Crime Syndicate #4: It’s Not Easy Being Green

 I’ve really enjoyed this series so far, but even given that, this issue was exceptionally impressive. It’s rare that a writer can pull off laugh-out-loud humor in a superhero book that’s playing it straight, but author Andy Schmidt is doing a fantastic job – especially in this issue. I love that in this series, Schmidt uses the “real” characters from the DCU that we all know and love and turns them into pretty much the exact opposite of the heroes they normally are. This issue focuses on John Stewart, the Emerald Knight of Oa, who’s not actually as bad as the rest of the “heroes,” but he’s by no means a good guy. Schmidt again impresses by using “real” villains as enemies of the Crime Syndicate. Best of all, you have the dynamic that the Crime Syndicate really don’t like each other, which makes for a lot of suspense and guessing just who’s gonna double-cross who on almost every page. After reading this, I would absolutely love to see what Schmidt could do with a Squadron Supreme book, but for now, I’m really glad that he’s writing this series. His DC work has been great. 

Artist Kieran McKeown with inker Dexter Vines pulls out all the stops this issue. There are some double-page spreads that are jaw-droppingly gorgeous. The art is heavy on detail, but that’s great because there’s a lot to look at in this different version of the DCU’s Earth and all the detail never takes your head out of the story that’s being told. The art in this book is superb, and I didn’t even mention that there’s a backup story with art by Bryan Hitch!!