Batman #154 Comic Review

• Written by: Chip Zdarsky

• Art by: Carmine Di Giandomenico

• Colors by: Tomeu Morey

• Letters by: Clayton Cowles

• Cover art by: Jorge Jimenez, Tomeu Morey

• Cover price: $4.99

• Release date: November 6, 2024

Batman #154, by DC Comics on 11/6/24, dives deep into Mayor Nakano's murder, uncovering more than one secret that changes everything about the men Batman thought he knew.

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Is Batman #154 Good?

*Sniff* *Sniff* Do you smell that? I smell it. It's the sad, sad smell of desperation. When a creator knows they've fouled up a run so bad they resort to cheap shock and lazy retcons, it's almost a given to expect some kind of desperate Hail Mary to make the waning months of the run matter. Unfortunately for Batman readers everywhere, Chip Zdarsky is stinking up the place with desperation in Batman #154.

When last we left the Caped Crusader in Batman #153, Batman's life in Gotham returned to semi-normalcy after the Absolute Power event, but the peace didn't last long. Riddler was released from incarceration and hit it big as a tech mogul, intent on taking over Wayne Enterprises. Meanwhile, a new, deadly vigilante arrived on the scene, Commander Star, sanctioned by Commissioner Vandal Savage. The issue ended with Mayor Nakano taking two bullets to the chest from a hidden assassin.

In Batman #154, Batman and P.I. Gordon arrive after the police to investigate the lead-icillin death of Mayor Nakano. The police don't turn up much, but Batman gets a lead from Nakano's personal assistant about a man named Leonid Kill, who we learned in the last issue is the current head of the Court of Owls.

When Batman finds Kull having dinner with Riddler and the new, interim mayor, Batman learns the truth about Kull's position with the Court, but he suspects he's looking in the wrong place for the killer.

Later, Bruce Wayne meets with his counsel to discuss the challenge to his ownership of Wayne Enterprises from a so-called long lost brother. Rowan uses her influence to get a name - William Pureford - and the source believe William is the secret love child of Thomas Wayne from an affair.

Later still, Bruce visits Leslie Thompkins, who confirms his father's indiscretion. During the clinic visit a protest riot breaks out in front of the clinic. When Bruce goes outside to diffuse the situation, he's almost shot by one of the protestors, but he's saved at the last minute by the arrival of Commander Star.

Later again, Batman and Gordon return to the scene of the murder to look for more clues. During the search, Bullock calls Batman to let him know they cracked Mrs. Nakano's phone to find out she was having an affair... with Jim Gordon.

What's great about Batman #154?

To Zdarsky's credit, he's planting the seeds of multiple mysteries that are intriguing and unguessable. Nakano's murder seemed like an easy guess, until it wasn't, and the secret identity of Commander Star has potential.

What's not great about Batman #154?

Come on, Chip Zdarsky! What are we doing here? Did DC issue a mandate to everyone working on a Bat-title to besmirch and retcon Thomas Wayne wherever possible? Between this issue and last week's Detective, 2024 is looking bad for maintaining Thomas Wayne's integrity.

Taking it a step further, Gordon stepped into the father-figure role a long time ago, and now we're knocking him down a few notches as an adulterer. Honestly DC, go peddle your dystopian daddy issues somewhere else.

How's the Art? 

Carmine Di Giandomenico's art looks great, so there's no complain here. In particular, Di Gianomenico makes good use of off-angle panel shots and unique perspectives to make every panel as visually interesting as possible.



About The Reviewer: Gabriel Hernandez is the Publisher & EIC of ComicalOpinions.com, a comics review site dedicated to indie, small, and mid-sized publishers.

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Final Thoughts

Batman #154 has the seeds of a few intriguing mysteries surrounding a murder and a new vigilante in town. Sadly, Chip Zdarsky resorts to cheap shocks and needless retcons to tear down every father figure in Batman's life, which puts a stinking cloud of desperation over the long-suffering run. Keep your daddy issues to yourself, DC.

6/10

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JSA #1 Comic Review

• Written by: Jeff Lemire

• Art by: Diego Olortegui

• Colors by: Luis Guerrero

• Letters by: Steve Wands

• Cover art by: Diego Olortegui (cover A)

• Cover price: $3.99

• Release date: November 6, 2024

JSA #1, by DC Comics on 11/6/2024, revisits the JSA after the events of Absolute Power to find the team split on priorities and tactics when the quest to find their missing members grows cold.

