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So all of the first and second issues of Final Crisis Aftermath have now been released and some are even on their third. Admittedly, these stories don’t even come close to the Green Lantern books or the Bat books in terms of how exciting or important they are. With that said, you can understand why I don’t want to spend too much time or energy on them with everything else that is going on. From here on out, I’ll review the FCA books in the format below so that I can easily tell you what I liked, what I didn’t like, and how I would rate them. This way we can both give them a quick glimpse and be on our way. Enjoy!

Run! 2: The Human Flame makes it out of his scrap against the mobsters and ends up in a whole new scrap with a couple of pampered pooches, and later with Flash rogue Heat Wave. Eventually he finds that he is bettered with the help of Immortus and his squad of obsolete villains that just don’t cut it anymore in the era of villains like Lex Luthor or Darkseid. The story is still interesting enough, but for author Matthew Sturges, it seems to be more about shock than entertainment. Straightforward humor, obscene gore, and several offensive words masked by symbols and punctuation just doesn’t substitute for material.
(3.5/5)

Escape 2: Still as confusing as ever, but this time I was expecting that. I am beginning to think that I am missing some important back-story necessary for understanding all that is going on here. I suppose that this title is a good example of why I need to get some new minds working on this website. The story itself still doesn’t seem to have any specific direction. Imagine watching Memento (a movie that plays out its scenes in reverse order to illustrate the difficulties the protagonist goes through when he has no ability to create long term memories). Sure the movie3 was confusing, but it was pretty good. Now imagine watching it without knowing what the word “memory” means. You might not enjoy it so much, right? Well that is how I fell when reading Escape. For all I know, it’s fantastic and I am just missing some crucial information. The art is definitely growing on me now, but I still think that better choices could have been made for the subject matter.
(3/5)

Dance 2: Dance remains my favorite title within Final Crisis Aftermath, and for good reason. Everything about this issue brags of how much better the dialogue and story-telling is than just about anything else I have been reading lately. In this issue, most of the group takes off to find a villain to play with while Shiny Happy Aquazon stays behind to work on a pretty weird promotion deal. You may be surprised about where the action takes place and where the crazy or important stuff goes down. Everything about this title still feels fresh, and I’m glad DC and writer Joe Casey were willing to sidestep the awkwardness of the names and personalities of this crew and put them into the best role they could play. The art on the cover and the interior art hardly match, but I think that each does its job flawlessly and without letting the reader down. Pick this one up if you are only going to stick with one!
(4/5)

Ink 2: Don’t let my fireworks over Dance deter you from checking out this title. The suspense continues as the Tattooed Man’s samurai tattoo does some more acting up and his son is pulled deeper into the street gang. Richards finds himself getting more and more publicity; but when you are a new superhero shutting down massive counterfeit money operations and pissing evil people off, there may be such a thing as bad publicity. Of all of the FCA titles, this one easily has the most eye candy. Fabrizio Fiorentino really does some fantastic work with each and every frame. He and colorist Michael Dimotta bring together a style of art that is truly unique and enjoyable. I wouldn’t mind seeing these two work on Batman story; the kind of thing that demands an intense mood and atmosphere from its art.
(4/5)

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Is there a difference between hoping for something and wanting it? Obviously there is. Why else would Larfleeze want a blue power ring? It could be that he simply wants everything, and a blue ring is one of the few things that are difficult for him to obtain. But I think what he wants more than power is the ability to satisfy his hopes, and that is something that the power of avarice cannot provide for him. If those of you reading this think differently, please let me know.

Apparently this issue is more than just absent-minded entertainment. I have said before that I enjoy Green Lantern and Green Lantern Corps comics for all of the same reasons that I would enjoy a movie like Die Hard or Shoot ‘Em Up. Thoughtless action and dazzling effects are nice every now and then, right? But over the course of the past few months, Geoff Johns and Phillip Tan have pleasantly blind-sided me with a story arc that has proved to be thought-provoking just as much as it was awe-inspiring.

This final installment of Agent Orange opened with a bit of insight about the blue power ring and what it does to those who get a taste of it. Most of the issue is centered around the conclusion of the conflict between the GL Corps, the guardians, and Larfleeze. Of course, the guardians show us once again just how shady they can be.

Also, there is quite a bit going on between John Stewart and Fatality. Now I know that whatever is going on between them is important, because I have seen their reunion used in the context of a showstopper/cliffhanger for one of the other recent issues. My hope is that one of you loyal readers might be able to explain to me just what their past is and what this most recent part of the stories implies for the future. I’ll look forward to that.

The art in this issue is spotty, and I believe that the reason for that is the use of both Phillip Tan and Eddy Barrows as the pencillers. Some of the images look terribly computerized and those are usually my least favorite. The more drawn looking frames are the ones that especially catch my eye and come across as nothing short of absolutely gorgeous. A precious few of the frames look as though they were painted either with oil-based or water color types of paints. Wouldn’t mind having one of those on my wall, and I don’t mind saying so.

