Johns Month(and a half); Avengers, World Trust.

... Yeah, sorry.

I had some trouble getting Johns' GL stuff, then my plan for how and when to review went down the toilet , and then I kinda never had time to do the theme month, with Christmas and stuff. Well, that means that there will be plenty of comics for me to review if I decides to do another Johns Month.

I decided to end with something... unusual. You see, Johns actually wrote comics for Marvel for a short period. Like the Avengers.

"Avengers: World Trust" is a TPB collecting the first six issues Johns' brief run on the Eath Mightiest heroes. I find it odd that Marvel would hand the book to a new-commer like Johns(it was in 2002), but I suppose that with his JSA and Flash comics, he was hot stuff. But World Trust is just a, well... standard story.

But maybe Johns was just warming up before giving the series his magic touch? It feels like that's the case, since the last issue(the best one) we sense who Johns is going to focus on, in this case: Ant-Man, Jack Of Hearts and the infamous Henry Gyrich. And it even feels like he won't go the easy way with Gyrich and just make him the government jerk, but actually want to show that he may be a jerk, but he is a well-meaning jerk.

Also, Falcon's often ridiculed ability to communicate with birds has never looked as awesome as it has here. But that's Johns for ya. He can take anything that the hordes consider lame(like Aquaman) and show us how wrong we were. I really want to see what else he did on his only 20 issue run on the series, and will try and get vol. 2 as soon as possible.

That was Johns Month. Sorry I didn't get to review Green Lantern. But hey, I have something to review next year. Happy new year, and happy birthday to me tomorrow.

I'm Waezi2, and thanks for wasting time with me.

Marvel Two in One Annual 7 in 5 panels.

I am Champion, the supreme fighter of all existence, and I seek foes who can match my incredible power.

Then I, Thor, shall be you opponent!

No, because you are disqualified for using your hammer.

Then Hulk smash smash Blue Man, because Hulk is the strongest there is! Hulk...

Is disqualified for being a mindless brute. Also, Namor is disqualified, too.

... WHAT?! What for?

... Eh... For being... arrogant. Now, all there is left is the heroes I know I can defea... I MEAN, the opponents who are honorable fighters!

You, Ben Grimm, are the greatest warrior I have met. I can break your bones, but never your spirit, which makes you the one man I could not defeat... Until I'm turned into a joke in She-Hulk, which makes your triumph undone... 

...

Wonder Woman; Down To Earth in 5 panels.

...

Sorry people, no 5-panel. This comic is just not worth it.

Johns Month(and a half): Black Adam And Isis.

Black Adam is NOT evil.

I just want to be sure that you all understand that. Black Adam is, in fact, not evil.

He is brutal, has little to no tolerance for evil, and has no problem with killing. Does that make him a bad guy? No, it makes him a very angry man out of time. Think about it this way: in ancient Egypt, he was a great hero. Back then, the view of killing was different. The laws and culture was harsh, and you could be punished with loosing a hand, if you were caught pickpocketing. So the way Adam was raised, and the world he lived in 3000 years ago was WAY different from today's modern society.

There is so much you can do with a character like Black Adam. But instead, DC turned him into a evil meanie beanie. And the prime example of this is the JSA story-line; "Black Adam And Isis."

Atom Smasher(former JSA member) tells the JSA, that Black Adam is back, and offer them his assistance in bringing him to authorities for crimes during World War 3(the only thing wrong with pretty awesome series; "52").

And Black Adam IS back, and he has resurrected his dead wife Isis. Isis is a human with the power of her namesake, the Egyptian goddess. You see, she had suffered a horrible dead, right after seeing her brother being ripped apart, and her country being destroyed. So naturally, she is pretty pissed. And by pissed, I mean destroy-the-world pissed!

Yeah, the loving woman that we all liked from the great series 52 is now a crazy killer instead of a life-giving goddess. She even kills the people from her beloved kingdom. Yay...

And the worst part of it all; it's all blamed on Black Adam. Everyone has this bogus theory, that it is because Isis is corrupted by Adam that she went psycho-killer. This is bullcrap, since she is doesn't share her power with Adam like like Captain Marvel Junior share his power with Captain Marvel. Isis is a freaking god! And she is WAY more powerful than Adam, who only has been bestowed powers by the gods. AND, just to make maters worse, the same explanation is being used in order to explain why Mary Marvel became evil in "Final Crisis." This is not only bullcrap, it's also unnecessary, since it was already explained, that it was Deaad, evil torture of Apokolips. So it was, in fact, NOT Black Adam's fault. But hey, that's what we have retcon for.

In fact, retcon is one of the biggest problems with this story. And that's REALLY weird, since Johns has a reputation for writing stories that are pretty loyal to the history of the DCU. But here, he retcons the hell out of it! He even makes Adam the murderer of Billy Battson's parents!

THAT'S how it ends? That's... depressing!

The story ends when Adam realizes that his wife is out of control, and gives up his powers, so that the wizard Shazam can be reviewed(I don't know that that works) and take away his crazy wife's powers. But Shazam is still peeved, so he also turn Adam and Isis into statues, and tells Billy that he is a stupid brat and that he wont let him be Captain Marvel again.
A lot of people believes that internet critics are dorks who has nothing better to do than complain about meaningless stuff, because they don't have a girlfriend. That is not true. The reason we write blogs(or make videos) about how pissed off we are about a video-game, movie or, in this case, a comic-book, is because of passion. I love comic-books, Geoff Johns is one of my favorite writers, and I'm a fan of the DCU. These are the reasons to why I hate this story! Black Adam's character is ill-treated, the retcons was unnecessary, and the fact that we have to be reminded at least ones every page that all of this is Black Adam's fault is just irritating. I think of this as Johns' "Cry For Justice." And I think that it was here the quality of his stories started to drop a bit, and that he also started to use retcon more.
Man, this sucked. Next time, let's talk about a GOOD JSA comic.
I'm Waezi2, and thanks for wasting time with me.