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Is JSA #1 Good?

Writer Jeff Lemire joins DC's All-In initiative by tackling the Justice Society of America to continue the team's adventures after the conclusion of Absolute Power. The team frays due to pressures from within and without, so the question becomes - How much angst is too much angst? JSA #1 doesn't outright answer that question, but it may test your limits.

 JSA #1 begins with a brief prologue montage to show the generations of Society members fighting the good fight for Justice. In the now, the team fights to maintain order as the team becomes increasingly desperate to find several members who recently disappeared.

The issue switches to a mission in progress where we find Obsidian and Jesse Quick capturing a pair of Kobra terrorists as they gather explosives to blow up Kobra's next target, the Secret Museum. The terrorists aren't forthcoming with information, so Obsidian begins to apply painful pressure. Jade arrives and stops Obsidian from engaging in outright torture and orders the team back to HQ for a meeting.

Later, we learn there's trouble in paradise since the JSA is at odds with each other over how to surveil for missions, when to act versus when to plan, communication, and more. During the bickering session, personal grievances come to light to increase the tension exponentially.

Jade eventually concludes the meeting to give everyone a chance to cool off. Elsewhere, we see the missing Society members taking refuge in the Tower of Fate, which currently resides in a Hell dimension, surrounded by an army of demons. Dr. Fate struggles to keep shields up for an extended period while Jay Garrick races through the Tower to find an exit for everyone to get back to Earth.

The issue concludes with Dr. Fate's strength failing and one of the Society members on Earth revealing he isn't who he pretends to be.

What's great about JSA #1?

Jeff Lemire is doing the Lord's work by bringing the other original Justice team back to the fore. The JSA hasn't been given their right due in several decades, and it warms my DC-loving heart to see them get some overdue attention, including characters we haven't seen in a while, such as Obsidian and Jade.

Further, the cliffhanger twist at the end is a doozy.

What's not great about JSA #1?

Uhh, Editor's Notes on Aisle 5. Can we get some Editor's Notes on Aisle 5, please?

Lemire drops you straight into several developments that were either in the Absolute Power finale, one of the tie-ins, or some other comic I can't remember, so new readers will feel like they got dropped into the middle of an arc without an ounce of context. 

It would have helped to have a few editor's notes to point readers to the background of what's happening to make the opening not so jarring. Yes. Sure. Competent editor work at DC is a lot to ask.

The other aspect that doesn't sit quite right is the over-the-top arguing and bickering in the first half of the comic. Yes, a team that completely gets along is boring, but it would have helped not to have everyone at each other's throats all at once. The second half of the issue is more entertaining than the first half for exactly that reason.

How's the Art?

The last time we see Diego Olortegui, he turned in an amazing set of visuals on Jeremy Adams's Jay Garrick miniseries. I liked his art then, but I like it a little less now. Ortegui's art is generally very good, but this issue looks a bit rushed and loose as if Ortegui had to ink the book in a hurry. Hopefully, it's just a temporary blip and not indicative of the rest of the series.

About The Reviewer: Gabriel Hernandez is the Publisher & EIC of ComicalOpinions.com, a comics review site dedicated to indie, small, and mid-sized publishers.

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Final Thoughts

JSA #1 brings the Justice Society back to the forefront in a big way as they tackle conflict from within and without. Jeff Lemire gives multiple characters we haven't seen in a while a moment to shine, and the mysteries plaguing the group are interesting. That said, Lemire pushes the bicker button a little too hard, and Ortegui's art looks rushed in spots.

7/10

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Batgirl #1 Comic Review

• Written by: Tate Brombal

• Art by: Takeshi Miyazawa

• Colors by: Mike Spicer

• Letters by: Tom Napolitano

• Cover art by: David Talaski (cover A)

• Cover price: $3.99

• Release date: November 6, 2024

Batgirl #1, by DC Comics on 11/6/24, catches up with Cassandra Cain when summoned to a private meeting with her mother to warn of an incoming assassin attack.

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Is Batgirl #1 Good?

Admittedly, my expectations for this title were severely tempered after reading Green Lantern Dark #1 a few weeks ago from writer Tate Brombal. That issue had potential but lacked personality and pacing. Therefore, I'm happy to report that Brombal redeemed himself with Batgirl #1. This issue won't shake the pillars of Heaven, but it brings Cassandra Cain back to form with an (almost) rock-solid setup.

