More first issues reviewed

BATMAN: DARK AGE #1 by Mark Russell and Michael Allred.  If you drop two names onto a book, I am immediately hooked. First, we have Mark Russell, who has turned out such gems as THE FLINSTONES, EXIT STAGE LEFT,  PREZ, FANTASTIC FOUR: LIFE STORY, TRAVELLING TO MARS, NOT ALL ROBOTS and the amazing SUPERMAN: SPACE AGE. Speaking of that last one, you have Michael Allred, whose bibliography is lengthy but highlighted by MADMAN, I ZOMBIE, X-STATIX, X-FORCE, and a wonderful 2014 run on SILVER SURFER. It’s a Batman origin story but with a lot of twists, complete with early appearances by both Black Mask and Pariah. It is just an amazing and captivating turn on a story we have seen and read a million times before.

THE BAT-MEN: FIRST KNIGHT #1 by Dan Jurgens and Mike Perkins. It’s 1939 and as the world waits to see what will happen with events in Europe, crime continues in Gotham. Jim Gordon investigates the murder of a City Councilor as part of a continued crime wave on politicians. If that wasn’t enough, there are also reports of a group of deformed men and a mysterious Bat creature. This is the Bat-Man of an earlier age in this amazing Black Label title. The  story is fun and is filled with all sorts of Thirties cliches and dialogues. In the importance of transparency, I had not planned to pick this one up until I got a look at the artwork and was immediately captivated by it. There is such a beautiful feel to the book that just enhances Jurgen’s story. This may be one of my favorite first issues of the past few months. It’s a winner!

BLUE BOOK #1 by James Tynion IV, Zac Thompson, Michael Avon Oeming, and Gavin Fullerton. Tynion, who has crated some pretty popular stuff such as SOMETHING IS KILLING THE CHILDREN and his award winning DEPARTMENT OF TRUTH, launches a new series and a new mystery. Set in 1947, an enterprising man investigates all the appearances of UFOs and tries to make sense of it all. Fun stuff if you’re into conspiracies. And I’m a big fan of Oeming’s work so this was a natural for me.

CHILLING ADVENTURES PRESENTS…POP’S CHOCKLIT SHOPPE OF HORRORS: FRESH MEAT #1 by Amy Chase, Ryan Cady, Jordan Morris, Federico Sabbatini, Chris Panda, and Liana Kangas. The Archie folks are back with a new one-shot where Pop, with his business failing, makes a deal with the Devil to gain the advantage once again. Three stories are woven together, including one heavily inspired by LITTLE SHOPPE OF HORRORS. Don’t expect anything earth-shattering here. It’s just a bunch of fun and sometimes gruesome stuff.

CREEPSHOW: JOE HILL’S WOLVERTON STATION #1 by Joe Hill, Jason Ciaramella, and Michael Walsh. Joe Hill is certainly a chip off his father’s block. A dealer is interested in rare artifacts and will screw anyone over if he needs to gain them. What follows is a trip to London where he encounters a bevy of werewolves along the way. What follows is a nightmare fueled trip where our “hero” is both rude and crude and equally fearful as he has to deal with a fair amount of blood and guts along the way in a tale that ends with a typical ending obviously inspired by old EC Comics. I love the CREEPSHOW line of books and this is a nice filler until we get a third volume.

DEADPOOL #1 by Cody Ziglar and Roge Antonio. Well, there’s a new Deadpool movie on the way and that means it is time for Marvel to publish another new Deadpool title. And, as expected, it’s more of the usual. Deadpool and his symbiote dog, fourth wall breaks, gratuitous violence, and a new villain. Oh yeah: he gets to reunite with his daughter. If you’re a Deadpool fan, this one is for you.

FERAL #1 by Tony Fleecs, Trish Firstner, and Tone Rodriguez. STRAY DOGS, despite being a heart-wrenching read, was one of my favorite books of the last few years. The creative team is back at it, this time with cats. And it is said to be a regular series, not a limited one like STRAY DOGS was. Without giving too much away, it involves cats…and rabies.  And based on where the first issue is already going, I expect this one won’t be a happy cheerful ride either.

FIRE AND ICE: TEEGRA #1 by Bill Willingham and Gabriele Di Caro. Completely inspired by both the comic and the film that proceeded this, Teegra has been selected to marry a man not of her dreams. This leads to her fleeing and having the adventure of a lifetime. It’s a fun story for anyone who is reading the (sometimes) monthly comic but will leave most comic fans cold, even the fans of Sword and Sorcery titles. Di Caro’s art is amazing and, as much as I am a fan of Willingham’s legendary career, is the highlight of this title.

