GN Review -- Batman: Year One / Frank Miller, David Mazzucchelli, & Richmond Lewis

I've seen many takes on Batman's origin story--hell, I've privately tried writing my own, just to see if I could do a good job--and it's always a titanic undertaking.  You have to have the character down cold before you can really move along to plotting and interpreting everything else.  Batman: Year One, while not my absolute favorite re-telling of the Dark Knight's initial forays into crime-fighting, is nevertheless one of the milestone stories in the mythos.  It is also undeniably a damn good story overall, because it explores Jim Gordon's life as in-depth as it does Batman's.

Whatever problems I may have with Frank Miller personally--and make no mistake, I now despise that bitchy, sentience-less, ranting bastard--he wrote one hell of an origin story for Batman and Jim Gordon, who receive roughly equal emphasis as they begin their respective careers in Gotham.

Bruce Wayne, having been studying a range of skills abroad for the last dozen years or so, returns to Gotham to begin his war on crime and attain some measure of revenge for his parents' murder when he was a child.  Gordon has just transferred to Gotham from the Chicago police force, and quickly comes to understand that he's come to a highly corrupt--and dangerous--city.  As Bruce gradually evolves his identity as the Batman, Gordon soon receives orders from his superiors to bring the Batman in at any cost.  Using threats and blackmail against Gordon, whose own behavior hasn't been completely sterling, the top cops in the GCPD have a mob goon kidnap Gordon's newborn son.  While Gordon manages to catch up to and tussle with the mobster, Bruce manages to rescue the child from a fatal fall from a bridge.  He hands the baby to Gordon, and is not wearing his costume, but Gordon, who's lost his glasses, says he's "practically blind" without them, and urges Bruce to leave before the authorities arrive.  Soon after, as the corrupt Commissioner Loeb is slowly forced to resign from the police force, Gordon waits on the rooftops for a friend to help him solve a crime involving someone named the Joker.  It appears the alliance between Batman and Gordon has finally solidified, and Gotham will never be quite the same again.

While there are a virtually endless supply of things I could say about the writing here, this is one of those stories that I remember mainly for particular scenes in the narrative.  I'll go over just a few of my favorites and explain why I like them so much.

Assault and Counter-Assault: Gordon's attempts to clean up corruption do not go well on the GCPD.  His superior, Commissioner Loeb, orders Gordon's partner Detective Flass and several others to beat him up.  Flass personally threatens Gordon's pregnant wife Barbara.  What does Gordon do while he's recovering?  Instead of going to the hospital, he tracks down Flass, waits for him to leave alone, then hands him a baseball bat before beating the living snot out of him, taking his clothes, and leaving him naked and handcuffed in the snow.  The fact that Flass is younger, bigger, and a former Green Beret makes his beating at the hands of an injured and pissed-off Gordon all the more satisfying to watch.  After this scene, I perished any thoughts of Gordon being any kind of pushover, forever.

Dinnertime Debut: Wow.  While the corrupt fat cats wine and dine themselves at the mayor's mansion, Batman appears to them, crashing through a window and telling them that their long feast upon Gotham's wealth and spirit is nearing its end.  Just before that scene, you see Loeb telling Gordon that the Batman is not a high priority target for the police.  Now that he and his fellow fat cats and mob bosses have just been threatened by him, what does he say to Gordon in the next panels?  "No excuses... that vigilante goes under--instantly--or it's your job!"  Amazing what a little focus can do, isn't it?

Fight Against the GCPD: Deprived of his utility belt and trapped in an abandoned tenement by the Gotham Police, Batman is injured, cornered, and surrounded by a squad of heavily armed men.  Using his wits, resourcefulness, and more than a few lucky distractions, he turns the tables on the SWAT team, summons a swarm of bats and escapes from them, having only injured a couple of them.  This scene basically establishes that not only is Batman strong and physically intimidating, but also that he's cunning, intelligent and resourceful enough to take on an entire squadron of highly trained men.  After getting shot up by them, he makes the cops look like complete idiots.  Because that's just how bad-ass Batman actually is.

So, there's a few of the reasons that I like the writing in this story.  There are also touches that I didn't particularly care for.  Selina's origin, which didn't feel like it needed any tweaking before this story, comes to mind.  Not only do I find her former calling as a prostitute a little off-putting, but I'm just not sure she figures heavily enough into the narrative for that kind of interpretation.  I mean, really, how often does she appear?  She's on the sidelines for most of the story, and dons the Catwoman costume in a manner that strikes me as reactionary and trite.

Also, in the final action scene, why the hell is Bruce Wayne not in costume?  Perhaps I missed something important, but I don't recall any circumstance keeping him from donning the costume so he could rescue Gordon's family in anonymity.  He just shows up on a motorcycle, wearing body armor and a helmet, which of course falls off.  What was the reasoning there, Frank?

Art-wise, I'm only marginally impressed.  Mazzucchelli's style is fine for what it is, it's just not what I would consider a dynamic or very interesting one for superhero comics--though I suppose you could technically argue that this really isn't a superhero story.  It does feel very noir and gritty, with the bold lines and the liberal use of shadow, but the flat coloring and relatively simple line work feels like this is something we should have seen in the decades prior to the late 80s.  I won't deny that it supports this story wonderfully, it's just not my cup of tea personally.

Overall, Batman: Year One is an important piece of work in the Batman mythos, as well as comics in general.  I don't personally like some of Frank Miller's reinterpretations, but others are spot-on and really make the narrative pop with excitement.  Batman fans of all stripes need to read this story, and I think anyone who likes crime stories in generally will be pleasantly surprised at this comic book story.  Highly recommended.

GN Review -- Ghost World / Daniel Clowes

I’ve been staring at a blank word processor page, a library copy of Ghost World on my desk, for about half an hour now as I try to figure out what to say about this semi-classic, somewhat disconnected yet strangely involving story by Daniel Clowes.  

It’s certainly a memorable story, with a good deal of acclaim, though I find myself caring little for its overall tone and content.  It has a strong following among fans of alternative comics and post-adolescent drama; some have hailed it as a spiritual successor to Salinger’s The Catcher In the Rye.  It certainly has no self-esteem issues, with some of its summary and promotional materials calling it “a must for any self-respecting comic fan’s library.”

