Batman/Superman #28 - A Review

Saving astronauts when something disrupts a spacewalk is all in a day's work for Superman. But when he discovers the cause of the disturbance - a giant corpse that's come to rest on the moon - it looks like a job for Batman! Yet The Dark Knight Detective's examination of the alien's body will lead to a bigger mystery still...

Given his history writing both heroes during his run on Injustice: Gods Among Us, it's no surprise that Tom Taylor perfectly captures both Superman and Batman in this issue. No, the surprise lies in the story and a murder mystery to end all murder mysteries. And who could object to any story that gives Batman a legitimate reason to wear a spacesuit?


Robson Rocha's pencils for this issue are the best I've ever seen him produce. Three separate inkers worked on this issue, but you'd never know it but for the credits page, so uniform is the shading. And the colors by Blond perfectly complete the final artwork.

Justice League of America #1 - A Review

A mysterious corporation that is sitting on a pile of Superman corpses, all pulled from various alternate timelines.

A prophet who appears in an old Atlantean temple, speaking of the coming of "the one true god".

A plot to release The Parasite on an unsuspecting Justice League.

What do all of these things have in common?  It will fall to The Justice League of America to solve that mystery or die trying. And for once that statement is not hyperbole, for if Superman dies then all of humanity - past, present and future - will die with him!


One can't accuse Brian Hitch of doing things by halves! His script for this first issue is reminiscent of Grant Morrison's run on JLA in that it also feels like an over-the-top summer blockbuster with high-stakes and high-adventure. Yet there are also some nice character moments and I greatly enjoyed little touches like Aquaman addressing the United Nations as a world leader.

Taken as a big, dumb action movie, this issue is a fun read. However, fridge logic kicks in after a second reading. And one wonders why, if Batman suspected the team was walking into a trap, did he wait until the rest of the team had arrived at the site of the ambush to announce that fact?


The artwork is similarly weak upon close examination. Hitch's pencils are enhanced by three different inkers and two different colorists and it shows. The look of this issue is very inconsistent. Still, that can't be blamed entirely on the large production team. Hitch's artwork features a number of continuity errors, such as Wonder Woman's choker disappearing in some panels.

Given all that, I think this first issue of JLA will be my last.

All-New Captain America #1 - A Review

When it was announced that there would be a new Captain America, there was a goodly amount of public outcry.  Even when it was revealed was that this "new" Captain America would be Sam Wilson a.k.a. The Falcon, there was still some trepidation among fans of the series.  It was not that anyone doubted Sam's ability to take up Steve Rogers' shield but more that the entire move seemed little more than a cheap publicity stunt on the part of Marvel Comics.


Unfortunately, the first issue of All-New Captain America does little to refute this idea.  After an opening in which we learn a little of Sam's background and how he came to believe in The American Dream, the rest of the issue is strictly business as usual.  All the talk about things never being the same proved to be just that - talk.  Doubtlessly this will be a relief to those who were enjoying Rick Remender's work on the recent Marvel Now! Captain America series but those hoping for an exciting new direction will be sorely disappointed.


The artwork is similarly competent but unremarkable.  Stuart Immonen's characters look artificially posed but at least the action sequences are well blocked and easy to follow.  The inks by Wade Von Grawbadger are erratic, being limited on some pages to simple black outlines around the characters and so heavy as to obscure the artwork completely on others!  All in all, there is little to recommend this series to those who aren't already reading Captain America.