Paul Mason Comic Reviews

There has been a trend in DC where some have complained about some of their titles plotting and pacing. This title doesnt seek to fall under the umbrella of being slow, with not much happening. There are panels which slow action down but they are few. I can not say this is most compelling story about superman I have ever read, but it is fast paced and intriguing.

Including some internal dialogue from Alfred that really characterizes him, Batman and their relationship. Snyder's writing seems rich and complex without being unnecessarily confusing, assuming you have been following the title.

After a second read the plot and characterization became clearer, but I dont enjoy a comic hurting my head upon first read trying to figure out whats going on.

Nolans art hasn't evolved much past his late eighties early nineties style so if you were a fan then you probably are still a fan. It is suitable for the title.

Annuals are usually a little something extra, more pages, and special one off storylines. This annual fits the formula as it is two stories in one comic. And the first story in the annual guest stars Supergirl, and fittingly is titled World's Finest. A nice homage and call out to the classic Batman/Superman team up series by that name.

The conclusion of the Penguin's son story begins with the son hosting a surprise and unwelcome retirement party for the Penguin. His suit has the tech to control groups of people and he uses it to try to make the retirement permanent. The remainder of the issue is basically a chase through Burnside and confrontation with Batgirl.

This leads to Barbara discovering a scientific professor's student has gone missing. Ah, a mystery within a mystery. Watch out Batman it looks like Larsen is writing Batgirl to be the world's greatest detective. I stated that with tongue in cheek but there is a nice parallel of protegees in this issue.

This is another filler issue between story arcs. And frankly full of fluff.

The art is solid not spectacular and not annoying in itd style or execution.

Overall I would give this a solid 3.75 rating out of 5.

The other birds do not even show up until the end but the fact there is two other DC heroes takes a little off that sting, and as I stated Black Canary is charming and capable of carrying a comic. However overall this comic felt a little like a pop left out that lost its fizz, I. E. It lacked a little sizzle.

This is a fun comic. It has action, and quips but most importantly it has heart. The thematical themes of the Birds of Prey are highlighted in this issue sure it hits some tropes including the obligatory hero vs. Hero throwdown, yet the writing does not seem clichd or stale.

Stylistically the art is different than a lot of mainstream comics, yet with each issue of this title the style grows on me a little more, enough to say I like it and am now on board.

Also there was thankfully the iconic fight sound effects. In other words this was the classic fun campy batman that epitomised the classic series.

Basically it is background in the cat and bat romance; and King then flash forwards to Bruce and Selina in their golden years. It is a bit heavy handed, yet touching and helps prepare for the current engagement and romance.

This comic is quite cute and fun overall. King seems best writing filler self contained stories and this is a light hearted examination of who the bride and groom to be are at their heart.

This is written in the Signal's narrative voice which is so postmodern and self aware it may be detrimental as his narration points out how many people are in the bat family. While patrolling the city Duke stumbles upon another metahuman. Concerned citizens interrupt the Signal as hes putting the boot to the bad guys face. And bring up a good point in that the fight is occurring in daylight.

There is a lot of homage paid to both Grant Morrison and the various continuity of Batman within the crossover and especially this comic. It really highlights the highlights of the Batman mythos, yet also seems to strip the character down to who he is and builds suspense as to the direction Bruce Wayne the batman will go in the future.

The art isnt as stylized as some comics, rather it is a hybrid between an abstract and hyper real style. And it looks great.

The dark Bat League look and seem absolutely horrific and the creative team has done a good job making Metal fresh, while paying homage to the long history of the multiverse's history.

Snyder described Metal as not another crisis event but a sort of anti crisis Crisis. In the early stages it is living up to that description. It is a major event sure to rock, but not reboot the DC universe, and this chapter by Williamson is very worthy.

The artwork of this comic is different but beautiful and suitable for the title. The storytelling is sparse but not in a bad way. Whereas in some comics there is a lot of dialogue and internal dialogue to tell the story but here there is a minimalist approach. This method of story telling accomplishes two things. One it really highlights the visual medium of storytelling as the panels are uncluttered with unnecessary text and two it lends an air of mystery to the title and the characters.

