My Hero Academia: Vigilantes Volume 4 Review

Daddy Issues!

Story: Hideyuki Furuhashi
Art: Betten Court

Translations: Caleb Cook
Lettering: John Hunt
Cover Price: $9.99

Release Date: April 2, 2019

Review by Luke Hollywood

(Spoilers ahead!)


It seems that My Hero Academia: Vigilantes has become a bit of a sleeper hit recently! Though it may be under the radar for some fans of the main series, those that are following this spin-off have been pleasantly surprised with strong, consistent character work, sprinkles of offbeat humor and solid action. In my review for the previous volume, I praised the addition of some great new side characters to the series, as well as a slightly more tongue-in-cheek approach to its chapters, a welcome respite following the much darker tone present in volume 2. While I had a blast with these quirky (pun intended) capers, the main overarching plot involving the Vigilantes chasing down the Quirk-boosting drug known as Trigger did take a back seat for the most part. However, right from the opening chapter of this volume (heck, even from the cover itself) Furuhashi and Court make it clear that Trigger and our main villain, Kuin Hachisuka, are back to take the center stage once again, and this might be the toughest battle for our vigilantes yet. Oh yeah, did I mention they also have to juggle with a big launch event performance, complete with catty co-stars and unforeseen technical difficulties? And you thought the Pro Heroes had it rough! So just how will the Vigilantes trio survive all this? Read on to find out!

My Hero Academia Volume 18 Review

Mangaka: Kohei Horikoshi
Translations: Caleb Cook
Lettering: John Hunt
Cover Price: $9.99

Release Date: April 2, 2019

Review by Luke Hollywood

(Spoilers ahead!)

Volume 18 is here, and with it we finally reach the dramatic conclusion to the Internship Arc. We've spent the previous 4 volumes with Deku and the gang going up against the Yakuza organization known as the Shie Hassaikai and their twisted leader, Overhaul, and as the final page of the last volume suggested, it's all come down to a super-powered showdown of epic proportions as the final battle for Eri's fate begins. So does this showdown deliver on all that build-up from the previous volumes? Is there sufficient closure for all our favorite characters from this lengthy saga? Is Horikoshi able to stick the landing on his most ambitious story arc yet? Read on to find out, of course!

Batman #68 - Second Opinion

“The Spectacular Sequel to Super Friends”

Writer: Tom King
Artist: Amanda Conner
Publisher: DC Comics
Release Date: April 10, 2019
Cover Price: $3.99
Review by: Jay M.

We’ve reached the penultimate issue of the Knightmares arc, and King is ready to deliver what the fans want: a pseudo-sequel to the Super Friends arc. That’s right, we get another double date – except this time it’s a bachelor and bachelorette bonanza. Can this sequel live up to the highs of its predecessor? The bat engine is revved and ready for some analysis!

Chris and Reggie's Cosmic Treadmill ep. 135 - Hip Hop Family Tree #1 (2015)

It Started Out in the Park

Greeting, b-boys and b-girls! In this episode, culture vultures Chris (@AceComics) and Reggie (@reggiereggie) explore the earliest days of hip-hop music and culture when they read Ed Piskor's Hip-Hop Family Tree #1, published by Fantagraphics in 2015! After talking about Ed Piskor's rising career, our music historians go through every page of this issue, lending their improbable voice talent to these actual persons. After a short break, they come back to talk a little bit about New York, to help situate the uninitiated listener and explain some of the reasons why hip-hop developed where and when it did. This episode is sure to have you doing windmills into a backspin, you don't want to miss it!

Titans #36 Review and *SPOILERS*

Titans Together

Written By: Dan Abnett
Art By: Bruno Redondo, Marcelo Maiolo
Letters By: Dave Sharpe
Cover Price: $3.99
Release Date: April 10, 2019

*Non Spoilers and Score At The Bottom*

We have finally reached the end of the road. The final issue of this series has come and I, for one, am incredibly relieved. This book has struggled heavily ever since it got the new lineup after the No Justice storyline. Since then it has been thrown into crossover events and been a slave to the other events taking place in the DC universe. It’s is just time for the book to finally end and we have finally reached that point. Perhaps the book could have been salvaged at one point but it’s time for the series to end and maybe someday in the future we will get a new and better series. Anyway, let’s just jump into this issue and see where it takes us.

