A Sunday Comic Books Review

Here are reviews of the DCBS comic books that I've gotten around to reading and reviewing, sorted by the original shipping date:

• Oct 24th
• Titans #28 - A Drowned Earth tie-in, with Garth as a main character. The Heroes in Crisis storyline feeds into this one as well, since Titans apparently died in that (hard for me to take any superhero death seriously, sorry). It took me WAY too long to figure out who Steel was, otherwise it was a mostly ok story with some good moments. It showed Garth's powers and referenced the Titans as they were, so I thought it was decent.
• Batman Beyond #25 - This is a perfect jump-on issue, with lots of backstory and explanation of what has been happening in this version of the DCU to get to this tale. A little bit of classic Batman along with the new, and lots of references to the past. A good one to pick up if you just want to know what Batman Beyond is about.
• Scooby-Doo Team-Up #43 - Thanks to watching the Doom Patrol show, I knew what was happening when the Mystery Machine ended up on Danny the Street. It also gave me a good idea of what was happening throughout the rest of the book. I'm not sure if this is the strangest team-up these guys have done, but it's definitely odd.
• Mystery Science Theater 3000 #2 - Um. Wow. Ok. That was remarkably confusing and a whole lotta fun. I'm not entirely sure what I was reading there, but by the end I was just enjoying the ride and ignoring the plot, such as it is. I suspect fans of MST3K would enjoy this, as would fans of old comic books.
• Beasts of Burden: Wise Dogs and Eldritch Men #3 - Oh, I had a feeling about that dog. I didn't have the advantage the Wise Dogs had, though, of being able to smell him as well. Still, I had a distinct feeling, no doubt based on subtle clues the artist and writer provided, that they were walking into a trap. And it turns out they knew it, too. So how is this going to play out? I can hardly wait for the next issue.
• Usagi Yojimbo: The Hidden #7 - And Sakai nails the landing. This final issue was mostly one big battle over a book, but OH what a battle. And what an outcome! I never suspected, not even for a moment, that final revelation. Of course, if anyone could have pulled it off, it would have been Ishida. Wow. Fantastic. Get this series.


• Oct 31st
• Justice League/Aquaman: Drowned Earth #1 - I want to like this. It's a crossover featuring Mera! But, it's really not that great. The art is weak and the plot is depressing. There's just not a lot here for me to enjoy beyond Aquaman and Mera. There's even a timing conflict with Titans. I'm tired of stories that are about world-threatening horrors. I just want GOOD stories.
• Heroes in Crisis #2 - Yeah, so when I read the first issue I didn't register who had died. And I'm still not sure who was supposed to have perished. And some big part of me rejects this entire storyline, because the heroes/villains supposedly killed off will no doubt be back soon enough. So I'm just not sure how to react to this thing. I just find myself sighing and hoping it leads to some interesting story, because so far I'm not impressed. Um, is it mean of me to say Lagoon Boy's death is no big loss to the DCU?
• Green Lantern/Huckleberry Hound Special #1 - I really don't know what kind of story I was expecting with a crossover like this, but it was NOT this story. This was excellent. Huckleberry Hound was less a character than a sounding board, but it made for a good story anyway. I don't really know that much about John Stewart's Green Lantern, so I don't know how much of this is canon in the current DCU, but it worked as a story and it worked for the character. Good stuff. I did not read the back-up story.
• Archie Meets Batman '66 #4 - This is a stark contrast to the dreary Archie 1941 that I'm also reading. But then, anything involving Batman '66 has always been great, particularly when Jeff Parker is writing it. This issue gets Batman/Bruce Wayne into Riverdale and also shows off how resilient Jughead, of all people, actually is. And no, that's not the Bat-signal. I never thought I'd see a Jughead signal.
• Stranger Things #2 - Oh man. When I watched the first season, I wondered how Will had survived there. This comic series gives some answers, and shows how it looked from Will's side. It's terrifying. I really need to go watch the second and third seasons some time, too.
• Edgar Allan Poe's Snifter of Terror #1 - I am not a big horror fan - at least not of gory or gross horror. Thus, the first story in this book really does absolutely nothing for me. The second story made me squee, though, using certain iconic characters the way it did. Now, full disclosure, I planned to only order The Wrong Earth and Captain Ginger from Ahoy Comics, because they were the two that appealed to me. This book got added to my list only because they accepted a story from me, and it was due to be printed in an issue of this title. So I figured I had better read the whole series. Despite not really enjoying the, um, atmosphere of the first story, I'm glad I got it. It may not be completely my cuppa, but it's certainly not bad.

