Stargate Universe, the drama, the nuances

The Cast

Andy Mikita (director) / Brad Wright, Robert C. Cooper (screenplay)

Robert Carlyle … Dr. Nicholas Rush

Justin Louis … Col.Everett Young

Lou Diamond Phillips … Col. David Telford

Brian J. Smith … Matthew Scott

Elyse Levesque … Chloe Armstrong

David Blue … Eli Wallace

Alaina Huffman … Tamara Johansen

Jamil Walker Smith … Ronald Greer

Patrick Gilmore … Dale Volker

Julia Anderson … Vanessa James

Peter Kelamis ... Adam Brody

Jennifer Spence … Lisa Park

Jeffrey Bowyer-Chapman … Darren Becker

Ming-Na … Camile Wray

Overall I like the SGU, didn't set my expectations high and can't say I was disappointed. The characters all have potential and I like the fact that the ship isn't chocked with ancient technology (that we know of thus far) to make their journey easy. Given that this ship was probably built before ZPM tech there really is no reason to expect a ton of ancient tech being discovered onboard; however, this is probably the bridge between current tech available on earth and what the ancients had before they ascended. Could definitely be a sign of things to come when the expedition makes contact with earth in a few years and shares technology or sees what's been developed since. Also I don't think it's far fetched to presume that since the ancients sent ships out to seed planets with stargates that the Ori may have done the same. Not that I'd like to see the Ori show up in SGU but I won't be surprised by it. Predictions: The SGT who was in the suspended from duty is totally parellel to Lt. Ford from SGA, the relationship between Dr. Rush and the Col. is going to be identical to that between Jack and Daniel in the first few seasons of SG-1, the IOA representative is going to try to seize control of the expedition and in all likelihood endanger everyone. Let's hope the writers don't mess this up and it lasts more than 4 seasons. As a side note....I don't recall Samantha wearing makeup and having earrings on whilst on duty.....did anyone else notice that?

Rating: PENDING FUTURE PERFORMANCE

Recession

It's Sunday and really I should be in church, but I woke up feeling ULTRA lazy. You know, the day before Monday, beginning of the work week type of stuff. I just caught the last 15 minutes of a show on Current (Dish channel 196). Two very young and seemingly freelance journalists traveled to Argentina to chronicle how they've dealt with life after their recession in 2001. Argentina's recession was caused by a collapsed banking system. In that recession people lost all their savings, and by extension all trust in their banks. As shown in the interview some Argentinians now store their money in their homes/apartments. Another result of this is that big ticket purchases are conducted in cash.
I was pleasantly surprised to see how innovative and optimistic Argentinians have been. Workers laid off from bankrupt plants banded together to restart those bankrupt plants under their own stewardship. What's interesting is that there is no managerial structure. All decisions and profits are split amongst all workers. I absolutely think this is great, sort of socialist but great never the less. It has been working and from the interview I gather it's a struggle but it's working.
There are also barter clubs where people can come to barter their services for things they need. It is not limited to only those laid off since professionals and lawyers also barter their services there. Even clothes and utensils are traded. Although these clubs are not as big as they were eight years ago, they still exsist. This is a clear indication that Argentinians have adjusted their way of life. Americans can learn from this.
This documentary concluded back in America (San Francisco to be precise) showing unemployment support groups which have formed as a result of the recession. The closing credits showed those laid off saying "thank you recession..." and stating what they're thanking the recession for. I would like to say "Thank you recession for giving me the motivation to switch careers"

Batman: Going Sane

Writer: J.M. DeMatteis
Penciller: Joe Staton
Inker: Steve Mitchell
Letterer: Willie Schubert
Colorist: Digital Chameleon
Published by DC Comics 2008

