By Glen Ludlow
“Touch me again and you will die.”
Finally. It’s over. Villains Month draws to a close and like the lame duck that it is Bane #1 comes stumbling over the hill to usher in the end of this completely pointless promotion. I’m not even sure what DC were trying to achieve here, other than sneaking in first issues of villains that then pick up in the various spin-off books that they pull out of the air when running one of their main events. It’s a pretty crappy tactic to use and has the reverse effect of making me want to read less, not more.
Anyway, I babble. The book basically tells Bane’s rise to power in Santa Prisca, how he uses followers as kindling for the fire that is coming (yep, heard this somewhere before) and how he comes to Gotham to challenge the demon that terrorises the streets’ criminals – yes, Batman. Then with a plan to break out all of the inmates of Blackgate to use his makeshift army to seize the city, you get the general idea.
I wasn’t impressed at all by this book. It was a dull read, offering little in the way of exploring Bane’s background, they just used this issue as a prequel book for Arkham War. So if you’re being drawn to this book expecting an exploration of the New 52′s Bane, don’t bother, you’re not going to find it here. You’re going to find a one-dimensional villain who echoes lines you would expect to have been left on the cutting room floor from Nolan’s editing room in The Dark Knight Rises. I’ve read it twice now and both times have a bitter feeling left in my mouth. It’s not so much from the writing of Peter Tomasi, it’s just DC’s up yours to their fans in delivering such flat, gimmicky books.
The artwork by Graham Nolan’s not bad. It reminds me of Jerry Conway’s for some reason. It’s not what you would call modern art, but it’s well-rooted in the superhero books of the nineties, not a bad thing in my eyes. Yes, the artwork isn’t bad, the colouring is a bit flat, but I don’t mind that, sometimes you can really over-colour a book.
So that’s Villains Month over with. I’m glad. I don’t want it to come round again as I didn’t appreciate it’s visit the first time.
For more comic views follow Glen on Twitter at @glenghiskhan and check out his blog for more reviews at www.glenludlow.blogspot.co.uk
Click HERE to view BATMAN VOL. 2 comics
Posted on October 22nd, 2013
Category: PANELS OF INTEREST, REVIEWS
Tags: Bane, Batman, comics, dc, forever evil, Glen Ludlow, villains month
By Glen Ludlow
Villains Month from DC marches on as the spotlight falls on the Riddler for this standalone issue of Batman. Batman is missing and Wayne Enterprises is left to defend itself from the wrath of former employee Edward Nygma.
The Riddler is back in town to reap a revenge against those who tormented him when incarcerated at Arkham Asylum, whilst simultaneously pitching his wits against a supposedly foolproof security system.
To begin with, it’s not a bad book. Ray Fawkes handles Nygma with a narcissistic quality you would come to expect from someone who brags they are Gotham’s smartest criminal. His riddles keep those involved, and us as readers guessing as to his motives for his schemes. Are they grand? Are they based on need or revenge? All in all I would have liked the issue to have been a little longer. Just when I was beginning to get into the story it was over.
The art by Jeremy Haun is satisfying. By no means is it amazing, but as an artist he’s growing and handles the script well. I particularly enjoyed how he depicts Nygma, breathing a true villainous quality into the master of puzzles. The book may be a cash-in but Haun shows he belongs in Gotham, and I’d like to see him make more visits.
In conclusion, it’s not a bad book, it’s a little lightweight, but I enjoyed it a lot more than the previous offering with the Joker. Worth picking up if you see it on the shelves.
For more comic views follow Glen on Twitter at @glenghiskhan and check out his blog for more reviews at www.glenludlow.blogspot.co.uk
Posted on October 1st, 2013
Category: PANELS OF INTEREST, REVIEWS
Tags: Batman, comics, dc, Glen Ludlow, Riddler, villains month
By Glen Ludlow
The Justice Leagues are dead. Earth is left defenceless. And from across the gulf of the Multiverse comes the Crime Syndicate of Earth-3 intent on conquering our world. Composed of evil counterparts of each member of our Justice League, the inhabitants of this world are given an ultimatum: fall into line or be destroyed!
