Review- BATMAN/ FLASH: THE BUTTON- THE DELUXE EDITION

My son asked me if I would read this before reading Doomsday Clock. He assigned it to me as weekend homework reading before his next visit. His mother bought him this book, so full disclaimer: I didn't pay to read this book. My son is 12 and I won't let him read Watchmen, which I suppose makes it a sort of forbidden fruit for the lad. Alas, I am not sure how much enjoyment he will derive from this or Doomsday Clock without understanding the reference points of Watchmen. I explained things to him as best as I can without revealing certain, age-inappropriate things about the series. 

BATMAN/ FLASH: THE BUTTON- THE DELUXE EDITION (DC, First Printing, 2017; Hardcover)

Collects Batman #21, 22, and Flash #21, 22 (cover dates June-July, 2017)

Writers: Tom Cook and Joshua Williamson

Artists: Jason Fabook and Howard Porter

Colorists: Brad Anderson and Hi-Fi

Wow, talk about your assumed knowledge, self-referencing works. This is the prequel to the main event which spun out of DC Rebirth #1, that 80 page comic that was a reset of a reset of reset, or something like that. This story is a fun, action packed read, but falls flat on its face overall because the writers assume that everyone has a working knowledge of Watchmen and the DC Universe. While the majority of readers do, someone like my son who has a budding interest in comics simply didn't understand a lot of this. Reading the book with his confusion in mind and looking at it through his eyes made me look for clues to explain the story to a “civilian”. The pickings were slim.

S P O I L E R S abound- you have been warned. So Doctor Manhattan is likely the “god” that is somehow pulling the strings and has left The Comedian's button in the DC Universe? To what end? Alan Moore would be rolling in his grave if he were dead. If DC is trying to blur the lines of all ret-cons and reboots into one cohesive universe, using Reverse Flash (Thawne) seems even more confusing. Maybe this is my Marvel thinking, but wouldn't every single attempt at altering Flash's history by going back in time change nothing and only create alternate timelines?

While I am not a DC expert, I have a mild working knowledge of their continuity. Even so, I found some of these reference points to be confusing. I know that this is all make believe, but all of this ret-conning and rebooting has made a mess of things.

Like I said above, as fun a read with nice artwork that it is, it's a thin story. The prequel is little more than a stunt, which I suppose is appropriate since this Doomsday Clock event is one of the biggest stunts since The New 52.

Junk Food For Thought rating: 3.5 out of 5.

The OCD zone- This is the part where I go into tactile sensations and materials used in physical media. Those with heart conditions, high blood pressure, or women who are pregnant should exit my blog at their earliest convenience, as their safety cannot be guaranteed beyond this point.

Paper stock: Super thick coated stock with a medium sheen.

Binding: Sewn binding. Go DC!

Dustjacket and Hardback cover notes: This particular printing has a lenticular dustjacket. I can't recall of another collected edition with this feature. Very cool. The single issues boasted this feature, so this was a nice nod to that. The hardback has a glossy laminated casewrap.

Review- ROGUE TROOPER: TALES OF NU-EARTH VOL. 1

ROGUE TROOPER: TALES OF NU-EARTH VOL. 1 (2000 AD, Second Printing, April, 2011; Softcover)

Collects the Rogue Trooper stories from 2000 A.D. Nos. 228-232, 234-243, 246-258, 260-262, 265-301, 303-317, and 2000 A.D. Annual 1983, 1984 (cover dates September 5, 1981- May 21, 1983)

Writers: Gerry Finley-Day and Alan Moore

Artists: Dave Gibbons, Cam Kennedy, Brett Ewins, Colin Wilson, Mike Dorey, and Eric Bradbury

Rogue Trooper is a G.I., or Genetic Infantryman, a sort of super-soldier modified to withstand the harsh toxic environments of Nu-Earth without a breathing apparatus. Mankind relocated to this new Earth but their chemical warfare in the Nu Earth future war polluted the atmosphere. The G.I.'s entire personality transfers to a biochip at the time of their death, and these biochips can be installed in various hardware. When Rogue's comrades are killed in combat he inserts them in his helmet (Helm), his gun (Gunnar), and his bag (Bagman). They can speak and retain their entire personality and serve as the supporting cast. 

