Robin #1 Review

Tags

Alfred Pennyworth, Batman, Conner Hawke, Damian Wayne, DC Comics, Flatline, Gleb Melnikov, Joshua Williamson, League of Lazarus, NCB, Respawn, Robin, Robin #1, Robin #1 Review, Rose Wilson, Teen Titans

Robin #1

Review by Paul Bowler.

Damian Wayne strikes out on his own in Robin #1, DC Comics brand new ongoing series  from writer Joshua Williamson and artist Gleb Melnikov. Having cut all ties with Batman and the Teen Titans, Damian will have to emerge from the shadows cast by both of sides of his parentage to forge his own legacy.  Embarking on a quest to earn a place in the deadly League of Lazarus tournament, the teenage Robin uncovers new mysteries and allies as he seeks the prestige of proving himself the greatest fighter in the DC Universe! 

Damian Wayne is probably the most exciting and dynamic character in the extended Bat-Family that’s been crying out for his own series for a while now, and writer Joshua Williamson  is  clearly  going to address the emotional fallout from City of Bane and send Damian on a heroes journey of self discovery with this opening story-arc. Having gone off the grid completely Damian must find the secret island where the League of Lazarus tournament is being held. That means a cage fight with King Snake, some kick ass action, and the acquisition of a marker to enter the tournament. There’s time for some reflection along the way, we also have the reintroduction of established characters like Rose Wilson and Conner Hawke, and brand new faces like Flatline and ReSpawn for Robin to meet as well.

Gleb Melnikov’s engaging artwork brings a dynamic Manga-like look that is a perfect fit for this series and a character like Damian. Alfred’s death has impacted powerfully across the whole of the Bat-Family, none more so than for Damian, and Melnikov crafts some hauntingly moving scenes with the young Robin mulling over his plans with an imaginary spectral Pennyworth watching over him. The action scenes in the cage fight with King Snake and the journey to the island are also rendered with vibrant detail. 

This premier issue kicks off an important story in the DCU that will examine Damian’s connections to Batman and Talia Al Ghul like never before as Robin searches to find out the why his mother and father kept the League of Lazarus  tournament a secret from him. There’s also a great mix of new and old characters for Damian to interact with, especially Rose Wilson, Conner, and the intriguing Respawn – a character with a distinct penchant for copyright infringement!

There’s a wealth of potential here for Damian to grow and evolve as a character in this series. All-in-all Robin #1 sets up the new series and its premise very well. Joshua Williamson and Gleb Melnikov make for an inspired creative team, and its great to see Damian finally getting a  long overdue stint in the limelight with his own book. 

Publisher DC Comics

Writer Joshua Williamson / Artist Gleb Melnikov

Lettering ALW’s Troy Peteri Cover & Variant Gleb Melnikov 

Follow @paul_bowler

About The Author

Hi, I’m Paul Bowler, blogger and reviewer of films, TV shows, and comic books. I’m a Sci-Fi geek, a big fan of Doctor Who, Star Trek, movies, Sci-Fi, Horror, Comic Books, and all things PS4.You can follow me on Twitter @paul_bowler,or at my website, Sci-Fi Jubilee, and on YouTube and Facebook

Amazing Spider-Man #64 Review

Tags

Amazing Spider-Man #64, Amazing Spider-Man #64 Review, Boomerang, Kindred, King's Ransom, Kingpin, Marvel Comics, Nick Spencer, Peter Parker, Sinister War, Spider-Man, The Amazing Spider-Man #64 Review

The Amazing Spider-Man #64 Review

Review by Paul Bowler

The Amazing Spider-Man #64 finds Tombstone and Robbie Robertson at loggerheads yet again and Spider-Man’s life is getting trashed in the crossfire as a result! Mind you with Pete and his roommate Fred Myers (AKA. Reformed super villain  Boomerang), teaming up with Spidey to keep the pieces of the all-powerful Lifeline tablet out of the Kingpin’s clutches, and Peter’s other roommate Randy Robertson dating Tombstone’s daughter, Janice Lincoln (the Beetle), its little wonder Spider-Man’s life is a tad chaotic right now!

Nick Spencer continues to steer the series back towards a more scattershot, back-to-basics and fun approach to Spider-Man’s world that was so indicative of the early stages of his run. The first half of “King’s Ransom Part Two” is a frenetically paced blend of recap and cliff-hanger fallout after Madame Masque and Crime Master ambushed Randy and Janice back at Pete’s apartment — which was interrupted when Peter and Fred suddenly returned home. The ensuing fight details how Spider-Man managed to enter the fray — with Peter cleverly managing to protect his secret identity — while safely sidelining Fred but also failing to prevent Randy and Janice being kidnapped. 

