Rebirth Rewind: Green Lanterns #13 (2016) Review

THE PHANTOM LANTERN: PART FOUR

Released: December 21st, 2016

Writers: Sam Humphries

Artist: Ronan Cliquet

Colors: Blond

Letters: Dave Sharpe

Cover Price: $2.99

Review written by Joey Casco of TheWineStalker.net

Frank Laminski has stolen the Phantom Ring from Rami to become the Phantom Lantern, and Rami is now Volthoom's hostage. But every time the Green Lanterns of 2814 confront Frank, he bounces. Can they finally pin him down and get the Phantom Ring back? Use the "Phantom Lantern" label to read my other reviews from this arc.

To start the issue there's a flashback to Volthoom's past with the Guardians. It turns out that he was the reason that the Green Lantern rings were put into action in the first place! But this really has more to do with the story moving forward than this arc.

The Flash #84 Review and *SPOILERS*

Unholy Alliance

Written By: Joshua Williamson
Art By: Christian Duce, Luis Guerrero
Letters By: Steve Wands
Cover Price: $3.99
Release Date: December 11, 2019

*Non Spoilers and Score At The Bottom*

The Flash is in the middle of a occupation by Captain Cold’s new army and it has given us readers some really great issues up to this point. There are so many great story threads that can be expanded upon during this story. The relationships between the Rogues, the issues with the Speed Force, and so many others. If our writers follow up the previous issue with more and more of these hanging threads, then we will be in for quite a treat with this book. Williamson’s run with Flash has had a lot of ups and a lot of downs, but this latest issue is checking all the right boxes. Let’s jump into this latest issue and see what comes next for our heroes.

Dark Knight Returns: The Golden Child #1 Review

I Have No Idea What's Going On

Writer: Frank Miller
Art Team: Rafael Grampa, Jordie Bellaire
DC Black Label
Release Date: December 11, 2019
Cover Price: $5.99




I'll be honest, I'm a pretty big unapologetic fan of the Dark Knight series as a whole, and if I was asked to rank where I would rate the trilogy thus far it would be DKI, DKIII, and DKII in that order. With that said I had no idea this story was coming out until I saw the cover controversy float across my twitter timeline, alerting me to the fact it was a book that existed.  So I'm basically coming in blind as one can be regarding this series, not even having read the solicit, so let's see what Frank Miller has up his sleeve on this re-visit to the Dark Knight Universe and let's all hope its not Superman Year One.

The Dollhouse Family #2 Review

BE WEIGHED

Writer: M.R. Carey
Layouts: Peter Gross
Finishes: Vince Locke
Colors: Cris Peter
Letters: Todd Klein
Cover Price: $3.99
Release Date: December 11th, 2019

Review written by Joey Casco of TheWineStalker.net

Before I go on with reviewing issue #2, I feel like I need to bring up a few things that I failed to mention in my review of issue #1 of The Dollhouse Family: It's made to look like the big giant that crashes to Earth millions of years ago is this evil "beast" that has to be defeated, but after being a guest on an episode of The Horror Podcast with Chris Rimmer, we became convinced that the narrator is actually the giant and the evil beast won. The narrator is the same font as the woman in the cave and the voice in the Black Room, only with white blocks instead of black. Also, when Alice's mom is listing off the last names of her side of the family she mentions the Dealey's. Alice's last name is Dealey, so she does not have her father's last name. That could be completely irrelevant, but something I noticed.

Now on to issue #2!

Batman and the Outsiders #8 Review

Cash Me Outsiders

Writer: Bryan Hill
Artist: Dexter Soy, Veronica Gandini, and Clayton Cowles
Cover Price: $3.99
Release Date: December 11, 2019

Recently, I had become a bit critical in my reviews for this book because of its lack of overall momentum and Bryan Hill's reliance on repeated character moments to push things in a forced direction.  I needed a little of the boom-boom and bang-bang with my Yakety-Yak and the last issue gave me just that.  Hill showed the purpose of the slow-building story and the double and triple crosses played out well because of the character's work leading to them.  It was one of my favorite issues of the run and has me pumped for this issue this week.  So, is this another kick-ass issue?  Let's see...

