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March 19, 2008March 19, 2008

52 Vol 3

By various (DC Comics)
ISBN13: 978-1-84576-604-7

Recap: After Infinite Crisis DC re-set the time-line of all their publications to begin One Year Later: This allowed them to retool their characters as necessary, provided a jumping on point for new converts and also give themselves lots of narrative wiggle-room.

And DC created an ambitious weekly miniseries to tell much of the story of that â€œLost Yearâ€, initially through the exploits of their minor players. It also proved a means of setting up an even more ambitious crossover event at its end. As with the previous books (52: Volumes 1 & 2 – ISBN: 1-84576-552-4 and ISBN: 978-1-84576-553-8 respectively), I’m going to encapsulate the myriad plot strands in broad terms as this is a series you really should see for yourselves.

Six months after the Infinite Crisis the World has generally moved on, but small stories are occurring that will bring the planet into another global catastrophe. Wonder Woman, Superman, Flash and many other heroes are still missing but new heroes such as Supernova, and Everyman Project graduates Infinity Incorporated have moved into the gap they left. Meanwhile Renee Montoya and The Question have undergone a life-altering journey and now she must make one final desperate trip back to the mystical Shangri La called Nanda Parbat.

Black Adam has a new family and is well on the way to becoming a force for good, but an unforgiving American Agency uses the Suicide Squad to bring tragedy and disaster back into his life just as Ralph Dibney is nearing the end of his supernatural pilgrimage with the disembodied Helmet of Fate. He is now closer than ever to his dead wife Sue.

Batman, Robin and Nightwing finally resurface far from home, and in Metropolis John Henry Irons (formerly the armoured hero Steel) has been unable to prove the sinister nature of the Everyman Project. On New Years Eve that Project reaches a grim and bloody conclusionâ€¦

Light-years from anywhere Starfire and blind Adam Strange are fighting the diabolical Lady Styx with the dubious assistance of Lobo, the Deadliest Bounty Hunter in the Universe. Their total victory is marred by the tragic, heroic death of their compatriot Animal Man. His burial in deep space is quite moving, but as the survivors head for Earth so is Animal Manâ€¦ moving, that is!

In Gotham City, as everywhere, the Bible of Crime is converting thugs into zealots. Nightwing’s first meeting with Batwoman is amidst a tidal wave of fanatics and monsters, but does it presage a new partnership? Elsewhere, other heroes are also slowly reappearingâ€¦

The assembled Mad Scientists of Oolong Island in the China Seas have created unbelievably dangerous weapons. Just what kind of maniac lets such people keep them, though? And all the while Booster Gold and Rip Hunter are searching time and space for the mastermind behind the incipient end of the universe, and are very close to discovering the ultimate secret of â€œ52â€.

This volume collects issues #27-39 of the weekly serial and the ongoing storylines are racing towards a mighty conclusion, picking up speed and losing characters. This is where the body-count starts to hit home as new favourites and old begin their final adventures.

Jointly written by Geoff Johns, Grant Morrison, Greg Rucka and Mark Waid, with breakdowns by Keith Giffen, 52 volume 3 is drawn by Chris Batista, Joe Bennett, Tom Derenick, Jamal Igle, Phil Jimenez, Drew Johnson, Dan Jurgens, Shawn Moll, Patrick Olliffe, Joe Prado and Andy Smith, with inks by Mariah Benes, Joe Bennett, Keith Champagne, Drew Geraci, Dan Green, Jack Jadson, Ruy JosÃ©, Andy Lanning, Jay Leisten, Dave Meikis, Nelson, Rodney Ramos, Norm Rapmund, Prentis Rollins and Ray Snyder. The colouring is by David Baron, Hi-Fi, Pete Pantazis and Alex Sinclair, lettering by Phil Balsman, Pat Brosseau, Jared K. Fletcher, Rob Leigh and Travis Lanham, and the amazing original covers are by J. G. Jones and Sinclair.

By this third volume the sheer bravado of the thing is finally paying off. The result is a qualitative success that truly shows that at least somebody in modern comics is prepared to take a few risks and push a few envelopes.

March 19, 2008March 16, 2008

Tintin and the Lake of Sharks

A TINTIN FILM BOOK
By Greg, translated by Leslie Lonsdale-Cooper & Michael Turner (Egmont)
ISBN13: 978-1-4052-0634-1

Although this tale is not strictly canonical, fans of HergÃ©’s intrepid boy reporter and his picturesque associates can always console themselves with this high-quality graphic adaptation of the animated feature-film Tintin et la Lac aux Requins which was originally released in 1972. Although not directly created by HergÃ© – who did have a supervisory role – the film was a classy piece of adventure fiction directed by publisher Raymond LeBlanc and written by Michel Regnier, who as ‘Greg’ is probably best known for his comedic anti-hero Achille Talon (translated into English both in animated cartoons and comic albums as Walter Melon).

