James Tynion IV Archives

November 11, 2020November 11, 2020

ATLANTIS ATTACKS / BATMAN [Comics Reviews]: Black And Blue.

After wondering where disgruntled Namor went after Avengers, I happened to come up on Atlantis Attacks. I mean, where else can I find him? The Avengers were too busy dealing with Khonshu and now Mephisto, and that has gotten rather tiring. Marvel can’t just be X, Thor, and Hulk books. The Agents of Atlas, former and new, are battling for the fate of Pan. Pan is Mike Nguyen’s island for persecuted refugees that was powered by an Atlantean dragon. And of course Namor took issue with this.

I’m an Amadeus Cho fan, and a fan of any other genius-type character. Cho and Nguyen outsmarting each other in this book works. Jimmy Woo’s origin broken down into a David Icke YouTube video was very entertaining. I dig both Agents teams because there isn’t a Wolverine, or some other super obvious strong guy on the teams. Well, Giant-Man, maybe, but it’s not like Colossus, Thing, Thor, or Hulk. This book reminded me to pay more attention to those characters and I’d wish they’d get more of a push in the Previews magazines. Instead we get Knull, and stories of black symbiote GOO every now and then. Wave and Cho take lead in this book and I was very entertained, so that’s props going to writer Greg Pak.

The art, by Ario Anindito and Robert Gill, was decent. It wasn’t sloppy. I’m not a fan of the Aqua-Namor look. While I’m all for the future and creation of new archetypes as Agents of ATLAS endeavors to do, I want Namor to be a lot edgier and more Spock like in appearance. When Namor took out Wakanda, he was taken a lot more seriously. I know the universe was rebooted by Jonathan Hickman’s Reed Richards, but this Namor seems more like a childish bully rather than an angry Mutant Monarch. Hopefully they develop Namor’s character more in this series.

For an Atlantis Attacks book, which reminds me of the series from the 1989 with Attuma, Namor needs to be a lot more dominating. In this case, the old sea serpent is a dragon. Anyways, the mishandling of Namor cost them a Bible point, but I will continue to check out this series to see how it’s resolved. That interest earns it… 4/5 Bibles.

– Rob Maldonado

Gotham City is still recovering from the Joker War, and Batman/Bruce Wayne is broke. What better time for a new antagonist to come to Gotham and shake things up? Enter: Ghost-maker, a rival from Bruce’s teenager years when he was traveling across the globe to train with every master he could find, honing his skills to become the Dark knight we know and love.

We don’t know much about this mysterious new foe yet, except he seams very well funded, and has bested Bruce in the past. He sports a flashy techno Ninja-like suit, and wields two katana,s and seems hellbent on taking Batman down and becoming the new Protector of Gotham. Issue #102 is brought to you by James Tynion IV with kinetic artwork by Carlo Pagulayan, Carlos D’Ana and inks by the legendary Danny Miki.

Since the new “hero” doesn’t like Bat’s methods and feels he has failed at his self-appointed job of being Gotham’s protector, I dig the concept over trying to overtake the mantle– even if on the surface it sounds a little “been there, done that”. And it definitely helps that this new rival is from a time before Bruce became the bat. I’m not in love with the suit yet; it feels a little extra, and frankly a bit bulky. How does he move in that thing, it’s so damn flowy!?

In the end, I’m looking forward to the evolution of Ghost-Maker, and I have a feeling he’s going to be around for awhile. With no fortune to buy or repair his suit, or buy new tech, and no Lucius Fox or Alfred to rely on, how will Batman best a man that seems to be his better in every way? It will definitely be time to bring in backup, but who will answer the call if there even is one? 3/5 Batarangs.

–Gary Brooks

November 2, 2020November 3, 2020

TMNT – THE LAST RONIN / THE DEPARTMENT OF TRUTH / X OF SWORDS STASIS [Reviews]: Calm Before The Storm..

Dark future stories where a once-hopeful, determined hero has become disillusioned, angry, and vengeful like the one in The Last Ronin are fairly commonplace in comics, the most famous example being The Dark Knight Returns, which is why it’s actually somewhat shocking that it’s taken this long to get one from the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, a property heavily influenced early on by Frank Miller comics that’s been around since the late 80’s with elements that seem so perfect for this type of story.