In all honesty the plot is a little convoluted yet it is more straight forward than the first issue. It appears like a true mystery the answers will be doled out as the story progresses. One thing though the pacing is good as each issue seems shorter than they are in reality.

There is a lot of exposition, and a minimal amount of action in this comic, yet there is so much going on I am not going to complain about that. Basically for an oversize comic I finished still wanting more which I think a set up or prequel is supposed to do to you.

Suffice it to say with all the famous creators working on this both the story and art are fantastic!

The art is really sharp and I like it a lot overall the Justice League are drawn beautifully each of their features sharp on the panels, yet for some reason Batman looks a little funny to me, mainly his cowl looks more two dimensional than the rest of him.

Snyder is writing a Batman/Justice League/ DCuniverse event which makes s a pretty heady task. So far he is up to the challenge, this series draws from a lot of sources. In this issue there are some nice nods to The Dark Knight Returns, the Crisis and other recognizable watershed moments in DC history. Also where I found the first couple of issues overly complex and complicated it seems as the title progresses Snyder is providing the readers some clarity.

This comic is as Snyder promised an anti-crisis crisis. The callbacks and references are appreciated though. There is even name drops to the anti-monitor who was so pivotal in DC's crisis. But this series while at heart is a batman story has an impressively massive scope. The stakes are huge and so is the tension.

This storytelling method really appeals to me. I havent followed the whole arc, full disclosure, but didnt feel completely lost as the main players were clear, and while there were gaps in plot those were my gaps and not the fault of the creators. This issue seemed to tie up story lines that began in issue one and set up for the following story arc in an exciting and intriguing way.

A lo of the bat family have roles here but Tynion really does the readers a favour focusing on Cassandra, flushing out her character. She is a bit of an enigma like many characters gracing the bat family but she has true charm and charisma. Her dialogue with Shiva as they fight is some strong writing in my opinion.

Scene shifts again to a brainwashed Azrael fighting Batwing and Batwoman. Cassandra shows up to help but even she isnt enough to tip the scales and things look dire until Zatanna teleports her and Batman there to take Azrael down.

The art keeps this from being a complete snorefest. Broad strokes and sharp lines fill every panel. There are slight inconsistencies about the way Tim is drawn, yet this may be seen as a matter of perspective. And the final splash page really complements the cliffhanger.

Tim, in order to protect her from his future self, locks Kate up on the Batcave. Just as older future Tim meets Alfred.

And the art does well framing the action. The art team has drawn a beautiful comic.

There is a lot of excitement and family drama crammed into the 21 pages of this comic, and as one has come to expect from a Flash title the artwork is kinetic without being too busy or messy.

The plot wasnt advanced too far in this issue , but a key revelation comes to light imbuing it with the emotional impact one has come to expect from a Flash comic.

The primary weakness in the tale was it felt rushed. This was almost comic with shaky cut scenes but forgive me for muddying the review waters with a clumsy metaphor. Bottom line an enjoyable comic with intriguing hook at the end but overall not the strongest effort. The artist was serviceable but there were a couple panels that looked sloppy and rushed as well.

But even bridging to a new arc he refers back to August Godspeed and references Black hole as if he cant let go of the previous storylines and move forward. As stated though the art is top notch. Speedsters as drawn as they should be in costume dynamically.

I prefer a more hyper real style to a cartoonist abstract style that looks messy.

DC has again found a great creative team the art in this issue is bold and fluid really complementing a story that is thus far being told with a tight plot and spot on characterization.

The whole building up of transforming Seattle to Star City is a bonus as well.

Percy just gets more and more literate as he scripts this comic, really settling into his role as writer. He made the plot complex but not convoluted. It reads (as I may have stated in the last issue I reviewed but it is even more appropriate here) like a novel in comic form. In other words the story is great and it is told in a medium with the added benefit of brilliant pictures to complement it. And just as Percy really seems to be hitting his stride, the art seems to get better and better with each issue. I almost drooled over the beautiful renderings inside this comic. The style may not be for everyone, but I love it.

