Weird Science DC Comics: 2017-04-02

Saturday, April 8, 2017

Nancy Drew and the Hardy Boys: The Big Lie #2 Review (Advance Review)

Big Lie Big Idea

Written by: Anthony del Col

Art by: Werther Dell'edera
Colours by: Stefano Simeone
Letters by: Simon Bowland
Cover Price: $3.99

Release Date: April 12, 2017

Okay. Confession time. When I was a kid, I read a lot of stuff. Doctor Who novelisations were my main obsession, but there were a ton of popular children’s book series I was into in addition to the adventures of the man with the long scarf and the mop of curly hair and the floppy broad-brimmed hat. The Hardy Boys and, to a lesser extent, Nancy Drew were among them. Those stories offered a mix of atmosphere, mystery, incident and intrigue. The Hardy Boys and Nancy themselves were, well, a little dull – too clean cut, too earnest to be truly compelling protagonists, but the stories themselves were fun. In Dynamite’s reimagining of the characters, that sense of fun and mystery is still there. To an extent.

Writer: John Layman
Artist: Sam Keith
Colorist: Ronda Pattison
Letterer: John Layman
Cover: Sam Keith
Cover Price: $3.99
Release Date: April 5, 2017
Review by: Ryan Douglas

Lives in a dream

Not being familiar with John Layman’s work, Sam Keith was the selling point for me. I’ve been a big fan of The Maxx since I was a kid seeing him on MTV’s Liquid Television. Once I got older I continued that childhood memory by reading The Maxx comics. With that being said I wanted to give this title a chance and see what it has to offer. This sort of story wouldn’t normally appeal to me. But I’m going out of my comfort zone to see if they can keep me around to continues this series.

Tricks and Revelations

Story by: Neil Gaiman
Layouts by: P Craig Russell
Art by: Scott Hampton

Cover Price: $3.99

Release Date: April 12, 2017

Hear that? That sound of punches flying, mysteries swirling mysteriously and antagonists finally showing up to throw shade at our (anti)hero? That’s the sound of Dark Horse’s adaptation of American Gods finally hitting its stride, that is. And I, for one, am very relieved. It is, after all, an uncomfortable feeling reviewing the comic version of an iconic story and finding it… underwhelming. That is not, fortunately, the case with this issue. Read on and I’ll explain why.

Story by: Jason Latour, Ivan Brandon
Script by: Ivan Brandon
Artist: Greg Hinkle
Color: Matt Wilson
Color Flats: Dee Cunniffe
Letter: Aditya Bidikar
Logo and Design: Tom Muller
Cover: Greg Hinkle, Matt Wilson
Cover Price: $3.99
Release Date: April 5, 2017

You're a wacka-do

The cover and title name alone grabbed my attention to give this new series a try. Let’s see if this jumping on point will keep me around to add Black Cloud to my pile.

Writer: Daniel Warren Johnson

Artist: Daniel Warren Johnson
Cover Price: $3.99
Release Date: April 5, 2017
Publisher: Image

Daniel Warren Johnson’s Extremity was a surprise hit for me last month. After some other books with a sole person taking on art and writing duties I was highly surprised by the visceral art with a great start to a story in toe. So without further ado I’m going to jump right into this review. (I’m Rhyming Morty!!)

Written By: Alan Martin
Drawn and Lettered By: Brett Parson
Cover Artist: Brett Parson
Cover Price: $3.99
Release Date: April 5, 2017
Review by: Ryan Douglas

Look at you with your mind spinnin'

Waiting a month sometimes two for the next issue of Tank Girl can feel like ages. But it's always made up for any delays with the fun storytelling. Tank Girl and her friends have time traveled and landed in World War One to find their friends Jet Girl and Sub Girl. Before things can come to a conclusion though, Tank Girl will have to lead an army before she can reunite with her time displaced friends. Let's join the team and see what they're up to.

DC Comics Best Covers of the Week 4/5/17

A Day Late and $2.99 Short

I usually get these lists up on Thursday, but I have a very good reason for why I didn't have this ready yesterday: I forgot! This was one of those "extra long" weeks for me, where I thought yesterday was Friday, while considering it from the vantage point of Wednesday...anyway, enough excuses! On to the absolute best covers from DC Comics this week, no foolin'!

Jim and Eric get together to talk about two books for the spotlight...Superman #20 and Green Arrow #20. Do they get the answers they are looking for or will they yell and scream at each other for an hour? A little from column A and a little from column B...

