Absolute Superman #7 - Comic Review

 

Writer: Jason Aaron, Artist: Carmine Di Giandomenico, 
Colourist: Ulises Arreola, Letterer: Becca Carey

Absolute Superman issue seven gives us our first real look at one of Superman's big villains as this issue is all about Brainiac. Well, Brainiac and body horror. This stand alone issue (would calling it a bottle issue be too on the nose?) takes some time away from the main story to focus on the origin of this new version of the iconic character, crafting perhaps the most disturbing and dangerous Brainiac we've ever had.

Brainiac has had a varied and somewhat odd history, and you can get very different versions of him depending on what era of Superman you're reading. Sometimes he's a machine, others he's a Coluan, and occasionally he's a psychic that takes over the mind of a human hypnotist. He's perhaps one of the most re-inventable Superman villains, so it would make sense that this new version of him would feel incredibly unique, whilst also feeling like he could easily step into the pages of Action Comics without too much of a shock.

The issue opens with a group of Omega Men infiltrating a Lazarus facility that they believe might be the location of the Brainiac algorithm. They're right in that Brainiac is located there, but they've vastly misunderstood just what it is. Not a computer algorithm or AI, Brainiac is revealed in all of his horrific glory as he uses his shrinking technology in some truly shocking new ways, shrinking a mans skin to rip it from his body, increasing another's limbs to giant sizes, and using to to shrink another's bones, resulting in him vomiting them out before dying as a soupy skin-bag. And this is perhaps some of the least horrifying moments of the book.

Taking one of the Omega Men captive, and vivisecting him, Brainiac begins to have something of a mental breakdown as he's unable to find answers for what Superman is, or how he's able to do the things he can. Speaking to his victim as if he's there to listen to his woes, Brainiac reveals a portion of his history, showing the reader his origins. It's interesting stuff, and feels very different from what we've had for the character before; and whilst it gives us a firm foundation for this interpretation of the character there's also a lot of unanswered questions as to what exactly Brainiac is, and how he came to work for Lazarus that leaves plenty of room for further stories in the future.

Carmine Di Giandomenico's art is absolutely spectacular, and some of the pages are so packed with horrific details that you can't help but stop reading and pour over every panel on the page. Brainiac is a terrifying mixture of machine and organic, a being who looks to be in near constant pain and on the verge of death. There are times where you feel a glint of sympathy for him, before he takes on an expression that sends a shudder down your spine. In some ways this Brainiac feels like a perfect fusion of Brainiac and the Joker. There are moments where he visually resembles the clownish villain in such a way that I wonder if perhaps it's intentional, that the books creators are going for that approach, especially as he seems much less stable and more manic in they way he speaks and acts.

Taking a break from the main story to focus on a villain can sometimes feel like a story is slowing down, and can interrupt the flow of things, but here it just makes me even more excited to see more. It also makes me incredibly excited to see this creative team present us with their takes on more classic villains. Although, saying that, I wonder if perhaps the experiments on Christopher Smith in the final pages might be Brainiac transforming him into a mixture of Peacemaker and Metallo, especially now that he has access to Kryptonite?

Absolute Superman has done a truly wonderful job at reinventing the character and mythos of the world's oldest and most beloved super hero in ways that I didn't expect, crafting something that feels fresh and new, yet manages to stay true to what's come before. It's a task that not many people would have been able to do this well, but Jason Aaron and his art team have done in spectacular fashion.

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Absolute Green Lantern #2 - Comic Review

 

Writer: Al Ewing, Artist/Colourist: Jahnoy Lindsay, 
Letterer: Lucas Gattoni

Green Lantern is one of those characters that I think is best when leaning into the big ideas. Being one of the few big DC titles that isn't constrained by the bounds of being in one place, it's able to do some wild stories. It's why I loved the Geoff Johns run on the series, introducing multiple Lantern corps, ancient entities, and universe spanning wars for life itself. Green Lantern should be a science fiction book before it's a super hero book, and Absolute Green Lantern feels like it's taken that ethos to the extreme as it's presenting one of the boldest, end even frightening, new books in the Absolute line.

The first issue played out with a sense of mystery as we followed a dazed and confused Hal Jordan as he made his way through the desert to a small diner, trying his best to keep his head down and out of trouble. Something happened to him in his town of Evergreen, something that makes him a danger to others. By the end of the issue we learned that a mysterious alien being named Abin Sur arrived in the skies above the town, and that Hal had somehow been transformed, his hand now coursing with black energy, capable of destroying anyone who threatens him, even if he doesn't want it to.

This issue picks up where that left off, with Hal in the ruins of the diner, where everybody there was seemingly killed by him, meeting with his friend Jo Mullein, who seems to have also been transformed by what happened in Evergreen. Unlike Hal, however, she's coursing with green energy. As the two of them talk we flash back to the events in Evergreen after Abin Sur arrived and placed the town within a dome no one could escape from.

There's a huge amount of tension throughout this issue, one that comes from knowledge of the GL mythos, and with having that knowledge completely flipped. On the one hand (no pun intended) it seems that Hal Jordan is the new Black Hand, that somehow he's been connected with the power of death, and if so may be an incredible threat to everyone around him. But there's also the fact that nothing in this issue feels like the Green Lantern books we know.

Abin Sur has always been presented as a figure that we should like. A Green Lantern who crashed on Earth and recruited a human to take on his mission. He wasn't hugely different from any of the other GL's we would meet, a decent man trying to make the universe a safer place. This Abin Sur, however, is absolutely terrifying. He's very alien, very mysterious, and very threatening. Two issues into this series and I have no idea if the Green Lanterns of the Absolute universe are even good people. They might be beyond such concepts of morality, and Jo could end up being a renegade GL because she actually cares. 

This lack of knowledge, the sheer alien nature of Abin Sur, and the slow unfolding of the story makes the book tense to read. Each page turn filled me with dread as we went back to the events of Evergreen, as I waited for the hammer to fall and something terrible to happen. Even when we cut back to the diner it didn't do much to help as Hal becomes increasingly scary over the course of the issue, ending up with all black eyes, a creepy voice, and talking about an ancient force that wants to devour things. It was a book that I both wanted to put down but also couldn't stop reading.

