It was another big week of new comics. DC kicked off "The War of Jokes and Riddles" in Batman #25 while also delivering two more DCU/Looney Tunes crossover books. Marvel launched a very new reader-friendly new Spider-Man comic and delved ever deeper into the Secret Empire conflict. BOOM! Studios wrapped up a major Power Rangers storyline. And Image launched two promising new creator-owned titles in Crosswind #1 and Shirtless Bear-Fighter #1.
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 Stjepan Sejic
There’s been some talk recently about whether comic book artists can still move the dial when it comes to sales. Aquaman needs that kind of boost, and Stjepan Sejic just might be the right artist to make that happen. Sejic has been doing fantastic work at Top Cow for years, but his first issue of Aquaman is simply stunning on every level. The districts of Atlantis seem lush and alive, and the title character is much more compelling in this issue than he has been in a long time. This is easily the best-looking comic that DC has produced in recent memory. The set up is something that we’ve seen before, as Aquaman has been deposed...again. But Dan Abnett’s script is elevated by the artistic change and there’s a sense of excitement that was missing from his earlier run on the book. It may have taken 25 issues, but this version of Aquaman is the one we’ve been waiting for. This issue fulfilled the promise of DC Universe Rebirth, and I can’t wait to see where the series goes from here. -Blair
Final Score:
Written by Tom King | Drawn by Mikel Janin
"'The War of Jokes and Riddles' is already shaping up to be writer Tom King's most ambitious Batman story to date, both in terms of length and the sheer number of Batman villains being crammed into one story. But the appeal with this new conflict has less to do with scope and more with the opportunity to see King tackle two of the most iconic members of Batman's rogues gallery. And even after one issue, this arc doesn't disappoint." -Jesse
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Final Score:
Written by Benjamin Percy | Drawn by Otto Schmidt
Juan Ferreyra is one of the biggest reasons that Green Arrow has enjoyed its DC Rebirth boost in popularity. It’s just not the same series when Ferreyra isn’t around, although Otto Schmidt is still an excellent backup artist. Depending upon how you feel about Benjamin Percy’s work, this issue is either a jumping-on point or a place to stop reading it entirely. Because it looks like the Ninth Circle plot is going to keep on going into the next year. At this rate, it won’t be over until Green Arrow #50, assuming the double shipping holds up. The good news is that some familiar faces are back with Team Arrow, and a pre-Flashpoint DC heroine has also made her comeback, even if she’s not wearing a costume yet. This issue sets up the new status quo, which oddly features Ollie’s attempt to legally clear his name while simultaneously going on a cross-country quest. It’s not clear how that’s going to work in the long term, but this was an entertaining opening chapter. Hopefully the second year of this title will bring things to a better resolution. -Blair
Final Score:
Written by Amanda Conner & Jimmy Palmiotti w/ Paul Dini | Drawn by John Timms w/ Brett Blevins
The "Harley Loves Joker" backup stories by Jimmy Palmiotti & Paul Dini are starting to become a problem for Harley Quinn. That continuing tale is still far and away the best part of the book, but it’s overshadowing the main feature by Palmiotti and Amanda Conner. Who wants modern Harley when the original incarnation has a new adventure every month? This issue’s backup story gives Bret Blevins a chance to bring in more of the Batman: The Animated Series characters as well as a few obscure villains who never made it into that show. There’s a lot of fun packed into those five pages. However, modern Harley’s tale feels like a whole lot of nothing happens. There’s an extended dream sequence, a visit from her parents and the return of an old nemesis. But it reads like an issue that’s waiting for something more interesting to occur. John Timms’ art seemed a little rushed and unrefined, although the opening shower gag is fun. Modern Harley badly needs some new life to be injected into her adventures. If it wasn’t for the classic Harley backup, this issue wouldn’t be on our reading list. -Blair
Final Score:
Written by Tom DeFalco | Drawn by Tom Derenick
Last week, I was only joking when I thought that DC was doing an Assistant Editor's Month that was similar to Marvel’s decades old event. And yet here’s another fill-in issue by Tom DeFalco, one of the oldest of old-school Marvel creators that you’re ever going to find. DeFalco has a pretty good history as a writer, but this is not one of his better efforts. If Jessica Cruz wasn’t the Green Lantern in this issue than it could have easily been published at any point in the last 25 years. It’s not even a bad issue; it just has an overly simplistic take on Black Shield and his terrorist/freedom fighter tactics. This comic reads like it was created to come with an action figure that's geared towards kids. As for the art, it’s always a pleasure to see Tom Derenick on a superhero title. Derenick sometimes gets overlooked, but I’ve always enjoyed his style. Fortunately, it looks like he’ll be back on this title in the near future, and that’s something to look forward to. -Blair
Final Score:
Written by Bill Morrison | Drawn by Kelley Jones
