Wonder Woman #778 Review

 

Up Up and Away...

Writer: Becky Cloonan, and Michael Conrad

Artist: Travis Moore, Tamra Bonvillain, and Pat Brosseau

Cover Price: $4.99

Release Date: August 25, 2021

I'd love to say that this book is hitting as much for me as it is for my fellow reviewers, but it isn't. Of course, everybody looks for different things in a book, and I can't speak for what others are into, but I like good characterization, a gripping and meaningful story, and excellent art.  The art has been the standout since the start of this Infinite Frontier run, but everything else has been lacking.  Janus has villain potential but is stuck in a hide and seek narrative, which makes the overall story not very compelling, and worst of all, the book doesn't have much for Diana to do.  This issue picks up the pace with a Magical Multiverse Tour that would make The Walrus blush (BTW, the Walrus was Paul), but does that make things better?  Let's find out...

Detective Comics #1042 Review

What's it Worth?!?

Writer: Mariko Tamaki

Artist:   Viktor Bogdanovich

Colors: Jordie Bellaire

Letters: Aditya Bidikar

Release Date: August 24th, 2021

Cover Price: $4.99

Oh no! Batman has been shot with a bullet containing Vile's venom or whatever you want to call it, and now he's infected! How's this going to turn out for the bad guys? I'd assume probably worse than if he wasn't.

RWBY/Justice League #5 Review

 

Written By: Marguerite Bennett
Art by: Stephanie Pepper
Colors By: Hi-Fi
Letters By: Gabriela Downie
Cover By: Mirka Andolfo
Cover Price: $3,99
Release Date: August 24, 2021

Reviewed By: Michael G

It’s the calm before the storm as our heroes gather to answer long stirring questions and share a night of frivolity before the impending battle in an issue that spotlights the newly formed Justice League, and puts Team RWBY in the backseat.

Harley Quinn #6 Review

Same Writer, Different Artist. Will It Be Enough To Turn This Title Around?

Written By: Stephanie Phillips
Art By: Laura Braga

Colors By: Arif Prianto

Letters By: Andworld Design

Cover Art By: Riley Rossmo

Cover Price: $3.99

Release Date: August 24, 2021

In Harley Quinn #6, Harley is on the prowl for the manufacturing facility making Hugo Strange's experimental drug. The path leads straight to Alleytown, but Catwoman is not too pleased with visitors clowning around on her home turf.

Robin #5 Review

Catch Me If You Can

Written By: Joshua Williamson

Art By: Gleb Melnikov, Luis Guerrero, Troy Peteri

Cover Price: $3.99
Release Date: August 24, 2021

Once again we're heading off to Lazarus Island to continue the League of Lazarus tournament and also... maybe learn what's so important that the League of Lazarus was kept secret from not only Damian Wayne, but us as well. First though, we need to have the former Robins come to look for Damian and try to bring him home. Let's jump into this issue and see how Damian loses his siblings and gets back to business. Let's check it out.

Superman: Son of Kal-El #2 Review

This Looks Like A Job For The Next Superman

Written By: Tom Taylor

Art By: John Timms, Gabe Eltaeb, Dave Sharpe

Cover Price: $3.99

Release Date: August 24, 2021

What kind of Superman is Jon Kent going to be? That's what this series is going to explore for a while now that Jon Kent has been aged up and his father is on his way to..... Well, probably Warworld but who knows what the future holds. Right now though, Jon Kent is trying to discover himself and I only hope that he isn't taken down a bad path since....... Well, since he essentially has the mind of a child because he spent his formative years chained in a volcano with only the sobs of a madman to soothe him. We're not dealing with that aspect though.... for some reason, so let's see what Jon has planned next on his journey in becoming Superman.

Action Comics #1034 Review

The Source Of Problems

Written By: Phillip Kennedy Johnson, Becky Cloonan, Michael W. Conrad

Art By: Christian Duce, Adriano Lucas, Dave Sharpe, Michael Avon Oeming, Taki Soma

Cover Price: $4.99

Release Date: August 24, 2021

There's so much turmoil going on in Action Comics right now and it's all thanks to the machinations of Mongul and his terrible Warworld. Not only have a group of off-shoot Kryptonians, called the Phaelosians come to Superman for what he believes is help, but a piece of the Source has captured the attention of not only the Atlanteans but the American Military and who possesses the piece is going to be the catalyst for war is Superman doesn't do something fast. Let's jump into this issue and see if things can turn out any better for our Man of Steel or Lois Lane for that matter because when we left the previous issue, warriors of Mongul had invaded the Fortress of Solitude to kill the refugees and I doubt Lois would get out of that scot-free. Let's check it out.

