Another year, another SDCC come and gone. And while there were a few big announcements on the movie side of things, we’re gonna start with all the comic book news first because, well, I fucking love comics and if it weren’t for them, there would be no MCU, no DCU and no cinematic classic Howard the Duck, right?
So let’s Scrooge McDuck this shit and dive right in.
Kicking things off with Marvel, we got two announcements related to Frank Castle aka the Punisher. First off, we’re getting a PREDATOR VS PUNISHER miniseries. Technically, this was first revealed in the Marvel Previews catalogue sent out to retailers in a very “oh, by the way” manner. But it was later confirmed at SDCC that it would be written by Frank Tieri and drawn by Jesus Saiz and issue #1 is due on shelves in November. I’m a big fan of Saiz’ art, most recently on the EDDIE BROCK: CARNAGE series, but he actually first came onto my radar with the 12-issue Punisher series that he did with Jason Aaron, who we’ll be talking more about in a little bit.
In other Punisher news, launching in October is PUNISHER SHOWDOWNS, a series of one-shots pitting Frank against Wolverine, Black Widow and Winter Soldier. Each one-shot will be written by Tom Waltz, with Bruno Bull handling art on the Wolverine issue, while Greg Land takes on art duties for Black Widow and Edgar Salazar gets Winter Soldier.
The synopsis for each book sounds great, and I’ll talk more about those in a future missive. But for now, know that I will be picking all three up from my LCS.
Next up is another one I’m excited about. Charles Soule is writing a brand new VENOM series that will see Eddie Brock reunited with his symbiote after a long time apart. Charles Soule is one of my favorite writers. He put Daredevil back in black, back in Hell’s Kitchen, gave us Mayor Fisk and created some of my favorite new characters in the last 10+ years in Muse and Blindspot. If you’ve read a Star Wars comic in the last 5+ years, you’ve probably also read something of Soule’s. But most recently, he wrote the criminally under appreciated EDDIE BROCK: CARNAGE series I mentioned earlier, and his issues of the Death Spiral crossover earlier this year were my favorite of that whole story arc.
Joining Soule is an artist I am very excited about — Tomasso Bianchi. If you’r not familiar with his work, just check out the recent DAREDEVIL & PUNISHER: THE DEVIL’S TRIGGER miniseries from writer Jimmy Palmiotti. It’s a great read and Bianchi absolutely fucking knocked the artwork out of the park on that one. So I can’t wait to see what he brings to an ongoing Venom book.
And making a (hopefully) triumphant return to comics is everyone’s favorite archeology professor in INDIANA JONES AND THE SWORD OF PANDEMONIUM from writer Jason Aaron and artist Aaron Kuder. This is going to be a 5-issue miniseries hitting stores in December.
Jason Aaron is another favorite writer of mine and he’s taking Indy back to the days of the original film trilogy and I cannot fucking wait for this. We’re getting more Marion Ravenwood and this story spins right out of Raiders of the Lost Ark. The only other details we know are that Indy will be traveling the globe, crawling through crypts, seeking out ancient treasures and biblical weapons and … fuck, what more do you need?! I’m in.
The last new series announcement we’re going to cover here is MAXIMUM X-MEN (don’t love the name) from Christopher Yost and Tony Daniel. It launches in December and spins directly out of the current Armageddon event.
The roster includes Storm as team leader, along with Wolverine, Colossus, Iceman, Firestar, Bishop, Justice and Betsy Braddock (not Psylocke). Not a whole lot is known at this point because we still don’t know what the 616 is going to look like post-Armageddon. But I’m assuming there will be more than a few Fastball Specials now that Wolverine and Colossus will be reunited. That also means Logan will be exiting Gail Simone’s Uncanny X-Men book, I would imagine.
That’s it for new Marvel series announcements covered here, though we did also get cover and date reveals for a series of one-shots we knew were coming.
Phillip Kennedy Johnson is writing a series of one-shots leading into his epic HULK WAR in 2027. We’re getting INFERNAL HULK VS WOLVERINE in September, INFERNAL HULK VS THE FANTASTIC FOUR in October, INFERNAL HULK VS SPIDER-MAN in November, and INFERNAL HULK VS THE AVENGERS in December. If you’re not reading PKJ’s run on Hulk, you’re missing some epic fucking storytelling. So, get on that!
