How sad is it that I'm still reviewing comics from 2018. I know its weird but I truly feel that It's worth my time because comics are in a rough spot in 2019, and maybe you've missed this issue or any other on this blog. Maybe it inspires you to visit your local comic shop and pick up the issue or trade. 

Drowned earth is a pretty obvious Aquaman centric story. This issue was released in advance of the Billion dollar movie and works as an introduction of the character to new readers and advance the Justice League vs Legion of Doom that has been going on since the beginning of the series. 

I've never been a big Aquaman fan. Not because I dislike the character I'm just fairly new to DC comics and never got into him. The material I've seen featuring the character has been decent and this issue is no different. 

The gist of the plot is that invaders from cosmic oceans come to earth to invade and begin flooding the planet. Aquaman and the League must deal with it. 

It's a serviceable plot and nothing stands out as bad but the story feels kinda generic. I feel like we won't remember drowned earth about a year from now other than as a random arc. 

As an intro its solid. I had fun seeing Adam Strange and Firestorm even though they don't get much to do. They get the best lines of the issue. The art is okay but nothing depicted in the issue is particularly memorable. The story may get better but I'm not expecting much. The issue feels like filler and I'm getting the impression that the arc may be as well. 

Sorry, I can't give much of an in-depth review but there isn't much here other than a McGuffin search and a cliffhanger ending. 

Hopefully, we'll have more meat to discuss in the next part to this story arc.  more

Now I can't prove it and DC Comics will never admit it but I totally believe DC editorial messed up the sequence of covers for Damage #11 and #12. 

Damage #11 Features the character going up against the Justice League. This issue features the fight with Superman promised last month. One of my complaints on that issue was that the cover was misleading. If the covers got mixed up, it makes sense. 

Damage #12 is simple yet completely satisfying. The book still featured a $2.99 cover price and dollar for dollar was possibly the best value at DC the month it was released. 

One of the longest-running debates in comic fandom is who would win in a fight between Hulk and Superman. We don't get a definitive answer in this issue but the outcome is pretty much what I'd expect if the crossover actually happens one day.

The issue is a lot of fun and seeing the Back and Forth between the characters is simply a joy. Right now DC comics are in a dower spot with most of the major storylines focusing on villains and villainy. The characters her all feel like the best versions of themselves. Aaron and HI-FI work well together and the tone of the issue feels brighter than I remember for the series. This change is fitting since it pits Damage against DC's symbol of hope. 

The ending of the comic is rather predictable if you've been following the series but its nice to see the character continue to scale up to DC's biggest powerhouses. I have no doubt that if the general health of the comic industry had been a bit better than Damage would have not been canceled. 

Aside from DC fatally goofing up the cover of the last two issues I don't have any complaints. If you want to see a Superman Vs. Hulk fight pick up these two issues, you can't go wrong.  more

Walking Dead #190 brings something to the table that has been missing for a long time with this series, Momentum.

There has been a drastic improvement in the comic in the last few issues and it involves Robert Kirkman finally getting to the point with the CommonWealth. 

Mercer has staged his coup and seems to be forcibly dragging Rick to his side. 

While this is happening a massive zombie horde approaches the town which threatens to make the entire conflict moot. 

Maggie shows up out of nowhere with the Hilltop to assist and we end up with the biggest cliffhanger that I've personally read in the book. I started reading the series with the current storyline so I'm not being hyperbolic. I also realize that I'm a couple of months and that there is a huge death coming. 

I live for urgency and tension in my comics and I feel that this comic finds the perfect balance. I believe the problem with this series is that the story is too big and has to cover so much ground and split the focus between so many characters that the narrative is going to be unwieldy at times. The television series has many of the same issues. I'm not sure if the book needs to be canceled but I think going smaller scale in the storytelling may benefit the series at some point.  more

Being that I've never been the biggest Transformers fan or followed the lore too closely I can say that this series is easily my favorite take on these characters to date. 

The issue ironically feels a lot like my previous review, Justice League Odyssey #3 just executed better. The story picks up immediately following the prior issue's cliffhanger. Brainstorm is dead and nothing will ever be the same again, at least that's the impression I'm left with for the setting. 
​​

 The issue can be broken into three parts. The first part covers the murder of Brainstorm and the mystery surrounding his death. The second part of the comic covers the continual development of the relationship between Bumblebee and the newly forged transformer Rubble. The final aspect of the issue focuses on the developing situation with Megatron and the Ascenticons.

The comic is great and is probably one of the few examples of decompressed storytelling in recent memory and feels like a thought out story rather than just another book paced for an eventual trade paperback. There isn't a ton of action but its made up by the excellent script, intrigue, and worldbuilding. 
 
​​
The strongest aspect of the book are the parts focusing on Rubble and Bumblebee. Their relationship reminds me of the relationship between Anakin Skywalker and Obi-Wan in that Obi-Wan tries his best but he's probably not the best teacher for Rubble. This story also takes place before Bumblebee joined the Autobots so it will be interesting to see how the story gets him to that point.

The stuff with Megatron and the Ascenticons is the weakest story element but it doesn't hurt the series. The problem is that it kind of feels like Megatron's role as villain is set in stone so it's hard not to see where his story is heading. Aside from that tepid complaint, I don't have much to gripe about with the story aside from minor gripes with the art. 

The pencils aren't the strongest but they are bailed out by Joana and Josh who do an amazing job with the colors for this issue. They both do a great job in conveying the wonder of the setting and elevate the linework tremendously. The pencils aren't all bad some pages are truly breathtaking when everything comes together. 

Colorists rarely get the attention they deserve but this team does an awesome job melding the art direction with the script and should be acknowledged for tying the threads together here.

This is another solid addition to the new series and I'm intrigued to see where the story goes from here.  more

One of the hardest parts of being a comic reviewer is encountering a string of mediocre comics. Good comics you're typically excited to get your feelings out there. Bad comics tend to be easy to poke holes into and format into a review. With books that fall into the meh category, it's hard to find motivation at all. 

I actually forgot I owned this comic, it got mixed up in a long box by accident. I guess I know why now. Justice League Odyssey #3 isn't terrible, it simply exists. 
​​

The comic picks up after the cliffhanger of the last issue with Starfire being out of control and the makeshift Justice League having to deal that. 

Sadly the cover and first few pages are the most exciting aspects of the issue. The rest of the book features continues building the setting of the Ghost Sector and also focuses in on character development and interactions within the team. 

It sounds good on paper but the book isn't terribly exciting. We're three issues deep and the series is still in setup phase which means we're officially pacing this series for the trade. 
​​

Ironically, I just finished reading Transformers #2 from IDW. The book is totally different but feels similarly paced but that series feels fresh while this one feels as bland as Karen's potato salad. 

The art from Philippe Briones is detailed and varied throughout the issue but something isn't landing for me. I think it's more to with the generic story being told here than the art direction. A new villain is introduced in this issue by the name of Rapture. Not much information is given about him but he seems to have a connection to Azrael.
​​

The series actually reminds me of X-Treme X-Men, a series that followed a group of X-Men operating independently searching for the diaries of Destiny. A villain that could see the future. That series was also pretty bland and didn't last long by the standards of the time. 

The story of Justice League Odyssey plods along similarly and ends on another cliffhanger. I want to like this series, I may finish the first arc and see how it turns out but it's not holding my interest. It's too early in this series lifespan to be firing off filler content.

Also, despite the cool Stjepan Sejic cover's suggestion, Darkseid does not appear in the book. 
more

Dick Tracy Forever #1 is the follow-up to IDW's Dick Tracy: Dead or Alive that wrapped up a few months back. 

