“I could say that
I'll sleep better, but that's a lie”
Selina goes from
her … liaison … with Batman directly to steal a Russian
painting, solely to maneuver the mobster whom she beat and performed
an “oculectomy” on last issue – she didn't kill him – into a
situation where rival gangs would finish the job of killing him for
her. Unfortunately, in so doing, she has drawn attention to
herself on the part of one Louis Ferryman, “some call me Bone” –
who now finds the “irritating woman who dresses like a cat and
steals from [him]” and has her beat pretty thoroughly –
right after she finds her fence Lola tied to a chair with a bullet
through her head. “Next: Caught!”
I've got to say,
the image of barely-clad Selina draped across an all-but-shirtless
but still-cowled Batman – whose trousers clearly are pushed down
around his hips – that's an image I could do without in a
mainstream DC Bat-title. I mean, come on. Yes, it's clearly rated
“T+” on the cover, but it's a Batman title. Call me an
old prude, but I think it's a bit inappropriate. Also call me a bit
of a hypocrite, because I'm continuing to buy this title – I'm well
of age and an obsessive-compulsive completist when it comes to
Batman, but there is a definite streak of sex and violence
pervading much of the New 52 to the point of being over the top, with
this title being a prime example.
“Trouble in Mind”
We meet the New 52
Katana. I don't know enough about the previous incarnation to be
able to tell how much of a change we have here. “Psycho Sword
Chick” is how Starling terms her. We get some clues about how the
guy's head blew up at the end of #2 – in a prototype stroke
medication that works to reconnect neural pathways “in tandem with
certain words and phrases” which undoubtedly were delivered to him
via the cell-phone he answered right before the big bang. Canary,
Starling, and Katana investigate a lab that may be targeted for theft
of a supply of the drug – and run into the high-tech armored thugs
they previously confronted.
Starling captures one, then Poison Ivy
shows up, dressed quite fetchingly in what looks to be her fall
colors. Starling seems to have a hostile history with this “freaking
monster,” and is surprised for the second time this issue at the
new teammates Canary has called into the new Birds. “Next: Primed
for Death!”
I have to say –
for a brand new character, Starling has sprung into being so fully
developed that it's like she's an old character. I like! I
think I commented last time that she carries over a good bit of the
sass factor that used to be filled by the sadly missing Lady
Blackhawk. I really really really want to know more about her
history.
“Home”
After a couple
pages' glimpse at the new Mount Olympus, as a very queenly and very
put-out Hera along with a very punky-looking Strife observe Diana,
the new girl, and a gravely injured Hermes in a skrying bowl, we go
to the latter arriving at Paradise Island and meeting a blonde
Queen Hippolyta. This is a deep call-back to the Silver Age –
the queen has been raven-haired like her daughter ever since the
post-Crisis on Infinite Earths reboot by George Perez. As
Hippolyta warns her daughter of the dire consequences that might
attend her “sid[ing] with Zeus rather than his wife scorned”
(which Diana doesn't see in those terms anyway), Hermes tells the new
girl the legend of Diana's creation – the traditional fashioning
from clay. “Wonder Woman is the perfect Amazon – no male
seed created her.” Well, by issue's end we find that may not be
true. Pretty soon thereafter, as Diana and one Aleka (who seems to
be the New 52 version of Artemis) spar, a giant-sized Strife attacks
Paradise Island. Chaos ensues as she inspires the Amazons to fight
among themselves. But she declares, “I COME IN PEACE. … ALL I
WISH FOR IS TO EMBRACE MY LITTLE SISTER.” “You assume the
mortal carries a girl child?” Diana retorts. “HA... I HAVE NO
IDEA WHAT FATHER HAS LEFT CRAWLING IN HER WOMB. … NO,
WONDER WOMAN... I SPEAK OF YOU.” And Hera doesn't look at
all pleased. Looks like Diana's big enemy in this new series won't
be Ares – or maybe it still will be. Fraternal and filial peace
and brotherhood weren't really all that much a theme of the Greek
myths anyway. “Next: Ancient and Untrue.”
Why do the gods
keep referring to her as “Wonder Woman”? Seems to me they would
refer to her by her given name – Roman though it might be when they
are all called by Greek names. The revelation of what may be her
true parentage caused quite a stir on the Internet when this issue
was released. Assuming it's the case, I can't say it's an unwelcome
change to me. I think it carries all kinds of story possibilities –
not that they would be original, but intrinsically more interesting
than her origin as a lump of clay. Just my opinion.
Cheers!
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