Review: The Search for the Strength Force Begins in THE FLASH #52

While lacking major action, this issue of the Flash sets the stage for an intriguing tale.

The Flash War has come to a close, but the aftermath could be just as destructive. During the war, Hunter Zolomon broke barriers to the DC Earth, bringing forth new forces. Alongside the Speed Force, the Strength Force and Sage Force appear and empower Hunter. Both Flashes put aside their differences and worked together to take down Hunter. When the dust settled, however, Hunter was missing, and hypertime was closed off. The Flash family soon falls apart, leaving Barry alone to investigate the forces Hunter had unleashed. If the Speed Force allows its users to run at faster than light speeds, what can the other two do?

**Some Spoilers Below**

Story:

The Flash heads to the House of Heroes, the center of the DC Multiverse, to meet with other Flashes. He hopes to find an answer amongst the multiverse, but his universe is truly the first mention of any other forces. Disappointed at the lack of solutions, Barry goes home to continue his investigation. Meanwhile, the Trickster is being convinced by the police to finger a corrupt prison warden when he gets attacked by hired goons. Before they have a chance to murder him, The Flash runs in to save him. Before the goons get away, however, the time-displaced Commander Cold comes in to help Barry.

This is a decent opening issue for the new arc, but not without its problems. While the idea of the other forces getting explored is an interesting angle to go at, we don’t get much of it visually. Yes, we see The Flash investigating the new Forces, but the Strength Force doesn’t appear until the very end of the issue.

The mystery of the Forces and the case against the corrupt warden are laid out as the base of the story. While that usually isn’t a problem, especially since it is an interesting story, there isn’t much action to get us hooked. We have a pair of humans who recreate Parademon technology and try to kidnap the Trickster. That concept alone could have expanded into a fight scene that spanned across Central City. Instead, they’re defeated quickly and in dull fashion. It’s obvious this issue was meant to set the stage, and while it did the job, I can only hope for more action next time.

Art:

While I will miss Porter’s art, the new art team does a good job here. Christian Duce takes over for illustrating this issue and does a great job in designing the characters and powers. The Para-Angels were different enough to stand out from the original Apokoliptian foot soldiers but maintain similarities. Along with them, the Flash looked terrific whenever using his powers. The lightning pops off the page along with The Flash thanks to the fantastic colorwork of Luis Guerrero. Overall, the issue looks nice, and I can’t wait to see more.

Conclusion:

Despite the lack of any major action sequences, I thought this comic was good. The stories that are laid out are interesting enough to keep readers invested for next issue. The art is nice, being both creative and colorful, perfect for The Flash series. The investigation of the new Forces has begun, and if the ending of this comic implies anything, it’ll be a wild ride.

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‘THE EQUALIZER 2’ Review: Denzel Washington Leads This Action-Packed Sequel

Kieran McLean

August 8, 2018

In the latest episode of Kieran’s Movie Space, Kieran McLean delivers his spoiler-free review of The Equalizer 2. Is this an action movie worth checking out? Is Denzel Washington still a great action hero? Listen to the review below and find out!

More – ‘Ant-Man And The Wasp’ Review: A Fun Standalone Adventure

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.

Listen to the episode below:

[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SeM2YoKdMdI[/embedyt]

Directed by Antoine Fuqua, The Equalizer 2 stars Denzel Washington, Pedro Pascal, Melissa Leo, Ashton Sanders and Bill Pullman. The film will land in UK cinemas on August 17, 2018.

If you have a problem and there is nowhere else to turn, the mysterious and elusive Robert McCall will deliver the vigilante justice you seek. This time, however, McCall’s past cuts especially close to home when thugs kill Susan Plummer — his best friend and former colleague. Now out for revenge, McCall must take on a crew of highly trained assassins who’ll stop at nothing to destroy him.

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Review: Things get Weird in the Phantom Zone in SUPERMAN #2

Jose "Jody" Cardona

The second issue to Bendis’ Superman trips over itself with bizarre dialogue.

Just when Clark Kent’s life couldn’t get any worse, the first issue of his new series has him hit rock bottom. After the events of the Man of Steel miniseries, Superman has been trying to get back to his normal life. His wife and son are off in deep space; meanwhile, his cousin left the planet to investigate their attacker. All of this puts a strain on Superman emotionally, then the unthinkable happens. The entire world is pulled into the Phantom Zone; the dimension Kryptonians used as a prison. Superman must now stand against the threats of this planet while figuring out how they even got there.

