Comics

Batman #20

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Batman #20 comic review“I am Bane” comes to a close with a bloody final issue as Batman and Bane square off in Arkham Asylum. Filled with narration and flashbacks filling in he events which led Batman to this final stand, the issue recounts why Batman has been willing to risk so much to see Gotham Girl restored, and why nothing will stand in his way to see that happen.

Batman #20 is a pretty brutal issue with Batman and Bane fighting to a near stand-still, and explaining the Dark Knight Detective’s recent loses to Bane. Eventually Batman comes out on top and prevents Bane from recovering the Psycho-Pirate and making good his threats to rain destruction down on Gotham City and all who Bruce Wayne holds dear. It’s a satisfying, if not altogether pleasant conclusion to the arc (although the mother/son theme isn’t very effective).

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Nova #5

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Nova #5 comic reviewAn attack on Sam‘s home that puts his sister in danger forces Richard Rider to admit a harsh truth to both himself and Earth’s other Nova. While the two of them can hold the malevolent creature at bay, Rider must admit he is unintentionally the cause for these attacks. Returning from the Cancerverse the Nova brought something back with him. And as long as Rider stays that door remains opened.

Nova #5 seems to end with Richard Rider making the big heroic sacrifice to save his universe from the evil coming through the the other dimension. However, the final few panels foreshadow this isn’t the end of Rider’s story, or necessarily his time with Sam.

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X-Men: Prime #1

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X-Men: Prime #1 comic reviewX-Men: Prime #1 is a good, if pricey, single comic. It does nothing to convince me to continue reading the series or any of Marvel’s constantly shifting X-books, but it does offer Kitty Pryde a nice moment or two and establish a new base for the core X-Men team. As to just who that core team is… that’s bit unclear. Kitty and Storm seem to be sticking around, but the time-displaced X-Men (you know, the ones who should have been returned to their time years ago?) have their own agenda, and Marvel still hasn’t filled the gaping holes the lose of Cyclops and Professor X have had on all the X-Men titles (and likely never will without bring them back).

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Green Lantern/Space Ghost Special #1

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Green Lantern/Space Ghost Special #1 comic reviewOn the far edge of the universe, through a rift in space, two heroes answer the call about a dangerous weapon and a cry for help. Green Lantern/Space Ghost Special #1 follows the basic set-up of crossover issues with our heroes from different universes each mistaking the other for a villain and coming to blows for a few panels before discovering that they are on the same side. But, hey, this has Space Ghost and Green Lantern, so there was no way I was passing it up.

The anti-isolationist message is pretty heavy-handed here in this story about a world that denies the existence of anything, or anyone, outside of its atmosphere. In such a world the greatest weapon is the one that destroys a worldview and proves the biggest misconception of their uniqueness in the universe.

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The Visitor: How and Why He Stayed #2

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The Visitor: How and Why He Stayed #2The latest Hellboy-adjacent mini-series continues here with a longer look at the alien visitor sent to destroy Hellboy as a child and instead chooses to watch from afar while the demonic creature destined to destroy the world develops into a hero. We get panels of Hellboy’s heroics in various times here and there, but it’s the Visitor who is the real focus of this issue.

Although he has mixed emotions about humanity, the Visitor decides to take a wife and build out a life for himself as he watches time pass and Hellboy grow into the type of man the alien hoped he could become. The subplot fleshes out the character more than I expected as it appears our watcher is spending equal time watching both Hellboy and humanity. While the later has disappointed him from time to time, with the mini-series now into the 1960s, our visitor hasn’t seen any signs of the creature his people expect to destroy the world.

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