Vince, Author at Comic Book Informer

Amazing Spider-Man Issue 641 “One Moment in Time, Part 4”

I’m actually getting tired of talking about this storyline. It started off quite well in Issue 638, but has been experiencing a steady decline in quality. It’s now absolutely clear that Quesada had no solid plan for how to execute this story. Well, maybe he had a plan and it just sucked. Over the past decade, Quesada has been an integral part of Marvel as Editor-in-Chief. He’s been a good decision maker and has taken the company from the brink of disaster to the top of the mountain. He’s even a good artist, though his style is very mid-90s. One thing he isn’t is a writer. Sure, he’s had some solid ideas for storylines, but he’s always had actual writers to steer the ship. As much criticism as “One More Day” has received over the years, it at least made sense. Sure, J Michael Straczynski didn’t want to write it and phoned in a lot of the dialog, but the story itself worked. At this point, “One Moment in Time” just doesn’t make sense. The story continues with Doctor Strange meeting with Iron Man and Mr. Fantastic on the astral plane. The plan is to use a massive spell to make everyone forget Spider-Man’s true identity. Apparently, it’s something they’ve done before with the Sentry, and the operation requires all three of them. The problem with this scene is the characterization. Strange manages to talk Stark and Richards into agreeing with him, which is something they, Stark specifically, simply would not do. Peter’s decision to abandon Tony and the Pro-Registration side during the Civil War was simply unforgivable to Stark. He had so much hatred for Peter at the time of this story, he simply would not have agreed to this plan. If previous issues of “One Moment in Time” have established that the timeline has not changed, why would Stark continue to hunt down Peter and the other renegade heroes, even after deciding to give Peter his secret identity back? It just doesn’t make sense. Then, Peter decides he doesn’t want everyone to forget; he needs Mary Jane to share his secret. Once everything is over, MJ completely freaks out. Apparently, she doesn’t want to be the only one to know Peter’s secret. Wait a minute, prior to Peter publicly revealing his identity, MJ was the only one to share his secret. Sure, they decided not to get married, but still lived happily together for years. Now, she can’t handle it anymore? There’s some sort of explanation that somehow MJ knowing Peter’s identity would put her family at risk, but in the end, it just doesn’t make sense. Why, after all this time would MJ decide that she can’t be with Peter, that somehow things would be better if he were to somehow go on being Spider-Man without her knowing? Even worse than the character shift with Tony Stark, this goes against everything that’s been established for Mary Jane, both in the original continuity and within “One Moment in Time” itself. At the end of “One More Day,” despite the tremendous upheaval it created, readers were left with hope. MJ swore to Peter that they were meant to be, and that eventually they would be together again. “One Moment in Time” was supposed to reinforce the story of “One More Day.” Instead, all it did was tear it down, pissing off many of the fans they had left. Amazing Spider-Man Issue 641 “One Moment in Time, Part 4” Marvel Comics Story: Joe Quesada Art: Joe Quesada, Paolo Rivera, Danny Miki, Richard Isanove...

Avengers: The Children’s Crusade Issue 2 of 9

This issue turns out to be even more fun than the first. It picks up right where Issue 1 leaves off, with Magneto finding his “grandsons.” He tries to take off with Wiccan and Speed, and chaos ensues. The other Young Avengers aren’t about to let a known terrorist take off with their friends, and the actual Avengers aren’t letting the kids go anywhere, with or without Magneto. After some fighting and pulling the kids back and forth, Wiccan magics the kids and Magento to Wundagore, the Scarlet witch’s birthplace. Walking through the countryside, Heinberg takes the opportunity for some character development. We see some nice moments between Patriot and Hawkeye, as well as Stature and Vision. Of course, the big focus is between the twins and Magneto, but it’s nice to see them not dominating the story. All of the Young Avengers are well-developed characters, and they each get a little bit of love. While we do get more romantic developments, none of the problems I had with the first issue in that regard are present here; it’s just good, solid character development. Of course, if the Scarlet Witch is a feature of the story, it’s not long before Magento’s other offspring shows up. Quicksilver makes a dramatic entrance, completing the family reunion. There are some great scenes with him and Speed until his attention turns to his father. Considering Magneto tried to kill him the last time they met, the two do not get along. Everything builds to a stunning resolution, nicely setting up the next issue. Avengers: The Children’s Crusade #2 features great writing, great character development, a solid plot and truly phenomenal art. That being said, there are too many negative aspects of this comic that I can’t overlook. Due to contractual obligations to DC, Heinberg’s work on Young Avengers has been sporadic over the years. As I mentioned in my review of the first issue, some of the anachronisms are very noticeable. Reading this now, it’s clear to me this story was intended to occur before the Civil War. That’s four years ago. The result is a story conceptualized in 2006 being shoehorned into the continuity of 2010. Some things just don’t match up. I can overlook some of the inconsistencies with the Avengers, since they’re a minor part of the story. However, the characterizations of Magneto and Quicksilver are just off, completely contrasting recent developments in comics like Uncanny X-Men and Mighty Avengers. As good as it is, I just have trouble connecting with this comic. Additionally, I made a mistake in my first review; I said this title would be publishing every two weeks. Instead, it’s publishing every two MONTHS. At nine issues, it will take a year and a half for this miniseries to finish. That is more of a time investment than I’m willing to give a “miniseries.” As such, I will likely not be reading any future issues. Avengers: The Children’s Crusade Issue 2 of 9 Marvel Comics Story: Allan Heinberg Art: Jim Cheung, Mark Morales, Justin Ponsor...