The biggest selling point I've seen for the series is that it's being written and drawn by Michael Avon Oeming of Powers fame. Comparing each series, this Dick Tracy feels similar to the previous series but slightly tilted and less over the top than the tough guy antics of Dead or Alive. Tracy Feels more real than I've ever seen him aside from the 90's movie. I appreciate this shift because most stories portray the character as one dimensional and single-minded almost to the point of parody. 

What's really interesting is the creative direction Michael has decided to take with this story. This issue is broken into 3 complete vignettes with an overarching story tying everything together.  The art is also very busy, which give the reader a ton to look at on every page. Each segment also has a puzzling interlude which I thought was cool and high concept. The way the book is laid out gives the illusion that the comic is bigger than it actually is which is really cool but highlights a complaint I have with the comic. 

The book is presented in premium format with high gloss paper stock. It's clearly a collector format. The presentation is cool and pretty innovative but I think because of the puzzle aspects and the creative direction that the issue would have worked better in newsprint. 

It may not be a big deal to most readers but as a collector, there is cognitive dissonance here. The book wants me to mark it up but quite frankly I'm not marking up a 4.00 comic.

I touched on the art above. It's very busy, panels and backgrounds are filled with content. It's not as bright as I'm used to for a Dick Tracy comic but the stripped-down color scheme Taki has decided to go with works for the story being told. 

The shift in creative direction answers my main complaint with the art for the previous mini-series. The pencils were great but the backgrounds were completely barren in many instances. 

In Dick Tracy: Forever, stuff is literally everywhere and I really appreciate the change. It's also cool to see Tracy wearing something other than his trademark yellow jacket and fedora. This goes along with the aforementioned more realistic take on the character. Why wouldn't the detective wear another jacket from time to time?

Overall I think that this issue is a worthy follow-up to Dead or Alive. Issue #2 will be set in 1951 so it will be interesting to see what a time jump does for the character.

I wish more comics were as creative with its layouts and ideas as this one is. Comics are a visual medium limited only by the imagination of the creatives involved minor gripes aside I appreciate what the team has accomplished here.  more

The last video I made was about Ignited the first offering by indie publisher H1. Ignited is written by Mark Waid in collaboration with Kwanza Osajyefo.

I wasn't too keen on the idea of a comic that uses school shootings as the launchpad for a superhero comic. Being objective though most of the clickbaity articles and videos online made the idea seem a lot worse than the book actually is. 

Is Ignited bad? Yes, yes it is. It the comic outright horrible? That will depend on your political leanings and what you consider entertainment when it comes to comic books. 

Ignited falls into a couple of traps that prevented me from enjoying it and most of it had nothing to do with the basic premise. 

The first issue I had immediately was the bland ass cover. If Karen's potato salad had a comic book cover equivalent it would be this one. Marvel gets away with bland pin-up covers because it's Marvel. The characters sell the book. Ignited isn't an established IP. Having a bland ho-hum cover that tells you nothing about what the series is about is unacceptable. In fact, I walked past the book 3 times before seeing it on the shelf. 

With the cover being so shockingly bad the only thing the book has to sell itself on is a divisive premise and the creative team. Mark and Kawanza are both divisive creators. This further splits the fanbase and potential audience for this book. If you aren't already fans of the creators and you aren't offended by books capitalizing on School shootings than I guess this is the book for you. 

Getting into the meat of the comic, The school shooting is not the inciting incident. People all over the world are getting superpowers for some reason. 

I forget the creator that said it but paraphrasing. The X-men was one of the laziest ideas ever because rather than come up with an origin you could always fall back on the characters just being born differently. I love the X-men but I understand the complaint. 

Ignited takes it a step further, the characters have powers because... Trump became president. Just Kidding but there isn't a compelling reason for the kids to have powers, they just do. 

The next issue with the comic is that the comic is going to be decompressed. I just reviewed Doug TenNapel's BigFoot Bill and one of the areas I praised it for was for telling a concise story with a beginning, middle and end point. 

Ignited feels like it should be either a graphic novel or a maxi-series at best. This is not a strong enough idea to warrant anything more than a couple of story arcs. 

The story is told in flashbacks. At one point in the issue we see the characters in the present using their powers but the bulk of the issue an is set in the past to presumably give our characters an origin. 

There is nothing wrong with an origin story especially for new characters but it's very annoying when Issue #1 ends and we're setting up the series. This is one of the biggest problems I have with the industry right now. Comics are way too expensive for comics to be this uneventful. Stuff happens, to be honest, it's not the most exciting and leads to my second biggest complaint. 

The political angle is too on the nose and hurts the narrative. The politics of the story is why I'm not picking up Ignited #2. The comic opens with an Alex Jones stand-in claiming that the school shooting was a hoax. 

The idea was offensive in real life and it just feels just as uncomfortable to read in comic. Not because it's offensive but because it's cringy AF.  

Alex Jones has been de-platformed in real life for his stupid remarks and was nearly universally condemned for his statements. In the comic's the lead characters actually blow the guy's house up. It's supposed to be a powerful opening statement about the characters but in reality, the sequence just feels weird. 

There isn't much action in the book in the book and the narrative isn't nuanced at all. If you're a left-leaning comic fan or a gun control advocate I can see parts of the book resonating with you but even then I can't see anyone getting entertainment value from this. 

This is often the case with left-leaning books. It's the same with Nitehawk from Marvel or Bordertown from DC Vertigo. There are ideas that could work but fall apart because the stories feel places the need to push political propaganda over actually telling a good story.  

I can't imagine a school shooting victim reading this and thinking hell yeah! this is empowering. It's not and feels more tone deaf than anything. 

A better Idea would have been to drop the fantastical elements altogether and have the kids work within the system to make a change. There were ways to make this idea work but Mark and Kawanza took the worst possible avenue they could come up with. 

The one positive aspect of the comic is the art from Phil Briones. I'm not familiar with his work but the comic looks great. I'm interested in seeing more from him but even his work can't overcome the flaws in the premise and execution of ignited. This is the last 3.99 that this series will get from me. 

For More - https://www.gtmediareviews.com/home more

I had no idea who Brandon Thomas was before reading Excellence but now he has my full attention. I'm generally not a fan of stories involving magic or sorcery but this is probably one of the coolest takes on the genre I've ever run across. The fact that all of the named characters are Black is also special to me because I don't usually see "My Folks" in fantasy settings. 

This story centers around Spencer Raymond Dales and follows him from birth through his development into a young man. He comes from a line of Magicians tasked with protecting humanity. We the bulk of the issue is split between world building, Spencer's relationship with his family and his trials.   

The World-building is excellent I dare you to read this issue and now walk away not wanting to know more about the setting and how this system works. 

The art from Khary Randolph is on point. The pencils are very expressive and energetic. Khary makes every panel look interesting whether he's conveying an action sequence, intense emotion or even something as mundane as Spencer getting his haircut by his grandmother. 

I've seen Khary's work over the years and it's really cool to see that he's continued to evolve in his craft. This is probably the best work I've seen from him and if this is the shape of things to come I can't wait to see what he comes up with over the course of this series. Khary is perfectly complemented by Emilio Lopez' colors who share credit in breathing life into this world.

All in time the art direction is solid and you can feel the synergy between the creatives involved here. It definitely comes through throughout the issue.

It's' also awesome that we're looking at some truly inspired designs for these characters. Khary gives us a variety of Black Characters from the full lips, kinky hair, and general swag. Most Black characters are conveyed as cool but these characters take it a step forward and feel natural. 

I also really appreciate that I'm making a bigger deal about race than the book actually does. It's actually a breath of fresh air to see  Black Characters that have identities and personalities that aren't just extensions of their melanin count. I know it's only the first issue but I feel safe with these characters and their portrayal. 