The story begins with Lex Luthor threatening to throw a business rival from a helicopter unless he let’s him purchase his family run business. Luthor’s scheme is cut off when the helicopter loses power and falls from the sky. The reason? Ultraman, the Earth-3 counterpart of Superman breaks into the Lexcorp building in search of Kryptonite, using the substance to fuel his superpowers. Ultraman requests that Grid, the sentient cybernetic implants of Cyborg, locate all of the Kryptonite on this world so his supply does not run out. To keep this planet in chaos, Grid is releasing all superhuman prisoners back into the world.
Nightwing is abducted by the Crime Syndicate and unmasked live on television. With the dawning realisation that the Justice League aren’t going to intervene, and the moon blocking out the sun, the one thing that weakens Ultraman, Luthor realises this really might be a job for Superman, but where is he?
Straight off I wasn’t too keen on this issue on my first read. As is often the case it required a couple of reads before I could form a full opinion on it, and I’m glad I gave it a second chance. Considering this is the opening of an event book, Geoff Johns handles the premise with ease and flair. He’s always been very good at escalating a story with the right tempo and pacing to build on what’s come before, and he’s no different here. The villains in this aren’t presented as two-dimensional goons waiting to get beat up, but instead we get to see a bit more of their character. In particular one small scene is when Captain Cold expresses concern for his hospitalised sister and vows vengeance should anything happen to her. It’s not a major part of the book but it’s little slices like this that make the villains more relatable in terms of empathy.
The other character that really rocks here is Luthor. He goes from his sociopathic best right off the bat, threatening to throw a business rival from a helicopter, to by the end of the issue stepping up to the plate when he realises the world might actually need the alien he’s tried so desperately to kill in the past. It’s certainly an interesting peek into the other viewpoint of the DC universe, and the tantalising cliffhanger at the end ensures I’ll be picking up issue two.
David Finch’s artwork is class A as is usually expected of the man. He always brings his A-game to whatever book he’s working on, and it’s no different here. For a book of this magnitude this is where you get your Finches or your Capullos to illustrate. You need that blockbuster eye that they bring to it. My only issue with the book was Richard Friend’s inks were a bit too heavy at times, but that’s down to personal taste more than anything.
On a whole, it’s a great start to what I hope is a very entertaining event book. They’ve certainly got the right team on it anyway, so if they can keep the momentum going, then I think we’re in for a real treat!
For more comic views follow Glen on Twitter at @glenghiskhan and check out his blog for more reviews at www.glenludlow.blogspot.co.uk
Posted on October 1st, 2013
Category: PANELS OF INTEREST, REVIEWS
Tags: comics, crime syndicate, dc, forever evil, Glen Ludlow, lex luthor, lexcorp, suicide squad, villains month
By Jason Webb
Just a small post, I was thinking earlier that at the moment, through all comics mediums this really is the best time to be a comics fan. Honestly I can’t remember a week that hasn’t included a new number one issue, or a relaunch of an existing character, my obvious prime example of this being the relaunch of Batman.
What does the big reveal in Court of Owls mean to Batman going forward?
I have not been this into a story arc for a long time. I honestly think that Scott Snyder has made history, not only in batman but throughout the whole mythology surrounding the Dark Knight. Not too many writers in recent time have introduced an enemy into the batman villain hall of fame, as Snyder has with his court of owls. Not only that but the history altering revelations that have recently occurred during issue 10 (no spoilers in case you have been living under a rock and haven’t read it yet,) but another introduction into Batman not only completely changes the game, but also adds another branch to the origins of the Wayne family that changes the way you think about Batman. Scott Snyder was made to write batman, may he carry on for a long time!
There has also been some completely new stories released, such as Saga by Brian K. Vaughan and Americas Got Powers by none other than Jonathan Ross to name but a few that are currently some of my favourites. The combination of great art and brilliant writing has made the current time, not only the most fun, but one of the most interesting times to be a comic fan. With all these current relaunches and new books being introduced comic book pull lists are getting larger every single week, but also people are still picking up their previous books on top, with the impending release of Spawn #220 and the Walking Dead #100, the books that have always been a must for most of us are still keeping pace with the new guys on the block.
AMC's Walking Dead TV show opened the eyes of a new audience to the joys of the comic series!