Johns Month(and a half): Thy Kingdom Come.

Before we talk about this story, I better explain what "Kingdom Come" is.

"Kingdom Come" is a story about an alternative DCU, where Superman gave up the good fight, realizing that the people he swore to protect preferred brutal 90s heroes, who weren't afraid to kill. After Wonder Woman tells him to grow a pair, Superman get's out of his Fortress Of Solitude for the first time in 10 years, and realizes that the superheroes has gone out of control. He then reunites the Justice League in order to set things straight... AAAAAND then kinda screws it more up, by being TOO hard on the out-of-control heroes.

"Kingdom Come" is a glorious tale, and still my favorite comic-book of all time. If you haven't read it yet, you ought to. I would also like to recommend "The Kingdom", the sequel that sadly has a pretty bad reputation.

"JSA; Thy Kingdom Come" is a spin-off of a sort. The story takes place in the mainstream DCU, where Superman from the Kingdom Come universe by accident ends up there. And he is amazed to see a world that have not been ruined like his, and he praise all the heroes for not making the mistakes he and the other heroes in his world made He is pretty much the exact opposite of Superboy Prime! But he is also afraid, that what had happened in his world could happen is this one, and he ask the JSA for aid in order to find out if this world also has a Magog, the man who started the chaos in his world, and make sure that he wont do to this world what he did to Superman's.

Even though it's an awesome 14 issue(and three special issues) story it has a HUGE problem; it came too soon.

The series had just started, and had a lot of new characters(like Wildcat's son Tom, the new Amazing-Man and Lightning) and we didn't have a chance to get to know them properly before this huge story-arc started. It doesn't hurt the story, but it's not good for the team-book that we know so little about them, that they end up being fill-up characters. "Thy Kingdome Come" shouldn't have started at issue 9 of JSA, and we should have been given more time to let the new team-members grow on us. Also, this story(and the series) is much easier for you to read, if you have read the prior JSA series, since their is a lot of references to past events.

But it's still a pretty damn good story. Johns wrote the story with Alex Ross(artist supreme, as well as one of the two writers of "Kingdom Come") so the "Kingdom Come" magic is there. If "Kingdom Come" is about the abuse of authority, "Thy Kingdom Come" is about whatever you should accept authority. The JSA is divided, as they can't agree whatever they should accept the presence of a god-like being, and if he is to be trusted. The ending kinda feels like a cop-out, as there is only one solution, but it's still a good story about whatever one should leave his fate entirely in a god's hands.

And it has plenty of awesomeness, such as KC Superman punching freaking lightning!!!

That's all for now. Next time, we will take a look at the absolute WORST story Johns has ever written.

I'm Waezi2, and thanks for wasting time with me.

Johns Month(and a half): Next Age.

I actually wanted to talk about Johns' Green Lantern series, but I have to wait for it to be available in the library. So instead, let's talk about the second Justice Society series he wrote, starting with the opening story-arc; Next Age.

After "Infinite Crisis," the remaining founding members of the JSA(Wildcat, Green Lantern, Hawkman and Flash) has decided to make their mission to recruit as many heroes who take up legacies, in order to make sure that they truly know the name that they carry. But someone else is doing the exact same thing. Only, THEY are killing the heroes and their families, in order to end the legacy...

"Justice Society Of America; Next Age" is a well done start of a series, and a lot better than the JLA series that was published at the same time. In fact, I think I will point out the differences that makes "Next Age" superior to JLA's opening arc; "Tornado's Path."

First of all, "Next Age" actually has a better way to get the team together. The old JSA members discuss which heroes to recruit, and who they can help the most, and prioritize the ones with legacies they are the most familiar with(like the Atom, Red Tornado and Starman).

In "Tornado's Path" they might as well have picked their nose than picking candidates. With a team like the League, you would think that well-thought decisions would be of mayor importance, right? But nope, Superman, Wonder Woman and Batman decides to pick the first bunch of guys they just so happens to fight Amazo with. Which means, that the hours of discussion they had spend on arguing about who they should get is worth the amount of:

(... I got to start making video reviews, so that I can use that clip...)

Another thing "Next Age" does better, is the plot. "Tornado's Path" is a mess, it's way more complicated than it needs to be. But "Next Age" is simple, straightforward, and yet; brilliant. The JSA fights Nazis, simple as that! And it's suiting that they should, since the JSA was founded in order to fight Nazis.

And finally, what "Next Age" does better than "Tornado's Path" is introducing us to the leader of the team.

You see, Power Girl was made the new leader of the JSA for two important reasons; A) Mr. Terrific can't, since he also has to worry about his responsibilities for the government agency Checkmate(even thought it apparently doesn't stop him from being on the team all the time), and B) Since the team is going to focus on the heroes of tomorrow, who better to led them than the JSA's very first rookie?
And who became the JLA's new leader? Black Cannery. Why? No idea!
It's wasn't explained, she just became the leader. But I have an idea to why, and it's probably going to make me sound like an ass for saying it. You see, my theory is, that she was made the leader because she was DC's most popular female character.
And normally, I wouldn't have a problem with a woman being in charge. But... there have to be a good reason. But there isn't, she just became leader. Issue six of Justice League Of America shows a hammer with her name on it, and that's it. No explanation, no buildup, no nothing. I'm not saying that the idea was bad, only that the execution was. And unlike Pee Gee, who takes charge of the JSA, we would never have guessed that Black Canary was the leader, if it wasn't because we had been told.
But I'm getting on a sidetrack. Bottom-line is: "Justice Society Of America; Next Age" is a pretty good opening for a team book. Next time, we shall take a look at the JSA storyline that came afterwards; Thy Kingdom Come!
I'm Waezi2, and thanks for wasting time with me.

