Pads & Panels

Title: Seven Soldiers of Victory Volumes 1 & 2

Publisher: DC Comics

Writer: Grant Morrison

Artist: J.H. Williams III, Simone Bianchi, Cameron Stewart, Ryan Sook, Frazer Irving, Mick Gray, Pasqual Ferry, Yanick Paquette, Serge Lapointe, Doug Mahnke, Billy Dallas Patton, Michael Bair, Freddie Williams II

Rating:

Review by: Bill Jones

Grant Morrison has a growing penchant for revitalizing (or attempting to revitalize) comics history, by reinventing old characters, incorporating classic story bits and trying to revolutionize storytelling in comics. But as often as he strikes gold (All-Star Superman), he also finds a way to alienate casual fans looking for a good story. And Seven Soldiers of Victory is the latest example of just that.

He takes a cadre of C-list characters – Shining Knight, Guardian, Bulleteer, Klarion, Frankenstein, Zatanna and Mister Miracle – and weaves them together in a metaseries, in which each character gets a four-issue mini-series, and two other issues bookend the collection, which is also available in two hardcover or softcover volumes. (more…)

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2010 Holiday Gift Guide – For the DC Comics Fan…

By P&P Staff

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Absolute All-Star Superman

Despite his prominent role as one of DC’s two top characters, Superman has a rather bad rap among much of the comics community. He’s generally a dull, one-dimensional character who can do very little wrong, the proverbial Boy Scout. But Grant Morrison’s All-Star Superman uses the All-Star license to its fullest, telling a fantastic 12-issue tale that reminds us naysayers why we should care about the Kal El, and that what makes him special isn’t just his powers. DC made the Absolute Edition, an oversized slipcase book with plenty of extras, available just in time for the holidays. (more…)

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Title: The Authority: The Lost Year (Book 1)

Publisher: Wildstorm

Writers: Grant Morrison, Keith Giffen

Artists: Gene Ha, Darick Robertson, Trevor Scott, Jonathan Wayshak, Brian Stelfreeze, Joel Gomez

Rating:

Review by: Eric Stuckart

The story behind The Authority: The Lost Year, is a colorful one. Grant Morrison wrote the first two issues, originally planned to be a bi-monthly, in the timely fashion of nearly half a year, and then promptly moved on to greener pastures, mainly those of the DC Universe. This allowed Keith Giffen to step in, fleshing out the storyline outlined by Morrison, but putting his own twist on it. What readers will get is the tale of how The Authority, a group of superheroes, get shipwrecked on a parallel Earth that’s not quite up to their technological level, encounter Cthulu, and escape, only to get stranded on yet another parallel Earth, one where America is in the midst of a massive civil war, where that Earth’s Authority are the ones leading the splintered factions. The story, while typical in Morrison’s propensity for piling on the crazy ideas without mercy, redeems itself towards the end, but it’s the mixed bag of artwork that really kills the book. Out of the seven issues that comprise this trade, there are six different artists, and while Gene Ha and Darick Robertson knock it out of the park, Jonathan Wayshak’s style makes it quite difficult to take the third chapter seriously. (more…)

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Yi Soon Shin: Warrior and Defender

Interview with: Onrie Kompan

Interview by: Chris Park

West Coast correspondent Chris Park found himself interested in the subject matter of Yi Soon Shin: Warrior and Defender, with Issue #1 of Onrie Kompan’s new comic series, which tells the tale of the Korean admiral in his first bombastic naval battle. He was a little hesitant, though, about the introduction of the character, and had questions about what directions the historical fiction series would take. So Park exchanged emails with Kompan last week to discuss his new series. (more…)

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Title: The Resurrection of Ra’s al Ghul

Writers: Grant Morrison, Paul Dini, Peter Milligan, Fabian Nicieza, Keith Champagne

Artists: Tony Daniel, Ryan Benjamin, Freddie E. Williams II, Don Kramer, Jason Pearson, David Lopez

Publisher: DC

Rating:

Review by: John Gustafson

The Immortal Ra’s Al Ghul. If there is one villain in Batman’s rogue’s gallery that matches the Dark Knight’s intelligence and combative skills, it is Ra’s. Having cheated death for centuries with the use of his Lazarus Pits, Ra’s and Batman have a rather unique relationship with a mutual level of respect for one another’s abilities and character, but an inevitable destiny to be the end of each other. (more…)

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Title: Final Crisis

Writer: Grant Morrison

Artists: J.G. Jones, Marco Rudy, Carlos Pacheco, Doug Mahnke

Publisher: DC

Rating:

Review by: John Gustafson

Final Crisis, last summer’s massive DC event helmed by Grant Morrison, is as much an experimentation in storytelling as it is a comic book extravaganza. With the DC Multiverse squarely facing the apocalyptic conquest and submission to Darkseid and his evil New Gods of Apokolips, the grandest of battles takes place in an attempt to ensure independence and the survival of the Multiverse.

For readers eagerly awaiting the trade release of Final Crisis, a barebones summary of the story will be provided in the interest of remaining as spoiler free as possible, but be warned that a number of details must be discussed to explain the story and the resulting ramifications this event has on the present state of the DC Universe and what is to come later on.

—–Spoilers Begin—– (more…)

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Title: All Star Superman (Volumes 1 & 2)

Writer: Grant Morrison

Artists: Frank Quitely and Jamie Grant

Publisher: DC Comics

Rating:

Review by: Joe Anderson

Superman has a lot of potential to be boring. A man gifted with the ability to do practically everything while possessing no real flaws (exception to Kryptonite notwithstanding) runs the risk of being a flat character. Luckily, Grant Morrison’s All Star Superman may pleasantly surprise skeptics of the Man of Steel. (more…)

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By John Gustafson

Editorial note: For the original Pads & Panels review, please check Bill’s article . This is not the definitive interpretation but rather a second perspective of this particular story arc, which has been divisive in the comic book community.

Oh Batman my Batman! Our fearful trip is done.

My what a trip this story arc has been for all parties involved. Grant Morrison, with the completion of Batman R.I.P. and his years on the Batman title, has cemented himself as one of the most inventive and counter-culture storytellers to grace the pages of the comic book medium. (more…)

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Title: Batman R.I.P.

Writer: Grant Morrison

Artist: Tony S. Daniel

Publisher: DC Comics

Rating:

Review by: Bill Jones

In the deluxe edition collection of Batman R.I.P., Grant Morrison’s greatest strengths also prove to be his weaknesses. Morrison, who has had runs with Doom Patrol, Superman and numerous other DC mega-titles over the last 20 years, brings a long run with the Batman series to a somewhat strange and ambiguous close with these six issues leading into his hyped, multi-character extravaganza, Final Crisis. (more…)

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