The book is primarily about Spencer's coming of age but it's also about family.  his family dynamic pushes the narrative and it will be interesting to see how these relationships shape the series as time goes on. 

There is an excellent quote from Brandon on the letters page that stuck with me most of the day after reading this issue. 

"How do you create a real, enduring mature relationship with your children when you were denied the best example?"

I had a very strained relationship with my father that ranged from distant, to dismissive to apathetic. When I had my children my goal was to be a Great Father but it's kind of hard to be great when your baseline example for what a good father kinda sucks.

The quote hit me to my core because I was never able to reconcile my relationship with my dad. He died and I don't even remember if he got to meet his grandchildren. Typing that last line was rough and one of the reasons I I feel safe with this series and these characters. Excellence doesn't feel like a gimmick. There is some legit passion in the art and storytelling and it comes across on every page. 

With all of these positives in place, I really can't find fault with this book. It's a fine single issue and one of the best starts to a series I've read in a very long time. 

Brandon and Khary have definitely made a statement and I'm here for it.  more

With Issue #9 Unnatural begins the last arc of the 12 issue series. It's been a wild ride and if nothing else this series is the model of consistency. 

This issue picks up immediately following the cliffhanger of the proceeding issue with Leslie's personality merging with "The Albino" and Khal and Saya left trying to figure out a way to deal with the developing situation. 
​​

While this is happening we finally get details regarding the states reproductive program as well as glimpses into the origin of "The Glance" who turns out is Leslie's mother. 

There are a lot of moving parts in this issue but none of it is overwhelming or hard to follow. Mirka should be commended for not falling into the trap of producing bottleneck issues. This series feels like it's on track for its conclusion and I can't see any filler content creeping in from here on out. 
​​

What I really like about these characters is that they all feel intelligent. All of their actions make sense in the context of the issue and the series. At one point Khal and Saya argue about the betrayal of the last issue and upon reflection, both characters are sound in their logic. This is great writing here. 

Even 9 issues deep I feel that if someone picked up this issue in a vacuum they could enjoy it as a single issue and would probably be safe going forward even if this is the only arc they get invested in. 
​​

The art for the issue is gorgeous as usual. I'm not sure if I can really consider myself a furry, but damn Leslie is hot in this issue. The constant chase keeps the action and energy of the issue moving and I always feel like something shocking is waiting on the next page. Its great especially when you consider so many titles get bogged down with pacing issues. 

I can't really find a complaint to throw at the issue. I won't say it's the best issue in the series but it's better than most of the books I'm reading right now.  Unnatural continues to be one of the most consistently good/great comics in my pull list and I'm going to be really disappointed when the series finally ends.  more

"Beyond the Grid" has been an uneven arc for me. Primarily because I'm disconnected from most of the characters involved. 

The story isn't bad, but I think fans will get more from the arc if they are invested in the characters and lore. The issue picks up immediately following the conclusion of the previous issue. Our heroes are discovered by the Praetor and the situation seems grim. 

The key strength of the issue is that It finally made me start to feel a connection to these characters. The Praetor plays mind games and begins using the Power Rangers own insecurities in his attacks and nearly gets the best of them throughout the battle. 
​​

Ari still gets the coolest moments in the issue and Kimberly comes into her own as the leader of this makeshift group. 

Simone Di Meo's pencils in the issue are particularly solid during the action sequences. The Rangers get their Zords and they look amazing. There is another page where Ari has to defend another Ranger and it's simply stunning and highlights the heart on display throughout the issue. 

The colors are also inspired throughout the comic. It's almost as if the issue was drawn on black paper and then colored over. The effect is that the issue is simply gorgeous to look at. 

Heroes defending each other despite overwhelming odds stacked against them is something we should see more of. We usually get the hero part but too many modern comics seem to miss the part of the narrative where heroes are supposed to face adversity. 

​​

There is tension throughout the issue and also a breather as our heroes finally get a respite at some point during the issue.

I really think that Mighty Morphin Power Rangers would really benefit from a handbook similar to the official guides that Marvel/DC used to release periodically. 

These would really help out readers that may feel lost. I want to give an issue an A rating, I really do. The disconnect is that the story relies too much on me having more than a working knowledge of these characters.
​

I'm getting there, the longer the story goes on but its really hard to latch on to any of these rangers outside of Ari and to a lesser extent Kimberly.  There isn't even a recap to identify the characters for new readers. 

It sucks but as good as the issue is some of the design decisions need to be tightened up. This is more of an editorial complaint than the fault of the creative team involved.  more

I had a great time with Wonder Twins #1. It was a fun and humorous take on the classic and often forgotten 70's characters. This issue is fun but there is a really dark and serious undercurrent just beneath the surface.

Although the comic is billed as a Young Adult comedy, the series underlying themes are very strong especially if you take the time to soak them in.

Wonder Twins #2 asks the question? What does rehabilitation look like in this world?
​​

Zan points out how pointless it is to pick-up criminals only for them to escape or be set free without being truly rehabilitated and committing the same crimes over and over again going right back to prison.

We also learn that in many instances the villains are locked up and then exploited as cheap labor in a For-profit prison system. There is some great social commentary here. As an African American with friends in "For-Profit" Prisons, this resonated with me.  

This issue makes a nice political statement without going overboard. The primary villain for this issue is Baron Nightblood. He's a bag guy with a very human problem. Nightblood is an alcoholic and wants to avoid biting people and potentially drink blood that has contains alcohol. The Baron is a villain but is trying to remain sober. In a sense Nightbood is working to rehabilitate himself. He's also a member of the "League of Annoyance" a group of D-List villains looking to break into the big leagues.

He's called Count Drunkula in jest and tries to find an identity outside of simply being a vampire and biting people.
​​

The impression that we're given is that Nightblood doesn't even want to be a villain but is a slave of the identity that is projected upon him by his allies, and the heroes that use him as a punching bag. 

This aspect of the issue is tragic, especially as the body count starts to mount. I almost wish that Mark Russell played the issue straight and focused on telling the story without the humor elements.  
​​

The comic takes the edge off of its strongest elements with laughs. I guess without the humor the book would have been oppressively bleak but I wonder what the book would have looked out if there wasn't a joke on every page.

The art is solid but nothing really stands out. The action beats are cool and it's interesting to see the use of the main characters abilities in combat. The action packs a punch but the encounter ends too quickly.  

There's isn't a ton of action here but when the totality of the issue is considered it's not a bad comic. It may even be great depending on your sensibilities as a comic reader.  more

I've never been the biggest Black Panther fan but I have enjoyed specific runs with the character. I have a few of the Jungle Action issues. The Christopher Priest run was amazing and I've always been partial to, Reginald Hudlin's take on the character. 

The problem I have with Marvel's recent Black Panther series is that they boil the character and Wakanda down to their most pretentious and superfluous. Ta-Nehisi Coates, the lead writer for the Marvel series never seemed to be a fit for the character and squandered most of the capital that the character that obtained when Black Panther #1 sold over 250,000 copies upon release in 2016. Now sales for the series hover around 20,000 as of April. Clearly, there is a serious problem with the series. 

​​

 
Marvel Action: Black Panther takes the blueprint from the 2018 film and applies it to the comic. If you were a fan of the film you'll feel right at home here. In fact, if you're a fan of Black Panther as superhero as well as the king of Wakanda you're looking at one of the best takes on T'Challa and co in over a decade. 

The story isn't really that deep but the simplified take on these characters is refreshing and allows a reader to dive in and actually relate to the events going on. The gist of the issue is that the production of Vibranium has increased significantly thanks to the new Mining techniques of Mr. Mchezaji. 

