This is very much a clear cash grab. I have never been a fan of Jeph Loeb given his racist comments toward Asian (as I am Vietnamese). However I do respect and admire that Jeph Loeb is a good writer. He has written out Batman bangers like Batman The Long Halloween, Dark Victory, and I even like his current series The Last Halloween. Like that final part of his Long Halloween trilogy is actually great and got me hooked.

So it's pretty clear on the difference between H2sh, and The Last Halloween. I feel that The Last Halloween is a story that Jeph Loeb really wants to write and tell, and that story's writing is elevated and stands out. H2sh is clearly DC paying Jeph Loeb to be a placeholder until Matt Fraction arrives, so the characterization reminds me a lot of All Star Batman and Robin. Batman kicks a joker goon in the face which literally kills him, yet he tells that corpse "Talk." The way Nightwing, Batgirl, Joker speak are reminiscent of Pre-Flashpoint, not New 52 and onward. Jim Lee's art is serviceable. It stands out a lot compared to modern artists because Jim Lee is of course a legend. But he is way past his prime, the man is 60 years old. He has a lot on his plate, so it's clear that his art is just copy and paste of his other works.

Again, it's not bad. But it's just mid and serviceable. And I want to repeat, that I think Jeph Loeb has written out influential and great pieces. He is a GREAT writer that I do acknowledge that. His run on Superman, Batman/Superman, Fallen Son: Death of Captain America, Captain America white, Daredevil Yellow, Spider-Man Blue, Hulk Gray, Superman for all seasons, X-Force, Wolverine are genuinely great. But I do not have high hopes for this. Thank you for my ted talk more

there were some "ok" moments in this. Damian talking to an imaginary Alfred ghost was cool, but so much of this just felt off. Damian telling everyone that he was Batman's son, and Ra's Al Ghul's grandson was so unnatural. it sounded like dialogue written into a fictional character's mouth. just a very cartoony book. by the time i'd reached the cliffhanger ending, i just wasn't believing any of it.

*******EDIT*******

I have to readjust my score and raise it just a bit. I’d always planned on going back and reading this Run. But just never got to it right away. My only wish is that there had been a little bit more of a clue given to the resurrection factor of being on Lazarus Island. That would’ve much better left the cliffhanger ending not seeming so ridiculous.

That being said the twist that would come was actually pretty cool. Especially with how this cliffhanger would lead into other events in the series. But I don’t wanna get too far ahead of myself with that.
All I will say is that the series definitely was worth reading up until the conclusion. And some of the events that spun off from it were pretty awesome. Especially the deathstroke story.

Joshua Williamson has an excellent take on Damien Wayne. I highly recommend the series if you are a fan of the character. more

While I wasn't fully sold on this new take on Batman, there was still something there that intrigued me. As edge-lord and off-character as this was to Batman and lore, the art style and action were definitely a draw. Nick Dragotta's art made it well worth the price of admission!

That being said, issue #4 being the first absence of Dragotta removed what little entertainment I had been getting from this series. This issue, even MORE SO!

Nothing against the artist of issues #4 or #7, but Scott Snyder really NEEDS a top tier artist to make up for his shortcomings. As action packed as Issue 1 was, the series immediately started to become very heavy-handed with exposition and (on-the-nose) writing. This issue is extremely guilty of both. I'm not sure if there was any part of this story that I actually liked? It was just talking, talking and MORE talking!!!

I'll have to try to give this another read. But honestly, I am NOT looking forward to it.

Also, cannot say I'm thrilled with what Snyder did to Matches Malone either. I can see for this universe, simply making him his own character instead of an alias. But to force in a new childhood friend of "The Gang" this late in the game, with not even so much as a single mention in any of the previous issues.... it's lazy and it's cheap. more

Very interesting first issue that will definitely pull you in and have you asking questions almost immediately. It’s really nice to see a young bats and who hasn’t missed Alfred?! It seems that Watters and Sherman have combined to bring a classic Gotham back and in a gorgeous way. I’m a little hesitant on the bad guy but it’s only issue 1 so we’ll have to wait and see more from him but the writing, art, colors, and letters are all DCs finest (all pun intended). Any classic Batman fan will certainly find a lot to love with this series. more

This is honestly one of the best Batman comic series to come out in a very very VERY long time.

Both story as well as art are great! Looking forward to reading the rest of this series. Hope we eventually get a deluxe hardcover out of this, and I hope the variant covers are re-printed in it at full-page size!

