Wow!! That was a massive subversion of expectations! Not at all what I was envisioning. But that is definitely not a bad thing.

Not a lot really happened in this issue. The plot moved just a little. But we did have quite a dilly of a cliffhanger. I’m not really expecting a whole lot from the next issue.

********** Spoilers **********

********** Spoilers **********

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Even with a bullet wound in his back, I’m not expecting Batman to have too much of a problem dealing with an old man with severe health issues and two young boys. Especially when this arc is set to wrap up in the next issue.


Hopefully next issue can surprise me like this one did. more

I enjoyed this issue much better than the previous. I'm also glad that Memento is a supernatural entity. I honestly love when Batman stories delve into the occult, and powers from beyond. Not enough Batman stories do, IMO. So with this issue, PKJ has really piqued my interest!

I also really loved seeing Etrigan. Any time a writer can incorporate a Jack Kirby character, we ALL win!

The addition of "The Irregulars" is also a nice touch! I love seeing writers explore this side of Batman, that he has a soft side for kids down on their luck, and checks in on them and gives them stuff.

Looking forward to seeing where this all goes. But to be honest, I am curious if PKJ will be staying on this title? or if DC is planning on a new creative team and doing a whole other soft-reboot of this title, like they did when Williamson left? more

The fanboy in me wants to rate this as a perfect "10". But the realist in me knows that this is closer to an "8" or "8.5". But I'm sticking with "8" because I'm not really a fan when people continually give comics perfect scores. It taints the credibility, as I know for myself there are very few comics from my personal favorites that I'd honestly rate as "9.5" or even "10".

That being said.... This issue was FANTASTIC!!! Very few comics can draw me back in right away to read a second time within the same week. This issue, I've went and read a total of THREE times since it came out. I truly am LOVING this series!!! This is really on par with some of the best "early" style Batman tales, up there with the original (1989) comic run of 'BATMAN: LEGENDS OF THE DARK KNIGHT'. I truly mean that!

The art is really spectacular! and the writing is really brilliant as well. Thank goodness this new arc seems to stepped back up the tempo, as I feel the 'Scarface' arc wasn't as strong. I love the Gotham history added within this story, and it was wonderful to see Alfred aiding Bruce in his investigating the current case. The added lore to The Red Hood Gang was truly chilling and brutal!! I also really loved the VERY obscure nod to Grant Morrison (Morris & Son Launderette & Cleaner) We even get treated to seeing a brief cameo of Grant holding the bucket of bleach. I mean, that was either Grant, or I was experiencing some Pareidolia of my own?

What is "Pareidolia", you might ask? Read the issue and you'll find out!


Here's a fun little esoteric tidbit! "Pareidolia" is a bit like "Apophenia". And as the cameo holding the bucket had composed some years ago- "every time I try to think outside his toybox, he builds a new box around me. ... I've been driven literally in.sane. trying to get him to loosen up." <-- Bonus points if you get that reference. 😁

Anyway....

All that being said, I wouldn't mind if DC decided to change this from 12 issues to 15 issue. HECK! it'd be amazing if they decided to eventually bring back writer Dan Watters & artist Hayden Sherman for another 12 issues with a "DARK PATTERNS part 2". Better yet, make it a trilogy!! 😁 more

I definitely enjoyed this issue a lot more than the previous. I don’t think I’m really enjoying this direction as much as the series debut. This Memento arc really is beginning to wear out its welcome.

I just really dislike how many times we’ve seen Bruce and Damian‘s relationship continually strained. It feels like we’ve taken a massive back pedal even from where we were with Joshua Williamson, the previous writer who just concluded his run at issue 13. Here we are just a few issues later and it feels like Bruce and Damien‘s relationship is even worse off than it was with Williamson. DC editorial is asleep at the wheel.

Maybe this arc will end on a really high note and I’ll be proven wrong? But right now I feel like if this series doesn’t pick up I might just drop the title. more

While I will admit this even did have a few (very few) cool moments scattered throughout....

This event was SUCH a massive.... hulking..... MESS!!!

