Lucifer #1 shows us a Bringer of Light who is not quite as dapper as when we last saw him.
Lucifer is haggard, weak, and being held captive in a mysterious town he cannot escape. Teetering on the brink of total madness, he’s looking less “Thin White Duke” and more “Charles Manson.” But it’s not just about Lucifer here. The story is intercut with that of John Decker, a man helpless to relieve his ailing wife.
The book is the next installment in Neil Gaiman’s new Sandman Universe slate of titles. The line celebrates the 30th anniversary of the original Sandman series from 1988, as well as the relaunch of DC’s celebrated Vertigo line for mature readers. Fortunately, Lucifer #1 is a worthy continuation for the storied character.
The Story
Lucifer #1 is a slow-boil. We don’t have a lot of concrete information handed to us in this first issue. We don’t know how Lucifer came to be trapped in this town or why. However, writer Dan Watters provides enough creeping tension and mystery to drive the story forward nicely.
Mentions of a place named Gately House, as well as visions of a gory, sentient mass, help to propel Deckard’s story. Lucifer, on the other hand, is compelled by his desire to escape his prison and take revenge on the one who put him there. Lucifer #1 is possessed by an oppressive and ominous atmosphere throughout, which really helps punctuate the mood.
Like other titles in the Sandman Universe roster, the book leans heavily on established mythos. It’s not uninviting to new readers, though, so even if you’re a Gaiman-verse novice, you can pick it up with no serious problem.
The Artwork
The artwork by Max and Sebastian Fiumara is stellar. The book opens to images that teeter somewhere between pastoral and uncanny. However, these quickly give way to some truly striking, mood-dense imagery.
The page layout works right alongside the images as well, allowing the work to breathe here and there, but keeping us pretty claustrophobic throughout. It’s almost as if the cells keep us locked up right alongside Lucifer in his prison.
The inkwork in Lucifer #1 is spotlighted by Dave McCaig’s excellent colors. The orange and brown palette of Lucifer’s world contrasts sharply with the gloomy bluish grays of Deckard’s Los Angeles. Both schemes are occasionally broken by brilliant pops of contrast, keeping the reader’s interest invested in the images as well.
Final Thoughts
I feel like the latter half of October was the perfect time for Lucifer #1 to drop. However, I don’t think this story will disappoint, even once the Halloween decorations are put away. It’s highly recommended.
This chapter in the Wonder Woman/Justice League Dark story is spellbinding!
The goddess Hecate has deemed the world unworthy of magic and is set to remake it. Across the globe, branded magical folk begin to wreak havoc. One of these branded magical beings is Wonder Woman but is able to regain control of herself thanks to the Justice League Dark. Together, the League head to Circe, Diana’s nemesis and former worshiper of Hecate, to learn of the goddess’ plan. As they begin planning their counterattack, Deadman appears and reveals Hecate is leading an attack with a possessed Manitou Dawn. Wonder Woman unleashes the power of her brand and leads the Justice League Dark to battle. Can the League stop the Witching Hour?
**Some Spoilers Below**
Story:
With the power of the Witchmark coursing through her, Wonder Woman leads the charge to stop Hecate. Circe teleports the League to Nanda Parbat, where the possessed Manitou Dawn is attacking. The goddess, Rama, stands ready to fight as her monks sacrifice their lives to become Deadman-like spirits. While the monks work together to hold Manitou, the Justice League Dark arrive to help. As Deadman convinces Rama to fall back, the rest of the League leaps into action to preserve Nanda Parbat. Before they can make much progress, however, they learn of another attack, threatening Swamp Thing’s realm of The Green.
This issue reminds us why the Justice League Dark side of the DC universe is badass! The League working alongside one another in Nanda Parbat is fantastic. The size of the action sequences fit the dire nature of the crossover perfectly. The entrance of the Justice League Dark is one of the coolest moments in the story as Diana creates giant stone arms to replicate her iconic bracelet block. Another stand out moment was the cliffhanger ending. It will undoubtedly leave readers clamoring for next week’s conclusion. Moments like that, with a sprinkle of humor, makes this comic a thoroughly entertaining read.
Art:
Alvaro Martinez Bueno works his magic throughout the entire issue. From the goddesses, the magic, and even the layout itself fits the story perfectly. The size and scope of the goddesses are breathtaking. They are beautiful and terrifying at the same time. The same goes for the magic the League uses. In a creative move, Bueno has the magic become part of the layouts themselves. It’s just the cherry on top of this overall beautiful comic.
