It's Different For Domeheads

It's the first sunny day in Moray for a while and I thought, after some negative reviews of Big Finish plays, that I should concentrate on some of the comics I have enjoyed in the last six weeks or so. 

 Firstly, there's DC's tv tribute, Batman '66# 21. "The Garden of Death" by Parker and Jarrell sees the Adam West Batman and the Yvonne Criag Batgirl in an adventure with Grant Morrison's ghoulish upgrade of Lord Death Man. The Tokyo setting gently recalls You Only Live Twice and we get to see the sleek Batmobile-J.

In a similar campy vein, the Wonder Woman '77 Special by Andreyko, Johnson and Bedower is an affectionate pastiche of the Lynda Carter tv series. I'm no fan of Wonder Woman really, but I did get a kick out of the all-white Diana Prince disco threads and the presence of Silver Swan at 70s-tastic Studio 52. The second story features Dr. Psycho, Giganta and the Cheetah ( and possibly Dr. Cyber: uncertain). This is a light-hearted and charming book, airy and pretty to look at.

Convergence is a two-week DC miniseries event, published as something of a place holder (as I understand it) while the company decamped to California. It also heralds the end of the New 52 branding, in place since 2011.
Not only does Convergence recall Stephen King's Under the Dome, it also uses tropes from Brainiac stories as the alien envoy Telos pits champions of "bottled" cities against each other.  In addition, the event reintroduces characters and titles defunct (in some cases) since Crisis on Infinite Earths.

I was disappointed in several of the titles: the all-too-familiar plight of the elderly Justice Society of America didn't engage me; Hawkman lacked a spark and Plastic Man and the Freedom Fighters was far too "grimdark". Crime Syndicate had similar problems but the tiresome darkening of the Syndicators started in the New 52. Wolfman's New Teen Titans was deeply tedious- did anyone really want to see Kole or her grisly mutant- insect mom again?

 However on the plus side, the Detroit incarnation of the Justice League of America brawled with my favourite Tangent characters, the Secret Six. Jerry Ordway restored Infinity Inc.and even made them the "official" successors to the JSA. I also was happy to see a humanoid Northwind and a redeemed Brainwave.
Batman and the Outsiders, like JLA , featured rather Image-y, 90s-stye art for 80s properties as Bats and the  Fabulous Five engaged Omac. No sign of Looker, sadly.

 My second-favourite title was probably Superboy and the Legion of Super-Heroes by Moore and Storms. It captured something of the minimalism of the later Giffen era although the enormous, bulky belts for Colossal Boy and Ultra Boy were inexplicable. I was also surprised at a romantic moment for Superboy and Lightning Lass- with her long-time partners Timber Wolf and Shrinking Violet both "offscreen".  Clark's admission " I miss my dog" was very touching and the return of Wildfire was rousing. I didn't mind seeing the Atomic Knights and their giant Dalmatians either.

The most rewarding title for my money however was the delightful Shazam by Parker and Shaner. The optimistic, rosy colours of the cover concealed the Monster Society of Evil and then, the Gotham by Gaslight Batman. Several Bat-foes were revealed in Victorian garb but the real pleasure was the revival of Bulletman, Bulletgirl and Mr. Tawny. Alongside Morrison's Thunderworld Adventures last December, this was a second contemporary appearance of the traditional Marvel Family and strongly suggests this is the team to helm the freewheeling fantasy of Earth-S.

Coming soon: The Batgirl of Burnside

All images are presumed