Spotlight Comic Review (9/10) "Amazing," A.D. After Death Book 1 of 3, Published by Image Comics, Writer: Scott Snyder, Penciller: Jeff Lemire, Plot: It is now 825 AD (After Death), after mankind has found the cure for death. Meet Jonah Cooke who has lived longer than 800 years. In this futuristic world where thunder storms plague the world, and people live for centuries - how do people cope with this world? I got turned on to this book because of the pedigree involved behind it, and though it is experimental, I thought it was also very compelling. How would mankind continue on with their lives if they never have to worry about death? The premise is both compelling and thought provoking and often times I found myself putting myself in the shoes of the protagonist and wondered how I would react in the situations he was in. Would I be able to stay with the same girlfriend or wife for more than a hundred years? Does working in the same boring job for decades even matter knowing that I would never grow old or die? This book asks these thoughtful questions and many more and Snyder and Lemire tell this story in both first personal narrative accounts as well as traditional comic panels. I always thought Lemire was a writer only and never saw his artwork. Although he is not the best artist in the industry, his art style is effective here because there is a cartoony but surreal quality to it. You never know what is really real and what is really part of a dream or the protagonist's imagination. The comic is also in magazine format so the panels are wider than most comics. This format gives the comic a high definition feel and really makes each page pop. Some of the spread pages are gorgeous and feel like I can hang in my home! The people of this world look young, but they look tired and haggard as if everything in life has been experienced and explored, and nothing really surprises them anymore. This is not only a thought provoking comic book, but an amazing piece o

Spotlight Comic Book Review (9/10) "Amazing" A.D. After Death Book Two Writer: Scott Snyder Illustrator: Jeff Lemire Plot: Jonah Cooke has lived multiple life times now that disease, sickness, and death have been cured. However, he cannot remember the previous life times and only remembers his most current life. Here we learn that Jonah used to be a skilled thief who was instrumental in finding the cure for death... Snyder and Lemire still manage to keep things intriguing for me in the second issue of this three issue mini-series. Alot is revealed about Jonah's past life and some things are revealed about how the world came upon the cure for disease. His relationship with Errant is also a very intriguing relationship and Errant seems like the type of man that uses other people to get what he wants. My favorite part of this issue had to be when Cooke started hearing voices through the radio and the world below the mountains and beneath the dark clouds. You wondered if Cooke was losing his grip on reality or was he really seeing and hearing what he thought he was seeing and hearing especially because no one around him seemed to be. This element of horror and suspense added to an already stellar book to me and I would recommend anyone to pick this issue up - especially if you loved the first issue.

Comic Book Review (8/10) "Great" Action Comics #960 "Men of Steel Part 3" Writer: Dan Jurgens Penciller: Patrick Zircher Plot: The weary and tired warrior L'Call the Godslayer and his partner Zade travel to Earth to stop Lex Luthor, who is envisioned as the next despot of Apokolips in Zade's visions. Now Luthor has been kidnapped and Superman is trying to save him before it's too late. But will Superman listen to the warnings of the aliens and allow them to kill Luthor for a crime he has yet to commit...? We get the back story one of the mysterious warriors that showed up in the previous two issues and in a way this issue made me sympathize for L'Call. He lost the people he loved and in order for other people to not experience that loss, L'Call eliminates potential targets. Now L'Call is NOT just a black and white evil character, but a character who has real motivations and has made this storyline alot more interesting and humane to be as Superman goes to rescue Lex. Jurgens (coupled with the gorgeous art of Zircher) manages to weave a more complex story in this issue and makes the battle between Superman and the Godslayer more compelling. 

Comic Book Review (7.5/10) "Good" Action Comics #970 "Men of Steel Part 4" Writer: Dan Jurgens Penciller: Patch Zircher Plot: Lex Luthor has been captured by L'Call the godslayer due to allegations that Luthor will one day become the next ruler of Apokolips in L'Call's visions. Superman makes it to L'Call's world because he believes that Luthor should not prosecuted for a crime he never committed. Now the trial of Luthor begins... This is the shortest trial I have ever seen in a form of media. There weren't many new accusations from L'Call and he kept bringing up the fact that his visions were always accurate. The only thing new was the fact that L'Call discovered a mother box in Luthor's cell which he claimed proved that Luthor will one day become the next Darkseid. Zircher does a great job and makes each scene look dramatic. This might be more filler than actual story, but Zircher's art makes this good looking filler.

Comic Book Review (8/10) "Great" Action Comics #971 "Men of Steel Part 5" Writer: Dan Jurgens Penciller: Stephen Segovia Plot: Lex Luthor is on trial for his life, and Superman creates a diversion to rescue him. Now Superman and Luthor are stranded on a red sun planet during their daring escape and Luthor must now protect a powerless Superman from L'Call and Zade. The story takes a great turn with Superman and Luthor being stranded on an alien planet with a red sun. Luthor behaves like an egomaniac as he looks to Superman like "are you kidding me - I have to protect you now?" and the back and forth between Supes and Luthor is some of the best dialogue in this series. The only thing that sort of confused me in this issue was Clark appearing with Chinese food towards the end. So is this doppelganger Clark working as a part-time delivery man for a Chinese restaurant, while working for the Daily Planet?! I actually laughed at this, but there must be a logical explanation for this weird turn of events - right?

Comic Book Review (7.5/10) “Good” All-Star Batman #5 “My Own Worst Enemy Finale” Writer: Scott Snyder Penciller: John Romita, Jr. Plot: Batman, Duke, and Harvey Dent have made it to the end of the line of the 498 miles where the location of the cure to cure Harvey Dent of his dual personality disease is. However, is it really a cure or an elaborate ruse set up by Two-Face…? This is the final issue for this particular story arc, and I would say that this was a good story arc. It won’t change your ideas about who Batman is, it won’t add anything new to the body of Batman stories out there, and it won’t even be the best Batman story you will ever read, but I would say that I enjoyed it. I would say this comic would probably read better in trade as you wouldn’t have to wait for the next comic in 30 days and it feels like an action comic rather than a story driven one where Batman has to get from point A to point B and having to wait five months for this story to end did deflate the momentum of the story a bit for me. It’s a fun action comic, but it lacks the emotional resonance of better Batman stories. I would recommend picking up the paperback collected version of this comic that is out in April 25 if you haven’t picked this comic up yet.

Comic Book Review (7/10) “Good” *Great jumping on point as this is the start of a new story arc.* All-Star Batman #6 “Ends of the Earth Part 1”/ “The Cursed Wheel Part 5” Writer: Scott Snyder Penciller: Jock/ Francesco Francavilla Plot: Batman is on the hunt for Victor Fries aka Mr. Freeze, and must stop him before Freeze releases a virus onto Gotham City. This is a very artistic issue, and the first thing you will notice is the absence of word bubbles. The whole story is told through black and light blue word squares, and in a way it fits the aesthetic of the weird premise of the book. The minions that Freeze brings back from cryogenic sleep are eerie and gives this issue a bit of a sci-fi edge that I appreciated in the book. The mindless minions that attack Batman gives it a unique feel for a Freeze story. Not a lot happens in the first story, but the artistic style of the book made it enjoyable for me. The supplemental story is the weakest link of this story as it has Batman and Duke chasing Riddler and trying to solve a word puzzle. It feels like an unnecessary story, and probably would read better in a collected version.

Comic Book Reviews (8/10) "Great," Aquaman #11 "Condition Critical," Writer: Dan Abnett, Penciller: Philippe Briones, Plot: Aquaman has stopped Shaggy Man, and has earned the public's trust because of his heroics. Mera makes her way to the ER after hearing news that Aquaman was hospitalized. Can Aquaman and Mera find out who set Shaggy Man on Atlantis and Amnesty Bay before it's too late? It's hard to believe that Lieutenant Jo of the Royal Navy would hold back information that her father was part of NEMO. This information is revealed out of nowhere and doesn't that mean that her father's organization almost had her killed since Black Manta was hired to destroy Spindrift Station back in issue #1 knowing that she would also be attending the grand opening of the embassy? Still this book remains one of my favorite books because of the politics involved in this book. Aquaman is still trying to figure out who was behind the attack on the Ponchartrain vessel. Briones is not Brad Walker, but his artwork still does its job of telling the story. His artwork won't wow you, but his strengths are seen from his renditions of ocean life and Atlantis. Briones does an amazing spread of Arthur talking to Lieutenant Jo under the ocean, with a backdrop of several killer whales swimming around Atlantis.

Comic Book Review (9/10) "Amazing" Aquaman #12 "The Deluge Act 1" Writer: Dan Abnett Penciller: Philippe Briones Plot: NEMO is attacking Boston and other US cities and targets to frame Atlantis. The US military has declared war is moving on Atlantis thinking that the Deluge represents Atlantean forces. Aquaman aka Arthur Curry and Atlantis must race against the clock as the defend themselves from American military forces while they look for the perpetrators... The issue moves along like "The Sum of All Fears" movie based on Tom Clancy's novel as Arthur is constantly racing against the clock to stop an all out war between Atlantis and the US. The comic feels like a political thriller and though this a setup issue, I can see where each piece of the story is going and it gives me great hope that this might be a great story arc. I loved the fact that the US was also training a squad of Aquamarines for the purpose of taking out Arthur if the need ever arose. Briones is not the best artist, but his depictions of cities getting razed and American ships attacking Atlantean ships looked great. The issue moves very fast though Arthur's doesn't even throw a punch, and part of that excitement comes from the pacing of the book as well as the panel work. It moves from Aquaman talking to his commanders to cities getting destroyed naturally and depicted with a sense of urgency and helps this book even more. Excited for the next issue!

Comic Book Review (8.5/10) "Great" Aquaman #13 "The Deluge Act 2" Writer: Dan Abnett Penciller: Scot Eaton Plot: The Justice League visits Aquaman aka Arthur Curry to ascertain if the Atlanteans are really attacking American targets. Arthur must produce evidence of Atlantean impersonation, prove that NEMO (impersonating as Atlantis) is really behind the attacks on the America, and stop NEMO from destroying Atlantis with its own ships. Mera also is considering the validity of the Deluge prophecy and how she will bring the end of Atlantis... I was really impressed with Abnett and this issue because he was juggling at least four different storylines (including the fact that Captain Stubbs, the father of Lieutenant Stubbs is now attacking Atlantis) and so far he is doing it well. Each story point gets enough attention and development and the story seems to be moving along in a natural manner. I also used to think that Superman wearing a breathing apparatus underneath the ocean was odd, but seeing how Superman needs to speak with Arthur under the sea it made total sense - Superman can hold his breath for a really long time under the sea, but he can't talk without opening his mouth. The attention to detail in this story arc is very appreciated and I hope this book only gets better as the next issue comes out.

Comic Book Review (7.5/10) "Good" Aquaman #14 "The Deluge Act 3" Writer: Dan Abnett Penciller: Philippe Briones Plot: The Aquamarines have infiltrated Atlantis and have been ordered by a splinter command group in the American government to assassinate Aquaman. Can Aquaman hold off all of the Aquamarines...? This is an action issue with Aquaman taking on the Aquamarines. Finally the Aquamarines attack Atlantis and although the fight doesn't last very long it was enjoyable to read as Aquaman brawls with the 6 Aquamarines by himself. Abnett seems to be set on keeping the bad assery of the New 52 Aquaman going in the Rebirth run as this issue also shows how versatile Arthur is in a fight. Alot doesn't happen here, but the action is fast and furious and will keep Aquaman fans entertained.

