Superman #23.3 H'el Review

Writer: Scott Lobdell
Artist: Dan Jurgens

As a whole this series has been a bit disappointing, as although it has had some brilliant moments, it has been overshadowed by the even more brilliant Superman series, Superman: Unchained, Action Comics, and Batman/Superman. I am however still slightly excited about the upcoming Krypton Returns story, having also been slightly looking forward to this issue.

Plot

H'el has returned to Krypton, but at a much earlier time than when he left the planet.

Review

This was overall quite a poor issue, as although the story itself was good I felt that it was a bit unnecessary. As I said though the story was decent, and Scott Lobdell should be slightly praised on that. At the same time I felt that he missed the point of Villains Month completely, as the issue focused too much on Jor-El, and not enough on H'el himself. The issue also did the same as other Villains Month issues have done by setting up future events, as although I don't have a huge problem with that, I do when it takes away from the central character too much. Lobdell did however also give some drama, and suspense in this issue, and although it was far from good, it wasn't quite horrible.

The artwork on this issue was however much better, and easily the best thing about this issue as Dan Jurgens did an outstanding job on this issue. The detail in Jurgens artwork was near perfect, as bar the odd imperfection everything simply looked phenomenal, as you'd expect from Jurgens. The layouts were also amazing, as they added an unique style to the issue, making it feel more spectacular, also adding more depth. Jurgens also did a brilliant job of handling the characters expressions and emotions throughout this issue, with it also making the issue feel more lively. Hi-Fi would also do a phenomenal job of colouring this issue, with his colours working perfectly with Jurgens artwork.

I was happy to see H'el back in a Superman comics, as although H'el on Earth was a very inconsistent story, the character interested me a lot. I did however feel that he didn't get used properly in this issue, as due to it being a set-up for the upcoming Krypton Returns it didn't allow quite as much focus on H'el as a character. I also felt that he was overshadowed by Jor-El in this issue, as although I like Jor-El it isn't his name on the cover. I did however enjoy seeing the change in attitude that He'l would have throughout this issue, and loved seeing his reactions to certain parts of the plot, even though it wasn't anything special.

I've already mentioned how Jor-El took too much time in this issue, but I'll now go into what I liked and about his appearance besides that. Seeing more of Jor-El has been something that I've enjoyed since the New 52 started, as although he's not always featured in amazing stories, it's nice to see more of him, and with the modern look. The things I liked most about Jor-El in this issue was how Lobdell showed his intellect, as he'd notice things that the other members of the Kryptonian Science Council would laugh at. I also loved H'el would learn new things about his mentor, though at the end of the day although there are a lot of positives I still think that he should have took more of a back seat to H'el.

What this means for Krypton Returns? I've already said how this does a lot of set-up work for Krypton Returns, and although that takes away from this issue quite a lot, in the long run it might actually help the upcoming storyline. I say this as without going into details, we get a lot of impactful developments in this issue, all of which lead to the upcoming story, and although this issue has left me slightly sceptical over the upcoming story, I hope that this set-up helps make it into something amazing.

Final Verdict

This was a very poor issue that has taken away some of the excitement that I had for the upcoming Krypton Returns crossover. It did however have some amazing artwork by Jurgens, as well as a half decent story, though overall it didn't quite work with the Villains Month concept, focusing too much on Jor-El rather than H'el, also being more to much of a set-up issue. Given all this I'd not recommend getting this issue, and that only people who are going to get Krypton Returns should consider it.

Rating: 4/10

Teen Titans #17 Review

Writer: Scott Lobdell & Fabian Nicieza

Artist: Eddy Barrows

This has been a very unpredictable series when it comes to the quality of story, but I've still enjoyed it. and it's a really fun series. Now that Death of the Family is out the way I hope that it can keep to a more consistent quality level, and hopefully a high one at that.

Plot

Red Robin (Tim Drake) has decided to treat his fellow teammates by buying their own headquarters in the form of a boat.

Review

This issue wasn't anywhere near as good as the previous issue, but to be honest I never expected it to be. To be fair though I would also expect this not to be a brilliant issue as it's a prologue to a new story. Scott Lobdell, and Fabian Nicieza did a really good job on this issue, and the upcoming stoyline looks as if it might be interesting. I really liked Nicieza's work on Tim in the past, both in the Robin, and Red Robin series, so I have been happy to see him on board this series. Anyway the story itself was a bit poor, and slow. The main reason I think that it's like this is because after all the crazy stuff that's happened to the Teen Titans the writers wanted to give them some time to themselves before the next big story. Although this helps keep the reality of the series, whilst also developing the overall team it does mean that the issue overall will be a little slow, and not very exciting. I do however have high hopes that we will see a decent to good storyline coming, and will be disappointed if it's not.

This issue marked the start of new artist Eddy Barrows. Having read Nightwing (which former Titans artist Brett Booth's moving to) I know that Barrows is a very good artist. Although I liked Barrows working on Nightwing, and Booth working on this series, it's still nice to see them swap series', as it gives some variety. The detail in Barrows art was brilliant, as everything looked fully detailed, and wonderful, even the minor details were terrific. I did however notice that Barrows artwork makes some of the characters look a bit different. This isn't a bad thing, I actually quite like it, as the characters look more realistic, and unique. I'm also surprised that I actually like Barrows art more than any of the artists that have worked on this series, even Booth's. I say that I'm surprised cause if I was to compare Barrows' art on Nightwing to Booth's art on this series Booth's would win, but I think that this series suits Barrows artwork more, and cause of that I hope that Booth's artwork suits Nightwing more.

I actually liked that the Titans got a chance to relax, and get to spend some time with each other, apart from in battle I mean. Although it slowed the story down it was nice to see, and now that they have fancy new headquarters, which is a boat it shows that they are becoming a well oiled unit. Another reason I was happy about this sequence was that I'd been begging for more interaction between the characters for a while now, as although Tim, Superboy, and Wonder Girl (Cassie Sandsmark) have interacted slightly, and Kid Flash (Bart Allen), and Solstice have interacted, with Bunker interacting with everyone now and then, they haven't really had the chance to relax as a team.

