Will Thor have a good run again one day? Because this one is already tiring.

I remember when The Flash comic book was fun. This was seriously hard work to get through. The narration is dense and peppered with similes that feel like they manifested from a creative writing class. See what I did there? No? Me neither.

I like quite a lot of Spurrier's comic book work but this one has lost me. I was hoping for a cool, weird and wonderful story. Instead it felt like a chore to read. more

James Robinson remade Earth 2 in 2012. Here Alan Scott was a young gay man, a ‘new’ character and I had no issue with making him gay, and enjoyed that series very much.

11 years later and the original Alan Scott is now gay, throwing away the love for his wife who he went to hell for, his children(dont know where they are to be honest), his heroism and selflessness. Also I would assume a gay man would have much better dress sense than green tights and a gaudy, frumpy red jumper combo. I don’t need to read about a gay man’s relationship in a superhero comic. I don’t need to see a hetero relationship centre stage in a comic either. I want to see amazing ring creations, fights and heroism. Get off your soapbox Tim Sheridan and write a decent comic. You’re part of why the industry is failing so badly. more

This is the third time Selina has seen Bruce break down in front of her and only this time does she display any sort of care or empathy. The difference between now and the previous times is that the plot finally allows for her to react as her character is supposed to react, rather than in an unnatural way that serves solely to move a poorly constructed storyline forward.

Fight scene with Scandal was pathetic, art is meh, dialogue/prose is subpar. Not the worst issue of this event but still bad. The Bat editors need to be fired for allowing this pathetic excuse of a storyline and such gross mishandling of characters to exist. more

While they’re tones are completely different, I couldn’t help but compare/contrast Christian Ward’s Batman: City of Madness to Rafael Grampá’s Batman: Gargoyle of Gotham. They’re both Batman comics from creators better known for their art than their writing and they both pull elements of established Batman lore to tell new stories. Where Grampá’s story never felt like it was ready or willing to introduce a new twist or layer to the Batman franchise, the first book in Ward’s story three-book tale sets itself apart with an entirely new world full of fantastical monstrosities below Gotham ready to wreck havoc on the city.

Ward packs a ton of story into this first entry without ever making the book seem bloated. Batman, Alfred, Two-Face, the Court of Owls, and a new young boy all receive ample development over the course of the issue, with Alfred’s scenes being the emotional anchor to the book. The core plot of the book revolves around the Court of Owls’ knowledge of what’s waiting beneath Gotham and a sinister plan they’re about to enact. Ward does an amazing job setting the stakes and building tension within the Court themselves. We don’t necessarily know who is in power, but we know it can’t be good.

My favorite moments of the book were the scenes involving Two-Face. Ward adds new wrinkles of complexity to the character, casting a diabolic, yet sympathetic shadow over the villain’s inner conflict with his own demons. Ward implies that Two-Face’s situation is somehow tied to the larger story but we’ll have to wait and see what comes of it.

Hands down, this is one of the most beautiful books of 2023. Every page was a visual feast, with Ward’s art adding to the twisted and uneven tone of the book in the best ways possible. I could gush over so many different aspects, but Ward’s depiction of Harvey Dent/Two-Face is so unique and draws attention to the duality the character represents. The Batman from Below looks freaking AWESOME. I loved the blue/green color palette used for most of the book and the different shades of reds, pinks, oranges, and yellows used for details or to strike a moment of importance. He’s one of the best in the business, but I’d be remiss not to also acknowledge to herculean work of Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou on lettering. He makes Ward’s exposition read like poetry on the page with some of it living outside letter boxes/bubbles and flowing free-form against the beautiful illustrations.

Batman: City of Madness Book One was a tour de force of imaginative storytelling from start to finish. Ward uses every aspect of the book to invent a new, nightmarish take on Gotham that immediately captivates the reader and immerses them in this twisted tale.

Rating: 10/10 more

Cool first issue, sets some exciting and new ideas we haven't seen in a batman book before or atleast that I can remember which is saying something considering how many bat books we get.

disgusting

All three stories are very solid this time around! Since moving to this format, the trend has been that the main PKJ story is great, and then there’s one that’s fine and one that is passable to horrible.

PKJ continues a run that has been phenomenal, with a beautiful opening nailing the greatest aspects of Superman. The rest of the issue adds some intrigue to Blue Earth, which has been in the background throughout the last story arc.

