New item added to your basket Not enough stock to add this item

ORACLE OF COMICS #021 – BATMAN ETERNAL #15 – THE COMMON LIMIT

By Luke Abbott

Batman Eternal #15 Batgirl
Batman Eternal once again decides to go through several plot lines at once, rather than knuckling down and truly getting to grips with a specific set of characters. I partially expected this after the gang war story was brought to a close; we need to be reminded what is left to do for the next set of issues. However, a bit more tack would have been nice.

Batman Eternal #15 Spectre
Personally, I would have liked to have spent the whole issue with Corrigan and Batwing in Arkham Asylum. This story is the most intriguing at the moment, because no one has quite figured out what it is all about. We have seen Dr. Phosphorous rising from the depths and the Joker’s Daughter seems to be behind it all, but otherwise we have just witnessed a few terrifying shots of the inmates being tortured by supernatural forces. In fact, I would have happily had a whole comic book series of Batwing and Corrigan slowly making their way through the Asylum, a gripping horror mystery. As it happens, the writer’s attention is often elsewhere (with Bluebird, or with Batgirl), so the Asylum is never fully tackled. It moves along too fast, jumping from the eeriness of an empty Asylum to the horrors of the two heroes taking on zombies that come out of the brick walls. Don’t get me wrong, I liked this particular section of the issue, but I just wished that it was slowed right down, so we could appreciate every beat of the story, rather than rushing through it to get to the point.

Batman Eternal #15 Bluebird Robin
The other stories were kept to a minimum and therefore too short to comment on much. Red Robin and Bluebird remain a fun team, never really progressing with the story, but being so much fun to spend time with that you don’t mind wasting a page with them bickering. Bluebird’s ‘hand-made costume’ is quite a fun addition. Batgirl and Red Hood uncover a lead, but it doesn’t seem to be in any rush of carrying on Batgirl’s interesting arc. Batman is given the worst deal of them all. His appearance in this comic does little more than remind everyone that we are reading a Batman comic. In fact, his brief interaction with Bard actually hurts the overall story. Doesn’t this little conversation totally ruin the interesting dynamic that the last issue left us with? This is a problem with a story this big with several writers attached to the project: you end up getting issues that contradict each other.

Quote of the Issue:

Red Robin: You pull a stunt like this, you deserve nine hours in a stress position.

For more comic views and reviews follow Luke on Twitter at @LukeBbtt and check out his website at www.oracleoffilm.com

« back to the blog

Posted on July 18th, 2014
Category: ORACLE OF COMICS, REVIEWS
Tags: , , , , , , , , , , ,
 

OUT OF THE LONG BOX #001 – CONSTANTINE #10

Reviewed by Chris Fenn

Constantine #10 page 8
I just want to start off by saying I’m not a reader of Constantine. That’s not to say I dislike him, but I’ve just – well – never read any of his stuff. The Forever Evil event was my jumping in platform to the Constantine series, and to date I own a whopping two issues; so maybe I’m not the best guy to review Constantine… or maybe that makes me the best guy to review Constantine!

For those of you who don’t read the Forever Evil books and tie-ins the plot of this issue directly follows Trinity of Sin: Phantom Stranger  #15 and is part of the Blight aspect of the Forever Evil event; which has as little focus on Ultraman and his mates as possible and instead focuses on Constantine et al fighting the collective manifestation of every humans inner evil; Blight.

Constantine #10 page 4
This issue follows the gangs trip to Heaven to confront God; they want to know why he is allowing all of these awful things to happen and not do a thing about it. When they approach Heaven’s gates they come across Zauriel and The Spectre who try to deter them, but ultimately The Voice comes to hear them all out.

Constantine #10 page 7
In a very Ghosts of Christmas sort of way The Voice shows Constantine what all of his friends have been subject to and why they continue to fight; but in the process of explaining how good some of his friends are he shows Constantine how much of a crap person he is, which makes Constantine flee the shores of Heaven.

When he gets back to the House of Mystery he tries to capture an Angel to fight for him, but the angel chooses to fight willingly because Constantine is fighting for Zatanna and for love (isn’t that sweet!). The final page of the issue really hypes you up to read the next instalment as we see the House of Mystery fly straight into the jaws of Oblivion – or more aptly into the jaws of Blight.

Constantine #10 page 16
I actually enjoyed this issue, it seems quite slow paced and is more character building and inward reflection from Constantine. In terms of action this issue is minimal – we see The Spectre throw one punch and grab the Phantom Stranger and that’s about it, so if you’re reading this for an epic issue long fight you may be disappointed.

I don’t quite know what I expected from this issue, as it seemed obvious they weren’t going to kill God or anything too drastic, but it felt like a bit of filler at the same time. Enjoyable filler – like the stuff in a custard cream – but filler none the less.

Click HERE to view the Constantine series!

For more comic views and reviews follow Chris on Twitter at @fenneth1989

« back to the blog

Posted on January 19th, 2014
Category: OUT OF THE LONG BOX, REVIEWS
Tags: , , , , , , , ,