so irritated that I just wanted to throw the book at the wall.

Case in point: In issue #5, Ollie shows up on the JLA satellite after having been gone for who knows how long chasing leads to find Prometheus. There is a moment between him and Dinah that made me want to claw my eyes out. She sort of pulls him aside and asks him where he’s been. He blows her off, and she gives a codependent monologue about how she’s lost faith in herself without his cheating, arrow-toting ass.

The panel doubles the cheese factor by showing a single tear running down Dinah’s face, followed by a wildly disrespectful retort from Green Arrow.

Are you fucking kidding me?!

Look, I realize Dinah and Ollie are married, but that reaction was bullshit. I mean, after all the things Dinah has endured because of her relationship with this guy, she would hardly turn into a crybaby because he ran off with Hal Jordan for a spell. Portraying such an incredibly strong, capable character as “lost” without this man makes me throw up a little bit in my mouth. I am so over her being an accessory to Ollie.

DC, I sincerely hope that Green Arrow’s status as a true cad and, now, a murderer, opens the door for Dinah to walk right out of this demeaning relationship. Please let Gail write up the divorce papers. Thaw her out from her time in the freezer, and then justice will be served.

Cover art by J.G. Jones

First Wave #1
Script: Brian Azzarello
Art: Rags Morales
Colors: Nei Ruffino
DC Comics
March 3, 2010

As a fledgling fangirl, I mostly read what others loaned me. In time, I learned what I liked and didn’t. Much of what I enjoy is of the Spandex persuasion and has a strong female presence. Thus, First Wave is not a typical read for me.  Had it not been for Rags Morales’ involvement, I wouldn’t have picked up the book at all. I’m such a fan of Rags’ art that I figured the comic would be worth it even if the story turned out to be a bore. I also approached First Wave knowing nothing about Doc Savage, his entourage, or The Spirit. So here’s my “Tabula Rasa” take on issue #1.

The art is the shining star of this issue. I always enjoy a JG Jones cover. The smooth lines and the sort of chalky, muted tones are nice touches that complement Jones’ take on the characters. It reminds me of Chris Van Allsburg, whose work I enjoyed so much as a kid. Rags’ interior art is amazing. During a quite amusing conversation between The Spirit and crooked cop Dolan, there’s this up-close panel of Dolan’s smirky face that I just stared at: The smoke coming off the just-used match, the shadow cast from the brim of his hat and pipe, and the distinct look of the character. It said so much more than the dialogue could — and that’s just one panel!

If you think of the art for a character-driven book in terms of movie casting, Rags is the best casting director in the studio. He manages to define all of the characters so that you got a feel for who they might turn out to be in this story. He has a real gift for drawing eyes, giving them depth and an almost photo-realistic intensity. I generally liked Ruffino’s colors, but at times, some of Rags’ detail work seemed lost to the coloring. But since the palette and contrasts were aesthetically pleasing as a package, perhaps that’s a fair trade-off.

Since I am not familiar with the characters in First Wave, I had to read the issue a couple times to absorb what was going on. It’s mostly a lot of seed planting, but no real forward motion. We see Dr. Littlejohn somewhere in the South American jungle fleeing from a killer robot. Doc Savage comes home from solitude to his father’s gravesite, only to find some serious shenanigans surrounding his “death.” A Russian guy, who I guess is the big baddie, reads a news report about Doc’s goings-on and has some opinions about the scene taking place in the jungle. The Spirit provides kooky commentary while following a lead on some criminal activity, only to find a fight and a few things unexpected.

I’m curious to see where the story goes, and I’m excited about some of the characters. We get a brief glimpse at Rima the Jungle Girl in this first issue. Based on a preview from Rag’s character notebook that I saw a while back, I love Rima’s look, and I’m looking forward to seeing what Azzarello does with her. She doesn’t have a great deal of established continuity, but in the hands of an able writer, that can be a great thing. There is a Black Canary yet to be revealed, which I have high hopes for. The Spirit was wildly entertaining, as he’s a special kind of crazy. I’ve always had an affinity for eccentric characters. Plus, I’m really digging Doc Savage, who’s all smart and bronzy. Yum.

Verdict: The first issue doesn’t offer a great deal of exposition, and I imagine it’ll take another issue or two before we get any. You might get more out of it if you are familiar with Doc and Spirit. The story was certainly not a bore. Azzarello managed to pique my interest, but Rags Morales is what made First Wave worth my $3.99.

Valentine’s Day got us thinking about love in comics, and how the romantic chemistry between characters can really enhance or diminish a story. Since we’re primarily DC gals, we’re presenting a sampling of DCU couples we love — and those that leave us cold. In no particular order:

HOT!

