Welcome, friends to another installment of “The 3cap,” our weekly recap of DC’s three weekly titles: “Batman Eternal,” “Earth 2: World’s End,” and “New 52: Futures End.” Each week, we will take a look at the each issue released, while recapping the action and asking the burning questions. If you spot something we missed, make sure to leave a note in the comments!
Batman Eternal #36
Written by Scott Snyder and James Tynion IV
Illustrated by Fernando Blanco
Reviewed by Zach Wilkerson
News, notes, and debuts:
And then, the other shoe dropped. Talk about instant gratification. This issue of “Batman Eternal” answered every single one of my “Eternal Questions” for the previous issue, some with eerie precision.
First off, what’s up with the Bat-family? Well, apparently they’ve just been busy. Tim and Harper have been continuing to work together in the Robin’s Nest. Batgirl seems to have been busy with the events of her own ongoing, as she’s now donning her fun new look. As I mentioned last week, Batman’s dire straits seem like a great time for a bat-family team-up, and it seems I was right. Even Jason returns for a terrific scene in which Red Robin, Red Hood, Batgirl and Batman tell Jason Bard what’s what in Gotham City.
Oh, and how does Bruce survive plummeting to his death in a screaming metal death trap? Chalk it up to Penny-Two and conveniently timed deus ex machina.
Second up, we have the mystery of Jason Bard’s past, which is conveniently revealed and wrapped up tightly in a bow by Vicki Vale. It seems the “Batman of Detroit” was little more than an amateur copycat, far from the big league player I’d pegged him for. The ill-fated vigilante botched a drug bust, leading to the death of Bard’s partner/love and his current obsession with killing Batman.
Finally, the mystery of just who is pulling the strings. Well, if it wasn’t for this series’ penchant for red herrings, I’d say that I called it straight on last issue. The next big bad on the way to “Eternal’s” end game stands revealed as none other than Edward Nygma. With just 16 issues to go, it remains to be seen if this is the one, true villain of our story, or yet another pawn in a greater game.
Three Eternal Questions:
1. What is Blue Rose?
Maybe I missed something completely, but how on earth was Julia able to come up with the solution to save Bruce so quickly? What is Blue Rose? Readers, if this is something of significance that we’ve seen in previous issues, sound off in the comments section. Otherwise, I’m left wondering if this is an aspect from Julia’s past, something that will be fleshed out later as her and Alfred’s relationship grows.
2. Will Bard redeem himself?
This issue marks a potential turning point for Bard. His plan has been foiled and his true colors are now known to the Bats. Batman lays down the line, deliver Bard an ultimatum; be the commissioner that Gotham needs, or there will be problems. Bard has gone down a very dark road since the series began, but there’s still plenty of time for redemption. Will we see Bard fulfill his potential, following in the footsteps of Gordon? One thing is for sure, I hope he sticks around for a while. In the post-Eternal status quo, it would be great to see Bard struggling to live up to the role of police commissioner, trying to make things right, but not always seeing eye to eye with Batman. Likewise, it would be equally interesting to see Gordon adjust to life as a civilian. The potential for new stories is very ripe.
3. How cool is it that Babs is now in her Burnside costume?
Too Cool.
Earth 2: World’s End #10
Written by Daniel H. Wilson, Marguerite Bennet, and Mike Johnson
Illustrated by Tyler Kirkham, Joe Weems, Stephen Segovia, Jason Paz, Jorge Jimenez, Eddy Barrows, and Eber Ferreira
Continued below
Reviewed by Vince Ostrowski
News, notes, and debuts:
– After 10 issues, I can safely say that “World’s End” contains one of the strangest art-related phenomenons that I’ve ever seen in comics – and I don’t think that’s hyperbole. The series has managed to throw a handful of different artists with some wildly different styles into every single issue of the comic and not have it feel like a trainwreck or even a hodgepodge. Maybe it’s just me, but I have not been distracted by the art switches in the same way that, let’s say, Grant Morrison’s “Action Comics” felt like it constantly fell victim to. None of the art really blows me away, but it does feel fairly dynamic across the board. Maybe that’s the key – there’s no one artist on this series that is knocking it so far out of the park that I would rather see drawing an entire issue, and yet no one here is a weak link either. Everyone has just been doing a really solid job.