The last bit of Marvel Comics news in terms of books has me very intrigued. Could we be getting Frank Castle on the Avengers?
Sure, he was a part of the Savage Avengers back in the day with the likes of Wolverine and Elektra. But on the main roster with people like Spider-Man, Daredevil and Captain Marvel? How the hell is that’s gonna work? I NEED to know. Something crazy has to happen in the pages of Armageddon to set this up. All I know is, as always, in Zdarsky I Trust.
Moving on to DC, there was some really cool news out of SDCC that I’ll get to in a sec. But first, there were a handful of new series announced for characters I don’t really follow that much. So I’ll mention them here, but I don’t have a whole lot to offer on these in terms of commentary.
There’s a new DEMON series coming from writer/artist James Harren, a VIXEN series from Stephanie Williams and Khary Randolph ( I might check this one out because I like this creative team), a STEEL series coming from Morgan Hampton and Cody Ziglar is writing a new STATIC book.
In terms of a new series announcement that definitely caught my eye, we’re getting a brand new JONAH HEX AND THE SHADOW OF DEATH series from writer/artist Michael Walsh.
Apparently, Walsh intends to build out a whole new mythology for Jonah and he has very big shoes to fill. Jimmy Palmiotti and Justin Gray had a long and fan-fucking-tastic run on Jonah Hex from the New 52 era through Rebirth. They know how to do a Western like few others, so Walsh is taking a big swing here. But the character is great and needs to be back at the forefront so I’m really rooting for this one to be a hit.
Next we got three new one-shot announcements, all of which I will be picking up at my LCS. First is ABSOLUTE BLACK CANARY, a story that will take place between issues 6 and 7 of ABSOLUTE GREEN ARROW and written by that book’s mastermind, Pornsak Pitcheshote with art from the talented Belen Ortega.
Dinah Lance has essentially been the main character of the Absolute GA book and she’s amazing, so getting more of her is a no-brainer. Especially since it can be a natural bridge of sorts between arcs, as the Green Arrow book was supposed to end at issue 6 but has been extended to 12 issues now.
From ABSOLUTE BATMAN mastermind Scott Snyder and one of the best artists working today, Sanford Greene, we’re getting a DARKSEID VS THE WORLD one-shot. This will be the first in a series of one-shots furthering the DC All-In initiative and setting up what’s to come in the mainline and Absolute universes.
Now, I don’t know if it’s Snyder writing and Green on art, or if Greene is also co-writing the story the way he did with Jonathan Hickman last year for their epic DOOM one-shot. But I’ll say this — if this book is half as good as that one? Fuck, we are in for something special.
And the last DC Comics SDCC news item on the docket for today, aside from Jeph Loeb confirming there are no plans for a H3SH, not that it would have come out before 2045 anyway, is a new ABSOLUTE BATMAN: ARK-M SPECIAL from Scott Snyder and Frank Tieri.
At this point, who is ever going to say no to more ABSOLUTE BATMAN from Scott Snyder? The first Ark-M special was such a hit and the whole Ark plot thread is such a fun and compelling mystery, it’s no surprise we’re getting this and I’m onboard.
OK, let’s hit a couple of indie comic book items before we jump into the Marvel Studios announcements.
Image Comics announced that the original BITTER ROOT series will be getting its first volume (five issues and one short story) collected/reprinted in two brand new black and white oversized issues. This is 100% coming home with me. If you haven’t read BITTER ROOT, it’s a goddamn masterpiece and you should pick up the omnibus, read it digitally, track down the single issues … whatever you have to do. Just read it. It’s amazing.
From IDW we’re getting THE LAST RONIN III: RETURN FOR NEW YORK. This is being billed as the final entry in the LAST RONIN saga, written by series creator Kevin Eastman and Tom Waltz. This won’t be coming out until Summer 2027, though, so don’t get too excited just yet. For me, personally, I think it’s good to end that saga and not dilute it with too many sequels and spinoffs. As it is, while THE LAST RONIN II: RE-EVOLUTION had some really strong moments, it never quite recaptured the magic of the original. So hopefully we can go out on a high note with the third and final entry.
