The General Comic Discussion Thread - Part 2

[Babillygunn]

I'm veeery behind for the entire month. After the first week of January, I started work on a bunch of projects that prohibited venturing to the comics shop until last Wednesday and even then, i started yet more work that Friday and only do I now have a few days to myself to really start reading a chunk of them.

To start, my list:

Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow #7
The Human Target #4
Batman/Catwoman Special
Action Comics #1039
Flash #778
Superman & Robin Special
Nightwing #88
Superman: Son of Kal-El #7
The Good Asian #8
Batman: The Knight #1
Robin #10
King Conan #2
Peacemaker: Disturbing The Peace one-shot
Detective Comics #1050

And I've only been able to read the first 6 books. So...

Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow: A book that illustrates the potential of any character when someone actually puts in the work. That's not to say that Supergirl is a bad character and she has no good stories. But I feel like Kara has kind of languished in hack-work purgatory for a number of years, coasting along by a subpar TV show and the good graces of her more popular cousin. In this book, King really dives into who Kara is, and what makes her tick, while giving her a perhaps more uncouth personality than we're used to seeing, all to make her a much stronger character. I feel like King has finally done the work many writers have failed at trying. He's dissected Kara into parts to explore the whole and has revealed a much stronger, richer character than we've seen, and he's done so while successfully removing Clark from the equation. It'd be erroneous to call this a deconstruction. It's a very profound celebration of Kara that only King could deliver. I look forward to the final issue next month. It should be something special, making this if not THE best, then certainly one of the best, Supergirl stories of all time.

Human Target #4: Just give King and Smallwood all the awards now. My heart aches at who the killer might be when all is revealed, and that emotion stems not just from the nostalgia these JLI characters instill in me, but because King does such a great job distilling these JLI characters to their very best, pure essence that you can't but invest in them as characters. The mystery continues. As does the fun.

The Batman/Catwoman Special: There's a lot of unpack with this book. To start, this is the best issue of the series, and is more of what I wanted from the main series: a romance comic exploring the relationship (past, present, and future) of Bruce Wayne and Selina Kyle. There's so many scenes that could be expounded upon and explore in such a satisfying way. We get the beginning. We get the ending. We get everything in between within 48 pages. On that note, it's probably one of the best things Tom King has ever written. There's so many layers to the story, and to Bruce & Selina's relationship, along with their relationship with their daughter, and her's with them. And it ends so tragically. I need to re-read it, but I loved it so much.

Secondly, the book is a tribute to John Paul Leon, who tragically passed away a few months ago before finishing the book. His pages are incredible, as always, highlighting how huge a loss his death truly was. He was a brilliant artist. A master of the medium. He captured people in their long johns as just that: people. With all the nuances we humans have that make us so interesting.

Bernard Chang and Shawn Crystal finish JPL's layouts, which is an interesting experiment just to see how a different artist with their own style interprets another artists's thought process on the page. But Mitch Gerads makes his stand as one of the true greats. His work here echos JPL with thick, inky blacks and all the nuances of the human face that I would swear to you he mastered on Strange Adventures, but somehow outdoes himself here. It both pays tribute to, and carries forward the legacy and influence of, JPL. Mitch is a new master.

The issue also includes essays by Michael Davis, who hired him for the Static comic, and by Kurt Busiek with whom JPL worked on Batman: Creature of the Night. It also includes a series of pin-ups by friends and colleagues of JPL in his memory. But what's also cool is that the book reprints his Batman: Black & White story with Walt Simonson and a Question story with Ram V. Half the book is Batman/Catwoman and the other half is a celebration of JPL. If you like Batman, buy this book. If you love comics, buy this book. It seldom gets better than this.

Action Comics #1039: The best Superman book on the stands BY FAR, and the best Superman story IN YEARS. Until there's some sort of huge dip in quality, I will forever be a broken record about this book and Philip Kennedy Johnson and co. The Warworld Saga has never once not felt like a grand scale epic. Johnson knows how to get to the true humanity of Clark and challenge him without it ever feeling cheap or at the expense of the character. In fact, this is one of the very few times I've read a Superman story wherein the "Superman Inspires Hope" trope felt explored in a truthful, sincere way that never feels nostalgic or schmaltzy. I've often said that the best Superman story is one where his morals and philosophies are challenged, rather than his physical abilities. The Warworld Saga delivers. Getting Riccardo Federici to bring his painted artwork to the book for the foreseeable future is a masterstroke. This issue was gorgeous looking, and told beautifully as well. If you are not reading this book, you are making a terrible mistake and must fix it. If Johnson can deliver the climax, whenever that is, it's gonna be HUGE!