Shadowland Issue 3 of 5

I can’t believe I ever doubted this miniseries. Diggle, Tann and the rest of the creative team just seem to get better with each issue. Shadowland 3 brings about some interesting developments. On the bright side, we no longer have to worry about Matt Murdock’s soul. Apparently, it’s his damn mind that he’s lost, going so far as to order his ninja to kill his former friends. The ensuing battle rapidly gets out of hand, with Daredevil even outmatching Iron Fist and Shang-Chi in hand-to-hand combat. Only the stunning arrival of one more ally gets them out of Shadowland alive. As if the fight at the top of the tower isn’t enough, complete chaos has erupted in the dungeons. Ghost Rider doesn’t like being controlled and the last thing anyone wants to do is piss off the Spirit of Vengeance. Amidst the flames, chains and ninja, Moon Knight is also unleashing his badass best. I just have one question, though I may not like the answer; where was he keeping that costume? Outside, all hell is breaking loose in Hell’s Kitchen. The foul presence corrupting Daredevil and those around him is starting to effect the civilians, as well. Battered, beaten and clueless our heroes regroup and attempt to come up with a plan. We finally get a glimpse as to what the Hand’s endgame is in all this, with Cage & Co seemingly screwed as Daredevil continues to increase his ranks. Altogether, this was a very successful issue. It did a great job closing out the first half of the story, both sides having engaged each other and fallen back to regroup. The outside factors of Moon Knight, Ghost Rider and even Kingpin are put in place and the overall plot is starting to mesh together. Right now, I’d put Shadowland on par with Civil War in quality, just on a slightly smaller scale. Shadowland Issue 3 of 5 Marvel Comics Story: Andy Diggle Art: Billy Tann, Victor Olazaba, Christina Strain...

Amazing Spider-Man Issue 640: “One Moment in Time, Part 3”

I still really want to like this storyline. I applaud Quesada for actually telling it. It would have been very easy to just say “Mephisto did it” and move on like “One More Day” was no big deal. However, with that story being so controversial, he felt the fans deserved this story. Then again, the fans that were most pissed off about “One More Day” have no interest in “One Moment in Time.” So, it’s a storyline explaining another storyline, written for people who aren’t going to read it. That said, I felt that if it was pulled off well, it would go down as one of the most important stories in Spider-Man’s history. Unfortunately, with each issue, it feels more and more like Quesada didn’t have a solid plan going in. At the end of last issue, they showed Peter saving Aunt May’s life. This issue starts off explaining how Peter was able to succeed where the doctors could not. Aunt May’s life was saved through the power of love. Peter Parker; your Friendly Neighborhood Care Bear. With Aunt May’s life saved, this issue focused on the second major development of “One More Day”; the restoration of Peter’s secret identity. It was a huge deal when Iron man talked Peter into publicly revealing his identity as Spider-Man during Civil War. Moreso than almost any major hero, Spider-Man has a good reason for his secret identity. The reason Aunt May almost died was because Kingpin wanted to hurt Spider-Man, and in this issue we see him going after Mary Jane and her family. The thought of losing MJ causes Peter to look for help restoring his identity. Who does he go to? Doctor freaking Strange. If the whole point of this storyline is to explain how things happen, replacing “Mephisto did it” with “A wizard did it” is not an acceptable solution. I still want to like this, but the plot is making it difficult. There’s only one issue left, and things still aren’t making a whole lot of sense. Amazing Spider-Man Issue 640: “One Moment in Time, Part 3” Marvel Comics Story: Joe Quesada Art: Joe Quesada, Paolo Rivera, Danny Miki, Richard Isanove...

