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Wonder Woman #1 is a hell of a direction

Posted on September 20, 2023 by Brett

After a mysterious Amazonian is accused of mass murder, Congress passes the Amazon Safety Act, barring all Amazons from U.S. soil. To carry out their plans, the government starts a task force, the Amazon Extradition Entity (A.X.E.), to remove those who don’t comply, by any means necessary. Wonder Woman #1 kicks off a hell of a new direction for the classic character.

Written by Tom King, Wonder Woman #1 is an intriguing start to the new volume and new creative team. I’ll admit, I’m not a long time reader of the series so my knowledge is slim, the direction feels fresh, smart, and something new and different for the character… though not new and different overall.

With a government hating and fearing them and an agency created and assigned to round them up, Wonder Woman #1 has some parallels to a certain line and plots from another publisher, but in today’s divisive world where Wonder Woman #1 resonates is a bit different.

King goes heavy on the xenophobia and more importantly misogyny. The shocking opening leaves only men murdered which fuels a man vs. woman and secret agendas to destroy men conspiracy theories. It echoes the delusions of some in the real world and attacks on feminism by extremists. King seems to mine the current zeitgeist a bit, using it to fuel a storyline which not only focuses on gender but the concept of immigration as a whole, something that is regularly attacked by nationalists and bigots in our real world. The story reflects and echoes our reality but gives us some hope too.

The comic could easily have been dark and brooding but King is smart enough to not only emphasize that the opening salvo is the act of one individual but reminds us over and over the beacon that Wonder Woman is. While that reminder could have come from more than just women, it shows that through these dark clouds some light still shines through and at some point those clouds will part.

The art by Daniel Sampere helps with the “brightness” of it all. With color by Tomeu Morey and lettering by Clayton Cowles, the comic is beautiful to look at. Tension, action, heart, and sadness, ooze from the page as we’re delivered a rollercoaster of ups and downs in the narrative that the art nails every beat. Even the most shocking moments are delivered in a way that they exude more sadness than anything else, tugging at the heart of readers. It’s a fantastic choice visually, giving us empathy and sorrow than outright over the top trauma.

With a mysterious new villain whose reveal not only makes sense but delivers a “why hasn’t this been done before?” vibe, Wonder Woman #1 is an amazing start that adds a massive boost to a series that’s sure to excite some and divide others. It’s not afraid to wear everything on its sleeve with a debut that’s sure to get folks talking and create a hell of a buzz. This is one to not sleep on and miss out!

Story: Tom King Art: Daniel Sampere
Color: Tomeu Morey Letterer: Clayton Cowles
Story: 9.0 Art: 9.0 Overall: 9.0 Recommendation: Buy

DC Comics provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review

Purchase: TFAW – Zeus Comics – Kindle

Batman #137 deepens the divide of The Gotham War

Posted on September 6, 2023 by Brett

Batman descends on Gotham City, full of rage and force, more driven than ever to save his home. But the new landscape has turned friends into foes. Can anyone stop his reign of terror? Should they? Batman #137 continues “The Gotham War” as the second part sees Batman lash out at Catwoman’s plan.

Batman #137 is a much improved second chapter for “The Gotham War,” really kicking things off as lines are drawn and the Bat-family takes sides. Written by Chip Zdarsky, the comic’s strength is its emotions. You get the sense of frustration of Batman. You really get a sense that much of his family aren’t sure what to do. And, you also get the sense that Catwoman really thinks what she’s doing is best for Gotham. But, it’s that anger and frustration from Batman that really stands out.

Batman #137 shows the cracks in his approach, a black and white take on right and wrong where there’s no gray. He can’t accept the idea of sacrificing one life to save many more. He can’t accept the idea that it might be ok to allow robberies to occur if it means assault and murder decrease. The issue really nails his approach and worldview and shows that isn’t the case for others in his orbit. It pits the family against each other with multiple factions rising up and many not sure how to approach things overall.

