Weird Science DC Comics: 2018-09-23

Saturday, September 29, 2018

Weird Science DC Comics Best Books of the Week 9/29/18

It was a huge week at the old Weird Science HQ with all these big books coming out. As you can see, we have a bunch of books that made the Best Books cut which may finally lay to rest the idea that we are a bunch of negative nancies. Yea, I doubt it, but it was worth a try! Here are what we thought were the Best Books of the Week...

Weird Science DC Comics Podcast Spotlight: Heroes in Crisis #1

It took a big book to bring it back, but the Weekly Spotlight has returned! The plan is to have it continue...maybe. Check out our Patreon (www.patreon.com/weirdscience) and for as little as $1 a month, you can help support the podcast and get a bunch of shows! This Week's Patreon Spotlight: Doomsday Clock #7 & Batman Kings of Fear #2

Scarlet #2 Review

The Revolution will be Televised

Writer: Brian Michael Bendis
Artist: Alex Maleev
Publisher: DC Comics
Release Date: September 26, 2018
Cover Price: $3.99
Review by: Ray Price

Are you ready for a revolution? Grab your pitchforks and suit up because we are heading back to the war-torn Portland to see how the revolution is going.

War is Heck

Face front, soldiers! In today's mission, Privates Chris (@AceComics) and Reggie (@reggiereggie) dive into the life and work of the beloved editor, writer--and cartoonist!--Archie Goodwin, when they read Atlas/Seaboard Publishing's Savage Combat Tales featuring Sgt. Stryker's Death Squad #1 from 1975! With the usual biographical information about the artists, this episode contains a full run-down of Archie Goodwin's career, along with many quotes by the people that worked with him and the man himself. Plus, our troops detail every moment of this seminal war comic in the usual fashion! Be sure to enlist for listening to this episode right away!

Blue and Gold and Laughs All Over

Written by: Keith Giffen and J.M. DeMatteis
Art by: Howard Porter
Cover Price: $2.99
Release Date: December 3, 2014

I have mentioned it in reviews and also in an article (HERE) that Justice League 3000 is one of the funniest books in the DC lineup and also one of my personal favorites. The whole "cloned" Justice League is so familiar and fresh at the same time and did I mention it's just plain fun? Unfortunately, the book hasn't caught on the way it should have so DeMatteis, Giffen and Porter are upping the ante and going for the comedy jugular...Blue Beetle and Booster Gold! Yep, Blue and Gold are in the house and they are as hilarious as you'd hope and even though the whole idea is bananas, they fit right in. That's the beauty of this book, almost anything can happen and it still makes sense. I suddenly have a huge conflict of interests, though. I love Booster and Beetle so much, I want this book to only be about them. However, the brief bit we get with the Justice League is also good, so is it crazy for me to ask for a book for each?

Head of the Class

Written by: Becky Cloonan and Brenden Fletcher
Art by: Karl Kerschl
Cover Price: $2.99
Release Date: October 1, 2014

I really am at a loss on how to start this review. I'm a grown man with five boys and here I am lying down and reading Gotham Academy, feet up behind me, giggling to myself and wishing I was a student in the book. Please, let me enroll now! I know that this book will draw lots of comparisons to Harry Potter and for good reason...it's so magical. I may not be the target age, but I don't care. I'm in. DC, I'll forgive you for the Futures End Event and any other misstep if you keep giving us books like this.

Revelations

Written by: Tom King
Art by: Barnaby Bagenda and Romulo Fajardo Jr.
Cover Price: $2.99
Release Date: June 3, 2015

The Omega Men may not be new, but the hype for them is. I am a fan of Tom King, but I have to admit, if DC didn't release the sneak peek for this book, it would have probably been off my radar completely. Of course, that's not here nor there because the preview was released and I'm sure my interest wasn't the only one it grabbed. For those who didn't read it, the Omega Men killed Kyle Rayner in it. You heard me right...killed Kyle Rayner. While it was a little too Isis for me when I first read it, seeing and then thinking about it had me intrigued and excited about this book. Was the wait worth it and did it live up to the hype? Let's find out.

When Can I Be Robin?