The Joker finally succeeds in killing the Batman (or so he thinks) then proceeds to pursue a normal life. Can you honestly believe that? The Joker living as us plebs, inlove, WORKING, settling into a daily routine. I'll admit the story was a good read. I was absolutely engrossed in the Joker's new life and new love (aside from himself). What stood out the most is his battle to remain normal. One also realizes how much the Joker's story revolves around his nemesis the Batman. Without is counterpart the Joker really serves no purpose in the DC Universe (speaking of which he's an absolute riot in Mortal Kombat vs DC Universe....try it!).
As Joseph Kerr, the Joker dives head first into the life of a regular person. He by chance falls inlove, lives off the inheritance his parents left for him (ummmm maybe that's not so plausable but I'll run with it), and is quite the romantic. He even proposes to his love Rebecca Brown on several occassions. Joseph Kerr constantly battles and subdues his alternate personality which is an ever-present reminder of his psychotic side. It's also a reminder that he is a deeply disturbed individual. I'm surprised he managed to remain "sane" for as long as he did.
The Batman's side of the story on the other hand was quite dull. Nothing about him being dead and lost in a town 200 miles north of Gotham City for six plus weeks stood out. Of the two, Batman's story was quite boring unfortunately. Of course he's taken in and cared for by a beautiful and successful female doctor, and of course he remains a mystery. Astonishingly enough she does not even recognize him as billionaire Bruce Wayne. Bruce finds a peacefullness that he's longed for since his parents' murder; however, he remains obsessed with finding the Joker. I'm tempted to say that Batman is more obsessed with the Joker than the Joker is with Batman. Eventually Batman returns to Gotham City, the daily news gets wind of this which in turn makes its way back to Joseph Kerr. The really unfortunate part of this string of events is that this news reaches Joseph the day before his wedding and oh my does he flip! He also leaves the love of his life to pursue his nemesis.
I have to say the old school Sunday comics art used in Batman: Going Sane was quite appropriate. It's a break from the usual art I tend to read but it in no way detracts from the story being told. I ws taken back to being nine years old and harassing my mother for the comics section of the Sunday Guardian. Overall I enjoyed Batman: Going Sane and I'd highly recommend it as a Sunday read. Preferrably sitting in your sunroom with the breeze whicking through.

Batman: Going Sane
Rating: 4 1/2 of 5 Jewel of the Demon Seals

Eternals: To Slay A God

ETERNALS: TO SLAY A GOD
Cover: Daniel Acuna
Writer: Charles Knauf, Daniel Knauf
Pencils: Daniel Acuna, Pascal Alixe

If you read my previous ETERNALS post then this should be no surprised to you. The Horde is approaching earth, the sleeping Celestial has been awoken, and the Eternals are facing a civil war. ETERNALS: TO SLAY A GOD has all the makings of a great story and it does not disappoint at all. I am delighted that Jack Kirby's ETERNALS have been revived, and is being told in such a great way.
As usual the art work is exactly what I typically go for; however, the "end of chapter" notices as I call them really caught my attention. They reminded me of the classic Spider-Man comics I read as a kid because the brief comments are humorous. Picture watching the 1970's BATMAN tv series and hearing "join us next week, same Bat-Time, same Bat-channel" the seeing the screen whirl out of an into another scene with Batman and the boy wonder in imminent danger. That's how the end of chapter notices come across. You have to love the clever editorial behind this. At least I appreciate it.
What's also interesting about TO SLAY A GOD is the inveitable war amongst the Eternals themselves, the Horde, and the Celestials. The interesting twist that explains why one Celestial was left sleeping on earth is BRILLIANT. Also the watcher who has interveined in earth's affiars 300 plus some odd times seemed out of place in some regard. I couldn't help but wonder what his purpose is in relation to the Celestials, the Fulcrum, and the otehr cosmic beings in the universe. Oddly enough the watcher remided me of the Guardians from The Green Lantern. All we're missing now is a corps of super heroes with power rings!!! This is a must read if you're intrigued buy super heroes grounded in the Marvel universe, but who don't share the typical Marvel super heroe traist. You know, human with some augmented genes, accidental abilities, or power suits.

