Simon DelMonte's Profile

Joined: Jul 26, 2017

Recent Activity

6.5

About what I expected, with the parts by Ewing head and shoulders above the rest. The high point was probably the Leopards Eating Faces Party.

The Best Defense Defenders

By: Al Ewing, Simone Di Meo

Doctor Strange! The Hulk! Namor, the Sub-Mariner! The Silver Surfer! An unsolvable murder. An aquatic doorway to nothingness. A wanderer at the end of time. And a cosmic train of planetary proportions. Four seemingly unrelated events that will require the powers and insights of the greatest non-team of all. Only they can connect the dots and challe...

+ LikeComment
6.5

Tamaki doesn't seem to like her protagonists to be happy. This was just really as much fun as a Zatanna comic should be. Zee doesn't need angst. And just because this is Black Label doesn't mean we need near nudity. Good art, though.

Zatanna: Bring Down The House #1

By: Mariko Tamaki, Javier Rodriguez
Released: Jun 26, 2024

And now, the moment you've all been waiting for...please put your hands together for Zatanna Zatara! The greatest entertainer in the crappiest hotel and casino of Las Vegas! Not that the ritzier spots on the Strip haven't come calling, of course. But since a devastating instance of magic gone wrong that forever changed the course of her childhood, ...

+ LikeComment
Simon DelMonte reviewed Two-Face #1 Dec 22, 2024
8.0

A set of ideas that only make sense in the confines of a comic book universe. So much of this is rank nonsense, if well executed rank nonsense.

Two-Face #1

By: Christian Ward, Fabio Veras
Released: Dec 4, 2024

HARVEY DENT'S GREATEST TRIAL BEGINS! After years of internal con?ict, both halves of Harvey Dent have reached an uneasy peace. Now Harvey will use his skills as an attorney to resolve the con?icts of Gotham's weirdest and most dangerous criminals, starting with Victor Zsasz. When Zsasz is accused of murdering a fellow member of Gotham's underworld ...

+ LikeComment
8.0

A solid start, but a Justice League book with a cast of 200 is not what I want. The best runs on the League have smaller casts and a chance for the characters to do more than save the day. Plus what will distinguish this from World's Finest, which already acts as a DCU team up book?

Justice League Unlimited #1

By: Mark Waid, Dan Mora
Released: Nov 27, 2024

THE WATCHTOWER RISES! The Justice League is back and bigger than ever! In the wake of Absolute Power and the DC All In Special, Darkseid's death has triggered a massive power vacuum in the DCU, and Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman must unite like never before and expand the Justice League to encompass every hero championing the forces of good in ...

+ LikeComment
7.0

The art is great but this is so much more violent than the original Augustyn stories, and for all the Victorian trappings, the big fight is indistinguishable from any standard Batman comic. Would also be nice if Batman were in this comic.

Batman: Gotham by Gaslight - The Kryptonian Age #1

By: Andy Diggle, Leandro Fernandez
Released: Jun 12, 2024

The new era of Elseworlds kicks off with the return of its crown jewel, the mysterious and gothic world originated by Brian Augustyn and Mike Mignola! When a mysterious meteor falls on the wide-open plains of the Midwest, it will unleash a chain of events that find Gotham's bizarre Batman contending with not just the twin threats of the Catwoman an...

+ LikeComment
7.0

Rushed, but there wasn't enough here to justify a fourth part. Waid has fun writing the JSA, but it feels like a lot of this has been covered before him before Flashpoint. (Heck, he references at least two of his Flash comics here.)

Batman / Superman: World's Finest #33

By: Mark Waid, Adrian Gutierrez
Released: Nov 20, 2024

Eclipso's reign of terror has brought the Justice League to the brink of civil war...but there must be a way to break the spell! The answer lies within the very power source that allows Superman to race faster than a speeding bullet... It's a battle for Earth's yellow sun in the dramatic conclusion of "Darkness Falls"!

+ LikeComment
Simon DelMonte reviewed Green Lantern #17 Dec 14, 2024
7.0

The art is stellar. The story is kind of a muddle, though if the Gls don't know what is going on, why should we?

Green Lantern #17

By: Jeremy Adams, Xermanico
Released: Nov 13, 2024

THE BATTLE OF OA BEGINS! Hal Jordan and John Stewart mount a defense against the United Planets and the newly transformed Lord Premier Thaaros, all while Star Sapphire faces an unlikely creature from her past!

+ LikeComment
Simon DelMonte reviewed Absolute Superman #1 Dec 10, 2024
6.0

Some interesting ideas but the execution is flat and quickly forgotten.

