Zatanna #1 by Paul Dini

I think this is the first Dini comic where when I finished it, I wanted more. I can’t wait to read issue #2. I don’t know a lot about Zatanna, except for her basic story and powers, but Dini did an outstanding job with making me want to know more.

I was surprised to find that this comic seems to be going in a buddy cop direction, which I really like. A pleasant surprise. I like her partnered with Detective Dale Colton, who seems like an upstanding and practical guy. Just the type to be paired up with a character whose powers are magically based.

I was very pleased to see that Brother Night’s destruction lived up to Dale’s warnings to Zatanna about how gruesome the crime scene was going to be. It seemed to be more of a warning for the reader. The deaths of mobsters work well in that while they’re really horrific murders, Dini doesn’t overdo it by killing puppies.

My favorite part of this comic is how Zatanna immediately confronts Brother Night. She doesn’t waste time being scared of him. She doesn’t waste time making a plan. Zatanna just zaps herself to his lair, and then she proceeds to smartly take out his hence-people when they attack her. The plot is very nicely coherent for a new reader diving into Zatanna’s world.

My only complaint about this comic is Brother Night’s lair is a demon bdsm club. I don’t know if this was Dini’s direction or Roux’s artistic license, but bdsm needs to stop being a short-cut lazy way to express just how evil villains are. You know what made me know these villains were evil? How they killed an entire club full of mobsters and killed them very graphically, not because they’re into bdsm. Not to mention, Zatanna wears a fetish costume herself, so the book sends unintentional mix signals. Which is disappointing in an otherwise well-written first issue of what may be the start of a good series.

Zatanna #2 by Paul Dini

This was another excellent issue. I love what a forceful, confident person Zatanna is. I hope she remains so throughout the series, and Dini isn’t going to take this tale into a breakdown of her spirit. I do worry since Brother Night seems to be resurrecting her father to mess with her.

I love Zatanna taking a moment to help out Black Canary and Vixen, and then she turns down their offer for drinks because she’s too tired. Nice to have a little insert of realism into comic books. Running around all the time has to be tiring. Same with telling Mickey to stop the carpentry so she can get some shut-eye.

Which sets the perfect stage for Nightmare’s entrance. Dini does a good job at setting up Nightmare as very powerful by having him terrorize the neighbors. However, I do think Nightmare’s more subtle nightmares, such as a young girl being forced to give up her kitten to the pound by her stepfather, are more powerful than going full-force with demons biting Zatanna. A little too far when he knew better than to have Zatanna bring him into the real world. There she easily displaced of him, and perhaps she gave him his worse nightmare.

I also enjoyed the section with Dale and his detective skills. It’s nice to see human work in addition to the supernatural. And how Dale’s perhaps not as afraid of Brother Night as he should’ve been.

Zatanna #3 by Paul Dini

This comic is becoming rather awesome. Zatanna knows what she’s doing and knows how to use her skills. I always love character who use their brains as well as their powers. Likewise, I enjoy her team-up with Dale, because while Zatanna is the one to take down Brother Night, Dale isn’t running and hiding from him and isn’t going to be manipulated into backing off.

For an action-filled comic, the scenes were nicely paced. Roux’s does a great job with the art. I particularly love his page-layouts. The diamond-shapes bring a nice little reminder about Zatanna’s magical powers.

Zatanna has a lot of heart, and it’s really apparent when she saves her crew first. And that she takes the time to turn Mickey into her twin so Mickey can pull off the show Zatanna’s going to miss due to her fight with Brother Night.

I love Zatanna saving her father. I love her tears, while she maintains herself and her powers. A lesser hero would’ve folded under the emotional pressure of her/his father reappearing. The scene Zatanna has with him as she frees him, once again, is just lovely and perfect.

Zatanna’s take-down of Brother Night is likewise fitting. I love that she turns a powerless Brother Night into Dale, but knows that Brother Night will suffer more for the bargain he made with the devil.

In Sensation Comics #10, Wonder Woman helps Steve Trevor take down some Japanese and German spies who are attempting to blow up a train carrying soldiers. This is all fine and dandy and pretty much Marston’s standard Wonder Woman plot. But not so fast. There’s a twist.

(Sidenote: This tale features quite a bit of racist stereotyping as the main villain, who actually gets a lot of face time, is Ishti, a Japanese spymaster of some sort. He talks in broken English and stutters over his “s”es. There’s also a brief appearance of a train porter, who’s black and indistinguishable from the porter in the last issue.)

Wonder Woman, especially as Diana Prince, is an obsessed stalker in this story. There’s no question about it; she stalks Steve because she’s jealous.

Steve informs Diana that he doesn't want her. She decides to try out stalking.

The story starts with Steve lamenting about how he wishes Wonder Woman would appear before him. Instead, he turns around to find Diana, and he promptly informs her that he doesn’t need her and is going on a mission. Diana — while spying on them out her office window — discovers Steve’s going on a date with Dolly Dancer. Diana follows Steve and Dolly on their date: dark glasses and hiding behind menus like some bad romantic comedy. The whole time Diana comments on how she knows Dolly is no good.

Diana follows Steve and Dolly on their date.