Flash #778. Despite my meanderings above, I'm gonna keep this short. The Flash is one of the best books DC has. It is everything a superhero book should be. And like Action Comics, if you aren't reading this book, may shame be upon you until you change your mind.

Lastly, the Superman & Robin Special: This book was a total wash. I was over this book by page 10 and had to force myself to continue. I did not like it at all. There are so many ways to tell a story about Older Jon and Still 10 - Damian Wayne and this story was not it. It was so pedestrian and not fun. It wasn't even interesting or insightful. I liked the callback to the Dinosaur Island issues from the beginning of Tomasi's original Superman run (which was one of my favorite stories of that run) but whatever magic Tomasi had there didn't make it into this book. What a shame. This had the potential to be so good.

I got part-way through Nightwing before life got in the way so I'm eager to hop back into it, and I'm very eager to read The Knight #1. Not the biggest Zdarsky fan, but his Image book called Newburn is SO GOOD that I decided to give this book, with an absurd $5 cover price, a shot. Hopefully it delivers.

Hope everyone is safe and doing well!

Wow. It seems that you and I are in lock-step with our tastes. I agree with everything you said about Flash, Supergirl, Human Target, and Super Sons. I liked the Batman Catwoman special, but I preferred the Tom King Batman Annual 2, which I thought did the same thing, but slightly better.

Admittedly, I gave up on Superman and Action shortly after Bendis took over and I haven’t picked it back up. But apparently I need to.
Which issue in Action would be best to start with to read the Warworld saga?

 

[flickchick85]

I just caught up on the Warworld saga (my first ongoing book since Bendis took over Supes), and hot damn, this is what I’m talking about! I’ve never read anything from PKJ before, but hello, new fave. Guess I need to check out The Last God some time. Someone’s finally managed to do justice to my fave underused Supes villain.

And @Babillygunn I started at AC #1029. The only thing I feel like I’ve missed so far starting there is that something happened to give Supes radiation poisoning so his powers are waning at the start of the arc, but that’s it. Also you might wanna read PKJ’s Future State (the Superman and House of El ones).

 

[CrimsonMist]

I just caught up on the Warworld saga (my first ongoing book since Bendis took over Supes), and hot damn, this is what I’m talking about! I’ve never read anything from PKJ before, but hello, new fave. Guess I need to check out The Last God some time. Someone’s finally managed to do justice to my fave underused Supes villain.

And @Babillygunn I started at AC #1029. The only thing I feel like I’ve missed so far starting there is that something happened to give Supes radiation poisoning so his powers are waning at the start of the arc, but that’s it. Also you might wanna read PKJ’s Future State (the Superman and House of El ones).

The Warworld story proper starts with Action #1030. But the plot point you mention occurs in the two-part story that starts in Superman 29 (also by Philip Kennedy Johnson) and ends in Action #1029.

And to echo @flickchick85's recommendation, @Babillygunn: I strongly suggest reading PKJ's Future State Superman titles. The Worlds of War 2-parter is basically the thesis for the Action Comics arc, and the House of El one-shot is just fantastic world building that we don't normally see (which also continues in the Action Comics 2021 annual), though neither books have much to do with the Warworld stuff.

 

[super85]

Asked my comicbook shop to order that upcoming Geoff Johns DC comic set in the Flashpoint world. Geoff Johns is really hit and miss, but I am curious and usually give all of his stories a chance at least. Nothing that has been said about the guy in media has changed my mind about that.

 

[Mani-Man]

The Current Action Comics arc is really good, im glad i gave it another chance because he recent issue are really strong.

Anway, we reached that time of the Week…its COMICS WEEK

Batman

Visually Abyss is already one of the coolest new characters we had in recent years, really love the design.
Its why the Main Cover of the issue is my favorite.
Didn’t saw the plot twist coming at first, but re-reading it was clear halfway through.
Problem is that I don’t care for batman Inc at all to be super invested in this arc for their sake.
Never was interested in Batman Inc so the interest in them as characters is almost zero.
But there are enough players in the arc to be interesting as hell, really looking forward to the next issues.