Written By: Lee Bermejo
Art By: Jorge Corona, Rob Haynes, Trish Mulvihill, Khary Randolph, Emilio Lopez
Cover Price: $3.99
Release Date: June 24, 2015
Review by: Eric Shea

*Non Spoilers and Score At The Bottom*

I was really interested in this title when it was announced because funny enough, one of the things I love most about Batman...... is Robin. That's right, I'm more of a Robin fan than the Dark Knight himself and the title of this book really captured my imagination. Then I saw the Sneak Peek and saw all the texting going on and simply dismissed this as another series that DC was trying to incorporate "things that the kids do" as a way to get new younger readers instead of just telling an intriguing story. Hopefully, I'm wrong and this is a story that will be remembered for a long time as the era that inspired the people of Gotham themselves to become the sidekick to the Caped Crusader and do what needed to be done in the Batman's absence. Let's check out WE ARE ROBIN and find out.

Agent Dick

Written by: Tim Seeley
Art by: Mikel Janin
Cover Price: $2.99
Release Date: July 9, 2014

Dick Grayson has gone through more changes than (insert pop diva here) during a concert. Robin, Batman, Nightwing...and like a great acrobat, he always lands on his feet. That doesn't mean things don't get hairy. Forever Evil stripped him of his secret identity and his life. However, you can't keep a good Dick down. When this book was announced there was a huge outcry. Dick Grayson, a Secret Agent? Preposterous! Listen, I'll do almost anything to keep Dick Grayson going in any book, but even I was skeptical. Then I read Nightwing #30 which was a lead into this book and became despondent. I'm relieved to tell you, Dick is a great Secret Agent and this is the start of what could become a really damn good book.

For The Birds

Written By: Tom King
Art By: Khary Randolph, Alain Mauricet, Jorge Corona, Andres Guinaldo, Walden Wong, Emilio Lopez, Chris Sotomayor, Gabe Eltaeb, Sandra Molina, Rob Haynes, Carlos M. Mangual, Tom Napolitano
Cover Price: $4.99
Release Date: December 2, 2015

Review by: Eric Shea

*Non Spoilers and Score At The Bottom*

I've been waiting for this event for awhile........ Hell, I've been waiting for this event before it was even announced because I just love the idea of a book dealing with all the Robins. Even though it might sound like heresy, I love Robin way more than I love Batman....... maybe it has something to do with that whole thing where imagining myself as Batman is way harder than imagining myself as a young partner next to him..........even though I'm not that young anymore. Still, I love the idea of this book and with the added attraction of having the We Are Robins crew involved, well I couldn't be happier because that book came out of nowhere and became one of my favorite new titles that came out in June...... That's right, everything's coming up Milhouse. Let's jump into this issue and see if all my excitement was worth it. Let's check it out.

Jenny Frison wins, anywhere on the list.

To Make it Clear, Jenny Frison Wins Every Week

Sometimes, I struggle to pick five covers for my Best of the Week list. And whenever that happens, you can usually count on the Jenny Frison-drawn variant cover for Wonder Woman taking the top slot. It occurs to me that I have been mishandling the situation, because Jenny Frison's covers are nearly always among the best offered whenever they're available. I intend to remedy this in the future, and consider Frison's covers more equitably in the future, but let me state in this space, for now and all time: when Jenny Frison's work is in the mix, she should be on the list. Jenny Frison wins.

The Silencer #9 Review

Storytellers: Patrick Zircher and Dan Abnett
Art by: Patrick Zircher, Mike Spicer, and Tom Napolitano
Cover Price: $2.99
Release Date: September 26, 2018

The Silencer remains the top book among the New Age of DC Heroes crop. This issue was a lot of fun, but I'd prefer to have a faster-paced story rather than an issue focusing on this odd detour.

Blood for the Blood Cult

Written By: Dan Abnett
Art By: Brent Peeples, Matt Santorelli, Hi-Fi
Letters By: Dave Sharpe
Cover Price: $3.99
Release Date: September 26, 2018

*Non Spoilers and Score At The Bottom*

Titans has been a bit of a let down since the new team was formed but the latest issue was one that I very much enjoyed. It wasn’t perfect but the latest issue was tons of fun and resolved one of the biggest issues that I was having with this series. Considering that issue is taken care of now, I can’t wait to see more of this series. I’m hoping that it will pick up where it left off in the last issue and give us some really great storytelling. However, we still haven’t addressed how Raven’s soul is lost in that fantasy world and how that is affecting her in the real world. In addition, we now know that the Blood Cult is involved with the emergent events and they are being led by Mother Mayhem. Let’s just jump right in and see where this issue takes us.