Batman: Curse of the White Knight #5 Review

The Curse, Spelled Out

Writer: Sean Murphy
Art Team: Sean Murphy, Matt Hollingsworth
DC Comics Black Label
Release Date: December 11, 2019
Cover Price: $4.99


Batman: Curse of the White Knight has been a bit of a forced sequel, but one I still find myself picking up, and getting enjoyment out of because I'm emersed in the world at play.  The last couple of issues have been a bit scattered storywise, as we wait for everything to come together. Well, I think this is the issue you've been waiting for.  Issue five here takes all the photos up on bulletin board and starts to connect the strings for you, so let's jump into this, and discuss some feelings.

Batman's Grave #3 Review

Writer: Warren Ellis
Art Team: Bryan Hitch, Kevin Nowlan, Alex Sinclair, Richard Starkings
DC Comics
Release Date: December 11, 2019
Cover Price: $3.99

The Life & Death of Turton

The story quality of Batman's Grave took a bit of a downward turn last issue after a pretty intriguing start. One of the bright spots after two issues has been the consistency of the art by Bryan Hitch which I've found detailed and enjoyable. With that said, I came into this issue expecting a more centered approach, maybe a larger focus for the series in general, finally giving it that hook it still sorely lacked. Do Warren Ellis and Hitch get things on track here to keep readers engaged? Let's discuss...

Justice League Odyssey #16 Review

Cuts like a (Gamma) Knife

Writer: Dan Abnett

Art: Cliff Richards
Colors: Rain Beredo
Letters: Andworld Design

Cover Price: $3.99

Release Date: December 11th, 2019

Review by Joey Casco of TheWineStalker.net

After the Eskaton did some serious damage to their ship, it's time to start repairing! And finding out what is going on with Orion.

Harley Quinn & Poison Ivy #4 and *SPOILERS*

Dino-Sucks

Written by Jody Houser
Pencils by Adriana Melo
Inks by Mark Morales & Wade Von Grawbadger
Colors by Hi-Fi
Cover Price: $3.99
On Sale Date: December 11, 2019

**NON SPOILERS AND SCORE AT THE BOTTOM**

Hey, some more of that cross-country travelin’ with your old buds Harley Quinn and Poison Ivy. Or something like that. I think the main thing this story is supposed to do is get us hip to the fact that Pamela is part of the Green. Or whatever. It’s kind of a mess, as you’ll find out in my review of Harley Quinn & Poison Ivy #3, right here!

Hawkman #19 Review

Beating Evil With Love........ And A Mace

Written By: Robert Venditti

Art By: Pat Olliffe, Tom Palmer, Jeremiah Skipper, Starkings & Comicraft

Cover Price: $3.99
Release Date: December 11, 2019

The Sky Tyrant is flying high now that the Batman Who Laughs has infected Carter Hall, making his personality from his Earth-3 incarnation come to the forefront of his mind.  Now that he's here, he intends to kill as many people as possible..... you know.... because he's from Earth-3 and the only one who can stop him is the part of his mind that's still Carter Hall...... Oh yeah, and Shayera as well, she's come from Thanagar Prime to kick a little ass and get Carter's mind right again.  Let's jump into this issue and check it out.

Detective Comics #1017 Review

HE SAVES LIVES

Writer: Tom Taylor

Artist: Fernando Blanco
Colorist: John Kalisz
Colors: David Baron
Letters: Travis Lanham

Cover Price: $3.99

Release Date: December 11th, 2019

Review by Joey Casco of TheWineStalker.net

Tom Taylor jumps on Detective for an issue called "Orphans", where Batman and Robin must try and find a runaway from the Martha Wayne Orphanage. And, of course, the situation is more than it seems.

Ocean Master: Year of the Villain #1 Review

Deep Dive

Writer: Dan Watters
Artist: Miguel Mendonca, Ivan Plascencia, and Wes Abbott
Cover Price: $4.99
Release Date: December 11, 2019

I may not be a big fan of the whole Year of the Villain "event" going on right now, but I am an Ocean Master fan so I grabbed this one to review.  We haven't got enough of Orm lately, so I will take it any way I can.  So was it any good?  Let's find out...