Comic Book Review (7/10) "Good" Aquaman #15 "The Deluge Finale" Writer: Dan Abnett Penciller: Philippe Briones Plot: Aquaman has found the headquarters of Black Manta, the new Fisher King, and his NEMO organization. Now it is a battle to end between Aquaman and Manta... The issue ends the way that you would think that this story arc would end. Although, it's not a spectacular issue, it gets the job done to wrap up the Deluge story arc. The fight between Aquaman and Manta is vicious and brutal and is probably my favorite action scene of the whole Aquaman Rebirth run. A good issue with very little surprises, but still enjoyable.

Comic Book Review (8.5/10) "Great!" Aquaman #16 "Peace in Our Time" Writer: Dan Abnett Penciller: Brad Walker Plot: Black Manta and his secret terrorsit organization NEMO has been stopped by Aquaman and now Aquaman is seen as a hero after clearing his and Atlantis' name. Now it's time to rebuild and Aquaman starts in his home town of Amnesty Bay, but a sinister force is seeking to control him... After all the crazy political intrigue and intense crises, it was a nice change of pace seeing Aquaman cleaning up Amnesty Bay and painting newly boarded walls. I liked the interaction between Aquaman and his new fans as well as his childhood friend Kae. It's a very personal comic issue for Aquaman and even the conversation between him and Mera was pretty compelling. The new villain also seems very nasty as he mind controls a man to blow out his own brains in the first couple of pages and I am excited to see what happens next.

Comic Book Review (9/10) "Amazing" Batman #11 "I am Suicide Part 3" Writer: Tom King Penciller: Mikel Janin Plot: Batman has escaped Bane's childhood prison in Santa Prisca and has let Catwoman and Wesker into the facility. Now it's Punch, Jewelee, and Bronze Tiger to also create a diversion for Batman to extract the Psycho Pirate. Can Batman extract Psycho Pirate to rescue Gotham Girl in time, and can he trust these criminals to help with his plan?  King has produced some of his strongest dialogue in this issue, and the conversations between Batman and Catwoman; Wesker and Catwoman; and Jewelee, Punch, and Tiger are so well done and each of the characters have his or her own voice. King seems to have analyzed each of the characters to a science for even if I didn't have the pictures assisting me in this comic I feel like I would have known which character was still talking. And the subject of their conversations are all different as Batman and Catwoman hint at forbidden love; as Catwoman asks Wesker if he really believes that Scarface the puppet is really another person's voice; and as Bronze Tiger goes crazy at the constant lovey dubby nature of the conversations between Punch and Jewelee.  This is also Janin's strongest comic in terms of art. He captures each of the characters so perfectly in his or her form, and each character feels the way he or she should feel. My favorite piece had to be Catwoman and Wesker making their way through the piping while they were conversing. I couldn't stop looking at its complex beauty and couldn't stop admiring Janin's amazing skills. This is the Quentin Tarantino Batman issue as it is all about interesting conversations and artistic style and I loved it!

Comic Book Review (7/10) "Good," Batman #12 "I Am Suicide Part 4," Writer: Tom King, Penciller: Mikel Janin, Plot: Batman makes his way to Bane while in Santa Prisca prison. Catwoman has betrayed him and the rest of the team has been captured. Now Batman faces the forces of Santa Prisca alone... This issue feels like a character study of why Batman does what he does and explains why he is in love with Catwoman. Not alot happens to push the narrative forward, but this book gives us a rare look at Bruce Wayne's thoughts and who he is at his very core. As his thoughts unfold, Batman makes his way through beautifully rendered spread pages and each page can literally be framed due to Janin's incredibly realistic art. Batman is a very complicated, broken, and torn individual and King seems to indicate that he puts on the cowl, armor, and leather because he hopes to die one day to end his pain. Truly, in a way, he IS suicide.

Comic Book Review (7/10) "Good" Batman #13 "I am Suicide Part 5" Writer: Tom King Penciller: Mikel Janin Plot: Batman has finally revealed his plans through his actions on how he will be kidnapping Psycho Pirate from Bane's grips. Can Batman and his temporary allies (Bronze Tiger, Punch, Jewlee, and Wesker) execute the plan or is Batman trapped? Because of the pedigree of the writer, I expected the payoff to be bigger for this book. Probably the most important aspect of this book is the tie in to the current event comic Justice League vs. Suicide Squad book. It is revealed that Amanda Waller was behind Hugo Strange and Psycho Pirate and it was all an elaborate scheme to get Batman to Santa Prisca to allow her to steal some files from the Batman from the bat cave. Once again Janin's artwork is superb and I would've given this book a 6 if it wasn't for his incredible art.

Comic Book Review (7/10) "Good" *A good place to pick up this book as this is the start of a new story arc.* Batman #14 "Rooftops Part 1 of 2" Writer: Tom King Pencils/inks/colors: Mitch Gerads Plot: It is Catwoman's last night before she goes to jail willingly, and Catwoman wants to spend her last night on the town with Batman. They take down low rate criminals together as well as even "steal" something from Catwoman's old apartment... This issue is all about Bruce spending time with Selina in town and it's kind've ridiculous how many criminals they take down together in one night, but it was placed there to fulfill a specific piece of Bruce and Selina working together. It's a sweet issue that maybe even your girlfriend would like if you're a guy trying to get your girl into comics, but nothing of real importance happens in this issue. The artwork is amazing especially considering how Gerads did the inking and the coloring in this book. He makes a very blue and purple Gotham City, but it fits the theme of Bruce and Selina hanging out in front of a "diamond" covered sky - that is what Selina called the stars in the night sky or maybe she just called the Gotham night shiny? Either way it's a very artistic book and seems to be more of an art piece rather than an integral comic in this series.

Comic Book Review (9/10) “Amazing” *This is a great jumping on point as it is the start of a new story arc.* Batman #16 “I am Bane Part 1” Writer: Tom King Penciller/Inks: David Finch Plot: Batman is trying to help Gotham Girl get over her fears now that he was able to get Pscyho Pirate back from Bane’s clutches. Now Bane is coming and Batman is preparing for his arrival in Gotham while trying to protect his allies… Tom King is back, and this feels more like the Tom King of Marvel’s Vision comic or the first five issues of Batman: Rebirth as the dialogue is good again and the story isn’t as convoluted as the previous 7 issues. Not only is King back, but Finch is also back with the gritty artwork that we love. However, my only gripe with Finch’s art are his renditions of Dick, Damian, and Jason. They all looked alike and sometimes it was difficult to tell who was who. His characters are much better when they have masks or defining characteristics such as mustaches (a la James Gordon) or different hair styles (a la Alfred). The best parts of this issue was the conversation at the Bat-burger fast food restaurant with the Robins and the end page. We all know that the end page most likely does not mean what it is supposed to make readers think, but I like the whole foreshadowing that King does when the Robins talk about how each of them died at least once in their lifetimes. Also, we are introduced to a different Batman who is now in love, as his feelings for Catwoman are the only things that get in the way of his sense of justice and I thought that was a nice touch. Batman purists will undoubtedly hate this aspect of the comic, but I thought it was a nice touch. An amazing start to a new story arc.

Comic Book Review (6/10) "Okay," Batman Annual #1 "Good Boy/ Silent Night/ The Not So Silent Night of the Harley Quinn/ Stag/ The Insecurity Diversion," Writers: Tom King, Scott Snyder, Ray Fawkes, Paul Dini, Steve Orlando, Scott Bryan Wilson Artists: David Finch, Declan Shalvey, Neal Adams, Riley Rossmo, Bilquis Evely This is an anthology book with 5 different stories by 5 different creative teams. The best stories are from Tom King/ David Finch, Scott Snyder/ Ray Fawkes/ Declan Shalvey, and Paul Dini/ Neal Adams. The ones by Orlando and Wilson aren't very good and I couldn't even understand what was going on in Wilson's short story. I would say that you could totally pass on this book and if you need to read a comic this week I'd recommend picking up an old Batman issue or a trade since this book wasn't that great. Artwork in this book is great as you got some of the best artists in the industry working on this book. However, even the amazing art doesn't save the mediocrity of this book and if I were you I'd save mymoney.

Comic Book Review (8/10) "Great," Batman Beyond #2 "Escaping the Grave: Undercover," Writer: Dan Jurgens, Penciller: Bernard Chang, Plot: Dana has been kidnapped by Terminal and the Jokerz are trying to revive the original Joker. This issue takes us back to the last battle between Bruce Wayne Batman and Joker and how Joker dies. Could this be the real Joker that Terminal is trying to revive, and can Terry rescue his ex girlfriend in time? Seeing Bruce Wayne in the armored Batman Beyond suit was pretty cool and took me back to the old days of the Batman Beyond animated TV show. The highlight of this book is definitely the fight between Bruce and the Joker for me as it starts off with Bruce tied to the wrong end of a wheeled loader. Terry also winning the trust of the Jokerz by executing an elaborate plan with Max and Matt was also pretty cool, although it made me wonder why Max even needed Matt in the shotgun seat. How would a little kid help stage Batman's death and wouldn't Terry be worried for his younger brother's life? Chang delivers another gorgeous book and his depictions of the Batmobile and Neo Gotham invoked nostalgia of the old show. The only thing I didn't get was why Joker looked really young and while Batman and Barbara also looked like they were 40 years old. I think Chang might have a hard time drawing characters that reflect a certain age, but a small gripe for a great looking book.

Comic Book Review (8.5/10) "Great!" Cyborg #5 "The Imitation of Life Part 5: Regeneration," Writer: John Semper, Jr, Penciller: Allan Jefferson/Derec Donovan, Plot: A secret agent that was operating in Baghdad was seriously injured by a terrorist incurred car explosion. Now it is up to Cyborg to use the mother box technology to revive her to access the crucial intelligence she gathered for the US government. Also, the doppelganger Silas is trying to use this opportunity to gather information regarding Cyborg and his technology. Another stellar issue from Semper and company, but this issue's biggest distraction was the sudden art change half way into the issue. The art styles are not bad, but it sort of took me out of the book since they were drastically different. I would have preferred if one artist did the whole book all the way through. There were alot of great scenes in this book. Cyborg walking around a high risk neighborhood with the blind jazz musician, the real Silas talking to a strange caretaker cyborg in the doppelganger's secret hideout, and the doppelganger convincing Cyborg to use his powers to revive the burnt secret agent victim to secretly obtain information regarding the mother box and Cyborg. Still it was an enjoyable book and remains one of my top pulls from the Rebirth books.

Comic Book Review (8.5/10) “Great!” Cyborg #6 “The Imitation of Life Part 6: Variant” Writer: John Semper Jr. Penciller: Will Conrad Plot: Scarlett Taylor aka Variant has been revived by the same technology that made Vic Stone Cyborg, and now she is learning from Cyborg how to be a “Lady Cyborg.” During the teachings, Vic ends up falling in love with Taylor and both end liking each other during their time together. However, is Variant all that she seems...? With the previous mediocre issue, I am so glad that Semper brought the magic back with this issue. The action was great and the new character Variant ended up being more than a female Cyborg character as she also knows his secrets and even makes love to him. Variant has all of the abilities that Cyborg including the boom tube technology, and her background as a CIA agent makes her also a trained warrior. It seems Variant has the potential to be a great character not only in this series, but also the DC universe and I want to see more of her. This seems like it’s going to be a long story arc, as the captured Silas story is moving at a snail’s pace and the fact that they don’t spend enough time on this character is probably the weakest part of this story arc. In the previous issue we see Silas roam around freely, but in this issue he is chained back up again and forced to watch the doppelganger Silas do whatever he wants in STAR Labs. Conrad is probably my favorite artist on this series and I am glad that he came back for this issue. He delivers with the ability to draw great looking human beings as well as strange tech stuff and so he is a natural fit to this series.