ETERNALS: TO SLAY A GOD
Rating: 4 out of 5 Demon Seals

Caprica

Caprica
Publisher: Universal Studios Home Entertainment
Executive Producers: Ronald D. Moore, David Eick
Director: Jeffrey Reiner
Cast: Eric Stoltz (Daniel Greystone), Alessandra Toreson (Zoe Greystone), Paula Malcomson (Amanda Greystone), Esai Morales (Joseph Adama/Adams), Anna Galvin (Shannon Adama/Adams), Genevieve Buechner (Tamara Adama/Adams), Sasha Roiz (Sam Adama), Magda Apanowicz (Lacy Rand), Avan Jogia (Ben Stark), Brian Markinson (Jordan Duram), Polly Walker (Sister Clarice Willow)

Caprica is set 58 years before the first Cylon wars and the second coming (the fall of the twelve colonies). Both the Greystones and Adamas are intertwined in the eventual creation of the Cylon (Cybernetic Lifeform Node) race. What draws these two families together (Daniel Greystone and Joseph Adama) is the mutual loss of their loved ones in a terrorist train bombing. Joseph looses his wife and daughter and Daniel looses his beloved Zoe. Zoe is a chip off the old block and has surpassed her father's brilliance in computer programming and cybernetic cognitive linking. Simply put, she's discovered the link between a downloadable human mind and a cybernetic body. This is what her father eventually discovers when he first interfaces her virtual copy with the Cylon Centurion he's been working on for military purposes.
ANY and I mean ANY fan of the Battlestar Galactic series WILL and rightfully should love this impending Caprica series. From the straight to DVD pilot (G-ds know why Moore/Eick/Sci-Fi (SyFy) did this but that's another frakkin' post!!!!) it's clear that the series will be just as intriguins as is predicessor. A lot was answered in the pilot and I can only intelligently speculate as to the origins of the Cylon wars. (now it doesn't seem as simple as the Cylons rebelling) What's even more interesting is the link between the Daybreak part 1 & 2 and the pilot of Caprica. The dessidence and moral decent are very evident and ooooh how swee it is to know this will be a balance drama/science fiction series. Moore's twenty plus years of experience in this field is really showing and I for one expect him to deliver another hit series. After all he did end BSG prematurely!!!! (still peeved about that). Caprica is slated to premier on the SyFy channel during the spring of 2010. In the meantime look for Battlestar Galactica: The Plan dvd release during the fall of 2009. Damn they keep feeding us the crack, what are we supposed to do?!!!

X-Men Legacy: Sins of the Father

Cover: Ken Lashley
Writer: Mike Carey
Pencils: Scot Eaton
Publisher: Marvel Publishing, Inc.

Though brief, SINS OF THE FATHER is an interesting tale. Sinister (otherwise known as Nathaniel Essex)has built a "Cronus" machine which allows him to transfer his consciousness to another body. (You know, named after Cronus. The Titan who devoured his children to become immortal) As simple as that sounds it's really not. Back in the 1940's Sinister put into effect a plan that would allow him to be reborn in another body. How did he do this? By writing his DNA onto that of selected mutant children. One such unfortunate child was Charles Xavier, otherwise known as Professor Xavier, leader of the X-Men.
Sinister's plan is flawed in that he fore-sakes the first immortal mutant he met in favor of younger mutants. He does this because they stand a better chance of surviving, besides this mutant's only ability is immortality. She still ages and is hideous looking. It's hard to imagine how beautiful she may have once looked. The teaming up of Gambit and Sebastian Shaw to save Professor Xavier from Sinister's mind control is plausable idea; however, the team could have been better chosen. Shaw's raw power and Gambit's ability to generate power add to the story but it would have been alot more interesting if different mutants were chosen. Ultimately Gambit and Shaw are able to destroy the Cronos machine and free Xavier from Sinister's grips.
As always the artwork is what I personally like; however the plot could be more indepth. As part of the X-Men Legacy, SINS OF THE FATHER was an otherwise ok read.