GEIGER #1 by Geoff Johns and Gary Frank. The first regular title in the Ghost Machine imprint arrives and it’s a winner, as expected. I was a huge fan of the previous tales of one of the survivors of a nuclear war 25 years before this story. He’s a bit radioactive and wanders the wastelands looking for a cure. With his two-headed wolf and new companion Nate the Nuclear Knight, he continues his journey and all it will bring. It’s a fun story and the art looks great. So looking forward to the continuing adventures.

GHOST RIDER: FINAL VENGEANCE #1 by Benjamin Percy and Danny Kim. Johnny Blaze, just one of so many who has had the Spirit of Vengeance reside within them, suddenly has that entity leave him and makes its’ way through a number of people with expected results as the entity searches for a new home; causing havoc and destruction along the way. In the end, and HERE’S THE SPOILER, it finds a new home in the form of Parker Robbins, better known as The Hood. So, Robbins is now the new Ghost Rider and apparently will be for the near future, as his character is supposed to appear to the Disney+ show IRONHEART. The read is a quick one mostly relying on the artwork to carry the story along. But, considering it is a jumping-on point for a new run with a new character, I guess it could have been worse.

GUARDIANS OF THE GALAZY ANNUAL #1 by Collin Kelly, Jackson Lanzing, and Kev Walker. And how do we end a storyline and a title when your movie bombs, the audience walks away, and no one seems to use the phrase ‘cancelled’ anymore? We do an annual. And thus the newest version of the Guardians comes to an end. We have endured a Peter Quill who was more gunslinger than space hero, appearances by much of the cosmic end of the Marvel Universe, deaths of key characters, and transformations of others. Is this the final run for this team? Probably not because almost no one stays dead in comics, right? What I do know is this was an incredible run and possibly one of the best yet, with great and sometimes confusing stories and some amazing art.

LITTLE BLACK BOOK #1 by Jeff McComsey and Felipe Cunha. Cole Moyer’s father has passed and he is willed a Mediterranean house in East Arizona. In the process, Cole discovers a little black book and discovers his father may have been equivalent to The Wolf from PULP FICTION. When Cole’s girlfriend gets in trouble, a group of cleaners arrives to fix things. What has Cole gotten involved with? It’s a killer mystery tale with amazing art and this title will definitely bring you back for more with each issue, I’m certain.

NAPALM LULLABY #1 by Rick Remender and Bengal. Once upon a time, in Norfolk, Nebraska, a couple work with the followers of their god, Glokor. The couple crosses paths with some soldiers hunting a Mechawomb, which reveals a baby inside that uses its’ powers to incinerate the soldiers. The couple takes the baby and drives away. Fifty years later, the world has changed and most of it revolves around the Cult of Glokor. What follows is an attempted heist, some sex and violence and more questions than answers. I’m uncertain if I like this or not as the breadcrumbs are sparse and I am sure we will be forced to see what develops over time. For now, know that Remember and Bengal make a great team and  this has the makings of a classic.

THE ONE HAND  #1 BY Ram V and Laurence Campbell and THE SIX FINGERS #1 by Dan Watters and Sumit Kumar. Why am I reviewing two titles together like this? Well, because they both share the similar title designs in their lettering, graphics and images. They also both deal with someone with six fingers. And there are similarities in a wall filled with symbols. Are they interconnected or is this just a weird coincidence. They are obviously connected but we have yet to figure it out. Is THE SIX FINGERS a prequel of sorts as it deals with a main character who has grown a sixth finger due to exposure to some toxins, while THE ONE HAND deals with a series of murders by a six fingered killer. And then there are the symbols. I cannot wait to see where this one goes. But note: you should read both titles to get the full story.

REDCOAT #1 by Geoff Johns and Bryan Hitch. British soldier Simon Pure has ended up gaining immortality and lived and died many times. Now it is 1892 and he now has to face a cult that is after him. And a young Albert Einstein is the person who is feeding him information about it all. Another Ghost Machine title and a whole lot of fun. What were the Founding Fathers up to and how did the ritual that gave out hero immortality come about? I can’t wait to see where this one goes, making this the second Ghost Machine title to be a winner.

ROOK EXODUS #1 by Geoff Johns and Jason Fabok. A Ghost Machine title that is not part of The Unnamed continuity that GEIGER and REDCOAT are. It’s a great Science Fiction story about the Rooks and trying to find their way off the war-torn world Exodus and get back home. It’s an amazing epic tale with one hell of a back story that plays out in flashbacks while the main story progresses.  Johns’ continues to write some incredibly fun stuff while fabok’s art is so good. But we already knew that.

SAM AND TWITCH CASE FILES #1 by Todd McFarlane, Jon Goff, and Szymon Kudranski. Those classic detectives from the Spawn Universe are back in a long awaited new series. It starts with a murder and goes from there as the oddest couple in policing break the rules and find themselves involved in a case they had not expected, especially after the pair is suspended from the source. The story iust fine, but let’s talks about Szymon Kudranski.’s amazing artwork that totally brings all the pieces together. If you like detective stories with a bit of a dark theme to them, this one is for you.

