Evil never looked better
Continuing the ongoing look at Forever Evil and DC Villain’s Month, here’s a look at more one shots for consideration.
POISON IVY #1 (Detective Comics #23.1) : Beneath the gorgeous cover by Jay Fabok (with or without the 3D enhancement) lies some incredible artwork by Javier Pina. Ably backed up by color from John Kalisz, the story intersects present day and flashbacks admirably. The best issues so far in this series are the ones that make us more sympathetic towards the characters, and this one is no exception. Writer Derek Fridolfs does a fantastic job creating a believable backstory for Pamela Isley that truly makes you wonder how villainous she would be under different circumstances. Highly recommended.
HARLEY QUINN #1 (Detective Comics # 23.2) : Apparently the theme is to showcase Batman’s female villains under the Detective banner, and thankfully the trend of good art and storytelling continues. Writer Matt Kindt draws quite a bit from Paul Dini and Bruce Timm’s initial origin story for the flashback sequences, but also creates a compelling story in the present. You can almost feel sympathy for Harleen…..right up until a plot twist that shows where her mind really is.
RIDDLER #1 (Batman #23.2) : Fans of Edward Nygma who were already enjoying the “Zero Year” storyline because of his presence will no doubt love this issue too. There’s no hints of Nygma’s origin in this story. Writer Ray Fawkes instead leads the reader through a classic Riddler heist. Along the way, an interesting character trait of Nygma’s is revealed, that basically he REALLY can’t handle being touched in a non-consensual manner. This does make sense with the New 52 Riddler being less athletic than in previous incarnations. As with several other one-shots, there’s a really nice ending as the goal of the heist is revealed.
KILLER FROST #1 (Justice League of America #7.2) : This issue is 95% origin story, but a very effective one. Writer Sterling Gates continues the trend of making the villains more sympathetic to the reader and giving Dr. Caitlin Snow very reasonable motivations for her actions. Artist Derlis Santacruz does a fantastic job in this issue. Every panel is crisp and sharp, and Brett Smith nails the coloring down beautifully.
TWO FACE #1 (Batman & Robin #23.1) : Sadly, this issue is the exact opposite (or rather the flip side of the coin). With nothing new to add to Harvey Dent’s origin, this story is set in the present but does nothing to advance the “Forever Evil” storyline or provide insights to Harvey’s characterization. Worse though, the artwork by Guillem March is serviceable, but nowhere near as crisp or sharp as one would hope. If anything, Harvey looks considerably older than he should in this issue.
COURT OF OWLS #1 (Batman & Robin #23.2) : One of the hardest things I’ve personally had to accept about the New 52 universe is the creation of the Court of Owls. I’m not enthralled by the idea that a vast majority of Gotham’s citizens are part of a secret society that’s been creating evil there for centuries. The story here doesn’t reveal any new information about the who or what behind the organization. The flashbacks are all random occurrences that just underscore the idea that anyone anywhere can be eliminated by the Court at any time. I’d like to say nice things about Jorge Lucas’ artwork in this issue, but colorist Dave McCaig used black ink over 90% of the issue.
MR. FREEZE #1 (Batman The Dark Knight #23.2) : To be fair, Dave McCaig makes much better coloring choices in this issue. He accents Jason Master’s artwork very nicely and the result makes for a much more pleasant read. Unfortunately, the story for this issue takes a lot of what made Victor Fries a great character and turns it sideways. The core elements of his tragic background are there, but slanted in a way that takes away sympathy for him, and his motivations are nowhere near as (for lack of a better word) noble as they have been previously.
BLACK MANTA #1 (Aquaman #23.1) : I’ll end this round of one-shot commentary on a high note with this exceptional issue. The artwork by Claude St. Aubin is razor sharp and a real joy to observe. It’s the story by Tony Bedard, however, that puts this one on the recommended list. Everything mentioned in the previous titles regarding the push for character motivation and for eliciting sympathy for the lead character is in full force for this story. The plot leads right back into the main “Forever Evil” storyline with a unique twist that truly whets the appetite for future issues (which is what ALL these one shots should HOPEFULLY be doing if they really want us to read all 52).
More reviews coming soon.
