M.J. Rawls Comic Reviews

Batman #9 is the calm before the storm. This Batman is different - in terms that he is now willing to do whatever it takes (breaking laws, his morals) to get the job done.

The integration of Amanda Waller and Suicide Squad are introduced to supplement the big twist at the end of the comic. All in all, everything serves as a warm up acting as an conductor for the second part of Injustice itself.

The reader has to know that no matter how hard Clark tries, there's no resisting doing the right thing. Although his son never picks up on it, Lois, due to a hot mic, figures it out. Tomasi breaks up the heaviness of the battle with the Eradicator in the previous issues with a quick and hilarious story of the Kent family trying their best to assimilate within their town. If you're looking for a Superman issue that helps us catch our breath and comes more on the lighthearted side,Superman #7 fully pushes us into Clark's responsibility to family.

The artistry also shines as well " the team of artists that worked on issue 15 (Clay Mann,Ed Benes,Jorge Jimenez,Ryan Sook) do the job of going through the transitions of battle in the first few frames and showing little nuances as our heroes go through some of the Earth realms to make them different. The end of the comic has a classic, epic "one shot" that embodies what the Superman character is and what they would want him to be. With the conclusion of the "Multiplicity" story line on the horizon, we have a good jumping point through this enjoyable Superman Rebirth run.

The pacing throughout the comic was fantastic as it was a slow build into a two-part arch. Who would have thought that a local cow could be so much trouble?

Within the action, there are some beautifully done internal monologues that writer James Bonny utilizes coming from Superman, Deathstroke, and Lois. Here's a story about principles. Deathstroke has no dog in the fight. He's a man that just cares about the job getting done. Lois follows a story no matter how dangerous it is. Superman wants to keep the world and his loved ones safe with markers to how far he can go.

There's a lot of death within Superman #41, but the silver lining (if you look at it that way), that through death, there can be something positive. This story is the ultimate clash of values. Superman is the personification of savior running up against a species that's intent on dying. This is a good conclusion to the story that teaches Superman something new.

Overall, this is a good starting point to something that will surely grow throughout the latter issues of DC rebirth. We are kept in the dark for the most part in regards to the evil plan, but as chaotic has this event has been " you know something big is coming.