Jules Boyle Comic Reviews

War is full of horror at the best of times, but Kidwell and Zornow are cranking it up just a little bit more here, with a comic that sits above the endless landfill zombie titles currently cluttering up the shelves. Recommended.

Make no mistake, this is top quality stuff and even if you're an old-school Batman fan who's not picked up a comic in years, you need Bane: Conquest in your life.

If you've been a fan of these characters' previous books, this is a must-have. Even if you weren't, now's the time to start.

DC are just knocking it out the park with all their Rebirth titles and I'm pleased to say this is another home run. Get in on this one now, you won't regret it.

Make no mistake, this is a dream team for the Dark Knight. Snyder and Capullo are leading the charge for one of the strongest runs the Batman title has had in a long, long time and this issue sums up everything that is great about it.

Its only at the end where The Scarecrow aka the real villain appears, (Jones finest and most disturbing rendition yet, by the way) and judging from the solicitations, what this mini is really about properly kicks in, but the foundations have already been set in this first issue. Batman has being doing his dance with these maniacs for years, but has he made any difference at all? Deep down, whats his greatest fears? It looks like were about to find out and youd be insane yourself if you arent along for the ride. Essential.

Okay, it's not 100% essential, but Batman: The Red Death is an exceptional one-shot and a title you shouldn't be ignoring. Go buy it. Now.

With a new reboot of all the characters apart from Ernie, now's the perfect time to jump into the Chaos! universe.

2 issues in and Nightbreed is already one of the best horror titles out there. Incredible.

If you don't like Metal, you don't like fun. Simple as that.

The best DC book on the shelves right now? I think it just might be.

I'm not sure if we need yet another fortnightly DC title, but this is a very, very strong effort and I'll be along for the ride anyway.

All horror fans need this comic in their lives. Simple as that.

It's the art that really shines in this first issue though. Ransom Getty's clean lines and expressive characters come over like a cross between Gary Frank and Rags Morales and really make this a debut issue that grabs the attention.

Basically everything you need to know about The Flash is in here, so even if you've never read it before, just seen the TV show, or are an old follower of the Speed Force, you need The Flash in your life.

We're at the halfway point of The Button already, so unless it's the most unevenly weighted story ever, I suspect we're not going to get a huge amount of revelations by the end, but that's ok. This is quality stuff and gripping enough to have you gagging for the next part as soon as you get to the last page.

There's been so many great titles to come out of Rebirth, but The Flash has been one of the real highlights and on the strength of this latest storyline, it's going to be up there for the foreseeable future.

It was never as big a book as it should have been, but hopefully this is not just the start of new era for Hack/Slash, but the time for it to become a huge hit.

Ethan Van Sciver's art is typically marvelous here, as it has been on every Green Lantern title he's tackled since bringing Hal back from the dead in 2004's Rebirth. He's got every character nailed, his world-building lives and breathes, he's equally as comfortable with the two things that a GL title needs, epic widescreen space action and multiple character interplay. Van Sciver is down with all of it and makes reading this book a real joy, with his art brilliantly enhanced by Jason Wright's vivid colours. Let's hope this is a team that, along with Venditti, are on board with this title for the long haul.

Harley Quinn might be in danger of overexposure this year, but as long as the quality is this strong, it won't matter. Amazing.

I'm in for the long haul with this one anyway. It's been a long time, but John Constantine is back.

There's no moral ambiguity here, though. Abnett's Justice Department are monsters, but it's that clear definition that gives Insurrection it's bite, resulting in one of the best stories 2000 AD has published in a long time.

This issue collects the full first story from the progs, but it won't be the last. Get on it now. It's one of the best new stories to come out of 2000AD in years, which is really saying something.

It's early doors with this storyline, with Swierczynskimerely getting all his ducks in a row with this issue. It's the next episodes that will determine whether the Dark Judge army has been a good idea or not, but it's off to a decent start.

That doesn't matter though, as the story is finally complete and it's all the better for it. Four classic episodes of McMahon and Bolland art restored to their rightful place?

As launch stories go, this has got a lot going for it. Incomprehensible alien invasion? Accurate character portrayals? Widescreen action? Hopeless ‘do or die' scenarios? The world's greatest super-heroes?  Justice League is ticking all the boxes.

It's early doors, but Hitch has pulled off a winner here, with arguably the best new Justice League launch since Grant Morrison reminded us all just how much we need the League too.

