Justice League #33 - A Review

With the rest of The Justice League in the clutches of The Dark Knights, if falls to Cyborg to save the day. Yet doing so many require Victor sacrificing what remains of his humanity to fully empower the Motherbox that powers his cybernetics. Will he make the ultimate sacrifice for the sake of all reality?


Despite being largely devoted to explaining Cyborg's powers and setting up the next part of the Dark Nights Metal event, Justice League #33 is an enjoyable little book. Teen Titans fans will be glad to know the story also reaffirms the friendship between Cyborg and Raven (something missing in the Rebirth reality) and there's a sequence I'm fairly certain is a nod to one of the better episodes of Teen Titans Go!  The artwork is equally brilliant, with the colors of Arif Prianto and Jeromy Cox giving the pencils and inks of Tyler Kirkham and Mikel Janin an almost painted appearance at times.

The Final Analysis: 7 out of 10. It would have been higher if they'd confirmed the song Cyborg plays to inspire himself is "The Night Begins To Shine"

Hal Jordan And The Green Lantern Corps #32 - A Review

Trapped in a dungeon built of his worst nightmares with the villainous alternate-Earth Bruce Wayne known as The Dawnbreaker, Hal Jordan is in for the fight of his life. The Dawnbreaker has a power ring of his own - a corrupted Green Lantern ring that absorbs the light around it. It won't be easy but if there's one man who knows something about beating enemies he has no business even facing, it is Hal Jordan!



Hal Jordan And The Green Lantern Corps #32 is a pretty piece of filler. Nothing really happens to advance the plot of Dark Nights Metal but Robert Vendetti writes one hell of a fight scene. It's gratifying to see Hal using his brain in battle and the "strobe mode" Hal uses to counter Dawnbreaker is a brilliant conceit. It also leads to a visually interesting spectacle from artists Liam Sharp and Ethan Van Sciver and colorist Jason Wright, as the artwork cuts between pitch blackness and bright flashes of green-tinged action.

The Final Analysis: 8 out of 10. Not much of a plot, but a great action-packed issue with fantastic art!

Justice League #32 - A Review

Batman is lost. Superman is trapped in another universe. And now The Dark Knights have used Cyborg to trap what remains of The Justice League in "Bat Caves" designed to drag them down before their inevitable deaths!




Justice League #32 is a thrilling piece of filler. There's not much to be found here beyond non-stop action but Robert Venditti's script presents that action well enough as The Justice League faces down their counterparts in The Dark Knights.

Liam Sharp's artwork is as finely detailed and well-presented as one would expect based on his recent work on Wonder Woman. Adam Brown does an equally impressive job on the color art. In terms of plotting relative to the rest of Dark Nights Metal, this issue may not be essential, but it is enjoyable for what it is.

The Final Analysis: 6 out 10.

Batman: The Dawnbreaker #1 - A Review

On Earth -32, a Green Lantern ring found Bruce Wayne at his darkest moment. Through the force of will possessed only by a child who has just seen his entire world destroyed, Bruce Wayne was able to overcome the ring's programming forbidding lethal force. Worse yet, he tapped into something far stronger than the collective willpower of his dark universe. Something dark. Something hungry...





Fans of Ethan Van Sciver will be pleased by his turn here. Van Sciver is famed for his detail-driven style, which is well in evidence throughout this issue. Indeed, the level of gore depicted in some scenes is stunningly rendered in such a fashion as to skirt the lines of a 15+ rating. Paired with Jason Wright's vivid colors, this is one amazing-looking comic.

The story by Sam Humphries inspires less enthusiasm. The origin of The Dawnbreaker is told well enough but his confrontation with Hal Jordan lacks the psychological power of the earlier chapters in which The Flash and Cyborg faced their dark counterparts among the league of Dark Multiverse Batmen. Additionally, the story lacks clarity, making it unclear at first if The Dawnbreaker tapped into some unknown dark force or if he is drawing upon the power of Nekron and The Black Lanterns.

The Final Analysis: 7 out of 10.  Great artwork but the story is a little flat.

The Flash #24 - A Review

When the self-cloning Multiplex crashes Barry Allen's surprise birthday party, it falls to The Flash and a visiting Hal Jordan (a.k.a. The Green Lantern) to clean up the mess. Unfortunately, that leaves Iris and Wally West unprotected when another unexpected guest shows up. But how is The Reverse Flash still alive? And what does he want with the two of them?


The artwork is definitely the weakest aspect of The Flash #24. Specifically, the pages penciled by Carmine Di Giandomenico. There's been a rough wildness to Di Giandomenico's work in past issues that I thought fitting for depicting speedsters, with random squiggles suggesting continual motion even when at rest. Unfortunately this stylistic choice looks sloppy when paired with the more static figure of Iris West, who appears to be the only figure being drawn "correctly". The excellent pages by Pop Mahn in a more traditional style only add to this feeling that Di Giandomenico's art is sloppy rather than stylistic.

