Amy Ziegfeld Comic Reviews

All told, Adventures of the Super Sons #1 is a delight. It's a fun, well-made comic that entertains even as it's made to hover in an odd limbo with respect to continuity.

Aquaman #18 is a good enough comic if you've been reading Aquaman. It wraps up the Warhead plot cul-de-sac in a decently satisfying way and ushers us to the next plot point. It nonetheless feels a bit thematically confused, a problem that has plagued the entire Rebirth Aquaman series.

Aquaman #26 is a gorgeous book with an intriguing plot that puts Arthur in his ideal millieu, as a rebel outcast fighting a corrupt Atlantean state. It depicts a weird and wonderful Atlantis that entices the reader into wanting to learn more about its mysterious depths.

Batgirl #5 is a fitting end to an auspicious first arc.

Batgirl and the Birds of Prey #3 is great serial story telling and a lovely-looking book, to boot.

In the meantime, Batman #6 was one of the most powerful comic books I've read this year. It's a poignant capstone on the I Am Gotham storyline, lays the groundwork for future stories, and serves as an emotional standalone tale of grief.

Batman #7 is a great start to what looks to be a fun crossover. The creative team did their homework and have produced a love letter to monster media that manages to stay true to its Bat roots.

King and Janin deliver an amazing issue of Batman, and a fantastic Suicide Squad story, to boot. King delivers long-form storytelling while still infusing every individual issue with meaning. This is a fantastic comic.

Batman #19 is a great example of the work that King and his art teams have done with Batman post-Rebirth. It takes familiar themes and concepts and approaches them in novel ways, and never misses an opportunity to elevate the subject matter and give the reader something to think about.

Batman #24 is the perfect capstone on the first year of King's already amazing Rebirth run on Batman. It has an emotional honesty rarely seen in superhero comics and manages a twist ending that is both surprising and the most natural thing in the world.

Batman #33 is a fine start to the next arc of Batman and ends on a revelation that leaves the reader excited to see what happens next. It's great serial storytelling, providing character moments while also being a compelling read.

Catwoman #1 is a masterpiece first issue, stunning to look at and engaging to read. It's a great start to a promising new series.

Cover #1 is, nonetheless, a singular experience, unlike anything else on the stands now, and well worth the effort to seek out. It has a fascinatingly introspective quality as it weaves its themes through multiple avenues and does breathtaking things with its diverse art styles and striking use of color.

All told, Cursed Comics Cavalcade #1 is a gorgeous exhibition of some of DC's top talent telling a variety of fun, spooky stories with their star characters. There's nothing life-changing in here, but it's a solid collection and well worth your time.

Dark Days: The Casting is a bombastic, effervescent introduction to the Metal event. It is deeply ensconced in continuity but, rather than presenting these connections as a barrier to be surmounted, it offers them as an opportunity to explore and come to love this universe as much as the creators do. It entices and offers the promise of exciting stories to come.

DC Metal is an excellent start to what promises to be a fun event. It's unpretentious in its earnest love for the comic book universe it gleefully expands upon and skillfully weaves together old concepts and new ideas into a seamless, exciting whole.

There's potential here. It's an amusing premise and it could go somewhere fun in future issues, but this first issue has almost nothing to recommend it except for fun art and exposition that will set up future, hopefully better issues.

Green Lantern/Huckleberry Hound Special #1 is another excellent, and unexpected, cartoon crossover from DC, a powerful lesson on history and power in a brightly-colored, entertaining package.

Batman/Fudd is a wildly imaginative cross-over and one of the best hard-boiled detective stories in years. It comes strongly recommended.

In all, DC Nation #0 is a gorgeous book, showcasing three highly distinct but equally sumptuous art styles. Its three stories each preview what's to come in the next few months from DC Comics and, to greater or lesser degrees, entice the reader to learn more.

Death of Hawkman #2 significantly picks up the pace compared to the first issue and promises an interesting series going forward. While a tad clich, the story is well-told with superb art.

Die #1 is a practically perfect first issue to one of the most promising new series to launch this year.

