What's your latest read?

[Milk Tray Guy]

Finished Tales From the Dark Multiverse II (hardcover), containing the five one-shots Batman: Hush, Flashpoint, Wonder Woman: War of the Gods, Crisis on Infinite Earths, and Dark Nights: Metal*

Five more tales of terror from the Dark Multiverse!

The sequel to the bestselling series is here with twisted takes on five more of DC's most iconic and celebrated stories: Batman: Hush, Flashpoint, Wonder Woman: War of the Gods, Crisis on Infinite Earths, and Dark Nights: Metal - the event where the Dark Multiverse was born.

Tempus Fuginaut, who watches over the Dark Multiverse, serves as our guide through the darkness that has befallen some of DC's greatest icons: Batman, the Flash, Wonder Woman, the Justice Society of America, and the Signal.

The premise for each tale is as follows (no spoilers);

Batman: Hush: Following the murder of his parents, Bruce Wayne is taken in by the Elliots and raised as Thomas Elliot's brother
Flashpoint: Barry Allen's attempts to regain his Flash powers, aided by Thomas Wayne, result in his death
Wonder Woman: War of the Gods: Diana loses the battle for her soul against Hecate
Crisis on Infinite Earths: The Justice League fall, and the Justice Society take on Surtur
Dark Nights: Metal: So... joining hands in a "kumbaya" moment isn't all it takes to save a universe?

Like Vol one, each tale has its own creators;

Batman: Hush: writing by Phillip Kennedy Johnson, art by Dexter Soy and Sergio Davila
Flashpoint: writing and art by Bryan Hitch
Wonder Woman: War of the Gods: writing by Vita Ayala, art by Ariel Olivetti
Crisis on Infinite Earths: writing by Steve Orlando, art by Mike Perkins
Dark Nights: Metal: writing by Scott Snyder, Jackson Lanzing, and Collin Kelly, art by Karl Mostert

When I reviewed Vol one (What's your latest read?) I said I loved the concept for this. I still do. But where the first volume lived up to that, this one doesn't. A sad fact; I finished reading this book two weeks ago - yet when I sat down today to write this, I couldn't remember a thing about the stories. Any of them. The whole thing is just... mediocre. A serious letdown after Vol one. Crisis is the 'best' of the bunch, but that's damning with pretty faint praise. And Metal is easily the worst.

Batman: Hush: plot 7/10, writing 7/10, art 6/10
Flashpoint: plot 7/10, writing 7/10, art 7/10
Wonder Woman: War of the Gods: plot 7/10, writing 7/10, art 7/10
Crisis on Infinite Earths: plot 7/10, writing 8/10, art 7/10
Dark Nights: Metal: plot 6/10, writing 6/10, art 6/10


Overall, 7/10



*Also includes Batman #619, Flashpoint #1, Wonder Woman: War of the Gods #4, Crisis on Infinite Earths #12, and Dark Nights: Metal #6, as a quick revision of the original stories (or as a primer for any who've never read them).

 

[Babillygunn]

I just re-read Black Mirror for the first time in about 5 years.

In full disclosure, I’m not a huge Scott Snyder fan. In fact, I usually would say that the best thing about a Scott Snyder Batman book is Greg Capullo’s art. That’s why it is so ironic that this is far and away Snyder’s best work, in my opinion. And aside from some outstanding covers, I’m not too keen on Jock’s art art in this one. Faces seem off and characters look quite bland. But the story is wonderfully written.

Snyder does an interesting thing in giving Dick his own arch nemesis rather than recycling other conventional villains. It pays off mostly due to the personal connections not just to Dick but even more so to Commissioner Gordon and Barbara. James Jr. is a mixed bag, bordering on boring at times, but ultimately pretty satisfying as a cool, apathetic sociopath. The climax, however reduces him to the typical monologueing villain trope. Still, Dick ultimately pulls this scene together and makes it satisfying.

The story also weaves in other villains who come across much more dangerous and terrifying than they deserve to be, including the Dealer, Tiger Shark, and a loser named the Roadrunner. It makes the story a little schizophrenic in the journey, but you see the sum of the parts in the end.

In all, it’s a very good read. Snyder does a great job of showcasing Dick Grayson as Batman. He shows off the detective skills very well. Also Gordon really shines here and there’s an interesting allusion that Gordon knows that Dick is Batman at the end.

For a Grayson fan such as myself, this was a good celebration of the character. He is certainly distanced from Bruce. He’s not Batman-lite. He’s his own man and in many ways a better version of Batman.

I definitely recommend.

 

[vantheman77]

Death-Defying Devil from Dynamite Entertainment.

 

[Milk Tray Guy]

Death-Defying Devil from Dynamite Entertainment.

What did you think? I'm a fan of Project Superpowers.

 

[vantheman77]

What did you think? I'm a fan of Project Superpowers.