The story centers around two young women, Enid Coleslaw and Becky Doppelmeyer, and their mundane antics as they wander around their hometown, analysing and criticizing the people, the popular culture, and each other.  As they make fun of and interfere with the lives of others around them, they also wonder what they will end up doing with their own lives, now that they’ve graduated from high school.  Becky, the more normal-seeming of the two, seems intent on starting a “normal life” in some fashion, while Enid, an out-there and rebellious misfit, relates some designs on attending college.

Over time, the girls’ differing personalities and outlooks cause tension between them, and they eventually drift apart.  While Becky seems ready to start her normal life by dating Josh, a friend of theirs, Enid, who remains anything but normal and wouldn’t have it any other way, has failed to get into college.  She leaves town on a bus, presumably to start a new life for herself, after acknowledging Becky’s maturity from afar

I think one of the major problems I have with this story is precisely for what so many others praise it.  Passing off the inane, judgmental and often loudly crass proclamations of its main characters as some kind of exploration of post-adolescent drift and angst, lovers of Ghost World seem to conveniently forget that their heroines here are making no visible effort to right themselves or find their own place in this world, aside from the occasional vague questioning of the future, which is quickly discarded and forgotten.  In the meantime, they prank lonely men, wander into adult bookshops and loudly criticize the people there, and argue about what modern punk is vs. 1970s punk.  It all feels somewhat shallow--which I can handle in comics--but when you then also have to deal with their bluntness, it makes for spending time with people with whom I’d simply rather not have anything to do.

I will, however, praise Mr. Clowes very much for capturing a realistic narrative with these two, as Enid and Becky, whatever issues I may have with their attitudes and behaviors, are extremely well characterized.  They feel very genuine as young women on the drift, and their slow estrangement from one another is no less painful because of their own self-absorptions.  Enid’s own insecurities and self-doubts, when she displays them, stem from the very uncertainties she expresses about the future, and what will become of her life.  Her exit at the end of the narrative seems to symbolize a willingness to face that uncertainty and confront it head-on, and while you ache for her loss (Becky’s friendship) at the end, it’s also easy to cheer for her as she moves on.

The art style, like the writing, has its strengths and weaknesses for me.  Clowes definitely can capture expressions of emotion, and knows the right moments to do so, such as Enid’s plea to Josh near the end of the book, or her holding in laughter during her first sexual experience.  But the inconsistency sometimes seen between the chapters in the characters’ looks can be a little off-putting (Becky seems to suffer the most from this).  The overall style feels like something you’d see from comics in the 1960s--it has a vintage feel to it.  No real opinions about it, good or bad, just an observation.

Overall, it’s still hard for me to come to a firm conclusion about this book.  It has its flaws, and it has its strengths, and both seem to pull me in different directions at various times.  It’s certainly a memorable story, and a good slice of realistic fiction for comic books nerds, both the ones who are too pretentious (yes, I said it) for the mainstream, and those who like comics of all stripes.  If you haven’t read it yet, I would say to check it out.  It’s at least worth a look.  Recommended.

GN Review -- The Avengers, v. 2 (2010) / Brian Michael Bendis, John Romita, Jr. & Bryan Hitch

When I reviewed volume one of The Avengers, I said I’d keep an eye out for further adventures of this team, so I could see how they shape up over time. When I got my hands on volume two, I took one look at the summary, and just about lost my faculties at the sense of giddiness that ensued.

You could say that it was the plot, in which the Hood, some presumably minor Marvel villain, goes looking for the Infinity Gems in a search for power that could conceivably topple the super-team, that excited me. Or perhaps it was the added element that the gems were each hidden by the Illuminati--a clandestine group of established superheroes assembled by Tony Stark before the Civil War--and that Steve Rogers, currently in charge of the Avengers, was about to discover all of this for the first time. Throw in a few elements like the appearance of the Red Hulk, the discovery of Attilan’s earthly remains, and Wolverine, Beast, and Professor X interacting tensely, and I was sold.

I really enjoyed the premise of this story, for multiple reasons. The madman on a power quest that could actually humble all of the Avengers is an entertaining one, particularly if it’s well plotted, which this is, and well paced, which it also is. The fact of Tony Stark’s idea of the Illuminati assembly of super heroes coming back to give him a well-deserved bite in the ass is also entertaining, particularly since it’s Steve Rogers--with whom he has the longest history of both friendship and enmity--to whom he has to defend himself. It makes for an engaging piece of internal drama within the Avengers, who are noticeably affected by the fact that these two guys--two of the quintessential Avengers--are arguing almost as viciously as they ever did during the Civil War.

I’d personally never heard of the Hood until this story, but he’s a good choice for the villain, as a man who happens to stumble upon a clue to what has to be one of biggest secrets in the Marvel Universe. His quest is motivated by pure selfishness and a desire to only live in the world if he can bend it to his own will, and in grabbing just one of the vaunted Infinity Gems, he takes a major step in securing that reality. The tension between the Avengers and the now-exposed Illuminati--arguably some of the most singularly powerful and well-intentioned heroes around--is also an interesting dynamic, as they fluctuate between resentment, humility and understanding between one another with the onset of this particularly dangerous puzzle.

I’ve said it once, and I’ll say it again: I’m not John Romita, Jr.’s biggest fan when it comes to these kinds of wide-ranging, epics story arcs. Still, I actually felt his style worked in this particular arc, which revolved around several brightly colored gems and had to potential of affecting all of reality. He rises to the occasion during the times good visuals are called for on this story, and his rendering of facial expressions works especially well for the villain, Parker Robbins, who at the end of it all is a small man who only cares for the world as far as he can control it.

Overall, I was thoroughly entertained by this work, and highly recommend it to fans of superhero comics. It’s a good crisis aversion story, and the art and writing actually mesh very nicely to tell a tale that both entertains and moves quickly to a memorable denouement. Highly recommended.

GN Review -- Buffy the Vampire Slayer, v. 1: The Long Way Home / Joss Whedon & Georges Jeanty

If you've been reading this blog, you know I've pretty well taken to reviewing Joss Whedon's Serenity comics.  I've waited a while to come around to other properties of his, partially out of concern for my blog being perceived as a Joss Whedon comics review blog, and partially because I haven't read some of them.  Where Buffy the Vampire Slayer is concerned, though, I've read plenty, and think it's a good time to start reviewing the post-television comics.