The art on the issue stands out as some of the best in the Absolute line too, with Jahnoy Lindsay creating some very alien, very beautiful images. I've seen some people online making reference to the previous issue having an almost manga inspired visual style, and whilst for the most part I'd disagree with that Abin Sur does feel familiar as a fan of the Dragon Ball franchise. But I think that plays out brilliantly here, as Lindsay creates a truly alien feeling alien, one that feels otherworldly and monstrous, rather than just a human with different colour skin or pointed ears. I'm genuinely excited to see what's done with other alien characters we know, and am anticipating this to be the most visually unique Green Lantern title we've ever had.

Absolute Green Lantern is absolutely a science fiction book rather than a super hero book, but it might be as much, if not more, of a cosmic horror series too. We're still in some very early days with the title, but it feels like this might be the biggest swing the Absolute line has taken, and one that's going to create one of DC's best titles in years. 

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Secret Six #1 - Comic Review

 

Writer: Nicole Maines, Artist: Stephen Segovia, 
Colourist: Rain Beredo, Letterer: Steve Wands

The original run of Secret Six is a comic that I've not read in a long time, but one that I'd very quickly name as one of my all time favourite series. It was so good that even after more than a decade of not having read it I'm still remembering it fondly (which reminds me I should pick up the swanky omnibus at some point); as such, and book that's going to carry that title on is going to have some big shoes to fill. When this new volume was announced the line-up was pretty interesting, featuring some characters who's been on the team before, Black Alice, Catman, and Deadshot, alongside three newbies, Superman (Jon Kent), Dreamer, and Gossamer. The returning characters are some great picks, and I think both Deadshot and Catman feel like must haves for the Secret Six, and the new trio are bringing some interesting baggage with them following the events of Absolute Power.

And Absolute Power is a big influence on this new series, and out of all of the titles launched since that event this one feels like one of the most direct follow-on's. At the end of Absolute Power Amanda Waller was put into Belle Reve prison, her memories of all of the super heroes secrets wiped from her mind thanks to Dreamer. It's here that our story begins, with Jon Kent helping to detain Waller's formerly mind controlled Bizarro II, who's in the process of escaping the prison. It shows that despite the sense of victory that came in Absolute Power there's still a lot to be cleaned up, and a lot of problems remaining. 

This is only highlighted when Jon goes to see his boyfriend Jay, who perhaps lost the most during Absolute Power. Thanks to Waller's machinations Jay's nation was destroyed, and his mother was murdered. As such it's not hard to see why he still holds a lot of trauma, and why he's especially angry for those responsible. Unfortunately, one of those people is Nia, the hero Dreamer, a good friend of Jon's who was blackmailed into working with Waller. Despite saving Jon more than once during the event, and even giving up her life, Jay blames her as much as Waller; which leads to some uncomfortable moments when she appears on their doorstep to tell them that Waller has gone missing. Thus begins their mission to get into Belle Reve to get some answers; a mission that will lead to them being forced to work alongside a trio of criminals.

If you haven't read Absolute Power the first issue of Secret Six is throwing a lot of new information at you, however, Nicole Maines manages to deliver it in very concise, easy to understand pieces throughout the book. We're slowly given what we need as it becomes needed, such as starting with Jon and learning about Waller's actions, before moving on to learn about what happened to Jay. A lot of this is delivered through some handy narration boxes, delivered by Jon, but a lot of it comes up quite naturally in the dialogue; especially when Jon, Nia, and Jay are together. It would have been very easy to bog these moments down in exposition, or to have them become angsty screaming matches, but Maines manages to walk the line between expository and realistic well, and I actually really like the interpersonal moments, even if I think Jay is being too much of a dick to Nia.

This trip relationship is definitely the heart of the book, and it's been interesting to see how it's evolved from the comics leading up to Absolute Power to now. If you've read all of those you can't help but feel bad for Nia, who was forced into an impossible situation and did everything she could to set it right. But, you can absolutely understand why Jay resents her. Poor Jon is the one stuck in the middle, trying to make it work, wanting to support his boyfriend and friend both, which can't be easy for him when he clearly sees Jay's anger as misplaced. I'd seen people talking about this trio several months ago, talking about how it seemed to them that they were being set up to become a polyamorous relationship, and whilst I didn't see that myself it's certainly an interesting dynamic that this could be building towards. I'd be very interested to see this kind of relationship explored more in comics (previous Secret Six titles did this too), and one that starts off more antagonistic would be a neat twist on that. 

The art on the book is really well done, and it was one of the first things that jumped out at me when it was announced alongside Stephen Segovia's cover. I love the designs for the characters, especially Jon and Catman. Jon has gone through a lot of different looks over recent years, which feels in part a response to DC editorial not really knowing what to do with the character. His look here is very different, darker in colour, slightly armoured looking without it being some kind of mech suit, and it just kind of works for me, especially with the darker tone this title's going for. Catman I big for his new cape, particularly the big collar he has. It gives him some bulk, and changes up his shape a little so that he doesn't just look like 'Batman but a cat'. He's got his own thing going on here and I really like it. Rain Beredo's colours also go a long way towards making me really click with the art style too, as I like the moody edge it has, and the shades that have been chosen for the colours.

This series was going to have to be really good for me to consider it worthy of using the title Secret Six, and whilst this is only the first issue I was more than just pleased with what we got, I was massively impressed. I ended the issue ready to jump into the next one, it hooked me in just the right way. I think Nicole Maines has done a terrific job here, and anyone who might try to claim that she's working in comics purely because she played Dreamer on television is going to have to shut up after this issue, as it showcases that she's a superb up and coming comic book writer who's sure to have a fantastic career.

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Green Lantern #20 - Comic Review

 

Writer: Jeremy Adams, Artist: Jack Herbert, 

Colourist: Romulo Fajardo Jr., Letterer: Dave Sharpe

With the launch of Green Lantern Corps things have changed for the main Green Lantern title as Hal's adventures now not only tie into what's happening in the other book, but he's sharing page space with Kyle Rayner as the entire Corps become embroiled in a galaxy spanning adventure. As a long time Green Lantern fan I like this kind of set-up more, and I think we've reached the point where having a singular GL headline a lone book just feels somewhat too small for the universe that has been built up around them. 

