So now, all is right with the world. The Hundred Minute War is over, Superman has rather unspectacularly returned to Metropolis, the Avengers have reformed after Norman Osbourn’s defeat (and now recruited Noh-Varr which is pretty cool and makes up for the less-than-impressive art), the Legion Of Super-Heroes have cleared the spaceways from the remanents of the destroyed planet Titan (okay, that’s maybe not so good when you look at it; and is it me, or are we slowly losing Legion homeworlds one by one?), Franklin Richards has his nose put out by his super-brainy sister and her new friends and still doesn’t get the toys he was after (can we not make him an adult again please? Soon?) and Arsenal succeeds in breaking into prison and slaying his daughters killer.

Wait, come again?

Maybe things are not so rosy after all. I canot criticise the Justice League: The Rise Of Arsenal mini for good storytelling, but I must question the title. Back on the drugs, out of his mind with grief, Roy Harper fights his mentor to a standstill and slays the Electrocutioner at the behest of an hallucination of his dead daughter Lian who gets more and more grotesque as the story proceeds. Assuming of course that this is all real and happening and not just a nightmare born of withdrawal and trauma.

There is much in this issue that doesn’t make sense. Roy had to work really hard to break into the prison, yet he escapes apparently without breaking a sweat, that doesn’t even warrant a single panel. Whereupon he burns down his own house, forever destroying his tie to what are admittedly a relatively few happy memories. Then arriving in some unnamed city, he sets about a group of pimps with incredibly long knives as his weapons of choice.

If this is the ‘Rise Of Arsenal’, then just what do the writers have in store for him? Maybe the role of anti-hero, steeped in blood that would put the original Azrael (Jean Paul Valley) to shame? So much for a more optimistic time! No Brighter Day, no Heroic urge!

I had thought that the time of the blood soaked, blade-wielding vigilantes had passed, being consigned (where it belongs) to the darker days of the mid-nineties. This is not a story that I care to see. Arsenal’s general theme has turned from triumph to failure.

Arsenal’s story had always been one of hope, of overcoming incredible tragedy with only a partial set of life skills, yet still finally managing to come out on top.  Not anymore it seems. That Roy Harper is dead, and let’s face it, he is not Wonder Woman. He has not saved thousands of lives by this one act, merely stained his soul, not to mention his legal status.  This murder will stick with him, and I rather think that it will be a long walk back to the land of the good guys. If he even remembers the way. Not that I think that I care anymore.

I don’t want to be a traditional nay-sayer, but for this special four-iss, I wanted more. Certainly more than just the destruction of a character who I had admired for the last ooo, twenty years or so? What a waste!

Blackest Night #8, the Great Resurrection

Well, how appropriate it is that Blackest Night concludes just prior to Easter weekend, itself a celebration of resurrection. Despite my tiring of the event, and my distaste of the entire Rainbow Guardians concept, I must confess that it was an extremely satisfying ending. A whole number of rebirths (a confusing selection at that), the discovery that Bruce is not dead after all (no great surprise there, but it’s nice that it’s become common knowledge amidst the heroes), and the highlight for myself, the Anti-Monitor swatted like a flea.

So let’s look at the repercussions. Firstly, the Anti-Monitor has been returned to freedom in the Anti-matter universe, so we can guarantee we have not seen the last of him.

In the mean time, one resurrection I particularly welcome is that of Digger Harkness – Captain Boomerang. How long do you think it is before he is once more in the hands of Amanda Waller? Although as a villain he is hardly a world shattering threat, his experiences may well have widened his scope somewhat, so for the heroes’ sake we should hope not very long at all.

Of course, there is always Maxwell Lord to reign in such irresponsible metahumans. The scene where Guy instantly defers to Max immediately after confronting him was almost a return to the Bwah-ha-ha years, if it wasn’t so chilling.

As for the other resurrections, many of them are straight forward. Ronnie Raymond returns to the mantle of Firestorm, although where that leaves Jason Rusch leaves the character in a far more interesting position. I wonder if enough people will be intrigued to justify a new ongoing?

Aquaman, Martian Manhunter, Hawkman and Hawkwoman, Jade and Professor Zoom all make sense, all commercially viable and enforcing the DC status quo. Hank Hall as Hawk can also fall under that category, except can I mention Monarch? Extant? There are now some very interesting tales to be told there, although I rather think that will be a team book. Hawk & Dove rarely survive as a series, and personally I think the Titans would be the ideal home to help rehabilitate Hank.

Deadman returning to corporeal form is a major step however, and the return of Kid Osiris is more than welcome. Together with Hawk and Firestorm, could these be the upcoming comics in 2011?

I hope to see that there are more resurrections behind the scenes, more than what we have seen in these pages. That would create a nice bit of suspense and surprise in the universe.

So all in all I rather think as an event, Blackest Night was a success, if a trifle over-long. I think I would sooner have paid for four double-sized specials that have it drag on for so many months.

My other recommendation for this week? The new Cloak and Dagger #1, back where they belong, in centre spotlight.

