Tag Archives: willie schubert

Review: Batman #122

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Batman #122

With a new creative team coming in a few months, Batman is at an interesting point. After an opening story arc that got the character out of Gotham for a bit, he’s back in the US and roped into “Shadow War“, the event that pits Deathstroke against the League of Assassins. Ra’s has been murdered and it looks like Deathstroke is the assassin. It’s a clash of titan villains as war has begun. Batman #122 is the second entry in the event that has Batman attempting to figure out the who, what, and why of it all as the upcoming clash promises to escalate.

Joshua Williamson delivers a good entry to the story that has Batman being a detective. He’s been pulled into the assassination to figure out who did it and why and uses his cool tech tools in an attempt to do so. For a character that has gone low-tech in previous issues as he’s lost his fortune, the use of these particular tools stand out as they feel a little beyond is current means and a bit like the “old” Batman with the bottomless fortune and unlimited R&D. Beyond that, it’s a good entry in the event. For those that missed the opening issue for “Shadow War”, Batman #122 does a good job of catching up readers as to what’s going on and what it all means. It also moves around the various puzzle pieces as battles play out. It moves the story along really well.

Howard Porter handles the art with Tomeu Morey‘s color and lettering by Clayton Cowles. The art is good though at times doesn’t quite feel like it totally fits Batman. I’ve loved Porter’s work elsewhere as it has a certain kinetic style that really fits characters that involve a lot of movement and action. Here, with a character being more of a detective, it doesn’t quite fit those particular scenes. But, it does work for fights throughout. It’s an interesting style that I generally like but not all the way here.

The issue also features a back-up story from Williamson, art by Trevor Hairsine, color by Rain Beredo, and lettering by Willie Schubert. The story is supposed to be the first meeting between Batman and Deathstroke. Deathstroke is hired to kill Robin which of course leads to a clash between the two. I don’t know the history enough of these two to really nail it all down for continuity but the comic has a nice retro feel to it all. There’s also an intriguing twist at the end where I want to read the next chapter and see where it goes.

There’s nothing inherently bad or wrong about Batman #122 that makes it a “read”. The comic is part of a mini-event that spans different series, so unless you’re really invested in the story, it’s an issue whose value really comes from that. There’s some interesting aspects to Batman’s actions but overall, unless you’re into “Shadow War”, this is an issue you can probably skip.

Story: Joshua Williamson Art: Howard Porter, Trevor Hairsine
Color: Tomeu Morey, Rain Beredo Letterer: Clayton Cowles, Willie Schubert
Story: 7.85 Art: 7.85 Overall: 7.85 Recommendation: Read

DC Comics provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review

Purchase: comiXology/Kindle – Zeus Comics

Review: Dark Nights: Death Metal Guidebook #1

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DARK NIGHTS: DEATH METAL GUIDEBOOK #1

I remember “guidebooks” from back in the day. They’d be a lot of text that were more like roleplaying game supplements than comic books. And that’s what I expected with Dark Nights: Death Metal Guidebook #1. I was also really wrong about that as well. The Dark Nights: Death Metal tie-in is full of standalone stories and tales that shed more light on what has happened. It’s also a perfect guide for those that skipped “Year of the Villain” and want to catch up.

Dark Nights: Death Metal Guidebook #1 featured five stories from various creative teams and in between it has one-page guides/sketches that I was expected more of. As with all anthologies, the quality varies in story and art but this is the rare case where everything is at least good if not great. The story subjects, tones, and focus are all different delivering insight into the event.

The main chunk of the comic is made up of the “Fall of Earth”. The story goes into detail exactly what happened. While it skips some of the lead up it’s the perfect read for those who want to know what they missed. In goes into so much detail it spoils the first three issues of Dark Nights: Death Metal as well. It’s the Cliff’s Notes version of the event and when I got to the end, I felt like I had a good grasp as to what was going on and the why. None of it was Earth-shattering (pun intended) but I feel like I have a bit more of a grasp as to what’s going on now.

The other four stories focus on various heroes and villains and where they stand.

