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The DC3 Presents: The Convergents, Week 1!

By , and | April 10th, 2015
Posted in Columns | 2 Comments

We at the DC3 have been through a lot together – we’ve seen villains take over our beloved books, we read a month’s worth of “Five Years Later” stories, and we’ve tackled a year of weekly titles, and we’ve come through it all stronger. But here we are, at our most challenging time as a unit: “Convergence.” Calling ourselves the DC3 just wouldn’t cut it anymore. We needed a new name, one that transforms us from boys into men, from civilians into soldiers, from sidekicks into superheroes. For the next two months, the DC3 are no more: long live the Convergents!

Convergence #1
Written by Jeff King and Scott Lobdell
Illustrated by Carlo Pagulayan
Reviewed by Brian Salvatore

The problem, right off the bat, with this issue of “Convergence” is that this should have been last week’s issue of “Convergence.” This is what a first issue, traditionally, feels like – this introduces the elements in play in a relatively straightforward way, and sets the course for what is to come. As I hypothesized on the DC3cast, I really think last week’s issue was written and drawn months ago to be the Free Comic Book Day installment from DC, only to find that the timing worked better for giving it an April release. A Superman acid tree on FCBD is something else that is worthy of debate, but it certainly seems more appropriate than as a $4.99 issue.

This issue is far more of a proper start to the event, but it, too, has its flaws in its general construction. The characters who get the most page time in the book are those from “Earth 2” and, specifically, from “Earth 2: World’s End.” For the three of us, who read every issue of that book, these characters feel familiar, but we are not all the people picking up this issue. This is a #1 for a major comics event – this has to be as accessible as can be. To introduce characters that look like/are called familiar names, especially without a handy dandy boxed ‘editor’s note’ seems like a really easy way to turn off/confuse a ton of readers.

If you can get past those that big hurdle, the issue itself isn’t half bad. Carlo Pagulayan does a fine job with the issue, as he has the task of bringing small bits of multiple worlds to life, something that can’t be that easy to do. Pagulayan has done so much work for Marvel in the past that it is a bit odd to see DC characters in his work, as something about it still seems quite tied to the House of Ideas – and that’s not a knock on him. This is one of those (rarer and rarer) instances where by the time a creator is a ‘name,’ they have established themselves in only one publishing house. I was legitimately excited to see what Pagulayan could do in a DC book, and I was not disappointed.

But beyond looking good, this issue, again, suffers from “Event Book #1” syndrome – nothing in this book is remotely surprising to people who have any clue what the event is about. If you watched Dan DiDio’s voice-over trailer for this event, you can skip this issue, because everything you need to know here is said out loud there. Is this a bad comic? By no means is it – this comic does exactly what it sets out to do. But what it sets out to do is trapped in an era before the internet, before Twitter, and before solicitations spoiled everything before it happened. This issue would have been the perfect start to an event like “Zero Hour” or “Age of Apocalypse” – but for “Convergence,” it feels slight.

Final Verdict: 6.2 – I don’t think I have ever liked a book with Scott Lobdell’s name on it this much.

Convergence: The Atom #1
Written by Tom Peyer
Illustrated by Steve Yeowell & Andy Owens
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Review by Vince J. Ostrowski

The smartest choice that Tom Peyer makes with “The Atom” #1, is finding a way to mix the mission statement of the “Convergence” event with elements of the mantle of “The Atom” that go beyond the character under the mask. Someone who is tuning in for “Convergence” gets a little bit of the promised “city vs. city” angle with the inclusion of one of DC’s Extremists as the chosen villain, while still spending a good chunk of time with the threads of The Atom characters that had been left hanging since “Flashpoint” happened. In other words, New 52/Convergence fans and pre-52 fans can find some of the things they’re looking for in equal measure. Peyer’s professionalism shines through with the structure of the issue, as it balances all these elements.