That said, maybe it was for the best that it’s taken this long because, based on this first issue, the story’s certainly worth the wait.

This issue — written by Kevin Eastman and Tom Waltz, based on a story Eastman and Turtles’ co-creator Peter Laird outlined all the way back in the 80’s — is all about the last living turtle on a suicide mission, a last quest of vengeance after the death of his brothers and father. It’s exciting and intense and the combination of Esau and Isaac Escorza‘s art and Luis Antonio Delgado‘s colors does a fantastic job of depicting the sense of anger and tragedy following the lone turtle every step of the way.

However, all of this could have been for naught had the story in this issue not been good, and one simple way to ruin would have been to pick the wrong turtle for this story. While, the wrong turtle would be different for every reader, the turtle this one turns out to be is the perfect one for me because he’s the one most out of his element in a story like this, which could make the most interesting story. Possibly the best part of this issue for me, however, is that it doesn’t just feel like the first chapter of a larger story, something I’ve criticized a pretty large portion of the comics I’ve reviewed before because it’s so prevalent in modern comics. All in all, this issue has just about everything I love in comics. 5/5 Ronin Bibles.

– Kevin Palma

**DEPARTMENT OF TRUTH #1** – Image Comics

Image Comics released the premiere issue of Department of Truth at the very end of last month. I wasn’t too drawn to the cover, or the art inside the book. I did manage to read it digitally and was glad I did. Sacha Baron Cohen spoke recently on the Age of Reasoning ending via fearmongering, and the growing disdain for truth ruining democracy.

Writer James Tynion IV takes a stab at Reason’s Antagonist with this series. The series hits with such relevance as Youtube, Wikipedia, and Google run the trade of information. I am already a fan of Tynion IV for his consistency and great work on Bat Books. I pray this series doesn’t fade away like Black Monday Murders, or The Dead and Dying. I anticipated reading issue 2 of this series after issue 1 cleverly took on Flat Earthers.

Issue 2 sort of deals with the relevant Qanon conspiracy running wild about adrenal glands being used by Satanic cults in popular mainstream media. The book touches on how mass paranoia affects reality insomuch that the fear becomes an almost tangible thing. There’s even some fun for David Icke enthusiasts. I think the main character, Cole, is great and his vulnerability reflects the suggestive audience of current times.

I deducted a bible point because I wish this book’s art had attracted me to the story instead of putting me off. That being said, the art fits the story being told. Artist Martin Simmonds brings that 30 Days of Night style that made me not pick up 30 Days of Night. In the long run I accepted it because it fit, but you have to really be in the mood for such a stylish technique. It’s a blend between Alex Maleev, Bill Sienkiewicz and Dave McKean. It works for the nature of this book. I would have picked up the book if it were Aaron Campbell, Hellblazer‘s current artist, because it’s grittier, cleaner, realistic, and morphs into abstraction well. Though, that would make Department too scary. We’re already trying to make out the truth, and Simmonds really has us squinting the eyes. It’s a good read so far and I recommend it. 4/5 Bibles.

– Rob Maldonado

**X OF SWORDS: STASIS #1** – Marvel Comics

Ooohhh we’re halfway there, ooohhoooh livin on a……sorry got carried away! Stasis #1 is the eleventh book in the twenty-two part art crossover X-Men crossover “X of Swords”. Written by the powerhouse team of Jonathan Hickman and Tini Howard, and beautifully drawn by Pepe Larraz and Mahmud Asrar, it is out now and here’s what we know so far.

If you’ve been following along so far, in the first ten or so issues the Champions of Krakoa have been revealed and each has acquired their sword. Now they await the contest of champions that will decide the fate of mutantkind and the world. I’ve really enjoyed this story for the most part, though some of stories felt a bit rushed, but did each of our hero’s enough justice that I’ll give the writers a pass. After all there is a lot to cover…they are rewriting the history of mutantkind after all. I get it!

This brings us to our current issue that reveals the Champions of Arakko and their acquisition of the swords they will wield in the contest to come, or their recruitment into said contest. I personally would have liked to see a little more time spent fleshing out the backstories of these characters only because most of these folks we have only just been introduced to and we don’t know much about yet. Hopefully we will get more details in the next eleven books that follow.