Comic Book Review (9/10) "Amazing" Cyborg #7 "The Imitation of Life Part 7: Bionic Betrayal" Writer: John Semper, Jr. Penciller: Paul Pelletier Plot: Variant has revealed that she is actually a double agent and was part of an elaborate scheme to transform her into the Variant (a female Cyborg) and obtain Boom Tube technology. This Boom Tube tech would allow her and her allies to transport a large army anywhere in the world to take over the world and replace the corrupt governments of the world. Can Cyborg stop Variant and her invading army before it's too late? Semper is back with a vengeance in his story telling and the introduction of Variant into this storyline was a great way of injecting new life into this series. A rogue spy that was infused with Cyborg technology and someone that Cyborg loves...it becomes a compelling mess when her superiors turn on her and the question of the difference between a weapon and a human being comes into question. It was a very thought provoking as well as an entertaining action adventure comic. Pelletier also happens to be my favorite artist on this book and he delivers the goods in spades in this book. He does take like 2 issues off to draw his stuff, but you can see why he needed the extra time in his detailed panels.

Comic Book Review (5.5/10) “Mediocre” Cyborg #8 “The Imitation of Life Part 8: Kill Switch” Writer: John Semper Jr. Penciller: Paul Pelletier and Will Conrad Plot: A hologram version of Cyborg reaches out to Exxy, a local techno junkie, to help him restart his systems after being shut down by the imposter Silas in the previous issue. Can Exxy reach Cyborg in time before Silas finds out Cyborg’s plans? This was a strange issue, because out of all of the major (and more important) characters in the Cyborg comics, Semper decides to bring back the kid that was in a Cyborg issue for about 2 pages back for a crucial plot point. It seemed Cyborg went really out of his way to reach out to this random kid to get himself free. Wouldn’t Sarah be a better choice? Or any of the Justice League members? This issue just did not make sense to me as it also makes Cyborg a bad super hero as he puts a young kid in harm’s way. He saves him from the violent hands of a pair of corrupt cops, and puts him potentially at the mercy of a maniacal, mechanical doppelganger.

Comic Book Review (8.5/10) “Great” Death of Hawkman #3 of 6 “Strange Bedfellows” Writer: Mark Andreyko Pencillers: Aaron Lopresti/ Rodney Buchemi Plot: Adam Strange has travelled to Thanagar to gain the help of Katar Hol aka Hawkman to find the terrorists who attacked Rann and murdered Alanna’s father Sardath. Now Rann is mounting an retaliatory offense against Thanagar, while Strange and Hol are racing against the clock to find the true perpetrators. Strange and Hol find out that Despero maybe behind the terrorist attack against Sardath and Rann… This is probably the best issue in this series thus far, and I like the fact that an old villain is introduced in this issue although his face was teased on the cover of issue #1 of 6. Although it is not an original story, as perpetrators dressed like the opposition to start a war is not a new idea (Aquaman Rebirth, the movie “Captain America: Civil War”, etc.), the execution is good and Andreyko seems to finally be getting into the meat of this storyline. The past two stories have been kind’ve slow, but this issue has made me excited for upcoming issues. It seems Lopresti and Buchemi shared art duties on this book, but I didn’t really notice a change in art direction or styles while reading the book, so it seems that the back-up artist was a good match. The book is not the best looking book out there, but the art gets the job done, and I am liking the way these artists rendered Strange and Hawkman

Comic Book Review (6/10) "Okay," Deathstroke #7 "The Professional Conclusion Part 1," Writer: Christopher Priest, Penciller: Carlo Pagulayan, Plot: Adeline, the mother of Grant and Joseph Wilson and the ex-wife of Slade Wilson, has an arrest warrant out on Deathstroke aka Slade Wilson from the US Attorney General for Superman to bring him in. Adeline wants revenge on Slade for letting Grant get killed and Joseph's throat slit and having an illegitimate child (Rose Wilson) with a Hmong operative. Can Deathstroke prepare himself for the Man of Steel? This story arc is starting to drag on a bit, and seems to be adding unnecessary characters to the mix. Even the inclusion of Batman and Robin seemed like wasted opportunities and their only purpose was so that Ravager aka Rose Wilson can learn that Deathstroke put out a hit on his own daughter. Everybody is double crossing each other, and trying to keep up is becoming a pain. What started off as a promising story arc had become a lull and a snag in the story telling and I am beginning to think about jumping ship on this book. I am hoping this "Conclusion Part 1" is the penultimate issue in this story arc and hoping that Priest will now proceed to tell his next story because this one is starting to lose its pertinence and starting to overstay its welcome. I am really surprised that Priest wasn't able to end this story arc in less than eight issues!

Comic Book Review (8/10) "Great" Deathstroke #8 "The Professional Conclusion Part 2" Writer: Christopher Priest Penciller: Carlo Pagulayan Plot: It's Superman versus Deathstroke and Slade Wilson must use his wits to escape Superman's clutches as well as assassinate a dangerously elusive cartel boss by the name of Alisante. Can Deathstroke come out on top? Also Rose discovers that Richard was really not Richard her boyfriend and actually working for Slade... If Slade is a bad Batman, then one can sort of guess how Slade would defeat Superman if one has read the "Dark Knight Returns" - by using Superman's greatest weakness of his unwavering sense of justice. Truly Slade plans out everything including using the ikon suit his old partner designed to absorb Superman's body blows. This suit works even better than Batman's armor in the Dark Knight Returns! It essentially absorbs Superman's attacks and reflects them back against Superman - the harder Superman hits, the harder he gets hit back. Watching Slade accomplish two things at once was so fun to read that this comic became a page turner for me. I knew that Slade was a badass, but this book will make you think he's a resourceful badass. Pagulayan's artwork also makes this duel a joy to watch as he illustrates Slade to be the elusive assassin, while Superman is the more direct shield of justice. The fight between Slade and Supes makes this issue worth the cover price and will make Slade fans giddy as he fools Superman at every turn.

Comic Book Review (7.5/10) "Good" *A great place to start as this is the beginning of a new story arc.* Deathstroke #9 "Four Rooms Part 1" Writer: Christopher Priest Penciller: Cary Nord Plot: Deathstroke aka Slade Wilson has been captured by Superman and is now in a supermax prison. Under careful watch the warden interrogates him, while Ravager aka Rose Wilson goes to Asia in search of an ancient sword called Yoda, and Jericho aka Joseph Wilson is cleaning up the streets during his lunch break. This issue is one of the easier issues to follow for a Deathstroke book, and if you have been following Deathstroke thus far then the story told out-of-order won't bother you much. This issue was interesting as it gave the background on Deathstroke's sword, which also happens to be called "Deathstroke." Slade is a yellow haired assassin as the story told is a story from the past. Slade once again acts like a badass as he also meets Wintergreen for the first time in this story. Rose's story was brief, but her actions were badass, and Jericho's stint with a homeless murderer was also interesting to read as he possesses a nun to beat the assailant like a badass. Basically this is a badass book for badass comic readers and if you're into your heroes (or anti-heroes) being tough then you might like this book. I believe this is Nord's first time on this book and I have to say that I enjoyed her art...most of the time. There were some panels where the faces looked un-detailed, but her simple Batman the Animated Series-esque art was easy to follow and great to look at.

Comic Book Review (6.5/10) "Okay" Deathstroke #10 "Four Rooms Conclusion" Writer: Christopher Priest Penciller: Cary Nord Plot: Slade Wilson is being interrogated by the warden of ADX Supermax in Florence, Colorado, Rose is on the hunt for a special sword, and Joseph is finding out genetic origins of his family. Nothing really happens in this issue, but at least Priest gives us alot of back story regarding the origin of Slade, Rose, and Joseph's powers. It is revealed that Slade's super soldier serum as well as his heightened brain gives Rose and Joseph their own respective powers. It seems Priest has used the moving-each-character's-story-at-a-snail's pace-method. This is good for the first few issues, but when Priest keeps coming back to this well you can't help but feel "been there, done that" in this issue.

Comic Book Review (8/10) "Great," Detective Comics #945 "The Victim Syndicate Part 3: Unforgiven," Writer: James Tynion, Pencillers: All Barrionuevo/Carmen Carnero, Plot: The First Victim has visited Stephanie aka Spoiler after attacking the Batfamily and leaving Stephanie in critical condition. It seems the First Victim has influenced Stephanie and Stephanie demands Batman to unmask himself to the public in order to save Gotham City. Can the Bat Family stop the Victim Syndicate before it's too late? Spoiler breaks down in this issue and it seems she is dealing with the loss of Tim Drake more negatively than the rest of the team. In fact, she might even be going crazy. This issue has everyone on the Bat Family team dealing with the loss of Tim Drake as well as recuperating from the Victim Syndicate's attack. It seems that the Victim Syndicate not only did a number on the Bat Family physically, but also hurt the team psychologically. Now Batman has to do his best to keep his team from falling apart. This book has two artists illustrating for the comic and Barrionuevo seems to have a more impressionistic approach, while Carnero has the more typical comic art approach. Barrionuevo is obviously the strongest of the two artists, and the transitions back and forth is not as jarring when compared to Cyborg #5, but you can tell when the transitions take place and that might distract readers.

Comic Book Review (8.5/10) "Great!" Detective Comics #946 "The Victim Syndicate Part 4: Death Wish" Writer: James Tynion IV Penciller: Eddy Barrows Plot: The penultimate issue to the Victims Syndicate story arc! Batman and his allies are about to take on the Victim Syndicate before they hurt more people. However, the Spoiler is beginning to have second thoughts... This issue starts with a poignant conversation between Tim Drake and Bruce in a flashback scene, and it helps tie the whole story together. Batman doesn't want to to use force to take down the Victim Syndicate (although it seems Orphan and Batwoman didn't get the memo as they straight up clock the Victims they fought respectively) and it makes sense why Batman doesn't just want to punch the First Victim in the face. Tim had a grand idea to reform the Batfamily team - to make them a team of hope rather than a team of fear and coercion. Because of Tim's recent passing, Bruce feels obligated to approach the First Victim differently. It's a great issue but I had one major problem with it: how is it that each hero conveniently faced off against a Victim that they were prepared and equipped to take down in a building? If each hero fought the villain that he or she was not prepared to take on then it feels the Batfamily would've failed. Besides this forced narrative decision, this is a great comic and Barrows' incredible artwork only heightens the emotional impact and the gravity of the issue. Highly recommended.

Comic Book Reviews (8.5/10) "Great" *A hint of what is to come in the DC Universe is in this issue.* Detective Comics #947 "The Victim Syndicate Finale: The Brave One" Writer: James Tynion IV Penciller: Alvaro Martinez Plot: Batman and his team have taken down the First Victim and the Victim Syndicate only to be foiled by Spoiler. Spoiler wants Batman to give up his true identity of Bruce Wayne and come clean before the citizens of Gotham City. It seems Spoiler's grief over the loss of Tim Drake has changed her position regarding the Bat Family... This issue should probably called Spoiler: the Intervention, as it is all about Spoiler trying to convince the rest of the Bat Family to quit being crime fighters and to hang up their costumes. Spoiler also with her powerful cell phone takes down all of the Bat Family members! It seems Spoiler is smarter than I ever thought her to be and has proven to be a formidable foe given time and preparation. This is a very emotional issue and has Batman and his team reflecting on the structure and nature of their work in Gotham City and this issue ties back to Tim Drake's ideas of expanding the Bat Family from the previous issue. I almost mistook Martinez' art for Barrows' since their art styles are very similar. Even his Batman cowl is very reminiscent of Barrows' style. Due to the nature of the gravity of the subject matter and this issue questioning what the Bat Family could be, Martinez' gritty, dark, dramatic style fits this book.