Checkmate #3 Review

Double Agents And Losing Patience

Written By: Brian Michael Bendis

Art By: Alex Maleev, Dave Stewart, Josh Reed

Cover Price: $3.99

Release Date: August 24, 2021

It's time to jump back into the world of mystery and espionage that is Checkmate..... I guess. I mean, I know that's what this book is going for but mostly the only things I get from this book after reading it is that the characters have awful dialog, they don't sound like themselves and I don't think Bendis fully understands the characters he's using...... but maybe that's just me. Previously we had a time-jumping story where people talked about "The Snowman's Ticket", which we've done for a while now but the thing that was infuriating is..... No One Knows What The Fucking Snowman's Ticket Is!.... They're still talking about it though like it's important. Let's jump into this issue and see if things can become more interesting than they've been and if Checkmate becomes a book that not only becomes clearer in its story but something that matters in the rest of the DC Universe, that just feels like it's left this story behind.

Batman/Superman #21 Review

 

And Cut!

Writer: Gene Luen Yang

Artist: Ivan Reis, Danny Miki, Sabine Rich and Saida Temofonte

Cover Price: $3.99

Release Date: August 24, 2021

I have the utmost respect for both Gene Luen Yang and Ivan Reis and applaud them for the creativity that they have put into this story.  It's a cool twist on the Multiverse and Elseworlds stories with some fantastic art.  That said, I haven't enjoyed the story as much as most so far.  It's got a focus and pacing problem, and I think a bit of the cleverness got lost in the shuffle.  So, does this ending (Note: the Archive of Worlds gets an annual next week) change my mind at all?  Let's find out...

PREVIEW: Wonder Woman #778

 

Writer: Jordie Bellaire, Becky Cloonan, Michael Conrad

Artist: Paulina Ganucheau, Travis Moore

Release Date: August 25, 2021

Cover Price: $4.99

Hot on the trail of Janus, Diana and her allies embark on a whirlwind adventure through the entire map of the Multiverse! Phantom Zone, Fifth Dimension, and Gemworld…oh my! Like the future, Janus’s path through space and time is unpredictable. Will Wonder Woman ever catch her? Or could this be the end of everything as we know it?! The tale behind Paradise Island’s creation continues as Hippolyta’s greatest regret is revealed. Can Diana forgive her mother for the past? And what does this revelation mean for the future of the Amazons?

PREVIEW: Superman vs. Lobo #1

 

Writer: Sarah Beattie, Tim Seeley

Artist: Mirka Andolfo

Release Date: August 25, 2021

Cover Price: $6.99

What happens when an indomitable force meets an irritating object? That’s what readers find out when Superman runs into Lobo. Think of it like a boy scout joining a biker gang. What will be worse, the damage Lobo causes on his own, or the chaos of trying to stop him? I smell a team-up, fanboys! Numen is the most popular being in the universe, a god clogging all social channels. And he does not like competition. This means Superman and Lobo must go. Further complicating things is Dr. Flik, a scientist determined to study the last sons of Krypton and Czarnia respectively. What can she glean from the hero who lost everything as a baby and the bad, bad boy who made it all go away just for the heck of it? From writers Tim Seeley and Sarah Beattie the team behind the indie hit Money Shot and Punchline artist Mirka Andolfo comes a hilarious new superhero epic!

PREVIEW: Superman '78 #1

 

Writer: Robert Venditti

Artist: Wilfredo Torres

Release Date: August 25, 2021

Cover Price: $3.99

Fly into director Richard Donner’s Superman once more in Superman ’78! Written by Robert Venditti (Superman: Man of Tomorrow) and drawn by Wilfredo Torres (Batman ’66), Superman ’78 tells a brand-new adventure in the world of the beloved film. A bright, shining day in Metropolis is interrupted by a mysterious drone that crash-lands in the city and starts wreaking havoc. This looks like a job for Superman! But where did the metallic menace come from, what is its purpose, and who is Brainiac?

PREVIEW: Batman: Reptilian #3

 

Writer: Garth Ennis

Artist: Liam Sharp

Release Date: August 25, 2021

Cover Price: $4.99

It got the Riddler. It got the Penguin. It got Deadshot, Hugo Strange, Two-Face, Tweedledee, and Tweedledum. It has left carnage in its wake as it moves through Gotham’s villainous underworld, and Batman finds himself vexed by one very important question: Just what on Earth is it? Now the Dark Knight’s search for clues has him tracking The Joker. But wouldn’t it be funny if the mysterious creature stalking Gotham got to the Clown Prince of Crime first?

