Tag Archives: Justice League Dark

DC Future State: The Great

Introduction

Chris clued me into DC Future State. I knew nothing of their plans for…whatever it is. Immediately, we though reboot. DC assured us this wasn’t the case. Okay, must be an event, then. Upon reading the books, I confirmed that with a text to Chris. I don’t remember the exact wording, but I’m pretty sure it was along the lines of, “This isn’t a reboot. It’s not an event, either. The Batman and Aquaman books are just like regular books. I’m so confused.”

Me to Future State: Who-What are you?!

Yes, I just dated myself with yet another reference. This movie is so old and there have been so many movie jokers since that I had to use an oddly specific search term. Plus, as you see, I wrote the text under the meme like some sort of plebian. Living in the future isn’t always the utopia they make it out to be in the movies.

And so, faced with my own mortality and bitter that I spent over 100 dollars on what feels ultimately like a failed reboot that they tried to repackage as an event, I read only the writers I like. Okay, that’s not entire true. I eventually finished the other books for the first round, but I haven’t made it there on the second round of books. And, now, before they move on and act like nothing happened, let’s look at the great from DC Future State.

Catwoman (Ram V and Otto Schmidt)

Joelle Jones and Tom King got me to start collecting Catwoman. I almost bailed after Joelle left and they cycled through writers. Then, Ram V came onto the title and I started collecting and reading voraciously again to support one of my favorite comic writers.

He took up the mantel of Future State Catwoman writer, as well. Ram loves him a heist story. Sure, it fits the character, but the same storyline over and over gets old. Well, guess what? Cats and friends board a train with heist intentions. I admit to liking this story very much. I mention that only because very few of the main title Catwoman titles kept my interest like this one. Hopefully Ram V can keep the inspiration and momentum going and bring back Cats in the main.

Dark Detective (Mariko Tamaki and Dan Mora)

I’ve made no secret of my fan boy love for Mariko Tamaki’s writing. I don’t remember where I discovered her, but her work on X-23 was top notch. Come to think of it, that might have been the first book of hers I read. I watched Logan, loved the portrayal of our favorite Wolverine clone in that and picked up the book based only on that. Hey, cross promotion works! She brought her talents to DC as writer on Wonder Woman and now Dark Detective in Future State. Surprise! Bruce Wayne is dead. Now, from here, I can go one of two ways with an inside joke. I can either use an overused line that one of the Simpsons Facebook groups I frequent and say, “That’s right! Dead serious about going to Itchy and Scratchy Land!” But, I think I’ll go with family favorite, Voldemort.

Spoiler Alert: Bruce Wayne isn’t really dead. Nevertheless, a sinister and possibly evil (aren’t they always!) police force took over Gotham and rule with an iron fist. Tired storyline to be sure, but Ms. Tamaki gives us a compelling storyline in spite of the limited environment. If DC went ahead with Future State instead of making it a tepid collection of one shots, I’d definitely like to see where this book went.

Justice League (Joshua Williamson and Robson Rocha)

Justice League Dark (Ram V and Marcio Takara)

If I’m being honest, I only got this title because of Justice League Dark. You already knew that, though. Imagine my surprise, then, when I saw Joshua Williamson wrote it. I enjoyed his Flash very much and have kept an eye out for his name ever since. This book follows the pattern of the others. We introduce the new Justice League. Some familiar faces in the group, but ultimately it goes nowhere because both DC and Marvel are afraid to take a leap and try something new.

As I wrote to Chris, I get that the market is different, but this whole Future State thing now just feels like the latest 2099 trip, which were simply half assed as a series of one shots. As with that “experiment”, some failed spectacularly. This is supposed to be about the ones that succeeded. This one mostly succeeded. And, Justice League Dark made it worth the price of admission.

Legion of Super Heroes (BMB and Riley Rossmo)

At this point, I only include this one because of BMB’s legacy. After his, let’s say “inconsistent”, runs on Superman and Action comics, I need a break from Bendis. I knew almost nothing about the Legion before this book. I still know very little. I definitely need a break from Bendis.

Swamp Thing (Ram V and Mike Perkins)

I saved this read for last. Chris and I both love the character of Swamp Thing. Honestly, his guest spot in Batman at the beginning of Rebirth cemented my decision to keep collecting DC Comics. You all know that I’m not much of a DC fan, but I always try to give them a chance and the benefit of the doubt.

This title represents all the potential of Future State. It features a lesser utilized character in a bigger role. It gives us a glimpse into a possible future that is both a hopeless post-apocalypse and a hopeful pre-rebirth (pun sort of intended). This is the best title of the lot and it isn’t even close. I can’t wait for the main title.

Wonder Woman (Joelle Jones)

I already said above that the Catwoman ongoing after Rebirth introduced me to Joelle Jones. She wrote the character in such a unique way that it kept me coming back in spite of the fact that I’ve never been a fan of Cats other than maybe Michelle Pfieffer’s portrayal in Batman Returns.

She brings that unique voice and storytelling to a new Wonder Woman. Having little history with the character other than the movie and collecting since Rebirth, I don’t know if this particular Wonder Woman has any history in the series. However, I like the character and wish we got more of her. Oh well, Future State, we barely knew ye.

The Verdict

Overall, DC Future State: The Great delivered. Each writer gave us a compelling story that I wish would be followed up in some form or fashion. You might ask why I only reviewed these books. If you remember, I ordered all of the books. However, other than these and one or two surprises, the books were underwhelming.

I think once I realized that Future State fell into this weird limbo it took some of the luster off of the books. As we all know, don’t count anything as ever completely over in the world of comic books. If DC ever grows a set and decides to follow this thread at some point in the future, it can be great.