It was interesting to see that Superboy has still not returned to the team. I know that he's busy helping Superman in H'el on Earth, but I kinda half expected him to return this issue. It does however make sense that he stays away until H'el on Earth's finished, as it keeps the timeline in sync. Also after reading this issue I wonder where Superboy will be sleeping, as Tim showed every character where they where sleeping, and it looked like there was nowhere left. I know he didn't want to stay with the Titans before, but I thought that was to do with them staying in a LexCorp building, but I thought that he'd stay with them now. There could be an easy explanation that either he's still wanting to keep to himself living arrangement wise, or that there are more beds.

WARNING: SPOILER AHEAD!

Another thing that caught my eye in this issue was that Tim was a bit of a womaniser. It has looked as if Tim and Cassie might have a relationship, but for him to be kissing Solstice, and then kissing Cassie is a bit out of character for Tim. I won't say any more about the facts as to avoid overly spoiling the issue, but it was weird, and I look forward to seeing this side of Tim develop, and also for it to get explained. In saying that I also found it weird that Solstice let him kiss her. She's been kind of having a relationship with Kid Flash, and although she mentions this to Tim it doesn't appear to prevent he from letting him continue, which leaves questions about her character.

Finally I'll talk about the new character introduced in this issue. Although she doesn't appear until the end she was also featured on the cover so it's not much of a spoiler. The new character is Raven. I don't know much about Raven, but I do know that she was a long time member of the Teen Titans prior to the New 52, and had a dark side to her. This begs the question in the New 52 is she a friend to the Titans, or a foe. I for one will be looking forward to finding out, and seeing what he role in the upcoming story will be. The villain Dr. Light also appeared in this issue so I will defiantly be looking forward to seeing the conflict between him, and Raven, whatever form it comes in.

Final Verdict

Although not a brilliant issue this was still a good issue. It's nice to see the Titans interact with each other in a relaxed environment for a change, but it did slow the issue down a bit. I would however still recommend this issue, and the series, and am looking forward to the next issue, as this new story looks very interesting.

Rating: 3.5/5

Red Hood and the Outlaws #17

Writer: Scott Lobdell
Artists: Ardian Syaf, Robson Rocha & Ken Lashley

Overall I've been really enjoying this series. Since Jason Todd came back from the dead way back in Under the Hood I've became a big fan of the character, and think that he's being used a lot better now as Red Hood than he was when he was Robin, so I was ecstatic when this series came out. Okay it's not been perfect, but apart from last issue most of the series has been very good.

Plot

In the aftermath of Death of the Family Red Hood is at Wayne Manor with his fellow Outlaws, Arsenal (Roy Harper), and Starfire coming to pick him up whilst he says his goodbye's to the Bat-Family.

Review

This issue was brilliant and one of the best in the series so far. To be honest after the disastrous last issue this is exactly what this series needed, as I along with many other Red Hood fans would be very upset if it got into a similar type of phase to Scott Lobdell's other series Teen Titans. Luckily it's not and Lobdell has produced something fabulous. For an aftermath issue this was very well written, and had lots of emotions in it. It also had some humor, and reminiscing which was nice, and it sets the next RHATO story up nicely. I really hope that Lobdell can continue in this manor, and that he involves other members of the Bat-Family more often in the series, but without ruining the Outlaws as team.

The art in this issue was fantastic, but first of all I have to talk about the cover. There have been a few covers inspired by the famous page from A Death in the Family, but this has to be my favourite. Mico Suayan has done an amazing job with the cover, and despite all the wonderful details I love that the actual image has Batman holding a dead Red Hood in his arms the same way as he held Jason when he died in A Death in the Family, with the reflection shown a more modern take on the image from that actual even, with Jason as Robin. The interior art was from three different people, former Batgirl artist Ardian Syaf, Robson Rocha, and Ken Lashley. As I've said in the past I'm usually not happy when multiple artists work on the same issue, but this time I wasn't too bothered. The only artist that I've seen work from in the past is Syaf, so I was able to recognize his art, but having not seen either of the other two artists work before I wasn't sure which lot of art was which. It didn't really matter as I preferred Syaf, who gave the same style he used in Batgirl, which actually really suited this series. Overall most of the art was very detailed, with the odd imperfection, but I still liked it all the same. I would however like to see Syaf as a regular artist on this series, as since Kenneth Rocafort left the series Syaf's art has been the best.

I loved the way this issue opened with the surprise discovery from Roy, and Starfire that Jason is still alive. I also liked this as it shows that despite being a Death of the Family aftermath issue it's still an Outlaws issue, and that despite the issue being focused on Jason, and his interaction with the remaining members of the Bat-Family they will still be involved.

The thing I liked the most about this series was Jason's interaction with the Bat-Family. Being the main part of the issue it was bound to be one of my favourite parts, and if I didn't like it the issue would have been very dull. I've been wanting to see Jason interact with the Bat-Family ever since the series started, and although I've loved seeing him, Roy, and Starfire working as a team, and don't want that to stop anytime soon, I was still wanting to see some Bat-Family involvement. From his interaction with current Robin Damian Wayne to first Robin and current Nightwing Dick Grayson, butler Alfred, and final all dark an brooding Batman himself, Bruce Wayne, all being very interesting. The most interesting of all these however was obviously Batman. Although his conversation with Dick was also interesting (will talk a little more on that later) his conversation with Bruce was was the one I'd wanted to see. The thing I think that made the conversation between these two so good was the briefness of it. Jason has been very stubborn since coming back from the dead, hating Bruce for not killing Joker, and has been trying to avoid him since (at least as far as the New 52 has shown), so it was natural that the two wouldn't speak much. The conversation they had was however very interesting, and without spoiling it, it was something that Jason had to get of his chest.

Jason's conversation with Dick was also very interesting. This conversation was something else that I'd seen coming for a while. Although I've not read anything that shows this myself, through reading background history, and flashbacks in the New 52 I know that Dick used to be in a relationship with Starfire, so it was a matter of time before this was focused on a bit more. Although it doesn't delve much into the matter it does show that it's there, and shows potential for further development of this in the future.