So far I really dig the reimagining of Apocalypse’s origin and mutants as a whole, especially with far more of an elemtn of fantasy thrown in. Also, the little twist at the end was appreciated despite seeming kinda predictable. Now that we know all of the players, it’s game on. 4/5 Swords.

– Gary Brooks

October 17, 2020

AMERICAN VAMPIRE 1976 / BATMAN #100 / THE DOOMED AND THE DAMNED [Reviews]: Two Bats Are Better Than One.

“Alter Boi” Frank Simonian
@scarletdadspidr

**AMERICAN VAMPIRE #1** – DC Comics Black Label

Just in time for Halloween, DC Comics released the newest chapter in the American Vampire series. Writer Scott Snyder and artist Rafael Albuquerque return to the series and bring the same energy from the Vertigo line into the Black Label family. DC Black Label made the right choice finding a home for American Vampire 1976, and releasing the first issue in October is on brand.

American Vampire 1976 picks up in the era which shares the title, discoooo is killer. Issue one tracks some returning favorites from the series with some slight changes. For example: we find out what a now mortal Skinner Sweet is up to. VMS is trying to hold itself together while investigating a killer dubbed “The Peeling Man,” and the connection to The Original Evil. Did I mention Travis Kidd?

There are rednecks, explosions, Evel Knievel-esque stunts, secret specie organizations, EVIL, a heist scheme, and DISCO?! The issue ends on a cliffhanger that I will not spoil here, but I encourage fans not to sleep on this next chapter. It will be the death of you. 4.5/5 Unholy Bibles.

-Frank Simonian

“El Sacerdote” J.L. Caraballo Twitter @captzaff007

“The Joker War” reaches its inevitable climax in Batman #100, and it’s the end of a massive crossover that once again changes the status quo for the Dark Knight and his family and blah blah blah. The year-long arc — which kicked off when the Joker managed to steal the entire Wayne Enterprises fortune — finds some of the familiar Bat-characters falling back into familiar roles (hello again Oracle!), and the sight of Batman and Joker coming to blows as the Joker wears a Joker-ized version of Batman’s newest suit made for cool visuals, but I couldn’t help but feel that this climax was treading old ground.

That isn’t to taking anything away from writer James Tynion IV, nor artist Jorge Jimenez. They do solid, superb work here, and consistently manage to do so no matter what title they’re working on.

This massive arc seems a bit passe, truth be told: ever since the Death Of The Family, the whole arc with Mer. Bloom, and then Dark Nights: Metal, and now the continuation with Dark Nights: Heavy Metal, the entire Batman mythos seems to have a massive reckoning and restructuring, with the main antagonist tending to be the Joker, or somehow tying to him. Tynion IV, along with Scott Snyder, has continually reinvented the Dark Knight. I just wish that some things would last longer than two to five years before another major makeover. But maybe that’s just me…someone pining for a solid story, maybe a standalone or two- or three-issue deal. In, out, tell a story, and no need to reinvent the wheel for the fifth time this decade.

A solid wrap-up to another major story-arc…that immediately teased yet another major story-arc with the exact same antagonist as its originator. The peace was nice while it lasted. 3.5/5 Bat-Bibles.

-J.L. Caraballo

I was initially reluctant to read yet another annual Halloween story of half-assed collaborations. After reading the line-up and perusing through the art, my interest was piqued. I’m seriously happy I read this and now recommend it. It’s an almost perfect alchemy of DC’s magic, horror, humor, and science. The book delivers some elaborate superhero and even villain team ups. The artists really put in their “A” game with all of their styles.

The weakest part of the book was the Orphan and Orca team-up. Maybe because I’m still upset they can’t give Cassandra Cain her proper, No Man’s Land, Batgirl mantle. Maybe Batmanhattan who laughs will shake things up after Death Metal and we can get the Oracle and Batgirl combo again.

I was already satisfied with the Man Bat & Madame Xanadu, Batman & Sorta Dr. Fate, and Hal Jordan with the Demon team-up. But the book behaves like a Grandma pouring yet another hearty serving with a funny Aquaman & Frankenstein tale, Wonder Woman with Raven, Ras Al Ghul & Solomon Grundy, Supes & Swamp thing, the hilarious combo of Klarion and Beast Boy, Orphan and Orca, and end the Bar Crawl of Vignettes at Hitman’s favorite Bar with Baytor vs Darkseid.