Comic Book Review (7/10) "Good" Detective Comics #948 "Batwoman Begins Part 1" Writer: James Tynion IV/ Marguerite Bennett Penciller: Ben Oliver Plot: This issue takes us back to a time when Kate Kane aka Batwoman was being trained by her father and the commander of the Colony. Meanwhile, in the present time Batman and Batwoman figure out that the Monster Men had a lasting consequence on Gotham City and it's ecology. When the animals eat the monsters' flesh they eat the chemicals that turned them into monsters and now Batman and Batwoman have to deal with new monsters... I can't believe that this comic ties back to the horrendous Night of the Monster Men saga. I was hoping that event was over and done with, but it seems the Colony is after the chemicals that created those monsters. I was hoping for more of a Batwoman origins focused book, but this book focused more on the Monster Men and a woman named Victoria who is attempting to protect this chemical from falling into the wrong hands. Probably the best thing about this book is the artwork. Oliver's artwork is gorgeous and he is REALLY good at drawing Batwoman, which is probably why he was chosen for this Batwoman "focused" (if you would say Batwoman was the main focus of this book). The art easily made this a better than average book and would probably warrant the $3 itself.

Comic Book Review (7.5/10) "Good," The Flash #11 "The Speed of Darkness Part 2," Writer: Joshua Williamson, Penciller: David Gianfelice, Plot: Kid Flash is trapped in the Shadowlands. Now Flash and Iris must travel into the Shadowlands to save Iris' nephew. But is Shade an ally or a villain? One thing that's pretty jarring in this book was Iris running through the streets yelling "Flash". Does Iris secretly know who Barry Allen is and doing this because she knew that Barry would change into the Flash and show up or did she think that Flash will show up to anyone who calls out his name? Despite this strange scene, this issue was actually pretty fun to read - though a bit busy. Williamson tries to do alot in this issue: Iris gets lost, Flash travels through Shade's body (or a piece of Shade's body because Shade can no longer travel back and forth from Earth to the Shadowlands anymore), Shade tells the story of how he fell in love and lost his love to his shadows because they thought he was too happy, Shade was trying to get Flash to help him because Flash is a very optimistic hero, and the shadows are creating a "tower of darkness" to form a gateway into the regular world. Sounds busy? It's because this issue is really busy and rather than tell it in a natural story telling flow I felt like I was receiving all of this information like machine gun fire. I've never seen Gianfelice's artwork, but his jagged lines seem to fit the book. However, he seems to have a hard time drawing female characters as Iris looks like a young boy. Still his rendition of Shadowlands were great as well as the creatures.

Comic Book Review (8/10) “Great” The Flash #12 “The Speed of Darkness Part 3” Writer: Joshua Williamson Penciller: David Gianfelice Plot: This issue takes us back to a time when Flash aka Barry Allen was teaching Kid Flash aka Wally West how to vibrate through walls using the speed force. And of course in the present time this very ability becomes the answer to get out a tight bind in the present as Barry, Wally, and Shade take on the forces of the Shadowland to rescue Hope (Shade’s lover) and Iris West from the shadows’ control… This is the conclusion to this particular story arc, and I have to say that I had fun with this story arc. Williamson treated this story like a villain of the week, but also explored the new relationship between Barry Allen the teacher and Wally West the student. Through this experience Wally West learns to trust Barry and himself, while Barry also discovers that sometimes trusting others can help him out too. I actually liked this story arc a lot better than the previous story arc because it didn’t feel like this story was a few issues too long and I feel like Williamson does better as a writer when he only has write a smaller arc. Gianfelice is not my favorite Flash artist, but for the purpose of this story he gets the job done. His greatest strength is the ability to draw action, as this is an action packed issue – the fist bump was a corny, but fun idea. It seems his greatest weakness is the ability to draw eyes, as his characters feel lifeless and sometimes emotionless on paper.

Comic Book Review (8/10) “Great” *Great jumping on point.* The Flash #13 “Date Night” Writer: Joshua Williamson Penciller: Neil Googe Plot: Barry and Iris are trying to rekindle their romance and on a date while Kid Flash protects Central City. During his patrol Kid Flash runs into Tar Pitt. Can Kid Flash stop him without Barry’s help? This was a fun issue and both the storylines of Barry on his date, and Kid Flash trying to stop Tarr Pitt were enjoyable. My favorite joke of the year came from the lips of one of the kidnappers when his friend says “then I guess we gotta take care of the kids.” The reply to that statement is comedy gold.  Watching Kid Flash also using his resources and skills to take down Tarr Pitt was great to read. Here is to hoping that Williamson keeps this light hearted tone in his Flash books, because Flash is a much more enjoyable comic when it has some levity in it and the previous issues have been pretty dark. This is my first time seeing Googe’s art and I have to say that I also enjoyed his cartoon-y style art. It fit this Christmas issue very nicely and it helped keep things light hearted.

Comic Book Review (7.5/10) "Good" *A great jumping on point as this is the beginning of a new story arc.* The Flash #14 "Rogues Reloaded Part 1" Writer: Joshua Williamson Penciller: Carmine Di Giandomenico Plot: Barry is now dating Iris and Barry is training Wally to be a better super hero. Things seem to be going well, but Barry can't help but think the Rogues are planning something... This is a total set up issue to this new story arc, but it's a good set up issue as it catches up new readers to current events in the Flash universe. If you have been following the Flash book thus far though, half the issue will feel like recap. :/ Here you see Barry the forensics expert play detective as he visits the Rogues' known associates to see if the Rogues were up to anything since they left Central City during the Speed Force storm found in the first story arc. It seems the Rogues are back now as things have gotten normal again in Central City, and planning something really big. I'm looking forward to this new story arc and the return of Giandomenico for this issue (my favorite Flash artist so far) certainly helps!

Comic Book Review (5.5/10) “Mediocre” Green Arrow #11 “Murder Incorporated” Writer: Benjamin Percy Art, Color, and Cover: Juan Ferreyra Plot: “Eddie” the assassin has just assassinated the diplomat Amin Mustafa, but the security detail believe that Green Arrow aka Oliver “Ollie” Queen was involved. Can Ollie, Dinah, and Diggle catch Eddie before he gets away? This is just one long Scooby Doo chase sequence complete with the zany and clichéd circumstances. Oh no - the assassin is getting away, but the authorities are trying to arrest Ollie and his friends instead, so Ollie and his friends have to fight the authorities to even get to Eddie. Oh no - there is a bomb that Eddie planted and will destroy the train, but the back car is not moving! Someone has to go unhook it for the train to start moving! When things are constantly moving like this like a “Transformers” live action movie without much story telling or character development, it becomes a jumbled, mediocre, mess that the audience stops caring about and that is where I was at mentally while reading this book. It’s not bad, but it’s not particularly good either. In fact this book was so mediocre in its story telling that I completely forgot about it the moment I put the comic book down. The ONE saving grace of this book is the incredible looking art, and Ferreyra delivers some gorgeous looking panels again. Although the story telling might be one clichéd chase sequence after another clichéd chase sequence, the art is anything but clichéd. In fact, after finishing the book, I wanted a book without the word bubbles, because then at least I could enjoy the great looking art and maybe try figuring out what the characters are saying and that activity would have been a lot more fun than actually reading this uninspired issue. 

Comic Book Reviews (7/10) "Good" Green Arrow #12 "Emerald Outlaw Part 1" Writer: Benjamin Percy Art/Color: Otto Schmidt Plot: Green Arrow, Black Canary, and Diggle are back in Seattle after shutting down the Ninth Circle and ruining the Transcontinental Railway. Ollie and his gang are setting up shop in the woods and plotting the downfall of Cyrus Broderick, the man who tried to kill Ollie and took his company. Now Ollie operates as a vigilante, while the public scrutinizes his activities... This issue felt like the comic was going back to the Rebirth story with Broderick and if you missed the island story arc, you probably would not have missed much if you pick up this issue. Still I can't say that this is the beginning of an entirely new story arc, because it ties it back to the first 7 issues of this series and if you did not read those books you might feel a little lost. New readers will be confused by this book, but old readers may feel relieved that this story is getting back on track - if they continued to stay on this book. The issue won't knock your socks off, but it's not terrible either. I've probably said this so many times already, but the best thing about the Green Arrow comics has been the art and though it's not Schmidt's best work, he still makes a gorgeous looking book. I would recommend waiting for the next issue before picking this up if you're still on the fence because this issue is a setup issue for following issues and who knows how the story will unfold. 

Comic Book Review (6/10) “Okay” Green Arrow #13 “Emerald Outlaw Part 2” Writer: Benjamin Percy Penciller: Otto Schmidt Plot: Victoria Much and other critics of the Green Arrow have been shot with arrows. Now the authorities are after Ollie as suspect number one. Will Ollie be able to clear his name and find who the real culprit is before the killer strikes again? Ollie has got to be the dumbest super hero in the DC universe. He constantly makes dumb choices that put him in the crosshairs of other people’s guns and it doesn’t seem like having Black Canary and Diggle with him has made him a better hero. Either it is his social justice warrior antics or his constant screaming of the difference between right and wrong that gets him in constant trouble. What does Ollie do when the police have an arrow stuck on somebody’s body at a crime scene? Ollie yells “let me have that arrow and I will compare it with mine to show you that it wasn’t me!” Comparing arrows and trying to investigate a weapon at a murder site is fine and should be done, but not when there are like 20 cops investigating the area in broad daylight who obviously are blaming him for the recent attacks. Ollie may be a good shot, but he is not a very good investigator and it’s like reading an amateur hero just learning how to do his job. Once again the only saving grace in this book is Schmidt’s incredible art, but even his art does not make this a must buy for comic book fans or Green Arrow fans (if they’re still around reading this book.) It’s strange how Percy can write a great Teen Titans book, but screw up the Green Arrow book.

Comic Book Review (9/10) “Amazing,” Green Lanterns #11 “The Phantom Lantern Part 2,” Writer: Sam Humphries, Penciller: Robson Rocha, Plot: Frank Laminski and Volthoom were successful in capturing Rami the Guardian and stealing the Phantom Ring, and Laminski is now the bearer of the Phantom Ring and plans to live out his dreams of becoming a super hero. Simon and Jessica are on the case as they now race against time to rescue Rami and take back the Phantom Ring. Can Simon and Jessica find Laminski in time? The key part of this issue was the progression (or spiraling downfall of Laminski) of the story telling. This is probably Humphries’ best issue yet, as you can track the downfall/turn of Laminsky from the first page where he flies all over the world and taking in the sights, to the part where he gets slightly annoyed that the young boy he rescued wanted his dog rescued first before thanking him, and when he is confronted by Baz and Cruz in front of a reporter. All of these set pieces are well thought out, and heighten the imagery as well as the tension in each panel. This is comic story telling at its brightest, and if I had to show a non-comic reader the strengths and wonderful attributes of comic story-telling, this could be a book that I could use as an example. Laminsky’s turn is believable and doesn’t feel forced at all, and masterfully told within the span of 20 pages. Of course the story-telling wouldn’t be complete without great visuals and Rocha does a great job of showing Laminsky’s emotions in his panels. Rocha was the original artist that was around since issue #1, and I probably have to say that he has been my favorite artist in this book by far. The panel where Laminsky grunts “fft” after the boy begs him to save his dog after he says a “thank you” would be a great thing to say when one is appreciative, shows the right amount of annoyance to show that he was annoyed by the boy’s words and how this crazy man could

Comic Book Review (8.5/10) “Great!” Green Lanterns #12 “The Phantom Lantern Part 3,” Writer: Sam Humphries, Penciller: Eduardo Pansica, Plot: Frank Laminski is now the Phantom Lantern, but his intense desire for the Phantom Ring has made him tap into his greed thus transforming him in an Avarice Lantern (Orange Lantern). After losing control of his powers Laminski runs away before the Green Lanterns (Simon Baz and Jessica Cruz) could stop him. Now Simon and Jessica must find Laminski before he hurts someone and before Volthoom completes the Maltusian Practice. This comic currently is one of my favorite Rebirth titles and Humphries does a great job making me hate and like Laminski at the same time. I hate the fact that he loses control and hurts other people, but I understand that this need to become a super hero comes from his desire to do something great with his mediocre life. The fact that I can feel this way about a villain in this book tells me that Humphries can handle complex characters and Humphries has even made Laminski a more interesting character than the Green Lanterns! This book also hints at Volthoom’s ultimate plan and his desire to take Rami’s powers. Pansica does a great job with his portrayal of Laminski, and his facial expressions for Laminski are just as compelling as his action scenes. Check out Pansica’s portrayal of Laminski at the Memorial Park as he approaches the “regular people” and offers to take selfies with them.