When volume one, The Long Way Home, starts, we see things are not necessarily the way they were left in the TV show.  In the wake of Sunnydale's destruction and Buffy Summers's victorious battle against the First Evil, the world has changed considerably for her.  She's gone from being a single, solitary Slayer to commanding a worldwide army of women Slayers.  Her sister Dawn has become inexplicably giant, and their home base has moved to a castle in the Scottish highlands.  She and her friends monitor demon and monster activity on a worldwide scale, and respond to threats with the help of squadrons of mystics, seers, and Watchers as they are able.

But things have also gotten more complicated.  The world is aware--and scared--of the sudden influx of Slayers, and military forces that can't control them are eager to wipe them off the face of the earth.  Old nemeses are eager to take advantage of the situation so they can resolve personal grudges, and the arrival of a new organization named Twilight is using both technological and supernatural means to fight them.  And the Scoobies, as Buffy and her gang are lovingly called by fans, have their own problems: Dawn won't talk to Buffy about her condition, Willow arrives in time to save the day but soon gets kidnapped, and Xander is just trying to keep from getting splashed while living among all these strong women.

As I'm sure you either know or can expect, the writing here is exceptional.  It's well plotted, paced, and characterized, and the dialog is typical Whedon intellisnark.  The characters feel exactly like they were portrayed in the show, and the plot involving the new nemesis, Twilight, sets up a potentially huge foe for them to fight.  The myriad of self-referential material will be a delight to devotees, and further serves to advance the plot as characters from the show emerge out of the woodwork, all over the world, old and relatively new, good and evil.  In the end, we're set up with the Slayers in an unenviable position, and Buffy, with her typical resolve, essentially acknowledges it with a simple okay.

The most questionable aspect I have about The Long Way Home is its viability as a stand-alone story for readers who may not be familiar with the Buffyverse.  I actually read this volume when I was only moderately familiar with the series--I certainly hadn't seen much of it--and I have to say that this could be an issue to someone who isn't an initiate.  Looking at it now, I can appreciate things like who Ethan Rayne is, why Buffy showed Amy Madigan her mother at a critical point, and what it meant for Willow to "go dark."  But back then, I really had to shove all that to the side to push on with the larger narrative.  The solid writing kept me from getting too lost, but I also had a modicum of familiarity with the show at the time.  It's obviously a great read for fans of the series, but Buffy newbies may find the constant self-references confusing, when they get them, and could be turned off by it.

The artwork here is pretty stunning, and I have to give Georges Jeanty props for not only faithfully recreating the characters from the TV show in comic book form, but for realistically extending them beyond their scope in the show, now that they're not limited by a television show budget.  Willow's brief aerial battle with Amy, for instance, was amazing.  Dawn as a giant was both hilarious and visually believable.  And the locales are very well done too, from a castle in Scotland to a military base.

Overall, I don't have any problems commending The Long Way Home as a worthwhile read.  It positively shines for Buffy fans, and while it can be considerably more confusing for the noobs, it's still very well written and beautifully illustrated.  A must-read for Joss Whedon fans, people who like vampires, demons and monsters, and anyone who enjoys witty writing.  Highly recommended.

GN Review -- Zita the Spacegirl / Ben Hatke

Zita the Spacegirl is one of those titles that I’ll probably refer to if anyone ever makes a disparaging comment about children’s comics. It’s good storytelling that strikes an emotional chord in places, and in my opinion shows that stories with child protagonists are not necessarily juvenile in scope.

Zita and her friend Joseph are playing around in a field when they discover a crater containing a mysterious device. On a whim, Zita activates the device, triggering a freak surge of energy that grabs Joseph and pulls him through before quickly closing. Initially horrified at what’s happened, Zita resolves to activate the device again and go after Joseph, who wouldn’t be there if it weren’t for her.

Stepping through, she finds herself transported to a faraway planet, with a plethora of alien beings on it and no immediate way back home. After helping a man called Piper, he agrees to help her find Joseph, and soon begins her quest. Encountering hardships and obstacles on her way to the castle where her friend is being held, Zita also finds allies and friends who help her as she helps them.

I have to applaud Hatke’s writing in this story. Zita is a likable character, whose impetuous act of pushing a button sets into motion a chain of events that require her to face up to what she did and rescue her friend Joseph. The characters she encounters eventually form a ragtag group of underdogs whose attachment to the heroine, while brief, still packs an emotional resonance that creates some key moments near the end of the story. The relationships grow and evolve through the narrative, and the quest itself is both harrowing and entertaining.

Zita’s adventure is an entertaining caper that reminded me very strongly of the movie Labyrinth in terms of its structure and overall plot. There’s a girl rescuing someone who was taken away to a distant realm by her actions, she encounters people along the way who form a small but determined band of friends to help her, and there are several character types in this story who closely resemble the characters from Labyrinth. Zita is Sarah, Piper resembles Hoggle in his initial cowardice and eventual courageous redemption, Strong-Strong is like Ludo in his strength and simple gentleness, while One is much like Didymus in his bravado and hilarious general ineffectiveness at combat.

Hatke’s art is a cartoon style that is ostensibly simple, yet surprisingly detailed and imaginative when applied to various characters. It leaves a lot of room for expressiveness and tone, effectively making some scenes very cute and amusing, and others more sinister and intense. He also displays great versatility in designing humans, aliens, and beings of all types to take the reader far away from Earth along with his heroine.

Overall, I found this to be a very charming work, full of action, adventure, and heart. It’s an excellent story for children, but I think anyone of any age who gives this story a try will find it surprisingly transcendent of its intended market. Highly recommended.

GN Review -- Hereville: How Mirka Got Her Sword / Barry Deutsch

Okay, the tagline on this cover really sold me: "Yet another troll-fighting 11-year-old Orthodox Jewish girl."  Yeah, because there are a million of those in comics.  Or storytelling in general.

So we know the protagonist, at least, is a refreshing change of pace.

The rest of the story, it turns out, offers a diverse array of refreshing characters, situations, and themes, making Hereville: How Mirka Got Her Sword both entertaining in its execution and instructive in its assertion that imagination, bravery, and a willingness to follow your own path despite what others think are qualities that will serve a young girl well.

Mirka is an 11-year-old girl in Hereville, an isolated, Orthodox Jewish rural community, whose spunkiness and disregard for her village's norms make her instantly likable and worries her friends and family.  When she discovers a tall, strange-looking house in the forest, she and her friends encounter a large, mean-spirited pig who becomes a minor bane on Mirka after he sees her stealing a grape from his garden.  In outwitting the magical animal, she is presented with a quest from the pig's owner and is granted the option of pursuing a troll to win her own sword with which to fight evil.  Mirka must decide if the risk is worth the reward, and weigh it against her personal safety, the perceptions of her own strict community, and the memory of her deceased mother.