It is really interesting to see how influential these British comics were on American comics. The third party narrative is used sparingly, mostly as a plotline recap since this was a weekly strip, with the rest of the story being entirely dialogue driven. Compare this to American comic books of similar vintage and you will see what I mean. Nowadays this is par for the course, but British comics are where that style started.

While this was consistently enjoyable throughout 400-odd pages, The Fort Neuro arc was my favorite. I love how the one base, the Napoleonic Complex, pretended to be from France. Dave Gibbons (later of Watchmen fame) was the original artist for the series, and Alan Moore writes the story from the 2000 A.D. Annual 1984. Cam Kennedy is nearly as good an artist as Gibbons. This is good stuff that holds up remarkably well 30-odd years after it's original publication.

Junk Food For Thought rating: 4 out of 5.

Buy ROGUE TROOPER: TALES OF NU-EARTH VOL. 1 TP at InStockTrades!

The OCD zone- The only covers that are included are #228, 231, 241, and 317.

DVD-style Extras included in this book: There is an uncredited additional page at the end of the cover gallery in the back of the book.

Linework: Things look good for 95% of the book. A few pages look murky, like a few of the pages may have been scanned from printed pages instead of sourced from film. The film was altered from original publication for the 2005 192 page collections. The *footnote box refers to previous books rather than individual issues.

Paper stock: Thick uncoated stock, zero sheen under any light source.

Binding: Sewn binding, six stitches per signature.

Cardstock cover notes: Dull matte coating, easily scuffed even when handled gingerly. I strongly dislike this style of finish. 

Review- BEFORE WATCHMEN: NITE OWL/ DR. MANHATTAN

BEFORE WATCHMEN: NITE OWL/ DR. MANHATTAN (DC, 2013; Hardcover)

Collects Before Watchmen: Nite Owl Nos. 1-4, Before Watchmen: Dr. Manhattan Nos. 1-4, and Before Watchmen: Moloch Nos. 1, 2 (cover dates August, 2012- April, 2013)

Writer: J. Michael Straczynski

Artists: Before Watchmen: Nite Owl- Penciler: Andy Kubert; Inkers: Joe Kubert and Bill Sienkiewicz. Before Watchmen: Dr. Manhattan- Adam Hughes. Before Watchmen: Moloch- Eduardo Risso.

Colorists: Before Watchmen: Nite Owl- Brad Anderson; Before Watchmen: Dr. Manhattan- Laura Martin; Before Watchmen: Moloch- Trish Mulvihill

The Before Watchmen: Nite Owl mini-series is great. J. Michael Straczynski, or JMS as he will be referred to from here on out, is a great writer. This series goes way in depth on the origin and motives of Nite Owl, and Joe Kubert's inks help give it that rough, semi-unpolished DC Silver Age feel at times. The dynamic of the partnership between Rorshach and Nite Owl is covered in great detail.

Before Watchmen: Dr. Manhattan shows JMS being every bit as clever as Alan Moore. What? Did I just say that? Yes I did. Seeing JMS juggle the various probabilities and realities that a God like Dr. Manhattan would certainly deal with was no easy task, and it is handled here as cleverly as Moore would have handled it. I know that the Moore faithful are popping blood vessels over that statement but I call them as I see (and read) them. The artwork and coloring are as top notch as the writing in this one. 

Before Watchmen: Moloch, while great storywise, leaves a lot to be desired in the artwork department. The vastly overrated Eduardo Risso handles the art chores. While his panel composition and layouts and ability to convey the story are excellent, I found his art itself to be too cartoony for my tastes. Your mileage may vary.

So after finally finishing all four Deluxe Edition Hardcovers, I can now give you my opinion on the project as a whole. While I enjoyed these prequels for the most part, many of them were more of a connect the dots affair rather than original stories. I wanted to see more of the spaces between what happened here covered. Like I've said in my other Before Watchmen reviews, there is plenty of fertile territory for more prequels. Whether or not that is necessary is completely up to you, the reader. At the end of the day, this didn't “ruin” Watchmen as everyone fearlessly predicted, nor did these mini-series burn up the sales charts as I fearlessly predicted. Everyone was wrong! They're out there and will probably sink like a stone and be forgotten in the long run...which is what Alan Moore predicted, so I guess he was right. 

Junk Food For Thought rating: 4.75 out of 5.

The OCD zone- Aside from the slightly warped paper (see below), these DC Deluxe Edition hardcovers are really nice. The image is printed on the hardback itself, with no dustjacket included.