Conclusion:
I highly recommend this issue. If you’ve been reading this crossover so far, I can tell you that it’s still as badass as the first issue. If you haven’t started yet, you are missing out. It’s a ton of fun, beautiful, and reminds the readers why the Justice League Dark and their universe is so amazing.
In the latest episode of Kieran’s Movie Space, Kieran delivers his spoiler-free review of Netflix’s terrifying new original series, The Haunting Of Hill House. Is this the scariest TV series of all-time? Is the story worth the nightmares and constant fear? Listen to the review below and find out!
Following a group of siblings who, as children, grew up in what would go on to become the most famous haunted house in the country as tragedy forces them — now adults — back to the house to confront the ghosts of the past.
What Is Kieran’s Movie Space?
Kieran’s Movie Space is an insightful, fun and reliable new podcast for fans of all things cinema. Host Kieran McLean delivers in-depth reviews of the latest movie releases, from small indie movies to massive blockbusters. New episodes weekly…or whenever I feel like posting.
It’s been a nearly a year since the release of Battlefront II, and since its release, fans of the game have been very vocal about an increase in The Clone Wars content. EA and DICE came under severe fire regarding their loot-crate system and pay-to-win marketing scheme. The outcry from fans was so severe that all parties involved were forced to retract and redesign Battlefront II before its release.
Over the course of the last year, Battlefront II has continued to improve. However, the number of gamers playing it around the world has also significantly dropped. Because of this, EA and Lucasfilm are in the process of rolling out a bunch of new content, hoping to spark interest in Battlefront II once again.
The main initiative of this rollout includes a bunch of The Clone Wars content, first introduced in EA’s “Roadmap” of 2018-2019 Battlefront II content. In addition to skins and map updates, there are new heroes being added to the game, specifically from The Clone Wars era. Now, EA’s announced the voice actors from The Clone Wars animated series will be reprising their roles in Battlefront II.
Battlefront II The Clone Wars Characters And Voice Actors
The Clone Wars holds a special place in many Star Wars fans hearts, making this move by EA and Lucasfilm a brilliant one considering the recent loss of interest in Battlefront II.
General Grievous
Image via Lucasfilm, Disney Studtios and Wookieepedia – Fandom
Those of us who still play Battlefront II are looking forward to the addition of General Grievous, especially if his gameplay mechanics are on point. Voice actor Matthew Wood will be reprising his role as the bionic Separatist General.
“I always love revisiting characters from the Clone Wars era,” states Wood to EA. “Because I feel like there are so many stories to be told! Now, we have the ability to actually set foot into General Grievous’ shoes and see how he operates in real-time. That’s really exciting to me, to be able to portray the character in such a way! I’m a gamer myself, so I can’t wait to see how all this pans out with what the team has created.”
Wood voiced Grievous in Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith and The Clone Wars animated series. General Grievous’ release date in Battlefront II is October 30th.
Obi-Wan Kenobi
Image via Lucasfilm and Disney Studios
While Star Wars fans aren’t getting an Obi-Wan Kenobi movie anytime soon, he is coming to Battlefront II with voice actor James Arnold Taylor reprising his role.
“It is probably the greatest honor for me as an actor, to have gotten to play this character for so many years,” states Taylor to EA. “And in so many iterations! The television show, video games, toys, a movie . . . It’s one of those ‘pinch me moments’ in my life, because I still kind of wake up some days and go, ‘I . . . I get to be Obi-Wan Kenobi?’ It’s fantastic!”
Taylor is the longest running voice actor for the old Jedi left on Tatooine to watch over Luke Skywalker. And fans adore his work, making his addition to Battlefront II a very special one indeed. Obi-Wan Kenobi is being released at an unspecified date in November.
Count Dooku
image via Lucasfilm and Disney Studios
The “earl” of Star Wars is making a return from the grave, voiced by the talented Corey Burton. Becoming a household name after The Clone Wars animated series, Burton is delighted to be donning the “Sith cape once again.”
Count Dooku release date for Battlefront II is sometime in January of 2019.
Anakin Skywalker
Image via Lucasfilm and Disney Studios
If the trailer for The Clone Wars got fans excited, so will the announcement of Matt Lanter returning to voice the infamous Anakin Skywalker in Battlefront II. Lanter, like all the other voice actors on this list, became well known amongst Star Wars fans due to The Clone Wars animated series.
