Seven Soldiers of Victory Hardcover volumes 1 & 2: First off if you enjoy 52 or Brightest Day with C-list characters you thought you'd never care about, this is another fine awesome story arc with 7 characters you unlikely care about with it's only "pop culture iconic" character being Zatanna. Zatanna's the only one i've known but never like this, because i've never read a Zatanna comic so boy was i optimisticly pleased to read a comic where i can learn more about her, see her personality and how her daily routine life goes with all the magic, crime fightning and showman business goes around as she also gains her apprentice Misty to help her fight againts the upcoming fight. The core story concept here is that the Sheeda Vampires who ruin Earth's society every 10-30 thousand year or so are once again returning to earth and the Harrowing has began, but the prophecy says that the 7 soldiers will stop them all and thus the Sheeda are fightning groups of 7 people, but here lies the big twist and the most intriquing concept of the book: These characters never meet up with another until the very finale, but the stories are told in such fantasticly innotive way that the reader gets a geekgasm when you get a reference from past issue or a plot point nomatter how big or minor all makes sense from another character's perspective. Each character has it's own artist with Ryan Sook handling Zatanna, you got Dough Mahnke on Frankestein, Yanick Paquette on Bulleteer, Cameron Stewart on Manhattan Guardian, Frazing Irving on Klarion, JH Williams handles the first and last issues which open and end the story ultimately, you also got characters like Mr. Miracle, Vigilante and so forth. Cameron Stewart's Manhattan Guardian was really intriquing because you never really hear about New York in DC universe unless you're reading about JSA. Manhattan Guardian is sponsored by the Newsboy Legion which must be one of the craziest and most awesome Jack Kirby inventions ever, you got a badass genius Baby man!
It's funny! I also liked the undertrain train pirates (yes, pirates!) as Morrison always has a good idea for different kinds of criminal gangs or cultures to touch on/create. Yanick Paquette's Bulleteer was interesting because it touched on the subject on how normal people behave and react to the superhero culture, touching on the subjects how normal people use radiactive toxins in hopes of gaining powers or letting wild animals bite them for totem powers, but it touches on akward subject of people being turned on by superheroics and whatnot and we get this really sad/pitiful villainess who will always look like a jailbait and how she was abused into superhero porn indrusty, yikes! Frankestein's story was full of win because it was this gothic horror vigilante man taking down all kinds of weird monsters while also working for the S.H.A.D.E organization. Really great action sequences with a badass hero to move the story along. Mister Miracle's story was really intriquing because it played as a prequel to Final Crisis with Boss Dark Side and Mister Miracle escaping the craziest stunts, it got really sad what happens to his body and how Darkseid does his best to torture the poor fella. :*( The Shining Knight's story was an epic knight order vs. the Sheed Vampires illusturated by Simon Bianchi who makes this really medievally epic, even tho it's pre-medieval where the readers see the very first proto-King Arthur along with Merlin the Sheeda wizard. Ultimately the conclusion and how the story ties down was pretty good, BUT it made me crave for alot more because yeah these characters really rocked, i loved the last page for Klarion's story because it was a really character defining shot showing how wicked the little brat is. Yeah thats pretty much my thoughts on these 2 hardcovers, definatly worth the purchase and a fine addition to "awesome DC characters you should read about!".