Although lacking the satirical edge of HergÃ©’s comedy, action and slapstick are still well represented in this tale which turns animation stills into sequential narrative, with admittedly mixed results. Purists who love the artist’s landmark and legendary Ligne Claire style will be deterred that is laid over and across fully-rendered, moulded and painted backgrounds, but although it is initially jarring, the story does swiftly carry the reader beyond such quibbles.

Ligne Claire or the Democracy of Lines as it is sometimes called (in case you were wondering), is the term given to the dramatically simplified drawing style developed by HergÃ© which has influenced so very many creators. With it clear, clean lines of equal strength, thickness and importance are use to impart an almost diagrammatic value to subjects. This is in contrast to styles which might emphasise foreground or background with varying line-weights. Line-shading, hatching, feathering and the use of shadows are also ignored or down-played. It is the perfect base for bold simple colour and imparts an impressive solidity and immediacy to pictures. When combined with a stripped-down but accurate character or object design, the effect of hyper or even meta-reality is astoundingly convincing. The term was first used by creator, fan and devotee Joost Swarte in the late 1970s.

In The Lake of Sharks a series of art and gem robberies coincide with a trip by Tintin, Captain Haddock and the detectives Thompson and Thomson to visit Professor Calculus. He is sequestered at a villa on the shores of Lake Pollishoff, a huge body of water in the mountains of Syldavia, artificially created by building a dam and flooding a village. The locals believe the area is haunted. And no sooner do they arrive than attempts to kill them begin!

Calculus is in seclusion to perfect his latest invention – a 3-D duplicating machine – but a series of strange events leads Tintin to believe that sinister forces have targeted the eccentric genius once again. Spies, intruders and weird occurrences seem to be a daily threat at the Villa Sprog! Our heroes are not easily cowed, however, and with the help of two peasant children, Niko and Nushka (and their dog Gustav) a dastardly plot by their greatest enemy is revealed. This mastermind now calls himself King Shark…

This magical, fast-paced romp does the canonical adventures proud and can hold its head high even amidst the incredible legacy of one of the true Masters of the Comic Strip. And besides, your collection is incomplete without itâ€¦

March 18, 2008March 16, 2008

Lucifer’s Garden of Verses, Volume 2: Darlin’ Niki

Lucifer's Garden of Verses, Volume 2: Darlin' Niki

By Lance Tooks (NBM/Comics Lit)
ISBN: 978-1-56163-430-9

Lance Tooks is a story-teller with a mainstream comics pedigree and a fascination with many media and mediums. Darlin’ Niki is the second in a quartet of stand-alone stories dedicated to exploring the relationship between Humanity and the Devil (the others being The Devil on Fever Street, The Student and Between the Devil & Miles Davis) in sharp, subversive, satirical and sometimes polemical terms.

Sixteen year-old Niki has been thrown out of her comfy home by her dad. Henry Gojira is the World’s Greatest Capitalist, with nations hanging on his every word. Since her birth Niki has been the company figurehead and logo, with her face as on Apparel, Food, Entertainment, Merchandise, and even the company’s personal religion, Gojiranetics. But the boss is not your typical bread-head. He is also the World’s Greatest Philanthropist – as long as you do things his wayâ€¦

When Niki rebels, desperate for freedom and the chance to make her own decisions, she discovers that even with like-minded friends to help her it’s not that easy to escape, forgive or forgetâ€¦ So what is a parent to do?

This allegory is compelling and breezily told, if occasionally a little heavy-handed, and the simplistic black-and-white cartooning, cannily blended with collage and computer enhancements, make this a very fresh-looking book, with a good-old fashioned mission to make the reader think. A great example of the power words and pictures can wield.