But most interestingly, Batman #137 shows the signs of the pressure and pile on that has been Batman and Bruce’s life for quite a while. He’s lost his fortune and by the end of the issue, a lot more. He’s been sent to an alternate world. He most recently had to battle dreams and nightmares. It’s all been adding up to this point where he might really crack for good or bad. The issue, and story it seems, build on what Zdarsky has been laying out since his run began, a series of events that eventually weigh on our hero and all of it coming to a great boil as Catwoman attempts to step in and decrease the violent crime in Gotham.

The art by Jorge Jimenez continues to look great. With color by Tomeu Morey and lettering by Clayton Cowles, the comic is a visual treat. As said above, this issue is full of frustration and tension and the panels display that and more. The emotions are nailed on the page as fights break out and heartbreak ensue. End the issue with a great page turn, and the comic takes us visually on a rollercoaster of emotions, nailing every beat laid out and needed by the story.

Batman #137 is a vast improvement on the opening chapter. You get a sense of the frustration within by everyone. There’s also a solid case to be made no matter your viewpoint, so you get a sense of where everyone is coming from and where they are. And, add in some great visuals, this is a second issue “The Gotham War” needed.

Story: Chip Zdarsky Art: Jorge Jimenez
Color: Tomeu Morey Letterer: Clayton Cowles
Story: 8.0 Art: 8.25 Overall: 8.0 Recommendation: Buy

DC Comics provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review

Purchase: TFAW – Zeus Comics – Kindle

Preview: The Joker Uncovered #1

Posted on June 3, 2023 by Graphic Policy Team

The Joker Uncovered #1

(W) Dave Wielgosz (A) Jorge Corona, Frank Quitely, Gabrielle Dell’Otto, Simone Bianchi, James Stokoe, Lee Bermejo, Alan Quah, Ben Oliver, Kelley Jones, Michelle Madsen, Simone Di Meo, Francesco Mattina, Mark Brooks, J. Scott Campbell, Sabine Rich, Jonboy Meyers, Sean Phillips, Jim Cheung, Romulo Fajardo Jr., Kim Jacinto, Belen Ortega, Alejandro Sanchez, Ryan Brown, Brian Stelfreeze, Jorge Molina, Francesco Francavilla, James Harren, Dustin Nguyen, Clay Mann, Tomeu Morey, Christian Ward, Neal Adams, Darryl Banks, Alex Sinclair,Glenn Fabry, Darren Stephens, Brian Bolland
(L) Darran Robinson
In Shops: Jun 06, 2023
SRP: $5.99

Lowlifes, creeps, and scoundrels, it’s your Uncle Joker here. You know art can come from many places. And most great art is about truly despicable people, like me. In that spirit, you should buy The Joker: Uncovered to see a murderer’s row of the world’s greatest comic book artists commit my beautiful image to dozens of wonderful variant covers, all collected in one place for the very first time. Expand your mind a little bit, and take in some good art.

Batman #134 continues a frustrating arc

Posted on April 5, 2023 by Brett

It’s all-out war as only Batman stands between Red Mask and a Gotham City full of bodies! How much is the Dark Knight willing to sacrifice to save this city? Batman #134 has Batman confronting the Red Mask and revealing who it is underneath! And… it’s rather underwhelming.

Written Chip Zdarksy, the latest story, “The Bat-Man of Gotham” has been a step back in quality and definitely not up to the quality we’ve seen from Zdarsky in the past. Bruce is in another world where Gotham is ruled by the Red Mask who uses individuals for experiments and rules through terror. There’s so much potential hinted and teased but at every moment, it feels like the comic has played things safe, not pushing the story far enough or delivering any surprises.

Red Mask is exactly who you think it is. The reason for everything is rather thin. Where things go, we’ve seen it before. It’s an odd story that feels… off. Make the Red Mask someone unexpected! Make the reason something intriguing that can come back in the future! Make the villains Batman faces more than just versions we know with Venom. None of it really challenges the readers and it all feels like things we’ve seen before.

The visuals can be interesting at times. Mike Hawthorne has the look of the world down which feels like Gotham but something slightly different. It isn’t quite steampunk/dieselpunk but it feels like there’s some roots there in design. With ink by Adriano Di Benedetto, color by Tomeu Morey, and lettering by Clayton Cowles, it all visually is interesting in its own ways.

