Crooker Comic Reviews

Never in my life have I been so moved by such a return to form. This is everything I've ever wanted out of a Cass Cain book, and I couldn't be happier.

A fantastic showcase of talent that proves Brombal isn't just a one-issue wonder, and perfect for the job. The book makes me feel like I'm a kid again, reading Cass for the first time.

As we reach the midway point, Brombal delves deep into the complicated nature of Cass and Shiva's relationship, and plays greatly to the characters' rocky histories.

A great exploration into the complicated nature of Shiva's character, and the relationship she failed to build with the daughter who rejected her legacy.

A densely layered and deep examination of Cassandra's relationships that calls back throughout the character's long and storied history.

Quite possibly one of the most raw, emotional, and fascinating Cassandra Cain stories- or Batman stories- ever written.

A satisfying and much appreciated attempt to update an iconic character's storied history without sacrificing what made previous iterations work.

Shiva's revised origin continues as we finally get to the world's funniest terrible, awful, no good, father: David Cain.

I fully predict the fandom environment will never be the same again.

While as competently made as ever, this issue feels like a mildly worrying hiccup in what has otherwise been a flawless track record.

While still well put together, the decompression feels like Brombal is intentionally holding back from going all out when the story would be best served otherwise.

Brombal's vision comes into tighter focus with an issue that'll make you question our favourite hero... in a good way!

Brombal brings Cass to her emotional lowest in this gutwrencher of an issue.

We get further hints at the turmoil hiding underneath our lead character while she struggles further with the moral shortcuts she's taking.

Well made, but fails to sufficiently solve this arc's glacial pacing problem.

In the end, this was a good final issue, to a fun story, but boy, am I glad that it's over. It was fun, but it's definitely time to move on to something new, and that Riddler tease at the end really got me excited for a change of pace. But as it stands, "Shadows of the Bat" was a fun romp that showed you don't need Batman around to tell a fun Batman story, but he's certainly never unwelcome to show back up and help with the cleanup. It had some good intrigue, good art, fun character writing... just overall, pretty darn good I'd say.

The return to form the Arrow Family has needed, and a breath of fresh air for longtime fans of the characters.

Another slam dunk in this monstrously successful revival of the Emerald Archer. Fast, fun, what's not to love?

A spectacular plot twist that completely threw my expectations for a loop in the best way possible.

One of the best comic book runs of the year finally returns and hits the ground running with even more reverence for Oliver Queen's history than ever.

Another knockout entry in Williamson and Izaakse's modern classic starring the Emerald Archer.

A massive win for fans new and old that draws this re-introduction to a close by showing us why Green Arrow is a character that will always come back well rested and better than ever.

A warm welcome to this new ongoing, one that will hopefully bring us on many fun and emotional adventures with the Emerald Archer.

Another fun throwback to the pre-new 52 era of GA stories that makes it feel like we never left in the best way possible.

Another solid issue from Williamson and Izaakse, setting up what promises to be a memorable story line.

A long-awaited reunion with the last stragglers yet to be brought back fully into the family.

Another solid issue of this character-vindicating run by a great team of creatives giving it their all.

A great little bow of an issue to tie on the gift that is this first year of a new era for Green Arrow. Hopefully with many adventures to come.

Good setup for the big milestone issue, and with some character pathos sprinkled in for good measure.

Sonic the Hedgehog #50 is a really solid milestone issue and definitely felt like a worthy event to celebrate such a huge occasion. Hats off, Sonic Comic Creative Team way past cool.

A strong followup to the milestone issue, with great artwork and the strong characterization one comes to expect from this book.

A pretty good time that helps wind things down as the arc draws to a close.

Fast, fun, and flashy what else can I say?

Fast, fun and flashy, not much more to say than that.

A really solid climax to the ongoing Surge and Kit story we've been following for months, with a bombastic, visually stunning presentation.

A good character-building issue fleshing out those new and established.

A solid action romp with some fantastic spectacle honoring the return of Team Dark.

A quick, solid entry in the current storyline with expressive action and fun moments for the characters to shine.

A really solid conclusion that feels like it hits just right for what it's going for.

A lower key, fun issue that serves as a welcome break from the bigger stakes the book has had as of late.

Well done, well drawn, and a quick breezy read. A fun, if standard, issue.

A good, standard issue with some solid storytelling.

It's safe to say this is a fun little romp so far. I think this a really fun format for the book, and I wouldn't mind it sticking around a bit longer to get some more attention on the other characters. So much of this franchise's cast could easily hold down stories all on their own, so I'd love for the comics to take advantage of that more. We don't ALWAYS need another generic Sonic vs. Eggman or Sonic vs. Fast Rival showdown, y'know? They're fun, but sometimes you gotta add some spice to the mix to keep things fresh.

Another fun entry that tries to further move the book into a more experimental direction for the IDW series.

An all-star line-up of talent brings hit after hit in an annual dense with fantastic short stories in the Sonic universe.

A wonderful tribute that gathers some of the biggest names in Sonic comics history.

A cute and fun little romp to celebrate Sonic's best bud, and a great, quick read for fans.

An exciting conclusion that gives us new fan favorites and an amazing lead-in to the main book's next big milestone issue.

A fantastic blast of killer fan-pleasing goodness. MECHA SONIC! MECHA KNUCKLES! What more could you ask for?