During an event honoring Mchezaji, the weather patterns suddenly shift and the remainder of the issue is T'Challa attempting to rescue the citizens of Wakanda from a massive Tornado.
​​

Again, it's not the heaviest story but it nails the basics of the story and most importantly we get to see T'Challa as a full-on hero. Without all of the heavy-handed Wakandan politics weighing down every issue. 

The issue also focuses on the relationship between T'Challa and his family, specifically Shuri who takes on the role of comic relief and his Mother. Shuri is pretty annoying here but it's not enough to derail the issue. Hopefully, it's toned down as the series progresses. 
​​

Another positive is the art direction. The issue looks fantastic. Juan Samu captures the energy of the lead hero and I love that IDW decided to use the look of the film as the baseline of the characters. If the event's of this book happened a week or 2 after the movie ended I wouldn't be surprised.

The action is great throughout and we get to see some really cool and creative uses of Black Panthers suit and intelligence in dealing with the problems throughout the issue. A compelling mystery is established, the tone is set.   and the ending although not surprising sets up the direction of the series. There is a lot to love in this in this issue. I just hope they keep the momentum going forward.  more

Heroes in Crisis is finally over an what are we left with? What was the point of it all?

I've reviewed all 9 issues of the series and my enthusiasm for the event and conclusion had all but waned. Likewise, my reverence for Tom King and his writing has been replaced with open skepticism. 

Tom King was in the news a lot this week. First, he was dropped as lead writer of Batman. It was then announced that he would be getting a new series featuring Batman & Catwoman. This gesture is presumably a courtesy to the creator and a way for him to finish his long-running story although he will not be writing the flagship Batman title anymore. 

The biggest news for Tom King this week was that he would be Co-Writing a "New Gods" movie with Ava DuVernay of Selma and A Wrinkle in time. This is either a good idea or a Bad one depending on who you talk to. 

All of these announcements are worthy of attention in their own right and I only mention the timeline to say that whether you're a fan of Tom King or not, he's not going anywhere. 

Heroes in Crisis isn't even an uneven series. At best it's mildly interesting at worse its unreadable. There are large segments of this issue that are simply terrible. It got so bad that I had to put the book down and come back to it. 

The Flash situation resolves itself as our team of heroes (Harley Quinn, Booster Gold, Batgirl, and Blue Beetle) finally catch up with Wally West before he kills himself. The comic resolves itself with an intervention for Wally. 

The barebones premise of the series and this issue is solid but the execution of the script and plot is rough. The tone is all over the place ranging from cutesy to deadly serious over the span of a few pages. In this issue particularly, It seems that all of the heroes have the same voice. The voice I feel hanging most heavily isTom Kings and less the voice of our heroes and Tom's voice seems bored and disinterested during these segments. 

There is a heartfelt undercurrent to the issue but the script feels like it needed another draft or another editor to pull the threads together. 

Heroes in Crisis is sad because if the story had been condensed by about four issues and the Focus had been on Flash and less about the murder mystery we probably would have had a compelling and memorable event. What we ended up is a bloated mess of an event that leaves a dark mark on Tom King's legacy and will forever be remembered as "That Story" if at all. 

The issue does have some positive aspects of Heroes in Crisis. My favorite part of the event has been the Polaroid Variant covers by Ryan Sook. They all highlight a traumatic flashpoint in DC history, framing them as a Sanctuary casefile. Who the hell took the pictures? In all seriousness, the covers are just cool and are a nice Easter Egg for long-time fans. 

Another positive is the overall art direction for the issue. Clay Mann and Tomeu Morey have crafted a thing of beauty here with this issue. If you're an art snob the issue may be worth it alone for the art. The art has been the strongest art of the event despite the story constantly letting them down. I can't wait to see Clay on another series that lives up to his talent level he's one of the best artists working today and should be acknowledged as such. 

Despite my praise, for the artistic side of the issue, I'm glad this event is over. 

I started this blog a little less than a year ago and I've been marking each month with an issue of Heroes in Crisis followed immediately by a book that is a lot better. To be perfectly honest I feel like I've given this series and Tom King more attention than they deserve. 

Heroes in Crisis also highlights a growing problem with the overall direction of DC comics. The books being promoted all seem to be dark, pessimistic and overall villain-centric. I know we're in the middle of DC's Year of the Villain event but what should be a fun reading experience has become oppressively cynical. As a fan, it's hard to get excited when my heroes are constantly being traumatized, beaten and deconstructed. 

**Bonus

I mentioned earlier that I've been reviewing Heroes in Crisis for 9 months now. The series is bad, Rainbow Brite bad. 

Here are some suggestions for you as alternatives if you're interested in picking up a series or trade that doesn't have the baggage of being a product of its creator's mental health situation. 

I read/reviewed Heroes in Crisis so you didn't have to. 

1. Go-Bots by Tom Scioli (IDW)

2. Unnatural by Mirka Andolfo (Image)

3. BloodRealm by Robert Geronimo (Alterna comics)

4. The Lone Ranger by Mark Russell & Bob Q (Dynamite)

5. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Macro Series by Various (IDW) more

I've come to the conclusion after reading this issue that following Slashes death in issue #87 that the Micro-Series should have probably been folded into the main series or the main title should have have been placed on hiatus until the mini series had been completed. 

My chief complaint about the series in the recent month is that it has been running in place and all forward momentum has all but ceased. 

That changes with issue #93. This is the first time in a while that the story seems to be actually be going somewhere. 

This is gonna be a longer review but I won't be getting into heavy spoilers. What I will say is that I implore any fan of the series to take the time and get the TMNT-Macro series that was released last year. I've reviewed each issue here and on my Youtube channel. That series actually does more to inform the current events than the last 5 issues. You can enjoy the current arc without he Macro-Series but you're missing out. 

This comic is a lot of fun and feels like the book that Tom Waltz and company have been holding back for a while now. All of the characters are finally in play and Karai makes her move to secure the Foot Clan from Splinter and Clan Hamato. 

Aside from Karai there are a few X-factors playing out in the background that I assume will factor into the event but at this time I have no idea. 

1. The book opens up surprisingly on the Neutrino's spaceship. The characters have not been seen in a while and the fact that they are hovering in the background hints that something big is potentially developing. 

2. It's pretty obvious that Baxter Stockman is going to win his mayoral campaign. April is working for him. One of the first things he will have to deal with is a full-scale war going on between Clan Hamato and the Foot Clan. How this is dealt with is going to be very interesting. 

3. How will the Agent Bishop and Metalheads alliance factor into this story? The turtles may be in for a very rude awakening if the EPF shows up and teams up with Baxter the Turtles may end up in a no-win situation.

4. How will Old Hob and the Mutanimals factor into the story. Hob has the tech to bring his own war to bear on the EPF anyone that gets in his way. He's the biggest X-Factor in this conflict and it will be interesting to see if he ends the conflict or makes the situation even worse. 

On top of those questions, we also have a situation developing between Raphael and Leonardo that shocked me even though it shouldn't have in light of recent events. 

With the exception of Donatello nearly being beaten to death in issue #44 Raph has had it a lot harder than any of the other turtles and is still clearly traumatized by the events of Macro-Series Raphael. 

He's another X-Factor in this war and his treatment also highlights the weakness of Leonardo as a leader. Something I never thought I'd be saying. 

The emerging problem I see developing is that Raphael is at the end of his rope and tired of moving from conflict to conflict with no end in sight. He's not that far off from Michelangelo in that respect. The difference being that Raphael has had it a lot worse than Mickey and is a lot more jaded.

Raph is in real need of a mental health check but he's not getting it and I can see Raph possibly leaving the team altogether. Leonardo is focused on keeping the family together and protecting the clan but he's missing the details. 

This issue ends on a pretty shocking cliffhanger. The stakes for this conflict are established and going forward I expect to see casualties on both sides. 

