POBB: January 9, 2014

Pick of the Brown Bag

January 9, 2014

by

Ray Tate

Welcome to the Pick of the Brown Bag.  In this column I choose from my current batch the most enjoyable and the most disappointing comic books, and be sure to check out the POBB Special Edition below where I discuss regeneration in Doctor Who.

This week is a little thin in quantity but not in quality.  Action Comics, Batwing, Earth 2, Painkiller Jane, Smallville and Swamp Thing offer the reader all kinds of comic book goodness.  Even the less interesting ones are kind of interesting. 

The Fox is trippy but repetitive.  You could do a helluva lot worse, and although the story is getting a little tired, the art's still filled with dynamite.

Scoob-Doo Team-Up is the lesser of the two issues, but it's a young title.  Give it some time.  It's cool that writer Sholly Fisch remembered the Mystery Analysts of Gotham City, but he adds too many others to the roster that were never part of the sleuthing group.  Terrence Thirteen for example doesn't belong here, and there's just too many detectives for any real focus.  That said, Ace's and Scooby's team-up against the Scarecrow makes sense and runs on fun.  The art by Dario Brizuela is once again the perfect mix.

Batwing surprised the stuffing out of me.  It's part of the "Gothtopia" thing that's holding places for bat-related titles not included in Scott Snyder's early years Batman or Forever Evil.  Jimmy Palmiotti and Justin Gray first lay out an overview of "Gothtopia," and it's as lame as you expect.  The Scarecrow dosed Gotham with fear toxin, and he's got the citizens seeing Gotham as a utopia and Batman as crazy.  Whatever.  We've dealt with Scarecrow already.  We've dealt with this scenario before.  Let it go.

When Palmiotti and Gray actually get to Batwing, they conceive a pretty decent story that demonstrates Batwing's guile, his daring-do and his family life.  Gray and Palmiotti resurrect a Batman villain from the nineties to play havoc with our fledgling flying fox.  Ha, and they also begin grooming a previously seen figure to be Batwing's arch-nemesis.  The art by Jason Masters and Scott Kolins is different, but valid.  Reminds me a little of Bryan Talbot, but more angular.

Painkiller Jane searches for the Princess Poonwalla, who was abducted from her charge on Fire Island.  At the same time, the Princess' father calls in a smooth operator that just screams Matthew McConaughey or Timothy Olyphant.

By and large, Painkiller Jane merits its off the Marvel label with ample doses of ghoulish violence.  What makes this acceptable is that Palmiotti employs the damage to emphasize Painkiller Jane's healing factor and to demonstrate how the simplest operation can go completely south when something the protagonist doesn't expect unfolds. 

This kind of snafu occurs in the best hardboiled detective stories, and the result usually sends the hero to the hospital or shambling through a concussed daze.  Jane's got one foot in the superhero world, and the drop into into science fiction allows Palmiotti to cut to the chase.

There's also some inconsequential nudity in the book, but Palmiotti includes it for consistency's sake, after a good character-based joke.  Juan Santacruz makes the skin so matter-of-fact, that you know sensuality isn't aim.  Could have done without the depiction of body functions though.  It's one thing to say a character relieves herself in prose and another to witness the relief.

Another red head searching for trouble kicks off the action in the comics.  What? Too much of a stretch.

Lana Lang gets her pre-Crisis archaeologist on and discovers a subterranean world.  Her goals are laudable.  She seeks to discover this unknown realm for the good of humanity, and it doesn't hurt that she's showing up her former Smallville cohort Clark Kent.  Superman makes the mistake of saying: "Lana, you're an electrical engineer not an archaeologist."

It's the kind of phrase bound to ignite red's liver.  She even adds a "Just" in her head, when Clark didn't dismiss her ability.  It just sounds bad.  The dialogue and give and take between Lana and Clark however sounds fantastic.  The parlay exemplifies how you can define a new version of an old character without losing the very essence that made her such an enjoyment.  When Pak introduced Lana, I had no proof that she was Lana Lang.  These last two issues gave me all the proof I could ask for.

Superman atones for the sin of bad judgment by saving the day.  Greg Pak writes Superman better here than in Batman and Superman.  