Shadowland Issue 2 of 5

Shadowland #1 did a very good job of setting up this miniseries. Daredevil killed Bullseye, the Hand are slowly taking over New York and Matt Murdock’s friends and allies are trying to bring things to a peaceful conclusion. After his fight with Bullseye last issue, Daredevil shows surprisingly little emotion. If he’s not upset at actually killing someone, then at least he should be happy to have finallly defeated his greatest enemy. His growing detachment shows just how much of a hold the Hand has on him, though their ultimate goal is still a mystery. Luke Cage and Iron Fist once again try to talk to him, but they’re bringing reinforcements this time, with their old Heroes for Hire buddies and Spider-Man tagging along. Additionally, we see Moon Knight infiltrate Shadowland and Kingpin summon the freaking GHOST RIDER. I was a little unsure what to expect going into this miniseries, but this issue had enough of a wow factor to completely grab my interest. The art continues to be impressive, setting the mood perfectly. Drawing Ghost Rider is no easy task, and Billy Tann hits it out of the park here. The big fight at the very end of the issue leads me to believe that the art team is more than up to the task of doing justice to this large cast of characters. With major players like the Punisher and Elektra still to make their promised appearances, Shadowland is shaping up to be a big, epic piece of summer fun. At least at this point, the tie-ins don’t seem to be taking anything away from the core title, which was a major concern of mine going into this event. While I can’t speak for all of the tie-ins, I did rather enjoy the first issue of Shadowland: Moon Knight. I loved the relaunch of Moon Knight a couple years ago, but the art style on Vengeance of the Moon Knight made me stop reading his solo series. The quality of the Shadowland tie-in was very impressive, and does a great job of tying his individual story in with the miniseries. Moon Knight is going to be PISSED when this is all over. Shadowland Issue 2 of 5 Marvel Comics Story: Andy Diggle Art: Billy Tann, Victor Olazaba, Christina Strain...

X-Men Issue 2: “Curse of the Mutants, Part 2”

Victor Gischler, where have you been hiding? There are plenty of great writers in the comic industry lately, and Marvel and DC both seem to be trying to get as much mileage out of them as possible. Some just seem to be perfect for their respective titles, like Geoff Johns on Green Lantern or Matt Fraction on Invincible Iron Man. When it comes to X-Men, Gischler just gets it. With such a large cast of characters available, it’s easy for things to become overcomplicated. Gischler, however, seems to have a solid plan for which characters best fit the story and how to utilize them. Wolverine, Storm, Emma Frost and others all bring different angles to the plot, and it never seems like Gischler is using them just to use them. As part of Marvel’s initiative to bring the X-Men out of isolation and interact more with the rest of the Marvel Universe, Blade makes an appearance here to assist the X-Men with their vampire problem. Of course, Blade is the obvious choice to guest star, but his introduction and interaction is so seamless, you’d almost think he’s a long-lost mutant returning to the team. It’s something that goes wrong in comics all too often. The biggest issue with many comics is pacing. If the plot moves too quickly, it becomes too hard to follow, but if you spend too much time explaining things, it’s just boring. Gischler effortlessly juggles several plot points in this issue; the X-Men trying to figure out a plan, the vampires plot to take over and the corruption of Jubilee. In the end, the story makes about as much sense as possible for a premise this bizarre. The tension increases bit-by-bit over the course of the issue until the final pages. Knowing the extremes the vampires are taking this war to and the plan Cyclops has come up with to counter them, I simply can’t wait to get my hands on the next issue. X-Men Issue 2: “Curse of the Mutants, Part 2” Marvel Comics Story: Victor Gischler Art: Paco Medina, Juan Vlasco, Marte Gracia...

