Sideways #13 Review - Second Opinion

Story by: Dan Didio and Kenneth Rocafort
Written by: Dan Didio
Letters by: Travis Lanham
Colors by: Dan Brown
Cover Price: $2.99
Release Date: February 27, 2019
Review by: Tony Walton

This is one book I always look forward to because I believe Derek has massive potential to be like a Jessica Cruz, Connor, Wally or even like a Starfire. Unfortunately, for the past year, all signs pointed to they had no clue what they were and wanted to do with Derek. He became the latest victim of new characters with no direction. Well, this is it, the last issue of Sideways, or is it? Can Dan Didio wrap this story to please Spider-Man, I mean Sideway’s fans? Let’s dig in and find out...

Chris and Reggie's Cosmic Treadmill ep. 130 - The Brotherhood #1 (2001)

Join or Die

Greetings, comrades! In this episode, mutant-hunters Chris (@AceComics) and Reggie (@reggiereggie) look at a time that Marvel's X-Men line of titles was in flux...and that resulted in The Brotherhood #1, published in 2001, by Writer "X" and Esad Ribic! After a look at the editorial landscape at Marvel at the time, they go through every page of this book, lending their commentary and vocal rudeness along the way. Then they discuss the mysterious Writer "X", who it could have been...and who it actually is! Do not resist this episode, listen in!

The Flash #65 Review and *SPOILERS*

Rough Times at the O.K. Corral

Written By: Joshua Williamson
Art By: Rafa Sandoval, Jordi Tarragona, Tomeu Morey
Letters By: Steve Wands
Cover Price: $3.99
Release Date: February 27, 2019

*Non Spoilers and Score At The Bottom*

*As this issue is part of a crossover, there are SPOILERS for the Batman series*

We are back with the finale of The Price crossover and while I was very critical of this crossover when it began, it has made a turn. Granted, it’s still not the amazing and interesting crossover that I was hoping for but it has at least become entertaining. The first couple issues dragged a lot and I don’t feel like that added a whole lot. However, in the last issue, I finally found myself interested in what was happening to these characters. Now, we are at the finale and I’m actually excited to see how this crossover ends. So let’s just jump into it and see where this issue takes us.

Wonder Woman #65 Review

Writer: G. Willow Wilson
Art team: Jesus Merino, Andy Owens, Romulo Fajardo Jr, and Pat Brousseau
Cover Price: $3.99
Release Date: 2/27/19
Reviewed by: Jon Wayne

I have been struggling to review this book ever since I jumped on. Not because I think it’s awful, but because I think it should be so much better. G. Willow Wilson is one of my favorite creators and I can see the contours of a truly great story… it just isn’t there yet. From a war between the Greek Pantheon and Western Civilization (what the first arc of her run was apparently supposed to be) to the Civil War-vibes Veronica Cale was pushing last time, it all seems cool, it just hasn’t been tied together cohesively. Does that start to change here? Let’s find out.

Books of Magic #5 Review and **SPOILERS**

Tim Goes "Offline"

Written By: Kat Howard
Drawn By: Tom Fowler
Colors By: Jordan Boyd
Letters By: Todd Klein
Cover By: Kai Carpenter
Edited By: Molly Mahan
Associate Editor: Amedeo Turturro
Assistant Editor: Maggie Howell
Executive Editor: Mark Doyle
Cover Price: $3.99
On Sale Date: January 30, 2019

Delivering on the premise that Books of Magic is part of something "bigger", this time out, our young hero looks to be visiting that... place.  You know, the place where half of this line hangs out.

Will this wind up being more interesting than Tim walking back and forth from his home to school?  Let's find out!

Sideways #13 Review

That's All, Folks! 

Storytelling by Kenneth Rocafort and Dan DiDio

Colouring by Dan Brown

Lettering by Travis Lanham

This is one of those New Age books that I really wanted to work. New, young characters are what DC needs, especially now, so it's a shame that it was given to a pair of geezers.

The Silencer #14 Review

Storytelling by V. Ken Marion and Dan Abnett

Inking by Sandu Florea

Coloring by Mike Spicer

Lettering by Tom Napolitano

This book has essentially entered a new phase of the story. While it was primarily focused on Honor's struggle with keeping her past life buried in the past while raising her new family, it is now mostly concerned with the rise of Leviathan as headed by Talia al Ghul, which apparently ripple through some other books, mainly Action Comics.

