Two DC Reboots: One That Works, One That Doesn't
/I haven't read WONDER WOMAN #600 yet, but thanks to the free preview on the DC App - Look out, honey, 'cause I'm using technology - I've read the JMS/Don Kramer story and have to say, I think Hibbs is spot on with his thoughts; rewriting Wonder Woman's history so comprehensively screws up DCU history in so many places that it can't be unaddressed for too long, and feels completely temporary as a result. The story itself is... Eh, I guess? I can see the logic on a corporate level for the do-over - and it certainly seems to have worked, at least in terms of getting people to pay attention to the character - but I couldn't say that I was particularly wowed, or bothered, with the execution. It was just there. Luckily, there was another, much better relaunch of a DC book this week. ACTION COMICS #890: Sure, there's no Superman, but god damn if Paul Cornell and Pete Woods didn't make this issue sing nonetheless. Maybe it's just me, but Cornell's script - and, in particular, the reveal about why Lois was there all along - felt oddly... Marvel-esque to me, in a way that DC superhero books don't normally manage, and in a good way; there was a kind of weird, mad invention and comedy to it that just worked both as a surprise and on a completely logical (and revealing about Luthor) level. Luthor himself got rebooted, as well, with his admitting how he was changed by his Blackest Night experiences - something that didn't seem to be the case from his recent appearances in the last few Robinson/Gates Superman books, but continuity is for losers, apparently - but the "needy, greedy" Luthor feels nostalgic in a good way, and sets up a quest that gives his run as Action lead a reason to exist. Artwise, Pete Woods continues to be the Superbooks' secret weapon; his stuff is clear, attractive and just really enjoyable to read, and I am both happy and surprised that he's not been stolen away by Marvel for some X-Men-related book that I have no desire to read already. Overall, though, this was a Very Good surprise, and a nice antidote to JMS' overly earnest Superman. Looks like I won't be abandoning the Superman titles entirely over the next year, after all.