Category Comics

On that day, I saw the Beast and the Kings of the earth and I KNEW things were coming to an end. Hear the story of our hero John Constantine from his book of Hellblazer, chapter 9, verses 1-32!

This is the gospel according to Simon Spurrier. Who is FINALLY doing Hellblazer the right way. (It only took him six issues to figure it out!)
As envisioned by “not a lot of mainstream experience,” Matias Bergara

The official plot:

“The British royal family has always had an interest in breeding the world’s finest racehorses. When one disgraced royal cooks up a scheme to re-create the most magical of all horses, it’s up to John Constantine to stop him from unleashing a bloodthirsty horror!”

DC Black Label

Fortunately for us, Mr. Constantine fails to stop the arrival of said “bloodthirsty horror.” (Disclosure: Only one horse was harmed in the writing of this comic. Sadly, the same cannot be said for the barely legal virgins.)

My Impressions:

• What is good: This is the second story arc in a row that does a really good job of living up to the Sandman Universe umbrella. I was just about to give up…but my hope has been renewed!
• But how did it look?: Dark, grainy, and artistic. Just like all of the other Black Label titles.
• The not so good: There are only three issues left for John Constantine: Hellblazer. Spurrier himself says the title “wasn’t renewed” but we all know that DC is cutting the bottom 25%. Coincidence? Who knows?

Notable Appearances/Events:

• John Constantine
• Tommy Willow-Tree (Tommy)
• ‘Olde Man Constantine’
• Bita Ghul
• Nat (Hellblazer)

Bottom Line: 3 Stars!

I had high hopes this would be a great title, and when it started it was bad. Unfortunately, I’m a true collector, so I was in it until the end…which is now nigh. Maybe knowing the end is near is what boosted the quality of the writing. In the end…I’m both happy and not happy to see John hit the bricks.

Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned! Listen and learn from the mistakes of the Summer’s brothers in Hellions, chapter 3, verses 1-32! “Nothing People”

The, not inexperienced at writing X-titles, styling of Zeb Wells
As boldly envisioned by Stephen Segovia

The official plot:

“MAD AS HELL! Krakoa’s resident rabble are up against the grand dame of the damned – the Goblin Queen, Madelyne Pryor! Talk about a return that could raise some havoc!”

Marvel Comics

Pretty spot on! We even get a little history thrown in, just for flavor. I may really hate the individual mutants that make up this team, but Madelyn’s mental state did NOT disappoint.

My Impressions:

• The Good: The Goblin Queen herself, insane and in charge! I dig it!
• The Not-so-Good: Everyone else. (I suppose we can give Psylocke a pass.)
• Eye Candy: One of the better looking books I’ve read this week. Great balance of heavy and light ink work. [Editor’s note: I completely agree!]
• Crossover dependency: None, while Hellions fits into the greater X-men mega story, it also stands alone quite well.

Notable Appearances/Events:

• Havok (Alex Summers)
• Psylocke (Kwanon)
• Wild Child (Kyle Gibney)
• Nanny
• Orphan Maker (Peter)
• Scalphunter (John Greycrow)
• Empath (Manuel Alfonso Rodrigo de la Rocha)
• Goblin Queen (Madelyn Pryor)
• Harpoon (Kodiak Noatak)
• Blockbuster (Michael Baer)
• Riptide (Janos Questad)
• Scrambler (Kim Il Sung)
• Arclight (Philippa Sontag)

Bottom Line: 4 Stars!

I quit collecting X-titles years ago, for the single reason that Marvel saw fit to wind the full story through a dozen titles. It just feels like abuse. Given the approaching 22 issue crossover event, X of Swords, I am looking to drop the mutants again. That being said, if the characters, stories and art hit this level consistently, I may stick around. I’m keeping my eye on Hellions.

Woe to he that walks too close to a storm drain in Gotham City! Listen carefully to our discussion of Detective Comics, chapter 1026, verses 1-32! “Monsters of Men”

The word, though not as good as other issues of Detective Comics, according to Peter J. Tomasi
As envisioned by the, trying to hard, Kenneth Rocafort

The official plot:

“As “The Joker War” rages on, the casualties are mounting, and the underground residents of Gotham City must deal with the devastating effects of the Joker toxin that’s been pumped into the old city’s tunnel system. Batman must risk everything to guide them to safety, but a familiar face has mobilized these forgotten souls to rise up in anger…and Killer Croc takes no prisoners!”

