Comic books for the week of Wednesday, December 2, 2010:
Action Comics Annual #13 (DC)
Adventure Comics #521 (DC)
Comic books for the week of Wednesday, December 8, 2010:
Terry Moore's Echo #26 (Abstract Studios)
and from the back issue bins:
Superman Y2K (February 2000, Triangle #: 2000: 7) (DC)
Action Comics Annaul #13 (DC) * * * 1/2
This Annual continues Action Comics' feature of Lex Luthor as the main character. This issue fills in some of the details of young Lex Luthor's education of villainy, first with Darkseid and then Ra's Al Ghul, in separate stories. Both stories were interesting looks at Luthor's development. The art on the Darkseid had some dynamic layouts, but in some of the early panels it was hard to tell who was Lex and who was the other guy. But my enjoyment of the issue was tempered by the fact that it was not a Superman story. I'll be glad when the Man of Steel will return to the title that propelled him to stardom.
Adventure Comics #521 * * * *
Adventure Comics has ended its look at the early Legion, but has become a companion title of the current Legion Of Super-Heroes book, featuring the modern Legion. Earth Man can't get rid of Dyogene, who has returned to Legion HQ in the quest for the next Green Lantern. The choice, at the end of the issue, is surprising but makes sense. A group of Legionnaires respond to an area of Africa hit by an earthquake, while Wildfire and Dawnstar discover the source of the quake. I'm relishing these new Legion stories. I'm glad the Legion is on a firm footing with Paul Levitz' return. And the Atom second feature only has gotten better, but this will be its last issue in the back of Adventures. The Atom story will continue in The Atom Special in March 2011.
Terry Moore's Echo #26 * * * * *
Our heroes reach an Alaskan truck stop on their way to the particle accelerator to stop the experiment. Most of the issue takes place at one of the restaurant's tables. It sounds boring, but the conversation moves the story along and develops the plot, bringing it closer to the climax with the final issue at #30. A sign of a great comic book storyteller, both with the writing and art, is making a quiet scene interesting, and Terry Moore is a master. I came in around the last dozen issues of his series Strangers In Paradise, and just had to get his next series, which is this title, Echo. Terry Moore is on my short list of comic book creators who I will follow from series to series. I can't wait to find out what his next series will be.
From the back issue bins:
Superman Y2K (February 2000, Triangle # 2000: 7) * * * 1/2
As I continue filling in the gap in my Superman comic book collection from the early 2000's, this special issue took place at the turn of the century, and tapped into the Y2K scare (which turned into a lot of worry about nothing). The story weaved three main plot htreads, snippets of history in the development of Metropolis from the original settlers to today, the Millennial celebration, and a new threat by Brainiac. I didn't like how Superman talked pretty rough to the badf guy, if only to scare him. To me, it's too out of character for the Man of Steel. Otherwise, it's a solid story that makes the coming of the new century more than just a cheap gimmick. And now on to the next issue in my quest.
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