In The Doomed and Damned, Batman stoically handles a job for John Constantine. Travis Moore gets an honorable mention for the entertainingly funny and clean look of Beast Boys to Men. I hope Solomon Grundy story reverberates into Bat Continuity because it was pretty clever. They combine DC’s Magic with Science or Brawn in almost every story. In short, it’s worth every penny as a great read and collection of art. Pick it up. 4.5/5 Bibles.

-Rob Maldonado

May 1, 2019

BATMAN x TMNT III / DCEASED / YEAR OF THE VILLAIN [DC Comics Reviews]: The Dead Knight.

Happy Hump Day, geeks! Anybody see that Avengers movie?! Still sold out in your town?! No matter! In the meantime, we’re taking a look at the Distinguished Competition, since they’ve still got plenty up their sleeve, and it’s pretty exciting stuff, including what surely must be the lead-up to one of the best ongoing mini-series of the past year! So let’s get right in while we wait for the weekend to roll around!

**BATMAN/TMNT #1** (Vol. III) – IDW/DC Comics

James Tynion IV, you clever, clever bastard you. While I have thoroughly enjoyed the last two Batman/TMNT crossovers he went and found an all new way to bring them back for a third go- round. Only this time, it’s a Crossover in a Half-Shell and I loved every minute of it: all the gang is back but they’ve been smashed together.

In this world, Batman is still Bruce Wayne, but Alfred is Splinter, Leonardo is Nightwing, Raphael is Red Hood, Mikey is Damien and Donatello is Red Robin. Not only that, but Shredder is mixed with the Joker, Harley is Harley, and Clayface and Killer Croc are Rocksteady and Bebop, respectfully; they are part of the Smile Gang. As always, Batman knows there is something wrong, and it’s only confirmed at the end when Eastman/Laird original Raphael Prime pops up and says that there is a problem. And just who is the big bad?? It’s Kraang himself, nestled inside the Anti-Monitor’s stomach.

There is so much good in this issue, and it’s just a fun read. I absolutely love Freddie E. Williams artwork in these series. He captures the turtles, Batman, the emotion, the action…everything is really well rendered and realized. He has been involved since Volume One, and even in his He-Man vs. Thundercats mini-series he has put in solid work. The only downside is that while these crossovers are fun to pick up, it would probably do better to just release them in trade form. But that’s just my own small, personal nit pick. The book in general is always a fun read and one that you can go back to and read again and again so for fun. 4/5 Half-Shelled, Batarang’d Bibles.

-Robert Bexar

We’ve been here before. Zombie Heroes and Villains over run the superhero universe. That was by that Zombie dude. And for that other company who shall remain nameless. This time it’s DC, and it’s by the master craftsman of the Injustice series, Tom Taylor. With artistic powerhouses Trevor Hairsine, Stefano Gaudino, and also James Harren, we have in this first issue the story of how 600 million people in the DCU are infected with a vicious techno virus that is turning both friends and foes into bloodthirsty, vicious, zombie-like creatures.

With its origins on Apokolips, the JLA and the entire human race is caught off guard, and bodies start dropping fast — and coming back to life even faster! This horror-themed series, fittingly, will wrap up just in time for Halloween! No tricks here – just treats! A very solid start! 3/5 Bibles.

-Sean Farrell

A trifecta of writing talents — all of them having recently worked on various Batman titles — come together to fill the gaps (or set the stage) for the Doomsday Clock conclusion.. which should be coming…any…day…week…month…now. It’s not so much in the actual story as it is in the tone of the thing: a sense of foreboding, of incoming dread, of a cosmic, timeless mystery, and, perhaps most tellingly, Lex Luthor doing a whole mess of fuckery within the DC Universe.