Johns Month(and a half): Infinite Crisis.

I don't like Infinite Crisis. I really don't.
I'm not saying it's a bad comic, but I really dislike it.
Infinite Crisis was one of the mayor events in the DC Universe. A lot of stuff was going on, such as a satellite Batman had made had gone crazy, and now killed as many super-humans as possible by turning civilians into OMACs(Omni Mind And Community), Wonder Woman had killed a man on live television(even though that could have been evaded, but that is one dead horse beaten enough already), Superman becoming ineffective, Spectre went bongos and killed everything magical(apparently, god was on a holiday), and all the super-villains had decided to join forces as a way to get back at the heroes for brainwashing them(don't even ask).
In other words; and seemingly infinite crisis.
The idea was was good enough, the build-up was amazing and it was a pretty epic tale... BUT... there is a lot of stuff that annoys me.
And I could talk about the poorly written WW, but that has already been done. But I could talk a little about the bloodbath.
Not about the overuse of gorryness(even though that IS a problem), but the characters who died.
For example:

OH MY GOD!!! Superboy Prime just killed... killed... um... a... kat... lady?
...
I had to Google a lot after reading this the first time I read it. Because Infinite Crisis snuffed out dozen of not-so-known characters in order to show how violent and brutal Superboy prime was.
And that's my main problem. Johns, who has a reputation for his uncanny ability to revive forgotten characters and give them a role in today's comics, pretty much SLAUGHTER all of these heroes.
I'm not saying that Johns is the first one to do this. But considered that he is pretty much a genius, who became a fan-favorite comic-book writer after less than three years in the business, I expected more.
If a superhero must die for a story, it should mean something. Who was she? What did she do? Who were she important for? I may not like Civil War, but when Black Goliath died, it at least meant something.
But in Infinite Crisis, we instead have a lot of THIS:

Again, WHO THE HECK IS THIS GUY?!?!? Is he a member of the Teen Titans? Maybe part of the JSA? Or is he just a C-stringer who wanted to help, even though no one knew he existed? If it wasn't for Google, we would never know!
Another thing that bothers me, is the lack of consequence for Superman, Wonder Woman and Batman, who are partly to blame for this whole mess. They just leave for a year, comes back, and it's all good. They even becomes part of the JLA again! DUDE!!! It doesn't work like that! You can't just kick Superboy Prime's butt and then pretend that all the mistakes you made are gone!
But maybe Infinite Crisis is not really Johns' fault. Maybe it's just a product of it's time, where Identity Crisis required that the heroes should have faults and do unethical things, no mater how out of character it was. Maybe Johns was the wrong writer for the series, and he just tried his best to write an world-changing event, even. Personally, I think he should stay away from the crossovers(I did like Blackest Night, though) and stick to writing enjoyable stories and reinvent and revive old elements forgotten in comics.
That's all for now. I'm Waezi2, and thanks for wasting time with me.

Johns Month(and a half): Flash part 3.

Alright, let's finish the review of Johns' Flash run(issue 201-225).
Oh, and if you should ask: No, I'm not going to review Johns' series with Barry Allen as the Flash. That would require that I bought it, and since I'm not made out of money, I only buy comics I believe I will enjoy. And after reading "Flash: Rebirth," I highly doubt that I would.
Anyway, back to the review...
The opening story takes place two months after Wally's identity as the Flash is now secret. Hal Jordan, who was at the moment the Spectre(long story), had erased the real identity of the Flash(both Barry and Wally) from the mind of everyone on the planet. Even Wally! The story is about Wally rediscovering who he really is, and it's surprisingly... dark...
It takes place at night, the city is pretty much taken over by the Rogues, and the cops can barely do ANYTHING to stop them. If I didn't know better, I would have thought the plot took place in Gotham or Bludhaven! Hell, Mr Element(the bad guy of the story) is a very dark character too, and seems like one of Batman's enemies. Even the art looks like something from Hell Boy!
Not that there is anything wrong with that, it's just... weird.
But the story is pretty good, actually. The mood is perfect for how Wally is feeling at the moment, with losing his twins, having trouble connecting with his wife, getting used to his night-job as a mechanic for the police, and having a feeling that something is missing. My favorite part of it, is the short-lived friendship between Wally and Captain Cold, as they meet each other at a diner, not knowing who the other is. They are just two guys, no costumes, no super-speed, no cold guns. It's nice and bittersweet.