DVD-style Extras included in this book:

Before Watchmen: Nite Owl No. 1 Jim Lee with Scott Williams & Alex Sinclair variant cover

Before Watchmen: Nite Owl No. 1 Kevin Nowlan variant cover

Before Watchmen: Nite Owl No. 2 David Finch with Sonia Oback variant cover

Before Watchmen: Nite Owl No. 3 Chris Samnee with Matt Wilson variant cover

Before Watchmen: Nite Owl No. 4 Ethan Van Sciver with Hi-Fi Colour Design variant cover

Before Watchmen: Dr. Manhattan No. 1 Jim Lee with Scott Williams & Alex Sinclair variant cover

Before Watchmen: Dr. Manhattan No. 1 Paul Pope with Lovern Kindzierski variant cover

Before Watchmen: Dr. Manhattan No. 2 P. Craig Russell variant cover

Before Watchmen: Dr. Manhattan No. 3 Neal Adams variant cover

Before Watchmen: Dr. Manhattan No. 4 Bill Sienkiewicz variant cover

Before Watchmen: Moloch No. 1 Matt Wagner with Brennan Wagner variant cover

Before Watchmen: Moloch No. 1 Jim Lee with Scott Williams & Alex Sinclair variant cover

Before Watchmen: Moloch No. 2 Olly Moss variant cover

Nite Owl character study by Andy Kubert and Joe Kubert with Brad Anderson (1 page)

Before Watchmen: Nite Owl Nos. 1, 2, and 4 cover sketches by Andy Kubert (4 thumbnails, 1 page)

Cover progression for Before Watchmen: Dr. Manhattan No. 4 by Adam Hughes (2 pages)

Various sketches and pen test for Before Watchmen: Dr. Manhattan by Adam Hughes (1 page)

Cover sketches for Before Watchmen: Dr. Manhattan No. 1 with layout and final for Before Watchmen: Dr. Manhattan No. 1, Page 2 by Adam Hughes (1 page)

Paper rating: 4.25 out of 5. This book is made in the United States, which is a huge part of the problem. I'd love to see everything made in the USA once again if the products are as good as what we get from the Chinese sweatshop printing presses. US paper mills use trees which are not allowed to cure properly once cut, which means that the trees are green when they are made into paper. The result is shitty, somewhat wavy warped paper like the stuff found in this book. My books are all stored in a climate controlled environment, and yet this one has warped paper, especially when you view the top of the book. Books made in China from virgin Amazon rainforest trees do not have this problem.

Binding rating: 4 out of 5. Glued binding in hardcovers this thin is not a deal breaker. The book lays reasonably flat.

Hardback cover coating rating: 5 out of 5. This has a super thick waxlike coating which is impervious to damage when handled as the product is intended. The black Before Watchmen band, spine, and section of equal measure on the rear cover have a different, dull texture which is really nice.

Buy BEFORE WATCHMEN: NITE OWL/ DR. MANHATTAN HC at InStockTrades!

Review- BEFORE WATCHMEN: COMEDIAN/ RORSHACH

BEFORE WATCHMEN: COMEDIAN/ RORSHACH (DC, 2013; Hardcover)

Collects Before Watchmen: Comedian Nos. 1-6 and Before Watchmen: Rorschach Nos. 1-4 (cover dates August, 2012- June, 2013)

Writer: Brian Azzarello

Artists: J.G. Jones (Before Watchmen: Comedian) and Lee Bermejo (Before Watchmen: Rorschach)

Colorists: Alex Sinclair (Before Watchmen: Comedian Nos. 1-6), Tony Avina (Before Watchmen: Comedian No. 3), Lee Loughridge (Before Watchmen: Comedian No. 6), and Barbara Ciardo (Before Watchmen: Rorschach)

The Before Watchmen: Comedian mini-series is pretty lame. I am not familiar with Azzarello's writing, but this particular run seems like nostalgia porn. The Comedian in inserted into way too many historical scenarios for my tastes. Couple that with the fact The Comedian is an unlikable son of a bitch and you have an underwhelming read.

Azzarello also pens the Before Watchmen: Rorschach mini-series, and that one is a much better read. I could read a hundred prequel issues of Rorschach and never get tired of it. The character is the main reason I bought the Action Heroes DC Archives which collect Steve Ditko's the Question, whom Rorschach was based on.