Meanwhile Black Canary and Emi are battling the ninth circle beneath star city. This issue has a good amount of action and minimal hero fighting hero so there is that. Basically The Green Arrow squad, or team Arrow are fighting the cabal on two fronts in DC and Star city. There wasnt a lot of revelation in this issue but there was some classic Oliver Queen exposition. It seems like Percy not only gets green arrow, but is determined through both the main character and his interactions with his supporting cast to return the hero to his roots. In fact this arc is a subtle and not so subtle homage to the classic ONeill green lantern green arrow series.

However without too much explanation the scene shifts to court of owlsmand their talons and we see Green Arrow and Batman throw down with them.

Once again both the story and art are strong. Percy hits the dynamic between the Green themed duo without plagiarism and giving the long awaited Rebirth meeting some humour and sentimentality without being too heavy handed.

The art again is really on point Green Arrows artist has his own style almost abstract as opposed to hyper real but it is gorgeous.

And the writing is so much fun, very comic bookish. Humphries embraces the history of the Green Lanterns Corps but adds his own fresh perspective. The result is a fun comic that is fun because it knows what it is , very self aware but never absurd or over the top. Well not too over the top anyhow.

The art continues to be sharp and superb the whole team working so each page, each panel even really stands out the way a Lantern comic should.

Again the art is impeccable, as the team makes visuals for what a Green Lantern Corps comic should be.

Jordan gets High Father aboard but still has to outrace omega beams.

A fun light mash-up issue with a touch of suspense and tension.

The whole Freaky Friday body swap is still fresh as it is hard to imagine Betty and Veronica in Batman villainess bodies. Could they have even exploited this humour even more? Probably. But the tone is consistent of an Archie comic with echoes of Harley Quinn. In fact sadly this seems more tightly plotted and well told as a story than a lot of regular series titles.

The second story flashes back to more Harley and Joker with cameos from Penguin.

Kudos to the art team. Not only are the illustrations artistic, the colours popping and the characters and scenery look amazing, but the layout makes it seen like the art added meat to an otherwise vegetarian tale. This comic opens with Ivy and Harley in jail. No surprise, what may be surprising is how they ended up in jail in this instance. Apparently someone at a bar ticked Harley off enough a brawl ensued. Not much really happens and so this is another DC comic that seems to be using a filler issue this month. The writing does have a hint of the trademark Harley humour and even breaks the fourth wall. Yet overall it feels a little flat and it really seems like this is a Thelma and Louise story decades after that titles popularity ran its gamut.

This is the last story in the anniversary issue and although somewhat politically themed, its decent and entertaining enough. Although it is my least favourite as Harley the title character is the least focal point in it.

Aug 2, 2017 - 17:40 Burkett did an admirable job recreating the Batman the animated series style. The pages of this comic could almost be stills from the cartoon. It wont be to everyone's taste, but if you were a fan of the cartoon, you will most likely love the art.

And the art it was very different than your superman or batman art. But it works. John looks like the sloppy, yet surprisingly competent character he is reputed to be. When someone says they can smell last nights liquor on him you can almost see it as well.

The art is very bold and realistic every wrinkle on Constantines wardrobe is visible . it is bright without being too bright. The art matches the overall tone of the story.

Its a cute and fun little story and of course revolving around Harley there is a little violence. This story actually seems to fit into the series better than the main story.

Theres a simplicity to the opening pages of this comic. Clark captured and in a red sun cell, begins a dialogue with Bruce summing up what led to the meltdown of Superman that led to Injustice, he lists a few of the casualties, and sarcastically wishes Batman luck now that he won the battle. Yet within that dialogue lies the philosophical viewpoints of how at least this universes and many of the multiverses of Batman and Superman. Jump to a healthy dose of Harley Quinn providing her usual mix of psychological insight and much needed comic relief. Of course it seems no matter the reality Harley is destined to be a member of the Suicide Squad. And speaking of Fate there are appearances by Dr. FATE and Black Canary and Green Arrow in this comic as well.

I lolled several times in this issue almost as much as I gasped in the twists and turns again this series combines humour with action in a fine balance.

There is an equal measure of heart and humour in the writing and the art is great. The characters are drawn differently than their regular counterparts which makes sense as it is an alternative reality.

Despite that it is a compelling issue. Kara is portrayed as a little nave and gives off stranger in a strange land vibes which is interesting because it allows me as a reader to empathize with her a little more than usual.

