Tag James Tynion IV

The Department of Truth

Department of Truth

“And it shall come to pass, that he who flees from the noise or the fear, shall fall into the pit; and he that cometh up out of the midst of the pit shall be taken in the snare!” Prepare yourselves with the book of Department of Truth, chapters 1 & 2!

The Conspiracy Theorist in chief: James Tynion IV.
Propaganda designer: Martin Simmonds!

The official plot:

“Cole Turner has studied conspiracy theories all his life, but he isn’t prepared for what happens when he discovers that all of them are true, from the JFK assassination to flat Earth theory and reptilian shapeshifters. One organization has been covering them up for generations. What is the deep, dark secret behind the Department of Truth?”

Image Comics

That’s a great solicitation…unfortunately, it’s pretty vague. We learn early on, that it’s more like “managing” the so-called secrets. A more apt description is “the truth” is always in flux…literally.

Department of Truth
Of course Lee Harvey Oswald would be in charge!

My Impressions:

  • No doubt about it, this one is a real head-scratcher!
  • If things work the way they are saying…there is one helluva butterfly effect going on. Constantly!
  • 80’s child care abuse cases…not what I thought the first story would tackle…I’m impressed.
Department of Truth
Ladies and Gentlemen…meet out hero.

Notable Appearances/Events:

  • See the glacier at the edge of the world!
  • Witness personified evil feasting on children.
  • Meet the crack team that manages this chaos. Most of whom feel easily replicable.

Bottom Line: 3 Stars!

Definitely not the conspiracy theory story I thought it would be. It will be interesting to see exactly how it plays out. On the positive side, this set-up definitely leaves the book open to incorporating just about anything. Ultimately, the jury is out on if this is a long term title for me.

Detective Comics #1027, Compilation Tome!

Detective Comics

Brethren! Seek not to ponder the Batman himself, instead, feast yourself on this massive volume of his stories! Behold the book of Detective Comics, chapter 1027, verses 1-144!

This is the scripture according to: Peter J. Tomasi, Scott Snyder, Greg Rucka, Tom King, Brian Michael Bendis, Matt Fraction, James Tynion IV, Mariko Tamaki, Marv Wolfman, Grant Morrison, Dan Jurgens, Kelly Sue DeConnick
(Queue a dramatic inhale!) Illustrated by: Eduardo Risso, Lee Bermejo, Walter Simonson, David Marquez, Jim Cheung, José Luis García-López, Olivier Coipel, Riley Rossmo, Dan Mora, Chip Zdarsky, Jamal Campbell, Chris Burnham, Dan Jurgens

The official plot:

“Light the Bat-Signal, because Detective Comics #1027 is here! In honor of Batman’s first appearance in Detective Comics #27, this special, book-size celebration brings you the biggest names in comics as they chronicle the most epic Batman adventures Gotham City and the DC Universe have ever seen! The World’s Greatest Detective has a mountain of cases to crack: Who murdered Gotham’s most corrupt police officer? What does The Joker’s annual visit mean for Bruce Wayne? And most importantly, what WayneTech mystery will sow the seeds of the next epic Batman event? All this and more await you within the pages of the biggest Batman issue of them all!”

DC Comics

“Most epic Batman adventures…?” Not so much. “Seeds of the next epic Batman event?” Sure, I’ll give them that one. Look, it’s a collection of short stories, some good, some bad, mostly adequate. It all depends on your personal flavor.

Detective Comics
The obligatory supernatural Batman story!

My Impressions:

  • Be careful where you set this issue down, it’s so heavy it could cause some damage
  • Exactly what you would expect from a Batman anniversary issue…a collage of art and words. A chance for some folks to try new styles etc.
  • Initially intimidating…but it should be, it’s lighter fare. Easily skipped if you don’t want to invest the time.
Detective Comics
The obligatory period piece!

Notable Appearances/Events:

  • I am not even going to attempt to list everyone appearing in this thing!
  • The Silver Ghost (Detective #26) – We will probably never see him again, but I liked him!

Bottom Line: 3 Stars!