After that, it gets back to classic Flash style in issue 207.
As I said, the stories are not as good. This is partly because Scott Kollins being replaced with Howard Porter as the series penciler. Not that Porter is a bad artist, but I just really liked Kollins style and I see him as the unofficial Flash artist(kinda like Amanda Conner is the unofficial Power Girl artist).
But it still had great elements, such as the Rogues becoming a actual super-villain team again. And actual teams of super-villains was something that haven't been used in comics for a long time. And if bad guys decided to join forces, it was short-lived. But the Rogues were an actual team. They have rules(such as; no drugs, and never kill children), a sense of honor, and they are loyal to each other. They even have their own graveyard, where they bury their fallen comrades in crime.
But... the story-line "Rogue War" was pretty disappointing. Mostly because of the lack of, you know: WAR!
"Rogue War" is about the reformed Rogues(Pied Piper, the original Trickster, Heatwave and Magenta) who has decided to take down their former allies in crime. There was a lot of buildup for this final Flash story-ark, and that's why it's so sad, that the war didn't last more than two issues. Sure, the story-line is a six-parter, but only two issues was about the Rogues fighting each other. One and a half, to be honest.
Another thing that's wrong with the final part of Johns' Flash is how his writing is affected by the event "Identity Crisis". It could be argued, that Johns had to accept that Barry had agreed to brainwash Doctor Light was now continuity, and just write as well as he could. But he actually makes it worse by making Barry brainwash one of his enemies, The Top, so that he would become his partner. And then tell us, that the reason to why some of the Rogues turned away from crime was because Top brainwashed them! It's... ANNOYING!
So, there are some problems, but it's still good. Not perfect, but good. I could have lived without the brainwash thing and the Rogue War, but I'm still glad that I owe the whole series in omnibus form. I highly recommend the series as Johns' best written work to date.
Next time, I'm going to tell you about my least favorite Johns comic of them all: Infinite Crisis.
I'm Waezi2, and thanks for wasting time with me.

Johns Month(and a half): Flash part 2.

Today, we take a look at Flash issue 177-200, which contains the best stories of Johns' run on the series.
First of all we have two stories about the power-hungry primate; Gorilla Grodd. And if you think a gorilla is a silly villain, then think again. Not only is he an 800 pound animal who could snap your neck as easy as if it was a matchstick, he is also a highly intelligent one, with a telepathic brain that could make Charles Xavier wet his pants. Heck, this monkey is so intimidating, that when there was a riot at Iron Heights where all the Rogues tried to kill the Flash, they all ran with their tails behind their legs. Even Abra Kadabra, the tech wizard form the future fear him. So even though Grodd wasn't the main bad guy in the series, he was by far the most powerful on, as well as the most feared.
We also have a couple of single stories that focus on the individual Rogues, as Johns builds them up, and at the same time tell some damn good stories, such as issue 182(that was ranked as number 22 out of 100 on Wizard Magazine's list of "Best Single Issue Comics Since You Were Born" list) where Johns recreates Captain Cold, making us all understand how goddamn awesome he really is.

And the story-line "Crossfire" is simply glorious. It it, the Rogues, led by Blacksmith, Keystone and Central City's Queen Of Crime, has organised for the takeover of Central city. Not only do they have a gigantic army of supercrooks, they have used months to make sure that the Flash's allies wont be there to help him. And, just to make maters worse, the Thinker(super-villain turned into pure data) is taking over the minds of everyone in Keystone. Flash must save two cities at once, without any help of his friends. allies and police. This story is pretty much as epic as it can get, and is only topped by the tale of how Wally West got his most greatest enemy.
And who is this enemy? It's Zoom, the Reverse-Flash. A friend of Wally(I wont reveal his identity, since that would spoil the story) takes on the costume and name of Barry Allen's most horrifying enemy, in order to help Wally. But the kind of "help" Zoom offers Wally is the kind you wouldn't wish for your most hated enemy. And not only is Zoom insane and perverse as one can be, he is FASTER than Wally. Besides Stargirl, Zoom is the greatest character Johns has created.
Flash issue 177-200(which is collected in the second Flash Omnibus) is as great as Johns can get, and that's saying something! His Green Lantern stuff is NOTHING compared to this!
... unfortunately, the last 25 issues(I will talk about them next time) is not as great, but more about that later.
I'm Waezi2, and thanks for wasting time with me.

Johns Month(and a half): Flash part 1

Johns' run on The Flash is possibly his greatest series, if you ask me. He became the sole writer for the series after only two years in the comic business. His 63 issue long run on the series is very critically acclaimed, and is by many considered the defining run for the Flash. There is a lot to cover, in order for this humble reviewer to truly do the series justice, so I will have to make this review a 3-parter, focusing on specific story-arcs and such. Today, we will take a look at issue 164-176.

Issue 164-169(collected in Flash: Wonderland) is not that good a story. It's interesting at some points, but not that great. I guess it was mostly used to introduce Brother Grimm, and relatively easy forgotten Wally West villain. What I like the most is Johns' interesting and very detailed version of a world without the super-speedsters, and how it turned into a dystopia without Jay Garrick, Barry Allen and Wally West. But it was nothing more than adequate. No, it's at issue 170 that things start to get good.

First thing first, Johns' gives Keyston City a identity. Most cities with a superhero in the DCU has a "character" so to say(such as Gotham City, Metropolis and Opal City). In this case, Keystone City is the city of the working class so to say. A majority of America's cars are build there. A place of hardworking, honest people who aren't afraid to get their hands dirty. The blue-collar capital of the U.S.

Another thing that's great about this series is the old Silver-Age villains who are re-introduced, which is a trademark-talent of Johns. Like the Weather Wizard, a simple criminal who just now have realized that his weather-controlling wand has close to omnipotent power, if used right. Or Keith Kenyon, once known as the super-villain "Goldface," who has putted the costume away, and instead leads the Keystone's trade union(BTW, he is my favorite supportive character in the series).
And finally, but not the least; Johns is pretty good at having many balls in the air. He is building up many different sub-plots, and has a good use of for shadowing.
If I should complain about anything, it should be the villains. It's not that they are bad, they just seem a little... random, and possibly out of place. Not that they are bad, but when I think a Flash villain, a guy with a type of gun is what comes to mind. That, or something strange, like a telepathic gorilla. NOT a crazy mass murderer who wants everyone to shut up. But it's minor.
Issue 164-176(as well as the one-shot issue "Flash: Iron Heights" which you can read my review of HERE) is collected in the first of three omnibus books which collects Johns' Flash run. It get's you into the world of Keystone, introduce you to the most of the supportive cast of the series, and is an all-in-all good place to start if you want to be introduced to Wally West.
That's all for now. I'm Waezi2, and thanks for wasting time wit me.