The run of bizarre Looney Tunes and DC crossover specials continues with the Lobo/Road Runner #1, and I think I’ve figured out why these aren’t really working for me. The Looney Tunes are incompatible with the tone of the DC Universe, and the specials have had to bend over backwards to explain the presence of these characters. In this case, Bill Morrison puts forth the idea that Wile E. Coyote, the Road Runner, and other familiar WB characters were part of a scientific experiment gone wrong. That’s far too much work just to get to the point where Lobo tries to do what the Coyote never could and catch the Road Runner. That part of the book is actually pretty amusing, and it's an inspired choice to put Lobo through the torture usually reserved for the Coyote. Kelley Jones’ art also makes the issue feel like some of the classic Lobo miniseries from the ‘90s. This isn’t a bad issue by any stretch, it’s just not special enough to fully justify its existence. -Blair
Final Score:
Written by Tim Seeley | Drawn by Minkyu Jung
Tim Seeley’s Nightwing run has been at its best when he goes places where Dick Grayson hasn’t already been. That’s why the relationship between Dick and Shawn Tsang has been so compelling. Dick and Shawn had a very unusual pregnancy scare, and the emotional fallout finally catches up with them in this issue. Seeley has done such a great job developing their bond that it matters when we see it threatened. It’s one of the best aspects of this series, and hopefully it will remain so. It’s still a toss up whether the return of Blockbuster will prove to be as engaging as Dick’s personal life. The new Blockbuster has a bit more personality than his earlier incarnations, and the flashback to Dick’s time as Robin is a fun way to start the issue. But it is really hard to care about “the Blüd” when Blüdhaven still comes off as an imitation of Gotham City. The details aren’t exactly the same and Dick gets far less respect than Batman, yet it feels like we’ve seen it all before. And that part of the book just isn’t very interesting. Minkyu Jung turns in some solid pages in this issue, but it’s not enough to make Nightwing’s solo adventures soar. -Blair
Final Score:
Written by Peter Tomasi & Patrick Gleason | Drawn by Patrick Gleason & Doug Mahnke
"Black Dawn" has pushed the series in a darker direction than I would have liked, especially coming right on the heels of "Superman Reborn,." That said, that adage about it always being darkest just before the dawn holds especially true whenever Manchester Black is involved. "Black Dawn" becomes the latest story to pit Superman's brand of hope and optimism and Black's pragmatic ruthlessness. It's a well-trodden dynamic by now, but one that fits DC Rebirth like a glove. This issue hits a lot of great beats as this rivalry plays out. And the fact that so much of the conflict centers around Black's attempt to corrupt young Jon helps distinguish this story from previous incarnations. The ending in particular has a very heartwarming quality, one tinged with a bittersweet realization that the Kent family's time in Hamilton is rapidly drawing to a close. Patrick Gleason and Doug Mahnke make for a great team when they alternate issues, but somewhat less so when they collaborate on the same issue. Between that and the sheer number of inkers collaborating on this issue, there's a definite, noticeable lack of visual consistency. Still, there plenty of power and drama to go around in these pages. Mahnke never disappoints when he revisits Manchester Black. -Jesse
Final Score:
Written by Warren Ellis | Drawn by Jon Davis-Hunt
"Strange damn world. I love it...I don't want to die." The Wild Storm is definitely not the Wildstorm of old, and there’s not even any action to speak of in this issue. But Warren Ellis does a very good job of slowing down the pace and making the supporting characters like Michael Cray into more compelling figures. In the previous Wildstrom universe, Michael was the assassin known as Deathblow. Michael’s still a killer in The Wild Storm, but he’s come to realize that he may have been acting against the best interests of himself and the world. Jon Davis-Hunt’s artwork also effectively humanizes Void, the Engineer, and Zealot with the way they emote on the page. Their thoughts are conveyed strictly through their facial expressions and it's far more effective than any thought bubble could be. This is a much more down-to-Earth take on the classic Wildstorm characters than anyone could have expected. It’s too early to say how this will play out, but this is more interesting than the earlier issues of the series. -Blair
Final Score:
Written by Tony Bedard | Drawn by Barry Kitson & Ben Caldwell
Much like Lobo/Road Runner, Wonder Woman/Tasmanian Devil goes through all kinds of narrative hoops to explain how the Amazon superheroine can meet the famous Looney Tunes character. And the solution is that Taz was part of her backstory all along! As one of the guardians of the labyrinth, of course. Tony Bedard also comes up with an excuse for Diana to seek out Taz in the present after one of her old enemies returned. Strangely enough, the Wonder Woman in this issue doesn’t seem like the one from the New 52/DC Rebirth era at all. That makes it more enjoyable, and Barry Kitson’s art style is looser and less refined, perhaps as a way to incorporate Taz into Diana’s world without completely disrupting the established DC style. The story is only “okay” at best, but it does capture some of Diana’s best qualities. Taz isn’t quite as lucky, but the backup tale by Bedard and artist Ben Caldwell has a greater Looney Tunes vibe...if you can get past Taz singing (yes, singing) about his preferred version of the Trojan War. -Blair
Final Score:
Continues
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