March 18, 2008January 15, 2009

Marvel Masters: The Tales of Kurt Busiek

By Kurt Busiek & various (Marvel/Panini UK)
ISBN: 978-1-905239-74-0

Here’s another compilation dedicated to the career of a star Marvel creator, but this time it’s a writer, not an artist. Kurt Busiek has a twenty-five year history with the House of Ideas, and in that time he’s written some remarkable and memorable tales. Sadly very few of them are reprinted in this current compendiumâ€¦

From 1983 come three issues of Powerman and Iron Fist (#98-100) illustrated by Ernie Chan, Andy Mushynski and Mike Mignola; a rambling fight-fest against evil wizard Master Khan that is tolerable action fare, but fatally disadvantaged here by being the conclusion of a much longer tale. Surely it’s in nobody’s interest to commemorate a writer’s achievements but only by presenting incomplete snippets of his work?

Immediately following is the origin of the Golden Age Human Torch as first seen in the landmark miniseries Marvels (actually the contents of issue #0) and painted by the then blossoming Alex Ross. This at least is not harmed by appearing as a stand-alone tale. 1997 saw Busiek writing Untold Tales of Spider-Man – a series designed to tell stories set chronologically during the early Lee/Ditko days of the character, and represented here by â€œMenace!â€ from #21, and featuring Spidey’s first meeting with The X-Men. This solid piece of fun and games is drawn by Pat Olliffe and inked by the great Al Williamson.

â€œLooking Forwardâ€ is from Iron Man, volume 3, #1 and illustrated by Sean Chen and Eric Cannon. In it the Golden Avenger returns to the Marvel Universe after more than a year away as part of the Onslaught/Heroes Reborn/Heroes Return publishing events. Although in many ways a competent recap of the character, it might present a few problems for any first time readers unfamiliar with the Marvel Universe.

Another extended epic follows, this time from Thunderbolts #10-12, and illustrated by Mark Bagley with Vince Russell, Scott Hanna, Larry Mahlstadt and Greg Adams. The Thunderbolts were a team of heroes that formed after the Fantastic Four and Avengers were seemingly destroyed (but actually went to another dimension in the aforementioned Onslaught/Heroes Reborn/Heroes Return brouhaha). This fast-paced and competent thriller is the culmination of a year’s storylines as the World and those freshly returned heroes discover that the replacement champions are in fact the villainous criminal gang The Masters of Evil.

The volume ends with a true delight and a familiar complaint. From The Mighty Thor: Godstorm #1 comes 32 magnificent pages of nostalgic magic illustrated by Steve Rude and Mike Royer in the style of Jack Kirby. In this story a sentient Thunderstorm battles the heroic Norse God through the ages. I won’t say any more as this tale (the first of a three part miniseries) remains uncompleted in this book. Why the most approachable, best written and drawn story in the volume should be afforded such treatment whilst a frankly inferior tale is granted 84 pages is simply beyond me. Perhaps the Editors assume we’ll all buy a Godstorm volume to finish the tale but would not be tempted by a Powerman and Iron Fist collection of any sort. If so that’s a very cynical way to treat fans let alone a creator you’re honouring with a Masterwork Edition.

Even with all my kvetching however, there’s still a hefty amount of quality entertainment to be found here if you can get past the appalling attitude of the publishers. Buy it, enjoy what you can and then send them a stroppy letter. I’m sure somebody’s listeningâ€¦

March 17, 2008March 16, 2008

I, Paparazzi

By Pat McGreal, Stephen John Phillips & Steven Parke (DC Comics)
Hardback ISBN: 1-56389-752-0 Softcover ISBN: 1-56389-863-2

When it was hived off from DC’s mainstream continuity the adult-oriented Vertigo imprint was quick to embrace not only the innovative but also the classical in its efforts to advance the medium. Although eschewing the formulas of superhero and science-fiction genres it welcomed other favourites of popular fiction.

I, Paparazzi is an old-fashioned Noir thriller with heavy Conspiracy Theory underpinnings. Jaded Jake McGowran is a sleazebag photographer, part of the pack that chases celebrities for the big bucks exclusives. But he used to be something more, and even by his own lights, something better. He is big, hulking, relentless. He doesn’t stop until he gets what he’s after. His fellow scavengers call him â€œMonsterâ€.

When he decides to go after Media darling Jeremy Zinn, though, he is completely unprepared for the kind of trouble that this celebrity can make for himâ€¦

Dark, moody and deeply paranoid, this slight modern fable blends the world of the Glitterati with the seamy urban underbelly and sweetens the mix with outrageous fantasyâ€¦ or perhaps not. What is the exact nature of Reality when even the Camera is happy to lie to us?

Taking the old fumetti process (strips constructed from sequential photographs) to new heights, this drama is told with computer enhanced photographs and typography, for a gritty and surreal experience that will stand up well against a lot of movies and a fair few comic books too.

