Wonder Woman: Eyes of the Gorgon

My relationship with Wonder Woman since beginning “the shelf” has always had its ups and downs (downs more than anything).  With Greg Rucka’s run on the title, I’ve faced plenty of peaks and valleys, with me tearing apart the story at first, then coming to appreciate it much more.  With this latest trade, I still view the series more favorably than at other times in the past, but my positive view of the character and the world she inhabits has been dimmed somewhat.

Picking up where Bitter Rivals left off, this story sees Wonder Woman contending with the reappearance of Medusa, who has decided to take out her anger at the Gods on Athena’s champion.  Medusa appears at a state function, turns a young boy to stone, and disappears before Diana can stop her.

Later, Medusa invokes Ares to challenge Diana to a battle to the death, with the world watching on live television.  It’s a hard-fought battle, especially considering Wonder Woman can’t look directly at Medusa.  Diana’s losing badly, but she eventually makes a sacrifice to allow her to more affectively battle the Gorgon.

Diana grabs one of Medusa’s severed snakes and squirts the venom into her eyes, blinding herself so that she no longer needs to fear a direct gaze.  Somehow this gives Diana an edge (I would think being blind would be a hindrance, but whatever) and she manages to behead Medusa, killing her once again.

Although exciting, this is only the first act.  The latter half of the story sees Diana pitted against Zeus’s hundred-armed guard, as Athena attempts to usurp the throne from her father.  Seemingly grudgingly, Diana battles the creature.  Even though she’s blind, she holds her own, and makes use of the Gorgon’s head in a well-planned attack.

Zeus’s champion is turned to stone, and Athena ascends the throne as Olympus’s new ruler.  She offers Diana a reward, but the only thing Diana wants is to bring back the young boy who lost his life.  Athena cannot grant this wish, and so Diana leaves with nothing (though why she wouldn’t just ask for her sight to be restored is again, beyond me).

I enjoyed the first half of the comic, but the latter part felt a little hollow.  Wonder Woman is nothing more than a pawn in the battle of the Gods, and this is a common trope that I’m tired of reading about.  Diana’s one of the Trinity, and one of the longest-running superheros of all time, and yet she leads a much more subservient life than any of her compatriots.  Superman and Batman don’t repeatedly answer to a higher power; they are trusted to make their own decisions, and take responsibility for the world around them.  Diana merely followed Athena’s instructions, and I finished the comic feeling quite unsatisfied.

Whenever I read a Wonder Woman comic, I end up going off on a diatribe about the depiction of female superheroes in comics and how they tend to fall short of hteir male counterparts.  The idea of a champion serving the Greek Gods isn’t bad; on the contrary, there’s plenty there for interesting storylines.  It also doesn’t bother me that this main character is a female.  In my mind, the more female superheroes, the better.  What bothers me is that Wonder Woman is the most recognized female superhero, and one of the most enduring of all time.  Despite this, she still remains subservient to others.  Gods or not, why does the biggest female superhero role model have to answer to a higher power?  Her male counterparts don’t face such restrictions, and it manages to covertly suggest that Diana is weaker than those around her.

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: I really want to love Wonder Woman. I do.  I’m just finding it difficult based on some of her comics.  She’s too passive, too far removed from the world around her.  There are certain aspects of her personality that I find really appealing, but overall there’s just a solid sense of self missing, and it’s keeping me from truly becoming invested in her story.

-Jess

Deadshot: Bulletproof

Deadshot comics always surprise me.  Here’s a character who pops up sporadically on “the shelf”.  Every time he does, I have to pause and remember exactly who he is and what his whole backstory entails.  Once I’ve found stable footing, I find myself being drawn into his comics more than I would ever have guessed.  Gun-for-hire doesn’t really scream out to be as a must-read story, and yet Deadshot: Bulletproof manages to be compelling while still staying true to the “take no prisoners” mentality of Floyd Lawton.