Following on from the events of the Fractured Spectrum special, this issue sees Hal dealing with an alien whose connected to the powers of the Red Lanterns, whilst Kyle and his team search for a piece of Source Energy in order to stop the Sorrow Lantern building his own Central Power Battery. Each of these stories takes up a fairly evenly divided portion of the book, though Hal isn't around for a good portion of his events as we spend several pages following Erastus, an alien blacksmith who eventually taps into the power of Rage. Erastus is a decent man, one who works hard, who takes great pride in his skill, but whose work is stolen by the local boss, who refuses to pay Erastus as he agreed to. We also see that Erastus's life partner cares little for him, going out partying when he comes home from work, putting him down, and even going off to sleep with other men. 

After spending this time with Erastus we not only understand why he's driven to anger, but I think that most people would sympathise with him. It would have been easy to have started with Hal coming to Alteon-X to respond to the carnage that Erastus causes, being introduced to him at the same time Hal is, but that would have presented Erastus as little more than an angry monster; a faceless foe for Hal to overcome. By spending this time with him we see the person under the anger, we understand how he came to this point, and it makes you want to see him have a decent outcome rather than him just being stomped by the hero. It's one of the things that I think the original introduction of the Red Lanterns lacked. We would eventually find out more about them and would learn to see them as victims in need of help rather than monsters, such as Bleez being a victim of torture and rape, or the frankly heart breaking origin story for Dex-starr, but these latter provided origin stories always struck me as the writers going back and justifying why you should care for these characters. Here, Adams gives us that reason up front and it makes it much better. 

When Hal enters the story we know Erastus, and as such I wanted Hal to be able to help him the same way that Sinestro was able to help the woman who'd tapped into the emotional spectrum in the first issue of Green Lantern Corps. But Erastus proves to be a quite formidable opponent, and this situation remains unsolved by the end of the issue, meaning that it's likely going to be carried across into the next one. What we do get is entertaining though, and the fight between him and Hal is decent, with Erastus using energy construct versions of his blacksmith hammers, whilst Hal does what he can to wear him down. It's pretty decent, and it's nice to see Hal in a situation where he has to think a little tactically, and where brute force isn't going to be the way out for him.

Whilst all of this is going on Kyle is continuing his mission to find Source Energy, a task that has seen him recruit Conner Kent, and the time travelling thief Odyssey onto a team with him. Their mission has brought them to the Source Wall, where they discover that one of the giant bodies that's part of the wall is actually a carefully hidden temple filled with traps that guard their prize. The fact that Kyle immediately makes the comparison to Indiana Jones (even giving himself the hat and whip) actually made it a bit more enjoyable to me as the book was able to lean into the tropes a little more, and the characters had some fun with the situation. 

This was a decent issue, one that I enjoyed a lot more than the earlier issues of the run where Hal was stuck on Earth. Having the main book be part of a larger story that includes the other GL's is definitely more my thing. I'm still not completely sure about the new villain, the Sorrow Lantern, but I'm definitely interested in learning more and coming to a definitive decision on if I like it or not. I am still quite amused that Hal Jordan cuckolded a man so hard he became a super powered space villain though, it's a hell of an origin story.

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Justice League Unlimited #4 - Comic Review

 

Writer: Mark Waid, Artist: Dan Mora, 
Colourist: Tamara Bonvillain, Letterer: Ariana Maher

The best thing about Justice League Unlimited is the huge roster, where Waid is able to use pretty much any hero in the DC Universe; but this issue goes one step further and shows us that no one is safe of being drawn into the action as even a civilian has to step up and help save the world.

In the last issue the terrorist group Inferno lived up to their name by setting the Amazon rainforest on fire, an action that spells doom to the entire world with the global ramifications that its destruction would bring. It also appeared to kill Swamp Thing, taking a powerful force away from our heroes. To help them combat this threat Mr Terrific has to try and find someone else who can do what Swamp Thing can do, and so reaches out to Tefé Holland, the daughter of the first Swamp Thing, Alec Holland, to help bring the rainforest back to life.

It's a pretty action packed issue, one that focuses a lot on the conflict in the amazon, and as such much of what we see has our heroes surrounded by thick smoke and flames, and so whilst there's nothing inherently bad looking about the issue (it is Dan Mora after all) it's not the most engaging looking issue of the series for me. This was only compounded for me with the use of The Green, the psychedelic plant realm that gives Tefé her powers. Things get a bit weird in places, and whilst I didn't hate it it wasn't stuff that I found particularly exciting. 

Outside of the main story, however, was a subplot that was much more my thing. In previous issues we saw that Martian Manhunter left the League after losing control of himself on a mission, something that happened because a number of his psychic powers have been lost since the events of Absolute Power. This issue has Batman find J'onn, in the desert of Egypt. Those expecting Bruce to give J'onn a stern talking to, or to order him to come back to the League will be disappointed, as instead he connects with J'onn on a personal level, understanding that the loss of his powers would be like the loss of a sense, and even says out loud something that I've held as my personal opinion for years, that J'onn is the heart and soul of the League. 

It's a beautiful moment, one that's nicely placed in the middle of the issue to break up the chaos that's going on on the other side of the globe, and helps to give the reader a small break from the frenetic energy that that other story has. When the series started I was unsure how Waid was going to juggle so many different characters and large casts like this, but this issue was a great example of how he does that. Even when things are chaotic, with dozens of heroes, the whole world on the line, and bits that weren't quite my taste, he can still inject these wonderful, small character focused scenes to balance it out and make it a great book.

As mentioned earlier, I wasn't keen on all of the art in the issue, but that's not due to the quality of it. Mora and Bonvillain do an amazing job at bringing everything to life, it's just that I found the scenes in the fire to be a little oppressive (which is probably what they were going for), and I've never been too keen on stuff set in The Green. It's personal taste rather than a critique of the art itself, which is absolutely beautiful.

The slowly unfolding story of Inferno feels like it's reached a key moment here, and whilst not a huge amount happens with them it feels like the League has proven to them that they can stop Inferno, and that this is going to have some repercussions to come. The issue also ends with another reminder of their spy within the League, which we've known about for a while now, and it seems like Waid has a plan for the characters that's yet to be revealed.