“I’m a gamer! I played the first Star Wars Battlefront often”, says Lanter to EA. “Not really lately, I’ve got a new baby at home and she’s nine months, so I haven’t had a whole lot of gaming time recently. But before that – Battlefront is my game! I grew up playing first-person shooters, and I love Star Wars. You know, I perform Star Wars, but I’m also a huge fan. A mix of the both is my perfect game. To be able to be a part of it is pretty incredible.”
Anakin Skywalker’s release date is sometime in February 2019.
As a gamer and a fan of Battlefront II, I’m excited about the moves Lucasfilm and EA are making. But is it enough to bring the game back to full life?
Are you excited for these Battlefront II additions? Let us know in the comments below. “May the Force be with you, always.”
Pat Irwin helped make songs like “Love Shack” and “Roam” a global sensation and also scored the childhood to most of the Monkeys Fighting Robots reading audience. Don’t believe me? Well, did you grow up with Tales from the Darkside in the 80s? Yeah, Irwin worked on that. Captain Planet or Rocko’s Modern Life? Irwin’s sonic superpowers made those possible too.
Monkeys Fighting Robots talked with Pat Irwin about touring with one of the most inimitable bands ever and making music for cartoons and The Good Cop.
Taking it to the Darkside
As a huge fan of Tales from the Darkside, that’s where this all begins “I basically scored some episodes. The show was shot around the corner from where I lived. Tina Weymouth and Chris Frantz from the Talking Heads lived around the corner. Ernie Brooks from the Modern Lovers lived in the same building. There were a lot of artists and musicians living in this obscure industrial neighborhood. I was walking down the street and the director of the show recognized me from the Raybeats and asked me if I felt like scoring for the show.”
Tales from the Darkside featured a lot of cameos from pop culture kings and queens of the time “One of the episodes I scored had Deborah Harry [aka Blondie] in it.”
For Pat, the show sort of started it all “It was my very first television show I scored in my lifetime.”
Pat did not work on the legendary and terrifying into to the show but agrees “It was a really good theme.” He adds, “It was a cool show.”
About Tales from the Darkside, Pat says “It did a really good job of mixing humor and horror; tongue-in-cheek. But still scary. And that theme song, man, just amazing.”
About Making Music
Music, unlike other forms of art, doesn’t get absorbed just one way, it hits your ears, but it also hits your body, vibrations running through you “It touches you in your soul in ways that it digs its hook into you and it doesn’t leave.”
From on-stage rock idol to theme song creator for animated shows, what has more impact? “I’ll tell you one thing, playing in a band like the B52s which had massive success … the impact is huge, but it’s almost nothing like … Rocko’s Modern Life … that music really resonates with people, especially at a young age. I’m lucky to have done both.”
The Road to The Good Cop
Irwin’s musical career is thanks, in part, to a lot of persistence “I took clarinet lessons. I really didn’t study music. I picked it up as I went along. In college, I was studying English and History, and I never really thought I’d become a musician, but I always played music. It was so far out of my reach. I didn’t get it. I guess I would say I stuck with it.”
In the 80s, Irwin also played with a band called The Raybeats and adds “There were times when it didn’t seem like it was going to work out. You know, around the time of Tales from the Darkside, The Raybeats wasn’t playing anymore, and I got this offer and said ‘hell yeah!’”
Another aspect of Irwin’s career is due to a teenie bit of BS that followed the idea of faking it until you make it “They asked, “Have you ever done this before? And I said, sure!’ Of course, I was lying.” By that point, Irwin’s musical training-on-the-go was complete, and he was up to the task.
The Good Cop
How does the process start for Irwin when facing a new project like The Good Cop “Getting into the story, being a part of it. You want to be in that fabric … in the moment of the show. It takes work.
Irwin elaborates “In the case of Rocko’s Modern Life, I stared at the drawings and felt the kind of fun, the goofiness of the show. It came about naturally for me. In The Good Cop, it didn’t happen immediately. The creator of the show Andy Breckman, he wanted piano … I wasn’t a natural piano player. I was okay, but he was quoting things like the soundtrack to The Firm and Dave Brubeck, and I had to really study for the show. It took me a while, but I fell into it … I got excited about the idea of doing Peter Gunn, Henry Mancini, Elmer Burnstein, there’s a legacy in that kind of music.”
I’m hoping The Good Cop gets picked up for a second season. I’d love to do more work on that show. The musicians I worked with are just phenomenal. They made the soundtrack shine.”