And lastly, Dark Horse Comics announced a brand new Frank Miller series, written by the man himself with art by Ryan Benjamin and Alex Sinclair. There’s really nothing else known right now other than the title — INVASIVE SPECIES — and that it looks bloody and insane. But it’s Frank Miller. Of course I’m checking it out.
Now, the Marvel Studios announcements.
A GHOST RIDER movie is coming in 2028 — starring Ryan Gosling as Johnny Blaze and directed by Shawn Levy. Gosling has been fan-cast in the role for years now and publicly expressed his desire to play the character, giving this announcement the feel of Rosario Dawson finally being cast as Ahsoka Tano in Star Wars. Meanwhile, Levy is fresh off a massive success — also with Gosling — in Project Hail Mary. He’s also the director of the upcoming Star Wars: Star Fighter movie — again, with Ryan Gosling in the lead. Oh, and he did this little indie film you may have heard about — Deadpool and Wolverine. I think that made a couple buck at the box office.
Jokes aside, this was a great announcement. Gosling is perfect for the role and Levy is a great choice to direct. Clearly, Kevin Feige was happy with Deadpool & Wolverine and what he has seen so far of Straighter that this was a no-brainer.
But hear me now. It will be a massive missed opportunity to not have Nic cage and Eva Mendez cameo in this flick. I mean, Eva Mendez was in the first Ghost Rider movie with Cage and is the real-life wife of Gosling who now takes over the role. Feige — make it happen.
Then we have the big announcement that not only is there a BLACK PANTHER III coming after Secret Wars …
… but that rising star David Jonnson has been cast as T’Challa’s son, also named T’Challa. Jonnson takes on the mantle after the passing of Chadwick Boseman and Leticia Wright’s short tenure as the Black Panther in the role of Shuri, the original T’Challa’s sister.
I was surprised they made this announcement before Doomsday and Secret Wars since we clearly see Shuri as the Panther in the trailers. But now it is confirmed that something between those movies and BPIII will cause her to give up the mantle. Does she die? Give up the title willingly? We’ll see. Either way, it will be good to have a T’Challa Black Panther once again.
And that about does it for the Marvel Studios announcements. It was a very short presentation with two pretty big announcements and then some exclusive trailers and clips from the next two movies, Doomsday and Spider-Man: Brand New Day shown to the crowd in attendance. While those haven’t been made public, here is the most recent Doomsday trailer that dropped a few days prior to SDCC, in case you haven’t seen it.
That was a lot, so if I missed anything … well, tough shit.
This week we feature my favorite Daredevil #17 covers from years past. First up is David Mack’s cover from Volume Two that kicked off the Marvel Knights era in 1998. It’s also another issue from one of my favorite story arcs, Wake Up, from Brian Michael Bendis and David Mack.
Then we have Julian Totino Tedesco’s cover for Issue #17 from the first leg of the Chip Zdarsky and Marco Checchetto run in 2019. Love this black suit cover against the wall of red. Great texture to this cover, too.
Marc Spector: Moon Knight #6 is what you get when you combine great character work with fucking gorgeous art. I cannot stress enough what a visual feast this book is, but before we get to that, let’s talk about the character work I mentioned.
Most of the time, Moon Knight has roughly zero fucks to give. He does things his way and if you’re not onboard with that, try and stop him. Those are really the only two options and door #2 has most people scared shitless. But in this issue, he’s assembling a new iteration of the Midnight Sons and he’s desperate. This is the most vulnerable we’ve seen Marc Spector in a long time. He pretty much has to beg Daredevil for help, even though he points out that Matt Murdock owes him one from back in the days of Shadowland. He acknowledges that — between the Age of Khonshu and the Blood Hunt — he and Blade have each seen one another at their lowest. He’s got to apologize to Robbie Reyes for their past. Essentially, Moon Knight has to humble himself before each member of this team to get them onboard in order to save the people he loves most in this world.
