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Review: Trinity #2

Posted on October 25, 2016 by SHAY REVOLVER

*Warning Spoilers Below*

Francis Manapul pulls out all the stops for an amazing sophomore issue to the new Trinity series. DC Comics should be proud. Issue #2 of the Trinity series give us part two of “Better Together” a story line that has Batman, Superman, and Wonder Woman visiting Clark Kent’s past and visiting his father while Lois and Jon deal with his absence and his fight to save their present.

This time jump is sure to send ripples through the timeline as Superman comes face to face with his dad and younger self. The fear of the trio showing up and the presumed death of his father sends a young Clark Kent running away and encountering one of the very threats that Superman was trying to avoid. Superman gets to have a warm but, real conversation with his dad on fatherhood and love while Batman fears that having contact this close with his Superman’s past self could make things worse.

As the trio, joined by a bewildered and weakened from the shock Mr. Kent, search for the lost and frightened young Clark, Superman falls into a lake with some Kryptonite residue that weakens him. Young Clark forms an alliance with the mysterious force haunting the trio causing them to do some real soul searching with disastrous effects. When the reunion between Mr. Kent and young Clark finally happens the joy of the moment is overshadowed by the appearance of Poison Ivy who has tricked young Clark into planting seeds that may bring about the destruction of them all.

Francis Manapul‘s writing is pretty damn good and the story tugs at the heartstrings. His style is honest and open and gives a voice to the complexity of the characters with a nice sense of empathy for their situation. It evokes feelings of family and what someone, no matter how powerful, would do with one last chance to talk to someone they loved and loss. His writing provides us with a glimpse into the soul and desires of Superman and makes him appear human and even though he’s invisible for the most part physically, he still has some vulnerability. Manapul makes Superman easy to relate to and real which makes this issue a refreshing turn for the hero.

Manapul also provided the artwork for this issue , which means that everything works well together and comes off as seamless and purposeful No stroke is unnecessary, now line is without purpose and every panel serves the purpose of drawing the reader in and pushing the story along. The style is pretty old school and simple but, brilliant and beautiful in its simplicity. The art work does not overpower the words or the story, it enhances them.

The symbiosis between the story and the art make issue #2 of Trinity an overall great comic. Everything about it is damn near perfect and I am looking forward to see what happens when the trio returns to the present to face the threat that has them on a time run. Will Poison Ivy’s seedlings cause a change in Clark Kent/Superman? Will the timeline be forever changed for the worse? Will there be a Jon Kent and/or Lois Lane in his life in the future? So many questions and such a worthy story arc to wait and find out.

Story: Francis Manapul Art: Francis Manapul
Story: 9.2 Art: 9 Overall: 9.1 Recommendation: Buy

DC Comics provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review

Supergirl S2E1: The Adventures of Supergirl Recap

Posted on October 11, 2016 by SHAY REVOLVER

Season 2 of Supergirl kicked off with a bang last night on its new home The CW. Any fans who were skeptical about how the change in networks would effect their beloved show can relax.

Fans and newcomers to the show were treated to a new intro and that classic CW look. Always ready to keep the viewers on their feet there was a space pod crash and a mystery Kryptonian crash landed on earth.

In the interim between season 1 and season 2 the clandestine alien hunting team have moved into newer digs. No longer underground and with a little more autonomy, the lovable laughable Winn is now a member of the team. He’s their tech guy and it was a clever way to keep him on the show since it looks like Kara won’t be spending much time at the office season.

We also get to meet Superman and see the big cousin, little cousin ribbing and love that we needed. Having Clark on the show means Kara has someone, like her to talk about her Kryptonian problems. The Superman intro was delightfully campy, complete with slow motion running and shirt ripping to reveal the giant house of El crest.

The villain this time around is kind of ambiguous. Lex Luthor may or may not be trying to take his sister out and he’s willing to put all of National City at risk to do it. Supergirl and Superman team up throughout the episode and prove that two heads are better than one. I just hope that this mash up does not turn into the Superman show with Kara as a side kick.