The only thing that I was a bit confused with in this issue was the absence of Red Robin (Tim Drake), the only member of the Bat-Family that Jason is able to talk to on a more regular basis (although not regular, a lot more regular that the remaining members of the Bat-Family). After the two having a crossover during Death of the Family it's natural that they won't have an encounter any time soon, but with this type of story I'd have thought that it would. The reasoning for this will probably be shown in the new issue of Teen Titans next week, and it will most likely be that he's not returned to Wayne Manor since.

The only thing I felt negative about the issue was the ending. Don't get me wrong there isn't actually anything wrong with the ending, and in fact it was very well written, but the problem I have is that it's already been stated what might have happened to Jason, and I think it would have been more of a surprise if it wasn't mentioned in interviews, or solicits. I however won't mention what happens so I don't spoil it for anyone that knows nothing about the future of the series, but will repeat that it would have been better if nobody knew prior to this.

Final Verdict

One of the best issues in the series so far this is a phenomenal issue. I'd highly recommend both this issue, and most of the series (although if you're getting most you might as well get them all, as there are only a couple of poor issues).

Rating: 4.5/5

Teen Titans #16 Review

Writers: Scott Lobdell & Fabian Nicieza
Artist: Brett Booth

I have enjoyed this series since it started over a year ago, and although it's had a few bumps along the way, it's still been a very fun series. I was looking forward to this part in the Death of the Family crossover, as it also has this series crossing over with Red Hood and the Outlaws, something I wanted to see, especially considering Scott Lobdell writes both.

Plot

This issue sees Red Robin (Tim Drake) facing of against Red Hood (Jason Todd) in a fight to the death, with their fathers on the line.

Review

This was a brilliant issue, and probably the best in the series so far. Scott Lobdell, and Fabian Nicieza have done a terrific job on this issue, and after Red Hood and the Outlaws #16 being terrible, I was dreading that this issue would follow suit. Gladly it didn't and it was truly a marvelous issue. Lobdell produced a brilliant plot for this issue, with Nicieza doing a phenomenal script. All the characters were handled brilliantly in this issue, something that's not always happened in the past, and it also didn't entirely focus on the Red's, which I liked.

Brett Booth once again did a truly phenomenal job on the artwork, and I will be sad to see him leave this series. I will however gladly greet him on Nightwing, as well as former Nightwing artist Eddy Barrows joining this series, and I think the swap in artists will make the series' more fresh, and dynamic, as sometimes having the same artist for a long time can make a series stale (although it's not happened with Booth or Barrows so far). Booth did however finish with a bang, as he did nothing short of perfection on this issue. I've always loved his art, and if you see his art in this issue you can see why. His style is very unique, whilst fitting in with the series' he works on, and I think he could do a brilliant job on any series. He draws all the characters perfectly, but I mostly enjoy how he draws Joker, and the Red's. I also have to give a lot of credit to Andrew Dalhouse, as his colours in this issue are phenomenal, and really give the tone, and feeling this series needs.

Brotherly love. To older readers it may be strange seeing Tim and Jason having a brotherly bond, but I for one have enjoyed it. There will be a lot of people who will dislike this as Tim and Jason actually kind of hated each other prior to the New 52, and it was Nightwing (Dick Grayson) that Tim had a brotherly bond with. It made a lot of sense then because Jason was out of the picture for so long, but now I actually think it's better having Tim and Jason have the bond, as Jason really needs someone from the Bat-Family that he can connect with, and Tim is the best candidate, as he still doesn't forgive Batman (Bruce Wayne), he's never really liked Dick, and Robin's (Damian Wayne) characteristics would clash with Jason. Plus also Bruce has Damian as a partner, and although Dick mainly works solo he still has a close connection with Batgirl (Barbara Gordon), so having Tim and Jason having a brotherly bond pairs them of nicely. Plus Tim wanted to be Red Robin, and not Robin to respect Jason's memory, which has to count for something. Anyway I was always looking forward to this as they'd already acknowledged that they were friends, and with Lobdell writing both series' there wasn't any reason not to have them crossover. I also hope that they have some involvement with each other in the future, whether in a crossover or not, as despite this being good it wasn't necessarily the best circumstances.

The fight itself was amazing, and I loved how shocked Tim was when Jason pulled his gun on him. What I really liked about this fight was that both characteristics were shown perfectly, as you could see the reluctance in both of them, whilst seeing their individual characteristics. You see Jason jumping in feet first, not wanting to take anything for granted, whilst Tim was only fighting to survive, giving himself time to figure everything out, both of which I liked. Booth also did an amazing job of the art in this sequence as it was very dynamic, and showed the emotions between both characters perfectly. I also loved Joker's involvement in this sequence, and liked that he was goading them on, taking nothing but amusement from the Red's predicament.

The only thing I disliked in this issue was that there was a point in the middle that was focused on setting up future events. Don't get me wrong I'm interested in these events, and if done properly they could produce some fabulous stories, but there is a time and a place for things like this, and this wasn't the time. A similar thing happened in RHATO #16, and to me they just feel forced, and could easily wait till the next issues.

Final Verdict

This issue was phenomenal, and the best in the series so far. The fight between the Red's doesn't disappoint, and it's a fitting conclusion to what's been a sketchy crossover (the Teen Titans and RHATO crossover, not Death of the Family). I would highly recommend this issue, and hope that the series continues to be as good.

Rating: 4.5/5

Red Hood and the Outlaws #16 Review

Writer: Scott Lobdell
Artist: Timothy Green II

This has been a very good series, and I have really enjoyed it, but this issue is disappointing. Scott Lobdell has done a brilliant job making this series very fun, but there have been a few imperfections along the way, and a few disappointments.

Plot

This issue sees Arsenal (Roy Harper) lead the Teen Titans, along with his fellow Outlaw, Starfire in rescuing all the people infected with Joker Venom. The only problem is that certain members of the Teen Titans aren't overly fond of having Arsenal bossing them around.

Review

This was a very disappointing issue. I was expecting a lot, especially following a very decent start in the last issue, but unfortunately it didn't continue that way. I have always tried to give Lobdell the benefit of the doubt in the past, as although not all his writing has been brilliant, most of the time it's fun. He's really disappointed me, as I was hoping for an epic crossover between this series, and Teen Titians, but unfortunately it's been a bit of a mess. Although I liked seeing the Outlaws and the Teen Titans meet, it could have been much better, and could have had a lot more thought put into it. I do however hope that Lobdell puts this series back on track following this issue, as it's been a very good series so far, and I would hate to see it continue being this poor.