It's a shame because the story by Joshua Williamson is a good one. The mystery of just where (or when) this Reverse Flash came from is an intriguing one. The action scenes are well-written and there's a great buddy bonding moment between Hal Jordan and Barry Allen that reminds me of the better bits of Mark Waid's The Brave And The Bold.

The Final Analysis: 6 out of 10. The story is great but Carmine Di Giandomenico's stylistic choices look slap-dash when compared to Pop Mhan's pages in the same issue.

Green Lantern/Space Ghost Special #1 - A Review

Sent to investigate a message regarding a weapon from beyond the boundaries of known space, Green Lantern  Hal Jordan soon finds himself in a place his ring cannot identify. Worse yet, he is engaged in battle by a strangely dressed figure whose wrist-mounted weapons seem as dangerous as the weapon he was warned about. Naturally this is all a great misunderstanding and two lawmen of different realities will have to trust one another to survive the battle to come.

I came into Green Lantern/Space Ghost with high hopes but I'm afraid they weren't met. Given this story was written by James Tynion IV and Christopher Sebela - whose respective work on Detective Comics and Injustice: Ground Zero I've loved - I expected more than a cliche tale of two similar heroes getting into a fight, realizing their mistake and joining together in the end. The individual panels of Ariel Olivetti's painted artwork look amazing but the story flow between them is clunky at best. This isn't a bad comic - merely a passable one. Given the talent involved, however, it should have been better.


The Ruff 'n' Reddy back-up story by Howard Chaykin and Wil Quintana is a different beast - no pun intended. Set in a world much like that of Who Framed Roger Rabbit? where animated anthrmorphic animals live and work among humans, we follow two comedians - a cat named Ruff and a dog named Reddy - whose careers are floundering after their respective acts break up.

It spoils little to say the two have decided to partner up by issue's end. Personally, I enjoyed this piece but as a fan of 1940s comedians my opinion may be biased. It remains to be seen how this will play in Peoria or if the barber in Peru will get it, to borrow two old phrases from the agents of yesteryear. If nothing else, Chaykin deserves credit for briefly partnering Ruff up with a Mae West type named Sexx.

Injustice: Ground Zero #11 - A Review

No sooner is Harley free of The Batcave with a "recovered" Batmobile, then she has to head back. Batman and the Justice League of a parallel Earth are there, unaware that they're walking into the ambush Harley just evaded! Unfortunately, Black Adam has just arrived on the scene and seen the very conspicuous Batmobile in the streets of Gotham...


The artwork in this issue is fantastic. Marco Santucci crafts a dark, moody atmosphere befitting the Gotham City setting and the Gothic aura of the abandoned Wayne Manor. This aesthetic is further aided by J. Nanjan's wonderful colors.


The use of humor continues to be the best quality of this series' writing. Strangely, considering the focus on Harley Quinn, nearly half of this issue centers upon Batman and The Justice League. There is humor here as well, yet the characters are written as true to form as Harley and Black Adam in their fight scene. And Christopher Sebela crafts what may be the single greatest summation of Harley Quinn's character with this line - "I think I need my head examined sometimes. Then I remember how fun it is to be this kind of crazy."

Injustice: Ground Zero #4 - A Review

As the heroes of another Earth arrive just in time to save a group of anti-Regime protesters, Harley Quinn finds herself in the unlikely role of hero, moving to protect the crowd from the fallout of a superhero battle. This leads to some deep thoughts of the insanity of heroism and how Harley - for better or worse - has definitely become one of the good guys.


The last thing most people expect from a Harley Quinn comic is deep thoughts. Yet that is precisely what Chris Sebela delivers this week, as Harley pontificates upon how inherently silly superheroes are. Of course Harley, being Harley, revels in the insanity rather than criticizing it... right up until the point when two bozos in spandex slapping each other around becomes more important than the people put in danger. Still, the opening speech of the comic is on-par with the speech Alan Moore wrote for Rorschach regarding the clown who couldn't laugh anymore.


The artwork continues to impress, with Daniel Sampere and Juan Albarran turning in their usual high-quality work. Every panel of this comic looks gorgeous, with intricately drawn figures, astonishing colors and inks that enhance the original pencils without making the comic look overly shaded.

Injustice: Ground Zero #3 - A Review

With her first secret mission for Batman in the can, Harley is ready to celebrate. Being a generous boss, Harley decides to take her henchmen out to enjoy in the merrymaking and finally learn their names. But there's no rest for the wicked, even if they are the good guys now... technically. So when Harley sees a news story about the Regime's police moving in on a peaceful protest, she knows just what her new gang/team's next mission will be.