This trade collects a mini-series written in 2005, and while it doesn’t seem to directly tie in to other titles, it seems to be at the perfect place within continuity.  Lately the superhero comics have been more vague when addressing the concept of superheroes (think Identity Crisis), so it only makes sense that a Deadshot comic would touch on that subject from the other side.  Deadshot is often portrayed as a straight-up villain, taking contracts to murder people and not stopping until the job is done, never pausing to find out whether his target actually deserves to die.  For Floyd they’re marks, paychecks, and nothing more.

In Bulletproof, we get to see a softer side to the character…or rather, at least a sentimental side.  One would never really label Deadshot as being soft.

As the story opens, Floyd learns that his parents are dead, and receives a few documents that were left to him.  One contains a letter from a woman who believes Floyd is the father to her daughter, Zoe.

Given the devasting way in which he lost his son years prior, it made perfect sense that Floyd would seek out this child and want to offer help.  In his mind, that help comes in the form of cash, but his ex is too prideful to take the money.

As he goes to leave, Floyd looks around The Triangle, the neighborhood in which she lives, and realizes it is a slum in every sense.  There are numerous gang factions fighting for territory, drugs, guns – all around, it’s not a safe place for a child.  Floyd decides to stick around for a while and makes it his personal mission to clean up The Triangle and make it safe once more.

Of course, this is Deadshot…so his method of stopping crime is to pull out his guns and shoot anyone who’s up to no good.  It’s not exactly the most P.C. method of dispelling crime, but at least in this instance, it winds up being pretty effective.

The gangs he’s forced out of the territory don’t take too kindly to the imposition though, and although they try repeatedly to put an end to Deadshot’s control, they all fail miserably.  Deadshot takes out anyone who tries to stop him.

As all of the fighting is taking place, Floyd and his ex (who, by the way, is inexplicably never given a name within the whole mini-series even though she’s a major character.  Guess they were more focused on making sure you could see every line and curve on her body than bothering with a little detail like a name) grow closer, and begin a romance that forms a sort of family for them.  Problems arise with a familiar issue: she wants him to stop being Deadshot, he doesn’t know how to do anything else.  The arguments, at least, feel realistic enough, and add a further depth to the story.

We don’t get to see Deadshot interact much with his daughter (after all, he’s hardly a playful daddy) but I did love one image of him within the story.  Deadshot, master marksman and hired killer, is rendered absolutely terrified by one fact when he’s left to babysit his daughter: she’s awake.

This made me smile, only because of course a cold-hearted killer would be terrified of the sweetest, most innocent little thing imaginable.

Their idylllic family life doesn’t last long, as the local thugs band together to hire a squadron of supervillains to deal with Deadshot.  In a rather epic final confrontation, a series of villains who have all worked with or faced Deadshot before unite to take him out.  Deadshot ends up with the upper hand and takes out his opponents, but seemingly at a high price.

Of course, this is Floyd Lawton we’re talking about.  He’s not going to let a little old thing like a building exploding around him end his life.  He leaves his ex and daughter to believe he’s dead, but ensures that they’re financially taken care of.  He helped clean up their neighborhood, and helped provide a better life for Zoe in a big way.  The comic closes with Deadshot taking on another target, back to business as usual.

Overall this was a rather fun, self-contained story.  I liked learning that Floyd had another child, and enjoyed seeing him try to do right by her.  He may not win father of the year anytime soon, but at least he tried to give his daughter a safe, happy life, whether he’s a part of it or not.

It still irks me that Zoe’s mother is never given a name, especially since they had no problem depicting numerous scenes in strip clubs or referencing Floyd’s penchant for employing prostitutes. Clearly labeling her as a prostitute was more important than giving her a unique identifier. It felt like a rather large detail to omit, and could have easily been included somewhere within the story.

This detail aside, I liked the mini-series.  Stories such as this, where a single character is given a little more focus and detail, are always enjoyable, since we get to learn what really makes them tic, as well as what their weaknesses may be. Floyd is a much more likeable character when we realize how important family is to him.  This isn’t news, since Floyd has been concerned with his family’s well-being for a long time now, but seeing yet another example of his sentimental side endears the character to me so much more.  Maybe the details of this story play a larger part in the comics down the road, maybe not.  Either way,  I’ll be interested to read more about Floyd’s exploits, knowing the details of his life that I know now.