X-Men Legacy: Sins of The Father
Rating: 2 1/2 Demon Seals

The Invinvible Ironman: The Five Nightmares

Cover: Joe Quesada
Writer: Matt Fraction
Pencils: Salvador Larroca
Publisher: Marvel Comics

Who doesn't love IRON MAN, really who doesn't?! In the Five Nightmares The Invincible IRON MAN reveals to us (the reader) what haunts his dreams and is apart of his waking thoughts. So let me cut to the chase, IRON MAN's fifth nightmare is that HE is not the creator or the IRON MAN 2.0 suit. One of his psychopathic enemies is. What's more troubling is that version 2.0 is made from old Stark parts salvaged from the black market trade. This frakkin' story is interesting and comical on some level. The lovely Pepper Potts, ooooh what can I say. CHECK pages 22-23. If only such things happened in reality.
We all know (or should know) Tony Stark is remarkebly intelligent, wealthy and self righteous (seemingly a common trait amongst wealthy super heroes). He's also Tony Stark director of S.H.I.E.L.D. which is a conflict, especially since he refuses to share the technology that makes his IRON MAN suit possible. I have to say that by keeping such technology to himself Tony Stark ensures that he, in the event that he's ever removed of as director of S.H.I.E.L.D., is in no danger of being compromised because he shared the IRON MAN technology. Aside from that The Five Nightmares is an ok story. It could have been alot more indepth and the villian most certainly could have contributed more to the storyline. Needless to say his character was weak.
The Five Nightmares' most noticeable features...the art work! As you all know I'm partial to a certain type of art (the non-traditional comic type) and I found it in this week's read. At times I felt as though I were actually watching a cartoon in hi-definition, and that's what seems to ais some graphic novels lately. The story line should have been revised a few times and a few twists should have been added.

The Invincible IRON MAN: The Five Nightmares
Rating: 2 1/2 Demon Seals

The end of Sci-Fridays

This week I'm taking a different approach to my blog. On Friday March 20th 2009 one of my all time favorite shows aired its season finale. This heralded in the end of Sci-Fi Fridays as I've known it for years. In case you're wondering the show I'm referring to is Battlestar Galactica....yeah the best frakkin show on television, the show where cylons evolved beyond the "toasters" of the 1977 original. Needless to say I'm upset about this. Battlestar Galactica was truly a well written, action/drama packed, well acted, and truly captivating series. There has been no other science fiction show like it and there probably will not be for years to come. Oh sure Heroes is fantastic but it's no where near the same class of a show as BSG. Sure Heroes has boosted it's credentials by acquiring one of the producers for BSG but again it's still not the same.
Over the past few years Sci-Fi channel has ended quite a few great series which in my opinion have diminished its sci-fridays appeal. Let's recount the shows that have entered the land of syndication. There's Farscape, Stargate SG-1(10 successful season and should have been renewed for 2 more seasons at least), Stargate Atlantis, and now Battlestar Galactica. To replace these shows the Sci-Fi (soon to be known as SyFy) channel has premiered Sanctuary starring Stargate SG-1's Amanda Tapping, and is scheduled to premier further spinoffs. Caprica will tell the story of the 12 colonies of Cobol before the BSG series, and Stargate Universe will tell the story of a band of military and civilian survivors aboard a spaceship used by the "gatebuilders" to seed viable planets with Stargates. Sci-Fridays are now reduced to two mediocre shows at best, Sanctuary and Doctor Who. Now don't get me wrong I like these two show I'm simply not a huge fan of them as I am of its predecessors. They lack the humor and drama I've grown so used to over the years and right now I do feel a void. Like um Sci-Fi channel..HELLO!!!! are you REALLY abandoning your core followers this easily?! I remember the early days of this channel when all it aired was C rated science fiction movies and had the corniest ads ever. Then it acquires SG-1 from Showtime and started premiering its mini series such as Steven Spielberg's Taken, Tin Man, and Battlestar Galactica mini series and the network's programming REALLY took off. Fast forward a few years and now the great shows are gone and the network caters more to the bidding of NBC than sticking to the fans. GREAT JOB...really.
All this to say BSG will be greatly missed and my the lords of Cobol guide this show to its rightful greatness in the halls of science fiction television history. I do have to wonder if the programming executives at Sci-Fi channel have lost their marbles or loaned them to their counterparts at NBC. Who knows?! With respect to BSG and all the other memorable sci-fi shows both past and present I for one will be purchasing the box set so that you live on in my home. "So say we all!"