I wasn't too sure if I liked the art in this issue or not. Timothy Green II did do a great job, and I loved his art in the last issue, but I didn't as much this time. The way he draws both the Outlaws, and the Teen Titans is brilliant, and although it could have been better, it was still good. It was his art on the people infected with Joker Venom that I didn't like, as it looks too cartoonish, which doesn't suit the story, and very unrealistic. Although some people may like this style of art, I personally don't think it suits this issue, and would have preferred the Joker Venom infected left out, or a different artist. Green II did however do a decent job of putting detail in his artwork, and although it had it's few imperfections it was still very well done.

Although the story could have been better, I actually enjoyed seeing Arsenal take charge, and in a big way. I always expected to see him lead the Outlaws at one point or another, but I never expected him to lead the Teen Titans, let alone at the same time. I especially liked the way Arsenal reacted with the Teen Titans, and more so how they reacted back. It was interesting the clash in personalities between him, and Wonder Girl, as he was the person taking charge, whereas she was the person most of the Teen Titans looked at for leadership. The interaction I liked the most however was Arsenal, and Bunker, which was slightly amusing.

Starfire also had a decent presence in this issue, and I especially liked her interaction with Solstice. I would however have liked to have seen a bit more of her in this issue, as besides this most of the story focuses on Arsenal, and the Teen Titans.

There was also a couple of unexpected appearances in this issue from Deathstroke, and Hugo Strange. Although it was nice seeing them, it was a bit random, and could have waited till Death of the Family was over. I am however looking forward to seeing a further appearance of them in this series, and a little more explanation as to why they're making an appearance. I will also be disappointed if I have to wait a long time to see them in this series again, as it would make their appearance in this issue even more redundant.

I saved my biggest complaint till last, which is the fact that Red Hood (Jason Todd) doesn't make an appearance. Although I liked seeing a issue that had more spotlight on Roy, it didn't half come at a bad time. With a storyline like Death of the Family, which features Joker, it's the perfect opportunity to have Red Hood face Joker. With all the past they had, mainly Joker killing him, I was expecting a brilliant story, and the fact he's barely made an appearance, and no effort in the story so far upsets me. All I can hope for is that both Red Hood, and Red Robin (Tim Drake) have a huge part in Teen Titans #16 which is out next week, and that this disappointing crossover ends with an epic bang.

Final Verdict

This was a very disappointing issue, and will defiantly disappoint Red Hood fans. I would only recommend this issue to anyone who's been following this series, or Death of the Family, but it would be pointless to get it otherwise, and isn't a good jumping on point. I would however also recommend it to anyone who's read Teen Titans #15, as although I personally disliked it they may like it, although I still caution them against it.

Rating: 2.5/5

Superman #15 Review

Writer: Scott Lobdell
Artist: Kenneth Rocafort

Since Scott Lobdell, and Kenneth Rocafort took over as the creative team on this series it has been a lot better than it had been, and I am happy that Superman is once again a respectable series. The H'el on Earth storyline itself has also been very decent, and I love that you can enjoy any of these series' without reading the others (and not getting confused), whilst also getting a much more enjoying experience reading the entire crossover event.

Plot

This issue sees Superman, and Superboy locked out of the Fortress of Solitude by H'el. Superman and Superboy then head to a prison to visit it's sole prisoner, Lex Luthor.

Review

This was another decent issue in the H'el on Earth crossover, but I felt that it was a bit slow, and not as good as the previous issue. It also didn't really feel like it was fully connected to the crossover, as besides it being the center of most of the conversations it didn't really move the story forward. I still think that Lobdell did a decent job, and it is still miles better than the series was prior to him joining. Although it felt slightly forced I liked the involvement of Lex Luthor in this issue, and think that Lobdell wrote him very well, although I'll talk more about that later. Although it didn't move the story any further forward, I did like that it was still mentioned, and that it eventually set-up the next part of H'el on Earth brilliantly, whether it's this series, or the others.

The art was once again fabulous, and Rocafort did an amazing job. It's been a long time since Superman has had a mind-blowingly brilliant artist, and I'm, happy it has one, once more. It doesn't matter what Rocafort draws, it always looks beautiful, and I really think he could jump on any series, and make it look good, and he proves why in this issue, drawing all the characters brilliantly, as well as the backgrounds, and settings. I loved Rocafort's art on Red Hood and the Outlaws, but I feel that he's much more suited on this series, as despite his work on RHATO being fantastic, his art on this series makes it look average. I also loved that when he draws Superman and Superboy next to each other that Superboy actually looks like a boy. It's weird saying that this was a surprise, but due to the settings Superboy has been in so far in the New 52, as well as the characters he's interacted with it's easy to forget that he's meant to look young, but Rocafort show's it perfectly here.

Superman and Superboy Bonding

I loved the way Superman, and Superboy interacted throughout this issue, as it really shows the differences in their characteristics. Although it wasn't mentioned much, if at all, it was still noticeable that Superboy being a clone drove their feelings for each other. It was interesting to see what Superboy thought of Superman throughout this issue, as he was appreciative for Superman twice saving his life, but made it clear that he wasn't invested in Superman's affairs, or his family (Supergirl). I also liked that Superman was wary of Superboy, due to him being a clone, and that he wanted to keep him near by, for the foreseeable future. The most interesting conversation between Superman, and Superboy was when Superboy asked Superman if he wanted the help of the Teen Titans. The thing that was interesting about this was that Superman wasn't fond of the idea of a bunch of teenage superhuman's going about unsupervised. I will now be looking forward to seeing when/if Superman will confront the Teen Titans, and what series it will be in.

Visitors for Mr. Luthor

As I said earlier, I liked the involvement of Lex Luthor, and thought that Lobdell wrote him brilliantly, showing him as the brilliant, self centred, arrogant genius that he is. The thing that I liked the most about this sequence was the interest that Luthor has in Superboy. I've not read all the Superboy series, so I don't know if it's been confirmed that the human part of his DNA was from Luthor, like it was before the New 52, but this meeting shows that this is the case, and that Luthor knows it. If it is the case I will be looking forward to both Superboy's and Superman's reactions to this. The conversation about H'el was also interesting, and I found it especially interesting that despite Luthor being in jail he knew everything that was happening between H'el and Superman. I also liked that at the beginning of this issue, Luthor had built a mini replica of the Fortress of Solitude, reflecting the fact that Superman, and Superboy are locked out of it. I hope that we see Luthor in this series sometime in the future, whether it's in this storyline or not, and hope that it's sooner rather than later.