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Superman #23 - Comic Review

 

Writer: Joshua Willaimson, Artist: Dan Mora, 
Colourist: Alejandro Sánchez, Letterer: Ariana Maher

The first few stories in Joshua Williamson's time on Superman spent time creating some new characters, such as Dr. Pharm, Marilyn Moonlight, and the Chained. It felt like a bold new era for the character that was brining in these new elements, but this latest arc has been a wonderful melding of these new changes and classic characters to create what might be my favourite arc in the entire run. Not only do we have Lois taking a bigger role as a new Superwoman, but we've got Doomsday, big new lore about the Time Trapper, and even the Radiant. Williamson has brought a lot of different pieces together here to create a truly exciting and engaging Doomsday story; something that has rarely (if ever) been done since his first introduction. 

With the Radiant and its army attacking Metropolis in the last issue, demanding that Superman hands Doomsday over to them, things feel at their most desperate here. Clark is fighting side-by-side with Doomsday against the invading forces, and Lois has been snatched out of linear time by the Time Trapper, a far distant future version of Doomsday that can control the flow of time itself. Having previously tried to talk Clark into making a deal with him, Time Trapper is now attempting it with Lois, warning her of the dark future that is close to coming into being that only he can help prevent. There's a moment where it seems like Lois might take the deal, but this is Lois Lane, a woman who's never bowed down to bullies or monsters even when she didn't have powers. Unfortunately, her defiance of Time Trapper leads to tragedy.

Meanwhile, the battle with Radiant and his fleet is raging across Metropolis, with multiple members of the Superman family helping out but unable to turn the time. With things looking grim for the heroes it's time for Lex Luthor to step up and be the hero. After the Lex Luthor special there's some questions as to where he is at the moment mentally, if this is the completely amnesiac Lex, or if this is his villainous side playing a long con, and his actions this issue do little to help clear that up. You could argue that what he does is quite sinister, but his protests that he did it for the right reasons seem completely plausible. I'm enjoying this story for him, and like that Williamson isn't giving the game away yet. Superman Luthor was a favourite of mine, and his time as a hero was a delight, so if we get a good Luthor for a while it's definitely a plus as far as I'm concerned.

As mentioned earlier, there is a moment of tragedy in this issue, and for a while I thought that Williamson was perhaps building up towards a death that would have been absolutely heart breaking. Whilst we avoided that there's no denial that a beloved character has something bad happen to them, and that as a result of that another character may be on a path back to villainy. As someone who enjoys the characters that surround Superman and wants more of a supporting cast featured in modern comics over stories that just centre on heroes and villains I like that this is included here, as it gives this character their own storyline, and seems to suggest that it'll be something that will continue on for a while at least.

The issue ends with two scenes that set up future developments, one of which was hinted at in a previous special issue and that I was expecting to see relatively soon, but the other was a complete surprise as the last two pages hint at huge things not just for Superman but the entire DC Universe. 

What can I say about Dan Mora's art that hasn't been said hundreds of times over by now? The man is one of the best artists in the business, and every panel of the book is phenomenal. He perfectly captures the epic scale and chaos of the action, showcasing the raw power of the characters at play here, as well as filling those characters with some beautifully human moments; some of the moments with Lois at the end of the book are beautiful depictions of someone wracked with guilt and sorrow trying to hold themselves together. I don't think there's a character that Dan Mora hasn't nailed yet, and this book and all of the amazing things he's bringing to life are just a genuine delight.

This is my favourite run on Superman since before the New 52. Williamson is capturing a load of the stuff that I love about the 90's Triangle Era Superman titles with a more modern comics sensibility on top, and each issue leaves me feeling both satisfied and eager for the next.

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Absolute Wonder Woman #5 - Comic Review

 

Writer: Kelly Thompson, Artist: Hayden Sherman, 
Colourist: Jordie Bellaire, Letterer: Becca Carey

One of the things that strikes me each time I pick up an Absolute title is the amazing needle that the creative teams seem to have threaded, that they've created characters who feel so different and new, yet also perfectly embody the aspects of the originals that made them so well loved. The Diana that we have in Absolute Wonder Woman could be a completely new character, and out of the three Absolute titles we've had so far this is the one that I could easily see being it's own book; just file off the serial numbers, change a few names and it's it's own indie title. It's the one that I think stands on it's own the most, that has managed to craft something that doesn't need the DC connection to be as good as it is; and that's phenomenal to me because this is still so clearly Wonder Woman.

Issue five marks the final part of 'The Last Amazon', the opening chapter to this new series. As such, readers are expecting the immense threat of the Tetracide to be dealt with here, a creature that has proven to be unstoppable and unkillable each issue leading to now. Diana has tried multiple things, magics and weapons that should spell the end of most foes. As such, it feels a little like Kelly Thompson is going to have a hard time bringing this to a conclusion that feels satisfying. If Diana is able to defeat a monster like this how will other foes be any trouble to her, and why didn't she just use whatever magic or weapon from the beginning?

Luckily, Thompson is able to not only answer both of these questions, but does it in a way that feels in keeping with everything we've had so far and sets an interesting stage going forward. A good portion of the issue is given over to flashbacks to Diana's time in Hell, where her mother, Circe, gives her her most dangerous weapon, something that should only ever be used as a last resort. We see the affect this weapon has on Diana, not in the fight in which she uses it, but in the impact it has on her following this. She describes it as 'cruel', something that Diana would never want to be, and it's only through some soul searching, and advice from a god, that she comes to understand this weapon and why her mother gave it to her. 

I won't spoil what this is, but we later see first hand why she would see it as cruel, and why it's something that Diana should avoid using. Thompson gives us a conclusion that's huge in scale, yet makes it part of Diana's personal journey and creates a great reason as to why we may not see this weapon often, and why Diana can't just fall back on using it to solve all of her battles. And this is very Wonder Woman to me. Her main universe counterpart is capable of huge destruction, she's not been afraid to do bad things to save the world, such as killing Maxwell Lord, but she never relies on that. Cruelty, killing, and the endangerment of innocents isn't what Diana does unless there's no other way to save the day, and she'll be the first in line to take on the pain of having to do those terrible things; and Absolute Wonder Woman is no different in that regard.

The art team continue to create a book that's absolutely stunning to look at, one where the art is as impressive as the writing, and the two of them come together to create a book that feels damn near perfectly crafted. The moments of wonder and action feel huge and shocking, and the more intimate moments hit perfectly, and there's not a single page where you're bored looking at it. Even when it's a page of Diana and Circe talking to each other on the beach the way that the panels are presented to you draws you in, gets you interested, and leaves you wanting more.

