You can't stop dialing! In a special VILLAINS MONTH coda to the fan-favorite DIAL H series, a lost E-dial is discovered by four young criminals on the run in Littleville. But who is chasing them? And will they figure out how to control this nefarious dial before it's too late? Hindsight is twenty-twenty when you're sprinting through dark alleys! This issue features 20 new villains, 20 pages of creative insanity-and 20 top artists, each drawing a page of the action!
Hard to tell whether this issue represents Dial H's last hurrah or a signal of its inevitable resurrection, but either way, it's a strong sample of what made the series bizarre, but great. Read Full Review
Issues like "Dial E" are reminders that the pure art of comic books will always be appreciated, even by the big dogs, even when they're otherwise mostly focused at their bottom line. All 20-odd artists deserve to have their art looked at by a wider audience. Despite whatever misgivings you may or may not have toward "Villains Month", this is a single issue worth supporting. Read Full Review
But what about the artwork? Is that any good? Well I suppose it is since every new villain is drawn well and is very distinct, with each artist's own unique style helping that along. However, due to the artwork constantly changing, it sort of contributes in a way to how confused I am reading it. The tone and feel of the book is shifting all the time and with the different styles, it is hard following what happens from page to page at points. The comic is certainly the most uniquely drawn book I have seen in a while, but it comes off as a hindrance at points. Read Full Review
I have to give Mieville and crew credit for seeing the series out in style and delivering a Villains Month issue wholly unlike any other. But there's a sense of heart and emotional depth inherent to Dial H that really isn't apparent here. Read Full Review
I really do like the use of different artists. This is a very unique comic book, especially for DC. Miville is doing everything he can to give Dial H its last breath of air, but in the end, there isn't enough substance behind the twenty-artist gimmick to make the book anything more than a teaser to get more people interested in an already-canceled comic book series. So go ahead, pay $2.99 (or $3.99 for the lenticular cover) for a twenty-artist jam session with a quirky concept attached to it. Read Full Review
Overall, this isn't the issue that will turn people on to the Dial H Universe. It is interesting, but also very confusing. As a coda, I don't think it succeeds. Read Full Review
Best of all, original "Dial H" artist Mateus Santolouco gets the first page, while his replacements Alberto Ponticelli and Dan Green get the final page. It's a nice bit of callback to the "Dial H" series, and the final page will certainly make fans of that series cheer. While "Justice League" #23.3 is a visually stunning (if totally inconsistent) book, story-wise it's nothing even close to what "Dial H" offered up every month. That's too bad, if only because I'd hoped this issue would serve to at least give a spike in sales for the "Dial H" collections. Ultimately, not a high note for Mieville to conclude his "Dial H" stories with, alas. Read Full Review
I have no idea what the story was because it changed every half-page. I have no idea who any of the characters were because I, like a majority of the comics-collecting world, passed on this series when it first came out, knowing that it would be cancelled after looking at the concept alone. Even the beautiful Brian Bolland covers couldnt get me to pick them up. If I wanted to read about an overweight obnoxious guy who wishes he was a superhero, Id just talk to the people who frequent the local comic shops. I had never heard of writer China Mievelle before this series was announced, and will not be looking into his other works any time soon. I apologize for anyone who bought this issue, especially the extra dollar cover. Not worth the extra buck for the fancy cover. Not even worth picking up. This is one of very few comics that Im actually embarrassed to own. Read Full Review
A great bookend to one of the more memorable comics in recent memory. I will miss Dial H.
As DC Villains Month drags wearily on, this issue is the tongue in cheek, unironic yet self-aware comic we've been waiting for. 20 pages, 20 artists: Why not? Many of the other Fill-ins Month issues have three or more pencillers, and didn't manage to pull in the talent of any one of the twenty artists in JL#23.3:DE.
This was not a send off to Dial H. This was a Dial E one-shot. It was a fun idea that each of the twenty artist gets to draw one or more ridiculous supervillains each. It was souch bizarre, non sequitur fun, that it's hard not to love.
The main setback here is that there is no story. It's more of a Dail H tone poem that you might see in a more compressed format in an anthology. Good luck fighting the E Dial more