Justice League The Rise Of Arsenal #1

Arsenal has always been a troubled character. A cocky kid in the original incarnation of the Teen Titans, he had Green Arrow as a father figure so he was bound to have problems.

Problems are an understatement. After hitting rock bottom as a drug addict, his fashion of rebuilding his life involved having a daughter with a psychopathic international assassin who later proceeded to nuke an entire Middle-Eastern country.

His familial relations not withstanding (can you spell dysfunction?), Speedy never knew where he really belonged. Was he a super-hero or an intelligence agent? Avenger of the streets or junkie? He spent time working with Checkmate, the DEO and for Sarge Steel, but the spandex world kept drawing him back. He had a relationship with Donna Troy, knowing full well that she was only using him to fill an emotional void, and demonstrating that very fact to her even as he worshipped her with all of his heart.

One could say that was noble and an act of love, but Roy Harper had a habit of pushing away the people who mean the most to him, so we could ask if this was another symptom of his self-destructive streak. Mind you, with the code-name of Speedy, it’s a wonder any woman looked at him at all!

Lian, his daughter, was the making of him. Finally he was needed in a manner that he had never been needed before.

Now in the attack of Prometheus in the Justice League Cry For Justice miniseries, he has lost her. In comparison the loss of his arm pales in comparison.

Justice League The Rise Of Arsenal could very easily be a disaster, yet if the first issue is anything to go by, the writer J.T, Krul provides an understanding view of grief, anger and the spectre of addiction. The latter theme is not forced down our throat in some cheesy fashion, but shows just how much his brain wants to seek refuge in the drugs even as he consciously fights to stay above it. Yet he seems to be popping the pain killers a little too easily even as his heart balances his grief and his lust for revenge. I wonder how he will fear when he discovers his mentor has robbed of that chance.

I have said previously that magic could be a route to Arsenal’s relaunch, but I really want to see where Krul goes with this title, his handling of Roy shows a more mature approach than I would have planned.

Do not read this expecting to be cheered up. But if you are a Titans, Green Arrow or a Justice League fan, then this is one mini that is not to be missed. Five stars!

Titans #20

I’m going to take a welcome break from the major crossovers this week, and focus on what I was asking for, a single issue story.

Titans #20 focuses on Donna Troy, which is not before time. Donna has an unfortunate history, being subject to so many continuity revisions, or one could even say victim. Firstly the teenage side kick to Wonder Woman, then Wonder Woman was devolved to clay and sent back in time, so that she never existed. So then Wonder Girl was rescued by the Titaness Rhea and trained by the Greek Titans to be their champion. Then she became a goddess and went mad, then it was revealed she was created as a mirror image playmate for the young Princess Diana. Somewhere along the line she was also a Darkstar. However she was also sent through a myriad of lifetimes due to the Dark Angel, at the hands of John Byrne.

This was actually a good solution to her multiple histories, until the dawn of the Infinite Crisis, and we discover she was also Harbinger. And the Dark Angel as well! Paradox much? Still, this is allowable under the nature of the Crisis on Infinite Earths I suppose, not that it explains why the Dark Angel was active in the WWII era.

Somewhere along the line, these continuity issues became more important than her actual personality. Her husband and son were killed (after Robert failed to mature into the insane godling Lord Chaos), but this never really garnered the attention it required until the recent Blackest Night crossover.

This state of things has been addressed in the newest issue of Titans, where finally Donna gets the spotlight once, but this time on her personal life. Summoned to Miami for the first photography shoot for what must be years (anyone remember that she was a photographer?), she is unfortunately ambushed by the Fearsome Five, but they also help clear her head of an inordinate amount of whining, which dominate the first few pages.

To be honest, she has plenty to whine about after the events of this last decade (publishing-wise, that must be at least, what, three months comics-time?), but it is neither attractive nor in her character. As no doubt the writer intended, you can see her rebuild herself page by page, and for this fan, that is most welcome.

I have only two reservations about the issue. She turns up to the shoot looking so very Diana Prince-like in a pair of Palinesque glasses. She does not need to do this, she never used to, and it just looks wrong! In fact, my mind boggles at the comparison. I mean, Sarah Palin and Donna Troy? Euwww!

Also the cover does not entice you into the issue, I almost left it to read later, but then the Titans have always had the pull for me.

I finished the issue feeling quite warm inside. Pleased for her. Not that I think of the characters as real people, oh no, not me! I also have friends who are real you know! Then again, the Titans have been a part of my life for so very long I carry unending affection for them, and it’s about time Donna got a break.

This was almost nostalgic, having a comic’s events cheer me up, rather than make me think ‘Well, there goes another character down the pan’. Not all stories have to be dark, and I hope to see a few more happy endings in the future.

Blackest Night - Titans #2 A mothers love

Zombie Watch returns today with full effect!

By far the greatest of the Blackest Night crossover series so far is Blackest Night: Titans. I said this after reading the first issue, and now the second issue has hit the stands, that claim has only been reinforced.