DC Comics

Not exactly. It’s less guiding them “to safety” and more incapacitating and imprisoning them. As to Killer Croc taking no prisoners…slight fib, they are willing participants.

My Impressions:

• The Good: … He’s Batman? I guess…
• The Not-so-Good: Definite filler issue that feels very quickly thrown together.
• Contemporary Artwork: Bleck! Everything is too skinny, squashed or otherwise malformed. This was not a joy to behold.
• Palette: Can we lose the brown please? The whole issue just looks dirty.

Notable Appearances/Events:

• Batman (Bruce Wayne)
• Killer Croc (Waylon Jones)
• Ratty Riz (1st appearance)
• Hardback (1st appearance)
• Gup (1st appearance)
• Ally (1st appearance)
• Garter (1st appearance)
• Bandit (1st appearance)
• Joker War Tie -In

Bottom Line: 1 Star!

This issue is for fanboys and dedicated collectors only! Detective Comics was in my top 4, unfortunately this issue really damaged our relationship! I honestly feel like this story has been sitting in a drawer for ages. A small dialogue change to incorporate the otherwise missing Joker War and BAM! deadline met. Come on DC, you can do better!

Brothers and Sisters! Behold Mojo and understand the perils of those that have walked too long in the world of video entertainment! Bear witness to the book of X-Factor, chapter 2, verses 1-32!

This is the word according to the “somewhat experienced” Leah Williams. As envisioned by “Mr Angry Birds” David Baldeon.

The official plot:

“DANCE OF DEATH! The team gets their first case – investigating the disappearance of a mutant dancer at a prestigious ballet academy…in the Mojoverse!”

Marvel Comics

Actually it’s the second case. The first was proving the death of teammate Aurora. Duh! Also, it’s more like Major League Ballet…there are corporate sponsors and everything.

My Impressions:

• What is good: Quirky and fun…as Mojo world almost always is!
• Another good thing: Character development. There is some. I mean, I never thought anyone could get me to not dislike Daken.
• But how did it look?: Is there a westernized version of Anime? Cause this is a westernized version of Anime.
• Crossover Dependency: None. Queue the celebration!

Notable Appearances/Events:

• Northstar (Jean-Paul Beaubier)
• Prodigy (David Alleyne)
• Polaris (Lorna Dane)
• Daken (Akihiro)
• Prestige (Rachel Summers)
• Eye-Boy (Trevor Hawkins)
• Aurora (Jeanne-Marie Beaubier)

Bottom Line: 3 Stars!

With absolutely NONE of my favorite heroes, X-Factor managed to get me to care about it just a little bit. Enough that I’ll be back for the next couple rounds. Maybe it was just the Mojo world visit…but this one was fun and I love the premise of an X-team investigating instead of fighting. Even if it doesn’t end-up that way. [Editor’s Note: When this series launched I was hoping for a return to Peter David’s style of storytelling with X-Factor Investigations. This book is nowhere close to that even though it is an X-Factor Investigations story- misses on quality of the original but as Odiumar mentions the Mojo-world story line will be bringing me back at least for a few more issues.]

Thou shalt not betray thy non magic wielding friends! Pay attention as we discuss Books of Magic, chapter 22, verses 1-25! The story of “Dwelling in Possibility” part 2.

This is the word according to the almost unknown David Barnett
As envisioned by the adequate Tom Fowler

The official plot:

“The powerful tome known as the Book of Possibilities has fallen into the hands of Tim’s schoolmate Ellie…but what will she do with it? Only one thing is certain: she doesn’t seem eager to hand it over to Tim.”

DC Comics

Pretty close…but not perfect. At no point was there a consideration of giving the Book of Possibilities to Tim. In fact, they don’t even interact.

