Saturday, March 23, 2019

Batman #67 - Second Opinion


“The Whims of a Child Lost”

Writer: Tom King
Artist: Lee Weeks & Jorge Fornes
Colorist: Lovern Kindzierski
Letterer: Clayton Cowles
Publisher: DC Comics
Release Date: March 20, 2019
Cover Price: $3.99
Reviewed By: J. Dawn

After a Catwoman centric issue, Knightmares continues here with the toted “stealth sequel” to King and Week’s hit Elmer Fudd/Batman one shot. Will this acclaimed creative team hit us with another instant classic, or will this pairing finally flounder? Grab your Line Launcher, because for this one we’ll have to go allllll the way down.

Thursday, March 21, 2019

Electric Warriors #5 Review and Spoilers


Firestorm Revealed!

Written by: Steve Orlando
Art by: Travel Foreman, Javi Fernandez, and Richard Friend
Colours by: Hi-Fi
Letters by: Travis Lanham
Published by: DC Comics
Cover Price: $3.99

Irrespective of the merits of the book itself, Electric Warriors has been a pleasant surprise for me in that it has prompted some thoughtful and enthusiastic comment both here and on other online forums like Twitter and Slack. I know I've joked about the miniscule readership of this series and it is true that the sales for the title are generally poor, but those fans who are reading it appear to be enjoying it precisely because it offers a new and refreshingly unusual take on the DC Universe. And I must admit that, after last issue's strangely languid (and unpleasant) goings-on, I'm beginning to warm to it too. Does that continue this time around? Hmmm…

The Wild Storm #21 Review and Spoilers


Heartfelt

Written by: Warren Ellis
Art by: Jon Davis-Hunt
Colours by: Steve Bucellato
Letters by: Simon Bowland
Published by: DC Comics
Cover Price: $3.99

Last month's (full) debut of the Apollo and Midnighter Show was a bit of a doozy and I don't know about you, but I want to see more of that particular duet doing their routine. This being The Wild Storm, that's probably not going to happen (too many plates spinning; you know how it is), but at least we get that cover. Very nice. What’s under the hood, though? There's only one way to find out…

Wednesday, March 20, 2019

Lucifer #6 Review and **SPOILERS**


A Mother and Child Reu-u-nion

Written By: Dan Watters 
Illustrated By: Max Fiumara & Sebastian Fiumara 
Colors By: Dave McCaig 
Letters By: Steve Wands
Cover Price: $3.99 
On Sale Date: March 20, 2019


"Bizarrely delightful..." Man, do I gotta become better at writing vapid "blurbable" quotes, or what?

Guess that's the price we pay when we actually try and discuss the book we're set to review.

Common... er, comics wisdom tells us that this... the sixth issue ought to be the concluding chapter.  Will ol' Lucy buck the trend?  Let's find out...




Teen Titans #28 Review and **SPOILERS**


Room for one more?

Story: Priest & Glass
Script: Adam Glass 
Art: Bernard Chang

Color: Marcelo Maiolo
Letters: Rob Leigh
Cover Price: $3.99
On Sale Date: March 20, 2019


It's been a minute since our last Teen Titans crossover... and, as we've seen over the course of this volume, it could go in one of two ways.

We might get something pretty neat like Super Sons of Tomorrow... or, we might get something... not so neat, like The Lazarus Contract.

Fingers crossed...


Naomi #3 Review



Strange Days

Writer: Brian Michael Bendis, David F. Walker
Artist: Jamal Campbell
Publisher: DC Comics
Release Date: March 20, 2019
Cover Price: $3.99

Naomi is one of those weird books that feels like it's been around longer than it has, but hasn't given us much information overall.  Brian Michael Bendis keeps promising that his new character will "change the DCU forever" and while that seems pretty presumptuous coming from such a newcomer to the company, what the heck, most of the other writers are busy sitting on their hands.  Overall, I am beginning to like this series more with each issue and hope that trend continues here.  Does it?  Let's find out...


Damage #15 Review



Writer: Robert Venditti
Art Team: Aaron Lopresti, Matt Ryan, Hi-Fi, Tom Napolitano
DC Comics
Release Date: March 20, 2019
Cover Price: $2.99

Damage Control

Here we are in the penultimate issue of the Damage series and what a long strange journey it has been.  The series lingered from issue to issue forever simply featuring different guest stars and not doing much of anything at all really. However, these last few issues, right at the end of the series, have actually told more of an interesting and original story than at any other point. It almost makes one wonder "what could have been" ... almost, but not quite.  So let's jump in here and discuss the second to last issue of Damage.