– On the other hand, the writing has been on the weaker side. I think there’s been enough fun had in the pages of “World’s End”, but it is overwrought in a way that “Batman Eternal” and “Futures End” haven’t been. While fun moments like Power Girl having to fight a vampiric multi-armed Huntress had me thinking back to one of my favorite Spider-Man stories (the six-armed Spidey saga), whenever the series gets a bit of downtime, the writers like to pack in the exposition. I suppose it’s helpful for readers who have been following the New 52, but might not have been reading the handful of books set on Earth 2, but it makes for noticeable lulls in an otherwise action-packed story. At the same time, “World’s End” still feels propulsive most of the time. Actually, it’s almost silly how quickly characters go from one place to another, and how much action is constantly taking place. While “World’s End” is the weakest of the 3 weeklies, it might be the one that most embraces being a comic book, with its cartoonish nature and high octane melodrama.
– One other thing to be said for “World’s End”? I have no idea where the book is going. There were times early on where it looked like (and readers were rightfully fearing) that the book would slowly reset everything to the Earth 2 we saw at the beginning of James Robinson’s original run. Was the original Earth 2 trinity of Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman coming back? But as soon as Superman is recovered from the bacta tank he was being held in, he’s whisked off away from the action by Val and the gang. Mister Miracle has taken center stage in these last few issues, which is something I never would have guessed I’d see. He’s looking damn near like the central cog to this whole crazy thing.
– Some other goings on, for those who maybe haven’t be able to follow the book: Barbara Gordon-Grayson is dead, Dick Grayson-Gordon (I don’t know, maybe Dick would take Barbara’s name?) is out for vengeance, and their baby is on some train to who gives a crap where – nice parenting Dick. Meanwhile the Earth 2 avatars of Earth are still taking on the Furies of Apokolips. Oh yeah, and the Earth 2 Justice Society has awoken Darkseid. Oops.
Three Worldly Questions:
1. Who was imprisoning Darkseid and is he Mister Miracle’s true father?
I feel like the obvious answer, which for some reason did not stand out to me last week, is DeSaad. I know DeSaad is normally depicted as an acolyte of Darkseid, but perhaps the tables have turned? Unless the true villain has yet to reveal themselves, and it’s someone completely out of left-field, my best guess is that DeSaad is still turning all the major wheels to the story. And with that in mind, could he be Mister Miracle’s true father? After all, we all unfortunately read the contemptible Villains Month issue that showed that DeSaad spills more seed than a blind parakeet, right? Kudos to you, if you missed that one.
2. Why didn’t Dick Grayson get on the train?
Continued belowI did a little digging and found that Aaron Sagers does a terrific interview with Daniel H. Wilson every week regarding the latest issue of “World’s End.” By all means, check it out – making sure that you still read our capsules weekly too, of course. As Cosmo Kramer once said, there’s enough juice here to keep us all fat and giggly. Apparently Wilson meant for the train to appear packed full, leaving only enough room to put the young Gordon-Grayson offspring on the train, but not to carry Dick himself. That little detail might be a bigger error than releasing Darkseid from imprisonment.
3. Is it Darkseid Team-Up time?
Back to Darkseid and DeSaad. If DeSaad is going to end up proving to be the big bad in all of this, do we see Darkseid in a “de facto” team up situation with the heroes to take his rightful place back and save the world he ultimately holds dominion over? That final page spread, with Darkseid triumphantly freed from imprisonment, just screams out that the tables have turned. Obviously Darkseid won’t be working for the side of good, but perhaps a deal with the devil is in order?