**Some Spoilers Below**

Story:

After being absorbed into the Phantom Zone, Superman works around the clock to protect the Earth. Satellites and asteroids fall from the sky as Clark begins to worry about the threats that hide within the zone. One such threat is Rogol Zaar, who sees a chance at revenge. Before he can execute an attack, however, he resolves to build an army first. Back on earth, the Justice League work around the clock to figure out who sent the planet into the Phantom zone. Unfortunately, it becomes apparent that there is a side effect to earthlings, causing the League to fall. Superman is all alone to protect Earth.

My biggest problem with this issue is the dialogue. Not the lettering of the dialogue, but the dialogue itself. Some of the things that are said in this issue are so bizarre for the League to say. One could argue that it is the Phantom zone affecting their speech, but it’s really hard to ignore it. During the opening of Superman working to save the Earth, he says that this day sucks. He says he can think of a better word, as he is a journalist, but why not say it then? Was this Bendis’ attempt at humor?

What about the rest of the comic? How is the story itself? Well dialogue aside, the story is just okay. The pacing is average, the action is awesome, but its just a run-of-the-mill story. If it wasn’t for the dialogue, this story could have been a passable comic.

Art:

While the story might not impress, the artwork certainly will. Ivan Reis masterfully illustrates the issue with cinematic vision. Most of these panels would look fantastic on the big screen, from massive battles on strange planets to Superman speeding off to stop falling satellites. Reis even brings back an old villain from Superman’s cinematic past and makes him look amazing! The only problem art has, however, would be in the colors. Not that they’re terrible, but occasionally there are color inconsistencies that stand out. Other than that hiccup, the comic looks pretty damn great.

Conclusion:

This was not a good second issue to this series. The dialogue takes what would be a passable story and drags it down. The art does a fantastic job, but even that isn’t enough to save this comic. Hopefully, this was just a bump in the road, but so far, this story already looks like a flop.

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Review: WONDER WOMAN #52 Sees the Start of a New Adventure

Jose "Jody" Cardona

While it talks a big game, this opening for the next Wonder Woman arc needs some work.

With the Dark Gods arc come and gone, a new creative team has stepped up to take over. Steve Orlando has now taken up responsibilities in writing adventures for Wonder Woman. His first issue set the tone for his run as it began to peel back the layers of what makes Diana Wonder Woman. It followed her visiting a villain she took down earlier in the series, eventually befriending her. It showed off the peacemaking side to the Amazon Warrior, which was refreshing after the dark stories that came before. Now we have a full arc that will team up Wonder Woman and Aztek, introduced in Orlando’s Justice League of America run. How will this classic and new heroines unite and against what?

**Some Spoilers Below**

Story:

During a raid with ARGUS, Wonder Woman is approached by Aztek with a new mission. She has had a vision that shows an Amazon in the heart of an ancient Aztec temple. When Aztek describes the Amazon, Wonder Woman realizes that it is her long-lost aunt. This convinces her to go with Aztek to the temple and defeat the evil that has her aunt. Realizing they might need a little extra help, however, Diana turns to Artemis, a rival Amazonian. Putting their differences aside, Artemis joins them, and soon the trio finds themselves in a labyrinth within the temple.

This issue is a very large information dump, but with little explanation. If you don’t know the history of Aztek, you might get a bit lost on the character. Same goes for Artemis, but at least with her, they reference the comics. We also don’t get a clear explanation of what precisely the titular “enemy of two sides” actually means. This is the first issue, so I expect some of the story to be revealed over time, but this honestly felt like a clunky read. I will admit, however, that the story’s legend of the lost Amazon, as well as the labyrinth, is intriguing enough to keep readers hooked for next issue. Hopefully, as the series goes on the story smooths itself out.

Art:

The art is a bit hit and miss to put it simply. There are times where the designs of the characters and setting are fantastic. They’re very creative and blends history and the paranormal in ways only seen in a Wonder Woman story. The flaws for the art lie in the colorwork and the layout. While it isn’t uncommon to push past the traditional grid of panels, but this issue has some strange layouts. None of which are consistent, causing the story to feel more and more clunky. The colorwork also feels just a bit off, causing the characters to feel flat in some places. There’s enough good to balance the bad, but both sides are very noticeable.

Conclusion:

Overall, this opening issue left me wanting and not in a good way. I can see where Orlando wants to go with it, but the story isn’t quite there. An adventure that shows off Wonder Woman’s personality as well as be badass is welcome. I do see potential in this comic arc. It just needs to be cleaned up and focused to become a great story.