DC Comics January 2021: Great, Good, Decent

Introduction

We finally finish out comics week and a half for this month with DC Comics January 2021. I planned on posting this article last week on Friday. I had a busy weekend of playing Minecraft, Lego, and board games with my family. Plus the NFL unveiled their Super Duper Mega Wild Card Weekend. Finally, college football played their national championship game. There’s only so much I can be expected to do in a weekend.

Sure, I should have already had the article written before the weekend, but what is time if not for procrastinating?

And so, it is how I have arrived at nearly a half a week past my self imposed deadline to review DC Comics January 2021. I know you won’t believe me, but I swear it’s not because DC has been a let down these last couple of months. I always go into a new month of comics with an open mind and hope for the best. More often than not, that faith is rewarded. Let’s see if that’s true this time.

The Great

Batman 104 and 105 (James Tynion IV et al): I always feel bad when there are numerous artists on a book because I use the et al tag for them all. They all work hard on these books and they should get credit. By the same token, I mostly read comic books for the writing. However, I don’t want my byline to be two or three text lines, either. None of that is relevant to this review. I just want to be as open and honest as possible.

Now, for the review. As I’ve mentioned several times in the past, James Tynion IV on Batman excited me when I first heard the news. Either high expectations or the reality of the situation or both brought me crashing back to earth. Slowly, but surely, the book got better until Joker War. Since then, the book lived up to that promise. Now, comes Future State. I, again, hope that the book survives the hiatus.

Wonder Woman 768 and 769 (Mariko Tamaki, Rafa Sandoval, and Steve Pugh): Similar to Tynion on Batman, Tamaki on Wonder Woman excited me. Honestly, I enjoyed Wonder Woman for most of the last 2 or 3 years since Rebirth. They hooked me with Rucka and then it stayed just above water enough that I don’t think it ever dipped into “Decent” territory for more than a month or two. Now that Tamaki is on the book, she makes even secondary storylines fun to read.

The Good

Aquaman 66 (Andy Lanning, Ron Marz, and Miguel Mendonca): Like Wonder Woman (is the theme of this article going to be call backs to the previous books?), I started collecting Aquaman because of the movie. Also, I wanted to get in on the ground floor of Rebirth with as many titles as possible. This book hasn’t been as consistently good as Wonder Woman and I considered dropping it a few times. My favorite writer is Deconnick, but Lanning is a good stop gap on these titles, too.

Action Comics 1028 (BMB and JRJR): I make no secret of my distaste for the unholy union of Brian Michael Bendis and the Superman titles. At least this book shows promise every so often. I saw the news recently that he’s moving to Justice League after Future State. So, I will spare you the same old story going forward. Maybe, for old time’s sake, we can resurrect it when he writes Justice League.

Catwoman 28 (Ram V and Fernando Blanco): I texted Chris about this title last week. I saw that Ram V will be writing for Swamp Thing after Future State. We both agreed that his work on JLD has been solid. I then surmised that perhaps Catwoman isn’t a strong enough character for a solo title because his work on the book is solid, but I just don’t like the stories. How many different “heist” issues can you do? I liked this one, though. More of these types of stories, please.

Justice League 58 (Andy Lanning, Ron Marz, and Xermanico): I suppose that Lanning was not a stop gap on Aquaman. He and Marz are cowriting the Endless Winter story. I admit to being skeptical when I saw yet another event in DC Comics with Future State so close. However, I enjoyed this story even if it is just a rip off of Frozen. Which, of course, is a ripoff itself. Aiden even liked it. He asked where the missing issues were. So, maybe I’ll have to find them at the LCS.

Justice League Dark 29 (Andy Lanning, Ron Marz, Amancay Nahuelpan): I will be honest. It wasn’t until I saw that Ram V wasn’t the writer on this title that I realized that Lanning and Marz were cowriting all of the titles in Endless Winter. Not sure why they included this title in the event other than as a send off. Which, by the way, I do not approve. The JLD will still be with us, but only as a bonus story on the main title. What are you doing to me, DC?

The Decent

Detective Comics 1032 and 1033 (Peter J. Tomasi and Brad Walker): When Tynion wrote this title, I loved it. As soon as Tomasi took over, it dropped to the “Good” category. More and more, my enjoyment of the title eroded over time. Some people might like Tomasi. I just don’t Other than the Joker War issues, this book has been forgettable during his tenure. Williamson is taking over after Future State, though, so that’s something to look forward to.

Superman 28 (BMB and Ivan Reis): Action may have had some redeeming stories during it’s run. I did not enjoy this title after the rebrand from Man of Steel. I simply kept collecting for collecting’s sake. Now I can say I have the entire BMB run of Superman. For whatever that’s worth.

The Verdict

As we head into Future State, I’m tentatively optimistic about DC Comics. They are mixing up creative teams, dropping some books, and folding others into bonus stories on more popular titles. The only decision I’m currently angry about is their decision to make JLD a bonus title. I feel like it has been the only consistently good book for them over the last year and a half. As always, thanks for reading my DC Comics January 2021 review and we’ll see you next week for Future State.

DC Comics December 2020: Great, Good, Decent

Introduction

Unfortunately, DC Comics December 2020 is not as good as Marvel Comics this month. I put 4 Marvel books in the great column and I think for the first time ever, not a single book in the decent column. Sure, there are 3 titles in the great column for DC this month. However, there are just as many in the decent and I might have been being generous with a couple of the good books this month.

It’s just that Christmas spirit I kept talking about in the previous article.

Granted, I’ve always been more of a Marvel fan than a DC fan. Chris got me into DC when he kept telling me how great Batman was with Scott Snyder and Greg Capullo. Then, I started collecting Aquaman and Wonder Woman because they starred in the first DC movies that weren’t absolute train wrecks. I mean, you have to collect Superman, right? Right?! Please tell me no. That way I can stop the charade that I believe the Bendis experiment will finally pay dividends.