Starting out in the White House, the Legion of Doom, headed by Luthor himself, has absconded with the president, and Amanda Waller taken hostage by Brainiac. Out in deep space, we learn quickly that the Source Wall — the absolute edge of the universe — has disappeared, and the outer fringes of the universe are beginning to collapse into the endless void beyond; the Justice League realizes that in order to evacuate every outlying system before they’re destroyed by the growing void, nearly every single DC hero needs to be recruited on a massive rescue mission. All this runs simultaneous to the main plot: the realization that both the collapse of the Source Wall, and the abduction of the president (and Waller) were both orchestrated by Luthor (or someone posing as him), in order for some Cosmic Gods to break into our dimension and wreck havoc.

For only a quarter, we get Brian Michael Bendis, Tynion IV, and Scott Snyder collaborating on each of the comic’s three chapters, weaving these disparate threads together. Luthor makes a rather surprising move early on in the second chapter, one that even he admits is a surprise, and the realization that Luthor — much like Batman — has devised a plan to utilize the strengths of every major villain in the DC universe, and to aid them with skills specific to their unique characteristics, is exciting stuff in itself. These three working together should be epic, great stuff; but couldn’t help be a bit underwhelmed by the last few pages.

There’s something about Luthor appearing at the last page that seems to undercut how determined he was — as well as what he does — in the first third. It doesn’t take away at all from the story; it just seemed like something that could’ve been held off for at least the next issue. But for the price, the talent involved, and at least feeling like a precursor to Doomsday Clock…it’s worth picking up. 3.5/5 Bibles.

-J.L. Caraballo

March 18, 2019March 19, 2019

THE BATMAN WHO LAUGHS – THE GRIM KNIGHT #1 / WONDER TWINS #1 & #2 [Review]: The Jokes On You.

**THE BATMAN WHO LAUGHS: THE GRIM KNIGHT #1** – DC Comics

Ever wonder what life would’ve been like if Bruce Wayne shot his parents’ killer? What if the Joker donned a cape and cowl? What if Jim Gordon was the only sane person in an insane world? What if I stopped asking “what if” questions and you just picked up the latest issue of The Batman Who Laughs: The Grim Knight? Well, the latter of which should be done, thereby answering all of the former questions.

Written by Scott Snyder and James Tynion IV, with art by Eduardo Risso, colors by Dave Stewart, and letters by Sal Cipriano, this otherworldly tale presents a violently fascinating introspective on the psyche and motivations of the Bat. Twisted takes on the toughest Gotham has to offer showcase a truly mental –though perversely entertaining– narrative, leaving us the reader wanting more. Kinda like watching a marathon of “To Catch a Predator”. Yet, unlike Chris Hanson, the rest of us will have to wait until the next episode for any sort of resolution. 3.75/5 Bloody Bat-winged Bibles.

-Ryan Ford

Wonder Twins Powers: Activate! Shape of a Recap! Form of a Review! From the late ’70s cartoons to this year’s revival — the Wonder Twins have been pop culture darlings and punching bags. Well, the jokes on you haters ’cause the man who worked his magic on The Flintstones and Snagglepuss has arrived to bring some fun back into the DCU! Mark Russell and his artistic cohort Stephen Byrne (JLA/Power Rangers) have six issues to win you over. They’ve done in here in two.

The first two issues establishes that our favorite bro/sis duo since the Osmond’s have been recently relocated to Earth from their peaceful home planet of Exxor after “an incident”. They have enrolled in High School and even have new jobs working for the Justice League at The Hall of Justice. The Twins have settled into their new roles and bump up against some of the lowest of the low level villains that the DCU has to offer. Beast Boy, Batman, Wonder Woman, Superman, a prison escape, inmate call centers and even the Legion of Doom are all here for your entertainment. It’s light fun with a bit of modern teen comedy that is fun for both old and new fans alike. What? The monkey? Gleek? Oh he’s here too! First two issues? 4/5 Bibles.

-Sean Farrell

December 4, 2018

GO-BOTS / DEAD MAN LOGAN / UNCANNY X-MEN / DC NUCLEAR WINTER / AQUAMAN x JUSTICE LEAGUE [Fistful of Comics]: First Course!

Happy Monday, geeks and geekettes! The turkey’s done, the decorations most likely hung high, and at least one of these Eight Crazy Nights has passed! Before we get into full-blown merry mode, we’ve got some great titles in store for you, a post-apocalyptic look at Christmas future from the Distinguished Competition, and a set of reviews from a writer so nice, we used him twice! So let’s dive right in, as we wait for the mulled wine to warm…

Wow. I was not expecting that. Tom Scioli took what was a laughable 80s cartoon (Challenge of the Go-Bots) and turned it into an intriguing sci-fi thriller, in this, Go-Bots #1.