That said, this issue might also be emblematic of some problems that might plague “Convergence” a little as it goes along, too. While it’s clear that writers are being given the leeway (and plenty of pages) to earnestly write the characters in their non-New 52 environments, there are some wonky machinations of “Convergence” that are already getting in the way. For one, The Atom spends a good deal of the issue building up to an emotional confrontation with a retired Slade Wilson, only to be plucked from the scene and pitted against Barracuda, with whom he shares no such history. Don’t get me wrong – this is fun, and what “Convergence” is all about – but when it’s sitting right next to a more satisfying longform conflict like Ray Palmer vs. Slade Wilson, you might feel like you’re getting dragged into the less preferable story. If issue #2 doesn’t put Palmer back in the pre-Flashpoint era and pit him against Slade again, it’ll feel like another loose thread dangling.

Furthermore, there is a narrative thread about the heroes trapped under the dome having lost their powers. I suppose this is meant to explain how the heroes haven’t mounted any sort of halfway effective escape, but it also feels like an unnecessary stunt that is quickly undone within the very same issue. The origins of this handicap are also purposely obtuse, with little sign of any payoff. For example, in “The Atom”, Ray Palmer has lost his powers – except not all of them, because he can grow and shrink only his hands for some reason? It reads like one narrative step too far for the writers to nimbly navigate around. Peyer does well enough, but it feels like more of an inconvenience than any sort of handicap. Especially considering the Atom powers we know and love appear again once he’s pitted against Barracuda.

Steve Yeowell’s artistic approach highlights the potential for bounding superheroics inherent in a re-sizable cape character. It’s immediately apparent that “Convergence: The Atom” is extremely light when compared to your average modern Marvel or DC comic. It’s refreshingly goofy – hell – even downright Silver Age corny at times. Yeowell translates Ray Palmer’s unstable mental state (and big ass rock ’em rock ’em fist) into a colorful comic that wouldn’t necessarily fit with DC’s current slate of ongoing titles. If this is a sign of things to come from “Convergence” (and whatever comes after), it can only be a good thing.

Yeowell does particularly well with his storytelling once the “Convergence” battle heats up. A dialogue heavy issue quiets down a little and Yeowell takes over, as Barracuda and The Atom trade blows against one another. Yeowell renders a variety of battle tactics with aplomb, including giving the fight a very satisfying (if not over-the-top) ending.

Final Verdict: 6.5 – Fans of “The Atom” get to have their characters back for a bit, but the plot contrivances of the “Convergence” event add some unavoidable baggage.

Convergence: Batgirl #1
Written by Alisa Kwitney
Illustrated by Rick Leonardi & Mark Pennington
Review by Vince J. Ostrowski

Taking ownership of my bias for Stephanie Brown “Batgirl” and pre-Flashpoint “Red Robin”, I enjoyed “Convergence: Batgirl” more than it probably objectively earned – at least from a technical standpoint.

Alisa Kwitney had the unenviable task of following in Bryan Q. Miller’s footsteps (a writer whose take on the character has been a continuous talking point in conversations about Batgirl/Barbara Gordon/The New 52 for over 5 years now), but I must say, she nails what was so great about the character. She nails down what was missing from Steph Brown’s character in “Batman Eternal” – as nice as it was to have her back, nonetheless. Looking at her from afar, Stephanie Brown is easily the least “qualified” member of the Bat family. Maybe a better way of saying it is that she’s the most “unlikely” member? But the strength of her character is that she’s always pushing past her qualifications and her self-doubt to reach her next achievement. Her teammates in this issue, on the other hand, have all the qualifications necessary. Cassandra may harbor a lot of quiet angst and anger, but she’s as physically skilled and honed as any member of the family – even Bruce himself (another point that Kwitney keenly slips into the narrative). And Tim Drake has been around the block a time or two in his previous time as a Robin.

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With “Convergence: Batgirl”, Kwitney shows that she gets these characters, and that they all have ongoing stories that continue to have merit (the underlying narrative of the Bat family youth trying to hold together a domed Gotham caters to their strengths), if only someone would give her a chance to tell more of them. I’d love to read a Kwitney-written series following these characters.

