POBB September 6, 2017

Pick of the Brown Bag

September 6, 2017

by

Ray Tate

It’s another short week for the Pick of the Brown Bag. In this posting, I review Astonishing X-Men, Batman, Green Lanterns, Guardians of the Galaxy, Harley Quinn and Superman.  Of course, if you haven’t the time to read the entirety, you can always look me up on Twitter: #PickoftheBrownBag.

All the comic books were good.  The narratives strong.  The dialogue attune to the characterization.  Along with uniformly attractive artwork, each title did at least one thing storywise that stood out.

What’s outstanding about Harley Quinn is that it’s still entertaining.  I shouldn’t be surprised.  I’ve had a lot of good luck from these breather issues, and Frank Tieri’s work on Catwoman already impressed me.  Still, it’s always a crap shoot when another writer steps in even for a bit.  Tieri substitutes for Amanda Conner and Jimmy Palmiotti with an inventive tale pitting Harley against the Penguin.  

Despite the promise of violence in the depiction, Harley Quinn is literally a bloodless affair.  Tieri opts for a game of maneuvers between the two players.  The Penguin unknowingly fires the first shot.

Writer Chuck Dixon struck upon the idea of transforming the Penguin from a gimmicky Batman rogue ala Burgess Meredith into a less successful version of the Kingpin.  Dixon granted the Penguin ownership of a nightclub, the Iceberg.  With the nightclub, the Penguin became wealthy, and it also served as a convenient front for his less savory affairs.  This type of Penguin with all the accoutrements carried over to the new 52.  

The Penguin’s latest venture involves the expansion of his territory into New York.  The Penguin maintains a clean enough facade that allows him to exploit the law.  What Tieri states about eminent domain is true, and you must ask yourself what can Harley do to stop a state-backed Penguin? It’s a challenging question given a satisfying answer.

While Harley’s first instinct is to go nuts, the Penguin comes prepared.  His countermeasures force Harley into achieving a cleverer solution based upon her experience with the Penguin in all incarnations. 

Batman is exceptional because the comic book, related through Kite Man’s tragic point of view, details Batman picking off his Rogue’s Gallery one by one.  

Each move Batman makes against his enemies carries the panache you expect from the Dark Knight.  Thus, writer Tom King demonstrates how much of a difference Batman makes in Gotham City.

Despite this issue being an Interlude in King’s “War of Jokes and Riddles,” it’s actually a more integrated chapter.  For example, the consequences of last issue’s dinner party fruit in this story, and Two-Face details how the new protocols in the war work.  Batman is somewhat cold and calculating in this issue.  Expected given the circumstances, but he also exhibits empathy toward the Kite-Man.  Thus alluding to the miscreant's origin.

Superman’s notable for several aspects.  The first chapter in Keith Champagne’s story was firmly secured in the horror genre.  This conclusion to the two-parter tethers to the science fiction of the Lanterns.

I never liked the rainbow Lantern concept.  I did like the idea of the Weaponers of Qward, residents of the anti-matter universe, being so afraid of the Guardians of the Universe that they pooled all their energy and resources into forging a single yellow ring that would be worn by Sinestro, a disgraced and decommissioned Green Lantern. 

When I wasn’t paying attention to the Lantern saga, namely ever, not only did the Lanterns bloom into a box of Crayolas, Sinestro somehow redeemed himself.  Sinestro was no longer a wanted despot and maniacal criminal bent on revenge.  He was just another ass with a ring, only this time, yellow.  No better or worse than Guy Gardner, really.  In case you’re wondering where a life long Hal Jordan hater first encountered Sinestro, you need look no farther than Challenge of the Super-Friends.  

Superman is a memento of Sinestro’s historical villainy.  Sinestro’s motives for battling the Man of Steel are all selfish.  He wants the monster Parallax to use as a battery.  He callously considers murdering his girlfriend when he suspects, only suspects, mind you, that Parallex possesses her.  She's apparently one of Shadow Lass’ people and hasn't figured that she can do way better than Sinestro.  Hell, Guy Gardner would be a step up.

Sinestro furthermore intends to leave Superman to die, when he does not have to.  Before that he gleefully tortures Clark with all the fortitude of Snidely Whiplash.  When Superman of course gains the upper hand, through optimism and mercy, Sinestro promises a reckoning.  For those that remember the good old days of Sinestro cackling over the prostrate form of Hal Jordan, this issue is for you, and me.

Thrown back in time, Green Lanterns Jessica Cruz and Simon Baz train the original seven Green Lanterns to face and defeat Volthoom, the first Lantern.  

In the future Volthoom will become trapped as a parasite in the Power Ring of the Crime Syndicate’s earth.  He will furthermore attempt to leech off of Jessica Cruz, until ultimately defeated by her willpower.  Unfortunately, she can die in the past, and Simon appears powerless to help his partner.

Green Lanterns is an effective time travel story.  Everything that happens in this book, already happened.  Simon and Jessica do not alter history.  They instead contribute their part, like they always have.  Sam Humphries’ narrative as well acts as a strong Green Lantern tale.  It also fosters a killer cliffhanger by elegantly playing by the rules of the ring.

Guardians of the Galaxy is another personal story set in the Guardians’ past.  In this case, the tale focuses on Rocket and Groot.  What’s however surprising is that, the tale isn’t just dismissible, however entertaining, fodder.  It reveals the culprit behind Groot’s growth stunting, and the subplot of Groot's cultivation by unknown parties.  The identity of the perpetrator is just so obvious.  I could kick myself for not thinking of him.  

Before the story hits that point, the reader can simply revel in Gerry Duggan’s hilarious characterization of Rocket and Groot as well as the striking drama their loyalty engenders.  In addition the cliffhanger is utterly mind-blowing.

This is the least dense issue of Astonishing X-Men, yet Charles Soule’s impressive story already laid the ground work in characterization and plot detail.  This chapter is the result of everything that came before.  So, it can be forgiven to read a little thin by comparison.  That said, it’s still worth your time.

The X-Men fight Farouk the Shadow King on the Astral Plane.  In the real world, the English government perceives a threat from the X-Men.  Amazingly, Soule doesn’t succumb to stupid writing.

This is sooooo refreshing.  Instead of engaging in a dumb, senseless, bloody battle, the hero attempts to reason things out with the opposition by playing straight with them.  I wish this intelligent twist would happen more often.

Unbeknownst to the X-Men, the still dead Charles Xavier is also battling his old enemy.  Soule sets up Xavier’s return.  All he needs is a cloned body, and Marvel loves its clones.  That however is not the gist of the story.

It all resides with Logan.  The Wolverine from another earth.  Soule briefly explores the concept of alternate entities through Logan while simultaneously demonstrating the X-Men’s sense of family, and Logan’s single-mindedness.  

If not for the previous issues of Soule’s Astonishing X-Men, this chapter would be spectacular.  Instead, it’s merely very good.  Wow.  That’s harsh.