The Unexpected #7 Review and Spoilers

Penultimate Peril, Prosaically Purveyed

Written by: Steve Orlando

Art by: Ronan Cliquet

Colours by: Jeromy Cox

Letters by: Carlos M Mangual

Published by: DC Comics

Cover price: $2.99

Well, here we are. The penultimate issue of The Unexpected. Usually, a reviewer will start a review like this with a quick recap of what's happened in the series so far, but that's not going to happen, partly because Neon and Firebrand's breakneck journey across the DC Universe would essentially be a list of place names followed by "and then they fight…" followed by either the word "Quench" or the words "Onnimar Synn". Or the name of whichever guest star du jour was unlucky enough to be pulled out of the psychedelic Stetson that particular month. And partly it's because this review's already late, I've already done a Martian Manhunter review for the site this week and there really is only so much nonsense a man can take. Let's just get on with it, shall we? Alright, then.

Chris and Reggie's Cosmic Treadmill ep. 118 - MAD #4 (1953)

What, Me Worry?

Hello, fershlugginer comics fans! In this episode, pratfall experts Chris (@AceComics) and Reggie (@reggiereggie) take a look at the life of Harvey Kurtzman and the magazine that changed everything when they read MAD #4 from 1953! After a history of the publisher that begat the rag, they describe all four stories in the issue, providing some brief artist biographies, and concentrating their vocal abuse on "Supderduperman" and "The Shadow!" After a break, the Assistants to the Assistant Copy Boy continue discussing Kurtzman and MAD magazine, including the iconic logo and a certain gap-toothed fellow that hasn't a care in the world. This episode is sure to drive any parents buggy, you don't want to miss it!

DC Comics Best Covers of the Week: December 5, 2018

Always Struggling to Populate

DC Comics puts out roughly six thousand titles per week, and yet I often find myself struggling to populate a "best of" list containing five. Is it because my standards are too high? Or is it because a lot of these covers would rate as pin-ups when I was a lad? Mind you, we had to use pennies instead of eyes back then, so everything looked a little blurry. On to the list, fully populated!

Suicide Squad Black Files #2 Review and **SPOILERS**

Life Inside the Blade

Writers: Mike W. Barr, Jai Nitz 

Artists: Philippe Briones, Scott Eaton 

Inks: Wayne Faucher 

Colorists: Gabe Eltaeb, Guy Major 

Letterer: Pat Brosseau 

Cover Artist: Cliff Richards 

Group Editor: Jim Chadwick 

Editor: Harvey Richards 

Cover Price: $4.99 

On Sale Date: December 5, 2018

**NON SPOILERS AND SCORE AT THE BOTTOM**

I guess we’ll be seeing this double-sized comic book for the next five months. I don’t know why I blanked on this even coming out, but it’s here now, so I’m gonna review it until it’s done, and there’s no more reviewin’ to do. Then I’ll corral my reviewin’ steers into the reviewer’s corral, an’ mosey on home to my ol’ reviewin’ cabin. Stoke a reviewin’ fire an’ heat some review beans, an’ think about all the things I’d like to review before I head off to that big reviewer’s paradise in the sky. Until that happens, I’ve reviewed Suicide Squad Black Files #2, and you can read it right now!

The Dreaming #4 Review and **SPOILERS**

Securing Our Ethereal Borders

Written By: Simon Spurrier 

Illustrated By: Bilquis Evely 

Colors By: Mat Lopes 

Letters By: Simon Bowland 

Cover By: Jae Lee & June Chung 

Edited By: Molly Mahan 

Associate Editor: Amedeo Turturro 

Assistant Editor: Maggie Howell 

Executive Editor: Mark Doyle 

Cover Price: $3.99 

On Sale Date: December 5, 2018

**NON SPOILERS AND SCORE AT THE BOTTOM**

Now that Judge Gallows is in charge of the Dreaming, I wonder if he’s set up road blocks to catch drunk drivers? Seems like something a Judge would implement first. I think it’s probably because they see so many of ‘em in court. But then…one would think they’d want to relax drunk driving laws to clear the courts’ backlogs. I can’t call it. Have a look at my review of The Dreaming #4, and maybe things will become clearer.

