Letters to All-Stars #11

[Lissilambe]

Please let us know what you think of this issue.

Take care
Don

[mockingbird]

another brilliant entry, and I can not wait to see how this one ends =D perfectly honestly, the ending of the back-up is gripping me even better than the ending of the story proper, and i'm really curious to see the next issue and how Hawkgirl gets out of this. i love the nod to the communicators they're trying to get, and for some reason I'm really loving that Wotan is a shape-shifter, it's a great twist. Issue 12 is going to be great!

[eric the pilot]

This issue starts us right off with balls-to-the-wall "summer blockbuster" type action, jumping right in from where you left off last issue. The whole opening sequence is just fantastically choreographed, I found myself going back and reading it a few times before moving on, it was that good.

The battle between Hippolyta and Wotan reaffirms my original hypothesis that hs is going to be every bit the challenge as advertised for our Justice Society. It's scary to think about a guy who's actually looking forward to doing battle with not just against Hippolyta alone, but the whole of the Justice Society because he thinks he can win.

And from what we learned last issue and what we see from this one, there's every reason to think he might - especially when Round One goes to Wotan.

One thing that's great about this battle though is that you don't really diminish Hippolyta in any way by having her lose. She's not jobbed out, she's just beaten by a very powerful force and the stakes for the world appear just as dire as was promised last time out.


We're also dropped right in middle of John Tane's worst day ever, and it only seems to be getting even worse for him as we move into this issue. Wotan has diminished his thunderbolt's power, and a giant snake appears to have consumed his friend. Add in the fact that both Hippolyta and the Baroness down for the count, and our poor every man's day has just gone worst to catistrophic and you just get the impression things are only going to get even worse for him from here.


As the series shifts away from the action for a bit, We also get more of Rex Tyler. He's continuing his arc from last issue, dealing with the difficult balance of risks and rewards that stem from the use of the pills that give Tick Tock his powers.

Here we see the aftermath - Rex completely taken in by the euphoria, and the word choice is perfect here - you capture what the sensation must be like flawlessly and in doing so, also reflect just how addicting that sensation must feel, once again reenforcing the heavy balancing act Rex must maintain. The fact that Jay and Alan show concern for him only furthers underscores what he's up against.

The appearance of Doctor Fate is always welcome - he's such a difficult character to get a read on much of the time, but so vital to the team and its concerns that you can't help but be happy to see him given the stakes and circumstances. I love what you do with him visually in a text-based medium, since he's such an esoteric character you really go out of your way to find novel and dynamic ways to present him - the different font for his speech is just different enough to be unsettling, the scenes with Inza that focus on the man behind the mask that some degree of humanity to the otherwise unlikeable character,

I think it's really cool and very effective in your hands.

As the Justice Society gathers, it's fascinating to see some of the opposite of what you showed us last time - Hourman and Doctor Fate, for completely different reasons, are unable to make the same sort of bonds that the others in the society were able to forge out of costume. Makes me wonder how much Fate and Rex's inability (or lack of desire) to spend time with their fellow mystery men out of costume plays into that.

When you brings us back to Wotan, you start to show us more of the mad sorcerer's plan. His discussion with John in particular is great, I love that even after all he's gone through, a traumatic day on top of the general feeling of being a joke to everyone, it's the most powerless of the three that is the one challenging the hyper powered bad guy, while Hippolyta and the Baroness are squabbling with one another.

Wotan doesn't take John seriously now, but I have a feeling Wotan, the Society and any readers not yet onboard all will by the time this arc is finished.

I'd also be remiss not to mention the way you use Jay, being a fan of the speedsters myself, I think it's really great seeing the one who starts it all as he's learning these powers - his perceptions too are different, the way he views the world physically. You do that with so many characters here, one of the many reasons why I enjoy your work. Everyone gets their moment, even the dyed in the wool evil Nazi Baroness finds some compassion and saves John Tane when he gets knocked out following Jay's rescue. Hopefully he'll wake up and find out.

Though the big battle is saved for the next issue, the groundwork is all set, the stakes are firmly established, the players are all on the field, despite the best intentions of the Justice Society, the reader is left with an alarming prospect - the very fabric of reality, chaos and order under the control of Wotan? Who wouldn't be back to see how this resolves itself.

And for most people that would be enough, but no, the readers are spoiled with another story. Though sadly not the further adventures of Liberty Belle, instead you take the novel approach of expanding upon a scene from the previous issue, showing Dian taking Hawkgirl under her wing (no pun intended), and being a true supporter, even when the rest of the room seemed unimpressed.

It was great to see that followed up on.

But it's not all just female bonding as Jim Craddock shows up with a far more vicious and deadly mentality, leaving Hawkgirl to do battle while Dian tries to get as many people out of the room as possible. the The Gentleman Ghost is always a great villain to see, after all since nothing really stymies a Hawk like something you can't really hit. Even when Wildcat comes on the scene, he's just as limited.

But even as Sheira seems thrown by Craddock's behavior, giving us one great hook and mystery to follow, you immediately offer a second, even more ominous one. What the hell scares a ghost? I don't know, but I'll be counting the days 'til next issue to find out.

Hell of a job, can't wait for the next one.

[ryokowerx]

Jun 2, 2009 12:22:27 GMT -5 eric the pilot said:

What the hell scares a ghost?

Who knows what evil lurks in the hearts of men (even dead ones)?

I, for one, am damned ready for the next issue

And, Don, I just read everything including the Special in one sitting... thank god my boss is off work today!