Post by David on May 10, 2009 18:11:06 GMT -5
Hi, and welcome back to The DC2 Pull List!
Check back every Monday for member reviews of each week's new issues! We will also spotlight one title every week to critique and discuss, interview the writer and artist and celebrate the talent and effort that goes into creating the #1 DCU fan fiction/art site on the web!
Event books have a long history at the DC2. We knew before we debuted the first issues that we would work up to an epic storyline involving a war with Apokolips and the formation of the World's Greatest Heroes. A year later, we threw everything we had against that Justice League (including an intergalactic starfish). And most recently, Extant counted down to a Zero Hour it took a Multiverse to stop. And now comes Nemesis, a threat so profound it threatens the very formation of reality. The Black Sun is rising and that's only the beginning!
This week's Spotlight Title is DC2 Nemesis #3, and joining me are Alex Vasquez (writer Firestorm, artist Justice Society of America), Pat Owens (writer Aquaman), Don Walsh (writer Justice League, Danger Trail, Editor-in-Chief of DC3), and representing the creative team for this issue is the Pull List's own House Of Mystery (writer, DC2: Nemesis, Wonder Woman, Detective Comics),
As always, beware of SPOILERS below!
DAVID: The thing that differentiates this book from previous crossover events, at least for me, is that the others were primarily action/adventure stories--- DC2 Nemesis is that as well, but it's something else, too: it's scary! There's a tone to this story that speaks of doom and decay and a real uncertainty, invoking the hosts of Heaven and the legions of a primordial evil both. Charlie, can you tell us a little bit about the threat Our Heroes are facing?
CHARLIE: I've not made it up. I've taken liberties with the threat that's coming, I've drawn inspiration from a whole range of literary sources, but I've not made it up. I don't think it's a spoiler to call the Black Sun "a prison", as many characters have theorised as much, so when the thing inside comes out? It gets a whole lot scarier. Plus, with the Guardians of the Universe aware of it, the Hosts of Heaven, and the entire metahuman population of the world... well, it has to be big, doesn't it?
DAVID: So, whatever is coming out of the Black Sun will be familiar to readers of the DC2...?
CHARLIE: If you're familiar with the DCU, you'll get a kick out of what's coming, and if you're not, then you're in for a treat anyway, because we introduce a really horrifying villain for our heroes to go up against-- one they can't punch into submission or throw a batarang at to take down. There is no Anti-Black Sun Spray hidden in Batman's utility belt. And if you think it's tough for the Justice League, the Green Lantern Corps return near the tail end of the story, and the Guardians of the Universe step up too.
DAVID: What literary sources have inspired this story?
CHARLIE: A lot of Lovecraft, to be honest. That brand of sinister horror, foreboding suspense and otherworldy terror is what I was hoping to focus on, so I was reading up a lot on him recently. Also, and probably not surprisingly, a lot of Morrison, but not the obvious American stuff, more along the lines of the 2000 AD stuff he did. Originally, I was quite concerned with creating a very gothic atmosphere, so that's quite underlying (actually inspired by du Maurier, Hill, some modern and not so modern writers), but it dove-tailed in high concept superhero craziness, so I expect someone to come at me brandishing Morrison-inian accusations.
DON: I'm impressed with the ability to put out the gothic/horror feel that Charlie alludes to. With four-color superheroes, getting that sense of loss and ineffectiveness that makes horror work is SO damned hard. Especially without making the heroes come across as suddenly weak or stupid. So it's a real tribute to the skill and craft of the writing for that atmosphere to get across. The covers, stunning one and all, also help really hit that whole mood home.
I liked seeing the shift in scenes among Opal City, Atlantis (okay, Poseidonis technically) and Gorilla City. For some reason, there's a wonderful juxtaposition that helps to show just how awesomely diverse and bizarre the DC Earth is, and the horror uniting these three locations is just really brought to bear, giving a great scale to the threat here. And as we all know, gorillas sell, right?
CHARLIE: Gorillas are what's going to make this miniseries.
PAT: I've really been enjoying the tone of Nemesis so far. We've got the Black Sun which is setting a dark mood for the Earth while we also have monsters popping out of different dimensions and angels falling from the sky. Some scenes that really stood out to me this issue were of course the Aquaman and monster fight. Loved seeing its conclusion executed after it had been led up to. I also liked the quick exchange between the Justice League and Jason Todd. I'm looking forward to more of the Dark Knight because well I find DC2's Jason more interesting than DCU's.