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‘Ant-Man And The Wasp’ Review: A Fun Standalone Adventure

Kieran McLean

August 8, 2018

In the latest episode of Kieran’s Movie Space, Kieran McLean delivers his spoiler-free review of Marvel’s latest superhero flick, Ant-Man And The Wasp. Has Marvel Studios delivered another exciting superhero movie? Does The Wasp get a perfect introduction to the Marvel Cinematic Universe? Do we find out where the duo were during Avengers: Infinity War? Check out the episode below and find out!

More – Review: ‘Mission: Impossible – Fallout’ Is One Of The Best Action Movies Ever!

Listen below:

[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cv7CQEjfs50[/embedyt]

Ant-Man and the Wasp is directed by Peyton Reed and stars Paul Rudd, Evangeline Lilly, Michael Douglas, Michelle Pfeiffer, Hannah John-Kamen, Michael Peña, Walton Goggins, Laurence Fishburne, Randall Park and Abby Ryder Fortson. The film is written by Chris McKenna, Erik Sommers, Paul Rudd, Andrew Berrar, and Gabriel Ferrari.

Scott Lang grapples with the consequences of his choices as both a Super Hero and a father. As he struggles to rebalance his home life with his responsibilities as Ant-Man, he’s confronted by Hope van Dyne and Dr. Hank Pym with an urgent new mission. Scott must once again put on the suit and learn to fight alongside the Wasp as the team works together to uncover secrets from the past.

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Review: SANDMAN UNIVERSE #1 Is A Welcome Return To Vintage Vertigo

Manuel Gomez

Neil Gaiman returns to the concept that made him famous with DC/Vertigo’s one-shot Sandman Universe #1. Featuring the work of Si Spurrier, Nalo Hopkinson, Dan Watters, and Kat Howard as well, the issue will set up four brand new series: The Dreaming, House of Whispers, Lucifer, and Books of Magic.

Sandman Universe #1
Written by: Neil Gaiman, Si Spurrier, Nalo Hopkinson Dan Watters, and Kat Howard
Art by: Bilquis Evely, Dominike “Domo” Stanton, Tom Fowler, Max Fiumara, Sebastian Fiumara, and Mat Lopes

A rift between worlds has opened, revealing a space beyond the Dreaming. Meanwhile, a book from Lucien’s library is discovered by a group of children in the waking world where it should not exist. Lucien calls for Matthew the Raven to seek out their master, Daniel, Lord of Dreams. As Matthew flies across the Waking World and others, he finds a young boy named Timothy Hunter who, in his dreams, has become the world’s most powerful magician—but in his nightmares, he is the world’s greatest villain. A new House has appeared in the realm of the Dreaming: the House of Whispers, with its proprietor, a fortune-teller called Erzulie. And elsewhere, Lucifer has fallen again, only this time he might be trapped in a Hell of his own design.

Writing

Sandman Universe #1 does what any good one-shot does: it gives you a clear, accessible setup. What’s special here is the world being set up, and that world is a re-introduction to a shared ‘Sandman Universe’. Gaiman, along with the crew of writers who will be guiding this universe forward, does a solid job of balancing exposition for the Vertigo virgins with a new a ‘deep cut’ mystery for Vertigo veterans. Using the raven Mathew (a Sandman fan favorite) as our guide is also a clever move. Not only is Mathew entertaining and amusing, but birds as guides is a long tradition in myths and stories, which is a huge part of what ‘The Dreaming” is about.

As good as the wraparound story is, each individual story/concept does feel a bit rushed; Tim Hunter could have used a few more pages and the sequence with Lucifer may be a bit confusing if you don’t know both the Vertigo and traditional Christian histories of the character.

The ending though sets up a great mystery, and the ‘rift’ concept makes you wonder if this could even be tied into Daniel’s (the Sandman) recent role in the main DCU’s Metal event.

Art

Vertigo books have a long tradition of having great art, and this issue is no exception. The bulk of the art comes from Bilquis Evely, who will be drawing The Dreaming written by Spurrier) and she does a fantastic job. Her art is elegant and crisp. But the entire art team does a great job, and even though there is a difference in art and approach, there is still an overall feeling of ‘style’ to the different stories that helps build cohesiveness.

The lettering also deserves a mention, as fancy fonts and clever word balloons and narrative boxes help make this a complete package.

Conclusion

If you loved Sandman back in the day, you probably already have this. If you are curious about what the Vertigo phenomena was in the ’90s then this is a great primer. Either way, it’s great to have new classic Vertigo in comic shops and this one-shot will get you excited to see where these new titles are going to go.

