An Emotional Time in RUNAWAYS #23

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THE RUNAWAYS continue their emotional journey in ‘But You Can’t Hide Pt IV.’ They’ve been facing a lot of changes of late, with lots of surprises and twists. And it looks like it’s finally time to talk things out.

***SPOILER WARNING***

Runaways #23 Cover — Victor and Doom Bot, two unlikely friends.

If you’ve been following the series lately, then you already know that there’s been a lot of internal drama going on within our Runaways team. Relationships are changing, characters are feeling and expressing doubt, and others are branching out to try new and different things.

In short, it’s a bit of a hot mess. But at least that makes it an exciting read for its fans. The last issue left fans off at a bit of an anxious point, not knowing the fate of Victor or the oddly adorable Doom Bot he’s befriended.

Runaways #23 Pg 2 — Look at all of Molly’s (presumably) adorable stuffed animals!

Naturally, this issue sought to give us those answers. But it did so in a shockingly emotional manner. Every now and then Runaways surprises us with these curveballs (especially back when Brian K. Vaughan was at the helm). You’d think we’d learn to expect them, but nope.

Victor and Doom Bot aren’t as bad as we feared…but their conversation is more akin to an emotional journey than just two pals chatting. It’s intense, but it’s also something they needed to talk for a long time.

Rainbow Rowell did an excellent job of infusing all of the confusion and emotions Victor and Doom Bot were feeling. It turned what could have been a bland talk into something bigger. Something almost groundbreaking. What had been an attempt to save a friend turned into a debate about the very nature of what makes us human.

Runaways #23 Pg 1 — Molly isn’t always the best when it comes to coping.

Meanwhile, everyone else is trying – and failing – to avoid the elephant in the room. On the bright side, perhaps it’s a good thing that everyone was able to air their emotions and concerns. That’s the first step in growing up and accepting, right?

There were a few brighter moments to lighten up the heavier tone in this issue. Most of them revolved around characters not having intense heart-to-hearts, unsurprisingly.

It’s been interesting to see this team change and evolve over time. Every time we get complacent with the situation, Marvel Comics has switched it up. And that’s probably a good thing – even if it does make our hearts hurt from time to time. At least this time they haven’t brutally murdered any of the characters. Yet.

Runaways #23 Pg 4 — Everyone could use a break right about now…

The artwork for this issue was interesting. One the one hand everything looked more or less like we expected it to. Bright colors, bold shapes, the works. And of course, all of our characters looked like they should. But on the other hand, there are the panels in which Victor and Doom Bot are talking. These images all look slightly different. It’s the same art style…but it’s harsher and more feral. And it’s all very appropriate for the situation when you think about it.

Andres Genolet was the lead artist for this issue, while Matthew Wilson provided the colors. Interestingly, we have two more artists to cite as well. The first is VC’s Joe Caramagna, the letterer for the issue. The second is Niko Henrichon. They’re listed as the Doom dialogue artist. It’s not every day you see somebody pulled in for something so specialized. But in this case, it seems like it was the right call.

Runaways #23 Pg 3 — The photo on the right always seems to show a happier time for this crew.

Runaways #23 was an interesting read, on the whole. It may not have been full of action, but it covered a lot of points that are vital to the characters we’ve grown accustomed to seeing. It’s clear that they’re setting up for even more changes to our crew, the only question is, what’s next?

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Review: LEAVE ON THE LIGHT #1 Great Artwork, But How’s The Story

By

Cody Walker

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A serial killer that’s supposed to be dead is murdering children again! Leave on the Light, the title is great. It’s a little jarring and that works.

Another entry from Antarctic Press, this time in the slasher horror genre. Bradley Golden and George Aguilar provide the script for this installment. Alex Sarabia takes care of the pencils, with Lahkem Amiyr handling inks. Shannon Smith has the colors, and Hector Negrete is lettering.

Sarabia’s art in this serial killer crime story has the perfect feel. Your attention is drawn directly where it needs to be, and an often overlooked quality of this art, the characters are distinct. A great amount of detail has gone into making sure the characters look different, and no one gets mistaken for someone else, which, to me, is the most important part of telling a horror story.

Leave on the Light has some great artwork, but lack of originality leaves much to be desired. With the slasher horror genre, it is hard to be original, but that’s where great characters like Michael Myers, Jason Voorhees, and Freddy Krueger have survived for decades. They are all strong and intriguing characters, and that why people come back again and again for more.

