Author: Kyle Higgins
Artists: Brett Booth, Will Conrad, Norm Rapmund
First Publication: July 2014
Source: NetGalley
Publisher: DC Comics
Collects issues #s 19-24
Graphic Novel Challenge #2
From NetGalley: Kyle Higgins sends Nightwing to the Windy City to track down his parent's killer!
After the Joker's attack on the Bat-family, Nightwing finds himself in a new setting with an unlikely ally, The Prankster. Together they are being hunted by the mysterious Mask Killer while Dick tries to find the man who killed his parents, Tony Zullo. Twists and surprises are at every turn in this exciting new chapter of Nightwing!
Kyle Higgins, my favorite Nightwing writer, took him out from under the shadow of Batman and made Nightwing into his own hero. The struggles with finding out that Tony Zucco was still alive and tracking him down helped define Nightwing. The additional change of moving to Chicago also gave him a whole new environment to make his own. Higgins is a master of plotting and characterization. Dick Grayson sounds right when his dialogue is scripted by Higgins. And the art is amazing. Booth, Rapmund, and Conrad all do a fantastic job of bringing the scripts to life.
Highly recommended. If you are any kind of Nightwing fan, pick up and read all of the Higgins collections.
Authors: Peter Tomasi, Jeff Lemire, Jimmy Palmiotti, Amanda Conner, Robert Venditti, Scott Lobdell, Jeff Parker, Ray Fawkes, Tony Bedard, Kyle Higgins, Greg Pak
Artists: Ian Bertram, Bill Sienkiewicz, Denys Cowan, Stephane Roux, Tyler Kirkham, Trevor McCarthy, Martin Coccolo, Jeremy Haun, Tony Parker, Dustin Nguyen, Paolo Siqueira, Doug Mankhe, Lee Weeks
First Publication: February 2015
Source: NetGalley
Publisher: DC Comics
Collects issues 1-4
Graphic Novel Challenge #1
From NetGalley: At last, the SECRET ORIGINS of the World's Greatest Heroes in The New 52 can be revealed! The beginnings of the most popular characters in the DC Universe are finally told here, in stories that fans have been clamoring for since September 2011. Included here are the origins of The Last Son of Krypton and Kara Zor-El, Supergirl, plus the first Robin, Dick Grayson.
Like most anthology titles, I found that I enjoyed some stories more than others. On the average I would rate the art as good and the writing as average.
My favorite story was the Superman story written by Greg Pak. Pak is currently doing a great job on DC's "Aquaman", "Superman/Batman" and "Action Comics". This story showcases his mastery of characterization with the parallel stories of Lara on Krypton and Martha on Earth. The handoff of the narrative viewpoint is masterful.
I want to point out that fans of great art will enjoy the skillful rendering done by Lee Weeks. Weeks has been a quality artist for many years but I found his art in this collection to be his best.
I would recommend this to people who want to get an overview of the DC characters. Especially newer readers.
Writer: Brian Buccellato
Artist: Ronan Cliquet
Source: Net Galley
First Publication: November 2014
Publisher: Dynamite
Collects issues 1-12
Graphic Novel Challenge #63
From Amazon: The classic pulp vigilante, reimagined for a new generation! Tony Quinn is a brash defense attorney to the mob who compromises his ethics for financial gain. When he refuses to cross the line and commit murder, he is tortured and blinded by his gangster employers. When a fortuitous meeting with a covert agency gives him a chance to make amends, Quinn transforms into the Black Bat and embarks on a redemptive quest to right the wrongs of his past. Collects the complete story from issues #1-12 of the Black Bat comic book maxi-series.
As in many cases, it is easy to see where the inspiration for many of the modern super-heroes can be found in the pulps. I imagine that some of the origin of Daredevil came from this character. A brash attorney becomes a blind hero. Daredevil took a different path after starting with some of the same concepts. Daredevil never became a lawyer for the mob for one thing. And the Black Bat was given a way to compensate for his blindness by a shadowy organization.
Brian Buccellato impressed me with his work on the New 52 reboot of “The Flash”. His writing, in conjunction with Francis Manapul, helped to make that title a success. He continues to turn in good work with “Black Bat”. I have enjoyed many of the Dynamite series based on the pulp characters. I am adding this to the Dynamite list that includes “The Shadow”, “Doc Savage”, “ Green Hornet” and others.