Batgirl #1 begins at the moment of impact when Cassandra Cain, aka Batgirl, arrives at a private meeting at the behest of her mother, Lady Shiva. Cain's mother says she's come to Gotham to prevent her death and the death of her daughter at the hands of a Ninja cult out for revenge.

Cain and Shiva are not on friendly terms, so Batgirl is not instantly open to cooperating with her mother. Suddenly, the ninjas Shiva warned about crashes through the windows of the meeting place, setting off a fight, a calculated retreat out a nearby window, and a very temporary refuge in the Gotham branch of the Temple of Shiva.

The issue concludes with mother and daughter fighting side-by-side.

"Wait! That's it?" you might ask. Yes, that is indeed it. The plot is super-basic and doesn't include side plots, flashbacks, or any sort of subtext. Cass shows up, her mother lays out the stakes, and then they fight.

What's great about Batgirl #1?

Tate Brombal's opener feels like a return to form for Cassandra Cain on multiple levels. The cutesy will-they-or-won't-they flirtations Cloonrad force-fit into Cain's relationship with Spoiler is nowhere to be found. The plot is a ninja-themed adventure, which aligns with Cain's background, and Cain's ability to watch/listen to body language, which is what makes her special, returns to prominence during the action.

In effect, Brombal gives readers a classic Batgirl.

What's not great about Batgirl #1?

The assassin's motivations are lacking, which is regularly a point of frustration among all Big 2 comics. Shiva explains that the killers are after her and Cain, but even when pressed for the "why," the moment is simply dropped. When the story doesn't establish why a villain is acting, that's how you end up with one-dimensional villains that lead to forgettable stories.

In fairness, there could be a good reason why the ninja attacks are mysterious, but that delay, if intentional, shouldn't linger any more than necessary.

How's the Art?

Takeshi Miyazawa's artwork is also very solid. The fight choreography, which takes up a healthy amount of the pages, is well done. Cain's knack for reading body language is visualized in a way that brings readers into the trick, and the facial acting, almost completely from Lady Shiva, hits the mark.

Again, this issue isn't breaking any new ground, but in an era where finding a decent comic from the Big 2 is like looking for a needle in a haystack, Brombal and Miyazawa deliver.



About The Reviewer: Gabriel Hernandez is the Publisher & EIC of ComicalOpinions.com, a comics review site dedicated to indie, small, and mid-sized publishers.

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Final Thoughts

Batgirl #1 is a simple, straightforward start to a Batgirl miniseries that should make Cassandra Cain fans happy. This issue isn't breaking new ground or reinventing the medium, but Tate Brombal brings Cain back to form and Takeshi Miyazawa's art is very good.

7.8/10

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Absolute Superman #1 Comic Review

• Written by: Jason Aaron

• Art by: Rafa Sandoval

• Colors by: Ulises Arreola

• Letters by: Becca Carey

• Cover art by: Rafa Sandoval (cover A)

• Cover price: $4.99

• Release date: November 6, 2024

Absolute Superman #1, by DC Comics on 11/6/24, brings forth a new version of Superman into a universe composed of Darkseid energy, and the world will never be the same.

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Is Absolute Superman #1 Good?

After the first read-through, I'm not sure what to make of Absolute Superman #1. Tonally, if not necessarily in specific plot points, writer Jason Aaron's take on the (young) Man of Steel feels a lot like J. Michael Straczynski's Superman: Year One. Aaron's Superman is younger, less sure of his place in the world, and still trying to figure out his limits, so Year One fans may like this take. 

However, this first issue suffers from the same problem as Absolute Batman in that the major differences in Superman's origin are actually minor, leaving the rest of the differences to Aaron's not-so-subtle messaging about class distinction, oppressed workers, and environmental issues. In effect, Aaron's Superman presents as the Superman Tom Taylor tried (and failed) to create in Jon Kent, crossed with Zack Snyder's somber Man of Steel, which is in no way, shape, or form a compliment.

Absolute Superman #1 waffles back and forth between the past on Krypton and the present on Earth.