The tome was all over the place, the issues of the main series were nothing more than re-caps of re-caps, the tie-ins lacked focus, the overall story just DID NOT FLOW, there was no focus on the entirety of story (from Metal, to JL, to Death Metal)

Justice League toiled at building up Perpetua just so we could see The Batman Who Laughs simply do away with her and once again steal the spotlight.

And here I'd though The Batman Who Laughs was just the worst idea ever! But lo and behold, The Robin King! more

Despite some very cool moments, this was a bloated mess. So many redundant stories that really made this a chore to get through.

The Batman Who Laughs is just a really bad idea that was poorly executed. "What if Batman was the Joker?" ....YIKES! And all the masses of Evil Batmen of the Dark Multiverse? ...DOUBLE YIKES!

Would have been a lot better had it actually had a proper ending, and not just been a launching point for Scott Snyder's Justice League.

....and Maybe even that would have been more tolerable had Snyder's Justice League felt like it suffered from ADHD. And even that was nothing more than a launching point for Dark Nights Death Metal, which was even worse than it's predecessor. more

This comic epitomizes what is wrong with DC. You have two mercenaries in Snyder and Williamson leading the pack of mundane and uninspired writers. These are cannibals, picking at the feet of their betters, scraping the tombstone library of story-past for any epitaph to sustain an event or story arc or whatever you want to call the derivative droll they put out.

Long gone are the days of wonder, the imaginary beyonds of Fox and Broome and Haney and Kanigher.

Julie Schwartz would be turning in his grave. Jack Kirby too.

There is a reason for the alienation of true auteurs in this industry: Morrison, Moore, Gaiman. Because even as they try to bring comic books back to their roots of poetry and mythology, the Empty Hand manifests itself to reap. They came, they conquered, and they departed after realizing there were better things to do than play back & forth with the carrion crows who run DC.

DC has been hanging under the fangs of the Empire of Mammon since the Golden Age, when Liebowitz and Donnenfeld stripped the company from its original owner, Major Wheeler-Nicholson.

What's happening now is more insidious. An ultra-pollution of the narrative, a sacrifice submitted to strobe-torture before being disemboweled. These people are going to ruin everything just to feed their wallets.

If you don't believe me, read this book:

"WHAT IF EVERYONE JOINED THE JUSTICE LEAGUE?"

"WHAT IF DARKSEID AND THE SPECTRE MERGED?"

"WHAT IF DARKSEID FOUGHT EVERYBODY AND BEAT THEM WITH HIS LAZER BEAMS?"

"WHAT IF HE MADE A BAD UNIVERSE WHERE EVERYTHING IS BADDER AND MORE BAD?"

"wait, don't we already have Earth-3 and the Antimatter Univ-"

"WHAT IF EVERYBODY WAS A DARKSEID AND THEY HAD HIS LOGO?"

"WHAT IF EARTH ONE WORKED OUT BECAUSE IT WAS WRITTEN BY US AND WE MADE EVERYBODY TOTALLY EDGY AND ULTIMATE AND MARK MILLAR AND METAL AND FRANK MILLER AND BRIAN AZZARELLO AND SO COOL?"

"DO YA GET IT? 52 DAYS EARLIER? 52 DAYS LATER? REMEMBER THAT WEEKLY BOOK WRITTEN BY TALENTED WRITERS? REMEMBER THAT PUBLISHING INITIATIVE THAT FUCKED EVERYTHING UP?"

"WHAT IF DARKSEID WAS MAD ABOUT BEING DARKSEID, BUT WHAT HE REALLY WANTED WAS TO BE DARKSEID IN DARKSEID LAND, WHERE BEING DARKSEID WAS COOL?"

"WHAT IF ALL OF OUR CHARACTERS EXPLAINED EVERYTHING THAT WAS HAPPENING AND SAID EXACTLY WHAT THEY WERE THINKING AND FEELING AND THEIR MOTIVATIONS WERE SIMPLE AND EASY TO UNDERSTAND? MAN, WRITING COMICS SURE IS EASY!"

