Daniel Berlin Comic Reviews

A showcase of comics art at its finest, 'Batman Black & White' #2 continues to honor the series' roots and push into new and exciting places.

Dark Knights of Steel #1 is yet another alternate DC Universe from the mind of Tom Taylor that lives up to the high bar he's continually raised for himself. With art and colors from Yasmine Putri, the epic scope of this fantasy series can be fully realized while still giving the space for more intimate, dramatic scenes.

Simply the best of what Future State has to offer. The one-two punch of Dark Detective and Grifters makes for an excellent package. The artwork is gorgeous and drives home the central theme of vulnerability as well as the dynamic action scenes.

With an ambitious story and powerful artwork, Adventures of Superman: Jon Kent #1 stands tall alongside DC's flagship series.

Batman: Urban Legends #2 continues pushing the anthology series into must-read territory, with talented creative teams giving truly great, fun work.

Cunningham's ability to disentangle complex political machinations and conspiracy is, frankly, the reason to read Billionaires. If you have ever wondered where these men's ill-gotten gains come from and more importantly where they go, Billionaires is a definitive text.

By revealing some of its secrets, Task Force Z #2 is a marked improvement over the first issue. If, like me, you were hoping for something a little deeper from this creative team, it can be found right here.

It's very easy to recommend Batman and Robin Annual 2024 to readers of any experience. The story is entertaining, with funny dialogue and more than enough action.

The Future State: Aquaman creative team have crafted a gorgeous, compelling new status quo for the Atlanteans, one that they deserve to be a part of as we enter the Infinite Frontier era.

Magic: The Gathering #1 is a strong start and another great addition to BOOM! Studios' already impressive catalog of licensed comics. Jed MacKay and Ig Guara have tapped into what makes MTG such a popular and enduring game. The marriage of action and character shows what a deep appreciation and understanding the creatives have for the game and the franchise as a whole.

Batman/Fortnite: Zero Point #1 is an accessible entry into the ever-expanding world of the battle-royale game. You don't need to know what Chug Jug is or how to crank 90s to have a good time here. It's simply a fun and great looking tie-in comic that left me excited to find out what happens next.

Dark Crisis: Big Bang offers readers a quick tour through the multiverse that serves as a tribute to Elseworlds old and new.

With solid art, action, and spotlights on some small-name heroes from DC's deep bench of talent, Dark Crisis: War Zone #1 provides a cross-section of what's going on across the DC Universe during the climactic battle at the Hall of Justice, with just a tease of what's to come next year.

Future State: Harley Quinn #2 may not be the most elegantly executed comic, but it makes for a great proof of concept for where writer Stephanie Phillips is taking Harley next. And thanks to an immensely talented art team, the book is one of the most visually striking of the Future State line.

With solid writing and art, plus deeper DC Universe connections, The Dark Army #1 is mandatory reading for folks who are already on board the Dark Crisis train. Unfortunately at the same time, that makes this book hard to recommend for anyone other than the most hardcore DC readers.

Future State: Teen Titans #1 brings together the best of Titans' many past iterations to tell a reverential but still new and ambitious story about the undetermined future of the DC Universe's young heroes.

Shazam! #1 serves as an expansion of the themes and mysteries previously seen in Tim Sheridan's DC work from earlier this year. With strong characterization and artwork, this limited series has the potential to tell a compelling Shazam! tale, but this first issue doesn't do much to establish its own identity.

Superman #29 is a great start for Clark and Jonathan Kent, with a strong emotional core. Unfortunately, the backup story doesn't live up to the potential of what Infinite Frontier can be.

Task Force Z #1 is a fun read thanks to Rosenberg's quick and quippy dialogue and the art team's brutal, dynamic action sequences. The next task for this series is to create a unique identity outside the shadow of Suicide Squad and justify why its insane premise ought to be an ongoing series.

Teen Titans Academy #1 is (another) strong start for the new Titans era. If you skipped Future State, this is a great jumping on point.

Animal Crossing: New Horizons, Vol. 1 is consistently funny and nails the frantic energy of a Saturday morning cartoon while still honoring the game and it's beloved cast of characters.

While the reprints here are entertaining, Trinity Special #1 doesn't add much to the mythos of DC's newest Amazonian.

A mixed bag of fun stories with great art, but too many are repetitive and play it safe. Well, happy birthday, Aquaman. Sorry your party's so lame.

Batman/Fortnite: Foundation is truly only for the most hardcore DC and Fortnite fans, which is a disappointment because its predecessor was excellent for more casual readers. Hopefully, they'll be pleasantly surprised with the moody and dynamic action presented on the page.