Justin Epps Comic Reviews

It seems only like yesterday that IDW Publishing announced IDW Dark, a horror-based imprint to capitalize on the booming popularity of horror comics. The imprint became the new home for books like IDWs hit series Beneath the Trees Where Nobody Sees, as well as licensed tie-in comics for series like The Twilight Zone and Event Horizon. Now, IDW Publishing is expanding its imprint with A Quiet Place: Storm Warning by Phil Hester (Swamp Thing, Green Arrow) and Ryan Kelly (Lucifer, Local). This tie-in story does a fantastic job adding to the universe while working as a gripping, original narrative.

To be fair, we did just get some major reveals with Decembers Absolute Batman #15, which gave us some shocking details about the Jokers perplexing history. And yet, when it comes to things like his shadowy Ark M project, weve mostly been left in the dark. Thankfully, Snyder has teamed up with Frank Tieri and Josh Hixon for a new one-shot that dives into the history of this worlds Arkham Asylum and sets up the dangers to come in the next exciting year of Absolute Batman.

It was four months ago that the series concluded its first major arc. Detective John Jones and his partner, a psychic entity known as the Martian, were caught up in a major battle with the Martians diametric opposite, the White Martian. The duo battled with White Martian and the unfortunate people it possessed, and thanks to John accessing his inner emotions, the Martian was able to push back against the White Martians influence with contagious empathy. But while things all seemed good, the White Martian lived on, now secretly inhabiting the body of Johns son, Tyler.

As someone who’s not huge into annuals, I never doubted this story for a moment. This book is yet another example of how amazing Absolute Wonder Woman is, and, more importantly, how amazing its title character is. In a world that feels like it’s getting darker, I can’t tell you how nice it is to read a story about a hero who goes above and beyond, not to save the day necessarily, but to do simply what’s right on a more human level. Anyone needing more Absolute Wonder Woman is certainly going to want to check this annual out.

Absolute Wonder Woman was the first hero to make a public stand, protecting Gateway City from the potentially world-ending rampage of the Tetracide. Absolute Batman has similarly made a name for himself to the people of Gotham as one of the only crusaders against the corruption and exploitation killing his city. Bruce and Dianas actions have put huge targets on their back and the powers that be are doing everything they can to eliminate them. But Absolute Wonder Woman and Batmans first team-up is a shining example of why hope is possible, even in a seemingly hopeless world.

If people haven’t been into Action Comics as a vehicle to explore Clark’s Superboy era in a modern context, I don’t think this will change anyone’s minds. However, for new fans looking for a jumping-on point now that Next Level is in full swing, this is definitely up their alley. It’s got action, heart, and serves as a nice, light-hearted Superman story that doesn’t worry too much about the big picture. If you’re curious about what’s been going on with Action Comics or you’ve been waiting for a good time to get on board, consider Action Comics #1096 a must-read.

Whether you were a fan of her original series or you just loved her Netflix show, and you can’t wait for her upcoming MCU appearance, Alias Red: Band #1 does Jessica’s fans well. It’s a simple, straightforward beginning to a crime story, but it’s quite well done. They say you can’t go home again, but Alias: Red Band #1 does a hell of a job giving fans a story with the same feel as the original series without sacrificing the past two decades of her characterization. If you need more Jessica Jones, this is the book you need to read.

It’s a bold choice to begin the Next Level era of Batman with an issue dedicated to a conversation. But I think it was the right move. It’s a solid reminder of how Bruce and Joker’s relationship has been for decades, which also demonstrates that things could potentially be different now. I know the cyclical nature of comics can make one doubt deviating from the status quo. But after reading this, I find myself genuinely wondering what’s next for both Batman and the Joker and if we’ll be seeing more of this dynamic in the future.

This special comes to us from Jeremy Adams, who has already written two DC K.O. tie-in issues (Green Lantern Galactic Slam and The Kids Are All Fight). And Adams is joined by a murderers row of amazing artists, including Ronan Cliquet, Carmine Di Giandomenico, Kieran McKeown, and Pablo M. Collar. This is certainly the most ambitious of all the DC K.O. tie-ins so far, and I really do give everyone here an A for effort. However, even for what was billed as a fun bonus stage, DC K.O.: Boss Battle #1 is more of a whiff than a knockout.

December is All Fight Month, a four-week-long initiative dedicated to showing the second round of DC K.O. with various one-shots and tie-in books giving fans all the one-on-one fights they were hoping to see in this tournament. After a few interesting rounds between characters like Superman and Captain Atom or Aquaman and Hawkman, were getting to see one Ive been most curious about: The battle between Harley Quinn and Zatanna. And I have to say, this has been the most impressive entry in All Fight Month Ive seen yet.

If you haven’t tried any new Vertigo books yet, I strongly suggest End of Life #1. It’s got great action scenes, it’s incredibly funny, and the characters feel real, even among all the weird chaos that follows Eddie Stallion. With a reputation like Vertigo’s, it needed to come out with some seriously strong titles that proved there was a place for the imprint in the modern-day comic space. I feel pretty confident in saying that End of Life #1 is a worthy addition to the Vertigo legacy, and I expect great things from the rest of the series.

The previous crossover was made by writer Gerry Dugan and artist Javier Garrn, who are joined this time by Ig Guara. The duos last entry ended with Godzilla being transported off Earth to a desolate planet. Unfortunately, the beast was found by the God of the Symbiotes, Knull, who saw potential in the kaiju and decided to use him to help Knull conquer the Marvel Universe. That was just a few months ago, and thankfully, Marvel has gotten the follow-up out quickly. And yes, its just as fun, chaotic, and entertaining as the previous crossover, if not more so.

I’m honestly not 100% certain what hardcore Milestone fans will think of this book. But for my money, it was a good story. It’s a tragedy that highlights the determination of the Dakota heroes and captures the unfairness of how they were left behind. This book does have an interesting energy to it, making one feel like DC really does want to bring this world back (especially in the wake of Static returning). Maybe we’ll see more Milestone down the line, but for right now, this one-shot is an effective tribute to an underrated era of superhero comics.

Admittedly, I haven’t followed this series as intensely as I have others. But this issue really does a great job of creating a decent hook and leaving you just enough to want to read more. What happened between Ivy and Harley? Was there more than meets the eye with Ivy’s campaign? If someone like me is interested in seeing what comes next, I’m certain other people who have been following this series for longer are going to like it as well. I just hope Ivy’s stint in politics really brings the change she wants to see in the world.

There are some larger elements to Superman Unlimited to help push the book forward. The Daily Planet has gone global, pushing the iconic paper into a new era. And Superman now has the ability to withstand kryptonite for up to 3 minutes. But there have been several new dangers, too. Thanks to a meteorite containing the radioactive material, kryptonite is positively ubiquitous on Earth, allowing villains to get creative when it comes to dealing with the Man of Steel. And Superman Unlimited #9 gives us the books most creative villain so far in another solid entry to the series

This story brings back the Ultimate Guardians of the Galaxy, who are going for broke as they try to save everything they can. But the truth is, theyre just as powerless to stop the inevitable as any of us. Now, dont think this is a story about hopelessness. On the contrary, the creative team behind this comic delivers an amazing tale about loss, acceptance, and why we press on in the face of inevitability.