Oh For Goodness Sage…

Written By: Joshua Williamson

Art By: Scott Kolins, Luis Guerrero

Letters By: Steve Wands

Cover Price: $3.99

Release Date: September 26, 2018

*Non Spoilers and Score At The Bottom*

Admittedly the previous issue of this series was lacking in quite a few areas but nevertheless I still really enjoyed it. However, I have to admit that we didn’t really learn anything from our excursion with the Strength Force and the final scenes involved a fairly forced conversation. However, at least the issue had some great art and was emotionally charged. Ultimately though, that story ended without giving us any real answers. Now we are going to be moving forward without having learned anything. Perhaps this issue will give us the answers we seek and will blow us away. So let’s just jump right into this next issue.

New Teen Night-ans

Writer: Marv Wolfman
Artist: Pop Mhan
Colorist: Lovern Kindzierski
Letterer: Saida Temofonte
Cover Art: Cully Hamner
Assistant Editor: Michael McCalister
Group Editor: Marie Javins
Strange Visitor: Joey Cavalieri
Cover Price: $3.99
On Sale Date: September 26, 2018

Anytime I read a review... of anything, I think the undertaking looks extremely easy. Something that anybody ought to be able to do. For some, it's just second nature to turn an analytical eye to any given subject.

For others, like myself... it's a bit of a struggle. Even worse, there are times when a given subject just defies review... it gives so little to sink ones teeth into, that I'm at you're left at a complete loss for things to say.

I say all of that, so that I might say this... it's time to talk about the latest issue of Raven: Daughter of Darkness.

Dream Warrior

Writer: Scott Peterson
Artist: Kelley Jones
Cover Price: $3.99
Release Date: September 26, 2018

This book kind of came out of nowhere and for me, it came at the right time. There is nothing like being frustrated with the main Batman run to get you excited about an old-school feeling Bat-book with classic villains and the Dark Knight punching his way out of trouble. Of course, that does lead him into trouble and the last issue ended with a cool cliffhanger that had me excited for this issue to get here. Was it worth the wait? Let's find out...

Take A Bow

Written by: Steve Orlando
Art by: Raul Allen and Patricia Martin
Colours by: Borja Pindado
Letters by: Saida Temafonte
Cover Price: $3.99
Release Date: September 25, 2018

I must confess that Steve Orlando's short run (which ends this issue) on this title has been less terrible than I'd expected. While a number of problems that are pronounced enough in the writer's work to earn the adjective 'Orlando-esque' have persisted, there has nevertheless been a thematic coherency to the five issues that has been very welcome – namely a clear focus on Wonder Woman's compassion and peace-making, on her dignity and moral strength. This continues with the current issue which, while by no means perfect, manages to leave this reader at least with a rather pleasant feeling of satisfaction.

Scaredy Matt

Written By: Dan Jurgens

Art By: Will Conrad, David Baron, Travis Lanham

Cover Price: $3.99
Release Date: September 26, 2018

Thirty-Five years from now Batman is fighting for his life because all of Neo Gotham has lost their mind because thanks to the new Scarecrow, everyone thinks that Batman is some sort of monster. It wouldn't be too bad if he had some help, but even his brother Matt, the new Robin has lost his wits too and is attacking him. Let's jump into this issue and see how Terry can overcome this fear and shut the new Scarecrow down. Let's check it out.

Get Along with Tom Strong

Storytellers: Dale Eaglesham & Jeff Lemire

Colors: Mike Atiyeh

Letters: Tom Napolitano

Cover: Eaglesham & Ivan Nunes

Assistant Editor: Andrew Marino

Editor: Paul Kaminski

Group Editor: Marie Javins

Cover Price: $2.99

On Sale Date: September 26, 2018

**NON SPOILERS AND SCORE AT THE BOTTOM**

Umm…something with Tom Strong, wasn’t it? I hope there’s some kind of recap to catch me up to speed with what’s happening in The Terrifics #8, which I have reviewed below!

Electric Bills

Writer: James Robinson
Artist: Stephen Segovia, Ivan Plascencia, and Rob Leigh
Cover Price: $3.99
Release Date: September 26, 2018

I really liked the first issue of James Robinson's run on Detective. It felt different and while some thought a little too much so when it came to Jim Gordon and Batman's interaction, I had no problems with it at all. In fact, I thought Robinson did the best job of showing two characters coming out of the recent problems that both have faced than any other book so far. We are past that now and move into this issue where I am looking forward to some more detective work and unraveling the mystery that Batman has uncovered. Is it any good? Let's find out...

