I’m going to do something a little
different with the books that I’m reading that are coming out each week. For my historical reading, its my intent to
comment on everything I read. For the
publications that are coming out each week, I’ll only comment on those that
merit it. Issues that are either in the
comics news for a particular reason, or anything I found to be particularly
good. The ‘meh’ and the bad I don’t plan
on commenting on as a general rule unless it falls under the noteworthy
category. Just like with the historical
readings, I will be summarizing the issue and discussing specific plot points
so as always beware of Spoilers.
Batman The Dark Knight Annual #1, written by Gregg Hurwitz and pencils by Syzmon Kudranski
"Once Upon a Midnight Dreary"
Three of Batman’s villains whose
issues stem from their childhood, Mad Hatter, Penguin, and Scarecrow, are lured
to an abandoned psychiatric hospital for children on Halloween night and face
their worst fears. But is what haunts
them at the hospital the Batman, their past, each other, or something else?
Annuals can be a fickle beast. The best matter, are a part of
continuity. They present a story with ‘oomph’. The worst are throwaway filler or
manufactured linked together event to make you think they matter. This issue is the best annual in a week of
them with a tightly-plotted creepy story.
The ending comes close to ruining the atmosphere of the majority of the
story, but still, this issue comes highly recommended.
Justice League of America
"The Good, the Bad, and the Shaggy"
Catwoman
signals her compatriots in the League who trace her position. She slips free from her bonds and starts to
snoop around the Secret Society’s headquarters.
Catwoman meets Prof. Ivo who is thought dead and the mysterious leader
of the Secret Society who reveals he knows that she is a spy. The League is ambushed by the Shaggy Man who
keeps them busy while the leader of the Society kills Catwoman then teleports
away.
Almost 10-years ago, in Kurt Busiek
and George Perez’s JLA/Avengers, Busiek contrasted the two publishers by having
the JLA on Marvel-Earth comment on how tumultuous and untrustworthy everyone
seemed to be and the Marvel heroes commenting on how they couldn’t believe how
orderly and accepting everyone was on DC-Earth.
Its now a year after the ‘New 52’ and it seems a big part of the change
was to emulate the style and attitude of Marvel. This can even be seen in some of the hiring
choices as the most influential editors and new writers read like a Who’s-Who
of 90’s Marvel editorial. The main plot
point, leading into their next event Trinity War, a conflict between the three
different Justice League teams [Justice League, Justice League of America, and
Justice League Dark – a group of magic-based characters], is that the American
government, fearful and not trusting of the Justice League (Batman, Superman,
Cyborg, Wonder Woman, Green Lantern, Flash, and Aquaman), have commissioned
their own Justice League of America (Vibe, Katana, Hawkman, Stargirl, Martian
Manhunter, Steve Trevor, Catwoman, and Green Arrow) to act in American
interests. The mission that they are
aware of is to infiltrate and investigate a group called the Secret Society
which appears to have subverted the Justice League [in reality they have
created robot duplicated of the Justice League] while they are really being
trained to fight and defeat the Justice League.
This story
isn’t bad, but its clearly a chess piece issue, setting the board for Trinity
War and Forever Evil following that.
Getting the issue out of the way that made this a news story in the
comics world, no, Catwoman is not really dead, not with solicitations for her
own series continuing through August and a major Gang War storyline kicking off
in her own title. Heck, she has her own
spotlight issue as part of Forever Evil.
I think this issue sets up the New-52 version of Dr. Light. I’m pretty confident the leader of the Secret
Society is the Outsider, or a version of him close to how he was presented in
Flashpoint. That event “caused” the New-52, and he was one of the characters
focused on unique to that event that has not been seen since.
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