My Impressions:

• Issue’s finest: Destiny of the Endless!
• Finally some maturity: For once, Tim isn’t acting like a petulant brat!
• Contemporary Artwork: Nothing stunning. Fowler did make it very easy to tell which scenes took place in each setting. Good use of panel shapes and colors.
• It’s a grind: The dreaded slow burn of almost all Sandman adjacent books. (It’s all or none baby!)

Notable Appearances/Events:

• Tim hunter
• Destiny of the Endless
• Dead Boy Detectives

Bottom Line: 1 Star!

Let’s face it. With the exception of Sandman fans hoping for a glimpse of the Endless, no one cares about Books of Magic. It doesn’t even appear in the top 100 sales for the last few months running. I’m predicting it won’t survive the coming purge of DC titles.

Magneto reminds us all that we were given “every seed-bearing plant on the face of the whole earth and every tree that has fruit with seed in it. They will be yours for food.” Behold the book of X-men, chapter 11, verses 1-32, where he proved it!

The official plot:

“THE TREES ARE KILLING THE CHILDREN!”

Marvel Comics

Exactly the opposite. I’m not sure how other books fared against the plant people from the Empyre event, but the mutants didn’t even have to break a sweat.

My Impressions:

• What works: We get to see Magneto go killer mode.
• What I could do without: The Empyre crossover. It’s a LAME story guys! Quit pushing it!
• But how did it look?: There were two modes; too much shadow, too much dust. Overall, I can live with it.
• Crossover Fatigue: So not only do I need to know what’s going on in the title spanning Empyre event, I also have to keep up with X-Men continuity? Mavel…please STOP! Keep the damned events and regular titles separate please. I promise that I will stop buying ALL of your X-books if you keep pushing me to buy “just one more.”

Notable Appearances/Events:

• Magneto (Erik Leshiningiereirer)
• Iceman (Robert Drake)
• Magma (Amara Juliana Olivians)
• Magik (Ilyana Rasputin)
• Exodus (Bennet Du Paris)
• Summoner (Arakko)
• Anole (Victor Borkowski)
• Loa (Alain Ryan)
• Rockslide (Santo Vaccarro)

Bottom Line: 4 Stars!

So…Let me sum this up for you. The X-Men (meaning all of the mutants on Krakoa) have been strategising their defenses. So when the time comes, don’t you dare disbelieve that Sinister and Cyclops can play nice together!

“My name is Legion,” he replied, “for we are many.” If you want to avoid becoming one with the Legion, pay heed to the words of the book of Plunge, chapter 6, verses 1-32!

The official plot:

“Sixty fathoms below the ocean’s surface, a massive hatch waits to be opened…Something within wants to emerge; wants to be born; wants to rise; wants to feed. The child is coming, desperate to fill its belly-by devouring reality itself!”

DC Black Label

Should add that the humble humans don’t feel like being devoured, but otherwise, quite accurate. Also – ugly baby!

My Impressions:

• What works: It’s a horror book…and yeah, it’s one of the more disturbing. I mean, being infested and possessed by extra-dimensional worms. No thanks.
• What I could do without: The threat to “reality” was totally unnecessary. It would have been more effective for the child to have been a giant monster intent on eating all the humans.
• But how did it look?: Confident. Horror titles don’t usually get big names, so the art always seems tentative. Not the case here.

Notable Appearances/Events:

• The child (1st appearance & death)
• Captain Gage (Death)
• Bill and Moriah (The only survivors)
• Clark (Last remaining worm food)

Bottom Line: 4 Stars!

Plunge was one of the better Joe Hill titles. I wouldn’t be surprised to see him end up a staple of the Black Label imprint. I recommend grabbing up the eventual TPB. I really enjoyed the setting of a sea rescue gone bad. It really reminded me of something I would have watched on a Saturday afternoon, when I was a kid…one of those Elvira movies. Individually, this issue wasn’t as good as the rest of the series, but it does leave us open to the possibility of a follow up.

Woe to the demon that tries to drink from the cup of both humans and demons too! Witness the warnings of the book of Mirka Andolfo’s Mercy, chapter 5, verses 1-32!

This is the gospel according to Mirka Andolfo, who both wrote and illustrated this tome. (Controlling much?)