We see Rorschach's sanity begin to crack, hinting at what was coming in the flashback sequences of the original series. I find the character to be the most interesting because there is a lot of nuance under his seemingly two-dimensional exterior. It's his ticks and convictions that always draw me back to him. Whether or not you agree with him or his motives is irrelevant. 

I'm not sure if the thrill of reading more Watchmen stories is wearing off or if the Comedian mini-series was just so uninspired that it left me cold. I actually put this book down 4 issues into the Comedian and picked up something else to read. Three down, one more hardcover to go.

Junk Food For Thought rating: 3.75 out of 5.

The OCD zone- Aside from the warped paper (see below), these DC Deluxe Edition hardcovers are really nice. The image is printed on the hardback itself, with no dustjacket included.

DVD-style Extras included in this book:

Before Watchmen: Comedian No. 1 Jim Lee with Scott Williams & Alex Sinclair variant cover

Before Watchmen: Comedian No. 1 Eduardo Risso variant cover

Before Watchmen: Comedian No. 2 Tim Bradstreet variant cover

Before Watchmen: Comedian No. 3 John Paul Leon variant cover

Before Watchmen: Comedian No. 4 Brian Stelfreeze variant cover

Before Watchmen: Comedian No. 5 Gary Frank and Brad Anderson variant cover

Before Watchmen: Comedian No. 6 Rafael Albuquerque variant cover

Before Watchmen: Rorschach No. 1 Jim Lee with Scott Williams & Alex Sinclair variant cover

Before Watchmen: Rorschach No. 1 Jim Steranko variant cover

Before Watchmen: Rorschach No. 2 Jock variant cover

Before Watchmen: Rorschach No. 3 Chip Kidd variant cover

Before Watchmen: Rorschach No. 4 Ivan Reis and Joe Prado with Rod Reis variant cover

Rorschach statue design by Lee Bermejo

Before Watchmen promotional poster art by Lee Bermejo (2 pages)

Cover sketch to Before Watchmen: Rorschach No. 1 by Lee Bermejo

Cover sketch to Before Watchmen: Comedian No. 4 by J.G. Jones

Comedian statue designs by J.G. Jones

Comedian statue designs by J.G. Jones with Alex Sinclair

Paper rating: 4 out of 5. This book is made in the United States, which is a huge part of the problem. I'd love to see everything made in the USA once again if the products are as good as what we get from the Chinese sweatshop printing presses. US paper mills use trees which are not allowed to cure properly once cut, which means that the trees are green when they are made into paper. The result is shitty, warped paper like the stuff found in this book. My books are all stored in a climate controlled environment, and yet this one has warped paper all over. Books made in China from virgin Amazon rainforest trees do not have this problem.

Binding rating: 4 out of 5. Glued binding in hardcovers this thin is not a deal breaker. The book lays reasonably flat.

Hardback cover coating rating: 5 out of 5. This has a super thick waxlike coating which is impervious to damage when handled as the product is intended. The black Beyond Watchmen band, spine, and section of equal measure on the rear cover have a different, dull texture which is really nice.

Buy BEFORE WATCHMEN: COMEDIAN/ RORSHACH HC at InStockTrades!

Review- BEFORE WATCHMEN: OZYMANDIAS/ CRIMSON CORSAIR

BEFORE WATCHMEN: OZYMANDIAS/ CRIMSON CORSAIR (DC, 2013; Hardcover)

Collects Before Watchmen: Ozymandius Nos. 1-6, Before Watchmen: Dollar Bill No. 1, and the Crimson Corsair back-up stories from Before Watchmen: Minutemen Nos. 1-5, Before Watchmen: Silk Spectre Nos. 1-4, Before Watchmen: Comedian Nos. 1-4, Before Watchmen: Nite Owl Nos. 1-3, Before Watchmen: Rorschach Nos. 1-3, Before Watchmen: Dr. Manhattan Nos. 1-3, and Before Watchmen: Moloch Nos. 1, 2 (cover dates August, 2012- May, 2013)

Writers: Len Wein and John Higgins (co-writer on the Crimson Corsair back-up stories)

Artists: Jae Lee (Ozymandias), John Higgins (Crimson Corsair), and Steve Rude (Dollar Bill)

Colorists: June Chung (Ozymandias), John Higgins (Crimson Corsair), and Steve Rude (Dollar Bill)

Len Wein is a true legend in this industry, and yet he never seems to get enough props. The guy's track record speaks for itself: He co-created the Swamp Thing with Bernie Wrightson. He retooled and relaunched the moribund X-Men, setting the stage in just two issues for Chris Claremont to take over and turn it into one of the biggest comic books of all time. He also co-created a little known character by the name of Wolverine. Never mind his respectable run on Spider-Man in the '70s.