There's really no arguing that Hereville is a charming, unique and overall very heartwarming story.  The character is both engaging and an ideal target for conflict because of her unconventional nature in an Orthodox Jewish community, and her magical encounters add a generous dash of fantasy to a home life for which she otherwise exhibits little enthusiasm.  I had slight problems with some of the choices made in the story, particularly Mirka's decision to beat up her brother Zindel and threaten him when he tried to keep her from searching for the troll.  But this is overshadowed by the overall upbeat tone of the narrative, where her quest for self-discovery--and a sword--become her all-encompassing goal.

Barry Deutsch has also written some very amusing and memorable characters for this story.  My personal favorite was Fruma, Mirka's argumentative and wise stepmother, whose penchant for verbal sparring and discussion is notorious among the children.  The talking pig with whom Mirka gets into a sustained feud is also highly entertaining, as he is not only gruff and grumpy, but emerges as the major test of Mirka's willpower and grit.  Finally, there's the troll with whom Mirka duels, who is unconventional not only in appearance but also in speech and manner.  I won't spoil much about him, but I think he was a delight to read in this story as well.

As for the art, I was actually pleasantly surprised at how it struck me in some places.  It's mostly simple and cartoony in places, but at particular moments of strong emotion or surprise, the style changes, becoming more detailed and really making the reader take notice.  Of particular note are the moments when Mirka first sees the large house, and the fight between her and Zindel, when you can clearly see how intensely and viciously angry the siblings are at one another in the heat of the argument.  All in all, very good work here.

Overall, I found this to be a worthwhile and entertaining read, with a strong message about following your own path in the face of opposition from others.  Raina Telgemeier says that comics need more positive girl characters, and I not only agree with her, but also believe like her that this book is a prime example of that assertion.  Children of all ages should enjoy this, as well as those who like fantasy and folklore, strong girl characters, and stories about family.  Highly recommended.

Comic Review: Superman #1-3 / George Perez, Jesus Merino, Nicola Scott & Trevor Scott

Superman #1: What Price Tomorrow?

Okay, comments about the new costume aside, I’m not sure this is a very promising cover to open the series with. Superman, glow-eyed hovers above a mass of flames, the crumbling Daily Planet sphere held up only by his intervention. Action-y? Yes, but it feels a little too apocalyptic for my taste.

So, a few things about this particular reboot. We’re in the modern day, as the “old” Daily Planet is making way for a more modern, digital media-savvy Daily Planet. Clark secretly pines for Lois, who is oblivious to both that reality and the fact that Clark is Superman. I suppose this yet another inevitable use of the reset button for the purpose of reintroducing some tried and true dramatic tensions that are a hallmark of this mythology, but I couldn’t help breathing another sigh of resignation. How long before Lois finds out and we have to have “that” conversation again?

I don’t really know what to think of Clark in this issue. He seems more sullen and brooding than I remember him, and I don’t think it really fits with what we know of Superman’s character. I know they’re giving him a more or less plausible reason for it, but I still can’t help thinking that Clark wouldn’t really behave in this particular manner, even if faced with the closing of the Daily Planet he knew in this way.

The villain of this issue, a fiery entity that may or may not be security guard from the Metropolis Astrodome, is mildly interesting in its speaking of an alien language that Superman can’t translate, except for the word “Krypton.” I also enjoyed its ability to force Superman to play defense during most of the fight, a pretty smart tactic when you can’t just make someone pound the guy into the ground toe-to-toe.

Art-wise, it’s pretty standard, high-quality fare you tend to see in these kinds of comics. Jesus Merino draws very attractive and expressive human characters, and gives them plenty to do. He also draws a LOT of fire and flames in this issue, which gets a little distracting, even if the entity itself looks pretty neat. I’m not crazy about the new costume redesign, but I imagine I’ll get used to it.

Overall, it’s not bad, but I wasn’t terribly impressed either. I’m not the biggest Superman enthusiast, but even I expected more here. It feels a little too whiny overall, with only a mildly interesting plot so far. I’ll stick around to see how this develops, but I hope things pick up. Recommended.


Superman #2: Flying Blind

I actually liked this cover quite a bit, and it’s not just the fact that Superman’s getting slammed into a building. It’s also the invisible monster doing the slamming, which you have to admit is pretty well done. There’s also not one intense color dominating most of the cover, and with it Superman’s new threads. A definite improvement over the last one.

We’re still seeing a moody, broody Clark on the civilian side of this issue, which I’m beginning to suspect the reason for, but without more context am still not crazy about. Superman, on the other hand, is up against a foe he can’t see, which is made more interesting by the fact that he’s apparently the only one who can’t see the creature. Lois Lane eventually realizes what’s happening, and uses her media skills and influence to keep Superman and the creature in the view of as many cameras and viewscreens as possible so he can fight it, making for a refreshing reversal of their traditional relationship.

I wasn’t so crazy about Lois’s father, not because of his personal dislike of Superman, but basically because he seems like a slightly more cuddly version of Thunderbolt Ross from the Hulk comics, military rank and all. I know there’s no such thing as complete originality, but this was so similar as to be blatant. Finally we’ve got a weird Hispanic homeless guy, who, by issue’s end, appears to be connected to the invisible monster Superman was fighting in the same way the Astrodome security guard was connected to the fire entity from last issue. Their meeting and association links the creatures, and presumably more that will follow, but not in a way we immediately understand.

Visually, I enjoyed the panels where Superman was completely blinded against his adversary. Merino did a good job of depicting Superman struggling against an invisible foe, giving him realistic grips on apparent air, showing impact points from different sides, and just putting poor Supes through the grinder for an issue. The parts where Superman starts using the cameras to his advantage to see the creature while he fights it also make for an interesting perspective.

Overall, things are getting better. The action was a lot more engaging this issue, and as the connection between these adversaries becomes more apparent, it should make the overall arc more engaging. The writing is clever for the fight scenes this time, as is the action depicting them. Highly recommended.


Superman #3: A Cold Day In Hell

I get that the idea with these covers is to feature the villain of the month for a while, which I think I’m cool with for now. This cover is actually pretty nice; the starkness of the white contrasted against Superman’s colorful costume actually emphasizes the threat of this issue’s villain in a big way. Also, the people frozen in the ice look like they’re “running” slightly, implying even more menace.