The New 52: Futures End #32
Written by Brian Azzarello, Keith Giffen, Dan Jurgens, and Jeff Lemire
Illustrated by Scot Eaton
Reviewed by Brian Salvatore
News, notes, and debuts:
This issue brings back artist Scot Eaton for a spin around some of the recently neglected storylines, and while he is missing a “t” from his name, what he isn’t short on is facial expression. His work is, hands down, the most expressive in all of the “Futures End” bullpen, and it both works for and against the story at various points. Characters experiencing minor triumphs look like they’ve just won the lottery, so the story can feel a bit over the top at points. Outside of that, his work continues to be solid, and his exuberance really does set his work apart.
More so than Eaton, this issue celebrates the return of its most interesting story: Stormwatch returns!
No longer lost in space, the Atom, Black Adam, Hawkman, Amethyst, and the Engineer are found by S.H.A.D.E. and ordered to hand over Angie, the Engineer, so that she can help them stop Brainiac. This series loves organizations overstepping the rules of common courtesy and ratcheting up the tension to 10, as Father Time (aka the character Fifty Sue wants desperately to be) essentially says “hand her over or, you know, Godzilla.”
Back on Earth, we get a really weird sequence of Plastique and Terry living out a romantic comedy scene, ordering pizza and gathering in Times Square. This, essentially, is so that we don’t forget that they exist, and so they can patch into the Bruce Wayne/Michael Holt story.
That story, mind you, continues to be subtitled “When Mister Terrific Became Mister Terrif-dick,” because he is essentially a giant dickhead, just doing dickhead stuff. The big takeaway from this installment is that he is now actively listening to Brother Eye’s suggestions, which rank among the dumbest thing the character has ever done. Also, NYC is going to be getting the uSPHERE ahead of everyone else, because New York is awesome.
Meanwhile, Fifty Sue broods and plays dress up.
In a story I’ll address in the questions section, Cole Cash and Earth 2 Lana Lang kind of sort of get married?
And, in the most immediately impactful sequence, Dr. Yamazake, who was also transformed in the explosion that caused the new Firestorm, has become some sort of nuclear man himself, upon which he chooses to dress like Galactus.
Three Future Questions:
1. Why did Cole need a new ID? Was he carded at the Wooden Duck?
Ok, so I referenced this earlier: we see Cole and Lana in the “Earth Registration Authority” offices, and at first Cole tries to get a new ID, saying who he really is, but the lady at the desk is all, “I know you’re an E2er, just deal,” so he does, lest he face a six month incarceration as he awaits trial. He comes out as Cole Lang, husband of E2 Lana Lang.
Continued below
Now, I don’t think we are supposed to presume a quick romance, so it seems to be that he takes that name because Lana vouches for him? Doesn’t this seem like a pretty lackadaisical government agency? “No ID, sure! We believe your “wife” – enjoy life on this planet, alien!”
But the more important question is this: why does he need this right now? I can just imagine him coming back to his apartment, splashing water on his face, saying “Cole, you just survived one of the most traumatic things anyone could imagine. It is finally time to get that new ID.”
2. Seriously, what happened to Michael Holt?
No character, save for those eliminated/kept in name only, has suffered more in the New 52 than Mister Terrific. This is a soapbox I get on a lot, so forgive me if you’ve heard this one before, but he is so weirdly portrayed, and has been since the start of the New 52.
Here, though, he comes off as a weird Donald Trump/Bill Gates hybrid, wanting to give people technology, but also being a greedy douche with bad hair. Contrast this to how he is being portrayed in the “Earth 2” line, and it is night and day – what the hell happened after the Earth war? Is this shift in tone intentional? Did Azarrello just read his solo series and not read “Earth 2” while prepping for this series?
3. How does Firestorm tie into all of this?
We are at the point in the series where, more or less, every story has Brother Eye/Brainiac-tendrils attached, just waiting for connection – except for the Firestorm stuff. I know that not every story needs to connect exactly, but it seems like there must be a rhyme or reason for that character getting such a prominent role here. Is it simply a case of needing a super powerful hero in the fight? Or is there a secret import to the character we just haven’t seen yet?
