The Nice House on the Lake - A DC Comics Black Label Maxi-Series

Ten people are invited to a beautiful lake house for a vacation.  The house is isolated, alone overlooking a quiet lake with a magnificent view of mountains and woods all around.  The ten people know each other somewhat (some better than others), but they all have one person in common.  Walter.  An enigmatic man with glasses, who in one way or another has touched each of these people's life and loved them in a way no one else has.  Walter.  A man of mystery who they can't help but love and for whom they are willing to do pretty much anything.  Including walk away from their life for a vacation that he promises will be one they will never forget.  And he's right.  NOW, doesn't that sound like the perfect description of a horror film?  That's what I thought, and that's why I picked up the series.  A 12-issue comic book series published under DC's "Black Label" imprint, likely because of the darker nature of the story.  But it turns out this tale was much more than horror.  Oh, sure, it definitely had the horror elements; but it also had elements of mystery ... elements of suspense and humor ... and elements of science fiction that came as an unexpected surprise.

The Nice House on the Lake is everything you want to read in a great story, but nothing at all what you would expect from the opening issues.  Writer James Tynion IV and artist Alvaro Martinez Bueno, who created the concept and brought it to life on the comic page, have a true masterpiece on their hands here.  I can't even begin to tell you how drawn in I was with the characters, with the story, with the twists and turns, with the cliffhangers, and ... well, you get the idea.  I am familiar with Tynion's work from DC's Justice League Dark series not so long ago, and I loved his writing on that series.  Obviously, Tynion is skilled at writing dark stories.  I am not familiar at all with Bueno's work, but his art clearly fits for this series.

As I indicated, The Nice House on the Lake tells the story of ten very different individuals - Norah Jakobs (the writer); Ryan Cane (the artist); Sarah Radnitz (the consultant); Naya Radia (the doctor); Molly Reynolds (the accountant); Veronica Wright (the scientist); Sam Nguyen (the reporter); Arturo Perez (the acupuncturist); Rick MacEwan (the pianist); and David Daye (the comedian).  Ten very different people with very different backgrounds, both culturally and professionally.  But all ten of them know Walter, and through Walter, they have connections - some slight, but some much stronger and deeper.  Walter invites all ten of them up to that very nice house on the lake for a vacation get-away, and while at first, it seems like a week of fun and games, it quickly turns to terror when they suddenly start seeing messages and reports on social media of the world beyond that lake facing utter destruction - fire raining from the sky, people literally melting in the streets, destruction happening all around the world, and friends, family, and loved ones dying in such horrible ways - all just beyond the reach of these ten people (well, eleven, counting Walter - but he doesn't really count).

And when Norah gets angry enough at Walter for trying to calm them all and encouraging them to be grateful that they were spared the destruction of the world out there, she grabs a fire poker and slams it right through Walter's head!  The only problem is, it doesn't kill him; rather, it reveals to the ten unsuspecting guests that Walter is not at all who they though him to be.  In fact, Walter doesn't appear to be human at all!  And with that concluding shock of the first issue, readers are left to wonder just what is really going on at the nice house on the lake?  Is this some kind of nightmare they will wake up from?  Is it actually some supernatural force that has taken control of them?  Is it some governmental experiment gone wrong?  Is it an alien experiment gone wrong?  Or, is it something that none of them can begin to comprehend?

Tynion slowly builds the story throughout the 12-issue series, with each of the cast revealing how they met Walter, how they engaged with Walter, and how they were ultimately pulled to the lake house.  Their memories of Walter provides background on why Walter specifically chose these ten individuals to survive the destruction that was to come - but there are also the memories that Walter took from them, and continues to take from them whenever they get too close to the truth.  Like when they discover the weird statues scattered on the grounds that surround the house ... and when they find the strange house made of black glass with no doors or windows ... and when they accidentally uncover the fact that they can hurt themselves (or each other) and heal as if they were never hurt at all!  With each issue, with each new discovery, the suspense builds, the terror builds, and their distrust of Walter builds.  Until they find a way to open a door into that strange building - and their friend Reggie bounds out, grateful they finally found the way to let him out of that place!

But, with Reggie there, that makes eleven people at the nice house on the lake - and according to Walter, there can only be ten ...

Some of the characters you will like ... some of them you will dislike ... some of them you won't really get to know as much as others ... some of them you will root for ... some of them you will realize are not who you think they are ... but one things is sure, you will definitely want to make it to the twelfth issue, because there are some major surprises in store about Walter, about the cast of characters, and about the entire situation that is happening to them and the world.  Because this is definitely not over, and sadly, one of them won't make it out of this alive.

 

This series will definitely make you think, and it will definitely make you question - if you had the opportunity to live out your life in the perfect paradise while the rest of the world (and humanity!) perishes, would you?

RATING:  9 copies of Action Comics No. 1 out of 10 for a truly unique apocalyptic tale of tragedy, friendship, survival, betrayal, and love.