The killer is revealed pretty early in the story, so we’re not given any sense of mystery into his identity, except for a name. His design is nothing original as he appears to be still wearing his prison jumpsuit. Michael Myers was channeled for this killer just without a mask, and admittedly with a cooler knife.

Where most horror stories steer clear, and where I must give Golden and Aguilar credit, is the willingness to push the envelope and kill children. Usually, that’s something most books won’t even consider so they can avoid controversy or backlash. Just look at the crap DC Comics got for a title like Second Coming, the petition ultimately did nothing as it was just released by a different publisher, but I digress.

The most disappointing trope in Leave on the Light is the tired older lead detective that doesn’t play by the rules, punches reporters, smoke cigarettes, his kid is dead, and I’m willing to bet he doesn’t get along with his superiors either, and his partner makes excuses for him that he’s just misunderstood.

Leave on the Light is disappointing, because I wanted to enjoy this story, but with the current economic climate of the world, this $3.99 would have been better spent on a cheeseburger.

What did you think? Am I horribly wrong about my assessment? Tell me why and what else you thought about Leave on the Light.

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STAR WARS: AGE OF RESISTANCE SPECIAL Surprises With Three Well Rounded Tales

By

Cat Wyatt

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STAR WARS: AGE OF RESISTANCE SPECIAL truly does live up to its name. In this issue there are three tales told, all focusing on the rebels we all know and love. So if you’re a fan of Holdo, Maz, BB-8, or Poe Dameron, this is an issue to check out.

***SPOILER WARNING***

Star Wars Age of Resistance Special Cover — Our heroes striking dramatic poses.

You never quite know what to expect when a special comes out, especially not for a series so well known as Star Wars. Yet Age of Resistance Special was a pleasant surprise, splitting the issue into three separate tales. The tales all follow different characters introduced in the latest round of movies, but the cover likely gave that element away.

Star Wars Age of Resistance Special Pg 2 — Maz knows who to hire when a job needs to be done.

‘Maz’s Scoundrels’ is more or less exactly what one would hope for and expect from a story involving Maz Kanata. She’s wily, oddly charismatic, and overall a very quirky little character. So any plot involving her is going to be as well.

Her short went a long way in reminding us of the reasons she has the reputation she does. Not only does she know who to hire for the job, but she isn’t afraid to get her hands dirty along the way. The subtle edge of manipulation didn’t hurt things either.

Tom Taylor was the author behind this plot, which explains a lot about the feel of it. He gave Maz plenty of credit when it comes to her skewed intellect. And he kept up the banter we know and love from Chewie and Solo.

Meanwhile, Matteo Buffagani provided the art, and Chris O’Halloran did the coloring. Together they made a piece that was clearly influenced by the movies themselves – the characters looking like they walked right off the screen.

Star Wars Age of Resistance Special Pg 13 — What a charming little plant.

‘The Bridge’ is the second story in this issue, and it focuses on a character that only made it into one of the Star Wars movies. We’re talking about Holdo here. Obviously, anyone who has seen Star Wars: The Last Jedi is well aware of what happened to Holdo and thus knows that this event took place before the movie.

This is the tale of how Holdo got her reputation. It explains everything about how she came into her rank…as well as telling us her preference for how to handle situations. An iconic scene of hers is mirrored here, but that is more telling than anything.

G. Willow Wilson wrote the plot, and you can see how much effort was put into making this character standout. They didn’t have a lot of time to work with Holdo’s character, nor did they have a lot of source material to pull from. But they did an interesting job nonetheless.

Elsa Charretier and Nick Filardi are the artists for this one, and they went the opposite direction of ‘Maz’s Scoundrels.’ While you can still tell which character is which, they opted for a more stylized version of the world, full of vibrant colors and blockier shading. It was effective, and oddly endearing for the plot.

Star Wars Age of Resistance Special Pg 23 — Poe’s excited about another mission, which sounds about right.

And finally, the last tale in this special issue is ‘Robot Resistance.’ This is likely the one that’ll become a fan favorite, thanks to the presence of BB-8. A known favorite for obvious reasons. BB-8’s almost comical personality shines through perfectly in this story. And it didn’t skimp on the opportunity to give the little droid all of the credit he deserved.