Welcome to another exciting edition of Top 5 Fridays! While there were quite a few great comics this week, I feel we should turn our attention to the CWverse for this week. Legends of Tomorrow just wrapped up their second season in a finale that could potentially shake the entire universe to which corner. The one thing that I always look forward to after the season is concluded is trying to guess what new heroes and threats will come in the following season that would trump the heroes and threats. For example, in Arrow, we started with Merlyn, then step up to Deathstroke, with season 3 taking on one of the most dangerous organizations in the world, The League of Assassins. For Legends, this may prove difficult as the new heroes and the Legion of Doom were probably the best things to come to the show. Today I am going to list a few characters that I feel would fit in the show that could create either good allies, enemies, or just have a fun episode with. As always this is an opinion based list so if you don't see a character you were hoping for, I apologize. With the formalities out-of-the-way, let's jump into the Waverider and take off into this list!

Everafter: From the Pages of Fables #8 Review

Written by : Dave Justus and Lillah Sturges
Art by: Travis Moore and Michael E Wiggam
Cover Price: $3.99
Release Date: April 5, 2017
Review by: Travis Laborde

I'm glad to say we seem to be getting back to the main story after the last two issues were really side-trips that we don't really see the full impact of yet. The art seems to be back to normal as well, so I can definitely say "welcome back Travis Moore!" Yet, this story is again not very much about the main characters, but instead about Tanner. Remember Tanner?

Planet of the Apes / Green Lantern #1 Review

Story by: Robbie Thompson
Written by: Justin Jordan
Art by: Barnaby Bagenda and Alex Guimarães

Cover Price: $3.99

Release Date: February 1, 2017

Review by: Jeremy Daw

DC fans are experiencing something of a crossover renaissance at the moment. Batman’s hanging out with the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles on what seems to be a semi-regular basis. The Justice League is currently teaming up with the Power Rangers. Heck, even He-Man and the Thundercats are getting in on the team-up fun. Already in the middle of a sequel to last year’s well-regarded adventure in the Star Trek universe, the Green Lantern gets yet another slice of the crossover pie – this time dipping his toe into the world of one of the most iconic sci-fi movie franchises of all time. Yes, it’s the Planet of the Apes/Green Lantern crossover. Is it a bright shiny ring of a series? Or more of a banana skin? Let’s find out…

Blind Leading the Blind

Written by: Christopher Priest
Art by: Carlo Pagulayan, Roberto J. Viacava, Jason Paz, Sean Parsons, Jeromy Cox and Willie Shubert
Cover Price: $2.99
Release Date: April 5, 2017

Deathstoke is back again and the ending of last issue had me looking forward to this issue. Yea, it was mainly to see Slade in his "Twilight" outfit, but I also want to see if Power Girl is still alive. She better be, Christopher! Do you hear me?!?! So, what does Priest have in store for us this issue? Let's find out...

Extraterrestrial Bucket List

Shade the Changing Girl #7
"Dance Me to the End"

Written By: Cecil Castellucci
Illustrated By: Marguerite Sauvage
Lettered By: Saida Temofonte
Cover Price: $3.99
On Sale Date: April 5, 2017

Hey, wait a sec... that's not our normal Shade the Changing Girl artist...

Should we be worried? I suppose we ought to find out...

Flash Forward

Written by: Ben Percy
Art by: Eleonora Carlini, Mirka Andolfo, Arif Prianto and Nate Piekos
Cover Price: $2.99
Release Date: April 5, 2017

The Return of Roy Harper is coming to a conclusion and while I have been enjoying this arc, it's all about the flashbacks for me. Yea, Ben Percy has worked hard to set up everything with Roy and Oliver fighting the good fight on the Rez, but the fun of the past is where it's at for me. I know not everything in the Green Arrow/Speedy past is fun, but it's just fun seeing them together. So, is this issue more of the same or does Percy bring things around to make the present day stuff more kick ass? Let's find out...

Take Me to the Strange Water

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: April 5, 2017

**NON SPOILERS AND SCORE AT THE BOTTOM**

Last we left this book, Dead Water showed up in some clandestine mining aquarium and was about to eviscerate everyone—including Aquaman! So let’s not dilly dally, folks! Here’s my review of Aquaman #20, right now!

Girls like Scars

Written by: Justin Jordan

Art by: Ibrahim Moustafa, Jordan Boyd, Josh Reed

Cover Price: $3.99

Release Date: April 5, 2017

Besides Scott Snyder’s incredible run on American Vampire and Tom King’s breathtaking Sheriff of Babylon. I have been searching for another Vertigo title that can hook me in like these other books have and I must say that Savage Things has done that and much more.

