Vivien G. Comic Reviews

What a nice tribute to the cover of Frank Miller's the Dark Knight Returns. Clever as always and nicely executed from a technical point of view, but a bit boring in regards to composition. Beyond that, the cover is - like many other DC cover for different titles as well - somehow misleading, since there is no actually confrontation of Batman and Robin, at least not in the physical sense.

But beside that, the cover lacks the dynamic some of the earlier issues had. Nobody looks a lot less threatening since he is almost completely crammed in the corner by Bruce's frame, which could have been a conscious decision but unfortunately the whole composition suffered from it.

Naturally, the whole symbolism of the cover was lost and now we have an average cover at best. One with Batman in full costume, since we do not have enough of those already.

A very dynamic cover for an action-packed, entertaining issue.

I mentioned in previous reviews how important it is for me that a cover gives a general idea of the contents of a book. I cannot deny that this was achieved here: The victims of the branding in the background, Batman with the fiery Batsymbol on his chest in the foreground, looking like the embodiment of fear. The cover is actually a perfect summary of the contents of the issue. Unfortunately, that does not make it a good one. On the contrary, it is too similar to the cover of this month's Batman, to evoke any interest in potential readers. A shame indeed, considering the fact that Gleason is such a talented and usually creative artist.

The art nouveau chic of the stylised bats and the vines in the background is a nice little touch and well drawn feet are something I do not see often in comic books. Minor as this detail may be, it stood out to me. It does look more like an advertising poster for a perfume or jeans, then the cover for a book as gritty and dark as I, Vampire.

The cover is a bit misleading, since we expect a fight between John Constantine and Andrew Bennett to happen. The actual conflict between them in the book is not nearly as intense as the cover leads to believe. That aside, I actually like this cover better than the previous ones. The colouring is simply beautiful. The contrast between the fighting scene that is depicted and the softness of the colours is very appealing.

To be honest, I am disappointed. I was never exactly fond of Eddy Barrows style in general, since he has a tendency to draw everything in an extremely gritty style, that I fail to associate with Nightwing, but it was not bad artwork per se. However, in issue #6 this changes. I would even go so far and say, drastically. Issue #6 is by far the worst up until now when it comes to the artwork. The decrease in quality gets especially obvious in the second half of the book. Dick's facial structure that reminds me of a Neanderthal, flaws in the anatomy that simply can not be ignored and the wide-apart eyes of Raya make the artwork in Nightwing #6 a hardly enjoyable experience.

And is it just me or is that one rope directly over his crotch? Seems like somebody needed some extra restraints down there.

A nice cover, overall.

While the character interaction is entertaining and Dick is much more bearable than in previous issues, the plot still leaves a lot to be desired. I would have preferred a longer arc with a better thought out villain than this 3 issues long story with almost no creative innovation.

Story " 3 out of 5

Red Hood and the Outlaws is not without entertaining value but it is far from being a good book, which is a shame considering that the fans were looking forward to this series in particular.

A classic 'damsel in distress' cover, and therefore not very good. Despite Rocafort's beautiful lines and the nice coloration, it is admittedly boring. Nothing that stands out on the shelves and by now I am too amused by Rocafort's anatomy to do more than just chuckle a bit over the impossibility of Kori's pose. I yet have to see an unconscious person being able to arch their spine like that. At least a person that is still alive and not already in rigor mortis.

Beautiful, as always, and I am positively surprised at the increasing use of different facial expressions. Admittedly, they look a bit off and definitely still need some work, but it is an improvement that should not be ignored. What was really outstanding about the art in Red Hood and the Outlaws #6 though were the colors. Especially the scenes playing out at the beach, be it at night or at dawn. It was a pleasure to look at and the colorist deserves some recognition and praise for his marvelous work.

This is probably my least favorite cover of the series. The composition in particular is very weak and even after intense studies I could not figure out what Starfire's body is doing exactly. Jason's position begs questions as well. He looks as if he was added the last minute, looking to the side instead of looking at his enemy. Not to mention the position of his gun. It is hilarious once you realize that is looks as if he is shooting Essence in the crotch. Essence, who does not seem to have hipbones. A very boring cover that fits the content of the book, I have to admit. Therefore it is strangely appropriate. Too bad that this is not exactly a good thing.

Once again, I am also not sure what Kori's body is doing exactly. She does not look as if she makes a real effort to hold Suzie back. On the contrary, she is looks more like pretty decoration and the fact that she is sticking out her bottom like that only reinforced that impression.

Despite the changes, still a rather dull cover.