Then, Diana eavesdrops on Steve’s call with Darnell where Steve tells him he’s going on a mission to New York City for the weekend and will be taking the train. Diana breaks into the train’s drawing room, which Steve will be staying in with Dolly, and marks the side of the train so she can find it later. Then slipping out, Diana changes into her Wonder Woman costume as the train leaves the station.

As not to be accused of stalking, Wonder Woman runs behind the train for 60 miles before jumping into the window. She hopes to catch a surprised Steve and Dolly in a compromising position. But, it’s just Steve currently in the room. Wonder Woman makes an excuse about exercising by chasing after trains. Yeah…

Wonder Woman. Just out doing some running for her health.

Wonder Woman disappears just as Dolly comes back into the room. Meanwhile, we discover that Dolly is indeed working with the Japanese and German spies. They want Steve to give them the code translation so they can blow up the trains moving high-ranking military officers across America. But to Dolly’s credit, she’s under duress as Ishti threatens to kill her with his knife.

Dolly appears in her show that night. And stalker Wonder Woman decides that she too is going to be in the show. After Dolly’s dancing, Wonder Woman goes up on stage and makes husbands tell the truth — about how they’ve been cheating on their wives — with her lasso and the audience loves and laughs with it. I apparently didn’t find it as funny as the audience did.

Taking some time out from stalking, Wonder Woman gets other men to confess about their cheating.

Next Wonder Woman spies on Dolly and Steve as they drink and continue their date back at Dolly’s place. Steve gives Dolly the codes and leaves at Dolly’s instance. Wonder Woman then demands Dolly confess her sins and tell her where the spies have gone. Turns out there’s a whole system of train tunnels under Dolly’s apartment and good thing that Etta and Beeta Lambda Sorority have arrived to help Wonder Woman explore them.

Steve is drunk. You can tell by his weird hair, which is ready to attack Dolly.

Dolly gases Wonder Woman with her perfume, and Ishti and his men take Wonder Woman below. Ishti learned from Gunther that if chains are welded to Wonder Woman’s bracelets she looses all her powers. So he goes about doing this. Then Ishti hooks up Wonder Woman to the electric grid, and in a this is not scientifically correct moment, Wonder Woman changes the electric current to “direct current” to survive the voltage. Kids, don’t try this at home. You will die.

No, Wonder Woman, you'd still be fried. Just in a different way.

Escaping due to the welder being a woman, not a man, Wonder Woman saves the day. Or actually, she leaves the bad guys loose in order to stop the train from blowing up. Or more precisely to save Steve. (Screw the rest of them or the people the spies shot as they came for one last try at the army soldiers.) Also somehow Etta is able to offer a bon-bon to Steve from atop a moving train. Go figure.

Etta's always one to share. Especially on top of a moving train.

Steve then tells Wonder Woman he would never betray her love, and he knew from the beginning that Dolly worked with the spies. Such comfort in the last panel (emphasis mine):

Steve: “My beautiful angel – Will you ever forgive me? I only made love to Dolly in the line of duty.”
Wonder Woman: “You always perform your duties so thoroughly, Steve! But I should have known your taste in women is better than that!”

Emotional maturity of 12-year-olds. Don't fall for it, Wonder Woman.

This is the first time I’ve felt like Wonder Woman was a bad influence for young women. In the past, some of her pining for Steve has gotten a little close to out of control. Especially the ridiculous notion that Diana is less than Wonder Woman when she’s the same person. However, stalking Steve in this issue makes her a poor role model. Wonder Woman can and is supposed to be so much better than this.

And as for Steve, I’m pretty sure “made love” meant the same thing in 1942 as it does today. Sex is still sex. I mean, okay, Wonder Woman and Steve are only dating in the loosest 6th grader sense of dating (minus the sex), but if he feels the need to apologize, maybe Darnell should’ve been sexing it up with Dolly instead. Wow. Sensation Comics #10 brings Diana and Steve’s relationship up to a whole new level of messed up.

Comic book reviews for DC Comics’ Batgirl #10, Batgirl #11, and Batgirl #12 by Bryan Q. Miller

Batgirl #10 by Bryan Q. Miller

The Calculator is certainly one messed up, sick guy. However, I’m not so sure how enamored I am by this techno-virus which makes everyone attack Stephanie and Babs. I’m just not quite feeling it.

I love that the Batgirl cave has a secret kitchenette.

I also loved the parts about inner monologue issues, and the things that both Stephanie and Babs say out-loud that they don’t mean too. I’m really glad Stephanie ran into Nick in Babs’ office. I was so hoping Miller wasn’t going to go for the two friends have a crush on the same guy and fight over him stereotype, and this little scene makes me think we won’t have that train-wreck happen. I do like how slightly disappointed Stephanie is that Nick doesn’t recognize her out of costume.

Batgirl #11 by Bryan Q. Miller

I love the artificial, not-quite-right world in Babs’ head. I love that she’s living in the suburbs away from harm, which makes her dad extremely happy, and that she’s married to Dick, which makes her happy. Though she can’t be that thrilled to be serving food to Damien and Tim. In her fantasy, she both pleases herself a bit and pleases her father and Dick. I love Jim and Babs’ father-daughter dynamic, even if he is a little overly protective.