A Sunday Comic Books Review

Here are reviews of the DCBS comic books that I've gotten around to reading and reviewing, sorted by the original shipping date:

• Sep 26th
• Heroes in Crisis #1 - Interesting way to tell the story. I was getting annoyed at it, then Harley said a few words, and suddenly I had to go back and reread. Which one is the villain? Ok, I'm not thrilled with it, but I am intrigued.
• Batman Beyond #24 - There is quite a large cast in this book now, with all the years of the show and the comic. So I forgot who Mel was until she showed up in costume. Interestingly, Jack isn't wrong about Batman. A satisfactory end to this story.
• Archie Meets Batman '66 #3 - This is incredibly fun, and actually shows Jughead using some initiative. Admittedly, he had some serious motive, but still, I don't generally see him taking action. I enjoyed the abbreviated Batman tale, too. Amusing way to avoid having to write all those literary clues. This is still very good.
• Scooby-Doo Team-Up #42 - The writers were really monkeying around in this issue. It was rather disjointed, but still managed to be more fun than a barrel of gorillas. I had the solution figured out early, but only because I've read a few Congo Bill stories and had a suspicion. Totally goofy fun.
• Fantastic Four #1 - A nice introduction, showing two members of the FF trying to get on with life after the rest of the team has vanished. I don't know how or when they vanished, but everything was given enough context to work despite my lack of Marvel lore. I actually kind of got chills on the final splash page of the main story. The back-up story was a bit Doom-y, and ended too abruptly. Funny one-pager in the back. Not a bad issue.
• Stranger Things #1 - This story tells what Will went through on his side of the universe during the first season, and it actually is a really good start. The cliffhanger is particularly strong.
• Beasts of Burden: Wise Dogs and Eldritch Men #2 - Wow, a human who can communicate with them! The only one we'd seen wasn't exactly able to pass as normal. Thrilling stuff. A bit gross, but still thrilling.


• Oct 3rd
• Justice League #9 - A slightly interesting bit with Wonder Woman and Aquaman, but overall, still more blah.
• Green Lanterns #56 - Really? Two guys without their rings, one up from his deathbed? This is just awful.
• Fantastic Four #2 - It's like the Bat-signal, only a teleporter across the multiverse. I'm not entirely sure what this group of teenagers is, although the book makes it clear what they've been up to. As for defeating their enemy - I'm not sure that's possible if she really is what she claims to be. Fun stuff.
• Doctor Strange #6 - Well, that mystery got solved quickly and kind of boringly. Still, the story has moved on to another level, and it has possibilities. And as long as the ghost dog is around, the book is improved by an order of magnitude.
• Ripley's Believe It or Not! #1 - This is basically the cartoon with much longer stories told in a nice narrative. Being a Fortean, I was already familiar with all the tales in this book, but the presentation was nice enough that I didn't mind at all. It's a good package for a single issue, and probably would make an excellent gift for a child with a yearning for the bizarre. I wish I'd had it as a child.