I’m a big fan of public domain superheroes as there is loads of potential.

 

[JennySparx]

I'm currently enjoying Fine Print and Alice in Leatherland which have both been a great read

I'm also loving Harley Quinn: The Eat, Bang, Kill Tour and over at Marvel I'm loving pretty much their entire line of X-men comics and Jed MacKay's Black Cat

 

[Slick]

Aquaman: Becoming #5
Black Manta #5
Icon and Rocket #5

 

[souvlaki]

Just finished Snagglepuss: Exit Stage Left and Batman: Prey. Exit Stage Left is probably one of the best comics read this year. Prey was a fun read as well. Doug Moench is such a great Batman writer.

On a side note, just started a trial through DC Universe Infinite and it’s really disappointing the lack of Vertigo material. Only a handful of issues of Sandman (and hardly any of the spin-offs) and no Fables. I had considered doing a year subscription but now I’m not so sure as part of my reason for getting it was to re-read Fables. Oh well.

 

[Babillygunn]

Just finished Snagglepuss: Exit Stage Left and Batman: Prey. Exit Stage Left is probably one of the best comics read this year. Prey was a fun read as well. Doug Moench is such a great Batman writer.

On a side note, just started a trial through DC Universe Infinite and it’s really disappointing the lack of Vertigo material. Only a handful of issues of Sandman (and hardly any of the spin-offs) and no Fables. I had considered doing a year subscription but now I’m not so sure as part of my reason for getting it was to re-read Fables. Oh well.

I’m a lover of DC Universe Infinite and my year subscription expired two weeks ago and I’m in withdrawals. I’m really needing to take the time to renew. But then again, I’m not a huge Vertigo reader and I read the essentials for what they had on the site for Sandman.
Being a huge fan of the Bronze Age, I find DC Universe Infinite to be a treasure trove

 

[souvlaki]

I’m a lover of DC Universe Infinite and my year subscription expired two weeks ago and I’m in withdrawals. I’m really needing to take the time to renew. But then again, I’m not a huge Vertigo reader and I read the essentials for what they had on the site for Sandman.
Being a huge fan of the Bronze Age, I find DC Universe Infinite to be a treasure trove

I’m starting to come around on it, I think I was just disappointed that a few of the titles I wanted to read weren’t available after naively assuming they’d have the entire DC line. One thing I love about it is the ability to just give any title a chance that I might not have given otherwise. Plunge, The Question: The Deaths of Vic Sage and Deadman: Dark Mansion are titles I probably never would have checked out and I loved them all.

Do they generally get new titles on release date for the most part or is there a delay? I noticed they only have the first two issues of The Nice House on the Lake and I believe that title is up to issue 6 now.

 

[Babillygunn]

I’m starting to come around on it, I think I was just disappointed that a few of the titles I wanted to read weren’t available after naively assuming they’d have the entire DC line. One thing I love about it is the ability to just give any title a chance that I might not have given otherwise. Plunge, The Question: The Deaths of Vic Sage and Deadman: Dark Mansion are titles I probably never would have checked out and I loved them all.

Do they generally get new titles on release date for the most part or is there a delay? I noticed they only have the first two issues of The Nice House on the Lake and I believe that title is up to issue 6 now.

Most new titles have a six month delay. That’s the only downside. But aside from titles that I collect, I tend to be about six months behind, so it all works out for me!

 

[souvlaki]

Not DC but I just finished both volumes of Afterlife with Archie. Very bittersweet because this is probably one of the best comics I’ve read in a long time but it ended on a cliffhanger. Went on to discover this is either canceled or on an indefinite hiatus (can’t seem to find a definitive answer either way).

 

[Slick]

Black Manta #6
This has been a fantastic book and I’m looking forward to Aquamen.

 

[Babillygunn]

I’m currently reading Dan Jurgens’ Superman: Lois and Clark.

It is soooooo good. The perfect launchpad for Tomasi’s Rebirth run. It just drives home the point that Jurgens and Tomasi took a situation where numerous mistakes had been made in New 52 to Superman, and they remade the character to the point where he wasn’t just better, or simply rehabilitated, but instead he became quite possibly the best he had ever been written outside of John Byrne or Alan Moore. And look at where we are today. It’s quite sad. Bendis reversed all of their efforts to fix the character. It’s like he took the Rebirth character and dropped him squarely back into the New 52 scenarios. And worse still, his treatment of Lois is nothing short of a character assassination.

At everyone’s suggestion, I’m also catching up on the Warworld Saga and I’m thanking my lucky stars for Philip Kennedy Johnson, who is doing wonders with a really garbage set of circumstances that he has inherited from Bendis and DC.

 

[Loden Greatstorm]

Apologies for the random question, but does anyone know who these two characters are?
Thank you.

 

[Milk Tray Guy]

@Loden Greatstorm The one on the right maybe this guy?