I also like how things from the missing world bled through: Bruce’s absence from the table, Jim referring to the turkey as a Bird of Prey, a man dressed as the Joker showing up at her door. Miller also does a great job with the Calculator here; he may be brilliant enough to capture Babs and figure out she’s Oracle, but he doesn’t really know anything about her and can’t interpret her dreams/nightmares.

Stephanie’s monologue about being screwed is too perfect here. Pitting her against both Catwoman and Huntress is also great. They are two of Gotham’s more impulsive fighters, much like Stephanie herself. And because of that impulse, it is more believable that Stephanie can get away from them.

I love Babs setting up Wendy to become a hero. Babs knows exactly what Wendy’s going through. She knows what it’s like to be a hero (or working with heroes) and then be paralyzed and sent off due to her disability. Babs understands that Wendy doesn’t want to live a normal citizen life.

Man-Bat had to have smelled bad. Sewer + fur = yuck.

Figures that Babs would turn the Calculator’s mind-trap for her in on itself.

Batgirl #12 by Bryan Q. Miller

This is such a stellar series. I really love it, and I hope others are reading it and enjoying it just as much as I do. Batgirl is one of the strongest titles being put out by DC right now.

I loved Babs exploring the Calculator’s mind. She found all his weaknesses. While at the same time, she still tried to save him. She still tried to let him come around. To have him put a stop to his own evil plot. When Bab’s saw how he’d been abused as a child, she wanted to help him break that cycle.

Of course, Wendy was the one who broke the cycle. She and her brother had broken away before, but Wendy was never really a hero until this moment. Wendy was brave and grieving at the same time. No one else could’ve put the Calculator in his cyber-coma other than her. Heartbreakingly beautiful.

I also love how this sets up the book to make it okay if Babs is off with Birds of Prey instead of always there for Stephanie. Wendy will be Proxy.

As for Stephanie, the comic opens on a brilliant note having her say, “I’m Batgirl” and ends on one as well with her off to fight villains in Gotham with Proxy guiding her. Stephanie may still be impulsive, but she’s growing.

The last story in Wonder Woman #1 may be the most offensive story written yet. Okay, actually, I don’t think it’s any more offensive than the one about the circus’ elephants earlier this issue.

In this story, Mint Candy, brother of Etta and solider in the US Army, is targeted by Japanese spies in order to get information about his division’s orders. In a very convoluted plot, Mint hits his head after a fall from a sabotaged motorcycle and Etta and Diana head to the Candy family’s ranch in Texas to cheer him up. Etta wants to set Mint up with Diana, and Diana just wants information to save America from the Axis.

Mint’s portrayed as something of a Gomer Pyle-like character. He’s simple-minded, but is always trying to do his best to help out his country. While the text never says he’s not good enough for Wonder Woman, it’s implied. But that’s okay because he ends up finding true love away. He also serves as Steve’s damsel-in-distress proxy for this tale.

Much like his sister, Mint serves as a comedic relief.

The first bit of fail comes when Diana and Etta are aboard the train to Texas. Etta has the Porter bring her her suitcase. Sadly and unsurprisingly, the Porter, who is black, is drawn in black-face and speaks jive, and also sadly and unsurprisingly, Etta’s suitcase is full of candy, just enough to get her through the trip.

When Etta offers Diana a box of candy, Diana declines and then proceeds to give Etta a lecture on how fat she is and how she needs to go on a diet. Instead of say, being worried about her best friend’s health, Diana starts off her lecture telling Etta she needs to slim down in order to catch a man. When Etta claims that men love her, Diana goes into Wonder Woman-mode telling Etta that it’s unpatriotic to hoard, to hoard extra fat in your body. That’s right, being fat is unpatriotic. At that point, Etta concedes and tells Wonder Woman she’ll go on a diet and lose 10 pounds, and if she likes that, she’ll lose 50. Etta’s diet is not mentioned again until the end of the story, but Etta notably does not eat candy for the rest of their trip.

That's right, women should be thin for men and for patriotism. Ugh. Between the Porter and the lecture, this scene is beyond fail.

Etta and Diana meet up with Mint and Pancho, the Candy’s Mexican horse trainer. Interestingly enough, Mexicans are the only people of color to appear in Wonder Woman comics which aren’t outright racist stereotypes. Their portrayal is not completely unproblematic, but their portrayal doesn’t have the same problems of the Japanese, Burmese, or African-Americans’ depictions.

Mint decides to take them to an abandoned mine on the Candy property. (Pancho stays behind and makes a suspicious phone call.) In the mind shaft, the trio finds a woman, Pepita tied up inside and Mint proceeds to rescue her. Pepita claims that she’s been kidnapped and raped by a man who’s determined to marry her. Mint and she fall instantly in love with each other. Though the narration refers to Pepita several times as “dark and dangerous.”

Mint plays hero and rescues Pepita. They fall in love.

Later, when they’re alone, Pepita gives Mint cigarettes, which turn out to both knock him out and act as a truth serum. Pancho shows up and interrogates Mint on his division’s orders. Interestingly enough, Pancho’s skin coloring makes him the darkest Mexican, which I do think equates him with being the evilest. Pepita, on the other hand, is a lot lighter, which is used as a shorthand for her beauty and her innocence in all this.

On truth serum cigarettes, Mint divulges where the Army troops are going.

Pancho makes a dramatic exit before Etta and Diana show up. Though the horse trainer ends up being bucked off his horse later and consequently dies off-screen, never delivering his information.