In this book Wein writes Ozymandias, which is a fantastic mini-series in it's own right. It fuses elements hinted at or ever so briefly touched upon in the original Watchmen series with the handful of original developments and ideas from the film. This may make the purists wince but it makes for a great read. I love how much story Wein crams into each issue. This is definitely not one of the collected editions that you can polish off in an hour or so. No siree, this is best digested slowly over several days, the better for it to sink in. 

Ozymandias' childhood and early days as a crime fighter are fascinating to witness. These are things that I have always wanted to see. You want to know something else? I'd love to see more prequels of this stuff. There are plenty of empty spaces where you could insert untold tales. As long as the talent is equal to Len Wein and Jae Lee, then why not?

The Crimson Corsair is a good story with spectacular artwork by John Higgins. I didn't sit there and compare it with the comic book that was being read in the original series, so I am not sure how it fits in with everything there. The most interesting thing about it is how the whole thing is presented in 2 page increments, giving it a serialized Sunday strip vibe. It was a back-up feature in many of the Before Watchmen comics.

The Dollar Bill one-shot once again touches on events hinted at or told in the text pages of the original series. It's a more lighthearted tale than Ozymandias' origin...at least until the end. Steve Rude does the artwork, and I would love to see him do more stuff. 

So does this surpass the original series? Of course not. Does it ruin Watchmen for all time? Nope. Folks will still be talking about that series decades from now. I just think that too many folks got uptight about their sacred cow getting molested by other creators. I'd be more than willing to buy more prequels or, dare I say it, a sequel to Watchmen.

Junk Food For Thought rating: 4.25 out of 5.

The OCD zone- Aside from the warped paper (see below), these DC Deluxe Edition hardcovers are really nice. The image is printed on the hardback itself, with no dustjacket included.

DVD-style Extras included in this book: A variant cover gallery in the back of the book which collects the following:

Before Watchmen: Ozymandius No. 1 Jim Lee with Scott Williams & Alex Sinclair variant cover

Before Watchmen: Ozymandius No. 1 Phil Jimenez with Romulo Fajardo, Jr. variant cover

Before Watchmen: Ozymandius No. 2 Phil Noto variant cover

Before Watchmen: Ozymandius No. 3 Massimo Carnevale variant cover

Before Watchmen: Ozymandius No. 4 Michael Wm. Kaluta variant cover

Before Watchmen: Ozymandius No. 5 Jill Thompson variant cover

Before Watchmen: Ozymandius No. 6 Ryan Sook variant cover

Before Watchmen: Dollar Bill No. 1 Jim Lee with Scott Williams & Alex Sinclair variant cover

Before Watchmen: Dollar Bill No. 1 Darwyn Cooke variant cover

2 pages of Ozymandius sketches by Jae Lee

Crimson Corsair character sketches by John Higgins (1 page)

Crimson Corsair art by John Higgins (1 page)

Paper rating: 4 out of 5. This book is made in the United States, which is a huge part of the problem. I'd love to see everything made in the USA once again if the products are as good as what we get from the Chinese sweatshop printing presses. US paper mills use trees which are not allowed to cure properly once cut, which means that the trees are green when they are made into paper. The result is shitty, warped paper like the stuff found in this book. My books are all stored in a climate controlled environment, and yet this one has warped paper all over. Books made in China from virgin Amazon rainforest trees do not have this problem.

Binding rating: 4 out of 5. Glued binding in hardcovers this thin is not a deal breaker. The book lays reasonably flat.

Hardback cover coating rating: 5 out of 5. This has a super thick lamination which is impervious to damage when handled as the product is intended. The black Beyond Watchmen band, spine, and section of equal measure on the rear cover have a different, dull texture which is really nice.

Buy BEFORE WATCHMEN: OZYMANDIAS/ CRIMSON CORSAIR HC at InStockTrades!