The Flash #68 Review and *SPOILERS*

Now That’s More Like It

Written By: Joshua Williamson
Art By: Scott Kolins, Luis Guerrero
Letters By: Steve Wands
Cover Price: $3.99
Release Date: April 10, 2019

*Non Spoilers and Score At The Bottom*

The last issue of the Flash wasn’t exactly bad but the book did repeat the same conversations over and over. However, it also added a new mystery for our hero to solve. I haven’t been too pleased with this book as of late. However, this story is something that can turn into something great. I’m only hoping that Williamson is able to take us to that point. The Flash has had a rough couple of months but let’s just jump into this new issue and hope that things will turn around.

Supergirl #29 Review and *SPOILERS*

Race to the Finish

Written By: Marc Andreyko
Art By: Eduardo Pansica, Julio Ferreira, FCO Plascencia
Letters By: Tom Napolitano
Cover Price: $3.99
Release Date: April 10, 2019

*Non Spoilers and Score At The Bottom*

Supergirl has been great. I could just leave it at that but that wouldn’t fill out a review very nicely now would it? Well, it has been a crazy fun space adventure filled with likeable characters, interesting conflict, and an awesome art team. What’s not to love? Sure, Supergirl may not be the greatest comic that you ever read but it is consistently great and I look forward to it each and every month. I can’t wait to see what happens next in Kara’s story and how all the things we’ve set up come together. So let’s just jump right into this issue and see where it takes us.

House of Whispers #8 Review

What’s the Story, Morning Glory?

Written By: Nalo Hopkinson and Dan Watters

Illustrated By: Dominike “DOMO” Stanton

Colors By: John Rauch

Additional Finishes By: Isaac Goodhart, Amancay Nahuelpan and Aneke

Letters By: AndWorld Design

Cover By: Sean Andrew Murray

Edited By: Molly Mahan

Associate Editor: Amedeo Turturro

Assistant Editor: Maggie Howell

Executive Editor: Mark Doyle

Cover Price: $3.99

On Sale Date: April 10, 2018

**NON SPOILERS AND SCORE AT THE BOTTOM**

If you’re deathly afraid of spiders, this issue is probably not for you. Now have a look at my review of House of Whispers #8, right here!

Justice League Odyssey #8 Review

Writer: Dan Abnett
Artists: Daniel Sampere, Juan Albarran, Ivan Plascencia, Andworld Design
Cover Price: $3.99
Release Date: April 10, 2019

Review by Joey Casco of TheWineStalker.net

Blackfire has joined forces with Rapture, and now her Tamaran army and his warriors of Azrael are about to spring a surprise attack on the Odyssey team while they deal with Darkseid on the planet Aeolon. But before the battle, we finally get answers for the questions we've been waiting for.

Detective Comics #1001 Review

Writer: Peter J. Tomasi
Artists: Brad Walker, Andrew Hennessy, Nathan Fairbairn, Rob Leigh
Cover Price: $3.99
Release Date: April 7, 2019

Review by Joey Casco of TheWineStalker.net

What does everybody think of the new Batman: Detective Comics logo? I'm on the fence about it. It's a good design, no doubt, but I think I need to see it more to form an opinion on the change. Nostalgia is a funny thing.

So... we got where the Arkham Knight was coming from in Detective Comics #1000 but now to start #1001 we see he's got an entire group backing him, as he uses his sword to tap the shoulders of new members to the Knights of the Sun. And these guys are not messing around. 

Wonder Woman #68 Review

Jumping to Conclusions

Writer: G. Willow Wilson
Artist: Cary Nord, Mick Gray
Publisher: DC Comics
Release Date: April 10, 2019
Cover Price: $3.99

What the solicit said: Wonder Woman and Giganta must stare down the largest Titan that Olympus and the Earth have ever seen...but even if they defeat him, they must answer the question: Can Giganta ever be trusted to use her powers for good? Can Diana get through to her-or do some big bads just get bigger and badder?

Hawkman #11 Review

One Man Hawkman Corps.