Johns Month(and a half): Power Girl.

I had actually planned to review Johns' Flash series first, but I think I will do Power Girl, since I recently talked about her as one of the problems with the JSA series.

You see, before Infinite Crisis(which I'm also going to review) there was a lot of buildup. Such as JSA Classified issue 1-4 about Power Girl. Through the most of JSA, she was the bruiser, the one who didn't take crab from anyone, and she was so self-secure that she could be considered arrogant.

... Or was that all an act?

In JSA Classified 1-4, she see Power Girl when she is NOT kicking butt for the JSA. And it's a sad sight. Her apartment is a mess, and she haven't changed out of her superhero costume for weeks, since all she does is flying around and punching bad guys. And not only that, she is extremely frustrated over not knowing her background and where she is from, and her tough-gal attitude is a way to hide the fact that she is very vulnerable.

... I have... mixed feelings about this.

On one hand, I guess that gives her more character than "badass chick, who's gonna kick your ass," and it also makes her jerk-ish attitude more understandable, I suppose.

But it also peeves me of a bit as a feminist. It just feels like the comic is trying to telling us, that if a woman is confrontational, strong and possibly workaholic, it's not because she chose carrer over other things. No, it's because the woman behind the strong, independent wall that won't let anybody in, is(imagine me with a high girly voice at this part) a sad little, fluffy bunny, that will eventually let down her defenses and reveal a tragic back-story!

And just to make my case:

... Yeah, you all know this one.
PeeGee's costume has always been... controversial... and has been the sours for many jokes. And Johns' attempt to make it about the lack of identity is one of the most ridiculed moments in comic-book history.
I mean... SERIOUSLY? You want us to buy that, Johns? The reason to why PeeGee has a gigantic boob-window on her costume is, that she cant fill it out? I mean, call me crazy, but I would make a costume, and THEN sew the emblem on. Making a hole, and then sew an emblem fill up the space just makes it easy for the costume to fall apart.
But I wont go on beating an long-dead horse. My point is, that this series that was suppose to make PeeGee seem more human just made her look like a stereotype. And for those who liked the Power Girl with Ally McBeal philosophy(GOD, I loathe that show!!!), it must have been a huge betrayal to learn that the only reason to why she broke up with the norms for women were, that it helped her hide her insecurity. But maybe I'm putting too much into it...
But the series is drawn by Amanda Conner, so that's something. If you are going to get this one, buy the TPB called "Power Girl". It also has Showcase issue 97-99, which tells us the very first(and very awesome!) Power Girl story! But it also has the two pages from JSA 39, where she makes her dumb speech about her two-bit feminism, which is only made worse by this story telling us that it's all an act. It's like the TPB wants us to believe that Power Girl is full of crab!
That's all for now. I'm Waezi2, and thanks for wasting time with me.

Johns Month(and a half): Beast Boy.

In 1999, there was a book called "The Titans" that focused on the now grown-up Teen Titans who decided to become a team again. Familiar faces like Nightwing, Flash, Starfire and Cyborg could be seen in this great and underrated series(see my review of "The Titans" RIGHT THERE).

But one of the Titans weren't interested in bringing the old band back together. And surprisingly enough, it was Gar Logan AKA Changeling AKA Beast Boy.

Gar always had an inferiority complex, and has decided that it's time to stand on his own and leave his comfort-zone that is the Titans Tower. Hoping to revive his actor carrer, he moved to Los Angeles and lived with his slacker cousin Matt.

But Gar's hunt for fame didn't last long, as he was being framed for a series of murders committed by green animals. Now, he must find out who the real culprit is, or end up behind bars. And there are no Titans this time to save him.

...Well, there's Flamebird(heroine and Nightwing-fangirl), but she almost does more harm than good...

The series is called "Beast Boy," which is kinda stupid, since his name at that time was Changeling and had been for over 20 years(his name was changed back to Beast Boy after Johns became the writer of Teen Titans, dont ask why), but besides that, it's a nice little read. Nothing groundbreaking, but enjoyable. The series second writer was Ben Raab, whom I know from "Union Jack" and "Excalibur", and together, they wrote a story about what it is like to be yesterday's news, being dragged through the mud by the media. We also have an awesome revamp of Bette Kane AKA Flamebird, who is mostly known for being kind of a joke in the teen-hero community, so it's nice to see her taking names and kick some ass. 

If you are a Titans or Beast Boy fan(who am I kidding, OF COURSE YOU ARE!) you better add this one to your collection. If you cant find the four-issue series as separate issues, you can buy it in the form of the trade paperback; "Teen Titans; Beast Boy And Girls" which also have issue 13 to 15 of Johns' Teen Titans run(which is okay, I guess).

That's all for now. I'm Waezi2, and thanks for wasting time with me.

Johns-Month(and a half): JSA.