Speaking of, while even the characters gave BB-8 and his new friends all that credit, the lines did feel a little forced at times. But perhaps that isn’t a major complaint, in the grand scheme of things. It was still fun seeing the little droid scoot around, create trouble, and ultimately save the day.

Chris Eliopoulos is the author who gave BB-8 so much airtime and credit. And you can tell he had a lot of fun writing this one. Extra credit has to be given for all the scenes he snuck in that allowed for droids to zap storm troopers.

Javier Pina and Guru-eFX are the final artists to be listed for this issue. They opted to go with an art style more typical to the Star Wars franchise. But even so, there was a lot of personality snuck into those droids and their antics.

Star Wars Age of Resistance Special Pg 1 — A huge set of creators for this issue.

There are two major elements that helped to tie these three plots together. One was the overall theme. Each character was showing off his or her ability to resist, distract, or otherwise cause chaos for their side. The second element was more visual – there was only one letterer, VC’s Travis Lanham, who worked on the entire issue, thus ensuring a sense of consistency throughout.

Overall, STAR WARS: AGE OF RESISTANCE SPECIAL is a solid set of short stories, that are full of charismatic moments and interesting artwork.

So what did everything think of this issue? Was BB-8’s tale your favorite, as predicted? Or did you enjoy one of the other plots more?

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Review: KILLERS #1 – Some Fun Good Old-Fashioned Violence

By

Ben Snyder

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Set in the world of Valiant’s Ninjak series, Killers #1 is the perfect jumping-on point for newcomers who want to read a simple, clean, and visceral action series. Writer B. Clay Moore, artist Fernando Dragnino, colorist José Villarrubia, and Letterist Jeff Powell craft a brutal and straightforward entry point for new readers into the Ninjak and Valiant extended universe.

The script will not wow you, as it is formulaic, but it achieves what it sets out to do, be a visceral revenge tale with tons of action and violence. Moore’s words are efficient and kinetic, meaning the story mainly acts as a vehicle to direct the reader from fight to fight. The story boils down to someone is tracking down and attempting to murder a group of enhanced assassin’s called Ninjas. Ninja’s can live longer and have supernatural abilities such as invulnerable skin, super strength, quick reflexes, etc. A couple of Ninja’s survive their assassination attempts and join together to defeat their attackers.

If the plot sounds familiar, it’s because it is. But Moore adds some fun flavor to it to keep the reader entertained. The character’s dialogue is punchy and abrupt, and characters breeze through plot exposition efficiently. It’s almost as if some of the characters have heard this story and just want to get to the action as much as the readers have. While Ninja-G’s interrogation scene would have taken a third of the chapter in similar issues, in Killers #1, G gets her information within three chapters.

Some of the characters definitely have more thought behind them than others. It is evident in the number of unique quirks present in each one. Ninja-G acts as a pure force of destruction with little to no personality, which is understandable considering her circumstances, while Ninja-J is witty and personable with local merchants. J even goes to extra lengths to inflict punishment because his attacker destroyed his favorite Vape pen. Little details like that make the difference when fleshing out characters and making them relatable.

Agent J handles his attackers — Agent J Handles His Attackers

Dragino’s art and Villarrubia’s colors contribute immensely to Killers #1. Dragnino’s style is more realistic with intense and distinguishable line work, and Villarrubia’s heavy shading gives the story a noir vibe.

Where Dragnino and Villarrubia especially excel, is at depicting fight scenes. The best example is Ninja-J defending himself against his attackers. The entire fight takes place within five pages, but so much controlled destruction happens within those pages, and it is an excellent showcase for J’s fighting prowess and abilities. There is a fantastic kinetic energy in this scene that makes the reader jump from panel to panel, and each series of movement is punctuated with J doing something supernatural like breaking a knife on his body or deflecting bullets. There are individual touches like the environment shifting to green whenever something supernatural is happening and then fading away as the fight ends that are incredibly effective.

Killers #1 if anything is a violent romp through the Ninjak universe. Moore’s script is punchy and engaging enough to carry the plot towards Dragnino and Villarrubia’s frantic fight scenes. While not perfect, there is nothing wrong with having some violent fun with Killers #1.

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Review: BATMAN: LAST KNIGHT ON EARTH #2 – All Hail Omega!

By

Cody Walker

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July 31, 2019

Scott Snyder and Greg Capullo take Batman through a wasteland of horror and heartbreak in the second issue of Last Knight on Earth.

