Detective Comics Annual #1 - A Review

Basil Karlo was once on Hollywood's A-List. Then a tragic accident saw him transformed into something else as he tried to reclaim his old life. Seeking redemption under the watchful eye of Batman, Basil struggled to prove that he was more than just a monster.

Now the full tale of how Basil Karlo became Clayface can be told!



There's not much to say about Detective Comics Annual #1 other than it is brilliant, as all of James Tynion IV's work with Eddy Barrows, Eber Ferreira and Adriano Lucas has been brilliant. Though we know where the story of Basil Karlo is going, Tynion's script adds enough wrinkles to keep the reader guessing as well as a few nods to Clayface's most famous origin from Batman: The Animated Series.The artwork, as noted, is spectacular with not a single mistake or missed opportunity in any panel. If you haven't been reading Detective Comics, this is a great issue to start with. It's also a must-read if you enjoy a good villainous origin story,

The Final Verdict: 10/10.

Detective Comics #966 - A Review

Trapped in the other-dimensional prison of Mr. Oz, Tim Drake has found a most unlikely ally in his escape attempt - himself. A future version of Tim Drake who became Batman, to be precise. This worries Tim for multiple reasons, the primary one being his own determination to do something with his life beyond being a vigilante. So how did Tim Drake turn from a college-bound prodigy into the last, best hope of Gotham City? The tale shall be told...



The second chapter of A Lonely Place Of Living is even more intense than the first. Freed from the burden of tying into the events of the Superman series, this issue is free to focus on Tim Drake and who he truly is as he is confronted with what he might become. James Tynion IV's script is equaled in excellence by the art of Eddy Barrows, Eber Ferreira and Adriano Lucas. If you only read one Batman book, this is the one to be reading!

The Final Analysis: 10 out of 10.

Detective Comics #950 - A Review

Detective Comics #950 is an over-sized anthology special. More than that, it's a showcase of everything this series has to offer in the Rebirth era, giving both the regular art teams and guest artists Marcio Takara and Dean White a chance to display their talents bringing James Tynion IV's masterful writing to life.


The first chapter - a prologue to the upcoming League of Shadows storyline - is told from the perspective of Cassandra Cain a.k.a. Orphan. I've never been a big fan of the character but damned if this story didn't make me see Cassie in a whole new light. Her frustration with being unable to communicate her thoughts verbally will be sympathetic to anyone who has ever had trouble expressing themselves. The artwork is easily the best thing I've ever seen drawn by Marcio Takara and Dean White's colors are perfectly applied.



The second story, Higher Power, is a short one which focuses on two members of the Bat Family in need of further development - Batwing and Azrael. Tynion's script goes beyond its simple faith vs. science set-up, focusing upon the odd friendship and differing attitudes between the two tech-based heroes.  The artwork by Alvaro Martinez, Raul Fernandez and Brad Anderson is consistent with their usual output - entirely excellent.


The final chapter, The Big Picture, details a flashback conversation between Batman and Tim Drake. Despite nominally serving no purpose other than setting up the Dark Days crossover event due to run through all the Batman books in 2017, its an solid character piece for both characters. The artwork by Eddy Barrows, Eber Ferreira and Adriano Lucas is damn good too.

Detective Comics #946 - A Review

As Batman confronts The First Victim, the rest of his team are having their own encounters with the rest of the new gang called The Victim Syndicate.  Batwoman goes head-on with Mister Noxious and Madame Crow as Clayface faces his own villainous past and the woman he wronged, who was transformed into Mudface. Meanwhile, Stephanie has her own surprising encounter with a familiar face in The Belfry.


I regret that I don't have a scanner large enough to capture the glorious two page spreads that depict most of the action in this issue. Eddy Barrows, Eber Ferreira, Julio Ferreira and Adriano Lucas are crafting pure magic together with their work on this series. Coupled with some fantastic character moments, as written by James Tynion IV, this is easily the strongest Batman book on the stands.

Detective Comics #944 - A Review

A new gang is in Gotham but this one is unusual even by the standards of Batman's hometown. Dubbing themselves The Victim Syndicate, they promise a never-ending reign of terror until Batman unmasks himself and promises to end his war on crime. For all of the Syndicate members are indeed victims - people caught in the crossfire of various super-villain attacks on Batman over the years.