PREVIEW: Harley Quinn #6

 

Writer: Stephanie Phillips

Artist: Laura Braga

Release Date: August 25, 2021

Cover Price: $3.99

Yer pal Harley Quinn back again! Now, there might be a lot of new faces in Gotham, but it’s always nice to see an old friend. Okay, so Catwoman explicitly asked me not to call her my friend, but I know she secretly loves me under that tough, broody, leather-clad exterior. You’re not gonna wanna miss this one as we tangle with those boring Magistrate goons in Alleytown like a real dynamic duo! I smash a lot of stuff with my bat, and Selina does a bunch of flips and awesome things with her whip. She’s so cool.

PREVIEW: Detective Comics #1042

 

Writer: Matthew Rosenberg, Mariko Tamaki

Artist: Viktor Bogdanovic, Max Raynor, Darick Robertson

Release Date: August 25, 2021

Cover Price: $4.99

Batman rampages through the underworld of Gotham! Driven to a violent madness courtesy of the Jury’s “Vile” serum, the Dark Knight crushes bones, makes a scene, and gives costumed vigilantes in Gotham a very bad name. But will the Jury’s plan backfire? Can a violent rage-machine packed with money, weapons, and an insatiable bloodlust possibly end well for Mr. Worth and his Jury? That giant plunge from a building might be the answer... Backup: Countdown to Task Force Z: Part Two! When Red Hood shows up in your apartment, you know you’ve done something drastically wrong. Jason Todd teams up with Deb Donovan to uncover the mysterious disappearances in Gotham, and their search brings them to the missing body of Bane! Look alive because death seems to be knocking at the door...

PREVIEW: Checkmate #3

 

Written By: Brian Michael Bendis

Art By: Alex Maleev, Dave Stewart, Josh Reed

Cover Price: $3.99

Release Date: August 24, 2021

All-new story! As the super-spies try to keep Leviathan from getting its hands on the Heroes Network, Lois Lane does her best to get to the bottom of the new truths in front of her. Meanwhile, her husband-the Man of Steel-has had just about enough of Leviathan. That’s right, finally! The man behind the rise of Leviathan, Mark Shaw, and Superman clash! Plus: Who is Mr. King really? Guest-starring Robin and Talia al Ghul! And Superman.

PREVIEW: Action Comics #1034

 

Written By: Phillip Kennedy Johnson, Becky Cloonan, Michael W. Conrad

Art By: Christian Duce, Adriano Lucas, Dave Sharpe, Michael Avon Oeming, Taki Soma

Cover Price: $4.99

Release Date: August 24, 2021

The Warzoons make their way to the doorstep of the Fortress of Solitude and only Lois Lane and the alien girl Thao-La are there to defend it. That’s because Superman is halfway around the world trying to stop the U.S. from declaring war on Atlantis. The Man of Steel must make a tough choice, and odds are, no one walks away happy. Elsewhere in Metropolis, Midnighter moves closer to the center of Trojan’s empire in the penultimate chapter of his back-up adventure. The story finishes later this month with the Midnighter 2021 Annual.

PREVIEW: Superman: Son of Kal-El #2

 

 

Written By: Tom Taylor

Art By: John Timms, Gabe Eltaeb, Dave Sharpe

Cover Price: $3.99

Release Date: August 24, 2021

Jonathan Kent now dons his father’s cape, but can he be Superman and still have a normal life? It’s tough in this modern world. Danger is everywhere. The new Superman learns this the hard way on his first day of college, and a deadly attack forces Jon to step from the shadows and into the spotlight-where his identity is exposed to the Truth, an activist news machine ready to upset everything. But first, the son still has some things to learn from his father-and a few cool toys to inherit. Ask yourself, what would you do with your very own Fortress of Solitude? This all-new chapter in the legacy of Man of Steel has only just begun to reveal its surprises!

PREVIEW: Robin #5

 

Written By: Joshua Williamson

Art By: Gleb Melnikov, Luis Guerrero, Troy Peteri

Cover Price: $3.99

Release Date: August 24, 2021

Robin reunion! Nightwing, Red Hood, Tim Drake, and Spoiler guest-star as they track Damian down with a plan to bring the young hero back to Gotham. Back to his family. But the son of Batman plans to win the Lazarus Tournament and refuses to return. What starts as a happy reunion quickly turns into a Robin rumble!

PREVIEW: Batman/Superman #21

 

Writer: Gene Luen Yang

Artist: Ivan Reis

Release Date: August 25, 2021

Cover Price: $3.99

The dimension-shattering Archive of Worlds saga ends here-and reverberations from this titanic tale last long after the dust settles! As the Dark Knight and the Man of Steel work to halt the villainous Auteur.io’s plan here on Earth-0, the Batman and Superman of their respective archive worlds must team up with Alanna of Rann and El Diablo himself to save what’s left of their homes. Etrigan and his demon hordes rain Armageddon down on their pocket universes-and the fate of the World of Tomorrow and the World of the Knight hang in the balance!