Justice League Odyssey #24 Review

Writer: Dan Abnett
Art: Cliff Richards, Rain Beredo, Andworld Design
Cover Price: $3.99
Release Date: September 8th, 2020

Issue #24! Has it really been two years that I've been reviewing this book? My goodness! After a really rocky start, it has turned into one of the best books being made by DC right now and I'm sad that it's ending next month at #25. With this issue and only one more after it, it's time to get down to the nitty-gritty and for our JLO team to stop messing around take on Darkseid face to face.

The Flash #761 Review and *SPOILERS*

Everyone’s Invited

Written By: Joshua Williamson
Art By: Howard Porter, Hi-Fi, Steve Wands
Cover Price: $3.99
Release Date: September 8, 2020

*Non Spoilers and Score At The Bottom*

Just as this creative team’s run with this book is nearing its’ end, they are hitting their stride and making a mad dash for the finish line. The book is in a great spot with a ton of characters all colliding together. Almost all of their motivations have been fleshed out and it has led to some good ol’ fashioned comic book fun. But it’s more than that. With all of these characters feeling properly fleshed out, the impact of these scenes is more than just fun, it’s meaningful. Despite this teams’ shortcomings, they’ve really brought this book back from the abysmal previous storyline and made one of the stories that I can most easily recommend to the average comic reader at this point. This book is great right now and while I can’t promise it will be going forward, I have a lot of high expectations for this current story arc, so let’s jump into our most recent issue and see where that story takes us.

Batman and the Outsiders #16 Review

War is Over?

Writer: Bryan Edward Hill
Artist: Dexter Soy, Veronica Gandini, and Clayton Cowles
Cover Price: $3.99
Release Date: September 8, 2020

Most people already know that this book has been canceled and will be ending next month with issue #17.  I have enjoyed it enough (not as much as some) and wonder if Bryan Hill received all the tools to tell the story he wanted.  The book was delayed and retooled before it even came out and then was shoved into the Year of the Villain nonsense that never made much sense for this story.  Still, he gave fans some good character moments and tried (seemingly with some DC fight back) to make this a Black Lightning led book.  So, how is this penultimate issue?  Let's find out...

Nightwing #74 Review

Dickyboy No More?

Writer: Dan Jurgens

Artist: Ryan Benjamin, Richard Friend, Rain Beredo, and Andworld Design

Cover Price: $3.99

Release Date: September 8, 2020

It's Joker War tie-in time once again, and while my podcasting co-host, Eric Shea, has been enjoying this Dicky-Boy story more than myself, I warmed up to it a bit last issue with the inclusion of Tim Drake and Jason Todd. Besides a cool setup that puts those two and Batgirl in big trouble, I still hope it leads to what all Nightwing fans want and deserve, Dick Grayson back as Nightwing! I usually say more in these intro paragraphs, but screw it, let's jump into the issue!

Superman #25 Review

Keeping Tabs On Superman

Written By: Brian Michael Bendis

Art By: Ivan Reis, Julio Ferreira, Danny Miki, Alex Sinclair, Dave Sharpe

Cover Price: $5.99

Release Date: September 8, 2020

Who's ready for an over-sized anniversary issue of Superman where we introduce the newest threat to our Man of Steel in the form of Synmar? Ready or not, here it comes. Let's jump into this issue and see what Brian Michael Bendis has in store for the Man of Tomorrow in this brave new world, where not only is Superman's identity revealed, but where he's currently unemployed because the Daily Planet has been shut down. Let's jump into this issue and check it out.

Hawkman #27 Review

Quantum Leap

Written By: Robert Venditti

Art By: Fernando Pasarin, Oclair Albert, Wade Von Grawbadger, Jeremy Cox, Rob Leigh
Cover Price: $3.99
Release Date: September 8, 2020

In the previous issue we saw Hawkman finally break his curse/gift of resurrection when he defeated the Lord Beyond the Void and in doing so saved the Universe from destruction, balancing the scales of the people he slaughtered in his original life and as Shayera and Carter were about to die, the Presence gifted them with one more life. Now you'd think that they'd pick up right where they left off, but apparently, the Hawks mentally chose to be gifted with a Golden Age resurrection, where they picked up their lives with the JSA in the '40s. Let's jump into this issue and see what this means for our heroes as this title winds down and if this is the beginning of yet another Hawkman origin. Let's check it out.

Dark Nights: Death Metal: Trinity Crisis #1 Review

Crisis Rewind

Written By: Scott Snyder 

Art By: Francis Manapul, Ian Herring, Tom Napolitano

Cover Price: $5.99

Release Date: September 8, 2020

Death Metal continues and even though we have an off-month with the main title, this tie-in should satiate all you Dark Multiverse fans as it seems bigger than anything else that we've dealt with in this event since it's all about going down into the dark and finding the worlds that the Crisis On Infinite Earths, Infinite Crisis and the Final Crisis are essentially playing on repeat to fill Perpetua with Crisis Energy to keep her destruction and eventual reimagining of the Multiverse going. Let's jump into this issue and see if our Trinity of heroes can do the impossible and actually win a battle in this long, long war against the Batman Who Laughs........ or as he goes by now, the Darkest Knight. Let's check it out.