Enter the Justice League

The Justice League also made an appearance in this issue when Superman calls on them for help. They don't do much, but their appearance alone shows that the upcoming events in this storyline will be epic, whether they're brilliant, or not. I also liked that Lobdell put in a small mention about the Superman/Wonder Woman relationship, which started in Justice League #12, and that it's a secret to the Justice League, although one member knows (Batman). There was also an acknowledgement of this in the last issue, but it was nice to see it mentioned again, especially considering Wonder Woman featured in the issue. This also makes me wonder if there relationship will play any future role in this series, as although Lobdell stated that he wants to focus on Clark, and Lois Lane's relationship, it appears that Superman, and Wonder Woman's might play a role. The main thing I liked about the Justice Leage's appearance was Superboy's reaction to them, especially when he asked Flash if he was Man Flash, due to Kid Flash (who Flash doesn't know of since the events of Flashpoint, and the beginning of the New 52) being on the Teen Titans.

Final Verdict

This was a brilliant issue, and although it doesn't progress the H'el on Earth storyline much it was still a fabulous issue. I would highly recommend this issue, as well as the other issues of Superman, Lobdell's wrote, and am looking forward to the next part of H'el on Earth. Although you don't need to buy Superboy #15 to understand this issue, I'd still recommend it, as it shows why Superboy's wearing Superman's Kryptonian Armour, and was a decent comic in it's own right.

Rating: 4/5

Teen Titans #15 Review

Writer: Scott Lobdell
Artist: Brett Booth

This has been a very fun series, but overall inconsistent, with some good issues and some poor. I was hoping that it's part in the Death of the Family crossover, and that due to it crossing over with Red Hood and the Outlaws, that it would put the series back on course, and although it has, it still wasn't quite as good as I hoped.

Plot

This issue sees the Teen Titans enlist Batgirl's help following Red Robin's kidnapping at the hands of the Joker (which happened at the end of the last issue). As Kid Flash speeds around Gotham City, trying to find any clues to Joker's whereabouts, he doesn't realise he's making things worse.

Review

This was a very good issue, and better than the last couple of issues. Scott Lobdell has done a brilliant job of introducing this series into the Death of the Family crossover, and setting up the meeting between the Teen Titans and the Outlaws. Although I was hoping for this to follow-on from Red Hood and the Outlaws #15 it was probably a good idea to have both this issue, and Red Hood and the Outlaws finish in a similar way. I think that this was a good idea, because there will be people who read this series, and not read RHATO, so if this was a direct follow-up then they may have been confused, and if this issue does in fact continue in RHATO #16, at least they've been warned. I also loved that Lobdell kept the other members of the Teen Titans in this issue, as over the last few issues we've only seen Red Robin. Superboy, and Wonder Girl. At the same time I am also happy that Superboy isn't in this issue, as that would clash with the events of H'el on Earth.

I was extremely happy that Brett Booth was back to do the artwork on this issue, and am happy that he will be doing the art on the other Teen Titans issue featured in Death of the Family. It is however a shame that he won't be staying on after this story, and I hope that he comes back to do artwork on this series sometime in the future. The minute I opened this issue I remembered why I initially loved this series, as although this series has had decent artists in Booth's absence, none have even came close to being as good as him. There was only one thing I had a small complain with about Booth's art, and that was Joker's face. Don't get me wrong, he did a fabulous job of drawing Joker, it was just that it was hard at times to tell that he was wearing a mask, as he looked like normal Joker. If it wasn't for prior knowledge, as well as the straps, and hooks at the side I wouldn't have realised it was a mask. Besides this Booth's art was amazing, and I loved the way he drew all the characters, and especially how he drew Batgirl, as she was perfectly drawn, and looked exactly like she does in own series, as sometimes characters in guest roles don't reflect their own series, but she did brilliantly. I also have to say that DC have done a brilliant job of keeping continuity since launching the New 52, and that most guest characters look like they do in their own series, and follow the same timeline (give or take an event).

Batgirl's Help

Batgirl's guest appearance in this issue was brilliant. Although it was advertised in the solicit I was more excited in seeing Batgirls appearance after it was mentioned in RHATO #15. Although Joker's been getting about a lot over this crossover, I've also noticed that Batgirl herself has been getting about a bit, making an appearance in Batman #15 (along with the rest of the Bat-Family), a small appearance in Nightwing #15, and now in this. There were two thing I really liked about Batgirl's appearance, and that was that she was acting like the person in charge, whilst treating the Teen Titans like children, and trying to fit in jokes wherever she could. The other thing I like was that during Red Robin's monologue, he knew she'd act like this.

Kid Flash, and Solstice Try to Find Joker

As I said earlier, I was really happy that the rest of the Teen Titans made an appearance in this issue, and that it wasn't all Red Robin, and Joker. I also liked that Kid Flash, and Solstice were the tow characters mainly shown, as I've enjoyed seeing the possibility of a relationship grow in them. It was also nice to see Kid Flash use this as a chance to show off, as he sweeps Solstice off her feet. Kid Flash, and Solstice split up whilst looking for the Joker, and it is revealed that Kid Flash's speed is doing more harm than good. I won't spoil exactly what happened, and sorry if anyone's worked it out purely on that sentence. Although they wasn't involved much, I was also happy that Bunker, and Wonder Girl got a few lines in the issue, and despite all the chaos going on around, Bunker was still able to be happy, and cheerful.

Joker's Joke

I wasn't too sure if I actually liked Joker in this issue or not, as I liked some things about his appearance, but disliked others. The overall conversation between Joker and Red Robin was good, although not brilliant, and I liked that Red Robin wasn't intimidated by him. The main thing however that I wasn't keen on was that Joker said what Red Robin was thinking. The reason I didn't like that too much was that it looked like Joker could read minds, and although it was obviously a coincident, it didn't work for me, and I'd rather it was left out. I did however like that Red Robin was able to work out Joker's plans, even if he didn't like what he was seeing. There was also one other thing that I was hoping to see that didn't happen, and that was Red Robin, and Red Hood interacting with one another, but hopefully that will happen in both RHATO #16, and Teen Titans #16.