Comic Book Review (7.5/10) “Good” Green Lanterns #13 “The Phantom Lantern Part 4” Writer: Sam Humphries Penciller: Ronan Cliquet Plot: Frank Laminski is losing control of the Phantom Ring. Rami the Guardian has revealed to Volthoom that there is a catch to using the Phantom Ring. There is no batter that powers the ring, but the wearer becomes the battery! Can Simon and Jessica save Frank before he explodes from an emotional power overload? Rami is finally awake and finally reveals the catch to using the phantom ring that can be worn by anybody. Essentially it can kill the wearer as it drains the emotional energy of the user. Watching Baz and Cruz scramble to save Laminski was all fun and good, but I didn’t understand why they hesitated at the last moment to help Laminski take the phantom ring off and claim that “helping people is what they do” when they were desperately trying to take the ring from him for about half the issue. This issue also retcons a bit of the Green Lantern lore, as this issue seemed to suggest that the reason why the Guardians created the Green Lantern power rings was to prevent the First Lantern, who was being charged by the phantom lantern, from destroying the galaxy and Rami only had time to create the 7 Green Lantern rings as he was originally planning to create rings that tapped into all of the emotions in the emotional spectrum. A lot is revealed in this issue, but for some reason the story wasn’t being propelled forward very much. I believe this is Cliquet’s first “Green Lanterns” issue, and although I prefer Rocha’s art, I would say that Cliquet does a great job of creating scenes with a lot of action and that are visually colorful. As I view each of the panels where I saw Baz/Cruz battling Laminski, I noticed there were a lot of effects and added touches that made each of the panels interesting to look at.

Comic Book Review (7.5/10) “Good” Green Lanterns #14 “The Phantom Lantern Part 5” Writer: Sam Humphries Penciller: Eduardo Pansica/ Ronan Cliquet Plot: Frank Laminski has come to understand compassion and the phantom ring taps into the Indigo emotional spectrum turning Laminski into an Indigo Lantern. Baz and Cruz attempt to overtake Laminski while he is in this compassionate state… This seems to be the end of the Phantom Lantern story arc, as Laminski is finally subdued by the Green Lanterns of Sector 2814 (Baz and Cruz), while Cruz also overcomes her fear…of everything! (At least it seems like she has overcome here fears in this issue.) Volthoom and Rami’s conversation shifts to a whole new level, and some other Lanterns make it to Earth. It’s not a bad issue at all, but the ending felt a little flat with all that happened and Laminski’s role in all of this seemed unnecessary at the end.

Comic Book Review (8.5/10) “Great” *A great jumping on point as this is the start of a new story arc. * Green Lanterns 15 “A Day in the Life” Writer: Sam Humphries Penciller: Miguel Mendonca Plot: This is a day in the life of Jessica Cruz as she deals with her own anxiety attacks. Although she is a super hero and a member of the Justice League that fights giant city destroying monsters and strange robbers dressed as cowboys, her biggest enemy is anxiety. Simon Baz is at her side trying to help her deal with this anxiety in this heart-warming story about one-half of the Green Lanterns team. This is an examination of the day in the life of Jessica Cruz, literally from the moment she wakes up in the morning and to the moment she goes to sleep. It is interesting to examine a super hero with a debilitating condition, and I’m pretty sure individuals dealing with handicap issues and debilitating conditions will appreciate this examination. There is also a moment in the story where I really felt like the Green Lanterns were true partners and warmed my heart and I wouldn’t want to ruin that moment for you by spoiling it here. Part of the reason why this issue works is due to the great artwork of Mendonca – I believe this is my first time seeing his artwork in a comic book, and I hope I can see more of his work soon. A great issue!

Comic Book Review (8.5/10) "Great," Hal Jordan and the Green Lantern Corps #9 "Bottled Light Part 2: Braniac," Writer: Robert Venditti, Penciller: Rafa Sandoval, Plot: Brainiac has used Starro to lure the remaining Green Lantern and Sinestro Corps into a trap and now both corps are trapped in a miniaturized glass prison. Meanwhile, Ganthet and Sayd are trying to figure out how a power ring was constructed purely out of will and where Hal Jordan could be. Can the Green Lantern Corps rescue spore infected Xudarians and escape Brainiac's glass prison? There is a really cool reveal at the end of the issue, and it seems most of the Green Lanterns of Sector 2814 unite at this point of this comic. So far I am digging how the Green Lanterns are figuring out their situation via reasonable deduction and the story is moving along in a natural manner. Nothing in this issue feels forced (except maybe for the last page), and seeing the bonds among John Stewart, Soranik, and Guy Gardner develop is great and fun. Sandoval knocks it out of the park again in this issue and the artwork looks gorgeous. Once again he shows his knack for understanding anatomy and draws perfect figures in action. During Rebirth, I would say Sandoval is one of the most well learned artists in DC Comics and it is an absolute joy to see his work in this comic series.

Comic Book Review (7.5/10) “Good” Hal Jordan and the Green Lantern Corps #10 “Bottled Light Part 3: By Lantern’s Light” Writer: Robert Venditti Penciller: Ed Benes Plot: Brainiac has the Green Lantern and the Sinestro Corps trapped in a bottle with the Xuderian capital. Meanwhile, Kyle Rayner aka the White Lantern is tasked by Ganthet and Sayd to access Hal Jordan’s ring to bring him back into reality. While inside of the ring, Hal Jordan also comes across fellow Lanterns who gave their lives for the cause… It seems like Robert Venditti is throwing everything but the kitchen sink into this book as “new” returning characters constantly pop up in every book! This book also has a surprise character reveal towards the end of the book. Although the story is moving along narrative wise, the structure has felt the same as the previous two issues also had someone being revealed towards the end. It is cool right now, but if there is another surprise reveal at the end of issue #11, I feel like this structure will get stale and feel repetitive – it feels repetitive even now! I have only seen Benes’ artwork in the Justice League (2006) run by Brad Meltzer. I have always appreciated his artwork and among Ethan Van Sciver and Rafael Sandoval, his detailed artwork seems the fit this book. This issue is probably one of the prettier books this week.

Comic Book Review (8/10) “Great” Hal Jordan and the Green Lantern Corps #11 “Bottled Light Part 4” Writer: Robert Venditti Penciller: Rafael Sandoval Plot: Larfleeze was behind the bottling of the Green Lantern Corp and the Siniestro Corp, and John Stewart, Guy Gardner, and Soranik must find a way to escape. Meanwhile, Hal Jordan and Kyle Rayner re-unite, and discover that the Green Lantern Corp is still alive… This was a fun issue with many of the New52 characters coming back to make a comic that was reminiscent of the New52 Green Lantern comics. The dual stories in this book of Hal Jordan going to Mogo to discover that the Green Lantern Corp was still alive, and Stewart and Soranik planning to find a way to escape their prison were both great and had me turning the pages to see what happened next. Not a lot happens, but this comic does progress the story finally in a direction where I was hoping the comic would be by now.

Comic Book Review (6.5/10) “Okay,” The Hellblazer #4 “The Poison Truth Part 4,” Writer: Simon Oliver, Penciller: Moritat, Plot: John Constantine and his friend Chas has been captured by thugs who want to know the magical spell to identifying the winning horse in the horse races. Meanwhile, Swamp Thing must fight the Rot to distract them away from Mercury who is searching in the Rot for his girlfriend Abigail. Can Constantine rescue Chas and himself in time before the thugs decide to kill them both? For a seemingly unconventional hero, this issue flows like a very conventional story. No real surprises here as you know that since this is a Constantine book you already know Constantine will not die at the end of this book. The book spends a lot of time with Constantine and his captors though the part of the story that interested me the most was the Swamp Thing story. I usually expect supernatural elements in a Constantine book, but this issue had the least amount of supernatural elements. In fact Constantine’s story was very mundane and did nothing to push this story. This is Moritat’s best work yet, and his best page was probably the spread with Swamp Thing fighting all of the monsters in the Rot. Sadly, you get very little of the adventures into the Rot due to the focus being mainly on Constantine and his dumb, human captors.

Comic Book Review (5.5/10) "Mediocre," Justice League #9 “Outbreak Part 2,” Writer: Bryan Hitch, Penciller: Neil Edwards, Plot: A strange, malignant virus is affecting Cyborg’s systems and now Simon Baz’ power ring. The power ring is now creating constructs that are attacking the Justice League. Can the Justice League figure out who is responsible behind the virus attacks before it’s too late? They say manure workers work in manure factories for so long, that they get to a point where the smell doesn’t even bother them anymore. Same crap, different day – at this point, I realized that subjecting myself to a Bryan Hitch Justice League comic is the same as working at a manure factory. It’s at issue #9, and it’s still the same nonsensical crap that was found in issue #1. First off, how would a virus that was constructed in a someone’s basement on Earth affect a power ring that was constructed in the planet Oa? Is Baz’ power ring somehow tapped into the Earth’s internet system with a separate Wi-Fi detector? Also even if Batman was somehow analyzing the code on a closed network, shouldn’t knowing that the virus could affect the power ring still give Batman pause and make him think that this virus could even connect using a rubber band connection? This has got to be the most sophisticated virus in the history of DC comics. The power ring going out of control due to the efforts of a hacker sounded so ridiculous to me that after a while, reading this comic seemed like chewing salad chunks without any dressing. Dull, boring, and totally inconsequential. 100 years from – hell one year from now, this Justice League story won’t even be remembered by anybody because it was so dull and ridiculous. The one great part about this issue was the art. Despite the nonsensical story and premise, Edwards renders some sweet looking panels. The panels with the Justice League fighting the green power ring constructs were actually pretty cool-looking, d

Comic Book Review (6/10) "Okay" Justice League #10 "Outbreak Part 3" Writer: Bryan Hitch Penciller: Neil Edwards Plot: The Justice League track the debilitating virus that affected Baz' ring and Cyborg's systems to James Palmer's home. However, to their surprise the League find out that it's not Palmer who was responsible for the virus, but her daughter Lily who was responsible for the creation of the virus "Genie." Now the virus has put out a hit on the Justice League heroes and millions are promised to any villain that can bring them down... Just when I thought the previous issue was ridiculous, this issue makes things totally unbelievable. Last issue the arthur implied that somehow an ordinary man with a laptop was able to hack into a power ring and Cyborg's sophisticated systems. Now this issue says out flatly that a program that the ordinary man's daughter made and released on a tablet was able to somehow create a sentient computer program that gained the ability to think and sympathize with the Palmer's losing of their mom. It's like Hitch wanted to stick a middle finger at the people who criticized the man for using a laptop to hack the Justice League. The story was unbelievable and the issue was okay at best. The coolest thing was that several legacy villains such as Giganta and Count Vertigo.

Comic Book Review (4.5/10) "Bad" Writer: Bryan Hitch Penciller: Neil Edwards Plot: Little Lily's tablet becomes the object of desire as Psimon and the other villians that were promised millions for the destruction of the Justice League by the Genie app (an app created by the genius mind of Lily) find out that this app has the power to give them total control of the world's infrastructure. Can Batman and the rest of the Justice League destroy the tablet and the Genie app before it's too late? If you read the plot out loud you can hear how dumb the plot is. Instead of backtracking and making this issue about the villains, Hitch continues and makes this comic about the dangerous tablet. This is the first time I have ever heard of a plot point where a tablet can cause the destruction or subjugation of the world. Another purpose this issue serves is the return of Jessica Cruz to include her for this week's Justice League vs. Suicide Squad event. The script is bad, and the premise is horrible. Stay away from this dumb book.