SOMETHING EPIC #8 by Szymon Kudranski. Kudranski’s long-awaited second arc finally appears. Welcome to a world where the real world bleeds into the fictional one and a detective, who is also a duck that looks a lot like a certain duck named Howard, enlists help a paranormal investigator that leads them both into a weird world of fictional characters including Sherlock Holmes, Professor Moriarty, Doctor Watson and so many more literar6y characters. It’s a beautifully illustrated piece that is so masterfully written, as it drops easter eggs and subtle references as it tells the story. An amazing work that will certainly send me looking for either back issues or the trade paperback.

SWEETIE CANDY VIGILANTE VOLUME 2 #1 by Suzanne Cafiero and Thiago Vale. Everyone’s favorite sweetie and her Vigilante Squad are back in one of the wildest tales Dynamite has brought us over the years. As our heroine searches for what happened to her parents, she finds herself in the midst of fights with the local bad guys and, using her special powers, carnage erupts with lots of blood and guts along the way. This is just a guilty pleasure book with good girl art and a whacked out story that should satisfy your sweet tooth. Such a fun book that I am thrilled is back at last.

TORPEDO 1972 by Enrique Sanchez Abuli and Eduardo Risso. Back in 1981, Abdul collaborated with Alex Toth to create the main character of hitman Luca Torelli. But after a parting of the ways, Abdul worked with Jordi Bernet to create the Spanish series that became known as TORPEDO 1936. 45 years later and we get a reimagined tale, set in 1972, with a journalist and his girlfriend interviewing and researching the deeds of the now elderly hitman and his partner Rascal. Abdul is collaborating with acclaimed 100 BULLETS artist Risso to bring a book that feels so dark and grim that you can’t help but make comparisons to 100 BULLETS. This is such an amazing issue and I truly wish it was a weekly instead of a monthly. It has the right feel and look and is so very highly recommended!

ULTIMATE BLACK PANTHER #1 by Bryan Hill and Stefano Caselli. Following the monumental success of ULTIMATE SPIDER-MAN  #1, Marvel gives us the next piece of the Ultimate Universe puzzle. The Panther rules the nation of Wakanda but there is unrest and that is led by the followers of Khonshu and Ra. It becomes the task of the Panther, along with Killmonger, to lead an army against the Moon Knight and his followers. While I wasn’t as blown away as I was with the first entry in this universe, it was a fun read. The story is filled with action and political intrigued while the art does the job of carrying the narrative along.

ULTIMATE X-MEN  #1 by Peach Momoko. The third Ultimate release is about a Japanese girl with mysterious powers who is troubled by the death of a close friend. How did she get these powers? Was it from a mysterious charm given to her by her dead friend? And what is with the equally dark creature that seems to torment her? This is one weird title and feels like Momoko’s DEMON DAYS series. This is my least favorite of the three Ultimate titles thus far and I think much of that is because I do not know where the heck it is going. Our heroine is not realty a mutant and we have seen no others. So what is going on here? I will certainly give it another shot but this may drop off my pull list if we do not get answers soon.

VAMPIRELLA #666 by Christopher Priest and Ergun Gunduz. It seems Dynamite has done some math and have gone to Legacy numbering as they march towards #700. Picking up from all the previous threads and so many of the characters from the earliest of Priest’s recent run, with characters including Victory, Draculina, Lilith, Benny, and Shane…even a little bit of Dracula here…unless that FBI guy she is schtupping  and calling her husband turns out to be someone else.  Someone want to tell him she is also getting busy with some of her lady friends too? But this harkens back to the early run in both feeling and look, thanks to art by Gunduz. If the plan is to have this whole storyline reach a conclusion with #700, we have a way to go to see Priest’s endgame.

THE SPECTACULAR SPIDER-MEN #1 by Greg Weisman and Humberto Ramos. Oh look: ANOTHER SPIDER-MAN series! Feels like the Eighties again when we had three, plus GIANT-SIZE! This time, Peter teams up with Miles to battles a rampaging creature known as The Jackal. Not that Jackal, ALTHOUGH IT COULD BE, BECAUSE…YOOU KNOW: CLONES! But it may have been made by THAT Jackal-AKA Miles Warren, as we learn from Miles Warren’s brother(wait-he had a brother? Oh yeah: forgot about that!). Apparently the creature got loose while Doctor Seymour Krepps was inventorying Miles lab. Or maybe it IS Miles back again. Either way, the book touches on a lot of Spider-Man history and the inclusion of Miles Morales just seems to be a chance to keep the character relevant while we wait for the next movie(yes I know there is a monthly book with Morales but I’m not a huge fan of it). All in all, a fun read if you understand the history of The Jackal and others.

