Black Magic Woman
Written by: Brian BuccellatoArt by: Tom Derenick, Rex Lokus and Wes Abbott
Cover Price: $0.99
Release Date: August 10, 2016
As we get closer and closer to the end of this Year, Brian Buccellato is upping the action ante big time, but I have to commend him for taking his time with the story. I was actually afraid that this Year would be a mad sprint to the finish line, but steady wins the race seems to be the mantra we can all live by. That being said, I couldn't wait to see how the world would react to seeing footage of Superman being a cold blooded murderer...you know, himself. Finally, the Man of Steel would be exposed and the Resistance's ranks would swell to the point of busting at the seams. Of course, I kind of knew that wasn't going to really happen, but a man can dream, right? So, what does happen and is it any good? Let's find out...
As the Chapter opens, the world is about to be witness to the true Superman as Batwoman introduces the gruesome footage that will surely rival any Youtuber that my kid's insist are hot stuff. Finally, this is just the thing that will turn the tide and put Batman and the Resistance on the offensive for the first time in a long time. That sounds awesome, right? Well, don't answer me because it doesn't happen. Crap!!!
You see, Raven shows up and in a the enemy of my enemy is Superman scenario, shuts down everything...Television, Internet, Radio, Telegraph and whatever else she can shut down with her Black Magic. Where was she when my wife was watching the finale to the Bachelorette?!? The result is that nobody sees one second of the incriminating video. Crap!!! To make matters even worse, Cyborg boots up and some heavy hitters immediately are on their way to save him.
Everything going on in this chapter is just a Batman epic fail as we learn that Batgirl's computer was wiped clean by Cyborg, Superman is on the mend and he's taking steps to make sure this sort of thing never happens again.
The chapter ends with Batman paying Lex Luthor a visit with a plan that is so crazy that it just may work. Actually, it's such a hail mary play, but I always wanted to end a review with that sentence. The cliffhanger does point towards what can end this Year and end it in style.
This was a really quick issue that was a bridge towards what has to be the stretch run of this Year. Batman almost came out on top, but it was one of those desperate moves that put the Resistance right back at square one when it failed. Still, we get an awesome cliffhanger that has me pumped up to see what happens next.
Tom Derenick continues to impress me with his art in this book. He does a really good job with each character and while there isn't a ton of action to speak of in this chapter, he makes it all cool to look at. One of the things that you can always count on is Rex Lokus' awesome color work that helps make any artist that jumps on this book look good.
Bits and Pieces:
Call it setup or a bridge or whatever you like, but I call it pretty good and pretty heartbreaking. Batman was so close to ending Superman's reign in a non-violent way that I could almost taste it, but the carpet was pulled from under his feet. It's all because of magic, but the issue ends with Batman showing that he has at least one trick left up his sleeve.
8.0/10
Almost had him!! So why do they need a team to fire this weapon??
ReplyDeleteIf you're talking about the kryptonite in the Batcave,Batman made it he can only access it if he has the DNA of Wonder Woman, Green Lantern, Aquaman, and Green Arrow so he would not decide alone to use it on Superman. He never realized they were either die (Green Arrow) or side with the Regime. The one thing that confuses me is that Batman claims Cyborg is needed, but that wasn't the case in the game.
DeleteCorrect and correct...awesome way to get "other" characters involved
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