Christopher Jones Comic Reviews

And that's what this issue focuses on the most " Batman's keen detective skills. In fact, it almost reads like an issue of Detective Comics (keep in mind that is where Snyder got his start on Batman) as the Caped Crusdaer unravels the mystery surrounding the Brian Wade/Clayface plot, and there's a panel through Batman's view as he uses a facial recognition device in his cowl. It's something that is simultanouesly and paradoxically overstated and not stated enough " Snyder and Capullo are so in sync when it comes to this title that each issue is something special.

So how does Zero Year stack up to Year One? While it's entirely too early to tell if Snyder's origin will eventually hold the same kind of importance to the mythology of Batman, what can be said is that it's shaping up to be just as good. Zero Year is going to be a huge, year long, eleven issue arc, and if it can maintain the momentum of the first issue then the next year is going to be something very special.

The art and writing work great in tandem. There are the makings of more serious undertones, with Boomerang having hidden agendas and ulterior motives that he of course keeps from his rag tag team of villains. The artistic style helps keep the light-hearted parts fun and engaging for a reader, and the sections with Boomerang fantasizing about decapitating his therapist are the highlight of this issue. Superior Foes of Spider-Man is the superior Spider-man spin-off.

Uncanny Avengers isn't an essential title for anyone wanting to get the main gist of what is happening for the Avengers or X-Men. If you're thinking that your pull list has already gotten a little saturated with several titles featuring the same teams, you might want to skip this one. If you're looking for something a little different than your typical Avengers or X-Men story then I highly recommend jumping on now. With only three issues out you won't be too in the dark if you start with this one.

So how do Tomasi and Gleason cheat the system of delivering a wordless comic book? With a large panel of a letter written to Bruce by Damian before he took off to fight, and die in battle against, Leviathan. The letter is short, but delivers a huge impact and is the catalyst for catapulting Bruce into the anger stage as he smashes the glass cylinder containing Damian's Robin outfit and cradles the costume recalling the images of Batman holding the bodies of Jason Todd and Damian Wayne.

Have you read this comic? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below.

Tony Daniel will be pulling double duty and finishing this arc as both artist and writer, but as for whether or not he will remain as such afterwards, or if DC will find a new writer altogether remains to be seen. Action Comics #19 is a beautiful and fun comic book"which might be why Diggle has left, since DC apparently has a strong aversion to putting books that are fun.

All in all this issue was another where I enjoyed parts, thought others dragged on a bit too long and some of the humor felt forced. This was a 3.5 for me from start to finish, but I had to bump it up to a 4 because not mentioning Sabinos lettering work would be criminal. Oh, and Deadpool gets his revenge against Abe Lincoln in a cage match.

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I liked this ending because it showed Otto giving up his creepy pursuit of Mary Jane, but it also gave the character a lot of much needed development. Otto is struggling with his role as a hero, but this ending really humanizes him and tones down his ego a bit. I'll take "Oh Doc Ock took over my body and dissolved my relationship," over One More Day anytime.

Overall, as an issue to set up the next big Marvel event All-New X-Men #15 falls short, and will leave readers feeling a little slighted.

I had high hopes for this one, but came away feeling really disappointed. Killing off Moby Dick, Ishmael and Don Quixote is a laughable idea so it would make sense that it be fun and absurd. Instead, it feels like Bunn is struggling to decide which Deadpool to write. I like the contrast of wise ass remarks juxtaposed to some of the darker images courtesy of Lolli, Parsons and Gandini, but a lot of times the humor feels forced. The references to literature seem like something anyone who took an intro to lit course could have written. This is a book that starts building momentum, and then falls flat. Its not bad, but its just short of being good.

Calling Happy noir would be too easy. Of course it has those elements, but it never feels like a truly noir experience. Instead, it feels like something that is trying to emulate modern works that were marketed as having noir aspects. I would consider the ending to be a happy one, but given the fate of some characters it might be seen otherwise. Like I said before, despite the cliche premise and storytelling Happy wasn't exactly bad, but it never realized its full potential. This is the kind of story that is best suited for more than four issues.

All-in-all this is probably the worst of the Death of the Family tie-ins. I would recommend skipping it because you aren't going to miss much at all. If you must have every issue of the cross-over event then I suggest buying it, bagging and boarding it and never reading it.