Superman's intelligent, courageous, wistful and actually warm, friendly and funny.  This begs the question on whether or not people gave up on the new 52 Superman too soon.  Superman's one of those characters that functions on a pendulum.  If a writer goes too far, another will swing back.  Grant Morrison probably went too far.  I didn't exactly go ga-ga for the arrogant younger version of the Man of Steel.  I did however like the Geoff Johns edgy Superman who smashed Parademons with nearby trucks.

Pak blends the traditional Superman with a more thoughtful hero.  While Superman is still willing to kill creatures that threaten the planet, he's not trigger happy.  Each situation is different, and in the case of Baka, Superman sees the innocence behind the beast.

Aaron Kuder makes Baka a real cutie and accents the comedy involving close encounters.  At the same time, he amps Superman's heroism and Lana's earthiness.  Recommended for those waiting for a more recognizable Superman to debut in the new 52.

For those that found their Superman in Smallville, the current issue is a doozy.  Technically speaking, this is Smallville: Alien.  If you're like me, you watch out for subtitles because it usually means that there were a bunch of stories buried under some dried up ramen, and since the Powers That Be already paid for them, they might as well collect them under a banner.  Smallville: Alien is Smallville, and Bryan Q. Miller is just dolloping out fangasmic moments.

Batman returns to the pages of Smallville.  He battles a well known Batman foe and then with Nightwing (Babs Gordon) in tow investigates the murder on the cover.  Nope.  The cover is not a lie.  Some chap in a Superman shirt and cape lies dead at Commissioner Gordon's feet.  

You think that's all? How about a meeting of the minds. That's right.  Chloe Sullivan, Lois Lane, Batman and Nightwing all come together.

Still want more? Rocket Reds.  A whole brigade of them.  About now you're asking.  Hey, where's Superman?

Beating the snot out of an alient threat.  That's where.  As you can see, the subtitle isn't a warning for the artwork either.  Artists Edgar Salazar, Dym, Rob Lean and Carrie Strachan merge animated comic book violence with striking likenesses.  Damn.  Fine.  Superman book.  Damn.  Fine.  Comic book.  Make me hate that dull Scott Lobdell issue of Superman even more.

Earth 2 is a page turner.  The apocalypse is here.  Darkseid turned Superman into an engine of destruction.  The wonders that comprised the Justice Society fell. Parademons fill the sky, and Batman uncovers a secret that Terry Sloan kept hidden from all.  You think you know where the story will go, but Taylor fools you.  

When last we left Batman, he infiltrated World Army's jail to free the comelier, angrier Aquawoman christened in this issue as Queen Marella.  This lady is dangerous.

A grieving Sam Lane transferred the mind of Lois Lane to Red Tornado.  Jimmy Olsen can access the Internet with his mind.  Intelligence is way cooler.  Both Superman stalwarts recognized Batman as the real deal.  Now, they have doubts, and I'm starting to come up with a crazy notion. 

Maybe, Batman is Thomas Wayne.  Not the father, but the freak who on earth three became Owlman, and died on earth one.  This would make sense because The Court of Owls was instrumental in Thomas Wayne's death.  There is no Court on earth two.  Thomas Wayne might have been estranged from Bruce, but he didn't become twisted like Owlman.  I don't know, but writer Tom Taylor and artists Nicola and Trevor Scott, Robson Rocha and Pete Pantazis make me want to know.

A lot of people bailed when Scott Snyder left Swamp Thing.  That was a mistake.  Charles Soule proved to be the perfect fit for the new adventures of Alec Holland.  This issue is no different.  He scribes a clever means of restoring Swamp Thing as the Avatar of the Green.  He introduces some bizarre characters and laces every thing with liberal doses of humor.  That said.  This issue belongs to artists Jesus Saiz and Matthew Wilson.

The imagination and beauty, sometimes honest sometimes grim, rustling through these pages is just staggering.

If you can't appreciate a Swamp Cossack, maybe you should think about getting a new hobby.

POBB Special Edition: Regeneration...Or Did Steven Moffat Cheat

Pick of the Brown Bag Special Edition

Regeneration...Or Did Steven Moffat Cheat

by

Ray Tate

The Powers That Be at the BBC introduced regeneration to Doctor Who to free themselves from casting the same type of actor as first Doctor William Hartnell, who due to the stresses of heart disease bowed out of the series.  