Everyone’s favorite mogul and Kara mentor is back and still being the awesome example of a boss chick that we love. She is putting pressure on Kara to chose her next career at Cat Co. because she’s too good to just be an assistant. A good quarter of the episode is Kara trying to choose her path and Cat trying to lovingly but, bluntly get her to make a choice. In the end Kara chooses to be a reporter which Cat knew she would chose from the second she met her. That’s why Cat was so hard on her. She wanted to polish the diamond in the rough. There’s something refreshing about seeing them interact. We get to watch an older successful woman mentoring a young woman just starting out. She’s not trying to turn her into a clone, she’s trying to help her be the best she can be. So often in media we see women tearing other women down, exhibiting a sort of Highlander (there can be only one) mentality, or lamenti about boys. Their relationship is the kind that little girls need to see because it’s an image that is lacking in most media & depictions of female relationships.

Speaking of relationships, Jimmy and Kara are trying to make the relationship thing work. But, it’s not going as well as planned. clearly these two love each other and we all love to ‘ship them but, the timing isn’t right and Kara isn’t as into it as she could be. There is this great moment where Kara breaks the news to Jimmy and he acts like a human being. I phrase is like that because so often men take it the wrong (aggressive) way when women friend zone them. When Kara tells him that she just wants to be friends because she needs time to figure out who she is, how she can be Kara and Supergirl and, how she can manage a career he accepts it and supports her instead of telling her why she is wrong and pushing a romantic relationship on her. There was no saltiness and he kept his sulking to himself. It was a nice example for the young men watching, a feminist flag saying that women are not property and they don’t owe you a romantic relationship .

Another nice example for the men watching was Superman himself. When Kara asks for his advice about balancing it all he gives it to her. He doesn’t mansplain or tell her what to do instead he tells her how he did it and that she can figure it out. He treats her as a person instead of an object. He listens instead of ordering and, helps instead of sowing seeds of doubt.

Lena provides an antiCat for the series, she’s a strong woman but, she’s a variation on the most common women in power trope. She’s ruthless, cold and kind of heartless. She doesn’t even bat an eye at shooting a mama who was sent by her brother to kill her, even though Superman or Supergirl could have taken him down. But, the shows take on this trope makes her relatable. She’s end fighting for her place so long she knows she’s alone and somehow it comes off less sexist and cliched and more complex and real.

With the threat to Lena neutralized and another unconscious Kryptonian pod person in the mix, Clark decides to stick around. The last few minutes of the show gave us the birth of Metallo who I’m assuming will be one of this seasons villians. Pod man (or should I just call him Valor? Because, it’s not like y’all weren’t thinking the same damn thing) will hopefully join the fight and I’m hoping the hero injection on the show doesn’t over power the She-ro the show is supposed to be about.

Overall this was a great start on the new network. It was serving up a little Smallville magic and I am hoping the magic continues. Supergirl is one of the few truly Girl powered (and empowering) shows on right now and, I am hoping that the writers continue to do right by her because she deserves it.

Overall Rating: 9.7

TV Review: Supergirl S2 E1 “Adventures of Supergirl” is a Crossroads for Kara

Posted on October 11, 2016 by Logan Dalton

Much of the press surrounding the season 2 premiere of Supergirl has been centered around Teen Wolf‘s Tyler Hoechlin guest starring as Superman, and he does turn in the best performance as the Man of Steel since the last Christopher Reeve. However, “Adventures of Supergirl” is about a turning point in Supergirl’s (Melissa Benoist) life as she must decide what job she is taking at Catco, whether she wants to date James Olsen (Mechad Brooks), and basically choose what kind of person she wants to be. Sure, a mercenary with a British accent and a name that is familiar to comic book nerds shows up to wreak havoc, and there is some intrigue from Lena Luthor. But writers Andrew Kreisberg, Jessica Queller, and Greg Berlanti focus the main brunt of the plot on Supergirl’s “coming of age” and ably position Superman’s guest apperance as both a family member and someone she can aspire to be. It’s the bedrock of a pretty overstuffed premiere that also features a subplot about tension between Superman and Martian Manhunter (David Harewood) over the DEO keeping kryptonite as insurance against any rogue Kryptonians.