Avengers Assemble

May 19th, 2010 was “Avengers Day.” For the first time in five years an actual issue of Avengers hit the shelves, completely relaunching the Avengers franchise. Adjectiveless, New, Mighty, Young, West Coast, Secret or any of the related teams have been the central comics of the Marvel Universe for decades. So, there was no better way for Marvel to launch their “Heroic Age” initiative than with a whole new lineup of Avengers titles. With Secret Avengers just wrapping up its first story arc and Avengers and New Avengers halfway through their introductory arcs, I figured now is a good time to step back and look at them one-by-one. Avengers Writer: Brian Michael Bendis Pencils: John Romita, Jr. Lineup: Captain America (Bucky Barnes), Iron Man, Thor, Hawkeye, Spider-Man, Spider-Woman, Wolverine, Protector, Maria Hill (Director) This is the primary title in the Avengers lineup. It features many of the characters fans associate with the Avengers: Captain America, Thor, Iron Man, Hawkeye, as well as some new additions to the roster. Overall, it’s an interesting team, but Bendis seems to miss on some character traits. Throughout his career, Bendis has been more of a character writer than a story writer; it’s what I’ve liked about much of his work. Unfortunately, the overall narrative in some of his comics has gotten lost behind all the dialog. So, in Avengers, it’s almost as if he’s trying too hard to tell the bigger story and losing some of the smaller details that made him famous to begin with. His Spider-Man seems too inexperienced and his Thor and Iron Man are just bland. When the story slows down though, the true Bendis style comes through. The story itself took a little while for me to get on board with. Time-traveler Kang the Conqueror, one of the Avengers oldest villains appears to tell the Avengers that their kids are wrecking the future, if they’re not stopped the entire timestream could collapse. It’s pretty cool to see the characters from the Next Avengers animated movie being brought into continuity, and some later reveals, such as the Maestro really caught my interest. Sadly, once time travel was introduced to the plot, the next couple issues got a bit complicated. First of all, you have a bunch of exposition explaining everything, then it all gets weird. With the time stream weakening, all kinds of insanity crosses over to the present-day Marvel U. The Avengers fight everyone from Apocolypse and his Four Horsemen to Galactus. It all seemed to be spiraling out of control until the recent Issue 4. Near the end of the issue, Bendis finally seems to be getting the plot on track, and I’m interested once again. The art has been widely praised, and rightfully so as Romita is one of the greatest artists of all time. I do have some complaints, though. As prolific as he’s been throughout his career, I just don’t feel that Avengers is a good fit for him. When I think of Avengers, I think of bright, vibrant, larger-than-life characters. Romita’s style isn’t BAD, I just don’t think it’s the right one for this title. Additionally, some of his character designs just feel off. Romita draws Spider-Man better than just about anyone else in the world, and his agile characters like Spidey and Hawkeye all look great, but some of the more iconic characters just feel off to me. His Iron Man is way too blocky, and his Cap and Thor just seem stiff. Again, I’m not saying it’s bad, and I love Romita, but the overall presentation just doesn’t work for me. However, I can’t wait to see Romita get ahold of Red Hulk in Issue 7. New Avengers Writer: Brian Michael Bendis Pencils: Stuart Immonen Lineup: LUKE F’IN CAGE, Iron Fist, Jessica Jones, Hawkeye, Mockingbird, Spider-Man, Wolverine, Ms Marvel, The Thing, Victoria Hand (Director) The way I see it, Avengers is the comic Bendis HAS to write. New Avengers, however, it the comic Bendis WANTS to write. Every aspect of New Avengers is just perfect. The team fits together more naturally, opening more options for Bendis to have fun with them, and he certainly does. The banter between Wolverine and Spider-Man in Issue 2 is just priceless, but it’s easy to see that Bendis just enjoys writing this one. The only complaint I have is that there’s just too much overlap between the two teams’ rosters. The story is just big and fun. Dimensional invasions and demonic possession isn’t much simpler than time travel, but it all flows a little better here. Bendis doesn’t waste time trying to explain too much of it; we just accept whatever Doctor Strange tells us, and everything that doesn’t make sense at this point is just a mystery to be solved later. Science and sorcery aren’t that different, thematically, but the difference in how they’re handled sets the tone of the story. A writer feels the need to explain the science, but sorcery is supposed to be mysterious. Also, the pacing is much better in New Avengers. Each issue builds on the one before, leading to an epic resolution. THIS is what an Avengers comic is supposed to look like. Immonen