There’s slightly more explanation for Clark’s personality in this issue, namely that his Earth parents are dead by this point in time, leaving him with presumably less connection to humanity. I wish there’d been some elaboration on how recent the loss was, as its proximity in time should give us an idea whether or not Clark has dealt with it properly.

The connection to this issue’s living ice villain becomes a little more personal when it takes over the body of Clark’s co-worker, reporter Heather Kelley, and also when it freezes a good chunk of the city. Clark’s personal crisis about whether or not he killed Heather by trying to sever her connection to the entity is about what I’d expect in a reaction from Superman, but it gives way (for the reader at least) to a more immediate problem: the aliens, in conversing with each other in their human hosts, seem to be making a connection between Clark Kent and Superman.

Art-wise, you can see a change in the pencilers with this issue. Nicola Scott’s work isn’t any less quality than Merino’s--in fact in some ways it’s better--but I’ve never been a fan of switching out creative teams in the middle of a story. With that said, Scott does a fine job of carrying on the visual support of the narrative, from drawing lots of snow and ice to a somewhat amusing short montage of some of Supes’s past skirmishes.

Overall, I’m still along for the ride, but I hope we pick up more steam from here on out. I understand the need to build a big arc, but without a little more connection or action, it’s easy for your readers to start losing interest. I’m not saying we’re at that point yet, but things really need to kick into overdrive soon or I’m going to be left not caring what happens in this arc. Recommended, with some reservations.

Five Comic Book Movies Coming Out In 2012

Since today was the Super Bowl, traditionally a huge day for new comic book movie trailers (though not so much this year), I thought I'd go ahead and give my two cents on which comic book movies scheduled for release this year will likely get my filmgoing dollars.

I'm  generally pretty picky about when I go to see movies.  They either have to be from a franchise or mythology that I have affection for (think Harry Potter, Transformers, Spider-Man, the Muppets, etc.), or they have to be extremely imaginative, well-marketed, or recommended to me by people I trust (The Social Network, Avatar, and Scott Pilgrim vs. the World [at the time] fit this category for me).  Comic book movies generally fall into the first category for me, but even then it's not always a guarantee that I'll go see it.  I didn't, for example, see Daredevil in the theaters, thank goodness, and I've yet to watch either of the Fantastic Four movies at all.

Five fairly big movies are due out this year, though whether or not they all qualify as comic book movies is up for debate.  It seems like overall it'll be a pretty good year for comic book movies--particularly comic book movies that feature women in black leather.  I'll elaborate below:

• Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance--This one comes out in less than two weeks, and I have to say, it looks to be the least promising of the bunch.  Granted, it seems considerably darker and more serious in tone than its cheesy predecessor, but there are a few moments from the trailers that just look contrived, juvenile, or just plain bad.  Still, I rather did enjoy the first Ghost Rider, so I may give this one a shot despite my misgivings.  At the very least, I'll have plenty of words for the review if it's bad.

Scarlet Johansen in black leather?
Check!

• The Avengers--The only thing that would keep me from seeing this as soon as it releases would have to be a serious medical condition.  Seriously.  I've known--known, this was coming since I stayed behind after the end of Iron Man and saw the post-credits scene in 2008.  Iron Man?  Check.  Hulk?  Not the same actor, but check.  Thor?  Check.  Captain America?  Check.  Plenty of cameos tying their films together to create a unified cinematic universe?  Check.  Awesome writer, creator, comic book fanboy Joss Whedon directing?  Check.  Big, titanic, unknown threat to Earth requiring the formation of a team of heroes who otherwise probably shouldn't be working together?  Check.  This promises to be a superhero team movie extravaganza, and it looks like it will deliver the goods in spades at this point.  It was already a foregone conclusion that plenty of comic book nerds were going to check this one out, but with the premier of today's trailer during the SuperBowl, you can be sure that plenty of others will be joining them in lining up to see this one when it opens in about three months.

• G.I. Joe: Retaliation--Okay, a few things here.  First of all, calling G.I. Joe a comic book franchise is a shaky move, at best.  I remember it as a toy and a cartoon before a comic.  Granted, I wasn't reading comics at the time the cartoon came out, but clearly it existed as a toy line long before that.  Still, it had a significant run as a comic book series, so I suppose I'll give it a pass for that reason.  The next issue is the lackluster performance of the last G.I. Joe film, The Rise of Cobra.  Honestly, aside from watching Snake Eyes's action scenes, I was thoroughly disappointed.  With all of that said, however, I will also say that the trailers for this one look promising, as does the basic premise, in which they're framed and all but a few are killed, then must fight back on their own.  Will it get me into the theaters?  I'm not sure yet.  I'll probably wait to hear some initial reviews and make the call then, but at this point, I'm slightly leaning to yes... barely.

• The Amazing Spider-Man--Anyone who knows me has a pretty good idea that I'll see this one.  I'm a pretty big fan of all things Spider-Man, and thought the previous film franchise was pretty good.  This is a reboot, where they start from scratch again, and it looks like they're going to incorporate story elements that were hardly even considered in the first set of films--most notably the use of Gwen Stacey as a major character.  Its tone appears more subdued and dark than the previous movies as well, which I really like.  Oh, and last but not least, it looks like the Lizard is the main villain in this film--one of Spidey's oldest and, pound for pound, most dangerous foes.  You can bet I'll be in the theaters for this one.

Anne Hathaway in black leather?  Check!

• The Dark Knight Rises--Okay, first of all, if you haven't seen the first two Batman films done by Christopher Nolan, I'm forced to question your competence as a living being.  Seriously, like them or not (and there are people who don't like them), they put an important spin on the Batman mythology that continues to influence the comics every bit as much as they were influenced by them in their creation.  The Dark Knight Rises is the third and final story within this franchise.  Will the brutal new villain Bane break Batman, or worse, eight years after the events of the second movie?   Internal and external conflict abound in this film, and it sets up a mood that suggests that perhaps not everyone who used to be in Bruce's corner is necessarily there anymore.  The realism and premise of this franchise absolutely guarantees that I'll be in the theaters to see how this all plays out, possibly at a midnight premier showing.  Given the popularity of Nolan's work with these films thus far, you can bet I won't be the only one there.

Comic Review: Batman #1-3 / Scott Snyder, Greg Capullo, & Jonathan Glapion

Batman #1

Well, I can definitely get into the cover here.  It's dark, it's desperate... it's Batman facing off against a big crowd of his worst enemies.  Not a bad intro to the issue.