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DETECTIVE COMICS #986 Review: Bryan Hill Captures Batman’s Voice

Dispatchdcu

Batman’s hidden plans, Black Lightning strikes, and Karma’s mind manipulation continue to kick Bruce’s butt in DETECTIVE COMICS #986 as Bryan Hill dives deeper into Karma’s abilities and reveals even more secrets that Batman’s keeping.

WRITTEN BY: Bryan Hill

ART BY: Philippe Briones

COLORS: Adriano Lucas

LETTERS: Sal Cipriano

WARNING SPOILERS AHEAD!!!

DETECTIVE COMICS SPOILERS TOO!

To see what happened last issue, click on the writer’s name below.

Summary

Batman and Orphan head in to stop Karma before he blows up all the kids he kidnapped. While Orphan tries to disarm the bomb and save the kids, Batman takes on Karma and fails miserably due to his mind reading abilities. Realizing she has no freakin’ idea how to disarm the explosive, Black Lightning jumps in and holds off the explosion just long enough for Batman, Orphan, and the kids to all escape safe and sound. Hill ends the issue with Bruce giving Barbara an earful for disobeying Jefferson, and the new Bat team looking “outside” for some more help with Katana.

Signaling a Change

Hill opens the issue by showing readers the 2018 version of the Bat Signal, and it is spectacular. Now, the Bat Signal can show up on phones, tablets, TV’s, electronic billboards, and on the side of buildings as soon as Alfred hacks their signal. Knowing that the Bat Signal was not only designed to grab Batman’s attention but also a symbol of hope, this idea by Hill is pure genius. It’s shocked how long it took for someone to think of this idea.

Things Learned

1. Hill gives readers a straight and to the point Batman just like the last issue.

2. Batman really messed up Fleet Delmar A.K.A. Karma. Bruce destroyed his face and eyes with bats and used Scarecrow gas that messed with his mind. Why would Batman do that? I hope Hill gives readers the answer to that question soon.

3. I didn’t know lightning could keep in an explosive blast. I guess that tool is in Black Lightning’s arsenal now!

4. Hill explains that Karma is not a better fighter or better trained than Batman but Fleet just knows everything he’s going to do. This was again a great explanation as to why Batman is getting his butt kicked, but I wish Bats would finally pull it together. Can someone tell me the last fight he’s won without a head-butt or magic metal?

The Art

Philippe Briones’ art was pretty solid throughout the issue. He’s very consistent in his style from one issue to the next and readers should know what to expect. The art is clear, and the layout of the panels and lettering by Sal Cipriano make the issue easy to follow from one page to the next. Briones’ character faces have a subtle cartoon style while still keeping the tone realistic. That is a difficult task for any artist. I thoroughly enjoyed the art by Briones, as well as this creative team, and hope they continue on this journey with Hill.

Should you buy this issue?

Heck yeah! Hill gives readers reasoning and understanding throughout the issue. For example, why is Batman getting his butt kicked again? Well, Hill tells readers through Karma’s dialogue with Batman. In addition, Hill gives readers the understanding and drive of the villain by reiterating the horror Batman put him through. Furthermore, Hill explains the background, the situation, and the direction in this issue, as well as each issue he’s down so far. It’s refreshing to actually get answers in a comic.

Should you add this to your pull list?

Absolutely! As long as Hill is writing this book, I’m reading it. He continues to give us a hard-nosed detective who thinks, strategizes, and plans for missions. Hill gives readers a Batman that thinks before he leaps and doesn’t win at the end with magic metals or wishes. His Batman isn’t emotional and doesn’t have clever nicknames for people he may or may not still be in a relationship with. Hill is writing a street-level crimefighter whose smart, calculated, and hopefully will stop getting his butt kicked at some point. I hope Hill continues on DETECTIVE COMICS for a nice long run.

What did you guys think of DETECTIVE COMICS #986? Comment below or hit me up on Twitter @dispatchdcu. If you would like to read more of my reviews, click HERE!

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SIDEWAYS #7 Review: Dan DiDio’s Experience Shines

Dispatchdcu

Murder, Frankenstein’s monster, and secrets revealed as Kenneth Rocafort and Dan DiDio unleash our hero’s first epic adventure in SIDEWAYS #7 with the Seven Soldiers at his side. Let’s step into this issue, shall we?

STORY BY: Kenneth Rocafort and Dan DiDio

COLORS: Ivan Plascencia and Dan Brown

LETTERS: Travis Lanham