Detective Comics

Again a more build up issue than anything, but I don’t mind that.
Its so nice seeing Psycho Pirate again, I don’t remember when he had something to do in recent times.
And here his role is quite significant too…really nice.
He even gets to be on the cover…wuhu. XD
Still such a great arc, which mainly imo is because it focuses so hard on the family while Batman is away.
I just love the Batfamily so much.

Monkey Prince

Waited some time now for this, and its weird.
Cant put my finger onto it, but the whole thing just feels weird.
The Art, the writing…really confuses me for some reason.
But also has me interested in it, so I will keep reading for now.

Suicide Squad

I love the series, its art and writing really keeps me as reader.
They handle all these characters etc very well imo and im going back and forth between hating Waller or being impressed with her.
And that I think Is the point of the character.
So to me they do a good job, it’s one of those overlooked series in my opinion that more people should read, but I understand why not everyone can get into it.

Well and that’s about it this week.
A Week with both Batman and Detective comics, is a good week no matter what.
So im happy with this one.

 

[Gee]

Well, this has certainly piqued my interest.

First look: Jurassic League is a Justice League of freakin’ dinosaur DC heroes

 

[super85]

That looks a lot better than that "Death Justice League" event DC is planning for April.

 

[Mani-Man]

Well, this has certainly piqued my interest.

First look: Jurassic League is a Justice League of freakin’ dinosaur DC heroes

I can already see the Tons of merchandise you could do with this...and i wan ten of each.
That is such a dumb fun idea, i love it already.

 

[Primal Slayer]

DC really doesnt know how to do big events without a Crisis involved do they nowadays?

The next big gamechanger: Dark Crisis

 

[Milk Tray Guy]

'Crisis' always gets my attention. I'll be interested to hear more.

 

[Mani-Man]

DC can capture my interest when they call an event "crisis".
I kind of like that and makes them still feel special in all those crossovers and events.
Not the most Unique name of course, but works for me.

Its that time of the Week…its time for the weekly comics.

Batgirls

The series keeps its consistent quality, nay it gets better…I think issue 3 so far is my favorite of it.
Not too hard considering we are only 3 in, but still.
The Art, the writing, the pacing…all keeps me very interested.
Its one of those series I already have my eyes on for a physical release when the volume is done.
Definitly keep reading this for a long time if the quality stays like this.
Rian Gonzales Variant cover reminds me that Valentines Day is close, im really curious how hard DC normally goes with that.
I know they often have literally issues around it, but never looked into the variant covers before…so im curious when valentines day comes around, how much inspired variant covers there are.

Batman Urban Legends

What a weird main cover, but it has Animals and therefore gets my vote already.
Im really liking the Zatanna/Batman story so far, pretty well done and I love Zatannas design.
Didn’t expect that story at first to be this good, but im really interested.
But we read this whole thing because of Ace
You are a good boy Ace, you suck Lex…I love the squirrel and the turtle, and the bear…I love you all.
Everytime a Animal wrecks a bad guy, im all for it.
Now im however worried for Bruce…Ace and gang to the rescue.
Urban Legends is one of those sleeper hits I feel.
First the great Jason story, now this with Ace…really underrated series at the moment.

Detective Comics

Seems like Chase will have a bigger role than expected, which I like.
Part of me still hopes that we get some kind of Batman Forever inspired Flashback with her, but I guess they don’t go with her being horny for batman here. XD
Anyway, the arc keeps its pacing and good storytelling…consistent is good.
As always I love the batfamily working together, stakes slowly rising etc.
Good issue.
Variant Cover wise of course Bermejo again shows his talent, but im just a fan when covers focus on the arc, which Bermejos just doesn’t do.
Still, I wouldn’t hesitate a second if I would see the issue with his Variant cover somewhere.

I am Batman

I give this a chance because of the idea, and so far its neat.
It needs a few issues where Jace needs to settle, but so far pretty neat.
Cover wise, the original and Francesco Mattinas are super cool.

Superman Son of Kal-El

The issue lost me a little bit because it felt more drawn out than necessary.
But it all moves forward and works on giving Jon more character.
Loving both of the covers, they are neat.
The most annoying thing this series faces, is that it feels like DC doesn’t trust it enough on its own and instead looks for ways to sell stuff as controversial.
Because the series itself doesn’t feel that controversial in terms of the writing and all.
When Jon got together with Jay, wasn’t as big of a deal in the series, was really genuine etc.
Or when the last issue had this Controversial cover when the issue itself wasn’t really that on your nose.
This is the kind of stuff that makes things unnecessary difficulty for the Series.
And that kind of annoys me a bit, you give the “Buhu woke” idiots Ammo you didn’t need to.
The Series is good so far and deserves more positive recognition, but with the way DC seems to want it to hinge on controversy, bothers me.