While the idea that Batman may cause more harm than good by providing costumed villains with a target has been explored before (most famously in the Batman: The Animated Series episode Trial), James Tynion IV's The Victim Syndicate puts a unique spin on the idea by focusing on the very people Batman and his allies try to help. The syndicate members are interesting conceptually, with powers accquired from their exposure to other Batman rogues (Mr. Noxious, for instance, was once controlled by Poison Ivy and left with an ability to make people around him nauseous). Tynion manages to keep these new villains from seeming derivative and does more in this issue to make Luke Fox into a distinct character (if not a likeable one) than I believe any other writer has managed since Luke's creation.


The artwork proves equally phenomenal. The lighting effects Adriano Lucas creates with mere color are astonishing, adding interesting highlights to the shadows crafted by inker Eber Ferreira. And Eddy Barrows is one of the best pencilers to tackle the Batman family in some time.

Detective Comics #940 - A Review

The plans of the paramilitary group known as The Colony have been thwarted!  The state-of-the-art drones intended kill hundreds of innocent Gothamites have been hacked and redirected towards a single target. Unfortunately, that single target is Tim Drake!


I wish I could show you more of the wonderful artwork in this issue beyond this single page. Eddy Barrows, Eber Ferreira and Adriano Lucas are delivering the greatest work in their careers. There is one splash page in particular that astonished me.

Unfortunately, such is the nature of this James Tynion IV's story here that I can say little and show less without giving away the game completely. In fact, there's only one thing I can say regarding this issue. Detective Comics is the best Batman book on the stands right now and you'd be a fool not to be reading it.

Detective Comics #939 - A Review

Before the battle with The Colony began, Tim Drake had made a fateful decision regarding his future as a vigilante and his collegiate career. It was a decision he had hoped to discuss with Batman in private but circumstances did not allow it. Now, with The Colony sending an army of drones into Gotham City, Tim Drake will have to make another big decision to save the city and his team.


Detective Comics continues to be the best of the new wave of Batman comics. While the focus of this issue is on Red Robin, James Tynion IV takes care to give every moment of the ensemble cast a moment to shine. Indeed, this may be the best issue yet for Clayface as far as character moments go.

The artwork maintains the same high level of quality. Eddy Barrows is one of the best artists working in the field today and every page of this book looks fantastic. It is the work of inker Eber Ferreira and colorist Adriano Lucas that truly make this book memorable, however, with subtle alterations crafting wonderful faded asides like the one above of Stephanie Brown.

Detective Comics #935 - A Review

The new team Batman has formed under Batwoman's command continues to train together but has yet to venture out in search of the vigilante hunters now patrolling Gotham's streets. All of them are anxious to fight but none more so than Tim Drake, who is more used to leading a team than following orders. Yet Tim has his reasons for wanting to get out in the field - a once-in-a-lifetime chance may soon take away his ability to serve as a superhero at all...


The focus of this issue is on Tim Drake and that is greatly to its benefit and the readers'. The relationship between Tim Drake and Bruce Wayne was one of the first casualties of The New 52 and it has never been clear just where the two stood with each other over the last five years. James Tynion IV explains everything here simply and quickly, catching-up new readers whilst satisfying those Bat-fans who fondly remember Tim Drake's days as Robin in the 1990s and 2000s.

While the focus is on Tim, the rest of the cast get their moments in the sun as well.  The complicated relationship between Kate Kane and her father from the Batwoman books continues to be explored and we get a few brief pages of Stephanie Brown and Tim Drake being a cute young couple that aren't worrying about their lives as heroes for a bit... even as Steph's sometimes roommate Cassandra accidentally butts in on their "us time".  Even Basil "Clayface" Karlo gets a nice moment as he asks Tim, somewhat sheepishly, if it would be okay for him to take the device Tim created that locked him into a human shape to go out to an audition... purely so he can feel like his old actor self again for a few hours.


The artwork for this series thus far perfectly matches the scripts in quality and tone. Eddy Barrows is one of the best pencilers to work on the Batman books in years and Eber Ferreira's inks complete his work wonderfully. There is a nice effect - I assume it is the work of colorist Adriano Lucas - in which several portraits of the characters have a somewhat muted look that contrasts with the more sharply defined panel work. This softer edge is quite striking, ironically standing out all the stronger amid the more focused artwork in the panels.

Detective Comics #934 - A Review

Gotham City has become full of costumed avengers since Batman began his war on crime. Now, someone with resources and an army is tracking them all, apparently intent on bring them down. In order to win the battle to come, Batman needs to transform them from rogue vigilantes into an organized group. To that end he recruits Batwoman as his partner and teacher to this rag-tag group of vigilantes he hopes to shape into a team.