None of the characters feel particularly safe and we've seen that Tom isn't afraid to compromise our heroes in service of the story. 

Dave Wachter is back on art and the series is better for it. He also gets a lot to do. This is a layered issue, there are quiet scenes interspersed with sudden violence. Everything feels right. Dave and Ronda establish the atmosphere and impending dread to come sure to come. 

This issue gave me a lot to think about and that's an exciting prospect for me. There are a lot of threads being pulled to tell this story. It appears that the road to issue #100 may be paved in ruin.  more

I had high hopes for Rainbow Brite, I wasn't around during the series heyday in the 80s but I did remember the character and her abilities. I figured it would be pretty cool to reimagine the character in a modern setting or just pick up from where the 80's cartoon left off. 

The biggest selling point for me was the covers but we've already gonna over my love for the Paulina Ganucheau cover art so I won't spend too much time on that here. 

With Issue #5, Rainbow Brite has been canceled. It's pretty obvious it was initially conceived as an ongoing series. How do I know this? The issue ends on a too be continued cliffhanger. 

The sales for the series have been rough but that's no excuse for this comic. Jeremy doesn't even try to wrap up the storyline. The comic was canceled at issue 2-3 but rather than give some semblance of a conclusion we get nothing. There are five issues of setup and with no more issues to this series. We've actually only seen Wisp in about 4-5 pages as Rainbow Brite and she didn't even know how to use her powers. 

It's a slap in the face to anyone that picked this series up and gave it a chance. 

The art has always been hit and miss with this series. I've documented my gripes with the art already and I won't spend a ton of time on it in this review. 

The issue picks up from the conclusion of the last comic but the art doesn't really sale any stakes and it feels the opening action sequence ultimately just feels boring. 

I know I'm not the target demographic for this series, but on the other hand, I'm not sure who this book was actually aimed at to begin with. 

At my day job we live by the mantra "A Sense of Urgency is the Ante to Play". Jeremy had a long game with this series. There was evidence of that if you look at all five issues and the conclusion but he utterly failed at delivering. 

By the end of the second issue, Rainbow Brite should have been established. In hindsight, it looked like we were getting there but Issue 4 veered in a totally different and less interesting direction and seemed to be focused on setting up a team book of sorts. 

I'm not sure how you transition the series to focus on a group of characters when the lead hero isn't even established. 

It's easy to crap all over Jeremy's vision but part of the fault is that the editors, as usual, were sleeping at the wheel. They are the ones looking at this script, and the art and rubber stamping it. How do you write 5 issues of Rainbow Brite and she isn't even in the book.

It's insane. 

This is one of the worst series I've ever read. I've never seen a premise so poorly executed. We're currently seeing Tom King being destroyed on social media over his handling of the Heroes in Crisis and Batman storylines. 

Jeremy Whitley is over here saying "Hold my Beer". 

The best part of Rainbow Brite #5 is that the series is over. It's a complete and utter failure.  more

Some of my earliest and fondest memories as a comic reader involve massive superhero and villain battles during tabletop sessions of the Marvel TSR role-playing game. 

X-Men Vs Brotherhood of Evil Mutants. Avengers Vs. Masters of Evil, I always looked forward to seeing massive brawls and the interplay between the characters involved. 

NinjaK #8 features one of those battles and it's flat out awesome. 

Before getting to the body of the review I want to mention the weakest aspect of these last few issues. These covers are terrible. I'm not sure what happened but these washed out covers from Tonci Zonjic are probably the main reason why these reviews are coming so late despite the interior content being some of the best on the shelves. 

The covers don't reflect the interior are and actively do a disservice to the creators involved in the series. I'm not going to go as far as to say that Tonci is a bad artist, but these covers should not have been approved. 

Now to the good stuff, this review is almost a year late. In that timeframe, Livewire and Punk Mamba have graduated from role players in this arc to leads in their own series. I'm actually going to pick up Punk Mamba #1 today and hope for the best but Livewire was actually one of my worst reading experiences since I got back into comics a few years back. In any case, both characters are extremely promising in these issues and I can see why they graduated to the majors. 

The bulk of the comic follows Ninjak's team Vs. The Coalition, a group of Immortals bent on taking over the world. I love when motivations are simple in comics. The comic is a wonderfully old skool affair. 

The characters all match up well and the powers are all cool and used creatively. I don't have the deepest knowledge of the characters but  I recognize when something looks cool and about 95% of the issue looks cool, dynamic and fun.

Juan Jose Rype makes drawing comics look easy. I like all of his character designs but I really love his take on Livewire. She looks gorgeous and it makes me wonder how they settled on such a flat design when setting up her own series. 



Christos Gage along with Robert Vendetti are two of the best Superhero writers in comics. They have a great grasp on comics as a medium and get the most out of their artists whether knocking out a great single issue or pacing a storyline. Nothing feels wasted here the comic doesn't feel any longer than it needs to be to tell this story. 
The next issue is the conclusion to this arc. I know that the story will be great. The real question is how insane the conclusion will be. 

Long story short the comic is great. If the editors could approve better covers I would have given the issue an A+ more

The Walking Dead seems to have really turned it around in the past few months. Hopefully, it keeps the momentum going because this issue is pretty intense. 

The comic follows the cliffhanger of the last issue with Eugene and _ attempting to escape a zombie horde. I haven't followed the Walking Dead comic as much as the AMC series but it's amazing to see Eugene's evolution from a coward into someone that can be counted on when the chips are down. 

Following the comic's opening events the rest of the issue follows the conflict at The Commonwealth. Mercer escapes and the Coup begins. Rick is caught in the middle attempting to protect _ and keep the peace. 

The plot is straight forward and linear but is exciting nevertheless and the character dynamics are strong. Rick is in an impossible position. Despite how The Commonwealth operates, the system works. Overthrowing makeshift government could destroy everything and probably the best evidence of hope we've seen within this setting. 

What  I will mention is that these covers kinda suck and it's been that way for a while. There isn't much effort to see the comic to readers and that is a problem because with the lack of effort or energy you're not gonna appeal to new readers.

I've decided to stop really mentioning art for The Walking Dead. Not because the linework is bad. Charlie Adlard is the model of consistency but none of his art really stands out. What you see is what you get. He's a solid artist. I don't want to slight him but I don't want to keep saying the same thing every review either. 

The comic is a lot of fun and it's nice to see the story starting to come together. It took a long time to get to this point.  more

It's been a long time since I thoroughly enjoyed reading a Batman comic. The last one that really stood out to me was Batman Damned: Book Two and that was in 2018. 

The last Detective Comics arc was dog shit. The Batman who laughs has been meh and Tom King's Batman run has been uneven, to say the least. The run is consistent King doesn't have the most exciting take on the character. 

Peter Tomasi seems to be a natural fit for the Dark Knight. Unlike other depictions of the character. Bruce feels grounded and most like a normal person despite the extreme circumstances. 

Most takes on Batman either focus on deconstructing him or Amping his character and abilities to the point of parody. Tomasi's Batman feels like a guy. He's extremely capable, but just a guy. 

In this issue, Bruce is investigating a double murder. A typical night for Batman, right? Wrong, the twist is that the victims have been staged to look like Thomas and Martha Wayne. The alteration has been so extreme that the victims have even been subjected to cosmetic surgery so that they look even more like Bruce's parents. 

Bruce is obviously affected by the events but keeps a cool head during the forensic examination. The scenes are much less superheroics and highlights Batman in his natural element as the world's greatest detective. 

The second half of the comic pivots in a more action-oriented direction. Batman attempts to save the life of longtime friends and ally Leslie Thompkins as she is attacked by a massive beast. 

The issue ends on a heartrending cliffhanger and left me excited to see what happens next. That hasn't happened in a while with this line of titles. 