Comic Book Review (7/10) "Good" Justice League vs. Suicide Squad #1 of 6 Writer: Joshua Williamson Penciller: Jason Fabok Plot: A mysterious man with immense power and influence has broken dangerous individuals out of prison. Meanwhile, the Suicide Squad (Deadshot, Captain Boomerang, Enchantress, Harley Quinn, Killer Croc, Killer Frost, and El Diablo) are on a mission in Badhnisia to stop a cult from using the Quake Pulsar, which causes earthquakes unnaturally. The Justice League (Batman, Wonder Woman, Aquaman, Flash, Simon Baz, Superman, Cyborg, and Jessica Cruz) decide that it'll be better to bring down Amanda Waller and the Suicide Squad. This is essentially a set up issue. The Justice League just discovered that Amanda Waller has been using criminals to do secret high risk government missions and decide that letting Waller do what she wants with a bunch of criminals is extremely risky and decide to take the Suicide Squad down. Not alot happens in this issue but a legacy character is revealed at the end of the book. Fabok is a fan favorite and his artwork is great in this book. Some of the spreads with the Justice League taking on the Suicide Squad look great and it seems they chose the right man for this limited event.

Comic Book Review (7.5/10) "Good" Justice League Vs. Suicide Squad #2 of 6 Writer: Joshua Williamson Penciller: Tony S. Daniel Plot: The Suicide Squad take on the Justice League! Who will win? Meanwhile, Maxwell Lord recruits Lobo, Johnny Sorry, Emerald Empress, Doctor Polaris, and Rustam to help him defeat the Justice League. This is a straight up brawl issue as the fight between the Justice League take up the whole comic. Not a whole lot happens to push the story forward, but it was still a fun read watching heroes and reformed villains duke it out. Fabok exits for this issue, but is replaced for the incredible Daniel to draw delicious panels of action.

Comic Book Review (7/10) “Good” Justice League VS. Suicide Squad #3 of 6 Writer: Joshua Williamson Penciller: Jesus Merino Plot: The Justice League are captured by one last desperate attempt on part of the Suicide Squad and now Waller is forced to team up with the Justice League in or order to save her own skin. Can the Justice League and Suicide Squad work together to take on Maxwell Lord and his mind controlled super powered villains? I hate to say this for a third comic in this mini-series, but this comic feels completely like set-up. All comics technically sets up for the following issues or next story arc, but this comic blatantly does this as it drips new story elements in driblets. If it wasn’t for Batman’s kick ass scene of breaking out of his shackles and straitjacket, I probably would’ve scored this a 6/10 as the story is “okay” at best. It won’t knock your socks off, but it has a few laughs and action scenes that will entertain you. If you haven’t cared for the past two issues, you probably won’t be convinced as it is more of the same and the story still hasn’t really gone anywhere.

Comic Book Review (8/10) “Great” Midnighter and Apollo #3 of 6 Writer: Steve Orlando Penciller: Fernando Blanco Plot: Apollo’s soul is stuck in hell and Midnighter must find a way to hell and to kill Neron to rescue his lover. Gregoria provides him with a way to hell and reveals that the only way to stop Neron is to shoot him with the Ace of Winchesters. Midnighter must find this mystical gun and travel to hell, but he will have to go through hell first to get there… It seems like issue #3 is the charm for this week’s mini-series releases as this issue also happens to be the best issue in the series. It is revealed what Midnighter must do to get Apollo’s soul back, and on his quest for the Ace of Winchesters he comes across some very interesting characters. The most interesting character in this book was hands down Neron, as he plays the game Mansion of Happiness with Apollo in hell. Neron is the biggest troll as he constantly reminds Apollo of his sins while using a board game. Their conversation was the most compelling script in this issue, and it made me wonder if it was actually Orlando that wrote this issue since the conversation was so compelling. Blanco’s art is once again amazing and throughout the series so far he has delivered the goods and this issue is no exception. The contrast between the real world and hell is amazing and his artwork is so detailed and interesting I stopped often to admire the art in the panels.

Comic Book Review (9/10) "Amazing" New Super-Man #6 "Made in China Conclusion" Writer: Gene Luen Yang Penciller: Viktor Bogdanovic Plot: August General in Iron and his government heroes decide that the only way to stop a falling plane that was hijacked by Human Firecracker and his Freedom Fighters of China is destroying the plane with all of the innocent people trapped inside. Now Kenan and his dad race against the clock as a human army controlled by genetically altered Starros also are under Human Firecracker's control. Also, it is revealed that Dr Omen is more than meets the eye... It's too bad this book doesn't sell better than some of the other Rebirth books because this comic happens to be one of the better Rebirth comics out right now. We finally find out that Kenan's powers are controlled by his emotions and when he acts heroically like the American Superman then his powers come back, but when becomes fearful he loses his powers. It's an emotional issue as well as a fun, action packed comic as Kenan finally understands that there are things more important than fame and pretty girls - his family. Following Kenan from a spoiled bully to a hero who is constantly figuring out what his priorities should be in this series has made this book more compelling. A fun and emotionally charged ride, and if you haven't picked up an issue yet I recommend getting ALL 6 issues since this story arc is both satisfying and fun. Highly recommended. 

Comic Book Review (9.5/10) "Amazing!" New Super-Man Writer: Gene Luen Yang Penciller: Billy Tan Plot: It's Chinese Lunar New Year and Kenan Kong is on a mission to find his mother's killer, but Bat-man and Wonder-Woman have separate engagements. Meanwhile, Kenan is learning tai chi from a blind master and Baixi must enter into a contest against his rival at the Academy of the Bat! This is probably the best setup issue I have read for Rebirth thus far as the separate storylines are fun and engaging. Yang is a great character writer as all of his characters are not just cardboard cutouts of other characters, but compelling characters with depth - especially Kenan and Baixi in this issue. Kenan is dealing with loss and trying to become stronger fast to find his mother's killer and Baixi is fighting for his right for the cowl and his sister and both stories were really fun to read. None of the writing feels forced and the characters felt genuine in their interpretations. This is a fun, light hearted, compelling issue that makes salivate for the next issue. Highly recommended!

Comic Book Review (8.5/10) “Great!” New Super-Man #8 “Training Day Part 2” Writer: Gene Luen Yang Penciller: Billy Tan Plot: Kenan Kong is an a contest with Master I-Ching where if Kenan wins that then Master I-Ching will agree to being his personal trainer, and Baixi is in a duel for the cowl of the Bat with his rival Rongpei. Will they come out on top, or will their lives drastically change…? Kenan and Baixi are both given revelations – Kenan discovers something regarding how his powers work, and Baixi faces a shocking revelation. I thought the explanation of how Kenan’s powers were tied to each body part and how each body part controls a specific power gave the reader more understanding on how his powers worked. Baixi’s revelation caught me by surprise, and it seems things are more than meets the eye in terms of how he became the Bat-Man of China and who his true rival is. I really like the relationship between Master I-Ching and Kenan and am curious to see how that relationship develops as well as the predicament that Baixi finds himself in now. Yang knocks it out of the park again with another solid issue.

Comic Book Review (6.5/10) “Okay,” Raven #3 of 6 “The White Carnival Chapter 3: Soul. Self.,” Writer: Marv Wolfman, Penciller: Alission Borges, Plot: The strange sphere of light is still sucking up people left and right and now Raven knows that the sphere is sucking up people to suck of their souls for power. Once the sphere is done with a person, the sphere spits them out. Why is the sphere afraid of Raven? This issue was a little better than the previous issue, but it still feels like the writer is forcing certain secrets to remain hidden so that he can reveal them in later issues. I say forced, because none of the story telling seems to be natural. For example, when Raven is transported back to the sphere in the middle of the night, she finds a dying person on the ground that says “you can’t defeat us…your soul will be ours…” Somehow, Raven takes this little bit of information and figures out that the sphere is abducting people to suck up their souls and gain power, and all this information is told through her word bubbles. Does Raven also have access to people’s souls as well as their emotions? What kind of information did the weak person’s body or soul have that Raven was able to glean this information from the person now after going head to head with the sphere of light earlier? And why would the sphere that “fears” her bring her back to it? The book doesn’t connect the dots for you and you are just forced to take Raven’s words as the writer’s voice for why things are happening. Borges does do a great job with the art, and some of these pages are great to look at, but the great art pieces fall flat due to the poor story-telling, and I feel that this is just a shame since her artwork is really cool. Her artwork has a nice sense of space and detail, but I feel like the wondrous and sometimes horrific artwork does not match the clunky dialogue. Such a shame.

Comic Book Review (8/10) "Great" Red Hood and the Outlaws #5 "Dark Trinity Part 5: Behind the Mask!" Writer: Scott Lobdell Penciller: Dexter Soy Plot: Bizarro has been injected with the technovirus and is now trying to kill Red Hood. Artemis also steps into the fray trying to stop Bizarro in his tracks. Can Hood and Artemis stop Black Mask before he allows Bizarro to destroy Gotham City? Not alot happens in this issue but there is a whole lot of hectic action. Red Hood and Artemis frantically and desperately try to stop Bizarro in his tracks, but how do you stop someone that is under mind control and has the strength of Superman? By curing Bizarro of the technovirus that controls him of course! While Artemis distracts Bizarro, Hood tries to get to the cure. Along the way there are some funny jokes that each side seems to land intentionally and unintentionally. Soy once again delivers the goods as his art is also on point. My favorite panel was the water trail created as Hood lifts his .45 pistol from beneath the water and fires. The action is very stylish and Soy makes each panel dramatic.

Comic Book Review (7.5/10) “Good” Red Hood and the Outlaws #6 “Dark Trinity Part 6: Darker Days” Writer: Scott Lobdell Penciller: Dexter Soy Plot: Black Mask is controlling Bizarro with the techno-organic virus, and the only way Jason and Artemis can stop both is by making the virus go to the brain – by making them angrier. Can Jason and Artemis survive long enough to burn up the virus in their assailants’ systems? This is the conclusion to the 7 part story arc that started with the Rebirth #1 issue. This story arc felt more like an introduction to the characters and this trinity team more than anything else. Although it started off strong, I would say the arc ended the way I expected it to without any real surprises. The most glaring thing to me was how NICE Batman was in this book. Batman is the most untrusting super hero I know and I found it difficult to accept that Batman would be cool with Jason running around with a retarded Superman that has Superman’s powers. Batman likes control, and knowing that there is a creature that cannot be controlled out there with Superman’s powers should keep Batman up all night. Still the issue was good and good read despite the fact that Batman seemed so out of character. I am hopeful for this series!

Comic Book Review (7.5/10) “Good” Red Hood and the Outlaws #7 “How do You Solve a Problem Like Bizarro” Writer: Scott Lobdell Penciller: Mirko Colak Plot: Red Hood and the Outlaws have taken down Black Mask and his criminal organization and now it is time for Red Hood and Bizarro to clean up the remaining scumbags of Gotham City. However, Jason Todd is finding it harder and harder to control Bizarro and is now worried that Bizarro might take a life while helping Jason clean up the streets… This wasn’t the best issue in the series, but a necessary one as the volatile and risky nature of having Bizarro as an ally was bound to be asked in this comic series. Bizarro is definitely the wild card of the team, and I didn’t appreciate the fact that creative would literally put the last scene of the this issue on their cover. Still, the process of getting there and Jason interacting with Alfred and Artemis to figure out how to deal with Bizarro was great. I just hope that Bizarro’s volatile nature is something the comic revisit in the future to keep things unpredictable. Also, I missed Soy’s artwork in this issue, but Colak does a great job despite the fact that Jason Todd looked Asian in some panels.