Josh Groban didn’t get involved with the music for The Good Cop, likely to stay focused on delivering his strong performance. However, “I did some work with Tony Danza. We did the theme together. Tony sang. He was a pleasure to work with.”
Taking off with the B52s
There’s really only one way to describe the B52s for those who don’t know them “The B52s were pretty far outside the box.”
Irwin met the B52s way back in the 70s and became a member later on “When I started playing with the band was around the time of “Love Shack” and “Roam.” I was a big fan of “Rock Lobster,” “Planet Claire” … but they were also my friends.”
And the band’s success was phenomenal “There’s nothing like playing soccer stadiums in Chile and having 40,000 people screaming back at you ‘Planet Claire, has pink air!’” Irwin continues “The B52s, they broke all the rules. That’s why I love that band so much.”
Irwin points out something special about the B52s that is often overlooked but was made possible by the band’s expressionist mentality “You know what’s cool about that too, is that you’re playing in front of crowds of people that have a license to be themselves. To dare to be crazy. Dare to be different. You look out, it’s not all people dressed in one kind of outfit, it’s a sea of individuality.”
The B52s were wild but brilliant, which keeps their music fresh even today “The band really grew. You could never imagine Roam being on the first record. I think the band always tried to get outside of what they would regularly do.
Wrapping Up
Irwin kind of sort of answers the question of who some of his influences are “I would say, the pop side is kind of fluid. I would immediately say I grew up with the Beach Boys and the Beatles. At the same time, I loved the soundtracks to James Bond movies, Goldfinger, all of it. I love instrumental rock and roll. But, my tastes are pretty eclectic so you might get a different answer tomorrow.”
He’s more sure about another set of influences “… I love Philip Glass and Steve Reich. Their music really spoke to me. I was lucky enough to work with Philip Glass and see him write music by hand. To be able to see him work … I can’t say enough about how generous he is, not only as a composer and performer but as a person.”
What’s next? “Good question. I’m waiting for the phone to ring,” Irwin laughs. “There’s a Rocko’s Modern Life movie coming out. I also have a band called the PI Power Trio … and also a band called Suss. We have a record coming out, we’ll be doing some concerts. Both those bands are on Spotify.”
Creating is the pure driving force for Pat “I just keep going. I can’t stop.”
Thanks to Pat Irwin and Impact24 PR for making this interview possible.
CW’s The Flash has a second strong episode as season five kicks off. Following the fun introduction of Nora last week, “Blocked” sets up the new status quo. Not all of the storylines are as interesting, particularly with villain-of-the-week Block. However, there’s a lot of great character work that keeps “Blocked” afloat. While season four has been The Flash‘s strongest to date, season five is giving it a run for its money.
As mentioned above, some of the actual plot points are kind of weak. The weird new dynamics of the West-Allen Family carry over from last week, so they’re a little less fresh. Caitlin and Ralph trying to cheer up Cisco didn’t lead to nearly as much fun debauchery as expected. Aside from his wardrobe, there wasn’t a lot of fun to be had. Then there’s Block, whose weak storyline made the cutaways to her gun-running vengeance feel weak. On a surface level, most of the storytelling in “Blocked” is bland.
Chris Klein as Cicada, CW’S THE FLASH
What makes these storylines work is the emotional subtext. The Flash finds a way to spin so-so plot lines into interesting character moments. Barry and Joe have a nice fatherly talk, which grounds the two of them as well as Nora and Cecile. Cisco’s breakup mourning feeds into Caitlin’s parental problems really well. The strongest story of the episode, Iris’ detective work, both keeps the episode moving, while also giving her some great emotional moments.
The episode also does a great job of setting up Chris Klein’s villain, Cicada. The series both fleshes out the villain, while keeping a lot hidden. The fact Cicada kicked the butt of Flash, Vibe, and Elongated Man helps to establish how frightening he can be. Then there’s the question of whether Cicada and XS share any kind of history, as the cliffhanger would suggest. Much like The Thinker, Cicada is a fresh breath of air from a show that’s often repeating its steps each season. Cicada is one of the new elements The Flash has added for an exhilarating new season.
The Flash is on a hot streak with season five. While some of the stories could be punched up, the character development is solid. Plus, the fact that the season-long arcs are the strongest is a positive sign. The Flash has clearly plotted out where it wants to go, and it’s primary story line is working fine. This series has learned how to master momentum, and it will be exciting to see how this streak continues next week.
After making its debut at the 2018 South by Southwest Film Festival, Galveston is making its way into theaters and on demand. The film follows a dying hitman who returns to his hometown to plot his revenge after escaping a set-up.
