52 #37 Review

The Revolution is psyched to read 52 #37. The cover alone was enough to get me all pumped up to read this issue. There is no doubt in my mind that 52 #37 is going to be a fantastic read. It definitely looks like the boys at DC are really cranking up the intensity on this title. Let’s hit this review.

Creative Team
Writers: Geoff Johns, Grant Morrison, Greg Rucka and Mark Waid
Pencils: Pat Oliffe
Inks: Drew Geraci

Art Rating: 6 Night Girls out of 10
Story Rating: 10 Night Girls out of 10
Overall Rating: 8 Night Girls out of 10

Synopsis: Week 37, Day 1: We begin with the city of Kandor suddenly trembling and shaking. Rip and Supernova then see the menacing Skeets looking at them through the jar that houses the city of Kandor. Skeets tells them to surrender. Rip tells Supernova to leave his costume behind so Rip can give it some more firepower. Supernova takes off the costume and flies out of the jar. And we finally see who is Supernova. It is BOOSTER GOLD! (I knew it!)

Skeets is stunned that Booster Gold is still alive. Booster tells Skeets that when he first entered Rip Hunter’s lab Rip appeared and told Booster not to tell Skeets what he saw in the lab. That Rip told Booster the truth about Skeets and they formulated a plan.

Rip knew he was destined to face off with Skeets so he needed weapons and he needed to stay hidden until he was prepared to fight. Booster’s job was to gather that arsenal for Rip. However, Booster couldn’t do that under Skeet’s continual observation. So, Rip faked Booster’s death by yanking him out of the time stream and replacing Booster with his future corpse. Booster then assumed the identity of Supernova.

Booster and Skeets continue to brawl. Rip is finished tinkering with his new weapon and then he joins Booster in the fight against Skeets. Booster tells Skeets that his Supernova outfit got its powers from the Phantom Zone projector. We then see that Rip is armed with the Phantom Zone projector.

Rip blasts Skeets with the Phantom Zone projector. Skeets fights back and ends up eating the entire Phantom Zone. Rip said that it was just an appetizer for Skeets. Rip says that as bad as this situation is it has bought them a retreat. Rip starts counting backwards from fifty-two. Rip and Booster disappear in a purple energy field. Skeets comments that they will not get away that easily and then follows Rip and Booster through the same purple energy field.

Week 37, Day 4: We cut to Hal Jordan using his power ring to rebuild Star City. We see Green Arrow and Black Canary watching Hal work. Black Canary congratulates Ollie on becoming mayor. Black Canary then says that she is headed out east to learn some new skills. Black Canary asks Ollie if he wants to come with her. Ollie says he will only if they can stop along the way to find somebody. Black Canary responds that they have all been out looking for Ralph Dibny. Ollie says that Ralph is unstable. Dinah retorts that Ollie should not mistake passion for insanity. That Ralph loved Sue too much to ever let her go. With that Black Canary leaves. Ollie wonders to himself how it works to love someone so much you can never let go.

Week 37, Day 5: We shift to Animal Man’s funeral. Lobo is giving sermon. After the sermon, Lobo asks Strange what they saw out there that everybody wants to know. Adam Strange says he doesn’t know. Giant hands and something else that he can’t remember. Adam Strange thanks Lobo for his help. Lobo says that they can thank him by never crossing his path again.

Starfire and Adam Strange get in their ship and leave the planet. Starfire is upset about having to leave Animal Man’s body behind, but they can’t run the risk that Animal Man’s body hasn’t been contaminated. Their ship leaves. We then see Animal Man suddenly wake up and yell “Don’t leave me!”

Suddenly, two yellow aliens appear next to Animal Man and they say “And so it begins.” End of story.

We get a two page back up story concerning the origin of Firestorm. End of issue.