I feel bad. There are things that I genuinely like about DC Comics. But, I tired quickly of the source wall nonsense. I started reading Metal and then stopped. I haven’t collected any of the Death Metal series. I saw an advertisement in several books for “Endless Winter”. There’s another limited series coming in January and February. I just feel like their core books have been ignored in favor of big, splashy events that never pan out. But, it is almost Christmas, so let’s focus on the positive. What’s “Great, Good, and Decent” about DC Comics December 2020?

The Great

Justice League 56 and 57 (Josh Williamson, Robson Rocha, and Xermanico): I’ve already established that I don’t care all that much about Death Metal. It might be (and possibly is) a fine event. So, this isn’t like Detective during Joker War. They just got Josh Williamson writing this book and that’s all I need.

Justice League Dark 28 (Ram V and Amancy Nahuelpan): I will spare you my man crush on Ram V. Actually, no I won’t. He is a superb craftsman at the height of his game with this book. Zatanna is probably my favorite character in the book, so it doesn’t hurt that she’s been featured in many of the stories.

Wonder Woman 766 and 767 (Mariko Tamaki, Steve Pugh, and Rafa Sandoval): I fawned all over Mariko last month, so I will spare you my girl crush on her. Nope, I won’t do that, either. I’m a bit slow on the uptake, so I didn’t discover Ms. Tamaki until her run on X-23, which was funny and heartwarming. She brings those same qualities to everyone’s favorite Amazon. This is the most the book has felt like the movie probably since Greg Rucka wrote at the beginning of Rebirth.

The Good

Action Comics 1027 (BMB and JRJR): You’d think that comic written and drawn by men known only by their initials would be better than this. House of Kent had such promise at the beginning. I wonder if Future State has messed with the mojo some. Now that I see it written, it’s as likely as anything. I really hope it’s worth it.

Aquaman 65 (Kelly Sue Deconnick and Miguel Mendonca): I think I might have mentioned in my article last month that no book had suffered from the Covid hiatus than Aquaman. Kelly Sue Deconnick was building up quite a bit of momentum with the War of Atlantis story and then they had some stop gaps fill in that killed the momentum. Well, she’s back to finish the story with a bang.

Batman 102 and 103 (James Tynion IV, Carlo Pagulayan, Danny Miki, and Guillem March): 103 was better than 102. With that being said, neither of these issues blew me away. I feel like Tynion is falling into the Bendis trap of trying to introduce too many new or different characters instead of sticking with the old faithfuls. Especially after the masterpiece that was Joker War, I’m disappointed with the direction of Bats.

The Decent

Catwoman 27 (Ram V and Fernando Blanco): Looking at it again, I might have been a bit harsh on this book. It very well could be in the good category. It’s just that I have such high hopes for a Ram V book at this point and this one doesn’t live up. I get that Catwoman is a thief, but it feels like they’re going to this heist storyline a bit too much in this title. Mix it up a bit!

Detective Comics 1030 and 1031 (Peter J. Tomasi and Bilquis Evely): Broken record time again. I just don’t like Tomasi’s take on this book. I will say that I liked these books more than before Joker War. Isn’t it weird how expectations are a large percentage of the outcome of these reviews? Oops, maybe I just gave away a trade secret.

Superman 27 (BMB and Ivan Reis): I will admit that I didn’t even read this book. I just can’t do it anymore. As I’ve said more than once, I’m not a fan of Superman to begin with. I’ve given the Brian Michael Bendis experiment a year and a half. I’ve threatened it before, but I think this book goes after Future State.

The Verdict

Marvel Comics delivered this month. DC Comics December 2020 provided just more of the same. Under normal circumstances, that would be fine. However, with it being Christmas, DC pausing everything for Future State, and the awesome month that Marvel gave us, I’m disappointed. I mentioned above that Future State might be the reason for the lackluster effort this month. I’ll never know, but like I say, it’s as likely as anything. I just hope it’s worth it at this point. I also hope it’s worth my investment in every title. Guess we will see soon enough.

Great, Good, Decent: DC Comics October 2020

Introduction

DC Comics 2020 is a bit of a misnomer just as Marvel Comics October 2020. First, it is now technically November. Second, I got behind in my reading and reviewing. These are the comics that I received from DCBS in both September and October.

Sue me. Things have been a bit busy at work this year.

However, as I wrote in the Marvel Comics review this (technically last) month, I’m committed to getting back on track by the end of the year. While I committed to that last year as well, I learned some tricks during the quarantine that will help this time. The only weird thing is that you will now be treated (?) to two straight weeks of comics. Think of it as a proper reboot of the page. Comics fans love reboots. Right? Right?!

The Great

Action Comics 1024 and 1025 (Brian Michael Bendis and John Romita Jr.): I’ve made no secret of my severe distaste for Superman. If my younger brother Tim ever reads the page, he might disown me for the amount of times I’ve said it. However, BMB has been doing his best to reverse that opinion. Right now, he is succeeding with Action. This story is fun and focused. That was missing from the Leviathan story.

Batman 96-99 (James Tynion IV and Jorge Jimenez): After reading issue 96, I texted Chris and said, “I’m really enjoying Joker War.” He agreed that it has been really good. This is the story that I’ve been waiting for from Tynion since he took over the title. I hope it continues.

Justice League Dark 25 and 26 (Ram V and Amancy Nahuelpan): I wept when they took Tynion off of this title. It was probably my favorite DC book since Rebirth. It took a few issues, but they found a worthy successor. Ram V is great on this book and I want this to be long term.

Wonder Woman 759-762 (Mariko Tamaki and Mikel Janin): I’ve been looking forward to this since I saw the announcement in the previous issue. Then, she wrote one of the vignettes in the Detective Comics 1027 anniversary issue. Now, I finally get to experience Mariko Tamaki on Wonder Woman. It’s worth the wait and hype. Love it.