The whole team is back together again for the last chapter of their Batman story that began in the New 52. Jonathan Glapion and FCO Plascencia have the inks and colors, while Tom Napolitano is handling the lettering. There will always be a soft spot in my heart for this creative team. Capullo has created a Batman for a generation; this is my Batman. Hopefully, this is not Snyder and Capullo’s last Batman tale.

Napolitano’s lettering is top-notch. The way the Joker’s speech bubbles appear scratchy and hurried always works so well. The Scarecrow’s words are stylized in such a way that you know he’s trying to be scary and haunting with his voice. Deciphering who is speaking and what narrative you’re reading is straightforward.

Glapion always captures the greatness in Capullo’s pencils and keeps the finished product looking prestine as if Capullo initially drew it in ink. FCO always mixes dark and gritty with bright colors when appropriate, which makes every page a pleasure to look at. Alfred is confronted by the unlikely duo of Bane and Scarecrow, and while Scarecrow is hanging onto Bane Yoda-style, Bane’s veins seem to glow almost illuminating the alley.

WARNING: Spoilers Follow.

This post-apocalyptic Batman story has a Mad Max type of feel mixed with some Bladerunner and Fallout. It feels like every part of the country has its own horrors to deal with. Speed force storms, Hush soldiers, Animal Men, haunted tanks, formerly boiling oceans, calcium coastlines made up of fused bones, the Red and Green wreaking havoc, all the while Joker wants to be the new Robin.

Character designs for this future scenario are incredible. Every character appears as if they’ve been through something pretty terrible in order to be where they are now. Wonder Woman has a facial scar and a mohawk, Luthor is a shriveled old man, Scarecrow has no bottom half, and his fingertips are syringes. We discover that someone connected to Batman is responsible for all this terror and destruction. Looking like the final boss version of Batman, Omega rules all.

Snyder refers back to many aspects of his writing during the New 52, even his run on Swamp Thing. The Court of Owls is by far the best aspect to continue from that run, and their appearance in this book is truly a shocking reveal. If this is, in fact, the last Batman story from this creative team, I hope a different team gets the opportunity to elaborate on the madness that caused this apocalypse to happen. Why are there crocodile men, imp deathgrounds, and what about this Space Cavalry?

I’m not even an Aquaman fan, but even I want to know why the oceans were boiling and why the coastline is made up of bones. Why on Earth would anyone put the Joker’s head in a lantern? How did this speed force storm trap three Flashes in it? Why is the dead Spectre’s giant cloak now a portal? What happened at Fort Waller, and not to be dismissed, what happened to the real Superman?

If issue three of Last Knight on Earth doesn’t explain a few of these events, hopefully we’ll have a mini-series in the near future to cover the end of the world as Bruce knew it. So many aspects of this story are incredibly intriguing. This series could’ve been lengthened to a maxi-series just to cover all the events that are being glossed over. Maybe that’s a story for Snyder to pass down to a young writer trying to make their mark on the Batman mythos. With stories of caged universe hearts, god engines, zeta cannons, and speed force tornadoes, sign me up.

Issue three has quite a bit to wrap up to finish off this final chapter, but I am locked in and excited for what Snyder has in store.

Would you let a talking Joker head be your Robin? Let us know what you thought about this comic in the comments below.

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Review: ICE CREAM MAN #13 Is A Beautifully Horrific Palindrome

By

Corey Patterson

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We’ve seen some creative plotlines come out of the ICE CREAM MAN comic, but #13 is unique in that it’s literally structured as a palindrome. Readers can choose to dive into the horror-filled story from either the front or the back panel, ultimately reaching the same point either way. This adds to the building sense of uncertainty the series is best know for (ie., the constantly changing protagonists). And it shows us why we keep coming back to the Ice Cream Man and his dastardly machinations.

Story

If one so chooses to read this issue the traditional way (front to back), they will be introduced to Paul, who’s experiencing tremendous grief after the recent death of his husband Michael. Readers get an inside look at a man experiencing grief and it’s nothing short of astonishing. In just a few panels, W. Maxwell Prince convey both the emptiness one feels after loss of a loved one and the determined denial in their refusal to let their memory go.

But this story takes the notion of grief to a new level, one that quite literally depicts a man refusing to accept death itself. Will descends into an open manhole cover near his home in search of the King of the Underworld. However, such a bizarre turn of events is only the beginning; the story ascends to its climax rather quickly only to retell the events in reverse order.