DC UNIVERSE Month 74, Part 2

HARLEY QUINN # 38 by Tini Howard, Natacha Bustos, Brandt, and Stein. Harley’s friends throw her a birthday party and she renews her friendship with the Bodu Doubles. Later, she and Ivy take down some bad guys who are deforesting the planet to make chocolate. Harley later teams up with the Body Doubles and decides to turn back towards her life of crime. The trio attack the head of the recently attacked chocolate factory with Carmen getting shot in the process. They blow up the boat, after stealing the cash stash, possibly killing everyone on board. In the end, Mr. Freeze meets with Harley, saying he needs a teacher and she is it. In the backup, Harley battles Kite-man, finally apprehending him after some humorous moments.

JUSTICE LEAGUE VS. GODZILLA VS. KONG #6 by Brian Buccellato and Christian Duce. With Godzilla currently secured at the bottom of the sea and Superman still in a coma, the League tries to figure their next move. Luthor has activated Mechagodzilla but Batman has created his own mech. Green Lantern creates a construct mech and the teams face off. When Kong, Grodd and Kara arrive, Kara fights against her teammates, as she has been compromised by Grodd. In the process, Grodd kills Guy Gardner, but loses his mind-controlling crown in the process, allowing Kara to break free of his control. As the battle rages, Superman, free from his coma, heads underwater to fight Godzilla.

JUSTICE SOCIETY OF AMERICA # 9 by Geoff Johns and Mikel Janin. The current team continues to recruit villains to become part of their team. Quiz Kid meets with Mr. Terrific, explaining he is using one of his Q-Spheres to put the Fair Play Club back together. Meanwhile, Hawkman, Stargirl, Power Girl and the Witch Girl meet with Harlequin’s son as he is torturing an abuser. They try to take him down but that does not occur until a mysterious stranger known as The Legionnaire arrives to help apprehend him. It is explained he is an obscure Golden Age hero who once assisted members of the JSA. He explains that, because of Helena Wayne’s presence, the team is the only chance to change his future. When he removes his mask, he reveals himself as Mordru, who will eventually destroy the 31sy Century and this time period also.

KNEEL BEFORE ZOD #3 by Joe Casey and Dan McDaid. Dru-Zod and ursa lead an attack on the Khunds, severely depleting the Khunds forces. The Khunds come up with the idea to block one of the two yellow suns providing the Zods with their super-strength. Despite becoming powerless, Dru-Zod finds a way to restore the sun, even as the Khunds launch a missile striker. Dru-Zod finds Ursa and she appears to be dead.

NIGHTWING #112 by Tom Taylor, Michael W. Conrad, Francesco Francavilla,  and Sam Basri. Dick goes to visit Iko but finds him missing, although he left a note saying HELP. He and batman discover that Iko had been kidnapped by his uncle, who also killed Iko’s father, and they are headed to Ho Chi Minh City. After borrowing a jet from the Titans, the pair head to Ho Chi Minh City, rescuing Iko and apprehending his uncle. In the backup, Gray’s Son fights against his captors but gets stabbed by the Joker character. Despite his wound, he fights back. Many years later, The Joker person remarks how he is troubled that Gray’s Son is still out there somewhere.

OUTSIDERS #5 by Jackson Lanzing, Collin Kelly, and Robert Carey. Luke and Kate attend a gala filled with some of the worst villains and hosted by Nocturna. Luke finds a captive girl and works to free her from this place while Kate is introduced to Nocturna’s son, who she calls The End. Nocturna explains that he will eventually kill everyone in this universe. Luke frees the girl, who reveals herself to actually be Klarion, who explains he just saved Luke’s life. Meanwhile, Drummer goes to the Demon Bar and strikes a deal with a demon in exchange for him telling her how to find the “place between”. He insists that she kill someone in his name and Drummer does that, killing him after he reveals the secret. The trio meets outside, with Drummer and Luke going off to pursue an angle and Kate putting on her Batwoman outfit and watching over the city.

THE PENGUIN #8 by Tom King and Rafael De Latorre. Jim Gordon investigates a massacre resulting in 37 dead, including the Force of July. In a flashback, we see how Penguin’s children ae actively trying to kill their father. He meets with The Riddler, explaining that he himself will take out his children. Batman tells Penguin that, even though he may be back, the rules are their same. Later, Penguin meets with his daughter, who tells him she will kill his team, St. Claire and him, before they tell each other she loves him. In the end, we see that one of the 37 killed is Penguin’s son, who has an umbrella jammed into his chest.

POISON IVY #20 by G. Willow Wilson and Mariko Takara. In the past, Pam continues to do experimental work for Woodrue, who has a mysterious rash on his neck, and he tasks her with breaking into a lab and steal more items he needs. Back in school, she meets a new student, Bella Garten, who will eventually become known as The Gardener. Woodrue immediately takes a liking to Garten and brings her into the fold but, during the course of things, Ivy starts a secret romantic relationship with Garten. Garten creates a creature and Woodrue has mutated along the way and Ivy agrees to be one of his test subjects.