A Sunday Comic Books Review

Here are reviews of the DCBS comic books that I've gotten around to reading and reviewing, sorted by the original shipping date:

• Aug 15th
• Aquaman #39 - I almost feel sorry for Harley. Almost. The interaction between Murk and Aquaman was interesting. I wonder how it will continue to play out? And Mera... heavy hangs the head that wears the crown.
• Justice League #6 - Nope. Still no interest.
• Green Lanterns #53 - Why is Baz's ring lying to him? Do I really care?
• Teen Titans Go #29 - I think Cyborg summed it up best at the end of the comic - stuck in a comic book based on a tv show talking about a movie? Too meta.
• Archie Meets Batman '66 #2 - This continues to be much better than I expected, although splitting the team is a strange tactic for Batman at this stage in the story. No surprise that Reggie was recruited by villains, though. The number and combination of baddies in Riverdale is a hoot.
• Doctor Strange #4 - About time someone told Strange off. Now, I hope the fellow tells him off some more, but I suspect we're going to have to put up with more arrogance before the final fall.
• Usagi Yojimbo: The Hidden #5 - I absolutely adore the Inspector Ishida stories, and this one has been a treat and a half because of the real history it brings into the story. The big reveal of this issue is what the artifact is - a Bible. But not just any Bible. I'm really curious now if there was a Japanese translation of the Bible back then. Also, extra fun, there's a mention of Inspector Ishida appearing in the June 13, 2018 Dick Tracy comic strip. Yes, I found it. Yes, it's great (see below).


• Aug 22nd
• Batman Beyond #23 - Huh. The previous issue made it obvious who the Scarecrow is, but then this issue acts like it was a mystery. It was... ok. But I don't feel like the plot moved forward much, if at all.
• Scooby-Doo Team-Up #41 - I was never much a fan of Penelope Pitstop. I watched some Wacky Races, but she never appealed to me. Still, this was a cute issue with a couple of fun unmaskings - not to mention a villain who messes himself up. Always a fun book.
• Beasts of Burden: Wise Dogs and Eldritch Men #1 - I miss Jill Thompson's work, but Benjamin Dewey is no slouch on the art. This is a fascinating start, with some interesting implications about the wise animals. I'm really looking forward to the next issue.


• Aug 29th
• Catwoman/Tweety and Sylvester Special #1 - I only have one minor nit with this. Klarion is a Lord of Chaos, and his efforts to stop the scheme would have naturally resulted in more chaos, rather than a simple party. Otherwise, most excellent main story and fun little back-up. It's actually kind of terrifying to find out how many DC characters are bird- or cat-based.


• Sep 5th
• Justice League #7 - Really? Ok, just tell me when this thing is over.
• Green Lanterns #54 - Man, those rings are really insecure if THAT guy can hack into them. In fact, for the most powerful weapon in the universe, they are pretty much useless if any old idiot can take them over.

A Sunday Comic Books Review

Here are reviews of the DCBS comic books that I've gotten around to reading and reviewing, sorted by the original shipping date:

• Jul 18th
• Justice League #4 - Nope. Still no interest. I hope this story ends soon.
• Green Lanterns #51 - Huh. It's not that it's a bad story, it's just that it holds no interest for me. The Cosmic nature of the GL Corps doesn't spark my imagination, this time.
• Archie Meets Batman '66 #1 - Ah, that's more like it. I think these crossovers are remarkably silly, but that's half the fun. And while this will never live up to Archie vs the Punisher, this is a promising start. I like how it's Veronica noticing the problems first. This will be a good ride.


• Jul 25th
• Mera: Queen of Atlantis #6 - I'm a sap, because I was genuinely upset that Orm didn't get returned to the surface by Mera. I'll also say I doubted turning Tula into Orm's sister, but it really worked well for this story. This entire series was great, and I would love to see more like it in the future.
• Aquaman #38 - Among all the other sins of Dark Knights: Metal, I can also lay the blame for the ending of this book on it. Still, overall the issue wasn't bad. I liked seeing all of Atlantis unite, although it was annoying in that standard comic book way to see the bad guys leave at the end instead of being dead and gone.
• Batman Beyond #22 - Wow, the Creeper. Not a bad set-up story, but it's really all set-up and not much more. Still, good stuff.
• Scooby-Doo Team-Up #40 - With Swamp Thing involved, I expected one of the slightly half-serious issues. Happily, I was completely wrong. This was pure fun classic Scooby-Doo with lots of guests and some actual real information about zombies mixed in with the superhero/villain goofiness. Good times.