Such a masterfully crafted palindrome will leave readers hungry for more creativity in the tales to come. Fortunately, there’s plenty of opportunity when Paul uncovers the secret connecting the murders from the previous twelve issues.

Art

Martín Morazzo’s penciling and Chris O’Halloran’s coloring generate an organic somberness fitting of the narrative. Morazzo uses extreme detail for the array of eccentric characters, penciling in each drop of slime and bit of decay found in the sewer’s “underworld,” and O’Halloran’s pale, dreary tones complete the effect.

Good Old Leon’s lettering is particularly effective for this story. He uses varied fonts for each character speaking in palindromes, which is quite fitting for Prince’s off-kilter storytelling style.

Comic Covers

Morazzo and O’Halloran’s main cover artwork features the nefarious Ice Cream Man holding an arrow, drawing more attention to the comic’s palindrome structure. Wes Craig’s variant cover depicts a disturbing image of the character to set a somber tone.

Conclusion

ICE CREAM MAN #13 showcases the brilliant creativity of Prince, Morazzo, and the rest of the team in a fresh way. Having a comic that can be read backward as well as forward shows us why the comic medium is alive, well, and always full of surprises.

What did you think of the palindrome style of this issue? Let us know in the comments below!

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Review: THE GREEN LANTERN ANNUAL #1: A Jordan Family Affair

By

Corey Patterson

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THE GREEN LANTERN ANNUAL #1, in order to celebrate the legacy of Hal Jordan, tells a story of his large and eccentric family. Readers get to sit in on a family reunion hosted by Uncle Titus. But a massive hangover affecting the adult relatives following the event leaves Hal wondering whether of not foul play may have been involved, especially considering the attendance of the irresponsible “Uncle Hip” Doug Jordan. Was Doug involved with the fiasco, or is something Green Lantern related going on?

Story

The issue begins with Hal waking up in a bathtub to an alarm from his Green Lantern ring. Waking up from a late-night binge is something the intergalactic cop is no stranger to, but the fact that every other adult in the family is passed out seems particularly worrisome. This is when Hal Jr. and the rest of Hal’s nephews and nieces explain that an alien named Zzyptzz is on the run from his own race, the Wireless Ones, and may have disturbed the sound frequencies in the Jordan house and left the adults unconscious.

Analyzing the situation like any respectable police officer would, Hal proposes to investigate the Wireless Ones. However, Hal Jr. volunteers to take on the pursuers with his newly awakened sonic powers, only to rebuked by his uncle: “Idealism is a virtue, Hal. But so is discernment. Don’t take anyone or anything at face value.” We see a true teaching moment here and find Hal may have the skill set needed to train up a hero for the next generation. The young man decides to disregard this advice and fight the Wireless Ones as the hero Air Wave, but Hal’s advice will prove useful in the coming conflict.

Grant Morrison’s clearly testing out the idea of giving Hal a sidekick. The eagerness with which Hal Jr. is willing to tackle this unknown threat, his loyalty and respect for his uncle, and most importantly, having the same name, all point to the notion of granting the Green Lantern a partner and potential successor.

Art

Giuseppe Camuncoli’s penciling and Trevor Scott’s inking render this issue in the styling of the character’s most common past iterations. This is includes Hal’s classic square jaw and slightly tousled hair, the bulky drawing style of the heroes, and the loose sketching bring up memories of the comic line throughout the ages.

Olyoptics and Steve Oliff’s coloring give this comic a lighthearted touch, using varying shades of green for Hal’s famous uniform and bright primary colors for Air Wave’s outfit . In addition, Tom Orzechowski’s lettering brings Zzyptzz and his alien race life by crafting lettering balloons with jagged lines to simulate the static infusing their speech.

Comic Cover

Guillem March and Alex Sinclair’s main cover for the issue grabs our attention by featuring Hal trapped inside a mobile phone. Air Wave appears to be holding the phone, alluding to the fact he may contribute to Hal’s plight in the coming pages.

Conclusion

THE GREEN LANTERN ANNUAL #1 does a wonderful job of humanizing the larger-than-life Hal Jordan. We get to learn about the quirks and relationships within the family while witnessing the startling powers of his nephew. Readers will surely look forward to more Jordan family team-ups in the future.

What would you think if Air Wave became Hal’s sidekick? Let us know in the comments below!