Absolute Superman #1

By: Jason Aaron, Rafa Sandoval
Released: Nov 6, 2024

SUPERSTARS JASON AARON AND RAFA SANDOVAL UNLEASH A SHOCKING NEW TAKE ON THE LAST SON OF KRYPTON! Without the fortress...without the family...without a home...what's left is the Absolute Man of Steel!

+ LikeComment
Simon DelMonte reviewed Batgirl #1 Dec 4, 2024
4.0

Instantly forgettable

Batgirl #1

By: Tate Brombal, Takeshi Miyazawa
Released: Nov 6, 2024

Hold on to your seats, clutch your pearls, and rejoice in celebration because Cassandra Cain is taking center stage in her first solo Batgirl series in nearly two decades! When a deadly group of assassins shows up to kill Cassandra, Lady Shiva comes to the rescue, and they must put their complicated past aside and work together as mother and daught...

+ LikeComment

Anyone else find this cloying and nonsensical? What is with America's Santa obsession?

Batman / Santa Claus: Silent Knight: Returns #1

By: Jeff Parker, Michele Bandini
Released: Nov 27, 2024

Horrors haunt the Christmas season as life-drained bodies litter the countryside, each marked with a strange symbol. The Justice League responds--but it's a trap! The heroes are pulled from our world, but not before Batman helps Robin escape. Now Damian Wayne must seek out Zatanna and the one and only Santa Claus if there's any hope of saving their...

+ LikeComment
7.5

The flashbacks are great. The present day stuff is just okay. A bit further away from the usual Diana than Absolute Batman seems to be from regular Batman, but the wheel doesn't really feel reinvented. Still, this is much better than most Wonder Woman comics since Rucka.

Absolute Wonder Woman #1

By: Kelly Thompson, Hayden Sherman
Released: Oct 23, 2024

EISNER WINNER KELLY THOMPSON AND BREAKOUT ARTIST HAYDEN SHERMAN REINVENT WONDER WOMAN FROM THE GROUND UP! Without the island paradise...without the sisterhood that shaped her...without a mission of peace...what's left is the Absolute Amazon!

+ LikeComment
Simon DelMonte reviewed Shazam! #17 Nov 25, 2024
7.5

I love the Billy-Captain dynamic. A perfect threading of the needle between the idea that Billy and the Captain are different people entirely and that Billy is the Captain.

The rest is good but a bit schlepped out.

Shazam! #17

By: Josie Campbell, Dan McDaid
Released: Nov 6, 2024

Christmas has come early for Freddy Freeman! But is all his success and notoriety as Philly's top superhero just ill-gotten gains? Mary and Billy can't help but link their brother's rise in popularity with the sudden emergence of Dr. Sivana. But as Billy continues to leak magic and monstrous societal issues begin to mount across the city, Sivana's ...

+ LikeComment
Simon DelMonte reviewed JSA #1 Nov 24, 2024
6.5

Not bad, but the decision to focus on Infinity Inc instead of the classic JSAers or the ones who starred in earlier 21st century JSA comics is odd. And as ever, no one remembers the excellent Vendetti Hawkman comic or that he ended up with Shayera Thal and not Kendra Saunders.

JSA #1

By: Jeff Lemire, Diego Olortegui
Released: Nov 6, 2024

THE NEW ERA OF THE JSA BEGINS HERE! Long-time fan favorite characters Hawkman, Hawkgirl, Jade, Obsidian, Jesse Quick, Hourman, Ted Grant, and Sandman are all back on the roster as DC's first super team faces their greatest and most personal challenge yet. Will golden age ideals hold true in a world recovering from the events of Absolute Power? Or d...

+ LikeComment
Simon DelMonte reviewed Nightwing #119 Nov 22, 2024
7.0

Readable, and Watters has a grasp on Nightwing, but instantly forgettable.

Nightwing #119

By: Dan Watters, Dexter Soy
Released: Oct 23, 2024

A BRAND-NEW NIGHTWING ARC STARTS HERE, WITH AN ALL-NEW CREATIVE TEAM! Bludhaven has erupted in violence as rival gangs vie to fill the power vacuum left by Nightwing's cleanup of corrupt officials. But is an outside force turning the gangs against each other, escalating the violence in Bludhaven toward even more sinister ends? To find out, Nightwin...

+ LikeComment
Simon DelMonte reviewed Catwoman #69 Nov 15, 2024
7.5

The art is excellent, and the story shows promise, but I never quite feel like anyone writing Selina since Brubaker manages to do anything interesting for more than six months. So who knows where this might go? But Gronbekk showed promise with Jane Foster, so this could be worth the time.

Catwoman #69

By: Torunn Gronbekk, Fabiana Mascolo
Released: Oct 16, 2024

Selina Kyle does not know why the attempt on her life was made, nor does she know who ordered it. As she desperately searches for clues as to who has suddenly orchestrated this lethal manhunt against her, one thing becomes abundantly clear: the answers don't lie in her life as the Catwoman of Gotham City. To save her own life, Selina Kyle must re-e...