Amazing Spider-Man #64 features slick artwork from Federico Vicentini, with Alex Sinclair on colors and lettering by Joe Caramagna. The pace of the action hardly lets up for a moment. Every page is dynamically structured, vibrantly illustrated and accentuated with a striking  pallet of color. Spidey’s battle with Madame Masque and Crime Master in the apartment offers further insight into the abilities of Spider-Man’s new high-tech suit (courtesy of JJJ’s Threats & Menaces podcast). The suit enhances Spider-Man’s strength, agility, web shooters, and also enables TNM’s subscribers to livestream Spidey’s adventures — at his discretion of course — and this quirky modern twist on Peter’s old job selling photos of Spidey to the Bugle has boosted Spider-Man popularity in NYC (much to the Kingpin’s annoyance) and sent JJJ’s channel subscribers though the roof!  I quite like the new costume, although I’m not overly fond of the Social Media slant to it all that much. Mark Bagley’s cover impressively showcases the current story line, however, it features Spidey in his classic suit, which seems a bit strange given all the time Marvel spent building hype about the new suit — guess this cover was commissioned before the new suit was revealed or decide on? 

The one thing I’ve really like about Spencer’s time on Spider-Man is the humour peppered throughout the dialogue and the fun dynamic between all the characters and situations they stumble into. This issue is no exception to that rule. The bromance between Peter and Fred has  also been a real highlight, and there are some especially moving moments this issue as Fred decides to take matters into his own hands against the Kingpin’s plans. Given all the years of bad blood between them, having Robbie and Tombstone set aide their differences — for now anyway — also leads to some fun hijinks as they try to track down Randy and Janice – as for the happy couple, well, as you’d expect there’re still bickering like crazy and testing their captors patience to the limit!

If all that wasn’t enough we also have the Kingpin’s scheme to assemble villains to send against Boomerang and Spider-Man, along with sinister machinations involving Kindred and Baron Mordo behind the scenes, and an ominous hint towards the Sinister War that’s coming in July thrown into the mix as well. While this issues not the best jumping on point, it does bring a lot of longstanding plot threads together, and sets up some intriguing possibilities. If you’ve stuck with Spencer’s run this long you’ll find plenty to enjoy here, while newcomers will find Amazing Spider-Man #64 crams in a hell of a lot but still manages to be a fun and enjoyable — if somewhat overwhelming — read nevertheless.

Publisher Marvel Comics

Writer Nick Spencer / Artist Federico Vicentini

Colorist Alex Sinclair / Lettere VC’s Joe Caramanga

Cover Mark Bagley, John Dell, and Edgar Delgado

Follow @paul_bowler

About The Author

Hi, I’m Paul Bowler, blogger and reviewer of films, TV shows, and comic books. I’m a Sci-Fi geek, a big fan of Doctor Who, Star Trek, movies, Sci-Fi, Horror, Comic Books, and all things PS4.You can follow me on Twitter @paul_bowler,or at my website, Sci-Fi Jubilee, and on YouTube and Facebook

Batman The Detective #1 Review

Tags

Andy Kubert, Batman, Batman The Detective, Batman The Detective #1, Batman The Detective #1 review, DC Comics, Gotham, The Dark Knight, The Knight, The Squire, Tom Taylor

Batman The Detective #1

Review by Paul Bowler.

The Dark Knight embarks on an epic European adventure in Batman The Detective #1, the new DC Comics six-part mini-series helmed by the dynamic duo of writer Tom Taylor and artist Andy Kubert. 

Opening with a harrowing mid-air tragedy in the United Kingdom which spells out a dark and personal message for the Dark Knight, writer Tom Taylor quickly establishes this mini-series’ intriguing premise and brooding atmosphere of mystery. This Batman is older, somewhat past his prime and questioning his role in the world. However, Taylor deftly circumvents the usual tropes by making this a Dark Knight Detective that isn’t simply driven by the death of his parents and the more recent loss of Alfred, instead we have a Batman in the twilight of his career who is finally ready to move on from the ghosts of his past. The terrible attack in the UK simply provides the catalyst Batman needs to pack his bags, put the past to bed, and set out from Gotham City to investigate!

Batman The Detective also sees the Dark Knight’s visit to England leading to an encounter with the UK’s own dynamic duo of Beryl Hutchinson as The Knight and her new Squire, Amina, who looks set to become something a of new side-kick for Batman over the course of his European mission. Of course the characters and Britain are very different in this modern iteration when the Squire was originally introduced in the 1950s (The Knight, Percival Sheldrake, was created by Roy Thomas and Michael Bair for You All-Stars in 1948, while The Squire, his sidekick, was created by Bill Finger and Dick Sprang for Batman #62 in 1951), and their investigation into the crash-site at the West Pennie Moors in Lancashire spells  high-tech intrigue and supernatural danger for them both!