Etta and Wonder Woman (in costume) leave Mint behind to chase (Etta riding on Wonder Woman’s back as she runs) after Pepita (on horseback) to Mexico City. To which I would like to point out that from the southern most tip of Texas to Mexico City is over 300 miles. But from Brazos, Texas (where the Candy ranch is, near Forth Worth) to Mexico City is over 600 miles. Pretty sure you had a map in 1942, Marston.

Yes, this is how they cover over 600 miles. Wonder Woman may have the speed of Mercury and the strength of Hercules, but perhaps she should've asked for the speed of a horse instead.

Pepita escapes when Etta and Diana are stopped at gunpoint by Mexicans and Japanese spies. Then they’re loaded into cars and taken part way to Mexico City. Mid-trip, the spies decided Etta is not only fat, but dead weight, and drop her off the back of the car so the other car (with Wonder Woman inside) can run her over. Wonder Woman, of course, easily breaks her bonds and somehow swerves both cars into crashing. All the bad guys die, and Wonder Woman and Etta continue their journey to Mexico City.

In Mexico City, they discover that Pepita is a famous bullfighter (another stereotype). She has killed 50 bulls in the ring, and they watch as she defeats another. But then, while waiting for the next round, one of the bulls, El Terrifico breaks out and goes right for Pepita. Wonder Woman swoops in to save her and lassos the bull. She makes El Terrifico lick her hand and then do a headstand.

And this was before Wonder Woman had powers to talk to animals.

In her dressing room, Pepita confesses to Etta and Wonder Woman that the Japanese threatened to kill her family and that’s why she helped get the information from Mint. She also gives them directions to a secret Japanese port base in Mexico and information that the Japanese plan to attack Mexico. (Another map note: Mexico City is over 150 miles from the ocean, and it’s more like 200 on the Pacific side.) Wonder Woman and Etta meet up with Steve Trevor and Mexico’s Captain Diaz (the whitest Mexican of them all, who apparently works out of Washington DC) at the base, and all the Japanese soldiers and spies are captured.

The story then quickly wraps itself up. Steve reads a newspaper, whose headline says that Wonder Woman has saved Mexico from the Japanese with the help of Steve Trevor. Pepita and Mint are reunited, and Wonder Woman gives their love a blessing from Aphrodite. And Etta tells Diana that the diet’s off and she’s going back to eating candy. Diana then laments in her thoughts that no one, not even Wonder Woman, can convince Etta to diet.

With her zombie arms, Wonder Woman blesses Mint and Pepita's love.

Comic book reviews for DC Comics’ Birds of Prey #1, Birds of Prey #2, and Birds of Prey #3 by Gail Simone

Birds of Prey #1 by Gail Simone

Simone outdid herself as she gets back together the Birds of Prey. Yes, it would have to be Babs calling on Dinah and Zinda, not the other way around. Dinah may have left, but Babs is the one who pushes people away. Much like her mentor Batman does.

I love Dinah and Zinda working together to save children. Well, Dinah’s saving children and Zinda’s being herself by helping out and meeting the locals. I know Babs is Simone’s beloved character, but I think her Dinah is just as strong, if not stronger.

Hawk and Dove’s introduction worked really well. Simone is good at introducing new characters to the team and introducing them to readers at the same time. I’ve always appreciated the slightly self-contained world which the Birds of Prey operate in.

The scene on the roof was so perfect. All of them together once again. Everyone’s one reactions were spot-on. Loved this line from Dinah: “One day these women will learn to say what they really feel without thinking it makes them vulnerable. If I have to beat the living crap out of ‘em to make it happen.” Oh, Helena, I felt the same way you did.

Someone signaling the Birds of Prey was perfect. As was the Penguin being there and getting to be the first causality. I’m pretty much with those guessing that the White Canary is either Sin or Cassandra Cain.

Birds of Prey #2 by Gail Simone

I felt so let down by this issues.

First, there was Savant’s death, Creote’s suicide, and the surrounding wank. I really hope they aren’t really dead and that Babs has sent them on a deep-cover mission. Or that Savant staged the whole thing so Babs did think they were dead, but it was only so White Canary thought they were dead too so Savant and Creote could better take down the White Canary. I’m crossing my fingers. But I don’t have much hope.

Second, I don’t understand how Black Canary still had a secret identity. I thought she was one of those superheroes who didn’t care. She doesn’t wear a mask or even have a stupid disguise that investigative reporters should’ve figured out long before they did like Superman. All she does it put on fishnets. Sometimes I wear fishnets, and people who know my face still recognize me.

Third, I have problems with Benes’ art. Here it got too T&A. Check out this panel with Dove and the Penguin:

Hey, Penguin, that's not Dove's face.

The first two-page spread of the Birds of Prey and Penguin in his hideout was obviously a giant fake-out. But I felt like it was an overindulgence of just what I don’t like about Benes’ pencils. Obviously, Oswald is a skeezy guy; but some things I just feel I didn’t need to see it in such detail.

I’m not sure I’m feeling Hawk and Dove as part of the team in these past two issue. And they started out so strong. I suppose this is a trial under fire, and they haven’t had all the quiet moments of team-bonding. Those quiet moments that made Birds of Prey so great. I’m sure Simone will get to them when there’s some time after hooking readers on the title’s relaunch.