POWER GIRL #7 by Leah Williams and Maugerite Sauvage. Supergirl and Power Girl, both powerless, wander through Ferimbia, seeking the missing people. They meet Epione Pruxis, who explains that after Madame Avice was defeated in POWER GIRL #5, she ended up here and took over the kingdom from Queen Adroris. The two heroes go off to take on Avice’s henchmen Comedy and Tragedy and stop the production of Avalon. They lead an attack on the castle, free the Queen, who banishes Avice, and stops the production of Avalon. In the end, they are declared Champions of Ferimbia.

RED HOOD: THE HILL #2 by Shawn Martinbrough and Sanford Greene. It is revealed that, during the Joker War, Omar’s wife and daughter were killed, which may have led to his turn. Dana is struggling to keep her team together, even as a pair of her team want to leave to start a family. Omar has been working for Demetrius, who no longer likes the methods Omar is using to propagate his agenda. While Jason meets with the team and appears to take control, Demetrius goes to find help from…Killer Croc?

SHAZAM #9 by Mark Waid and Gordon Emanuela Lupacchino. Billy endures an uncomfortable interview with Jack Ryder. Following the interview, Ryder tricks Billy into reading words, which turns him into The Captain. In return, Ryder turns into The Creeper. And the pair head to a train that is inhabited by riders who have been turned into shadows by Shadow Thief. Shadow Thief has a ransom that is half a trillion in untraceable Crypto. The train crashes and, while they work to save people, The Captain turns back into Billy so he can see Shadow Thief. Working together, Creeper and The Captain work together to secure Shadow Thief and force him to free the passengers. In the end, Ryder returns home and is greeted by Metamorpho, who he previously referred to as “Souffle face”.

SINISTER SONS #2 by Peter J. Tomasi, Vasco Georgiev, and David Lafuente. The sons of Sinestro and Zod fight over control of Lor-Zod’s ship. During their fight, they end up inside of a giant space creature. Eventually leaving the ship, they encounter a strange traveler inside the bowels of the creature.

SPEED FORCE #5 by Jarrett Williams and Daniele Di Nicuolo. In the recent past, Fiddler meets with Madame Xanadu, who reveals he will achieve his goals but at a cost to all around him. Meanwhile the team continue to deal with effects from the app, including battling with Mas Y Menos, and get saved by Roundhouse. They eventually meet with Mister Terrific, who reveals his T-Mask was probably responsible for him not being affected by the brainwashing effects of the app. With the assistance of Blue Beetle and Roundhouse, they invade the dance club where they find captive, brainwashed scientists. Wallace heads to the dance floor where Booster Gold is hosting the Symphonee Music Festival. He introduces Mumble-Bee, who is actually Klarion and his cat Teekl. It is time for Wallace to end this.

SUICIDE SQUAD: DREAM TEAM #1 by Nicole Maines and Eddy Barrows. Amanda Waller has put together a new Task Force X team consisting of Harley Quinn, Deadeye, Clock King, Dreamer, Bizarro, and Black Alice. She sends them to Gamorra with the goal to take make the defense systems and lower the shield dome that surrounds the island. Rather than enter normally, the team is sent through the Dream Realm with Dreamer’s help. They enter through someone’s dream, only to find that person is dead, meaning their way out is gone. With Bizarro off on a rampage, Dreamer, who confesses to being Trans, tells Harley that Amanda is threatening her home, which has led her to siding with Amanda. Using her predictive powers, she sees how all of this ends, with lots of deaths including superman, Ivy, and The Flash, among others.

SUPERMAN #12 by Joshua Williamson and David Baldeon. As the heroes try to find a way to counteract the Kryptonite cloud, Lex tells how it all began. As a y9ung boy, he found a small piece of Kryptonite and it became his life goal to find more. Later, when he has grown, he faces off against Pharm and Graft but, when he sees they have Kryptonite, they form an alliance, which Luthor eventually broke. Using Parasite, the Kryptonite gets drained from the atmosphere as Luthor battles his mother. Lena has LL-01 shut down both her father and grandmother’s armor, forcing Superman to save them both. In the end, with all the villains in jail, Lobo frees himself and it appears Brainiac is coming.

TITANS #9 by Tom Taylor and Lucas Meyer. The members of the Quintessence note the Dark-Winged Queen is rising. On Earth, the Titans, without Gar, continue to clean up after the storm that devastated Key West. Raven’s father notes this and is concerned she will not embrace her destiny. He goes to visit Waller, where he offers her the Presidency but she says she wants a better deal. Hermes arrives to tell Donna Troy of the impending danger but he is dispatched by raven, saying he was only a demon in disguise.