The art provided by Doug Mahnke and David Baron is consistent throughout the issue and work in the slow scenes as well as in the back half of the issue when the action picks up. 

The pace of the issue is also great. It's quick but not to the point where I finished reading in less than 5 minutes. 

Overall I can't really complain about anything here. There is really a night and day difference between #993 & #994 which is great because DC is stagnating across the line. I know this review is late and DC's focus seems to be centered around Batman but nevertheless you can't get much better than single issues like this one.  more

Batman #59  picks up immediately following the cliffhanger from the last issue. Penguin reveals that Bane has effectively taken over Arkham and Gotham from his cell. 

The comic details the meeting with Penguin but also cuts to the present day as Batman visits Bane in Arkham and actively intimidates the Arkham guard into submission and proceeds to beat the hell out of Bane for 20 pages. 

This goes on until Batman is interrupted by Jim Gordan. The commissioner claims that Bane is under his direct supervision and couldn't possibly be orchestrating anything. Unable to calm Batman down, Bruce backhands Jim knocking him to the floor. Jim threatens to put the entirety of Gotham's resources into bringing Batman down if he doesn't leave immediately. 

The comic ends with Batman questioning if The Penguin is lying and we get the cliffhanger of Bane laying in an infirmary and smirking at the night's developments. 

Tom King lost a lot of ground with the Batman/Catwoman wedding but the issues following have been above average to great. It's a damn shame the man has been review bombed over his depiction of Batman and the events of Heroes in Crisis. I'm way behind in my reviews for the series but with the Mr. Freeze arc, The follow-up with the KGBeast and the current quasi-team-up with Penguin it's clear that Bruce's mental state is in question. 

The art direction from Mikel Janin and Jordie Bellaire is great throughout the issue. I really enjoyed the present and past transitions depicting the meeting with Penguin and the lighting for the scenes in Arkham. 

The comic is solid but I do have some nitpicks about the writing. I don't like the idea of Batman ever threatening to attack law enforcement. It seems antithetical to the character. I understand that Bruce is under a lot of strain but the idea of him outright threatening to hurt guards is a bit much. 

If he had snuck into the cell and attacked Bane without being seen the entire encounter would have made more sense to me. Outside of those general complaints, it's another solid issue. I question, I question the long term planning for the series. I want to believe that Tom has a plan that doesn't involve Batman beating Bane up again. We've seen that story before and during this run. 

I'd like the stakes to be raised for Batman and his family and not with just a character getting a new status quo and new series. 

Time will tell, I guess.
more

It's been a minute since I revisited the Deathstroke Series and I don't really have an explanation for why. It's on my pull and it's never a bad reading experience I'm just never blown away by anything happening in the series. Furthermore, its really underwhelming that we're looking at yet another series with an extended story arc featuring Harvey Dent, Two-Face. 

Harvey has his moments but after recently completing a really terrible arc in Detective featuring the character I'm really tired of the Harvey Two-Face at the moment. He's better utilized in this series and has a fight with _ that is more interesting than anything that happened in the Batman storyline. 

This issue continues the Deathstroke Arkham story arc. We're provided with more insight into what happened during the period of time in which Slade managed to escape and was abducted by Aliens. 

The plot thickens as it turns out the that during the abduction period Deathstroke and Devon were apparently involved in an intergalactic war. 

Its really interesting stuff and the question is whether Slade is telling the truth or if he's really delusional. 

The weakest aspect of the series for me has been the B-Plot with Slade's family. I never seem to care and none of it seems as interesting as the main story. I find myself bored whenever Slade isn't on the panel. 

The art is also really solid. The Deadshot _costume that Devon wears looks especially cool. The comic has a lot going on for it and I'm 100% sure this arc will read 100% better in trade. 

It's an interesting story just not as exciting as I would like. I want to know what happens next but not that interested in putting the book on the top of my review list.  more

I'm not sure I was reading AlternaComics when Mr. Crypt was introduced so it was nice to get some insight into the character as he frequently pops up frequently across the entire line. 

ICYMI (In Case You Missed It) is a 99 Cent reprint series aimed at younger readers. The cover price is great and the paper quality is in line with the rest of the Alterna Comic line. 

This issue reprints Mr. Crypt and Baron Rat's first appearance. Baron Rat was included in my first Alterna review and it was nice to see that origin as well.

The issue is genuinely funny as Mr. Crypt tries to blend in with the Townsfolk but keeps failing as his disguise sucks. Mr. Crypt is a talking skeleton and the disguise is a fake mustache and a jacket. There isn't a lot of depth to the story but it's fun, the value is there and the art really serves to bring these characters and story to life. 

I love the idea behind the series. Alterna has been around for a while now and its really cool to see them digging into their catalog for newer readers. The publisher is probably the best value in comics but even I don't have the budget to track down all of their books. It's great to have an avenue to get reprints at a discounted rate and not be forced to wade through the wild west known as eBay. 

I'm totally on board with this series and can't wait to see what happens next. more

I wasn't a fan of this issue. It's not a terrible comic but it's woefully inadequate. Scott Lobdell has a great voice for Daffy Duck and this version fits with the version that you probably remember in your head.  The main problem with the comic is the art style. Brett Booth's rendition of Joker is really off and it totally breaks the immersion within the story. After a few pages it goes from being weird to becoming a distraction. 

I think his depiction of Joker was done to contrast with Daffy but its a complete and utter failure. Daffy on the other hand looks great. This seems more of a case of the wrong artist attached to the wrong story. If Brian Bolland or Bruce Timm were working this project the story may have come together better.
​​

The art isn't all bad though. Andrew Dalhouse does a great job with the colors throughout the issue. The light and dark contrasts perfectly. In combination with the prestige format and paper stock the issue looks amazing. Its ultimately a forgettable comic but if Brett had picked another design for the Joker I would have had no complaints at all with the art direction. 

The comics script isn't all that great either which is a shame because the pitch is really interesting. Daffy Duck stumbles into a Joker hit, talks himself out of getting killed and instead, becomes Jokers lead henchman. Lobdell seems to be phoning it in when he's not writing Daffy so the whole story feels uneven. Wrapping up too fast and a bit too easily.

​The comics script isn't all that great either which is a shame because the pitch is really interesting. Daffy Duck stumbles onto a Joker hit, talks himself out of getting killed and instead of being set free, becomes Jokers lead henchman. Lobdell seems to be phoning it in when he's not writing Daffy so the whole story feels uneven. Wrapping up too fast and too easily.

This wouldn't have been a problem, but the book is $4.99. If you're buying for the novelty of the Looney Tunes/DC Comics mashup or for completionists  sake, the book may be worth the price for you. For everyone else, it's a no for me bruh. more

The DC/Looney Tunes Crossovers have been better than they have any right to be to this point and this issue continues the trend. Catman - Tweety & Sylvester is a charming affair that manages to truly capture the spirit of a couple of characters that I've always enjoyed, but haven't spent much time with lately. 

A group of witches decide to wager the fate of the world on a battle between Sylvester & Tweety. Sylvester literally falls into Catwoman's lap  while Tweety winds up with Black Canary. The battle begins as a simple slugfest between the two but escalates to include and entire army of cat and bird themed characters. In short, shenanigans ensue. 