The germ of the idea to limit regeneration was first introduced years later in "The Brain of Morbius" by Terrence Dicks and Robert Holmes under the pen name Robin Bland.  DVD commentaries indicate Terrence Dicks was dead set against the idea of a  limit.  So we can attribute this troublesome notion to Holmes alone.  Admittedly though, Holmes probably thought it unlikely that the Doctor would reach incarnation thirteen.  The Doctor was after all still young, only at body number four during "The Brain of Morbius."

In the episode, the Doctor contends with a Time Lord criminal named Morbius; what's left of him.  In the climax of the story, the Doctor hoping to overheat Morbius' brain challenges his fellow Time Lord to a duel.  The device in the photo is a Time Lord wrestling game.  Played for fun, the battling Time Lords force the opposer to reveal his or her former face: "How far back do you go, Doctor?"  The game can be misused and result in death.  In the end, the Doctor emerges victorious, but not before all his faces and all the faces of Morbius flash.  

Fortunately, there are enough unfamiliar faces to defuse any contradiction to the regenerative limit.  In truth, these faces belonged to the crew.  From their perspective, this exposure just amounted to a fun, inside joke.

"Brain of Morbius" must have inspired Holmes to consider the process of regeneration in the context of the mythology rather than as a mere handy tradition for the series' periodic rejuvenation.  As a result, Holmes created one of the best, yet most nettlesome episodes in classic Doctor Who, "The Deadly Assassin."  

In this story, the Master having exhausted his lives on trying to kill the Doctor and dominate the universe attempts to regenerate into perpetuity by harnessing the Eye of Harmony--a black hole from which Gallifrey taps all its power.  The Doctor naturally defeats the Master, but Holmes establishes in the story that Time Lords can regenerate twelve times.  There can only be thirteen incarnations of each Time Lord.

The Master does not die in "Deadly Assassin."  He manages to retain his miserable last life and meet the Doctor again in "Keeper of Traken."  The title figure in that story wields immense power, and the Master seeks to steal it in order to reboot his regenerative process.  Though the Master temporarily succeeds, through the utility of his TARDIS, the Doctor forces him to relinquish his position.  

The Master has another trick up his sleeve.  He uses the remains of his power to fuse with the body of Tremas, father to fifth Doctor future companion Nyssa.  This is not regeneration.  It's science fiction possession and solely a function of the Keeper's power.

The Master continues to cross swords with the Doctor.  However, in "The Five Doctors," which Steven Moffat references in Matt Smith's final story, "Time of the Doctor," the Time Lords recruit the villain to infiltrate the infamous Gallifreyan Death Zone and help the Doctor defeat a cadre of enemies.  In return, the Time Lords promise the Master a new regenerative cycle. 

It's no real surprise that Terrence Dicks wrote "The Five Doctors," and that he sought a solution for the Doctor, not the Master.  Dicks was the script editor for Doctor Who.  He wrote the majority of Doctor Who novelizations for Target Publishing.  He was intimately familiar with Doctor Who and remains an arch fan of the series.  Dicks simply wanted Doctor Who to continue forever.  As do we all.

In terms of mythology, the extension of regeneration was a new development in Time Lord science.  "The Five Doctors" offers a moment where Time Lord technology, culture and science begins to advance.   

In "Deadly Assassin," Holmes presented Gallifrey as dark, staid and corrupt.  Dicks is much more optimistic in "The Five Doctors."  Gallifrey is a brighter, shinier place, and although the Time Lords are fallible, their mortality isn't due to any integral stain in their government.  The Time Lords are furthermore more tolerant of the Doctor, and you get the sense that they respect him.  Some even like him.

The Time Lords give the Master a seal as proof of agency.  When the Doctor meets the Master in the Death Zone, the Doctor suspecting trickery pockets the trinket.  Believe it or not, the Doctor had this bauble, the same seal Matt Smith's Doctor uses in "Time of the Doctor," since his third incarnation.

