Weird Science DC Comics: 2017-01-01

Saturday, January 7, 2017

Faith #7 Review

Bad Dreams and Force Ghosts

Written by: Jody Houser
Art by: Joe Eisma, Andrew Dalhouse, Marguerite Sauvage
Cover Price: $3.99
Release Date: January 4, 2017
Review by: Ryan Douglas

Check out Ryan’s podcast, Columbus Comics Corner HERE.

The “Long Con” arc is catching back up to Faith, the relic Murder Mouse used to duplicate people maybe coming back into play. During their encounter he used the relic to make a Faith double, but the two Faiths eventually teamed up to take down Murder Mouse. The arc ends with her double flying the relic and herself into the sun to a means of destroying it, costing the dupe’s life. Now let’s see how all this will affect Faith moving forward.

This is it, the last day of the Weirdies. 2016 sure was a crazy year and 2017 looks to be the same. These are the Weird Science picks for Best Book and Biggest Surprise...Enjoy and see you next year!

EARLY PREVIEW: Batgirl #7

The Only Man Who Could Ever Reach Me Was the Son of a Cobblepot

Written By: Hope Larson

Art By: Christian Wildgoose

Cover By: Christian Wildgoose

Variant Cover By: Francis Manapul

Cover Price: $2.99

On Sale Date: January 25, 2017

“Son of Penguin” part one! Babs is back in Burnside! But everything’s…different—friends, school, even Burnside itself. Batgirl must determine her next steps when she realizes that the shady new tech mogul moving into her neighborhood is none other than the estranged son of the Penguin!

Finally, the moment we've all been waiting for: Babs back in Burnside! Or at least out of that Asian vacation. I mean, I have nothing against her being in Burnside, the point is that I'm ready to start a new story arc in this series! Here's some early preview pages to whet your appetites. In stores January 25!

Weird Science DC Comics Podcast Spotlight: JLA: The Atom #1 Rebirth & The Fall and Rise of Captain Atom #1

Jim and Eric give you a dual Spotlight and it's all about Atom...The Atom and Captain Atom are in the house and we tell you what we thinks about them. If you like what you hear, come and listen to our big podcast every Sunday Night where we review each and every DC Comic released that week, no matter how long it takes us! Enjoy!!!

The Weirdies are almost over and with each day comes even more important awards. This round is for Best Writer and Best Villain and while sometimes that could be the same person, we will try to refrain from that sort of negativity. Hopefully, it comes across how diverse and good this year's books were when you see our picks.

Be the Comic Book Cover You Want to See in the World

Happy 2017! New year, same old list of best DC Comics comic book covers of the week. This week had a lot of comics, though not as many as the previous one. This time, however, I did have to pare the list down from about eight covers to my usual five. But there is an Honorable Mention, for Most Simultaneously Titillating and Nauseating Cover of the week!

HONORABLE MENTION

I call this "Nausexyating"

Nightwing #12

Marcus To & Chris Sotomayor

Weird Science Best of 2016 Awards: Best Artist / Best Teamup

Here we are once again...day three of the Weirdies! The most prestigious award in all of...well, I don't know, but we think it's a big deal! This one is a big one...Best Penciler and Best Teamup. So, get settled and get ready, because the show is about to begin...

Mankind: Earth’s Disease

Written by: Mark Russell

Art by: Rick Leonardi

Cover Price: $3.99

On Sale: January 4th, 2017

Before I begin, I’ll say I’m not Reggie! Yes, I took over yet another title from his grubby little hands. But thankfully it ain’t no Superwoman. Reggie wanted to stop at #6 so I decided to pick up The Flintstones! So, a kid in the 1990’s who watched a show from the 1960’s will now be reviewing a comic based on said show in 2017. It’s funny how time things work. Let’s get started now on “Another Day On Earth.”

The Enemy of My Enemy

Written By: Joshua Williamson
Art By: Jesus Merino, Andy Owens, Alex Sinclair, Jeremiah Skipper, Rob Leigh
Cover Price: $3.99
Release Date: January 4, 2017

*Non Spoilers and Score At The Bottom*

In the previous issue we saw our Justice League team captured by the Suicide Squad....... or at least, Killer Frost after a big ass fight and if that wasn't bad enough, we also have the villains that Maxwell Lord broke out of the super secret prison known as The Catacombs and as our heroes await whatever fate Amanda Waller has for them, these villains are out and about and doing god knows what...... while they're being controlled by Maxwell Lord. Hopefully we get to see more of Max's crew in here because we've spent so much time with our title teams and at this point all I want is to see more of the real big bads of this book. Let's jump into this issue and see what the Justice League do now that they're locked down in Belle Reve. Let's check it out.