Yondu Udonta (Earth-616) | Marvel Database | Fandom



Edit: Actually, I think Babillygunn has nailed that first figure with Frankenstein.

I'd say the one on the left is Killer Frost.

 

[Babillygunn]

Is the one on the right Frankenstein?

 

[Babillygunn]

 

[Milk Tray Guy]

Is the one on the right Frankenstein?

I think you could be right!

 

[Babillygunn]

I think you could be right!

The one on the left has me stumped. The only guesses I have would be Icemaiden or maybe Killer Frost. But I don’t remember them with any Frankenstein comics. And I’m pretty sure that’s him.

 

[Milk Tray Guy]

The one on the left has me stumped. The only guesses I have would be Icemaiden or maybe Killer Frost. But I don’t remember them with any Frankenstein comics. And I’m pretty sure that’s him.

Okay, some more digging shows that this is the Rafael Sarmento Card Stock Variant cover for Justice League: Road to Dark Crisis #1.

Justice League: Road to Dark Crisis #1 Preview

Trying to narrow down characters that appear in that who would fit for the figure on the left. Icemaiden or Killer Frost certainly seem the best bet.


Edit: Killer Frost is currently sporting a similar hairstyle to the girl in the pic that Loden posted

Killer Frost (Caitlin Snow)

Caitlin Snow as Killer Frost (Future State) - DC Comics

I think it's her.

 

[Loden Greatstorm]

Thank you all
I never knew Frankenstein was a DV character.

 

[Milk Tray Guy]

Just finished Crisis on Multiple Earths: Book 2: Crisis Crossed, collecting the yearly JLA/JSA crossovers, from Justice League of America #91, up to #160.

Familiar to fans the world over, the Justice League of America are comics' most iconic superheroes. They've already discovered the incredible heroes of Earth-2, the Justice Society of America, and teamed up to defeat threats to both worlds. But what happens when the crisis crosses over to multiple Earths far beyond the League's wildest dreams - and greatest nightmares?

In this incredible volume, the Justice League and the Justice Society explore new worlds, encountering whole new teams of heroes! On Earth-X, where the evils of World War II were never defeated, the Freedom Fighters are humanity's last hope! On Earth-S, the League joins forces with the Marvel Family to battle against evil! And 1,000 years from now, the Legion of Super-Heroes follows the legacy of the Justice League - but needs the help of the heroes of the past to battle the villains of the future!

Phew!

These stories originally ran from 1971 to 1978 and were first collected over two volumes published in 2004 and 2006 (except for the final two-parter, which appeared in a further volume in 2010). Quite a selection of writers here; Mike Friedrich, Len Wein, Cary Bates, Elliot S! Maggin, E.Nelson Bridwell, Martin Pasko, Paul Levitz, and Gerry Conway. Dick Dillin handles the artwork throughout.

When I wrote about Book 1 (What's your latest read?) I said how the writing was simplistic. That, and the abundance of dreadful puns. This time 'snark' is the order of the day; every one of these heroes seems to go out of their way to be an a-hole to everybody else (I'm surprised it's not known as 'the Snark Age'). And yet we're constantly being told what friends they are. Well, it's a good job they keep telling us - you'd never know it from the dialogue. Over the course of Book 1 the stories gradually moved away from 'goofy' and took on a more serious feel; here they drift back and forth between the two. There are some interesting concepts, but the stories don't really do them, well... Justice. The one that comes closest is the final entry, Gerry Conway's Crisis from Yesterday!/Crisis from Tomorrow! which has the heroes Jonah Hex, Viking Prince, Miss Liberty, Black Pirate, and Enemy Ace plucked from their respective time periods to battle the JLA and the JSA in 1978 (for quite an interesting reason) - but even that doesn't quite pull it off.

Dick Dillin's art is the redeeming feature here, really exemplifying 1970s DC, in the same way as Neal Adams did. It's beautiful and evokes a lot of nostalgia.

This falls well short of the first volume. It's still worth the read from a historical perspective, but I'm hoping Book 3 is a lot better.

Interesting ideas and great artwork get this a 6/10

 

[Babillygunn]

I just re- read some classic Batman stories:

A Death in the Family
A Lonely Place of Dying
Brave and the Bold #132 (Batman’s first team up with Richard Dragon)

 

[Jermobooka]

Just got done with Batman Ego and other Tails

Great collection of stories, really liked all of them. My favorite, however, had to be the one at the end titled “Deja Vu”.

Night of the Stalker was one of the first Batman stories I ever read, and I loved it. Darwyn Cooke remade the story and made it better in every single way, especially in the artwork department (at least imo).

I also really liked how Deja Vu tied into Catwoman: Selina’s Big Score, another story in the book drawn by Darwyn Cooke.

Batman Ego and other Tails is easily a 10/10 for me.