This is a great collection to pick up since it contains all of the issues of the maxi-series. If you are a fan of pulp characters or just good storytelling, definitely buy this one.
Writer: Jeff Lemire
Artists: Rachel Dodson Terry Dodson
Source: Net Galley
First Publication: November 2014
Publisher: DC Comics
Graphic Novel Challenge #62
From Amazon:
A new original graphic novel in DC's popular "Earth One" series, TEEN TITANS: EARTH ONE follows in the tradition of SUPERMAN: EARTH ONE and BATMAN: EARTH ONE, both of which were #1 New York Times bestsellers.
The Teen Titans never felt like normal kids... but they had no idea how right they were. Their seemingly idyllic Oregon upbringing hides a secret -- one that will bring killers, shamans, and extraterrestrials down on their heads, and force them into an alliance that could shake the planet to its foundations!
The Creators:
Jeff Lemire caught my attention with his work on various DC titles. One of the first that I remember was his stint on SUPERBOY before the start of the New52. One of the most interesting titles he has written was the FRANKENSTEIN AGENT OF S.H.A.D.E. Definitely worth following.
The Dodsons have worked on numerous titles for various companies. Their smooth lines show some of the same rendering styles used by Adam Hughes.
The Story:
I had mixed feelings about this one. On one hand I could see where this would appeal to younger fans. The storytelling is solid but not up to the quality I have come to expect from Lemire. It did not have the innovative ideas of his other work. A younger fan who is not as familiar with Lemire or the Titans would enjoy this one. For me, I will stick with the stories written by Marv Wolfman and Geoff Johns. Both did Titans stories more to my liking.
The high point of the story was the art. The Dodsons consistently turn out good work but I thought this was some of their best.
Writer: J. Michael Straczynski
Artist: Chris Weston
Source: Comixology
First Publication: Volume 1-February 2012, Volume 2-October 2012
Collects issues 1-12
Graphic Novel Challenge #s 60-61
This two volume story showcases the perfect marriage of storytelling and art. In the Marvel universe, an excavation project uncovers a group of 12 heroes in suspended animation under a German building. It turns out that they were captured by the Germans at the end of World War II.
The creative team shows how the heroes try to adapt to the modern world. It is not what they thought it would be. A murder occurs that unveils a mystery that drives the story. What secrets are the Twelve hiding? Are they as “good” as they appear to be? Is one of the Twelve really a killer? Will any of them survive to try to fit into the modern world? This series is one of my favorite reads of the year.
Highly recommended.
Creator: David Lapham
Publisher: Image Comics
Source: NetGalley
First Publication: August 2014
Graphic Novel Challenge #59
I have been on a streak of reading some excellent collections. “Murder Me Dead” is another one of them. David Lapham has made a name for himself working in the crime noir genre. He uses the traditional tropes of the genre with a loser of a protagonist ( I will not call him a hero), a dangerous woman, a mystery, and violent crimes everywhere. This would make an excellent mini-series on television. I will not say anything else about the story because it would ruin it for anyone who has not read it yet. Highly recommended.
Author: Kyle Higgins
Artists: Will Conrad, Cliff Richards, Russell
Dauterman
Publisher: DC Comics
Source: NetGalley
First Publication: December 2014
Collects: Nightwing #s 25-29, Annual #1
Graphic Novel Challenge #58
The finale to Nightwing’s solo title was a good one. I have been a fan of Kyle Higgins tenure on this title. He has fleshed out the background of Dick Grayson, especially his life at the circus. The main focus of this collection is a battle with the classic Bat-villain the Mad Hatter. Nightwing becomes involved with trying to help a victim of the Hatter who suffers from multiple personalities. A side effect of her mistreatment at the Hatter’s hands is that she is able to imitate any fighting style once she sees it. Higgins uses it to show the emotional, mental, and physical struggles of this battle.
Also included is a Nightwing Annual that shows Dick’s last day in Gotham as he leaves Babs Gordon behind. An epilog to the series is the final issue in the collection. It is written by the team who are writing Grayson. They use it to set the stage for that Dick Grayson/spy comic.
Highly recommended.