What can I really say about JSA that haven't been said already?
It's one of the greatest comic book series of our time, about the very first super-team. The Justice Society(or JSA for short) members are a mix of some of the first superheroes(like the Golden Age Flash, Hawkman and Wildcat), as well as their heirs.
JSA is possibly one of the greatest successes in the comic industry. 4/5 of all comic fans know this legendary series. It has millions of positive reviews, brilliant writing, unforgettable characters and trilling stories. So, what can I possibly say about this groundbreaking book, that haven't been said yet?
... How about everything WRONG with JSA? Oh yeah, I'm going there!
All comics, no mater how brilliant they are, has their faults. JSA is no exception. So I will tell you what I think is less than great about the book, and I would love to hear if you agree/disagree with me. And it's not a top 3 or something, so number 1 is not the worst, it's just first.
Oh, and spoiler alert... But seriously, if you haven't read this magnificent series yet, then GO!!! GET IT!!! I highly recommend that you start with Vol. 1 "Justice Be Done," since this is one of those series that's kinda hard to follow if you just jump into the middle of it. It's possible, but not problem-free.

Problem number 1; Black Adam.
It's not that I think he is a horrible character. It's just, well... WHY is he here?
In issue 6, Black Adam attacks the JSA. Why? ... I have no idea. He has no history with them. And I get that it's because of a brain tumor that allows his evil half(long story) to take control of his actions, but if I were an evil Captain Marvel villain, and I had just returned from deep space, then I would go and beat the snort out of the big red cheese. But hey, that's just me!
And how DID Black Adam come back from his exile in deep space?(for the record; the exile was of own choice) Did he fly back to Earth? Even with the swiftness of Heru, that's one heck of a trip!
And I don't exactly have a problem with him being on the JSA(question is; why not the JLA?), but how the other members treats him. I get that they dont trust him, since he was once a villain, but the guy proved himself over and over again, and they STILL turn on him on the drop of a hat! What is this, the Marvel U? In fact, I will go so far and say that the other JSA members are bullying him! They constantly tell him that he is not really one of them, and are pretty much just WAITING for him to turn bad. Even Captain Marvel, despite Adam proved himself to be a man of honor in Hades(in Power Of Shazam issue 47). No wonder he left the team.

Problem number 2: JSA VS Extant.
Extant is the hero Hawk turned mad. He has the power to manipulate time, and during the event known as Zero Hour, it took every team the DCU had to stop him. And even then, he still managed to escape. Of all the teams, the JSA was hit the hardest, since Extant aged them and even KILLED the Atom, Dr. Mid-Nite and Hourman.
... And the JSA sends SEVEN of their members to deal with him? No wonder they almost got killed!
And YES, I know that they send their big guns(Green Lantern, Hourman and Doctor Fate), and I have to say: Never has Queen Hippolyta been more awesome!
But still... seven guys to a universal thread? What's next, the Teen Titans VS Superboy Prime?
... Wait, that actually happened?

Number 3: Power Girl.
This one is a little weird, since PeeGee is my favorite superhero of all time(or is it Connor Hawke?). Heck, her solo-book was what really got me into comics! But the thing is... Power Girl is kind of a jerk in JSA. And YES, the fact that she doesn't take crap from anyone is one of the things that makes her so awesome, but there is a difference between not taking crap and... being a jerk as a choice.
I can best explain it by breaking down her speech to the JSA girls in the end of issue 39:
She starts off with; "If I was Power-Man, if I was stubborn, headstrong and brash, if I didn't take to authority well, no one would think anything of it."
Yep, just ask Green Arrow, Guy Gardner, Booster Gold, Batman, Plastic Man and ten other MALE heroes. NO ONE has a problem with them!
She goes on with; "Do I worry about what others think? Sometimes. But am I going to hold back and follow their lead? Play sidekick and girlfriend? Hell no! Always show them what you got!"
... So, according to Power Girl, it's okay to be a jerk if you are a woman, since you will be considered independent? But we should still be peeved over Guy Gardner's behavior?

Number 4: Alex Montes.
In the "Princes of Darkness" story-line, Alex Montes(The JSA museums curator and the second Wildcat's cousin) helps save the world by making his body into a prison for Eclipso(the evil spirit of wrath). And HOW does the JSA thank him for his bravery and will to defeat one of their greatest foes?
Why, they stab him in the back, fire him from his post as curator and decides to NOT trust him anymore, of coarse! I mean, he just SAVED humanity from Eclipso and was one of the major reasons to why they won the war against Mordru!
Seriously, why give a guy a break for saving the planet from everlasting darkness? That would just be stupid!
I'm not saying that he should be allowed to keep Eclipso inside his body. Sure, his intentions are noble enough, but having an god-like evil spirit is eventually going to backfire(and it did)!
But instead of just making him go and join Black Adam's team, there should have been some more build-up. The JSA should have talked with him and tried to tell him that it was a bad idea, and that they should get Eclipso the hell out of him.
And that's it. Only four problems with a series is actually pretty impressive, when you think about it.
Next time, we will take a look at a four-issue mini-series about everyone's favorite green freak.
I'm Waezi2, and thanks for wasting time with me.

Johns-Month(and a half): Stars And S.T.R.I.P.E.

Welcome to Johns-Month(and a half) where I will take a look at some of the comic-books written by Geoff Johns.
Some says he is a genius, who has only improved DC Comics. Others says that he ruined it.
What do I think? ... I'm actually not sure... So I will reread, as well as pick up new comics written by Johns and see if his genius is overshadowed by his mistakes, or if he might just be one of the greatest comic book writers of our time.
First up, his very first comic: Stars And S.T.R.I.P.E.