However, when it comes to working in the “Convergence” event, things get a little rocky. The story is told non-linearly, but not for any apparent reason. Furthermore, the arc of the issue isn’t thematically enhanced by the anachronism. Hold the structure up next to “Convergence: The Atom” and the strengths of a more straightforward approach become more apparent. The cliffhanger feels like it comes mid-issue, instead of at the end, which is jarring not because it bucks tradition or trend, but because it’s narratively less satisfying. But suboptimal storytelling structure is a small quibble when the grasp on these characters was so strong.

Going home again on art, on the other hand, didn’t work out as well as you would hope this time around though. Rick Leonardi is one of the artists in “Convergence” that also drew roughly in the same era that the book’s characters are from. He drew some terrific issues of “Batgirl” in the mid-’00s, when Cass, Tim, and Steph last kicked around together. While he has his moments here, much of the issue ranges in quality from competent to messy. And the imprecision really does hurt the book. When characters are highlighted or featured alone in scenes or panels, Leonardi typically does a great job conveying emotion or action, but when the scenes become more populated or less essential to the story, detail noticeably suffers and the work becomes overly stylized. The loss of detail, in particular, results in some problematic panels where character anatomy suffers, or even seems to be an afterthought.

For instance, I tried for entirely too long to figure out how Cass threw a punch with the hand she was using to hold a guinea pig, without dropping the guinea pig or it moving at all. The Pre-Flashpoint bat books were full of rock solid cape comic art from a variety of big two stalwarts, including Leonardi, but this issue was not up to that same par.

Final Verdict: 5.0 – A well-written return to the rich world of pre-Flashpoint Gotham City youth is marred by rough art and unnecessarily anachronistic storytelling

Convergence: Batman & Robin #1
Written by Ron Marz
Illustrated by Denys Cowan & Klaus Janson
Review by Vince J. Ostrowski

If there’s one thing that’s certainly true about “Convergence” – it is every bit the continuity porn that fans of all different eras of DC Comics have wanted. “Convergence: Batman & Robin” #1 is essentially a return to the “Gotham City Sirens”/”Streets of Gotham”/Morrison “Batman” era of comics, starting off with Poison Ivy vs. some other various oddities from Batman’s rogues gallery. The characters brawl over Poison Ivy’s greenery supply, with appropriate character reasons for doing so. Of course Poison Ivy is possessive of her babies and Penguin wants his grubby mobster fingers in a piece of that pie. But it’s all for naught, because of course Bruce and Damian are going to show up to quip and kick ass. Ron Marz also touches on Judd Winick’s Red Hood stories, wherein Jason Todd took “Scarlet” – a refugee from Professor Pyg’s doll army – in as a sidekick. Furthermore, he examines Bruce’s ability to be both a father to Damian and a nightly vigilante.

The modus operandi for this week’s books seems to be throwing as many of the dangling pre-Flashpoint story elements into a stew, throwing all narrative caution to the wind. “Convergence: Batman & Robin” packs all these elements together in far less space than they deserve, which makes it feel like the story is on fast forward at the risk of being haphazard, but I also feel like that’s the consequence of re-visiting such a beloved and rich era of comics for only a couple of issues. The story may not be as grounded as you want, but it’s entertaining nonetheless.

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Denys Cowan was an interesting choice for this title, considering that he wasn’t really of the era that the storylines are pulled from. It’s no matter, because his sensibilities seem to fit the world of Batman well, regardless of the era. His villains are gross and creepy – even Poison Ivy, who possesses a cold and detached beauty under Cowan’s pencil. Villains like Man-Bat and Killer Croc shine, likewise. And Cowan does a brooding Bruce as well as anyone, adding some genuine dramatic heft to Bruce’s trials as a father.

Where Cowan is perhaps less of a fit, is in the ultra-modern battleworld of “Convergence”, but just when the art threatens to underwhelm with a stiff rendering of Telos’ manipulation of Gotham City, Cowan is given the task of drawing the strange Extremists. Here, he’s right back in his wheelhouse, drawing a band of rogues that would fit right alongside Batman’s traditional set.

Final Verdict: 7.0 – “Convergence: Batman & Robin” #1 packs the pre-Flashpoint kitchen sink into its short duration and ends up entertaining more than it stumbles.

