The New 52: Futures End #0 Review

Written by: Jeff Lemire, Brian Azzarello, Keith Giffen and Dan Jurgens
Art by: Dan Jurgens, Aaron Lopresti, Patrick Zircher and Jesus Merino
Cover Price: Free
Release Date: May 3, 2014

The Beginning is the End

Free comic book day has a special treat this year.  Mixed among the reprints and movie tie-ins is Futures End #0.  I will not be reviewing the regular weekly book, my man Eric is doing that.  However, he was too damn lazy to go grab his copy at our local shop before they ran out.  I did pickup a copy for him and myself, but I wanted to get the review up tonight.  Why?  Because I'm a workaholic?  No, just because of how impressed I was after reading it.

The book opens 35 years in the future and things are not going so well.  Brother Eye has killed and/or assimilated most of the heroes.  A few are still fighting the good fight, but the war appears to be over.  One of the heroes still fighting is Batman.  We learn that this grim future is due largely to him and also that he has a plan...he's going back to stop it before it happens. Unfortunately, he doesn't make it long enough to go, so another hero has to step up. Cut to Batman Beyond and cue Huey Lewis.  We're gonna go back in time!

Smallville: Lantern #8 Review

Written by: Bryan Q. Miller
Art by: Marcio Takara
Cover Price: $0.99
Release Date: May 2, 2014

Seeing Yellow

Ollie wakes up in the Hospital and Chloe isn't mad, she's ready to kick ass.  Lex and Mrs. Hunkle argue about the merits of phone books until the phone starts ringing and Superman visits Gotham to clean up the yellow mess he started.

Smallville: Lantern  is nearing it's finish and Bryan Q. Miller has so much to wrap up.  It's not that I don't trust him to do it and do it well, I'm just spoiled and want everything to happen at once.  I hate to call this issue a "setup" issue because of the negative connotations that go with that.  Lets get passed that because if an issue is setting up something awesome in an awesome way, isn't it in turn awesome?  Say it with me, "setup is good when setup is awesome".  That is our new mantra.  Meeting adjourned.

Free Comic Book Day 2014

Raef with Futures End

First Saturday of May means only one thing...Free Comic Book Day!  I just got back from Tales of

Adventure in Coopersburg, PA with my stash of comics.  I went with two of my sons, Raef and Logan and we had a real good time grabbing our free loot as well as going through a ton of back issues.  I hate being a mooch, so I had each of them pick a back issue to buy.  Logan  picked up Flash Annual Bloodlines Outbreak and Raef  picked up Green Lantern Rebirth #5.

Logan loves his Teen Titans

Of course, I picked up Futures End #0, but also got Teen Titans Go! #1 Sampler, Steam Wars, Guardians of the Galaxy and Rocket Raccoon.  I have already read Futures End and it is crazy.  Crazy like a robotic fox with a Brother Eye implant.  Eric is going to be reviewing the series, but I'm not sure he is reviewing this issue.  If not, I will do it sometime today.  I may even suggest we both do it to mix things up a bit. 

Free Stuff Rules

I hope everyone has a local comic shop so they can enjoy FCBD as well.  

Batwoman Annual #1 Review

Written by: Marc Andreyko
Art by: Trevor McCarthy and Moritat
Cover Price: $4.99
Release Date: April 30, 2014

Unnecessary Roughness

Marc Andreyko made the most out of a bad situation.  After the controversial exit of fan favorite, J.H. Williams, anyone who stepped into Batwoman was bound to be trashed.  Then for his first issue he was made to write a Zero Year tie-in.  Hmm...fan backlash and having your hands tied, sounds like a start to something great.  Guess what?  Him and artist Jeremy Haun  have done a damn good job, but that's not enough, is it DC?  No. Now you're making Andreyko finish the last J.H Williams story arc in Batwoman Annual #1.  If you're reading this Marc, I'd complain to Human Resources.

Top 5 Fridays: Mystical Heroes That Should Join The Justice League Dark

This week we're heading back to teams and the people I want to see fill their roster.  Normally I like to plan out my Top 5 lists\with things in DC news, or just something to have a leg up for the week so I don't have to go into the list blind.  This is kinda half way blind, because the list is inspired by how much I enjoyed Justice League Dark #30 issue, and its kinda last minute because I hadn't planned on doing it.  So just remember that going in just in case it sucks, and if you think it sucks then the hell with you make your own list.  The latest issue of JLD saw most of the team disband with the exception of Zatanna, Deadman, and Nightmare Nurse.  I guess you can make the argument that Swamp Thing was there, and may be considered part of the team, but that really doesn't matter.  This list is about characters that should be part of a new JLD, ones that have been overlooked, or just badass heroes that fit the supernatural bill for the team.  So let's quit talking about it and see what characters could be in the future of the Justice League Dark.