And, as it turns out, the cover isn't lying this time.

The story starts out in Arkham Asylum, with Batman surrounded by a big crowd of his worst enemies, which of course is almost never boring to watch.  His team-up with Dick Grayson's "Joker" is of course just another way to show off Batman's hi-tech toys, which are of course impressive.  It of course makes you wonder just what other gadgets and technological tools Batman has hidden in his narrative arsenal as we kick off this story.

The introduction to the Court of Owls here is handled decently, with a grisly murder pulling Batman away from a party and his unwillingness to even acknowledge the Court even as Harvey Bullock starts to bring them up.  It provides at least a plausible reason for why it's never been brought up before, even if it unavoidably leads to the, "Oh no, not that again!" syndrome that sometimes plagues stories that bring in a new element without ever having acknowledged it in the past.  The ending, though, implying that Dick is the murderer and connected to Bruce Wayne's impending assassination attempt, is a little ridiculous.  Given his publication history, no veteran of these books is ever going to believe that Dick could possibly want Bruce dead.

Art-wise, I enjoy Capullo's designs and pencil work.  He handles Batman and his family and rogues gallery with equal aplomb all around.  Arkham and its denizens look freakish and dirty, while the Bruce Wayne gala and its attendants all look convincingly smooth, polished, and well-to-do.  I think his pencils and Glapion's inks do an excellent job of supporting the narrative and conveying its mood.  Kudos.

Overall, not a bad beginning, though not perfect either.  I'll be eager to see the Court of Owls and how they influence Gotham and pit themselves against Batman.  It makes for a promising initial story arc to the reboot for Batman.  Now we'll just have to see where it goes.  Recommended.

Batman #2

Another cover that actually gives you an idea of some of what's going on in the cover.  The action here is exhilarating, and for good reason.  Batman is playing chicken on a train track with a helicopter.  I am amused.

We get a very in-depth look at Bruce Wayne's relationship to Gotham from his viewpoint, and his many reasons for seeing the city as his.  From his family's building of the city and Old Wayne Tower in the past, to his constant vigilance in protecting the city as Batman in the present day, there's apparently plenty of reason for him to be confident that he knows this city better than anyone else.  The idea of the Court of Owls's existence is anathema to him, as he's the city's best son and its best student.  Nothing happens in his city without his knowledge.

Of course, continued investigation of the murder victim's body suggests they do exist, as does the sudden appearance of an owl-clad assassin to kill Bruce Wayne at the appointed time.  It takes every trick he has to stay alive and evade the killer's wrath, but even then he refuses to believe that the Court exists as anything more than an urban legend.  The assassin awakens from his apparent death while in the ambulance, kills the driver and EMT, and takes off to freedom in the ambulance, leaving a chill as we realize Bruce seems to be very wrong.

I'm also interested to know more about Lincoln March, given his apparent similarities to Bruce Wayne.  I'm hoping he ends up being more or less what he advertises, as opposed to another Tommy Elliot.  He seems like he might know about the Court of Owls, and I'm hoping that, if he becomes an ally, that he's an ally in the form of a regular guy (albeit with connections and money) who really just wants to help protect the city that helped him when he was young.  I think we could use seeing someone like that in this comic.

Old Wayne Tower, the motorcycle-helicopter joust, and the ambulance sequence all look great here.  Capullo can clearly handle action scenes as well as the quieter, more introspective ones where Batman is conducting his investigations.  The assassin, the Talon, is also pretty impressive: fierce, and vicious without even really evincing any expression.  And he just keeps coming, like a Borg or the Terminator.  I like the look of him.

Overall, things keep getting better as the story progresses--this seems to be the norm for the New 52 so far.  As the mystery here deepens, I find myself wanting to know more about the Court of Owls, as well as why Batman knows nothing about them.  The storytelling is tighter than in the last issue, and the illustrations are involving as ever.  Highly recommended.

Batman #3
I'm not too impressed by the blank white background of this cover, but the blacks and reds lend an appropriately stark sense of urgency to Batman's bloody struggle with the Talon in this illustration.  If only there'd been more to the background...


The hunt for the Court of Owls is on in this issue, as we see Batman interrogating the local gangs for information about the Talon, talking to Alfred about his great-grandfather Alan Wayne's senility and to Lincoln March about the Court itself, and finally investigating the possibility of "nests" where the Court has made its bases of operations over time.  Things are kept appropriately chilling and foreboding as we discover that the Court does indeed exist, and has for centuries.  The lead-off bit about Alan Wayne's delirious state shortly before he died was effective in maintaining the mood from the end of the last issue.

The explanations about owls, as they emerge from various sources, also keep things just on the edge of creepy: they're natural predators of bats, they make their nests from the remains of other nests.  Even Lincoln March's warning to Bruce about being so focused on the smaller, more immediate dangers that you can't see the bigger ones that have been close by forever makes my blood chill a little.  When Batman then discovers the various hideouts the Court of Owls has been using over time, it just drives everything home, and we realize he doesn't know Gotham as well as he once believed.

I really enjoyed the various looks of the Court's hideouts over time, established with varying levels of decor and technology to reflect the decade or era in which each was appropriated.  The dark colors in all scenes but the Gotham General Hospital were also impressively suited to the narrative tone in this issue.  We don't see the Talon in this issue until the final panels, but his armor suits over time and his eventual appearance look appropriately awesome and sinister.

Overall, I'm really liking the narrative now.  I'm eager to see how Batman handles the existence of the Court now that he knows it's not just a legend, as well as a rematch between him and the Talon.  Hopefully it'll happen in the next issue.  Looking forward to reading more!  Highly recommended.

GN Review -- Pirate Penguin vs. Ninja Chicken: Troublems With Frenemies / Ray Friesen

As amusing fare for very young comic book fans goes, you can’t get much more promising than Ray Friesen’s creation of Pirate Penguin vs. Ninja Chicken: Troublems With Frenemies.  If the title sounds silly and the illustrations seem wild and cartoony, just wait til you open up the book.

Essentially a collection of many very small strips (1-3 pages apiece on average) and one much larger story, Troublems With Frenemies is about the constant shenanigans of its title characters, who are ostensibly the worst of enemies, but in actuality behave like the best of friends.  Together they fight, tussle, tease, scam, and even help out one another.  In the larger story, Ninja Chicken goes off to a ninja convention while Pirate Penguin stays behind at home, eventually hanging out with Astronaut Armadillo and coming to aid Ninja Chicken when the convention is attacked by a giant monster summoned by Kung-Fu Koala, who despises ninjas.