Convergence: Harley Quinn #1
Written by Steve Pugh
Illustrated by Phil Winslade & John Dell
Review by Vince J. Ostrowski

The cover may say “Harley Quinn”, but this is a continuation of “Gotham City Sirens” all the way – a fact that is as delightful as any time Harley herself says “puddin’.” And its writer, Steve Pugh, must have been a fan too because he pretty much has the structure of a “GCS” story nailed down. One of the three “sirens” gets into a jam and the other two get her out. In this case, it’s Harley in the jam, caught in the middle of a heist and forced to face off in the Convergence event. With the caveat that Harley herself doesn’t come off as funny as she should have, this is one “Convergence” tie-in that makes good on the unique and specific mission statement of its original series and duplicates it quite well. There wasn’t a lot of significant baggage or loose ends to tie up with “Gotham City Sirens”, so “Convergence: Harley Quinn” feels like it’s allowed to do its own thing.

Phil Winslade’s artistic approach is a boon to the storytelling. DC is lucky to have Winslade in their stable, but I’m not sure he’s as appreciated by readers as he should be. In “Convergence: Harley Quinn”, he visually captures Harley’s madcap personality (and all of the trappings that come with being part of The Joker’s world) and contrasts it nicely against the more businesslike personalities of Catwoman and Poison Ivy. But he goes beyond that to deliver something that approaches “special”, with his encapsulation of the many sides to the pre-Flashpoint version of the character. The power that the Joker holds over her creeps in throughout the issue, taking the form of hallucinations and iconography that give Winslade a chance to show off a bit. He depicts the Joker’s presence as some sort of inventive drug trip that Harley eventually will not be able to escape from. Winslade’s art makes it even easier to like an issue that already felt like an apt continuation of its original intended product.

Final Verdict: 8.0 – Fans of “Gotham City Sirens” won’t be disappointed to see these three characters paired up again, especially when their chemistry with one another picks right up where they left off.

Convergence: Justice League #1
Written by Frank Tieri
Illustrated by Vicente Cifuentes
Reviewed by Zach Wilkerson

The “Justice League” in the days leading up to the New 52 was a very interesting beast, with a cast that lacked any of the “Big Three.” Nevertheless, writer James Robinson crafted what remains as one of my favorite incarnations of the League thanks to the strong character dynamics between the team members. Tieri capitalizes on those bonds in a story that (at least initially) feels less like a superhero comic and more a fun sitcom.

The previous “Justice League” run ended with the revelation that speedster Jesse Quick, daughter of the Golden Age character Johnny Quick, was expecting! This issue picks up 9 months later, with Jesse going into labor at her Gotham-held baby shower. This perfect timing conveniently assembles the cast of leading DC ladies under one roof, or dome if you will.

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Some may cry foul that Tieri, when given the task of revisiting the pre-New 52 Justice League, chose to focus on an all female group of B and C list heroes. Those folks would, of course, be quite silly in making such an assertion. The cast of Supergirl, Jade, Zatanna, Vixen, Jesse, and later Mera is a fantastic representation of both DC’s great wealth of characters and the “totemic” aspects of the League’s traditional roster. Half of these characters no longer exist in the New 52 and the other half are nearly unrecognizable, so it’s a lot of fun to see them not only in the forefront but enjoying in their rich shared history.

However, while this issue’s concept sounds fantastic in theory, it falters somewhat in the execution. Cifuentes plays the TnA card to the maximum. While this is, ironically, quite accurate of art style that pervaded “Justice League” around this era, it’s quite a disappointment considering the progress that has since been made in the industry. Arguably, it undermines the very concept of a female-centric “Justice League” story. Disappointing art choices aside, “Covergence: Justice League” #1 is a solid first outing for Tieri and Cifuentes.

Final Verdict: 6.5 – It’s fun to see DC beat Marvel’s all-female Avengers team to the page, but hopefully the story’s second half will capitalize more on the true assets of this fun cast.

