It was another big week for the comic book industry. DC released several key new Batman comics in the form of Batman #32, Batman: White Knight #1 and Batman: The Dawnbreaker #1. Marvel kicked off their Legacy relaunch as books like The Avengers and Iron Fist reverted to their classic numbering, while also capping off the Venomverse crossover and publishing Garth Ennis and Goran Parlov's long-awaited return to The Punisher. Elsewhere, Image dropped a new chapter of The Walking Dead and Dynamite began their sequel to the recent Batman/The Shadow crossover.
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 Scott Snyder w/ Rafael Albuquerque & Rafael Scavone | Drawn by Rafael Albuquerque w/ Sebastian Fiumara
I have some mixed feelings about Scott Snyder’s pending departure from this book. On one hand, it’s really time to go when Alfred suddenly has a secret vigilante history and an enemy from his past who is out to kill both Alfred and Batman. But here’s the thing that Snyder does so well: he keeps writing these emotional moments between Alfred and Bruce, and they all work. They all land, and that’s no easy feat. Rafael Albuquerque’s art is also very good, but it’s his work as a co-writer in the backup story that should turn some heads. In many ways, Batman’s Russian adventure is more entertaining than “The First Ally,” and it may have also given us a formidable new female villain for Batman. There’s even a connection between the two stories beyond Batman himself, but you’ll have to read the issue to see it for yourself. -Blair
Final Score:
Written by Tom King | Drawn by Mikel Janin
"'The War of Jokes and Riddles' is by far the longest story arc writer Tom King has attempted on this series. Given that and the flashback-heavy nature of the story, it's especially important that King and artist Mikel Janin nail the ending. Can they ultimately justify this lengthy story detour? Does Batman's dark, terrible secret live up to the hype? Will readers get the closure they've been waiting for regarding Batman's marriage proposal. For the most part, this final chapter does wrap up this arc on the right note and provide the answers fans are craving." -Jesse
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Final Score:
Written by Sam Humphries | Drawn by Ethan Van Sciver
Maybe it’s because these issues are all set in the Dark Multiverse, but I dunno, none of the Dark Nights tie-in events have done a good job managing the balance between cool and dark. All of them, even the exceptional Red Death, have just dived so deep into the black heart of these alt-heroes that it’s… almost not fun. This issue reads less like an awesome and exciting alternate history (like Flashpoint) and more like a too-dark Elseworlds tale (like I, Joker). These issues are solid, but don’t quite capture the rock n’ roll soul of Metal. That said, I’ve loved what Humphries is doing in the Green Lanterns, and his expansive vision of the Lantern Corps is on full display here. It’s pretty neat, and if this is foreshadowing for revelations in Humphries’ main series, I’ll be stoked, but I feel like it’s not meant to be. It’s just a somewhat neat, imaginary story. That said, it’s a fun one. Art-wise, this issue doesn’t stand out too much compared to, say, The Red Death with its wholly unique art. All in all, this issue was a decent -- but not exceptional -- tie-in to Metal. So far, none of the tie-ins have felt necessary. But all of them have been fun, if a bit too unnecessarily dark, this one included. -Tara
Final Score:
Written & Drawn by Sean Gordon Murphy
"What if Joker were the hero and Batman the villain? That's essentially the premise behind this new out-of-continuity miniseries from Tokyo Ghost artist Sean Gordon Murphy. White Knight is equal parts Joker: Going Sane and The Dark Knight Returns, focusing both on the Clown Prince of Crime's abrupt return to sanity and a Gotham City that's grown fed up with Batman's brand of vigilante brutality. And while definitely rough around the edges in some ways, this first issue's visual appeal more than makes up for any flaws." -Jesse
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Final Score:
Written by Benjamin Percy & Joshua Williamson | Drawn by Juan Ferreyra
I feel like I must have missed an issue of the Gotham Resistance crossover, because Green Arrow #32’s script is really disorienting, and I had no idea why the heroes’ costumes had changed so radically. This could have easily gone off the rails completely, but Juan Ferreyra’s art once again proves to be the decisive factor in this book. If anything, Ferreyra should probably be drawing more Metal tie-ins, because his Gotham City circles of Hell seem like they would fit in pretty well in the real Heavy Metal comic book magazine. There’s really nothing that Ferreyra doesn’t do well, and he’s just an amazing artist. Percy and Williamson have their moments with the script as well, particularly with Green Arrow’s ability to handle Robin. Harley Quinn’s encounter with the Batman Who Laughs is also a standout scene, but the issue's abrupt ending isn’t that satisfying. Still, phenomenal art really does make up for almost anything. It certainly does here. -Blair
Final Score:
Written by Amanda Conner & Jimmy Palmiotti | Drawn by Mirka Andolfo w/ Tom Derenick & Michael Kaluta