“Adventures of Supergirl” is a major episode in Supergirl’s continuing character arc, and Melissa Benoist shows some nice acting range as she goes from smiling while saving a plane with Superman to stuttering about filling out an Internet quiz to pick her new job at Catco. And even though she isn’t Cat Grant’s (Calista Flockhart) assistant any more, Kara is a little unsure of herself as she and Superman (in disguise as Clark Kent) investigate Lena Luthor (Katie McGrath) and in some of her interactions with Cat. However, she has never been more confident as Supergirl as she smiles while speed fixing L-Corp (formerly LexCorp) Tower and crack jokes about changing Superman’s diapers on Krypton to a family of bystanders she rescues. When Supergirl shields civilians or bullets or flies to save an airplane, it makes you believe in things like truth and justice. And this extends to her civilian life as Kara Danvers as she channels some of her life as Supergirl into an impassioned plea to Cat Grant to become a reporter at Catco. (Also, it’s the perfect job for a superhero, and you can get “exclusive scoops”. Just ask Peter Parker or Lois Lane.)

“Adventures of Supergirl” also features a trio of wide-ranging guest performances for the earlier mentioned Hoechlin, Flockhart, and McGrath. Hoechlin’s plays Superman as a human being, not an icon, and he channels the competent, mature reporter and hero that has settled down with Lois Lane as written in Post-Crisis stories by John Byrne, Dan Jurgens, Mark Waid (His investigative reporting in Superman Birthright especially.), and the DC Animated Universe. The writers give him just a dash of cheesiness in his dialogue to satisfy fond memories of “bumbling reporter” Clark Kent, and director Glen Winter frames the big “S” front and center in the action scenes and establishing shots before cutting to him making a dry quip or shaking DEO soldiers’ hands. Superman is a family man with godlike powers, and Hoechlin and Benoist have a cheerful chemistry with Superman giving her helpful tips about being a more efficient superhero while Supergirl tells him stories about Krypton. I’m glad that they will have a few more episodes to explore their relationship, grow together, and share more triumphant high fives and smiles.

Unfortunately, Cat Grant’s time as a main cast member of Supergirl has drawn to a close, but “Adventures of Supergirl” is hell of a curtain call for her. Kreisberg, Queller, and Berlanti build off the friendlier relationship that she and Kara developed at the close of Season 1 while still keeping some of her trademark sniping for good measure, like her constant reminders of the exact time Kara has to choose a job at Catco. Cat gets some of the most perceptive writing in the episode as she remarks that Supergirl’s beliefs are what make her a hero, not her abilities. Cat also gets a tiny bit sentimental when she talks about Kara’s potential to grow from an awkward, unsure assistant to a confident woman because she sees her drive to succeed in Kara. Flockhart excels at playing the mentor much more than the angry boss even though her one-liners are sharp as ever.

Finally, Katie McGrath brings an otherworldly presence to the role of Lena Luthor. Her calculated line delivery makes her initially seem like a femme fatale played by Eva Green, and Clark Kent doesn’t trust her, but she is really a woman, who wants to make something for herself apart from her family. She isn’t Lex Luthor’s plant, but a woman with a vision even though we don’t get to see her business acumen in this episode. Lena does end up being the one to take out Corben, and Kreisberg, Queller, and Berlanti do a twist on the Superman/Luthor dynamic by writing a favorable article about her and her company L-Corp because it’s the “truth”. But from the slow, measured ways that McGrath delivers Lena dialogue, and the “all too easy” ending of this episode, she may end up being a villain yet.