I went into this title with high expectations, having enjoyed James Tynion IV's previous work on Batman and Constantine The Hellblazer. I was not disappointed. Not only has he perfectly captured the essence of several long-neglected characters but he has also improved upon them. For instance, the relationship between Tim Drake and Stephanie Brown - considered by many to be a highlight of Chuck Dixon's Robin series - seems all the stronger here for being a partnership of equals.



The artwork is equally excellent. Eddy Barrows' designs for all the characters are outstanding, from his streamlined Batman to the nightmarish Clayface. Eber Ferreira avoids drowning the page in ink - a problem many Bat-inkers seem unable to avoid. And Adriano Lucas' finds the perfect palettes to finish everything up.

Earth 2: World's End #3 - A Review

The most aggravating thing about Earth 2: World's End is a lack of credits by page number for the artists involved.  This annoys me because I need to know who to blame for the fact that Dick Grayson is being drawn like a combination of Mr. Spock and Goku.

I could, in theory, look up each individual artist's name and try and compare this offending page to their other work on-line. But with nine credited artists on this issue alone, that is far more effort than I feel like spending on so mediocre a title.


Mediocre is a strong word, I admit, but it is aptly applied here.  There are many good things about Earth 2: World's End but any greatness is mitigated by the work of less-skilled creators.  The old saying about "too many cooks" has never been more aptly proven.

This applies to both the writing and the artwork.  I've enjoyed the work of Marguerite Bennett and Mike Johnson before and there are a number of well-written scenes with great dialogue throughout the book.  However, the actual plot, as paced by Daniel H. Wilson, leaves much to be desired.


Granting that there are a lot of subplots to balance out, I feel it would be more effective to spend each issue focusing on one or two subplots rather than trying to devote at least one page to each one.  We really need more than one page to convey the scope of Green Lantern's solo effort to rid Rio De Janeiro of monsters.

Earth 2: World's End #2 - A Review

Taken on the level of a summer blockbuster, Earth 2: World's End #2 is an enjoyable story. Building upon last issue's explosive climax, our heroes scatter around the world to deal with the reactivation of the four Apokolptian fire-pits and the emergence of four apparently dormant villains from that evil world.  The first one they encounter is K'li - a preteen girl who raises the dead and introduces herself as an avatar of War.


There's a lot of good action sequences here, but this book suffers in comparison to the monthly Earth 2 book.  There, we had amazing action but we also got a number of good character-building scenes. The closest we get to that here is the implication that Lois "Red Tornado" Lane really hates zombies because they remind her of her own status as a dead woman's spirit in an inhuman body.


As before, the artwork is all over the place.  There are a number of artists with a number of conflicting styles and the final effect is not a positive one. Stylized renditions of our heroes clash with more realistic artwork and naturalistic action scenes look awkward next to more forced poses.

On the whole, I see little reason to pick up this book unless you, like me, are deeply interested in the final fate of Earth 2.  Even then, the lackluster artwork may drive me away from this story.  I really wish DC Comics would assign different art teams to individual issues rather than having multiple artists doing a few pages in each issue of these extended series.

Earth 2: World's End #1 - A Review

If you've been reading Earth 2, then this first chapter of Earth 2: World's End will offer some welcome information about the history behind the Earth/Apokolips War that kicked off the start of the series.  And if you haven't been reading Earth 2, may the gods of all the pantheons have mercy upon you should you attempt to muddle your way through this book.  This book isn't entirely incomprehensible to new readers, but for every point of The Story So Far it explains, another two go untouched.


Case In Point: The book does a great job of explaining the back-stories of Supergirl and Robin (Now Power Girl and Huntress) and depicting their journey to Earth One and back. But the issue does nothing to explain the story of the new Superman, Val-Zod, or the importance of Jimmy "Accountable" Olsen.  This is doubly vexing since this book unloads a major bombshell that isn't easily understood unless you already know about Jimmy Olsen's superpower in this reality.

That's the damnable paradox of this issue.  It is meant to be bringing new readers up to speed with the story of Earth 2 so far but it is so incredibly piece-meal as to what information it chooses to offer up that it is completely useless as an entry point for new readers. This is doubly unfortunate because there are a number of highly touching scenes in this issue once you get past all the history.  My favorite is Power Girl's reunion with her mother, Lois Lane.  Well, the Red Tornado body housing Lois Lane's personality... but why quibble? It is still a touching scene.