I’m really glad that Savant and Creote aren’t dead. I rather did call the possibility that they faked their deaths. Of course, I didn’t think it was to come and kidnap Babs. Though Savant finally figured out who Oracle is, and I bet that’s how the White Canary made him play her game. But I did like them as reformed heroes. Just glad that Savant knew better than to underestimate Babs’ fighting skills.

Huntress and Black Canary’s dialog during the big fight scene was perfect. I’d missed this. That and Zinda’s one-liners to keep the book lighter. Rather interesting that the White Canary had an arrow which to pierce Hawk. Considering I’m not sure how she could’ve planned that in advance.

What I did think was perfect in this comic was the Black Canary and Huntress’ conversation about taking out the White Canary. Yes, Black Canary doesn’t kill people. Huntress does. But Dinah’s going to try her hardest in order to figure out whom the White Canary is and how to reform her. Of course, I kind of feel like a dolt for not being able to figure out just who the White Canary is.

Comic book reviews for DC Comics’ Detective Comics #864 by David Hine, The Question: Pipeline by Greg Rucka, Detective Comics #865 by David Hine, The Question: Pipeline by Greg Rucka, and Detective Comics #866 by Dennis O’Neil

Detective Comics #864 by David Hine

I’m not as enamored with Arkham Asylum as many of those who follow the Batverse seem to be. Or perhaps write the Batverse. But I assume these tales would not be written again and again if they weren’t popular.

Is there a single psychologist who’s worked in Arkham Asylum who hasn’t gone mad? The Black Mask himself is not very interesting. Just another villain trying to draw Batman in by being obsessed with him. Just another psychologist gone mad. Just another insane member of the Arkham family. Plus, the Black Mask’s mask just looks like a black version of the Red Skull’s mask.

I do think it’ll be revealed that the Black Mask didn’t kill those people with Batman letting him; that it was just a hallucination on his part. An obvious unreliable narrator.

The Question: Pipeline by Greg Rucka

I really like the mark of Cain being an idea, being something passed on like a mantel. How it’s the Vandal Savage, but with the memories dating back to Cain and Able — which we’ll put in continuity because Rucka puts it there. It’s completely unknown if the immortal caveman is really Cain.

The contrast of Helena the believer and Renee the skeptic works really well in this tale. Rucka’s used their differences and similarities really effectively in this story, and this is yet another layer.

I do like that it’s Huntress, the believer, who takes out Cain’s eye. An eye for an eye as Cain reminds them of when he stabbed or “murdered” Renee.

Nice Catch-22 set up here. Where if they kill Cain, his mark will pass onto one of them.

Detective Comics #865 by David Hine

Predictable. Completely and horribly predictable in a way that rather bores me. I guess that the Black Mask was an unreliable narrator. Well, more likely the hallucinating narrator.

The twist with the Joker being behind it, also doesn’t surprise me. Every freaking villain in Gotham has his/her origins connected to the Joker. Well, any c- or d-villain in the Batverse which needs legitimacy in the minds of the reader. The second twist, about how evil Alyce Sinner is was another non-surprise. In a Bat-story, Batman always calls out the bad guys and about 95% of the time he’s correct. Especially when Commissioner Jim Gordon seems to agree with him.

Since the Black Mask injured a locked-up Zsasz, I take it they’re done with him over on Batman: Streets of Gotham.

The Question: Pipeline by Greg Rucka

I think it’s interesting that both Huntress and the Question believe the Vandal Savage-Cain will kill them. Okay, he’s immortal. He has a lot of time. But together, no doubt Helena and Renee could’ve found something to tie him up for a while. (Shoot him into space, right? Bury him? Turn him into a statue? Find his maker and reverse the curse?)

I do like that Rucka shows a Huntress who wants to go back to Gotham to ask Oracle what they should do. And I find it interesting that Renee’s been so preoccupied with her mission, she hasn’t put two-and-two together.

Unfortunately for Renee and Helena, they’re both the self-sacrificing to save their friends types. Which means when both of them think the Vandal Savage will win, they’re willing to sacrifice their own lives. It doesn’t surprise me that Huntress is the one to knock out the Question first; Helena’s always been more impulsive. Helena’s tears as she drinks the bowl to start the magic to put Cain’s rage inside her was perfect.

Interestingly enough, Renee tags both herself and Helena as “selfless” being the reason behind their sacrifices. I don’t know if that’s true. If that’s the real reason behind the sacrifice.

I love the Huntress’ freak out moment where she thinks the mark’s on her face, and it’s just too perfect that the Question walks away without taking off her own mask. Of course, perfectly setting up the next story. I’ll be over here crying that Greg Rucka isn’t going to pen Renee’s next story.

Detective Comics #866 by Dennis O’Neil

I’ve wanted for a while to read O’Neil’s ’80s Question run, and this Detective Comics was beyond fabulous and made me want to read more O’Neil right now. He’s such a great writer. The story just flows and seems so easy, which is a hallmark of a finely crafted story. I loved this. Plus, Nguyen does some of my favorite current Gotham art. I’m so glad to read a story worthy of his art.