Supergirl #37 Review and *SPOILERS*

No One Understands Me

Written By: Jody Houser
Art By: Rachael Scott, Cris Peter
Letters By: Tom Napolitano
Cover Price: $3.99
Release Date: December 11, 2019

*Non Spoilers and Score At The Bottom*

Supergirl is in a strange state now. We just had an annual issue recently that explored more about how the infection is affect Kara mentally. However, we are back in the main story in order to find out what Supergirl is really doing now that she’s been infected by The Batman Who Laughs. I’m doing my best to temper my feeling towards this book as it has once again been dragged into a new storyline that is taking place mainly in a completely different book. However, Supergirl has a new badass look and a “take no prisoners” attitude that might lead to a very interesting issue. Let’s just jump into this new issue and see where it takes us.

Harley Quinn’s Villain of the Year

Pomp and Circumstance

Writer: Mark Russell
Artist: Mike Norton
Colorist: Hi-Fi
Letterer: Dave Sharpe
Cover: Amanda Conner & Paul Mounts
Associate Editor: Andrea Shea

Editor: Alex Antone
Group Editor: Brian
Cunningham
Cover Price: $4.99
On Sale Date: December 11, 2019

**NON SPOILERS AND SCORE AT THE BOTTOM**

Uh…what the hell is this? A Year of the Villain tie-in or sumpthin’? I musta been napping when this was announced since it also involves the results from a reader poll taken at some point in the past. How about that. I guess we can find out who what characters won that poll and what the hell this comic book is about by reading my review of Harley Quinn’s Villain of the Year #1, right now!

Superman #18 Review

Hello, I'm Clark Kent and I'm Superman

Written By: Brian Michael Bendis

Art By: Ivan Reis, Joe Prado, Alex Sinclair, Dave Sharpe

Cover Price: $3.99
Release Date: December 11, 2019

The big issue is here!  The time when Superman's identity is revealed to the world and I'm not talking about when it happened in 2015, I'm talking about an all-new, all-different reveal of Superman's identity!  Yeah, I'm not happy about this, especially for how we just kind of did this a couple of years ago and it was terrible then, but this seems to be our status quo going forward and I guess we'll find out why it was a good idea that Superman kept his secret identity for as long as he did because nothing good can come from this.  Let's jump into this issue and see if Bendis can pull off this big reveal in a big way.  

Tales From The Dark Multiverse: Teen Titans: The Judas Contract #1 Review

Let's Rock

Written By: Kyle Higgins, Mat Groom

Art By: Tom Raney, Hi-Fi, Tom Orzechowski

Cover Price: $5.99

Release Date: December 11, 2019

It's back to the voyeuristic adventures of Tempus Fuginaut as he checks in on different worlds in the Dark Multiverse.  This time though, the Fuge has his eyes set on a inappropriate relationship between an old man and a sixteen year old girl...... That's right, I'm talking about the Judas Contract and for this installment we're going to see how things played out different with Tara Markov when she betrayed the Teen Titans to Deathstroke.  Let's jump into this and see if we can have our minds blown by this new world of darkness and wonder.

PREVIEW: Ocean Master: Year of the Villain #1

Writer: Dan Watters
Artist: Miguel Mendonca
Cover Price: $4.99
Release Date: December 11, 2019

Orm Marius lost nearly everything following the events of "Drowned Earth"-his crown, his love, and his freedom. Now, in the battle between justice and doom, Ocean Master struggles to find his place. But don't count him out just yet-Ocean Master is about to prove exactly what makes him the true king of the seven seas when he discovers a new power that will change the tide forever!

PREVIEW: Far Sector #2

Writer: N.K. Jemisin
Artist: Jamal Campbell
Cover Price: $3.99
Release Date: December 11, 2019

Rookie Green Lantern Sojourner "Jo" Mullein's investigation of the first murder in 500 years hits a snag when the murderer is murdered. Whatever's going on, it's something to do with Switchoff, a highly illegal genetic cocktail that restores dangerous feelings to the emotionless citizens of the City Enduring...