Quirky, silly, and occasionally clever, this perky pair of crazy characters display a fairly constant schtick, even if their antics may change from strip to strip.  There’s plenty of fun as they fight for often very little reason, prank each other, question each other’s dress and hound one another for favors, and try to obtain goodies like ice cream, gum, and shiny swords.  A short assortment of supporting characters, like Astronaut Armadillo, Kung-Fu Koala, and a pesky pair of pernicious pigeons, add some flavor and occasionally create obstacles for the main characters, always in good fun.

Art-wise, Friesen employs a simple, colorful style with bold lines and distinctive shapes that should easily intrigue young readers.  His animal characters look distinctive from one another, with the possible exception of Ninja Chicken when he’s among his other chicken ninja cousins.  He does a good job of conveying facial expressions with just a couple of lines or well placed shapes, lending his characters moods that support their dialog and keep the action and the hilarity coming.

Overall, this was a highly amusing read that targets its young intended market quite masterfully.  There’s a lot of action and interaction going on for the main characters, and it’s always on the silly side.  I’d recommend this for kids who enjoy humor, pranks, and mischief that isn’t very serious or risque.  Recommended.

Comic Review -- Justice League #1-3 / Geoff Johns, Jim Lee, & Scott Williams

Okay, so I admit I'm a little late to the whole New 52 thing in terms of actually reading the material.  Part of it is that it's taken me a while to give more than a passing glance to any DC properties other than Batman and related works.  Also, finances are a concern--not that I can't afford to start collecting single issue comics again, I just see better uses for my meager income--which kept me from buying them as they came out.  A final reason is that I was one of those people who, upon hearing about the upcoming reboot, thought that DC was shooting themselves in the foot, and was hoping it would fail.

I've since changed my tune, and been surprised at the overwhelmingly favorable assessments of the New 52.  Looking at some issues, I've seen that a lot of the storytelling is very exciting and fresh.  So, with a little help from my local library, I've acquired the single issues of several titles, and figured I'd do some very late and barely relevant reviewing of the issues, starting with the flagship title, Justice League.

Individual issue reviews are a bit problematic for me.  I did one earlier, for Scarlet Spider, but it was the exception rather than the rule (though I'm strongly considering reviewing the next upcoming issue), and I didn't think it'd be a big sin to do a long review for that one.  In the interest of this not being a novella, I'm going to give each issue its own section within the post, and hopefully make them considerably shorter.  That way I can write about the average length overall, and cover multiple issues in one sitting.

Justice League #1

Okay, wow.  The cover alone was awesome, no matter which version you got.  I've said it before, and I'll say it again: Jim Lee does iconic heroes and poses like no one else's business.  Heroic.  Modern classic.  Iconic.  Call it whatever you want, it just looks great.

Overall, this issue did throw me a little bit.  First off was the "This is 5 years ago" premise that we're supposed to remember.  That's not so difficult in and of itself, but then there's the pacing.  We've got Batman being chased over a rooftop and getting shot at by the military while he hunts some alien monster thing and fights it and tries to make it talk about what it's doing in Gotham when Green Lantern shows up and Batman tells him what little he knows of these guys and they decide to go to Metropolis to check out another alien and Superman shows up looking for a fight.

Whew!  It just feels like a whirlwind of mostly action and just enough character interaction to keep things moving onto the next act.  I got to the end of the chapter excited for the next part, but not really feeling like I'd gotten much out of it.  I think a big part of it is that so far, it's just Batman and Green Lantern, with a Superman setup at the end.  No one else.  It's not too much, I think, to expect to find the Justice League assembled, at least by issue's end.  Not that I don't respect the story arc idea--and I realize that Geoff Johns is good at the larger arcs--I'm just uncertain it's the best way to start things off.

Art:  Jim Lee.  Scott Williams.  That is all.

Seriously, I do admire the detail that's gone into the artwork here.  I don't know what it is about Jim Lee's people, but they just look amazing.  Male, female, monstrous, it doesn't matter.  The guys look manly and heroic, the women look beautiful and strong, and the monsters look alien, threatening, and sinister.  Action flows well from their illustrations, which makes this an idea marriage of form to content.

Overall, I'd say get it.  It's the start of the reboot, it's beautifully rendered, and the writing, while a conceptually a little blurry, is nevertheless exciting.  It certainly promises a grand adventure, and I can't wait to see more.  Highly recommended.

Justice League #2

Really?  After last issue's awesome cover, you give your readers this?! I don't know what it is about the cover to Justice League #2, but it really nags at me, in a bad way.  The characters look good, but the posing seems unrealistic and contrived, like a photographer had asked them to hold a battle pose for far too long.  There's no expression on Superman's face.  I just don't like it.

Things seem to slow down a bit from the last issue, which is ironic, as I was expecting a big three-way fight between Bats, Supes, and GL at the end of the previous chapter.  That's stoppered fairly quickly, and Superman's more aggressive temper is on display, as is Hal's cockiness and Bats's keen insights.  We also get introduced to Barry Allen's Flash and Vic Stone, who will become Cyborg, bringing us a little closer to the formation of the team that we're all waiting for.

I also like how people keep bringing up the fact that Batman has no powers.  When asked, "What can you do?" he simply replies, "I can keep us on task."  With a union of these kinds of powers, abilities, and egos, that's far from nothing, and he knows it, even if the others may not.

Art-wise, I continue to be fascinated, for the most part.  From time to time, some of the facial expressions seem strangely blank or not suited to the moment at hand, but it's easy to forget that when you move to the next illustration.  Some of the new venues are interesting, like Barry's police lab and STAR labs, where Vic's dad works, though whether they'll hold up over time remains to be seen.

Overall, I liked this issue.  We're gradually getting more characters involved, and it's starting to feel like a team book.  It's slower paced than last issue, but the interpersonal dynamics--which, face it, is why we read Justice League--are really starting to come through and shine.  Highly recommended.

Justice League #3

"Move over, boys--time to make way for Wonder Woman!"  That's what this cover screams, even as it suggests the very recognizable coming together of the Justice League in combat.  It's a marked improvement from last issue's cover, and breathtaking in the way only Jim Lee could make it.