The Absolute books were pitched as a new take on the Elsewords concept, of a unified new universe where these heroes and villains would be presented in new and interesting ways. But Absolute Wonder Woman doesn't feel like that. It's not a 'cool look how weird this is' kind of Elseworld, it's not a story that rides on the novelty of being different. Absolute Wonder Woman already feels like a book that's going to be held up as a quintessential Wonder Woman title, a book that people are going to recommend for decades to come. 

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Batman #157 - Comic Review

 

Writer: Chip Zdarsky, Artist: Tony S. Daniel, Jorge Jiménez, 
Colourist: Tomeu Morey, Letterer: Clayton Cowles

I have to be honest, the longer Chip Zdarsky's run on Batman has gone on the more I've ended up disliking it, and this final arc might be one of the best examples for why I dislike it. There are multiple reasons why this issue annoyed me, things such as Bullock being fired from the cops again after just having gone back to them, a lingering question over whether Gordon was mind controlled or not when he murdered the mayor so might actually be a killer, Thomas Wayne having had an affair, Gordon having had an affair. Things that either cast our characters in a poor light, or things happening just for the sake of having them happen to have no lasting consequences (like Bruce maybe having a brother who's taking away his company, but no, he's not really his brother so that whole sub plot was a big nothing).

But the thing that I disliked most was the ridiculousness of the stakes and what Batman does in this issue. The simple (ish) plot about The Riddler messing with Gotham and framing Gordon for murder turned into a global plot by the Russian government to steal tech that would allow them to get the US nukes and start World War III, meaning Batman is now racing to stop a nuclear apocalypse and global war. This leads him to boarding a private jet and stopping the Russian agents, killing one in the process because everyone kills now I guess. However, the jet loses control and is crashing towards Gotham. So batman climbs onto the plane, uses two machine guns and some explosive gel to blow the wings off so it'll fit on the street it's crashing towards. He then lands the wing-less jet perfectly, bringing it down right in front of the villain. Before the jet even stops moving he's dived out of the windows, throwing batarangs to save a woman being hung, and lands whilst hitting the villain in the face. Because Batman can do ANYTHING.

This has been a common theme in Zdarsky's run. We've had Batman literally falling from space and walking away without much hassle, him fighting his way across the multiverse, having to battle an unstoppable robot that even Superman can't beat, stopping World War 3. Batman is a great character when he's a vigilante detective, but Zdarsky seems to want him to be the greatest human that's ever lived who can fell from space, save the world, and do the impossible without any preparation. This run feels like the worst example of the Bat God trope, and if Zdarsky turned around and revealed that it was all a parody of those kind of stories I'd still be annoyed, but at least it'd feel like it made sense.

The art, by Tony S. Daniel, Jorge Jiménez, and Tomeu Morey is superb, and the book looks great, and there are some really great panels here that out of context look like amazing Batman moments. But in context of the story and everything that's happening great art can't make up for a poor story. That being said, if the art wasn't as good as this I dare say I'd have ended up marking the book lower.

I really tried to like this issue, and the entire Zdarsky era, but by the close of this issue all I felt was relief that it was over. The final scene raising the possibility that Gordon murdered a man without mind control and did it in a fit of rage took out any sense of joy of the book at least being over. 

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JSA #4 - Comic Review

 

Writer: Jeff Lemire, Artist: Joey Vazquez, 
Colourist: Luis Guerrero, Letterer: Steve Wands

I've been a fan of the Justice Society since getting into comics, there's been something about this team of Golden Age heroes, who train up the younger generation and embrace legacy heroes, that really appeals to me. I still haven't finished the previous run on the title, the Johns written series about Helena Wayne, mainly due to the sporadic release schedule making it hard to stay invested. I think this made me a bit unsure going into Lemire's run, and the secretive manner of the first issue didn't help me settle into things too well. Now that we've started to get more answers as to what's going on I'm really coming to like this run, and this issue's focus on Doctor Mid-Nite, the Beth Chapel version, was an absolute treat for me.

With the JSA scattered, some trapped in the underworld, some on Earth, and others captured by an alliance of the team's many villains, Lemire seems to be doing a good job at balancing the multiple characters, and everyone feels like they're doing something that plays into the larger narrative. This issue drops us with Beth Chapel, the second character to wear the Doctor Mid-Nite costume. Despite having read a lot of Justice Society books I've not spent a whole lot of time with Beth, so getting to see this issue through her was great for me, and gave me a good impression of her character, showcasing how resourceful and smart she can be, even when stripped of her equipment and back-up.

We also spend some time catching up with Todd Rice, Obsidian, this issue. Obsidian has been in the series since the first issue, but we learned that he was an imposter, and that Johnny Sorrow was tricking the team; which makes this the first time we're getting to see the real Obsidian since the series began. Todd is trapped inside a hospital, one where he's being drugged every time he wakes up, his room bathed in bright light. His mind addled by drugs, strapped to a bed, Todd seems lost and disorientated, and it's down to his own inner strength and guile to win him through and free him from his imprisonment. It's a nice reintroduction to the character, and for those only getting into the JSA with this run I think it shows some of the best of his character. 

The art team do a wonderful job this issue, and I love how Joey Vasquez and Luis Guerrero make everything pop. The book has a larger than life, almost cartoonish feel to it, where it doesn't feel like realism is the main goal of the art, but it's the desire to have fun that takes president. This works well with these kinds of characters, as both the JSA and their villains tend to look a bit goofier than characters introduced after the Golden Age. And I say goofy affectionately there. I adore the sillier look a lot of Golden Age characters have, where they look like they're wearing real clothes instead of high-tech uniforms. The art on the book enhances that feel, and for that I really like it. With more of the mystery being revealed this issue, and several of the pieces moving, I'm looking forward to seeing how things come together, and what happens when the team get reunited.