I was really excited for John's return and I'm happy to say I wasn't disappointed. I loved this issue! It felt like coming home. Si Spurrier nails John's voice and sarcastic sense of humour, although he does make him speak a bit fancy at times. Aaron Campbell's art is suitably dark and moody and fits the creeping horror tone of this book.

Now I really want to dust off the 12 issues of their previous run. If you haven't read that run, do give it a shot. And if you are thinking about picking this up, don't hesitate.

Recommended.


I have a longer review on my blog here: https://wakizashireviews.wordpress.com/2024/01/17/john-constantine-hellblazer-dead-in-america-1-jan-2024-review/ more

Why the hell is this site still including reviews by Gabe Hernandez?

The guy literally gives EVERY single comic a low score. He single handidly is bringing down the averages of several great series on this site. His reviews read like rage bait in order to drive up hits on his page.

The guy is a hack, and this site loses credibility by including his reviews.

PS This issue is a 10. more

I have no idea why this series is still going on. Though this issue has plenty of action, the story doesn't move forward at all. The artwork continues to be uninspired. There are several panels that I can't even tell what's going on. They are going to drag this out for 5 more issues just to have 12 issues. I thought this was ending at issue 8. I'm not sure I'll keep going to 12.

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This was pretty damn awful! Both writing as well as art.

The ONLY saving grace that I can think of is, it finally put an end to Chippy Zdarsky's crappy Batman run once and for all!!!

There is so much to unpack with this series. I've been a huge fan of the Zombie-Horror genre my entire life, as well as an avid animal lover. Stories like Charlotte's Web, Watership Down, Animal Farm, and Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH have always held a special place in my heart. This story really feels a lot like the vibes I'd get from Watership Down, only much more nihilistic in scope. Though I truly felt that the stakes in Watership Down felt a lot higher. As much as I love this series, some of the resolutions do feel very contrived. It's still very enjoyable and entertaining. Just a bit far fetched in some areas.

I bought issues 1-11 in one shot, and read through them all in a day. Was completely enjoyable! But I must admit, some parts really tugged at the heart-strings!! This series will truly get you right in the feels!

My deepest regret is that I came to the party late with this series. I was lucky enough to score new/mint copies of the Cover A of each issue. But I really would have loved to have gotten some of the variant covers as well. I'll more than likely end up also buying the trade, in hopes that some of the variants will be collected as bonus content.

Anyway, any faults aside, I absolutely love this series! more

Very solidly executed. Swapping cats for people and rabies for zombies is a perfectly good idea. I just wish it was hinting at something more interesting than generic zombie story plot beats (but with cats). I will say that even just the slight environmental storytelling that we see of the human side of the situation is very cool. Not enough to keep me buying personally, but I'm a dog person.

Feral #1
Image

W: Tony Fleecs
Art: Trish Forstner & Tone Rodriguez
C: Brad Simpson

Synopsis…

Meet Elsie, Lord Fluffy Britches, and Patch, three indoor cats lost in the not-so-great outdoors during a nightmarish rabies outbreak. Without their humans to protect them, the cats rush to find their way home before they’re eaten by the forest full of rabid beasts on their tails. Don’t get bit. Don’t get scratched. Don’t become…FERAL.

Thoughts…

This has been a highly anticipated series and one that has a lot to live up to from its predecessor Stray Dogs, and I can tell you from this first issue that it really does live up to the hype. It straight away pulls you in with that now iconic illustration style and you are right back there again but this time it's cats.

The story itself is a really great take on the classic zombie tale. The way everything is turned on its head so it is animals rather than humans is done really well and it all transitions really well. There is a great pace to the story and it really does a great job of getting the set up out of the way and then diving in head first to the action/horror part of the story. It also does an amazing job of pulling on the heart strings with these characters, especially Elsie, even people that don’t like cats will find those big blue eyes hard to resist.

Artwise if you have read Stray Dogs you know what you are getting here. It's the perfect combination of cute and cuddly with bloody horror. Everything has that children's cartoon look to it that makes everything seem so innocent and friendly but when the story gets going there is a whole new layer to it all, while the illustration stays cute in style the more horror elements get added in with rabid animals and blood and guts.

