80-Page Thursdays: New Year's Evil #1!

Halfway through the year, and we're just now using the 80-pager tag because while DC still puts out a few, I don't usually buy them immediately: if I time it out, I can get them a bit cheaper from EntertainMart. I don't think this one saw the first six months of 2020 coming, though: from 12/04/19, New Year's Evil #1.

For a change, I don't think these stories were all complete downers, and some weren't even evil evil. The opener, well, probably: "The Amateur" Story and art by Gabriel Hardman, story by Corinna Bechko. A gas attack on New Year's seems like a typical Joker crime--except he's torturing a society party when he sees it on the news! It doesn't take Joker long to find the "amateur" misappropriating his name, but the amateur defends his work as more efficient and less hackneyed than the Joker's. While the amateur may be almost as nihilistic as himself, it leaves the Joker in a pickle: killing the amateur does nothing, but would taking the credit for his work be unsatisfying? What to do, what to do...ah, you can probably guess.

"Slaybells Ring" (Written by Kenny Porter, art by Ramon Villalobos) features the Toyman, again complaining that kids today spend too much time on their phones and not enough on action figures. A helpful child explains, he just doesn't like Toyman's figures, and assists Superman in taking him down.

In "Bright and Terrible" (Written by Phillip Kennedy Johnson, art by Sumit Kumar) Sinestro, with Lex Luthor on the holographic phone, visits a planet he once defended when he was Green Lantern, and finds the locals have made a little religion based on him. But their leader may have drawn the wrong conclusions. I think this was set during recent Legion of Doom stories; and does a good job of explaining Sinestro's motivations.

Next, "Auld Lang Ivy," written by Jim Krieg, art by Aneke: Poison Ivy tries to connect with humanity, starting with her contemporaries at a super-villain bar, using her powers to give them a little nudge towards their New Year's resolutions. This does of course lead to murder, but hey, she's trying.

Dan Watters writes and Alessandro Vitti draws "Winter's Root," which has Wonder Woman but is an Ares story: he's trying to start a war because he needs to spill blood. His blood, to sustain a lover he turned into a tree centuries ago and felt kinda bad about. Diana should appreciate seeing even Ares has a heart in there, but wonders if he's helping, sorry or not.

Black Adam stars in "A Coal in My Stocking," where to make a little orphan girl feel better and to bring Christmas to his homeland of Kahndaq, he beats the stuffing out of a mystical Santa figure. Kind of...all over the place there, man. (Story by Ram V, art by Anthony Spay, inks by Jon Sibal.)

Remember when Calendar Man was one of the New 52's Channel 52 presenters, along with Ambush Bug? Yeah, he's a murderous loon again. In "New Year, New You" a new therapist at Arkham thinks Julian Day is a cliched loser, but takes the bait at rehabilitating him, Firefly, Amygdala, and Killer Croc. Which Julian completely turns back on itself, but can he break his own cycle? (Story by Christos Gage, art by Karl Mostert.)

The Chronos story is a good one, as the villain tries again and again to change his own history by turning his dad around. There may only be one way to do that, though. ("Father Christmas" Written by Dave Wielgosz, art by Cian Tormey.)

Kurt Busiek returns to the Prankster: I'm not sure he had been used in the New 52 continuity, but he sets him back up as the guy villains go to for a distraction. (Go read Superman #660 if you can!) The New Year's party may have gone a bit awry, though...(Art by Dale Eaglesham.)

Finally, a Harley Quinn story, "Little Christmas Tree," in which she attempts to cheer up Renee Montoya for the holidays. (Script by Vita Ayala, art by Elena Casagrande.)

We had to go with the digital camera for pictures instead of scans this time; so they're probably...not especially more crooked than usual, actually. Still, I don't think there were any outright stinkers in this one, so not bad! Better than the 2020 we got, anyway.