Ultimately, Doomsday Clock is an entertaining comic that sets up some interesting-enough mysteries (albeit Johnsian Why is this like this? mysteries, e.g. Who is the new Rorschach? What's up with the Superman Theory? Why does Ozymandias need Marionette and the Mime?). It's well-made, even if it falls short of its seeming aspirations.

Electric Warriors #1 is unlike anything else out there. It's weird and experimental and beautiful and engaging. If the story line feels a bit familiar, the execution of it is unique and fulfilling. Well worth the effort to seek out.

Euthanauts #1 is a promising start to a news series, with interesting mysteries that can, at times, veer into confusion. But it's gorgeous throughout and well worth a read.

Go-Bots #1 is a rollicking, exuberrant throw-back, a perfect simulation of a child's tale as put together by a master craftsman. It's a unique product of a single auteur and worth a look for that alone, but also entertains and enthralls on its own merits.

It's difficult to recommend this comic. Even if the series subsequently becomes far more engaging, the content in this issue is deeply inessential. The art, while interesting, isn't good enough to make it worth a look on its own, and the writing has nothing new to say, nor does it find an interesting way to say it. There's promise here, and the potential for a fine comics story, but that potential is unrealized in this first issue.

Green Lanterns #1 is a solid start to the series. It's an invigorating, if slightly rough-around-the-edges, return to form for the title and holds a lot of promise for the future.

In total, Green Lanterns #6 is a perfectly serviceable end to the series' first arc. It establishes a good dynamic between Simon and Jessica going forward, has some nice character moments, and sets up the next arc well.

Green Lanterns #7 is a fun character study and a welcome breather amidst all the galactic action. The pace is brisk and the dialogue snappy. It comes highly recommended for fans of Jessica or Simon.

This is a fun transitional issue, but it's marred by persistent writing problems and inconsistent art that prevent it from rising to anything more than a trifle.

As the second arc of Green Lanterns begins in earnest, this title is really picking up momentum. This is a fantastic issue all-around and a great read for any Green Lantern fan.

Green Lanterns is a good book that keeps getting better. Humphries is exploring some interesting themes and the book looks gorgeous.

Even when the narrative's spinning in circles, Green Lanterns is always a gorgeous book to look at. This isn't a bad issue, per se, but it felt like too much of a repetition of the last issue.

Green Lanterns #18 is a great issue of a great comic. It's a well-told story that serves as an intriguing bridge to the next arc, and the art is some of the best I've seen in a good while.

Green Lanterns #34 has its rough patches, but it's a promising start to the next era of the title.

Despite some issues with the pacing, this is a fine middle issue for this arc. It features some stunning visuals and excellent characterization to make a story that is highly entertaining, if mildly confusing.

While I find the backslide in Sinestro's direction a bit disappointing, I did quite enjoy this book. Hal Jordan and the Green Lantern Corps #1 showed plenty of promise going forward, and a delightful glimmer of optimism at the very end. I'm excited to see what comes next.

Hal Jordan and the Green Lantern Corps #2 is a lovely-looking comic without much to say. This book has all the potential in the world to become a great space epic, but for now potential is all it has.

Hal Jordan And The Green Lantern Corps #4 builds tension as it barrels toward the conclusion of the first arc and it gives some great character moments for both Sinestro and Guy Gardner. This book really feels like it's finding its rhythm.

This issue is a promising start for the next story arc, even if it's not necessarily a great issue on its own. It will probably be worth reading eventually, but for now it's all promise and no payoff.

All of that said, while there's a lot of good stuff in this comic, it's somewhat limited by the fact that it's a preface and a bridge. It explains previous stories and promises new stories, but it's not an especially interesting story in and of itself. Hal Jordan and the Green Lantern Corps: Rebirth is well-executed, but ultimately inessential.

Hawkman #4 is a gorgeous book, in keeping with the formula established by the previous three issues, and is a fun, brisk read that serves as a new reader's tour through Hawkman's history.