Final Verdict

A very good issue, and I'm happy that Teen Titans is back on track. I would recommend this comic to anyone whether you're getting Teen Titans already, collecting the entire Death of the Family crossover, or just starting to collect comics. I would however warn fans of Red Hood and the Outlaws that this doesn't continue the story from the last RHATO issue, and that of you were getting this issue for that, you may be disappointed.

Rating: 4/5

Red Hood and the Outlaws #15 Review

Writer: Scott Lobdell

Artist: Timothy Green II

I have really been enjoying this series, and have loved seeing Red Hood (Jason Todd) having to work as part of a team, something he's not been very good at following his death, in A Death in the Family. This is a very fun series, and I love seeing not just Red Hood, but Arsenal (Roy Harper), and Starfire also, and think that Scott Lobdell has done an amazing job of writing them.

Plot

This issue sees a continuation from the last with Jason going after Joker for potentially killing Isabel Ardila. Unfortunately Joker is one step ahead and catches Jason whilst stealing a cop car. Also in this issue Roy, and Starfire intercept a call, realising Jason is in trouble, and another call later realising Joker is involved, so go and deal with that meeting the Teen Titans.

Review

I thought this was a fabulous issue, and loved that it continued straight from the end of the previous. This has been one of the better series Lobdell has written since working on New 52 titles, with Superman being the only series that is better. I was however really looking forward to this story for a couple of reasons, but the main reason was for the Joker/Jason showdown. I was really looking forward to this as since Under the Hood, Jason hasn't had a chance to get his hands on Joker. Although this issue didn't quite fulfil my expectations, it was an excellent start, and I have high hopes that it will fulfil my expectations, or at least some of them. I was also looking forward to this crossover due to it tying in with Teen Titans, which Lobdell also writes. There wasn't much of the tie-in in this issue, but it was set up very well, and I hope Teen Titans #15 delivers.

The art in this issue was brilliant, and Timothy Green II did a fantastic job. Although I still think that Kenneth Rocafort did the best job on this series, Green II has proven to be a terrific replacement, and at the end of the day I never expected anyone to do a better job that Rocafort. Green II has done a brilliant job of bringing all these different styles of characters together, and although it's not perfect it's still good. I wasn't however keen on the way he drew Joker, and although he made him look sadistic, at the same time he looked very unrealistic, and his mask looked like he had a dodgy plastic back over his head, opposed to a face. There was however brilliant detail in other parts of this issue, and he showed the character's emotions very well.

You and Me, Kid!

Although I didn't like the art on Joker in this issue, I did like Joker himself. Lobdell wrote him brilliantly, and the way he utilised Joker, and Jason's history was fantastic, without being over the top. The comments Joker made about Jason during this issue was also brilliant, and you could really feel the tension between the two characters. This issue also furthered the question that has been asked throughout the Death of the Family crossover, and that's what exactly Joker knows, and whether he knows the Bat-Families secret identities. It's looking more and more like Joker might actually know their identities, as he showed something to Jason that triggered a memory that happened before Jason became Robin, meaning that Joker could very well know who he is. This could also just be a gigantic red herring that the writer's of the series are using to make you think this. There's also the possibility that someone that knows the Bat-Families secret identities could be helping Joker by feeding him information.

What Happened to Red Robin

The mystery of Tim Drake's location is revealed in this issue, as at the end of Teen Titans #14 Tim gets kidnapped by Joker. Although I was happy to see Tim in this issue, as he's my favourite Robin, I was a little disappointed that he did nothing. I was also looking forward to seeing how Jason and Tim got along together, as it was shown earlier in this series that they can both get along with each other, and that they both respect one another, so I was slightly disappointed that nothing happened in this issue. There is however plenty of time for the two in this story, and I hope that it's worth the wait. It's also interesting to see that Joker might have something planed that involves both Jason and Tim, as up until now he's been taking on the members of the Bat-Family individually.

Arsenal and Starfire Meet the Teen Titans

I was happy to see that Roy, and Starfire weren't left out of this issue, and although they didn't really do a lot they set-up the next part of the story, whilst nicely introducing the remaining Teen Titans at the end of the issue. The relationship between the two over the series has been very interesting, and I love that Starfire has began to see Roy as a love interest, and not just a mating partner. It is also revealed that Roy uses technology from the Starfire (Starfire's battleship) to intercept calls to Jason. The thing I liked most about this was that Starfire questioned whether it's morally right to nose into others personal calls, and whether Roy monitors her movements. I also enjoyed the small sequence at the end where Roy, and Starfire meet the Teen Titans, and am looking forward to seeing how this continues in Teen Titans #15.

Final Verdict

A very good issue, and a good start to this part of the Death of the Family crossover, which itself crosses over with Teen Titans. I would highly recommend this issue, and the rest of the series, and am looking forward to what happens to Jason, Roy, Starfire, Tim, and the rest of the Teen Titans in Teen Titans #15.

Rating: 4/5

Superman #14 Review

Writer: Scott Lobdell

Artist: Kenneth Rocafort

The first year of this series was terrible, but since the arrival of Scott Lobdell as of issue 0 the series has become what it should have been all along, great. I have been a Superman fan since a child so seeing the main Superman series do so dreadful whilst others like Action Comics doing so well wasn't nice. Nothing against any of the other series, and mainly Action Comics, which Grant Morrison has done a great job on, but the main Superman series should be the best like the main Batman series should be better than the other Batman series.

Plot

This issue sees Lois Lane visit Clark to try and persuade him to come back to the Daily Planet. Her visit is however cut short by the arrival of Supergirl (who can now speak English), who takes Clark to meet the Kryptonian, H'el, who claims he can restore Krypton.