knocks it out of the park here. There really isn’t much to say, because it’s just damn good. My only issue is I feel the double-page spreads are a bit over used, but I have nothing but praise for the quality and style. Secret Avengers Writer: Ed Brubaker Pencils: Mike Deodato Lineup: Steve Rogers, War Machine, Beast, Black Widow, Valkyrie, Nova, Moon Knight, Ant-Man (Eric O’Grady), Sharon Carter (Director) Ed Brubaker has stepped up to the plate with his own team of Avengers, with a completely unique style. While Avengers and New Avengers are big action, Secret Avengers is more subdued, with a slower pace and more depth. There’s a reason this guy has been Writer of the Year three times. The team the former Captain America has assembled is astounding. They’re going up against a wide range of threats, and you have a great combination of strength, stealth and science. Each member compliments the others. You can tell Brubaker is still growing into this one and trying to get a handle on some of the characters. His Moon Knight feels a bit off at times, but I love his Ant-Man. Obviously, after spending several years with the character, Brubaker does a GREAT Steve Rogers. The concept of Secret Avengers is an interesting one. While the other, higher-profile teams are mostly reactive, this one is proactive. They use their intelligence-gathering capabilities to find threats before the threats find them. There’s a lot of fun espionage and black-ops going on here, but when it’s time to throw down, it’s handled well. The first story arc was a bit of a surprise, with this “secret” team getting into a huge battle on Mars, of all places. Hopefully the story will be getting back to what we’re expecting after some recent revelations. Secret Avengers doesn’t fit my archetype for what an Avengers comic should be, but I like that. Secret Avengers is supposed to be something different from the norm for the franchise. It’s written differently and it should look different. There are lots of shadows, but it never feels dark. The big fight at the end of Issue 4 was suitably epic for two forces of that magnitude clashing. I just can’t wait for the team to get back to Earth and out of those stupid space suits. Moon Knight without a cape just looks stupid. Overall Of the three primary titles, I absolutely feel like New Avengers is the best of the bunch; great story, great characters, beautiful art and just tons of fun. It’s definitely the Avengers title to buy. Avengers isn’t bad, but I just have too many personal issues with it at this early point to flat-out recommend it. For those that want a nice change of pace, you can’t go wrong with Secret Avengers; though if it’s your only tie to the Avengers franchise, you may miss out on some of the more important stories. Beyond that, the Avengers family of comics has more to offer. Avengers Academy teams iconic characters like Hank Pym and Quicksilver with young heroes learning to use their powers for good. While the students have been told they’re the best of the best, they were actually chosen because they’re the ones most likely to turn to the dark side. The kids know the truth, but the instructors don’t know that the kids know. Good fun. Avengers: The Children’s Crusade started off great, with the second issue FINALLY being published just after this writing. The former Young Avengers are on a quest to find the Scarlet Witch. Magneto is a central character in this story, and I’m very interested to see where things go, assuming they ever finish the damn thing. I’m not sure if the world needs Avengers Prime. The miniseries is supposed to be telling the story about how Steve Rogers, Tony Stark and Thor all become allies again after some serious issues between the “Big Three.” However, two issues in, I’m just not seeing it. They’ve been separated, which is fine, but the story doesn’t seem to be in much of a hurry to reunite them, and with only three issues left, that’s a lot of loose ends to tie up. One of my favorite comics in the bunch is the second cousin to the Avengers; Thunderbolts. The Thunderbolts have long been a team of supervillains varying between pretending to be heroes and actually being heroes. This iteration of the team consists of Luke Cage honestly trying to rehabilitate a bunch of prisoners. With teammates like Crossbones (the man who shot Steve Rogers) and the damn JUGGERNAUT, Cage constantly has to watch his back and try to keep the team under control. Some of the characters legitimately want redemption, but not all of them. The comic is heavily character-driven, with a ton of badassery to balance it out. All in all, it seems like Marvel’s Heroic Age is off to an impressive start. While there are still some opportunities for improvement, we’re only three and a half months into this new era of the Avengers. There’s plenty of time to grow and improve. For anyone who’s a newcomer to the comic scene, it must be truly exciting, as it has been a long time since we’ve seen “Earth’s Mightiest Heroes” doing what they do best....