To be honest, I picked up this comic based on the cover alone. Emanuela Lupacchino & Tomeu Morey perfectly capture to personalities of Sylvester & Tweety while also offering a new interpretation. The interiors are also gorgeous. The comic is dark and could have turned into a very macabre affair but Gail keeps the tone balanced and it never strays into any extreme, although I kinda wish that Tweety got eaten (I always hated that damn bird).
​​


 The comic isn't perfect. There is repetition with dialogue in places throughout the book that kind of rubbed me the wrong way. Although I think it may have been a subtle wink at Tom King, who often uses repetition in his scripts to add weight to story beats. Outside of minor gripes. You can't go wrong with this One Shot.  The art is great. The story is fun. The cover art belongs on a poster. You can do a lot worse than spending time with a 100% purebred certified Alley Cat & Canary.  more

For more reviews subscribe: https://www.gtmediareviews.com/

We've arrived at the point in the month when I read Tom King's Heroes in Crisis and Tom Scioli's Go-Bot's. Unfortunately, Go-Bots has ended and we're left with is Heroes in Crisis. 

I visited my Local Comic Shop late this week and by the time I got there, the ending had already been spoiled. Actually, I'm not sure if you can really talk about this comic without discussing the reveal so Ill get it out of the way. 

Wally West, traumatized from the events of DC Rebirth and the loss of his wife and children has snapped and is revealed to be the murderer behind the events at Sanctuary. 

So my working theory walking into this issue was that HIC was an Elseworlds story. After reading the series I don't believe it's an Elseworlds story at all. I think there is more to the story than the explanation we're given but I don't believe we're in an alternate reality anymore. 

My theory after reading the issue is that the trauma is really but Wally was being influenced by the Psycho-Pirate Mask.

I'm not sold on Heroes in Crisis, a matter of fact if you've been following these reviews you know that the series kinda lost me after issue 2. I feel that there are other stories to be told that can be just as compelling without being oppressively dark or macabre HIC, The Grim Knight, DCeased, Dark Knights Metal are all solid stories but give the impression that the publisher is currently in a bad head space at the moment and needs counseling. I'm not sure if the current mood around the DC line is a result of the cutbacks to the number of books being published but something is definitely off and series such as this one is sure to alienate long term fans. 

All that being said this is easily the best issue of the series to date. Wally has lost everything, his wife and kids are gone and he's currently stuck in an alternate reality where everyone is basically a shadow of the people that he loved and grew up with. Imagine if you were in this situation? This is Wally's life right now and there is no going back.

The anger I'm seeing toward the issue on social media is that Wally has been destroyed. I don't really have an argument against the claim but based solely on the fallout from "rebirth" I get why Tom went this route. If Wally wasn't dealing with any lingering issues relating to the loss of his wife and kids it would have been just as jarring. 

One of the appeals of an "Elseworlds" or "What If" scenario is that you get to see an alternate timeline and see how slight changes could have resulted in a different outcome (usually catastrophic). In this instance, this is Wally's life.

I'm not sure if Heroes in Crisis is an indictment of the optimism that Rebirth endeared with the character and the line in general but it sure feels like it. One that note the twist is actually pretty clever and puts a real-world spin on a fantastical situation. I'm not saying this is the story I would have landed on but I understand. 

The biggest issue with the series is the decompression. This could have easily been issue 4 of 5 but it's been padded out to an insane degree for whatever reason. The stuff with Superman probably could have been cut altogether. The Batman/Flash stuff seems irrelevant. What the focus should have been squarely on since the series inception is Wally West and what he has been dealing with every day.

The writing for this issue is very strong and it easily one of the best written issues of the year. I suffer from high functioning depression and have lulls throughout the week. Not to the extreme that Wally has, but I understand wearing a mask of optimism publicly while struggling with internal demons.

We started getting glimpses of this in the previous issue but it should have been the throughline. in Hindsight the stuff with Booster/Harley just seems silly. The way the story is being told is also strange because the characters feel off and not quite human. 

One thing that isn't in question is the art direction. Mitch Gerads and Travis Moore's are amazing. Every page is jaw-dropping and worth the price of admission alone. It doesn't really stand out as much because the issue is so melancholy but the pencils throughout the issue are amazing. Once you get past the shock of the events I implore you to go back and look at the issue again, it's simply stunning.  This is a prestige format but and DC kept the cover price to 3.99.  I appreciate that. 

I feel like DC editorial failed Tom in this series.  There are flashes of greatness throughout the series but the focus seems to be all over the place. You have the Silliness with Booster and Harley undercutting the real meat of the event.

I'm not sure what went on behind the scenes at DC Comics but if the focus had been entirely on Sanctuary and the events there I guarantee the series would have gone over better with fans. Decompression hurts comics. Heroes in Crisis an Doomsday Clock are prime examples of why decompressed storytelling needs to be put to pasture. It really hurts these stories and ends up feeling like uneven cash grabs because of the sheer amount of filler or irrelevant material. There is a great story in this event but it's buried in the minutiae.
more

Just like Justice League Dark #5, this comic is a transitional issue between story arcs. It sets the table for our characters but beyond that, it's not a memorable comic book at all. I read it twice last week and glanced at it again as prior to writing this review. There is really nothing special to this issue.

That's not to say that the art or writing is shoddy but it's a really uneventful experience that you won't remember after a few days, if ever. 
​​

The throughline of the issue is Superman's reassembly of a moon and his encounter with an alien race of solar vampires known as Coronavores. Interspersed with this engagement we check in on all the characters dealing with the fallout from the last battle with the revitalized legion of doom.

Batman is recovering, John Stewart and Flash have lunch, Wonder Woman and Aquaman rebuild. There is a lot of character building throughout but the most interesting exchange comes when Hawkgirl and Martian Manhunter get into a small skirmish related to their time in the source wall.
​​

There really isn't anything else here. If you were inclined to skip an issue of the series this would be the comic to do so. It's a slice of life with the League and a weak issue systematic of the larger problem with the bi-weekly publishing schedule. The comics isn't bad just about as uneventful as you can get.

   more

With my review of "The Witching Over" storyline finally ending, the series gets back to normal, whatever is normal for Justice League Dark.

The comic shines the spotlight on Detective Chimp as he mourns the death of his friend and mentor, Nightmaster. After Nightmaster dies Detective Chimp is left with the bar, The Sword of Night and given responsibility to protect the Realm of Myrra. He drowns his pain in liquor before being interrupted by Wonder Woman and Zatanna. They bring a new mission and requires his assistance. The sword is needed to travel to the realm of Myrra. A realm that the Chimp wants nothing to do with. 

As this plot is going there is a B-Plot in which Swamp Thing and John Constantine have a brief fight with Dr. Fate

The book isn't the most "High T" comic, and is actually kind of a downer. It's also not the most accessible issue. If you've been reading the series to this issue you'll have some familiarity with the characters you won't be completely lost but if you're casual to the greater DC Universe the events here may still be kinda confusing. There is a lot going on in the comic and sets the table for the next story-arc. 

The highlight of the issue is the Detective Chimp segments. He's quickly becoming one of my favorite DC characters. The writing for these segments of the comic is extremely strong, exploring the grief of a guarded individual touched me because I'm also an introverted individual and don't share my feelings easily.

The other moment that stood out to me was the fight between Dr. Fate and our heroes. I don't know these characters well but it's cool to establish power level tiers amongst characters. I now see Dr. Fate as a step above Constantine and Swamp Thing. The Phantom Stranger also makes an appearance and I'd wager he's a step above the rest.

The art provided by _ is excellent but is sort of let down by the downcast script. Even the scenes that you'd guess would be exciting, feel meh. It's not the art direction that is letting the issue down. It's the lack of energy in the plot. Aside from these observations, the issue is okay and a solid start to the current storyline though I wish the comic was a bit more fun. more

After a long layover, I'm back reviewing Kickass.

This series is one of those along with The Silencer that I've been down on and found myself writing the same review over and over again. They also have similar issues in concept and even share the same creator in John Romita Jr. 

The main difference between the two characters is The Silencer has superpowers. 

Both characters are really shallow once you remove the masks and a lot more interesting when they are able to cut loose in their superhero personas. 

