The Question #37, Superman: World of New Krypton #12 & Titans #22

It's another night, which means it's time for me to post three more DC comic reviews! Since I won't be posting anything tomorrow night, this will have to satisfy my adoring public for the next two nights. Why no new content tomorrow? Well first off, I have a few papers due at school that have rapidly approaching due dates, but the other reason would be the USA/Canada hockey game tomorrow night. I wouldn't miss watching that for the world. Anywho, on to the shoddy reviews!

The Question #37: Writers: Dennis O'Neil & Greg Rucka. Pencils: Denys Cowan.

We begin this issue with the current Question, Renee Montoya and an old friend of the former Question, Professor Rodor, preparing for the possible return of the former Question. While the two wait, Lady Shiva arrives and challenges Renee to a fight to gauge her fighting prowess. While the two women are fighting, the original Question is resurrected as a Black Lantern, and he attacks both women. The two women try to battle him, and Rodor ends up shooting Shiva in the arm, since he wanted to ask BL Question some... well, questions about the afterlife. BL Question approaches Rodor and prepares to pull out his heart, however, Shiva blindsides BL Question after deducing that BL Question can only see people who are showing emotions. After hitting BL Question, Shiva remains perfectly calm, which causes BL Question to lose sight of her... What the hell? Since he could no longer see Shiva, BL Question decides to go after Rodor and Renee, and they pull the same trick, rendering themselves invisible to BL Question. Since BL Question could see no more victims, he leaves, and this issue ends with Renee deciding to go after her one time mentor.

You know what? I give up. I don't even know what more to say... Now if you show no emotions, you're invisible to Black Lanterns? Since when?!? I can recall Etrigan showing no emotions, and still having Black Lanterns attacking him. Whatever... I can see that each writer is going to make up their own rules as to what a Black Lantern can and can't do, instead of following Geoff Johns already established rules on Black Lanterns. Let's put this comic behind us and move on...

Score: 3 out of 10.Um wait, Black Lanterns are actually blind to everything but emotions? Then why aren't they just walking into walls helplessly?

Superman: World of New Krypton #12(of 12): Writers: James Robinson & Greg Rucka. Artists: Pete Woods & Ron Randall.

Picking up from last issue, Adam Strange teleports himself, Supes, Tam-Or and Tyr-Van away from the Kryptonian soldiers who were shooting at them. Unfortunately, Tam-Or was hit before getting away, and he ends up dying on Supes, leaving him with yet another dead-end as to why certain members of the Kryptonian hierarchy were being killed off. Before the remaining trio could go anywhere, the Kryptonian soldiers manage to catch up to them, and once again have their weapons trained on Supes and company. Before Supes longtime military guild rival, Commander Gor, can blow Supes head off, General Zod and Ursa arrive on the scene and Zod orders Gor to stand down immediately, stating that he ordered Tam-Or's capture without the use of lethal force. Zod lays down the law and orders everybody to return to Kandor, with the exception of Supes. Zod asks Supes to have Strange leave, since he wanted to discuss matters of New Krypton's security, and didn't want a man from Rann/Earth there to overhear any sensitive information. Supes thanks Strange for his assistance, and Strange takes his leave, while Supes and Zod return to Zod's office to discuss the matter of the Kryptonian assassinations. Supes and Zod begin to go over the murdered Kryptonians, and what connection they had to each other, and Supes realizes that Tam-Or had made a similar comment to Ral-Dar, who shot Zod on behalf of Gen. Lane of Earth. Supes then suddenly figures out who was responsible for the assassinations, and leaves Zod's office to find out why. The scene shifts to the home of science guild councilor Wri-Qin, where Supes accuses Qin of ordering the assassinations of the other Kryptonians. Qin admits his guilt, and then like a good villain, goes on to explain his entire dastardly plan to Supes instead of just killing Supes... Oh villains... Qin explains that Lane had sent Superwoman to New Krypton to recruit Kryptonians in high places who would be willing to hurt New Krypton's infrastructure, making the planet more easily defeatable for Lane and the forces of Earth. The Kryptonians who promised to help Lane were to be given positions of power on a Krypton ruled by Earth, upon New Krypton's defeat. Qin decided he didn't want to share any positions of power with his fellow traitors, and as such, he began to kill off his fellow conspirators. Once Qin tells his story, Supes orders the military to enter the home, and they arrest Qin. Later on, Zod joins Supes back in Kandor, and tells him that the labor guild had been granted a seat on New Krypton's ruling council, just as Supes had wanted all along. Even though he had earned that victory, Supes is still melancholy over the fact that Qin was willing to sell out his entire planet for the promise of power. Zod and Supes have a heart to heart, and this issue ends with Brainiac's ship hovering menacingly above New Krypton!