March 17, 2008March 16, 2008

JSA Presents Stars and S.T.R.I.P.E. vol 2

By Geoff Johns, Lee Moder, Scott Kolins, Dan Davis & various (DC Comics)
ISBN: 978-1-84576-734-1

Geoff Johns started his DC career by revamping the Star Spangled Kid for the 21st century. The original Kid and sidekick Stripesy fought crime in the 1940’s both as a duo and as part of the original Seven Soldiers of Victory. Their gimmick was that Stripesy was an adult whilst the Kid gave the orders. It seemed like a natural development to thrill the children who bought comics and that idea hasn’t been lost here.

Pat Dugan was Stripesy. He’s just remarried and his new wife has a teen-aged daughter, Courtney. She’s a little resentful that the family has moved out of Beverly Hills to Blue Valley, Nebraska. That attitude changes somewhat when she finds a belt and costume that give her superpowers. At first intending to tick off her new dad she soon discovers she enjoys being a hero, entering into a tenuous partnership with Dugan who has built a robotic battle suit to carry on crime-fighting.

A good thing too, as Blue Valley is literally infested with aliens, monsters and super-villains, most notably the insidious Dragon King who fought Pat in his WWII days. This second volume collects issues #9-14 plus an issue #0 and features the remaining bright, breezy, undemanding adventures with overtones of rebel-teen, coming-of-age family bonding from the regrettably short-lived comicbook (see JSA Presents Stars and S.T.R.I.P.E.: vol. 1, ISBN: 1-84576-595-8).

It all kicks off with a behind the scenes tale depicting how the original Star Spangled Kid passed on the torch – and the super-belt, guest-starring the JSA and featuring sections drawn by the superb Chris Weston and inked by John Stokes. Scott Kolins pencils the next few tales as the 1940s The Seven Soldiers of Victory appear in a tale that reveals just how they all got lost in time. Moder returns as the craziness at Blue Valley High shifts into high gear with the reappearance of cybernetic-killer and Valley Girl Shiv, who is desperate to please her Super-Mastermind dad and eviscerate young Courtney.

Time-lost hero The Shining Knight joins the cast as the pace increases and the Dragon King’s evil plans near completion. When the mind-controlled populace goes on a rampage rebel Courtney finds herself fighting alongside some of the greatest – and oldest – heroes of all time to save the world!

Fast, frantic and funny, this is a delightfully easy book to like, that doesn’t take itself seriously and remembers what kids – as well as fanboys – want.

March 16, 2008February 5, 2009

100 Bullets: First Shot, Last Call

By Brian Azzarello & Eduardo Risso (Vertigo)
ISBN: 978-1-84023-298-1

Now that there’s a little distance and the initial furore has died down, it’s time to review one of the most hyped comic sensations of recent years. First Shot, Last Call collects the first five issues of 100 Bullets and includes a very brief tale that first appeared in the seasonal anthology Vertigo: Winter’s Edge #3. For a long, long time the reviews were startlingly positive and effusive. A few years later, has the series stood the test of time? Do the stories survive a critical re-reading?

Isabelle â€œDizzyâ€ Cordova is released from prison but isn’t happy. She’s returning to the crime-infested, poverty-rich streets she came from, dead inside since while she was there her man and her baby boy were killed in a drive-by shooting.

On the ride back a man gets on the train. He looks like a spy from a 1960s movie. Sharp black suit, sunglasses, thin black tie, shiny attachÃ© case: He says he’s Agent Graves. He says he knows all about Dizzy Cordova. He says Hector and Santiago weren’t killed by accident. He says that if she wants to make it right, he has a gun and ammunition that will never â€“ EVER â€“ show up in a police investigation. If she wants revenge she can have it free and clearâ€¦

And so begins one of the best crime comics of all time, but this premise, which would surely be enough for three hit seasons on any TV channel, is merely the beginning of a crime and conspiracy thriller that is dark, engrossing and after nearly nine years, still a phenomenal achievement and tribute to the abilities of writer Brian Azzarello and illustrator Eduardo Risso. On this seventh (eighth?) re-reading I’m still finding nuggets that are only gaining relevance in the very latest issue of the monthly comic.

Following on from Dizzy’s tale we are introduced to a down-on-his-luck barman whose entire life was destroyed by a rich-girl’s whim. When she walks into the bar that night though, agent Graves has already left, leaving behind him another gleaming attachÃ© caseâ€¦

Also included is an 8 page gem set in a police station at Christmas. It is funny and chilling, proving that the short story form is not yet dead, and panel for panel is the best thing in this wonderful, terrifying so very adult book.