Convergence: Nightwing/Oracle #1
Written by Gail Simone
Illustrated by Jan Duursema
Reviewed by Brian Salvatore

When I picked up this book to read it, I actually had to turn to the cover about 4 pages in, to make sure that I picked up the proper issue. One quarter of the in-story pages of this book – the first 5 – totally belong to the Hawkman and Hawkgirl of the “Flashpoint” universe taking down the Justice Riders. This eventually comes into play in the issue, but those 5 pages stuck out like a sore thumb in the reading experience of the book, especially because the story, in total, will only be 40 pages long.

Once the action shifts over to Gotham City, the book’s tone changes drastically, and the quality increases. This issue, perhaps out of all of the tie-ins, gives readers the best understanding of what life under the dome is like for our intrepid heroes: menus keep shrinking, a malaise grows over a large chunk of the population, and life feels, well, predictable in a way that it didn’t before. Gail Simone comes at this book from a really interesting place, and instead of making it about people trying to get out, she wants to discuss how people can, effectively, live within.

That shift makes all the difference in what, otherwise, is a pretty pat story. The art, by Jan Duursema, feels like a fill-in issue from July of 2011 – in other words, it fits the timeframe of the story perfectly. Duursema maybe makes the hair look a little too big (Babs is practically 1991 Reba McEntire at points), but she nails various aspects of the story perfectly; especially the Hawks. Her Hawks seem ripped directly from the pages of “Flashpoint,” and they carry with them a sense of dread and desperation that absolutely fits the source material. In fact, her Hawks are so well put together, that it makes the rest of the book seem like it was an afterthought. In particular, I wish her Dick Grayson was more defined; out of his costume, there is nothing remotely Dick-ish about him (see “Grayson” for how to make him look like a consistent character without a mask).

Final Verdict: 7.4 – This issue takes the event and uses it to tell its story, and not the other way around — but its (at times) flat art and jarring shift in tone make it a tougher sell than it should be.

Convergence: The Question #1
Written by Greg Rucka
Illustrated by Cully Hamner
Reviewed by Zach Wilkerson

“The Question” is only title in this week’s offerings to feature the return of a creative team to a title they had previous collaborated on. As such, the issue lives up to the promise of returning to a pre-New 52 property and giving it a proper send off, perhaps moreso than any other “Convergence” title.

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On the flip side, while this is a real treat for fans of the Renee Montoya Question, it’s one of the least accessible issues I encountered this week. However, that shouldn’t prevent readers of all types from enjoying the terrific crime drama Greg Rucka is so adept at crafting. Rucka uses the dome to shift supporting characters like Huntress and Two-Face into some extremely interesting places. He also weaves a supernatural element into the proceedings, a common feature of his past work on the character. Hamner’s art is rough, but also detailed and expressive. His Two-Face is a real treat, a wild and grizzled version of the usually suave villain. His tendency to focus on only one side of Harvey’s face at a time plays up the character’s trademark duality. Dave McCaig, unsurprisingly, does a fantastic job on colors. The collaboration makes for one of the better looking books of the week.

Final Verdict: 8.0 – Steeped in continuity and minutia, this is a book that pays out huge dividends to long fans but may leave newcomers feeling a little left out.

Convergence: Speed Force #1
Written by Tony Bedard
Illustrated by Tom Grummett
Reviewed by Brian Salvatore

This was the issue for me, this week. This was the one I had circled on my list as the first in the pile that I was going to dig into – I wanted to get my Wally West back, and I couldn’t wait to enjoy 20 pages of him.

And then I read it, and I was immediately disappointed.

If you take away the superficial elements – his kids, his red hair, his costume – then there is absolutely no way that you would know you’re reading a Wally West book. That consummate family man stays up all night taking a pick-axe to the dome, and leaves his kids in a city where heroes are told, via a disembodied god voice, to fight each other, so he can do a lap around. West has been a team player – literally and figuratively, since his earliest appearances, and this issue shows him as being a loner. Now, that could be a really interesting place to take the character, but Tony Bedard does none of that heavy lifting in the scripting. We get it, he misses his wife, and he wants to get his kids back there – that is fine motivation for the character. But you need to show us how that has affected him, and more importantly, make us sympathize without judging.