Renee Montoya (The Question) and Kate Kane (Batwoman): As a couple, Kate and Renee shared a relationship that was tender and passionate. But even before they became superheroes — Renee was a cop and Kate was a soldier — these two could kick some serious ass. The relationship proved too turbulent to last, though issues of 52 and Detective Comics indicated that these two still love each other. Maybe their troubled past or their vigilante alter egos are keeping them apart, but the sparks are definitely still there.

Sasha Bordeaux and Michael Holt (Mr. Terrific): For starters, these two are equals in the hotness department, especially in Lee Bermejo’s cover art. The secrecy of their relationship in Checkmate made it kinda naughty, and it was obvious that they had a deep connection. But once they were found out, duty trumped desire. Their romance, woven into the overall awesomeness of Checkmate, was a Grade-A love affair. Michael watching Sasha “die” in Final Crisis was devastating.

Black Adam and Isis: Isis made Adam a better being, and her love redeemed him. She softened his edges, making him a viable and sympathetic anti-hero as opposed to a one-dimensional, all-powerful villain. Her death, and his subsequent suffering, was incredibly moving.

HATE!

Dick Grayson (Nightwing) and Koriand’r (Starfire): We get it. Starfire is essentially a stripper with superpowers, and we’re certainly not mad at her for rocking Nightwing’s world. But alas, she’s no Barbara Gordon, and their relationship always struck us as, well, lame. It appears that Dick thought so, too, given his final answer to Kori’s do-you-love-me query: “No.”

Dinah Lance (Black Canary) and Oliver Queen (Green Arrow): Let’s face it; Green Arrow is a well-known douchebag, and their marriage completely undermined Gail Simone’s development of Dinah in Birds of Prey. (And how come every time this super-couple gets called to action, the comic cuts to a scene of them getting out of bed and/or Dinah in some truck-stop lingerie?) The nail in the coffin was Ollie’s utterly fucked-up decision to send away Dinah’s adopted daughter, Sin — and letting her think the child was dead before explaining. Dinah can do so much better, and she doesn’t need Ollie (or any guy) to be awesome.

Diana (Wonder Woman) and Tom Tressor (Nemesis): Chocotaco said it all in his earlier guest column. Diana is way, way, way out of Tom’s league, and she’s destined to be with Bruce Wayne anyway. Go, BatWondy, Go!

Tomorrow: Five moments in comics that made us swoon.H34QFP8ZRFQN

Nobody draws Black Canary better than Benes!

I’ve enjoyed comic books and the characters since I was young, but for a long time, it was more from a distance. I’d admire them in a bookstore, peruse a boyfriend’s long box or, on occasion, borrow a trade. But I didn’t collect and follow comics myself — that is, until I met the Birds: Babs, Dinah, Helena and Zinda, as written by Gail Simone and drawn by Ed Benes, hold an über-sacred place in my heart.

I had just started a new job a few years ago when the topic of comic books somehow came up with the IT guy who was setting up my computer. He asked if I was into them, and I was all, “Sure. Kinda.”  I told him I was really into Wonder Woman and chicks who kick ass. He said he had something for me, and the next day, there was a stack of Birds of Prey trade paperbacks on my desk.

I opened the first one that following Saturday morning, and I couldn’t put them down. I was so enthralled that I read until my eyes couldn’t focus, and I developed a monumental headache. I kept on reading.

It is because of those very books that I go to my LCS every Wednesday; spend countless hours reading comics; search the Internet for comic book news and art; display a Black Canary Ame Comi figurine on my office shelf; spend lunches with other comic book fiends, talking for hours on our favorite stories; and now have a blog to talk about it all. Birds of Prey was the catalyst.

Honestly, no other book or set of characters has done for me what BoP did. I’d liken it to the first hit from a crack pipe. Gail’s writing and Ed’s art made me itch. From then on, I was hooked, searching desperately for that same high that I got from the Birds. Some series have come close: Identity Crisis, Secret Six, Rucka’s run on Wonder Woman, Fables, and Detective Comics with my darling Kate. While they all gave me a great fangirl buzz, they didn’t satisfy me quite as much as Dinah kicking ass in her fishnets, Babs taking down a group of men from her wheelchair, Lady Shiva struggling with morality as Jade Canary, and Lady Blackhawk punctuating the action with her hilarious one-liners.

When Gail moved on to other projects, I was terribly disappointed. Especially when DC married off Dinah to Ollie, and essentially ruined what Gail had done with her character. (And can someone please tell me what happened to Sin? Anyone?) In new hands, the book floundered, then got canned. Many, many times I’ve wished for DC to bring the Birds back, with Gail driving. It seems my wish has been granted: The dream team of Simone/Benes is back! And I am so fucking happy I want to cry.