Review

This was a brilliant issue and a great start to Superman's role in the H'el on Earth crossover. Lobdell's work over the three series he writes (this, Teen Titans, and Red Hood and the Outlaws) has been very interesting, as this series is brilliant, Red Hood and the Outlaws has been fairly good, but Teen Titans has been poor as of recent. I have however loved what Lobdell has done with this series since joining, and how during this issue he's been able to integrate Supergirl, and Superboy also. His work since joining the series has been brilliant and I like how he's made a distinct difference between Clark and Superman whilst finally giving Clark a back bone. It's been interesting seeing Clark use more of his Superman traits in real life and I love how it's been done subtly. I also like how Lobdell writes all the Super's in this issue, and how you can easily tell they're different. Having read Superboy since the start (which Lobdell used to write), only missing issues 10-12, and reading the last issue of Supergirl, I have been able to appreciate them from their own series', ans I think anyone who is a fan of them series' will love what Lobdell has done with them in this issue, and appreciate how he's kept their characteristic's, and tones.

The art in this issue is simply astonishing. Kenneth Rocafort produces some of the most amazing art I have ever seen, and whether it's on this series or his time on Red Hood and the Outlaws, it's always outstanding. The detail he puts into his work is phenomenal, and the emotion into the characters is amazing. I love how he keeps the characteristics of the characters the same as their respective series', which is great as the fans of them series' wouldn't be happy otherwise. It's also nice that he can still add his own uniwue tone to the issue whilst doing this, as it makes his art easily recognisable. The colours from Sunny Gho throughout this issue is beautiful, and make Rocafort's art event prettier (if possible). I like how the colours in this series are similar to the colours Blond produced in Red Hood and the Outlaws, making Rocafort's art even more easier to recognise. The thing I like about the differences between Gho's colours in this series, and Blond's in Red Hood and the Outlaws, is that the colours in this series are a lot lighter and give a more warm and calmer feel to the series, whereas Blond's darker colours gave the type of tone Red Hood and the Outlaws needed.

Lois' appearance in this issue was brilliant, and although it was brief I have a feeling this will be setting up things that will happen either during H'el on Earth, or more likely after. The interaction between Lois and Clark in this issue was very well written, and the chemistry shown between them was perfect. I like how Lobdell writes the different feelings they have towards each other, as it's obvious that Clark want's to be more than friends with Lois, whilst Lois only classes Clark as her best friend. It will be interesting to see how their relationship progresses in later issues as Lobdell stated that he was going to focus on Clark and Lois' relationship and that Lois and Clark should be together. I do however hope that the Clark and Lois relationship isn't developed any more than this issue did during H'el on Earth, as I think it would take away from the bigger story and rush the progression of the Lois and Clark relationship. I also liked how Lobdell put in a reference to the Superman/Wonder Woman kiss from Justice League #12, and it will be interesting to see if this has anything to do with the development of the Clark and Lois relationship.

 

The way Supergirl was introduced into this issue was great, and I loved how Lois reacted thinking that Clark was interviewing some cosplayer. The way Clark reacted to Supergirl's arrival was also brilliant, and I loved the conversation they had about how she almost blew his secret identity. The differences between Superman and Supergirl, are perfectly shown throughout this issue also, as we have Superman who sees Earth as his home, and wouldn't be happy if his secret identity was revealed, whereas Supergirl just wants to return to Krypton, and thinks that it's silly that Superman goes about pretending to be a human.

H'el's role throughout this entire crossover has probably been the most interesting. The way he's brought all the Super's together in one place is outstanding, and the mystery throughout his character is amazing. I think H'el has been a brilliant villain, and the thing I like most about him is he's not your usual villain. He' like most villains, as in he thinks his ways are just, and that he's doing no wrong, bit where he differs is due to him being an alien. He knows a lot less about humans than Superman does but his ambition to restore Krypton makes him such a dangerous villain. I also liked how he's put a fracture in the already small relationship between Superman and Supergirl. I also liked how he brought Superboy, "the abomination", along with him like he did in Supergirl #14, and the way both this and Supergirl's appearance has been integrated into this isue make both Supergirl #14 and Superboy #14 even more worthwhile reading. I also loved how Lobdell managed to connect the event from Superboy #14, and Supergirl #14 brilliantly, making the experience of reading all three amazing, whilst making this issue a brilliant stand alone issue.

Final Verdict

This was an amazing issue and a perfect way to start the Superman section of H'el on Earth. I would highly recommend this to everyone, and if you read Superboy or Supergirl I'd recommend trying out this issue, as it continues both series brilliantly. It's also a great starting point for new fans, and the perfect place for older fans who lost faith in the series prior to Lobdell joining returning. I for one am looking forward to seeing what H'el has in store for Superman, Supboy, and Supergirl in their respective series, and if this will come back to this series, like it did with this issue.

Rating: 4/5

Teen Titans #14

Writers: Scott Lobdell & Fabian Nicieza
Artist: Alé Garza

I have overall been enjoying this series and it's been very fun. The current story involving Wonder Girl's origin has however been very poor and I hope the Death of the Family crossover, between this series and Red Hood and the Outlaws is better.

Plot

This issue sees Wonder Girl, along with Superboy and Red Robin in search of Diesel and the Silent Armour he's wearing. Meanwhile Kid Flash and Bunker are bored waiting for the others to return, and Solstice gets visited by Kurt Lance who offers to make her human again.

Review

This was a disappointing issue and the whole Wonder Girl origin story hasn't been as good as I hoped. This issue felt very rushed and is by far not one of Scott Lobdell's best written stories. I've loved how he's written the characters throughout the series, and especially the chemistry between Superboy, Wonder Girl and Red Robin. I was also happy that this story they have been the main characters with the other Titans making brief appearances, but this issue they didn't get as much time to interact. I did like how despite the separation you could still see that both Superboy, and mainly Red Robin cared for Wonder Girl but it would have been nice if we'd seen a bit more. Although I liked the confrontation between Diesel and Wonder Girl, even it felt rushed, which was disappointing. Lobdell does however continue to show the characteristics of each character perfectly, and I liked how he handled the small sequence between Kid Flash and Bunker.

I'm not to sure if I like the art in this issue or not. Alé Garza has done a decent job on the artwork over the last couple of issues but I'd much rather Brett Booth and am looking forward to seeing him return as artist next issue. Garza's art is good and very detailed, and I love the way he shows the character emotions. There's however something that doesn't feel right about his art in this series and the way draws hair isn't very appealing. Although I know this is Superboy using his powers, him going about with a swirly red light coming from the back of his head looked weird, and it didn't look right whilst he was flying really fast. I also can't remember seeing this in anyone else's, art whether on this series or the Superboy solo series.