Instead of being obvious Transformers knockoffs, Go-Bots were created by humans to serve. We see classic characters from the original series like Nick Burns and Leader-1, who are flying missions for the D.O.D. Matt Hunter and Turbo are race car superstars. While AJ Foster attends college, Scooter rags along. We also see Cy-Kill, who leads a group of renegades that have overcome their “Asimov protocols” and no longer wish to be slaves.

Scioli has a great set up here and, despite some bland dialogue, gets these characters and their voices. The art ranges from serviceable to damn good depending on the level of detail that the backgrounds require. Perhaps it’s because my expectations were so low, but I will remain on board with this re-imagining and see where it takes us. 4/5 Bibles.

-Gene Selassie

First of all let me state my bias: Wolverine, Logan, Weapon X, James Howlett, Patch, Yellow suit, Brown suit, Black and Gray (collect them all) no matter the Wolverine…I’m a Stan for it.

Now that I got that out the way, Dead Man Logan takes off right after his fight with Maestro in the Old Man Logan finale issue 50. Spoiler alert he didn’t die as for Maestro you’ll find out. Forge and Glob Herman and two other X-Men find Old Man Logan’s unconscious body in ,of course, Canada and bring him back home where Dr Cecelia Reyes revives him. Unfortunately she explains that he has but a year to live with a Healing Factor overworked during his Maestro fight. Coming to terms with his fate he sets out on his last hoorah mission, the search for Quentin Beck, Mysterio.

In classic Logan fashion Wolvie looks for clues going to Bars where low level villains hang out to bleed out info on Mysterio’s whereabouts. So since the “No Snitching” rule seems to be ideal in the villain, Logan proceeds to kick everyone ass while Miss Sinister (female Mr Sinster clone) watches the whole fiasco. Logan’s Bar fights caught wind to Hawkeye who to Logan’s discontent seems eager to help but he wants to know why Mysterio. Mysterio is not really a member of Wolverine’s Rogues gallery but Old Man Logan explains to Hawkeye that in his universe Mysterio became so powerful that he tricked Logan’s senses into believing he was protecting the X-Men but he was actually killing them. So now he wants to make sure that he don’t ever get that powerful too ensure his reality don’t happen in the 616 Continuity.

However Miss Sinister is also a telepath and she read the mind of Logan and why he wants Mysterio. This triggers her to be inspired to find Mysterio so he can usher the world with No X-men, Avengers, Deadpool or Spider-Man, with help from Neo-Hydra?! With the original Wolverine back and all these other Wolverines running around (it’s a freaking Phoenix Wolverine for Pete’s Sake) I was wondering what was going to happen to Old Man Logan. Was 616 Logan vs Old Man Logan ever going to happen?! But this is a perfect walk into the sunset for Old Man Logan this story seems like it’s on the path of bring his story to an end in a full circle. I giving it 4 out of 5 bibles lost one point because I kind of still want to see Wolverine (616) vs Old Man Logan (but full strength) lol oh well. Oh by the way Glob is hilarious yo “MutantMingle!” 4/5 Bibles.

-Tony Pattowan

Sometimes, it’s great having die hard fans of a franchise write said book. Other times, it turns into blatant fan service that doesn’t move the narrative forward. I fear that this book is definitely the latter.

We open in media res with the team split up on different missions. Some handle the source of the whacked out Multiple Man duplicates, others deal with a dinosaur attack, while the young members of the team back at the mansion encounter a seemingly stable Legion. The fights are laid out decently by artist Yildiray Cinar, however, nothing really popped off the page for me. This is disappointing to me because Cinar’s work on Fury of Firestorm, Legion of Super Heroes, and Teen Titans blew my mind. The art was still pretty solid, which is more than I can say about the writing.