In the past, Krypton is heavily mired in an oppressive class system structure. The Science League rules over all as the pinnacle of Kryptonian achievement. Everyone wears the symbol of their class on their clothing at all times. The Science League's symbol is their red sun. You have other classes, such as the middle management class and the blue-collar worker class. Aaron's clever twist is that the blue-collar worker class is denoted by the familiar 'S,' so in this version, 'S' stands for "blue-collar worker."

Jor-El, a brilliant scientist ready to make his mark in the Science League, gets booted from consideration for entrance after making a graduation speech railing against the Science League's lack of concern for the Kryptonian environment. Now, Jor-El works in the blue-collar class as a safety inspector for the crystal mines. When a mining catastrophe confirms Jor-El's growing suspicion about an environmental catastrophe, the wheels are set in motion for Jor-El to save his son Kal-El, who stands about eight years old in the flashback.

In the present, Kal-El secretly travels from one location to the next to help oppressed workers who suffer under unsafe working conditions for the omnipresent Lazarus Corporation. Kal-El looks to be in his early twenties, and he uses his powers to help out low-wage workers in environs such as diamond mines to prevent loss of life and undue hardship. The world isn't aware of Superman since Kal-El travels in civilian clothes, covering his face with scarves and hoodies (hence the Year One vibe).

During his latest mission of mercy, Kal-El is confronted by the armed security squad sent by the Lazarus Corporation to capture the strange being causing trouble at the corporation's facilities. During the brief fight, we learn Kal-El's A.I.-driven suit acts as a knowledge base, warning system, and overall source of wisdom, similar to the relationship between Iron Man and his Jarvis A.I.

The issue ends with the realization that Kal-El doesn't have full control of his powers and has limited ability to store solar energy. Finally, the security operative leading the team from Lazarus and who ultimately captures Kal-El is Lois Lane.

What's great about Absolute Superman #1?

If you had no background on Superman or his Kryptonian lineage, Absolute Superman #1 makes for a pretty sound jumping-on point to connect with the Man of Steel that isn't the original but close enough to not be a completely alien version of the character.

Generally, Jason Aaron's pacing is solid, the very brief amount of action is well done, and it feels like Aaron put a lot of thought into the world-building.

What's not great about Absolute Superman #1?

This issue isn't bad on any technical level, so the good and the bad of it comes down to the creative choices.

Tonally, the book is somber to the point of depression. Everyone and everything is depressed or awful, so there's no fun or hope to be found anywhere.

The Darkseid energy twists are obvious, but the twists that exemplify a brand new Superman from a brand new universe aren't big enough to make you believe this Superman is truly different. Absolute Superman's differences are variations on the same basic character and history, so they're novel but not significant.

Lastly, Kal-El's Kryptonian background and the types of heroics he undertakes on Earth heavily suggest an activist-minded story, which makes the character feel overly grounded. Superman is a larger-than-life character, approaching godhood in his abilities and moral compass, so tackling issues of evil corporations and oppressed workers, while certainly an important cause, comes across as Aaron tackling issues that are important to Jason Aaron but wasted on Superman. This Superman feels weak and small.

Again, there's no technical problem with the issue, but Aaron's tone and creative choices are glum (read: not fun), and any major change meant to separate this Superman from the original is cosmetic at best.

How's the Art?

Rafa Sandoval is an amazing artist, so he brings his A-Game to every aspect of this issue, from the Kryptonian costume designs to the cinematic panel progression and transitions. Sandoval's style is certainly different than Nick Dragotta's work on Absolute Batman but equal in terms of quality and overall visual appeal. In short, I'm very happy with the art.

About The Reviewer: Gabriel Hernandez is the Publisher & EIC of ComicalOpinions.com, a comics review site dedicated to indie, small, and mid-sized publishers.

Follow @ComicalOpinions on YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter

Final Thoughts

Absolute Superman #1 imagines a slightly different Superman who comes to Earth as an adult and sets out on his mission to save the oppressed and disadvantaged workers of the world, inspired by a Kryptonian legacy of class discrimination. Jason Aaron's glum take on Superman feels like a cross between Jon Kent's activist personality mixed with Zack Snyder's dour Man of Steel, sprinkled with a dash of inspiration from Straczynski's Superman: Year One. In a world where it's tough to find shining beacons of hope, Absolute Superman chooses not to be that beacon, but at least Rafa Sandoval's art looks fantastic.

7.8/10

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