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Birds of Prey #18 - Comic Review

 

Writer: Kelly Thompson, Artist: Juann Cabal, 
Colourist: Adriano Lucas, Letterer: Clayton Cowles

With the previous arc over we catch up with the Birds as they take some downtime. Dinah and Sin are hard at work training, testing Sin's new powers and abilities, whilst Cass and Barda train in another way entirely, in video games. Unfortunately, the team's peace is shattered when Barbara gets some intel that indicates the cult who are after Sin and Megaera are coming to Gotham to capture her. Not wanting to risk civilians, Dinah and Sin head out to a remote cabin in the woods to set as trap for the cultists. Meanwhile, Cassandra and Barda get called away to help Constantine, who's transporting a demon inside himself in a magical plane, but who needs some help getting it where it belongs. 

Birds of Prey has done a great job at balancing personal character moments with big, larger than life adventures that takes a team like the Birds to solve. This issue continues that, with things split pretty decently between the team just hanging out with each other and having fun, with the two missions that they get sent on. Even when they're on mission Thompson does a fantastic job at injecting a lot of character into everyone, and it really does feel like this team keeps doing stuff together because they're actually having fun being heroes and enjoy each other's company. It's a great tone that allows the book to take itself seriously, but never feel dour or grim, and it always ends up being a load of fun.

Juann Cabal and Adriano Lucas do a fantastic job on the art, and every character has a ton of great visual moments. Whether it's the small facial expressions that Barda is making in the background when she finds out that she's not going on the mission, or the way that Cass looks sad even through her mask when Barda breaks her game controller, these moments inject a lot of life into the book and make it an enjoyable read. The art team also throw a few background gags in there, like 'The Art of Ambush' book on the coffee table as ninja's are sneaking up on the heroes. 

Perhaps the best moment from the art team is when Barda actually uses one of the frames around a panel to launch herself into an attack. Does this mean that Barda can break the fourth wall, is that one of her New God powers, or am I overthinking the whole thing? I don't know how that works, but it's brilliant to look at. I think a lot of people may have overlooked Birds of Prey for other big name teams, but this is easily one of the best team books on shelves right now. 

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Weekly Comic Review - 3rd July 2024

 

I take a look at a selection of this weeks comic releases. This week I read and review Absolute Power, X-Men: Blood Hunt - Psyclocke, Birds of Prey, and more!

Absolute Power #1

Writer: Mark Waid, Artist: Dan Mora, Colourist: 
Alejandro Sánchez, Letterer: Ariana Maher

Absolute Power has been building for a while now, slowly taking shape across multiple titles such as Batman, Green Arrow and Suicide Squad: Dream Team to name but a few. But after months of preparing it seems that Amanda Waller has finally decided to make her move. Using AI generated imagery and video, she's flooded the internet and news media with reports of the super hero community turning on the world, with the heroes now performing random acts of destruction, resulting in the deaths of many, apparently. Despite this being fake, the worlds citizens have bought into it, resulting in incidents like Animal Man and his daughter being attacked by a mob, Black Lightning and his family being put in the hospital, and the Doom Patrol having their home burned to the ground. As the heroes try to desperately react to this Waller launches the next stage of her plan, a series of Amazo robot, boosted by Brainiac Queen tech, that rob the heroes of their powers and abilities. With their powers gone or weakened, the heroes fall victim one by one, including Superman, who is shot through the chest. The world is burning, the heroes are dying, and all hope seems lost.

Absolute Power hits the ground running and does not stop for the entirety of the issue. Part of this is likely because this event is only three issues long (sort of), and so can't waste time on the smaller things. Of course, the build-up to this has been happening for a while over multiple issues, and there are a number of tie-in issues that will fill things out over the next three issues of the main title, so it's not really a three issue event; but it still feels like it's acting as one and there's not a second to breathe during the first issue. And I kind of like it. The dominos Waller has set up are falling hard and fast, and the heroes have little to no time to react before the next awful thing happens, so being on the ground with them, seeing it happen that fast, certainly adds to the tension. That being said, it's not completely perfect, as we've not really been given a full explanation as to how it's all happening, specifically in terms of the magic users. The book claims that that knowledge to access magic has been blocked or removed from the minds of magic users, but that somehow kicks the Spectre out of Jim Corrigan, meaning Waller literally beat the spirit of God's vengeance, as in THE God. Feels a bit much to me.

Of course, these are wrinkles that we may see ironed out over the coming issues as we learn more about how everything here works. As it stands though, the first issue works pretty well, even if the final page is a horrific gut-punch that you may have already seen spoiled all over social media (I loved seeing that before I even got a chance to read the book). One of the biggest draws to the title is Dan Mora, who's providing the artwork. Mora is easily one of the best artists in comics right now, and getting to see him draw not just a bunch of new characters, but some beloved icons, is a blast. We kind of get a small bit of Dan Mora doing the JLI this issue, as well as members of the Justice Society, and the Doom Patrol, which is always an absolute treat to see. ⭐⭐⭐⭐

X-Men: Blood Hunt - Psylocke #1

Writer: Steve Foxe, Artist: Lynne Yoshii, Colourist: Ruth Redmond, 
Letterer: Ariana Maher

Psylocke has become a fast favourite X-Man of mine thanks to the way that she was used during the Krakoan Era. Her time on Hellions was fantastic (as was the entire book), and seeing that she was going to be getting her own spotlight issue during Blood Hunt, and that she's be joined by John Greycrow and that she'd be fighting Japanese monsters was just a cherry on top of the cake. The issue begins with the two leads enjoying some down time between X-Men era's, with Kwannon relaxing in a hot spring whilst Greycrow keeps her company, opting to stay out of the water to prevent rust. However, when the sun goes out and the sky goes black and Kwannon begins to sense the death and fear around them, they quickly hit the streets to try and help. However, they find not just vampires waiting for them, but a host of other monsters from Japanese myth, such as the Nure-onna, and the Kuchisake-onna (the Mouth Slit Woman).

Whilst we don't know if this is going to play out into the next X-Era, the fact that Greycrow and Kwannon are still a couple here has me super happy, as I've loved their developing relationship over the last few years; and the fact that this issue discusses Kwannon's fears about abandonment and rejection only to use it to reaffirm their connection was fantastic. It felt like the perfect next step for establishing them as a long running new couple. As someone who loves Japanese horror, I was also delighted that the issue played into that, incorporating some of the monsters from Japan rather than relying on simple vampires. The Slit Mouth Woman was super creepy, and was a great foil for Kwannon in this issue, with her history and her story playing into. The issue also manages to balance the horror, character development, and action really well too, and the leads make for a great duo who we definitely need to see more of in future issues (especially as Greycrow was rocking a pulse rifle from Aliens that we never got to see him actually use).