Now my judgement might be biased, I have been following the Titans in all their incarnations for over twenty years. That fact however qualifies me to say that this is a good Titans story. It has been said elsewhere in Blackest Night that the hosts for the

Black Rings were chosen for their emotional impact, and this issue has it in spades. This was what I felt was missing from the Superman tie-in series, but then team books are more disposed to emotional interaction, especially if you have been following the characters for a long time. Basically, this mini is not to be missed by Titans fans.

I started reading the Titans at the time of the Judas Contract, where Terra, (Tara Markov, Geo-Force’s younger sister) infiltrated the Titans at the behest of Deathstroke, captured Changeling’s heart and then proceeded to betray them all.

Of course then there was the Terra who was a member of the Team Titans, and not a creation from an alternate timeline due to the machinations of Monarch/Hank Hall/Extant in the lead up to Zero Hour (and no, I’m not going to try and explain that one here!). She was not the original Tara, but an innocent girl genetically sculpted by a virus to become a duplicate of her. She was later killed by Black Adam in World War III

But now, we see the original back, again after Gar’s heart, accompanied by Lilith, also known as Omen, who makes some very good points about the Titans history, if a little skewed in perspective. Still, one has to admit, the Titans have left a trail of bodies behind them over the years.

The highlight for me however has to be the return of Donna’s late husband and son, Terry and Robert. That was one comics death that really hit me, I had watched the romance blossom between Donna and Terry over the years, and despite the fact it first seemed like the wish-fulfillment of a middle aged man (did I read you wrong Mr Wolfman?), the relationship grew, exhibiting a depth that caused me to become very fond of Terry. When Terry and Robert were cast aside by the writers, in a meaningless car accident, I confess, I was actually upset. It seemed like such a waste, and served only to emphasise how little connection Donna had with the life around her, after numerous continuity re-writes that were nothing to do with her per-se, but she fell victim to them. Wonder Woman rescued her from a burning building. Then she never existed, so it was the Titan Rhea. Then it wasn’t. Then she was a shard of Donna’s soul housed in a mystic doppelganger.

It took John Byrne in the pages of Wonder Woman to make it all make sense. Thanks to the evil Dark Angel, all of Donna’s histories are true, as she was sent ricocheting through time to live a life of misery and loss again and again and again.

So now, Donna is given a connection back to her old life. Her first instinct is to give her baby a hug, after all he will never grow up to be the megalomaniacal Lord Chaos now.

But of course, her baby is hungry, and wants to feed.

Although it is a phrase you may have heard many times before, there has never been a better time to be a superhero comics fan. The current output of quality material doesn’t show any signs of abating, and even the dreaded crossover event has begun the long trek to redeem itself.

Recession? What recession?

This week, the long awaited Blackest Night begins, as before the War Of Light has even really kicked off in the DC Universe between the Green Lantern Corps and their other-hued counterparts, the dead shall rise.

The boards are ablaze with all the possible pros and cons of this newest crossover, but if the recent Sinestro Corps War is anything to go by, then we are assured an exciting ride, even if everything seems a little convoluted at the minute. My own personal theory is that the Blackest Night will prove to be the birth and baptism by fire of the new Corps that have formed, and they shall be sticking around for many years to come, this may only be the first act in the War Of Light.

Despite the touted horror elements, if this turns into nothing but a zombie-fest (especially in the crossovers), then it will be an abject failure. I don’t think this will be another Marvel Zombies however, the writing on the Green Lantern Corps, and to a lesser extent the Green Lantern title itself has shown itself.

That is not to criticise Marvel Zombies, but we have seen that idea already. However, if you haven’t picked up the current series of Marvel Zombies, it is well worth a look, as the direction has totally changed. The Zombies (well, one of them) have finally reached the prime Marvel Universe, but thanks to A.R.M.O.R (the Alternate Reality Monitoring and Operation Response agency), the earth is forewarned, and characters that have not seen the light of day in a good while (pun intended) have been drafted to contain the outbreak. Daimon Hellstrom the Son Of Satan, Morbius the Living Vampire and my old favourite Jennifer Kale, to name a few. She never did get the attention she deserved IMHO.

Back to the plot. There are a number of projected I am pumped about, and this is one of them. The crossover are being touted as stand-alone minis, and the one I am really looking forward to is the Blackest Night: Titans.

Given the Titans history, this has the potential to be either really really good, or abysmal. I am hoping for the former. The good news is these crossover minis are not mandatory for following the story, just a matter of personal taste; unlike the minis that accompanied the Secret Invasion event. I think we can rely on Johns et al to provide characterisation and action in equal helpings in each issue, rather than relegating action to one and characterisation to another. After all, with an event touted to be as big as this, I can’t imagine a character who wouldn’t be affected, and I don’t just mean an epidemic of Peter Parkers Parents syndrome.

Hopefully, the Blackest Night may prove that after nearly twenty five years or more of the company-wide crossover, it may have finally grown up. We can hope.