I have little to say about the art on this book.  With eight artists working together, there is very little consistency or visual continuity, but that's been a problem with most of DC Comics' weekly titles.  The nicest thing I can say is that there isn't any artwork that is glaringly awful but I still think these books would benefit from having one artist each week rather than a team working on three or four pages every issue.

Future's End: Earth 2 #1 - A Review

Five years in the future, systematic discrimination against the refugees of Earth 2 has become the rule on Earth 1.  And on the eve of futurist Michael Holt's releasing his latest technological wonder to the public, he quickly finds himself a wanted man.  All of this is due to the machinations of the evil genius Terry Sloan and his accomplice... the evil genius Terry Sloan?


Unlike the Future's End special devoted to Green Arrow, Future's End Earth 2 presumes the reader is already well familiar with the events of both the Future's End weekly series and Earth 2.  This is problematic on many fronts, particularly since there is so little of the characters that have made Earth 2 so interesting a title in recent months.  This is not a slight on Michael Holt or Terry Sloan but they have been bit-players in the drama of Earth 2 for much of the last year and to suddenly bring them front and center with no explanation of how they established themselves on Earth 1 is jarring to say the least.

Most of the characters who held the center stage in Earth 2 are absent from this issue.  Indeed, the only nod to these characters is a quick cameo by Jimmy Olsen and a cutaway that reveals Lois Lane - a.k.a. The Red Tornado of Earth 2 - being disassembled in a Cadmus lab.  None of this is explained for the readers who haven't been following Future's End and the only reason I understood any of the significance of this scene was due to Future's End: Green Arrow #1 taking the time to explain the Cadmus connection.


That said, the action of the story is well-written once one gets past the confusing continuity questions.  And the artwork by the same team who did fill-ins for Nicola Scott on Earth 2 is quite good all around.  In the final analysis, this isn't a bad comic but it doesn't seem like it is a wholly necessary one if you are an Earth 2 fan with no interest in Future's End.

Earth 2 #24 - A Review

I remember having a conversation at a convention a few months back, describing Earth 2 to a skeptical comic fan who loved the Golden Age heroes but didn't like much of what The New 52 had offered so far.  He was excited about the concepts as I described them - how they were taking the basic idea of the original characters (man who can run fast, man with a magic ring, woman who can fly, etc.) but creating whole new takes on those base ideas while staying true to the core character.   So we have a Jay Garrick who is still a curious science student who is now blessed with the power of the Roman god Mercury and an Alan Scott who is given the power to harness the energy of the Earth itself through the engagement ring he bought for his lost love.


The part where this skeptic froze up was when I described Jimmy Olsen and how he has a superpower in this world.  He said he wasn't sure that he could get into any series where Jimmy Olsen had powers.  Now, ignoring that Jimmy developed superpowers more than a few times back in the day (temporarily, of course), that doesn't change that Tom Taylor still writes Jimmy like Jimmy.  Indeed, Tom Taylor writes one of the best takes on Jimmy Olsen I've ever read.

Sure, the boy has the power to absorb and recall information like a sponge and is a living wi-fi connection but that's completely incidental to who Jimmy is.  Jimmy is honest.  Jimmy is courageous.  Jimmy is an idealist in a world of cynics. And all of that comes to the front in this issue's most glorious scene, in which Jimmy Olsen delivers a The Reason You Suck Speech to Batman.

And yet, Jimmy is still enough of a fanboy to want to be Robin and enough of an egoist to think he'd be doing Batman a favor.  Hell of it is, I think the kid's right and this new Batman would be lucky to have Jimmy as his moral compass to keep him from going over the edge.  God knows he needs one.

I didn't say much about the artwork of Eddy Barrows and  Eber Ferreira  in all of this talking.  How could my words do it justice without panels to show off right then and there?  Just look at the pages above and I think you'll see for yourself how good it is and why I think everyone should be reading this book.  I said as much then and I'll say it again - this is one of the best books on the stands and everyone should be reading it.

Justice League #24 - A Review

Is it possible for a good fight scene to salvage an otherwise uninspired comic?  Perhaps, but Justice League #24 is not the book to make that case.  Geoff Johns has written many great books but this, I'm sad to say, is not one of them.

Most of the issue is devoted toward telling the detailed origins of the villainous Ultraman - Superman's evil counterpart from the parallel Earth Three.  Alert fans will note that this story is largely identical to the origins of Superman as depicted in Johns' own Superman: Secret Origin, with a little bit of Grant Morrison's Earth 2 thrown in for good measure.  We see Jor-Il (gedit?) fighting the equally evil masses of Krypton over the last escape pod off their world and The Kents as opportunistic drug addicts rather than as good and decent farmers. 