Has 100 Bullets stood the test of time? Do the stories survive a critical re-reading? Hell, Yes! If you’re a grown-up and haven’t seen what all the fuss was about yet, I envy you the fresh experience of finding out. This series is The Business!

March 16, 2008March 15, 2008

London’s Dark

London's Dark

By James Robinson & Paul Johnson (Escape/Titan Books)
ISBN: 978-1-85286-157-5

When this was released in 1989 many people remarked that it was great to see a graphic narrative that didn’t easily fall into a well-worn industry pigeon-hole. Many more hoped that the blend of the traditional and the innovative would lead to a grand new age of great graphic novels. Whilst we still aren’t at that point yet, this slim volume nonetheless still stands out as a superb piece of story-telling well worth your attention.

It is the height of the Blitz and the Capital of the British Empire is being pounded and burned by the Luftwaffe. But even incendiary hell cannot deter criminals with a quick profit in mind. When a Black Marketeer has second thoughts and is murdered for them, it results in an unlikely romance between Air Raid Warden Jack Brookes and professional Medium Sophie Heath.

Good natured Jack thinks he’s stopping a swindler but soon falls head over heels with the exotic and fearfully convincing spiritualist, who is in contact with the unquiet ghost of the dead man. But Jack’s inept investigation has turned over a few rocks and the murderers are still out thereâ€¦

Atmospheric black and white art and a light touch with period dialogue make this a surprisingly enjoyable read (despite the admitted fact that the creators were learning their craft on the job) and the blend of war-story, murder-mystery and true romance – albeit with supernatural overtones – is one that has even greater resonance today. This is a book in dire need of re-release.

March 15, 2008

52 Vol 2

By various (DC Comics)
ISBN: 978-1-84576-553-8

After the never-ending calamity of the DC Infinite Crisis event, the company re-set the time line of all their publications to begin One Year Later. This enabled them to retool their characters as they saw fit, provide a jumping on point for new converts and also give themselves some narrative wiggle-room.

And DC promptly began by creating an ambitious weekly miniseries to tell much of the story of that â€œLost Yearâ€, but through the exploits of mostly minor players. It also proved a means of setting up an even more ambitious crossover event at its end. As with the previous book (52: Volume 1 – ISBN: 1-84576-552-4) it’s only fair – and a lot more fun for all – to summarise the multiplicity of plot strands in broad terms as this is a series you really should see for yourselves.

After Infinite Crisis a shell-shocked planet Earth began to rebuild. But among the casualties were some of Earth’s greatest champions. Wonder Woman, Superman, Batman (plus Robin and Nightwing), Flash and others were gone. Superboy and many more heroes were dead. The city of BlÃ¼dhaven had been razed in a super-villain atrocity. Magic was loose around the globe, unleashing primordial terrors and fresh horrors. Slowly the survivors began to pick up the piecesâ€¦

Ex-Cop Renee Montoya and The Question are in Kahndaq where super-despot Black Adam has reason to be grateful for their aid. His threat is diminishing as his love for the beautiful Isis and her brother grows. In Australia another of the Missing-In-Action hero finally resurfaces and rationalist Ralph ‘Elongated Man’ Dibney, embraces the supernatural, using the disembodied Helmet of Fate in a quest to resurrect his beloved wife Sue.

The identity of new hero Supernova obsesses the citizens of Metropolis. John Henry Irons (formerly the armoured hero Steel) is unable to prove the sinister nature of Lex Luthor’s Everyman Project, but his estranged niece Natasha is falling deeper and deeper into the evil billionaire’s clutches. Light-years from anywhere Animal Man, Starfire and blind Adam Strange are desperately trying to return to Earth. Being found by Lobo, the Deadliest Bounty Hunter in the Universe may not be a lucky breakâ€¦

A huge number of certifiably Mad Scientists have gathered on an island in the China Seas with unlimited resources and budget and been told to just let their creativity run wild. In Gotham City, as everywhere, a new Bible of Crime is converting thugs into zealots and fanatics, new heroes are appearing and everywhere there are oblique and bizarre references to the number â€œ52â€. Veteran superhero survivors of the Crisis are attempting to rebuild, but it will be a long time before the World will again have a Justice League or Teen Titans to depend onâ€¦