Hawkman #8 is a joy to read, and a sterling example of how continuity can be integrated into a superhero comic without making it intimidating and repellan to new readers. The art is top-notch, and the ongoing story captivating.

There is a lot of promise here. The art is striking and unique, unlike anything else on the shelves today, and I'm genuinely curious to see where the story goes. The atmosphere is macabre and foreboding and gives a real sense of the weirdness of the Mystery House and its eccentric owner. That said, this issue's problems can't be overlooked. The writing gets lazy in unfortunate ways, and that really hurts the story. Moreover, its treatment of American Indians is difficult to excuse. It's got a lot going for it, but be cognizant of its issues before diving in.

Justice League #34 is a great Justice League comic, in general. It's also a great jumping-on point if you haven't been keeping up on Justice League. Priest and Woods tell a story that's wholly satisfying on its own, while also promising an interesting larger story to come.

Justice League #41 continues Priests excellent run on the title, bringing in big themes and handling them skillfully. It's well worth a read.

Overall, Justice League of America: The Atom Rebirth is a better-than-average Rebirth special that accomplishes its main goal of laying the ground work for the Atom's future adventures in the pages of Justice League of America.

Justice League vs. Suicide Squad #3 is a great continuation of the larger event, progressing the story, and giving some great character moments while introducing some new twists.

Justice League: No Justice #1 is the best there is at what it does, delivering epic, large-scale widescreen super-hero action in beautiful style. How much you enjoy it is entirely dependent on whether there's at least part of you that still thinks that what it does can be very nice.

This issue was a lot of fun and I really enjoyed it. It's entirely unlike anything else on the stands right now, and for that it should be commended. Moreover, you can be guaranteed that every single issue of this comic will give you a lot of action and storytelling for your purchase. It's a quirky book, the seams are definitely exposed, and whether it will make a satisfying story in total is yet to be seen, but for now this issue is a great time.

Man-Eaters #1 is a fine start. It's an interesting world with a compelling main character. With a first issue as exposition-heavy as this one, though, it remains to be seen how well the elements of the plot will gel once the story gets into full swing. On the whole, though, I'm inclined to grant the benefit of the doubt while waiting, with some excitement, for future issues.

Martian Manhunter #1 is a promising start. It presents a geuinely weird and alien Mars and an interesting mystery on Earth. With a little more development, this feels like a story that could make J'onn J'onnz a breakout character.

Mera: Queen of Atlantis #3 puts an interesting twist on its story. It's well drawn and compels the reader to want to find out where the story will go next as the series unfolds.

Midnight of the Soul has a lot of promise. It's a well-told, if somewhat shopworn, noir tale of violence and masculinity. Hopefully it will hop the tracks and do something unexpected in future issues, but in the meantime it's a creditable entry in the genre.

Mystik U #1 is a great first-issue for a charming, young adult-oriented miniseries that also has deep ties to the history of the DC Universe, going back to Action Comics #1. It lays the groundwork for the rest of the series while serving as a fulfilling self-contained story in its own right. Highly recommended.

Mystik U #2 is a great coming-of-age story for readers of all ages, with an authentic voice that never feels condescending. The art complements and enhances that story, and makes this book something truly special.

New Super-Man remains one of the most interesting superhero comics being published today, a fascinating take on heroism the likes of which we haven't really seen before. Every issue is a delight, and this one is no different.

Nightwing #21 is a great one-off story that is both a satisfying read by itself and does a great job re-establishing a forgotten friendship.

It's a shame this comic is ending with the next issue; I would have loved to see what other stories King and Bagenda could tell with this cast of characters. With all of the Omega Men converging on the Citadel's Viceroy, it's clear there is to be no pat solution to the war in Vega. But when the Omega Men inevitably come into conflict with each other, who will win out? I don't think I've ever had less idea of what's going to happen in the final issue of a series, and I can't wait to find out.

I hesitate to call Omega Men a perfect comic, if only because I hate to think of art as something that is perfectable. With that said, Omega Men is as close to a flawless comic as I have read since I first began reading comics, and this last issue brings the series to, if not necessarily a satisfying conclusion, then one that is wholely in keeping with everything that came before it.