Despite strong performances and inspirational themes, “Adventures of Supergirl” does have its shortcomings. The lack of budget in the move from CBS to the CW definitely shows with Winter’s quick cuts to not expose the fact that Supergirl and Superman are flying against a generic cityscape green screen. The sad richness that David Harewood brought to his voice performance as the Martian Manhunter in Season One is also distorted in the sound mix. Besides these technical hiccups, John Corben is a pretty one-dimensional villain of the week as your standard run of the mill merc with a drone that looks bought off eBay. (He becomes immensely cooler in the stinger though.) “Adventures of Supergirl” is also juggling a ton of plots and subplots, and major one of them (Jimmy/Kara romance) doesn’t get the kind of attention and lingering camera shots it got last season as Kara decides to just be friends with James. It does make sense that she wouldn’t have time for a romantic relationship at such a transitional time in her life though.

A villain of the week and some special effects issues aside, “Adventures of the Supergirl” is a sparkling example what an inspiring show Supergirl is and features some excellent character chemistry between Melissa Benoist’s Supergirl, Tyler Hoechlin’s Superman, and Calista Flockhart’s Cat Grant. The episode dedicates itself to establishing and shifting the character of Supergirl while setting up a couple of mysteries to explored down the road. Lena Luthor is especially captivating thanks to Katie McGrath

Overall Rating: 8.5

Review: Superman #43

Posted on August 26, 2015 by Mr. H

“The secret’s out and we’re all friends here”

This issue does finally what we’ve waited for since this “DC You” revamp, and that’s answer just what the hell happened to Superman’s powers? We start the issue off with Lois and Clark in bed. (not to worry, nothing happened, Superman just burned up all his clothes with his new Solar Flare power and Lois put his cape in the wash) Clark realizes he’s back at Lois’s apartment in her bed and she replies “Couldn’t put Superman on the floor, could we?” (Classic Lois, gotta love her) As Clark gets his bearings he sees that more company is there, his best pal Jimmy Olson (Though he likes to be called Jim. Good luck bud, you’ve been Jimmy for over 75 years so deal with it.) and fellow Daily Planet colleague, Condessa.

Jimmy is all sorts of distraught as he thinks he may have inadvertently spilled the beans on Clark’s big secret. Everyone assures him this is not the case, but how can they be sure? Someone knows. One thing is for certain it’s not good. While Condessa consoles Jimmy, Lois gets real with Clark over a microwave meal of Lean Cuisine. (Lois is not the happy homemaker type clearly) She then tells him even though she has reported on him for most of his career, there is still so much she does not know. So she hits him with some hard questions: “Why did he settle in Metropolis?” “Does he have some sort of master plan?” “What if he goes rogue one day?” “Can he control this new Flare power?” (Good questions, that one would expect from the most intrepid reporter on the planet) She tells him that the public deserves the right to know these answers. Clark tries to change the subject but Lois brings up back when Superman was in his early days, she saw her father and Lex Luthor torture him to get answers. Lois tells Clark she is not like them, she will not brutalize him even for the sake of a great story in print. With that being said Lois said she’s decided to keep his secret. He’s always been Clark Kent to her first, and she’s even fell in love with him. Clark puts the brakes on and tells her that he belongs to someone else. (Wonder Woman, duh she sees the news Clark!) Lois in true Lois fashion responds saying she’s got someone too and besides she knows she’s not “mythological” enough for his taste. (Ha! best line of the book) When someone gets Lois and writes her so well, it’s hard not to make a case for these two not to be together. They are just iconically eternal. The name just rings. Lois and Clark. There was even a show about it with the super talented Teri Hatcher and Dean Cain in the 90’s too. I digress, we can’t get what we want in fandom all the time. Sigh.

