FIRST LOOK: Cyborg: Rebirth #1

Written by: John Semper Jr.
Art by: Paul Pelletier, Sandra Hope, Tony Kordos, Guy Major and Rob Leigh
Cover Price: $2.99
Release Date: September 7, 2016

Victor Stone was once a star athlete and brilliant student with a bright future. But after a tragic accident destroyed over half of his body, Victor was kept alive by merging flesh with advanced technology. Today he is the Justice League co-founder called Cyborg. But is the young hero a man…or a machine that merely believes it’s a man?

This is one of those Rebirth books that keeps slipping off my radar, but now that it's right around the corner, I can't wait.  The New 52 wasn't  kind to Cyborg and hopefully he can get his groove back and get it back fast.  Just give me a couple Booyahs! and I'm in.

Top 5 Fridays: Top 5 DC Comics Games

Welcome back to another exciting installment of Top 5 Fridays. As we all know this is a comic blog, so most of you might not know that Gamescom was this week. Gamescom is one of the biggest gaming at conventions in Europe. While watching many trailers coming out of the event, including injustice 2's newest character reveal, it made me think back to the DC games I've played over the years. While most were terrible, there are a few diamonds in the rough, and that's what we'll be going over today. As always this is an opinion based list, so if you don't see something you like, I apologize. Enough talk! Let's dive on in...

Weird Science DC Comics Podcast Spotlight: Supergirl: Rebirth #1

Jim and Eric talk (argue) about Supergirl Rebirth #1 and things come out a bit more miserable than usual.  If you like what you hear, tune into the regular weekly podcast that is released each and every Sunday where we talk about every book released by DC this week.  Hope to see you there!

Injustice: Gods Among Us: Year Five Chapter #35 Review

Zero Days 'Till Retirement

Written by: Brian Buccellato
Art by: Mike S. Miller, J. Nanjan and Wes Abbott
Cover Price: $0.99
Release Date: August 17, 2016

This Year of Injustice is coming on fast and furious and as we get closer to the end (beginning?), more and more characters are jumping into our story.  It's still all about Batman and Superman, but I like seeing other characters and last issue's cliffhanger promises some very crazy possibilities.  That's not for the here and now, however, as we are still a little ways from that. What I am interested in is seeing Deathstroke on the cover of this new arc.  I'm not normally a huge fan of Slade Wilson, but for some reason, seeing him kicking through the cover has me really excited.  So, was my excitement well founded or was it just the matter of another cover leading me astray?  Let's find out...

Doctor Fate #15 Review and *SPOILERS*

 

Walk Like An Egyptian

Written By: Paul Levitz
Art By: Sonny Liew, Lee Loughridge, Saida Temofonte
Cover Price: $2.99
Release Date: August 17, 2016

*Non Spoilers and Score At The Bottom*

I guess we're fated to keep reading this series forever because for whatever reason, DC just wants it to go on and on...... and I have no idea why.  I've seen the sales and they're not great and I don't hear anyone clamoring about how great the Doctor Fate series is............ I also haven't been looking and am on the verge of becoming an agoraphobe so maybe I'm not the best person to talk to about all these things but personally, there isn't much to this at all...... and it's been that way since the beginning.  Yeah, it's become a bit more tolerable since Kent Nelson has started showing up and mentoring Khalid in how to use his powers, but ultimately it seems that his involvement is all about him fixing the problems that Khalid just can't handle......... and that's everything.  Hopefully that stops soon so that we can get a decent character out of this young Doctor Fate, but I wouldn't bet on it.  Let's jump into this issue and see if anything here matters.