Lord Almighty

Written by: Tim Seeley
Art by: Christian Duce, Mat Lopes and Richard Starkings
Cover Price: $2.99
Release Date: January 4, 2017

The Justice League vs Suicide Squad Event is in full swing and so there are going to be some tie-in books whether we like it or not. It doesn't bother me, as long as the books are good and feel necessary to the story. With that in mind, we take a break from the usual goings on in Justice League to get a Maxwell Lord origin story. He does seem like the big bad of the event, so this is something needed, right? Well, that is still up for debate. What do I mean? Let's find out...

Shade the Changing Girl #4
"Earth Girl Made Easy, Part 4: All Apologies"
by Cecil Castellucci
Illustrated by Marley Zarcone
Partial inks by Ande Parks
Colors by Kelly Fitzpatrick
Letters by Saida Temofonte
Cover by Becky Cloonan
Cover Price: $3.99
Release Date: 01.04.2016

**NON SPOILERS AND SCORE AT THE BOTTOM**

Shade the Changing Girl has rapidly become one of my monthly comics highlights. Let's see if that trend continues with its fourth installment!

Cruz Control

Written By: Sam Humphries

Art By: Eduardo Pansica, Ronan Cliquent, Julio Ferreira, Blond, Dave Sharpe

Cover Price: $2.99

Release Date: January 4, 2016

*Non Spoilers and Score At The Bottom*

It's time to put a cork in Frank Laminski and all his entitlement problems and while I started out really liking this Phantom Lantern story, it seems like a lot of it was just filler because it was essentially the same fight every issue just to get us to our ending. Hopefully this issue makes up for the rest because I would like to enjoy this arc and would like to see Frank Laminski stay around as long as there's something for him do to besides scream about his ring. Let's jump into this issue and see the fate of old Frankie boy and find out what Volthoom's plan for Rami has been.......... you know, since he's just been hanging out in a dank apartment with him this whole story. Let's check it out.

Midnighter's Inferno

Written by: Steve Orlando
Art by: Fernando Blanco, Romulo Fajardo Jr and Josh Reed
Cover Price: $3.99
Release Date: January 4, 2017

This book has been such a pleasant surprise and is really one of the books I look forward to reading and reviewing every time it comes out. I was not the biggest fan of Steve Orlando's DC You Midnighter book, but I did like the character and I loved Apollo. Together, Midnighter and Apollo hit all the right notes and trying to save Apollo really gives Midnighter's fight computer something to mull over. So, does this issue continue the hell of a good time? Let's find out...

Red Tool and Harley Quinn, Sittin’ in a Tree

Writers: Jimmy Palmiotti and Amanda Conner

Artists: John Timms

Colors: Hi-Fi

Letters: Dave Sharpe

Cover: Amanda Conner & Alex Sinclair

Cover Price: $2.99

On Sale Date: January 4, 2017

**NON SPOILERS AND SCORE AT THE BOTTOM**

First time I went to Coney Island was probably in 1992, when I was about 17 years old. It was and still is quite a shlep from my home in Northern Queens County, especially by subway. In this first instance, a bunch of us drove down…to look at Coney Island, I suppose, since none of us had been there before. We met up with a friend that wasn’t a neophyte, though everything you need to know about Coney Island is pretty much right there in front of you: Nathan’s Famous Franks, the Wonder Wheel, a boardwalk, some midway games, nothing beyond my expectations. I did ride the Cyclone, though, and wrenched my back badly. I’ve gone back dozens of times, but I only rode the Cyclone one other time! It’s a little chilly to be visiting Coney right now—I’m no member of the Polar Bear Club, after all—so why don’t we do it vicariously through the pages of the latest issue of Harley Quinn? Join me, won’t you?

A Whale of A Tale

Written By: Tim Seeley
Art By: Marcus To, Chris Sotomayor, Carlos M. Mangual
Cover Price: $2.99
Release Date January 4, 2017

*Non Spoilers and Score At The Bottom*

What up Nightwing? You can't even show up in a new town without getting yourself involved in a murder mystery? So much for all that "Me" time you were looking forward to. That's right, we've got two dead bodies and two members of a support group of former Gotham villains called "The Run-Offs" being blamed for them and since it looked like Nightwing was getting a little sweet on the member known as DeFacer, who also happens to be his new boss during his volunteering day job....... Well, I'm guessing he's not going to go and let her rot in some prison cell for something that he doesn't believe she did. Let's jump into this issue and see what answers Nightwing finds from the rest of The Run-Offs and from the streets of Bludhaven itself. Let's check it out.