Harley Quinn #55 Review and **SPOILERS**

Merry Shrugmas

Writer: Sam Humphries 

Artist: John Timms 

Colors: Alex Sinclair 

Letters: Dave Sharpe 

Cover: Guillem March & Arif Prianto 

Variant Cover: Frank Cho 

Assistant Editor: Andrea Shea 

Editor: Alex Antone 

Group Editor: Brian Cunningham 

Cover Price: $3.99 

On Sale Date: December 5, 2018

**NON SPOILERS AND SCORE AT THE BOTTOM**

Christmas, Christmas time is here, time for boobs and time for beer. That’s not the song? What are people celebrating, then? The birth of what? I don’t wanna hear any of that noise. Just move on to reading my review of Harley Quinn #55, and we’ll forget the conversation ever happened.

Martian Manhunter #1 Review and Spoilers

The Chances of Anything Coming From Mars…

Written by: Steve Orlando

Art by: Riley Rossmo
Colours by: Ivan Plascencia
Letters by: Deron Bennett
Published by: DC Comics
Price: $3.99

When hearing the words 'Martian Manhunter', which three words first spring to your mind? Fire? Shape-changing? Invisibility? For me, it's probably: strength, dignity and Oreos. But that's probably just me. I've always had a soft spot for J'onn J'onnz. His tenure as a member of various incarnations of the Justice League in the 80s and early 90s included some of that team's stint in Detroit and the extraordinarily fun Giffen/DeMatteis run. Throughout, the character possessed the kind of dry, understated wit that was tailor-made for a teenage me who had just discovered sarcasm and was exploring the possibilities offered by sardonic irony. (And, yes, I was mostly insufferable to be around back then…) The question, I suppose, is what kind of Martian Manhunter am I going to find in this series? Well, we're not going to find out if we just hang around in the introduction all day, are we?

Red Hood and the Outlaws #29 Review

Bustin' Chops and Apple Sauce

Written By: Scott Lobdell

Art By: Pete Woods, Rex Lokus, Troy Peteri

Cover Price: $3.99
Release Date: December 5, 2018

Yeah, I'm still going with the Red Hood and the Outlaws title because I'm afraid that people won't find it or aggregate sites won't pick it up.  Yeah, that may be silly with the title being revised while Jason Todd is going the loner route right now, but I'm good with Outlaws this issue because as we saw in the previous one, Batwoman's teaming up with our title character.  Hopefully they can get to the bottom of what's going on in this quaint little town and shut down Underlife's agenda.  Let's jump into this issue and check it out.

Deathstroke #38 Review

Crazy? Insane?

Written By: Christopher Priest

Art By: Fernando Pasarin, Jason Paz, Jeremy Cox, Willie Schubert

Cover Price: $3.99
Release Date: December 5, 2018

Slade Wilson is insane........ At least that's what we're led to believe after we discovered that his Wintergreen A.I. that's he's been talking to isn't even a thing that Isherwood put into his Ikon suit.  So yeah, imaginary friends and the fact that Slade believes that he spent the last two weeks fighting aliens when he escaped from Arkham Asylum.  Sounds pretty crazy, especially since his fellow escapee Devon isn't someone that the Asylum has ever heard of and because they say that he hasn't been missing at all.  Let's jump into this issue and see if the craziness escalates and if we discover what Two-Face is up to running around in Slade's costume.  Let's check it out.

Green Arrow #47 Review

Power To The People

Written By: Julie Benson, Shawna Benson

Art By: German Peralta, John Kalisz, Deron Bennett

Cover Price: $3.99
Release Date: December 5, 2018

It's last call for the Bensons on this book and the finale to their Citizen's Arrest arc and while I haven't been a fan of this story, I do hold out hope that this issue could bring it all around and make it into something worthwhile.  Mostly, I just feel bad that their story was high jacked because Roy Harper died and they were forced to do a funeral issue out of nowhere.  In our previous issue, we saw Oliver Queen kidnapped by The Citizen so that the villain could put him on public trial and determine whether or not he deserved to live.  Let's jump into this issue and see how Green Arrow overcomes and whoops the Citizen's ass.  Let's check it out.

