Flash Friday!

This week was an amazing week for comics!  Our pull box had Justice League #8, Blue Beetle #8, Batman #8, Nightwing #8, Red Hood & the Outlaws #8, Young Justice #15 and I bought the three latest Birds of Prey books.  Nightwing and Red Hood & the Outlaws contain a prequel story to the epic Night of the Owls event.  Batman features the beginning of the Nights of the Owls event.  Blue Beetle features a guest appearance from Green Lantern Kyle Raynor.  Justice League has a cameo from Green Arrow and features tie in to the Night of the Owls.  Young Justice includes the final part of the story of Kaldur's trip home that occurs before episode 10, Targets.

Justice League #8- Green Arrow confronts the Justice League about the possibility of membership.  His repeated attempts are rebuffed by the League even though some of them do seem open to the idea of GA as a member.  In the end he's recruited for another team.  It's kind of disheartening to see Green Arrow getting rebuffed by the league.  They also allude to an encounter with Martian Manhunter.  My two favorite moments in this one are the CLASSIC Ollie that we saw from beginning to end and Barry being a classy guy while Hal is a jerk.  There's also another segment of Shazam! in the back of the book.  The new Billy Batson is a lot more rough around the edges than the traditional Billy Batson.  This kid is in the foster care/orphanage system.  He wants to be left alone to his own devices but he keeps getting shunted from one foster home to another.  I think I kinda like this Billy Batson but I'm wondering why Shazam will choose Billy for his power.  In the Golden Age when Captain Marvel first appears, Billy is chose because of how pure and genuinely good he is.  But we live in the modern age where things are a little more complicated and less cut and dried.  I can't wait to see more from Shazam and Billy Batson.  I give Justice League #8 four Flashes for awesome GA/JL interaction and for the dark new beginning of Shazam!

Blue Beetle #8-  Jaime has found his way to New York City.  But things still aren't going his way.  He and the scarab are doing better at working together but the scarab still gets him into some sticky situations.  When he arrives in New York, Jaime happens upon a kid robbing a store in a tech suit that makes him invisible to everyone- well, everyone but the scarab.  This leads Jaime stay at a home for homeless teens.  He ends up tracking down the kid's boss, a creep named Stopwatch.  At the very end of the book, Jaime notices a green lantern of all things in a nearby apartment which causes the scarab to freak out.  As he is trying to figure out what the heck is going on, Green Lantern Kyle Raynor rolls up.  Uh oh.  Things are still not looking up for Jaime.  I really like Jaime as Blue Beetle.  His outfit is cooler than the past Ted Kord Blue Beetle's and he is just so cute and lovable.  How can you not feel for him!  I am hoping that things start looking up soon but you just know that the scarab is going to get him in deep with Kyle.  I give Blue Beetle #8 three Flashes for an interesting, if a little disheartening, story and a lovely lead character.

Young Justice #15-  The action in this book continues the story of Kaldur's trip to Atlantis with Megan and Superboy that occurs prior to the start of school at Happy Harbour High in episode 10, Targets.  The three friends have learned of a race war begining to crop up all over Atlantis and when Queen Mera is taken by Ocean Master, they have to save her.  This one has some great friends supporting a friend through a hard time as well as some pretty big SuperMartian moments.  I really enjoy reading the comics to see what we don't see on the cartoon but by now, even with the previous ridiculous hiatuses, the comic is about a year behind the cartoon.  We're at the end of season one now and the first episode of season two, Invasion, will begin before the end of the month.  I was also sad to hear that they are going to cancel the making of Young Justice action figures by Mattel.  The stupid action figures were hard to find in our area and we STILL don't have a completed Hall of Justice.  But I digress.  Young Justice #15 earns 4 Flashes for being a fun and interesting tie in.

Nightwing #8-  The Talons are loose in Gotham and they're targeting the most important and influential people in town.  Dick is comtemplating how one of Nightwing's eskrima was found at the scene of a double murder when Alfred's call for help from "the family" comes in.  He rushes off to save the mayor before the Talon gets to him.  This book includes some interesting backstory on Dick and his ancestor.  The ending will have you screaming at the cliff hanger.  I really enjoy this book.  It is consistantly good and even though I don't really care for the return to the red suit, I do like the portrayal of Dick Grayson, one of the greatest comic characters of all time.  The writer really has a great handle on who Dick is and why he does what he does.  The Night of the Owls is beginning and it is going to be amazing.  Nightwing #8 gets 5 Flashes for great art and characterization.

Red Hood and the Outlaws #8-  I know my review of this one is going to be opposite of what a lot of people are saying after this book but please bare with me.  Jason Todd and his friends are in Gotham when Susie Su makes the Red Hood an offer that he can't refuse.  Answer her call or the children at Gotham Childrens Hospital get it.  The Red Hood is pragmatic and ruthless but he NEVER lets a child get hurt if he can avoid it.  After dealing with that issue they intercept Alfred's call out to the family for help in dealing with the Talons.  Tim breaks in and asks Jason directly to help them.  As you can tell from the cover already out for Red Hood and the Outlaws, Jason chooses to answer the call.  All hurt feelings aside, he chooses to help Bruce, Alfred and the rest of the family.  Now, a lot of people seem to be saying that Jason would NEVER help Batman and especially not Tim.  I disagree.  It has been at least a year of living and training since Jason came back at this point.  It would seem that little if anything of the Red Hood that we saw prior to the reboot happened BUT Jason prior to the reboot was not only the crazed creep that we saw him as in Batman and Robin (2009-2010).  Jason as Robin routinely saved street kids from pimps and rapists.  He was implicated in killing a man who preyed on young girls.  He has always been inherently good, just rough around the edges from life on the streets and deep betrayal by the parents who should have loved and protected him. Jason also is continuing to grow up.  No one should stay angry and teenage angsty forever.  Time heals all wounds when you let it.  Not to mention that if you've seen Under the Red Hood, then you see that Jason is not angry with Bruce, he's angry that Batman won't kill Joker.  Not the same thing.  I am really glad to see that it looks like Jason is growing up and maybe going to end up as some part of the Bat Family.  He doesn't have to change to become that.  He's no worse than Damian.  He and Bruce just need to agree to disagree and work loosely together.  I think it can and should be done.  Jason needs to grow up emotionally and this seems to be a step in the right direction.  This book earns 5 Flashes for being so great that I really don't believe that Scott Lobdell wrote it.

Batman #8-  Bruce has returned to the cave and Alfred has treated his wounds from his first run in with the Court of Owls but they don't have time to relax.  The Talons have been unleashed on Gotham City.  Wayne Manor is beset by the Talons and Bruce has no hope of fighting them all off AND stopping the assassinations that the Talons have been ordered to commit all over Gotham.  Alfred puts out a call to "the family" asking for help and the Bat Family jumps in to take on the court. Nightwing, Batgirl, Red Robin, Red Hood, The Birds of Prey, Catwoman and Robin race to save the influential men and women of Gotham.  Bruce and Alfred have a theory on how to take down the Talons but nothing in this battle for Gotham is going to be easy.  The Night of the Owls is beginning and its going to be a long night.  It's heart warming and intense to see the Bat Family from all over pulling together to try and save Gotham.  I can't wait to see what all happens over the course of this month long event.  Batman #8 earns 5 Flashes for great art and an epic cross over event.