What I Bought Yesterday – Justice League #13 & 14, DC Universe Online (WARNING – SPOILERS)

Well, I bought some stuff while I was out for Free Comic Book Day, so let’s go ahead and go over…

So let’s begin with the comics I bought, Justice League #13 & 14, AKA The Secret of the Cheetah.

Okay, let’s start off with what I didn’t like, so we can end my look at these two issues on a high note. While Superman being eager to help Wonder Woman with her problems involving Cheetah would usually appear noble, the problem is this comes a few days after they kissed, and based on his characterization in the New 52, he’s clearly only doing it because he’s crushing hard on her, whereas back in the old days, he’d do it regardless because he’s that good a guy. The ending where Batman is spying on them and looking displeased came off as more flavours of wrong than Baskin-Robbins has flavours of ice cream, but we later got clarification that he’s just concerned for them, so that’s alright. The Shazam back-up in #14 continues to annoy the crap out of me, since Shazam comes off as a badly written idiot/con man. Oh, and I’m sorry, but I have to deduct points simply for the mere appearance of the TMZ logo. lol

So with all that said, what did I like about this? Pretty much EVERYTHING else. I love the visuals, as the jungle they explore is well detailed, and of course when they’re up in the Watchtower in outer-frakking-space. I like the scene with Flash and Cyborg, where Barry is trying to help Victor out and reassure him that he IS human, not just a machine. I like how Batman and Aquaman, while still trying to work out who is the leader, are able to work well together, showing they can put whatever issues they have on hold. I like the back-up in #13 that acts as a lead-in for Justice League of America. But most of all, I love what they do with Cheetah. She’s made into a credible threat to the League, and not by being overpowered (though I think her speed and strength is a little higher), but by being SMART. First she goes for Batman, because he’s likely the easiest to take down at the start of the fight while letting him stick around for later on would be a disaster. Then she goes for Flash, slashing him at the heels so that his speed is cut in half. Then, to really mess with them, Cheetah bites Superman to turn him into a Cheetah monster. Now before you call shenanigans, remember that Cheetah’s transformed by magic, which is something Superman is vulnerable to, so it stands to reason that her fangs COULD puncture his skin. How they beat Cheetah is smart too, in that Wonder Woman manages to get her into the lake where Aquaman can bring her down. There’s a twist regarding her back-story that I don’t want to give away, but it pays tribute to the various characters who have been Cheetah in previous continuities, and I really like that. So overall, not a great two-parter, but what works well in it is worth buying it.

Oh yeah, and I also got DC Universe Online for like 5 bucks. ^_^ I haven’t had a chance to play it yet, but when I do, I’ll let’cha know what I think. I’m hoping to be able to create one of the characters from my Superhero Tales, like Green Defender, The Bard, or Strix.

Anyway, that’s all for today…erm, yesterday, I guess. lol Check in Wednesday when I FINALLY get JLA #3, along with Batman #20 and Batman and Robin #20. Ja né!