Batgirl #32 Review and **SPOILERS**

Hostage Negrossiations

Writer: Mairghread Scott

Penciller: Paul Pelletier

Inker: Norm Rapmund

Colorist: Jordie Bellaire

Letterer: Andworld Design

Main Cover Artists: Emanuela Lupacchino & Dave McCaig

Variant Cover Artist: Derrick Chew

Editor: Brittany Holzherr

Group Editor: Jamie S. Rich

Cover Price: $3.99

On Sale Date: February 27, 2019

**NON SPOILERS AND SCORE AT THE BOTTOM**

Do mine eyes deceive me? Does the title banner for this issue read “Old Enemies: Finale?” Finale?? That’s two three-issue arcs in a row! I could leap from my seat and kiss Batgirl’s creative team for that alone, if they were in my living room. And if I had any intention of leaping from my seat. I do have a lap full of Doritos,™ after all. Instead, let me carefully and thoughtfully review the latest issue, #32…which is the conclusion of a THREE-ISSUE STORY ARC! Squee!

The Terrifics #13 Review and **SPOILERS**

Getting the Gang Back Together Again, Again

Storytellers: Joe Bennett & Jeff Lemire

Inker: Dexter Vines

Colorist: Mike Spicer

Letterer: Tom Napolitano

Cover: Jose Luis, Jordi Tarragona, Ivan Plascencia

Associate Editor: Andrew Marino

Editor: Paul Kaminski

Group Editor: Marie Javins

Cover Price: $2.99

On Sale Date: February 27, 2019

**NON SPOILERS AND SCORE AT THE BOTTOM**

It’s old unlucky number thirteen for this series, which might mean a reversal of its usual mediocre fortune! Actually, I think I was really mad at the last issue. But this one has a new artist, so let’s turn the page on those feelings, then turn the page on The Terrifics #13, which I have thought to review, right here!

Batman Beyond #29 Review

Greatest Hits

Written By: Dan Jurgens

Art By: Brett Booth, Norm Rapmund, Andrew Dalhouse, Travis Lanham

Cover Price: $3.99

Release Date: February 27, 2019

While the Joker's official return as a big bad to Batman should be something that feels immense in this series..... it's something that has felt small since it began because for the most part, while we do have Dick Grayson and his daughter in this arc, nothing about this has felt fresh and we've even had the Joker talking about recreating his greatest hits and because of that....... it's a been there done that situation that doesn't get exciting just because it's thirty-five years in the future.  Previously, we saw our elderly Clown Prince of Crime take the new Robin, Matt McGinnis hostage.  Let's see if history repeats itself or if Terry McGinnis can get to his brother in time.  Let's check it out.

Detective Comics #999 Review

Writer: Peter J. Tomasi
Artists: Doug Mahnke, Jaime Mendoza, Mark Irwin, David Baron, Rob Leigh
Cover Price: $3.99
Release Date: February 25, 2019

Review by Joey Casco of TheWineStalker.net

This is the conclusion to the six-part  Mythology story arc. Somebody has been targeting the people who made Bruce Wayne into Batman; killing Leslie Thompkins and Henri Ducard, and almost killing Alfred Pennyworth, Bruce's sensei, and the first Mister Miracle Thaddeus Brown. Of have they? With Detective Comics #998 ending with what looked like Batman coming out of the Matrix and being confronted by a kid in a Batman suit, none of this could have happened at all.

Martian Manhunter #3 Review and Spoilers

Taking Up The Torch

Written by: Steve Orlando
Art by: Riley Rossmo and Ivan Plascencia
Letters by: Deron Bennett
Published by: DC Comics
Cover Price: $3.99

The first two issues of this maxi-series have been… weird. And not really in a good way, either. The Mars of this series has been, on the one hand, a genuinely alien place populated by people whose customs and mannerisms the creative team have taken great care to make strange or unusual. On the other hand, it's also a place that is venal and corrupt in an overly familiar, almost caricatured, way. The malleability of Martian flesh has given artist Riley Rossmo greater freedom to express his more fevered imaginings, but the effect, at times, has been cartoony, hyperbolic and just a little bit icky. The more successful portions of the story have been those that occur on Earth, with writer Steve Orlando delineating an intriguing relationship between J'Onn J'Onnz and his detective partner Diane Meade and Rossmo's art lending itself extremely well to the more noirish scenes and the effective moments of unsettling revelation that punctuate them. So, how will this issue fare? Will we be plunged deeper into a world of nonsense-spouting flesh-stretching Martians, or will the creative team decide to give us all a break and develop the J'Onn/Diane relationship a little more? There's only one way to find out…

Shazam! #3 Review

Eat Until You Puke!

