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Batman: The Dark Knight # 2
Story: David Finch and Paul Jenkins
Artists: David Finch and Richard Friend
Cover Artists: David Finch and Richard Friend
Publisher: DC

All across the city, Gotham’s notorious criminals are back on the streets, only this time they are surging with power they once didn’t have. As Batman attempts to find out who is behind this dangerous change, his Bat army steps up to make sure the criminals don’t cause too much harm. His investigations lead him to the girl dressed up as a white rabbit, who in turn leads him to a hulked out blast from the not so distant past. This issue was great. It was filled with action, the story moved forward, and it was exciting. Seeing all of the Bat soldiers make cameos was great, and hopefully it won’t be a one time thing. It is still a little strange that we haven’t really been told who it is Batman is facing up against, but then again it’s possible we have and we just don’t know it. The art continues to be absolutely fantastic, and it really captures the mood and the tone of the book. 4/5

The Fury of Firestorm: The Nuclear Men #2
Writers: Gail Simone and Ethan Van Sciver
Artist: Vildiray Cinar
Cover Artist: Ethan Van Sciver
Publisher: DC
Before I start, can I just say that that is the most ridiculously long title I’ve ever come across. Alright, back to the book. The issue starts off right where it left off in issue one, with Jason and Ronnie, now powered by the Firestorm protocol, going after the agents who demolished their high school. The two later escape to safety with Tonya, and Jason attempts to explain what is going on. He does a fairly poor job, and then the trio are attacked once more. I have mixed feelings about this issue, actually, this book in general. For the most part, I think there’s a good concept here, the basic story line structure works. It creates a new origin for Firestorm and it makes it new reader friendly. The art has been great, too. Every iteration of Firestorm we’ve seen has looked cool. So where’s the problem? The characterization of the main characters has been terrible. As it stands, Jason comes off as a complete jackass, and Ronnie seems to have been hit on the head one too many times, because not much thinking goes on there. It will be interesting to see how it all plays out. 3/5

Green Lantern: New Guardians #2
Writer: Tony Bedard
Artists: Tyler Kirkham and Batt
Cover Artists: Tyler Kirkham and Batt
Publisher: DC

Out of nowhere (not to be confused with N.O.W.H.E.R.E.) six power rings have abandoned their former masters and have now chosen Kyle as their new bearer.
As if that wasn’t enough to deal with, five of those six Lantern clans send a delegate to find out why Kyle is now in possession of every ring. Accompanied by Saint Walker, Kyle travels to Oa to consult with Ganthet, only to find a much different friend. This was a well done issue. In all aspects of the book, writing, story progression, and art, this issue improved upon the first issue. I think having Kyle in the center of this book was a smart idea, because his character fits so well in the story. The Lanterns that attacked all seem to have anger management problems and come off as idiots. The biggest shock in this book for me, was when Kyle reached the Guardians of Oa and we were introduced to the new Ganthet, who is very much a lesser version of his old self. The Guardians do what they do best, overreact and attack Kyle, who as a result becomes a whole new type of Lantern. My hope, although I know this won’t happen, is that the new and improved All Lantern Kyle rids us of these ridiculous Guardians. 4/5

Teen Titans #2
Writer: Scott Lobdell
Artists: Brett Booth and Norm Rapmund
Cover Artists: Brett Booth and Norm Rapmund
Publisher: DC

After his attempt to be heroic backfired on him, Kid Flash now finds himself a captive of N.O.W.H.E.R.E. Meanwhile, outside the prison, Red Robin and Wonder Girl continue to strengthen their friendship, by saving each other’s lives back and forth. When Red Robin gets word of a new meta-teen, Skitter, he rushes off to recruit her. He easily takes care of the N.O.W.H.E.R.E. agents dispatched to retrieve her before Skitter makes her appearance. Just as he is about to get attacked, Wonder Girl arrives just in time to save him. This was a great issue, much like Justice League in terms of the structure of the story, but much more relevant as this is taking place right here in the present. The story continues to be exciting, interesting, and well paced throughout. The art is also consistently great to look at, and it does a good job of enhancing the overall story. 4/5

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Arnab Pradhan
arnab@comicattack.net