Green Lanterns #5 Review and *SPOILERS*

Push It To The Limit

Written By: Sam Humphries
Art By: Robson Rocha, Eduardo Pansica, Jay Leisten, Julio Ferreira, Blond, Dave Sharpe

Cover Price: $2.99

Release Date: August 17, 2016

*Non Spoilers and Score At The Bottom*

Something has to be done about this series.  Not only are we continuing to hear the same things out of Simon and Jessica, but we're now also getting Red Lanterns showing up, who died in the Red Lanterns series........ which if you didn't read, you totally should because it was awesome!....... Well, at least Charles Soule's run on the book.  Anyway, there just isn't much to this book and that pisses me off because this was the title that I wanted to read more than any other when Rebirth was announced and it's constantly smacking me in the face, while reminding me how whiny our heroes are.......... Hopefully all that changes now that Simon and Jessica are face to face with their Red Lantern foes and are forced to take a little action.  Let's jump into this issue and see if they can start taking care of business and start working their way back into our hearts.  Let's check it out.

Scooby Apocalypse #4 Review and *SPOILERS*

Flowers for Algerdogs

Scooby Apocalypse #4
"Fur and Fangs!"
Courtesy of Keith Giffen, J.M. DeMatteis & Howard Porter
Colors - Hi-Fi
Letters - Nick Napolitano
Edits - Brittany Holzherr & Marie Javins
Release Date: 08.17.2016
Cover Price: $3.99

When last we left the gang,,, they were well on their way to finally sorta kinda gelling as a unit... more importantly, they were on their way to me liking them!  Can we go for two in a row?

Let's find out!

Justice League #3 Review

It's Made of People!

Written by: Bryan Hitch
Art by: Tony S. Daniel, Sandu Florea, Tomeu Morey and Richard Starkings
Cover Price: $2.99
Release Date: August 17, 2016

Okay, the Justice League book hasn't been my favorite since Rebirth started.  It's a shame because not Baz and Jessica Cruz could be a lot of fun and I was really looking to this book to see the beginnings of Batman and Wonder Woman's relationship with the Pre Flashpoint Superman.  Maybe I was expecting too much, because it has felt the opposite of new and fresh under the direction of Bryan Hitch.  That's not to say all is lost.  I am a man with a very short attention span, so if Hitch can just right the ship a bit, I'll jump on board.  Is this the issue where that happens?  Let's find out...
only should it be leading the pack into this promising future, but also because we have the potential for such a new and fresh team.  The new faces of Simon

Green Arrow #5 Review

The End is the Beginning

Written by: Ben Percy
Art by: Juan Ferreyra and  Nate Piekos
Cover Price: $2.99
Release Date: August 17, 2016

Green Arrow has been one of my favorite Rebirth books and I have really enjoyed how Ben Percy
has dismantled Oliver's world, but that's nothing to watching him slowly get it back.  Where he bought friends and family in the past, he now has to do it the old fashioned way, earn it.  Hey, it worked for Smith Barney, why can't it work for Oliver Queen?  All of that has lead him to a full out assault on the Inferno and that's where we left off last issue and where we begin in this one.  Is it any good?  Let's find out...

Harley Quinn #2 Review and **SPOILERS**

Goodbye, My Coney Island Humans

Written By: Jimmy Palmiotti and Amanda Conner

Art By: Chad Hardin & John Timms, Brett Blevins, Alex Sinclair

Lettered By: Dave Sharpe

Cover Price: $2.99

On Sale Date: August 17, 2016

**NON SPOILERS AND SCORE AT THE BOTTOM**

Oh man, here it is folks…Harley Quinn is now out every two weeks. We were warned this was going to happen, and now it’s upon us. That means on top of the bi-weekly appearance of Harley in Suicide Squad, and the monthly Harley Quinn and her Gang of Harleys, and the quarterly Harley’s Little Black Book, we get Harley Quinn twice per month in her own title! You gotta hand it to DC, they’re not skimping on the Quinn. The internet is rife with people complaining about the over-saturation of Harley Quinn, and how they’re going to ruin the character with so many outings, but numbers don’t lie folks: people buy Harley Quinn comics by the barrelful. Well, not literally, I don’t think comic books are normally sold in barrels. Not to collectors, anyway. And if some of you crankypants would take a look at the rich, vivid world created by Palmiotti and Conner, you might find you like it. Like Coney Island, Harley Quinn is open to all! But like Coney Island, you might lose your lunch reading an issue of the comic book. Is that the case this time around? Read on and find out!