Written By: Geoff Johns

Art By: Dale Eaglesham, Marco Santucci, Mayo "Sen" Naito, Mike Atiyeh, Rob Leigh

Cover Price: $3.99

Release Date: February 27, 2019

The Magical Lands are waiting to be explored, but will our Shazam Family want to now that they've come to the Funlands?  That's right, it looks like our heroes have found paradise and who would want to leave that?  Well, it looks a lot like Pleasure Island from Pinocchio so right from the start I'm a bit worried about this world and the so-called leader, who goes by the name of "King Kid".  Let's jump into this issue and see if all is as it appears or if there's a darkness behind the scenes in the Funlands.  Let's check it out.

Action Comics #1008 Review

Waller On The Run

Written By: Brian Michael Bendis

Art By: Steve Epting, Brad Anderson, Josh Reed

Cover Price: $3.99

Release Date: February 27, 2019

Leviathan seems like it's going to rise with us or with out us so we might as well be here so we can see it first hand.  In our previous issue we saw the Kobra Cult seemingly eradicated by some mystery energy, before this same energy was used to destroy a building that Amanda Waller was in.  Yeah, it seems that someone...... possibly Leviathan wants to see all the big wigs of the DCU out of the picture before this story can get into full gear.  Let's jump into this issue to see if Superman can get to the bottom of what's going on here and if he can stop it before this energy strikes again.  Let's check it out.

Freedom Fighters #3 Review

Taking Flight

Written By: Robert Venditti

Art By: Eddy Barrows, Eber Ferreira, Adriano Lucas, Andworld Design

Cover Price: $3.99

Release Date: February 27, 2019

Let's get back to Earth-X so that we can check in on how our Freedom Fighters are doing in taking America back from the Ratzis.  In our previous issue we saw our heroes take down an Iron Giant of a war machine and while that by itself was impressive, it seemed that this display was needed to rally the American people behind the idea that their country could still be theirs and with that, resurrect Uncle Sam so that the Freedom Fighters could be whole again.  Let's jump into this issue and see what the next step is for our heroes as they continue their assault on those lousy Ratzis.  Let's check it out.

Old Lady Harley #5 Review

Old Mother Harley

Writer: Tieri, Frank
Artist: Inaki Miranda
Publisher: DC Comics
Release Date: February 27, 2019
Cover Price: $3.99

I have been enjoying this series a lot more than some of the other reviewers I see online, but my scores have been coming down as of late.  I am still enjoying the humor of this series, but the last two issues have had a little less story than the first couple and it's starting to feel a bit stretched out.  Still, I was looking forward to this finale and now that it's here, I can tell you what I think about it.  What, you want the score now?  You have to wait until after the review for that!  Let's discuss...

Justice League Odyssey #6 Review

Writer: Dan Abnett
Artists: Carmine di Giandomenico, Ivan Plascencia, Andworld Design
Cover Price: $3.99
Release Date: February 27, 2019

Review by Joey Casco of TheWineStalker.net

After trying to stay positive with this title while it's been trashed pretty badly, even I was beginning to lose hope. But we see a writer change just in time, as Abnett takes over from Williamson starting with this issue. Hopefully, he can get this thing going because I like the story and I like the team, but the way it's all been told and presented has not been good. So let's jump in!

Heroes in Crisis #6 Review

Be the Best, Wally West

Writer: Tom King

Artists: Clay Mann, Mitch Gerads

Colorists: Tomeu Morey & Gerads

Letters: Clayton Cowles

Cover By: Mitch Gerads

Variant Cover By: Ryan Sook

Associate Editor: Brittany Holzherr

Editor: Jamie S. Rich

Special Thanks to: Seth Mann

Cover Price: $3.99

On Sale Date: February 27, 2019

**NON SPOILERS AND SCORE AT THE BOTTOM**

Whenever I read the title to this series, I think of the Misfits song “Children in Heat.” Which I think might be a parody of another song. Here’s the tune:

And here’s my review of Heroes in Crisis #6!

PREVIEW: Shazam! #3

Written By: Geoff Johns

Art By: Dale Eaglesham, Marco Santucci, Mayo "Sen" Naito, Mike Atiyeh, Rob Leigh

Cover Price: $3.99

Release Date: February 27, 2019

“SHAZAM! AND THE SEVEN REALMS” continues! Billy Batson’s world is turned upside down by a figure from the past while Mary, Freddy and the rest of the Shazam Family enter a realm of endless amusements, candy factories and friends in the Funlands! But what’s the catch? Plus, a shocking development within the Library of Eternity!