And that art I mentioned? Holy shit, this book is stunning. Devmalya Pramanik has turned in some of his absolute best work to date in this issue and Rachelle Rosenberg’s colors are, for my money, the best in the game today. They give each character a moment to shine as they join Moon Knight and Clea Strange. And the layouts are not only super creative, but fit each character and each moment so perfectly. On one page, Daredevil’s ricocheting billy clubs create the panel frames as they bounce between alley walls and the bad guys’ heads, then the next page we see spiking red lines representing Daredevil’s radar sense that form the framework for the page.
From the fiery orange flames surging from Robbie Reyes’ skull and his charger to the deep reds of Daredevil’s suit and blood spilled by Blade, the color palette is so rich and vibrant. But the standout, for me, by far has to be the splash page of Blade standing in front of a shattered skyscraper window with a full moon behind him, a gleaming katana in one hand and the skull of a recently dusted vamp in his other hand. Fuck, I can’t get over how gorgeous this book is. Without hesitation, this is my pick of the week.
There’s no question, no long division math you need to do to figure out why this miniseries exists and why it exists right now. The Punisher and the Hulk are both in Spider-Man: Brand New Day opening in theaters in just a couple days. This book on the shelves right now makes sense in all its MCU synergy goodness. Call it a corporate cash grab if you want. But here’s the thing — it’s pretty damn good.
Right off the bat, I’ll say it’s not for everyone. The story moves at a slow and methodical pace. This is not the 616. These are not the exact versions of the characters you know and love. And if you can divorce yourself from the attachment to proper 616 canon and just accept this as an alternate reality story, it’s got a lot to offer.
We’ve established that not only is Bruce Banner aka Hulk the, or at least a bad guy in this story, but he’s a pretty sadistic son of a bitch. And I’m digging him as a villain. I also like that Frank Castle’s call sign as a member of his Force Recon team is Punisher, but he’s not — at least not yet — the blood-thirsty vigilante killing criminals en masse to avenge the loss of his family. But Jonathan Hickman does allude to Frank crossing some lines on behalf of Uncle Sam. So Spidey doesn’t fully know where Frank lies in all of this. Can he be trusted? Is he a good guy, a bad guy, something in the middle or something way worse than he could imagine?
That’s what I like about this. Hickman is taking our existing knowledge of and affinity for these characters but saying right up front — these are not the people you think you know. But we don’t yet know how different they really are. So, you’re asking questions along the way because how you think Spider-Man or Frank Castle might react in a situation is not guaranteed to be how these versions of those characters react. And again, if you can shift out of 616 mode and be open to something familiar but very different, there’s a lot to be entertained by here.
One thing to keep in mind is that, so, far we’ve gotten more of Frank than we have any other character. Spidey does get more time on the page in issue 2 than in issue 1, but for a book called Spider-Man: Long Way Home, we definitely need to see more Spidey moving forward.
Adam Kubert’s art is excellent and these first two issues have had some pretty cool splash pages. But, we haven’t seen the action go full throttle just yet. My gut says that that’s about to happen in the next one and then I think we’re going to see Kubert kick it up a notch and give us some insane art in action. Issue 3 will be that linchpin book. Hickman and Kubert have clearly slow-played the first two issues and I’m ok with that because they did it well. But now Issue 3 needs to step on the gas.
A classic Spider-Man story. Peter’s work and personal lives get very complicated and tangled up in a messy — yes, I’m going to say it — web. There are a lot of story elements at work in this issue. You’ve got Aunt May’s long-lost son, Cormac Crane, who seems too good to be true — which usually means he is. There’s a scene where Robbie Robertson finds a message scrawled in web fluid across his window asking him to look into Cormac. But it’s the — font, I guess you could call it — and the way it’s positioned on the window that make it feel very ominous. I think most people are assuming that Cormac is hiding some dark secrets, and this definitely lends to that feeling.
Another element that I’m really intrigued by is the fact that Peter’s boss has a son who is going through chemo treatments. We see how it’s putting him through the wringer, but Peter also knows that he is the fledgling superhero known as Kintsugi. I really like what Joe Kelly did here because Kintsugi is the Japanese art of repairing broken pottery with lacquer and metal dust (gold, silver or platinum). The pottery is thought to be even stronger than before and the bright metal coloring along the fractures actually highlights them as art rather than hiding imperfections. So Kintsugi is a pretty fitting name for someone who is going through chemo — in a way having their body broken down in order to be rebuilt stronger than before.
