Review: Day of Judgement #5
For fans of superhero movies, the films are extensions of the heroes we grew up reading. I never in a million years would believe I would see a faithful adaptation of any of our heroes. Tim Burton’s Batman was iconic and drew from the source material but also served the Hollywood machine. Then there was the film version of Daredevil, which felt both sincere and yet struggled to find that happy medium.
The closest we came became before the MCU was the film adaptation of Watchmen, which was very faithful and gave audiences a page by page recreation of the book. So when the Avengers movies introduced the Infinity Gauntlet saga, it gave fans a rare element in these movies until then, sentiment. Fans across the world felt the snap of Thanos when many of our favorite heroes were gone. In the fifth issue of Day Of Judgment, our heroes face their final battle for control of the Spectre.
We find Neron facing off Superman and the Sentinels of Magic, as his powers are so immense it temporarily stops Superman. We also find Hal Jordan pleading the case to embody the Spectre, as his past sins give him cause. Asmodel grants him the power of the Spectre, where he defeats and cages Neron to face his family. Neron would have his title stripped and be imprisoned forever by Asmodel. By story’s end, the city has been brought back by Hal, as he quietly acclimates to his new role.
Overall, an issue that shows why so many people still love this story. The story by Geoff Johns is perceptive and electrifying. The art by the creative team is extraordinary. Altogether, a final chapter that gives a sentimental tribute to the hero’s journey of Hal Jordan.
Story: Geoff Johns
Art: Comicraft, Matthew Dow Smith, James Sinclair, and Steve Mitchell
Story: 9.0 Art: 9.0 Overall: 9.0 Recommendation: Buy
For us fans of Bruce Lee, in his limited filmography lies a treasure trove of life lessons. Ones that pushes people beyond what they accept for themselves and ones in which infinite potential is the ceiling. His book, the Tao Of Jeet Kune Do, impresses on its readers to“Not being tense but ready. Not thinking but not dreaming. Not being set but flexible. Liberation from the uneasy sense of confinement. It is being wholly and quietly alive, aware and alert, ready for whatever may come.” As these words would confuse most, but to see the forest through the trees per say, is what his philosophies demanded for comprehension.
The world is in love with the “reluctant” hero figure. Men and women who can and should save people. But those heroes always have some boiler plate excuse like “I don’t do that no more.” Of course the worse excuse being “I’m no hero.” This is exactly why Alan Ladd’s seminal classic Shane is a favorite among middle aged men, even those who don’t like Westerns. The story revolves around a high plains drifter who wanders into a small town and accepts a family’s hospitality. This peace of course doesn’t last. He eventually gets caught in the war for the Wyoming rang as a land baron looks to take over the family’s land. This leaves Shane in a precarious position as his honor leaves him no choice but to get involved.
There is nothing a like a great prequel, especially if it fills in all those holes that the reader wants to know about their favorite characters. One of the best ones I remember from growing up is the Muppet Babies, as I grew up watching The Muppet Show, and the cartoon offered us fans another side to our favorite characters. This is also true of the Truth: Red, White and Black book where we see that before Steve Rogers became the iconic hero, many Black soldiers volunteered, much like the Tuskegee Experiment. As I always wondered who was there before, as the new Black Panther comic book, showcases in many trips to the Hall of the Black Panther, where he seeks the council of all the Panthers who came before.