The official plot:

“Lady Hellaine’s elaborate plan takes shape, but the dark heroine…has not yet dealt with the consequences of her actions and with the hazy memories that more and more often emerge from her conscience. Is it really possible that the only answer for all her troubles is…love?”

Image Comics

Elaborate plan? First I’ve heard of it…and there’s only one issue left. This actually felt a lot more like a hastily drafted back-up plan. I suppose I may have missed the original plan, but how good can the book be if that’s the case? As for the memories and emotions…well that’s what you get when you take over the body of a human! All the alien/demon possessors know that you damned rookie!

My Impressions:

• What works: It’s vaguely reminiscent of The Thing.
• What doesn’t work: The characters. The story just doesn’t do a good job building them up enough for the reader to care about any of them. If I can’t remember their names from one month to the next…your book is in trouble.
• But how did it look?: It tires hard and uses all the tricks. Colored speech bubbles, blurs for motion, tinted panels for flashbacks…it even tries to be risque with a post coital page.

Notable Appearances/Events:

• Lady Hellaine (alien/demon wearing someone else’s body)
• Mr. Goodwill (another alien/demon thing)
• The little girl that thinks Lady Hellaine is her mother (or maybe Hellaine’s wearing her mother?)
• No one else appears to be remotely important…and they all sort of blend together.

Bottom Line: 2 Stars!

Save your money. Better yet, go buy Batman: Three Jokers. Mercy started out quite promising, talking about the Woodsburgh Devil and mysterious killings. Lady Hellaine shows up and turns the town on it’s side, along with the tease that she’s not exactly human. It held tight until about issue 3 when it just seemed to unravel into unrelated plot lines that couldn’t hold my interest. What a wasted opportunity! Mirka Andolfo shouldn’t have been so keen to put her name all over this comic…because now I know to avoid her work.

My fellow comicphiles, attend as we discuss Batman / Superman Volume 2, chapter 11, verses 1-32! “Atomic conclusion!”

This is the word according to Joshua Williamson
As envisioned by Clayton Henry

The official plot:

“It’s Superman versus Batman as the deadly machinations of the Ultra-Humanite crash to their end! The Dark Knight has been transformed into a human atomic bomb, all in the name of wiping Superman from the face of the Earth! As Batman struggles against the urge to kill his friend, Superman must undo the damage done and help the other victims of the Ultra-Humanite’s experiments. It’s the thrilling conclusion to “Atomic” that will reverberate across the DC Universe for months to come!”

DC Comics

This is a pretty fair assessment of the story, though I do think that “thrilling” is a flat out lie. The “other victims” is a bit of a stretch too…they get one panel.

My Impressions:

Notable Appearances/Events:

• Superman (Kal-El/Clark Kent)
• Batman (Bruce Wayne)
• Ultra-Humanite (Gerard Shugel)
• Atomic Skull (Albert Michaels)

Bottom Line: 1 Stars!

Fanboys and completionist collectors only. Everyone else…skip it!

Fire and Brimstone fall from the sky! It is the end times! Pay attention as we discuss Batman: Three Jokers, chapter 1, verses 1-54! It may just save your soul!

This is the word according to the infamous Geoff Johns
As envisioned by Jason Fabok

The official plot:

“Three Jokers reexamines the myth of who, or what, The Joker is and what is at the heart of his eternal battle with Batman…find out why there are three Jokers, and what that means for the Dark Knight and the Clown Prince of Crime. It’s a mystery unlike any Batman has ever faced!”

DC Comics

The official story has a lot more pomp and circumstance than this…but I edited out all of the self serving stuff. I’m also going to go out on a limb and say that this description is intended to cover the whole series…because we certainly don’t get the promised explanation.

My Impressions:

Notable Appearances/Events:

• Batman (Bruce Wayne)
• Joker
• Joker
• Joker
• Red Hood (Jason Todd)
• Batgirl (Barbara Gordon)
• Death of a Joker

Bottom Line: 5 Stars!

Everyone, who’s anyone already has multiple copies. May I suggest the Red Hood (Jason Todd) variant cover?