Harley Quinn and the Birds of Prey - a DC Black Label mini-series

 When Warner Brothers and DC first announced they were planning a Birds of Prey movie, I was over-the-moon ecstatic!  I have loved the Birds of Prey since their first appearance as a mere Oracle / Black Canary team-up way back in DC's Showcase comic.  When they confirmed that Huntress would be a character in the movie, I could hardly contain my excitement, since Huntress has always been my favorite comic book character.  Then, WB after the Suicide Squad film, it was announced that Harley Quinn would be in the Birds of Prey movie.  I thought to myself, 'Okay.  She'll be the villain they are after.' But oh, no, they couldn't do that.  Instead, Harley Quinn, because of her popularity, suddenly had to become the main star of the film.  And thus, the film became known as Birds of Prey and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn.  Ugh. Not happy at all.  The previews for the film focused on Harley Quinn, with barely a glimpse of the Huntress or Black Canary.  And then Cassandra Cain and Det. Renee Montoya suddenly got thrown in the mix.  No Oracle.  No Barbara Gordon.  No Lady Blackhawk.  None of the regular Birds of Prey appeared.  And when I finally saw the film - well, less than stellar would be the biggest understatement of the year.

 

So, since DC had no on-going Birds of Prey series at the time, they announced a new mini-series coming out by Amanda Conner and Jimmy Palmiotti, two amazingly talented creators. Only, the title was: Harley Quinn and the Birds of Prey.  UGH!  But, I have every issue that the Birds of Prey have been in since those Showcase comics, so I bought it.  The fourth issue came out relatively recently, so I sat down and read the mini-series.  Conner's art is absolutely beautiful, as it always is.  And yes, it is the current Helena Bertinelli version of Huntress, which I'm not exactly fond of, but it is the Huntress, so I can deal with that.  Yes, it has Black Canary, Cassandra Cain, and Renee Montoya as the other cast for the Birds, but it also has Barbara Gordon (not necessarily as Oracle, though) and Power Girl (whose series Conner and Palmiotti worked on) and the Atlee version of Terra (who Conner and Palmiotti also created).  Unfortunately, just like the movie, the Birds of Prey and their supporting cast are just background characters - make no mistake about it, this is completely a Harley Quinn mini-series.

Harley Quinn and the Birds of Prey opens with a Harley Quinn dream sequence.  Then a visit from Power Girl, who stops by to just check-in on Harley and gets the story of how Harley stranded herself and Poison Ivy on a deserted island so they could have some alone time, and how Ivy was mad at her and won't speak to her.  Then 'The Dreamin' Seaman' hotel where Harley and her gang have been staying has been torched, and her friend Tony has been hurt so badly he's in the hospital.  And Harley wants not only payback, but she wants to get the funds to pay off the (a-hem) mortgage company - and she knows just how to do it.  So, it's back to Gotham for Harley (along with Red Tool [can you say Deadpool knock-off?], who is bound and determined to protect his Harley) with a plan to get the money she needs, payback the people who hurt Tony and torched their home, and teach her ex a little lesson in the process.

 

Enter Renee Montoya, who is determined to send Harley back to New York. And Huntress, who is also after the same men as Harley.  And Black Canary and Cassandra Cain - well, just 'cuz.  Now, there is no denying the fact that Palmiotti is an excellent writer.  His dialogue and jokes (the number of beaver jokes is outrageous, and yet, each and every one of them made me giggle, if not outright laugh) are fantastic, and the story moves at a pretty good pace.  The only problem is, 3/4 of the book is about Harley, and maybe, if we are lucky, we get about 1/4 of the book that features members of the Birds of Prey, and even then, a lot of that time has the Birds interacting with Harley.  Yes, I get the fact that DC and WB see Harley Quinn as their big-time seller, but c'mon?  The original Birds of Prey series ran for well over 100 issues, and there were two other series that followed that - surely that is enough to show that there is plenty of interest in the Birds of Prey sufficient that they can stand on their own without the need to throw Harley Quinn into the mix?!  But, as usual, the comic company feels the need to force the comic to match whatever movie happens to be out there at the time (even if the movie did not exactly do so well).

Now, I'm not going to lie - I did like the fact that Conner and Palmiotti gave us a couple of appearances by Power Girl (next to Huntress, she's my second favorite all-time character), as well as Atlee (who appears to have dropped the name Terra, since, as she says in her appearance here, that she doesn't want to use that name since she found out someone "mean" was using it before her).  Since they worked on both the Power Girl and Terra series for DC, it's only natural they would want to at least give their characters a brief appearance (and since Power Girl actually had a mini-series where she teamed up with Harley - and yes, I have that, too, since it does have Power Girl in it).