Man in Black

Written by: Ben Percy
Art by: Eleonora Carlini, Carlos Rodriguez, Gus Vazquez, Hi-Fi and Nate Piekos
Cover Price: $2.99
Release Date: January 4, 2017

I have had a love-like relationship with Green Arrow and after last issue, I am more on the love side of things. While that is usually a great thing, it just means that I will fall back down in the lower category sooner than later. That's just how this book has been since Rebirth started and while it still is better than a bunch of others, it is just so damn inconsistent. So, does this third chapter of the Emerald Outlaw impress me as much as the last one? Let's find out...

Look At All Those Chickens Supermen

Written By: Peter J. Tomasi, Patrick Gleason

Art By: Ivan Reis, Joe Prado, Marcelo Maiolo, Rob Leigh

Cover Price: $2.99

Release Date: January 4, 2016

*Non Spoilers and Score At The Bottom*

It's time to get Superman back in action after he was forced to witness the marital problems between Frankenstein and his Bride and from what it looks like here, that action will be us dipping our toes back into the madness that was Grant Morrison's Multiversity series. Yeah, that series had a lot of fans, all I know though is that I felt like a bit ass dummy after reading it because Grant's concepts were way beyond my mental capacity........ that or it was just out there. Either way, it was a hassle to understand and hopefully with Tomasi and Gleason at the helm of this foray into that world, we'll be able to get a full understanding about what they're throwing at us. Let's jump into this issue and see why the Justice Incarnate needs to show up and what it has to do with our Man of Steel. Let's check it out.

Holo-Gram For Exxy

Written By: John Semper Jr.

Art By: Paul Pelletier, Will Conrad, Tony Kordos, Guy Majors, Rob Leigh

Cover Price: $2.99

Release Date: January 4, 2016

*Non Spoilers and Score At The Bottom*

This Frankenstein-esque story was kicked into overdrive last issue in my opinion, when we saw our hero discover that the bad guy of our Imitation of Life story has actually been walking around, impersonating his father right under his nose. Yeah, we all knew this, but it felt like it was about goddamn time Cyborg did as well, but the good times wouldn't last because as the previous issue ended we saw that this big bad had complete control over our hero and now that he had Variant at his disposal he no longer needed to keep up the ruse of being Dr. Silas Stone and didn't need to keep Cyborg active either. That's right, we ended last issue with Cyborg seemingly dying at the hands of his robot father's doppelganger, but don't worry........ I'm sure he'll be fine........ You know, since the series is continuing and all that. Let's jump into this issue and see how our hero goes about turning himself back on. Let's check it out.

Screwed To The Nth Degree

Written By: Marc Andreyko

Art By: Aaron Lopresti, Rodney Buchemi, John Livesay, Norm Rapmund, Sean Parsons, Blond, Josh Reed

Cover Price: $3.99

Release Date: January 4, 2016

*Non Spoilers and Score At The Bottom*

Let's jump back into space and see how Adam Strange and Hawkman are faring now that Thanagar and Rann have gone all cuckoo with Despero's attack. When we last left our heroes, they were heading off to Kalador to find Despero because they discovered that the villain had somehow gotten out of his cell on Earth and used the zeta-beam to take him back to his home world, where he then proceeded to slaughter all of the elders, who originally banished him before claiming himself the ruler of the planet. Too bad that it seemed that all of the people were all about it too because now Despero has a army on his side and all the Universe has is Hawkman and Adam Strange standing in his way. Let's jump into this issue and see if Alanna Strange in her grief for her father's death has gone and made matters worse between the Rannians and the Thanagarians and hopefully find out what Despero's master plan is. Let's check it out.

The Atomic Age

Written By: Cary Bates, Greg Weisman

Art By: Will Conrad, Ivan Nunes, Saida Temofonte

Cover Price: $2.99

Release Date: January 4, 2017

*Non Spoilers and Score At The Bottom*

Wow, it's been a long time Captain Atom. I guess with this whole Watchmen connection that Rebirth is playing at that DC Comics wants to get its big powerhouse back in action, what with Captain Atom being the basis for Dr. Manhattan. Now, this issue does have things that make you think it could be in continuity with the events of the New 52....... but really, Captain Atom has been so wonky with his time travel to the 31st Century when he showed up in Firestorm and then going back in time at the end of Legion Lost........ Well, who knows what's what because they certainly don't reference any of that in this first issue. So really, if you read the New 52 Captain Atom series....... which seems doubtful, but if you did, then you're right in line with what this first issue is offering you, but if you didn't, it will throw enough information at you to catch you up a bit. Let's jump into this issue and see the Fall of Captain Atom before as the title suggests, his eventual rise. Let's check it out.