At it’s conclusion, Agent Orange turned out to be a pretty incredible arc. The foreshadowing for Blackest Night is subtle when it needs to be and in-your-face even more, but never exceeds its boundaries. I won’t be making it to the comic book shop until next week, but I really can’t wait to see all that is coming to the Green Lantern universe.

(4/5)

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By now I’m sure that I am beating a dead horse when I remind you that the idea of a new man in the Bat cowl isn’t my favorite. At some points of the process I was downright angry that the minds at DC let this happen. But then some readers came along and reminded me that Bruce Wayne as Batman was starting to0 get a bit stale. At some point, big changes would have to be made. No matter when that would be, people would get angry and readers would rebel. I suppose now is as good of a time as any.

One of the things that had me skeptical about a new Batman was the seeming impossibility of it all. Why would the next Batman decide to take up the job? How would the Justice League accept him? Is it possible to be as good of a Batman as Bruce Wayne was? The answers are here. They aren’t easy to swallow, but they make sense and they don’t betray us as readers and fans like I was so sure they would.

This issue takes place after the events of Battle for the Cowl and just before the events of Batman and Robin 1. In B&R you might have noticed a few changes to Batman (ie: new ride, new cave, new Robin, etc.) that were never explained at all. Once again, this issue brings us some of those answers.

In my opinion, Judd Winick was a good choice for this issue. You might remember Batman: Under the Hood. Well Winick was the writer for that story, and I know that I thoroughly enjoyed it. The return of Jason Todd also seemed like something that was totally impossible, but was happening anyways. Winick brought that about in a believable way that maintained the respect for Batman readers. I know a lot of people reference the Lazarus Pits as one of the cheapest undo-button schemes invented, but he didn’t make it about that. It was about logic, it was about right and wrong, and most of all it was about justifying a means to bring Batfans everywhere a kick-ass story. The reasons that the folks at DC did this may have been to sell some comic books and make it easier on themselves to come up with fresh ideas, but this issue proves to us that the characters reasons and motivations are pure. And as long as my heroes maintain their heroism, I am satisfied with their creators being evil geniuses.

Don’t get me wrong though; this issue is not all about explanation and the passing of information. It’s still a great story. You know how every time they reference Bruce Wayne’s past, we get a recognizable image of a broken pearl necklace? Or everytime we hear about the good ol’ days of Batman and Robin we see some nostalgic shot of the Dynamic Duo swinging from Gotham’s skyscrapers? Well, the images brought to us here by Ed Benes have both the impact and the artistry to be those landmark shots that we will probably be seeing for years to come (especially if Dick Grayson as Batman proves to be permanent). Chances are, this issue will be remembered as more than just a great Batman story, but as a piece of history, a reference for all Batman stories to come, and gold for all Batman collectors.

(4/5)

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For the last two months, Gail Simone has been giving us stand-alone Secret Six issues that aren’t a real part of any story arc. First, there was Double Date which gave us a beginning of a romantic relationship between Deadshot and Jeanette. Then there was A Debt of Significant Blood; an attempt at a Batman R.I.P. tie-in, casting Catman and Bane as potential do-gooders. Now Simone is finally bringing us a new story arc entitled Depths.

We are first introduced to slave-master Mr. Smyth and his two employees, Emil and Giuana. From what I am able together from the first few pages, Smyth is a pretty darn evil man that takes up rather viscious tactics in order to keep his slaves in line. Emil serves as his lackey while the deadly and sexy Giuana is his muscle. While such a group might normally be the villain to any comic book protagonists, we will instead see Smyth as the newest clients of the Secret Six.

As Smyth’s slaves are being mistreated, our “heroes” are going through their own troubles. Bane is having trouble with his addiction to venom ever since the relapse he endured for the sake of protecting Scandal. Meanwhile, we get a chance to learn a bit more about Jeanette’s strange attraction to Floyd Lawton (AKA Deadshot).

From the once again brilliant writing, I can tell that this is going to be a quite character-defining arc for the members of the Secret Six. The strength of the unit and their ability to work as a team is probably going to be tested to its limits. We are also going to get a chance to further define the grey areas of good and evil, though we may not be surprised as to where each member of the team will fall within the spectrum. All in all, the potential of this arc as alluded to by its first issue here has excited the crap out of me.

I would also like to take the time to recognize the incredible artwork by Nicola Scott. Her work here really emphasizes the reason that comic books are such a vital part of entertainment. If this issue were made into a movie, the special effects and set design on their own would cost millions of dollars to create. But with some hard work, a pencil, a few leaves of paper, and a whole lot of talent Scott is able to design a world that is just as good or better looking than any movie I have ever seen. With work such as this, big frames are key. They’re the only way to really let the gorgeous artwork and style soak in to its fullest.

