@RobBex2
Scott Snyder and Greg Capullo were tasked with bringing Batman into the New 52 and have become synonymous with the Caped Crusader. When you think of the great Batman creative duos, it’s not so strange to place Snyder and Capullo up there now with the likes of Neal Adams and Dennis O’Neil. While Tom King has been tearing up the Batman series, people have been clamoring for more Snyder/Capullo behind the cowl; we’re finally treated to the return with Batman: Last Knight On Earth under the DC Black Label and to no disappointment. The beautiful thing about Snyder is that he, much like Jason Aaron on Thor, connects every volume and every issue that he writes. There are no throwaway lines.
With Batman: LKOE, we see Batman awake in Arkham in a future that he doesn’t realize. This is a Batman who *SPOILERS* learns he is one of the clones that Batman: Prime has created after he has passed. The Justice League is all but dead, humanity is all but wiped out, and even Wonder Woman can’t do anything but take what’s left of the JL and humanity into hell itself to protect them from the horrors on the surface –- the horrors that were created out of Gotham and possibly Batman himself.
The only two people that can figure out and save the world are Batman and a Joker head inside a lantern. The ‘next issue’ page showed a Scarecrow that has been merged with Bane, so that should be interesting as hell to see what happens there.
Thus far, Last Knight is an amazing read and the story and art are superb. Snyder and Capullo fire on all cylinders and it’s a “grab you by the shirt and never let go” type of story and that is always a fantastic combination. Go out and grab you a copy. 4.5/5 Black Labeled Bibles.
-Robert Bexar
DC comics kicks off this summer with this anthology one-shot featuring some of DC’s best characters, both known and obscure. Despite that commonality, the tone of each story varies from highly fantastic and comedic to introspective and reflective. The story showcases DC’s wide variety with a laid-back look into various characters without being too serious.
Writers such as Kenny Porter, Joshua Williamson, Dan Didio, and G. Willow Wilson — just to name a few — bring this book together, and like most anthologies, there are stronger and weaker stories told. Williamson’s Killer Croc gave me a glimpse on his regrets living the life of a criminal, while Wilson’s Ferdinand story was very funny and straightforward.
They all are very “slice of life,” so if you’re not into whichever of these eight stories you’re on, chances are you’ll find yourself invested in the next. Personally, I felt the Killer Croc story was the height of this anthology, with Croc on a journey to help an old friend. There was a story about Batcow which, to me, was the weakest link yet still made me chuckle quite a bit. Not everyone will walk away from this with the same favorite and least favorite stories, and that’s what makes this one-shot exciting.
These kinds of collections are somewhat rare and not released as often as in the mainline comics. As enjoyable as this one was, I’d say it’s too fun and, at times, too ridiculous to pass up. 3.5/5 Batcows.
-Matt Garza
**BONUS REVIEW**
It’s an age old story. War between the gods. This time, we have only two goddesses left in the entire universe! Brigid (Goddess of the Sun) and the Morrigan (Goddess of Death). We don’t learn much in the premier comic, except Brigid has a crazy space army, while Morrigan has a crazy fairy, witch army.
Normally, I would be all about this, but that is literally the entire story! Joe Corallo introduces a couple other characters, but there is no depth or back story to anything. I can’t say I was a huge fan of the art or color choices, either. Liana Kangas‘s line work, while beautiful, was a bit too simple for me, while Rebecca Nalty‘s love for the pinks and purples became a bit jarring after the first few pages.
I love a good, strong female-driven story, but I feel I can predict the next 10 issues from the very little I was given. Hopefully, it surprises us with the next installment. 2.5/5.
-Jimmy Cupps