Not only are comics slowly becoming more and more popular, but they are now so much more influential across all other forms of entertainment. The Walking Dead TV shows and even to a certain extent the Big Bang Theory on the small screen brings the geek culture to a much broader audience. Just take a glance at the current cinema release schedule, it looks more and more like a comic shop release list every week and with the excitement levels at fever pitch for the Dark Knight Rises and the Amazing Spider-Man movies plus the buzz surrounding the new Dredd film it shows no signs of letting up. These are all bringing the stories we as comic fans know and love to a much larger audience that maybe otherwise wouldn’t have known such stories without seeing them at the cinema.
And who isn't going to see the Dark Knight Rises? Not many i bet.
So to sum this up, right now is the greatest time to be a comic book fan, the industry as it stands now, makes geeks like me and you the coolest people on the planet. This really is the time to introduce all your family and friends to the comics you love, because maybe, just maybe they will be more interested than you think!
You can follow Jason Webb on his blog or on twitter at @Jaybwebb
Posted on June 25th, 2012
Category: NEWS & VIEWS, WEBB OF SHADOWS
Tags: amazing spider-man, Batman, comic books, comics, comics review, Dark Knight Rises, dc, DC Comics, Jason Webb, marvel, new 52, Scott Snyder, Spawn, Walking Dead
By Flodo Span
DC Comics have been knocking it out of the park with the whole Green Lantern line recently and Green Lantern #10 is no exception. In the previous issue we learnt that Abin Sur had helped create the Indigo power rings to brain wash the universe’s most notorious criminals into feeling compassion and remorse for their crimes. But now those rings are on the fritz, the bad guys have their true personalities back and guess what… they are pretty pissed with all things Green Lantern! Which isn’t the best of news for Hal Jordan and Sinestro.
While the two GLs make a run for it in one direction Black Hand takes to his heels in the other, trying to put as much distance as possible between himself and the Indigo ring with which he’d been shanghaied after the Blackest Night saga. Hal and Sinestro catch up with the Indigo Tribe’s ‘guardian’, Notromo, and convince him to reignite the Indigo power battery which will bring the tribe back under its influence. With complete disregard for his standing in the villain community Sinestro volunteers to hold off the chasing hoards while Hal and his half pint companion get to work on the battery. Doug Mahnke treats us to an amazing splash page of Sin delivering a flying left hook on the Indigo Tribesman Munk. We are left in no doubt as to the former fear-monger’s bad-ass credentials.
We also get a lovely little shot of Hal getting around his loss of flight with an Evel Knievel style super jump on a motorcycle and ramp construct.
Notromo is having trouble with the battery until Iroque shows up and sheds a tear for the horrific crimes she has committed in her past. Her sorrow is the spark Notromo needs to fire up the Indigo light. The panel showing Iroque transform into Indigo-1 is powerful. I’ve always been amazed how the Green Lantern artists and colourists can draw light that feels like it is actually burning into the back of your eyeballs.
We leave the Indigos with Hal trying to convince them to release Sinestro from their spell. I know that Hal needs help to do battle with the Guardians of the Universe but has he forgotten that Sinestro is his greatest enemy and a genocidal maniac with a million plus bodycount to his name. On the face of the evidence are the Guardians really the bad guys in this scenario?
Anyway, all this passes into the background as we are reminded why Geoff Johns’ is worth every cent of the massive bag of dollar bills he is undoubtedly handed by DC each week. We rejoin Black Hand as he tears across the jungles of planet Nok with a recharged Indigo ring in hot pursuit. The unwilling recruit comes to a cliff edge and throws himself off it without hesitation. He adopts Superman’s extended arm pose, his cape billowing behind him, and for just a moment I am struggling to recall if Black Hand can actually fly. And the answer is… no. Gravity takes over and Hand falls to his doom on the rocks below. In a graphic couple panels that are definitely not for kids we are left in no doubt that he is dead. His blood gathers in pools around his smashed skull. The sound effect lettered to accompany the impact is BLAAAPP but it really should be SSPPLLAAAATTT!!!