Yes, I still miss the covers by Cliff Chiang, but Scott and her team really did a bang-up job on this one. It beautifully wraps the package that is already a most excellent gift to the comic book gods. If I’m not mistaken, Part 2 of this arc is already out, and I can’t wait to pick it up and see where it goes!

(4.5/5)

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All four of the Final Crisis Aftermath series have now been started (three of which have released their second issues), and still I find that the stories in each are a bit more obscure than the Aftermath titles that followed Infinite Crisis. This time around, we are dealing with costars that have been upgraded into starring roles. While some might find these characters a bit inconsequential and boring, I think their inconsequentiality is what makes them exciting. The fate of the Super Young Team, for example, will probably have no bearing on the most exciting things in the DCU right now, such as the rebuilt Gotham family or Blackest Night. Thanks to that assumed noninvolvement, I really have no idea as to what is going to happen, what twists may come about, and where things are going to end up. Though I have varying opinions on the enjoyment of each series so far, the fact remains that all four have some unique entertainment value.

If you have yet to meet any of the characters in these titles, do not fear. I am making this post to clear the fog and keep us all on the same page in terms of the Final Crisis Aftermath.

Run! The Human Flame: The Human Flame has always been a second tier villain in the DCU. When it comes to pyromaniac baddies; villains like Flash rogue Heat Wave and Batman foe Firefly take the cake, and for good reason. The Human Flame (Michael Miller) is a bit of a fatty, and his ego is greatly outweighed by his actual formability. After a short altercation with the Martian Manhunter, Miller was thrown in prison where he held residence for eight years. During Final Crisis, he joined up with Libra to gain revenge on his alien adversary and he ended up videotaping his brutal defeat. Now the Human Flame is on the run from the Martian Manhunter’s powerful friends in the Justice League and the larger villains that he sold out to Libra. Along the way, he hopes to gain some street credibility as a more fearsome villain in the DCU.

Escape, Tom Tresser: Tom Tresser (AKA Nemeis) began his vigilante career as a member of the morally ambiguous Suicide squad, led by Amanda Waller. From there, Tresser worked with Diana Prince (AKA Wonder Woman) at the Metahuman Affairs Unit in Washington DC. As far as I can remember, Tresser didn’t play much, if any, part in the Final Crisis; but Amanda Waller was in the process of building a machine to send survivors of the Antilife to a new planet in a different universe to start things over. Meanwhile I assume Tresser was among the countless other DCU characters to succumb to the Antilife equation and serve in Darkseid’s army. Upon awakening, Tom finds himself in a world that is not his own. Are the Rick Flagg and Amanda Waller in this place the real Flagg and Waller, or are they just figments of this psychedelic reality? One thing is for sure; he needs to get the hell out of there!

Dance, The Super Young Team: The Super Young team are comprised of the newest stars to be seen i9n Final Crisis Aftermath. Led by the Most Excellent Superbat, the Super Young Team was first seen by most of us in a Tokyo club near the outset of Final Crisis. The older generation of Japanese superheroes, namely The Rising Sun, sees the SYT as a bunch of do-nothing time-wasters that are just out to party rather than do anything to save any human lives. For the most part, he was absolutely right. Maybe it was their criticism that changed their attitude; maybe it was their experience during the Final Crisis with Checkmate that found them surrounded by real heroes. Now, the Super Young Team is out to make a name for themselves as actual heroes and not just attention-seekers. All the while, someone in Japan is trying to keep them surrounded with parties and press and away from a devious plot that threatens millions of Japanese lives.

Ink, The Tattooed Man: Mark Richards began his fictional life in the DCU on a helicopter as a US Marine. When his helicopter went down in a warzone, Richards was supposedly dead, but returned later as the villain known as the Tattooed Man. Richards was never ranked among the top villains of DCU; but, unlike the Human Flame, it seems as though he had no ambition to be such. With a wife and two kids, he appears to be one of those villains who are criminals by perceived necessity rather than demented psychosis. During Final Crisis, Richards and his family’s life were saved from Darkseid amry of Justifiers by Black Lightning. Black Lightning himself was captured by the Justifiers by the end of the rescue, but not before he was able to imprint a circuit on Richards’ skin. Fulfilling his vow to Black Lightning, the Tattooed Man was able to get the circuit to the Justice League and play a vital role in ending Darkseid’s reign on Earth. Now, Mark Richards is an honorary member of the Justice League , but still faces troubles including his son’s initiation into a deadly gang and a string of murders whose evidence points to none other than the Tattooed Man.

So there it is. I hope this helps those of you who were trying get into these exciting titles, but were turned off by their reliance on past readings. For those of you who have been DC fans for longer than I have (or if you just noticed some errors in my information), please leave comments or forum posts to clear the haze. To all, enjoy the rest of Final Crisis Aftermath! More reviews to come!

Sam

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