The shoddy script almost undoes a lot of the really nice work that Tom Grummett does here – the lines are a bit too clean and colors a bit too bright for the time period, but I’m a guy who loves a clean line and a super bright red, so I’m not complaining about that in the slightest. Grummett can do the one thing all Flash artists must do (and which some fail at miserably) – he can convey speed and, more importantly, he can convey the insanity of traveling at that speed. Look at the way the kids flail behind Wally as he runs – that’s what I’m talking about.

Once the book becomes a travelogue of different worlds in the final pages, it picks up quite considerably, and Bedard is able to wring some fun moments out of the last 5 pages or so, but Bedard is a writer who I have never really connected with, due in part to his lack of ambitious ideas. Tell me one thing that Bedard did in his “Green Lantern: New Guardians” run that stands out. Can’t do it, can you? He is the definition of a safe writer, and these brief glimpses back into times that are beloved are not the spaces for safe stories that don’t challenge or excite. The fact that he tries (by turning Wally into a deadbeat dad) is one thing, but the spectacular failure of that plot point shows that, maybe it isn’t so bad that Bedard isn’t more of a risk taker, because maybe he simply can’t do that effectively.

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Final Verdict: 4.8 – A gorgeous looking book that fulfills all the fears about this event, script wise, in one fell swoop.

Covergence: Superman #1
Written by Dan Jurgens
Illustrated by Lee Weeks
Reviewed by Zach Wilkerson

My favorite DC era is the post-“Identity Crisis,” pre-“Flashpoint” period and Superman is my favorite super hero of all time, so you can probably guess my level of excitement. However, even while maintaining a respectable level unbiased criticism, I’m happy to say that Jurgens and Weeks have delivered an issue that is not only an enjoyable return to the red trunks Superman, but a surprisingly worthwhile sequel to “Flashpoint.”

While many of the first batch of “Convergence” tie-ins follow a pretty predictable formula, Jurgens gets the ball moving by dropping the dome around Gotham City in the opening pages, leading to a humorous (he was wearing his full costume the whole time?) but triumphant return to form for the Man of Steel. Jurgens quickly catches readers up on the new status quo, involving Clark and a pregnant Lois making the most of their new life in an isolated Gotham. It’s been years since we’ve seen the most iconic couple in comics actually being a couple and it’s enough to warm the heart of nearly any comic fan. Other long time staples of the pre-New 52 Superman such as Jimmy Olsen, Professor Hamilton, and a delightful nod to Jack Kirby’s contributions make their way into the issue as well.

While Jurgens’ script and characterizations are, for the most part, spot on, it’s Lee Weeks who truly carries this issue. A criminally underrated illustrator, Weeks’ pencils do a great job of melding a classic Superman tone with a more modern aesthetic. Weeks’ not only captures the “Super” aspect, with dynamic aerial acrobatics and knock-down drag out brawls, but the “man” as well, with small but powerful moments. One of the issue’s finest sequences involves Clark and Lois simply sitting on their couch! Colorist Brad Anderson deserves an equal level of praise for his contributions, delivering a warm and rich palette that completely syncs with both Jurgens’ tone and Weeks’ pencils.

The most surprising aspect of this issue, however, is how well the “Flashpoint” characters are incorporated. Both the Batman and Superman of this universe are given compelling motivations for their interest in this particular iteration of Gotham City, leading to some interesting character drama. Say what you will about “Flashpoint” as a whole but the characters of that universe are ripe with untapped potential. It may be that “Covergence: Superman” will see some of that potential realized.

Final Verdict: 8.5 – A triumphant return to a simpler time in the Man of Steel’s history.

Convergence: The Titans #1
Written by Fabian Nicieza
Illustrated by Ron Wagner
Reviewed by Brian Salvatore

Ron Wagner has a little Darwyn Cooke in him – and that is never a bad thing. It is, however, an odd choice for this particular book. Is this an overcompensation for how dark and unrelentingly bleak the last few pre-New 52 “Titans” stories were? If so, I have to say, it sort of works. When we last saw this Roy Harper, his life was a mess of dead cats and cybernetic arms, and here, he is trim and put together, and seems to have life figured out. And, like any good story, this book picks that apart piece by piece to show just how broken he still is.