The Joker

I feel like I can paste in here my previous opinions, because this thing keeps surprising me with how well it works.
Again, the title is a bit weird considering for example that here only in the last page you see the Joker.
This was all about Gordon…which I absolutely like.
But have to be honest, after Kings run im kind of Tired of Bane, so seeing him being revealed here…wasn’t really hitting as hard as they probably wanted it to.
Will be interesting how things go with Vengeance now how I slowly get used to.
We need more female Villains, so I hope she sticks around after this all.

A productive week with no comic that felt like I wasted my time with.

 

[Gee]

Limited to 7k copies so call your LCS before it goes OOP (again).

 

[CrimsonMist]

Limited to 7k copies so call your LCS before it goes OOP (again).

I was so excited about this until I called my comic shop. Apparently it's one copy per store. And I did not make the call fast enough. I'm hoping I'll still be able to score a copy, or that this drives down the stupid cost of the older versions on ebay.

 

[Gee]

I was so excited about this until I called my comic shop. Apparently it's one copy per store. And I did not make the call fast enough. I'm hoping I'll still be able to score a copy, or that this drives down the stupid cost of the older versions on ebay.

Well that's disappointing.

I'll email my LCS guy. I wonder if some retail stores or even Amazon will distribute it.

 

[Babillygunn]

Well that's disappointing.

I'll email my LCS guy. I wonder if some retail stores or even Amazon will distribute it.

Yeah. That crushes my hopes

 

[WompuM]

Hey folks - just popping in to say Hi. Been a minute and hope you're all well.

 

[Mani-Man]

Little late, but comics week...wuhu.

Batman: The Knight #2

Continues to entertain me, very well drawn, written and paced.
Nothing to complain about.
I don’t know if it is meant to be, but It gave me Batman The Detective vibes, especially now with Ducard showing up and in general.
I can recommend both covers, both are working quite well and I like both.

Detective Comics

Boy oh Boy, that Main cover…incredible.
Love that Penguin design.
Weird how in the issue itself, the penguin has this weird fish hands then…one of those things that kind of annoy me when people draw him.
Not a huge fan of the Burton Fish hands.
Anyway, the arc keeps its high level, really fun stuff.
But something I realized, maybe my memory is wrong on that…but isn’t one of the batfamilies more specified training in the past one that is meant to protect them from mind control?
Maybe Im wrong, but that thought just hit me while reading.

The Flash

Same as last issue, just a incredible fun ride…I have so much fun with the Flash.

Nightwing

Oh my heart, Tom Taylor knows how to give me what I want.
That Batman and Nightwing part, Dick in Batman Pyjamas etc…he hits the right notes.
While not everything he writes is gold, Tom Taylor really rises in my ranks quite fast with Stuff like Nightwing or Batman The Detective…I even enjoy his attempts to fix what bendis broke with Jon.
Nightwing stays however his finest work and easily in the top 3 of the must read DC series currently.

Nubia and The Amazons

It stays a underrated series, but to be honest…I don’t know myself what to say more to it.
It is a good series, I enjoy it and the focus on Nubia, the amazons etc…but its not a gripping series.
Nothing really makes it a MUST READ, but if you can spare the money, you wont regret it.

Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow

What a beautiful ending of this series, the last scene I did not expect…but man, what a story.
Tom King at his best, creating one if not THE Best Supergirl story ever told.
Cant praise this Series and each issue enough.

Wonder Woman

The Pacing of this issue wasn’t very good and the series in general is rather lackluster at the moment.
Still a good read, but I don’t sit here waiting for the next issue.
It lacks fire.
Doesn’t help that we also have potentially Siegfried in the mix now.
*Sarcasm* Cant wait to see the boring team of Steve and Siegfried fight over Diana *sarcasm*
Infinite Frontier so far isn’t too kind to Diana sadly.
I hope that changes soon.

A strong week that is worth the money to me.

 

[Babillygunn]

I was wondering when your reviews would come in. I always look forward to them.

Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow

What a beautiful ending of this series, the last scene I did not expect…but man, what a story.
Tom King at his best, creating one if not THE Best Supergirl story ever told.
Cant praise this Series and each issue enough.

Loved the story. It was absolutely beautiful and perfect. Until the last page. What????

But it was still a great ride. I just have to ignore the postscript.

The Flash

Same as last issue, just a incredible fun ride…I have so much fun with the Flash.

This issue was an absolute gem. I loved it so much. And I realized the other morning after I read it that I really hope that Barry is gone for a long time. I don’t want to see the mantle taken from Wally.

But this issue (and especially the cameo by

Spoiler

Spectre

was just pure joy. This is why I read comics.

Nightwing

Oh my heart, Tom Taylor knows how to give me what I want.
That Batman and Nightwing part, Dick in Batman Pyjamas etc…he hits the right notes.
While not everything he writes is gold, Tom Taylor really rises in my ranks quite fast with Stuff like Nightwing or Batman The Detective…I even enjoy his attempts to fix what bendis broke with Jon.
Nightwing stays however his finest work and easily in the top 3 of the must read DC series currently.

I agree with everything you said. My only difference would be that it is not top 3. It’s a clear #1 right now. With Flash coming in at #2.

 

[CrimsonMist]

I'm FINALLY caught up with the rest of the books from my last post up through this past week's haul. So I'll keep this as concise as I can:

Batman/Catwoman #10. I feel like I've turned into the kind of comic book fan that I despise: the kind who buys a comic despite not liking it because the need to complete the collection. I still don't understand what this book is about. Whereas Heroes in Crisis had a point, regardless of how meandering the story was, I understood plainly what the book was about. Batman/Catwoman? I have no clue. I had a bit more of a clarity in narrative with the previous 3 issues when Liam Sharp illustrated it, but Clay Mann once again proves that while he can draw pretty pictures, he cant tell a story at all. I've come this far though, so maybe I'll power through it to the conclusion in (presumably) June.

Nightwing #88-89. LOVE IT. Loved the Titans showing up to stop the assassination attempt and I loved how the battle lines were drawn. I'm glad Bruno Redondo is back on art duties, and I loved the team-up issue with Jon Kent. The scene with Kelex and the Batman pajamas was the best. I think seeing Dick impart some knowledge on Jon is a great idea, considering Clark is gone and (his Fortress A.I) is out of touch, and Damian is just...Damian.

Superman: Son of Kal-El #7-8. This book, however, I did not love as much. I'm still really intrigued by the idea of a social reformist Superman, but this book feels so much like some sort of CW melodrama. That's not to say I'm expecting something akin to Miracleman #16 where the superpowered beings force change upon the world, but I'd love it more if Taylor leaned into that idea a little harder instead of this facile "Young people can save the world!" Young Adults-novel approach he's decided to take. And his trope of closing the book with the same captions that opened it is getting pretty tired. Next issue is part of the Nightwing crossover, so I'm excited to see that playout.

Batman: The Knight #1-2. I was pretty excited to read this, and thought issue 1 was pretty damn good. Issue 2 didn't land with as much success. The problem with books like these is that writers try to get cute to explain away things that maybe don't need to be explained. For example, Bruce having a thing for super hawt cat burglars and deciding that he wouldn't waste time with them going forward is just a needless explanation for why Batman digs Catwoman. And if the book continues with things like that, trying to neatly explain away certain quirks of the character like that, I'll probably dip out. Issue 1 was fantastic though. I felt you could probably have used that issue to book-end the whole series, but I thought it was an interesting look at Bruce growing up and making the decision to leave Gotham. We'll see what next issue brings.

Robin #10. Didn't care for this issue. Nothing about it grabbed me at all and I kinda just want the arc to be over with. We're two issues out from the Shadow War crossover, so if the next two issues don't do anything to improve in quality and change my mind, issue 12 is probably where I jump ship.

King Conan #2. Still not as good as the Dark Horse stuff, but good nonetheless. Nothing too spectacular happens here, but it firmly establishes the set-up that I look forward to seeing pay off.