Definite proof of the transferability of regenerative energy occurs in the Doctor Who New Year's special from 1996.  "Survival," the last story in classic Doctor Who, ruined the Master's shanghaied body.  Infected by an alien, feline virus, the Master becomes feral.  It is this cat-eyed version of the Master that meets his doom at the machinations of the Daleks in the opening to Doctor Who 1996, but the Master still holds the power of the Keeper and the angry will to live.  He takes yet another human body and proceeds with his single-minded goal of acquiring more regenerations.

In Doctor Who 1996, the Master attempts to steal the Doctor's remaining lives.  He employs a device similar to the wrestling game and taps the link to the Eye of Harmony in the Doctor's TARDIS.  The Master's desperation is evident throughout the episode.  Thus once again emphasizing when the clock strikes thirteen, your time is up.

The Doctor's companion Dr. Grace Holloway severs the Master's link with the Eye and prevents the theft and murder of the Doctor's lives.  Unaccepting of his fate, the Master battles the Doctor until finally dying in the tidal forces of the black hole linked to the TARDIS.  

Doctor Who 1996 is so pivotal to the series.  In addition to establishing and reinforcing aspects  already discussed in this column, the episode also displayed in no uncertain terms the promise of "The Five Doctors."   It as well is a precursor to the Doctor's renewal at the conclusion "Time of the Doctor."

The Time War forces the Time Lords to advance their science to an almost miraculous level.  The Master states that the Time Lords resurrected him to fight the Time War.  He returns to life the first time with a full regenerative run.  The Time Lords also resurrected Rassilon to lead them.  It was his tomb the four Doctors visited in "The Five Doctors."  So he was dead even longer.  We always knew Time Lords were hard to kill, but now it seems every part must be destroyed.  Hence the Viking type funerals.  Thanks to the advancement of science a Time Lord body holds a treasure trove of genetic information that can be exploited to wreak havoc on the universe.

A less drastic example of regenerative transfer occurs in "The Angels Take Manhattan."  When River Song breaks her wrist while freeing herself from a Weeping Angel, the Doctor heals her wound by using his own regenerative energy.  Before that, River gave up her regenerative energy to save the Doctor from poisoning.  

What's fascinating about these examples is that the Doctor is already at incarnation thirteen.  As Moffat said, we miscounted.  This would explain River's vociferous protest of the Doctor squandering his energy on her wrist.  It also gives a mythological answer for why the Doctor doesn't simply regenerate when poisoned.  He doesn't have anywhere to go to.  He is now wearing his thirteenth body.

Russell T. Davies when asked, said that he did not believe the tenth Doctor used a regeneration to heal himself when hit by the Dalek extermination beam, but Moffat disagreed, and it makes far more sense.  How could that not have been a full blast or regenerative energy? Not only does the Doctor heal himself.  He grows a new body from his severed hand.  Factoring in John Hurt's Doctor, a doctor Moffat justifiably felt needed to be created, we arrive at the "Time of the Doctor," where the Time Lords humbled by Clara's plea give the Doctor, in his final form, a new regenerative cycle.  

This solution as you can see has been around since "The Five Doctors," in the eighties.  It's been aggregating strength and accumulating continuity reinforcement since 1996.  Steven Moffat didn't cheat.  He simply studied the show.  

The Doctor gaining a new regenerative cycle isn't all that surprising.  The idea of the Time Lords actually doing something nice for the Doctor is the real shocker.  Throughout the series, the Time Lords imprisoned the Doctor on earth, sent him on deadly missions, put him on trial thrice, threatened his life on numerous occasions and attempted to execute him.  

The Doctor never was a favorite son.  Instead, the Time Lords always considered him a misfit, criminal and/or mad man, but finally, the Time Lords know that their very existence is due to the Doctor, and after all these years, they expressed their gratitude.  The Doctor has twenty-six lives.  Long live, the Doctor.

POBB: January 2, 2014

Pick of the Brown Bag

January 2, 2014

by

Ray Tate

The Pick of the Brown Bag is brand new for a brand new year.  If you're seeking a 2013 comic book retrospective, direct your browser elsewhere.  The Pick of the Brown Bag looks at the most entertaining and the most disappointing comic books of the week.  

There were practically no books in the brown bag last week.  This year however kicks off with All-Star Western, Aquaman, Baltimore, The Flash, Forever Evil, Justice League Dark, Rocket Girl and Superman in addition to the new and highly-hyped Legendary.