Written By: Robert Venditti

Art By: Bryan Hitch, Andrew Currie, Jeremiah Skipper, Starkings & Comicraft

Cover Price: $3.99

Release Date: April 10, 2019

Hawkman is in the fight of his life as his past has caught up to him in the form of his former partner in his first life, Idamm and his army of Deathbringers.  Previously, we saw Hawkman discover the ultimate weapon to combat this threat and to his amazement...... it was him.  More accurately, it was every version of him that was brought from time and space to aid him in his fight.  Let's jump into this issue and see if this new ability for Hawkman...... which I bet we'll never see again can turn the tide of war or if it's just too little too late.  Let's check it out.

Red Hood and the Outlaws #33 Review

Aces Wild

Written By: Scott Lobdell

Art By: Pete Woods, Rex Lokus, Troy Peteri

Cover Price: $3.99
Release Date: April 10, 2019

Jason Todd has left his Outlaw ways behind him so that he can now run the Iceberg Lounge..... Okay, okay, he hasn't entirely left his outlaw ways behind, especially since he's keeping The Penguin trapped in his own panic room while he takes over his empire.  What I'm getting at is, Jason Todd is a legitimate businessman, who may or may not get his hands dirty while wearing a mask from time to time, along with his associates, Wingman, Bunker and the Su Sisters.  Let's jump into this issue and see what hell comes a callin' as precautions that Penguin put in place if he should ever go missing go into effect.  Let's check it out.

Superman #10 Review

Superboy: Back In Action

Written By: Brian Michael Bendis

Art By: Ivan Reis, Brandon Peterson, Oclair Albert, Joe Prado, Alex Sinclair

Cover Price: $3.99

Release Date: April 10, 2019

Sit down, get comfortable and pay attention because Jon Kent is about to finish up his story about how he's aged seven years, while only being away for three weeks.  As we saw previously, it looked like Jon spent a good deal of time locked up on Earth-3 by Ultraman and I'm waiting for a grand explanation about how this is possible since they all died off at the end of the Darkseid War and if this means that they can somehow come back......... I love the Crime Syndicate.  That's enough catch up, let's jump into this issue and see if Bendis can make this all work out and make it feel satisfying.  Let's check it out.

Wonder Twins #3 Review

Writer: Mark Russell
Artist: Stephen Byrne
Publisher: DC Comics
Release Date: April 10, 2019
Cover Price: $3.99

I have liked this book as a whole so far.  Yea, I liked the first issue a lot more than the second, but I know that some other people I've talked to flip flop those for them.  So, going into this issue I am hoping it can all come together and get things rolling even better and better.  So, did it?  Let's find out...

Catwoman #10 Review

Writer: Joelle Jones
Artist: Fernando Blanco
Publisher: DC Comics
Release Date: April 10, 2019
Cover Price: $3.99

This series has been pretty hit or miss for me.  The art is a pretty hit, but I seem to be missing the story every time I am done an issue and even more so when I pick up the next one.  We did get a little caper issue by Ram V last time around and I was really hoping the time off would give Joelle Jones a little recharge and let her hit the ground running here.  Well, did it?  Let's find out...

The Batman Who Laughs #4 Review

Dark Side of the Bat-Moon

Writer: Scott Snyder
Art Team: Jock, David Baron, Sal Cipriano
DC Comics
Release Date: April 10, 2019
Cover Price: $4.99

**NON-SPOILER REVIEW**

The Batman Who Laughs mini-series has been the most enjoyable Batman title on the shelf since issue one, and this coming from a guy who enjoyed Metal, however, wasn't quite ready to continue with the characters that title spawned. The way this story hits its twists and turns has provided me with some of my biggest genuine Batman shocks since Snyder's work on the Court of the Owls arcs. Needless to say, I'm pumped to continue the series this month and see how this all plays out after the cliffhangers to issue three especially. So without further ado ... let's discuss.

Batman #68 Review

Sorry Not Sorry

Writer: Tom King
Artist: Amanda Conner
Publisher: DC Comics
Release Date: April 10, 2019
Cover Price: $3.99

The Knightmares continue and as we get closer to the end, I think we are all trying to see the light at the end of the tunnel and figure out if this all makes sense.  I am not a fortune teller so I can't say that is a big yes or no, but I do know that going into this, the solicit for this issue did rub me the wrong way.  "It's time once again to stick a knife into the Caped Crusader's broken heart, letting the groom-that-could-have-been peer in on the bachelorette (or should that be "Catchelorette"?) party that never was."  Never was?  If they mean never was as in this one didn't happen than okay...if it is trying to say there never was one period, then that is a load of horse shit!  More on that in a little bit...