The fight near the start of the issue between Wonder Girl, Superboy and Red Robin against Diesel's army was interesting, but by far not the best fight scene I've seen. I liked how the fight was laid out, and how it moved between the different characters. I also loved how despite not having any powers Wonder Girl was still able to handle herself and managed to put up a strong fight. This initially question just how strong Diesel's army is, but that is answered when Wonder Girl is swarmed by them.

It was interesting to see that Superboy had the cooler head during this fight, and how he had to pull Red Robin away from the fight. This is interesting as Red Robin is usually the one who knows when a fight is lost, and his determination to save Wonder Girl questions how far his feelings towards her actually go. The series has shown Red Robin and Wonder Girl flirting in the past, and earlier on in the series it looked like the two might possibly get together, so his determination to save her in this issue reopened that question. It's also interesting to see how Superboy has changed over the series, as when he first joined the Titans he would have been the one risking his life to defeat a foe, and would have needed to have been pulled away himself.

I was looking forward to seeing the confrontation between Wonder Girl and Diesel in this issue, and to be honest it was a bit disappointing. The interaction between the two was great and I liked how you could easily see the past emotions released, and that even after everything that's happened, there is still a part of Wonder Girl that still loves Diesel. The end of the confrontation however was disappointing. I won't spoil the result of this confrontation, but I would have expected more of a fight to have happened between the two, and the end result felt very rushed.

The set-up for the Death of the Family crossover at the end of this issue wasn't very good, and one of the poorer set-ups. I'm still however looking forward to seeing both the Teen Titan's and the Outlaws involvement in this crossover, and how Red Robin an Red Hood handle the Joker. It will also be nice to see Brett Booth return as artist and I'm hoping that the Death of the Family crossover will be a much better story than this was.

Final Verdict

This was a good issue but a poor end to what was an interesting story. If you have either got the series, or this story so far I would recommend getting this issue. I would also recommend it to Wonder Girl fans, but otherwise woild recommend waiting till the Death of the Family crossover next issue.

Rating: 3/5

Red Hood and the Outlaws #14

Writer: Scott Lobdell
Artist: Pascal Alixe

I have been really enjoying this series for some time now and I am extremely looking forward to it's role in the Death of the Family crossover. Although it's not been the overall best series DC has going the now and that some issues have been a little poor it has without a doubt been a very fun series.

Plot

This issues sees the Outlaws getting stopped by Superman on their way back to Earth. They manage to avoid him by teleporting away from their ship but Superman isn't that easy to avoid and soon the trio have to deal with Superman who's only wanting a friendly discussion, although the Outlaws don't see it that way.

Review

This was an amazing issue and I was happy that the Superman cameo wasn't bad. I was expecting this to bee a bellow average filler to tie in the time between now and the Death of the Family crossover and after the slightly disappointing end to the previous story my hopes were even lower. I am however happy to say that I was very happy with this issue and it was better than a good few of the previous issues. Scott Lobdell's writing has baffled me as his writing on most series have been good but he's mostly had a patch where the quality has slipped and the The Culling crossover involving his Teen Titans series was very disappointing. He has however done an amazing job on Superman so far and his work on this series has mostly been good. I love how he handles the character interaction in this series as you don't just see all their separate personalities shown but you see how they see something similar in each other and how they work as a brilliant team.

The art in this issue from Pascal Alixe was overall very good. I still preferred Kenneth Rocafort's art but since Rocafort's move to Lobdell's Superman series Alixe has been the best artist to work on this series. I'm not overly familiar with his work, but the second I opened the issue I noticed that it was the same artist that did the Superman Annual #1 which considering the storyline of this issue (which I'll talk about a little later) made him a fitting choice as artist. I enjoy his art and can't really fault much about it. He draws most of the character beautiful but the only character I'm not as keen on is Red Hood (Jason Todd). I know that his helmet in this series has meant to resemble a face showing a nose and a mouth but where I preferred Rocafort's style was how he made this feature much more subtle, whereas in this issue it's obviously noticeable that their is a nose and more so a mouth on this helmet. I know this may be nitpicking but I feel it makes the helmet look too similar to a mask and takes away the sleekness style the helmet should give. I can easily forgive this as I love all his artwork throughout the rest of the issue and like how he draws the other characters.

Superman's role in this issue was brilliant and I loved how Lobdell made it a continuation to Superman Annual #1, won't spoil how and sorry to any one who's read the Annual and guessed. The fight that embroiled between the Outlaws and Superman was quite fun and I enjoyed how they decided to team up once realising that their individual efforts weren't working. I especially liked how Starfire even got a wee dig in about Jason not liking working as a team. I also liked how although Superman was at ease during this fight he didn't mind trying to put an explanation mark over the fight by trying to make a statement to end the fight sooner.

I was very happy to see that this issue acknowledged the previous storyline by starting on the Starfire. I like it when series acknowledge their previous stories as it makes the timeline look less random. It also brings a good starting off point for the story as you have the other members of the Starfire Crew on-board who have no knowledge of who Superman is seeing him as something they can incinerate and move on from.

The way this issue ended was brilliant and one of the best set ups for a Death of the Family story so far. I won't go into too much detail as to avoid spoiling it but Joker makes a clear statement towards Jason near the end of the issue which doesn't only infuriate Jason but also reminds him of how Joker operates. Jason's involvement in Death of the Family is probably the thing I've most been looking forward to seeing besides the main story in Batman. Like any huge Batman fan will know Joker killed Jason in A Death in the Family which eventually lead to Jason becoming Red Hood and having no regard towards Batman's principles. I'm also looking forward to this crossover as it itself crosses over with Teen Titans. This also means that Tim Drake will also be involved and I enjoyed the hint earlier in this series toward Jason's relationship with Tim and look forward to seeing how it develops in this sort of storyline.

Final Verdict

This was a brilliant issue and one of the best stand alone issues I have read in some time, especially from DC. I would highly recommend it and the next issue can't come along any sooner.

Rating: 4/5