We also get the final installment of the Lois and Clark 2 story that has been going on for 9 MONTHS now. It’s been good, but boy this was way too drawn out. Still, this was the best entry of the story.

I don’t care about Superboy at all, and his story made me feel very bad about that. Like Power Girl as of late, Connor’s odd editorial history is being used to add layers to his character, and the pathos of that really worked here. more

Boring, overwritten slog that was too expensive and didn’t need to exist - just reboot the Ultimate Universe and get to it

Please can this book just get to the point already and explode into life. Boring, uneventful and lackluster. Some cool ideas but it's going absolutely nowhere.

It's the first issue of a new run. The author put a lot of thought into it. I didn't enjoy it. There was too much distracting internal dialogue. It was a struggle to get through this ponderous story and I won't be buying issue #2. The family trope is overdone. We see it in the Batman books. We see it in the Superman books. We're even seeing it in the new Green Arrow and Wonder Woman books. Too many characters. Plot and action are drowned by exposition. Interaction between characters is replaced with page after page of internal dialogue boxes. I found the whole thing to be difficult to enjoy on any level. One case in point, Mr. Spurrier wants us to know he's a clever writer but putting that clever text in the mouth of Impulse shows a lack of understanding about Bart Allen. The author would be better served by trimming down the number of characters, which does not seem to be DC's way these days when there are so many editorial boxes to check, or better still go back to a Barry Allen-centered book about a forensic scientist solving cases. more

You would hope that a two-month break would get Ram V more focused to tell a more cohesive story - nope, just the opposite happens! Ram V doesn't care about giving readers any real story progression, which is why that if you insist on reading this, wait for the trades

Not Needed and bad!

Dense, thought provoking, and controversial.

Even though my own personal politics would most likely be against Tom King's, it's very difficult to weigh real-world issues within a fictional reality with Superman and the Justice League running around the US while Darkseid and the Anti-Monitor try to turn the planet into an ashtray. The whole discussion is futile, in my opinion.

However, none of that changes the fact that this is a beautifully drawn book, and King (recently, in my eyes) hasn't missed a step with his prose.

This issue is very well paced and structured, while the concept/pitch brings some much-needed intrigue and excitement to the Amazing Amazon. I haven't been this hooked since Greg Rucka's run back at the start of Rebirth, but then again, we haven't had this talented of a writer on the book either.

Hope we get to see more Sarge Steel! He seems like such a fun monster to write. more

This was a wonderful read and a visual masterpiece.

Wonder Woman #1 plays into so many of Tom King's strengths: espionage, government overreach, superheroes with their backs against the wall, commentary on today's society. It was a joy to read what felt like the culmination of so many years writing so many limited series in these veins.

I loved the inclusion of the mysterious, unknown narrator to provide exposition throughout the book and the reveal at the end had my jaw on the floor. It added to the mystique and uncertainty of what was happening in the world.

King's depiction of the 24-hour newscycle rotting society's brains and warping their views is a scary and far-too-real reflection on what our own society is faced with on a daily basis.

Daniel Sampere's art is truly divine, like belonging in the Sistine Chapel level of divinity. His attention to detail stands alone in every scene. I love the action scenes, especially the one where Wonder Woman gets to show of her stealth and combat abilities. more

Best issue of the series

Man, ever since JLU turned John Stewart from a radical architect with a social conscience to a tough-as-nails marine, his character has been pretty one-note and has suffered as a result.
Plus how clichéd is it to have a GL member be a military guy.
At least this writer has said he's going to refocus on the architect part, but there's a lot of character salvaging to do here. Not there yet. more

Un readable garbage did y’all read the same book I did?

Cartoonish political caricatures, eye-rolling narration, and Diana barely shows up.

Awful.

Previous issue, the opening act for the Gotham War was received a bit poorly, and after seeing the first reaction to this issue before reading it, I was a bit worried if this would land.

But in my opinion, it does land very well. Bruce isn't acting himself, being tired, on edge and haunted by Zurr-En-Arrh, so being a bit ooc here isn't breaking character or anything. I get why Bruce acts like this.