More memorable mechanical mayhem for this marvellous mini-series.

Some big twists make this a turning point issue in the mini and a must read.

A deeply profound distillation of what makes Sonic a beloved character by many, and an effortless fan pleaser.

A wonderful collection of indie stories by Sonic comics alumni, full of that pure creative spirit that lights a fire and gets you itching to get back to your own projects.

A step forward in a good direction, but has trouble balancing the character's earnest nature with the serious, grim nature of the subject matter.

A lovingly crafted celebration to satisfy even the most hardcore of Turtles fanatic (like me!)

It's well written with a fantastic fight scene, but a match-up that leaves a lot to be desired.

An issue so reverent and full of love, I can't help but return it all in full. I LOVE bein' a turtle!

Approaching the end of this era of Transformers comics, we get an issue jam-packed with content that's more than worth the bang for your buck.

Good character moments and world building are held back by the sheer number of different artists handling the visuals, making things feel a bit disjointed.

Quite simply, the perfect start to what has the potential be one of the best licensed comics of all time.

A strong second outing that proves that this new take on Transformers isn't just a flash in the pan fad, it's a legitimate take made of sterner stuff.

Emotional, heart wrenching, action packed, sombre and exciting all at once. A blend of pure greatness that continues to prove this take is more than meets the eye.

Another heartfelt issue that manages to remind us why we should always adore the kind of hero that's gentle and strong of character.

Johnson's story is really getting it up into high gear with some of the most intense robot action I've seen in a western comic.

A completely jaw-dropping issue that will knock you down one way or another.

A new creative team setup, same fantastic book. A run that's proven consistently to be far more than meets the eye.

A fantastically rich issue densely packed with great storytelling and character beats; more than worth the bang of your buck.

A fantastic, action packed issues that feels like all the greatness of a colorfull, high-budget, action cartoon but right on the printed page.

A seriously intense and gripping entry that pulls out every stop imaginable to show this run is NOT screwing around.

A solid and well-crafted entry that continues the story competently, but is otherwise just a stepping stone on the journey this arc is on.

A fantastic first year of Skybound's Transformers reaches an immensely satisfying climax. Johnson reminds us once again why Optimus Prime and his Autobots are not only the good guys, but why they're true, real heroes. 'Till all are one!

DWJ gives us a fantastic and emotional exploration of the origins of everybody's favorite scheming underling.

A solid wrap up to this Starscream side story that gave us a nice break from the massive events of the previous story line.

Transformers is still one of the best books on the market right now, this issue is no different, even if there are things well worth critiquing.

DWJ steps his game way up once more, with an immensely dense issue full of exciting prospects.

A solid entry in the ongoing story that also debuts our newest heroic Autobot... SHREDHEAD!

A knock-down, drag out brawl of an issue that exceeds all previous spectacle this comic is known for.

Johnson delivers the goods with his own unique, bold spin on a franchise staple: the origins of Megatron!

A temporary and needed reprieve in the eye of this storm of a final arc from Daniel Warren Johnson and the crew.

The final showdown of DWJ's Transformers epic marches on to its inevitable conclusion with the Decepticons more powerful than ever before.

An issue that reminds us why humanity is the beating heart behind the spark.

A transcendent issue packed with raw, unfettered emotion.

The end of one golden age, hopefully the start of another. 'Til all are one.

A stunningly smooth transition from one iconic era of Transformers to one hopefully just as so.

Kirkman and Mora show why they're masters of their craft by firmly establishing their own creative style without coasting on the previous team's work.

Autobot Thundercracker. 'Nuff said!

An absolute landmark issue for this series, breaking a glass ceiling fans have been asking for since the book began.

A good and solid issue of action that shows off the creative team's immense talent at putting a book together.

A solid issue in the ongoing story, displaying Kirkman's usual talent for roping you in and teasing you with just enough to want to see what happens next. Oh and some snake guys are here and in space, so that's pretty cool.

Some good solid fun in Kirkman's Transformers-inspired space opera... that has actual transformers in it. Go figure!

A lore dense story update that brings more of that Transformers high-concept pizzazz to the world the comic exists in.

Things begin to hit the fan as Kirkman makes his move on shaking up the book's status quo in some really exciting ways.

A very dense issue as Kirkman digs deep into franchise lore to do something immensely exciting and new. If you're a Transformers fan, why the hell aren't you reading this book?

A solid issue with strong thematic strengths to help remind folks what this whole book is about at its core.

A fun issue, but one that feels easily skipped if you're only invested in the currently unfolding main plot.

Void Rivals #20 is quite fun, I'd say. It's another one of those "yep, that was a good entry in a longer running story not finished yet" kinds of issues that one just sort of has to expect from this book by now. It's Kirkman's style, and it works. We get enough lore and character moments to carry the story along at a brisk and fun pace, and it doesn't feel like any panel time is wasted. Good, efficient comic work. With a new main artist that's made a strong debut, and moments that feel like satisfying turning points in the narrative, yeah, I'd say this one was firmly solid.

A stalwart entry that moves everything along as a brisk and readable pace; the Kirkman classic.

Another solid issue that keeps the momentum going as a brisk and reasonable pace.

A solid winding down issue before we leap into the next major story line: the Quintesson War!

A solid and suspenseful opener to the book's first big event.