The issue also continues Robins adventure in part four of “The Toy Box.” He’s on a mission to try to find Bruce in the multiverse. Written by Zdarsky, it features art by Miguel Mendonca, color by Roman Stevens, and lettering by Cowles. The story has been intriguing in some ways but like the main story feels like we’ve seen it before. “Bruce lost on the timestream/multiverse and we’re going to find him” feels like a previous plot (pretty sure it was). Here Tim is even sidetracked in his trek for no explainable reason other than to stretch out the story. It’s… a distraction in some ways. I still think if this was the main story and Bruce’s was the backup it’d all be much more interesting.

As a whole, Batman #134 isn’t bad. The story arc isn’t bad. It just doesn’t feel fresh and interesting and feels like something we’ve seen a few times before. There’s little that’s surprising at all from a villain reveal that is exactly who you think it is to obstacles that surmount to character we know + venom. There was a lot of potential here to do something different, instead, it’s played out as expected so far.

Story: Chip Zdarsky Art: Mike Hawthorne, Migeul Mendonca
Ink: Adriano Di Benedetto Color: Tomeu Morey, Roman Stevens Letterer: Clayton Cowles
Story: 7.0 Art: 7.75 Overall: 7.0 Recommendation: Read

DC Comics provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review

Purchase: TFAW – Zeus Comics – comiXology/Kindle

Batman #133 teases a lot

Posted on March 8, 2023 by Brett

Everyone goes insane eventually. And then they belong to the terrifying Red Mask! Batman #133 continues “The Bat-Man of Gotham” as Bruce begins to wage his battle against this city gone mad in a new spin on Batman.

Overall, I haven’t been much of a fan of this storyline. In the main attraction, Bruce is in this alternate world where Gotham is controlled by Red Mask. Then, in the back-up, Tim is searching for Batman attempting to bring him home.

Together, the two stories work and work well, but writer Chip Zdarsky overall delivers a story that feels like we’ve seen over and over. All that changes are the details. Here, the hints of who the Red Mask might be is the most intriguing aspect of it all, as we see the character use some powers against Selina which tied to what Bruce discovers as he exhumes a body, teases the villain’s identity.

And, as I said, that’s the most interesting aspect. Bruce debuts as this world’s Batman and is given some help to stop Red Mask, but overall, the comic feels like it’s a video game tie-in more than the main Batman title. It doesn’t feel like anything particularly new or different. Give us a peaceful world where Batman isn’t needed and let us watch Bruce lose his mind, that’s something that’s new and hasn’t been done before.

The art by Mike Hawthorne is good. The action is fine but the color by Tomeu Morey pops in certain moments. Hawthorne is joined by Adriano Di Benedetto on ink and lettering by Clayton Cowles and the detail and design of the world is more interesting than anything else. Batman’s makeshift costume, the buildings of Gotham, the story they tell stands out more than the paces Bruce and Batman are put through. There’s almost a tiredness about it all, a city and reality that wears on the people living it.

Zdarsky also gives us the attempt to get Bruce back in the third part of “The Toy Box.” Miguel Mendonca provides the art with Roman Stevens on color and Cowles on lettering. Overall, the story is ok. It’s a little rushed as Tim Drake is in the world of Toyman attempting to not just capture the villain but also rescue the individuals kidnapped by him. It’s a quest as opposed to a story, delivering scant details, though it’d all be worth to expand it further as it’s actually interesting and somewhat horrific.

Batman #133 has solidified my thoughts on this arc, the main story and back-up are flipped. The comic should feature Tim and Jon Kent’s attempt to find and rescue Bruce as the main draw. A story of a “rescue” of Bruce from an actual ideal world could have been a bit more interesting than Bruce again finding he needs to don the cowl in an alternate world to dispense justice. Overall, an entertaining, though overall ho-hum arc so far.