This really is a perfect example of a flashback story. Both the story and the art ease the transition. I also appreciated that it was a scary look at the Joker. The Joker is the most scary Gotham villain, and I feel like so many writers try too hard to make him scary and then he isn’t. But O’Neil gives us just enough Joker, on-and-off-panel to bring the horror of the Joker out. Even when Joker’s drawn in his old school clown way.

I also enjoyed what this story said about Dick. It shows what a good detective Dick has become under the tutelage of Bruce. Dick connects all the pieces many, many years later of where the medallion went. I liked how O’Neil brings the protector in so the flashback can be about Dick, not just Bruce. I love what experience has taught Dick. I love how bent he is for justice, even for a crime that happened a very long time ago.

The ending is very scary, and I won’t spoil it for those of you who haven’t read it. You should read it. It’s completely worth the money and tracking it down. Excellent issue.

Before the story begins, Marston makes an attempt to explain how the plot ends up with Wonder Woman on a horse, jumping onto a u-boat in the water.

In this tale from Wonder Woman #1, Diana and Steve go to visit Baroness Paula Van Gunther in prison. Some Allied boats keep getting sunk, and no one knows how the Axis are coming across the information of where the boats are going to be. They figure Paula will know. Interestingly enough, this is the first Wonder Woman story which relays on a male character to help save Wonder Woman. Granted, the male character is Freddy, the prison warden’s young son who’s probably about 10-years-old. Which is why I’m okay with it, if we’re aiming this story at young girls and Freddy is otherwise portrayed as the annoying younger brother of Mabel.

No one can keep Paula down, and prison life suits her just fine. Fine in that her cell holds a secret trapdoor, which leads into a forgotten, underground chamber where she meets up with her fellow Nazi spies and her slaves. While this issue doesn’t dip too far into Marston’s cabniet of curiosities, there are a couple moments where Paula is bowed down to by her slaves. Paula also has Guard Swipe under her control. Hence, the whole being able to leave her cell without anyone noticing.

When Steve attempts to use a lie detector on Paula, she hits him on the head with it.

This issue also marks the first time where Wonder Woman’s lasso is used against her. First, young Freddy “borrows” her lasso; when obsessed with lassoing himself, he knocks over Diana’s bag and out pops her lasso. Wonder Woman heads back to the prison when she realizes it’s missing. She also gives Freddy a lesson in how to be better with the lasso. But not before Guard Swipe takes Wonder Woman’s lasso and gives it to Paula.

Wonder Woman teaches a young boy to rope by playing target. Err...

Meanwhile, Wonder Woman’s spotted illegally entering the prison and found with Swipe’s dead body. She’s then accused of murder. Of course, she didn’t do it, but Diana doesn’t have any way to prove her innocence. Instead, she kicks the guards and hurries off back to her day job. There Diana has the first true encounter with the problem of leading a double life. Steve doesn’t believe for a second that Wonder Woman killed Swipe, and he wants an official statement from Wonder Woman.

However, Steve also requires a secretary, namely Diana as all the other secretaries have gone home for the night, to take down Wonder Woman’s statement. And Steve won’t let Diana leave until Wonder Woman calls. Diana slips into her office to call Steve as Wonder Woman, which he then rushes into Diana’s office to have her take down Wonder Woman’s statement. When Steve notices she’s already on the phone, Diana brushes off her eavesdropping as being a prepared secretary. Satisfied, Steve leaves her alone to go back to hear Wonder Woman’s statement. Good thing these were the days before the speakerphone.

Unable to do such a girly thing like type, Steve keeps Diana at work.

When Wonder Woman rushes back to the prison, Paula ambushes her and lassos Diana in her own rope. That’s right, Diana will now do whatever Paula tells her to do. She ends up in the secret underground lair, tied to a poll, next to a caged Freddy. Wonder Woman manages to knock her poll down and ram herself against Freddy’s metal cage to break him free. But just as Freddy unties Wonder Woman’s hands, Paula points a gun at her. However, quick thinking Freddy lassos Paula. Off-panel and unexplained Paula gets away from both Wonder Woman and Freddy and makes a break to the secret lake base of Nazi u-boats.

Paula makes Wonder Woman obey her with Wonder Woman's own lasso.

Diana then leads the U.S. Calgary, on horseback, to the lake. Then jumps a horse on top of a u-boat. Because horses love underwater journeys so much. Paula continues to flee, and the last we see of her, she falls off a u-boat into the water and toward a large rock. Somehow though, I think she’ll survive to annoy Wonder Woman another day.

I'm sure that horses love jumping onto metal surfaces.

In the second story collected in Wonder Woman #1, Diana and Steve go to the circus, which is having a fundraiser for the army’s benefit. The circus turns into the most racist comic I’ve ever read. Unlike other racism featured in Wonder Woman, yellowface drawings and blackface with jive dialog, the entire plot is racist and full of ethic stereotypes of Burmese, along with another Japanese spy.

Wonder Woman solves the mystery of who’s killing the circus’ elephants. In fact, she and Etta team up by wearing a baby elephant suit undercover to discover the culprits behind the poisoned animals. (They’re caught when the other elephants recognize the baby elephant is a suit worn by two people, and they’re tossed into the air and away.) The elephants are in the care of Burmese trainers, and that’s who’s killing them.