Justice League of America in Justice (vol. 1 - 3)

Publisher: DC Comics
Story: Jim Krueger & Alex Ross
Script: Jim Krueger
Art: Doug Braithwaite & Alex Ross
Lettering: Todd Klein
Covers: Alex Ross

All three volumes of Justice League of America: Justice held my attention quite well. The plot hatched by Brainiac, Lex Luthor, and Grodd was very straight forward. Kill the Justice League of America (what's new about that right?), save humanity from the "superheroes" who have time after time failed to eliminate the criminal elements on earth, and herald mankind to its full potential. One MAJOR problem though (this character flaw is explained by Jim Krueger in the introduction of volume 1)... the villains TRULY believe that they're doing good for humanity, Lex Luthor in particular is exceptionally delusional in thinking this.
I have consistently been a fan or works by Jim Krueger, Alex Ross and Dougbraithwaite; however, JLA: Justice volumes 1 to 3 is a testament to holding the reader's attention while telling a story that's gripping and takes interesting twists. Jim Krueger and Alex Ross also allow the reader to see the change in a character through out the three volumes and portray them and more human in thought that superheroes are typically portrayed. What I also found interesting was the supporting role Superman played in these volumes since stories usually revolve around him. His is also usually the savior of the day. In JLA: Justice everyone plays a major role in the story in their own respect. The constant switching between each superheroes' story was masterful in that it allowed me to piece together the story like scenes from a movie. Usually the word "meanwhile" is used to convey to the reader what is occuring at that very moment in another part of the story some distance away. Krueger/Ross do not employ this technique and it worked quite well to my liking. A simple switch to say Green Lantern's or Captain Marvel's situation worked perfectly.
As far as the villains go I have to say I was disappointed that Grodd did not play a substantial role in the plot to herald humanity (ape kind) to its full potential, but then again Grodd was a simple puppet as you'll come to realize. Lex Luthor was up to his usual tricks of double crossing his partners in crime, but it's Brainac who stole the show. This AI (artificial intelligence) computes scenarios and accounts for variances in his plots meticulously; however, his intellect is matched by Lex Luthor's (if you're a fan Justice League Unlimited cartoon series you'll know that Lex is a 12th level intellect....this astounds Brainiac). Ultimately it is Lex's intellect that gets the best of Brainiac; however, Batman is the true genius (or should I say master detective) when it comes to expecting the unexpected and figuring out the intricacies of any plan. Here's a spoiler....most of the super villains are puppets to more than one master. Interested in finding out more? Read JLA: Justice volumes 1 to 3 and you'll be pleasantly surprised.
Overall I would recommend volumes 1 to 3 of JLA: Justice because it's worth the read, and I personally favor how the characters are developed and portrayed. As expected Doug Braithwaite's art work is top notch and almost realistic to a fault. These volumes are not (in my opinion) meant to be a trader's item. You should collect them and hope one day to see this in a Justice League movie (or cartoon if they ever bring JLA Unlimited back).