Story: Chip Zdarsky Art: Mike Hawthorne, Miguel Mendonca
Ink: Adriano Di Benedetto Color: Tomeu Morey, Roman Stevens Letterer: Clayton Cowles
Story: 7.0 Art: 7.5 Overall: 7.0 Recommendation: Read

DC Comics provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review

Purchase: Zeus Comics – comiXology/Kindle

Batman #132 continues Bruce’s “what if” adventure

Posted on February 8, 2023 by Brett

Batman #131 kicked off the latest story arc where Bruce/Batman was transported to another Earth and Gotham where Batman doesn’t exist. The city is walled off, a fascist nightmare where the police are jacked up on Venom and Arkham Asylum seems to run the place. Batman #132 continues that direction as Bruce attempts to get his bearings, get home, and overall decide what to do. It’s that last part that feels a bit odd overall in an arc that so far is rather meh.

Written by Chip Zdarsky, Batman #132 delivers an interesting Gotham where the entire city feels like it’s part of Arkham in some ways. The most minor infraction will have you picked up by the police who themselves are juiced up and out of their minds. That concept of the entire city corrupted in this way is an interesting direction in theme, it extends and literally builds walls around the main Gotham which can be debated has similar problems. This alternative Gotham is the one we know on Venom. And that’s partially what’s odd about the issue and arc. Bruce is having a lot of issues getting his bearings and in some cases stepped in to right wrongs but this issue feels like a drawn out “origin”. By the end it’s clear before he leaves Bruce will don a mask as this world’s version of Batman and attempt to topple those who oppress. But, that means he made a decision and isn’t driven by justice like it feels like he should be. Why was there even a moment of decision here at all? It just doesn’t feel quite in character for him to see this injustice and just want to peace out and get home without helping first.

The issue also falls into a “villain reveal” issue as it progresses. More and more familiar characters are added with little explanation as to why they have shown up, making the cameos feel a little odd and jarring. They feel thrown in for the hell of it as opposed to really driving the story. It’s a distraction that’s not needed to drive the story.

The art by Mike Hawthorne is good. Joined by Adriano Di Benedeotto on ink, color by Tomeu Morey, and lettering by Clayton Cowles the world feels like a twisted version of the Gotham we know. It’s not so over the top to feel distracting, instead the team has gone with one that feels like it’s out of a bad dream. Slightly different, slightly horrific. The anticipation really is what this world’s Batman will look like and based on what Hawthorne and the team have shown so far, the designs for all of the heroes to come should be intriguing.

The issue continues its backup story as Robin and Superman (the Jon version) attempt to find Bruce. This has them dealing with Toyman whose weapon may be a key to finding where Bruce was sent. It’s all an interesting aspect to the main story and its strength is its heart. Written by Zdarsky with art by Miguel Mendonca, color by Roman Stevens, and lettering by Cowles, it’s Tim Drake’s quieter moments with his boyfriend that stand out.

Batman #132 isn’t a bad issue and the arc so far is ok. It feels a bit like a filler arc until the next big story. There’s a lot here that could be interesting but it doesn’t totally commit to its underlying themes that would make it truly stand out. Hopefully, this is one whose whole is stronger than its individual parts.

Story: Chip Zdarsky Art: Mike Hawthorne, Miguel Mendonca
Ink: Adriano Di Benedetto Color: Tomeu Morey, Roman Stevens Letterer: Clayton Cowles
Story: 7.0 Art: 7.75 Overall: 7.0 Recommendation: Read

DC Comics provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review

Purchase: Zeus Comics – comiXology/Kindle

Batman #131 is fun but we’ve seen this before

Posted on January 4, 2023 by Brett

At the end of “Failsafe”, Batman was seemingly blasted into the unknown. Batman #131 kicks off the next arc, “The Bat-Man of Gotham” that takes us on the journey of where Batman is, unfortunately it’s a story it feels like we’ve seen before.

Now on an alternate world where Batman doesn’t seem to exist, Bruce/Batman is seeing a skeleton version of Gordon while he attempts to get his bearings. This Gotham is one that seems to have the heavy hand of justice with police that have no problem acting as executioner. Everyone seems to be scared and few seem to be willing to stand up to fight the fascist police. But, where there’s injustice Batman will rise and he does exactly that here.

