And One Last Time...
**SPOILERS for Cry for Justice and Showcase #99.**
Today was my very last trip to Border's. *sniff* The comic book section looked like Hurricane Irene came and wrecked it--the shelf was half-empty, disorganized, everything was falling over. I almost bought Wednesday Comics, because I've heard it was fun, but the thing was literally twice as big as a regular TPB (not twice as thick--if you put two TPBs end to end, it would be about this size), and I didn't really feel like lugging that around, finding a place for it at home, etc. So instead I picked up a Secret Six trade at long last--The Reptile Brain--and the Power Girl trade.
I really, really wish I'd listened to my instincts and started buying up Secret Six sooner than this, when there was more than just one book left on the shelf. It was really well written and the characters were fun. (Oh, Ragdoll and your Superman underwear, never leave me. <3) It was a bit gorier than I would have liked, but still. I'm gonna have to ask for more for Christmas or something. Also, do not #*&% with the Wall.
The Power Girl book was also really interesting. I admit, I mostly got it because of the Amanda Conner art, but the whole thing was very informative, even the parts with less-than-spectacular artwork. It all runs on the "who is Power Girl?" theme and collects comics that explain the various origins she's had since her creation in the '70s. And... yeah, the "granddaughter of an Atlantean sorceress" thing was just bizarre and incomprehensible, but the book as a whole is enjoyable.
For me, the most interesting part was Showcase #99, "The Crater that was Keystone City." It features a villain who erases a hero's city from existance and tells the heroes that he will not return the city to normal unless and until they agree to let him go free. Sound like Cry for Justice? That's what I thought, too. Except for one tiny, almost unnoticable difference--THE HEROES DON'T TAKE THE DEAL!!!! Whereas in Gay for Justice, the heroes just sort of looked at each other helplessly and went "we don't have a choice," it takes Green Lantern Alan Scott all of ONE PANEL to capture the villain in a green energy construct and say "no way, evil doer!" And then Power Girl and her knowledge of computers saves the day, etc., etc. It's like James Robinson read this issue and decided to suck all the joy and heroism out of it. From now on, as far as I'm concerned, C4J ended when the JSA came crashing through a window and took over for those incompetent idiot Leaguers. *nods*
So yeah, I had to get that off my chest. Bottom line, if you ever see either of these trades, do yourself a favor and buy them. You won't regret it.