Before I begin with the reviews...2013 was the Year of the Doctor!  We witnessed no less than three regenerations. 

Simulcast in 94 countries, thereby breaking the Guinness World Record, with "Day of the Doctor," Doctor Who finally made it to theaters crowning the box office on the day it was shown in the United States, topping the download chart and kicking ass in DVD sales.  

In "Name of the Doctor," through a bit of television "jiggery-pokery," we returned to the very beginning of Doctor Who, where a hyper-curious grandfather and his equally inquisitive granddaughter stole a faulty TARDIS to leave their planet.  

In "Time of the Doctor," The Time Lords regained some of their altruistic reputation of yore, something we haven't seen since "The Three Doctors."  Stephen Moffat lay his finger next to his nose to give fans the greatest gift of all, after justifiably explaining that we've been miscounting for eight years.  2013, the most ecstatic year for Doctor Who fans.  

And now....the comic book reviews.

Superman was super-dull.  It was duller than a pair of mono-toned, gray-faced, bald men in three-piece suits discussing the benefits of trickle-down economic theory.  How would you open a Superman book, the first Superman book of the year?  Would you begin your story with...

a) Superman beating the snot out of a monster.
b) Superman shot-putting a dictator to the Hague.
c) Superman saving innocent citizens from being killed by a heavy, toppling object, or...
d) the tail end of a boring date with Wonder Woman.

If you chose d) you probably never read a Superman book in your entire life, and you should do more research before embarking on your DC writing career.  However, once you have that career, you can apparently get away with choice d) since editors will no longer pay attention to your writing and stop you from contributing fatiguing ideas; gets in the way of time spent on Angry Birds.  

Lobdell continues Superman's scintillating journey with no hope of sex and an interruption by Great Gazoo stand-in Lois Lane.  Lois can astral project herself now because she was infected with a Brainiac-induced mind-boosting virus.  Her physical body still lies in a coma at Metropolis General.  So no sex from her either.

The excitement thickens when Sam Lane visits Lois at her bedside.  An alien warlord bursts through the wall--oh, who am I kidding.  Sam Lane informs the comatose Lois about his new job and kisses her on the forehead while Superman floats a respective distance outside.  

Hold onto your socks because brother it just gets unbelievably, amazingly kinetic after this incredibly active scene.  Lois' boyfriend/fiancee/stand-in/whatever visits her bedside!  That's right.  Catch your breath people because Superman reverts back to Clark Kent to give Jonathan an inspiring pep talk.

Something finally happens in the last pages, but I doubt your eyes will be open, gentle reader.  The Parasite attacks.  If you're like me, you think of the Parasite as welcome as the other purple menace Barney, but I fail to see why the Powers That Be could not have started here.  Accompanied by the uninteresting artwork of Kevin Lashley, Scott Lobdell's Superman practically defines ennui.

Fortunately Superman's Justice League colleagues Aquaman and the Flash atone for the Man of Steel's complete enervation.  In fact some of the fun arises from the heroes trying their best to replicate one of Superman's powers.  I'm thinking that careful observation of the covers will clue you into which.

Jeff Parker opens Aquaman with arresting foreshadowing of the Pacific Rim setup yet to come.  On page three however, he switches gears, taking readers on a subdued hunt for the King of the Seven Seas.  Intriguingly, Parker comes up with his own version of a secret identity for Aquaman that does not involve glasses and mussed up hair.

That's pretty slick, and it's just one of Parker's many innovations.  Below the waves, Aquaman and Mera ply their heroism on behalf of the Atlantean half of his heritage.  The danger and daring also permit Parker to exhibit his skill at depicting Mera, as viewed with the depth imbued to her by Geoff Johns in the environs of the new 52.  She's also thanks to the artists, no heroin-chic chicken of the sea.

The hapless victims were investigating one of a series of fissures that suddenly opened and spewed lava.  Here's where Parker performs some multi-tasking.  In a single scene, he reveals where Atlantis' power comes from and demonstrates the toughness of Atlantean technology.  The cutting edge suits were the only things protecting the investigators before Mera and Aquaman arrived, and remember Atlanteans are more prone to dehydration than we humans.  Aquaman decides that this is a job for the Atlantean Science Council. The what?