Wonder Woman #762 Review

It's not Filler...Liar Liar!

Writer: Mariko Tamaki
Artist: Carlo Barberi, Matt Santorelli, Alejandro Sanchez, and Pat Brosseau
Cover Price: $3.99
Release Date: September 9, 2020

Mariko Tamaki continues her run of Wonder Woman this week, and I need things to pick up a bit.  So far, my two biggest problems are that I haven't been able to get a grip on Tamaki's Diana yet, and the overall story hasn't felt as big as it should.  We are getting a Wonder Woman/Maxwell Lord team up, for heaven's sake!  Let's jump into this issue and see if selfish me gets what I want...

PREVIEW: Wonder Woman #762

Writer: Mariko Tamaki
Artist: Carlo Barberi
Publisher: DC Comics
Release Date: September 9, 2020
Cover Price: $3.99

NEW VILLAIN ALERT: LIAR LIAR DEBUTS!
Random acts of violence are breaking out all over the Earth, and Wonder Woman is closing in on the source. The problem? It looks like a new ally is to blame for the widespread pandemonium. Check out the debut of the deadly new villain Liar Liar in this issue, plus the shocking connection between this new threat and a face from the past...

PREVIEW: Nightwing #74

Writer: Dan Jurgens
Artist: Ryan Benjamin
Cover Price: $3.99
Release Date: September 8, 2020

The Joker has poisoned Ric Grayson’s mind with false memories and pitted him against Batgirl, the Robins, and Batman. As Batgirl realizes the key to ending this nightmare is through the crystal around The Joker’s neck, it’s up to Grayson to use it on himself and fight for who he really is: Nightwing! And if he doesn’t get stuck in his own memories, will he be able to rescue the Bat-Family from The Joker’s plans and end this cruel joke once and for all? 

PREVIEW: Batman and the Outsiders #16

Writer: Bryan Edward Hill
Artist: Dexter Soy
Cover Price: $3.99
Release Date: September 9, 2020

It’s the last chance for the team to save the world-and to save Orphan and Signal from giving their allegiance to Lady Shiva! Plus, will Katana’s soultaker sword finally break for good? Will Black Lightning give off his last spark? And will Batman be able to destroy Ra’s al Ghul’s weapon?

PREVIEW: The Flash #761

Writer: Joshua Williamson
Artist: Howard Porter
Cover Price: $3.99
Release Date: September 9, 2020

“Finish Line” part three! It’s the Flash Family versus the Legion of Zoom! Witness the biggest battle in Flash history as the two sides go head-to-head for the fate of the future! Can the Flash stop the unstoppable Reverse-Flash from dragging him down into a personal hell Barry Allen can never escape?!

PREVIEW: Superman #25

Written By: Brian Michael Bendis

Art By: Ivan Reis, Julio Ferreira, Danny Miki, Alex Sinclair, Dave Sharpe

Cover Price: $5.99
Release Date: September 8, 2020

New Villain Alert: Introducing Synmar! A colossal new threat to Superman, the planet Earth, and the DC Universe arrives on the scene in this special issue! The unique warrior called Synmar was created to represent an entire alien race. He’s trained his entire life-but for what purpose? As the antithesis of everything Superman stands for, Synmar launches his aggression toward Earth-to destroy the Man of Steel and every being on the planet! This is what Superman was born to protect us from!

PREVIEW: Hawkman #27

Written By: Robert Venditti

Art By: Fernando Pasarin, Oclair Albert, Wade Von Grawbadger, Jeremy Cox, Rob Leigh
Cover Price: $3.99
Release Date: September 8, 2020

Hawks reborn! Hawkman and Hawkwoman receive the precious gift of life one last time and return to the past where they were happiest-back with the Justice Society of America! But nostalgia’s not all it’s cracked up to be with the Injustice Society on the loose! And who’s the mysterious figure plotting to cut Hawkman’s final life short from the shadows?

PREVIEW: Dark Nights: Death Metal Trinity Crisis #1

Written By: Scott Snyder 

Art By: Francis Manapul, Ian Herring, Tom Napolitano

Cover Price: $5.99
Release Date: September 8, 2020

With Superman freed from his New Apokolips prison, the classic Trinity lineup is reunited and ready to rock! Wonder Woman, Batman and Superman amp up their power to launch an assault on Castle Bat, and that’s just the warm-up act! Three walking nightmares are hidden deep inside the fortress—but these Dark Multiverse versions of the Anti-Monitor, Superboy Prime and Darkseid hold the key to humanity’s survival. The Justice League have to face down their old nemeses, but will round two be the end for our heroes?