Aquaman #5 Review and **SPOILERS**

Nyeah Nyeah Can’t Catch Aquaman

Written By: Dan Abnett

Art By: Philippe Briones, Gabe Eltaeb

Lettered By: Pat Brosseau

Cover Price: $2.99

On Sale Date: August 17, 2016

**NON SPOILERS AND SCORE AT THE BOTTOM**

Watching some of these Olympic swimmers in Rio doing their thing really makes a strong case for the existence of Atlantis. Katie Ledecky on the U.S. team has won four gold medals and one silver medal for, uh, swimming really fast, and when you watch her compete it’s unbelievable. She’s like a full body length ahead of everyone else, finishing more than ten seconds ahead of the pack (who, I’d like to mention, are also swimming super fast.) Katie isn’t visibly doing anything different than the rest of the competitors, it’s not like her arms are swinging double-time through the water, churning frothy whirlpools that are obstacles to the other swimmers. She’s just faster, somehow, and I think it’s quite probable that she’s half-Atlantean, half-human, like Arthur Curry—if not a full-blown water-dweller! My evidence is concrete: one, she swims fast, like way faster than normal if you ask me. Two, she is blond. Seems cut and dry to me! Someone else who’s been curiously dry for the last few issues is Aquaman. Do you think he’ll get wet this time around, or is he gonna stay beached? Read on to find out!

Nightwing #3 Review and *SPOILERS*

Mazes and Inner Monsters

Written By: Tim Seeley
Art By: Javier Fernandez, Chris Sotomayor, Carlos M. Mangual
Cover Price: $2.99
Release Date: August 17, 2016

*Non Spoilers and Score At The Bottom*

I gotta tell ya, I was really worried about where this book was going when I initially read the Rebirth issue....... and really the first issue as well because it really just seemed to scream Grayson at me, just with the Nightwing costume inserted and the Parliament of Owls taking the place of Spyral, but after last issue I have to say that I'm finally swinging into this series without a net because all the problems I had with the Rebirth and first issue were handled by upping the stakes to what Nightwing's jobs for the Parliament are and his relationship with Raptor becoming something that I'm interested in.  The reason for the interest is because it seems that Raptor is all about taking down the Parliament as well, but in order to do that, both Dick and him are going to have to play the long game and continue doing questionable things for the Owls.......... Hopefully it doesn't go too far and we end up losing our hero to the dark side.  Let's jump into this issue and see how Dick's doing now that he's blown off Barbara and has committed himself fully to Raptor's ideals.  Let's check it out.

Batgirl and The Birds of Prey #1 Review and *SPOILERS*

Whacking Day!

Written By: Julie Benson, Shawna Benson
Art By: Claire Roe, Allen Passalaqua, Steve Wands
Cover Price: $2.99
Release Date: August 17, 2016

*Non Spoilers and Score At The Bottom*

There's just something about the idea of this series that makes me happy.......... I say idea because for a long time there we had a bunch of nonsense coming out of the Birds of Prey book, but hopefully that's all rectified with Rebirth coming about and taking comic book readers by storm.  Is that too dramatic?  Whether it is or not, that doesn't change the fact that I really dug the Rebirth issue to this series.  We've got some mysterious person taking the name Oracle, which gets Batgirl to get the band back together and since at this moment Black Canary happens to be band-less, she's all about it...... Well, because of that and the fact that the name Oracle carries a lot of weight between Barbara and her.  Hopefully they can get to the bottom of this mystery because as we left our heroes in the previous issue, they were confronted by Huntress, who wants to do a little more than talk to one of our Bird's leads.  Let's jump into this issue and see how Huntress becomes a part of the team and how Batgirl looks beyond Helena's body count.  Let's check it out.