The Good

Catwoman 24 and 25 (Sean Murphy, Blake Northcutt, et al): Catwoman has been iffy ever since Joelle Jones left. Ram V filled in nicely for a few issues, but then it went a bit off the rails. It was just inconsistent. I’m not ready to declare Sean Murphy the savior, but these two issues were fun.

Detective Comics 1025 and 1026 ( Peter J. Tomasi and Kenneth Rocafort): Detective Comics disappointed me more than the main title. I knew that Tynion would eventually find his footing. Not so for Tomasi. However, Joker War has focused him and this book. It might be great if not for the main title, which is absolutely killing it.

The Decent

Aquaman 62 and 63 (Jordan Clark and Marco Santucci): As I’ve been looking at the books on Previews World (also where I grab my cover shots), I’ve noticed that many of the creative teams have been reshuffled because of the Covid break. It might explain why it has been so inconsistent. This book is a fine War for Atlantis, but it’s not what I hoped from this story.

Justice League 50-53 (Various, but it looks like they might have settled on Joshua Williamson and Xermanico for the DM tie ins?): Perhaps no title has suffered more this year than good old Justice League. Scott Snyder seemed to have put it at the bottom of his priorities. After they took him off the title, it became a fun team title again. Then, it wandered in the darkness for a couple of months. Death Metal might serve to focus it similar to how Joker War did for the Batman books.

Superman 24 and 25 (Brian Michael Bendis and Ivan Reis): BMB has not successfully changed my mind about Supes in the main title. He keeps introducing new characters that should add to the mythos and make the character more appealing. None of them have. I just don’t care. If I get rid of a book (and I have no plans to do so because I get so few books lately), this is the first to go.

The Verdict

DC Comics October 2020 is much stronger than Marvel this month. There were a couple of good books that I considered making great and the only decent book that I truly did not enjoy was Supes. Join us next week as we do back to back comics in an attempt to get the page back on some sort of predictable schedule. See you in a couple of days for Spawn 310 and 311.

DC Comics August 2020

Introduction

Welcome to DC Comics August 2020 review! I mentioned in my last article that we are doing some “retro” content this month and next to celebrate the anniversary of the page. Can you believe that it’s been live for 6 years? Me neither, but here we are. So, how are new comics retro? Well, they’re not. But, comics and Dungeons and Dragons both helped to start me on my journey to geekdom.

So, today we’ll take a look at the latest batch of DC Comics. Then, on Friday, I’m going to give my thoughts about the new season of Umbrella Academy. How’s that for retro content! I promise, it’s coming. Next week, I’m going to revisit DOOM and then I’m going to take a look back at another of the influential companies from my childhood, Nintendo. So, stay tuned for all of that! For now, let’s talk about these DC Comics August 2020 that I enjoyed so much.

The Great

Batman 94 and 95 (James Tynion IV and Jorge Jimenez): Initially, I wasn’t impressed with the great Tynion on Bats experiment. In fact, I dropped the book from Great to Good a couple months in a row. However, that all changed with issue 93. I really enjoyed King’s take on the Joker, but Tynion looks like he’s going to do the Joker War justice. The Bat seems truly broken this time.

Justice League Dark 24 (James Tynion IV, Ram V, and Kyle Hotz): I think that part of the reason that the great Tynion on Batman experiment was floundering was due to the fact that he was also still writing Justice League Dark. It felt like much of his focus was on this title. Now that they have Ram V cowriting, it hasn’t missed a beat. He did great on Cats and now this title. Versatile writer!

The Good

Aquaman 61 ( Kelly Sue Deconnick and Miguel Mendonca): Aquaman was good and then it was great for a couple of issues and then it was good. I might have even put it in the decent category a couple of times. I just wasn’t feeling the story. However, it is getting good again. Mera took a DNA test, and she is 100% that “B”.

Action Comics 1023 (Brian Michael Bendis and John Romita Jr.): If I was not impressed with the Tynion run on Batman, I absolutely hated the Bendis experiment with Action and Superman. I nearly took both titles off my list. I’m glad that I didn’t. It appears as if old BMB is hitting his stride with both books. This one wasn’t as much fun as the last one, but it’s still almost there.

Detective Comics 1024 (Peter J. Tomasi and Brad Walker): I was actually more impressed with how Tomasi took over Detective Comics and made it his own than with Tynion and Batman initially. I’m sad that this story is ending. I very much enjoyed Two Face and will miss him. However, maybe Joker War is the unifying force these books need. I’m excited.

Superman 23 (Brian Michael Bendis and Kevin Maguire): Went back and forth on this one from Good to Decent. Probably just my Superman bias and my bias against Bendis on this title to this point. But, I loved the JLD crossover and want to see more.

The Decent

Catwoman 23 (Sean Murphy, Blake Northcutt, and Cian Tormey): All I wrote was “Bring back Joelle”. The book has been in steady decline since she left, with a brief respite by Ram V. I usually like Sean Murphy, but this story was just weird.

Justice League 48 and 49 (Robert Vendittie, Eddy Barrows, and Eber Ferreira): The book is fine. I wrote that the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. Not sure what I meant by that, but Justice League is probably my least favorite book right now.

Wonder Woman 758 (Steve Orlando and Emanuela Lupacchino): They sucked me back into Wonder Woman with a surprisingly entertaining movie and Greg Rucka as writer. I’ve stuck with the title because I genuinely like the character. This issue is fittingly a fine conclusion to a fine story. However, I’m glad that I stuck around because next month Mariko Tamaki is taking over. Can’t wait for that!