Comic Book Review (7/10) "Good" Suicide Squad #6 "Going Sane Part 2: Teenage Lobotomy/ Crocodile Tears" Writer: Rob Williams Penciller: Jim Lee/ Carlos D'Anda Plot: Rick Flag has just murdered Amanda Waller...or has he. The black sphere that was holding Zod is turing everyone against one another and giving nightmarish visions to each of the individuals in Belle Reve including the inmates and security. Can the Harley Quinn and her gang counter the effects of the sphere before it's too late? This issue also takes us back when Killer Croc was a kid.  This issue has taken a strange turn due to the strange effects of the black sphere and it feels alot like the fear that was affecting the Justice League in issues #6-7. There is no real explanation for what is going on, and there doesn't seem to be consistency in how it affects people. I felt that this issue was a bit all over the place. I actually liked the back up story a bit more, but it wasn't  one of the stronger back stories in this series. Jim Lee seems to be busy as his art has taken a bit of a dip in quality in this issue. Not up to his usual standards of excellence, but it is still better than most artists out there. D'Anda's art fits the story as he made the kid Killer Croc really cute and innocent looking, but the monsters surrounding him looked scary, which reflected how a young Killer Croc would view a world that was prejudiced and hostile against him.

Comic Book Review (7/10) "Good," Suicide Squad #7 "Going Sane Part 3: Beat on the Brat"/ "Trapped," Writer: Rob Williams, Penciller: Jim Lee/ Christian Ward, Plot: Bell Reve's inmates and security officers have gone insane, but Harley has mysteriously become sane. General Zod is awake and aware of his surroundings from the Phantom Zone. Harley also finds out that the sphere that has trapped Zod makes people violent and give into their base desires... This first half of the comic is a a debilitated Waller helping a sane Harley Quinn get to her destination, but as great writers say "it's not destination, but the journey". However, this comic ends in another cliff hanger so the destination is not clearly defined, but the journey was pretty fun. I can already see something going incredibly wrong with Zod and the sphere prison. There are some cool scenes of Harley overcoming obstacles in the form of guards and inmates, and it seems this Quinn is quick to use her brain more than her instincts in this fight because of her "new" condition. The second story is all about showing the reader that not only is the Enchantress a powerful entity, but the person (June Moon) keeping her at bay is also a strong individual. The artwork is really strong in this book and Lee and Ward pull all the stops to make this book pop. Ward's dreamlike art makes the second story convincing that Enchantress does battle with supernatural elements and a dark force. Not a great issue, but an enjoyable one nonetheless.

Comic Book Review (8/10) "Great" Suicide Squad #8 "Going Sane Part 4: I Believe in Miracles/ Justice League Vs. Suicide Squad Prelude: Warm Heart" Writer: Rob Williams Penciller: Jim Lee/ Giuseppe Camuncoli Plot: A sane Harley Quinn, Colonel Rick Flag, Killer Croc, and Enchantress must race against the clock to General Zod's cell to deactivate the yellow sun energy from reviving him. Meanwhile, Hack discovers that Captain Boomerang's spirit is trapped in the digital space. Killer Frost also joins the Suicide Squad, but can she be trusted...? Probably the biggest things of this issue were the return of Captain Boomerang and the introduction of Killer Frost. It's a nonsensical issue with plenty of zany action and a tie in story to the upcoming Justice League vs. Suicide Squad crossover event/mini-series. Once again Williams and company bring the book back to the original craziness that was what made this book stand apart and I actually had a good time reading this issue. It's a fast read, but one that Suicide Squad and comic fans will enjoy if they like their action crazy and zany. I love Jim Lee's art, but the stand out for me was the back up artist Camuncoli. His style is very sci-fi, but depicted realistically. I hope to see more from Camuncoli in future issues.

Comic Book Review (8.5/10) "Great!" Suicide Squad #9 "The First and Last Mission of Suicide Zero" Writer: Rob Williams/Si Spurrier Penciller: Riley Rossmo Plot: The first Suicide Squad ever created by Amanda Waller was made up of Rustam, Lobo, Emerald Empress, Doctor Polaris, and Johnny Sorrow. Waller sends them on a mission to stop Jangsun's metahuman program and sends them along with a mysterious asset by the name of Cyclotron. How is the Jangsun's metahuman program ran and what is the mystery of Cyclotron? This is a very trippy issue and I can't reveal certain story elements without spoiling the issue. I just recommend going out and buying this comic as it will blow your mind how evil Jangsun is and how even more evil and manipulative Waller is. This issue proves once more the scariest member of the Squad is Waller and she should never be taken lightly. Rossmo's eerie art style actually fits this book very well. He draws each character a bit off to make each panel just a little bit unsettling to make this issue even more eerie. Truly the biggest surprise of the week and maybe even the month!

Comic Book Review (9/10) "Amazing," Superman #11 "In the Name of the Father Part 2: World's Smallest," Writer: Peter J. Tomasi/ Patrick Gleason, Penciller: Patrick Gleason, Plot: Batman and Superman have decided that Jon and Damian need a lesson in teamwork and leave them stranded in the middle of nowhere. It is up to Jon and Damian to work together to survive their fathers' tests. Can Jon and Damian learn to work together or die as enemies? I thought Tomasi and Gleason had gotten Superman's voice down perfectly, but this issue proved to me that they also have Jonathan's voice down also. They do a tremendous job of making the interactions between Damian and Jon incredibly entertaining. I couldn't stop grinning throughout the whole issue. Watching Damian squirm desperately while Jonathan constantly urged Damian that they must work together showed the polarizing personalities of each of the characters. They truly carry this whole issue and their interactions whet my appetite for the Super Sons book that DC is planning to release in the near future. If this was their testing bed, I give them an A for their efforts. Go out and get this book today if you haven't already!

Comic Book Review (7.5/10) "Good," *A great jumping on point as this is the start of a new story arc.* Superman #12 "Super Monster Part 1," Writer: Peter J. Tomasi/ Patrick Gleason, Penciller: Doug Mahnke, Plot: Lois White aka Lois Lane has decided to start as a journalist at the local paper Hamilton Horn. However, Frankenstein of SHADE (Super Human Advanced Defense Executive) comes crashing in to kill Lois' editor. Lois and her editor manage to escape the Frankenstein, but Lois must somehow get Superman's attention to stay alive... Like how the Superman Annual #1 was a Superman vs Swamp Thing comic, this issue is a Superman vs Frankenstein issue and I actually preferred this comic over the Annual. Although it is a brawl, there are factors that make this comic more compelling such as why a super hero like Frankenstein is hunting and trying to kill Lois' editor? Lois and her editor also try to control Frankenstein's hover bike thingy and there is a scene that made me laugh which involved the hover bike towards the end. Because it's not just Superman and Frankenstein trading blows, and there are other factors this comic was a more enjoyable read and I felt there was more at stake. Mahnke is probably one of the best artists in the industry and he doesn't disappoint here. His rendition of Frankenstein is probably one of my favorite renditions of him. Superman and Frankenstein tear up Hamilton Valley and Mahnke makes the destruction and action look great!

Comic Book Review (7.5/10) "Good" Superman #13 "Super Monster Part 2" Writers: Peter J. Tomasi/ Patrick Gleason Penciller: Doug Mahnke Plot: Frankenstein, agent of SHADE (Super Human Advanced Defense Executive), has revealed that Lois' editor and friend Candice is actually Kroog, an alien fugitive. Luckily Candice is alive and well in her own basement as Kroog has only been drinking small amounts of her blood to take her form. However, another bounty hunter also wants Kroog for her personal gain... If you haven't figured out by the cover of this issue, the bounty hunter is actually the Bride of Frankenstein. Superman finds himself in an awkward position of an estranged lovers' quarrel as Frankenstein and his bride are no longer together. In essence this is a Frankenstein story with Superman as this issue tends to focus more on Frankenstein's failed marriage and why he and his bride are now in this state. It won't knock your socks off, but it was an enjoyable issue.

Comic Book Review (7.5/10) "Good" *A great jumping on point as this is the start of a new story arc.* Superman #14 "Multiplicity" Writer: Peter J. Tomasi/Patrick Gleason Penciller: Ivan Reis Plot: While Clark was driving around in Hamilton County, he comes across the Red Son Superman who is being hunted by a being called the "Prophecy" and his minions called the "Gatherers." It seems these Gatherers are rounding up Supermen from different universes for their diabolical plans. With the help of the newly appearing "Justice League Incarnate," a team made up of super heroes from the different universes, can Superman and the Justice League Incarnate stop the Prophecy before he takes more Supermen and Kenan Kong, the Super-Man of China? This a fun issue that is reminiscent of the "Crisis on Infinite Earths" event and other events where more than one Superman from different universes were involved, and I believe Tomas and Gleason were trying to play off this nostalgia factor to the get the reader hooked. And though the script is a bit wonky (Superman yells out "around here the only one making lists is Santa Clause" when the Gatherers were talking about hunting the people on their "Lyst"), I thought the premise was fun and the nostalgia definitely hit me as I have been a comics fan since the 90's and have read Crisis on Infinite Earths multiple times.The coolest thing about this issue was the inclusion of Kenan Kong, the New Super-Man from the current Rebirth series into the lore. This issue seems to take place after the current New Super-Man story ended with his father giving up his life for a noble cause. The inclusion of this character makes Rebirth seem like truly one big world. Ivan Reis is one of my favorite artists in DC, and his art is just immaculate as always. Some of the coolest panels were when Superman and the Red Son Superman were taking on the Gatherers and my favorite scene was when they both used heat vision to fry the gatherers.

Comic Book Review (7.5/10) “Good!” Superman #16 “Multiplicity Conclusion” Writer: Peter J. Tomasi/ Patrick Gleason Penciller: Tony S. Daniel/ Clay Mann Plot: Prophecy has beaten Superman and drained his powers and now he is stuck in the mass grave along with the other depowered Supermen and Superwomen of the other universes. The Justice League Incarnate stand together to make one last stand against Prophecy and his minions… My favorite part of this issue was the interaction between Superman and Kenan, and the most “meh” thing to me was the death of Racer. He just showed up in this issue, and died making the space ship for the Justice League Incarnate, but the issue didn’t really explain why he died. Maybe he was running too fast and the energy burned him alive? The end fight seemed a bit anti-climatic, but watching the various Supermen and Superwomen heat vision Prophecy was fun to watch. These past three issues were not essential to the Superman comics, but the last page could be hinting at the larger Rebirth story arc in the DC Universe.

Comic Book Review (7.5/10) "Good," Superman Annual #1 "Tangled Up in Green," Writer: Peter J. Tomasi/ Patrick Gleason, Artist : Jorge Jimenez, Plot: The vegetation around Superman is dying and he has not idea why. Swamp Thing confronts Superman saying that his different vibrational frequency (due to the fact that he is from another universe) is affecting the way that Superman is drawing solar energy from the sun and affecting the vegetation. Now Swamp Thing takes on Superman in a no holds barred match! This comic is essentially a Superman V. Swamp Thing comic, and the action is pretty fierce. Not only this, but this is one of the best looking books of the year as Jimenez masterfully renders Superman and Swamp Thing duke it out. Some of the spreads are jaw dropping gorgeous and I recommend getting this book in print because the pages look really good in print. This comic seems to take some revisionist liberties as it is touted that Superman's disparate vibrational frequency is affecting this universe. It was mentioned in the past comics that Superman does vibrate in a different frequency, but the fact that it affects plants and vegetation seemed forced to make the fight between Swamp Thing and Superman "possible". If you're looking for a brainless brawl between two unstoppable DC titans then this book is for you, but if you're expecting a substantial book with emotional and story telling resonance then I suggest you move along.