Well, this was a pleasant surprise! Actually, this entire maxi-series has turned out a lot better then I thought it would. Now, I'll admit that if you only read the review I just wrote for this comic without having read the rest of this series, you'll probably be a bit lost. However, looking at this series from start to end, I have to admit that I have thoroughly enjoyed Supes adventures on his native planet. It's almost too bad that Supes has to return to Earth, because his time on New Krypton has been very good. The biggest surprise for me though would have to be General Zod's portrayal in these pages. Gone is the insane, "Kneel before ZOD!!!", character most of us know from the movies and his appearance in the Last Son storyline, replaced by a man who's driving force is the protection of his people. All throughout this series I kept waiting for the other shoe to drop, and for Zod to reveal some kind of Machiavellian master plan to kill Supes and destroy the Earth, but that moment never came, instead, Zod was oftentimes more level-headed then Supes, and was beloved by his fellow Kryptonians. Not only that, but I wound up becoming a fan of Zod's, something I never thought possible after his actions during the aforementioned Last Son storyline. While Action Comics and Superman have been hurting thanks to Superman's absence in those titles, this series flourished, and in the end left me very impressed, and quite interested to see what would become of New Krypton as Brainiac bears down upon them.

Score: 9 out of 10.So General Zod didn't turn into a psychotic, raging lunatic by the end of this series... Who knew?

Titans #22: Writer: JT Krul. Pencils: Angel Unzueta.

This issue opens with Phobia still manipulating the emotions of Starfire and Cyborg by making them live through their worst fears. For Cyborg, it's failing his fledgling Titans East team again, while Starfire is forced to be completely and totally alone. After watching his young charges get decimated again, Cyborg lets out a massive blast, which momentarily distracts Phobia, breaking her control over the two Titans. Upon regaining her senses, Starfire makes quick work of Phobia, and Cyborg arrives on the scene to help her take Phobia into custody. The following day, the Titans and the Teen Titans meet to remember their fallen comrades, which leads to Hawk yelling at Cyborg for allowing the Titans East team to have been butchered. After Hawk leaves, Beast Boy arrives to cheer up his *ahem* friend. While the two are chatting, Starfire wanders away, thinking about how her relationship to the Titans has prevented her from creating a life for herself, one where she isn't emotionally attached to the Titans. This issue ends with Donna Troy arriving to talk about poor Red Arrow, with Starfire lending her friend a shoulder to cry on, for perhaps the last time.

This was a pretty good comic actually. I was fine with the fact that Phobia was more or less an afterthought, because let's face it, that's what she is. I normally hate Starfire with a passion, but in this comic she was somewhat likable, which was nice. I liked that she was seriously considering leaving the Titans(and the Earth), because she was under the impression that the Titans had stunted her growth as a person. To some extent, that is quite true, as Kory has pretty much done NOTHING of note in the DCU since her debut several years back, except constantly serve as a member of the Titans. While several other members of her Titans team have evolved, grown and developed, Kory has remained pretty much the same person she's been from the start. It would be nice to see Kory grow ala Wally West or Dick Grayson, but I won't be holding my breath awaiting that to happen.

Score: 7 1/2 out of 10.And the love affair continues...