Writer Chip Zdarsky seems to channel a few Batman stories with this new arc. It partially feels like “Future State” mixed in with “The Return of Bruce Wayne”. And so far, it hasn’t presented too much that stands out from either. The police of this world are tough as nails, juiced up on Venom making them difficult to defeat.

In the DC universe, no Batman means greater crime which forces Batman’s team to step up and fill in the gap. Of course there’s discussion that they truly don’t believe he’s dead… and it feels like something we’ve seen before multiple times. All that’s missing is for one of Team Bat to put on the Batman costume and take up the mantle.

The main story features art by Mike Hawthorne with ink by Adriano Di Benedetto and color by Tomeu Morey. The alternate Gotham is interesting with slight tweaks to make it stand out. The redesigned police force is interesting with an almost religious fanatic aspect about it. But, even that reminds me of the comic turned movie Priest. There’s some good action sequences and Bruce looks like he’s sore and beat down, it really sets the tone and mood of the opening arc.

The backup story features Miguel Mendoca with color by Roman Stevens and lettering by Dave Wielgosz. It looks good with some solid action and emotion flowing. There’s clear anger and frustration from Team Bat as they not only have to fight but also deal with a missing Bruce. It’s a nice contrast from the opening portion of the comic.

Batman #131 is a decent opening to the second arc in Zdarsky’s run. But, it feels like it’s something we’ve seen before. It really needs to show how it’s original and can stand out from what has come before. Overall, not bad but also nothing that really excites.

Story: Chip Zdarsky Art: Mike Hawthorne, Miguel Mendoca
Ink: Adriano Di Benedetto Color: Tomeu Morey, Roman Stevens
Letterer: Clayton Cowles, Dave Wielgosz
Story: 7.5 Art: 8.0 Overall: 7.5 Recommendation: Read

DC Comics provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review

Purchase: Zeus Comics – comiXology/Kindle

Review: Batman #125

Posted on July 6, 2022 by Brett

After a bit of a transition run, the next chapter of Bruce Wayne and Batman’s life begins here, in Batman #125. With a new creative team, the comic is a “fresh” start that creates a jumping on point for new readers while continuing the status-quo and themes from the recent runs.

Chip Zdarsky takes over as the writer for the series focusing on the unsettled status that is Bruce Wayne and Batman. After the end of the previous “major arc”, Bruce has lost his fortune forcing him to go back to basics as Batman and dial back his lifestyle. The playboy façade for the vigilante doesn’t work anymore and in his place is an aging, worn down man who is trying to find his new footing.

Zdarsky kicks things off with an attack on the wealthy of Gotham. Someone is targeting them due to their “elite” status, leaving bodies in their wake. All of that comes off as rather shallow in the execution but it sets off a nice examination as to who Bruce Wayne and Batman are. What is the man without his wealth and what is his relationship to that community?

Zdarsky also uses it to shake up Gotham’s status-quo even further killing off a legacy character which creates a gap in leadership and kicks off a gang war. That’s explored further in a back-up story also written by Zdarsky.

The art by Jorge Jimenez for the main story is fantastic. With color by Tomeu Morey and lettering by Clayton Cowles there’s a very dramatic flair to the visuals. It comes off almost as swashbuckling at times, much more Zorro than the high-tech Batman we’ve seen in the past. There’s some fantastic panels in the comic which really drive home the moment delivering memorable visuals that drive home the point and the story. The art for the back-up is by Belén Ortega with color by Luis Guerrero and lettering by Cowles. It delivers a bit more of a traditional style with some great design and a bit of action. Where the art, and story, really stand out is the more comedic moments involving a lawyer robot. It works and works well.

Batman #125 is a decent start to the new creative team’s take. It lays it out that things aren’t “normal” in Batman’s world and something is “off”. But, what? It embraces what has happened to Bruce/Batman and focuses on a person who has been beaten down. At the same time, there’s been a major shakeup involving a villain that points to some major revelations and changes. It all comes together for a rather intriguing start and a solid beginning for new and longtime readers.