Usually, I don't insert an entire page, but this page is so incredibly racist and surreal

That’s right highly superstitious Burmese are killing the elephants because they believe the “foreign devils” are hurting their ancestors’ souls. While none of the white characters ever comment on this superstition, only express that killing elephants is bad in general, it’s pretty clear that the reader’s supposed to think the Burmese are crazy, stupid, and have a primitive religion for killing elephants. In fact, we’re shown Wonder Woman and Beeta Lambda Sorority (who always end up at these things) being prepared as a sacrifice to the elephant ancestors.

Here’s some dialog:

San Yan, a Burmese trainer, who’s actually a Japanese spy: “Captives, hear your doom! Your bodies shall be trampled on by a sacred elephant whose spirit you have kept in bondage! Then we shall free the remaining souls of our ancestors!”

Wonder Woman: “You mean kill more elephants?”

San Yan: “Yes — to free our ancestors’ spirits we must kill these elephants whom you hold captive, far from their native country! For this purpose we came from far Burma across the Pacific Ocean.” [Proceeds to randomly speak Japanese characters, which I'd bet good money on that they're gibberish.]

Not only are the Burmese stupid for doing this, they’re also stupid because they’re being played by a Japanese spy. The spy’s stopping the army from raising money by killing the elephants. Marston’s a little quick to have the Burmese align themselves with the Japanese spy given that 300,000 Burmese fled when Japan invaded their country and Burma became a major front-line in the Southeast Asian Theater of WWII.

Wonder Woman discovers San Yan is a Japanese spy, and Peter draws more yellowface.

Adding to the awful, Steve teams up with mobsters in order to free Wonder Woman and Beeta Lambda Sorority. At first, Steve thinks the mobsters are killing the elephants when the mobsters try to rough up the Burmese for protection money. But apparently, the evil Burmese are something mobsters and the army can work together to take down.

The white people beat the evil brown people. Oh, wait, some of the white people are also suppose to be evil too.

Peter’s drawings make the Burmese proto-humanoid in appearance. They don’t look like fully developed modern humans, which plays right into Marston’s writing. The Japanese spy might as well be colored with a crayon labeled “yellow.”

The entire issue was so icky. What amazed me the most was that Marston wrote himself so many outs to turn the issue around. He could’ve made it the mobsters. He could’ve had the mobsters blackmailing the Burmese. Anything, anything than resorting to horrible racist stereotypes, vilifying the Burmese, and letting mobsters get away because they’re white.

Wonder Woman #1 was published in the summer of 1942 and was the first full-length comic book featuring only Wonder Woman stories. It’s composed of four stories, and so I’m choosing to spread out this issue into four blog posts because Wonder Woman #1 is important.

As an introduction, there’s a biography of Miss Alice Marble, associate editor of Wonder Woman. Which is basically a fluff piece on how she’s making sure Wonder Woman stays true to herself and as a hero for girls. Plus, how even grown women love Wonder Woman. While Marble was famous for playing tennis, her secret life a spy on Nazis was perhaps far more interesting. She retired due to being shot in the back while obtaining Nazi financial information in Switzerland. Now that’s some serious real life bad guy fighting. Interestingly enough, this all took place after she started editing Wonder Woman.

In addition to Marble’s bio, there’s also a page called “Who’s Wonder Woman?” where Greek gods — Aphrodite, Athena, Mercury, and Hercules — are used to explain Diana’s powers and beliefs as an easy introduction for new readers.

The first tale is a retelling of the origins of both the Amazons and how how Wonder Woman came to be in America. Some details are rehashed, some are new, and others have been edited. I felt like Marston had an editor’s red pen scribbled all over his original story. Here there is little to none of his cabinet of curiosities, and while there are still some ridiculous elements, the tale feels a lot tamer and less full of wacky what were they thinking moments. Wonder Woman’s original origin story appears in All-Star Comics #8.

The story’s framed by a doctor at the army hospital finding a parchment dropped by Wonder Woman. He realizes it’s ancient and sends it to the Smithsonian. The parchment contains the story of the Amazons and how they came to inhabit Paradise Isle, among other things.

Ares and Aphrodite start their age-old argument about war versus love.

The basic tale is the still the same. The Amazons are fierce warrior women who are conquered by Hercules when he tricks Hippolyta into removing her magic girdle to have sex with him. (Though Hercules keep calling it “making love.”) The Amazons are then enslaved by Hercules and his men. Aphrodite eventually frees them, and the Amazons are granted Paradise Isle as a sanctuary of peace away from the men.

Hippolyta takes down Hercules to win the Amazons' freedom. Hercules is drawn ridiculously in this tale.

Added details: Aphrodite crafts all the Amazons from clay. (Just like Wonder Woman is eventually crafted.) She also admits to basically leaving the Amazons as prisoners to teach them the “folly of submitting to man’s domination.” Aphrodite leads the Amazons to the isle by boat.

Then Marston tells for the first time the creation of Wonder Woman. Like the other Amazons, she’s molded from clay. Only she’s molded by Hippolyta as Hippolyta’s child and brought to life by Aphrodite. Aphrodite names her Diana, after the virgin goddess of the hunt.

Wonder Woman is born, or molded from clay. Details, details.

(This is not the only time in his tale where Marston calls a Greek figure by their Roman name. At one point, he refers to Ares as Mars.)

