Comic Reviews: Gotham Academy #7, Starfire #1 and Earth 2: Society #1

Earth 2: Society #1
Writer: Daniel H. Wilson
Artists: Jorge Jimenez

EARTH2SOC-Cv1-435dfEarth 2: Society is the book that most deals with the fall-out of the Convergence event, and in that way has the most baggage to deal with upfront as well as pushing the narrative forward.

I don’t think the book necessarily succeeds on either front. By the end, I just felt it didn’t get started and was reading a prologue instead of an opening chapter.

The book tells two different stories with the return of the Earth 2 citizens after the Darkseid incursion and a current-day story with the man responsible for killing some of the survivors when re-entering the new Earth. The first story was a bit more compelling as it was interesting seeing the last bastion of humanity on their voyage home. It also featured the world’s Dick Grayson coming back down and dealing with his crippling injury.

The current day story is pretty much just a chase sequence without much context and the cliffhanger… really doesn’t leave me in a position to want to know more.

Review 3 (Out of 7) – Not a bad book, but just completely uninteresting.

Starfire #1
Writers: Jimmy Palmiotti & Amanda Conner
Artists: Emanuela Lupacchino

Starfire_coverStarfire has had a rough transition into the nu52 with her role in Red Hood and the Outlaws being one of the bigger red-marks against the company-wide reboot.

So it’s no surprise that a new creative team would want to get as far from that version of the character as possible. What we get in Starfire #1 is a soft-reboot of the character and her world.

I will say up-front that this first issue is an information dump, but they make it so damn entertaining. In just a few panels, you get a feel for the tone that the book is going for, her new role/city and a fun new supporting cast.

My favorite part of the book was their use of Stafire’s unfamiliarity with Earth and some of our more quirky expressions. Instead of having her express her shock at all times, we get these cute cartoon cut-ins as Starfire imagines the literal meaning of what they say. Like men being boys and a horny man. It’s quite cute and a fun little visual to help get across an innocent idea.

The other thing I found so surprising about this issue was… it didn’t introduce a physical threat. Instead, there’s a storm brewing in the background. And the issue ends with the storm preparing to hit. I’m not gonna lie, I’m hooked to see what happens next. I mean not often you get to see capes fight Mother Nature. What can Starfire’s powers do against a storm? Only one way to find out!

Review 6 (Out of 7) – A fun-romp that is highly recommended.

Gotham Academy #7
Writer: Brenden Fletcher & Becky Cloonan
Artists: Mingjue Helen Chen

 GA_DamianThe Billionaire Brat makes his way to Gotham Academy, and he brings one of the best and most charming issue of this young series to date.

It is easy to draw comparisons to Harry Potter with this series, and I felt that this issue went even further with it. Introducing a mysterious and perhaps magical feather that wrecks all type of havoc in its wake. There’s the always mysterious headmaster who is joined by a somewhat suspicious teacher and of course some ancient lore that may be more fact than fiction.

All of this makes for a good read, but really the injection of Damian (for a single issue? 🙁 ) really gives this book a certain energy to it. Damian is a decent character, can be a bit one-note due to his up bringing. Which is why he usually works exceedingly well when placed opposite more… optimistic characters. The Damian/Dick dynamic was some of the best Batman and Robin stuff in forever. His short-tenure with Supergirl was a fantastic duo. And now we can add Damian and Maps.

Their bond may have been supernatural at first, but that spark was something special. Maps has always kind of been a danger first, questions later type of girl. And Damian is like 95% instincts and reactions so his hyper-paranoia and Maps thrill-seeking behavior make them both a great pairing and a dangerous coupling when you think about it. There was plenty of fun to be had, and I hope we see more of this in the future.

The art in this book was also fantastic. The book has such great panel layout and the flat coloring really just makes it pop compared to any other book I read. I mean would say read for the art, but I think you should read in general.

Review 7 (Out of 7) – Gotham Academy remains one of the more charming books on the market. Always worth a read.

 

Earl Rufus

The owner of this little chunk of the internet. Enjoys having a good time and being rather snarky!

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