It was a bit of a lighter month this time. At least it was on the surface. Anyway, let’s just get into it, eh? Here’s September:
Action Comics #904
All New Batman: Brave and the Bold #11
Brightest Day Aftermath: The Search For Swamp Thing #3
JLA: World Without Grown-Ups #1-2
Green Lantern Corps (Vol. 2) #63
Green Lantern: Emerald Warriors #13
Resurrection Man #16-17
Showcase Presents: Justice League of America Vol. 4 trade paperback
Steel #51-52
Superboy (Vol. 3) #52-56
Supergirl (Vol. 4) #22-25
Supergirl (Vol. 5) #67
Superman #714
Superman/Batman #87
Superman Beyond #0
Tiny Titans #43
Young Justice #1-2
Young Justice: The Secret #1
War of the Green Lanterns: Aftermath #2
Total: 29 comics, 1 trade (Year total: 314 comics, 11 trades)
SHOWCASE PRESENTS: JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA Vol. 4 was actually started last month, but finished this. To be honest, I was let down by this volume. It’s mostly comprised of Denny O’Neil-written stories and, sadly, he’s never been my choice writer. It’s nothing against his ability, he (by his own admission) just doesn’t “get” the characters I’m most into. And conversely, the characters he does get, I’m not into as much. Still, it was nice to read the earliest appearances of the Earth-2 Superman.
Coincidentally, I also started the ABSOLUTE JUSTICE hardcover this month. I read the series when it came out in single issues. The art was beautiful, but the pacing was horribly slow. I thought reading it “all at once” would improve that. It really hasn’t. The art is still great, though.
Despite the tepid stories, all this JLA-reading has me really psyched for Charlie Niemeyer and Isaac Frisbie’s Podcast of Justice, coming soon to an iTunes near you. Gotta love the JLA, even in bad stories!
As for the Reading Project front, in September I bid farewell to STEEL and kicked off YOUNG JUSTICE, which is a title I’ve not read more than a couple issues of (around the time of “Our Worlds at War,” as I recall). I’m only two issues in and I’m really enjoying it. It’s the type of writing Peter David is great at. I have a feeling it’s going to be a really fun read.
I think I’m about halfway through the project now. I’ve enjoyed it, but future reading projects will be smaller in scope. (And one final note: The RESURRECTION MAN issues listed above were part of the project, as they were parts one and three of a three-part story with an issue SUPERGIRL).
As you can see, I closed out the post-Crisis DCU this month. It seems odd to say I read the last issues… since I really didn’t. There’s still lots of material from that era to read. As I’m sure others have said, most books went out with a whimper. None of the books I read had any real finality to them and the four Super-related ones were utterly unimpressive. The two Green Lantern titles were nice notes to end on, but hardly what they deserved. Even though it was forced, I liked that GREEN LANTERN: EMERALD WARRIORS went out with a one-punch gag, as that’s such a seminal moment in Guy Gardner’s history (and really, Batman and the post-Crisis DCU as a whole).
But on a more positive note, ALL-NEW BATMAN: THE BRAVE AND THE BOLD was another knock-out. This is seriously the best Johnny DC title since Mark Millar’s run on SUPERMAN ADVENTURES. It doesn’t exactly carry the tone of the cartoon, but, man Sholly Fisch is telling some good stories. Issue #10 was real heart-tugger at the end.
SUPERMAN BEYOND #0 was also quite enjoyable. It reminded me quite a bit of the tone of the DCAU stuff without being slavish to it, you know? We haven’t gotten a Superman story like this in the “regular” books for ages. Here we have a Superman who’s inspiring. Here we have a Superman who’s witty without being campy. Here we have a Superman who, while trying to find his place, does so without being a full-on mopey, “woe-is-me,” sad sack. If this issue leads to an ongoing series (which I’m guessing is the intention… why else number it a #0?), and can retain the spirit and tone of this issue, I am definitely interested.
But that’s it for September. My order from DCBS is in transit as I type this, so I’ll be getting my first issues of ACTION COMICS (*sigh* Vol. 2) and SUPERMAN (Vol. 3) next week and will include them in October edition of The Stack. Wish me luck.
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