A Conspiracy of Cannibals

Writers: Amanda Conner & Jimmy Palmiotti

Artist: John Timms

Inks: Marc Deering

Back-up Writers: Paul Dini & Jimmy Palmiotti

Back-up Pencils: Bret Blevins

Back-up Inks: Jay Bone

Colors: Alex Sinclair

Letters: Dave Sharpe

Cover By: Amanda Conner

Cover Price: $2.99

On Sale Date: April 5, 2017

**NON SPOILERS AND SCORE AT THE BOTTOM**

Something funny is going on here. If you look at the solicit copy from yesterday’s preview post, you see this is meant to be some kind of story about Harley Sinn…but I can tell you now, most of this book is not about Harley Sinn. In fact, it seems to be picking up the “eating homeless folks” story that was solicited for the past few issues. So what happened? Were Atlee and Power Girl in town, so they decided to strike while the iron was hot and squeeze in a quick story featuring them? I understand there are wheels within wheels when it comes to comics creation, but it seems like an extra story was shoehorned into the publishing plan for some reason. Ah well, just makes me curious I suppose, it doesn’t necessarily mean anything specific about the issue to hand. Speaking of which, here’s my review of the issue to hand, Harley Quinn #17!

DON'T DRINK THE MILK!

Written By: Patrick Gleason, Peter J. Tomasi

Art By: Patrick Gleason, Mick Gray, John Kalisz, Rob Leigh

Cover Price: $2.99
Release Date: April 5, 2017

*Non Spoilers and Score At The Bottom*

It's a post Reborn world we're living in now boys and girls and with that, hopefully some answers to what all that means going forward. Yeah, in the Reborn crossover we saw the red energy of the New 52 Superman and Lois combine with the blue energy of the Pre-Flashpoint Superman and Lois and with that........ the memories of both merged, creating a world where the people closest to the Kents will know them for their actions during the New 52 and the previous continuity....... Yeah, I don't exactly know what this mean, like did Superman go out for a pack of smokes one night and spent some time banging Wonder Woman, while Lois and Jon were at home? Who knows? What we will get is a bit of hope back in the DC Universe and in our lives because at least now we won't have to distinguish what Superman we're talking about anymore because all have become one. Let's jump into this issue and see if any answers are thrown our way and if not at the very least we'll get to see what our new arc has in store for us. Let's check it out.

Do No Harm

Written By: Sam Humphries

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

Cover Price: $2.99
Release Date: April 5, 2017

*Non Spoilers and Score At The Bottom*

I hope that Simon and Jessica's willpower is up to the task to take down Dr. Polaris because from what we saw last issue............ Yeah, it was lacking a bit. That's right, the good Doctor went and kicked the shit out of our heroes and trapped them in a collection of cars and sank them to the bottom of the river, but maybe they had it coming because even though Dr. Neil Emerson is out of his goddamned mind most of the time, he's using his genius to try and save his brother from a brain tumor........ which according to this comic, before becoming Dr. Polaris, he was on the verge of curing cancer before becoming disgraced by the medical community.......... for some reason. Let's jump into this issue and see if Dr. Polaris can cure his brother before Simon and Jessica come a callin' and really feel the full force of Dr. Polaris' magnetic personality. Let's check it out.

Written by: Bryan Hitch

Art by: Fernando Pasarin, Matt Ryan, Brad Anderson and Richard Starkings
Cover Price: $2.99
Release Date: April 5, 2017

The Timeless story rages on and this issue is a bit of a make or break one for me. I have enjoyed this arc more than what we've gotten previously from this Rebirth series, but the scale is starting to tilt to the "not do good" side after last issue. Bryan Hitch seems to have some good ideas with this end of the universe/end of time story, but they are all caught under an avalanche of changing rules, hokey dialogue and morphing plot beats. However, it may no longer be March, but he can end this madness and turn everything around with a couple of well drawn out plays and some solid defense, right? I don't know what the hell I'm talking about now, but hopefully Hitch does and can pull a victory out of impending defeat. Is this one of the greatest comebacks since Frank Reich or is this another case of wasted potential the likes of which haven't been seen since JaMarcus Russell? Let's find out... (sorry for mixing sports, I am a dummy like that!)

Getting Hurt

Written By: Tim Seeley

Art By: Javier Fernandez, Minkyu Jung, Chris Sotomayor, Carlos M. Mangual

Cover Price: $2.99
Release Date: April 5, 2017

*Non Spoilers and Score At The Bottom*

We're currently in France, where Nightwing and Robin have tracked Shawn Tsang to and after a fight with Dick's double, Deathwing and being saved by Damian's double, who simply goes as Robin, we find out that our foes were actually dollotrons created by Professor Pyg. The one thing that I found odd about the previous issue, besides for Deathwing somehow getting to France before our heroes was the fact that both Deathwing and the dollotron Robin had both Dick and Damian's memories and maybe I'm just forgetting about what Professor Pyg knew about our heroes in the previous continuity, but this comes off odd as hell to me. Let's jump into this issue and see if Tim Seeley goes and explains himself and hopefully see Shawn Tsang rescued by our hero. Let's check it out.