The Verdict

DC Comics August 2020 weren’t as much fun as Marvel. However, they were still very good. I’m excited for Joker War, Mariko, and to see if BMB can continue to improve Action and Supes. I said last time that I wasn’t sure if comics were getting better or I just missed them. Chris insisted that it was because he missed them, but I’m going to err on the side of optimism and say that they’re very good right now. Go out and buy comics!

DC Comics July 2020

Introduction

DC Comics July 2020 was not a disappointment. Well, that’s not entirely true. While there were more books in the shipment than Marvel this month, the books were less than stellar. I will just chalk that up to the mid summer lull that the entertainment industry goes through to give movies a chance to have their blockbusters.

Covid-19 doesn’t care about your blockbusters.

I’m not saying that the books were bad. I’m just not saying that they were good, either. They were, in the immortal words of Magic the Gathering players everywhere, medium. So, I guess without further delay, let’s talk about medium DC Comics July 2020 books! Are you psyched?! Get psyched!

The Great

Justice League Dark #22 and 23 (Ram V, James Tynion IV, Alvaro Eduardo Martinez Bueno): There’s only one book in the great section this month. Anyone who’s been paying attention won’t be surprised at the selection. Of course, it’s Justice League Dark. I will say, though, that the book had been falling off a bit before quarantine. I think that Tynion splitting his time between this and Batman wasn’t getting his best for either book. With Ram V coming in to help, the book is great again. Plus, Swamp Thing is back!

The Good

Action Comics 1022 (Brian Michael Bendis and John Romita Jr.): I have made no secret of my disappointment in the BMB experiment on Superman and Action Comics. However, I can admit when I’m wrong. I mean, it’s my opinion, so it’s not like I can be wrong. Okay, I’m getting away from the point. This issue made it into the “almost great” category. I like this story so far and I hope that the book is finally realizing the potential that DC saw when bringing in Bendis.

Batman 92 and 93 (James Tynion IV and Guilleme March): I have also made no secret of my disappointment with Tynion’s run on Batman so far. However, these two issues were really good. It seems that all he needed was an event to get him started. Joker War is next and I am so ready for the “final showdown”.

Detective Comics 1022 (Peter J. Tomasi and Brad Walker): I very much like this version of Two Face in this story. The Joker, not so much. Hopefully Tynion can do a better job in the Joker War.

Wonder Woman 756 and 757 (Steve Orlando et al): Wonder Woman is facing a war on several fronts. That’s all I wrote for this one. I’m too lazy to go upstairs to get the books and flip through them, either. Seems like this one is close to the Decent pile.

The Decent

Aquaman 60 (Kelly Sue Decconnick and Migueal Mendonca): Once upon a time, I was close to putting this book in the great category. The quality has eroded gradually over time. However, this issue looks like a decent filler/set up issue for whatever is coming next.

Catwoman 22 ( Paula Sevenbergen and Aneke): This issue had a neat campy retro art style. I wrote that the story was only meh, but in light of the art style, it actually makes sense. I could be persuaded to move this into the Good category. Either way, it seems as if they are just biding their time until the 80th anniversary issue.

Justice League 46 and 47 (Robert Venditti and Xermanico): This has become a good ensemble book since Venditti took over from Snyder. However, I’m not at all enjoying this Spectre story. I can’t wait for them to move on.

Superman 22 (Brian Michael Bendis and Joe Prado): I have no notes for this book. While it would seem that Action Comics is realizing some potential, this one is still floundering under the BMB banner.

The Verdict

See, I always give you the TLDR at the beginning of the article. This month wasn’t great for DC and it wasn’t terrible, either. The books, overall, were just medium. Even so, they seem to be setting up for big things and I don’t just mean their Super Summer Crossover Spectacular, Dark Metal. Each book looks to have some good stories to run parallel to that one. Can’t wait for next month!

DC Comics April 2020 Review

Introduction

We keep on keepin on here at 2 Generations Gaming. Welcome to my DC Comics April 2020 review. It’s been a while since we’ve checked in with the good folks at DC Comics and quite a few things have changed. Tom King is no longer writing Batman. It’s now James Tynion. More on that in a bit. As a result, Tynion is working with Ram V on Justice League Dark. Heck, even Scott Snyder is not on the main JL title anymore.

And, yet, Bendis remains stubbornly on both Superman titles.

Some of these changes have been good. Some have been not so good. I don’t say this to be Captain Obvious. I was just surprised that one change I was actually looking forward to ended up not working out as well as I hoped. Be careful what you wish for, I suppose. In any case, let’s take a look at the books.

The Decent (The Usual Suspects)

Action Comics 1021 (Brian Michael Bendis and John Romita Jr.) – I already touched upon this in the introduction and I’m not going to say what I haven’t already said in numerous previous reviews. I guess I’ll just wonder why I’m even reading this book anymore. This particular issue was the culmination of a story line, but it felt too quick and clean to reach it’s conclusion.

Justice League 42 and 43 (Robert Venditti et al) – I also mentioned that Snyder isn’t doing Justice League anymore. That’s good because there’s no more Source Wall nonsense. But, every single issue is a fight where someone says they need to “win or lose everything”. When the stakes are always that high, it loses some of the gravitas.

Superman 21 (Brian Michael Bendis and Ivan Reis) – See above. At least Reis is doing the art for this one, so it is pretty and dumb.

Wonder Woman 753 (Steve Orlando and Max Raynor) – Maybe I just picked a bad time to get back into comics. Seems like all of the books are wrapping up arcs right now. Even so, in the past, that’s made me want to go back to read the stories. None of these issues are making me want to do that.

The Good (Batman makes an appearance here for the firs time in a while)

Aquaman 57 and 58 (Kelly Sue Deconnick and Robson Rocha) – I was very much enjoying Aquaman when we last left off on Noob’s comic reviews. I still like the book and this story is interesting. Maybe it has been too long and I just have to warm to the books again.

