Batman Beyond Unlimited #3, by J.T. Krul (writer), Howard Porter (pencils), John Livesay (inks), Randy Mayor (colors), Saida Temofonte (letters); Adam Beechen (writer), Norm Breyfogle (artist), Andrew Elder (colorist), Saida Temofonte (letterer) for "The Trigger Man"; Derek Fridolfs and Dustin Nguyen (writers), Nguyen (pencils), Fridolfs (inks), Randy Mayor (colors), Saida Temofonte (letters) for "Konstriction" - If you look at the credits for the latter two stories, Nguyen is credited as cover artist, but I'm pretty sure that's Porter and Livesay's work on the cover. Not that I wouldn't prefer Nguyen, but whoever put in the credits needed to get off autopilot.So they added a Superman story to the mix. Whatever. It involves Superman flying around and wondering if there's any place for him, in Metropolis or on Earth, and we learn Lex Luthor has a daughter. Or the silver card claims she's his daughter. With Lex, who knows. I don't really need to read a story about mopey Superman, partially because I think he'd have continued to make friends throughout his life. Not that he wouldn't miss his parents, or especially Lois (I notice Jimmy Olsen isn't listed among the deceased, interesting), but there would be other people to keep him connected. Porter's artwork seems more stiff than I remember from JLA or The Ray. It's all awkward poses and no energy, everyone has either a really long neck, or shoulders that slope at an unusually steep angle. It's off-putting.Also, there's one bit of dialogue (That one knows how to make an entrance though; I'll give him that) which feels like it should be in Superman's thought captions, but is in a voice bubble for one Metropolis' new super-cops.
In the Batman story, Mad Stan gets away, but has agreed to a swap with the arms dealer: Their supplies for his dog. Bruce expects Terry to deal with it, but Dana showed up asking for help with her brother, so what's Terry to do? Also, Max missed out on a chance to tell Terry what she's mixed up in, as she's finally getting a sense this is too big for her alone. So a little advancement across multiple plot lines, which isn't bad. One of the things I liked about Breyfogle's Batman was how he'd have that huge cape, this source of shadows obscuring his body, which made him this almost supernatural force of darkness. Terry doesn't have a cape so that won't work, but what Breyfogle and Elder seem to be doing is making him this slim, dark shape, everything ending in a point. More like an actual creature that would hunt in the night, which is still effective, but works as a sign of differences between Bruce and Terry.
Over in the JLA story, Amanda Waller breaks down what Kobra's after, which is not the Midgard Serpent, but close enough. It's still a big snake thing that will end the world, though it has to destroy New Genesis first, because their scriptures say so. Which sounds a little dodgy. Is Granny Goodness up to something again, a repeat of her taking over the Amazons?
Resurrection Man #8, by Dan Abnett and Andy Lanning (writers), Fernando Dagnino (artist), Jeromy Cox (colors), Rob Leigh (letters) - I like the color scheme from the Death portion of that cover carries over into the shadows being cast by Mitch's fleeing form. Very nice touch.Mitch is trying to learn about who he used to be. Unfortunately his quiet day at the library is interrupted. First by private investigator Kim Rebecki, using her psychometric abilities to track him down. Then by the Butcher, a necromancer who killed people to find Shelly. Mitch tries to avoid dying, doesn't pull it off, but comes back to life right as the Butcher was trying to use the power Mitch's death had provided him. The power went away, and the Butcher burned himself out. Before Mitch can take advantage of the fact Kim knows about who he used to be, the people who hired her show up. That would be the Suicide Squad.
This was a quietly solid issue. Not great, but I like that even as Mitch focuses on trying to learn who he is, the various forces interested in him aren't content to wait. I don't know who the Butcher is working for, and if he's really gone, it may be a moot point. Although, what if it were Constantine? He's kind of a bastard, right? I could see him justifying sending a monster like that after someone if he thought it was the right move. Why he would think that, I don't know, but I'm just spitballing here. More likely one of the afterlife realms contacted the necromancer and promised him his soul back if he eliminated Mitch once and for all.
Rocketeer Adventures 2 #2, by Tom Taylor (story), Colin Wilson (art), Dave Stewart (colors), Robbie Robbins (letters) for "Work to Do"; Paul Dini (story), Bill Morrison (art), Serban Cristescu (colors), Chris Mowry (letters) for "Betty's Big Break"; Walter Simonson (story), John Paul Leon (art), Dave Stewart (colors), Shawn Lee (letters) for "Autograph" - That's a sweet image on the cover, with the exhaust making a heart shape, but the dog's face is freaking me out.In "Work to Do", Cliff's fighting on the European Front, and after being knocked for a loop by some contraption, rushes a wounded soldier back to an aid station before returning to fight the war machine. Cliff's voice is off somehow, too calm, but the idea behind the story, that Cliff really doesn't like being in the middle of this war, even though he knows he needs to be there, is a good one. Colin Wilson's art is solid, the war scenes look suitable ugly and grimy, and Dave Stewart's colors add to that. Cliff's helmet doesn't shine like it sometimes does, the soldier is a very pale grey, getting across how poorly he's doing.
"Betty's Big Break" involves Cliff not trusting Betty on the set of her first supporting role, going to spy on her, and then saving her when the special effects guys overdo it on the explosives. The catch being, because the studio is so cheap, they didn't redo the shot and there's the Rocketeer on film, exposing Cliff's chicanery to Betty. Which is as it should be. Cristescu's colors are much brighter and more vivid than Stewart's were on the previous story, which makes sense. This is a more lighthearted tale, and it's a movie serial being filmed, sort of cheesy and unrealistic, everything exaggerated. Though I guess the film wasn't in color, but you get my point.
"Autograph" has Cliff saving Judy Garland from some kidnappers while he's waiting on Betty to get back from seeing Judy Garland put her handprints in the cement outside that Chinese Theater. Which she wouldn't have gotten to see if Cliff hadn't rescued Garland, so I guess he came through for Betty on that one. Bound to happen eventually. I think this might have been my favorite of the three. Not sure why, maybe because Cliff did something for Betty that didn't involve rescuing her. Some of Shawn Lee's lettering for the sound effects was pretty good, the scrheech of the car curving out from the tires to where Cliff stood, for example. John Paul Leon has this nice trick he uses a couple of times where Cliff's exhaust trail is rendered all in white, and it comes out of the gutters between two panels. Kind of showing the reader how there's action going on between that panels because here's the Rocketeer flying from those gutters into the next panel.
No spectacular books, but all solidly good books, which is nice. Will tomorrow be as fortunate? Eh, probably not.
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