I also want to shout out some classic Spidey art by Ed McGuinness. There are some panels in the issue, like a split headshot with Peter’s face on one side and the Spidey mask on the other that feel like they are pulled straight out of the Silver Age.
ASM continues to get stronger as Joe Kelly tells more personal stories with Peter. I’m enjoying the ride.
The first part of this story arc didn’t really land with me, but this one redeemed it. While it’s not going to blow the barn doors off or anything, the final 1/3rd of the book does a good job of hitting some emotional beats Gail Simone has been laying the groundwork for for a while now. And she sticks the landing.
This certainly wasn’t the strongest story arc in Simone’s Uncanny run, but I think it’s worth reading for the payoff if you were invested in what she’s been doing with these characters for a while now. It also sets up an interesting path forward for several characters and the next story arc is supposed to be a pretty intense one, likely crossing over with Jed MacKay’s X-Men as well.
An excellent finale to “Reign of the Superman,” what I believe to be the best story arc to date in Jason Aaron’s Absolute Superman title. Shazam pushed Superman to his limits — both physically and morally. And where other heroes would have found ways to justify killing Teth Adam, Kal-El fights to find another way time after time. He knows that this could kill him, so much so that he actually gives Lois and Jimmy a list of things to take care of in the event of his death. Rivers prone to flooding that he regularly keeps an eye on, village children he tells stories to, an elderly woman he helps tend her garden — things that wouldn’t make the priority list for most other heroes thinking on a global scale. But that list shows just how human — how good — Kal really is.
The battle between Superman and Shazam is brutal. It shows just how dangerous and worthy an adversary Shazam really is. It also shows the more strategic side of Superman in how he ultimately wins. And while this issue and arc have a clear ending, that final page keeps one very huge thread dangling. And holy shit, I can’t wait for that to circle back around, because it could be fucking epic.
Absolute Wonder Woman did something I really loved and something else that left me scratching my head. The part that I loved was the seduction of Barbara by the god Urzkartaga. Her arc in this story is about which she values more — being a good person or having great power. What’s intriguing about this is that both are things Diana/Wonder Woman has or is. But for Barbara, they seem to be mutually exclusive. So, which will she choose? Can she be satisfied with just being a good person but never being as strong as Diana, or will she succumb to the desire for power and fully transform into the Cheetah? I think we all know where this is going, but Kelly Thompson is doing a helluva job building the tension and anticipation in the lead-up to revealing Barbara’s fate.
Now, the part that had me scratching my head was Diana’s mission to rescue her mother, Circe, from Scylla. I won’t spoil the ending, but let’s just say I have no idea why Hecate abducted Circe and then gave her to Scylla if things were going to end the way they did. Hecate must have some other ulterior motive we don’t know about yet, but when it comes to this 2-issue arc, I can’t make heads or tails of why this all happened. It just felt pointless.
The art was nice and there were cool action beats and I love how Thompson writes dialogue and Diana’s inner monologue, so I still had fun reading the issue. But when I hit that last page, I just wasn’t sure what the point of the Diana/Circe story here really was. And I think that’s a first for me with Absolute Wonder Woman.
Give me Indiana Jones. Give me the Uncharted or Tomb Raider games. I’m a sucker for the globe-trotting, archeologist/treasure hunters battling bad guys over ancient artifacts holding powers beyond our understanding. I also love noir detective stories in any era, but especially WWII.
So from day one, this book was right up my alley. And while I would have liked it to be a bit longer so they could really dive deep into the archeology and investigation of the ancient myths and legends, I still enjoyed the hell out of this series. If all the things I just mentioned are in your wheelhouse, give this book a shot. They’ve already announced the next story arc for 2027 — The Terror of the Black Pyramid. How fucking cool does that sound? With this first one under their belts, Chris Condon and Jacob Phillips should be coming out of the gates next year with a lot of momentum.