The mini-series has plenty of humor, plenty of mayhem, and, since it is DC Black Label, it has plenty of foul language (which, oddly enough, does not seem so out of place for a character like Harley and the streets of Gotham City).  No outright nudity, but there are a number of butt-shots and near-nudity.  I'm guessing after Batman's goods were shown in that first Black Label mini-series by DC, they have backed off on any outright nudity (but violence and every curse word under the sun are okay).

Now that this is out of their system, I'm hoping if DC does any more Birds of Prey series in the future, they will give readers and fans the REAL Birds of Prey back!

RATING:  6 cans of Reaper Madness Energy Drink out of 10 for at the very least, giving us another Birds of Prey book to hold the fans over until DC finally revives the original concept...

Wonder Woman: Dead Earth (A DC Black Label Mini-Series)

I can't help but love female comic book characters.  Huntress, Power Girl, Supergirl, Batgirl, Batwoman, She-Hulk, Hellcat, Black Cat, Vixen, and so on.  Ever since I first started buying comics back in 1979 (I was 10 years old at the time - do the math, and you can figure out my age!), I have been drawn to the female-led comics.  It should came as no surprise, therefore, that the Wonder Woman title was one of my first comics headlined by a female superhero.  I watched her television show on TV (c'mon! who didn't see Lynda Carter and think that she WAS Wonder Woman!?!?!), and I had seen her on the Super Friends cartoon for years.  So, the transition to comic book form was not much of a jump.

Flash-forward 40-ish years. Wonder Woman is STILL being published, which for a female comic book character is a major accomplishment.  Sadly, DC does not give her the star billing she deserves - Batman gets a plethora of books every month, and Superman gets a minimum of two; but Wonder Woman? She has a single title that is nearing its 700th issue.  But, occasionally, DC offers up a mini-series starring the amazing Amazon, some good, some not-so-good, and some truly exceptional.  The most recent take on the star-spangled super-hero puts Diana in a post-apocalyptic setting where she must find her way again.

 

Wonder Woman: Dead Earth was written and drawn by Daniel Warren Johnson.  It is a four-issue mini-series published under DC's "Black Label" ... uh, label ... which pretty much means that the series is darker than the standard DC comics and is not necessarily in continuity with the DC Universe proper.  Basically, it allows the creators free reign with the characters, and Mr. Johnson definitely takes Wonder Woman on an uncertain and frightening journey into a future she could have never expected.

Johnson opens the first issue with a brief glimpse into Diana's past - her mother showing her of the power and hope that she has to bring to the world. But very quickly things change, when a nuclear holocaust forever changes the landscape of the Earth. Flash-forward, and a group of scavengers are out searching for food. They stumble across a hidden cave, where they accidentally crack open a glass-enclosed chamber.  Just as a horrific spider-like creature is about to attack them, a dark-haired woman of immense power jumps out of the chamber and saves them (most of them, anyway).  She is confused, and although she knows who she is, she is unsure where she is or what has happened to her.  But she recognizes the cave. And heading topside, she recognizes the skeleton in the bat costume leaning back on the couch in the crumbling mansion.  Gathering an outfit, the bat belt, and some needed supplies, she joins this group of scavengers to see what this new world holds for her...

The one thing I can say about Dead Earth is: expect the unexpected. As with any post-apocalyptic world, no one seems to trust one another, and those in power are quick to lord it over those beneath them.  Deadly monsters abound everywhere, and there does not seem to be any superheroes anywhere to be found. The truth about what happened to the Earth seems to be shrouded in mystery, long forgotten by the people who now populate it.  Diana sets about to not only create a better way of life for these survivors, but to find out the truth about what happened to all of her friends and to the world itself.  What she finds out, however, will shock the readers pretty much as it does Diana herself!

Johnson holds back no punches with this story, and not even Diana herself is 100% purely good.  There is no guarantee for anyone to survive in this story, and when the truth is finally revealed, Diana must make a choice that no one should ever have to make.  While I am not one to like all of the dark, gritty worlds that exist in comic books today (wishing for the days when comic stories were more light-hearted, more good vs. bad with little gray areas, and more fun!), I have to admit that the world Johnson has created within these four issues intrigues me.  I like the characters, I like this totally different take on Diana, and I would definitely like to see some more stories in this universe at some point in the future.  Not sure whether DC will revisit it or not, but we can certainly hope so!

Darren Warren Johnson is a newcomer to me.  I've never seen his name on any comics I've read in the past, but he definitely knows how to write a good tale.  His art reminds me somewhat of Keith Giffen's work on the Legion of Super Heroes back in the day, but it definitely fits the mood and tone of this story very well.  This is a frightening world and his art definitely portrays it as such.  This is one mini-series I would definitely recommend to Wonder Woman fans and just comic fans in general if you want a good, self-contained story to read.

RATING:  10 robot Superman out of 10 for showing the world just why Wonder Woman truly is the most powerful superhero in the DC Universe (and why she deserves a second ongoing title!).