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Catastrophe Strikes In STRANGER THINGS: SIX #3

By

Cat Wyatt

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We all knew that things were going to go south in the Stranger Things prequel From Dark Horse Comics, STRANGER THINGS: SIX. After all, Eleven is the touted success of the series. But the manner in which this set of experiments is crashing and burning is somewhat surprising.

***SPOILER WARNING***

Stranger Things SIX #3 — Six about to get put into the sensory deprivation tank.

For those that haven’t been following along, Stranger Things: Six is a prequel to the hit Netflix series. It follows one of the other experiments run by our twisted doctor. You can probably guess which test subject, her name is in the title.

Unlike Eleven, Six actually had a home and a life before her time in the lab. That has made her somewhat more resistant to the not-so-good doctor’s methods. While other subjects of his are literally throwing everything they have at making him happy, Six is steadily sinking into depression thanks to her situation.

If this issue proved anything, it’s that the human mind is amazingly resilient. Six feels betrayed by the world and everyone around her, and yet she cares so much about her fellow test subjects. She wants out, and the events in this issue just proved to her why they all need to get out.

Stranger Things SIX #3 Pg 2 — It looks like nothing has changed here.

Stranger Things: SIX #3 did an excellent job of showing us the familiar while also seeding new elements along the way. There were hints of the future to come, but the horror of what was happening in the now was never lost.

Jody Houser, the author for the series, has made us care about Six. And the other subjects around her, to different extents. This has increased the fear for them and their situations – because even though we don’t know the details of how their experiment ended, we know it can’t be good.

This issue, in particular, managed to nail the horror known to the Netflix series. Before now, that feeling was bubbling underneath the surface – but it lacked the impact necessary. Now that’s been handed to us without hesitation.

Stranger Things SIX #3 Pg 3 — Time in the tank, because that has always gone over well.

Admittedly this series wouldn’t have nearly the same level of impact to new fans. You have to really have followed at least the first season of the Netflix series in order to have any background or driving passion for the story being told. That isn’t a bad thing, of course. Plenty of series adapt well to comic form, knowing full well that only the loyal fans will follow it.

That being said, this series is perfect for fans looking to learn a little bit more about the other subjects that came before Eleven. The drama and dangers will be different from the series (remember, things didn’t get dangerous in the supernatural sense until Eleven came around), but they’ve made it work.

Stranger Things SIX #3 Pg 4 — Some of these images should look familiar…

Stranger Things: SIX has a full set of artists working on the project, and it shows. Edgar Salazar is the artist, while Keith Champagne handled the inking. And then Marissa Louise colored all of the panels. Last, there’s Nate Piekos, who did the lettering.

Together they made this world come alive. The art style carries many of the tones familiar to fans of the Netflix series. But it also has its own flair. The art style is slightly more streamlined and clean, but that works well with the subject matter.

Stranger Things SIX #3 Pg 1 — The style is a close match to the original series.

Stranger Things: SIX has been an interesting read so far. Like some of the other attempts to bring Stranger Things to other formats, it occasionally falls flat. But ultimately the attempt has been a successful one, telling us the story of the people who walked this path before Eleven.

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FANTASTIC FOUR #12 – A Very Grimm Honeymoon

By

Brandon J. Griffin

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FANTASTIC FOUR #12 is a good old-fashioned breather issue with Mr. & Mrs. Ben Grimm finally getting to take their honeymoon.

SPOILERS LIE AHEAD

After preventing Dr. Doom from wielding the power of Galactus and their roles in War Of The Realms, the Fantastic Four get some time to themselves. More importantly, Ben and Alicia get to take their belated honeymoon.

Reed fixes Ben with a device that will revert him to his human form once a countdown concludes. It doesn’t take long for the honeymoon to be cut short as the Hulk shows up for a beach brawl under the control of The Puppet Master, Alicia’s father.

Writer Dan Slott pens himself a short and sweet script that’s full of delightful little moments. He shows off his very-fitting voice for The Thing in this issue. In addition to the usual banter with Johnny, Slott also treats us to a hilarious couple of exchanges between Ben and the hotel bellboy.

The Thing tipping people with a signed autograph of himself is absolutely hysterical.

There’s a really sweet moment between the newly weds on the beach concerning how Ben’s wedding ring is going to fit once he transforms back to his tiny, human form. These two are one of the best pairings in all of Marvel history, it’s satisfying to see them get legitimately touching moments handled with such care.

