This is a great follow up to last month’s Batman #158. The mystery expands and there is some great character work with Bruce Wayne. Loeb brings in characters that can show a different side of Batman like Leslie Thompkins and Jason Todd. He’s unsure around them both and Loeb makes that part of the story. Loeb also continues to uses the pieces of the original “Hush” as he brings other characters in. It’s another fun and exciting comic that captures a classic feel and exposes some of the deficiencies in many contemporary comics. more

The best issue of the run so far for me.

Horrible title with Atrocious writing. Don’t ever let Leah Williams writer anything involving Power Girl again DC! Good riddance.

It’s more wackiness with Metamorpho and crew. This issue more than any other demands the reader to just sort of go with it. And…I’m ok with that. This series has been like this all along and it provides a genuinely distinct and different approach to Super-Hero comics. It feels a bit like Metamorpho is drinking some of Plastic Man’s milkshake, except for the fact that Plastic Man isn’t even at the soda fountain…well, you get what I mean. It’s Zany Bob Haney fun. more

This issue produced two jaw drops, one of 2 minutes and one of thirty seconds as well as a fist pump and “hell yeah” followed by a genuine laugh out loud. What an issue with some great surprises and appearances you just don’t see coming. Jeremy Adams puts together another outstanding issue, one of the best of the series. No spoilers here, but you don’t want to miss this issue. Hal’s character is written perfectly and the surprises are truly unexpected and impactful. This is the book of the week! more

I am going to try to not compare Main Wonder Woman to Absolute Wonder Woman, since that is a really weird way to say which book is better or I prefer. I like to judge each book by its own merits, and not bring another book down.

For me, Tom King's Wonder Woman feels very stiff. very awkward, very stale and formal. The dialogue is short and concise, and I understand that Wonder Woman is a greek demigod. But she lived here on Earth for a long time, so it's strange to have Wonder Woman speak this inhuman or out of touch shakespearan dialogue.

And a vocal minority are very conflicted and dont like Tom King's voice for Batman. I am one of those people. I feel that Tom King doesn't really get Batman, and he often writes Batman out of character and acting very strangely in this story. The line about God in church with Batman and Wonder Woman doesn't hit hard because the writing for these characters are so strange and bizzare.

Overall, it's not terrible, and it's a nice break from the previous villain. But it feels that this Series doesn't feel natural to me. Or I could be wrong more

There’s a huge shift of gears with this issue moving past the Sovereign storyline. It doesn’t mean it’s any better, just different. Batman feels way out of place. Diana seems far too vengeful and quite detached in an odd sort of way. Guillem March depicts her almost as a femme fatale as she appropriates Batman for this mission to find out who killed Ares and clear Hippolyta’s name. In some ways it feels like it exists in its own universe more so than the previous 19 issues did, and boy did they ever! Tom King creates a strange moment in which he attempts to give Bruce and Diana a more personal connection, but it just ends up being awkward. Elements of the actual investigation are solid, but it all feels like something manufactured around that dagger we saw last issue, which also happens to be the murder weapon here. more

Jamal Campbell delivers another fun, interesting, exciting and creative issue of Zatanna. It’s not simply the magical aspects, but the mysterious quality of the Lady White as well as the inventive use of Bat-characters Bruce Wayne and Basil Karlo/ Clayface. Furthermore, Campbell taps into some real emotion and there’s even a surprise with one of the supporting characters. There is still the feeling that there’s something else going on beyond what we know. This is series is proving itself to be damn good. It’s nice to see a character like Zatanna get quality treatment! more

There’s nothing wrong with revisiting “Greatest Hits” every one and a while and that’s what Terra and Deathstroke bring to this issue. That coupled with some of the interpersonal subplots make this series feel more and more like the New Teen Titans than it has in a very long time. Of course, that’s sort of the point, that’s why people like these characters together. It’s taken some growing pains but, this series seems to be on the upswing, even if the art feel more YA Graphic Novel than mainstream comic book. more

The basic premise for this Superman story is solid. Getting Clark to take Lois’ assignment for the Daily Planet is a neat idea. Unfortunately, Lois and Clark don’t sound right. Their interaction is awkward as doesn’t feel genuine. It almost feels like a caricature. There’s also a bit of disrespect towards Clark ability as a journalist which feels like a modern attempt at making him the butt of the joke. It feels as if this is an adaptation in another form of media that is playing with different iterations of the characters and pulling in disparate aspects that don’t quite mesh. The arctic camouflage Superman costume doesn’t make any sense. The art is decent, but almost feels like it’s going for an animation feel instead of a mainstream Superman comic. There is a timeless quality to this story, but the characterizations keep it from elevating the experience. more