As much as there is to appeal to older readers, with it's overriding theme of “Friendship To The Max” and identifiable young characters, Lumberjanes is an ideal comic for kids to get into, so I can't wait to buy a copy to give to my daughter, but this is a comic that will strike a chord with anyone and everyone. Wonderful.

If you ever thought Pygmalion would have been improved by Eliza Doolittle being a reanimated corpse, this is the comic for you. As far as I'm concerned, there's not many stories that reanimated corpses wouldn't improve, so I'm all over this.

Nightwing has been one of the stronger titles in the whole Rebirth world since it started and, if anything, it's still getting better all the time.

DC'S Rebirth has been almost flawless for me so far, but this is probably the best of the bunch so far. If you only buy one DC title, it needs to be Nightwing.

My only criticism is that, after ending on such a cliffhanger, I'm desperate to see what happens next, but by the sounds of it, we could be in for a wait. Hopefully it won't be too long, as this is another potential classic in the making.

You really should be a regular reader because there's so much good stuff in there these days, but even if you haven't picked up a prog in decades, you don't want to miss this one.

Combining pitch-black noir with supernatural horror and well-realised character interaction, Revival is one of the hidden gems of the Image stable. Highly recommended.

Rogue Trooper isn't a bad comic, but it's not a particularly exciting one either. It's only just begun though, so I'm prepared to stick with it and see how things develop, but it's not off to the best of starts.

It's early doors with Shutter, so it might get going, but at the moment it's not doing much.

Shameless nostalgia it might be, but Six Million Dollar Man Season 6 is also a quality comic in it's own right. Personally I can't wait for the next issue and hope that this is just the start of a long run. Welcome back, Steve.

2000ad weren't wrong when they said this was an ideal jumping-on point. Everything you need to know is here, hewn in the face of Slaine Mac Roth.

Is a small complaint though, as Suicide Squad is firing on all cylinders here. It's immense stuff.

Regardless of quality, it's much harder for ancillary titles like these to gain any kind of traction, but this is one that really, really deserves your attention. I'll admit, I wasn't that excited about it initially, but Superwoman has moved right up amongst my favourite DC titles. If you're remotely a fan of Superman, get in on this now. If you're not, and never liked him for being overpowered, this is the title for you. Either way, buy Superwoman. You won't regret it.

It's excellent stuff, with writer Troy Brownfield creating a believable fantasy world, one that you can imagine has a real history and is populated by actual people. Fantasy comics seem to be a hard sell, but this one, if given room to breathe could blossom into something pretty special. Oh and the first arc is called Reign In Blood, after the Slayer album. Extra thumbs up just for that alone.

Ales Kot has crafted a real winner here. Love, death and The Darkness. It's a perfect combination.

As gorgeous as his art is, it's Powell's scripts that really make the Goon work, with every page having at least one laugh-out-loud moment. Other stories on this series have been a touch more serious, but One For The Road is purely going for the gags and it gets them spot-on.

Buy this comic. You won't regret it.

This first issue draws up more questions than it answers, but it's more intriguing than infuriating and makes for a good set-up. I'll be there for issue 2.

IDW have really got something special with this run of The X-Files. The shows finale left a lot to be desired and these comics, while being a direct continuation of it, feels much more like the classic era of the series. Great stuff.

So far, X-Files Season 10 has been a textbook example of how to continue a TV property and this is no different. Amazing.

It's a shame, as Vampi is a comic I want to enjoy, but this is just average. Here's hoping it picks up.

It does make you think that Dr Fredrick Wertham should have targeted the Romance comics instead of the Horror ones though. The ideas in Weird Love are *much* more likely to corrupt and rot the brains of impressionable youths!

Saying that, Ron Marz is always worth reading, so I'm going to stick around for a while.

It's another quality addition to what is shaping up to be a real classic run for IDW.

I've loved this series, it's just a shame it fell at the final hurdle.

It's all been building up to the big finale and so far, this is the only mid-step IDWhave taken along the way. Fingers crossed they pull it off, because with the exception of The Crow, this series has been a joy to read.

Some of these mash-ups sound stupid it's true, but the execution is anything but. This is already shaping up to be something really special indeed. Let's hope they can keep it up.

It's another great issue in what is turning out to be a top class mini-series.