"HEY, IT'S THE MIRACLE MACHINE! REMEMBER THAT? I READ A GRANT MORRISON COMIC GUYS! I LOVE LOOKING AT ALL THOSE PRETTY PICTURES IN THAT GRANT MORRISON COMIC!"

"DARKSEID DARKSEID DARKSEID OMEGA BEAMS DARKSEID APOKOLIPS I DIDN'T REALLY GET FINAL CRISIS BUT I READ THE DC WIKI PAGE DARKSEID DARKSEID DARKSEID!"

If there is one redeemable quality, it is the art. Sampere and Craig are very talented. It's a shame they have to waste their time drawing absolute nonsense. At least they get a check. more

The creative bankruptcy of modern superhero comics epitomized in just 25 pages, arbitrarily squishing together elements you remember from long ago, playing Weekend at Bernie's with the corpse of your lost childhood. No purpose to anything except to swaddle you in memories of when you used to buy comics because you loved them, desperately hoping that you'll pay to chase those fading traces the way an addict endlessly reaches for the beautiful feeling of that first high. Sometimes I worry that superhero comics are dying as their aging readership does; reading this comic makes me feel like it's time to take them out back and put them out of their misery. more

The whole Matches Malone thing would have been better had he not been some late entry insert. Don't refer back to events from issue #1 when the character had not been introduced into the story yet.

Making many of Batman's classic rogues gallery from the comics into his childhood buddies feels a bit to much like the Smallville TV series. It's just funny to see Bruce Wayne taking life lessons from "Killer Croc". 😂

I did however really like how Scott Snyder subtly spit in the eye of Tom King's concept of "Batman being a Suicide Mission" within this issue. That definitely raises the score a point.

The art in this issue (and last) really lacks the flare of Nick Dragotta. Hopefully the next arc with Bane will bring back some of the raw energy of the series debut. more

This arc was ok, but not great. I did like how the problem Wesker faced from last issue was resolved, even if it seemed a bit forced. The revelations of this new character getting the upper hand on Wesker felt pretty forced as well.

Overall, the first arc of this series was way better! Both in story as well as art/page layout. Plus Batman spent this entire arc always one to two steps behind. He was pretty much just "there".

Hopefully the next arc will be better than this one. This one really ended on a thud. more

While this was still far from excellent, I have to say I actually enjoyed this issue, despite a few really terrible story choices. Batman having to use a gun against Jason Todd is the biggest offender. Batman's actions here completely diminish the climax of BATMAN UNDER THE RED HOOD. He didn't need to use a gun against Jason there, and shouldn't require one to overpower him here.

That being said, I did find Batman's dilemma of being conflicted towards saving Joker very interesting, as was the scene with Leslie Thompkins. This issue did give me similar vibes and got me itching to re-read Peter Tomasi's DETECTIVE story where Leslie gets "Jokerized". Anyway...

There are still many areas where the art looks rushed, but overall the art does look a lot better in this issue than the previous. Well, everything except for The Riddler's new look! WTF?!

This is far from becoming my favorite Batman story, but it is getting me interested in what is coming next. Hopefully it'll hold my interest going forward. more

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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I can't rally say that I enjoyed my first read-through of this issue. But morbid curiosity got the better of me and I gave it another go. I have to say that while there was still a lot of bad to this issue (corny writing, rushed under-cooked art) it's still much better than a lot of the stuff being produced for the main "BATMAN" series since (DC REBIRTH).

This is not a story that I'm going to look for in a deluxe hardcover (and I certainly WILL NOT buy it in Absolute either) this will probably be pretty decent once it comes out in Trade Paperback. This definitely reads like a cash grab. It does not feel remotely inspired. More like someone at DC reached out to Jeph Loeb and said "HEY, JEPH! WE'RE ALL OUT OF IDEAS! WE NEED A SEQUEL TO HUSH! JIM LEE IS STANDING BY!"

The biggest offense of this comic is both Batman and Joker each get nerfed SO frikken badly!

The best thing that I can say about this comic is, it finally put an end to Chippy Zdarsky's crappy Batman run once and for all!!! more

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.

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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.