Nightwing #58 Review



Da Bomb


Written By: Scott Lobdell, Zack Kaplan
Art By: Travis Moore, Tamra Bonvillain, Andworld Designs
Cover Price: $3.99
Release Date: March 20, 2019


Let's head back on over to Bludhaven so that we can see how the new Nightwing team, with Ric Grayson being involved are doing now that the Joker's Daughter has come to town to make the rich suffer for how bad they've treated the poor and downtrodden of the city.  Really though, I'm just looking for one good encounter from Joker's Daughter because everything since the New 52 started has been kind of nonsense in my eyes.  Let's jump into this issue and see if that all changes.  Let's check it out.

Aquaman #46 Review and **SPOILERS**


The Gods Must Be Lazy

Writer: Kelly Sue DeConnick
Penciller: Robson Rocha
Inker: Daniel Henriques
Colorist: Sunny Gho
Letterer: Clayton Cowles
Cover: Rocha, Henriques & Fco Plascencia
Variant Cover: Esteban Maroto
Assistant Editor: Andrea Shea
Editor: Alex Antone
Group Editor: Brian Cunningham
Cover Price: $3.99
On Sale Date: March 20, 2019

**NON SPOILERS AND SCORE AT THE BOTTOM**

Here it is, the penultimate issue of Kelly Sue Deconnick and Robson Rocha’s first arc (and Henriques, Gho, and Cowles, come to think of it…I believe it’s been the same team every issue) on Aquaman. It’s been good. Not great, but interesting, and it makes me want to read more. In fact, let’s do that right now and then check out my review of Aquaman #46, appearing below!

Justice League #20 Review



Future Imperfect

Writer: Scott Snyder
Artist: Jorge Jimenez

Cover Price: $3.99
Release Date: March 20, 2019


I am starting to really like Justice League again and after the fun of Mxy, couldn't wait to get to this issue.  It doesn't hurt that super sexy old Superman is involved though it looks like he may not be on the up and up.  So, does this issue continue the fun?  Let's find out...

Batman #67 Review



Stu-Stu-Stu-Horrible

Writer: Tom King
Artist: Lee Weeks
Publisher: DC Comics
Release Date: March 20, 2019
Cover Price: $3.99

Tom King is back and he's brought his buddy, Lee Weeks, with him to continue the Knightmares arc.  If you aren't in the know, Lee Weeks illustrated two of Tom King's best stories, the Batman/Elmer Fudd book as well as the Batman Annual #2.  Now, these both had Looney Tunes themes in them (one being a little more obvious), so it seems pretty obvious this "Knightmare" would as well.  So, does this one make it a three for three with these two?  Let's find out...

Tuesday, March 19, 2019

PREVIEW: High Level #2


Writer: Rob Sheridan
Artist: Barnaby Bagenda
Publisher: Vertigo
Release Date: March 20, 2019
Cover Price: $3.99

Tasked with smuggling the savior of humanity through thousands of miles of religious cults, mutant tribes, war zones, sunken cities, and cybernetic mafias, the woman known only as Thirteen does what any sane person would: try to get out of doing it. But the mystery of High Level calls whether Thirteen likes it or not.

PREVIEW: Wild Storm #21


Writer: Warren Ellis
Artist: Jon Davis-Hunt
Publisher: DC Comics
Release Date: March 20, 2019
Cover Price: $3.99

The experimental subjects code-named Apollo and Midnighter have broken cover. Combat-optimized superhumans are now loose on the Earth.

PREVIEW: Naomi #3


Writer: Brian Michael Bendis, David F. WalkerArtist: Jamal CampbellPublisher: DC ComicsRelease Date: March 20, 2019Cover Price: $3.99
A brand-new character in the DC Universe comes into focus as Naomi confronts the one person in her small town she is convinced knows the secret of her mysterious adoption and her obsession with Superman. The truth is going to change both her and the DC Universe forever. The secret of Naomi opens the door to an enormous reveal you will not want to miss. This exciting new mystery from the powerhouse creative team of writers Brian Michael Bendis (Jessica Jones, Spider-Man) and David F. Walker (Shaft, Cyborg) and new, amazing art talent Jamal Campbell.

PREVIEW: Justice League #20


Writer: Scott Snyder
Artist: Jorge Jimenez
Publisher: DC Comics
Release Date: March 20, 2019
Cover Price: $3.99

"The Sixth Dimension" part two! The Leaguers come face to face with their future selves in the Sixth Dimension and explore the path that lies before them. Meanwhile, Superman is trapped on a world with no light and hundreds of dead Supermen! Can the Man of Steel escape before his powers completely disappear? To do that, he'll need to learn who captured him!