The indigo ring flies off to scan sector 2814 for his replacement leaving the rain to beat down on his lifeless corpse. And then something happens. A bubbling and glow of energy appear across his lips. And suddenly, with a bloop, a ring pops out of his mouth and attaches itself to his finger. And not just any ring… “William Hand of Earth. Rise.” This is the New 52 and the Black Lanterns are back!
You can follow Flodo on his website flodospage.blogspot.co.uk or on twitter at @GL875
Posted on June 23rd, 2012
Category: FLODO'S TALE, REVIEWS
Tags: Black Hand, comic books, comics, comics review, dc, DC Comics, Flodo Span, Geoff Johns, Green lantern, new 52, Sinestro
Earth Two #1 Bryan Hitch Cover
The majority of DC’s New 52 relaunch have been both financially and critically successful: from Aquaman to Wonder Woman, Batman to Animal Man. Unfortunately, some of the books have been far less successful and DC decided to drop 6 of the worst selling titles. But every cloud has a silver lining, and with these cancellations come 6 brand new titles. Earth 2 #1 is part of this Second Wave and it brings a fresh & interesting alternate-Earth (hence the name Earth 2) to the latest incarnation of DC Universe.
The opening section of this book has Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman kicking more ass than the entire 8 issues of the current Justice League series. Every blow thrown by the trinity of superheroes is gorgeously displayed by the art team of Nicola Scott (Birds of Prey, Secret Six), Trevor Scott (Superman, All New Atom) and Alex Sinclair (Batman: Hush, 52) and the details of all the characters, even when dozens are on a single page, are never lost. With so many things going on, the dialogue could easily get messy and unclear but well executed captions and bubbles prevent this from ever happening. Even the alternate costumes for the well known characters, which could have also easily gone wrong, look great.
Earth Two Page 2 Splash
The writing of James Robinson (Justice Society of America, Starman), while not as striking as the artwork, is solid throughout. Superman and Wonder Woman are fairly typical and don’t appear to be particularly different from their main universe counterparts. The differences in the Bat-Family, however, are apparent straight away. The most obvious being that Earth 2′s Robin, while still the child of Bruce Wayne, is not Damian Wayne but Helena Wayne. Some of you who know the previous Earth 2 stories will recognise this name as the daughter of Batman and Catwoman, who will later be known as Huntress (as it says in the book, her adventures as Huntress are continued in World’s Finest #1). Also, this Batman seems far less pathological and sociopathic (he unusually refers to himself as Bruce and says “I love you” to his child, two things Bruce Wayne never does) than his Earth 1 counterpart.
A nice link to the current Wonder Woman series is the direct inclusion of one of her gods Mercury. Like Robin, there is a quite difference between the two incarnations of the same character. In Earth 2 he is known by his Roman name of Mercury and shown as a golden man with a recognisable winged helmet while in the current DCU he is known by his Greek name of Hermes and is a considerably less godly looking man-bird hybrid. Mercury’s inclusion is key in setting up the second section of the book where the origins of the Justice Society of America are put in to gear. Jay Garrick is well written and, as a 21 year old man who’s about to graduate myself, is particularly relatable. In the last page, Mercury makes his way to Garrick and is seemingly about to bestow his godly powers of superspeed to the man who will become Flash. It’s safe to assume that Garrick will serve as the centre of the Earth 2 series and will be experiencing new things in this new universe much in the same way as the reader.
Earth 2 #1 isn’t entirely positive however. The swiftness with which DC’s three most established characters are taken out plus the fact Super Girl & Huntress are transported to another universe is rather jarring. This seemingly leaves only Jay Garrick (who isn’t even Flash yet) to defend Metropolis against Steppenwolf and the Parademons. I’m left wondering if Robinson will go back and explore the history of Superman, Batman & Wonder Woman or will strive to build the Justice Society of America back to it’s former glory. Only time will tell.
Overall, Earth 2 #1 is a good reboot and a nice addition to the New 52. It serves as a nice jumping on point for people new to DC’s multiverse and an interesting take on Earth 2 for fans of the previous series’.
