November kicked off with several major releases this week. DC delivered terrific new chapters of Superman and Green Arrow while continuing Batman's "I Am Suicide" story arc (sort of) giving Prez fans the closure they've been seeking in Catwoman: Election Night #1. Marvel relaunched Avengers, debuted their new Foolkiller and Unworthy Thor comics and brought Death of X closer to its finale. Elsewhere, Terry Moore debuted his latest and very promising new creator-owned series, Motor Girl, The Walking Dead's "The Whisperer War" conflict continued and Faith teamed up with a certain Presidential candidate.
Scroll down to check out our reviews for these and various other new releases, and be sure to let us know your favorite books of the week in the comments below.
Written by Dan Abnett | Drawn by Brad Walker
Wedding planning is never easy, but it’s especially difficult if you’re the King of Atlantis and intend to marry someone from Xebel. That’s the very simple premise of Aquaman #10, which writer Dan Abnett takes and expands upon in fantastic ways. The issue begins with a doomsday prophecy and spends the rest of the time following Mera as she refuses to accept what is seemingly becoming more and more inevitable. The Deluge is on its way, and this issue does a great job of establishing the impending gloom and doom. Speaking of which, Brad Walker’s rendering of Nerid’s vision is sufficiently terrifying, and Mera’s battle with Broadside looks awesome. His unorthodox paneling gives the scene the appropriate feeling of chaos, but he also excels at capturing the strong emotions on display here. Issue #11 is the official prologue to Aquaman’s next major arc, but this is still a must-read primer. - Joe
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Written by Tom King | Drawn by Mikel Janin
"Batman #9 kicked off the 'I Am Suicide' story arc in fine form, with the series taking on a more surreal tone and offering a brief but tantalizing glimpse of psychologically fragile Bane. Unfortunately, issue #10 struggles to keep that trend moving. This issue is tonally bizarre and occasionally even struggles to tell a coherent story." -Jesse
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Written by Meredith Finch & Mark Russell | Drawn by Shane Davis, Igor Vitorino & Ben Caldwell
"Catwoman quietly vanished from the scene in 2016 even as DC Rebirth started to shine a new spotlight on many iconic characters. Tom King and Mikel Janin are beginning to reverse that trend with their current Batman story arc, but there's certainly a dearth of new Selina Kyle stories that needs to be addressed. That's a void Catwoman: Election Night #1 absolutely fails to fill." -Jesse
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Written by Marc Andreyko | Drawn by Aaron Lopresti
For a comic titled "The Death of Hawkman," the first issue featured surprisingly little of Katar Hol. That's not a problem the second time around. Marc Andreyko is able to strike a proper balance between his two leads as he works to bring them together amid the threat of another Rann/Thanagar war. Andreyko's portrayal of Hawkman is rock solid, emphasizing both the character's comical, bloodthirsty side and his loneliness and inability to fit in among his own people. The Rann scenes aren't quite as strong (mainly due to some stilted dialogue between Adam and his wife), but on the whole this team-up series is shaping up nicely. Aaron Lopresti's clean, attractive art certainly doesn't hurt. Lopresti delivers strong action scenes here and some emotionally charged character drama as well. The one weak point when it comes to the art is that both Rann and Thanagar tend to look oddly ordinary and almost Earth-like in many panels. -Jesse
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Written by Benjamin Percy | Drawn by Juan Ferreyra
Team Arrow + underwater train = glorious mayhem. The script is on par with what we’ve come to expect from Benjamin Percy, but the real star here is Juan Ferreyra’s art. We’ve seen him turn in stellar work before, but he really knocks it out of the park here. The Trans-Pacific Railway is a structure that could easily be undersold by a lesser artist, but Ferreyra brings it to life beautifully. It’s so logically done that for a moment you forget that, oh right, it’s a train under the ocean. Black Canary unleashing her power near the end of the issue is just the icing on the cake. Of course, Percy’s script is still the force driving this, uh, train, and he does not disappoint. Murder on the Empire Express is a lovely adaptation of the classic Agatha Christie murder mystery, only with superheroes, foreign dignitaries, and boxing glove arrows. - Joe
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Written by Amanda Conner & Jimmy Palmiotti | Drawn by John Timms