WESLEY DODDS: THE SANDMAN #6 by Robert Venditti and Riley Rossimo. Vanderlyle is ready to kill Humphries when Sandman arrives. The two fight, with Wesley being severely beaten and stabbed. But he manages to retrieve his notes about his gas and burns them in the fireplace. Just as Vanderlyle is about to kill Wesley, Dian arrives and shoots the villain, killing him and saving Wesley. In the end, Wesley meets Dian’s nephew Sandy when he gets a visit from the future Justice Society of America, who invite him to join.

WONDER WOMAN #7 by Tom King and Guillem March. In a tale from just after WONDER WOMAN #5, Wonder Woman and Superman head off to the Andromeda Mall to buy a birthday present for Batman. ,They window shop, eat, take in a movie, and get manicures and pedicures, while also talking about Diana’s recent troubles. In the end, they settle on a coal-crushed diamond and a series of photos from a photo booth as the present, with batman giving the diamond to someone who can benefit from it.

DC UNIVERSE Month 74, Part 1

ACTION COMICS #1063 by Jason Aaron and John Timms. In his mind, Superman is sill battling with Bizarro. But, in the real world, The Joker is one of the last people not infected by Bizarro and he is acting as Superman’s guide to help him fight. Inside his mind, Superman dies and does so many times. Eventually, he gains control and meets with The Joker, who actually provides enough motivation for Superman to break free, allowing him to break the magic spell responsible for all of this. It frees everyone and, in the process, turns Joker back into the madman he has always been. Despite being back to normal, Superman knows that a part of Bizarro will always be deep inside of him.

ALAN SCOTT: THE GREEN LANTERN #5 by Tim Sheridan and Cian Tormey. While Alan, now possessing the power of the Red Flame, fights against the red Lantern, his body is slowly being destroyed by the power. Vladimir confesses that the red energy is the only thing keeping him alive after he had been killed and resurrected many times by the Russian experiments. Meanwhile, his partner activate the Lantern and Alan suddenly finds himself somewhere between life and death and is told about the Guardians and how the green energy is a part of the spectrum found in the Starheart. He is revived and now possess his power again, even as multiple crimson energy spikes erupt throughout the city. Valdimir finds he was betrayed by the government and the Crimson Host has arrived to be Red Lantern’s replacement. Vladimir’s lantern is destroyed and things look bad…until the Justice Society arrives.

AMAZONS ATTACK #6 by Josie Campbell and Vasco Georgiev. The defeated Amazons discover that the person calling themselves Asylum is an ancient Amazon who has inhabited Ismene Dimakos and has set all the recent events in motion to punished the Amazons for her death so long ago. With Sivana poised to unleash the rest of the apples, she feels the Amazons will have to flee to Greece and she will take them. Hoppy frees Nubia and she frees Faruka, Yara, and Mary Marvel. While the Amazons fight Asylum, Mary and Happy travel around the world to stops Ivana’s plan. The combined forces defeat Asylum and, in exchange for their names being cleared, Nubia tells Sarge Steel they will turn over Asylum to A.X.E.

BATMAN #145 by Chip Zdarsky, Jorge Jimenez, and Michele Bandini. Batman is still captured alongside The Joker, who has just revealed what may have been his origin. Batman manages to pick the lock of their cell and makes his escape, finding that Vandal Savage is also jailed here. He asks Vandal what his endgame is but, before he can get an answer, Batman is attacked by Failsafe’s robots. When he awakes, he finds himself  meeting Daniel Captio, his former mentor who also may have mentored The Joker. He reveals that The Batman of Zur-En-Arrh has made him the warden. Meanwhile, Failsafe is out delivering his own, violent brand of justice. Jason gets in the fight but is defeated. Failsafe visits The Riddler and apprehends him. Damian arrives and Failsafe convinces him that he is actually his father. In the backup, it is revealed how Captio worked with The Joker and tasked him with finding a way to bring the dark self out of The Batman.

BATMAN AND ROBIN #7 by Joshua Williamson and Simone Di Meo. Man Bat has managed to draft a horde of followers and Shush finds herself at odds with Man Bat, as she has her own agenda. Meanwhile, Flatline is here now and she is looking for assistance to find her sister, who had gone off to find Flatline. Damian agrees to help while his father plans to continue investigating Man Bat’s cult. Flatline reveals that she was running Lord Death Man’s criminal empire but found it boring, so finding her sister was just what she was looking for to keep herself entertained. As it turns out, Ras is in her head and insists that she tell Damian the real reason she wanted to see Damian. Their search leads them to the Iceberg Lounge where they find that Flatline’s sister may not have been a hostage. Batman apprehends Walter Murray who takes a pill given to him by Man Bat, which transforms and kills him. As Batman wonders why Langstrom is doing this, Shush arrives, telling Batman that Man-Bat lied to Murray and to her and she suggests that she and Batman team up.