Plastic Man #1 does an excellent job not only of starting out a new miniseries but also re-establishing Plastic Man in the post-Rebirth DC Universe. It perfectly nails Eel O'Brian's voice and is a joy to read.

Red Hood and the Outlaws #2 is an exciting, if a tad clich, extended fight scene that showcases some of the best sequential art on the market today.

Red Hood and the Outlaws: Rebirth has been the biggest surprise of the relaunch for me. I was genuinely not expecting to enjoy it as much as I did, and, for the first time in ages, I'm excited about Jason Todd. It's entirely possible that this book will lose me in the future, but for now, I am on board. Red Hood and the Outlaws: Rebirth is a genuinely great comic.

First issues are difficult. They not only have to set up the story, and the characters, and the world, they also have to act as a sales pitch for the series as a whole. Satellite Falling #1 does an admirable job on all accounts. The story is intriguing, the characters nuanced, the world engrossing, and it offers the promise of a fantastic science fiction tale to come. Satellite Falling #1 is both an auspicious start and a fantastic read in and of itself.

Shade, the Changing Girl continues to impress with its fourth issue. The writing is poetic, the art evocative, and to top it off the second feature is fantastic.

Six Pack And Dog Welder feels like the comic that the slacker kids in high school would make if they were supremely witty and had access to an incredible artist and colorist. It takes what should be broad, one-note characters and finds new angles and humor while also stealthily imbuing them humanity and poignancy. This is a book that will make you care about a man who welds dogs to peoples' faces.

Suicide Squad #10 is a well-told done-in-one story spinning out of the denouement of Justice League vs. Suicide Squad. It builds on the event by telling a character-focused story that deepens our understanding of Amanda Waller.

The first official issue of the reborn Supergirl series is a great opener. It gives us nice character moments that are worth the price of admission by themselves, while setting up a story with a lot of potential.

Supergirl #2 is another fine issue in the series. Cat Grant steals the show, but there's a lot of interesting stuff set up between Supergirl and Cyborg Superman, and the art throughout is vibrant and fun.

Supergirl #8 crosses over with three other storylines while serving as a wholly satisfying story in itself. It's deft and fun and maintains the tone of the rest of the series even as it ties up loose ends from other comics.

Supergirl #26 is a fun and endearing comic that, aside from my idiosyncratic issues with continuity, is a delight from start to finish.

Brave and the Bold #2 is a gorgeous book, and the story it tells is enthralling, but it's somewhat held back by feeling like it's just a small slice of a singular, larger story and doesn't quite satisfy as a storytelling unit on its own.

All in all, The Fall and Rise of Captain Atom #3 is a beautiful comic to look at in which not enough happens. Hopefully future issues will pick up the pace, or at least give us a better exploration of Captain Atom as a character.

Immortal Men #1 is an interesting start to a series, but it's very much only the beginning. Whether the story ultimately goes to new or exciting places or introduces us to engaging characters remains to be seen.

Man of Steel #2 is well-illustrated and action-packed, yet still finds time for down-to-Earth character moments that build the universe and instill confidence that the Man of Tomorrow is in good hands.

The Seeds #1 is a gripping start to what promises to be an excellent science fiction miniseries. The striking art and convincing characters pull you along and draw you in to a world that's hauntingly, melancholically familiar.

Transformers: More Than Meets the Eye: Revolution #1 is a fantastic, well-plotted, hilarious send-up of the type of corporate event that spawned it, and simultaneously serves as a kind of defense of the genre. Highly recommended, whether you've been reading Revolution or not.

Trinity #12 is an entertaining beginning to a new story, but is hampered by the slightness of the premise and the jarring inconsistency with previous issues. The art is a highlight, and almost worth the price of admission on its own.

Wonder Woman #31 is a decent start to what will hopefully be an entertaining arc. It's not especially original and doesn't distinguish itself much thus far, but the execution is solid and there's potential for something interesting here.