The Downside of Upside-Down

Writer: James Tynion IV

Pencils: Alvaro Martínez Bueno

Inks: Raul Fernandez

Colors: Brad Anderson

Letters: Rob Leigh

Cover: Martinez Bueno, Fernandez, Anderson

Variant Cover: Greg Capullo, Jonathan Glapion, Fco Plascencia

Assistant Editor: Andrew Marino

Editor: Rebecca Taylor

Group Editor: Marie Javins

Cover Price: $3.99

On Sale Date: September 26, 2018

**NON SPOILERS AND SCORE AT THE BOTTOM**

I don’t get spooked by horror comics normally, but I have to admit that the final page of the last issue gave me the willies. And I liked it! At my age, willies is sometimes as good as it gets. Here’s hoping for more boogums and haints in the third issue of Justice League Dark, which I’ve reviewed right here!

Push It to the Limit

Writer: Mairghread Scott

Penciller: Paul Pelletier

Inker: Norm Rapmund

Colorist: Jordie Bellaire

Letterer: Deron Bennett

Main Cover Artists: Sean Murphy & Matt Hollingsworth

Variant Cover Artist: Joshua Middleton

Editor: Brittany Holzherr

Group Editor: Jamie S. Rich

Cover Price: $3.99

On Sale Date: September 26, 2018

**NON SPOILERS AND SCORE AT THE BOTTOM**

I’ve been wondering about this book since the last issue, and it’s sort of a new feeling! I want to know what’s up with Barbara’s psychedelic chip trips and the murders being pinned on Grotesque. And maybe we’ll find out all about it, in my review of Batgirl #27! Stranger things have happened.

Purse Full of Kryptonite

Written By: Brian Michael Bendis

Art By: Yanick Paquette, Nathan Fairbairn, Josh Reed

Cover Price: $3.99

Release Date: September 26, 2018

It's back to the hustle and bustle of big city journalism with this title, you know, since we deal with Daily Planet stuff in Action Comics. Yeah, it sounds like I'm making fun and I guess I am a little, but between this and the Superman title, I'll take this every time because while you do get the mundane, you're also getting a very interesting concept about how the smaller criminals of Metropolis work in a city that's protected by our Man of Steel. Let's jump into this issue and see if we get any answers to Robinson Goode getting Kryptonite or Superman's run-in with Lois, who he believed to be off in space. Let's check it out.

Opera in Space

Writer: Joshua Williamson
Artist: Stjepan Sejic and Deron Bennett
Cover Price: $3.99
Release Date: September 26, 2018

I have been waiting for this book to come out for what feels like forever. Well, it's finally here and I am going to just jump right into it. Is it any good and worth the wait? Let's find out...

The Doctor Is In

Written By: Geoff Johns

Art By: Gary Frank
Cover Price: $4.99
Release Date: September 26, 2018

Well, our two months are up and we can finally get back to what should be the biggest story going on at DC Comics right now. Lousy delays have seriously killed the hype of this book, but thankfully, with the strength of the last issue, this wait in between didn't feel so long and now that we're on the last half of the series I feel that we're finally going to get to the meat and cheese of the book and that's an exciting prospect. Alright, let's jump into this and see if it was worth the wait. Let's check it out.

There is no Sanctuary

Writer: Tom King

Artist: Clay Mann

Colors: Tomeu Morey

Letters: Clayton Cowles

Cover By: Clay Mann and Tomeu Morey

Variant Covers By: J.G. Jones & Paul Mounts; Francesco Mattina, Mark Brooks, Ryan Sook

Associate Editor: Brittany Holzherr

Editor: Jamie S. Rich

Cover Price: $3.99

On Sale Date: September 26, 2018

**NON SPOILERS AND SCORE AT THE BOTTOM**

Oh boy, there’s a Crisis afoot, and the skies aren’t even red…yet! It’s the Autumn--event? That we’ve all been waiting for, Heroes in Crisis! Let’s jump right into that ol’ number one issue and see what all the fuss is about.

PREVIEW: Batman: Kings of Fear #2

Writer: Scott Peterson
Artist: Kelley Jones
Publisher: DC Comics
Release Date: September 26, 2018
Cover Price: $3.99

Scarecrow is loose in the streets of Gotham City, and Batman must drag him back to Arkham Asylum! To make matters worse, he’s doused Batman with the strongest batch of fear gas in his arsenal, turning the city the Dark Knight Detective protects into his worst nightmare and enemy!

Navigation

Saturday, September 29, 2018

Friday, September 28, 2018

Thursday, September 27, 2018

Revelations

When Can I Be Robin?

For The Birds

Wednesday, September 26, 2018

Blood for the Blood Cult

Oh For Goodness Sage…

Scaredy Matt

Purse Full of Kryptonite

The Doctor Is In

Tuesday, September 25, 2018