ALEX: I have to say, Charlie has done a great job with this series in establishing a tone of dread and tension that keeps building, giving you a feeling that something really, REALLY bad is going to happen. The scope of this story is huge, so I'm looking forward to the ramifications this is going to have on the DC2niverse.
I really liked the Ride of the Valkyries scene. It's nice to see some humor in a story like this.
DAVID: So far, this story seems to be involving characters as diverse as the Dark Knight (although he's way cooler here than at any point in DCU's Countdown), the Big Seven Leaguers, and the a kind of proto-Shadowpact meeting at the House of Mystery; what is it about this threat that ties the whole stable of characters together?
CHARLIE: This is the biggest evil they've ever faced. On a par with Darkseid, at least. They don't know it yet, but they're all being attacked by the same thing, at the same time, and so the only way they can stop this overwhelming attack is to unite... and pray that it'll work.
The Justice League has access to the history of an alternate and dead reality, one that is running dangerously parallel to the DC2's own (from Wonder Woman #25, one of my favourite issues I've written) and Diana knows that she needs an army, so the Justice League are in it together.
Batman is running around on his own mission, so is Manhunter, so is Jason Todd, (but he's run into Zauriel, so they're running around together now); then we have the Marvel Family united for the first time in really a long time... Aquaman was facing one of the Black Sun's heralds but he defeated it and has united with the League... they're headed toward the same conclusion in their own separate ways.
They know that they need to fight. They know that if they fall, the Black Sun will rise and devour the world. So when that Black Sun materialises... they best be organised.
DAVID: Such a huge cast of characters here, who are you enjoying working with the most?
CHARLIE: Jason Todd is always fun, the gruff and cynical voice of reason, pointing out the obvious and knowing-it-all, even when he doesn't. Manhunter has always been one of my favourite characters, since I first wrote him (in the first few months of the DC2, in the much maligned Seven Soldiers false start) and The Question is just going with it, napping between crises. I'm worried characters will fade in and out of the book, but they're all so sharp and well defined, I don't know if I should be.
Batman is a blast, I'm having so much fun with him right now in this title and Batman itself, and his story... crikey, it gets rough. Superman is also facing his gravest challenge next issue, so you'll have to keep your eye out for that...
I think what I have to say is this: everyone is having a moment.
In this issue, Aquaman was the highlight, and in later issues, Firestorm steps up in a big way, the Phantom Stranger faces his arch-foe (Who? You'll find out!) and the "Shadowpact" as you've dubbed them journey to the centre of the Earth... 'cept not... and they're just terrified, and it's such fun to write it. Oh! And Mister Miracle! When he arrives, it's game-changing for me, because he's so fun, and I'm sure Pat (DC3's Ultimate Fourth World writer) and Kevin (on DC2's own New Gods) will agree!
DON: The use of Zauriel is well-handled too. I like reading his scenes in each issue so far. Indeed, the pairing of Zauriel and Jason as we see in this issue is just jarring in a good way, because again, this juxtaposition of the fantastic (at the highest level really) and the gritty (and what's grittier than Dark Knight?) really hammers home a lot of the feel and the stakes in this event.
ALEX: Zaurel is the character that stands out for me. Like Don, I've enjoyed his scenes in all the issues. Jason Todd is a surprise breakout star of this series, which given the characters history, you wouldn't expect.
DAVID: What exactly do all the tie-ins add to the story? Can a reader come to this without having read, say, the Superman prologue, or the Aquaman prologue?
CHARLIE: They serve multiple purposes. The Dark Knight was required to introduce you as the reader to the new identity of Jason Todd. It would have been out months ago but there were many hiccups on the way, and it faltered until it came out. The ending originally synced up directly with the closing scenes of Chapter One but I thought it best to leave it open. From that book, continuity follows into Batman, and Batman will eventually sync up with Nemesis, and then we have a project coming out of Chapter Seven that is game-changing for Jason. We wanted you to know who Jason Todd was. He's appeared in Grant's run on Batman, obviously, but he was Red X, and he was dangerous like an angry bear. But in the aftermath of Bruce Wayne's death, he changed, and we needed to convey that. It would have taken up too much room in the DC2 Nemesis title itself to show that, and I wanted to get to the meat of the action.