PREVIEW: Red Hood: Outlaw #33

Written By: Scott Lobdell

Art By: Pete Woods, Rex Lokus, Troy Peteri

Cover Price: $3.99
Release Date: April 10, 2019

Running a casino has turned out to be more dangerous than Jason Todd ever imagined. Especially when he’s the public face of the Iceberg Lounge. It turns out Oswald Cobblepot has way more enemies than the Penguin—and with the crime boss missing, they descend on Jason and his crew. But Jason doesn’t need to look far for an extrajudicial solution to his problems: apparently he has the Red Hood in his contacts.

PREVIEW: Hawkman #11

Written By: Robert Venditti

Art By: Bryan Hitch, Andrew Currie, Jeremiah Skipper, Starkings & Comicraft

Cover Price: $3.99

Release Date: April 10, 2019

The Deathbringers don’t know what hit them when all of Carter Hall’s past lives descend on the streets of London to defend the planet. With an army of hundreds at his back, Hawkman starts to turn the tide of battle. It’s a war for the fate of the universe as these two armies clash!

PREVIEW: Titans #36

Writer: Dan Abnett
Artist: Bruno Redondo
Release Date: April 10, 2019
Cover Price: $3.99

"Into the Bleed" finale! It's all been building to this! Witness the battle for the fate of the entire Multiverse as our heroes tackle Mother Blood and her armies of Unearth! Mother's plan to use the Bleed to spread her power throughout every corner of the fabric of reality has reached its zenith, and she's pulling out all the stops to see to it the Titans fail in stopping her. But even with Raven's soul-self reunited, can the team rescue their heavy hitters Kyle Rayner and Steel before it's too late? Don't miss this melee of multiversal mayhem!

PREVIEW: Wonder Twins #3

Writer: Mark Russell
Artist: Stephen Byrne
Publisher: DC Comics
Release Date: April 10, 2019
Cover Price: $3.99

Exiled from their homeworld and still trying to adjust to life on Earth as normal teenage high school students and interns for the Justice League, Zan and Jayna find themselves attacked in their own home by the League of Annoyance. Now separated and unable to use their amazing powers of transformation, the twins find themselves forced to rely on Zan's new pet monkey Gleek for help-but does the plucky purple primate even like his new owner enough to give a monkey's butt about these young heroes?

PREVIEW: Superman #10

Written By: Brian Michael Bendis

Art By: Ivan Reis, Brandon Peterson, Oclair Albert, Joe Prado, Alex Sinclair

Cover Price: $3.99

Release Date: April 10, 2019

Superman and Superboy venture forth into the cosmos to stop Jor-El before he tips the galaxy into utter chaos. Also, Superman would like to have a word with his father about what happened to his son. All this and the fate of General Zod. “The Unity Saga” continues in the pages of SUPERMAN, named one of the best superhero comics of 2018 by Paste magazine!

PREVIEW: Wonder Woman #68

Writer: G. Willow Wilson
Artist: Cary Nord, Mick Gray
Publisher: DC Comics
Release Date: April 10, 2019
Cover Price: $3.99

Wonder Woman and Giganta must stare down the largest Titan that Olympus and the Earth have ever seen...but even if they defeat him, they must answer the question: Can Giganta ever be trusted to use her powers for good? Can Diana get through to her-or do some big bads just get bigger and badder?

PREVIEW: The Batman Who Laughs #4

Writer: Scott Snyder
Artist: Jock
Publisher: DC Comics
Release Date: April 10, 2019
Cover Price: $4.99

Batman is on a desperate hunt through Gotham City, tracking down the dark version of himself known as the Grim Knight. But the serum Batman's been self-administering has started to transform his mind, making him into something much darker...something amoral...something like the Batman Who Laughs-and he's starting to lose his grip on reality. Toeing the line between vengeance and justice, Batman must struggle to keep his moral code as the Grim Knight gains control of the Batcave, sending all of his vehicles and weapons on a collision course with Gotham City. The Grim Knight, the Batman Who Laughs, even allies like Jim Gordon and his son force Batman to pull the trigger...and activate the Last Laugh. Will Batman be the savior of Gotham City once more? Or is he the kill shot?