Daniel Sampere is one of my favorite artists and this issue showcases precisely why that is so. Sampere has a great gift for expressions and is a wonderful visual storyteller. He is well-paired with inker Juan Albarran, who adds the perfect definition to complete the artwork.


Harley Quinn hasn't been written this well in quite some time. Plotter Brian Buccellato and writer Chris Sebela present a classic Harley Quinn here - one who means well but whose "help" is of dubious quality. Still, it is fun to watch ol' Harl cut loose and there are many moments of hilarity in this issue.

Injustice: Gods Among Us - Year Five #40 - A Review

The wolf is at the door for Batman and what remains of his Insurgency. The Regime has discovered the location of his last refuge and Bruce Wayne is cornered by Superman, Wonder Woman and the Yellow Lantern Hal Jordan. Now the only hope for the world rests on Batman's ability to stall for time as Barbara Gordon tries to activate the portal that will summon reinforcements from another Earth...


The final chapter of Injustice: Year Five is somewhat muted. Brian Buccellato does the best he can to push the suspense but there's only so much you can do when the reader already knows how the story must end. Mike S. Miller's art is unusually off-kilter, with a variety of forced poses and one laughable sequence in which Superman is somehow able to slap the mask off of Batman!

Injustice: Gods Among Us - Year Five #40 - A Review

The wolf is at the door for Batman and what remains of his Insurgency. The Regime has discovered the location of his last refuge and Bruce Wayne is cornered by Superman, Wonder Woman and the Yellow Lantern Hal Jordan. Now the only hope for the world rests on Batman's ability to stall for time as Barbara Gordon tries to activate the portal that will summon reinforcements from another Earth...


The final chapter of Injustice: Year Five is somewhat muted. Brian Buccellato does the best he can to push the suspense but there's only so much you can do when the reader already knows how the story must end. Mike S. Miller's art is unusually off-kilter, with a variety of forced poses and one laughable sequence in which Superman is somehow able to slap the mask off of Batman!

Injustice: Gods Among Us - Year Five #39 - A Review

The war between Superman's Regime and Batman's Insurgency has cost both sides many lives. In a desperate bid to end the fighting and save the man she loves, Catwoman offers to reveal the location of Batman's final hideout to Superman in exchange for his life. Little do they all realize that Batman and Lex Luthor are moments away from their own master-stroke to end the war...


This is a powerful penultimate issue for what has always been an enjoyable series. While there is little sense of suspense at this point, Brian Buccellato still wrings every bit of emotion he can from the proceedings. And Mike S. Miller and J. Nanjan bring that emotion forth in every panel of this book - from the tears in Catwoman's eyes as she betrays the only man she ever loved in a bid to save him to the determination in Batman's face as he faces his former friend in battle one more time.

Injustice: Gods Among Us - Year Five #36 - A Review

Zasaz has turned up dead in his cell - a mystery that further convinces Hal Jordan that Sinestro is hiding something within The Regime's new super-prison. Meanwhile, Deathstroke encounters some unexpected resistance in his mission to steal a Motherbox from STAR Labs. It seems The Regime has recruited Metamorpho as a secret security guard and he's more than willing to give the world's greatest mercenary a beating.


I want to like this issue of Injustice more than I did but it suffered from a serious case of deja vu. Sinestro's playing dumb with Hal regarding the constant security breaches around Zasaz has become a running gag.  The problem is that Sinestro playing dumb seems horribly out of character for the former Green Lantern whose biggest crime was arrogance.

I think the ultimate problem is that we're close enough to the ending now there's little room for the sudden surprises that have made this series a delight. So while it's nice to see Metamorpho, the fight between him and Deathstroke falls a little flat since the action of the battle isn't clear. Mike S. Miller illustrates it well enough but there's no explanation for some of that happens. A little more narration might have smoothed things over.  In the end, this comic is merely acceptable rather than excellent - still worth reading, but a disappointment compared to what we're used to seeing on this series.

Injustice: Gods Among Us - Year Five #31 - A Review

As Hal Jordan begins to share Barry Allen's reservations about what they've come to represent and what Superman might be doing in the name of peace, Batman and Batwoman take the fight to Cyborg and Hawkgirl at the Hall of Justice. Meanwhile, Superman seeks the unlikeliest of guides in finding Raven...


There's quite a lot going on in this issue of Injustice but Brian Buccellato does a fine job of keeping all the plates spinning.No one sequence seems overly long and the fight between the Bats and the Regime team is a thrilling centerpiece for the issue. And props to showcasing a relatively obscure Titans character as Superman's point of contact for finding Raven.  It's little touches like this which have made this book such a delight for DC Comics readers even as we witness the horror of Superman gone bad.