Aquaman establishing a science council makes a lot of sense, but Parker isn't just out to have a group of intelligentsia solve all the problems.  In fact their squabbling creates friction as well as liberal doses of comedy that furthermore mirror the different attitudes Atlanteans hold for Aquaman.  Surprisingly, although Mera is by Atlantean law a criminal, if not a terrorist, Parker creates the impression that the Atlanteans are more disappointed in Aquaman.  At least with Mera, the sea people know where they stand.  Aquaman's still an unknown quantity. 

From the boardroom, Aquaman uses a new device to pirouette him to the coast of Iceland.  Here be fight.

As with the clear inspiration, the monster is more than mere beast.  It turns out that Aquaman and the creature share some history, but that won't help as Mera and Neol race to the rescue while the rest of the Science Council impassively watch.  Not exactly fans of the surface dwellers, their neutrality is subtle characterization that also offers the reader some sly commentary.  Now, this.  This is a comic book.

Christos Gage stops by for an inventory issue of The Flash, but this is no throwaway.  Gage and artist Neil Googe ably maintain the new 52 paradigm while crafting a strong showcase for the Flash's versatility and intellect.  

This show of speed was spurred on by heinous death of a friend.  The police at first dismiss the murder as an accident until Barry Allen and his lady love Patty Spivot reveal evidence that points skyward.

Gage and Googe create a new villain for the Flash to battle.  She's so intriguing and archaically flashy that if not for her callous murdering ways you can almost root for Spitfire.  The beauty of such a character is how the attitude alludes to the outlaws of days past.  These criminals often became folk heroes, and it was partially their outsider attributes and attractiveness that allowed society to turn a blind eye to their psychopathic tendencies.

Forever Evil produces some excellent Catwoman and Batman moments.  These two haven't been this sweet to each other ever, even on earth two where they married.

They're honest with each other.  They clearly smolder for each other, and the new 52's Batman isn't such a stickler for the law, which frankly never made sense to me.  Nope.  Can't sleep with you.  You're a thief.  I'm a vigilante.  Oh, hang on a tick...

As everybody who has read a paper or seen a broadcast knows, Batman and Selina already crossed the line, several times in fact, but Selina clearly loves Batman.  He's not just a fling, and all of the new 52 books in this respect gel quite well with the concept, even an ostensible Big Event book like Forever Evil.

Batman reveals to Selina almost everything except his identity, but with his mask half torn, and "Richard Grayson's" secret blown, Catwoman's bound to add it all up once she sees a photo of Bruce Wayne.

In addition to building on the Batman and Catwoman relationship, writer Geoff Johns peels back some layers in the new 52 Lex Luthor.  Johns mixes and matches the traditional, the post-Crisis version and the Smallville incarnation to foster a substantive archvillain.  Johns at the same time explains how Captain Cold became the leader of the Flash Rogues; how he became a virtual genius with cryotechnology.  It turns out that he's less of a Tesla and more of an Edison, and Johns seamlessly blends that redefinition with Lex's characterization.

Johns then turns his attention to The Crime Syndicate.  Black comedy involving Metallo kicks off an exchange between Ultraman and Superwoman, and it leaves the faithful wondering about the earth three Lois Lane.  She's clearly on her own side, playing Ultraman against Owlman and visa-versa.  Johns emphasized the idea that Owlman might be the father of Superwoman's baby, but now I'm starting to wonder if the mysterious prisoner may not be be father. 


It would make sense.  Ultraman and Owlman kill each other, after they do the heavy lifting.  Superwoman moves in with her family.  Forever Evil continues to daunt your expectations.

Judging from the cover, Justice League Dark should be important, but it's not really.  The story picks up from another spooky title.  Possibly Constantine, maybe Pandora, but it doesn't actually matter.  All you need to know is that John's substitute team has acquired Dr. Thirteen as a mascot and fight a Jungian big bad named Blight. The earth three Aquaman, who died on arrival, is sort of the menace in the current issue, but there's a catch.