One of the interesting parts of this issue, in particular, is how it shows the joy that comes from having superheroes. The sequence of Starfire and Donna Troy realizing that their powers back was an incredibly telling one: Starfire, seemingly happy in her ‘new’ life, jumps off a balcony without fear of falling, to potentially fly again. The subtext is clear: she would rather die attempting to fly than live simply walking around. Nicieza does a nice job of juxtaposing all the characters’ lives, pre and post dome, and showing why they have made the choices they have made.

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I must admit, as the father of a daughter, all the business with Lian being the inspiration for Roy’s new status as a spy/faux Batman was one that really hit home, which means that when she is ‘brought back’ at the end of the issue, it hit me like a ton of bricks. Even though Roy must know, somewhere, that the girl in front of him cannot be his Lian, I can’t imagine being able to turn down that opportunity.

Couple that with Wagner’s art which, by its very nature, is reflective of a brighter day, and the plight of Roy becomes clear: he is offered a chance to make everything look as perfect as Wagner’s pencils, and he wants to take that opportunity. Wagner, especially in the double page spread of Roy’s personal history, does some absolutely incredible work here – his Roy is so put together, but this is clearly shown as being as much of a costume as his Arsenal gear.

This era of Harper stories is pretty much reviled, and I understand why – that said, I always felt that the tragic events of his later life: Lian’s death, the loss of his arm, his relapse into heroin, were all supposed to bring him down so that he could climb back up. Red Arrow was the apex of his life, and all of the aspects of that title – the Justice League membership, the respect from his peers – were all taken away. The reason we hate this era is that we never got to see Roy fight to get them back.

That is what this issue gives us the chance to do, and it shows that the path is not exactly perfect, or easy to walk, or a straight line. This, more than any of the other issues, is a chance at redemption, and that aspect alone makes it stand out among the pack.

Final Verdict: 8.0 – A book I have been waiting for for nearly 4 years.

Vince’s Thoughts on Week 1:

I get the sense that I am enjoying these titles, each and every one, more than they actually critically merit. If you’ve read enough of my writing on comics, you might know that I tend to end up really disliking Marvel & DC event books – almost without exception. When held up against “Villains Month” or “Futures End” month, “Convergence” is probably technically no better – except that I am still, several years after the fact, invested in nearly all of these select re-visited storylines thus far. The art is hit-or-miss, with a few inspired exceptions the teams haven’t been paired together as great fits, and the mashing of the long-abandoned storylines with whatever is going on with the “Convergence” city-vs-city aspect isn’t totally working (in fact, it feels pretty shoehorned in there, even if it is enjoyable on a popcorn-level). I know that all sounds negative, but those are merely speed bumps to a breezy and enjoyable event that could have been even more so. My grades on these individual titles don’t reflect my enjoyment of them this time around, because I’m fully accepting of DC’s pandering to me. “Convergence: Batgirl” is a book I’ll read again someday, because I honestly really liked the job that Alisa Kwitney did with the characters, even if the “Convergence” event mucks up the narrative and the art detracted from the book for me.

After week 1, “Convergence” isn’t living up to what my ideal vision of it was in the weeks and months leading up to it, but as of now it’s a greater success than any event DC has had since before the ‘New 52’ started, because they’re aiming at the version of me as a reader that already enjoyed all of these storylines before they went away the first time. On the flip side, this could have been a disastrous event and it is very far from it. It’s thoroughly enjoyable, warts and all.

But Week 1 also didn’t do anything to assuage, nor further instill, the fears that Brian has planted in me about losing all of these stories and characters again. Actually, seeing some (minor) characters die has me worried about how many doors DC is actually willing to close, if any. On the other hand, they could have done some actual serious damage right away in week 1, and they really didn’t. I remain cautiously optimistic that all stories really do matter.

