Batwing, OMAC, Men Of War, Justice League International Issue 1

Mr. Soot has slid the food hole open long enough for me to get some light and write up another batch of DC 52 reviews. Already I am starting to see some chinks in the armor but hopefully this is for a few lackluster stories and not a trend that will continue.

                                         Batwing 1

Africa just got Batman’d! Trained to instill fear in the heart of criminals that are a bit harder to scare, Batwing dons a suit of armor and the ability to fly. Crazy how Batman can make this stuff but is like “I don’t need that nonsense. Don’t you know who I am?” This is an origin story mixed with an introduction to a Batwing's villain named Massacre.

This issue shows Batwing as he fights corruption at night and during the day as a police officer. Someone has been beheading criminals and even one of Africa’s first superheroes and Batwing is depending on the help of one of his colleagues to help investigate.

When arriving at work Batwing (not in costume) discovers the entire police force dead and beheaded with the words “Stay Away” written on the wall in their blood. A moment later a large machete is thrust through his back as Massacre says “You are late for work.”

A cool first issue by Judd Winick with beautiful art by Ben Oliver. If the story and art can keep up this pace for twelve issues I would be shocked.



Men Of War 1

Corporal Rock just wants to fight. He has the experience and the credentials to be more than what he is but has no desire to. When forced to go on a mission he and his team land in the middle of not just a war zone but a battle between two unseen superheroes who are doing as much damage to the city as the weapons being used by soldiers.

Rock is given a promotion in the form of their squad leader being impaled as the two superpowers battle one another. This was an okay story. There is an extra story inside which is like a scene taken right out of Full Metal Jacket with a Pepsi Twist. So far probably the first in the DC 52 that I have no strong interest in checking out the next issue. Decent story and art by Ivan Brandon and Tom Derenick but it didn’t jump out at me like a first issue should.





OMAC 1

This one didn’t blow my skirt up. It stank of “Kill! Destroy! I am a crazed machine! Argh!” The art at times appeared to be Kirby-Lite and featured characters that seemed very generic and flimsy. And look at that damned cover. Really? This is the reboot of an entire company and this is the best you can come up with? Lazy writing and lazy art equals I wont even bother reading issue two.

At one point Keith Giffen was the man in terms of art. I don’t know what was happening or if he was rushed but this should not have come out until some more work was done. The cover is the entire issue. Big Rob Liefeld reject standing on top of a bunch of wreckage with an ending that isn’t even “Oh!” worthy. I hope this doesn’t tie into any other comics because I would hate to have to keep up with this just to know the whole story of what’s going on. And writer Dan Didio knows better than to write this 1992 seeming garbage. When your characters opening line is shouting his name with dramatic pauses you know you’re in trouble.


Justice League International 1

Okay, now this is more like it. The world government knows that superheroes are going nowhere anytime soon and decide to gather a bunch of them from around the world (ex. Booster Gold, Guy Gardner, Ice, Vixen, August General In Iron, Rocket Red) to make a team lead by Booster but under the governments thumb.

Their first meeting goes to hell when Guy Gardner leaves after learning that Booster is really their leader. Booster is insulted that he is not in the Justice League. Meanwhile everyone else is busy bickering with each other and Batman decides to help out on their first mission, reminding Booster that as a leader he should actually, oh I don’t know, lead the team! And he does lead them.

Right into a trap!

These weird rock lava creature things start attacking and they are putting up an okay, if guideless, fight until a ginormous ass robot comes out of the ground. I know I should know this robots name but I don’t. This was a good action packed issue but I’m not sure that even with the help of Batman it can be great. More time should have been spent on introducing these characters to people or the shadowy going’s on’s involving the governments that are controlling the team. I’m pretty much waiting to see who betrays the team. This was by Dan Jurgens and Aaron Lopresti.