BATMAN DYLAN DOG #1 by Roberto Recchioni, Gigi Cavenago, and Werther Dell’Edera. In the recent past, a man meets The Joker and delivers a letter, before being killed by the clown. Inside is a plane ticket to London and a letter from a Dr. Xabaras. Xabaras met The Joker in the past and not only inspired him but did some reconstructive surgery on him. Before he leaves, he cuts a wicked grin into the face of a woman he has had captive. Xabaras has Dylan Dog and his associates captive as he is going to use them to continue his experiments with making people live forever. But Dylan manages to get everyone free and sets off a bomb that apparently kills the doctor and his creations. Currently, Batman is tormenting the criminals of the underworld searching for The Joker, who is in England with Killer Croc and meets with Xabaras. Bruce and Alfred go to England, where they meet Dylan’s personal assistant Groucho, and also Dylan, who has been sharing a bed with Selina Kyle. Bruce explains he needs to find Xabaras and .Dylan insists on a séance, as the doctor is dead. Dylan and Groucho go searching in the London sewers and run into Croc, with them getting saved by Catwoman, who takes on Croc herself. The undead arrive and chase after Dylan and Groucho, but get saved by Batman. Dylan dispatches most of the undead but Groucho disappears in the process. Groucho and Catwoman are kidnapped by The Joker, who plans to use Xabaras’ serum on them. Catwoman frees herself and flees but this leaves Groucho behind. Batman and Dylan agree to team up when a badly injured Catwoman arrives.

BATMAN/SUPERMAN: WORLD’S FINEST #25 by Mark Waid, Dan Mora, and Steve Pugh. Many years ago, Batman and Superman apprehend The Joker and take him to Arkham, where he meets Lex Luthor. Some time later, the pair team up to try and find and steal a magical artifact of unimagined power. The pair find the hidden entrance and soon find themselves travelling through a cavern where they see statues of the Seven Deadly Sins. As they progress through a series of dimensional rifts, they see all manner of places including one where observe Jonah Hex. They eventually find the artifact which they fight over, resulting in the item breaking. In the backup, which is a prologue to IMPOSSIBLE, something strange is happening in the Batcave, with the giant dinosaur and Abraham Lincoln coming to life and fighting each other.. They decide to call Superman, but he emerges from a rift with many of the creatures from his alien zoo. Mxyzptlk and Bat-Mite appear, looking for help as someone is murdering their friends and swearing they were not responsible for what has happened.

BATMAN: THE BRAVE AND THE BOLD #11 by Karl Kerschl, Christos Gage, Delilah S. Dawson, Michael W. Conrad, Zac Thompson, Norm Rapamund, Danny Kim, Serg Acuna, PJ Holden, and Ashley Wood. With Tristan turned into a bat, he flees while Maps gets students to hide. She reaches out to Bruce, forcing him to leave his date with Isla. Maps and Batman team up to chase Tristan, which leads them to follow four bat creatures to the old St. Augustine church. He captures one of the creatures, who begs for help before fleeing. Bruce goes to visit Anastasia and finds himself in the middle of a party with what turns out to be a group of vampires. He meets the Mother of the group and flees. He ends up at Langstrom’s, who tries to counteract the vampire bite, but Bruce flees, arriving at Isla’s house, asking to be invited in. In the second tale, Bat Lash is forced to fight for his life and for money against one of the toughest guys in the West. Luckily, Bat Lash’s sister saves him in the end. In the third tale, Artemis deals with the poison in her system, coming through it and heading off to her next challenge. In the fourth tale, a bunch of soldiers are captured and tortured when one of the soldiers named Stein reveals himself at Sgt. Rock and frees everyone. In the final tale, Batman investigates the grisly death of Ratcatcher, only to ultimately discover the Zodiac Master is responsible.

BIRDS OF PREY #7 .by Kelly Thompson and Javier Pina. Dinah, Barbara and Meridian try to find out what is going on with both Dinah and a mysterious traveler’s trip through time and how they are connected to both The Green and The Red. Meanwhile, Barda and Cass are continuing to train Sin. Barbara and Dinah meet with Mari, who recently woke up to find herself in the middle of committing a robbery. She enlists the help of the Birds and that means they go undercover as runway models.

BLUE BEETLE #7 by Josh Trujillo, Natacha Bustos, Howard Porter, Cully Hamner, Scott Kolins, and Adrian Gutierrez. Jaime and Booster Gold team up so they can find ted Kord, who was “chopped up in the time stream”. The goal is to create anchors at various spots in time to bring Ted home. They first go to the Justice League International embassy, where Jaime meets Maxwell Lord. Next stop takes them to the future, where Blue Beetle teams up with L.E.G.I.O.N. Lastly, Beetle ends up in El Paso with his mother. As he leaves the Time Stream, he is captured by Lobo, who brings him to Jonni DC, who chides him for having a confusing back story. Ted finds himself back where he belongs and Booster leaves. In the end, Nitida meets with Ted’s sister, asking her to help her get rid of her beetle.