Suicide Squad #1 Review and **SPOILERS**

Convicts in Space

Written By: Rob Williams

Art By: Jim Lee, Scott Williams, Alex Sinclair, back-up by Jason Fabok, Brad Anderson

Lettered By: Nate Piekos of Blambot™

Cover Price: $2.99

On Sale Date: August 17, 2016

**NON SPOILERS AND SCORE AT THE BOTTOM**

So I saw the Suicide Squad movie last week. I didn’t like it. I have no problem with any of the characters, except for the one who played Enchantress. She wasn’t very good. But even she wasn’t the worst thing about the movie. The worst thing was that it had clearly been edited either by an ineffectual committee or very incapable people, because there were lots of dropped plot points and moments that didn’t land because they had not been earned. Not to mention that you could have lost half of the cast without any impact to the story. But let’s not belabor the thing, let’s look at the positives: I thought the actors did a fairly good job with what they were given. Even the superfluous ones were okay and made me want to see more…which I didn’t, but wanting to see more is a good thing, right? And of course, the soundtrack is killer, though it seems like the movie was made in support of the soundtrack rather than the other way around. And thus concludes my mini, spoiler-free review of Suicide Squad, the feature film! Now let’s keep this review train a-rolling and check out my review for Suicide Squad #1!

Superman #5 Review and *SPOILERS*

M-O-O-N...... That Spells Eradicator 

Written By: Peter J. Tomasi, Patrick Gleason
Art By: Doug Mahnke, Jaime Mendoza, Wil Quintana, Rob Leigh
Cover Price: $2.99
Release Date: August 17, 2016

*Non Spoilers and Score At The Bottom*

What do mini subs, the moon and dead fathers have in common?  Well, since you're asking so nicely  I'll tell you.  It turns out that all of those things were in our previous issue of Superman and goddamn was it homeless man standing by some train tracks crazy.  Yeah, I know things are bound to be a little weird with the Eradicator being out and about and being full of the souls of Krypton........ and his liberal view of eating Super Dogs whole and what not, but crazy didn't quite cover what we got from last issue or even this whole story arc in general.  Hopefully this series can get back to where it started with the Super Family being super swell to one another while Jon worked on his new blossoming powers.  Yeah, the family is still the center of attention, what with Superman just trying to keep them safe from the Eradicator, but his involvement just seems to turn everything on its head and leaves me wondering what the hell I just read.  Hopefully that's not the case here.

Batman #5 Review

Written by: Tom King
Art by: David Finch, Sandra Hope, Matt Banning, Scott Hanna, Jordie Bellaire and John Workman
Cover Price: $2.99
Release Date: August 17, 2016

I have totally fallen in love with Tom King's Batman.  I've also fallen in love with Gotham and Gotham Girl and even when it seemed that some fans and reviewers were yelling for more mindless action, I was so happy to just get to know these new heroes.  Of course, any time that I fall in love with a character, shit goes wrong almost immediately and that's what happened once again.  Psycho Pirate and Hugo Strange showed up to make a mess of it all and last issue ended with Gotham putting Batman in a corner and nobody puts...I think you know the rest.  So, I couldn't wait for this issue to arrive, but I still went into it with some trepidation.  Would this be the end of Gotham and Gotham Girl and could my fragile heart take it?  Let's find out...

PREVIEW: Green Arrow #5

Written by: Ben Percy
Art by: Juan Ferreyra and  Nate Piekos
Cover Price: $2.99
Release Date: August 17, 2016

“The Death and Life of Oliver Queen” part five! It’s Green Arrow and Black Canary versus Shado and the Ninth Circle in the belly of the Inferno.

Was the usual guy who writes the solicits off for the day? Maybe it's because I'm not used to such a straightforward copy, but this just doesn't feel complete.  We need to add something like, "Just when Oliver thought he'd hit the bottom, the bottom is actually the top so there is another bottom that's the real bottom that he didn't know about!" Or maybe, "Black Canary told him he bought his friends, but now it's time he paid the price!" Or, "Get off my plane!"  I think I like the last one the best!