Comments
The Good: Damn! 52 #37 was fucking awesome! This issue was an amazing read. The boys at DC are firing on all cylinders with this title. 52 has been delivered at a nice steady and measured pace. However, with the past two issues, the pacing has definitely been turned up a couple of notches. 52 #37 sees the intensity cranked up even higher as the pacing speeds up a little bit more.

Let’s cut right to the first of the two big events. He’s baaaaaack! Supernova was revealed to be none other than Booster Gold. I knew it. I just had this feeling that Supernova was Booster Gold. I knew that Booster Gold’s character regression that took place earlier in this series was building toward something bigger.

Many readers complained vehemently that Booster was regressing back to his original self centered money hunger version. I felt that the writers were doing this on purpose in order to re-cast Booster Gold as a true hero. That the harder the fall, the more spectacular and heroic of a comeback Booster could make. And was this ever a magnificent and heroic return for Booster Gold.

The writers delivered a nice explanation of what Booster and Rip have been up to ever since Booster first entered Rip’s secret laboratory. I loved that Booster comes across as much more intelligent than he was pretending to be earlier in this series. Booster knew that something big was going on. Rip appearing to Booster and telling him about Skeets and then formulating their plan was well done. Booster comes out of this entire event even more heroic than he was going into 52. Booster is a great character and it is nice to see him taking the spotlight in this series.

I also dig that the source of Supernova’s powers was the Phantom Zone projector. And looking back it makes perfect sense. It explains how Supernova was able to transport huge crowds of people and large objects. I also liked that Ralph correctly guessed the source of Supernova’s powers. That was a nice way of continuing to build up Ralph’s stature as the greatest detective on Earth behind only the Batman.

Skeets continues to be an excellent villain. The writers use this scene to build up Skeets into a real monster villain. Skeets “eating” the Phantom Zone was unexpected and definitely gives him a massive power upgrade. It also makes Skeets even more of a threat than he has ever been before. I absolute love villainous Skeets.

Rip’s escape plan is interesting for the fact that in order to “activate” the escape plan, Rip begins to count backwards from the number fifty-two. The continual references to the number fifty-two has my curiosity at an all time high. I cannot wait to finally learn what in the world the number fifty-two means.

I thought the scene with Ollie and Dinah was very touching. The writers did a good job subtly dealing with Ollie and Dinah’s relationship through the discussion about Ralph’s wildly passionate love for Sue. That it isn’t insanity. It is a passionate love that compels Ralph to never let go of Sue. And it says a lot about Ollie and his failed relationship with Dinah that Ollie just doesn’t understand the type of intense passion that compels Ralph to continually hold onto Sue.

The second big event of 52 #37 is the return of Animal Man! I was so psyched! I thought the space scene was well done. We finally learn what Adam Strange and the others saw that everyone seems has been dying to know. They saw two gigantic hands and something else that Strange cannot remember. I definitely wasn’t expecting that to be the answer. I have no idea what that vision could be or where the writers are going to go with this plotline. However, I’m sure it will be interesting to learn more about these two gigantic hands and whatever else Strange can’t remember seeing. Maybe it is the birth of the multiverse?

Obviously, I was thrilled to see Animal Man come back to life. I thought his death was terribly weak. And not only is Buddy still alive, but he has been abandoned by his teammates and his suddenly approached by two yellow aliens. I don’t recognize these aliens at all. Does anyone else know who they might be?

At any rate, this plotline involving a newly re-incarnated Animal Man and these strange aliens definitely has captured my interest and curiosity. This should end up being a rather entertaining plotline.

The Bad: I found the art to be rather pedestrian. But, honestly, you don’t 52 because of the artwork.

Overall: 52 #37 flat out rocked it. This was my favorite issue of 52 up to this point. The boys at DC crushed it out of the ball park with this issue. 52 has always been a great read, but now that we are hurtling toward the conclusion of this series, the issues just keep getting better and better. DC has really pulled off something special with 52. If you haven’t been getting this series, then do yourself a favor and pick up the trade paperback for 52 whenever DC releases it.