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Brian’s Thoughts on Week 1:

I am not a fan of a strict formula, and I would say that my main issue with week 1 was just how formulaic it all felt at times – since every book had to reestablish a lost status quo, fill in readers to the dome situation (I suppose, in case they are only reading one of these tie-ins and no other “Convergence” titles), and then introduce the battling cities element. Somewhere in there, the creative teams are meant to tell a unique story, too. That formula is restrictive, and hurts the books irreparably.

However, the creators that are really spot on can still manage to make these books incredibly fun, as evidenced by a few of these titles. As Vince noted, a huge chunk of this is nostalgia based for me, and I love seeing some of these characters appears for the first time in nearly 4 years. It will be interesting to see if my nostalgia acts up in the same way with characters/books that have been away even longer. These books, more or less, did a good job catching a new reader up to the circumstances that led to these original stories, although, for instance, if you never knew Barbara/Oracle was once Batgirl, you wouldn’t know that now, either.

This week did do one very interesting thing for me – it showed me that I would be totally fine buying a book that took place on a ‘dead’ Earth. At first, I was skeptical that I would care about characters I loved in a situation that I knew wasn’t really going anywhere. Well, I can now say without hesitation that if such books exist beyond “Convergence,” I am far more willing to check them out. So, I guess that’s a positive?

On the negative side, I am pretty sure that I’m right (sorry, Vince), about most of these worlds going away at the end of this. Let’s pour one out for El Inferno, folks.

Zach’s Thoughts on Week 1:

Overall, I’m about as satisfied with the first week of “Convergence” as I am with any of DC’s past September events. There are a few standouts, a few stinkers, and a whole lot of middle of the road books. “Superman” and “The Question” are the highlights of the week for me, with “Nightwing/Oracle” riding close behind.

In spite of how little actually happened in the main “Covergence” title, I found my self enjoying it quite a lot. King’s characterization of the “Earth 2” characters feels like a significant improvement after weeks of “World’s End.” Overall, I think this issue accomplishes what the #0 should have; getting me interested in this event.

Unfortunately, I think this week set a precedent for a formula for the tie-ins that will last the rest of the month. Seeing as I’m already tired of reading Telos’ dome drop speech, it doesn’t bode well for my reception of the remaining tie-ins.

Never tell me the odds!

This week’s batch of books pits five cities against each other for survival: The pre-“Flashpoint” Gotham City, “Flashpoint” Gotham City, the western themed “El Inferno,” Captain Carrot’s “Follywood, Califurnia,” and the New York City of Angor, home to various Marvel pastiches. Here are the odds on who’s coming out on top, so place your bets accordingly

Pre-Flashpoint Gotham City – 2:3 – This being the most popular of the five, the odds are heavily in its favor. Fans have been clamoring for a return to the pre-New 52 continuity for nearly 4 years, maybe it will finally happen.

Flashpoint Gotham City – 5:1 – On the other hand, hardly anyone is clamoring for a return to “Flashpoint.” However, as this city features a team of heavy hitters that closely resemble DC’s iconic pantheon, the Flashpoint universe poses a major threat.

El Inferno – 20:1 Things aren’t looking too well for the Justice Riders at this point, but they may just be able to turn their fortunes around next month.

Follywood, Califurnia – 3:1 – Captain Carrot is a very hot commodity these days, and never underestimate the power of cartoon physics.

New York City, Angor – 100:1 – This is essentially the Marvel Universe, so you know it’s going to lose.


//TAGS | The DC3

Brian Salvatore

Brian Salvatore is an editor, podcaster, reviewer, writer at large, and general task master at Multiversity. When not writing, he can be found playing music, hanging out with his kids, or playing music with his kids. He also has a dog named Lola, a rowboat, and once met Jimmy Carter. Feel free to email him about good beer, the New York Mets, or the best way to make Chicken Parmagiana (add a thin slice of prosciutto under the cheese).

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Vince Ostrowski

Dr. Steve Brule once called him "A typical hunk who thinks he knows everything about comics." Twitter: @VJ_Ostrowski

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Zach Wilkerson

Zach Wilkerson, part of the DC3 trinity, still writes about comics sometimes. He would probably rather be reading manga or thinking about Kingdom Hearts. For more on those things, follow him on Twitter @TheWilkofZ

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