The tie-ins add layers to the story. Prologue: Superman fleshed out The Circle, and I think made them more real, but also introduced a character we meet again inside Chapter Three. It also sets up a major point for Chapter Five, which you'll all slap your heads for if you didn't realise before. Ask yourself a big question about Action Comics cast, and you'll probably figure it out. Prologue: Batman (whenever it materialises!) shows the effects of Gaia's death on some very select individuals tied to the elemental world. Aquaman lead into Chapter Three literally, probably ten, fifteen minutes passing between the final page of that prologue and the first page of the main issue, but it just adds a little more to the story.
You don't need to read the Prologues, I don't think. They're not necessary. Superman isn't necessary, and people have seemed to dig that, heh, The Dark Knight is more necessary but it's a brilliant stand alone story and an involving larger story. Aquaman is the same. But they're fun, and they're not necessarily written by me! I've been joined by Pat Owens and Ramon Villalobos on the ones already out, and Mike Hewison will be on Batman when it comes out. It's been a blast to collaborate, and I intend to do it again in the near future!
I know that some writers have expressed a wanting to tie their books into the event before it's over.
DAVID: The most significant indicator of the impact of an "event" like this, is how it plays out in other titles, affecting the larger shared world as a whole. The entire site participated in "The Apokolips Imperative" and "Justice League V. America", and it defined the continuity before and after it. Will Nemesis have that sort of impact, with far-reaching consequences for the DC2 that reverberate across all titles?
CHARLIE: Nemesis is closer to "Justice League V. America" in execution than "The Apokolips Imperative", and whilst you won't see a One Year Later-esque jump in continuity, some titles will feel the effects of Nemesis for months afterwards. Justice League is going to be the one title that takes the biggest hit-- Kevin Feeney and I are on that book after Don Walsh completes his stellar run, and the events of Chapter Seven lead directly to our first issue, even if they are months apart. I didn't want to change any characters, I don't want them having cyborg arms or gaining new powers, I want them to be effected by the events but not have the events dictate new directions. If writers want to pick up on threads brought up by Nemesis, that would be wonderful, but it's really up to other writers. It's by-and-large a self contained event but with a follow-up (kind of in spirit, I guess?) that'll last for as long as we're on Justice League.
Oh, and not to mention that due to the events that lead up to this event in the Wonder Woman book have been felt in New Outsiders, Shazam, Teen Titans and other titles. So we've lead up to this quite nicely, and I'm happy that people have been kind enough to contribute and share their characters with me.
DAVID: Charlie, what can we expect from the rest of this series--- and what can we expect to be the fallout from it in the rest of the DC2?
CHARLIE: In Chapter Four, the thing inside the Black Sun is finally revealed in the aftermath of two harrowing moments for two flagship characters-- deadly, harrowing moments, and then things simply fall apart. I'm currently writing Chapter Seven, and I've just... done something awful to a much loved character, that I can't reveal anything about, and things are tying together nicely, leading to hopefully a monumental conclusion.
Things get bleak, characters succumb to the darkness, characters fall, characters sacrifice themselves... when you read Chapter Four, you'll know why I don't want to reveal what's coming. We also have a flock of characters come into the spotlight, Captain Marvel for one, Zauriel's true destiny, past and present, is revealed, and The Ray... well... The Ray finally appears.
As for fallout? I've already mentioned Justice League leading out of this event when Kevin and I take the reins, not directly, of course, but symbolically, and it'll be wild ride. Also, I'm apparently in talks with a fan-favourite writer on site about how it'll effect his most popular book. I'm excited!
PAT: Charlie does a great job balancing both the story progression with the action scenes of the issue, making sure that you never find yourself disconnected from the story. The cover continues the chain of the Black Sun outline that has appeared on the majority of the Nemesis covers. It is a dark and gloomy cover, depicting Aquaman's epic battle with one hell of a monster. Nemesis is proving to be another epic event for the site so make sure you don't miss out!
And now for our reviews of this week's new issues:
Click on the cover to go straight to the issue!