Nightwing #54 Review

Therapy Session

Written By: Scott Lobdell, Fabian Nicieza

Art By: Garry Brown, Will Conrad, Nick Filardi, Andworld Design

Cover Price: $3.99
Release Date: December 5, 2018

If you've been on the internet lately and happened upon a discussion about the current state of Nightwing, well, you've probably seen that people aren't hip to the current status quo of our former Boy Wonder.  Me on the other hand...... I'm having a ball because while we don't have Dick Grayson currently rocking the Nightwing garb, what we do have is the most interesting thing to happen to this character since he moved to Bludhaven (in this continuity).  In our previous issue, we saw Detective Sapienza take on a gang by himself as the new Nightwing........ and boy did he get his ass whooped, but this was the catalyst to get his friends on board with joining him on his quest to stop the scum of Bludhaven.  Let's jump into this issue and see how that quest is going and what Ric Grayson thinks about the whole thing.

Shazam! #1 Review

Just Magic

Written By: Geoff Johns

Art By: Dale Eaglesham, Mike Atiyeh, Rob Leigh, Mayo "Sen" Naito,
Cover Price: $4.99

Release Date: December 5, 2018

I've been waiting for this title ever since we started getting Billy Batson's origin as backups in the early Justice League issues in the New 52.  Somehow a series never manifested from there and I was relegated to only enjoying Shazam in his limited role as a Justice League member after Forever Evil, but even there all he ever really did was play games with Cyborg.  Jump to a bunch of years later and we finally have something to look forward to in this first issue and with this, hopefully we can start putting some lighthearted fun back into DC....... maybe all it took all along was a simple magic word.  Let's jump into this issue and check it out.

Justice League #13 Review

Not on His Watch

Writer: James Tynion IV
Artist: Guillem March
Publisher: DC Comics
Release Date: December 5, 2018
Cover Price: $3.99

It's another Legion of Doom issue and coming off of the whole Drowned Earth crossover, I was actually hoping for a standard Justice League story with Scott Snyder at the helm.  I guess I'll have to get what I get and not get upset!  So, even if it's not what I wanted, was it any good?  Let's find out...

Batman #60 Review

F*** the Penguin

Writer: Tom King
Artist: Mikel Janin
Publisher: DC Comics
Release Date: December 5, 2018
Cover Price: $3.99

I don't know if you are aware of this, but I haven't been the biggest fan of Tom King's run on Batman.  Sure, I liked it enough until around the Jokes and Riddles story, but after that, not so much.  Because of that, I have been yelled at and called names, but to be fair and honest, I probably gave back as much as I got.  Things seemed to change around issue #50, however...it's amazing what lying about a wedding will do to a fanbase!  The funny thing is, I've actually liked the last few issues more than a lot of this run and while I haven't been giving 10/10s like some other reviewers, that's just because I'm not a hack that thinks every book they read is an instant classic!  So, does this issue continue the uphill climb of making Batman a somewhat decent read?  Let's find out...

Doomsday Clock #8 Review

Choosing Sides

Written By: Geoff Johns

Art By: Gary Frank

Cover Price: $4.99

Release Date: December 5, 2018

Heroes In Crisis?  Bah, this is where the story of the year and next is really at and it's only been getting better as it's been going along.  Yeah, you'll have the detractors, who will complain that DC is doing a Watchmen sequel and that nobody wanted that or that this story is too dark in a already dark Universe that DC Comics seems to love right now and while they'd be right about both those things...... It's always the darkest before the dawn and as we progress here, you can see that this is building to something big and exciting.  In our previous issue we saw Dr. Manhattan make his appearance and while it was awesome to see him interact with the various characters from his own Universe, the thing that struck me the most was Batman's recognition of the character, which I can't wait to see explored further.  Let's jump into this issue and check it out.