Harley Quinn gets a spotlight as she explores the irradiated wastelands and it answers some questions as to what has happened to some villains while raising questions as well. Aquaman is the most intriguing of the stories as it shows a former King subjugated and folded to protect his people. We learn more about Wonder Woman and her jail of villains. The story is the highlight of the comic delivering an emotional punch. Wrapping it up is a story featuring Batman, Jonah Hex, and the Joker Dragon. While the overall story is the weakest of the bunch it also has some key details that will impact the main story. There’s a reason Hex was chosen by Batman and something he must do if things go sideways.

The art is pretty solid all around. The styles vary a bit but none of it varies too much from each other. It’s unique but cohesive at the same time. All of it is good across the board and each has its moments that’ll leave you lingering. With a limited amount of pages to work with, the art is key to tell the story and bring emotion.

Dark Nights: Death Metal Guidebook #1 is a one-shot tie-in that really works. While it feels like it should have come out earlier in the event, it does a great job of acting as a starting point for those who missed the first three issues. It answers a lot of questions and also drops some key hints for the main story as well. It’s a spin-off that feels as vital as any main event issue.

Story: Scott Snyder, James Tynion IV, Joshua Williamson, Chip Zdarsky, Becky Cloonan, Vita Ayala, Christopher Priest
Art: Doug Mahnke, Khary Randolph, Becky Cloonan, Dan Panosian, Eduardo Risso
Ink: Jamie Mendoza
Color: David Baron, Emilio Lopez, Tamra Bonvillain, Luis Guerrero, Eduardo Risso
Lettering: Tom Napolitano, Dave Sharpe, Steve Wands, Ferran Delgado, Willie Schubert
Story: 8.15 Art: 8.15 Overall: 8.15 Recommendation: Buy

DC Comics provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review

Purchase: comiXology – Amazon – Kindle – Zeus Comics

Preview: Our Fighting Forces #1

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Our Fighting Forces #1

“House Call” by Priest, Christopher Mooneyham, Ivan Plascencia, and Willie Schubert (cover by Mikel Janín)

A cable news reporter embedded with a mysterious U.S. Army tactical unit tries to figure out which one of the team’s members is the immortal covert operative code-named the Unknown Soldier—and discovers much more than she bargained for!

Our Fighting Forces #1

This Week’s DC Digital First Includes Our Fighting Forces from Priest and Christopher Mooneyham

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DC’s Digital First delivers new comics every day! New series Our Fighting Forces joins the lineup next Sunday July 12 and Flash: The Fastest Man Alive returns for another “Flash Friday” with a new issue, giving fans even more choice of characters while expanding DC’s digital publishing line with original stories. And Harley Quinn: Black + White + Red’s third chapter will hit on Friday July 10 with a story by Saladin Ahmed and Javier Rodriguez!

Monday July 6

Superman: Man of Tomorrow #10

Purchases

“Pro-Lobo” by Dave Wielgosz, Riley Rossmo, Ivan Plascencia, and Tom Napolitano

The Main Man himself, Lobo, has come to Earth chasing a bounty, but Superman thinks Lobo is just hurting the little creature. Will Superman put a stop to Lobo, or does the alien have other plans?

“The Champion” by Michael Moreci, Thony Silas, Wil Quintana, and Clayton Cowles

Superman wakes up in chains and doesn’t know where he is. He’ll need to put the pieces together quickly if he’s to survive a brutal bout in this gladiator arena!

Superman: The Man of Tomorrow #10

Tuesday July 7

Batman: Gotham Nights #12

“Five Little Robins” by Tim Seeley, V. Ken Marion, Sandu Florea, Andrew Dalhouse, and Troy Peteri
Purchase

Every current and former Robin has been captured by a mysterious villain! Will these distinctly different students of Batman be able to stand each other long enough to fight off a horde of their greatest enemies?