Story: Chip Zdarsky Art: Jorge Jimenez, Belén Ortega
Color: Tomeu Morey, Luis Guerrero Letterer: Clayton Cowles
Story: 8.0 Art: 8.35 Overall: 8.0 Recommendation: Buy

DC Comics provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review

Purchase: Zeus Comics – comiXology/Kindle

It’s One Bad Day for Batman

Posted on May 30, 2022 by Graphic Policy Team

Batman’s rogues gallery is getting the spotlight in a series of 64-page one-shot comics. Dubbed Batman – One Bad Day, they’ll tell the definitive tales of The Riddler, Two-Face, The Penguin, Mr. Freeze, Catwoman, Bane, Clayface, and Ra’s al Ghul!

Batman – One Bad Day: The Riddler

by Tom King & Mitch Gerads

Tom King and Mitch Gerads reunite in a new 64-page one-shot comic this August! Edward Nygma’s meticulous rules and systems go out the window when he kills seemingly at random, but Batman isn’t buying it! This tense intellectual thriller sees Batman unravel as he tries to decode the Riddler’s motivation!

Batman – One Bad Day: Two-Face

by Mariko Tamaki, Javier Fernandez & Jordie Bellaire

Heads or Tails, when it comes to Two-Face Batman always loses! Is Harvey Dent back to save Gotham City? In a new 64-page one-shot comic this September, Mariko Tamaki and Javier Fernandez’s tragic noir Two-Face epic will flip that iconic coin…on its head?!

Batman – One Bad Day: The Penguin

by John Ridley, Giuseppe Camuncoli, Cam Smith & Arif Prianto

When the Penguin’s criminal empire is stolen by a former associate, Batman faces both Cobblepot and THE UMBRELLA MAN on the burning streets of Gotham! John Ridley and Giuseppe Camuncoli’s ONE BAD DAY one-shot arrives this October!

Batman – One Bad Day: Mr. Freeze

by Gerry Duggan, Matteo Scalera & Dave Stewart

Save your sympathies, Batman and Robin! Years ago, Gotham City experienced a winter so icy that Mr. Freeze could live without his containment suit! Gerry Duggan and Matteo Scalera deliver a cold new take on Mr. Freeze this November!

Batman – One Bad Day: Catwoman

by G. Willow Wilson, Jamie McKelvie & Tamra Bonvillain

A brooch Selina Kyle’s mother once pawned for pennies is now part of a high-bid auction! The stakes are personal, and Catwoman will steal it back at any cost this December in G. Willow Wilson and Jamie McKelvie’s ONE BAD DAY one-shot!

Batman – One Bad Day: Bane

by Joshua Williamson, Howard Porter & Tomeu Morey

The man who broke the Bat returns for the last vengeance of Bane! See Bane’s mind, body and spirit get ravaged in a ONE BAD DAY one-shot by Joshua Williamson and Howard Porter in January 2023!

Batman – One Bad Day: Clayface

by Collin Kelly & Jackson Lanzing, Xermanico & Romulo Fajardo Jr.

Clayface’s dream was to be famous, but Gotham’s stars don’t always shine bright! Batman chases Basil Karlo to L.A. where Clayface is killing his way to fame in Collin Kelly & Jackson Lanzing and Xermanico’s ONE BAD DAY February one-shot!

Batman – One Bad Day: Ra’s al Ghul

by Tom Taylor & Ivan Reis

Finally, capping off the run of one-shot issues is Tom Taylor and Ivan Reis on Ra’s al Ghul’s ONE BAD DAY story in March! You know his name, the Bat will know his wrath!

Comics

Preview: Batman: The Knight Compendium Edition

Posted on May 7, 2022 by Graphic Policy Team

Batman: The Knight Compendium Edition

(W) Chip Zdarsky (A) Carmine Di Giandomenico, Jorge Jiménez
In Shops: May 10, 2022
SRP: $7.99

Featuring a new cardstock cover by series artist Di Giandomenico, Batman: The Knight – Compendium Edition combines issues #1 – #3 of the series, but also includes a special bonus: a preview of part one of “Failsafe,” Zdarsky’s debut story arc in Batman #125 (on sale July 7). The preview also spotlights the return of superstar artist Jorge Jiménez and colorist Tomeu Morey, joining Zdarsky as the ongoing talent team for the series.

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