Ultimately, this film has a lot of potential, and manages to be thoroughly interesting, but ends up feeling somewhat uneven and underdeveloped.
The film’s tone isn’t always consistent, and that ends up being quite distracting. The film is predominantly a drama, but there are some sudden moments of action that are jarring. The film would have been better off if it had fully committed to being a character drama instead of a blend of action and drama. That would have made it feel much more unique and personal.
(L-R) Elle Fanning as Raquel Arceneaux and Ben Foster as Roy Cady in the thriller-drama film “GALVESTON” a RLJE Films release. Photo courtesy of RLJE Films.
Additionally, the film veers into melodramatic territory at times. A significant issue with the film is that it often went too big. Almost every time it tried to elicit emotion from the audience, it went for a simple tear-jerking moment rather than a truly effective emotional scene. The film also has some empty metaphors throughout, a frequent characteristic of melodrama.
That being said, the story is still quite compelling. The pacing is steady, and the dialogue is well-written. The characters are developed well, too, making the story even more compelling. Although they are both rather archetypal, the two lead characters are likable and sympathetic, even without some of the needless twists the film tries to add.
(L-R) Ben Foster as Roy Cady and Elle Fanning as Raquel Arceneaux in the thriller-drama film “GALVESTON” a RLJE Films release. Photo courtesy of RLJE Films.
The film is also quite well-shot. The cinematography is very strong. There were a lot of great camera movements and framings, especially during the action sequences. There are two scenes in particular— one in the beginning and one in the end— that were highly impressive. These scenes did a great job of building suspense and tension.
The cast holds their own in the film, too. Ben Foster delivers another excellent leading performance in this film. It seems like he has been consistently improving, with his recent roles being some of his best. Elle Fanning is also good, but not quite as strong as usual. She has a few scenes in which she is crying, and her emotion doesn’t come across as entirely believable. For the rest of the film, she is good, though.
Overall, Galveston was a solid film. Even though it wasn’t the most fully developed, it had an interesting story, nice execution, and good performances.
Galveston is in theaters and on demand beginning October 19.
The Aftermath stars Kiera Knightly as the wife of a soldier returning from war, and Alexander Skarsgard is a German living in their new house. Passions and tensions rise in The Aftermath which hits theaters in 2019.
About The Aftermath
Official Description: Post World War II, a British colonel, and his wife are assigned to live in Hamburg during the post-war reconstruction, but tensions arise with the German who previously owned the house.
The Aftermath trailer presents a beautiful film starring two hyper-charismatic leads. Skarsgård is an alluring but solemn German who is losing his home to Jason Clarke’s British soldier while Hamburg is rebuilt. The stunning Knightly is Clarke’s wife who just wants to get to a normal life. However, director Jason Kent’s film carefully teases the attraction between Knightly and Skarsgård, building it until we see glimpses of their passionate union. But from the looks of things that’s only a fraction of the story.
Alexander Skarsgård as Stefan Lubert
Keira Knightley as Rachael Morgan, Lewis’s wife
Jason Clarke as Lewis Morgan, Rachel’s husband
Alexander Scheer as Siegfried Leitmann
Tom Bell as Captain Eliot
Flora Thiemann as Freda
Abigail Rice as Pamela Eliot
Jim High as British Soldier
Logan Hillier as British Captain
Anna Katharina Schimrigk as Heike
Two hot leads in a steamy romance set in a ruined city after the greatest war the world has ever known. On paper, it sounds like a sure-fire hit. But that Skarsgård accent though? Something about it was off, but despite that, the trailer forThe Aftermath sets up an epic film centered around a passionate love story, and that’s a recipe for greatness or an epic fail.
Did this trailer get you excited for The Aftermath? Leave your comments below!
Nadia Pym returns in The Unstoppable Wasp #1, an all-new series from Marvel. The book feels like a decent jumping-on point for new readers. However, there’s enough material to please returning fans of the character, too.
The Story
Nadia’s been busy since Volume 1 of her story wrapped last year. With the Agents of G.I.R.L., her backup team of young super-scientists, she’s managed to build a pretty respectable operation at Pym Labs. Nadia’s occupied with her lab work, but still finds time for crime-fighting between her other activities.
Our story picks up when her driving lesson with Jarvis is interrupted, and she’s tasked with busting up an A.I.M. raid. The writing is setup to appeal to readers of all ages, but young teens are the clear target audience here.