PREVIEW: Harley Quinn #2

Groan-ey Island

Written By: Jimmy Palmiotti and Amanda Conner

Art By: Chad Hardin & John Timms, Brett Blevins, Alex Sinclair

Lettered By: Dave Sharpe

Cover Price: $2.99

On Sale Date: August 17, 2016

“Die Laughing” part two! As the plague of zombies on Coney Island continues to spread, Harley must rescue one of her own from the undead hordes…and try to uncover the cause of this corpse-y catastrophe! 

Looks like the hijinks continue in part two of this three-part debut Harley Quinn arc! Harley Quinn is sure to lop off some more limbs, but will they be of zombies or teammates? What I really want to know is: WHEN IS NATHAN'S HOT DOGS GONNA LET THEM USE THEIR LOGO IN THIS COMIC BOOK??? C'MAAAN!

PREVIEW: Justice League #3

Written by: Bryan Hitch
Art by: Tony S. Daniel, Sandu Florea, Tomeu Morey and Richard Starkings
Cover Price: $2.99
Release Date: August 17, 2016

“The Extinction Machine” part three! The hive-mind entities known as the Awakened take their vendetta against the Justice League to the next level by changing ordinary people into grotesque monsters bent on hunting down super-humans all over the world. Meanwhile, Superman journeys to the center of the earth to stop the catastrophic quakes that are taking lives all over the world.

PREVIEW: Suicide Squad #1

You're Tuned Into the Number One Crew in the Area

Written By: Rob Williams

Art By: Jim Lee, Scott Williams, Alex Sinclair, Jason Fabok, Brad Anderson

Lettered By: Nate Piekos of Blambot™

Cover Price: $2.99

On Sale Date: August 17, 2016

“The Black Vault” part one! When a mysterious and definitely super-important cosmic item falls out of the heavens and into enemy hands, America has only one option: Task Force X, Amanda Waller’s strike team of incarcerated super-criminals. A one-stop-shop for plausibly deniable espionage and ultra- violence, this “Suicide Squad” only handles missions they’re not expected to survive. An insane new era of SUICIDE SQUAD begins here with superstar artist Jim Lee and red-hot writer Rob Williams (UNFOLLOW, MARTIAN MANHUNTER). 

After that bombshell of a first issue, I'm glad to see this new team...which is really just an old iteration of the team, with a new writer and artist(s)...in action! Really, the Rebirth issue was a story well-told and I hope that trend continues here. Sure, it's the same characters from the Suicide Squad movie, but it's also many of the same characters we know and love! Or tolerate. Begrudgingly accept? This comic book is going to be a big deal, you should keep an eye out for it!

PREVIEW: Aquaman #5

I Ain't No Fortunate Son (of a Human/Atlantean Romance)

Written By: Dan Abnett

Art By: Philippe Briones, Gabe Eltaeb

Lettered By: Pat Brosseau

Cover Price: $2.99

On Sale Date: August 17, 2016

“The Drowning” part five. Unjustly branded a murderer and a fugitive, Aquaman’s forced to defend himself against the might of America’s military. Meanwhile, Black Manta and the deadly underwater crime cabal known as N.E.M.O. advance their plan for revenge on Aquaman.

Please enjoy the song "Aquaman" from Songs and Stories of the Justice League, Tifton Records, 1966

PREVIEW: Batman #5

Written by: Tom King
Art by: David Finch, Sandra Hope, Matt Banning, Scott Hanna, Jordie Bellaire and John Workman
Cover Price: $2.99
Release Date: August 17, 2016

“I Am Gotham” part five. In the final chapter of this epic, is Batman truly the hero Gotham City deserves—or does it deserve better? In this ultimate showdown, where the line between allies and enemies blurs, the question will finally be answered…and the fate of Gotham will be decided.

