Comics

Suicide Squad #11

/ / Comics

The big throwdown between teams assembled by Amanda Waller and Rick Flag is put off for one more issue (which does kill some of the momentum of the ongoing arc) as Flag waits for Peacemaker to try and convince Bloodsport to join their side and Waller sends her team to Earth-8 to fight a variety of odd-ball characters like the Retaliators as some form of audition to prove they have what it takes to be part of her team going forward (but with Flag’s team now assembled and hitting her secret base, it doesn’t look like she has much of a choice).

The issue continues Ambush Bug‘s narration which has some fun moments, especially during the introduction of the various Earth-8 characters and we also get more of the turmoil within Waller’s team which includes those loyal to Flag’s point of view.

…

Suicide Squad #11Read More »

Suicide Squad #11 Read More »

Batman #119

/ / Comics

Batman‘s investigation in Badhnisia continues as he has a run in with Lex Luthor but as Batman and Bruce Wayne. After buying up Batman, Inc., now incarcerated for the murder of the villain Abyss (who it turns out is far from dead), Luthor has a preposition for Batman. One our hero doesn’t exactly take all that well.

The issue is notable for the Batman/Luthor confrontations (and planting the idea of Batman working for Luthor – God, this broke Batman shit is dumb), and Batman’s first run-in with Abyss who leaves our hero blind and bleeding out in a not-too-friendly police station as the comic comes to a close. Yeah, I’m sure Bruce Wayne has had better vacations.

The issue also includes an unrelated back-up story involving Mia Mizoguchi to try and justify the higher price and page-count. 

…

Batman #119Read More »

Batman #119 Read More »

Hellboy: The Bones of Giants #3

/ / Comics

Hellboy: The Bones of Giants #3 offers the first face-off between Hellboy and the restricted Frost King Thrym which results in a draw when the Frost Giant retreated to build up his strength setting up a final confrontation in next issues’ series conclusion.

Aside from the giant, Hellboy: The Bones of Giants #3 also gives us the giant wolf Garm who our heroes come across feasting on the remains of a village as they continue their way north in search of Thrym.

Overall, it’s a solid middle issue to the arc with a couple of fun sequences but leaves the big action to play out in the four-issue mini-series’ conclusion.

…

Hellboy: The Bones of Giants #3Read More »

Hellboy: The Bones of Giants #3 Read More »

Black Widow #13

/ / Comics

Taking an opportunity to offer context to the final panel of the previous issue, Black Widow #13 offers a flashback issue to Black Widow‘s time in Madripoor and her first meeting with the Living Blade, featuring limited dialogue (but plenty of narration from Natasha) we watch our heroine do her best to survive someone who appears more force of nature than man.

Even after their encounter comes to an end, Widow isn’t sure what she did to get on the legend’s radar but she is sure that she hasn’t seen the last of him. Recreating the character’s older costume and look, along with a retro feel to the art, Black Widow #13 is a fun single issue that still serves a larger arc. Whatever the Living Blade wanted from Natasha all those years ago, he’s back. Can she survive him a second time?

…

Black Widow #13Read More »

Black Widow #13 Read More »

Elektra: Black, White & Blood #1

/ / Comics

Elektra becomes the latest comic character to get her own black-and-white mini-series featuring separate tales of the comic character, and, like both Red Sonja and Deadpool, hers will have a splash of red.

My favorite of the three tales, mainly for the art by Mark Bagley, “Red Dawn” offers a tale of Elektra left for dead and turned by vampires but still with enough strength to fight back against the urge to become one of them.

In “Not the Devil” Elektra hunts down and kills minions of the Kingpin from the shadows but momentarily hesitates after hearing the pleas of a young girl. And in the final story, “The Crimson Path” offers a more metaphysical tale of Elektra and her fight against evil and monsters which leave their mark on her.

…

Elektra: Black, White & Blood #1Read More »

Elektra: Black, White & Blood #1 Read More »