+ LikeComment
Simon DelMonte reviewed Absolute Batman #1 Nov 11, 2024
8.0

I have so many qualms and questions about this - is this just another Elseworlds? Is this just another IP grab? Is this sustainable? - but the art is great and the writing is great. Sometimes I forget that Snyder is really good at this game, even if he's also had a tendency to bite off more than he can chew. For now, this plays to his strengths and is just compelling enough to justify sticking more

Absolute Batman #1

By: Scott Snyder, Nick Dragotta
Released: Oct 9, 2024

BATMAN LEGEND SCOTT SNYDER AND ICONIC ARTIST NICK DRAGOTTA TRANSFORM THE DARK KNIGHT'S TALE FOR THE MODERN AGE! Without the mansion...without the money...without the butler...what's left is the Absolute Dark Knight!

+ LikeComment
8.0

Looks great, reads well, but will it do something new or do something better than Robin: Year One?

Batman & Robin: Year One #1

By: Mark Waid, Chris Samnee
Released: Oct 16, 2024

REUNITING THE ACCLAIMED TEAM OF MARK WAID AND CHRIS SAMNEE! While Bruce Wayne adjusts to the realities of adopting orphan Dick Grayson, a mysterious new crime boss called the General has come to Gotham to claim the city by disrupting and destroying its other mobs. But what is his connection to Two-Face? Batman and his new sidekick, Robin, are out f...

+ LikeComment
Simon DelMonte reviewed Green Lantern #16 Nov 10, 2024
7.5

A solid and gorgeous story but a bit unfocused.

Green Lantern #16

By: Jeremy Adams, Xermanico
Released: Oct 16, 2024

The seeds of war have been sown, and now a massive battle rages across the galaxy! Hal Jordan, John Stewart, and Guy Gardner must race to unlock the mystery of the Dark Star resurrection, what it means for their beloved friend Kilowog, and just how to battle an entire planet! The red rage of Mogo rains down on our heroes as the Civil Corps heats up...

+ LikeComment
Simon DelMonte reviewed Star Trek #25 Nov 10, 2024
7.0

The art is a bit off, and I don't love the retcon to Janeway making peace with Species 8472. But a really good focus on Paris, and one hell of an ending. The first crossover between the regular and Kelvin timelines since the first movie?

Star Trek #25

By: Collin Kelly, Liana Kangas
Released: Oct 16, 2024

New Arc Starts Here! The android Lore has done the unthinkable: He has detonated the Orb of Destruction, unmaking the universe. After an extra-galactic tumble on the ensuing shockwave, the Theseus sinks into fluidic space. There, the crew melds in and out of a manifold of realities. Benjamin Sisko is against a godkiller once again, bu...

+ LikeComment
6.5

A mess and a miss, since Adams's style and Johnson's don't mesh even a little. Never mind that it's silly to assume everyone read the John Stewart series.

Green Lantern Civil Corps Special #1

By: Jeremy Adams, Salvador Larroca
Released: Oct 9, 2024

THE WAR FOR THE FATE OF THE GREEN LANTERN CORPS STARTS HERE! Lord Premier Thaaros sends a surprising foe to retrieve the Dark Star Ring from John Stewart, which leads to a desperate plan to expose the United Planets as a force of evil. Allies and enemies will join this special issue to launch the Green Lanterns in a direction that will change the D...

+ LikeComment
6.5

Entertaining but surprisingly slight. And Waid is literally repeating himself, cribbing off a Flash story from the late 90s.

Batman / Superman: World's Finest #31

By: Mark Waid, Adrian Gutierrez
Released: Sep 18, 2024

A BRAND-NEW ARC BEGINS, AS RISING STAR ARTIST ADRIAN GUTIERREZ JOINS MARK WAID! DARKNESS FALLS! Eclipso, master of light and shadow, has risen to plague the World's Finest team of Superman and Batman! Powered like never before, Eclipso threatens to plunge the Earth into a state of eternal night--and eternal despair!

+ LikeComment
3.0

Real waste of time

Justice Society of America #12

By: Geoff Johns, Todd Nauck
Released: Oct 2, 2024

As the team picks up the pieces from their last battle, Stargirl looks to the future and what it means to be a member of the first super-team! Don't miss the final issue of this star-studded run!

+ LikeComment
9.0

Another great issue, as we continue to see a side of Jurgens we never saw before. Maybe it's the cussing?