Harley's brief stint as a punk rock star comes to a close in this issue, as she and her friends get to the bottom of their latest mystery and Harley butts heads with a familiar Batman villain. It's that confrontation that stands out the most in this issue. For all that this series strives to showcase a more noble side to Harley, it's always nice to get the occasional reminder of who she was and the threat she can still pose when pushed hard enough. This issue doesn't end things on the most exciting or dramatic note, but it's enough to take in the sights as Harley explores a superhero-themed bondage club. John Timms really succeeds in bringing that seedy, twisted world to life thanks to his sleek, angular style. It would be nice if the rest of Harley's gang contributed a little more to the fun, however. Red Tool and the others resort to literal potty humor here. For a guy that's so clearly modeled after Deadpool, it would help if Red Tool were more overtly amusing sometimes. -Jesse
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Written by Bryan Hitch | Drawn by Neil Edwards
If you can't have a Justice League comic drawn by Bryan Hitch, Neil Edwards is about the best substitute there is. Edwards has built his reputation delivering the same sort of detailed, cinematic style Hitch is known for, and it serves him well as he makes his debut on this relaunched Justice League comic. While every bit as focused on spectacle over characterization as the opening arc, at least Justice League #8 features a more compelling a mysterious threat. Between Cyborg struggling to stop the Watchtower from crashing into San Francisco to Batman and Alfred battling an entire fleet of hijacked Batmobiles, this issue offers a nonstop, summer blockbuster-worthy adventure. And through it all, Edwards bold but clean style, Daniel Henriques' refined inks and Tony Avina's eye-popping colors bring out the most in this entertaining but very straightforward script. -Jesse
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Written by Steve Orlando | Drawn by Fernando Blanco
The name of this series is a little misleading, as these first two issues have featured surprisingly little of the two heroes together. In fact, Midnighter and Apollo don't actually even speak to one another in this chapter, on account of the latter being trapped in a comatose state. Luckily, the book manages to celebrate their bond even if it devotes most of its attention to Midnighter. He's at his most tough and bad-ass in this issue, even as his connection to Apollo puts him in an unusually vulnerable state (physically and emotionally). Steve Orlando packs this issue with just the right blend of humor, heart, weirdness and ultra-violence. And Fernando Blanco excels at bringing life to the many stops on that journey. His figures are a bit stiff, but his dynamic page layouts bring a lot of energy to the story. -Jesse
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Written by Tim Seeley | Drawn by Javi Fernandez
"Rise of Raptor" reaches its a conclusion in an issue that, while perfectly competent and well-executed, still feels like a bit of a letdown. Raptor’s introduction presented him as a deeply layered character with lots of potential, so it’s a shame to see him revert to a standard, ranting villain. The connection with Dick’s mother loses some of its effect because ultimately it’s not REALLY all that tight. In the end, Raptor’s kinda just some dude. That’s not to say he’s a complete waste; the idea of Raptor being a Batman who never found a Robin is interesting, but it just feels like the character could have been much better served by maintaining the moral ambiguity found in the first few issues of this series. At least Javi Fernandez is on hand to deliver some stellar fight choreography. The showdown between Nightwing and his would-be mentor is efficiently brutal. - Joe
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Written by Pete Tomasi & Patrick Gleason | Drawn by Patrick Gleason
DC originally announced a Super-Sons team-up book as part of the DC Rebirth lineup before later pushing that series into 2017. This new arc serves as a blueprint of sorts for that upcoming series, and it suggests there's a great deal of potential in pairing Jon Kent and Damian Wayne together. There's a tremendous amount of fun in seeing the haughty, arrogant Damian butt heads with the wide-eyed, naive Jon,. The fact that both their fathers are hovering in the background and dealing with their own team-up-related headaches only adds to the fun. Patrick Gleason expertly renders this issue through its many twists and turns. For one thing, it's great just seeing him return to the cast of Robin: Son of Batman. But it's also fascinating to see the various ways Gleason is able to distinguish the two fathers and sons in terms of mass, body language, posture and so forth. The cover alone is a terrific showcase for that. This series is easily the most charming addition to the Rebirth catalog, and this issue only furthers that trend. -Jesse
Final Score:
Continues
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