JLA: Justice
Rating: 4 out of 5 Demon Seals

The Eternals (#1-7)

Created by: Jack Kirby
Writer: Neil Gaiman
Pencils: John Romita Jr.
Inks: Danny Miki and Tom Palmer with Tim Townsend, Jesse Delperdang and Klaus Janson
Colours: Matt Hollingsworth with Paul Mounts and Dean White
Letters: Todd Klein
Cover Art: Rick Berry
Assistant Editor: Sean Ryan
Editor: Nick Lowe
Publisher: Marvel Comics

This was absolutely AWESOME!!! Now to explain. The Eternals are a group of proto-humans fused together by the Celestials who are a group of all might galactic beings. They are charged with protecting and preserving Earth. They are the good, their bad halves are the Deviants who were also created by the Celestials, they are proto-humans who were fused with animals and procreate at an alarming rate. Eternals can live forever (or until the earth is destroyed), Deviants cannot. Deviants also have religion which is ironic since they are pretty vile in what they do.
What I really loved about The Eternals (besides the art work) was the narration of the story. Neil Gaiman does a superb job of telling their story in a film like production. As this is based in the Marvel Universe cameos are by Iron Man (the frackin' architect of the now legal Mutant Registration Act!!![refer to the Civil War series]), and Galactus. The Eternals has the potential to really interact with many Marvel characters. As mentioned before the art work is crisp, colourful, eye catching and VERY detailed. That's originally what caught my eye about this graphic novel. The cover stood out and upon further reading the story description I knew this would be a good read; however, a good read was a gross underestimation. Each character in The Eternals seems complicated and does not conform to any super-hero standards (dare I say there may be some similarities between them and Watchmen), infact one character in particular is corrupt and strickes me as psychotic. This in itself is great and I must point out that The Eternals as NOT super-heroes as they make clear. They are guardians of the earth (homo-immortals). With the awakening of one celestial who was imprisoned on Earth, the inevitable invasion of Earth by the Horde and eternals who are unaware of their true nature, The Eternals promises to be a must read/captivating series. Oh and by the way....if you think the murder of a child has no place in a graphic novel the I suggest you definitely read this...stimulate your mind and forget being moral.

The Eternals - 4 1/2 of 5 Demon Seals

Batman: The Man Who Laughs

Writer: Ed Brubaker
Pencillers: Doug Mahnke/Patrick Zircher
Inkers: Doug Mahnke/Aaron Sowd/Steve Bird
Colourists: David Baron/Jason Wright
Letterers: Rob Leigh/Todd Klein
Original Series Covers: Doug Mahnke/Tim Sale
Publisher: DC Comics

Batman The Man Who Laughs is actually two stories in one which includes Made Of Wood. If you ever wondered about the origins of The Joker then Batman: The Man Who Laughs is a must read. ED Brubaker writes a quite interesting story (which is an alternate to the origins of The Joker) and kept me quite interested in this story. Tha Bats (as Joker will come to refer to Batman) is at the very beginning of his career in Gotham City. He's still considered and urban legend and to testify as to how early in his career this is Jim Gordan is still a captain on the Gotham City PoliceDepartment. The batmobile is remonicent of what Adam West drove in the 1960's series except it's a regular car than transforms (intersting twist).
The Joker isn't fully portrayed as a maniac; however, he clearly has no particular rhyme or reason to his killing. For a man who's supposed to formulate plans on the go The Joker's plans always have an unseen end/twist that always catches Batman off guard. What I found most interesting about this story was it's similarities to The Dark Knight...I'll leave that for you to figure out once you read it. Another similarity is Batman's direct/indirect involvement in the creation of The Joker...again I'll leave you to figure out that part of the story. The art and colour work are great which I tend to prefer versus the old fashioned comic art and colour work.
Batman: The Man Who Laughs 4/5 Demon seals

Made Of Wood
Pencils: Patrick Zircher
Inks: Aaron Sowd (Parts 1-3) and Steve Bird (Part 3)
Colour: Jason Wright
Lettering: Todd Klein
Cover art: Tim Sale