The Bat-Man: First Knight #2

By: Dan Jurgens, Mike Perkins
Released: Apr 10, 2024

Monster men continue to terrorize Gotham City, but with the body count rising, the GCPD is no closer to solving the mystery behind these seemingly undead assailants, and the Bat-Man and Gordon are the only ones willing to brave the criminal underworld to crack the case. It's after a near-death brawl saving the mayor from the monster men that the Ba...

+ LikeComment
Simon DelMonte reviewed Star Trek #500 Oct 6, 2024
6.0

A reminder that the current series is a rarity since most Trek comics are about as boring as the stories here not written by Lanzing and Kelly. At least the Tribble story is readable (and Kirk draws Kirk). The rest are instantly forgettable and the one with Kirk's brother is incomprehensible.

Star Trek #500

By: Collin Kelly, Various
Released: Sep 4, 2024

Celebrate IDW's 500th issue of Star Trek comics (and an early Star Trek Day!) with this landmark oversized anthology issue! This collection of five short stories spans through fan-favorite eras of the beloved franchise from Lower Decks to Strange New Worlds, legacy characters from The Next Generat...

+ LikeComment
Simon DelMonte rated Shazam! #15 Sep 29, 2024
7.5

Shazam! #15

By: Josie Campbell, Emanuela Lupacchino
Released: Sep 11, 2024

Things go from bad to worse as the evil society behind the latest monster attack is finally revealed. With Philly literally crumbling beneath their feet, it’s up to Billy and Mary to stop the city from sinking, but is the danger great enough for Billy to utter those magic words? And without powers, how in the world can Freddy help? Well, he might...

+ LikeComment
Simon DelMonte reviewed Green Lantern #15 Sep 29, 2024
8.5

Another fun tie in to an event I am not reading. That is rare talent indeed.

Not sure about the John Stewart story, but glad someone remembered he is an architect, and like the new costume.

Green Lantern #15

By: Jeremy Adams, Fernando Pasarin
Released: Sep 11, 2024

ABSOLUTE POWER TIE-IN! Hal has a problem... He needs to charge his ring but the entrance to the Power Battery is a continent away. Plus, the skies over Earth are patrolled by Amanda Waller's modified Amazos, which leaves Hal with one choice...to ride into the Danger Zone! Don't worry, he totally got permission to use the Batplane for this mission *...

+ LikeComment
7.0

Loeb, so many years removed from being relevant, and the late great Sale returned to the well one more time, and there is just enough here in Sale's art and some of the characterization to make it worth reading. But lord knows what the series to follow without Sale to stabilize the now-mediocre Loeb will be like.

Batman: The Long Halloween: The Last Halloween #0

By: Jeph Loeb, Tim Sale
Released: Sep 18, 2024

Prelude to Batman The Long Halloween: The Last Halloween! You thought you knew the whole story of Batman: The Long Halloween…you were wrong! The final collaboration between legendary creators Jeph Loeb and Tim Sale, this special uncovers a deadly mystery that could destroy Batman, Commissioner Gordon, Two-Face, and…well, that would be telling, ...

+ LikeComment
Simon DelMonte reviewed Blue Beetle #7 Sep 14, 2024
8.0

Sweet and silly tribute to the legend Keith Giffen that probably confused younger readers - in theory this comic's main audience - not familiar with the obscure characters playing along the edges. Though where else are we likely to ever see Laurel Gand again?

Blue Beetle #7

By: Josh Trujillo, Adrin Gutierrez
Released: Mar 6, 2024

Art by Adrian Gutierrez, Cully Hamner, Jeff Lemire and Howard Porter In order to get Ted Kord back on his feet, Jaime will need to work with Booster Gold! Can this Blue and Gold pairing help their friend, or are Ted's superheroing days over?

+ LikeComment
Simon DelMonte reviewed Star Trek #23 Sep 14, 2024
8.5

Great job capturing the essence of Lore, among other highlights.

Star Trek #23

By: Collin Kelly, Megan Levens
Released: Aug 21, 2024

After defying the laws of physics to reach the Pleroma, Captain Sisko and the Theseus crew find themselves unwelcome. The gods want them home and warn that everyone will die if they don't leave, but they're too late and their worst fears just might come true. The new godkiller is on their doorsteps... and it's none other than Lore!

+ LikeComment
Simon DelMonte reviewed Action Comics #1063 Sep 11, 2024
2.5

The charms of the first two parts, limited though they might be, are gone. This is an ugly and badly written slog that shows limited understanding of Superman and none of Aaron's talent.

Action Comics #1063

By: Jason Aaron, John Timms
Released: Mar 13, 2024

The startling finale of I, Bizarro sees the Man of Steel making his most shocking team-up ever as part of the mind-blowing final battle against the ultimate Bizarro.

+ LikeComment

Reviews for the Week of...

January

December

More