OK, so, my shipment came, and I'm making my way through the backlog. More to come soon!
Batman and Robin #19: I don't know how I feel about this arc. This issue is the best of the lot, but it substantially alters the motivation of the Absence. The first two issues led us to believe that the Absence's principal motivation was a revenge scheme, trying to get to Bruce Wayne through Batman (since it's now been publicly revealed that he's funding the Bat). But, in this issue, we learn that her actions have all been an elaborate ruse to distract Batman while her men finished off the gang that killed her. In the hands of another writer, I might have been able to buy the twin motives, but Cornell doesn't really sell the dramatic twist well. In the end, it seems a lot to ask us to believe that the Absence was interacting with Batman and Robin just to ensure they wouldn't discover her men killing off the guys who shot her. I mean, would Dick and Damian really have noticed that three seemingly random thugs were killed in prison, then taken enough of an interest into their killings to make the connection between them and Bruce Wayne's former girlfriend, AND THEN tried to find her? I'm pretty sure she could've just had three guys whacked in jail without this much effort. So, if her real motivation was getting to Batman and Robin, why not kill them or maim them or expose them, instead of just playing with them? It just doesn't make sense, and not in a "she's a crazy psycho" way but in a "he's a bad writer" way. Based on this issue, I think the Absence really does have potential, since she does move beyond the homicidal-maniac archetype that categorizes most of Batman's rogues' gallery to become something interesting. But, someone else needs to write her.
New Avengers #8: This issue was really a Bendis showcase, giving us everything he does well (excellent characterization, character development) without everything he does poorly (complicated plots). It could've been really clichéd, but I thought Bendis did a great job presenting us with Jessica's struggle over trying to figure out how she fits in the world as a mom, a superhero, and a person. I also loved Luke Cage and Ms. Marvel's mid-fight conversation about Jessica. Overall, it was a great issue. One little nitpick? Spidey asks Luke Cage how he knows he's white, given that he's in a full body suit. But, Spidey often rolls up his mask to reveal his mouth so he can eat...as he's doing in the scene that we see on the first page. So, Luke Cage has seen Spider-Man's skin and knows he's white. I mean, I know it's supposed to be joke, because Spidey's all mad-white, so he couldn't possibly be anything other than white, but it annoyed me. (I annoy easily.)
New Avengers #9: Really? First, am I really supposed to believe that they're going to kill Mockingbird again, only two years or so (in real time) after returning her to life? If so, I don't. As such, it makes Surprise Ending #1 kind of anti-climatic. Oh, no. Mockingbird was shot. Help. Help. All that good female characterization from last issue goes out the window when we suddenly go all "Women in Refrigerators" here. Second, the Nick Fury sub-plot, for the most part, was totally random, something I would've preferred it stay rather than morphing into Surprise Ending #2, the revelation that Marvel is going to ret-con the Avengers' and Nick Fury's history to match the plot of the upcoming movie. In other words, this issue was nothing more than seemingly-forced plot devices. Boo, Bendis, boo.
Red Robin #19: I've been impressed, throughout this series' run so far, with the extent to which the writers have managed to really make Tim his own man. Even in the first few issues, which were part of the storyline involving the eventual return of Bruce Wayne, the writers gave Tim his own group of villains, one that we see grows in this arc. The cyberspace angle in this issue was done really well; like time travel (see the "Flash" entry above), I find that these sorts of stories can often be more confusing than interesting. But, it's interesting here, particularly since it opens up some really cool doors for Lonnie. If you haven't been reading "Red Robin," this arc is a pretty good one with which to start.
The Flash #9: I don't have much to say about this one, since it's the first issue of the series' second arc and not much happens. In the previous arc, we were told that Barry would be haunted by what he saw in Mirror Master's mirror, and we see it here with Barry distancing himself from his family as a result of his guilt over the (indirect) role he played in his mother's death. As I might've mentioned before, I never really read "Flash" before, but I'm a little surprised that we're entering another time-travel storyline. I'm not sure if it's de rigueur for "Flash" or if it's just a coincidence. But, I'm not a huge fan of such storylines, since they're often more confusing than interesting. I'll reserve judgment until we see how it develops. In the meantime, Geoff Johns does characterization better than almost anyone out there and Manapul's art alone continues to justify picking up the book.
X-Factor #215: This solo issue was pretty solid. Despite the ickiness I feel when I think too much about it, I enjoy the Madrox/Layla relationship. I also thought the dupes were used to advance the plot more cleverly than they often are. Serious, Peter David just leaves so little to discuss because he's just so good.
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