Just as the two finish up their heart to heart, they realize they are being watched. Lois’s phone has been transformed with robotic tri pod legs and a villain name Hordr (lame name I must admit), is using it to blackmail Superman. Lois instinctively smashes the phone before the demands can be explained and Clark admonishes her. She says he can’t be serious but tells her, he has to play along. At least for now. Then Clark gets ready to rush off to save the day and Lois tells him she’s coming with him. He explains it’s too dangerous, bla, bla, bla and she says she is a part of both his lives. (Good for you Lois, he may wear the cape but you have the backbone)

The remainder of the issue is Lois and Clark setting out to confront Hordr (maybe if I keep saying it, nope the name still sucks) which they do with some surprising results. I won’t ruin the revelations here, but I will say Lois’s reason for what she did with Clark’s secret made me sympathize with her greatly. As for how Superman’s powers are depleted, it was serviceable enough.

Overall: I wanted answers, and this issue (and writer Gene Luen Yang) gave them to me. What it also did is remind me that Lois and Clark should be together. Sure the Wonder Woman thing is cool, but he belongs with Lois. Aside from the complications of a possible human/ Kryptonian pregnancy, I don’t see any reason to keep them apart. I’m not a fan of the new villain either but it is better than writers rehashing old storylines and getting overused villains out of the sandbox all the time. This was definitely the best chapter of this story yet. I even thought Romita Jr’s, art was above what it’s been the past year. (Truth be told, I am a life time fan of the Romitas and both John Sr. and John Jr. are my favorite all time Spider-Man artists.) Now that the genie is out, it’s going to be hard to get the cape back on it. I sure know they will try their best though, and after this month I can’t wait to follow along. Remember kids to beware your phone because once something is in cyberspace it never dies. Also it could secretly be a super villain’s robotic booby trap to blackmail you too. Till next month, if you need me I will be watching Lois and Clark reruns remembering what was.

Story: Gene Luen Yang Art: John Romita Jr.
Story: 9 Art: 8 Overall: 8.5 Recommendation: Buy

Fashion Spotlight: Deadly Joke, Justice For All, and Not My Harley

Posted on August 22, 2015 by Graphic Policy Team

Ript Apparel has three designs for fans of DC Comics. Deadly Joke, Justice For All, and Not My Harley from BSTGRAPH, inkone, and tweedler92 will be for sale on August 22, 2015 only!

Deadly Joke by BSTGRAPH

Justice For All by inkone

Not My Harley by tweedler92

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Fashion

How Old are Comic Book Characters?

Posted on May 1, 2015 by Brett

How Old Do I Look? is an interesting website where you can upload an image and it’ll guess your age and gender based on that. While it’s fun putting people you know in, it also works in some drawings. So, I decided to put in some comic characters to see what the site says.

As you can see, it’s a bit all over the place, hell it thinks I’m in my mid-50s.

Our First Look at Clark Kent… From 2013

Posted on June 30, 2014 by Brett

Numerous websites are all over a picture of actor Henry Cavill dressed in Clark Kent mode in a photo to help support The Royal Marines Charitable Trust. Many are claiming this is the first reveal of Henry Cavill in Clark Kent mode, the alter-ego to Superman with such catchy headlines as “First Look at Henry Cavill as Clark Kent” and “Clark Kent Revealed.” Sadly, we already saw this at the end of Man of Steel. and unlike today’s photo, that had Kent wearing his iconic glasses. In other words, we have a photo of an actor, holding a t-shirt in front of a chair that says Clark. Nothing new unless you want to follow Cavill’s fashion choices for the film.

Carry on people, nothing new here.

And the photo that has everyone worked up… over nothing.

Lego Batman: The Movie DC Superheroes Unite Includes Exclusive Lego Figure

Posted on February 1, 2013 by Brett

Lego Batman: The Movie DC Superheroes Unitebrings the awesomeness of the Lego DC video games to the movies. If you order it, you’ll also get the bonus of a Clark Kent/Superman minifig. The movie comes out May 21, 2013 and you can pre-order it now.