Comic Book Review (8.5/10) "Great," Teen Titans #2 "Damian Knows Best Part 2," Writer: Benjamin Percy, Penciller: Diogenes Neves, Plot: Damian has revealed to the Teen Titans that the Demon's Fist, a special team of assassins that Ra's Al Ghul trained himself, is after the Teen Titans. Blank, Stone, Plague, Nightstorm, and Mara are hunting the Titans. Can the Titans protect each other and can they learn to trust Damian despite his connection to the League of Assassins? Thankfully, as a team full of teenagers this book evokes fun rather than angst and narcissism - well, some narcissism on the part of Damian. Enter the Demon's Fist, a group of highly trained assassins sent by the Demon to kill the Teen Titans. Why does the demon want these five individuals dead? I liked the reveal that Damian was originally planned to lead the Demon's Fist before he left the League of Assassins, which adds another dynamic to the mix. This makes it no longer a simple group of super heroes versus a a group of super villains showdown anymore, but about two groups that need to prove something now. The Demon's Fist needs to prove that they can be a team without Damian, and the Teen Titans need to prove that they can be a team. I was worried when I found out that Jonboy Meyers was leaving this book, but I am also glad that they were able to get Neves for this book because his art is also cartoony, but more serious than Meyers' art. Think Meyers' art, but with more of an edge, and you get Neves' art. I enjoyed the art so much and if Neves can keep this level of art moving forward I am all in this new artist!

Comic Book Reviews (7.5/10) "Good" Teen Titans #3 "Damian Knows Best Part 3" Writer: Benjamin Percy Penciller: Khoi Pham Plot: Damian and the Teen Titans have escaped the Demon's Fist, a force of assassins assembled by Ra's al Ghul and once led by Damian. This issue takes us back to when Damian and his cousin Mara, the current leader of the Demon's Fist, were being trained by the Demon. Can the Teen Titans learn to accept one another and learn to work together? This issue felt like there was a lot of filler including a scene where the Titans were talking over a camp fire and randomly divulging their greatest pains. It felt forced that this group of individuals who never really worked as a team all of a sudden started sharing their greatest pains. Maybe it was because they just went through a near death experience with their fight with the Demon's Fist, but it felt out of place. Still seeing Beast Boy and Kid Flash banter off one another was enjoyable and seeing Damian open up to his new friends was interesting. Pham does a good job in showing us visually the tumultuous relationship and competitive nature between Damian and Mara. He has a darker tone compared to the previous artists, but it seemed to match the story as both the Teen Titans and the Demon's Fist retreated to lick their wounds.

Comic Book Review (8.5/10) "Great!" Writer:Cary Bates/ Greg Weisman Penciller: Will Conrad Plot: Captain Atom aka Captain Nathaniel Adam is losing control of his own powers and periodically letting out deadly nuclear energy. Superman, Cyborg, and Green Lantern are here to help, but will their efforts be enough, or are they just delaying the inevitable...? This comic is a pretty quick read, as the whole story seems to take place in under an hour. After the initial scene, the story takes you back 23 minutes earlier, so the story may not even last more than 30 minutes inside the comic book world. Still Captain Nathaniel seemed like a fully realized character and this book actually gives him a voice that stands apart from the rest of the heroes due to his anguish of being a being made of pure energy. He wants to use his powers for good, but his powers may also hurt people. You felt this anguish when he asked his doctor, how many people were hurt during the initial blast. Conrad does a good job of visually telling this story and his version of Superman is probably one of the more unique versions I have ever seen. In fact, at times his Superman doesn't even look like Superman, and though his artwork may not be the best it services the story as well as it should.

Comic Book Review (7.5/10) “Good,” Titans #5: “The Return of Wally West Part 5: Run for Their Lives,” Writer: Dan Abnett, Penciller: Bret Booth, Plot: Kadabra has just revealed that it was he that made Kid Flash disappear from reality, but in the process also got rid of himself. In order to come back to this reality, Kadabra brought back Wally West into this world and is now making West run the race of his life. Can West save his team mates and Linda before their time is up? 6.25 seconds to run 7,000 miles. This whole issue is about Wally West saving his teammates that are about die at the hands of the Titan doppelgangers in four different areas: Arsenal in Keystone City, Aqualad and Omen Metropolis, Nightwin and Donna Troy in Coast City, and Linda in Gotham City. Watching Wally go crazy fast to save his friends was really cool and probably made this issue the most compelling comic out of this series thus far. Not a lot happens here, but what creative does in telling this story I thought was well executed. This issue was a fast read, but under the circumstances I felt it fit this issue. West starts reevaluating his relationship with his friends and how much they mean to him, and how he must save them or die trying. This issue really made me care about Wally West, and made me want to see him succeed. This was also Booth’s best work yet in this series, and I do not understand why people do not like his artwork. The shot with West running and wiping away a tear thinking about Linda and how much she meant to him was probably my favorite panel of his, but this whole issue’s artwork was really great.

Comic Book Review (7.5/10) "Good," Trinity #3 "Better Together Part 3: Nobody Dies Tonight," Writer: Francis Manapul, Penciller: Clay Mann, Plot: This time our heroes are in Gotham and witnessing young Bruce Wayne cope with the loss of his parents. Dr. Harlene Quinzel is helping young Bruce cope with his trauma. Meanwhile, back in Hamilton Valley Jonathan Kent is missing and Lois goes looking for her son... This is a strange issue since Batman aka Bruce Wayne doesn't get to meet his parents as Clark Kent did in the previous issue, but meets a young Bruce Wayne who is coping with the loss of his parents. The Batman Animated Series version of Scarecrow makes a cameo in this issue as Dr. Quinzel is trying to help young Bruce cope with the fear he experiences by remembering various smells during the tragic murder of his parents. There are some really cool pages where young Bruce is affected by the fear gas and sees Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman in different hellish forms. This books feels like it's more flash than substance, as alot of the things that are going on on this world make no sense. The rules of this strange world are not clearly defined and feels more like a crazy dream world rather than a blast into the past. Manapul takes a break from pencilling duties and Mann provides the pencils in this book and it looks gorgeous. This book still remains one of the better looking books for Rebirth and Mann's artwork is a more nightmarish version to Manapul's storybook-esque artwork. This book made me want to see Mann do a monsters book in a gritty world!

Comic Book Review (5.5/10) "Mediocre" Trinity #4 "Better Together Part 4: Nothing is Real" Writer: Francis Manapul Penciller: Emanuel's Lupacchino Plot: Wonder Woman, Superman, and Batman have landed on Themyscira - or is it? Wonder Woman and her friends are welcomed by a younger version of Wonder Woman and the Amazonians. Meanwhile, Lois finds out that Poison Ivy is behind the kidnapping of Jon and the three heroes. I just have one question: how does Queen Hippolyta and the younger Diana not see the resemblance of the two Wonder Women? The Amazonians take a look at the older Diana and never even mention the fact that this older Diana resembles the younger version. Is it because they are dream versions of the Amazonians? One of the worst decisions of Manapul and the creative team in this series is the failure to mention the rules of this dream world. It's hard to keep track of what is going on and what is tangible and not due to the fact that some ground rules for this world were not set since the beginning of this story arc. Is it a complete dream world where anything goes? The end reveal of the character was also in poor taste as you can tell that this book was trying to appeal to the fans of the "For the Man Who has Everything" story and instead of giving us something that is different and adds to that particular story, this issue muddies the aforementioned story by just slapping that character's name in this book. I wouldn't mind the character reveal if the story was somewhat interesting to read, but including that character immediately had me comparing this jumbled mess of a story with that masterpiece and made me want to read Alan Moore's version instead.

Comic Book Review (6.5/10) "Okay," Wonder Woman #11 "The Lies: Conclusion," Writer: Greg Rucka, Penciller: Liam Sharp, Plot: Wonder Woman aka Diana Prince and Colonel Steve Trevor have landed on Themyscira...or have they? Things look different than the way Diana and Steve remembers from before and Queen Hippolyta is still alive! And what organization is trying to undermine Wonder Woman by using Sasha Bordeaux? When I read that this was the conclusion to the "Lies" story arc I was expecting the story to wrap up, but after reading this issue I can confirm for you that I am more confused than how I was in Rebirth #1! Things don't wrap up in this story and it seems new confusing questions are introduced into the Wonder Woman storyline to answer previously raised questions. I'm not a big fan of answering questions with questions and this issue also takes the focus away from Themyscira to a robotic Sasha Bordeaux. Now if you read OMAC Project and remember that she was a cyborg there, this shouldn't confuse you too much, but new readers maybe confused by these developments as no explanation is given. Sharp once again delivers the goods in this issue, and his detailed depictions of Themysciran architecture made me wish for a fantasy comic that was also illustrated by him. He has a real knack for composition and scale and has a talent to draw things in an epic scale using landscapes. He would be perfect for a Lord of the Rings comic adaptation, although that may take months to complete.

Comic Book Review (8/10) "Great" Wonder Woman #12 Plot: The gunmen that Wonder Woman took down in the mall are now in custody and the authorities are trying to figure out who they are. With the help of Wonder Woman's lasso (and some input from Dr. Barbara Minerva) she is able find a dark secret that the mind-controlled gunmen were unintentionally hiding... There is a strange virus going around that is affecting people and making them into mindless, belligerent killers. However, if you were to go back to George Perez' Wonder Woman run you will find many similarities in this story. It feels like Rucka is trying to bring back the pre-Flashpoint Wonder Woman story's elements back in the "Year One" storyline and while the "Lies" storyline feels like Rucka is addressing many of the Azarello Wonder Woman run. Still with the help of Scott's artwork, this book was enjoyable even if it felt like it was treading familiar territory.

Comic Book Review (8.5/10) "Great" Wonder Woman #13 "Angel Down" Writer: Greg Rucka Penciller: Renato Guedes Plot: Colonel Marina Maru (or as Wonder Woman fans may know her as Captain Poison) and her platoon have set out to capture Wonder Woman in Themyscira. Meanwhile, it seems like Wonder Woman is in shock from finding out that Themyscira was different than how she left it. Now it is up to Colonel Trevor to try and protect Wonder Woman in her weakened state... This is more of a Steve Trevor issue rather than a Diana issue, because Wonder Woman is essentially incapacitated at the begining of this issue. We are also treated to a legacy character in the form of Colonel Maru, but it seems this book doesn't call her Captain Poison. Maybe later down the road? Watching Steve protect Wonder Woman was great and the ending was just gut wrenching for me. After all that Steve and Diana went through in the past 12 issues and seeing them rekindle their love for one another, it was sad seeing how things ended in this issue. Guedes' art was great and very detailed in this book. The parts where Steve takes on the Poison Team was well done and his art only elevated this issue for me.

Comic Book Review (7/10) "Good" Wonder Woman #14 "Year One Finale" Writer: Greg Rucka Penciller: Nicola Scott Plot: Ares, the god of war, has attacked an American base seeking the knowledge to the location of Themyscira. However, to Ares' surprise, it seems one of the consequences of leaving Themyscira was losing the knowledge of the location of the Amazonian home. Can Wonder Woman defeat Ares and contain the poison that makes men and women belligerent? This feels like a very rushed finale to a 7 issue story arc, and it feels like Rucka was trying to wrap everything up by this issue and the issue feels rushed as a consequence. After the fight with Ares, Diana proceeds to contain the "poison" that makes people want to war in several countries. I would've preferred if the search for the poison was a bit more elaborate and well done, but it felt very generic and anticlimactic. The whole international search wrapped up in a few pages! Scott's beautiful art elevates this mediocre ending to this story arc and I have to say that Perez' Ares run feels more epic than this story arc but at least we get Scott's beautiful art one more time before she moved on.