I have been waiting eagerly for this to come out since it was announced and it did not disappoint at all. This issue really does a great job of putting everything into place for the ongoing series. There will be I am sure more than a few shocks throughout the run but this issue sets things up nicely. I liked our 3 main characters and it will be interesting to see what toll events take on them all. This is a really amazing take on the zombie genre and I can not wait to see how this story takes those classic horror elements and how they will shape this world. This is a 9 out of 10 for me all the way, Stray Dogs was one of the best series of 2021 and I think this series could easily take the crown for 2024.
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If you picked up Feral #1 expecting a heartwarming animal adventure, think again. Tony Fleecs (writer), Trish Forstner & Tone Rodriguez (art), & Brad Simpson (colors) have another thing in store for you. Think Homeward Bound meets 28 Days Later, but w/ cats!

This debut issue wastes no time establishing the high stakes. A group of domesticated kitties are thrust into a world overrun by a terrifying rabies-like virus after their transport truck crashes on the highway, & the fight for survival is no joke. The creative team masterfully amps up the suspense right from the first scene, as we witness the brutal accident taking place right before our eyes. Fleecs’ script & Forstner & Rodriguez’s art are the perfect complement to one another, w/ each elevating the reading experience throughout the issue. There’s action, suspense, thrills, & more to keep readers on their toes.

& just when you think you've got a h&le on things, Fleecs adds in a gut punch that will send your heart straight into your shoes. In a single issue, he manages to make you care deeply about these new characters, raising the stakes even further, & then tears you down w/ the reality that none of these characters are safe in this story.

The artwork in Feral #1 is a perfect continuation of the style that won this creative team acclaim w/ Stray Dogs. Forstner & Rodriguez don't shy away from depicting the harsh realities of a post-apocalyptic world. Their detailed environments & expressive character designs paint a vivid picture of the desperate struggle for survival our feline protagonists face & the dangers that await them on their journey home. Simpson's colors further enhance the visuals, w/ a palette that mixes different color tones & pops of color to emphasize certain moments to perfectly reflect the grim & dire situation.

Feral ratchets up the horror-tone from Stray Dogs even more, making this a potentially hard read for animal lovers or the feint at heart. Even if you love zombie-genre entertainment, there is something completely different seeing it unfold w/ adorable cartoon cats being traumatized. The juxtaposition is so jarring, yet so effective. more

Though I think this storyline is starting to drag and I don't understand the villain at all, there are some really good Damien moments in this run. I would really like Johnson to develop the villain a bit more so we can learn the stakes. I don't even know what he's after.

My Comic Review Channel - https://youtu.be/W1dUqxuo5zc

This issue starts out with an exciting car chase helmed by a new creative team. From there, it becomes increasingly forgettable. They go to a party after protests from Damien. She makes a little girl cry and there's an attack on the party. I'm not sure if Johnson is trying to play it safe, but there's nothing going on here that we haven't seen before. Let's see where he goes with it.

My COmic Review Channel - https://youtu.be/8biQU5RaBIA?si=Id8vjMPF99F081tu more

They can't seem to agree on Damian's personality over at DC. Other than that, this was a fine issue. This is a classic Batman adventure without world shattering stakes and is just what Batfans and DC need right now.

Excellent issue with very good art, great writing and an interesting story. Robin's misery at the fundraiser was quite humorous. I'm quite interested to see where this goes.

Surprisingly intriguing. Better than the current Batman run.

So far this Memento arc has been pretty good. While I'm not thrilled at the sudden crisis of character of Damian Wayne questioning his entire existence because of one event, this cold case mystery from Bruce's past definitely has me engaged.

Phillip Kennedy Johnson did something pretty dire in this issue, from what we'd seen in past issues by Joshua Williamson. Williamson had Damian writing his own fan comic/personal diary in the form of a character he'd made of himself called "Damian Vane". Yeah, it was pretty corny, but also kind of believable from what Williamson had done with the character.
Phillip Kennedy Johnson unfortunately has Damian write an "ADVENTURES OF ROBIN & BATMAN" journal, and leave it right out in the open. Not only that, but it's extremely descriptive of many details and events that had happened during prior issues. There is no way Damian would be this careless with not protecting his of his father's secret identities. I mean, no innuendos or aliases. Just pretty much blatant - "I'M ROBIN, AND MY FATHER IS BATMAN. AND MY GRANDFATHER THOMAS WAYNE WAS A DOCTOR." ....not only is this issue painfully obvious (on-the-nose) exposition, but it also paints Damian as an idiot without the common sense to protect his and his father's secret identities.