I suppose this comic is fine for its intended audience. Like its predecessor, Fire and Ice: Welcome to Smallville, it’s not for Justice League International fans or for fans of the characters who want to see some genuine character work on Tora and Bea. It doesn’t feel like a mainline DC Universe comic at all. The fact that it references Absolute Power, DC All In Special and Justice League Unlimited is really weird. It comes across as a YA Graphic Novel (except for the part where Bea spends the night with a guy). Putting out comics that are tonally and stylistically diverse in their line is a good idea, but I don’t think DC knows how to get this into the hands of the intended audience. Coupled with the fact that the comic itself isn’t really sure what its audience is will definitely pose a problem. There are too many characters in the series for Tora and Bea to get any quality attention, there’s too much time wasted on bad jokes and the ancillary characters. We’ve been here before with Welcome to Smallville, so there’s no reason to do it again. But, I guess there could be a small niche audience for this weird take on the DC Universe. more

Cassandra Cain is not a character that I’ve followed closely over the years. Batgirl #6 appears to require a deeper understanding of her history and tutelage under the Batman. The strongest aspect of this issue is the relationship between Cassandra and Shiva. There’s some deep stuff there that plays well, definitely stronger than the Unburied. The end of this issue feels a bit like it’s taking place out of continuity, or it’s just simply misdirection that doesn’t really work in today’s comics. Next issue promises a history of Lady Shiva and that in itself is tantalizing. Can this team bring it all together? We’ll have to see. more

I don’t think anyone ever wanted to know this much about Resurrection Man. If this is a character you’re into this is probably one of the greatest things you’ve ever hoped to get on the character. I don’t know that this will pull in new readers, it doesn’t feel accessible to those unfamiliar with the character. There are some real over the top moments and the parts that might resonate widely don’t last long enough. The overall concept is fairly bizarre and I feel like this makes it even weirder. more

Mike Perkins’ art is the standout of this series so far and this issue is no different. There’s an interesting concept in the mini-series, but writers John Ridley and Ryan Parrot are trying too hard to be clever with their story. The surprise on the final page is indeed a shocking turn of events, but the path there is far too circuitous and it diminishes the impact. Sometimes being more straightforward is a better storytelling technique and this issue, indeed this whole series so far would benefit from it. more

Does Jeff Lemire even want to write the JSA? This series is so soulless and rushed. There is no sense of passion or coherent story structure present. The decision to start the story in the middle of nowhere and show the team at their worst is extremely odd. I expected better from Lemire.

Dull, tad, lifeless…
And all the boring patriotic undercurrents…
Great art wasted on weird, pornographic, and dreading plot.

Wow. Sometimes feeling like you’ve gone back in time when reading a comic is good. While some are hoping that Jim Lee and Jeph Loeb’s return to the pages of Batman for a sequel to their seminal “Hush” storyline will be a return to great comics of 20 years ago, it actually does more than that. This comic manages to grab the feel of Batman comics from even further back to the Bronze Age. There’s some Denny O’Neil and Neal Adams here as well as Gerry Conway, Len Wein, Jim Aparo, Don Newton and Doug Moench. This is a great start to a storyline and while it references recent status quo that has happened since the original Hush story, it blends it into the classic much more effectively than Batman or Detective Comics has in a while. There’s no B.S. in this issue. It’s just great comics. There’s Batman as detective in this issue, the Bat-family is firmly in play, and Loeb has an angle on the Joker that’s certainly not seen often. Jim Lee is doing some great work in this issue, he’s never been a favorite, but his storytelling is quite good here. This is going to be a special storyline and I believe it will live up to hype and expectations. Don’t be surprised if Batman surpasses Absolute Batman as the sales juggernaut for DC! more

This is a solid issue. There’s a good amount of action as the story progresses forward. It doesn’t feel quite as contrived as some of the previous issues have. There’s a moment where it feels like it’s about to be too much, but in the endit’s not overstuffed Waid finds a way to make it all fit. Mark Waid is trying to connect some of the ancillary titles like The Atom Project and does a good job with it. Bart Allen-Impulse gets a nice moment this issue. The final page brings into focus the upcoming crossover with World’s Finest. more

There are two things that are good about this issue and for that matter the entire series. After some awkward moments in the first issue, I think Ryan Sook found his way with this book. The cover to this issue is especially nice and the interiors are good as well. Seeing both Canaries together looks great. Some of the moments with Dinah and her mom are solid. Were they told in a different context they would resonate more. And, if they seemed to fit in better with previous versions of her history. Unfortunately, King’s go to move of “misery” and “unhappiness” sucks much of the fun out of seeing the two together. Black Canary I training Black Canary II is something King has added and it works for his story so he can emphasize the misery for both of them. Originally, the younger Dinah sought out training on her own against her mother’s wishes. The older Dinah hating cops is weird too because her father was a cop (Secret Origins #50). King has made Dinah, Sr. about as unlikable as possible, but hey, that’s what King does. King also is ignoring the great character work between Shiva and Black Canary that Gail Simone developed in Birds of Prey about 20 years ago. Not having any context for this fight continues to bring down this series. It’s just violence for violence’s sake. If you are into that, I suggest seeking help, not read this series. Like all of King’s work, he’s in his own world with his own set of rules and continuity. Everything you want to know about Black Canary has already been done better (see Birds of Prey) and and this doesn’t add anything of value. Visually it’s entertaining and it has some nice short bits with Dinah grieving, but other wise, you’ll wish you hadn’t let King mess with Black Canary. more