After her mother gets married to a guy named Pat Dugan, Courtney Whitmore must move away from all her friends and now former hometown to Blue Valley. She is less than trilled about it, and decides to get revenge on her new stepfather. She soon finds a way to do so, after discovering that Pat used to be Stripsey, histories only adult sidekick to the now dead teen-hero known as the Star-Spangled Kid. She steals the Star-Spangled Kid's powerbelt and costume from Pat's private belongings, in order to tick Pat off.
But Courtney soon finds herself in deep water, as Blue Valley is attacked by super-villains and weird aliens, and must fight side-by-side with Pat, despite none of them liking each other that much.
What really sells the book is Courtney and Pat's unwillingly partnership. Pat doesn't want Courtney to wear his old friend's costume, but he can't really do anything, since Courtney threatens to tell her mother about his secret identity. And Courtney can't get rid of Pat, since he can track her whenever she activates the powerbelt, and therefor joins her in fighting bad-guys in his robotic suite as S.T.R.I.P.E.
This series was written in the good old days, where individual issues was still a thing. So instead of one long story told in four issues, we have a couple of short ones, which I actually miss in todays comics. And for his first series, Johns does a pretty good job. It got plenty of humor, evil art-teachers, blue aliens with a pretty impressive plan to conquer the planet, the first super-heroine with braces, and fun art by Lee Moder. Sure, not all of it is perfect, but it's still darn impressive for a first time as comic-book writer.
In fact, this series impressed the comic-book giant James (FREAKING!!!) Robinson so much, that he offered Johns to become the new writer of the possibly most important series of John's career; JSA!
Which I will review next time...
I'm Waezi2, and thanks for wasting time with me.

Avatar: The Last Airbender-The Promise in 5 panels.

By working together, we can restore harmony among the Fire and Earth nation...

One year later...

DIE, FIRE-F#CKERS!!!

 -Roku, I dont know what to do...

-Kill the Fire Lord!

-That's your answer to EVERYTHING!

I love you, Aang. Let's get married and start a dysfunctional family.

... I want my mommy...

Waezi2 Halloween Reading part 19

Ashar Ahmad does not believe in heaven or hell. But he DOES believe in the soul. In fact, he has found a way to cheat dead, by inventing a containment suit, a "coffin" so to say, that traps the soul, and makes a person live on despite his/her body being dead.
After proving that the suit works, Ahmad is killed by the Heller, the man who fund his work, so that he can keep the technology for himself. Ahmad managed to use the suit before his last breath, and he now lives on in the "coffin."
But before his soul entered the containment-suit, he learns that his atheism is worth crap, since Hell is VERY much real, waiting for him. Realizing that he lived a wasted life, where he has been less than a man, he decides to make up for this in his second chance in the suit, and must get his technology back from the terrible Heller, as well as saving the daughter he disavowed until now.
"The Coffin" is one scary sci-fi story. We see Ahmad who believes he has finally become the master of death, only to realize how small he really is. Heller is a disturbing villain, who are ready to to any lengths in order to stay alive, and he does it with a clean concision, believing that all he does is okay, since he is simply more important than whoever he steal organs from.
Also, this series may have the most horrifying hell I have ever seen. Highly recommended.

Light Yagami is a young man who pretty much success in all he does. And dear god, is he bored! Being 17 years old, and therefor still stuck in school, Light graves a challenge for someone as gifted as him. And then he finds the "Death Note".
The little black notebook allow him to end a persons life, as long as he knows the name and face of whoever he wish to kill.
Light makes it his mission to clean the world for criminals, one by one, and thereby create a utopia where everyone knows that crime really do not pay.
But there is a bump on the way toward utopia. A bum by the name L. He is the worlds greatest detective, and since no one knows his name nor seen his face, Light cannot kill him. Who is smart enough to expose the other, and thereby achieve victory?
The least scary thing about this manga is the deadgod, that follows Light around. Light has a sick, but brilliant mind, and he is completely merciless for anyone who does not fit in his plan for utopia.
You have to be patient reading "Dead Note," and deal with a lot of "I knew you knew" but once you get into it, you have one heck of a creepy crime-fiction/horror story.
That's all for now. I'm Waezi2, and thanks for wasting time with me.

Waezi2 Halloween Reading part 18

This is the story about two men. One who serve God, one who left God. One who rules with peace and love, the other with fear and brutality. This is the story about King Arthur and Dracula's war.

Dracula sits in his castle at the end of the Turkish War, waiting for his enemies to end his life. That is, until he is summoned by Lucifer himself. Dracula is turned into a vampire, and is then send through time in order to kill the legendary king Arthur and make Camelot fall.

This is a very unique crossover, and I can't believe anyone actually thought up this unlikely, but surprisingly well working combination. The class between these two titans of literature is unlike any other you have ever seen in a comic-book. There is plenty of action, knights who fights for good, twisted creatures who serves The Wicked One, magic and, of coarse; blood!!!

And one more thing; the writer of this REALLY did his homework. There is a ton of details and descriptions that shows, that there has been a lot of perpetration and research before i was written. Especially the first issue, where the parallels between the lives of Dracula and King Arthur are shown is a thing of beauty. I loved this series from page two!

There is a deadly disease threatening the life of all the inmates and guards in the meta-human prison called "Iron Heights." The Flash must enter the prison, and try to locate the source of the deadly virus, as well as making sure that there wont be a bigger riot than there already are, But Wally West quickly realizes that Iron Heights was sick LONG before the virus.

Iron Heights makes other prisons look like kindergartens. It's creepy as hell, and full of disgusting super villains. But the biggest monster is quite possibly the warden; Gregory Wolfe. He hates super villains with a passion, and has made it his holy mission to make their life as miserable as possible. All the villains are dressed in their costumes so that they are easy targets for the guards, who are allowed to shot to kill, if a villain somehow gets out of his cell. The prisoners beaten up on their first day by guards armed with pipes, just to show that they mean business. Arkham Asylum may be "the worst place on Earth," but Iron Heights gives Arkham a run for it's money.

