JJ Travers's Comic Reviews

Reviewer For: AIPT Reviews: 73
8.7Avg. Review Rating

It would be a disservice to yourself as a comic fan to miss this story.

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This is about as close as you can get to calling a single issue comic perfect.

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This series is like a good rollercoaster: it's over quick, but it'll push your stomach into your throat and scare the shit out of you.

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I like to believe there's a little bit of something for everyone here. There's classic fantasy, mystery, magic, love, loss, incredible artwork and a world that feels like it has the potential for countless other stories. But there's also something new. Something completely unexpected in the world of barbarians past. Lemire and Deodato have delivered an utterly fantastic first step into a brand new fantasy world that I can't wait to explore.

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With masterful artwork and a wonderfully executed setup, Low just keeps getting better.

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I need to stop telling myself Rick Remender can't possibly one up himself with Low, because he just keeps proving me wrong.

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In short, this comic is freaking awesome. I enjoyed every single panel and had a ton of fun reading it.

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Whether you're new to comics and fantasy or an old hand at one or the other, there's something here for you. The characters are all so appealing that you can just as easily find yourself rooting for the bad guys. We're only three issues in and I can say with confidence that this book is easily one of the best comics on the shelves right now.

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I'm happy to be able to say that Maestros #6is perfect. Skroce delivered some of the best artwork I've ever seen in a comic book, weaved five major players' stories together and left us sitting on a cliffhanger that I can't see the good guys coming back from.

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Higgins has put foot on the gas -- better yet, he's floored it. Judging by the absolutely badass wrap up to this issue I can only imagine things will get crazier from here. I can't wait.

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It's hard to call a first issueperfect but Kieron Gillen comes about as close to the line as you can get.

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Charles Soule writes a beautiful tribute to a truly special person that countless people around the world loved, looked up to, and idolized.

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Brian Wood and Jeff Stokely bring a Terminator story that's a tribute to where it all began, but will also clearly leave its own distinct mark on the franchise. The classic '80s sci-fi action story vibe is strong and there are pieces of both Sarah Connor and Kyle Reese peaking out of Lucy Castro. I can't wait to see where this story takes us and I find that I'm already worried that there are only going to be four issues. If that's not a mark of a good comic book, I don't know what is.

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Scott Snyder's nightmarish creation is one of the best characters to come to the DC Universe is a long time. From the moment I met The Batman Who Laughs I knew I wanted more of him and man was the wait worth it. If the first issue is any indication of where this series is headed, fans are in for one of the best mini-series out of DC in years.

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The minute-by-minute test of will for Bruce, combined with having to combat the two deadliest foes Batman has ever faced, delivers a comic book that's utterly fantastic from start to finish.

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But what happens when being Batman stops working? What happens when every ace up Batman's sleeve is completely useless, because his adversary knows how many Batman's holding and when he's going to use them? Batman has come back from having his back broken, faced down Darkseid, and even defeated the Justice League. But he's never faced the worst possible version of himself. Snyder is going to show us what happens when the pillar of Batman crumbles, the rug is pulled out from under him, and the plan of being Batman no longer works. You won't be disappointed with the results.

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I was struck by both Snyder and Jock's work throughout these panels -- Jock on the last moment we see Batman and The Joker together here, laughing maniacally, had me reminiscing about Brian Bolland and The Killing Joke. Snyder killed me with how raw, emotional, and strangely heartfelt the duo's dialogue was, and then mere seconds later I'm laughing my ass off at how utterly and delightfully f*cked up the moment becomes. Man, what a good comic book.

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We've watched as Batman slowly gave inch by inch to the serum's influence, and now we see what happens where there's nothing left to give but himself. This culminates in the best piece of dialogue from the series thus far, seeing Batman's two front war come to its zenith in the face of Gotham's dark past and The Batman Who Laughs ace in the hole. I can't say I'm particularly worried though, because as The Joker said Batman when he first infected him: "The only way you'll beat him is to become him. Heh."

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I absolutely love to find myself in a situation where I can't imagine the hero walking away, let alone being victorious. Maybe this time the bad guy wins.

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The Batman Who Laughs is a twisted, bittersweet goodbye letter to Batman, revisiting some of Snyder's most iconic moments with the Dark Knight -- Black Mirror and Court of Owls -- and is a truly a fitting end to Scott Snyder's time with Batman and Gotham City. I expect The Batman Who Laughs to go down in comics history as one of the best Batman stories ever told.

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Not only is this the darkest story Tynion's ever written, it's hands down one of the darkest comic books I've ever read. As an avid Image and Vertigo reader, that's saying something.

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It feels like literally anything could happen in the world Skroce has created and we're only at the fourth issue. Every month I can't wait to get my hands on it. It's a special thing when a creator sparks that sort of excitement in the reader. If you aren't reading this comic book, you need to be. Do yourself a favor and buy this book, jabroni.

