Written by Brian Pulido and Mike Wolfer
Art by Gabriel Andrade, Digikore Studios (colors)
Released August 10, 2011
Boundless Comics
Rating: 3.8 out of 5
Lady Death is a bit of an enigma to me. I have read Lady Death comics on and off since her inception. Granted, I was a young boy when her first series started. I found the worlds being created absolutely fascinating. As I grew older, little things started to bother me. Why was it necessary for her to wear so little? Why did the series seem so intent on exploiting women? Why does it all seem like the sexual fantasies of a teenage boy? Despite all of that (and some less than stellar writing), I am still very drawn to her world. The dark fantasy, the magic, the evil.
Lady Death has returned to the Under Realm, though her power has not fully returned. Having halted Death Queen's plans and reunited with Wargoth, Lady Death travels to New Aberffraw to attempt to recruit members for her rebellion. There, she is reunited with an old friend, Satasha. Though Satasha is now one of the queens of New Aberffraw, she is in no hurry to join Lady Death's rebellion against Death Queen. Lady Death is still not quite herself, and she hasn't figured out why.
One of my favorite things about this series is how well it works on its own. When Lady Death moved to Avatar Press, she got a make-over of sorts. New origin story, new history, new cast. I don't have any experience with Lady Death at Avatar Press beyond this series and the first Lady Death Origins trade. While there are some things I feel I'd understand better if I had read her previous Avatar runs, I don't feel that it's to the detriment of this series. The series works so well on its own that you don't need extensive previous knowledge with the character.
Though I have been a fan of Lady Death for a long while, I have not been a huge fan of Brian Pulido's writing. In previous incarnations, it always felt very amateur. He has certainly improved with time. But adding writing partner Mike Wolfer has made this one of the best written runs in Lady Death's history. The lore behind the events is shared in small, tantalizing bites. The dialogue is varied; unlike pre-Avatar Lady Death, it doesn't feel like everyone's dialogue is coming from one person. Everyone's unique personalities stand out well. The art... I can't put my finger on precisely why, but I love the art for this series. Gabriel Andrade creates a nightmarish fantasy world that's dark yet colorful. His characters express emotion clearly. The magic feels powerful. It works very well for the series.
If you have any interest in the character of Lady Death, I highly suggest checking out Avatar's Lady Death Origins, Volume 01 trade, featuring her current origin story. Should you find yourself enjoying the characters and their worlds, pick up the issues of the current series. It's been very enjoyable.
There's a joke making its way around the comic book fandom. I think web comic The Gutters did it best. What do packing peanuts and DC's August releases have in common? They're both filler. Two series that I loved ended their runs this week to make way for DC's New 52. Unfortunately, rather than take a great opportunity to wrap up the story lines and have grand farewell-for-now issues, DC decide to just release normal issues.
The problem with that, you ask? They're setting up future story lines that will probably never be visited again for two characters that, thus far, do not have their own solo titles post-New 52.
Written by Matthew Sturges
Art by Hendry Prasetya, Jessica Kholinne (colors), Travis Lanham (letters), Sami Basri (cover), Sunny Gho (cover colors)
Sixty Seconds
Released August 17, 2011
DC Comics
Rating: 4.2 out of 5 / 1.3 out of 5
Why two ratings? I had to evaluate this issue from two perspectives. The first being an issue on its own. The second being the final issue of the series. Power Girl has exactly sixty seconds to avert three manufactured disasters around the world. The purpose was to determine which disaster was deemed most important: the life of a colleague and friend, the life of an innocent person who plays no large role in the world, or the lives of many people and a priceless monument.
As has been the case since the start of Power Girl's solo series, the issue was a joy to read. Power Girl is finally being developed beyond the angry Kryptonian. They're showing that she's smart, she's strong, and she has a sense of humor. While this was only Matthew Sturges' second issue on the Power Girl solo series, he's writing as if he wants to be on the series for a very long time. He has a clear understanding of Power Girl and her motivations, and it shows. The art is beautiful and very appropriate for the series without being all about Power Girl's...ahem, assets. It's a little cartoonish, but I feel that the cartoon style works incredibly well for a series like Power Girl.
As a standalone issue, or an issue of a running series, this issue was very good. It shows Power Girl at her smartest and most caring. It sets up a new rivalry for Power Girl (well, new to her solo adventures). Most importantly, it's very enjoyable. As a final issue to a series I have loved, it fails miserably. There was no attempt at a wrap-up. There was no feeling of closure. I've read that Matthew Sturges wrote this issue to be the beginning of a long-running subplot in the series. He had no idea that it would be the final issue of the series. I really hope DC decides to not only bring Power Girl back into her own solo series, but also bring Matthew Sturges back to continue his work.
And the other title that ended unceremoniously.....
Written by Adam Beechen
Art by Victor Ibanez, Ego (colors), Dave Sharpe (letters), and Adam Hughes (cover)
Sorceress' Apprentice
Released August 17, 2011
DC Comics
Rating: 4.3 out of 5 / 1.9 out of 5 (Once again, two ratings for two view points.)
The only thing Zatanna wants is to sleep. But that won't be easy when Uriah, a young boy from Limbo Town shows up at Shadowcrest Mansion. He claims he wants to be Zatanna's apprentice; however, he's actually there to steal a very powerful magical object from Zatanna.
This was Adam Beechen's fourth issue of Zatanna. I feel very strongly that he is one of the writers to full understand the character. She's fun and playful, but powerful and intelligent. Every side of her personality shows in this issue. And Victor Ibanez's art is flawless. The art is dark and foreboding, and very befitting of a magical book, such as this. The writing and artwork fit together perfectly to create a book that feels much more like a Vertigo title than a DC title.
As a standalone story, this issue holds up incredibly well with the Zatanna series. There has not been a single issue that I haven't loved. As a final issue of a series, it accomplishes nothing. While it was nice that, unlike Power Girl, it wasn't setting up future events, it still would have been nice to end on a note that feels more complete. I'm not trying to say that they needed to wrap up every single story arc in this one issue. That'd be absurd. But it would have been nice if this issue felt more like a final issue.
I imagine, as with Power Girl, when it was written, Adam Beechen probably didn't realize that it would be the final issue. That's understandable. I just hope that both Power Girl and Zatanna get their own solo books post-New 52. Both of these titles have been at the top of my pull list since they started, and they never dropped in quality.