Batman Eternal #4 Review

Written by: Scott Snyder, James Tynion IV and John Layman
Art by: Dustin Nguyen
Cover Price: $2.99
Release Date: April 30, 2014

Dead Meat Walking

Batman Eternal has been speeding along a breakneck speed since it left the station.  Seriously, it hasn't come across as a weekly book lasting over a year, but more like a book rushing to finish ahead of the pack. Everyone knew that Snyder and company couldn't keep this pace up, but many wondered how good the book would be when it had to slow down a bit.  Well, this week's issue shows what kind of book Eternal can be when it slows things down and gives us less explosions and more character study.  Surprise, it's still a pretty good book.

The Flash Annual #3 Review

Written by: Robert Venditti and Van Jensen
Art by: Brett Booth and Ron Frenz
Cover Price: $4.99
Release Day: April 30, 2014

The Future's So Bright Blue I Gotta Wear Shades

Robert Venditti and Van Jensen get a pretty sweet start to their run on The Flash.  The Flash #30 introduced fan favorite, Wally West,  into the New 52 and then they get an Annual to show readers what they can do and what they have in store for the future of the book.  While everyone may not be thrilled with Wally so far, the writers are diving into the deep end head first with no looking back.  For better or worse, the Flash is their book.  It may be too early to judge, but things look good so far.  Actually, with Brett Booth with them it looks great.

Wally may have been shown in The Flash #30, but this Annual is where we meet him.  Guess what?  He's pretty much a jerk.  He is a trouble maker who tags walls and Barry's fancy shirt.  Before I go on, I had a problem last issue with Barry's new found fashion sense.  It seemed out of character, but Venditti and Jensen make it clear here that it's all Patty's doing.  She's a keeper, Barry.

Green Lantern: New Guardians Annual #2 Review and *SPOILERS*

Written By: Justin Jordan
Art By: Stephen Segovia, Edgar Salazar, Jed Dougherty
Cover Price: $4.99
Release Date: April 30, 2014

Mirror Match

Last issue of New Guardians gave us a Kyle showing off an amount of power that nobody believes he should possess, even as a White Lantern.  But as we all should remember because this issue has to do with the repercussions of it, the Guardians believe that since Kyle survived the Source Wall, he's becoming something.  What that something is is still up to debate, but we'll be dealing with the beginning of that idea in this Annual.  This story begins after the last issue of New Guardians where Kyle teleported a whole group of people that were spread out across the universe to a single location, and as bewildered by this as he was, he was more drained than anything.  So let's see what the White Lantern of the universe is up to after this impressive use of power as we start "The Curse Of The White Lantern".

Forever Evil Aftermath: Batman Vs. Bane #1 Review and *SPOILERS*

Written By: Peter J. Tomasi
Art By: Scot Eaton
Cover Price: $3.99
Release Date: April 30, 2014

Slug Fest

When last we saw Bane, and The Talons they had won the Arkham War, and had completely taken over Gotham.  Well now that Forever Evil is over and something happened to the Crime Syndicate, (I'll let you know when I know) it's time for the Dark Knight Detective to return to his city.  What that means for us is the slug fest that will forever be known as Batman Vs. Bane.  Let's check it out, I'm pretty sure I can predict the outcome.

The Lost Boys: I, Vampire #1 Review

Written by: Joshua Hale Fialkhov

Art by: Andrea Sorrentino

Cover Price: $2.99

Release Date: September 28, 2011

It Doesn't Suck

I have to admit, when DC rebooted into the New 52, the only thing I knew about I, Vampire was it had Vampires in it.  I never claimed to be brilliant.  I didn't know Andrew Bennett from Alex Winter and Joshua Hale Fialkov and Andrea Sorrentino had yet to enter my radar.  As the months went by, I kept hearing about how good this book was in reviews and podcasts, but never met anyone who was actually reading it. Sales reflected that and eventually it was cancelled.  Since then, I've become a big fan of Fialkov's "The Bunker" and I adore Sorrentino's art in "Green Arrow" so it was easy to pick I, Vampire as the next Lost Boys book.  So here it goes...I, Vampire #1.

Larfleeze #10 Review and *SPOILERS*

Written By: J.M. DeMatteis, Keith Giffen
Art By: Scott Kolins
Cover Price: $2.99
Release Date: April 23, 2014

You Can't Always Get What You Want

In the last issue we saw the reject from the Merry Melodies; Larfleeze, take on the House of Tuath-Dan, and you know what?  They weren't that tough for extra dimensional gods.  Larfleeze took them all out one by one, and in the end Larfleeze flew off victorious.  The Wanderer on the other hand wasn't feeling so good about living through the ordeal, because ancient law declares that any man that defeats her in fair combat is to be her betrothed.  In the end of the issue we saw The Wanderer and Stargrave searching out her honor bound love, and Larfleeze realizing he forgot the one reason he went to the citadel in the first place, his butler Stargrave.  So Larfleeze heads back to the citadel he just destroyed, so we could possibly have a round two on our hands.  Oh and G'Nort showed up to protect a planet that Larfleeze claimed as his own.  So yeah.... G'Nort.  Let's check it out.