Artist Sean Izaakse and colorist Marcio Menyz deliver a very warm issue. The use of light on this beach landscape make for a wonderful contrast once the sun goes down and the attack commences. We’re in the era of Immortal Hulk, it’s only appropriate that he arrives at night.

We’ve seen Hulk and The Thing fight each other countless times, but Izaakse and Menyz keep it fresh. The action sequences hit the notes that they need to. Izaakse even does a pretty good job with specifying that this is Immortal Hulk that we’re dealing with.

By issue’s end, we see Mr. Grimm has less than a minute before he turns back into a useless sack of flesh. It’s a layered comic book scenario that doesn’t require any extra thought, it’s just a classic tight spot for a pro like Grimm to be in.

Fantastic Four #12 is a breather issue done right. It’s highly entertaining, loaded with plenty of heart. There’s no treading of water, it doesn’t feel like a waste of time issue that readers would be better off skipping.

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Review: THE BATMAN WHO LAUGHS #7 Is A Thrilling Conclusion To DC’s Best Horror Story Of 2019

By

Colin Tessier

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The Batman Who Laughs #7 is the heart-pounding climax and conclusion to a miniseries that increasingly leaned into the horror genre. By the end, writer Scott Snyder crafted a grim horror story befitting Hollywood.

Beginning with the cover, this issue makes it clear that the reader is diving into a scary movie in the form of a comic book. Jock, the artist of the book and the cover, pays tribute to The Shining on the latter. He borrows from the classic scene with Jack Nicholson where Jack busts through a door and yells, “Here’s Johnny!” Here, the cover shows the corrupted Batman yelling, “Here’s Brucie!” Right off the bat, the reader knows he’s in for a wild ride.

Jock’s art complements that tone throughout the book itself. Sometimes, sketchy art can detract from the story but it complements Snyder’s work in this series. The increasingly jagged lines make the Batman Who Laughs look demonic and David Baron’s colors augment this effect through the consistent usage of fiery yellows, reds and oranges. These colors are mainly present in the scenes featuring Batman and his evil counterpart, which helps further the sensation that both characters are vying for the Dark Knight’s soul in a Hellish setting while the other story beats play out.

With this issue, there’s a lot to sink your teeth into. For the sake of spoilers, we won’t dig into all of it. But two highlights include the sights of Alfred getting pretty trigger-happy with a shotgun and the Caped Crusader beating the Batman Who Laughs with his mother’s tombstone. These snippets hammer home the fact that Snyder successfully captured the experience of a horror movie climax.

Practically every comic featuring the Dark Knight asks the question, “Who Is Batman?” Countless writers have taken that question and explored it through various avenues. Even when DC Comics announced The Batman Who Laughs, most fans took notice because Snyder has been the company’s primary writer for the Caped Crusader for several years. (Aside from Tom King’s run on the main series, of course.) Given Snyder’s history with the character, fans expected an impactful analysis of the World’s Greatest Detective. With this miniseries wrapped up, it’s safe to say that Snyder succeeded on that front.

Snyder takes some unconventional steps in his approach to answering that famous question in this issue. The most thorough exploration comes at the end, when Bruce Wayne practically gives a monologue to Alfred. Bruce uses a brief consideration of a bat’s anatomy to deliver the main idea: Batman is about being “better than you’re supposed to be,” as Snyder writes. “Because the truth is Batman isn’t knowing who you are, but who you want to be,” Bruce says. Neither of those ideas are ground-breaking, especially in relation to the Caped Crusader. But Snyder has such an intimate feel for Bruce’s character, and that of Batman itself. For this reason, each line grabs the reader because it feels like Bruce himself is talking to you. Snyder doesn’t just rely on his connection to the character, though; the story itself offers a fresh take on the typical “Batman overcomes his demons” plot.

Like most horror movies, The Batman Who Laughs #7 sets up the inevitable sequel by leaving a few narrative threads to explore next time around. Based on the success of this series and its satisfying conclusion, readers will likely be begging for more.

What’d you think of the Batman Who Laughs #7? Where do you hope to see one of the most famous evil Batman go from here?

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Story

Art

Comic Covers

Conclusion

Story

Art

Comic Cover

Conclusion

***SPOILERS LIE AHEAD***

SPOILERS LIE AHEAD