PREVIEW: Freedom Fighters #3

Written By: Robert Venditti

Art By: Eddy Barrows, Eber Ferreira, Adriano Lucas, Andworld Design

Cover Price: $3.99

Release Date: February 27, 2019

The Freedom Fighters are launching their biggest offensive ever against the Nazi regime…but the bad guys aren’t done for yet. The Hitler dynasty has made its move against the insurgency, and it’s in the form of their secret weapon: Hitler the Third. And boy, is this kid a deranged little psycho! If the resistance is to succeed, they’d better move fast and stir up enough support from the public to bring Uncle Sam back from the brink, or all hope will be lost…

PREVIEW: Batman Beyond #29

Written By: Dan Jurgens

Art By: Brett Booth, Norm Rapmund, Andrew Dalhouse, Travis Lanham

Cover Price: $3.99

Release Date: February 27, 2019

The Joker is prepared to deliver his fatal punchline as everything—and the kitchen sink, too—hits the fan for Batman and Robin. Even with Dick Grayson’s help, the Dynamic Duo of tomorrow and Bruce Wayne may not stand a chance. Will The Joker turn Terry’s brother into the new Jason Todd? Is now a good time for Terry and Bruce to clash? And why are Neo-Gothamites cheering on the Clown Prince? Will anyone survive “The Final Joke”?

PREVIEW: Batgirl #32

Dead Air

Writer: Mairghread Scott

Penciller: Paul Pelletier

Inker: Norm Rapmund

Colorist: Jordie Bellaire

Letterer: Andworld Design

Main Cover Artists: Emanuela Lupacchino & Dave McCaig

Variant Cover Artist: Derrick Chew

Editor: Brittany Holzherr

Group Editor: Jamie S. Rich

Cover Price: $3.99

On Sale Date: February 27, 2019

Coming to you live from Gotham City! The people’s-choice congressional candidate Luciana Alejo is all set to give a televised interview that could secure her victory, but the Cormorant is ready to silence her for good. Can Batgirl protect the candidate without making her alter ego, Barbara Gordon, lose her campaign job in the process?

Uh-oh! I hope Batgirl doesn't lose her campaign job! Have a look at some preview pages, and marvel.

PREVIEW: The Terrifics #13

Terrific to See You

Storytellers: Joe Bennett & Jeff Lemire

Inker: Dexter Vines

Colorist: Mike Spicer

Letterer: Tom Napolitano

Cover: Jose Luis, Jordi Tarragona, Ivan Plascencia

Associate Editor: Andrew Marino

Editor: Paul Kaminski

Group Editor: Marie Javins

Cover Price: $2.99

On Sale Date: February 27, 2019

The Terrifics are back! And they’re ready to enter the final battle with the Dreadfuls, Doc Dread’s revenge squad that has systematically wiped out dozens of Mr. Terrifics from across the Multiverse. As the many Mr. and Mrs. Terrifics fight for their lives, the cavalry is on its way—but will Phantom Girl, Plastic Man and the repowered Metamorpho reach the battle in time? And how can the heroes possibly count this as a win with a mountain of bodies in Doc Dread’s wake?

Okay, they're back together again! Have a look at some preview pages, below!

PREVIEW: Heroes in Crisis #6

The Skinny on Sanctuary

Writer: Tom King

Artists: Clay Mann, Mitch Gerads

Colorists: Tomeu Morey & Gerads

Letters: Clayton Cowles

Cover By: Mitch Gerads

Variant Cover By: Ryan Sook

Associate Editor: Brittany Holzherr

Editor: Jamie S. Rich

Special Thanks to: Seth Mann

Cover Price: $3.99

On Sale Date: February 27, 2019

Get a deeper look into the inner workings of Sanctuary. When heroes visited the facility, they relived their trauma through virtual reality, contending with the events that brought them there in the hope of reaching a meaningful resolution. That is, until the trauma took over and escalated these personal events into a full-blown crisis! Find out what pushed one of the superheroes over the edge and how it broke the machine. This special issue reunites the Eisner Award-winning MISTER MIRACLE team of writer Tom King and artist Mitch Gerads!

Once more into the breach of Sanctuary! Have a peek at some preview pages, which have settled below for your pleasure.

PREVIEW: Books of Magic #5

Perchance, to Dream

Written By: Kat Howard
Drawn By: Tom Fowler
Colors By: Jordan Boyd
Letters By: Todd Klein
Cover By: Kai Carpenter
Edited By: Molly Mahan
Associate Editor: Amedeo Turturro
Assistant Editor: Maggie Howell
Executive Editor: Mark Doyle
Cover Price: $3.99
On Sale Date: January 30, 2019

Pursued by nightmares he can’t remember and haunted by his inability to sleep, Timothy Hunter heads to the one place he knows he’ll definitely find answers: the Dreaming. But the cost of such knowledge may be more than he bargained for…

Hey, looks like a crossover with The Dreaming! How about that. Give a peep to some preview pages, why don'tcha?