Old Time Tuesday: Adventures of Superman ep 9 Threat to the Planet Building

We go back to the stellar Adventures of Superman with the "Threat to the Planet Building" which originally aired on March 1, 1940.  Listen as the Yellow Mask seems to be able to make good on his promise to destroy the Daily Planet.  What else?  Lois Lane gets kidnapped.  Whaaaaat?

July 23rd Is Batman Day!

While we've already heard about the new national holiday for comic book fans being July 23rd, DC has announced that on top of the fun of having an actual Batman day we'll be having a few party favors to go with it.  Imagine if you will a day where you can walk into a comic book shop and get a free comic.  No I"m not talking about the first Saturday of May, the hell with Free Comic Book Day this is Batman Day!  Going into participating comic book shops on the holiest of holy comic book days, Batman Day stay with me here, you'll receive a free issue of the original Detective Comics #27 but with a modern twist.  This re-imagining of the epitome of classic comics will be realized through the creative team of Brad Meltzer and Chip Kidd, which sounds fucking amazing.

If that's not enough to get you off your ass on Batman Day you'll also be able to pick up A 75th Anniversary Batman cape, assorted masks throughout the history of Batman, and bookmarks based on graphic novels.  You'll also be able to pick up Robin Rises: Omega #1 and Grayson #1 because what is Batman without Robin?  Am I right?  So mark your calendar people because the hell with Nolan's final installment to the Dark Knight Trilogy, because on July 23rd the Dark Knight Rises.

Be there or be that weird kid or man child without a Batman mask and cape.  Dibs on the '66 mask.

Justice League Dark #30 Review and *SPOILERS*

Written By: J.M. DeMatteis
Art By: Andres Guinaldo
Cover Price: $3.99
Release Date: April 23, 2014

Domestic Dispute

Like the way I've started every other Dark review since Forever Evil: Blight ended, when last we saw our
Dark characters they survived Project Thaumaton, The Son's of Trigon, and even Nanda Parbat itself.  Where this recap differs though is Constantine had completely abandoned his love and teammates to whatever end might come to them.  You know real douchebag type stuff.  But in the end Zatanna stepped up and the JLD got through the ordeal under new management.  So let's jump into this issue, and see where the team goes from there, and see if we have any new faces joining our supernatural society of superheroes.

Aquaman #30 Review

Written by: Jeff Parker
Art by: Paul Pelletier and Alvaro Martinez
Cover Price: $2.99
Release Date: April 23, 2014

Son of a...

Triton base can rebuild him, they have the technology.  Aquaman is a mess, but Hercules is messed up. Mera is attacked and saved by a familiar face and this book is about to get real crowded.


The issue starts off with a peek at Triton base.  Some crazy science (weird perhaps) is going down with slicing, dicing and DNA splicing. It's mysterious and cool...and lasts for one page.  Bummer.

Just For The Hell Of It Mondays 4/28/14

It's the last week of April and that means we're finally done "How Bad We Had It In The 90's" month.  We've seen the Flash getting silly with Trickster, Superboy get beat up by Lex Luger, and a depowered Clark Kent beat the hell out of a government agent.  Basically we've watched a bunch of nonsense, and originally for this week I was going to do Swamp Thing the live action series, but I did the title sequence a while ago, and I don't like repeating myself.  Luckily we do have something that will culminate the 90's live action awfulness, even with leaving Swamp Thing out.

Weird Science DC Comics News: April 23, 2014 Edition

headband, facial hair and bad boy pose

The big news of the week came out of C2E2. Sounds like one of those boy bands to me.  My favorite thing about boy bands are the roles that each member plays.  The best ones must have each demographic taken care of.  You have the pretty boy, the jock, the young one, the one that is too old and is kind of creepy, the bad boy, etc. The bad boy is my favorite. Bad boys usually rap. Why does the bad boy have to rap?  Plus, they have facial hair, wear leather jackets and headbands.  Of course, my knowledge of boy bands comes only from New Kids on the Block.

Batman Beyond 2.0 #19 Review

Written by: Kyle Higgins
Art by: Thony Silas
Cover Price: $0.99
Release Date: April 26. 2014

The Ruins Of Wayne

The Justice Lords crossover is in full effect and it's already been so good.  Watching the mystery unfold has put the tension through the roof.  I mentioned last week in my Justice League 2.0 review (shameless link) that Batman Beyond 2.0 was the street level view of the event.  Terry is in deep s*** in the Justice Lords timeline.  His mission to seek out Lord Batman was a complete failure and he's trying to figure out what to do next with his alternate self.  It's like Parent Trap meets Double Impact.  Actually it's not, I just have a weekly quota of Lindsey Lohan and Jean Claude references.