No monsters in this one. No real action either, other than a couple pretty vicious bitch slaps. SIKTC often has issues like this where not a lot happens, but it’s more about slowly peeling back layers to make you better understand why the characters are who they are.
This issue wraps up a pretty lengthy stretch of story arcs set in the past and sets up a return to the present in the next issue. And that’s a big milestone. Not many indie books make it to 50 issues at all, let alone with such insane momentum as SIKTC. And that’s why there isn’t really a ton to say about #49. This served as a very brief epilogue to the past and set-up for bringing things back to the present next month. Hopefully that’s when shit kicks into high gear.
This is a solid, well-written issue with plenty of blood and violence. Clown is a vicious and unrelenting villain. The plot is familiar if you’ve ever watched shows like Supernatural. All the people in a town disappear. There’s blood and chaos everywhere but no one knows where all the people went or what exactly happened to them — only that the amount of blood left behind doesn’t bode well for anyone.
It’s all executed well. But Gunslinger is only in like the last 5 pages of the issue and he doesn’t get to do a hell of a lot. Erica Schultz is an excellent writer and what is here makes for a good read, so I have faith that the payoff will be there and Gunslinger will be more prominent in future issues. You just can’t help feeling a little bummed when you’re reading a book for a specific character — in this case, the title character — and you don’t get that much of them. Feels more like an appetizer than a meal and now you have to wait a month to get what you were hoping you’d have in this issue.
“You know the difference between heaven and hell? Good PR.” This was a damn good issue. While we only see a few pages with Spawn in his full costume, they are every bit worth the wait. Plus, we get plenty of Al Simmons in the issue, so the character is there for most of the book.
But the parts without Spawn are every bit as engaging. And fucking dark. This book goes to some really dark places and the visuals are unsettling, to say the least. In fact, this felt like a straight-up horror book at times. There’s a creepy AF scene in a basement that, while brief, I feel like I’m going to see in my nightmares again at some point.
And the kid at the center of this all, Hudson Hill, is a junky who cannot catch a break. Life has kicked this kid in the teeth and he is the lens through which we see this whole story. And that makes you feel dirty, like you can actually feel the dirt and grime and the shitty world he’s experiencing. It makes the whole issue more unnerving and downright frightening. Rosenberg does a great job of taking a character who you might not be able to necessarily relate to on a lot of levels but still makes you experience things through his eyes.
Of all the present-day Spawn Universe books, King Spawn has been my favorite so far. But that’s present day, because nothing touches the fucking phenomenal 1800s-set Deadly Tales of the Gunslinger Spawn from Jimmy Palmiotti.
I grew up with the Turtles. I loved the cartoons, the comics. Hell, the 1990 live action movie was one of my first theater-going experiences along with Home Alone and Uncle Buck. I had all the toys, the T-shirts, the TMNT-themed birthday parties. So to see them hit this milestone — issue #300 — that’s insane. Also makes me feel old as shit, but at the same time reading these books makes me feel young.
And I will say, as milestone issues go, they pulled this one off well. It’s got a lot of heart and tells a grounded, compelling story through fantastical means. But it doesn’t try to do too much. It doesn’t cram everything into a single issue to make it feel bigger or more important. Issue #300 instead hits you in the feels but sets up a larger story for the future.
It’s got the action and humor we know and love from TMNT, but it also has emotional weight in dealing with death and loss of loved ones. Casey Jones has the beginnings of a really strong arc here. There’s betrayal that sets the stage for some big storytelling swerves coming soon. We see classic characters like Bebop and Rocksteady — though not having April make an appearance was my one big disappointment.
And the last page of the issue finally does something I have been wanting this book to do for a long time now. All in all, a very good read that gets me excited for what’s to come in the world of TMNT.
This is a strange one for me. I’m a huge fan of James Tynion and it’s rare that I don’t dig something he writes or shepherds along, but I’m starting to fall off this one. The premise was intriguing from the start — a reporter goes undercover with a group of Neo-Nazis hell bent on communing with some perverted version of Norse gods and spirits that they believe in. But shit goes horribly wrong — naturally — and they find themselves stranded in a frozen landscape trying to make their way back to civilization and they start getting killed my mysterious forces one at a time.