It just sucks because (any minor grievances aside) I'd been mildly enjoying this new direction of the series up till this point. I'm going to stick with it, but I'm just very disappointed with this portrayal of extreme carelessness made by Damian. Definitely doesn't jive with any iteration we'd seen of Damian Wayne by Grant Morrison, Peter J. Tomasi, or even Joshua Williamson for that matter. This just feels really off. more

I enjoy the new team and their new direction. But this definitely feels like some backpedaling with the progress made in the relationship of Bruce and Damian from where we left off at Joshua Williamson's final issue. This feels more like a reboot rather than a continuation of an ongoing series.

While I enjoy the new tone and story, I'm honestly not really thrilled with seeing Bruce and Damian having to rebuild their relationship YET AGAIN!!! I mean we JUST saw that in issues 1-13 of this VERY SERIES!!! are the editors even paying attention?? do they care??

Anyway! Even though I'm not fully sold on this interpretation of Damian, I'm really enjoying how Phillip Kennedy Johnson writes Bruce, so I'm going to stick with this series. more

Was intrigued with this series from its first announcement. But let's be honest! DC hasn't been doing all that great with their ongoing stories for quite a while now. Especially not with their poor treatment of Damian (And Batman for that matter) ever since "DC REBIRTH".

On a whim, I decided to buy collected volume 1 of this series. It was different, but very fun. Something about the tone of Joshua Williamson's BATMAN & ROBIN series very much felt like the same spirit found within Peter Tomasi's BATMAN & ROBIN. Yes, both writers have their own distinct styles for the characters, but both definitely share the same heart.

The writing for Bruce and Damian is pretty wholesome and fun, but also very engaging. LOTS of great action. Simone Di Meo is the perfect artist for this new direction of BATMAN & ROBIN.
The series has since seen a change in creative staff with Joshua Williamson's final issue being #13. But I'll get to reviewing those in due course.

Check this series out if you haven't already. more

Light years ahead of what Chip is doing, basic but enjoyable

PUBLISHER’S PITCH

Father and son. Bruce and Damian. Batman and Robin. From Batman vs. Robin to Knight Terrors, a lot has happened to the Dynamic Duo, but now they are back together and ready to fight crime in Gotham--just in time for Batman's most monstrous rogues to team up to turn the city into an urban jungle! A new villain watches from the shadows, intent on revenge, with a plot to turn one of Batman's greatest assets against him! Can Damian help his father solve the case before it's too late? A brand-new fun and exciting father-and-son adventure begins, from DC Comics architect Joshua Williamson and superstar artist Simone Di Meo!

RECAP

Damian moves into his father’s new brownstone and the two go through the growing pains of living together with someone for the first time. While Bruce would prefer his son to experience elements of a normal teenage, including going to high school. Damian is uninterested and would prefer to continue honing his crime fighting skills and highlights his new detective skills by discovering a lead from the previous night’s encounter. The duo goes to investigate but walk into a trap set by the mysterious new villain who turns Batman’s namesake winged creatures against him.

REVIEW

This book has been getting hyped by other DC creators for several months now and I finally got to see why. In addition to a great story from Joshua Williamson, Simone Di Meo made BATMAN AND ROBIN #1 into a visually stunning book with the approach to art and colors. It’s jumps from the page like a colorful, realistic manga come to life. Characters are expressive without looking cartoonish, lines are well drawn and clean, various forms of light are used to add depth to scenes, panels are presented at different angles to emphasize scale, motion is effectively captured during action scenes. It’s all SO well done.

One of my favorite pages is a full page where we see Damian’s sketchpad revealing what appears to be a fictionalized story/comic about his own upbringing. There’s nothing particularly groundbreaking about the page, yet it’s a fun tongue-in-cheek homage to the comic book medium. Another favorite is a panel where some of Damian’s toughest moments fill a shadow of costumed Robin as it falls behind out-of-costume Damian. The approach to both of these are so simple, yet the level of execution is sublime. If I had one complaint it would be that different angles are used so often, the final battle sequence felt a tad crowded and I almost missed one of the most important panels as it was surrounded by others. But that’s really just nitpicking.