Silencer has been canceled and I'm not sure how much longer this series is going. Both have potential but have been marred by a lack of vision for the characters. 

Silencer #9 starts with our lead clearing out a mob den. Ass he plans her next move. Her main target, Hector Santos drops off the body of one of her men outside of the door with the promise that this is what will happen to her. 

Kickass compensates her man handsomely to find Santos and fight the war on her behalf. Eventually she tracks down one of Santos right-hand men, Wallace to a fancy restaurant. After a brief exchange, he shocks her by putting his steak knife through her hand and sends his goons after her. 

I won't spoil the cliffhanger but suffice to say it's basically another firefight. The issue is a marked improvement to the last few which can be accounted to the focus being on Patience's Superhero personal. The problem I had this time around is that this issue reads extremely fast.

I was done in about 5 minutes. The standout scene is the confrontation between Kickass and Wallace. The scene is short and seeing him stab her caught me off guard. 

Issues like this are fine in trade but I'm not sure if they are worth the cover price. They have little to no depth but part of a larger narrative add flavor to the material. The downside to Kickass is that outside of costume Kickass is pretty lame. 

The art direction in the issue is nothing special. The scenes are laid out in a fashion that is competent but nothing in particular, stands out. The pencils are solid and the colors are muddy which makes the entire issue feel bland. Nothing is terrible but nothing jumps out as particularly exciting either. 

I hate to go with my initial complaint about the character but it honestly feels like the Pitch was to make Kickass a Badass Black Woman and figure out the plot as they go. I have the next few issues. I hope it gets better and I don't have to keep writing the same review over and over again.  more

After a string of really positive reviews, I knew the streak would end but I didn't expect it to end with Rainbow Brite. 

There are a few glaring problems I had with this comic at the outset that factored into my overall issues with the book. 
First, the artist has changed from Brittany Williams to Xenia Pamfil. She's made Wisp noticeably older in this comic and the contrast between this issue and 1-3 is jarring.

I wasn't the biggest fan of the art initially. It wasn't because of the artist though. Brittany's Rainbow Brite is basically a Steven Universe reskin. It's not bad but it's not my cup of tea.  My biggest gripe here is that I've never been a fan of switching artists in the middle of a storyline. It rarely ever bodes well and doesn't fair well here either. Xenia gets to depict a couple of great pages in the comic but something just feels off throughout the issue and it's mainly because of the change of artists. 

The second major issue I have with the comic is that the scope of the story seems a lot bigger than a 5 issue mini-series will be able to cover. Jeremy Whitley hasn't really covered a lot of ground and with about 22 pages left of the story I feel like we're going to be left with a cliffhanger for a potential second series or the conclusion will simply be underwhelming. (I have issue 5 I just haven't got too it yet).

This comic sees the introduction of the Red Flare, The Red Guardian and Starlight, the talking horse. The characters in this issue seem overwhelmingly snarky and Starlight seems off. During the story, Wisp takes a stand and Saves Starlight only to disappointed to find out that Starlight turns out to be an Asshole. The new characters are stock and seem to be lacking in any of the charm built up in the prior chapters. 

Wisp is the most interesting character in this issue as she should be as she continues her heroine's journey toward becoming Rainbow Brite. Things seem to be a bit too easy for her despite all of the challenges. I hesitate to call her a Mary Sue because their is a legit character arc for her, but the storyline is pushing it. 

Overall this issue was a bit of a bummer. The covers from Paulina Ganucheau and the original Hallmark art brim with imagination and nostalgia. The interiors have been uneven. The story has bright spots but the inconsistencies have really brought down the tone of the series. 

At this stage of the series, I think it's safe to say that if you're a fan of the character it's probably best to pick this up in trade. The single issues simply aren't worth the 3.99 cover price.  more

Naomi #2 may be the first great comic I've reviewed that I had to mark own because It pissed me off. The first issue ended on the cliffhanger of the local mechanic, Dee revealing that the last superhero incident in town the day that Naomi was adopted. 

Dee forcibly removes her from his garage and leaves abruptly. Naomi is deeply distressed by this revelation and rightly wonders what's going on. 

She goes home and during dinner asks her adopted parents how it is that the Mechanic knows her. She even asks if Dee is her adopted father. This clearly is a leap in logic but comes up during the conversation because she literally has nothing to work with in regards to her identity. 

After doing some digging Naomi finds out that Dee used to be a resident of Iron Heights prison. This further upsets Naomi because Dee is seemingly a reformed supervillain. Unable to sleep, Naomi goes back to the garage and runs straight into Dee. The comic ends with Naomi demanding that he reveal what their connection is.


RUMINATION

Naomi #2 is an excellent comic. In fact, it's one of the best single issues I've read this year. The problem is that Issue #1 exists. The comic ends with Naomi confronting Dee at the end. The book essentially ends in the exact same location as the first issue with practically the same cliffhanger going into issue #3.

This is very shoddy and shouldn't have made it past editorial. I understand he is DC's golden child but this is particularly egregious. What should have happened is that these two issues should have been edited into one and the issue should have either been double-sized or sold at a discounted price point. 

Jamal Campbell continues to really impress me. This character is the probably the most natural and normal depiction of an African American girl I've ever seen rendered in comics. He's also great at depicting all of the truly heartfelt moments throughout the issue. Jamal is great at conveying emotions in his characters. In issue #1 a lot of the interactions were exaggerated. It's still over the top in spots this time around but a lot more subdued. 

These moments resonated with me and it's really cool because, in the midst of all of this drama, there is an amazing 2-page spread of a flashback depicting Superman battling the Flash rogues galaxy at Iron Heights. This is great foreshadowing and lets us know that when the action finally is injected into the series Jamal is more than up to the task.

I'm heavily invested in seeing where this story is going. I just hate feeling like its groundhog day. more

I'm not the biggest fan of the Transformers franchise. I'm an older guy but I was slightly younger than the target demographic when Transformers ruled the world in the '80s. The most notable thing I remember loving about the cartoon was the giant Megatron transforming into a handgun, it was the height of absurdity. 

I recently finished Tom Scioli's Go-Bots Mini-Series, which was legit one of the best books I've read in years, and I guess I wanted more of that flavor so I figured I would give this series a try. 

This Transformers series seems to be set slightly at the outset of whatever conflict split Cybertron into Civil War. The story is really interesting. Megatron and Orion Pax (Optimus Prime) are friends. Bumblebee seems a lot different from what I remember in the animated series and definitely different from the Movies. He's tasked with guiding a newly forged Cybertronian, Rubble through the city. Along the way, they meet up with Windblade who joins them on their journey. The comic ends on a cliffhanger our heroes discover that one of the chief leaders of Cybertron has presumably been murdered. 

This issue was an entirely new experience for me, and I thoroughly enjoyed it as a casual fan of the IP. The strength of the issue is the script, pacing, and worldbuilding. Going in I didn't really know any of the characters outside of Prime and Megatron. As popular as Bumblebee is he's a blank canvas to me. 

This isn't an action heavy series but it firmly establishes the wonder of the setting. Credit needs for the art direction for this series. Angel Hernandez, Cachet Whitman, and Joana Lafuente really establish this world and the art evokes the feeling of the cartoons but on a grander scale. There is a synergy between the script and art and it blends into something magical. 

There is a lot of insight provided into Cybertronian culture, and I think the direction to follow a newly forged Transformer is inspired as it gives the reader a POV character that has just as much knowledge of the events as they do.

All in all, this is another great launch for IDW and falls in line with Go-Bots, Dick Tracy: Dead or Alive and the TMNT: Macro series that ended last fall. IDW has been knocking these series out of the park and it's nice to see that they have managed to breath new life into these well-established franchises, kudos to all involved. more