PREVIEW: Detective Comics #1017

Writer: Tom Taylor
Artist: Fernando Blanco
Cover Price: $3.99
Release Date: December 11, 2019

In the dead of winter, a child has gone missing from the Martha Wayne Orphanage in Gotham City...and the bearer of the Wayne family name is on the case. But to solve this mystery, Batman must turn to another bearer of the Wayne family name, his estranged son Damian, to hit the night skies as Batman and Robin once more. Can father and son put aside their differences to rescue the missing Miguel Flores? And what other dark turn is in store for the duo on their journey into the night? Don't miss this special tale by guest writer Tom Taylor!

PREVIEW: Dark Knight Returns: The Golden Child #1

Writer: Frank Miller
Artist: Rafael Gramp
Cover Price: $5.99
Release Date: December 11, 2019

Frank Miller returns to the Dark Knight Universe!
It's been three years since the events of Dark Knight III: The Master Race. Lara has spent the time learning to be more human, and Carrie Kelley has been growing into her new role as Batwoman. But a terrifying evil has returned to Gotham City, and Lara and Carrie must team up to stop this growing threat-and they have a secret weapon. Young Jonathan Kent, "the golden child," has a power inside of him unlike anything the world has ever seen, and it's about to be unleashed...  

Dark Knight Returns: The Golden Child is Frank Miller's triumphant return to the world of the Dark Knight and joining him is the superstar artist Rafael Grampá, the mastermind behind the groundbreaking Mesmo Delivery. Following work in advertising and film, this incredible collaboration marks Grampá's first comics work in six years, bringing his extraordinary detail and storytelling to the Dark Knight saga, resulting in a Dark Knight story like nothing you've ever seen before.

PREVIEW: Batman: Curse of the White Knight #5

Writer: Sean Murphy

Artist: Sean Murphy
Cover Price: $4.99
Release Date: December 11, 2019

The GTO struggles to forgive Batman for his behavior on the tails of tragedy, but a promising path forward comes into focus when he uncovers a monumental clue about the mystery of Gotham's ancestral curse. It may prove too little too late, as Azrael breaks free of Ruth's mandate and unleashes a radical new reign of terror over the city and its competing super-criminals.

PREVIEW: Batman and the Outsiders #8

Writer: Bryan Hill
Artist: Dexter Soy
Cover Price: $3.99
Release Date: December 11, 2019

Queen takes rook in this master's game of chess played by the Demon's Head himself, Ra's al Ghul, as he cultivates more of the Outsiders for his taking. Cassandra Cain is caught in the middle between friendship, family, and her own moral judgments. Meanwhile, Black Lightning continues to make his moves while Batman seems to be away on "Bruce Wayne" business.

PREVIEW: Harley Quinn: Villain of the Year #1

Written By: Mark Russell
Art By: Mike Norton, Hi-Fi, Dave Sharpe
Cover Price: $4.99
Release Date: December 11, 2019

Harley Quinn hosts “Villainy’s Biggest Night” as the DCU’s most dastardly gather at the Hall of Doom to do what they do best—congratulate themselves! But one villain has a secret plan, fueled by years of being overlooked by his peers, and the burning desire to receive the praise he so rightly deserves... Don’t miss out on a one-of-a-kind comic book experience, with the winners decided by you, the fans! Who will be crowned DC’s Villain of the Year?

PREVIEW: Supergirl #37

Written By: Jody Houser
Art By: Rachael Stott, Cris Peter, Tom Napolitano
Cover Price: $3.99
Release Date: December 11, 2019

Infected Supergirl strikes! After Supergirl protects Superman from getting infected by the Batman Who Laughs virus, she gets infected herself...and accepts this new version of herself with pride! With Batman and Superman claiming to want to “cure” her to cover up that she had to protect Superman, and the Batman Who Laughs wanting to use her in his own plans, which side will Supergirl choose? Or will she forge a whole new alliance?

PREVIEW: Justice League Odyssey #16

Written By: Dan Abnett
Art By: Cliff Richards, Rain Beredo, Andworld Design
Cover Price: $3.99
Release Date: December 11, 2019

Jessica Cruz and her new Justice League Odyssey squad are hardly a team...just a bunch of misfits and old rivals thrown together by chance. Only one cause unites them: stopping the newly empowered, godlike Darkseid. But when they're outgunned and stranded on a hostile world, can they even begin to fight the ruthless forces of Sepulkore, or will an unexpected new ally change the course of their struggle forever?