A Sunday Comic Books Review

Here are reviews of the DCBS comic books that I've gotten around to reading and reviewing, sorted by the original shipping date:

• Jun 20th
• Aquaman #37 - Well, that didn't go as planned. Let's see... the story moved forward a little - Rath is too powerful, blah blah, Aquaman runs away, blah blah, and the mystical guardians of Atlantis decide that Rath isn't so great after all. I guess that's enough. The cliffhanger is just another bit of a fight, so I could have done with something more interesting. Ah well. At least it's clearly nearing the end.
• Justice League #2 - Still more cosmic nonsense that doesn't really do anything for me. I'm just not getting into this story. I hope it'll click with me at some point.
• Green Lanterns #49 - That's it? Wow. I don't know what to think of the resolution to Jessica's tale - part of me is happy and pleased and part of me is just asking what the big deal was all along. I guess story decompression has gotten so bad that a well-paced story seemed to end abruptly. On review, though, I liked it. A lot.
• Teen Titans Go #28 - The first story involved our heroes being sent to the 1950s, where they definitely do NOT fit in. The second story was much more laugh-out-loud, as the team teases Robin for being a sidekick only to learn first-hand how difficult kicking the side can be. Nicely goofy.
• Doctor Strange #2 - Well, he clearly isn't completely powerless if he's able to do that. I have never been a fan of cosmic stories. I guess I like my stories set on Earth or something. So far, this series is not really all that impressive to me.
• SpongeBob Comics Annual Giant Swimtacular #6 - Well, that was meta. Seeing the "creative team" trying to meet educational standards was... strange. There was ever so tiny appearances by Mermaid Man and Barnacle Boy as Rosencrantz and Guildenstern on the cover of a Shakespeare-inspired version of SpongeBob. But mostly, this was just really odd. Amusing as usual.
• Usagi Yojimbo: The Hidden #4 - To the halfway point, and the mystery continues to deepen. I love Ishida's methods of getting his way with his so-called superior, but I'm really curious what that lamp says and what its purpose is. I guess I'll just have to wait until I reach the next issue. I'm glad it is already in the to-read pile!


• Jun 27th
• Mera: Queen of Atlantis #5 - I'm glad Leron is on Mera's "side". She needed that reminder, I think, to handle what was to come. As for Tula, I can't imagine she's at all happy with this situation. I just hope Orm remembers his family on the surface instead of falling deeply into that trap of "duty" as he seems to be doing.
• Batman Beyond #21 - Everyone is seeing him as a monster now, so what's in the water in Gotham. Even Matt seems to be affected. This is actually a mystery I'm getting curious about.
• Scooby-Doo Team-Up #39 - A JSA team-up, including the real Red Tornado! This one is fun, and while Shaggy's solution to the problem at the end is a clever one, I think they need to bury that thing much deeper than 75 years worth of deep. Maybe Superman can throw it into deep space or something. Anyway, this was another fun issue.
• Astro City #52 - I literally got the chills when the Hanged Man showed up behind him. I mean, I felt chills all up and down my body. That's a powerful bit of storytelling. And this is the last issue of this as a comic book. I'm looking forward to the graphic novels, but wow, this book has always been so consistently good. I'll miss seeing it on the shelves.
• Prisoner #3 - So this is a story. None of it is real. But due to the nature of this particular story, the narration itself is unreliable, which means the story might not be what I'm reading. So why should I care about it?
• Forever Free #3 - I think this book broke my brain. We had an entire series in which physics made sense, and the laws of the universe were used to make war, then peace, and now... this? In the third act of the second book of the series, we are not only introduced to a being which has been on Earth the entire time without anyone knowing - but also something *else*. How am I supposed to react to this? What am I supposed to think? And what about the dangling plot threads - the lost people and the lost ship? I think my brain is broken.