Andy Kubert’s pencils and inks are a perfect fit for this story. From the dramatic opening, to the emotionally charged scenes in the Bat-Cave, though to Batman and the Squire’s uncanny team-up against a spectral adversary Kubert’s art enriches every page with detail, while Brad Anderson’s vivid use of tone and shade accentuates  every nuance of Taylor’s action-packed story as it unfolds. The look of this incarnation of Batman is a cool hybridisation of Miller’s iconic Dark Knight Returns suit and the Snyderverse’s Kightmare Bat-Fleck, and the end result is extremely impressive looking indeed.

You can’t really go wrong with a superstar creative team like Tom Taylor and Andy Kubert.  The premise in itself is enough to ensure the first issue has the momentum to gets this new mini-series off to a strong start. Its going to be interesting to see where this adventure with new foes, allies, and the hunt for the menace known as Equilibrium will take Batman and Squire next. With its solid storytelling and great art Batman The Detective #1 deftly blends current themes with elements and characters from yesteryear; whilst also crafting a bold new take and look for the Dark Knight mythos.

Writer Tom Taylor / Pencils and Inks Andy Kubert

Colors Brad Anderson / Letters Clem Robins

Main & Variant Cover Kubert & Anderson

Variant Cover Riccardo Federici

Follow @paul_bowler

About The Author

Hi, I’m Paul Bowler, blogger and reviewer of films, TV shows, and comic books. I’m a Sci-Fi geek, a big fan of Doctor Who, Star Trek, movies, Sci-Fi, Horror, Comic Books, and all things PS4.You can follow me on Twitter @paul_bowler,or at my website, Sci-Fi Jubilee, and on YouTube and Facebook

The Swamp Thing #2 Review

Tags

DC Comcis, Horror, Mike Perkins, Mike Spicer, Ram V, Swamp Thing, Swamp Thing #2 review, The Swamp Thing #2, The Swamp Thing #2 Review

The Swamp Thing #2

Review by Paul Bowler

Levi Kamei’s nightmarish becoming as the new avatar of the green continues in The Swamp Thing #2, from writer Ram V and artist Mike Perkins. Confronted with terrifying transformations he cannot control, Levi turns to his friend Jenifer Reece in NYC to help him contend with the trauma of his past, and the horror of the Pale Wanderer’s bloody rampage of death across the Sonoran desert in Arizona.

Ram V’s new DC Comics 10 part Swamp Thing maxi-series expands the trials of Levi Kamei’s frightening transition into the realms and reality of the green, casting further light on Levi’s haunting origins as the new Swamp Thing back in India, and the murderous designs of the ghostly Pale Wanderer. Following their initial encounter this second issue charts the recurring nightmares Levi begins to suffer, where each of his fateful encounters with this wraith-like desert legend ends the same, and another victims perishes as the Swamp Thing is torn asunder. Writer Ram V skilfully  blends the mystery and horror of Levi’s plight. Levi’s long-term friend, Jennifer, proves key to helping him get closer to the truth, while the lone Sherif investigating the murders in the Sonoran desert resolves to seek out that which has become his own private quietus in the dwindling twilight of his career.

Mike Perkins art and Mike Spicer’s colors gloriously cultivates and infuses the rich narrative of Ram V’s script with a blend of dynamic page layouts, sumptuous detail, chilling undercurrents of horror and a subtle palette of delicate hues that flow seamlessly across every page. From the grotesque imagery of Levi’s dreamscape “lessons” as Swamp Thing with the Pale Wanderer, to more frightening revelations about what transpired during his trip India, and the shocking realisation of what he is becoming are all rendered in startling clarity. The Sherif’s discussion with his deputy in the run-down bar in Aztec Town Arizona is another highpoint, one brooding with atmosphere, dread and macabre insight into his fixation with finding the spirit of this long dead Cilvil War soldier that cast off its humanity after wandering into the desert. 

Ram V masterfully brings all these tangled plot threads together in The Swamp Thing #2, as this unholy trinity of Swamp Thing, the Pale Wanderer and the Sherif finally seek each other out. The spectacular evergreen fallout from this showdown is a sight to behold, one rooted firmly in Levi’s homeland, and bringing revelations that none of the participants could’ve ever expected or truly believed possible. A surprise, if brief, cameo from a prominent DC hero, and a knowing reference to Alec Holland are all just some of the tantalising narrative seeds sown into the plot to make this another hauntingly enthralling issue of this new Swamp Thing maxi-series!

Publisher DC Comics

Writer Ram V / Artist Mike Perkins

Colorist Mike Spicer / Letterer Aditya Bidikar

Cover Perkins & Spicer

Follow @paul_bowler

About The Author

Hi, I’m Paul Bowler, blogger and reviewer of films, TV shows, and comic books. I’m a Sci-Fi geek, a big fan of Doctor Who, Star Trek, movies, Sci-Fi, Horror, Comic Books, and all things PS4.You can follow me on Twitter @paul_bowler,or at my website, Sci-Fi Jubilee, and on YouTube and Facebook