BATMAN #23.2: RIDDLER by Scott Snyder, Ray Fawkes, and Jeremy Haun
It has been said by several writers, most notably Paul Dini, that a good Riddler story is hard to tell. You must be able to not only spin a good yarn, but devise riddles that are worthy of the character. I have to say that this one-shot accomplishes everything you hoped it could do. This is not only the best book this week, it may end up being the best book of Villains Month. It's a true Riddler tale, told entirely from his perspective and enters "definitive" territory. It's told in the wake of Forever Evil, but does have a brief flashback to Arkham. If you're following Zero Year, it's not entirely necessary to read this, but I recommend that you do to not only enrich your reading experience, but because it's that good of a read. I don't think I can say that enough here.
Snyder and Fawkes have crafted what could be described as a one man caper story showcasing Riddler's intellectual superiority. Why Riddler is so hell-bent will be for you to find out. Jeremy Haun's storytelling as an artist is so cinematic here that you could probably omit all of the dialogue and still have a decent grasp of what's going on. Buy This. Score: 10/10.
DETECTIVE COMICS #23.2: HARLEY QUINN by Matt Kindt and Neil Googe
This issue follows Harley Quinn returning to Gotham upon being kicked out of The Suicide Squad on a quest to find herself. She's not entirely happy with villains getting organized in the events of Forever Evil and craves chaos. After reading this, I craved a better book. We see flashes to Harley's past; some detailed and some so vague that it plays out like Harley Quinn: A PowerPoint Presentation. There's retreading of Mad Love and Suicide Squad #7 and, wait for it, another troubled childhood! Granted it's not as abusive of a childhood as they've shown recently for other villains, but if you're going to beat a dead horse for origin stories, please give me another horse.
I'm not too familiar with Kindt, but I know that he is a highly acclaimed writer. It kind of seems like he's capable of something better than this. Googe's artwork is passable, but at least evokes an animated show quality. The book is also meant to lead into next month's Suicide Squad and Forever Evil #2. Hopefully Harley's upcoming solo series surpasses this by far. Score: 5/10.
ACTION COMICS #23.2: ZOD by Greg Pak and Ken Lashley
Here we have an issue of Action Comics written by the writer of Batman/ Superman about a villain that will appear in Superman/ Wonder Woman. The tale told here is not as engaging as one would hope, but a pretty decent primer for the character of Zod. You may be happy to know that this is a pretty classic interpretation for the most part and not a radical New 52 reimagining.
Pak has us follow Zod from boyhood to full grown combat craving militant. The panel showcasing a young, survivalist Zod was pretty entertaining. The book really details why he is the warrior he is; it comes from life experience and not genetic manipulation like in Man of Steel, in case you were wondering. You will see his rise and fall on Krypton, complete with his exile to the Phantom Zone. (Come on, like that's really a spoiler?) The real question for New 52 Zod that will define him as a character is what he will do when he gets to Earth. I'm already sold on Superman/ Wonder Woman and, if you are too, then you should probably pick up this one. Score: 7/10.
GREEN LANTERN #23.2: MONGUL by Jim Starlin and Howard Porter
This one-shot gives us a pretty satisfying read, brought to us by two veterans of the industry. It's kind of a dense read because Mongul loves to rant. Starlin writes him as a guy that really loves the sound of his own voice and does it well. It's kind of like reading The Art of War, if it were written by an intergalactic despot. I'm not sure if all readers will agree with me, but I just felt the way this story was told was such an effective way to capture who this character is. Fans of Alan Moore will probably enjoy the nod to For The Man Who Has Everything.
The biggest question here, for me at least, is why was this told in the pages of Green Lantern? The end does give you a hint that he will meet the Corps in the near future, but I'm not sure when based on solicits through the end of this year. I do know that he will be in the pages of Batman/ Superman in December. Yes, I do know that Mongul II played a big role in Green Lantern Corps and was killed by Sinestro four and a half years ago, but that probably isn't canonical in the New 52. The man you most assuredly see in these pages is THE Mongul. To get back on track here, this book is worth your time and money, regardless if you're reading GL titles, Batman/ Superman, or all of the above. Score: 8/10
SMALLVILLE SEASON 11 #17 by Bryan Q. Miller and Jorge Jimenez
Alright, I know this isn't a Villains Month title, but it's one of my favorite series right now. I bought it and read it, so I'm going to review it. A huge reason why this issue, and the whole series for that matter, is so great is because Miller finds the perfect voice for each character. It can be someone like Clark or Lois, whom we know from the show, or someone like Batman or Wonder Woman. This current arc deals with Wonder Woman, but I threw Batman in there as well because those two characters weren't explored on the TV show and Miller manages to capture what is intrinsic to the characters so well that it makes them those timeless icons that have stepped out of our collective consciousness.
To elaborate on this issue in particular, you get some great moments between Diana and Steve Trevor. Granted the way they met in Smallville lore is a bit different, but those who miss a Diana/ Steve relationship will be satisfied here. The uneasiness between the government and superhumans is most definitely at the forefront here, but I'm awaiting what's going to happen with Felix Faust. He's been popping up here and there in this and the previous issue, but we'll probably get a full-on mystical showdown next month. Jimenez does a pretty good job choreographing the action and, while we're talking about art, I have to mention Cat Staggs. I'm really glad that the print editions now have the same covers as the digitals because Staggs just might be my favorite cover artist right now. Here's to hoping Smallville Season 11 gets the motion comic treatment on DVD one day. Score: 8.5/10.