I've enjoyed Marco Santucci's artwork in the past and, for the most part, I enjoy his work here. That being said, his depictions of Batwoman and Hawkgirl are textbook examples of Escher Girls. While not the most egregious example of this sort of thing, it was still distracting enough to take me out of the story. At least Rex Lokus gave his usual stellar job on the color art but it's still disappointing as Santucci is capable of much better work.

Injustice: Gods Among Us - Year Five #29 - A Review

In the wake of Barry Allen's rebellion against Superman following Alfred Pennyworth's murder, questions are being asked in both The Regime and The Resistance regarding their leadership's actions. As Hal Jordan investigates Zsasz's escape from Sinestro's super-prison and Batman enacts another desperate plan, Superman begins to check in on those few superhumans he has allowed some degree of autonomy, staring with Black Adam.


Xermanico's artwork is well-suited towards depicting this chapter where a dark world becomes a shade dimmer, with what little trust still exists between Superman and his followers eroding even further. Xermanico boasts a Film Noir aesthetic of heavy inks and deep shadows that capture the mood of this chapter perfectly. Rex Lokus colors the final art appropriately to match, with even the usual bright golds and reds of Superman and Black Adam's costumes seeming somewhat more shaded than usual.

Brian Buccellato continues to find new drama, even as this series enters into its climax. It's good to see that in spite of how much things have changed, Sinestro is still Sinestro and enjoys needling his former, fallen student for his own sick amusement. And the battle between Black Adam and Superman is one of the best in the series to date.

Injustice: Gods Among Us - Year Five #26 - A Review

Lured into the open by the death of Alfred Pennyworth, Batman still managed to overcome Superman in single combat. Will he finally end the conflict between them with an act of murder? How will Damian Wayne - now calling himself Nightwing - respond? And what of the rest of the Justice League, who are already en route to save their leader?


There is little I can say about this chapter of Injustice: Year Five that would not spoil the story completely. I can say that Brian Buccellato has crafted an amazing fight scene, which Mike S. Miller and J. Nanjan bring to life perfectly. Beyond that, you'll have to read this issue yourself, if only for the touching coda at the end.

Injustice: Gods Among Us - Year Five #20 - A Review

Bizarro's quest for answers regarding his creation has led him to The Fortress of Solitude, where a brainwashed Doomsday is waiting for a target. As Superman races to discover the mystery of his strange doppelganger, Lex Luthor is left with a moral quandary - should he take advantage of this situation to deal with an increasingly despotic Superman?


This issue is good for what it is - an old-fashioned, beat-em-up brawl. There's none of the humor Brian Buccellato is famous for, though the action is well written. Mike S. Miller's artwork is serviceable, though oddly stiff in some panels. J. Nanjan's colors remain bright and thematic throughout.

Injustice: Gods Among Us - Year Five #19 - A Review

At long last, "Bizzaro am home". This proves quite the pickle for his "daddy", Lex Luthor, who had told Superman that he had destroyed all of the Super-Clones he had made back when Superman was presumed dead. This leaves Lex with two problems - how do you destroy a Superman clone quietly and how do you do it with an increasingly impatient Fastest Man Alive on your doorstep?


This issue is light on action but high on the screwball comedy that Brian Buccellato excels at. Things don't quite descend into a full farce but it is ironically amusing to see a heroic Lex Luthor hiding evidence of his "treachery" from an evil Superman. Mike S. Miller and J, Nanjan illustrate all this with their usual aplomb.

Injustice: Gods Among Us - Year Five #18 - A Review

The partnership between The Trickster and Bizzaro comes to a sudden and violent end. Now, as Bizzaro turns to the only other friend he has seeking a way to save the funny man who introduced him to cheeseburgers, Superman scours the globe looking for his "evil" counterpart.


Much as I want to grouse over just how the heck The Trickster could ever fall to his death (Air-Walking shoes, anyone? It's his main gimmick!), I still enjoyed this issue. Brian Buccellato draws off of both Frankstein and Of Mice and Men in his portrayal of Bizzaro to rich effect. And the artwork by Tom Derenick and Rex Lokus is equally impressive.

Batman/Superman #30 - A Review

Superman is the captive of an alien mad scientist and Lobo's out for Batman's head. And that was before Batman stole his ship! Still, they're not called The World's Finest team for nothing but they may need some help from the universe's finest heroes to get out of this one!



Tom Taylor's script for this issue is a wonderful throwback to the classic days of DC Comics team-ups, with stunning twists and a healthy dose of weird science. After seeing so many stories where he pitted Superman and Batman against each other, it's a real treat to see Taylor perfectly capturing Clark and Bruce as allies rather than enemies. And the cameo by the Green Lantern Corps is just the icing on the cake!


The artwork for this issue is largely excellent. This is the best work I've ever seen from Robson Rocha and the inks by Jay Leisten are accurately applied. There's a flew glitches in the coloring by Blond (note the unusually pale Superman in the final panel of the above page) but these moments are thankfully few and far between.