Wonder Woman gets a charming introduction as a newcomer to our world, curious and gentle even as she flaunts her tough warrior's instincts.  When she finally joins the guys in battle against the alien monster things, there are the predictable yet still humorous reactions from the men at her beauty and power.  It's these kinds of moments that Johns handles well, and as they become more integral to the narrative of this assembling team, I can see the writing getting even better.

We also witness Vic Stone's injuries that necessitate his being made a cyborg by his father, brought on by the creatures' attack of STAR labs.  The sudden concern of Dr. Stone is a little jarring, given how self-involved he'd been up to this point, though it's not flat-out unbelievable.  Realizing you're about to lose someone is often the point when you realize how much you really do care about them, and I think Silas's emotional turnabout is believable, if not exactly smooth.

Favorite line: when Flash says to Batman, "I thought you were a vampire or something."  Hilarious.

Art: LOTS of monsters in this issue, and lots of opportunities for our heroes to show off with some high-powered action.  It's all very dynamic and hectic without being clogged and distracting, which could have very easily happened.  Wonder Woman, of course, was fun to look at, and the rest of the heroes were drawn in typically awesome detail.

Overall, highly recommended.  The story is getting better as the heroes assemble, and the action is intense and fun.  Character moments abound, and I'm getting more involved in seeing where this arc leads.  Bring on the next issue!

Watchmen, Prequels, and Marc Hirsch

It has truly been an interesting week in comics for me, particularly on Comicvine.  A number of topics relevant to the industry and of personal interest to me have been discussed, and while I've taken part in some of them, I've also been content to just lurk on others and watch the dialog roll.  But now that I've had a bit of time to read and digest them, I figure it's a good time to put my two cents out on these issues.

I suppose it's the news about the Watchmen prequels  that's brought most of this to a head for me, for a number of reasons. Watchmen is a comic that I read much later than I should have, and it really blew my mind when I finally got around to it.  It was literary, apocalyptic, genre bending, and an amazing commentary on both the superhero comic and our how our own fears affect us as a culture.  It was indeed one of the milestone reads in comics for me, and if I ever review it, expect me to gush for a while.

I was also asked if I would be commenting on this, and as I have more than one friend who has strong opinions about this franchise, both positive and negative, I figured I should at least share my take on the situation.  Because the good friendships can withstand the most inevitable and passionate of arguments.  :-)

NPR's Marc Hirsch has laid out a few logical sounding reasons for why this is a bad idea and should not happen, and it's doubtless that many other comic book nerds are going to agree with him.  And I can't say I blame them.  The idea of a superhero comic being respected, and in some cases revered, in literary circles, is such a rare thing--why would you want to mess with that, and possibly dilute (or worse yet, taint) it by expanding it with a prequel?  I can understand the need to protect what you perceive as the integrity, nay the sanctity, of a superhero tome that has garnered significant literary acclaim and respect among the mainstream of readers.

That doesn't mean this particular comic book nerd necessarily agrees with them, however.

Don't get me wrong.  I'm not jumping up and down and shouting for joy at the prospect, either.  I'm not sure what I feel about this development, beyond a general astonishment about the announcement.  I do, however, think more than a couple of Hirsch's points bear examination.  To paraphrase them:

• Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons's non-involvement alone means this series is in trouble.

Dead wrong, Marc.  Alan Moore is an amazing writer--he's one of my favorites--but his curmudgeonly manner and smugness are legendary.  He's much like Rorschach himself, as best I can tell: uncompromising, even when common sense dictates the need for it.  His non-involvement in a project based on one of his early works is pretty much par for the course, and hardly an indicator of its likelihood for doom.  As for Gibbons, his quote about telling the complete story they wanted to tell is a perfectly reasonable explanation of why he isn't being involved.  

Furthermore, nothing in the news about this indicates that either of them were even asked.  DC simply might have decided to move on without them in  any case, which is certainly their right as the publisher.  As creators, they have the right to comment on and critique what goes on, but their non-involvement at this point is immaterial to the material's outlook.

• The devaluation of of Watchmen outside of comics fandom is likely due to confusion.

I understand the direction you're going here, but I don't think it really holds up under inspection.  In this age of Google, Wikipedia, smartphones, and ebooks, the potential for confusion--due to the name of the collected works being Before Watchmen--does exist, but is generally a snap to clear up with a modicum of effort.  If I pop "watchmen" into a search engine, chances are huge I'll find entries for the comic, the film, and (likely in the future) Before Watchmen.  They are similar in title, but distinct enough that confusion shouldn't be an issue.  Point of entry confusions are also unlikely; unless this proves as earth-shattering as the original, it will almost certainly live in the shadow of the original, as so many derivative works tend to do.

• DC doesn't get that Watchmen shouldn't be expanded upon, because that was never intended.

Wrong again.  Maybe the original creators didn't intend for it to be expanded upon, but that doesn't mean interesting and relevant stories couldn't possibly made from their material at a later time.  It's been a quarter century, and Watchmen has held up amazingly well.  

I think DC may understand this property better than some will give them credit for.  Watchmen, for all its respectability as a literary work, is a superhero story (a satirical one, but still).  And, like it or not, superheroes tend to be staples within our modern mythology.  Mythologies, by their very nature, are tales that get repeated, reinvented, and expanded upon as necessity dictates.  And that's precisely what DC is going to do with Before Watchmen.

Are there big risks here?  You bet your ass there are.  They'd better make damn sure they know what they're doing, risking, and avoiding by waking this sleeping giant.  Failure would mean so much more than a few scuttled series: Jim Lee and Dan DiDio would need to adopt new identities and give up their comics careers with all the rage that would be directed at them.  The tarnishing of the Watchmen name would be hard to overcome, even with time, among literary circles.  It would be more than not pretty: it would be distinctly disastrous.

And I think DC is aware of that.

They waited 25 years to do this.  They've had time to think it through.  They know the risks, and will keep them in mind when they undertake this challenge.  And it's not like they haven't done this kind of thing before.  When they announced the reboot of the DC universe with the New 52 materials, I thought that was a disaster bound to happen, and for the most part, they've laid my fears to rest.

My final word on this issue, at this point, is the somewhat boring mantra of wait and see.  Wait and see, people.  They're going to do this--there's little chance of turning back now.  There's plenty to fear about it, but if you consider the rewards that could come with successfully extending Watchmen...

Well, let's just see if anyone can write about that instead of the potential pitfalls.