Rating: 8/10
You can follow Jack on his website www.jlwchambers.com or on twitter at @jlwchambers
Posted on May 9th, 2012
Category: REVIEWS
Tags: comic books, comics, comics review, dc, DC Comics, earth 2
Flash Vol. 4 #8 Cover
As a child, I was never a fan of The Flash. I had nothing against the character but the concept of a guy whose only power is to run really quickly hadn’t ever interested me in the same way as seemingly more multi-layered characters like Batman and Swamp Thing. Fortunately, DC Comics’ relaunch of 52 of it’s biggest titles in August of 2011 gave me the opportunity to experience some of the heroes and heroines I’d never previously read. Francis Manapul (Witchblade, Necromancer) and Brian Buccellato’s (Witchblade, Heroes) The Flash is one of the first books I picked up as part of The New 52 and, despite my initial scepticism, I’ve loved every issue so far. Thankfully, that hasn’t changed one bit with issue #8.
The thing that will instantly stand out to someone picking up this book is the artwork and presentation. Manapul and Buccellato utilise water colours and soft inking techniques that are usually associated with paintings, not the heavy outlines and hyper-bright colours that are so regularly used in superhero books. Even something as potentially silly and cartoony as Barry Allen’s costume itself looks cool and interesting. The water colours are particularly apparent in the backgrounds and always give wonderful contrast to the characters. Another unique artistic touch that has been consistent through the issues so far is the brilliant page layouts. A large image accompanied by interwoven panels tells a story in a way that a standard 5 panel page never could, the impact of almost every single page is incredible.
The main complaint I’ve had about this series so far has been the, sometimes bordering on patronising, captions used to explain things to the reader. Previously, bizarre things such as the definition of an EMP (electro-magnetic pulse, just in case you didn’t know) and hints for future issues (“This is explained in issue #6!”) have been included. I’m a big fan of leaving some mystery and letting the consumer work out what’s going on for themselves. This lack of subtlety would ruin things like the current Batman series (it would be the equivalent of Scott Snyder saying “Look, an owl! You’ll be seeing more of them later…” every few pages) and it really detracted from the otherwise phenomenal presentation. This feature has been dialled down with every issue and finally seems to be completely removed.
Francis Manapul and Brian Buccellato’s partnership seems to be quite different to many writer/artist pairings in the industry today with both men contributing to the story and art (Manapul handles pencils and inks, Buccellato handles colours). The chemistry between the two is clear, every word of dialogue and monologue is well placed and thought out. The duo’s success is particularly evident in the way that the art and writing perfectly compliment each other, it’s easily as good any other book on the shelf. Another great point about this series is the development of the star of the show, Barry Allen. He is learning how to use his formidable powers, how to innovate new abilities and, possibly most importantly, deal with the consequences of his actions. Genuine character development can be a rare thing for well established superheroes so seeing The Flash actually learn things that carry with him in to future issues is a delight. The major development in The Flash #8, however, is the origins and background of the source of his powers, known as The Speed Force. The Speed Force is extremely powerful (it literally made the universe this story is set in) and is, at least to our knowledge, neither a force for good nor evil. Exploration of such a thing could easily turn in to a “bitten off more than you can chew” situation but, in this case, it adds intriguing insight and twists in to it’s influence on the history of Earth itself.
Unfortunately, the villain of the piece is somewhat forgettable. A man named Hynes, now calling himself Turbine and dressing like a superhero for some reason, helps brings real reasons for some of the bizarre events from earlier issues but fails to hit the emotional notes he seems to be aiming for. We will almost certainly see him again and I’m sure he has the potential to become much more than we saw in this issue.
The last few pages, building up the return of The Flash’s most iconic Rogue, are a fantastic cliffhanger ending that will leave any reader wanting next month to get here as soon as possible.
The very minor flaws, namely Turbine, do nothing to detract from the overall incredible quality of The Flash #8. Put simply, The Flash is one of the most interesting and unique superhero series’ around today and should be picked up by anyone and everyone.
Rating: 9.5/10
Available on Inter-Comics.com: https://www.inter-comics.com/shop/flash-vol-4-8
You can follow Jack on his website www.jlwchambers.com or on twitter at @jlwchambers
Posted on April 26th, 2012
Category: REVIEWS
Tags: comic books, comics, dc, DC Comics, new 52, the flash
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