Deathstroke #13
Publisher: DC
Writer: Christopher Priest
Artist: Joe Bennett
Colorist: Jeromy Cox
Cover: Bill Sienkiewicz
Part two of the Twilight arc is a back and forth of action, deception, and some twisted loyalties. Very, very twisted actually. Priest picks up the fight between Slade and Raptor almost immediately and makes it better with some tight dialogue which pokes fun at Deathstroke’s classic look. Not only is there humor here but we see that the stress of past decisions are getting to Jericho while Priest also pulls back some layers regarding Red Lion’s motives which include offering Slade the opportunity to sell out his ex-wife. It’s a smart move and executed well as Priest keeps building towards some terrific moments scattered throughout the issue. Etiene also discovers the death stroke was the best stroke (yes I threw in a Notorious BIG reference) which is going to make this tense family dynamic even worse. Joe Bennet’s visuals also keep things on a high note here whether it’s the action sequences or that quiet moment with Jericho in the hospital. Jeromy Cox’s colors take it to the next level and perfectly enhances and nails that “Deathstroke Classic” look. 4/5
Justice League of America #1
Publisher: DC
Writer: Steve Orlando
Artist: Ivan Reis
Colorist: Marcelo Maiolo
Cover: Ivan Reis, Joe Prado, Marcelo Maiolo
As excited I was at seeing the Justice League of America returning, this issue is a slow start and didn’t impress me as much as the JLA: Rebirth issue did. When Orlando sticks to the team dynamics and their own moments the book is stronger and quite entertaining. Frost (she’s trying to drop the “Killer” part) and Atom have a great moment as both are attempting to prove themselves and find their place on the team. Vixen gives Batman some hard facts while the rest do some solid team building. Orlando introduces some new characters who seem to want to help our planet but throws in a curve as everything goes to hell pretty quickly and the JLA is called in to help. The problem is that none of the newbies make a good first impression that makes me care enough about them as the protagonists. Hopefully this begins to change by next issue because this team has too many of my favorite characters on the roster. Reis and Maiolo’s artwork does make getting through the rough parts of the story much more fun. Reis still delivers an insane amount of expressive detail in his characters that makes every close-up a treat for the eyes. Not to mention the double page of the team entering the fight which is just a powerful image heightened by Maiolo’s colors. 2.5/5
Infinite Speech
infinitespeech@comicattack.net
So is this a Batman and the Outsiders type deal or what? The last time I even looked at a JLA title was when McDuffie was writing it and Vixen was on the team w/ Canary. Nice to see that Lobo is back to being an ugly bastich though!