CATWOMAN #63 by Tini Howard and Carmine Di Giandomenico. Catwoman travels undersea to rescue filmmaker Justice Jordan from Veronica Viceroy and her N.E.M.O. cell. She succeeds at the cost of one of her lives but eventually goes back to rescue his documentary, which almost costs her another life. She meets with Bast who explains it was not her who saved her. In the end, Santa Espada and Eduardo Flamingo meet Viceroy and a partnership appears to be forming.

DETECTIVE COMICS #1083 by Ram V, Dan Watters, Riccardo Federici, and Stefano Raffaele. Batman continues to fight off the effects of Azmer while dreaming of a meeting with Dr. Hurt in his dreams. And defeats him, while also defeating Dr. Hurt within his mind. Along the way he comes face to face with the Azmer and defeats him. Meanwhile, Talia faces off against Flamingo and, with Batman’s help, assist her and defeats him. At the same time, Jim Gordon meets with The Question, who is trying to solve Henry Fielding’s murder. They get menaced by armed men and suddenly Batman arrives. In the backup, Selma, who claims she is Dr. Hurt, introduces her captive, Lieutenant James, to the real Dr. Hurt. To her surprise, she finds there are multiple Dr. Hurt persons and that the castle is actually a sentient pocket dimension and he dispatches her. He talks to the captive and tells him to wake. When James wakes, he finds that this is all part of an experiment and he has been given a hallucinogen as part of an experiment by Dr. Hurt.

THE FLASH #7 by Si Spurrier and Ramon Perez. Max Mercury and Impulse get taken captive by The Linear Men, who inform them that someone has murdered the future and that the Speed Force is falling apart. He shows them the collected speedsters and tells them that reality is crumbling because the speedsters keep using their speed powers, which is when Impulse realizes they haven’t been rescued but arrested. Meanwhile, Barry meets with Linda. He admits to having gaps in his memory and Linda nonchalantly tells him to stop worrying because her husband is a superhero.. He heads off  and attacks Mr. Terrific’s lab. He gets restrained and is informed that Wally has gained the ability to shift between the layers of existence. In the end, Wally finds himself in the Gallery and sees what is presumed to be an Arc Angle.

GREEN ARROW #10 by Joshua Williamson and Sean Izaakse. Oliver and Connor head off to find Roy, running into Arrowette, Red Arrow, and Red Canary in the process. Mia Dearden, AKA Speedy, is also here and it is revealed they are all working with Roy. Ollie manages to get into the structure they find, revealing it is a Justice League facility. Once inside, he battles Roy, who is convinced that Ollie is just a part of the Sanctuary program. Ollie reveals the brain bombs that have been installed are actually transporters, which explains the recent transporting episodes that affected Ollie and Lian. They decide to get the Sanctuary program and leave but the system resets and now they are facing Justice league heroes created by the program.

GREEN LANTERN #9 by Jeremy Adams, Sam Humphries, Xermanico, and Yasmin Flores Montanez. Hal enters the cave he was sent to by Madame Xanadu. In this spectacular garden he finds within, he also finds longtime friend Tom Kalmaku, who was once one of the New Guardians but is now retired with his wife and children. He temporarily gave that up and, as the last of the New Guardians, he was told that he had been called here and was tasked to guard it until a Lantern arrived. Tom opens The Green, revealing an Oan Power Battery, which was left as a failsafe in case something happened to the power battery on Oa. It opens to reveal enough Lantern rings for every Lantern in Sector 2814. Hal dons a ring and finds his powers are back. Hal heads into space and finds himself battling Lanterns who see him as a traitor. In the process, Joe Mullen arrives to lend a hand. In the backup, Jessica Cruz has been captured by Thaaros and his followers and is being tried for treason. Lantern Endicott explains how Cruz stopped Endicott from destroying the Orange Central Power Battery. Cruz explains that what she did was stop the Orange Energy from spilling out into the universe. A mysterious assassin arrives and Cruz saves Thaaros. She agrees to side with Thaaros, which is only part of her plan to get inside his organization.

GREEN LANTERN: WAR JOURNAL #7 6 by Phillip Kennedy Johnson and Montos. John finds himself lost in space, at a breach between time and space,  and meets Byla, who tells him of a pending war between gods and mortals. He observes a war occurring and is warned of the coming of the Star Shroud. Meanwhile, the Steel family and Lantern Shepherd visit John’s mother, trying to convince the Ellie construct to say they do not like the care she is currently getting from her.