Batman: Gotham Nights #12

Wednesday July 8

Wonder Woman: Agent of Peace #9

“Obsession Aggression” by Jimmy Palmiotti, Amanda Conner, Hendry Prasetya, Hi-Fi, and Travis Lanham
Purchase

Wonder Woman’s been ambushed! After receiving a house from the will of a person she’s never met, Wonder Woman must investigate, but finds a house of horrors out to kill her! Who’s done this and can Wonder Woman survive the onslaught?

Wonder Woman: Agent of Peace #9

Thursday July 9

Titans: Titans Together #3

Purchase

“What’s ‘Normal’” by Marc Guggenheim, Steve Pugh, Mike Spicer, and Marshall Dillon

A charismatic cult leader has been recruiting followers to join his “church,” a highly suspicious organization locked behind the walls of a private compound. For Raven, freeing this vulnerable flock is imperative…the question is, how can she save people who don’t want to be saved?

“Cool and HIPAA” by Andrew Aydin, Juan Gedeon, Mike Spicer, and Marshall Dillon

When reports surface that LexCorp has gained access to confidential government health records, Raven realizes that this could mean the unmasking of countless superheroes. With Beast Boy’s help, she must infiltrate LexCorp’s private servers and destroy the information before it falls into the wrong hands.

Titans: Titans Together #3

Friday July 10

The Flash: The Fastest Man Alive #10

Purchase

“Bullet” by Van Jensen, David Lafuente, Paul Mounts, and Rob Leigh

It’s an all-out brawl between Reverse Flash and Flash as Barry tries to save a cop from an errant bullet. Will the Flash be fast enough to stop a bullet?

“Burnout” by Dave Wielgosz, Brad Walker, Nathan Fairbairn, and Rob Leigh

Barry is running himself ragged, and his best friend Hal Jordan comes to check on him, but Flash doesn’t want the help. When the Top goes on a rampage, can the two friends put their differences aside to work together?

The Flash: The Fastest Man Alive #10

Saturday July 11

Scooby-Doo!: Mystery Inc. #3

“Scooby’s Last Rep” by Scott Gross, Franco Riesco, and Saida Temofonte
Purchase

A mysterious giant is bringing chaos to a local gym. Can Scooby and the gang stop him and save the day?

Scooby-Doo!: Mystery Inc. #3

Sunday July 12

Our Fighting Forces #1

“House Call” by Priest, Christopher Mooneyham, Ivan Plascencia, and Willie Schubert (cover by Mikel Janín)

A cable news reporter embedded with a mysterious U.S. Army tactical unit tries to figure out which one of the team’s members is the immortal covert operative code-named the Unknown Soldier—and discovers much more than she bargained for!

Our Fighting Forces #1

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sacredsix Expands Christopher Priest’s Vampirella Universe!

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Discover sacredsix, a new ongoing series this May as Christopher Priest expands his take on the wider Vampirella universe.

Enter: a tale of two towns in rural Georgia. One is Ashthorne, an impoverished farming town with a deadly secret. Otherwise known as “Vampire Valley,” most of its citizens are vampires and sundry other ghouls, though not by choice or blood. These once-human victims are now shunned by society in the open but live peacefully and just want to be left alone to live their lives in peace. Meanwhile, the bright and shiny Sacred is a recently “manufactured” community lorded over by staunch conservatives for the express purpose of oppressing and ultimately destroying Ashthorne’s residents. This tension will escalate as the series progresses, and instigate the arrival of the group of heroines…

Priest’s new take on the Draculina character, real name Victory, is joined by fellow Vampi vixens Pantha, Nyx, and the surprise inclusion of fellow conflicted vampire Chastity, of Chaos! fame. Led by Lilith of Drakulon, the Cersei Lannister of space vampires and recruited by her son DRAGO, mayor of Ashthorne. The sixth and final core member will be a surprise… The one and only Vampirella will make some appearances as well. These women will go undercover in the exclusive rarified air of Sacred as students and fight against injustice by night against The Six.

In a thematic mashup of True Blood and Sons of Anarchy, sacredsix is a multifaceted morality play and tale of two cities examining the conflict between human and inhuman, science and magic, agnosticism and faith, war and peace. Good and evil can be found all around, often coexisting. With this cast of complex characters with ever-shifting allegiances, anything can happen.