The writing in this issue was decent, but this seems to be another comic this week that wasnt up to its previous standards story wise. I hope it is setting off for a good payoff and not just following a comic wedding trope. The quality of this series has been such that I am optimistic.

The tension makes way for trademark Injustice humour when Batman tracks down plastic man.

The war between R'as all ghul and team Batman rages on, the majority of this issue is concerned with Green Arrow and Black Canary rescuing Conner from al Ghul's jungle hideout. The small Green Arrow squad sneaks into the lair with the help of Plastic Man and his son.

Team Batman is still on the rescue mission for Conner and Alfred. And basically this issue is the rescue operation it has a bit of a mission impossible a LA DC universe vibe to it. And theres fisticuffs and fights. Also the conspicuously absent Harley returns.

The finale is a cliffhanger with a showdown between Batman and Damien.

The art as per usual is brilliant. There are not many splash pages but there is no need as each panel is dynamic and beautiful on there own.

This issue is pleasing as it it very Harley centric although her zingers arent as prominent as usual. It begins with her returning a rescued child with a mother. It detours to Grodd, R'as and Ivo as Amazon is unveiled and released.

What seems like a potentially hokey plot is actually scripted with some verve and wit.

The comic sadly although gorgeously illustrated treads water. With a team that is large it is appreciated to shift the focus to secondary characters however in order to make b characters interesting it helps to have a compelling story with stakes which this unfortunately doesnt have.

Finally we round out this issue with another Foghorn story guest starring the dog and weasel. Thankfully this was a short p.s. as it was almost painful adapting these characters to comic book form.

Kadry is another novelist turned comic writer, so although I was lost in this story I trust there is a clear narrative and this issue interested me enough to go and read the back story.

This is a fast paced action packed issue, the fight is well written and drawn, in fact once again the art is great pencils a mixture of sharp and messy.

As I see the appeal of a super spy nightwing, it makes sense from a character trajectory, for some reason the whole idea never truly struck a chord with me. So while I am glad we seem to have seen the last of that side of Dick's persona it dismays me a little that it followed him from New 52 to Rebirth. There is some thrilling dialogue and comic book action so I am not going to pan this, but I am ready to move on.

At first with the different timelines this is a little confusing, but throughout the issue the story becomes clearer and makes some sense. Additionally its an intriguing debut comic and I am interested to find out what happens next.

The art was again strong in this issue. However I fear the story is already becoming a little muddled, maybe the editors were afraid of it becoming formulaic so they instructed Grevioux to write as many twists and turns as possible. I do not know, however I found parts hard to follow and some of the writing repetitive three issues into the comic. I trust the big picture will have a payoff that makes it all worthwhile though so I grade this one 7/10.

In all fairness there are some mythological overtones to the story, yet this almost detracts as opposed to adding to the narrative as it is like the creators are trying too hard too be literate and intelligent but instead come across as snobbish and unfocused.

There are obvious parallels between this and the iconic Death of Superman.

This story picks up from where the last issue left off and as the title suggests focuses on Bizarro. In fact a lot is narrated by him. With Bizarro's life is danger the outlaws allow Lex Luthor to examine him. Red Hood and Artemis share first impressions. Its established Bizarro means a lot to both and this triad has formed a family.

So it did that, yet I wouldnt call the issue a huge success because a lot of Bizarro's charm was his child like innocence and wonder even when his mind was trapped in a powerful super body. So I see Lobdell's attempt to switch things up but am not really a fan.

Brief tangent again referring to the Weird Science podcast, as those lads said if Red Hood and the Outlaws sales struggled or dipped low enough to be cancelled they should be absorbed as characters into the Suicide Squad, well I will go a step further and say regardless of sales figures I think they should be part of Suicide Squad as they fit so well and they can replace some members of the squad that are probably only in the comic thanks to the movie. In looking at you El Diablo and Enchantress. Jasons team could replace you in the comic and then go on freelance missions in the Red Hood title. But I digress, based on fact the two teams are both outcasts and I can see story lines revolving around Jason working with his killer's ex squeeze.

A title that I have come to appreciate for the art did not let me down though, each panel is super detailed and stylized. Gorgeous in other words. And there are not standard 6-8 panel pages instead the issue is laid out as a visual smorgasbord.