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This was a fantastic start to Higgins' six issue elseworld-esque story and I'm greatly looking forward to seeing what McCarthy can whip up once the action really gets rolling. The plot twist is exciting and guarantees to challenge Dick Grayson's convictions, morals and the core of who he believes himself to be. The partnership between Higgins and McCarthy promises a six-issue series that you won't want to miss.

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Wow. Just wow. I must have said the word to myself five plus times while reading this issue. Higgins is masterfully weaving reality and fiction together and I can't wait to see what he does next.

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Watching The Grim Knight wield the city of Gotham like a scythe was quite the treat, and I'm excited to see how his mission to kill evil will play out alongside one of the most evil and twisted beings to ever walk the multiverse. This comic should be an automatic addition to everyone's pull list. If for nothing else, the prodigious level of skill in the art department should grab you. But there's also Tynion's magic touch when it comes to writing one-shots for evil Batman incarnations that Scott Snyder's twisted mind conjures up.

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James Stokoe has tapped into the core of what makes Alien so special--heart-pounding claustrophobia, teeth grinding tension and a space creature that has terrified fans for nearly 40 years.

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I'm truly excited to find out how deep into their world this book will take me.

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Unique and interesting characters draw the reader in, where they'll then confront an art style that's sure to instill a sense of dread.

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Batman Beyond #11 is an epic roller coaster ride with a stunningly exciting conclusion .

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Latour and Brandon have flipped the script and I find myself excited to tumble further down the rabbit hole.

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Filled with fast action and smart humor, The Defenders #1 kicks off this teamup series in a big way.

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If The Green Lantern keeps moving ahead with the blend of weird Morrison has concocted, there's a good chance it will one day be counted among his best weird-laced works.

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Robert Venditti has many balls in the air, but is giving every story thread the attention it needs. Great read.

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This issue does a fantastic job developing the characters and the looming confrontation with the dangerous Marid. Even though there was little to no action throughout the majority of the comic, I thoroughly enjoyed reading it from start to finish.

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Adam Hughes' artwork is reason enough, but Mignola's patented style of showing more, saying even less and adding a dab of history makes this issue a must have. Krampus is coming your way this holiday season and you'll want to meet him whether you've been naughty or nice.

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I've read this comic three to four times since I got my hands on my review copy and I can't help but wonder if this heavily emotional and plot driven dialogue is a peek into Remender's everyday headspace. The parallels between our world today and Low's aren't lost on me -- theflawed ideology, refusal to look oblivion in the face and most of all, power behind words. Whether it's a coincidence I looked for, or a subtle message from the creators, I guess I don't really care. I'm just happy I get to experience it.

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I'm reading quite a few comic books right now and this one is without question the most fun. Not only is the art absolutely gorgeous but it's also hilarious and has a truly unique play on fantasy. Do yourself a favor and pick it up -- you won't regret it.

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Great art and an unpredictable story makes this an arc to remember.

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There's a lot of action, hand-to-hand fighting, guns and superpowers to be found here. Thanks to our color man Dean White, none of the really neat powers on display get lost in the background. White's style makes all those big moments pop off the page and commands the reader to put their eyes exactly where he wants them.

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Darth Vader #1 allows readers to explore the mysteries of Sith lore and philosophy, while leaving a trail ofForce chokes and ominous breathing in its wake.

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Whether you're new to Doctor Aphra or an old hand, this is a comic you'll want to get your hands on. There are huge expectations from Star Wars fans and with those expectations comes pressure for the creators out there who're fortunate enough to work within the Star Wars franchise. Simon Spurrier and Kev Walker are honestly making it look easy. Keep it up fellas, I'm sold.

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Kev Walker does a kickass job once again and is quickly becoming one of my favorite artists in the world of Star Wars comics.

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This is the Star Wars comic every fan should be reading.

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Dan Jurgens' Batman Beyond has everything I'm looking for in a Batman comic: ninjas, gadgets, surprises and a badass super villain.

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Admittedly, I had to read this comic twice before I felt like I had a solid understanding of things. But trust me, if you can relax your continuity filters a bit you will happily take in the majesty that is Liam Sharp and Grant Morrison's The Green Lantern. Sharp and Morrison delivered a fun, wacky, psychedelic space cop experience that's by all appearances going to take Hal Jordan back to the core of what being a Green Lantern is all about.

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Ed Brisson provides an issue jam-packed with bad-ass kung fu, intrigue and a hero who's finally rediscovered his purpose in life.

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A classic kung fu story with a touch of mystery and a badass twist.

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Maestros is the best comic book I've read in the past two years. The last time I enjoyed a book this much was my during my first foray into the world of Saga. I don't care what the Eisners say, it's hands down the best series of 2018.