-Jess

Green Lantern: No Fear

 

 

 

 

It’s a pretty big deal when you bring a superhero back from the dead.

Sure, Hal Jordan wasn’t really gone as long as some characters, since he took the form of Parallax as well as The Spectre, but he hasn’t been a Green Lantern for a decade.

That’s an awful long time for people to forget who he really is, and what he’s capable of.  Kyle Rayner stepped up as a Green Lanter in his absense, and while Hal was a part of the comics mythos for so long, for many young readers, Kyle was the only Green Lantern they really knew. He was the hero they grew up with, and it’s entirely possible for them to identify more with Kyle than with Hal, a mythical figure whom they may only know as The Spectre.

This was no small feat then for Geoff Johns to undertake.  I already wrote about his deft handling of Hal’s return in Green Lantern: Rebirth.  This comic, though, would determine whether he could truly bring the character back from the dead.

To that, I’d say he’s done a more than fair job.

This comic is chock full of history and information, providing a great primer for readers who are unfamiliar with Hal Jordan as a Green Lantern, as well as giving older fans a refresher course on one of their beloved heroes.

Hal Jordan attempts to find his place in this world: trying to get a job as a pilot again, reconnecting with his brother, all while questioning what type of world he has returned to.

It’s a rather valid philosophical question, and speaks to the tone of the post-9/11 world we were living in at the time (and maybe still are).  Not only is this reference indicative of fear we felt in our daily lives, it also impresses upon the reader the fact that Hal Jordan (and all of the Green Lanterns) have noted a marked shift in how they must face fear.

For millennia, Green Lanterns were taught to have no fear. After battling Parallax, they have learned that they must acknowledge it, confront it, and overcome it.  Only then can they defeat fear (both metaphorically and in the very physical formof Parallax).  Johns managed to convey these messages without allowing the comic to devolve into a philosophical dissertation on the subject; the story is still there, it’s just peppered with deeper, more meaningful asides.

As the reader gets to know Hal Jordan again, they also get to know some of his foes.  Just as some readers may be unfamiliar with Hal, so too much they be unfamiliar with the Green Lantern Corps and what they represent.

The comic provides a brief and succinct summary of the Manhunters, the race of robots created by the Oans prior to the establishment of the GL Corps.  As Hal faces off against a pair of these androids, one of them notes that he feels fear, right before his artificial life is terminated. Again, it’s a small inclusion, but it speaks to Johns’s skill as a writer, forcing us to consider the story below the surface while still providing a fun and entertaining romp.

Case in point: the inclusion of the genetically modified shark who attacks a pair of unsuspecting swimmers, giving us an image that feels reminiscent of any number of 1970’s B-movie horror films.

This particular scene had no deeper meaning. Instead, we’re allowed to revel in the excitement of the action, while being granted a reprieve from the thoughtful introspection of our main character.

Johns clearly has a lot in store for Hal, as this trade only begins to set up a larger story.Hal converses with Hector Hammond, (mostly) safely locked away in Belle Reve.  Hammond informs him that there is an incredibly  well-developed race of aliens on earth, who have taken it upon themselves to use humans as guinea pigs for developing their own technology.

These aliens are shown within the comic, albeit briefly, but clearly there’s a bigger story to be seen here.  Hal has only cracked the surface there, and there’s no doubt in my mind that future issues will delve deeper into who these beings are and what all they have planned for humans.

This comic serves as a great continuation of the Hal Jordan saga, introducing the character to new readers while reminding older fans why Hal is still considered the greatest Green Lantern to ever live.  Johns’s emphasis on the character’s history, while also creating a compelling and interesting new story for fans, creates the perfect balance for the comic. It’s still the same Hal Jordan, just placed in a modern context.  He’s cocky and fearless, yet incredibly well-respected.  The unification of old and new creates a thoroughly enjoyable comic experience, and quite frankly we couldn’t ask for much more out of his latest comic.

