MelissaGrey Comic Reviews

The surprise proposal towards the end of the issue introduces a politically timely element to the title by situating itself within the larger cultural conversation about marriage equality. Though the "Will you marry me?" remains unanswered as of yet, this new direction could signal a fundamental paradigm shift in Batwoman's world but one suspects her happiness will be short-lived as it so often is for people who lay claim to Bat-related monikers.

"Change" #1 has all the makings of a comic set to redefine a familiar formula but the end result feels sloppy and contrived. That being said, the creative team's willingness to take risks does offer a glimmer of hope that subsequent issues will see the kinks ironed out.

With the establishing of a real enemy in Coffin Hill, the book's other characters -- besides Eve -- will potentially have some time to shine. So far, Eve remains the lone well-developed actor in this drama, though the creative team does hint that there's far more to her mother's story than an ice cold exterior.

Overall, the first issue of Comeback is a promising start. It isnt easy to juggle mystery, action, and a healthy dose of talking heads but Brisson manages it with great aplomb. Its a story worth sinking ones teeth into and Brisson serves up a book that both satisfies and leaves you wanting more.

Im hesitant to give too much away, but its definitely an issue worth getting your hands on. Brissons temporal acrobatics are a true delight and youll find yourself itching to give this many layered parfait of a comic a second read sooner rather than later.

McNeil's "Finder: Third World", on the other hand, is the collection's shining star. Though I must admit that I haven't been religiously following all sixteen preceding chapters, I found that it hardly prevented me from enjoying the hell out of it. McNeil's world is captivating and unique and the art is crisp, clean, fluid, and whimsical. McNeil succeeds in crafting a story that's clearly part of a larger whole, but making it feel satisfying all the same. It's a strong ending for an otherwise uneven issue and it's worth checking out "Dark Horse Presents" #20 for this little slice of masterful storytelling all on its own.

Unfortunately, the issue's main storyline is far less successful as its exceedingly hard to care about the struggle between the Cobblepot and Emperor Penguin. Victor Zsasz is the issue's only villainous saving grace and I certainly hope that Layman chooses to focus more on him in the next issue.

The plot is far from meaty but the artwork makes the book worth the cover price. Amy Reeder has said that its some of the best work of her career and that conviction and confidence dances right off the page. The visuals in Halloween Eve are bursting with vibrant colors and dynamic inks, which pop with all the flavor of the tastiest Halloween treats. Montclares dull story is given life by Reeders exquisite line work and delicious designs. Though it doesnt offer much by way of conflict, the art is nothing short of lovely. Montclare and Reeders Halloween Eve is a confection of a comic that will satisfy your craving from something short, but sweet " at least in the way of eye candy.

The level of perfectly-paced badassery in Happy! is more than enough to overshadow the books flaws and with a epically deranged setup such as this one, we cant wait to see what Nick Sax and the disturbingly cheerful Happy get up to next month.

Darick Robertsons art continues to be as dark and as grim as it needs to be and the grit is nicely offset with by Happys vibrant blue coloring. The handful of scenes where we get to see the kiddie slaughtering Santa have their own unsettling palette, supplied by colorist Tony Avina. Robertsons penchant for lovingly drawn details and Avinas expert coloring bring Morrisons vision to life, even when the story itself becomes a little lackluster. The last few pages see our surly protagonist find his motivation and its likely that ,now that the preliminaries are out of the way, the Dynamic Duo of Sax and Happy can finally get down to business.

Kindts world-building continues to be his greatest strength, as every minor detail, from the nondescript notes on the sides of the page to the case files that flesh out the world of Mind MGMT, serves to drill home the expansive nature of the shady organizations influence. Now that weve had several tantalizing glimpses into the complexity of Mind MGMTs operations and the Immortals have caught up with our reluctant heroes, issue #6 cant come fast enough.

Stephensons plodding dialogue and Bellegardes mostly stiff drawing do little to rouse excitement. Jordie Bellaires coloring is at its best when Bellegarde gives her something to work with, which he doesnt do nearly often enough. The premise of Nowhere Men could lead to something unique and interesting but the debut issue leaves something to be desired. The blueprints for greatness are there, but only time will tell if subsequent issues improve upon the execution.

With more characters rolling out in upcoming issues, itll be interesting to find out what exactly transpired in the previous five years to so drastically change the landscape of the Luther Strode universe. All in all, its a solid first issue and the choice to leap forward, temporally, in the saga of Luther Strode is a wise one, as it opens up a whole wondrous world of delightfully violent possibilities.