Lynne Yoshii and Ruth Redmond provide the art, and there are some fantastic moments in this issue. Kwannon and Greycrow look amazing fighting monsters, getting to kill and maim without worrying about being careful or moral questions hanging over what they're doing. They're killing monsters, and it's fantastic. I genuinely loved this issue, and it might be my favourite of the entire event so far. Just like the Magic one-shot, this feels like an ongoing that we need on the shelves. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Birds of Prey #11 

Writer: Kelly Thompson, Artist: Robbi Rodriguez, Javier Pina, 
Gavin Guidry, Colourist: Jordie Bellaire, Letterer: Clayton Cowles

Birds of Prey is one of those books that I was expecting to like, but never thought I'd love as much as I do. It's very quickly become one of those books that when I realise it's being published that week I get super excited to read it and it makes its way to the top of my pile. The fact that the series was only supposed to be six issues but has gotten to continue on makes it all the better, especially when compared to Green Arrow, which went through a similar extension, yet feels like a book that had to try to figure out a way to carry on, whilst Birds of Prey did so effortlessly. I'm also loving that it's giving us something different to what the title has done in the past, moving away from street level crime to more outlandish adventures.

This issue picks up where the last left off, without team of heroes and their new ally jumping through another pocket dimension portal, rebooting the universe into a new form. This time, rather than dark and gothic, or 1950's glamour, we get dinosaurs and tattered costumes as the team land in a pre-historic jungle, where they have to battle through hordes of giant dinosaurs (much to Big Barda's delight). The issue also manages to progress some of the personal stories somewhat too, with a focus on both Vixen and Sin this issue that gives some big insights into their characters and their emotional states as they deal with the stresses of their situation. 

Whilst the issue includes three artists I honestly didn't really notice whilst reading the book. Part of this might be down to having been so absorbed into the narrative that I just didn't notice, or it could be that the various artists involved had similar styles that it wasn't all that noticeable. However, it could also be down to the colouring of Jordie Bellaire. Colourists often get overlooked when talking about comic art, yet are a huge part of the process, with a book often being make or break depending on the colourist. We've all seen artists we love producing work that looks off because of the colours applied to it. This has never been more apparent to me than this series, in which Bellaire's style changes the art in huge ways. The book looks different to anything else on the shelf because of the colours and the style that it brings to the table, and I can't help but love this series for daring to be so different to everything else. I genuinely love this series, I can't wait to see what weirdness Thompson has in store next time, and I hope the book continues on forever. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Blood Hunt: Werewolf By Night #1

Writer: Jason Loo, Artist: Adam Gorham, Colourist: Alex Sinclair, Letterer: Joe Sabino

I have to be a little honest, I went into this book expecting something different. I thought that this one-shot was going to be following the other Werewolf By Night, Jack Russell. The one-shot with him in it earlier in the year, by writer Derek Landy, was a great book that I wanted more of, and so I thought that would be what I was going to get here. Instead, we join Jake Gomez instead, as he gets caught up in a magic ritual in an abandoned amusement park that opens up a portal to hell whilst the world is dealing with the Blood Hunt.

Set out in the middle of the desert, in an old dinosaur themed amusement park, the story follows Jake as he heads out to spend the full moon letting his inner monster run around the park blowing off steam. However, he's interrupted when a group of teens and young adults he knew from school come to the park to perform a magic ritual, one that opens a door to hell for the ghost of Duke Jensen to come through into the real world. Not satisfied with just being a ghost, Duke takes over the body of his nephew and begins a reign or terror and death.

I can't help but feel that this could have been a separate one-shot, and may even have started that way, that would have worked better without being tied into the Blood Hunt event. Other than the sky going black as the Dark Force is used by Blade and his people, there's no real connection to the event here. Even the appearance of vampire cops towards the end of the story could have been done without the Blood Hunt connection. The events of this story also happen across the time of Blood Hunt, and the book kind of has to fudge the numbers a little because of that. It says that hours, maybe days go by, and never puts down a firm answer. But the fact that none of the teens running from Duke's spirit are able to escape the amusement park for maybe days does feel like a bit of a stretch. This could have been a fun one-shot issue, but having to tie into the event it's a part of feels like it really hampered a lot of the enjoyment and internal logic for me. ⭐⭐

Star Wars: Inquisitors #1

Writer: Rodney Barnes, Artist: Ramón Rosanas, Colourist:
Guru-eFX, Letterer: Joe Caramagna

The time between the prequels and the original trilogy is an era where we've not had a huge amount of exploration. There is still a lot we don't know, especially towards the start of this time. Yes, we've recently had a focus on this with The Bad Batch, but that didn't give us much, or any, info on the state of the Jedi or the Sith, something that fans are always clamouring for. With this time being the start of the Inquisitors, an order of fallen Jedi turned Darksiders who hunt their former comrades, it seems prime real-estate for exciting stories. The new mini-series, Star Wars: Inquisitors seems to want to make the most of this as we follow the Grand Inquisitor in a mission to hunt down a Jedi survivor who's upsetting the balance of the galaxy.

The first issue sees the Grand Inquisitor being given a special mission by his master, Darth Vader, who has learned of a powerful Jedi Knight names Tensu Run, who has been taking on missions against the Empire, freeing prisoners, and destroying Imperial facilities. Whilst the loss of life and equipment is annoying, the biggest issue is that Tensu Run is inspiring hope in others, and hope cannot be allowed to flourish within the new Empire. As such, the Grand Inquisitor sets out to find the rogue Jedi and end his life. This journey takes him to several worlds, and a huge ship in orbit over a remote planet that houses several Jedi, including Tensu Run's former master.