This volume collects issues #14-26 of the weekly serial and the ongoing storylines are just beginning to cross and connect at this point. Jointly written by Geoff Johns, Grant Morrison, Greg Rucka and Mark Waid, with breakdowns by Keith Giffen, drawn by Eddie Barrows, Chris Batista, Joe Bennett, Dale Eaglesham, Phil Jimenez, Drew Johnson, Shawn Moll and Patrick Olliffe, inked by Drew Geraci, Jack Jadson, Ruy JosÃ©, Andy Lanning, Tom Nguyen, Rob Stull, Ray Snyder and Art Thibert with colouring by David Baron, Pete Pantazis and Alex Sinclair, lettering by Phil Balsman, Pat Brosseau, Jared K. Fletcher, Travis Lanham, Ken Lopez and Nick J. Napolitano and stunning original covers by J. G. Jones and Sinclair the sheer nerve of the undertaking is breathtaking. That the result is such a qualitative success is truly heartening and bodes very well for the future of the unique genre of Super-Heroics.

This is a landmark achievement in American comics publishing and one you should experience for yourselves, but if you are of an impatient nature you’ll probably want to have all four volumes to hand before you start.

March 14, 2008March 9, 2008

52 Vol 1

By various (DC Comics)
ISBN 1-84576-552-4

After the never-ending calamity of the DC Infinite Crisis event, the company re-set the time line of all their publications to begin One Year Later. This enabled them to retool their characters as they saw fit, provide a jumping on point for new converts and also give themselves some narrative wiggle-room.

They began to fill that room with a hugely ambitious weekly miniseries which would tell the story of that â€œLost Yearâ€ from the point of view of many of the company’s minor players, setting up events and triggers for an even more calamitous crossover event at its end. Rather than get into specific events it’s probably fairer all around to summarise the various plot strands in broad terms as this is a very impressive project with lots to entice and entertain, and one you really should experience at first hand.

At the end of Infinite Crisis a shell-shocked planet Earth remained, but reality had again altered, with only a select few knowing how or why. But there were some major changes that everybody could see. Superman, Batman (as well as Robin and Nightwing) and Wonder Woman were gone. Superboy and many other heroes, as well as a huge number of ordinary people were dead. BlÃ¼dhaven had been bombed into toxic rubble, and many other cities were almost as badly damaged. Magic had broken loose around the globe, unleashing monsters and mayhem. Moreover, a large number of superheroes were simply unaccounted for. But life goes on and the survivors began to pick up the piecesâ€¦

In the first 13 instalments collected here ex- Gotham City cop Renee Montoya meets the enigmatic hero The Question and begins a hunt for Intergang thugs and her own future. It is a quest that will take her to the ends of the Earth. In Kahndaq it will bring her to the attention of hard-line super-despot Black Adam who is busy marshalling an international alliance of like-minded rulers and rogue states, until he meets a girl who will change his life forever.

Ralph ‘Elongated Man’ Dibney, whilst coming to terms with the murder of his wife, encounters a youth cult that seeks to resurrect the dead. His own loss pales beside the seeming obsession of Wonder Girl who will not accept the death of her beloved Superboy.

Booster Gold is protecting Metropolis and gathering profitable sponsorships until the mysterious Supernova shows the world what true heroism is. John Henry Irons is at odds with his niece Natasha. She wants super-powers and is prepared to get them from Lex Luthor’s Everyman Project even though they are responsible for mutating her uncle into a being of solid metal.

At St. Camillus, a hospital dedicated to meta-human medicine, there is a full emergency when the survivors of the Deep Space mission from Infinite Crisis suddenly return, maimed and exhausted. Unknown to anyone Animal Man, Starfire and a blinded Adam Strange are marooned on a crippled starship light-years from anywhere.

In Gotham City, a new Bat-masked avenger is taking a bite out of the underworld, and all over the planet mad scientists are vanishingâ€¦

Written in a tag-team collaboration by Geoff Johns, Grant Morrison, Greg Rucka and Mark Waid, story breakdowns by Keith Giffen, drawn by Eddie Barrows, Chris Batista, Joe Bennett, Ken Lashley, Shawn Moll and Todd Nauck, inked by Marlo Alquiza, Draxhall, Jack Jadson, Ruy JosÃ©, Tom Nguyen, Jimmy Palmiotti and Rob Stull, with colouring by David Baron and Alex Sinclair, lettering by Phil Balsman, Pat Brosseau, Jared K. Fletcher, Travis Lanham, Rob Leigh and Nick J. Napolitano and stunning original covers by J. G. Jones and Alex Sinclair, this is a landmark achievement in American comics and one you should see for yourselves.

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