Written by Charles HoM
Cover by Ammotu
Edited by Kevin Feeney
Review by Alex Vasquez
In The Question #4 (of 3), Batman is interviewing our resident gumshoe to figure out his 'resurrection'. Charlie shows the handle he has on this character and delivers pitch perfect Question rambling...err dialog. Through that dialog, Charlie reveals a pretty sinister scheme being concocted by the Las Vegas Branch of Cadmus. The Question assembles a team to take it down, but is met with disastrous results that required our hero to rebuild himself from the ground up and relearn what it means to be a hero. And while this conversation is going on, the League and Batman have a surprise in store for Mr Szasz that should make anyone smile.
(click on cover to go straight to the issue)
Written by Don Walsh
Cover by Joey Jarin
Edited by James Stubbs
Review by Aaron Martel
The cover is a tip off- a classic-style homage by Joey Jarin that captures the "throwback" feel of the story itself. In the penultimate issue of Don Walsh's first arc on Seven Soldiers, many of the plot elements that have been brewing since Don took over the title come together and the main antagonist's scheme is revealed. For those not in the know, the Seven Soldiers of Victory are a loose team of relatively light-to non-powered heroes who unite to battle against grave dangers and common threats. This isn't another Justice League. What sets this title apart is a more deliberate pacing and attention to characterization that really gives the reader a feel and understanding of these people and their motivations. There's almost a "family" undercurrent that bonds these heroes together, and Don does a marvelous job of sprinkling in details that reference the Soldiers' past, yet somehow he's able to keep a modern take on things as well with his own concepts. There's nothing quite like this in the DC2, and if you're a lover of Golden Age style characters and storytelling this is a title you don't want to miss.
(click on cover to go straight to the issue)
Written by: Samantha Chapman
Cover by Carlos
Edited by Don Walsh
DC3 has some major talent in both the writing and art department, and Gotham Girls #17 is but one shining example. Samantha Chapman has taken the concept of Batgirl and turned it on its head; along with Poison Ivy, Harley Quinn, and Harvey Dent. This issue is the conclusion of the Two-Face story that Samantha has obviously put so much time, blood and sweat into. Harvey Dent is a complex character and is handled perfectly in this final chapter; a climax that is both physical as well as psychological. This has been and still is a must read at DC3. You won't be disappointed!
Check back every Monday for member reviews of each week's new issues! We will also spotlight one title every week to critique and discuss, interview the writer and artist and celebrate the talent and effort that goes into creating the #1 DCU fan fiction/art site on the web!
Event books have a long history at the DC2. We knew before we debuted the first issues that we would work up to an epic storyline involving a war with Apokolips and the formation of the World's Greatest Heroes. A year later, we threw everything we had against that Justice League (including an intergalactic starfish). And most recently, Extant counted down to a Zero Hour it took a Multiverse to stop. And now comes Nemesis, a threat so profound it threatens the very formation of reality. The Black Sun is rising and that's only the beginning!
This week's Spotlight Title is DC2 Nemesis #3, and joining me are Alex Vasquez (writer Firestorm, artist Justice Society of America), Pat Owens (writer Aquaman), Don Walsh (writer Justice League, Danger Trail, Editor-in-Chief of DC3), and representing the creative team for this issue is the Pull List's own House Of Mystery (writer, DC2: Nemesis, Wonder Woman, Detective Comics),
As always, beware of SPOILERS below!
DC2 Nemesis
Chapter Three
Written by House Of Mystery
Cover by Ramon Villalobos
Edited by Kevin Feeney
Chapter Three
Written by House Of Mystery
Cover by Ramon Villalobos
Edited by Kevin Feeney
DAVID: The thing that differentiates this book from previous crossover events, at least for me, is that the others were primarily action/adventure stories--- DC2 Nemesis is that as well, but it's something else, too: it's scary! There's a tone to this story that speaks of doom and decay and a real uncertainty, invoking the hosts of Heaven and the legions of a primordial evil both. Charlie, can you tell us a little bit about the threat Our Heroes are facing?
CHARLIE: I've not made it up. I've taken liberties with the threat that's coming, I've drawn inspiration from a whole range of literary sources, but I've not made it up. I don't think it's a spoiler to call the Black Sun "a prison", as many characters have theorised as much, so when the thing inside comes out? It gets a whole lot scarier. Plus, with the Guardians of the Universe aware of it, the Hosts of Heaven, and the entire metahuman population of the world... well, it has to be big, doesn't it?
DAVID: So, whatever is coming out of the Black Sun will be familiar to readers of the DC2...?
