Image © DC Comics, Inc.

Francis Manapul is back on the art this issue, and I couldn’t be happier. In fact, since Brian Buccellato colors and both of them co-write, only the letterer is needed to complete the story. There can’t be many DC comics with as few as three creators doing the work these days, and letterer Carlos M. Mangual does a fine job, too.

Barry Allen is still picking up the pieces of his life interrupted by previous adventures, and moving in with his girlfriend, Patty, is on the agenda. That brings up the issue of each of their parents, and some nice character development. Barry’s job has changed, too, he’s back in the Police Crime Lab, but relegated to the basement, sorting unsolved cases. More good character stuff there. The action erupts quickly when one of the small group of people trapped in the Speed Force needs help, and Barry soon finds out some things he didn’t know about all of that group, as well as an unusual device back in his basement office. A nice setup for next issue ensues. Well written, fabulously warm and inviting art, great action and even better character acting, and all looking effortless and perfect.

Highly recommended.

Image © Caitlín R. Kiernan and Dark Horse Comics, cover art by Greg Ruth.

Kiernan and Steve Lieber’s “Alabaster” is cover featured, and I’m still liking this tale of ghosts and trickery a lot. One technical problem I noticed this time is the resolution of the art is too low, making the lettering look like it’s running together in many places, and a little hard to read. I don’t recall this on previous chapters. It’s less obvious on the art.

Oeming’s “The Victories” is pretty a pretty entertaining approach to superheroes, though so far they aren’t doing well with their terrorist opponent.

I don’t quite follow “Journeymen.” It’s a trickster story with a monster and a box full of important stuff that turns out to be…well, that would spoil it. Some interesting moments, but I’m not quite sure what’s going on, and the captioned internal dialogue is distracting.

I’ve already written about “The Day The Saucers Came” by Neil Gaiman and Paul Chadwick HERE. The story, or poem really, is light weight but entertaining. The art is great. The lettering is my favorite part, the first new lettering by Gaspar Saladino to see print in many years.

I’m continuing to enjoy “Station to Station” by Bechko and Hardman, a tale of science gone very wrong and Lovecraftian monsters.

“Beneath The Ice” is a new serial by Simon Roy and Jason Wordie. Have you ever had one of those dreams where you’re crawling in a tunnel, and it keeps getting smaller and smaller…? Here it is.

The new “X” by Swierczynski and Nguyen is not my cup of tea, an ultra-violent vigilante fighting mob types. The preview ends with this issue.

“Villain House” by Shannon Wheeler is a funny look at two villains in jail for good reason: they’re classic losers locked in co-dependent misery.

“Finder” is appealing to me again, as the delivery man finally meets his employers while stuck in a very dangerous place.

Lots to like this time, highly recommended.

Image © DC Comics, Inc.

This issue is remarkable in several ways beyond its story and art. First, it’s the finale of not only the current GL crossover, but the culmination of several past ones all written or created by writer Geoff Johns. Second, it’s Geoff’s swan song on the title. It’s impossible to miss this fact because, instead of ad pages, the book has many pages full of tribute quotes to Geoff from the famous and familiar, people who worked with him and/or admire his writing. I’m all for that, but placing these throughout the story was distracting, they should have been at the end.

As a story, it’s very appealing. Hal Jordan is finally back on the scene, confronting the First Lantern and Sinestro. All the GLs from all the spinoff books are there with their own bits of wrap-up and action to do. There are happy reunions, well-resolved plot threads, a cast of thousands, and an emotionally satisfying conclusion. Most of the art is pencilled by Doug Mahnke with his usual excellence, and with the other regular GL artists filling in the rest. there’s a wonderful double gatefold spread to finish the story, so essentially a four page spread of all the colors of Lanterns in flight. Good stuff. Kudo’s to Geoff on a fine nine years of work on the Lanterns. I haven’t loved every minute, but overall it’s been a great ride.

Recommended.

Image © DC Comics, Inc.

The credits on the cover of this issue do not match the actual credits inside, an indication that this might be a fill-in. If so, it’s quite good. The writer is John Ostrander, one I like, and the art is pencilled by Manuel Garcia with a quartet of inkers. Not quite as good as the regular team, but not bad at all. The cover blurb IS correct, this is a story about The Others, that team of misfit heroes we saw in a previous AQUAMAN storyline, and a team that Aquaman was once part of. They’ve been called in by Arthur, now king of Atlantis, to help track down some missing Atlantean weapons in a very dry Native American reservation, not a good place for the Atlanteans themselves to go! It’s not a bad idea, and is made better by the new character, reservation woman Alchesay. She has some shaman powers of her own that are impressive, and joins The Others on their assault against the bad guy with the weapons. I liked the story more than the art, but this is quite a good issue for a fill-in.

Recommended.

There was a lot of talk about how we’d be inundated with 17-year Cicadas this spring, but so far we haven’t heard or seen a single one in our neighborhood, so I thought they weren’t here yet. Friday I learned they’re out in Belleplain State Forest, not far from us, so today Ellen and I drove over there. As we reached the road near Lake Nummy Campground I began to hear their high chorus, kind of a constant raspy whine with occasional cooing sounds mixed in (or that might have been distant Cuckoos). We got out to look around and soon found plenty of Cicadas flying and perched.

Here’s the shell or case in which the insect spends much of its life underground. When hatching year arrives, they climb out to any handy perch, like this railing, and the adult Cicada pops out of the case, which splits down the back.

This side view illustrates why they make a perfect “bug-eyed monster,” though they do not bite, and are harmless to humans and animals. It’s all about mating for them.

We saw other interesting insects like this Whitetail Dragonfly, and heard quite a few birds…

…and there was pretty Mountain Laurel blooming, but our focus was on the Cicadas. There won’t be another mass hatching like this here for 17 more years, and it’s cool to hear and see them.

They’re really quite striking and impressive close up. I made a short video as well, which you can watch on Vimeo HERE.