The comic book industry wrapped up the month of October with more major releases. DC celebrated Halloween with the release of the DC House of Horror anthology and released several new Dark Nights: metal tie-ins. marvel welcome more books into the Marvel Legacy fold and delivered the long-awaited finale to Dan Slott and Mike Allred's Silver Surfer run. IDW also had a huge week, as the First Strike crossover wrapped up with a major twist ending and TMNT reached its 75th issue.
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 Jurgens | Drawn by Viktor Bogdonavic
Viktor Bogdanovic’s artwork has really come along nicely in this storyline, and this is one of his strongest issues of Action Comics. That said, it’s becoming increasingly difficult to take the Mr. Oz twist seriously. Dan Jurgens at least pays lip service to the idea that Mr. Oz has created a global crisis by indicating that the rest of the Justice League is putting out fires around the world, but we’re only told about this rather than shown. What we do see is a very simplistic attempt by Superman to broker a peace agreement that has all of the subtlety of Superman IV: The Quest for Peace. At face value, Mr. Oz’s motivations and those of his followers are difficult to reconcile with the better world that they say that they want. There may be some Doomsday Clock foreshadowing here, but as its own story, “The Oz Effect” is simply okay. Considering who Mr. Oz is supposed to be in relation to Superman, it deserves to be much better than that. -Blair
Final Score:
Written by Peter J. Tomasi | Drawn by Francis Manapul
Batman: The Merciless follows the same path that the previous Dark Nights: Metal tie-ins used to introduce the various evil incarnations of Batman. But those books didn't have Francis Manapul as their artist, and that makes all of the difference here. Manapul’s art is stunning, and he gives the Merciless a sense of epic might as he steamrolls over the DCU’s war planners. One of the more intriguing things about Peter J. Tomasi’s script is the reason why this Batman wears Wonder Woman’s symbol and how he became the God of War on his world. There’s a late twist to this Batman’s tale, but we’re only told what he did, which feels like a mistake. For that kind of moment to fully land, we really needed to see this Batman fall that far and truly turn his back on the man that he used to be. Regardless of that misstep, this is still the best of the evil Batmen one-shots to date. -Blair
Final Score:
Written & Drawn by Various
"DC House of Horror #1 features tow main selling points. One, it offers a darker, horror-flavored take on iconic characters like Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman. Two, it features a crop of acclaimed horror novelists working with seasoned artists for what should be a "best of both worlds" situation. Sadly, this issue doesn't live up to its promise at all. Nor does it justify the $10 cover price." -Jesse
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Final Score:
Written by James Tynion IV | Drawn by Alvaro Martinez
Alvaro Martinez’s artwork really stands out in this issue, and he delivers some of the best pages this book has seen since Eddy Barrows was regularly on it. Martinez renders thrilling visuals throughout the issue, but the more impressive aspect is that he nails the emotional beats of James Tynion’s script. This issue finally brings Tim Drake back into the orbit of his extended Bat-family, and that's just a joy to watch. It still doesn’t make much sense to tie that into the ridiculous Mr. Oz storyline, but Tim’s return makes the team feel more complete. Even the other Tim Drake from the future has some striking moments, including his brief encounters with Spoiler and Alfred. Tynion also seems determined to reintroduce almost every aspect of Batman’s last few decades with a final page reveal of Bruce Wayne’s most infamous invention. It’s an intriguing twist, but it’s the character work and the art that make this series so enjoyable. -Blair
Final Score:
Written by Joshua Williamson | Drawn by Howard Porter
DC picked a weird place to begin their newest Dark Nights: Metal tie-in, as "Bats Out of Hell" interrupts the flow of the ongoing Dark Flash storyline. That aside, this issue serves as a promising start for "Bats Out of Hell." It builds very naturally on the events of Metal #3 and the disappearances of Batman and Superman, to the point where it almost reads like Metal #3.5. Despite that, writer Joshua Williamson is able to keep the spotlight firmly on Barry Allen and add further depth to the friendship between Barry and Bruce. Really, my only complaint with this issue is that the visuals don't really strike that heavy metal tone. Howard Porter's art, while plenty dynamic, lacks that gritty, over-the-top quality. Similarly, Hi-Fi's bright, vivid colors are great for a normal Flash comic, but less so in the context of this story. -Jesse
Final Score:
Written by Robert Venditti | Drawn by Patrick Zircher
This series tends to get the most out of Ethan Van Sciver and Rafa Sandoval on art, but Patrick Zircher has made a very strong showing for himself in the last two issues. Zircher’s classic style suits Green Lantern well, and he draws a really terrific Superman as well. While this issue does have a guest appearance by the Man of Steel, Hal Jordan does the heavy lifting in this narrative. Robert Venditti reminds readers about the things that Hal really wants out of life in a great sequence, but Hal is once again derailed when his duty as a Green Lantern gets in the way. We’ve seen a lot of that in superhero comics, but it still works after all of these decades. Hal Jordan as the ultimate space cop can only go so far. He needs more of the human side that this issue gives him. -Blair
Final Score:
Written by Joshua Williamson | Drawn by Eleonora Carlini w/ Wilfredo Torres
The art really seems to be the make-or-break factor with this series lately, and too often Suicide Squad has proven unable to rise to the challenge in recent months. Why else the sudden drop-off in quality after the promising start to "The Secret History of Task Force X" in issue #27? Eleonora Carlini's work is serviceable, but generally lacking in energy. And that's not a good thing when this issue is already so exposition and dialogue-heavy. That robs the book of much of its momentum coming on the heels of the big Rick Flag-related reveal. Conversely, Wilfredo Torres brings a clean, stylish look to the backup feature, one that helps capture the retro throwback feel and create a sense of style and energy that's completely lacking in the main book. It's past time DC established a more consistent look and feel for this series and prevented the seesawing quality that's been a problem from issue #1. -Jesse
Final Score:
Written by James Robinson | Drawn by Emanuela Lupacchino
Don't expect an immediate follow-up to last issue and the long-awaited meeting of Diana and her twin brother, Jason. Writer James Robinson instead tackles an interlude story that explores how Grail and Darkseid fit into this conflict. Needless to say, it kills the momentum this story had generated in its first two issues. Robinson's portrayal of Grail isn't particularly compelling. And while it's certainly fascinating to see the malevolent Darkseid trapped in the body of a child, this issue doesn't add enough to either character to justify such a lengthy flashback. This reads more like fodder for a backup tale than a full-length issue. Also annoying is the fact that, at the rate things are going, every single issue of this arc will be drawn by a different artist. Emanuela Lupacchino has done some great work for DC in the past, but her art has a very rushed, muddled quality to it in this issue. Lupacchino also struggles when it comes to rendering Darkseid himself. The character's physical transformation in this issue is hardly reflected in the art at all. -Jesse
Final Score:
Continues
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