Set decades after The Man Who Laughs, Made Of Wood reads more like a cartoon episode than like a graphic novel. I was far from pleased with this story and confused by the referral of The Green Lantern as Gotham's first guardian. What's that about? Maybe I need to do some more research or maybe, just maybe this is specific to the pruposes of this story. In any case the plot for this story is seriously lacking any substance and connecting the dots is exceptionally easy...sorry I meant to say NOT complicated. Although the story is set in modern times (Tha Bats actually has a modern Batmobile) the Green Lantern is dressed like an original member of the Justice Society of America (JSA) and quite frankly adds little to the story. What I do like about Made Of Wood is the ink and colour. In short Made Of Wood probably should have been made into a cartoon or simply not published.

Made Of Wood - 1/5 Demon seals

Legion of 3 Worlds: Final Crisis

Writer: Geoff Johns
Pencils: George Perez
Inker: Scott Koblish
Colourist: Hi-Fi
Letters: Nick Napolitano
Asst. Editor: Adam Schlagman
Editor: Eddie Berganza
Cover: George Perez & Dave McCaig
Silver Cover: George Perez & Hi-Fi
Publisher: DC Comics
Episodes: 1, 2 & 3

Now let me start by saying that The Legion of Super-Heroes is not the Justice League in any shape form or fashion. Sure they are based on the principles which Superman pretty much drilled into ALL his leaguers including Wonder Woman, The Flash and especially Batman. The Legion is edgier, bolder and face super villians the likes of which The Justice League have never seen. I should also mention that this series really, I mean REALLY should be rated PG-13.
In Final Crisis book 1 Superboy Prime is released from The Phantom Zone and as expected begins his rampage of revenge. First on his hit list is the town of Smallville; however, this Smallville is in the 31st century where the world knows Superman's identity and honored him with a museum. Superboy Prime is filled with rage and all but completely destroys the museum before proceeding to free three of that century's most powerful supervillians, Lightning Lord (Lightning Lad and Lightning Lass' older brother), Saturn Queen, and Cosmic King); consequently he seeks to reform the Legion of Super Villians (LSV). The Legion of Super-Heroes is on trial for what The United Planets Council has deemed their failure to protect criminal acts on various worlds. This is quite frankly a farse since there is tremendous resentment for "Alien immigrants" who live on earth and earthlings who live on alien planets. The tension has sparked many riots on worlds within the alliance and The Legion of Super-Heroes has been blamed with being a failure. We all see where this is going right?
The story line in Legion of 3 Worlds is great I'll admit. I blew through books 1 to 3 one after the other and can't wait for books 4 and 5 to be released. The Green Lantern Corps has been TOTALLY demolished (save Sodam Yat) and two alternate legions have been called in as reinforcements to battle the LSV. The story takes some interesting twists and noteable character analysis (oh boy will you be pleased with Brainiac [if you followed his evolution]), and does quite well without Superman being the all mighty saviour! As a refrence to Superboy go back and read the Countdown to Infinite Crisis series and you'll see a glimpse of his dark beginning. Overall I like this series thus far. Look for Legion of 3 Worlds books 4 and 5 coming in April and May 2009 respectively.

MrAchiever's Rating: 4/5 demon seals (refer to Ninja Gaiden)

The Flash: emergensy Stop

Title: The Flash - Emergency Stop
Cover art: Gabrielle Dell'otto
Written by: Grant Morrison, Mark Millar
Penciler: Paul Ryan
Inker: John Nyberg
Colorist: Tom McCraw
Publisher: DC Comics
Year: 2008

Usually I'm impressed with Mark Millar's work but this was disappointing (or maybe it's just me). Emergency Stop was a quick read with a pieced together story and a horrible plot. The Mirror Master and The Suit were far from formidable opponents and lacked true villianous appeal. It's as though the story was not well thought through and should have been a 15 page trade. The upside to Emergency Stop was the flash's new suit (albeit that I was reminded of Booster Gold). He tapped into the speed force which enabled him to run even faster with his broken legs. This reminded me of the Justice League Unlimited episode where Wally runs super dooper fast to dismantle Lex Luthor's "power suit" (not the one he he vanished to get in the final episode [Destroyer 2] of the series before giving Grod with the anti-life equation) and ends up phasing into the speed force. (that was awesome!)
Overall if I had a rating system (which I don't yet) Emergency Stop definitely would not get a high rating.