Just as with issues one and two, the creators continue with checking off three more boxes on the list of overused X-Men tropes; creators making us think they’re going to do something fresh and innovative with David Haller in a team book but always have him revert back to form not even a full story arc in (yet writers of his solo escapades seem to do just fine), a new iteration of the Four Horsemen populated by popular characters from the X-franchise pops up every four or five years, as well as, lo and behold, the X-mansion getting blown up…again.

I’ve tried to be patient with this book. These creators, especially Ed Brisson, have put forth compelling work elsewhere. Be that as it may, the fact that stellar runs from Tom Taylor and Cullen Bunn are ending, yet this book, the supposed to be the crown jewel of the franchise, feels like an overcrowded mess really pisses me off. Too much fan service and lack of innovation or a compelling narrative makes me hard pressed to continue much longer. 2/5 Bibles.

-Gene Selassie

**DC NUCLEAR WINTER SPECIAL #1** – DC Comics

Here to bring us into the holiday season are DC’s biggest heroes, in the DC Nuclear Winter Special. As relayed by Rip Hunter in a wrap-around bookend of a story, various artists (such as Phil Hester, Cully Hamner,Giuseppe Camuncoli, and others), and various writers (including Steve Orlando, Mark Russell, and Paul Dini, again, among various others…) bring us ten post-apocalyptic stories that, strangely, work well in eliciting the sort of feel-good heartwarmth of the holiday season.

Focusing on individual members of the Justice League, for the most part, each short story is a tale told by Rip Hunter to a gang of cannibals outside of Oogle offices, as he tries to buy enough time to fully fuel up his time-ship. The cannibals are amusing enough, having camped out outside their old place of employment, and at times casually pointing out that the stories have nothing to do with Christmas, nor do some of them even have proper conclusion (for one, the Aquaman story ends right when the main MacGuffin is discovered, and the plot kicks right in). Of the ten stories, it was Firestorm’s standalone that was not only the most explicitly holiday-centric, but was also the most emotional.

Paul Dini writes, and Jerry Ordway gives a mid-1970s stylish vibe, to this tale of Firestorm encountering his nemeses, the Nuclear Family, as they are out celebrating what is revealed to be their last Christmas; they’re all close to being completely out of power, and intend to go out with a literal bang, Firestorm in tow. Being familiar with Firestorm only through The Flash TV show, it was impressive how immediately Dini creates empathy with the character, and makes the reader right at home with the story, as well as that of his enemies. At no point did the exposition slow down the story, or feel superfluous, nor did Dini expect the reader to fully understand the characters or their relationships either. It was smart, concise, character-driven writing. That, coupled with the last few panels of Firestorm and the Nuclear Family, in their final interaction, made this the only story I wound up reading more than once (and finally prompted me to add this issue to my monthly pull list). While all ten stories were heartfelt and well-written, this was the only one to genuinely feel like it belonged to the holiday season.

If you’re looking for a great stocking stuffer, or something to pass the time while throwing back some nog or buttered rum, this is the issue for you. Something for everyone. 4/5 Bibles.

-J.L Caraballo

**AQUAMAN/JUSTICE LEAGUE: DROWNED EARTH** — DC Comics

With this issue, comes the finale to James Tynion IV and Scott Snyder’s mini-epic-series and I wish I could say that this was a satisfying ending, but while there were some really cool scenes like Aquaman controlling all the sea life (and therefore the changed Justice League), Batman wearing Luthor’s supersuit and the introduction of the “tears of extinction”; the issue doesn’t add a lot to the mythos of the Justice League. I get that this is tying into Snyder’s long plan for the Justice League and it might be that this is just a small piece in a much larger puzzle, but for right now it falls a bit flat. (Writers Note: I do acknowledge the fact fact that once his run is done this could very well be a lynch-pin in Snyder’s run and looking back the rating could change) Even Aquaman’s “death”, while heroic, doesn’t play like a big deal because: a) who kills their hero right before his big movie comes out?, and b) we see him wash upon the shore on the last page.

The art is fantastic and saves the issue from itself. Jim Cheung and Stephen Segova‘s art is crisp and clear. They do a great job of keeping the pace of the comic from getting to stale or from getting caught in a rut. While there are panels that seem a bit muddled because of the “camera angle” chosen, they both rebound in the next panel to keep things moving. So while the art, and the writing, stumble from time to time, everyone is able to keep the ship moving along.

-Robert Bexar