J.M. DeMatteis offers readers a serviceable script in Justice League Dark, but I can't really say that it was involving.  Michael Janin is the reason to add Justice League Dark to your subscription list:

Janin's stunning artwork makes reading Justice League Dark a mere afterthought.

Legendary mashes all of Dynamite's licensed characters, and they own the leases to quite a few, into a steampunk world created by Bill Willingham.  He's come a long way from providing accompanying artwork for TSR.

The story opens with an old time styled news report, where a reporter looks in on the hoi polloi at the Scarlet Club.  While an apparently background cast adds color to the main feature, Vampirella dines with the Green Hornet, Britt Reid, whose publishing/media empire provides the on-the-spot reporting.  The conversation is very perfunctory involving the way to make a perfect martini, the kind of snobbish past time that fits Reid's facade to a tea and pays some homage to James Bond.

Between the lines, one can see a dalliance between Vampirella and Britt, which is one of the interesting things that this singular continuity allows Willingham to foster.

A familiar looking red head bursts onto the scene looking for help.  She's being followed by an army of idiots.  To be fair, they clearly didn't know they were breaking into a vampire's retreat, but they gain that knowledge before quickly dying in the most horrific way.  Vampirella though an alien, possessed all the powers of a traditional vampire.  However, she always held back when fighting humans.  Willingham, given a free reign, displays just how terribly powerful Vampirella is, and the startling imagery turns her into a kind of supernatural Wonder Woman.  This is what Diana could do if she wanted.  With Vampirella, the ferocity is less unthinkable.

Leaving behind a lot of questions for the constabulary, Vampirella and Green Hornet secret the mysterious red head and learn of her traveling sister Sonja.  The combinations are inventive, and the continuity free zone allows Willingham to inject new life into the old favorites.  If he keeps the berry juice off the Phantom, I'll be a very happy man.  Right now, I'm interested enough to continue my trip to the world of Legendary.

Baltimore significantly moves the plot along with Haigus, the king of the vampires, setting a trap for our hero, involving three of his friends.  Mignola reverses the roles of the hunter and the hunted however by revealing that Haigus is tired of running, and artist Ben Stenbeck supports the view with a haggard image of the once menacing vampire.

Haigus searches for pity in his fight against Baltimore by arguing that Baltimore started the whole thing by daring to defend himself against the then animal like vampires preying upon the dying soldiers left on the World War I battlefields, but don't you believe it.  It's like blaming the Doctor for the Daleks becoming more dangerous over the years.  You either do nothing and let the beast prey upon you, or you take action for the sake of survival.  Evolution stops when life stops.

Dayoung the Rocket Girl finds herself in police custody with her gear acquired by her friends.  Since her new 80s mates have links to Quintum, the Big Bad corporation from the future that Dayoung intended to shut down for violations of time travel law, she's understandably perturbed.

Rocket Girl is full of excitement.  Dayoung initiates a daring escape using an intellect that belies her youthfulness.  It is actually her youth that predicates her role.  In the future, a youth police corp established because adults could no longer be trusted.  Amy Reeder and Brandon Montclare certainly have a point.  Corruption is centered among the adult world.

Rocket Girl makes her way back to her friends' eighties digs and even her entrance back "home" offers the reader comedy and action.  The writers juxtapose the now with the then, but both states of time are connected.  

They reveal two familiar faces from the past working in the future and how Rocket Girl's journey into the past to ostensibly shut down Quintum may in fact be a clever time looped trap to preserve the status quo.

All-Star Western opens weirdly back in horse opera time with Tullulah Black pregnant and about to marry Jonah Hex. The surreal wedding story is filled with off-kilter imagery courtesy of Jimmy Palmiotti and Justin Gray cohort Dave Johnson.  There's a reason for all of this happening, and the rationale is steeped in DC pre-Crisis lore that takes root in Jonah Hex's adventures in the present, where Moritat resumes the artistic reins.

After extricating himself from the predicament, Hex comedicaly forces John Constantine into action and shares some expertly timed words with his traveling mate, Gina.  The argument results a ribald screwball moment that also dictates the setting.  Remember.  This whole slice of time-lost goodness began at Burning Man.  The key to Hex's return to the west lies in the heart of a classic DC city, and herein lies the guest-star.  Brilliant from start to finish.