CHARLIE: If you're familiar with the DCU, you'll get a kick out of what's coming, and if you're not, then you're in for a treat anyway, because we introduce a really horrifying villain for our heroes to go up against-- one they can't punch into submission or throw a batarang at to take down. There is no Anti-Black Sun Spray hidden in Batman's utility belt. And if you think it's tough for the Justice League, the Green Lantern Corps return near the tail end of the story, and the Guardians of the Universe step up too.
DAVID: What literary sources have inspired this story?
CHARLIE: A lot of Lovecraft, to be honest. That brand of sinister horror, foreboding suspense and otherworldy terror is what I was hoping to focus on, so I was reading up a lot on him recently. Also, and probably not surprisingly, a lot of Morrison, but not the obvious American stuff, more along the lines of the 2000 AD stuff he did. Originally, I was quite concerned with creating a very gothic atmosphere, so that's quite underlying (actually inspired by du Maurier, Hill, some modern and not so modern writers), but it dove-tailed in high concept superhero craziness, so I expect someone to come at me brandishing Morrison-inian accusations.
DON: I'm impressed with the ability to put out the gothic/horror feel that Charlie alludes to. With four-color superheroes, getting that sense of loss and ineffectiveness that makes horror work is SO damned hard. Especially without making the heroes come across as suddenly weak or stupid. So it's a real tribute to the skill and craft of the writing for that atmosphere to get across. The covers, stunning one and all, also help really hit that whole mood home.
I liked seeing the shift in scenes among Opal City, Atlantis (okay, Poseidonis technically) and Gorilla City. For some reason, there's a wonderful juxtaposition that helps to show just how awesomely diverse and bizarre the DC Earth is, and the horror uniting these three locations is just really brought to bear, giving a great scale to the threat here. And as we all know, gorillas sell, right?
CHARLIE: Gorillas are what's going to make this miniseries.
PAT: I've really been enjoying the tone of Nemesis so far. We've got the Black Sun which is setting a dark mood for the Earth while we also have monsters popping out of different dimensions and angels falling from the sky. Some scenes that really stood out to me this issue were of course the Aquaman and monster fight. Loved seeing its conclusion executed after it had been led up to. I also liked the quick exchange between the Justice League and Jason Todd. I'm looking forward to more of the Dark Knight because well I find DC2's Jason more interesting than DCU's.
ALEX: I have to say, Charlie has done a great job with this series in establishing a tone of dread and tension that keeps building, giving you a feeling that something really, REALLY bad is going to happen. The scope of this story is huge, so I'm looking forward to the ramifications this is going to have on the DC2niverse.
I really liked the Ride of the Valkyries scene. It's nice to see some humor in a story like this.
DAVID: So far, this story seems to be involving characters as diverse as the Dark Knight (although he's way cooler here than at any point in DCU's Countdown), the Big Seven Leaguers, and the a kind of proto-Shadowpact meeting at the House of Mystery; what is it about this threat that ties the whole stable of characters together?
CHARLIE: This is the biggest evil they've ever faced. On a par with Darkseid, at least. They don't know it yet, but they're all being attacked by the same thing, at the same time, and so the only way they can stop this overwhelming attack is to unite... and pray that it'll work.
The Justice League has access to the history of an alternate and dead reality, one that is running dangerously parallel to the DC2's own (from Wonder Woman #25, one of my favourite issues I've written) and Diana knows that she needs an army, so the Justice League are in it together.
Batman is running around on his own mission, so is Manhunter, so is Jason Todd, (but he's run into Zauriel, so they're running around together now); then we have the Marvel Family united for the first time in really a long time... Aquaman was facing one of the Black Sun's heralds but he defeated it and has united with the League... they're headed toward the same conclusion in their own separate ways.
They know that they need to fight. They know that if they fall, the Black Sun will rise and devour the world. So when that Black Sun materialises... they best be organised.
DAVID: Such a huge cast of characters here, who are you enjoying working with the most?
CHARLIE: Jason Todd is always fun, the gruff and cynical voice of reason, pointing out the obvious and knowing-it-all, even when he doesn't. Manhunter has always been one of my favourite characters, since I first wrote him (in the first few months of the DC2, in the much maligned Seven Soldiers false start) and The Question is just going with it, napping between crises. I'm worried characters will fade in and out of the book, but they're all so sharp and well defined, I don't know if I should be.