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Darth Vader is a monster freshly risen from the ashes of Anakin Skywalker--ready, willing and able to do whatever necessary to achieve his goals.

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We're on the first issue on a horror comic written by Cullen Bunn and Kyle Strahm, these people have no idea what's coming for them. They are so utterly screwed. I simply can't wait to watch their situation continue to deteriorate (yes, I am a monster).

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Heir the Wayne name vs heir to the mantle of Batman. It's a showdown you won't want to miss.

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Either Damian Wayne has become one of the strongest super villains in the DC Universe or Terry McGinnis has got a long way to go before he's worthy of the mantle of Batman.

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There's a new Bat-family on the horizon, a new masked vigilante in Neo-Gotham and Batman is quite possibly out of the game. Hat's off to Jurgens for a great start to a new arc. This one's worth picking up.

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Taylor's script was easily the best part of the book. He does a fantastic job laying down the introduction of the virus and is very clever with its creation. It's hard to imagine the good guys coming out on top, which is exactly what I want from a book like this. I don't want there to be any hope. I don't want to see any possible positive outcomes. I want to feel like the situation is hopeless and my heroes are doomed. That's when a good writer tends to surprise and delights me the most. But even more important than that, I want to see some truly horrifying, disgusting, and disturbing content. Show the world just how sick and twisted you can be Tom Taylor.

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Way's presentation of 'Doom Patrol' is wonderfully odd and truly unique.

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Although a bit formulaic, a well written story with exciting artwork makes Danny Rand's introduction a successful one.

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Iron Fist #3 is jam packed with action from start to finish.

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The story is relatively short but manages to pack in plenty of action, violence and colorful language. The balance in the writing is beautifully put on display. I'm always impressed with Remender's ability to mix a deeper philosophical message of hope with giant sea monsters, pirates and gladiators. IO could mean a lot to the overall story–either way, it shows me that Remender's not even close to being out of original ideas.

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I think what I appreciate the most about the parallels between Higgins story and our world today is that it makes you question things. Dick Grayson is an upstanding hero that the public worshipped, but in the end what he was doing wasn't right for everyone. Higgins challenged our perception of the man behind the mask of Nightwing and I hope it makes readers challenge their perception of what's going on in our country today.

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Aaron delivers across the board and provides us with a fun adventure between story arcs, that reminds us that Star Wars isn't just the Empire and the Rebel Alliance. There's a great big galaxy out there.

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Infil'a and Vader's first confrontation has everything a Star Wars fan could want: lightsabers, Force powers and lots of excitement.

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Action-packed, beautifully drawn and well written, though the story arc is starting to feel like it's dragging a bit.

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While the overarching story is fairly simple, it's a great start and I'm excited to see where Chang goes with his new character.

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With the release of Green Lantern: Rebirth, a new mythos for the Green Lantern character was created. Lately it's felt a bit like everything Rebirth created has been heavily flushed out and explored. So it's really refreshing to see Humphries step in over ten years later and provide us with a new and exciting piece of lore to dig into.

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There's a gang of ten plus assailants against Arthur and Mera; things aren't looking particularly good for them. Yet because one man yielded it's suddenly a time out to a life or death fight. I'm going to need more than that to fully buy in.

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This was still an enjoyable comic to read with great character development for three interesting people we've seen little of so far in this series.

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Theology tells us the Djinn are one of the three sapient creations of God. As with human beings, they can be good, evil, or neutral. Thus as with humans, they possess free will. They were to have been created from smokeless and scorching fire. They're also immortal, can easily rip a man in half and are powerful to the point that they've terrified every member of the supernatural in London. I can't wait to see where Oliver takes us with Marid.

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Asking questions is expected after you read a setup issue, but I'm not sure I like how many I have.

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The Merciless delivers an intriguing character, but important pieces of his story are nowhere to be found.

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I'm sad to say this story is rather unfriendly to new readers. While it's clear that Spoiler recently had a less than amicable split from her former teammates and Batman, that's about all I can put together. I get that it's a set up issue, but that doesn't give a free pass to the writing team. Hopefully things improve from here, otherwise it's not a story I'll recommend to anyone.

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Moritat's art style isn't my favorite but it's clean, simple and consistent throughout the issue. As far as a first issue goes, the setup was acceptable but I wasn't blown away by the writing. I enjoy crossovers like anyone else, but the writing feels a little lazy using that and a flashback to set the stage. But hey, this is the first issue and I need to be patient. Hopefully Oliver will pleasantly surprise me.

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With all the moving pieces here you'd think this issue would be an exciting read but it's quite the opposite. There's so many inconsistencies with the characters that I found myself spending more time picking it apart than actually enjoying the story itself.

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A disappointing start to a much anticipated mini-series.

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