The Road to Civil War

Title: The Road to Civil War
Cover art: Gabrielle Dell'otto
Written by: Brian Michael Bendis, J. Michael Straczynski
Pencils: Alex Maleev, Ron Graney, Mike McKone, Tyler Kirkham
Publisher: Marvel Publishing Inc.
Year: 2007

Lead by the US government the Marvel Universe is on a path that can only lead to a civil war amongst its heroes and villians. The growing sentiment in Washington D.C. is that superhumans/superheroes are not above the law. With this sentiment as the driving force certain senators (namely Senator Dickerson) are pushing for a Metahuman Registration Act which essentially gives superhumans two choices. They can either register their real names with the US government or be considered criminals by the very government they dutifully serve. Besides a record of every superhuman the Metahuman Registration Act seeks to make them accountable under the letter of the law for any damages/consequences of their actions. What strikes me about this is that it's clearly a political ploy (as with many things government related) and could certainly do more harm than good.
The initial meeting of superhumans who are aware of the coming danger are Professor Charles Xavier, The Black Panther, Dr. Stranger, Mr. Fantastic, Namor, Black Bolt and Iron Man who I must mention is the first person aware of the U.S. government's intentions. The group cannot agree to bring their respective team members under an umbrella organization so that they're orgainzed and share information properly (similar to The Justice League Unlimited), and this is where they enter a temporary private pact. The stories in The Road to Civil War are clearly all linked back to previous issues which means you'll have to acquire a few other issues to understand other aspects of this seemily intertwined story (House of M, The New Avengers Illumaniti Special, Amazing Spider-Man #529)
Of note is the character manipulation by Tony Stark (Iron Man), Spider-Man's new costumes, and the mercenary Titanium Man. Even though the events that obviously leading to a civil war Bendis and Straczynski could have inculded just a little more substance in the story line given it was such a smooth yet short read.

Kingdom Come

I just finished reading KINGDOM COME by Mark Waid and Alex Ross and I have to say it was definitely worth the read. Of all the stories that I've read so far from this DC Universe the plot and overall story of Kingdom Come was interesting. I'll admit I'm very critical of Superman and how his story is told, and I'm sure you're asking yourself "Is this guy even qualified to critique ANY graphic novel?!" Well "my friends" (I'll thank John McCain for that line) I say I'm qualified since the story of Superman has been told and retold for decades, and my generation subscribes to different values than those of the 1950's. This is VERY evident in the new direction the Batman movies are taking. We want realism instead of idealism as it pertains to our superheroes. In our current time his story is being retold, rethought and revised ever so often; however, the recent editions to this story have all had a very common theme...the inner turmoil superheroes face (think back to Countdown to Infinite Crisis, Infinite Crisis, and even the Batman/Superman team ups).
Kingdom Come deals with among other issues how mankind has come to view superheroes, the issues the world has faced since Superman stopped being a leader for over a decade, the actions of the "children of the G-ds" (yes people our favorite and not so favorite DC superheroes copulated!!!), and the reckoning between the G-ds and their wayward children. The one flaw that urked me was the death of Captain Marvel (sorry for that spoiler but if you agree with me I expect to hear your thunderous decenting comments.) It is my understanding that when in his adult state he's invincible; however, he dies stopping a nuke!!! Come on!!! Dude can go toe to toe with the man of steel yet he gets killed by a nuke. Yeah ok. My point is that's a noticeable flaw, but besides that it's a great read (like I said before).
Wonder Woman's character is minor yet supportive and Batman...well I'll say this much, he's definitely one of the most deceptive superhero characters.