Getting back to Williamson’s story, I was curious to see how the events of this series lined up with the “Dawn of DC” timeline, specifically with the Gotham War arc and Bruce and Damian’s role in those titles. It was a pleasant surprised to see Williamson align their realities with the plotlines of Battle Lines and Batman #137. Bruce and Damian are on the outs with the rest of the Bat Family due to, as Bruce puts it, “everything going on with Selina.” It’s such a small though on-point way for Bruce to describe the situation given his current mindset— not even taking the slightest amount of accountability. In that vein, it came across like we were witnessing someone with a split personality speaking any time Bruce started monologuing. He was talking about everyday things as if nothing else was happening to him. I don’t know if Williamson intended it to come across in this manner but that’s how I interpreted it and it was so unsettlingly enjoyable.

The writing for Damian was a standout for me. His appearances so far in Gotham War have shown him as a one-note character holding his father up as an infallible figure. Here, Williamson dives deeper into Damian as an individual and pulls back the curtain on how he’s processing the events around him. The aforementioned sketchpad page indicates he views Bruce and Selina as absent parents and you can’t really blame him for thinking that.

The one part of this issue that didn’t work for me is the new villain’s plan. How intimidating can they be if the first step of their plans was to turn bats against Batman? Sure, a giant flock of bats attacking you can’t be fun, but came across as lame and I hope they worse things up their sleeves if we’re really to believe they’re a viable foe.

FINAL VERDICT

While there was a decent amount of action to bookend this issue, the heaviest life was in Williamson exploring the the parent/child dynamics in Bruce and Damian’s relationship. There were glaring hints that their roles are on the verge of shifting much like any situation between a parent who is aging and a child coming into their own. It was also nice to see none of the usual Batman rogues suspects in this issue, with some minor names appearing as a distraction to the mysterious new nemesis. My biggest concern going forward is how this new villain is built up, but that won’t spoil how much I enjoyed this debut issue.

Rating: 8.5/10 more

This book is a breath of fresh air compared to Gotham War and the played out rift amongst the bat family that's been a never ending cycle for too long in recent runs. Though his recent "events" have been awful, Joshua Williamson has done such great work with Damian and he truly understands the character so I'm hoping he continues to write enough Damian stories that other writers will pick up on what makes him so great.

My only problem with the issue was the art. The artist clearly has talent and I love anime influenced style but there's something about it that's hard to follow at times and took away from the issue. It seems to zoom in too far during the action and you can't good sense of what's going on. more

I have been really loving this series. Glad I decided to use some kindle points to buy the first few issues. So worth it, both in story and art. I must say that I really enjoyed the first arc a bit more. The two issues of this arc have been decent, but the shock twist at the end of this issue I saw coming a mile away in previous issue #4 (PAGE #17 PANEL-3).
It's still a decent issue, but the obviousness of the gag that lead me to predicting the "SHOCK REVEAL" before it happened definitely left me cold.

Still love this series, and really looking forward to reading the next issue.



MILD SPOILERS AHEAD


MILD SPOILERS AHEAD


MILD SPOILERS AHEAD


MILD SPOILERS AHEAD


MILD SPOILERS AHEAD


MILD SPOILERS AHEAD



I mean, seriously! This lady pretty much looked a lot like Wesker in both stature as well as demeanor. After reading the line "AND I'M NOT HAPPY *ONE GIT.* from issue #4 (PAGE #17 PANEL-3) I said "WATCH!!! I'll bet she turns out to be the one controlling Scarface!" And SURE enough.... she WAS. So the "shock reveal" at the end of issue #5 fell flat on it's face!

I'm honestly not thrilled seeing Wesker having had his tongue cut out. Seems a bit too deconstructive. Now aside from having Scarface pronounce words with "B" as "G". will he and Wesker now talk like they have marbles in the mouth?


Also.... I really can't see Batman accepting a drink from a complete stranger. It was a nice sentiment and all, but it just didn't seem like Batman's style. Especially with how often he'd leave most of the food I've seen Alfred prepare for him untouched. more

I have really struggled with folloiwng this redefinition of Batman's origin. But it has been interesting, and I am mildly surprised to say. Unfortunately, this issue was just basically violence, violence, violence, and the villain has no message, no purpose other than chaos. The reality is that there ARE institutional criminals. LOTS of them. But the Black Mask idea that the solution is murdering random people and encouraging others to become killers is disconnected from all morals and values. We don't see the necessary balance from the Batman here. Just "action." Now in horror stories there is no need for balance, but in stories involving heroism, that balance is needed. I have had a really hard time following and paying for DC Comics with horror centric thinking and writing. Hopefully someday that will change. But not likely. more