The Weekly Comics Wrap-up: Feb. 9, 2008

Written by: Ron Bricker

The world of comics is complicated, with multiple companies (and universes) to keep track of. Luckily, CC2K has Joey Esposito, our resident expert on all things pulpy and good. Each week, Joey will break down what's happening in the world of comics, so you can pick up right where he left off. Today, he celebrates the return (or shall we say, non-departure) of DC's Geoff Johns.

So, first thing is first. Geoff Johns has renewed his exclusive contract with DC Comics. This means fans can look forward to at least another two years of exciting projects, including Green Lantern, Action Comics, Booster Gold (until issue #11), Justice Society of America, and some other miscellaneous things, including the promise to do for Superman in 2008 as he did Green Lantern last year. So with that, I guess it's a good thing that Johns' issue #12 of JSA came out this week.

The start of the JSA relaunch was amazing. For readers that weren't previously Justice Society fans, it reintroduced these characters in a way that wasn't boring for those that were. Who can forget reaching the end of that first issue last winter and seeing a teaser that somehow involved the Kingdom Come Superman? Well, that teaser has led up to this moment in time, as Geoff Johns' and Alex Ross' "Thy Kingdom Come" arc is in the making.

Although it's hard for me to believe that any comic book fan reading this article doesn't have the slightest idea what Kingdom Come is, I'll indulge you. In 1996, Mark Waid and Alex Ross gave us a story that brought us into the future of the DCU, when Clark Kent had retired to his farm, Green Lantern was a geezer and Batman was handicapped, dwelling in the Bat-cave controlling his robotic Batman-inspired police units. But beyond cosmetics, the story is a classic breakdown of superheroes and why we need them, but also the dangers they provide if left unchecked. Waid's penchant for imaginative characterization and Ross' unmatched art left the world with one of the most influential stories ever told in the medium. 

And now, with the help of Ross, Johns has returned to this story. Kind of. Using the newly restored multiverse as reason enough, Johns has brought forth the Superman of the Earth that holds the universe of Kingdom Come. I have seen much undeserved flack regarding the quality of this story, and I don't really see where it's coming from. I will say that this week's issue #12 suffers a bit in that most of the issue seems to be a step sideways for this forward moving arc, but interestingly enough Johns and Ross pull a fast one and bring it all back around. The ending of this book really stirs up some excitement for Kingdom Come fans. If this giant Superman event holds true, at least we know we can count on Johns to stir up the status quo for us. 

And, although Brian K. Vaughan and Pia Guerra's Y: The Last Man has come to it's conclusion, thankfully Vertigo has set its sights ahead. I've heaped praise onto the new series The Vinyl Underground, and my opinion has only grown higher with issue #5. The characters and premise still hold that air of intrigue that a fresh series often reeks of for at least the first year; but with this issue I think we get more of a glimpse of how the book will be structured, at least from a story arc point of view, and it's pretty exciting. I hope I'm not jumping to conclusions here, but I honestly think that this series will be the next great thing to come from Vertigo. So with Y ending, along with the pretty-far-along 100 Bullets, it's good to see that series like The Vinyl Underground and Jason Aaron's Scalped are wasting no time taking their place.

That's all for this week, there is plenty worth mentioning, but I simply can't do it all alone! That's why we need YOU to review! I'll repost this from last week's wrap up: 

CC2K is currently putting together an official comics section to the site, that will include reviews of weekly books, trades, and coverage of alternative comics and graphic novels. We have plans for convention coverage, comic news, and more! But to do all these things we need devoted, passionate writers! If you have an interest in comics, buy books weekly, and have the writing chops to put together reviews, drop me a line at esposito.joey@gmail.com. You should include a writing sample of your work (preferably comic-related), as well as a pull list of your weekly books and any relevant information you feel you'd like to share. If you have any questions, feel free to drop me a line. I hope to hear from you all soon!

This week's must read list:

Justice Society of America #1

The Vinyl Underground #5

Moon Knight  #15 

Countdown to Infinite Crisis #12