I hate the art. Why does Nguyen keep getting work? His style is cluttered and malformed.
Concept? Good idea. Undercover superheroes.
Execution? Eh. They took Flash and Green Arrow and a bunch of characters that don’t interest me and threw them together.
I also get the sneaking suspicion that there was a meeting at DC that went as follows:
Exec:“Well, Mr. Nguyen (and company), we’re cancelling your quirky Doom Patrol series. John Byrne wants to write the old Doom Patrol and ignore continuity, and frankly, having forgotten to take my medications this morning, I love the idea. We’re even letting him usurp our flagship title for several issues to introduce them.”
N: “Are you on crack?”
Exec: (takes hit from Crack Pipe) “Why… er, no.”
N: “Well, since you’re taking away my book… how about you let me make a new Justice League book, and borrow an issue of JLA to introduce that?”
Exec: “Who’d be in it?”
N: “Green Arrow… uhh… Flash… and… a buncha guys…”
Exec: “Brilliant! Get started right away. I have to call Chuck Austen now, if you’ll excuse me…”
Captain Marvel #25: The last issue. And while it was written well, I find that while I don’t mind the fourth wall being poked at, I don’t care for it being smashed to little bits. Still, PAD, it was a fun few years. I’ll see you again in the pages of Madrox.
I like a series that consistently shatters the Fourth Wall (Ambush Bug’s miniseries, for instance), but not one that does it as a one-off, typically. This wasn’t bad, though.
“comics awareness” - Heh. Perfect.
The seven cosmic entities with names beginning in ‘E’ - the ‘Friendless’ - Classic.
I haven’t read Captain Marvel #25 yet, but let’s remember the titular character has been nutsy-cuckoo for a while. How much of the fourth-wall smashing could be explained as the delusions of a madman?
(And let’s be real, the ending of issue #24 is enough to drive normal people nutsy-cuckoo…)
DC Comics Presents : Green Lantern #1 - Yay! Hal! The second story is an intriguing look at the psychology behind DC’s Man Without Fear. The first story is hilarity itself.
Emma Frost #13 - The saga continues. I think I’m going to be dropping this book. There’s nothing Wrong with it… it’s just… okay.
**Cable & Deadpool #5 ** - As much as I like Wade/Deadpool, I’m having trouble understanding Nathan/Cable’s motivations here.
Captain Marvel #25 - I thought those pencils looked familiar. Giffen! No wonder I thought I saw a Cheeks The Toy Wonder cameo.
GI Joe #32 - Like Emma, I think I’m going to be dropping my support of this book. Nothing wrong with it, just isn’t holding my interest.
GI Joe Reloaded #5 - This, on the other hand, stays. Seeing a fresh updated look at the Joe team from the ground floor up has a lot of promise.
Flash #212 - An interesting introspective on the Mirror Master.
Birds of Prey #70 - A Keeper. Ed Benes does good work.
Robin #128 - An opponent worthy of Batman? Who we’ve never heard of? Color me skeptical.
Outsiders #14 - Sivana is a funny, funny little man.
**Seaguy #3 **- I give it a resounding ‘Huh?’
Stryke Force #4 (of 5) - It has some amusing dialogue.
Tom Strong’s Terrific Tales #11 - Bruce Timm! Yes! An amusing anthology.
Ex Machina #2 - Still a compelling little book. A very different kind of superhero book.