Review: Adventure Comics #11

This Adventure Comics run I have been reviewing recently has been a sort of landing place for the peripheral plot threads from the (at that time) events of  Last Stand of New Krypton and the War of the Supermen. Adventure Comics #11 continues that trend. Starring the Legion and Mon-El, this issue effectively wraps up any non-War plotlines left hanging from Last Stand.

In some ways I feel a bit for James Robinson. After starring in Superman for about a year, Mon-El's conclusion is relegated to the back pages of Adventure Comics. I understand how it is all in the timing. You couldn't put this story out until Last Stand ended. Once War of the Supermen is over, DC is going to want to really jump-start the super-titles with new directions and new creative teams. With no super-titles coming out this month, Mon-El's story had to land somewhere else. Adventure Comics was an easy home. Still, it would have been nice if Mon-El and Robinson could have ended their run in the title they have starred on.

I also think that the Legion story is crunched into too few pages ... maybe because Mon-El's pages warrant so much space. I want more story than I am seeing. I guess that's a good thing. It means the writers have grabbed me.

Review: Adventure Comics #10

Adventure Comics #10 continues to flesh out the entertaining Last Stand of New Krypton storyline. As with the last two issues, this issue pushes the main storyline forward while adding some depth to the ancillary characters.

As an amateur comic historian, I have really loved how Adventure Comics has felt during this run, how it has been rolled into the super-family of books. The last two issues have starred Superboy, the Legion, and Supergirl. These issues have had multiple stories.

And the original Adventure Comics? Well there were long and storied runs for Superboy, the Legion, and Supergirl. The original Adventure was often an anthology series with multiple stories in every issue. So the current make-up of the book is a nice (even if unintentional) homage.

Top off this issue with another great cover by Joe Quinones and you have another satisfying issue.

As with the prior reviews, you are being dropped into this company wide crossover, so buckle up!

Review: Adventure Comics #9

Adventure Comics #9 came out way back in 2010 and represented the next chapter in the Last Stand of New Krypton.

This issue continues the three shorter stories started last month, touching on different aspects of the bigger story. With Adventure in flux, with no clear 'star' on this book with Superboy moving on, this is the perfect place for these stories. And Last Stand has enough moving parts that looking at the periphery can be as much fun as looking at the main story.

I would be remiss if I didn't mention the fine Joe Quinones' cover which showcases Supergirl nicely. I like her expression as she sees the massive clawed hand reaching over her shoulder.

As with last week, we dive right into a major event. Hang on!

Review: Adventure Comics #8 (511)

You might think that covering the 5YL Legion would be my most arduous task here at the Legion of Super-Bloggers.

Or maybe you thought covering the off-putting Jim Shooter issues at the end of the Threeboot.

But you would be wrong.

Try covering the Legion parts of the Adventure Comics reboot, all enmeshed in the then event of New Krypton. These are tiny pieces of a bigger puzzle. As such, it will be hard to cover these as stand-alones. But I'll try. If you are feeling daring, know that I covered all the New Krypton stuff over at my Supergirl site. Fortune favors the bold!

Adventure Comics #8 was a prologue of The Last Stand of New Krypton, an arc within the New Krypton bigger plotline. It contained three short stories written by Sterling Gates, James Robinson and Eric Trautmann. The issue did a good job of aligning some of the disparate parts readers had seen floating through the super-titles, getting the pieces in the right place for this arc.

And it was all wrapped up in an Aaron Lopresti cover. I loved Lopresti on Wonder Woman. His art is so slick. Everything about that Lightning Lass is perfect ... the hair, the face, the body language. That is Ayla Ranzz.

So settle in. I can only hope this makes some sense.

Reboot: Starman #50

Starman (v2) #50 (February 1999)
title: "Lighting the Way: Then, Now and Yet To Be!"

writers: James Robinson and David S. Goyer

penciller: Peter Snejbjerg
inkers: Wade Von Grawbadger and Keith Champagne
lettering: Bill Oakley
colorists: John Kalisz and Graphic Colorworks

assistant editor: Peter Tomasi
editor: Archie Goodwin

cover: Tony Harris
reviewers: Siskoid & Shotgun

Mission Monitor Board:  
Star Boy, Umbra

Guests: 
Atmos, Insect Queen, Shade, Starman (Mother Box hologram of Ted Knight), Starman (Mikaal Tomas), Starman (Jack Knight); Science Police, Xanthusians

Opponents: 
Dark Colossus, Shadow Wraiths