If this sounds bleakly depressing, it should.  Johns goes over the top in showcasing what a miserable a place Earth Three is and in establishing Ultraman as a conscienceless rapist and murderer.  The whole affair is technically well-written yet seems drab and dull in spite of that.  Most readers are already familiar with this story and discussing the details of how Superman and Ultraman's backgrounds differ, while undoubtedly a fun intellectual exercise for comic geeks, makes for a dull story.

Johns almost manages to salvage this affair with the eleventh-hour arrival of an unexpected hero.  Fans of Johns' excellent JSA run will appreciate this sequence and it is a good, old-fashioned superhero fight.  And yet, it is not enough to forgive the monotony of the early parts of the book. 



The artwork is similarly mixed.  Ivan Reis' pencils are excellent as always but this book proves that an inker can make or break your artwork.  Three different inkers worked on this book and the differences in their styles are obvious.  The Krypton sequences are under-inked.  The sequences where Ultraman terrorizes the staff of The Daily Planet are over-inked.  A few pages manage to be just-right but the credits page annoyingly offers no details as to which inkers are responsible for which pages.

All in all, this book is giving me little reason to continue reading Justice League and further reinforcing my opinion that skipping Forever Evil was a good idea.  With an uneven and overly familiar story backed by confoundedly inked artwork, there is little to recommend this book.

Batman: Night of The Owls (Batman #7-8 & Nightwing #8)

As I've noted before, Batman isn't just the best of the current run of Batman titles - it is the best Batman book we've had in years. 

In a relatively short span of time, writer Scott Snyder has established The Court of Owls into a credible and unique threat.  This uniqueness is the important thing, given how thick the Batman universe already is with organizations like The League Of Assassins, The Brotherhood of the Monkey Fist and The Order of St. Dumas among others. It would have been all too easy for Snyder to make The Court of Owls into a generic secret society.  Thankfully, Snyder isn't that lazy and the first six issues of his Batman run have done much to weave The Court into the history and lore of Gotham City. 

Issue #7 is something of a prelude to the Night of the Owls storyline that will be running through several books through late April and into May.  In it, we get some answers to some of the mysteries raised in the early part of Snyder's Batman run, such as how The Court of Owls is seemingly bringing the dead back to life to serve as their "Talon" assassins.  We also get our first glimpse as to just how badly his time in the Owl's nest has affected Batman, as both Nightwing and Alfred note his unbalanced state. This issue is a bit of a breather, summing up what we know so far before the new storyline begins but Snyder keeps things moving despite the relatively sedate tone.  Greg Capullo and Jonathan Glapion continue to spoil us with their unique mix of precise penciling and atmospheric inking.   






Issue #8 officially kicks off the Night of Owls as The Court of Owls send an entire legion of Talons into the streets of Gotham to go after a number of important civic figures, including Commissioner Gordon and Bruce Wayne.  As Bruce Wayne fends off the Talons swarming stately Wayne Manor, Alfred barricades himself in the Batcave and sends out an SOS to the rest of the Bat-Family, asking them to protect Gotham City.  The later half of this issue, which focuses upon Alfred as he delivers his message, is illustrated by Rafael Albuquerque, whose style is jarringly different from that of Greg Cappullo and Jonathan Glapion, but not bad. 

The story picks up in Nightwing #8, as Dick Grayson moves to protect Gotham City's mayor from the Talons.  Kyle Higgins tells a good tale here, mixing the action of present with a flashback detailing the life of a particular Talon soldier.  The art by Eddy Barrows, Ruy Jose and Eber Ferreira was a good follow-up heading out of Batman #8, resembling the work of Cappullo and Glapion only brighter and less stylized.  This seems fitting, given how Nightwing is generally a brighter character than Batman. 

Having not been reading the Nightwing title, I can't say whether or not the crossover is disrupting the current storyline - a promise that was made when the Night of the Owls was original announced.  However, I am delighted to confirm that the story here is self-contained and that Nightwing fans who don't read Batman on a regular basis need not feel obligated to pick up Batman #8 to enjoy this issue.  Conversely, Batman readers can pick this issue up without being confused. 

Given that, I would suggest giving all the parts of this crossover a shot, if you can afford to do so.  It appears that the quality of Batman is rubbing off on the rest of the line.