Batman 90 and 91 (James Tynion IV and Jorge Jimenez) – This is the one that I found really surprising. After I learned that Tom King was being taken off the Batman title, I asked Chris who was taking over. He informed me that it would be James Tynion IV. I love everything that Tynion does, but I don’t love this. I just can’t figure out this nonsense with the Designer. Is this a retcon? Or, is a retelling of an old story? I could look it up, but I just don’t care that much.

Wonder Woman 754 (Steve Orlando and Kenneth Marion) – This one was good. I almost put it in the great section, but it wasn’t that good. It’s just one of those good old fashioned one shot (?) stories they put in between arcs. Good story and good set up for what comes next.

The Great (Thank goodness for Justice League Dark)

Catwoman 21 (Joelle Jones and Fernando Blanco) – When Joelle is writing this book, it’s fantastic. I love her take on the character and am always excited when I see her name on the marquee. This issue was no different. Cover to cover entertainment.

Detective Comics 1021 (Peter J Tomasi and Brad Walker) – It took me a while to warm to Tomasi’s take on the book. I think part of that was just following Tynion IV. But, I very much enjoyed this issue. It is a well told Two Face story that actually had me sympathizing with the character.

Justice League Dark 21 (James Tynion IV, Ram V, and Kyle Hotz) – Tynion is listed as a cowriter on this one, but I wonder if he is focusing more on this title than Batman right now. Because, all of the things that have been true about this in the past are still true. This is just a solid and fun title.

The Verdict (DC Comics April 2020 are surprisingly weak)

Other than the old standards of Joelle’s Catwoman and Tynions Justice League Dark and the surprise appearance of Tomasi’s Detective comics, this batch of books wasn’t very good. Perhaps that’s to be expected because it’s still early in the year. Still, it is disappointing. It’s even more so due to the fact that the virus lockdown or quarantine or whatever we’re calling this has halted production and maybe even shipping until who knows when. DC Comics April 2020 might be the last time we get to read them until the summer.

DC Comics October 2019 Review

Introduction

Welcome, finally, to my DC Comics Review for October 2019. Both life and technology have been working against me recently. Still, I’m not ignoring articles like I used to. It might be a couple of weeks late, but it’s here. Plus, Liam is getting the new Pokemon game this week, so that gives us something to discuss next week.

Finally, I’m pretty excited about the prospect of Pioneer. That’s what I meant by technology. Chris and I were all set to record last week except my phone wasn’t delivering messages for some reason. Nevertheless, I’m going to record something this week to get us to the Pokemon discussion next week. Who knows, maybe doing so will inspire us to actually record more. The goal is still to get to consistent content by the end of the year. Now, let’s get to the DC Comics Review for October 2019 so that I can read November’s books!

The Forgetable (Eff Superman)

Eff Superman…

Superman #14 and 15 (Brian Michael Bendis and Ivan Reis)

There are two books this month that made me finally break out “The Forgettable” category for these reviews. I will discuss the other briefly. All I can say about this one is Eff Superman. Maybe I should elaborate. I’ve never liked Superman as a hero. The only time I ever read the book was during the death story. My brother really likes him for some reason, but I just can’t get into the character.

I gave it a chance when Bendis came and very much enjoyed the Man of Steel lead in series. Ever since then, though, the book has gone back to the same old formula that just isn’t that interesting. I will continue to collect, but until the story gets better, I’ll probably just skim rather than reading.

The Decent (More Bendis and Justice League is on the block)

Time for a change?

Justice League 31 and 32 (Scott Snyder, James Tynion IV, Howard Porter)

This book is such a mess right now. I texted Chris about it and he mentioned that he gave up on it a while ago. There are already so many of my books being killed that I don’t want to stop collecting, but this one is definitely on the block right now. I mean, they have Tynion cowriting for the Doom War books, but as Chris said, “Not even he can save it.” There are some good things. I enjoyed the Wonder Woman speech and Aquaman coming in at the end. Otherwise, these issues were just another war for the fate of mankind as Kamandi said in exasperation. Also, Braniac 1 million? Ultra Monitor? Good lord.

More Bendis…

Action Comics #1015 (Brian Michael Bendis and Szymon Kudranski)

Action, for what it is worth, has been worth reading, at least. This issue had some distracting artwork with the lightning border for the initial Naomi panels. Also, the parallels of her story to Superman and Batman were nice to read. Otherwise, again, Bendis isn’t making me enjoy Superman any more.

Detective Comics 1011 (Peter J. Tomasi and Doug Mahnke)

This was a one shot (?) issue about some Japanese soldiers on an island being rescued by Bats from Deadshot. He’s my least favorite villain, so this issue was just okay the end seemed to finally set up for the Mr. Freeze show down that has been teased for the last 3 or 4 issues, so I’m excited about that.

The Good (Aqua, Wonder, and Cats, oh my! Oh, Detective, too)

Love is dead. Not the most subtle of metaphors.

Wonder Woman 78 and 79 (G. Willow Wilson and Tom Derenick)

Cheetah has the God Killer. She’s already used it to off Aphrodite. This means that love is dead. It’s not the most subtle metaphor for what’s happening in real life right now. Then again, maybe I’m just extra sensitive to that sort of thing. I will say that this particular writer is doing a good job with the story and I can’t wait to see where it goes next.

Not as strong as recent issues, but still fun.

Aquaman 52 (Kelly Sue Deconnick and Robson Rocha)

This issue was a bit weaker than some of the recent issues. I even pushed this book into the great column in my last article. Ultimately, this is just a fight issue against a big dumb monster. Most likely, it is a set up issue for the big Mech Black Manta show down coming.