It opens with top cat talking to his peers about being rich,rich rich and busted by a cop. Whereupon Top Cat relates that Hoagy's ally is haunted by the ghost of Hoagy. Sounds like a job for Scooby-doo and the gang and Officer Dibble calls them in to investigate. What follows is a pretty amusing typical scooby-doo case with the expected hijinks and shenanigans.

What else makes this a very readable issue is even though the whole humans vs. Metas isn't a new trope there were some interesting arguments made while Waller was captive. As they say the best villains don't see themselves as villains but saviors. So I am very interested how this arc will play out.

The art is good very decent without being spectacular.

The art style is very beautiful but different from the main story.

It doesnt distract from the story though where Robin and Superboy are duking it out with robot versions of Batman and superman. During the fight they meet Sara whose family was infected by and survived the Amazo virus.

While searching for the missing children Clark name drops Jess and Simon but the green lanterns turn out to be super relevant to this issue.

The art is so bright and dynamic all the characters look amazing. A Superman comic should be bright and this is. The backgrounds are also sharp.

Superman does show up to save his son, but by that time this whole comic seems like a hot mess. There is arguably value in it maintaining and continuing the Bat-Drake storyline but it would be more suitable as a Teen Titans as opposed to Superman story arc. A lot of DC titles have seemed to be running in place setting up stuff that may or may not come to pass, and I would describe this issue as one of those comics where a lot seems to happen but the story doesnt seem to be moving forward very quickly.

Did I mention this issue ended on a cliff hanger making this reader salivate for the next issue.

As the second part of the Titans and Teen Titans crossover we are reminded by Robin that Death stroke has both Wally Wests. Naturally the Teen Titans head to the Titans, and tensions run high. After all Robin is not exactly a diplomat, yet Percy avoids the hero versus hero fight with aplomb.

Ive praised Percy's storytelling before, but I am man enough to do it again, all right Im a fanboy. His storytelling prowess is superb he knows when to be blunt and comicky and when to use subtle narrative to tell his story.

This was some great action but it didn't overshadow the story of Aqualad officially becoming a Teen Titan. It seems like this was the title Percy was meant to write as he seems to really understand the team and individuals. And as I mentioned the art was spot on.

Percy has really got a good handle on the dynamics and teamwork of the Teen Titans. Was this the best super team comic ever written? No but it had plenty of action and a touch of humour and even a hint of romance.

There is some timeline jumps in this comic including a possible future.

As an annual there are more pages in this issue. Which is a good thing as this comic is packed with story and action. Most annuals I have read in the past have been one shots, sometimes connecting to a story arc on a periphery way, I applaud the creators and editors using the giant sized comic to wrap up the Lazarus Contract. Plus the more Death stroke the better right?

This annual ends not exactly on a lefthander but without all the storylines being resolved making me wonder if it will be picked up in future issues of Titans and Justice League. Overall a well written and well drawn story.

The story was written by Dan Abnett but plotted with Benjamin Percy which makes sense as it will crossover with Teen Titans. Point is I could really see Percy's influence in the details of the plot.

The art in this series has a bit of a nineties feel to it. Not a bad thing, just different. The Titans look a little like the 90s X-men comics. Which were beautiful, so although I dont like comparative reviews I will use that as my frame of reference describing the look of this comic. However Flash is pretty distinct. The artists really make it look like hes moving lightning quick.

Not sure Titans readers demanded this story but it was executes with surprising aplomb and drawn beautifully.

Wonder Woman, Batman and Superman are in space and WW has been infected with a space virus. This leads to conflict. Other member of the Justice League make cameos either as infected or heroes battling to prevent the spread of virus.

In some of my recent reviews I have critiqued the art, so first and foremost I find this comic gorgeous. I was hooked from the cover, a stark plain image of Wonder Woman finely drawn and detailed. Both on the cover and inside the issue she looks like an Amazon princess. So kudos to the fine work here. As expected from a Greg Rucker penned issue the writing is strong as well. I was saddened to hear he was leaving the title, but I suspect hell leave a fine legacy.

On the positive side this issue opens with a lot of action . a price has been out on Wonder Woman and to open the issue she is brawling with some c level villains including catseye and Cheshire and plastique.