Flash #17 - "I am GRODD. Destiny is on MY side."
It's the Flash versus King Grodd inside the Speed Force dimension as we come to the Finale of "Gorrila Warfare" this month! Grodd, having been infused with the same Speed Force powers as the Flash thanks to the treacherous Dr. Elias and his "Speed Force Batteries" was completely dominating the battle in the "real" world, but WITHIN the Speed Force? Barry Allen SHOULD be the king!
Of course, you may recall, a handful of innocent civilians (including Iris West) were, unbeknownst to the Flash, trapped within the Speed Force dimension several issues back (issue #7, I think)! Well, Barry sees some trapped people, but Grodd sees a Hostage Opportunity! Can even the World's Fastest Man beat the World's Fastest talking Gorilla?
This is a really great and fun conclusion to the arc! It reminds me why I really love this book, and the Flash! Good work! I can't wait to see what the future holds!
Aquaman, some Before Watchmen and more after the JUMP!
Aquaman #17 - "My name is Arthur Curry. I am King of the Seven Seas. I am Aquaman."
In this epilogue to the "Throne of Atlantis" cross-over, recently concluded in the pages of Justice League, Aquaman has left his life on land behind to finally embrace his birthright and take command of the underwater nation of Atlantis!
This, of course, puts him in the worst possible situation, as the Atlanteans were quite happy with the rule of his brother Orm, the Ocean Master and see Arthur as, well...not one of them. Half-human and spoiled by the surface world!
Similarly, after the attack on Boston by Atlantis, surface dwellers no longer trust Aquaman at all, holding him at fault for his nation's hostilities! Worst of all, Arthur's been forced to leave MERA behind as well! She's not from Atlantis, apparently, and will not go there. Not even for her love of Arthur! There must be a story there, and I'm sure we'll hear it in time...
Dr. Manhattan #4 (of 4) - "I step into the time stream and everything seems to be as it should. Except--it's not..."
Quite an interesting and experimental format for the final issue of Dr. Manhattan this month! Jon plays with reality and the issue's creative team plays with the panel arrangements and sequences to help communicate the experience. It's an interesting idea, and fairly well executed!
Oh, as for what actually happens in the book? Well, Jon's finished his attempts to restore order to reality, since "breaking" the time-stream by trying to watch himself in the past...now he returns to consult with Adrian "Ozymandias" Veidt as, although he believes he's put everything back in order, his power to see the future has suddenly become clouded! What could be causing this? Jon's not sure, and Adrian, of course, isn't about to inform him, since it's all part of his ultimate plan. If you want to know what's causing the problem, what can I say? Go read the original Watchmen! This issue leads right into it!
Teen Titans #17 - "During the ride from Gotham to New York City...We've barely spoken a dozen words between us."
It's time for the Teen Titans to regroup and reorganize in the aftermath of Red Robin's imprisonment by the Joker in the recently concluded "Death of the Family" cross-over with the Bat-books. To that end, Red Robin reveals to the rest of the team that he's decided to stop renting their old penthouse and upgrade their living situation...Tim's bought the team a yacht! I wonder if Bruce Wayne knows about this, since he probably paid for it...
Of course, the rest of the Titans are pretty excited to be living on a yacht, even if they're a little taken aback by the surprise of it all. Unfortunately, that's not the only surprise they are in store for...they don't know it yet, but there is something WRONG with Red Robin. What, exactly? Well, for one, he manages to seduce both Solstice and Wonder Girl in the same night! Not exactly in character for the former Boy Wonder...and certainly not going to endear him to either of his female teammates, nor Kid Flash (he had something going on with Solstice) when this inevitably comes to light! Teenagers...
Oh there's an even worse surprise...Lord Trigon and legions of...demons? Minions? Whatever...are about to invade the mortal realm, bringing a certain young sorceress (and daughter of Trigon) named RAVEN with them. For some reason, Raven's been spying on the Teen Titans. It's only a matter of time before the Titans are forced to confront this menace...maybe next issue?
Talon #5 - "This is the battle I've been waiting seven year for, Calvin...Let's get to work."
Calvin "Talon" Rose has gathered a support network now, with his mentor (and financial backer) Sebastian Clark and his long lost love Casey (along with her young daughter, Sarah). They've returned to Gotham City and are now planning to attack their most difficult and secure target yet! It's an island fortress outside of Gotham known as Securitas Island! Ostensibly a security company with government backing, it's actually held by the Court of Owls! It's supposed to be impossible to break into...however, Calvin has a way...the place was initially designed and constructed by Casey's father!!
Unfortunately, Harmon, the Talon also known as the Gotham Butcher, is lurking in Gotham, just waiting for Talon to make a move! Not only that, the return to Gotham has also attracted attention from a certain Dark Knight Detective...
Batman The Dark Knight #17 - "How could anything be hell as long as I was close to her?"
Batman continues to hunt the Mad Hatter, who's been kidnapping people with the help of his mind controlling hats and his minions, Tweedle-Dum and Tweedle-Dee, for use in his yet unrevealed but undoubtedly nefarious plans. Woven within this narrative, we also have flashbacks of the life of a young Jarvis Tetch, before he turned to crime. We discover details of his relationship with his hat-making father and also learn about his school-boy crush on a cute little girl named Alice.
Gotta say, this book continues to feel "off" to me. Author Gregg Hurwitz really hasn't found the right voice for his heroes, I think. In the first few pages there's a few attempted jokes that fall rather flat as they seem SO out of character. Batman in conversation with Alfred and later with Commissioner Gordon...both instances seemed wrong somehow...like they'd fit more in a 80's cop drama than they do in the world of Gotham. It's arguably a serviceable story, but it just doesn't feel like BATMAN...
And that's it for another week! Well, along with the aforementioned Batman, Inc #8. Soon another New Comic Book day will be upon us...Look for Superman, Green Lantern, Detective Comics and more next week!
Oh speaking of Batman, Incorporated, check out this week's Stryder's Dementia. I send a little love towards Damian "Robin" Wayne....
Everyone have a good week! Yay March! Springtime can't be too far away...
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