This issue of Harley Quinn is kind of Frankenstein'd together by three different artists, but this is one of the rare occasions where that works out in its favor. If you ever want to put a psychedelic sequence into a comic book, you might as well get Michael Kaluta to draw it for you. Of the remaining two artists, I prefer Tom Derenick’s pages, but Mirka Andolfo also has some pretty strong sequentials. As for the story, it felt like Amanda Conner and Jimmy Palmiotti were putting as much plot into the issue as possible. That’s why the tone seems to shift on a dime from insane whimsy to traditional Batman supervillain territory. When the book has serious moments like that it feels completely separated from the rest of the issue. The comedy bits are really good, but the ending means that we’re probably in for something a little more traditional. That’s not always this book’s strength, but it was a better than average issue. -Blair
Final Score:
Written by Tom Taylor | Drawn by Bruno Redondo
For the most part Injustice 2 has offered a very tightly paced, engaging narrative about heroes trying to reclaim their loved ones from Ra's al Ghul's sinister cabal. This issue breaks that trend, unfortunately. While there are certainly some big developments in these pages, the general sense of pacing feels a little wonky relative to previous chapters. The series' structure may be the culprit here. The fact that Injustice 2 is broken up into smaller, digital-first chapters forces Tom Taylor to include breaks and cliffhangers where they don't always fit neatly. Or, in the case of the second chapter in this issue, rush to a conclusion before the proper level of build-up. This issue feels like a misstep in some ways, but hopefully the series will recover quickly. And at least the art quality remains as strong as ever. DC has done a great job giving this sequel a more consistent and attractive sheen than its predecessors, and the book is never better than when Bruno Redondo is on board. -Jesse
Final Score:
Written by Bryan Hitch | Drawn by Fernando Pasarin
If this is the penultimate installment of Bryan Hitch’s Justice League run, then it’s a bit of a letdown. Even though the villain could possibly take out the world, it does get kind of boring when she doesn’t do much for most of the issue and several pages are spent with characters literally standing around. Hitch used this story to introduce the children of the Justice League from the future, but the only characters I really want to see are the League themselves. So it feels like the focus on the kids is hurting the book, now that their parents are shall we say, not in the driver’s seat. The only scenes that come together featured the reunion of Future Aquaman and Mera, as well as the identity reveal of the Sovereign. As a narrative, it’s a mess. Fernando Pasarin’s art is still very Bryan Hitch 2.0, and I don’t have a problem with that. But if the man can do epic art, then at least give him something mind-blowing to draw. Compared to some of the previous issues, this was shockingly pedestrian. -Blair
Final Score:
Written by Tim Seeley | Drawn by Miguel Mendonca
I think we can safely assume that Metal will have no lasting effects on Nightwing, because here he is. Back in Blüdhaven, as if the last issue didn’t even happen. That’s how it goes in superhero land. Now, there are some interesting things happening. Dick Grayson is legitimately dumbfounded by Raptor’s apparent change for the worse, and Seeley’s inner monologue for Nightwing confirms why Raptor is such a good foil for him. He actually sees Raptor’s POV, and seeing Raptor target innocent people has genuinely shaken him. Nightwing’s blossoming romance with Huntress also leads to some good moments, although the reunion of Grayson and his ex-girlfriend doesn’t quite get the play that it deserves. The big winner here is Miguel Mendonca, whose art reminds me of Paul Pelletier's style. Mendonca’s figures are so striking that he even makes Blockbuster look impressive. If Pelletier can’t be on this book, then Mendonca definitely seems like a great fit. It’s an improvement on what came before; I just wish this book would stop trying to make “the Blüd” happen. -Blair
Final Score:
Written by James Bonny | Drawn by Tyler Kirkham
This issue’s saving grace is Tyler Kirkham’s art. Through most of the issue, Kirkham has really terrific takes on Superman, Lois Lane, and Deathstroke, in addition to some of the smaller touches like conveying Clark and Lois’ emotions through their facial expressions. Kirkham’s action scenes are good, and he’s got solid sequential skills. There's only one page that is less than optimal, where it seemed like Kirkham was trying to do an Alex Ross-like Superman pose. Unfortunately, there aren’t many compliments that can be paid to the story. Even if the audience has no idea who Deathstroke was or how he normally acts, the villain in this issue is incredibly bland. But we do know Deathstroke, and his portrayal is wildly out of character. In a shared universe, those things do matter, and it makes for a very frustrating and cliched reading experience. If you’re looking to skip a book this week, this is the one. -Blair
Final Score:
Continues
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