Amazing Spider-Man Issue 639 “One Moment in Time, Part 2”

Issue 638 of Amazing Spider-Man brought us the first part of Joe Quesada’s “One Moment in Time” story. We saw the events of that fateful day when Peter and Mary Jane’s marriage was erased from history. Now, in Issue 639, Quesada has the daunting task of making sense of the intervening twenty years of Spider-Man stories; the stories that old-school fans are upset about because the retcon rendered them worthless. Or did it? Issue 639 picks up the morning after the wedding. When Pete finally confronts MJ with the truth of the situation, she reaches her breaking point. She doesn’t mind being Spider-Man’s girlfriend, and definitely wants to be Peter Parker’s wife, but she has realized that she cannot and will not be Spider-Man’s wife. Through some introspection they realize that, despite not wanting to go through with the marriage, Pete and MJ still love each other and still want to be together. The whole decision comes off as a bit forced, but Quesada and Rivera deliver some genuine emotion to pull it together. Overall, it’s an acceptable solution to the problem, and likely the only way they could have incorporated the changes of “One More Day” while still maintaining the integrity of previous storylines. While I was expecting something a little more creative, I can’t be upset with something that makes sense. That said, the last couple pages threw the story into a completely unexpected direction. Part of Mephisto’s deal was Peter would have his old life back, secret identity and all. Though, if it’s now been established that everything previous to “One More Day” still happened, the events immediately preceding that story need to be explained. The most notable of these events are Peter revealing his identity and the shooting of Aunt May. It looks like we’ll have to wait to see how the unmasking is reversed, but the way they chose to keep Aunt May around just didn’t work for me. A lot of the tricks Quesada pulls in this issue seem like he’s taking the easy way out. After three years of buildup, I was simply expecting something more substantial out of “One Moment in Time.” However, while the writing may be a bit questionable, the story is still worth reading, and it’s important to make the distinction between the two in this case. Amazing Spider-Man Issue 639 “One Moment in Time, Part 2” Marvel Comics Story: Joe Quesada Art: Joe Quesada, Paolo Rivera, Danny Miki, Richard Isanove...

Superman Issue 702 “Grounded, Part 2”

As I said in my review for Superman #701, despite all the larger controversy, I like the concept of J. Michael Straczynski’s “Grounded” arc. Having Superman connect with the normal people of America, helping them with normal problems and trying to make them better people as a result is a fun change of pace for the Man of Steel....

Superman Issue 701: “Grounded, Part 1”

I’ve got two things to get out of the way before the actual review. First, I freaking LOVE that cover (by Astonishing X-Men artist and BDTU favorite, John Cassaday). When you walk into your comic shop and see that cover practically jumping off the shelf at you, you can’t help but pick it up. Second, and I’m apparently in the minority on this one, but I’m a fan of J. Michael Straczynski. I liked his work on the Spider-Man franchise. He introduced some interesting elements that I would have liked to see him explore further, but his hands were tied by larger events. He’s been widely criticized for his work on the controversial “One More Day” storyline, but most of the work there can’t even be attributed to JMS. His previous work aside, I was excited when they announced JMS would be taking over Superman. I’ve never like the Man of Steel all that much, so bringing in a writer known for his fresh, original ideas was a move I welcomed. We saw the prologue to Superman #701 in the big Issue; 700. After spending a year dealing with New Krypton, Superman was sorely missed on Earth. He wasn’t there when people needed him, or at least thought they needed him. He has grown out of touch with the people he’s supposed to protect. Which brings us to “Grounded.” Superman reaches the decision that he should no longer live above humanity, but rather alongside them. So, he starts walking. Not really going anywhere, just walking… there’s kind of a Forrest Gump thing going on here. The first issue finds Superman walking the streets of Philadelphia, in another departure for DC, as most of their locations are fictional. It’s an interesting way to reconnect Superman, not just with his fictional world, but with his readers as well. So, Superman’s on a walkabout, going around helping normal people with normal problems. He uses his X-Ray vision to help someone fix his truck, he cleans up a diner’s stockroom to pay for his lunch, and in a great bit of writing literally talks someone off a ledge. He’s helping real people with real problems, instead of punching invading aliens in the face. It’s a change I find very interesting, but many readers don’t. They feel Superman is being a smug jerk, ignoring larger problems in order to make himself feel better. As Superman himself says, “If there is [a crisis], I’ll deal with it and come back, pick up where I left off.” He’s not ignoring the rest of the world; there’s dozens of other heroes than can hold down the fort while he’s gone. If the world really does need Superman for something, he’s not gone, but he would rather spend his time actually helping people. As the issue goes on, Superman becomes philosophical. Why does the world need a Superman? People have become so dependent on his help, and that of other heroes, that they’ve forgotten how to help themselves. That’s the true purpose of his walk. He wants to create a world that doesn’t need a hero, because each citizen is a hero in their own right. It’s a thought-provoking parallel to our own society. Instead of wondering why others aren’t helping, look within and ask what we’re doing to make the world a better place. True, it may get a bit preachy at times, especially when Superman starts quoting Henry David Thoreau, but aren’t superheroes – these larger-than-life characters supposed to be an inspiration to the rest of us? This is the first time, possibly ever, that I’ve been looking forward to an issue of Superman. I can’t wait to see how the story evolves in Issue 702. Superman Issue 701: “Grounded, Part 1” DC Comics Story: J. Michael Straczynski Art: Eddy Barrows (Pencils) & J.P. Mayer (Inks)...

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