With humor, panache, and just a touch of newfound fear, Hal makes a triumphant return as Green Lantern, proving once again why he’s the best.

-Jess

Green Lantern: Rebirth

I’ll never understand comic book marketing.  I know they want to draw in readers, but they basically give away a comic’s entire plot, with overly detailed titles, cover images, or descriptions. I know this is a trade, and they’re perhaps assuming people read the individual issues already, but they do this when the issues are coming out as well.  A little teaser of what the comic is about is great, but I’d really like to be surprised every once in a while.

With Green Lantern: Rebirth, it seemed pretty clear what this comic had in store, even without reading the synopsis on the back cover.  Basically, Hal Jordan is feeling conflicted, at odds with his role as The Spectre, still looking for a way to redeem himself.  We get to see him catching up with fellow Lanterns Guy Gardner and John Stewart, while Kyle Rayner has just returned from space bearing some rather ominous news, along with a rather morbid accessory.

While Kyle floats in and out of consciousness his ring keeps repeating the same message: Parallax is coming.

Oh goody. Another light and fluffy read.

There’s a lot going on to start, with each Green Lantern beginning to face unexplainable changes.  The JLA notices Hal’s odd behavior and appears torn on how to handle the situation, with some people remaining loyal to Hal, while others (ie. Batman. Why is it always Batman?) believe Parallax was his true self all the time, and that he’s not to be trusted.

Something big is happening with the Lanterns, as is evident when Guy Gardner, who hasn’t technically been a Lantern for a while, finds himself inexplicably in his old uniform again, with a ring on his finger.

While this is happening, the story is interspersed with numerous flashbacks which essentially outline Hal Jordan’s entire history, from the death of his father during a flight exercise up through his turn for the worse as Parallax.  Alongside this summary, we’re given a lot of new information, which pretty much completely alters how everyone will view past storylines.

We’re told that Parallax was not simply Hal, but an ancient being that fed on fear.

Parallax lay dormant within the power battery for millennia, until he was awoken and was able to tap into the Green Lanterns’ rings to seek out a strong host.  When he found Hal Jordan, he fed on his weaknesses and fear after Coast City was destroyed and basically possessed him.

Long story short: Hal Jordan was never a bad guy, it was always this separate entity.

Of course, then we’re left wondering who woke up Parallax inside the battery.  Who else but his fellow prisoner Sinestro?

All of this is explained while Hal, Spectre, and Parallax are at odds with one another. Parallax tries to convince Hal that they are one in the same, but Hal refuses to accept that he is inherently evil.  Struggling with these multiple identities, Hal finally breaks free, and his soul is able to reunite with his body (which Kyle had previously retrieved from inside the sun).

With that, Hal Jordan is back and ready to fight.

Hal battles Sinestro while the JLA attempts to stop Parallax.  In a pretty epic battle, both are defeated, although Parallax disappears into the anti-matter universe and so remains at large.  Hal’s return upsets some (again, Batman) while others welcome him back with open arms.  Mercifully the trade ends on a happy note, with Hal seemingly wanting to begin life again.

Overall the trade was a fun read.  There’s a nit-picky part of me that thinks the story was wrapped up a little too neatly, with every possibly contingency and loophole addressed to create this nicely packaged story that completely rewrites Hal’s time as Parallax.  That being said, it’s still a very creative way to bring Hal back, and I thoroughly enjoyed the explanations to long-held questions, ie: now we know why the rings are susceptible to the color yellow!  I also really loved that Johns addresses how each Green Lantern’s ring operates in a different manner, unique to its wearer.  Hal’s ring creates very concrete, set images, while Kyle, ever the designer and perfectionist, creates images that are constantly morphing and changing.  Small details such as these can make or break a comic, and this story had more than enough to keep me entertained.

It’s nice to see Hal Jordan back in action, and it’s especially cool to think that the Green Lantern Corps could be returning in full force.  The comic is open-ended enough that the story could go many different ways; no doubt whatever happens, Hal’s return will be felt far and wide.

-Jess