The Green Lantern #2 Review and **SPOILERS**

Don’t Blow Your Top

Writer: Grant Morrison 

Artist: Liam Sharp 

Colorist: Steve Oliff 

Letterer: Tom Orzechowski 

Cover: Liam Sharp & Steve Oliff 

Variant Cover: Francesco Mattina 

Associate Editor: Jessica Chen 

Editor: Brian Cunningham 

Cover Price: $3.99 

On Sale Date: December 5, 2018

**NON SPOILERS AND SCORE AT THE BOTTOM**

What makes something a “corps” and something else a “league” or an “association?” I’m sure this is a question I could answer with a Google search, but I’d much rather speculate that it comes down to the uniform. If you have a jacket with epaulets, it’s a corps. If you wear boots without laces, it’s a league. An association has to have just one member that wears a cardigan sweater. With that settled, we can all enjoy my review of The Green Lantern #2, which has been conveniently posted below.

Adventures of the Super Sons #5 Review

Writer: Peter J. Tomasi
Art team: Carlo Barberi, Art Thibert, Matt Santorelli, Protobunker, and Rob Leigh
Covers: Dan Mora
Release Date: December 5, 2018
Cover Price: $3.99
Reviewed by: Jon Wayne

Here we are together once again, this time for issue #5 of the Adventures of the Super Sons! Last time around we saw our boys get away from the Gang with the help of Space Cabbie and Joker Jr. However, Rex ended up getting what he wanted all along in the form of the Hypercube. After some back and forth chatting, and Joker Jr. ditching them, the boys meet future versions of themselves at the end. But that was basically it as not much happened in the last issue. Does #5 pick up the pace at all? Let’s dive in and find out!

PREVIEW: Deathstroke #38

Written By: Christopher Priest

Art By: Fernando Pasarin, Jason Paz, Jeremy Cox, Willie Schubert
Cover Price: $3.99

Release Date: December 5, 2018

Deathstroke finally meets his match: Arkham Asylum?! Now an inmate, Slade Wilson must prove his sanity so he can stop an alien invasion (what?). Before he can even attempt a breakout, he’s got to face off against angry Arkham inmates out to get him. And what’s Two-Face’s role in all this mayhem? He keeps showing up in two places at once! Meanwhile, Deathstroke’s daughter, Rose Wilson, is kidnapped! Can Jericho save his sister? 

PREVIEW: Red Hood: Outlaw #29

Written By: Scott Lobdell

Art By: Pete Woods, Rex Lokus, Troy Peteri
Cover Price: $3.99

Release Date: December 5, 2018

Batwoman joins the fight! Both Kate and Jason find themselves exiled from Gotham for taking the law into their own hands. But just because they both angered Batman doesn’t make them allies…does it? Maybe not, but both are on the trail of a rogue player in the Underlife—the secret cabal of criminal conspirators who play by a shared set of rules—and teaming up could be the only way to take him down. What’s actually hiding under the seemingly perfect surface of Appleton? The Red Hood might not live to expose it!

PREVIEW: Green Arrow #47

Written By: Julie Benson, Shawna Benson

Art By: German Peralta, John Kalisz, Deron Bennett
Cover Price: $3.99

Release Date: December 5, 2018

Oliver Queen is in for the shock of his life—in the electric chair! The vigilante Citizen kidnaps Oliver and subjects him to the court of public opinion on a worldwide broadcast, and a guilty verdict means a death sentence. It’s up to Black Canary and attorney Kate Spencer to rescue Ollie so he can expose Citizen’s true identity and prove his own innocence. And they might even have a chance with a little help from Green Arrow…what the what now?

PREVIEW: Nightwing #54

Written By: Scott Lobdell, Fabian Nicieza

Art By: Garry Brown, Will Conrad, Nick Filardi, Andworld Design

Cover Price: $3.99
Release Date: December 5, 2018

The repercussions of the cataclysmic events of BATMAN #55 continue as a scarred Dick Grayson has given up his vigilante persona in favor a normal existence. A new job, new friends, new life—all are compromised when a safehouse full of old Nightwing gear falls into the wrong hands. Confronted with a past he’s worked so desperately to escape, will Dick Grayson answer the challenge by becoming Nightwing…or something else? The newest chapter in the evolution of Dick Grayson reaches its next level!

