Review: Smallville, Season Eleven, #6

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Batman goes toe to toe against Superman and stands his ground, and he does it without kryptonite. So what's his secret? You'll have to read the issue to find out.

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This face off makes the whole issue. The reason is personal to Batman. Clearly, he hasn't left his emotions out of it.

Later, Lex studies the match. Who knows where this will lead.

Get Rid of Otis!

I missed a few issues, but jumped into this one for obvious reasons. There's one major flaw to be found: Otis. Otis is a mistake. Unless there's a huge plot twist involving Otis, he needs to pack his suitcases. Otherwise, at this point, he appears to be the pointless character we've already seen elsewhere. One thing is certain: The Lex Luther of Smallville would never surround himself with the likes of Otis.

Let's hope the get back to the spirit of the original Smallville television series. Let DC not fool itself, the only readers of this comic book series are the fans of that show. Don't ruin it.

Comic Book Review - Smallville, Season 11, Issue 2

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By RonOfTheEmpire
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Welcome Back, Smallville
Smallville fans rejoiced to learn that the series would continue as a comic book. Transitioning from television to comic books is nothing new; it's been done with Buffy, Angel, Firefly, and Dollhouse, among others (and to name all of Joss Whedon's properties).
Synopsis
After issue one introduced us to all our favorite characters, issue two moves faster than a speeding bullet into Lex Luthor creating conflict with Superman (Yes, in this series, Clark is finally in Superman costume)! In this issue, Lex sets up a confrontation with Superman. You won't see that confrontation here. You'll have to wait for issue three, however, you'll enjoy the tension.
Smallville Issue 2 Review
The Smallville comic book is for everybody! But not really. If you didn't like the television series, there's no special reason you'll love the comic book.
Fans of the television series will be glad to be among their favorite characters and back in the Smallville universe again.
In the show, instead of lots of phone calls, if there was a chance for someone to drive somewhere to confront someone else in person, then that's what happened. It always made me laugh. A phone call would have sufficed, however for the sake of dramatic effect, the conversations always took place in person -- as if everyone had lots of time to drive around to have conversations.
So, I laughed when Ollie showed up in person to confront Lex about his latest shady endeavor.
The art works. The resemblance is decent but not dead on, and I like it that way. After all, this is the comic book, not the show.
If you pick it up, let me know what you think.

Supergirl #1 - Simply Good Storytelling

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Supergirl #1
Story: Last Daughter of Krypton
November 2011
Rated T
Supergirl_1_panel_father_would_love_this_dream
Writers: Michael Green & Mike Johnson
Penciler: Mahmud Asrar
Inkers: Dan Green with Asrar
Colorist: Dave McCaig

It's simplicity is elegant. The story is poignant.

A young girl feeling lost in a nightmare awakens to an even more painful reality, and you, the reader, feel that pain. That's the story of Supergirl waking up on Earth.

Don't let the simplicity fool you. It's a powerful story you'll be glad you read, and along the way, you'll have enjoyed the perfect marriage of words, pencils, inks and colors.

That's my review. Yes, that's it. To say more would be to ruin it.

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Abnormal Like Captain Atom

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by RonOfTheEmpire

Dated: November 2011
Released: September 2011

Writer: J.T. Krul
Artist: Freddie Williams II
Colorist: Jose Villarrubia

Captain-atom-1-losing-control

Synopsis

Pit one giant robot against one atomic energy man and you'll have a super-sciencey throw down.

Best of all, the combination of Williams' art and Villarrubia's colors cast a spell on your eyes, so that they won't want to turn away from the page. I'm no art specialist, but the softness of the colors has the feel of the most elegant colored pencils ever (if that makes any sense at all).

Captain Atom saves the day more than once, however as a result of using his powers, a serious problem develops.

For more background, read the awesome Captain Atom review at DadsBigPlan.com.

Review

There's no doubt in my mind that I'll pick up this book again - for the art and colors alone. At the same time, Krul also captured my interest. For a reason I'm unclear about, I care about Captain Atom. Perhaps it's because, his power - which could equally be called his "condition" - prevents him from leading a normal life, leaving him feeling abnormal.

And who doesn't feel like that.

Not Your Grandpa's Aquaman

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By RonOfTheEmpire

Aquaman_fish_and_chips

Artist: Ivan Reis; Colorist: Rod Reis

Trust Geoff Johns' writing. You read and loved his run on The Flash and Green Lantern. Don't doubt him now (Sure, there was the Green Lantern movie bomb, but that can hardly be blamed on Geoff).

Immediately, in the first issue, Geoff turns the reader's preconceived, ill-conceived and misconceived notions upside down. The writing is art, the art is poetry, and the colors are vibrant. This is the Aquaman you were meant to read (if you can find it!). Aquaman is portrayed as strong, commanding and decisive. He is, after all, the ruler of 70% of the planet (as some quaintly refer to it, the seven seas). It's about time he gets some respect, and oh! he does.

If you need more information, Newsarama's interview with Geoff Johns will shed more light on what you need to know about Aquaman. The book has even received some positive buzz from USAToday.com and NYTimes.com.

All I can tell you is this: If Aquaman can eat fish and chips, then you can read Aquaman #1. Issue #2 hits stands on October 26, 2011.

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O.M.A.C. #1 - Rollercoaster Ride

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by RonOfTheEmpire

Dated: November 2011
Released: September 2011

Story and Art by: Keith Giffen and Dan DiDio
Inks: Scott Koblish
Colors: Hi-Fi

Synopsis

O.M.A.C., like an army tank on legs, crashes through a mission. Some freakish creatures attack, then "BARR-SOOM," he disposes of them. Something or someone controls him. Who or what could it be? All the while O.M.A.C.'s peacockish mohawk blazes overhead like a national banner.

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Review

O.M.A.C. reads like a sci-fi rollercoaster ride - you get in the car, it clanks to the summit and then Vrooom! From another perspective, O.M.A.C. feels like a one-man A-Team, and that's for real!

Reading is believing. Read this book for a rollercoaster ride experience. This one goes on my comic book saver. It's 100% saver worthy.

Incidentally, if you'd like a bit more background, you can read the O.M.A.C. review on Dubiosity.