The Few, the Proud, the Fishy

Writer: Dan Abnett

Artist: Philippe Briones

Colorist: Gabe Eltaeb

Letterer: Pat Brosseau

Cover: Brad Walker, Andrew Hennessy & Gabe Eltaeb

Cover Price: $2.99

On Sale Date: January 4, 2017

**NON SPOILERS AND SCORE AT THE BOTTOM**

You know, if the U.S. military actually had a team of genetically-modified fish people for use in water-based operations, they wouldn’t call them the Aquamarines. Don’t get me wrong, it’s a perfect name that describes the group perfectly. But the real U.S. military would name them something boring, like Tactical Specialists, Aquatic Division with an innocuous code name like Operation Puppy Love. Anyway, we’re about to see the Aquamarines leap…or sort of shoot into the water like torpedoes, I suppose, into action! So let’s hop to it and read my review!

The Cat and the Bat

Written by: Tom King
Art by: Mitch Gerards and Clayton Cowles
Cover Price: $2.99
Release Date: January 4, 2017

I am not talking out of school when I say that I was disappointed with how the I Am Suicide arc ended so I am looking at this epilogue to ease my pain. Is that too much to ask from a two part Batman/Catwoman story? Probably, but a man can dream, right? So, does Tom King show us that he had a little more up his sleeve then we saw in Santa Prisca? Let's find out...

Weird Science Best of 2016 Awards: Best Issue / Best Story Arc / Biggest Moment

It's day two of the Weirdies and this one is all about issues and moments. This is the first bunch of awards that really point out the split year that DC Comics had with the New 52/DC You turning into Rebirth in June. This is the 2016 awards so that means we had to take the entire year into account...even if Eric didn't want to!

Written by: Ben Percy
Art by: Eleonora Carlini, Carlos Rodriguez, Gus Vazquez, Hi-Fi and Nate Piekos
Cover Price: $2.99
Release Date: January 4, 2017

“EMERALD OUTLAW” part three! Tension in Seattle reaches fever pitch when the media begins to question Green Arrow’s involvement in a series of murders committed by an archer with unmatched skills. If the police can’t catch this mysterious archer, can Green Arrow and Black Canary? Plus, the rogue police officer Ollie humiliated in a viral video returns to take the law into his own hands.

I think we are forgetting the real victims here...the Seattle Hawk fans. They were just minding their own business, cheering on their team and then BAM! Dead Quarterback!!! I guess that kills their playoff chances!!!

Written by: Tom King

Art by: Mitch Gerards and Clayton Cowles
Cover Price: $2.99
Release Date: January 4, 2017

“I AM SUICIDE” epilogue! Back in Gotham City, Batman and Catwoman confront their past and make a decision about their future that may change their city forever.

I am normally not a huge fan of epilogue issues, but after the I AM Suicide arc, I want more. More Catwoman. More Batman and Catwoman. More Answers. Especially the last one!!!

Written By: Joshua Williamson
Art By: Jesus Merino, Andy Owens, Alex Sinclair, Jeremiah Skipper, Rob Leigh
Cover Price: $3.99
Release Date: January 4, 2017

Belle Reve Penitentiary. Headquarters of Task Force X, home to the worst super-criminal scum in the DC Universe and new residence of…the Justice League?! The Suicide Squad delight in showing Earth’s greatest heroes how the other side lives, and you’d better believe the Justice League needs to be restrained to hear the terrible secret Amanda Waller has to tell them.

I've really been enjoying this event so far and I can't wait to get more info about Maxwell Lord's plans and what his new crew will bring to the table.

Written By: Tim Seeley
Art By: Marcus To, Chris Sotomayor, Carlos M. Mangual
Cover Price: $2.99
Release Date January 4, 2017

“BLUDHAVEN” part three! The body count in Blüdhaven continues to rise! Nightwing will have to team up with the Run-Offs to discover who the murderer is and clear the name of the Defacer. But before they can even begin they cross paths with the killer, Orca, and her Whaler Gang.

I'm so happy that the quality of this book has improved since Nightwing's arrival to Bludhaven because it was rally bumming me out in the earlier issues when I couldn't be a fan of this series. That's changed now and this has become one of the books that I look forward to the most.

Navigation

Saturday, January 7, 2017

Friday, January 6, 2017

Thursday, January 5, 2017

Wednesday, January 4, 2017

The Enemy of My Enemy

Lord Almighty

Cruz Control

Midnighter's Inferno

A Whale of A Tale

Man in Black

Look At All Those Chickens Supermen

Holo-Gram For Exxy

Screwed To The Nth Degree

The Atomic Age

The Cat and the Bat

Tuesday, January 3, 2017