We also see Diana as a child. A child who can pluck whole trees from the ground and run as fast as deer. We see her grow up and be devoted to both Aphrodite and Athena. She gets both her “bracelets of submission” and to drink from the fountain of youth.

Then there’s a retelling of Steve’s crash landing on Paradise Isle and Diana finding him. She then goes as a masked figure in the contest to be able to take him back to America.

The major differences include:

• Mala — who’s stated to be Diana’s best friend — and Diana drag Steve and his plane to shore. They don’t tell Hippolyta, but get a doctor.

• Diana stays up 5 days and nights in order to create a magical purple healing light. Which restores a pronounced dead Steve back to life. And healthy enough to wake up from his coma before he’s taken off the island.

That's right, a purple healing light. What was Marston smoking?

• Aphrodite sends an Amazon to the world of men because she’s determined that Ares has not won. America is Aphrodite’s symbol of hope, whereas, Ares is just excited about World War II.

Basically, the whole entire scenario was an elaborate way for Aphrodite to win an argument with her half-brother.

• In the athletic competition, there’s kanga riding with swords and wresting. But don’t worry, Marston kept the part where Diana shoots Mala in the arm.

• During the wrestling challenge, Marston creates an Amazon named Fatsis, who’s — you guessed it — fat and a “two ton grease heap.” The guy had some serious weight-related issues.

Seriously, what's with Marston and his use of big woman as comic relief tied to their weight?

• Hippolyta seems less upset at Diana going to America, and Diana’s given her magic lasso right away. Diana also gets her Wonder Woman costume, which she gets really girly about her new clothing.

Even Wonder Woman is girly and needs a parade.

• Steve points out on a map that the Axis spy plane which shot him down is on a nearby island. They stop on their way to America. The spy is Japanese, and Diana uses her lasso to make him confess.

The spy is captured. Does this mean Paradise Isle is in the Pacific? Also, once more, we have yellowface. *sigh*

• The comic then turns to Steve’s point of view, and after Diana shows up with Steve at the army hospital, the next scene we see is Colonel Darnell congratulating him on a job well done and Nurse Diana at his side.

Like I said, I feel like an editor got after Marston’s origin story. Taking out some of the extraneous elements and cleaning house. There aren’t any elements I’m sad to see go, but at the same time, this feels almost too polished.

Comic book reviews for DC Comics’ Power Girl #9, Power Girl #10, and Power Girl #11 by Justin Gray and Jimmy Palmiotti

Power Girl #9 by Justin Gray and Jimmy Palmiotti

This book makes me really happy every week. I started off knowing next to nothing about her, and as I’ve been reading this title, I’ve grown to love Power Girl.

I like that she didn’t know at first that it was neighbor boy who actually took the photos of her changing into her uniform. No doubt, she can just go scare him. Though it looks like Kara’s joining She-Hulk with the clothing falling off problem.

I love seeing Kara having to go to the bank, and Satanna knowing that’s where to start trouble. Who doesn’t love elephants with laser guns?

Since I’ve never been a fan of invincible characters, I’m liking this match-up of Satanna’s power/technology against Power Girl’s powers. It’s nice to see both of them getting punches in. And then yay for Terra showing up to save Power Girl when she’s down.

Power Girl #10 by Justin Gray and Jimmy Palmiotti

I’m really sad this team’s going to be off this title at issue 12. I just can’t imagine reading Power Girl without Conner on pencils. She just draws Kara so wonderfully and Gray and Palmiotti write such a fun story. The combo works so well. Here is Kara with her dignity.

Terra’s weird behavior is incredibly obvious. Pretty much since after the fight, it’s clear that the Ultra-Humanite’s taken over Terra’s brain. I was glad to see Kara knew the entire time. For a moment, I was worried our hero wouldn’t see the very obvious. But I shouldn’t have doubted her.

Kara just can’t seem to shake Fisher’s blackmail attempt. Okay, she totally could. And I thought her playing along with his blackmail was brilliant. First, it gives a nice meta text about the comic book geek in the fun way this book plays with other types of girls-in-comics meta. And second, it plays nicely into Kara teaching the Ultra-Humanite (Terra) something about humanity.

I hope they find Terra’s brain!

Power Girl #11 by Justin Gray and Jimmy Palmiotti

First, I’m really glad they resolved putting back Terra’s brain before the final issue. (Or this creative team’s final issue anyway.) Especially since Kara’s cat wasn’t in this one.

I love the way Conner draws fighting. I feel like I’m getting spoiled by her art. However, I wish I didn’t feel like this. I wish more artists drew fights like Conner does. Imagine, no porn faces or gratuitous ass shots or otherwise. Wow.

I also loved Power Girl using her brains and her power to knock Terra out so she doesn’t hurt anyone else, and Power Girl doesn’t have to hurt her.

Satanna is so not forgiving Power Girl for loosing her arm. Somehow, I don’t think she wants a tiger arm anymore than the Ultra-Humanite was happy being an ape’s body.

Poor Terra all curled up and alone. Power Girl is an awesome friend. I love how like a typical teenager, Terra doesn’t realize how amazing her underworld city is going to be to Power Girl. I love their friendship so much. It’s one of the biggest highlights of this book.

And who actually thought the Ultra-Humanite would reform?