Aquaman # 17
Writer: Geoff Johns
Artists: Paul Pelletier, Sean Parsons, and Rod Reis
Cover Artists: Paul Pelletier, Art Thibert, and Rod Reis
Publisher: DC
After a short but deadly war, Aquaman now stands divided between two worlds: the surface world and Atlantis. And though he might be the King of Atlantis while still being a member of the Justice League, the surface world and Atlantis have never been at greater odds. Geoff Johns continues to do an excellent job building the New 52’s Aquaman. He’s made him interesting, the story has been consistently entertaining, and the art is absolutely gorgeous to look at. The crossover event did a great job setting up the future of Aquaman, and unfortunately for him it would appear that the future has rough times in store for him. It will be especially interesting to see how his relationship with Mera struggles in light of his decision to go to Atlantis, given the fact that she and Atlantis are not on friendly terms, as well as the fact her character has done a great job of balancing out the issue over this entire run. 4.5/5
Batman Inc. #8
Writer: Grant Morrison
Artists: Chris Burnham, Jason Masters, and Nathan Fairbairn
Cover Artists: Chris Burnham and Nathan Fairbairn
Publisher: DC
By now everyone should know what this issue is about and the outcome of the issue; if not, I commend you on your ability to live spoiler free. That being said, this review will not be spoiler free, because Damian dying is a big deal. This kid, who when first introduced was an obnoxious, pompous little brat that hated everyone, slowly became part of the family. Morrison’s brilliant run on Batman and Robin played a major role in turning Damian around from obnoxious to lovable, for me at least, and it was great that that was referenced in this issue. Damian and Dick team up again, and for that brief moment “the best” team was reunited. That moment was gut-wrenchingly painful to read, not only because of his impending death, but because it brought to light just how young Damian is. Though he constantly postured himself as an adult and as this killing machine, at the end of the day he was just a 10-year-old boy that wanted his parents to be proud of him.
Obviously, this issue is going to have readers who hate it and readers who love it, but I’d argue that given time, most readers will fall somewhere in the middle. Personally, I hate that Morrison killed off Damian. Most of the lighter, quirkier, fun issues involving the Bat-Family were Damian centered. Even though he was a darker, grim Robin, he brought youthful humor back into the Bat-Universe. However, even though my personal opinion is that he shouldn’t have died, Morrison wrote his death perfectly and Burnham illustrated it so remarkably, that I’m glad Damian got the sendoff that he deserved. His final scenes were written fantastically, and more importantly, Burnham’s layouts and illustrations solidified the brilliance of those final pages. Damian came in to the Bat-Universe a nuisance, but he left a hero, and that’s pretty much all you can hope for a comic book character. 5/5
The Flash #17
Writers: Francis Manapul and Brian Buccellato
Artists: Francis Manapul and Brian Buccellato
Cover Artists: Francis Manapul and Brian Buccellato
Publisher: DC
The fastest man alive never seems to have a moment’s rest. From the very first issue of this series, Barry Allen has been fighting his way through enemy after enemy, and that doesn’t appear to be changing any time soon. Gorilla Grodd and his primate companions have been holding Central City and its citizens hostage, and fortunately for the Flash help arrives from the most unlikeliest individuals. While Barry was dealing with Grodd in the Speed Force, the source of Barry’s powers, the Rogues were able to protect the rest of Central City from the rampaging gorillas. Francis Manapul and Brian Buccellato continue to whip up a fantastic series. The non-stop, action packed pacing of this series is perfect, considering this is a book about the fastest man alive. Their art has been remarkably brilliant their entire run, and this series continues to be one of the best titles that was rebooted by DC. 4.5/5
Be sure to check out previous editions of Crisis of Infinite Reviews by clicking here!
Arnab Pradhan
arnab@comicattack.net