In all, it’s a solid reintroduction to the character. Nadia learns that whateverA.I.M. is planning, it has something to do with her father Hank (Ant-Man), whom Nadia presumes to be long dead. It’s an interesting twist, and writer Jeremy Whitley is clearly planting the seeds of the broader story.
That said, there’s not really as much to hook new readers as you’d hope for in a first issue. The supporting cast falls a little flat, and there’s hardly any sense of tension throughout. The Unstoppable Wasp #1 has enough charm to warrant picking up issue two next month. It’s not an immediate hit, though.
The Artwork
The artwork for Unstoppable Wasp #1 is provided by Gurihiru (the team of Chifuyu Sasaki and Naoko Kawano). Fresh off their run on The Unbelievable Gwenpool, the pair brings the bright palette and softer lines that have become their trademark. Lots of vibrant colors on every page make the artwork pop and give it a cartoonish look.
There’s a lot of spontaneity to the page layout, which contributes to that cartoonish vibe as well. It works…but it can get a little disorienting from time to time.
Final Thoughts
The Unstoppable Wasp #1 doesn’t hit the mark across the board. However, it’s a fun story that’s fit for all ages. It’s definitely worth checking out if you’re a fan of Marvel’s other titles featuring younger heroes like The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl or Ms.Marvel.
The first big crossover event of Snyder’s Justice League run is here. “Drowned Earth” begins now and comes with some major stakes and new frontiers.
***SPOILERS LIE AHEAD***
We’re now ten issues into the great Scott Snyder’s Justice League, both the tone and team are nicely settled in. Snyder has a great handle on a pretty large roster of DC’s big guns. Now that we’re all comfortable with each other and took a tour of the Hall Of Justice, we can start digging into what will be Snyder’s JL legacy with story arcs like “Drowned Earth.”
Our heroes are scattered, solving various problems caused by the Source Wall being broken. Aquaman, Wonder Woman, and Firestorm are investigating a puzzling occurrence when they find themselves in the company of a “Space Kraken.” Aquaman gets separated and secluded into the Blood Reef, coming face-to-face with our villains–the triumvirate of evil ocean deities.
Snyder’s cold open with a young Arthur Curry and his human father discussing the discovery of oceans plays out extremely well by the end of this prologue. Scott Snyder has a talent for tapping into the mythology of a character and shining a light onto some of the untapped, dark corners and crafting a story from it–we learned that during his prolific run on Batman.
Ocean deities, in similar fashion to Earth’s Poseidon, from the far reaches of space hellbent on drowning and reshaping the Earth are a formidable foe for DC’s heaviest hitters. They look like a fun cross between Tamaraneans (Starfire) and the undead shipmates from Pirates Of The Caribbean: Dean Man’s Chest.
With Martian Manhunter off-planet on an adventure of his own, Batman takes over the coordinator position. Doing so from a massive body cast is a story attribute that will be both memorable and undoubtedly give way to a classic Batman moment of triumph eventually.
All the smaller groups that our heroes are in gives Snyder an opportunity to grow their chemistry further before things really crack open. His voice for each member of this huge cast is splendid, every quieter moment is flawlessly executed.
This prologue issue feels very much like the multi-episode arcs of the Justice League and Justice League Unlimited cartoons. Tapping into that nostalgia is going to present results every time when done properly. I imagine a lot of the readership has a special place in their heart for at least one of those two shows.
“Drowned Earth” may be a crossover story event through a few different titles, but for this to hit as hard as it can, it should be mostly a Justice League story.
Artist Francis Manapul handles everything but the letters (Tom Napolitano does great work). Justice League #10 is a stunning piece of work. Each page is littered with gorgeous splashes of color and vast landscapes. Manapul injects a ton of extra emotional into these characters at every turn.
The new characters, especially the Space Kraken, are sleek and interesting. The various Justice League uniforms on display are altered in tasteful and practical ways. There isn’t much action to this issue but that doesn’t take away from the drama or stakes one bit.
His work on the color is specifically breathtaking. The pink glow reflecting onto Batman’s body cast as he monitors the League is beautiful. There’s a lot of pink hue and glow throughout the whole issue that gives it a great shine. It provides a great contrast when we transition to the volcano environment where Superman is.
“Drowned Earth” looks to be Snyder’s first stab at a classic JL tale. He’s got a great voice for every character, a fresh and interesting premise, and gorgeous art by Francis Manapul. Justice League #10 is a superb opening number for what looks to be a very promising crossover story.