PREVIEW: Supergirl: Rebirth #1

Written by: Steve Orlando
Art by: Emanuela Lupacchino, Ray McCarthy, Michael Atiyeh and Steve Wands
Cover Price: $2.99
Release Date: August 17, 2016

Supergirl turns to the shadowy organization known as the D.E.O. (Department of Extranormal Operations) to restore her lost powers once and for all! But as a fateful experiment sends Kara Zor-El rocketing toward the sun, disaster strikes at home in the form of the lost Kryptonian werewolf Lar-On! All the epic action of the brand new Supergirl series starts here!

Werewolves...Lost Powers...Epic!  That sounds good so far.  I love Supergirl and can't wait to see how Steve Orlando gets Kara up and running in Rebirth.

PREVIEW: Green Lanterns #5

Written By: Sam Humphries
Art By: Robson Rocha, Eduardo Pansica, Jay Leisten Julio Ferreira, Blond, Dave Sharpe
Cover Price: $2.99
Release Date: August 17, 2016

“Red Planet” part five! Bad goes to worse as Atrocitus, leader of the Red Lanterns, comes to Earth to begin the final stages of his plan to turn Earth into a new central battery for his Corps!

Things may be alright........ Just as long as Sam Humphries has an explanation for why Zilius Zox and Skallox are still alive in this book, everything will be alright........ There better be some kind of explanation!

PREVIEW: Doctor Fate #15

Written By: Paul Levitz
Art By: Sonny Liew, Lee Loughridge, Saida Temofonte,
Cover Price: $2.99
Release Date: August 17, 2016

Trapped in the realm of the Efreet, young Khalid Nassour must fight to regain his soul or be lost for all eternity in another dimension, and the only person who can aid him is the previous Doctor Fate, Kent Nelson. But has Nelson returned to help Nassour learn how to wield his powers, or to wrest them from him and keep them for himself. As we learn the startling answer to that question, Nassour’s life hangs in the balance. 

Even though I found myself really liking the fact that Khalid seemed to step up to the whole hero thing in the second story of the previous issue........ it's still really hard to get excited about this book because nothing has really happened in fourteen issue to get our hero any closer to being a confident master of fate....... hopefully once this series ends and Khalid can start guest starring in Blue Beetle, maybe we'll see the hero that we've always wanted out of this book....... or maybe it will come earlier and Khalid will surprise us all.

PREVIEW: Nightwing #3

Written By: Tim Seeley
Art By: Javier Fernandez, Chris Sotomayor, Carlos M. Mangual
Cover Price: $2.99
Release Date: August 17, 2016

“Better than Batman” part three! Nightwing and Raptor have become the pride of the Parliament of Owls, successfully completing missions for them across the globe—but Batgirl is not happy. Can she convince Nightwing he’s gone too far, or has he fallen too far under Raptor’s influence?

While I was initially on the fence with this series because of how much it just seemed like Grayson with a Nightwing costume, after reading the previous issue I have to say that I'm really looking forward to what Tim Seeley has in store for us since the stakes have been raised against our hero and now that we know that Dick and Raptor are on the same page when it comes to the Parliament, I can't wait to see what happens with that partnership either.

Old Man Logan #10 Review and *SPOILERS* - Marvel Monday

Old Man Logan 010
"The Last Ronin, Part 2: The Well"
Writer - Jeff Lemire
Artist - Andrea Sorrentino
Color Artist - Marcelo Maiolo
Letterer - VC's Cory Petit
Release Date: 08.10.2016
Cover Price: $3.99

When last we left Logan, he was in the middle of a solo reconnaissance mission in Japan... his target for rescue: Lady Deathstrike.  Little did he know he would run afoul on a not-so-unfamiliar foe... one he'd met a world ago... one he'd killed a lifetime ago.

Sohei of the Silent Order may have gotten the jump on our (old) man Logan, but this wily veteran is anything but down and out.