Comics for April 9

What the hell -- here’s a rundown of my comic purchases for this week.

Castle Waiting: I love this comic, and the monthly installments are almost certainly not the best way to read it. But it’s so darn pleasant, it’s hard to argue with. I’d hate to wait years before dipping into this world again. It’s real good-feelin’ stuff, done at the very highest level.

Criminal: The exact opposite of Castle Waiting in everything but quality. Hellish noir, real enough to give nightmares. Plus there are always great movie and book recommendations in the back -- essays from Brubaker’s crime-lovin’ writer friends. One of my favorite books on the stands right now.

Justice Society of America: Boy, this book is good and crowded. I imagine that will be coming to a head real soon -- and just the same, there aren’t too many character’s I’d want to drop. And have I mentioned I love the new Amazing Man? Yes I have. Anyway, this issue is the beginning of a massive throwdown between the Society and Gog.

Wonder Woman: Every bit as cool as last issue. A kickass fight with a Green Lantern, and ideas of revenge and justice play out on several levels. Couldn’t ask for more.

Young Liars: To be honest, I need to read this again after refreshing my memory about the first issue. But it’s gripping all the way through, even though I’m not certain I caught all the resonance for the long-term story.

Booster Gold: Let me get this straight. Wild Dog throws a loaded automatic weapon to Booster, without even warning him, and when it lands on the ground and discharges, he complains that Booster doesn’t know how to handle a gun? That Wild Dog really is crazy, isn’t he? Solid alternate-reality fun.

Jonah Hex: I’ve never seen the words “The End” seem so loud before. It was like the end title on an episode of Lost. Nice work this time. Jordi Bernet can draw the hell out of anything.

So that's what I got. Didn't think there was a bad one in the bunch, so it was a helluva good week in that respect.

Rob

Amazing Men

Justice Society of America #12 (written by Geoff Johns & Alex Ross; art by Dale Eaglesham & Ruy Jose) has a sequence that rocked me to my socks. The first page of the bunch explains the history of the first Amazing Man, Will Everett. Some of it's new information to even longtime readers.

Amazing Man first appeared in All-Star Squadron #23. Created by Roy Thomas, Rick Hoberg and Jerry Ordway, he was positioned as America's first black superhero. (DC had published other black heroes prior to this, but All-Star Squadron's World War II setting put Amazing Man at the front of the line.) Amazing Man soon joined the All-Star Squadron, fighting crime, Nazis and Klansmen with the help of his power to transform into any material he touched.

This week's JSA expands on his history. In a flashback, we discover that he wasn't the first black superhero (although we're not told who was). Instead, he was the first one to step out of the shadows -- the others acted in secret. Essentially, he was the Jackie Robinson of superheroes. There were plenty of black athletes before him, but he was the one who broke the color line.

Everett became an important symbol of civil rights, marching with Dr. King and, later, capturing his killer, James Earl Ray. The flashback fleshes out a period of the history of the DCU that the comics of the time never did.

Which brings me to these two pages, and Will Everett's grandson Markus Clay carries on his legacy. Power Girl and Superman (an alternate-earth version, but that's neither here nor there) arrive in New Orleans to invite him to join the Justice Society. Click to enlarge:

I love everything about this. Clay's speech. His priorities. Superman and Power Girl's willingness to help. And getting that horrible barge out of the city I love. (Yes, it's real, although it's gone now.)

Justice Society of America is the perfect example of DC doing things right. Great job, all around.

Rob
(I also love the design of the starburst when Amazing Man uses his powers; when looked at just right, it's an "A." Neato.)