There are some people who have complained that there are too many Jedi survivors of Order 66, which is ridiculous as even if it was 99% effective there would still be more than 100 Jedi around to play with, which means more survivors turning up in stories isn't too big of an issue for me. Those that feel otherwise will likely dislike this new series, however, as we get several just in this first issue. But, this is what the Inquisitors were made for, and seeing them fight regular people just wouldn't be as fun. Ramón Rosanas has worked on Star Wars titles before, and brings a great style to the title. The characters all look great, and it very much feels like a Star Wars we've seen before, even when we get new stuff. It fits the universe well, and the new characters and locations offer something new whilst still feeling like part of the franchise. For those wanting more Jedi vs Inquisitor stories, and to explore the early days of the Empire this series will definitely scratch that itch for you. ⭐⭐⭐

Batman #150

Writer: Chip Zdarsky, Artist: Denys Cowan, Jorge Jiménez,
Colourist: Tomeu Morey, Letterer: Clayton Cowles

The latest issue of Batman, is a book split across two stories, with only one of them tying into Absolute Power as the cover suggests; so those picking up the title expecting the entire thing to tie into the current event might be somewhat disappointed. However, the section of the book that has nothing to do with Absolute Power turns out to be the best part. The main story of the issue picks up on something that was teased towards the end of an issue way back during Gotham War, an event that a lot of people disliked so might be wondering how that's affecting things now. Way back then, one of the crooks that Catwoman trained up to be a burglar broke into the home of a rich Gothamite and learned something shocking, Bruce Wayne is Batman. Now, Theodore Critchley is trying to sell that information in order to get rich and put his life back together. The only problem is, the criminals either don't want to know, or Batman is following him everywhere.

For the most part, I really liked this story, and this is something that I would actually like to see more of in Batman. We get to see a slightly different point of view on Gotham and its characters through Teddy, and learning about his family life and how it all plays out for him is actually great, especially his son's story. There's a lot in here that feels like the best kind of Batman to me, how he doesn't need to always throw a punch to frighten people, and how behind the scenes he does a lot of good for those that need help. I also loved the Two-Face scene and how he views Batman, and it really sells you on the idea that the big villains wouldn't want to know who he really is.

The back-up story is where Absolute Power comes into play, as we catch up with Batman after the events of Absolute Power issue one. Task Force VII has been unleashed and the heroes have been depowered. Of course, this means nothing for Batman, and so he's still doing his thing; this issue his thing being trying to rescue Cyborg, who would be a huge help to the heroes in this story. We also get a lot of internal monologue of how Bruce is blaming himself for this (totally fair). Weirdly, this issue also introduces the idea that the Amazon Amazo talks with a Victorian era Cockney-like accent; which is frankly a bit bizarre.

The art on the two stories are both really good, and have very different tones to them. Denys Cowan provides the art on the first story, and it gives it a more gritty, dirty, and grounded tone that fits following a henchmen through the mean streets of Gotham City. In comparison, Jorge Jiménez gives the Absolute Power story a bigger feel, it has the tone of a big event tie in, with flashy visuals and a sense of scale that works well in comparison to the previous, more intimate story. Overall, this was a decent issue, but one that was at it strongest when doing something different and not really being a part of the biggest story that Zdarsky has been building since his run began. ⭐⭐⭐

Blood Hunters #3

Writer: Erica Schultz, Josh Trujillo, Sean McKeever, Artist: Bernard Chang, Claire Roe, Lan Medina, Colourist: Romulo Fajardo Jr., Neeraj Menon, Marcelo Maiolo, Letterer: Joe Caramagna,

Blood Hunters has provided readers with tiny snapshots of the vampire take over as we've hopped from story to story, checking in on characters that don't make an appearance in the main title. It's been pretty enjoyable, though the quality of the stories varies from issue to issue depending on your own personal taste. With that being said, this third issue might be my favourite of the bunch, and was one that I really enjoyed. The first issue follows a group of Latverian citizens who are taking sanctuary from the vampires in the walls of their embassy, doing their best to survive whilst hoping that Doom will come to save them. Doctor Doom is a very interesting character, one that I've come to have strong, complex opinions of over recent years, so seeing a villain in a more heroic setting like this, being held up as a saviour, is super interesting. Especially as you're waiting for the other shoe to drop with one of the people waiting for his rescue being a traitor to Latveria.

The second story is where this issue excels, however, with 'The Fall of the House of Udder'. I feel that title alone bags this story as the best in the entirety of Blood Hunt. Speaking of the event, this story has basically nothing to do with it, and is instead a tale of a man who works for Hellcow, taking care of her farm and managing things for the vampire. Yes, it's ridiculous, yes, it's amazing. This is the kind of silliness we need more of from mainstream comics. The final story continues the multi-part 'Once More Into Darkness' that has been in the other issues, continuing to follow Dagger as she tries to find a way to help Cloak, and encounters various other female characters. This issue introduces another character in the final moments, but one that honestly fails to elicit any kind of excitement. This story is definitely the least interesting of the bunch, and I can't help but feel that if we had entirely stand alone stories each issue it would have been more enjoyable. The art across all three stories is great, though the artistic tone in the Hellcow story definitely fits that tale wonderfully, and stands out amongst the others. ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Shazam! #13

Writer: Josie Campbell, Artist: Mike Norton, Colourist: Trish Mulvihill, Letterer: Troy Peteri

There are some problems within the Shazam family at the moment. They have a new home, but can't really settle into it and become a legal family until Bill's issues are sorted out. Billy and the Captain seem to have split somewhat and aren't getting on. And the siblings who lost their powers have been a bit envious that Billy and Mary get to keep being super heroes. There are more, but these are the main points that are driving the current arc, as Mary and Freddy hit the road to try and find the Rock of Eternity and their missing brother, Billy. Whilst searching for their wayward brother the two of them come under attack from some monsters, which sees Freddy jumping into the action despite having no powers; a decision that leads him to an old villain, and a potential new path.

Josie Campbell clearly loves the Shazam family and their lore, and is not only bringing in small threads left hanging in the Waid run, but her previous New Champion of Shazam! mini-series, and older comics too. The book feels like a great mixture of classic Captain Marvel adventures, with the reintroduction of Uncle Marvel in a new role that's nonetheless delightful to see, with some brand new ideas. The story also seems to be taking Freddy in a new direction that could add some great new drama to things. He looks poised to be gaining new powers, probably from a less than reputable source, and whilst this feels like a bad idea it also feels very in keeping with where his character is at at the moment. He misses being a hero, he's jealous of his siblings even if he'll never admit that, so of course this can be taken advantage of. In a lot of ways the Shazam book feels like it's taking place in its own little corner of DC, doing things different and just having some fun; and because of that it's the kind of series anyone can pick up and have a blast with. ⭐⭐⭐⭐

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