That's all for now. I'm Waezi2, and thanks for wasting time with me.

Top 7 Blood Lad moments.

"Blood Lad" is at the moment my favorite manga-series. Even though I'm not too happy about the events in the fifth omnibus(not so much because of the quality of the story, but because I fear that it's going Dragon Ball now) it's still one of the most enjoyable comics in my collection. So even though it may not be that gory a manga(though it DOES have some pretty bloody moments), I still think it's Halloween related to some degree, since it has vampires, werewolves and that kind of stuff.
But before I name my top 7 moments of my favorite manga-series, I better give you the skinny:
Staz Blood is a vampire with a obsession for human made things, especially if they are from Japan. But he lives in the Demon World, and getting to the world of humans is easier said than done. But one day, a human girl named Fuyumi Yanagi enters the Demon World by accident. And she is not just human! She is JAPANESE!!! Staz instantly falls in love (or at least lust) at first sight. But not long after meeting her, Fuyumi gets killed, and is transformed into a ghost. This is a bummer for the young otaku vampire, since she is no longer a creature of flesh, so all attraction toward her is gone. However, Staz swears to Fuyumi that he will make it his lives goal to get her back to life (so he can suck her blood, and make her part of his collection) and this is the start of a amazing journey for the two of them.

Alright then, let's start with...

Number 7: Staz kills the Plant Seller.
Staz is a territory boss, which means that he is in control of a small area of the Demon World. So from time to time, a demon comes to his territory, hoping to kill him, and become the new boss. One of these challengers is a plant seller, who controls an army of man-eating plants. He is however no treat to Staz at all, and the Plant Seller is killed off, when Staz uses his demonic powers to crush his heart.
And this is where I realized that Staz is not a hero at all. Or at least not a typical manga-hero. The the Plant Seller was no treat AT ALL, but Staz kills him anyway! Not very heroic, is it?
But that's what makes Staz so awesome; He's an ASSHOLE!
He never had to work hard for anything, since he was born powerful. He is lazy, almost never takes responsibility for anything, and is completely merciless in battle, even when his opponents are unable to fight him. He is the perfect manga anti-hero, and the killing of the plant seller is a good example.

Number 6: Fuyumi as "ring girl."
On his quest for Fuyumi's resurrection, Staz makes a bet with his old friend; the werewolf Wolf. If Staz win, Wolf has to help him find a book called "The Book of Human Resurrection." But if Wolf win, Staz promise him Fuyumi(another example of how big a prick he really is). Staz plans to use his long-distance magic in order to cheat in a bowling mach against Wolf. But he ends up having to box with him instead, since Wolf pulls a pretty ingenious(if anything a bit overkill-ish) trick on him. Fuyumi is then, much to her dismay, given a bunny-girl outfit and told that she will be the fight's "ring girl."
There is something absolutely adorable about seeing the poor girl walk around in the ring, embarrassed over wearing a sexy costume. She looks WAY to innocent for the role as eye candy for a boxing match.

Number 5: KamehameWHA?!
During a fight against a monstrosity called Akim Papradon, Staz does what ALL of us at least ONCE did as kids; pretending to do a Kamehameha!
I literately cracked, realizing what Staz was about to do. This is quite possibly one of the funniest moments in Blood Lad. It's only in Staz's otaku brain that mimicking your favorite manga-hero's signature move during a life-or-death situation is a good idea. But then again; if any of us had energy-based powers of a sort, wouldn't we do that as well? Staz is just living the dream of nerds everywhere.
Number 4: Wolf's half-way transformation.
This is another moment from the boxing mach between Staz and Wolf. During the fight, Staz finally gets the upper hand after a sever beating. Wolf, realizing that he is about to lose, transforms into werewolf form(or halfway, since he is low on juice).
Besides the fact that Wolf looks totally awesome(!), it's also one of those shit-just-got-real moments. A stupid cock fight between these two friends takes a sudden turn, and we are once more reminded that these guys are monsters. They are cruel creatures who, without any remorse, kills in order to solve a problem, and their ancestors has traveled to the Human World for hundred of years in order to suck blood and feast on flesh. Heck, Staz almost killed Wolf, his best friend! And that was just for insulting him!

Number 3: Judgment Impact!
My favorite character in "Blood Lad" is Staz's little sister; Liz Blood.
Try to imagine Ronan The Accuser as a ten year old girl. THAT'S Liz Blood! She is in command of the Demon World prison, and has authority to punish anyone as she see fit. Her most powerful attack is a curse called "Judgement Impact." It summons a gigantic fist from heaven, and smash directly on whoever she has judged "guilty." That person is then teleported into the infamous prison known as "Liz's Toy Box."
... I know it's probably never going to happen, but I would LOVE a Blood Lad video-game, so that I could use this bad-ass attack of my favorite manga character.

Number 2: Staz is shot through the brain.
Holy crap, that's so awesome!

Number 1: Liz watching "Castle In The Sky."
This is from chapter 19 in book 3, which is also my favorite chapter. It's not that action-packed, nor is it the funniest. But it's just so... sweet and cute.
Being responsible for law and order in the Demon World, Liz is a very feared vampire, and if people aren't running in fear seeing her, they suck up to her instead. This, and knowing that her brother Braz loves Staz more than her, has made he a very angry, very lonely little child. So it's nice to see her doing something fun and innocent, like watching the movie "Castle In The Sky." And without her ax and Jason Voorhees mask, she is simply too adorable for words!

And that was my top 7 Blood Lad moments. Next time, I will have some more recommendations for Halloween reading, including "King Artur VS Dracula".
I'm Waezi2, and thanks for wasting time with me.