Detective Comics 1012 (Peter J. Tomasi and Doug Mahnke)

Okay, this is more likely. Finally, we get Mr. Freeze. The intro showing the dichotomy of Batman and Mr. Freeze set the mood perfectly. Then, comes a decent set up story explaining what Mr. Freeze is up to and why Batman is getting involved. Spoiler Alert: It has to do with Freeze’s wife. I hope this story continues to pick up.

Ram V is growing on me

Catwoman 15 (Ram V and Mirka Andolfo)

I admit to being salty when Joelle stopped writing the title and I couldn’t get into Ram V’s version of the character. I’m not sure if it getting better or if I’m just getting used to the writing style. Either way, Ram V is starting to grow on me. This story, like the Freeze story in Detective, is gaining steam. Also, this one is building to the Tom King’s upcoming Bats/Cats book, which I’m here for.

The Great (Batman stands alone…as usual. Oops, forgot Justice League Dark)

Justice League Dark 15 (James Tynion IV and Alvaro Martinez Bueno)

Sure, James Tynion IV is working on the main Justice League title. But, you can tell that he is much more in his element on this title. This is another great set up issue where things are just falling apart for our intrepid “heroes”. Swamp Thing has lost his connection to the green. Wonder Woman is lost (?) on her way to the moon to fix magic. How can things possibly get worse? I can’t wait to see.

Batman 78 and 79 (Tom King and Clay Mann)

Tom King pissed off a lot of people with Batman 50. That’s been discussed here and elswhere. But, come on, that was at least a year ago now. How long are we going to stay pissed off? Okay, before City of Bane, things were slow, too, but there has to be some set up. Yes, I’m an unabashed Tom King stan. Still, this most recent story has been nothing short of amazing.

I love what King is doing with Batman and Catwoman now. This “interlude” is a great story of redemption and a great story of revenge. I know that King will be leaving Batman soon and I’m sad to see him go. But, he will be working on Batman/Catwoman and I can’t wait for that book.

The Verdict

DC Comics had been fading a bit for me recently. I found that I was skimming more books than I was reading. I’m still skimming some (Superman and more recently Justice League), but I am enjoying most of them. Batman is back to the amazing form that Tom King brings. Justice League continues to be amazing. As long as those books are great, the rest can be sort of middling and I’m a happy camper. Thanks, as always, for reading my DC Comics October 2019 (even if it is a couple of weeks late) review and join me in a few weeks for November.

DC Comics September 2019 Review

Introduction

Welcome to my comic book review for DC Comics September 2019. The comics are technically from my August DCBS order, so that makes this about a month late. Unlike past articles, I’m not going to fill this introduction will a lot of excuses and self deprecating humor. I will explain that the beginning of the school year has hit me harder than I expected, but I’m in a bit of a groove now. My hopes of making semi-regular posts by the end of the year looks quite promising.

So, Chris and I have been regularly talking about the demise of comics. Previously, as you surely know, we have been completely and utterly wrong. More recently, however, it seems as if we might be on to something. I noticed a couple of weeks ago that my DCBS order was very light. Upon research, I found that several books have been canceled and Chris confirmed that many others are being delayed. Peculiar, to say the least. Stay tuned to see if comics are indeed on the way to extinction.

The Great (Justice League Dark Remains, Batman is Back!)

Bane is breaking the Bat again, but in very different ways this time.

Batman 76 and 77 ( Tom King, Tony S. Daniel, and Mikel Janin)

Tom King clearly got too comfortable on Batman. Look, I get that not every issue can be fire, but the more recent issues have been the polar opposite of fire. It was all I could do to not just skip the issues entirely. City of Bane started to pick up until Chris texted me about these issues. I read 76, then texted him back about needing a break before reading 77. I’m glad I took one. Like Chris said, King knew he was on the way out and he is pulling no punches. Jesus.

Seriously, if you’re not reading this book, shame on you.

Justice League Dark 14 (James Tynion IV and Alvaro Marinez Bueno)

Regular readers of the page know that this is my favorite DC book and it isn’t even close. Broken Record Alert: (say it along with me, take a shot, shout BINGO!, whatever you do when a common phrase is uttered) Like Immortal Hulk for Marvel, there hasn’t been a bad issue of this book. It has just consistently brought the quality. I love the team. The stories have been entertaining. If all comics were like this and Hulk, Chris and I wouldn’t have to worry about their inevitable collapse.

The Good (Aquaman might be great, same with Catwoman, Wonder Woman and Justice League are inconsistent)

This book is dangerously close to cracking the great section. Who would have ever thunk it?

Aquaman 51 (Kelly Sue DeConnick and Robson Rocha)

I enjoyed Aquaman right after the Rebirth. Things got a bit slow right before the 50th issue. I know that comics cares about round numbers and that they usually have a bit of a lull before the big numbers. Still, I would have liked for the consistency to be there. I’m telling you, if this keeps up, Aquaman will be up there soon.

Maybe I will be able to get over myself and move Cats up there, too.

Catwoman 14 (Ram V and Mirka Andolfo)

I got into Catwoman after the big wedding fiasco mainly to show my support for the controversial ending. I fell in love with the book because I liked the way that Joelle Jones handled the character. She did a good job. I’m not as big a fan of Ram V’s version, but it is still okay. this latest issue was very good. If I can ever get over my Joelle bias, perhaps there will be multiple books in the great section.

Are things starting to turn around?

Justice League 29 and 30 (Scott Snyder, James Tynion IV, and Bruno Redondo)

I was pretty down on Justice League for a while there. I just couldn’t get into what Snyder was trying to do. Don’t get me wrong. I enjoy Snyder as a writer, but I just wasn’t in to the whole source wall story. That might be changing. It appears that there is finally going to be a payoff for all of that with the Justice League/Legion of Doom War.

Another book that suffers from some inconsistency.