And everyone said that Batfamily would also join Selina in this issue, when in my opinion they just started to think their options before Bruce went unhinged. They are not attacking Bruce because they agree with Selina (besides Jason), they want him to calm down and talk to them, but Bruce can't in his current mindstate.

I mean Nightwing doesn't say "Selina is right", nor does Tim. They just want Bruce to stop being so unhinged.

And add Jimenez wonderful art and I think that makes this one a win in my books. more

Two former Justice League International members are banished to run a hair salon in Smallville in FIRE & ICE: WELCOME TO SMALLVILLE #1, the debut issue of Joanne Starer and Natacha Bustos’s new “Dawn of DC” miniseries.

TL;DR

After the incident involving Guy Gardner from Power Girl Special #1 earlier this year, Superman banishes Fire (Beatriz da Costa) and Ice (Tora Olafsdotter) to his hometown of Smallville while the fallout from the situation dies down. They’re tasked with managing the town’s hair salon and fitting in with small-town America. The duo’s friendship is put to the test as Ice takes a liking to the slower pace of life, while Fire is looking to redeem her image and is ready to do whatever it takes to prove her might.

REVIEW

I was not expecting to like this issue as much as I did, but it may actually have been one of my favorite DC books of the week! Starer’s script is hilarious and really plays into the campy tone Fire & Ice have established throughout their history in the DC Universe — they are comedic relief without being inept or relying slapstick humor. They have faults, which they acknowledge (sometimes against their own will), yet their intentions are right and their reactions to the world around them are entirely relatable.

Fire’s reaction to being sent to Smallville could easily have become a caricature but Starer’s writing prevents that from happening. Her fascination with social media is one of my favorite gimmicks from the issue, and the video she makes with L-Ron to attract bad guys to Smallville so she can beat them up was hysterical. It may have only been topped by the interaction between Fire and King Shark, who answers the call.

I loved the female-centric presence of this issue. Beyond the main two characters, there are many other women of Smallville who make appearances throughout the book. A cameo by Superman later in the book includes Fire commenting on how she doesn’t need a man to jump in and save herself. It all felt very empowering to see the friendship between two women take center-stage.

In addition to writing Fire and Ice with surprising complexity, Starer establishes supporting characters, including L-Ron, Martha Kent, and Tamarind, equally well. These three characters add depth to the story which complements the personalities of Fire and Ice. L-Ron is the affable servant who helped sign the lease and has an affinity for apple pie. His need to address Fire and Ice with a formal title is a running joke throughout the book that never got old. Without Clark around, Martha instantly becomes a mother figure persona for Ice who becomes increasingly frustrated with Fire’s need to make a scene. Tamarind seems to be the level-headed friend that can help to balance out Fire and Ice, if they’d only let her. She’s an experienced stylist who needs the salon to survive so she can make ends meet. At 19, she’s of a different generation than Fire and Ice and provides a Gen Z perspective on the world around them.

Bustos’s art and Tamra Bonvillain’s colors are a great fit for the campy story. Characters have a 90’s animation design and color palette that give this the feeling of a Saturday-morning cartoon version of the Odd Couple. There is so much drawn into the environment that brings Smallville to life. I loved Bonvillain’s greens for Fire, especially as she flying through Smallville in her fiery blaze.

FINAL VERDICT

What a hilariously pleasant surprise this issue was and I can’t wait to see how the rest of this story plays out! It’s not easy to maintain it consistently, but we could be in store for an epic miniseries if Starer can maintain this perfect level of camp.

Rating: 8.5/10 more

Nth metal is too heavy for someone that isn't a Thanigarian to use. Axelrod doesn't know what she's doing. Once again it's the Galaxy show.

If the first issue didn't get enough undeserved hate, I knew this was gonna get bombed the second Galaxy said "trans." Does this issue feature a lot of Galaxy? Yes, but that doesn't make this issue bad. I said this in my review of Issue 1 and it still reigns true here. This is not the best book out there right now, but it's still an entertaining read. I liked Kendra and Galaxy's interactions throughout, which might be because I don't lose my mind at her inclusion in this series. She has a prominent role here, but it highlights her character while also helping Kendra develop as well. Either way, I understand that this series may not be for everyone, but I think this is another case of people overreacting to something that's not worth the time to be outraged about. This is a solid and interesting book. more

I thought this was a Hawkgirl book?