PREVIEW: Shazam! #1

Written By: Geoff Johns

Art By: Dale Eaglesham, Mike Atiyeh, Rob Leigh, Mayo "Sen" Naito,
Cover Price: $4.99

Release Date: December 5, 2018

The superstar team of writer Geoff Johns and artist Dale Eaglesham reunite to launch the first all-new SHAZAM! monthly title set in the DC Universe in almost 20 years! (What took you guys so long?!)

Teenager turned super-hero Billy Batson struggles to balance school and superheroics! (Guess which one is more fun?) But when Shazam unlocks a shocking secret deep within the Rock of Eternity, it challenges everything he knows about the worlds of magic and his family’s future as its champions! Also, witness the bizarre team-up of Dr. Sivana and Mr. Mind as they set off to build a society all their own! Don’t miss the start of an epic run in the making as “Shazam and the Seven Realms” begins!


Backup story art by Mayo “SEN” Naito.

PREVIEW: The Unexpected #7

Writer: Steve Orlando
Artist: Ronan Cliquet
Publisher: DC Comics
Release Date: December 5, 2018
Cover Price: $2.99

The Unexpected tread where mortals fear to walk! Neon the Unknown, Firebrand and Hawkman unwittingly discover the birthplace of the Nth metal isotope, but there's a catch: it exists outside the Multiverse in the dead world of Nil, guarded by one of the Tempus Fuginauts, who has already passed his guilty judgment! Someone must die for trespassing into Nil-and the Unexpected must be the ones to choose who lives and dies! What happens next in the archaeology of the Multiverse?

PREVIEW: Suicide Squad Black Files #2

The Squad in Black

Writers: Mike W. Barr, Jai Nitz 

Artists: Philippe Briones, Scott Eaton 

Inks: Wayne Faucher 

Colorists: Gabe Eltaeb, Guy Major 

Letterer: Pat Brosseau 

Cover Artist: Cliff Richards 

Group Editor: Jim Chadwick 

Editor: Harvey Richards 

Cover Price: $4.99 

On Sale Date: December 5, 2018

Trapped inside her Soultaker sword, the soul of Katana is torn between staying with her murdered husband or rejoining the world of the living. Meanwhile, Kobra’s queen, Eve, makes nefarious use of Katana’s body as she infiltrates the Suicide Squad.

Also in this issue, Suicide Squad Black tries to leave its deadly first mission in the past and get one step ahead of the apocalypse warlock Sebastian Faust. To beat the sorcerer, this magically fueled task force needs something he covets. But like all things Suicide Squad, their next mission is no ordinary smash-and-grab, but a jewel heist on Gemworld!

Continuing on with these stories that dropped in our laps a couple of weeks ago, looks like folks are headed to Gemworld! I like that place. Check out some preview pages, hah? 

PREVIEW: Adventures of the Super Sons #5

Writer: Peter J. Tomasi
Artist: Carlo Barberi, Art Thibert
Publisher: DC Comics
Release Date: December 5, 2018
Cover Price: $3.99

The Super Sons need a break!! After the space adventures of the past few issues, Jon (Superboy) and Damian (Robin) take what they think is a peaceful diversion to what winds up being a miracle-machine planet (as tends to happen in deep space). There, they get a look at their potential future selves, including a surprising preview of parenthood!

PREVIEW: Batman #60

Writer: Tom King
Artist: Mikel Janin
Publisher: DC Comics
Release Date: December 5, 2018
Cover Price: $3.99

Batman takes on a new partner, and it's...the Penguin? After rejecting Bane's crime-boss co-op, Cobblepot finds himself in the crosshairs of some very teed-off villains. The feathered felon turns to his old foe to snitch on Bane's scheme, but has to prove his intentions to avoid a Bat-beatdown. Along the way, this Gotham odd couple begins to bond-could there be a new bird joining the Bat-Family? Not if Bane has anything to say about it...