And there have been some really cool moments throughout these first three issues. My problem is that we’ve spent 75% of the first three issues just hammering home how despicable all these characters are. At what point can we say — ok, I get it. They suck. Can we move the story forward now? I know they are horrible people. Let’s focus more on the mystery. That’s where the fun is. I’m just not having fun reading this anymore. I’ll give it one more issue because I guess that is the end of the first story arc. But that might be where I tap out. Maybe I’ll circle back if I hear good things and finish it when it’s all collected. I don’t know. But if I’m not having fun reading something, I have to be better about pulling the plug and not continuing just because I feel like I have to finish what I’ve started. Read what you like. Leave what you don’t for someone else.
The showdown between Wonder Woman and the Matriarch. Daniel Sampere’s art as always is pitch-perfect. Tom King’s dialogue punctuating the action beats is, well, classic Tom King. It all works. Excellent rhythm from start to finish, making it a very quick read in a run that has had some very dense issues in terms of text.
Diana has to fight Matriarch who is in possession of a Green Lantern ring she took off a very dead Green Lantern. And I like how King shows Matriarch’s strength. The ring seeks out a person of unyielding willpower, and even though it doesn’t choose her, the fact that she is able to control it when it is fighting every second of every day to get away from her shows just how strong her willpower really is. And that makes for a formidable foe.
But it’s what happens after the final battle is finished that provides the biggest shock of the issue and of the entire arc so far. And damn, does Sampere draw it beautifully.
What started, seemingly, as a straightforward team-up has turned into a really compelling mystery. This whole arc has felt like classic comic book storytelling at its finest. Fun. Action-packed. Great character chemistry. A mystery that ties it all together.
Green Arrow brings the humor at just the right times, like in the opening action sequence when he laments the thought process behind hijacking a train. “It’s not like you can take it somewhere unexpected.” Or his commentary on Batman’s uncanny ability to disappear mid-sentence. “It’s like a really rude magic trick.”
And the stakes here aren’t world-ending. There’s no alien invasion. Instead, this is a much more personal story anchored by great character moments. Again, classic comic book storytelling done really well. Like when Prion tells Batman he used to be someone he didn’t want to be, but he didn’t have a choice. When Batman delivers the typical Batman line about there always being a choice, it’s Prion’s response that belies a difficult past — “It must be nice to believe that.”
And then there’s Black Canary’s very personal ties to Prion and why she feels driven to save his daughter that really drives home those emotional beats. This is probably my favorite story arc in what has already been a very strong run for Tom Taylor on Detective Comics.
This is where I officially tap out on this GL run. It’s not absolutely horrible. It’s just not for me. Kyle Rayner working as a bodyguard for his alien roommate who has somehow landed a role in a Hollywood movie. Meanwhile, some evil executive at Big Belly Burger has created demented mascots — think Ronald McDonald, Grimace and the Hamburglar crossed with Killer Klowns from Outer Space — in an attempt to gain market share. OK, maybe it is horrible.
But I’m sure some people out there love it. This definitely seems to be geared toward a younger demographic that likes sillier stories. And we need books out there for everyone. This just doesn’t do it for me. I’ll circle back to Green Lantern when the creative teams switch up. For now, though, this one is coming off the Pull List.
Jamal Campbell — excuse me — 2026 Eisner Winner Jamal Campbell continues to show how creative he is with this latest issue of Zatanna.
We get a big showdown here between Zatanna and Agent Di Manes and the visuals, while a bit chaotic at times, are beautiful and used to really drive the story forward. Di Manes shows just how formidable he is with his silencing spells that prevent Zatanna from casting her own spells the way she’s used to. Every time she tries, her word bubbles are redacted, which I loved as a storytelling tool. So, what does Zatanna do? She uses sheet music to channel her magic and the way Campell draws that is super cool.
I think my favorite part of this issue, though, is Guede Nibo, the Voodoo spirit who helps to heal Zatanna’s mind and body in the beginning of this issue. The way he talks and the larger than life character design makes him so fun and captivating. Zatanna owes Nibo a few favors now and I’m sure a future story arc will see him come to collect on that debt.