Peacemaker: Disturbing The Peace. Cool one-shot by Garth Ennis, which was the whole reason for my buying it. I'm pretty happy that Ennis is back to doing more work for DC so I try to check out whatever he does. This is probably the first interesting Peacemaker story I've read at DC since he started getting a push. I kinda dug what Lemire was doing in the back-up strip in Inferior Five because that got canned. I like that there's a pretty large difference between Peacemaker and Punisher, and were the character to get a more long-form series independent of Suicide Squad, I'd love to see Ennis explore that further.

Detective Comics #1050: Bought this for the World's Finest back-up by Waid and Mora. It was fun, but am eager to read a longer story by the two. I can't wait for the ongoing.

Flash #779. Just perfect. Loved having Maxine Baker be a part of the action, and it was great seeing Jai and Irey back in action properly too. As it looks like Wally is being bumped to the front lines as a result of the Death of the Justice League story, I expect bigger and better things for him. Now if we could just restore the whole Flash family (Jay, Bart, and Max) please! The lack of those characters is the only thing holding this book back from 100% greatness.

Verotika: Revenge one-shot. So I'm a huge fan of Glenn Danzig's music (Misfits/Samhain/Danzig). His comics though? Trash, haha. When i was younger and discovered he had comics, I bought up a bunch and despite all the excessive violence and T&A, they weren't very good. My revisiting them has only reinforced that opinion, despite some great artwork. I only bought this because I walked into a comic shop in my travels that was sold out of a book I wanted, and not wanting to leave empty handed, grabbed this because it happened to be there and I had no idea it existed. It is not good. Not good at all.

The Goon #14. GOON IS BACK! I had no idea this issue came out earlier in February but it did, and I am so excited. The Goon is one of my favorite books, and while this latest string of books has been a little hit or miss (lots of guest writers and/or artists), this particular issue was a lot of fun as Eric Powell is once again behind the wheel. I laughed out loud at so much of this book, and I miss that it's not on a regular schedule like it was at Dark Horse. "The Vengeance of Duck Boy"...i knew that kid couldn't be trusted.

Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow #8. Pitch perfect. It's treatment of Kara was beautiful, and the conclusion was outstanding. I look forward to giving this whole series a re-read, and am dismayed that DC is giving this a TPB release over a hardcover release first, as this is right up there with King's Up In The Sky. All this to say, I've always appreciated Supergirl, but this is the first time I've had my eyes opened to her potential as something more than just a clone of her cousin. I would very much like to see this version of Kara appear in other books, especially in Philip Kennedy Johnson's Action Comics.

That's all until next week which hopefully I'll have time for. That weekend I leave the state for a month and have all of my books on hold at my shop. So I won't get to read anything until April!

 

[flickchick85]

Well now that I've actually finished it, I can confirm what I've suspected since I started - that Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow is a masterpiece and the best Supergirl story I've read. Can't wait to buy the collected edition. And if they do a deluxe or absolute edition somewhere down the line, I'll happily double dip. I'd love to see this approach to Kara stick in other stories. Given the character's history/origin, this just feels like what she always should have been to me.

Loved the story. It was absolutely beautiful and perfect. Until the last page. What????

But it was still a great ride. I just have to ignore the postscript.

Spoiler

I thought it was fitting. She's not gonna kill him, but that doesn't mean she ever has to forgive and forget either. Kara would get that. It fits with the resilience theme, imo - we live and learn from the past, but we don't have to let it go entirely. It's always with us.

 

[Lantern Venom]

We had one of the most notable Batman podcasters in the world, Nikko Caruso Jr from the Vigilante 1939 Podcast, join us to talk Detective Comics #457, a story by the late, great Dennis O' Neil.

 

[Gee]

The Bat-trunks are back!

Chip Zdarsky & Jorge Jimenez Are The New Batman Creative Team For DC (Exclusive)

Award-winning writer Chip Zdarsky is about to bring DC Comics' Batman into a new era. ComicBook.com can exclusively reveal that Zdarsky (Daredevil, Spider-Man: Life Story) will be taking over as the writer of the main Batman title beginning in July, with art from one of the title's most recent artists, Jorge Jiménez (Justice League, Super Sons). The duo's collaboration on the title will begin with "Failsafe", a six-issue story arc that kicks off with July 5th's oversized Batman #125. This will mark Zdarsky's latest contribution to the Batman mythos, following the Black Label maxiseries Batman: The Knight, and stories in Batman: Urban Legends, Batman: Black and White, and Detective Comics #1027.

 

[Mani-Man]

The Bat-trunks are back!