This thing is a BEAST to get through…144 pages. Seriously a multi-session read. In addition, it’s one of the better milestone compilation issues I’ve seen recently, including some sections that tie into currently running story lines. Of course there are those that go for the “deep” or “shock” stories as well, though none are specifically memorable.

Batman #99-100, “Joker War” conclusion

Batman

“You are my hammer and weapon of war: with you I break nations in pieces; with you I destroy kingdoms;” Who is this weapon? It is revealed in the book of Batman, chapters 99-100!

This is the tale as witnessed by James Tynion IV.
Cast into light by Jorge Jimenez.

The official plot:

“The Joker War’ comes to a city-shattering conclusion as Batman battles The Joker in a brutal, no-holds-barred duel! This is a fight 80 years in the making, and its outcome won’t just change Batman’s life, it will change Gotham City for years to come! Plus, a pair of short stories that will chart what’s to come in Gotham City and Batman.”

DC Comics

The highly hyped Joker war comes to it’s expected conclusion. As expected, everyone under the sun shows up to throw a punch or two. Does it live up to the hype? Not in the way you might expect.

Batman
…and he walks away as if she didn’t mean what she was saying.

My Impressions:

  • Harley Quinn is the best part of this story arc. A timely intervention saves the day, and when she get’s serious, it’s chilling.
  • Oracle is back online. ‘Nuff said.
  • Clownhunter. Either he ends up a Robin, or he’s a flash in the pan. There’s no in-between.
  • Did Harley just become a member of the Bat-family???
Batman
I’ve always liked the serious Harley the most. It doesn’t get any more serious than this.

Notable Appearances/Events:

  • Batman (Bruce Wayne)
  • Joker
  • The full Bat-Family
  • Harley Quinn (Harleen Frances Quinzel)
  • Punchline (Alexis Kaye)
  • Clownhunter (Bao Pham)
  • Ghost-Maker 1st Appearance! (Cameo)

Bottom Line: 4 Stars!

I feel like the climax for this story arc was about 1 page long. The build-up of how badly Joker and his forces were destroying Gotham, along with the corruption that is revealed is absolutely huge. Batman finally admitting he can’t deal with this alone and calling in the help of his various protégés doesn’t feel quite sufficient to handle the task. And then it’s over…and fast too. However, Harley’s part in the finale is almost a whole new character. I really hope we see her continue to evolve down this path, and become a semi permanent member of the troupe.

Something is Killing the Children #10

Something is Killing the Children

It has been written “For behold, I am sending among you serpents, adders that cannot be charmed, and they shall bite you.” Damned if they didn’t end up in the book of Something is Killing the Children, chapter 10, verses 1-32!

This revelation of carnage is related by James TynionIV!
The foreboding images by Werther Dell’Edera!

The official plot:

“When Erica’s handler forces a confrontation on the street of Archer’s Peak, Erica must decide where her loyalties lie-to her employers, or to the people who need her?”

BOOM!

That’s a little bit of a mash-up really. That handler, he is really a dick, but the confrontation has nothing to do with him. Once it happens though, there really isn’t much decision making going on…it’s sort of a fight-or-flight thing.

Something is Killing the Children
In Aaron’s defense, this guy is a whiney little nuisance.

My Impressions:

  • A little character development for Erika…nice to see them adding some dimension to her.
  • Aaron, by the book and towing the company line, represents a great foil for our protagonist. I hope that he somehow survives.
  • Visually the book is inconsistent…the more important the character, the better they look…and vice versa.
  • Mature content incoming!!!!
Something is Killing the Children
Sorry dude, I think you’re guess is a little off.

Notable Appearances/Events:

  • Erika takes a stand
  • Aaron dies…pretty sure he’s not coming back from that…
  • Everyone else is on the menu

Bottom Line: 3 Stars!

This issue is a bridge between action scenes. It’s not bad, but it really isn’t all that impactful (in the grand scheme of things). However…it does go for a little shock value. (If you don’t believe me, you must have missed the picture above.) In the end, this is a set up for what feels like a rather messy confrontation. If you’re not reading this series, I question your nerd-worthiness!