“Son, if you keep campaigning for an ass-whooping, you’re gonna get elected.” By far my favorite line from this issue, courtesy of General Lane. Though that’s probably the extent of the humor in this issue, because it certainly deals with some heavy themes.
In the first issue, Joe-El did his best not to interfere with the technological progression of humanity, but the loss of his surrogate brother, Jonathan Kent, changed all that. So now we see Jor-El 20 years later using every bit of Kryptonian technology he can for the betterment of society. The problem is that people start using his tech to create weapons. So the question that lingers throughout the whole story is what happens when you try to do a good thing, but humanity isn’t ready for it? Is more harm done by staying out of things and letting society progress at its natural pace, or introducing new technologies too early before mankind is ready to use them responsibly?
Another thing I really liked about this issue was the dynamic between Jor-El and Lex Luthor and Lois Lane. He’s a father figure to them, as opposed to a love interest or friend or rival like we’ve seen in the comics and TV/Film traditionally. But at his core, this is still Lex Luthor, and the trajectory of his relationship with Jor-El isn’t necessarily shocking. But the emotional beats along the way could be very different.
The most intriguing thing for me is what impact this all has on Jor-El, because despite the Superman moniker, he is not the same man his son grew up to be. That’s where the real tension in this story lies, and I’m enjoying the ride.
I gave this run three issues but I’m not feeling it. I’ve always been more of a Barry Allen guy than a Wally West guy, and the approach to this book — both in terms of writing and art style — is much lighter fare than I’m looking for right now. I love some comedy in my comics. But it’s got to be balanced well with weightier subject matter and more compelling stakes.
Flash is a great character and there’s no shortage of Ryan North fans out there these days so I’m sure I’m in the minority on this one, but this will be the last issue I read for a bit. But if Wally is your guy and this tone works for you, more power to you.
This one caught me a bit off guard. The first issue was pretty entertaining and, coming from a former print journalist, I thought it had a lot of interesting things to say about the generational shift when it comes to the media in the last 40 years. I know, not something you were expecting from a Bizarro book, right? Me either.
And the premise of this book pretty out there — Bizarro creating his own world where he tries to approximate what he saw in Metropolis but he’s getting everything backwards. So the characters are oddball versions of what we’re used to and there’s this creepy Twilight Zone vibe to everything. But man, does issue #2 go to some dark places.
Essentially, this is about a toddler in a super being’s body. When a toddler doesn’t get his way and throws a tantrum, it’s annoying but manageable. But when that toddler has the powers of Superman but doesn’t understand right from wrong and no one can reason with or stop him, that can get pretty scary pretty fast.
I know this may not be everyone’s cup of tea, but I think Kevin Smith and Eric Carrasco are telling a really creative tale here, made all the creepier by Nick Pitarra’s intentionally chaotic and rough art.
This series has had its ups and downs but this issue was definitely back on the upswing. It’s got a kind of Usual Suspects vibe. No one really trusts one another. Each person is retelling the events of an explosion that injured two of the team members from their own POV. You don’t know who is telling the truth and who is lying. The whole time the focus is on the mystery we’ve been trying to solve from Issue #1, but without the random side-quest-feeling distractions.
I was so focused on looking at each of the team members and who might be the bad guy that I did not see that last page coming at all. Nicely done. Looking forward to the next issue now.
OK. That’s it. I’m fucking tired.
Until next time, here’s this week’s Pull List …
ALIAS RED BAND #5
QUEEN IN BLACK #1
X-MEN #34
THE MORTAL THOR
WHAT IF … KRAVEN SURVIVED HIS LAST HUNT? #1
ULTIMATE IMPACT: REBORN #3
GEIGER #24
THE DIRT BENEATH THE DEVIL #1
THE DEADMAN #2 (DC INFINITE ULTRA)
BATMAN/GREEN ARROW/THE QUESTION: ARCADIA #4 (DC INFINITE ULTRA)
BATGIRL #21 (DC INFINITE ULTRA)
WADE WILSON: DEADPOOL #3 (MARVEL UNLIMITED)
ROGUE #4 (MARVEL UNLIMITED)
THE SENTRY #2 (MARVEL UNLIMITED)
…and much more.
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