Chip Zdarsky & Jorge Jimenez Are The New Batman Creative Team For DC (Exclusive)

Thats really good, but a surprise...i thought Williamson would stay longer.
Really shame because i do like the art and writing of the current batman run, the Abyss arc is really neat.

And Jimenez works for me always.
Was hoping we go back to the armored suit or adopt a more Bermejo/Pattinson looking suit...but it is what it is.
As long as the art is badass and the writing good, im fine with it.

Last comics week of February

Action Comics

The Arc keeps getting better and better, again im really glad that I gave it another chance.
Would miss out otherwise on something really strong.

Aquaman/Green Arrow

As usual, just dumb fun that reminds me off those old school comics.
Such a weird concept but tons of fun with it.

Detective Comics

Aha, so my question last time was answered somewhat.
Liked the build up of the issue and we reach the point where the first issue of the arc started.
The covers of this arc keep hitting homeruns, I love them all.

Harley Quinn

Again, keeps me entertained, I really like the series.
Its so goofy and has a lot of heart in it.

Robin

Felt a bit “bubbly” in terms of the writing to me.
I don’t know, Ra’s and Talia…seemed less stoic than im used to.
Still, a fantastic Issue especially because of how the cast of characters is used.
I doubt we get Alfred back so soon and with this arc…I would appreciate it but it would kind of ruin what the series so far has been about.
And with the Shadow War arc coming fast, I don’t think bringing Alfred back is fitting into the plot of that.
But boy do I miss him.

Wonder Woman Evolution

Loses a lot of steam, my interest in the story is going down quite a bit.
That despite the Issue bringing up a interesting topic.
But the story starts to drag and makes me lose my focus reading it.

Im sorry for the rather short and basic stuff, the current situation in Europe has my full attention and i have a hard time organizing my thoughts because of the whole thing.

 

[CrimsonMist]

Managed to get my comics in this week before I travel on Sunday.

Small week.

Human Target #5. What a head trip this one was. I really loved the structure of this issue. The way King and Smallwood use repetition of flashbacks, always slightly different than the previous time we saw them, was a brilliant move. That it all ties into a mental game of chess with the Martian Manhunter only justified it. I'm not sure if this Emra from Saturn was supposed to be the LOSH Saturn Girl or some variant of the character or what, but I liked her inclusion and I really liked the way her training with Christopher Chance and Chance's goal of becoming a "human target" justified the motivations of each character for doing what they were doing. It's disappointing enough that I won't get to read #6 until the end of March, but it's even more disappointing that the book is going on hiatus until September. This, next to Supergirl, is easily King's best project since Mister Miracle (and I say that having loved Strange Adventure and Rorschach).

Action Comics #1040. This book continually justifies itself as being the best Superman story in years. The writing is great. The art is great. It hits all the right notes. We've been in this world a while now and we're gonna be in this world for a while longer, and I shall not complain at all. I'm especially glad that more and more people are discovering this book, as it deserves all the attention it can get.

Robin #11. A good return to form after the last few issues meandered into decompressed exposition. We jump into Shadow War next month, which lasts through May, and I have zero interest in that crossover. So I may skip it for the foreseeable future and jump back into it in June should the book catch my interest.
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Chip Zdarsky on the main Batman book has my attention. I decided to drop Williamson's run as I just couldn't get into it. It started off very exciting. I dug the return of the Batman Inc. outfit and the set-up was intriguing enough, but after reading 3 issues, it just didn't grab me the way I thought it would. I'll give Zdarsky his first arc or so and decide from there.

Tom King's Danger Street sounds like a really cool idea for a comic, especially as it gives attention to underrated characters like The Warlord, Metamorpho and Dr. Fate. It'll be interesting to see how King handles the Mark Shaw Manhunter in this book, as Bendis kind of went off the rails with him in his Action Comics and Checkmate books. But it's genuinely exciting to see the return of the Mikaal Tomas Starman, though I hesitate to believe that there could be any reference to his time in James Robinson's Starman series (probably THE greatest Superhero comic of all time). That this is a riff on the old 1st Issue Special series from the 70's means that King will also be exploring characters exclusive to that series, like Lady Cop, and Codename: Assassin. I've amassed most of the series over the years, and love most of the issues in all their off-beat, bizarre glory. That this book is a bi-monthly book though is frustrating. But I'm in. 100%!

 

[signalman]

Hope King brings in LADY COP for his Danger Street series.