Batman is a blast, I'm having so much fun with him right now in this title and Batman itself, and his story... crikey, it gets rough. Superman is also facing his gravest challenge next issue, so you'll have to keep your eye out for that...
I think what I have to say is this: everyone is having a moment.
In this issue, Aquaman was the highlight, and in later issues, Firestorm steps up in a big way, the Phantom Stranger faces his arch-foe (Who? You'll find out!) and the "Shadowpact" as you've dubbed them journey to the centre of the Earth... 'cept not... and they're just terrified, and it's such fun to write it. Oh! And Mister Miracle! When he arrives, it's game-changing for me, because he's so fun, and I'm sure Pat (DC3's Ultimate Fourth World writer) and Kevin (on DC2's own New Gods) will agree!
DON: The use of Zauriel is well-handled too. I like reading his scenes in each issue so far. Indeed, the pairing of Zauriel and Jason as we see in this issue is just jarring in a good way, because again, this juxtaposition of the fantastic (at the highest level really) and the gritty (and what's grittier than Dark Knight?) really hammers home a lot of the feel and the stakes in this event.
ALEX: Zaurel is the character that stands out for me. Like Don, I've enjoyed his scenes in all the issues. Jason Todd is a surprise breakout star of this series, which given the characters history, you wouldn't expect.
DAVID: What exactly do all the tie-ins add to the story? Can a reader come to this without having read, say, the Superman prologue, or the Aquaman prologue?
CHARLIE: They serve multiple purposes. The Dark Knight was required to introduce you as the reader to the new identity of Jason Todd. It would have been out months ago but there were many hiccups on the way, and it faltered until it came out. The ending originally synced up directly with the closing scenes of Chapter One but I thought it best to leave it open. From that book, continuity follows into Batman, and Batman will eventually sync up with Nemesis, and then we have a project coming out of Chapter Seven that is game-changing for Jason. We wanted you to know who Jason Todd was. He's appeared in Grant's run on Batman, obviously, but he was Red X, and he was dangerous like an angry bear. But in the aftermath of Bruce Wayne's death, he changed, and we needed to convey that. It would have taken up too much room in the DC2 Nemesis title itself to show that, and I wanted to get to the meat of the action.
The tie-ins add layers to the story. Prologue: Superman fleshed out The Circle, and I think made them more real, but also introduced a character we meet again inside Chapter Three. It also sets up a major point for Chapter Five, which you'll all slap your heads for if you didn't realise before. Ask yourself a big question about Action Comics cast, and you'll probably figure it out. Prologue: Batman (whenever it materialises!) shows the effects of Gaia's death on some very select individuals tied to the elemental world. Aquaman lead into Chapter Three literally, probably ten, fifteen minutes passing between the final page of that prologue and the first page of the main issue, but it just adds a little more to the story.
You don't need to read the Prologues, I don't think. They're not necessary. Superman isn't necessary, and people have seemed to dig that, heh, The Dark Knight is more necessary but it's a brilliant stand alone story and an involving larger story. Aquaman is the same. But they're fun, and they're not necessarily written by me! I've been joined by Pat Owens and Ramon Villalobos on the ones already out, and Mike Hewison will be on Batman when it comes out. It's been a blast to collaborate, and I intend to do it again in the near future!
I know that some writers have expressed a wanting to tie their books into the event before it's over.
DAVID: The most significant indicator of the impact of an "event" like this, is how it plays out in other titles, affecting the larger shared world as a whole. The entire site participated in "The Apokolips Imperative" and "Justice League V. America", and it defined the continuity before and after it. Will Nemesis have that sort of impact, with far-reaching consequences for the DC2 that reverberate across all titles?
CHARLIE: Nemesis is closer to "Justice League V. America" in execution than "The Apokolips Imperative", and whilst you won't see a One Year Later-esque jump in continuity, some titles will feel the effects of Nemesis for months afterwards. Justice League is going to be the one title that takes the biggest hit-- Kevin Feeney and I are on that book after Don Walsh completes his stellar run, and the events of Chapter Seven lead directly to our first issue, even if they are months apart. I didn't want to change any characters, I don't want them having cyborg arms or gaining new powers, I want them to be effected by the events but not have the events dictate new directions. If writers want to pick up on threads brought up by Nemesis, that would be wonderful, but it's really up to other writers. It's by-and-large a self contained event but with a follow-up (kind of in spirit, I guess?) that'll last for as long as we're on Justice League.