This series continues to be very entertaining. There are some genuinely humorous parts and some of them don’t rely on being over 50, having read this comic in the sixties, or being familiar with the parlance of the Go-Go-Check era. That said, there is something missing. I can’t be sure of what it is, but this comic needs something. It’s close enough to being brilliant that you can almost taste it. Definitely worth checking out. It’s something unique! more

Well, this issue ramps things up as everything intensifies. There’s just a couples between Odyssey and Kon-El and it immediately does more for him than everything in the past 10 years- what HAS been going on with him, maybe Jeremy Adams will tell us?!?!?! Plus, Adams doesn’t forget Carol and Hal. The new status of their relationship continues to develop and it continues to be captivating. There’s a super-villain surprise at the end of the issue that doesn’t take long to develop. It’s an idea that could’ve left things open ended, but Adams wisely brings it to the fore immediately. There’s a lot of action too in another well balanced issue. What’s not to like? more

This is a mixed bag of an issue. Part of it progresses as one might expect, but the fourth wall breaking Zanni is a little strange. The supernatural element doesn’t fit Nightwing very well and it’s a huge jump from the street level story that’s been unfolding with the street gangs and Dick Grayson’s concern for the kids of Bludhaven who’ve been caught up in the violence. The relationship between Dick and Barbara is still depicted well and is still the basis for the title. Dan Watters continues to develop relevant themes around Dick that evoke thoughtful consideration. more

The best Lemire book in years. This is the most I've ever cared about Wally West. I need to know what went down with him and a certain character!

The Absolute line is the best thing going in modern comics.

Unless you're Gabe Hernandez, of course.

I like Dan Watters work a lot but I’m out.

Jeff Lemire turns in a fairly strong script, but it’s non linear nature doesn’t serve a first issue well. It’s definitely executed better than in his recent JSA #1, and it works for the most part until the “one year later” jump at the end. It’s entirely unnecessary as there’s plenty of mystery and intrigue to go around without it. There’s a lot of characters, and like all the Absolute titles so far, part of the approach relies on the reader already knowing the traditional mythos of the title character. Like Absolute Wonder Woman, the concepts introduced in this issue would work better as an entirely new character as opposed to a variation on a classic DC Comics hero. Also, like the other Absolute titles, it’s hard to find a reason for the existence of any of these Absolute characters out side of being different just for the sake of being different. If the Absolute titles have been for you then this will probably land, but there’s nothing grounding breaking or really compelling about Absolute Flash #1, in fact most of it is something you’ve seen before. This is a solid above average to good, much like Absolute Superman #1 placing these both over the above average Absolute Batman #1 and the mediocre Absolute Wonder Woman #1. more

This run by Torunn Gronbekk attempts to give Catwoman a mysterious past that’s never been explored. Gronbekk does it by placing the story in a wholly different genre than what is usually associated with Catwoman. This isn’t a street urchin learning how to survive on her own, this is firmly in the realm of espionage with a distinctly European flavor. I’ve compared it to Modesty Blaise or Diabolik previously, and it’s hard not to recapitulate that comparison. For as un-Catwoman-like it can seem, it IS working. Perhaps, when Gronbekk is done, this chapter in Selina’s life will fit seamlessly into the bigger picture. Right now it’s a fun enjoyable ride and it’s hard not to like. more

As enjoyable as issue #1 was, this issue may be even better! There’s a good mystery-and it deepens, things progress with the plot and the cadre of magic/ supernatural characters we see are fun. Madame Xanadu and Blue Devil not only connect things with Justice League Dark, but also Madame Xanadu’s Vertigo solo series, Demon Knights from the New 52 and Blue Devil’s original series from the ���80’s. There’s just a slight desire to see Zatanna on her own instead of in an ensemble, but the ensemble is compelling. Additionally, I don’t think we needed to see Bruce Wayne show up on the last page, but there’s a lot going on to sort out and it’s 99% not straightforward. There are a couple of surprises along the way that confirm the fact that Jamal Campbell is a solid writer. more

That hater Morgan Hampton needs to fuck off.
And the scene of John and Shayera hiding in the closet is way too cringy and gross. It's like a creepy sex fantasy of a pathetic incel.

The finale to this three issue storyline is rather mediocre. It feels very by the numbers, and while you can tell it’s supposed to be some sort of moving, “gray area” thing to “challenge” Superman it comes off very pedestrian. There’s no real insight, it just feels like something you’ve read before. Had the characters involved been more significant it would’ve had more impact. It’s not something that can be pulled off within three issues effectively without a deeper connection for the reader. more

This comic is well balanced between plot, character, action and emotion. Jeremy Adams work has been strong at DC, and this seems to be the case in this title. Paired with Morgan Hampton on writing duties doesn’t appear to hamper the deeper elements. Even the John Stewart/ Shayera “relationship” front benefits this issue. There’s nothing specific mentioned, but John is displays a sincere sympathy for Shayera as she comes face to face with the ruins of Thanagar. It suggests that even if they go ahead and make the mistake of introducing a previous romantic relationship between the two, there’s a good chance it will be done well. more