Wonder Woman 76 and 77 (G. Willow Wilson and Lee Garbett)

As part of my comics reading, I have been keeping up on the DC Giants that used to have Walmart exclusivity, but no longer do. Speaking of the Giants, I’m going to do a review of the latest issues sometime this week (hopefully Saturday). As far as this book is concerned, it’s been up and down. Right now, it is up. Hopefully they can continue.

The Decent (Honestly, I could do without Action and Detective Comics)

A cornerstone of DC Comics with one of the superstars of writing = meh.

Action Comics 1014 (Brian Michael Bendis and Szymon Kudranski)

I was excited when I heard that Bendis was coming to DC. I was slightly less excited when I learned that he was going to retool Superman. Superman is probably my least favorite superhero. However, I gave it a chance and the initial limited series was good. Some of the follow up was decent, too. Then came Leviathan. I had no use for that story. This one is better than that, but they sold it on the Red Cloud, who is barely even in the book.

Tynion left. Boo.

Detective Comics 1009 and 1010 (Peter J. Tomasi and Christian Duce)

I was upset when Tynion left this title. Still haven’t gotten over it. I just can’t get into what Tomasi is trying to do with this title. Seeing Mr. Freeze on the cover of this one was exciting. However, similar to Action Comics, he’s barely even in the book. Maybe that will change as it seems like they are setting something up. I hope so because this used to be my favorite book.

The Verdict (DC Comics September 2019 is more good than bad)

As I just said in the title, DC Comics September 2019 is more good than bad. Certainly, it is better than some recent months. Batman is great, which could go either way when Tom King departs. Justice League Dark will be good until Tynion eventually leaves like he always does. I would make a missing dad joke here, but I don’t see how they are funny.

The rest of the books ping pong between good and decent from month to month. Aquaman and Catwoman are threatening “great” status. Wonder Woman could get there, too, with a few good months. The real bummer is that their two marquee titles are not very good at all. I haven’t read Marvel yet, so I can’t compare the two companies this article. Look for that in my Marvel review on Friday.

DC Comics August 2019 Review

Introduction

I went with a slightly different format for the last review article and it worked out well for me. I will continue to use that format in this article for DC Comics August 2019. The reason for the change is that I rarely have anything bad to say about the comics and there is almost never any ugly. I did stick with the meter of the list, though, with The Great, The Good, and the Decent.

I will say one thing about DC Comics right now. For a while there, I was enjoying them more than Marvel books. That has changed. I found only two books that I’d consider great, one good, and the rest were barely in the decent pile. I mean, that can all change and hopefully it does. Because I’m enjoying the DC Giant books more than the current books.

The Great (DC better hope that James Tynion IV doesn’t jump ship any time soon)

Justice League #27 and 28 (James Tynion IV and Javier Fernandez)

I was getting a bit sick of Scott Snyder on Justice League. He had a pretty good run, but it was just getting stale. I’m not sure if I really just like the Year of the Villain stories or Tynion, but I also like Justice League Dark, so there’s some evidence for the latter.

Justice League Dark #13 (James Tynion IV, Daniel Sampere, Mark Buckingham)

This has consistently been my favorite DC comic since it was released a little over a year ago. I never expected to enjoy it as much as I have. Just like Immortal Hulk for Marvel, it has been a good book without a bad issue the entire time. Even if other books falter, I’m convinced this one will keep me into DC until they get it back together eventually.

The Good (A Surprise Here)

Aquaman #50 (Kelly Sue Deconnick and Robson Rocha)

I liked Aquaman after the Rebirth. The whole “the king is dead, long live the king” story was interesting to me. I wasn’t sure that they’d be able to keep it going after that, but this has been a solid title. If you told me that I’d prefer Aquaman over Batman, I’d have called you a filthy liar! But, it is I who was lying to myself the whole time.

The Decent (Quite a Hodge Podge of Inconsistency)

Catwoman #13 (Joelle Jones et al)

Normally, I’m a fan of Joelle Jones’ Catwoman, but the last few issues have fallen a bit flat for me. Things seem to be spicing up a bit now that we are in the Year of the Villain banner, so I hope the momentum keeps building for the next few months.

Action Comics #1013 and Superman #13 (Brian Michael Bendis, Szymon Kudranski, Brandon Peterson, Ivan Reis)

It was a big deal when BMB went from Marvel to DC. DC gave him their defining super hero and titles. For a while, I was impressed. However, things have gotten a bit disjointed with the two Superman books. I’m starting to remember why I didn’t like this hero very much growing up.

Detective Comics 1007 and 1008 (Peter J. Tomasi et al)

When James Tynion IV was writing this book, it was one of my favorites. Since Tomasi has taken over, it has been okay, but nowhere near as much fun or as interesting. These two stories revolved around a cult of Spectre and the Joker? All I have written here is *sigh*. I guess that about says it all.

Batman #74 (Tom King and Mike Janin)

Of all the books that have fallen off, this one’s drop has been most precipitous. I remember raving about Batman and salivating for each new issue to come out. Things started to go sour for most fans with the big #50 reveal, but I was still invested. Chris started to fall off somewhere in the 60s. I’m now almost completely out, but things look to change with the “City of Bane” story, so I’m hoping.

The Verdict (Hoping for Big Things from YOTV)

I haven’t been much of an event guy recently. I’m still burned out from Secret Empire. However, the way that DC is handling this Year of the Villain thing has me intrigued. It seems as if they are using it to shake up some of the creative teams. That’s a good thing because the books have been getting stale.

The stories, too, have been really good. I said earlier that I’m back to being a Marvel zombie and looking forward to more of their titles recently. That could change if the payoff from this Year of the Villain is anything close to the set up. DC Comics August 2019 could prove to be a turning point in many of the books.