Digital Nightmare

Written By: John Semper Jr.
Art By: Will Conrad, Tom Derenick, Tony Kordos, Ivan Nunes, Guy Major, Rob Leigh
Cover Price: $3.99
Release Date: April 5, 2017

*Non Spoilers and Score At The Bottom*

Cyborg's hit its new monthly schedule and with that a price hike to piss everyone off. Really though, if this series were better, I don't think that it becoming a dollar more an issue would be all that bad, but since we're still dealing with the same story since the series began, it really feels like the nails on the coffin lid for this series. In the previous issue, we saw Exxy and the new superhero of Detroit, "Black Narcissus" help our hero with his malware problem, but it seems that Anomaly went and got himself some friends too in the form of Rizzo Rattama, who with the technology provided from him by Anomaly went and became the Lord of the Rats............. but seriously, with a name like Rizzo Rattama, who didn't see that job title coming to old Rizzo? So yeah, Cyborg's being engulfed by an army of rats controlled by a crazy eyed drug dealer, let's jump into this issue and see what's what.

Back To Work

Written By: Cary Bates, Greg Weisman

Art By: Will Conrad, Ivan Nunes, Saida Temofonte

Cover Price: $2.99

Release Date: April 5, 2017

*Non Spoilers and Score At The Bottom*

Captain Atom is now in our present time and rocking himself a new look and new powers........ Well, the same old powers really, just more stable with the added benefit of being able to turn back to human, but with that the sacrifice of not being able to travel into outer space anymore. Yeah, you win some you lose some, but Nathaniel Adam won't really have time to deal with that because after being welcomed/blackmailed back into General Eiling's employment, Captain Atom was made aware of the fact that he has a son out there and after having the shock that his wife died during his quantum time hop, I'm sure he'll want to find the boy and explain where he's been his entire life. Let's jump into this issue and see if Eiling continues to be a dick and if the Captain has himself a little father/son reunion. Let's check it out.

I am Satisfied

Written by: Tom King
Art by: David Finch, Danny Miki, Trevor Scott, Jordie Bellaire and Deron Bennett
Cover Price: $2.99
Release Date: April 5, 2017

This is the ending of the I am Bane arc and while some have their eyes on The Button story coming up next, I have been looking forward to this finale for a while. Yea, not just two week, but a while. Tom King has promised that as this story comes to an end, it will shed light on lot of things that have happened since the beginning of Rebirth and that sounds awesome to me. So, how does Batman and Bane beating the living crap out of each other give us some of the answers to some of the questions we've been asking? Let's find out...

PREVIEW: Nightwing #18

Written By: Tim Seeley

Art By: Javier Fernandez, Minkyu Jung, Chris Sotomayor, Carlos M. Mangual

Cover Price: $2.99

Release Date: April 5, 2017

“Nightwing Must Die” part three! Someone Dick loves is being held by one of the deranged foes of his past: Professor Pyg! Nightwing and Robin race to stop Pyg’s attack, but an even darker villain may be waiting for them in the aftermath…

Written By: Patrick Gleason, Peter J. Tomasi

Art By: Patrick Gleason, Mick Gray, John Kalisz, Rob Leigh

Cover Price: $2.99
Release Date: April 5, 2017

“Superman black” part one! A “Superman Reborn Aftermath” tie-in! As the smoke clears the Kents are faced with leaving Hamilton to go back to Metropolis, but someone or something doesn’t want them to leave! Batman and Robin discover something is mysteriously wrong with the son of Superman—he’s losing his powers!

Written By: Cary Bates, Greg Weisman

Art By: Will Conrad, Ivan Nunes, Saida Temofonte

Cover Price: $2.99

Release Date: April 5, 2017

“Shock and Awe” part four! After dealing with a nuclear explosion on live TV, Captain Atom begins an uphill battle to rebuild his life and reclaim his legacy. But events from his past lives come back to haunt him in ways he could have never imagined...

Navigation

Saturday, April 8, 2017

Big Lie Big Idea

Friday, April 7, 2017

Thursday, April 6, 2017

Wednesday, April 5, 2017

Blind Leading the Blind

Flash Forward

DON'T DRINK THE MILK!

Do No Harm

Getting Hurt

Digital Nightmare

Back To Work

I am Satisfied

Tuesday, April 4, 2017