Oh, and not to mention that due to the events that lead up to this event in the Wonder Woman book have been felt in New Outsiders, Shazam, Teen Titans and other titles. So we've lead up to this quite nicely, and I'm happy that people have been kind enough to contribute and share their characters with me.
DAVID: Charlie, what can we expect from the rest of this series--- and what can we expect to be the fallout from it in the rest of the DC2?
CHARLIE: In Chapter Four, the thing inside the Black Sun is finally revealed in the aftermath of two harrowing moments for two flagship characters-- deadly, harrowing moments, and then things simply fall apart. I'm currently writing Chapter Seven, and I've just... done something awful to a much loved character, that I can't reveal anything about, and things are tying together nicely, leading to hopefully a monumental conclusion.
Things get bleak, characters succumb to the darkness, characters fall, characters sacrifice themselves... when you read Chapter Four, you'll know why I don't want to reveal what's coming. We also have a flock of characters come into the spotlight, Captain Marvel for one, Zauriel's true destiny, past and present, is revealed, and The Ray... well... The Ray finally appears.
As for fallout? I've already mentioned Justice League leading out of this event when Kevin and I take the reins, not directly, of course, but symbolically, and it'll be wild ride. Also, I'm apparently in talks with a fan-favourite writer on site about how it'll effect his most popular book. I'm excited!
PAT: Charlie does a great job balancing both the story progression with the action scenes of the issue, making sure that you never find yourself disconnected from the story. The cover continues the chain of the Black Sun outline that has appeared on the majority of the Nemesis covers. It is a dark and gloomy cover, depicting Aquaman's epic battle with one hell of a monster. Nemesis is proving to be another epic event for the site so make sure you don't miss out!
And now for our reviews of this week's new issues:
Click on the cover to go straight to the issue!
Written by Charles HoM
Cover by Ammotu
Edited by Kevin Feeney
Review by Alex Vasquez
In The Question #4 (of 3), Batman is interviewing our resident gumshoe to figure out his 'resurrection'. Charlie shows the handle he has on this character and delivers pitch perfect Question rambling...err dialog. Through that dialog, Charlie reveals a pretty sinister scheme being concocted by the Las Vegas Branch of Cadmus. The Question assembles a team to take it down, but is met with disastrous results that required our hero to rebuild himself from the ground up and relearn what it means to be a hero. And while this conversation is going on, the League and Batman have a surprise in store for Mr Szasz that should make anyone smile.
(click on cover to go straight to the issue)
Written by Don Walsh
Cover by Joey Jarin
Edited by James Stubbs
Review by Aaron Martel
The cover is a tip off- a classic-style homage by Joey Jarin that captures the "throwback" feel of the story itself. In the penultimate issue of Don Walsh's first arc on Seven Soldiers, many of the plot elements that have been brewing since Don took over the title come together and the main antagonist's scheme is revealed. For those not in the know, the Seven Soldiers of Victory are a loose team of relatively light-to non-powered heroes who unite to battle against grave dangers and common threats. This isn't another Justice League. What sets this title apart is a more deliberate pacing and attention to characterization that really gives the reader a feel and understanding of these people and their motivations. There's almost a "family" undercurrent that bonds these heroes together, and Don does a marvelous job of sprinkling in details that reference the Soldiers' past, yet somehow he's able to keep a modern take on things as well with his own concepts. There's nothing quite like this in the DC2, and if you're a lover of Golden Age style characters and storytelling this is a title you don't want to miss.
(click on cover to go straight to the issue)
Written by: Samantha Chapman
Cover by Carlos
Edited by Don Walsh
DC3 has some major talent in both the writing and art department, and Gotham Girls #17 is but one shining example. Samantha Chapman has taken the concept of Batgirl and turned it on its head; along with Poison Ivy, Harley Quinn, and Harvey Dent. This issue is the conclusion of the Two-Face story that Samantha has obviously put so much time, blood and sweat into. Harvey Dent is a complex character and is handled perfectly in this final chapter; a climax that is both physical as well as psychological. This has been and still is a must read at DC3. You won't be disappointed!
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CHECKMATE #4
CHECKMATE #4