PREVIEW: Electric Warriors #5


Writer: Steve Orlando
Artist: Travel Foreman
Publisher: DC Comics
Release Date: March 20, 2019
Cover Price: $3.99

Reeling from a sudden, tragic death, the remaining Electric Warrior rebels discover a dark secret about one of their own. Can War Cry keep the group together after the truth about his identity is revealed? Or is this all just part of the Gil'Dishpan's plan to keep the universe under their control for good?

PREVIEW: Damage #15


Writer: Robert Venditti
Artist: Aaron Lopresti
Publisher: DC Comics
Release Date: March 20, 2019
Cover Price: $3.99

Batman has banished Ethan Avery to an island where monstrous beasts and creatures roam. Trouble is, they are monsters around the clock, and Ethan can only be Damage for one hour each day. Luckily, Congo Bill serves as the island's caretaker, and he's giving Ethan a quick lesson in how to avoid becoming a light afternoon snack for a hungry fiend. Strike the wrong balance between humanity and Damage, and Ethan won't survive to eat his next meal himself; get it right, and Damage could become king of the monsters!

PREVIEW: Aquaman #46


It Ain't My Fault You Got Turned to Salt

Writer: Kelly Sue DeConnick
Penciller: Robson Rocha
Inker: Daniel Henriques
Colorist: Sunny Gho
Letterer: Clayton Cowles
Cover: Rocha, Henriques & Fco Plascencia
Variant Cover: Esteban Maroto
Assistant Editor: Andrea Shea
Editor: Alex Antone
Group Editor: Brian Cunningham
Cover Price: $3.99
On Sale Date: March 20, 2019


Trapped on Namma’s island with nowhere to run, the amnesiac Aquaman must protect Caille from her mother, who aims to reach her full power at the cost of Caille’s life! Will Aquaman hold his own against the mother of all gods and retrieve his lost memories? Or will Aquaman turn to salt at her hand?

I hope Aquaman doesn't get too...salty. Get it? No? Just look at the damned preview pages then.

PREVIEW: Lucifer #6


Beelzebub Farm Remembers

Written By: Dan Watters 
Illustrated By: Max Fiumara & Sebastian Fiumara 
Colors By: Dave McCaig 
Letters By: Steve Wands 
Cover By: Tiffany Turill
Edited By: Amedeo Turturro & Molly Mahan 
Assistant Editor: Maggie Howell 
Executive Editor: Mark Doyle 
Cover Price: $3.99 
On Sale Date: March 20, 2019



Lucifer remembers. But the price of clarity may be destruction, as the Devil sits at the edge of a precipice—and erstwhile allies remember his past sins, too. Meanwhile, the Moon attempts to steal from the Earth, and a potential Antichrist is conceived.

Seems like business as usual in the ol' weirdo comic book. Scan your peepers over those preview pages, hah?

PREVIEW: Teen Titans #28


We Meet Again

Story: Priest & Glass
Script: Adam Glass 
Art: Bernard Chang

Color: Marcelo Maiolo
Letters: Rob Leigh 
Cover: Carlo Pagulayan, Jason Paz & Fco Plascencia
Variant Cover: Mico Shuman & Romulo Fajardo Jr.
Assistant Editor: Andrea Shea 
Editor: Alex Antone 
Group Editor: Brian Cunningham 
Cover Price: $3.99
On Sale Date: March 20, 2019



“The Terminus Agenda” part one! The hunter becomes the hunted as Robin and the Teen Titans set out to end Deathstroke once and for all! But no man has ever gone toe-to-toe with the World’s Deadliest Assassin and walked away unscathed! Lines will be crossed, secrets will be revealed and blood will be shed! Don’t miss the crossover event of the spring, which kicks off a bold new era for Teen Titans and Deathstroke!

Where they're a team of teenaged titans, there's bound to be a Deathstroke coming along. You come right along and look at some preview pages, you betcha!

PREVIEW: Nightwing #58




Written By: Scott Lobdell, Zack Kaplan
Art By: Travis Moore, Tamra Bonvillain, Andworld Designs
Cover Price: $3.99
Release Date: March 20, 2019

The Joker’s Daughter is back! Or is she? While she wasn’t shot in the head like Nightwing, Duela Dent might be facing an identity crisis even more traumatic than Ric Grayson’s. Fortunately the new Nightwings are doing their best to protect Blüdhaven—learning as they go—allowing Ric to try to help steer Duela away from the life of a homicidal zealot of the crazy Clown Prince of Crime!