Christopher Priest is joined by artist Gabriel Ibarra, colorist Mohan and letters from longtime Priest collaborator Willie Schubert.

Jae Lee will be doing interior pages for this series across the first five issues – a special sequence weaved into the main story recounting Pantha’s newly revamped origin story. Pantha is now fully feline by default and can transform into a human woman, rather than vice versa.

A Who’s Who of top cover artists are tagging in for the big debut issue and subsequent ones. Jae Lee leads the pack. One of the hottest cover artists today, Lucio Parrillo, focuses on Chastity, Draculina and Nyx. With fans skyrocketing her career and garnering acclaim for her Vampirella covers, Meghan Hetrick is a natural addition. Rod Reis captures the power and sensuality of these women with a rooftop lineup. While the incredibly talented and versatile José Ladrönn chips in. An incentive cover from Joseph Michael Linsner showcases the women in schoolgirl outfits, and an Icon Incentive remasters definitive Pantha artist Mark Texeira’s cover from Vampirella (2001) #8.

sacredsix

Review: The Question: The Deaths of Vic Sage #2

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The Question: The Deaths of Vic Sage #2

Jeff Lemire, Denys Cowan, Bill Sienkiewicz, and Chris Sotomayor explore yet another “life” of The Question in The Question: The Deaths of Vic Sage #2. The issue is mainly set in Hub City during the 1880s aka the Wild West. However, this isn’t some John Wayne redux. It probes deep into the racial violence that characterized this time period in the United States. The protagonist, Charlie (who later becomes the Western version of the Question) deals with the guilt of his actions during the Comanche War.

Sotomayor uses plenty of reds and blacks in his palette to contribute to the book’s bleak tone. It complements Sienkiewicz’s scratchy inks. I went back and glanced at The Question #1, and Cowan’s art style is utterly different. Empty spaces, bursts of violence, and shamanistic quests for meaning contrast with non-stop media commentary in the previous issue. Cowan still uses plenty of grids in the comic. However, their purpose seems to be to slow down and focus on pivotal moments in the story. An example is Charlie talking to some witch figure about a primal conflict between good and evil or his friend, Booker, about to be hung in a racially motivated, kangaroo court and not to simulate TV or smartphone screens. Cowan’s storytelling is impeccable. It’s easy to follow the action on the page while mentally trying to pull together Lemire’s reincarnation-driven plot.

The themes of rigid, Randian objectivism versus a more fluid zen Buddhist ideology continue in The Question #2. Lemire and Cowan have traded out philosophizing for gunslinging. (Lemire writes Charlie as super-reflective though.) For all its hallucinations and “deep” observations, the plot of the comic is about a man, who has done bad, making up for it by doing some good. It’s a white hat shooting a black hat, someone more tolerantly minded pitted against a racist.

The traditional Western with a bit of political commentary baked-in part of The Question: The Deaths of Vic Sage #2 resonated with me stronger than the part of the story where he’s seen as more of an archetypal figure. Yes, it’s a great plot device on Jeff Lemire’s part. It allows Cowan, Sienkiewicz, and Sotomayor depict the Question and his ideology in different eras. However, it’s not as memorable as Charlie riding back to his old town in the twilight reminiscing on his genocidal past and how he is going to avenge a good man and his wife. The process page in the back of the comic shows how much black spot inking Sienkiewicz added to Cowan’s pencils. Chris Sotomayor’s rusty palette show that Charlie’s return isn’t triumphant, but a reckoning. He wants to kill the devil and find peace.

Jeff Lemire, Denys Cowan, Bill Sienkiewicz, and Chris Sotomayor use the creative freedom of the Black Label imprint to tell what is a damn fine dark Western with some mystical elements. They show how shitty the 1880s were with a loose, gruesome approach to the violence instead of something more stylized. In the bigger picture of the miniseries, it digs into Charlie/Vic/The Question’s identity a little bit more setting upcoming ideas and revelations as Lemire and Cowan continues to jump eras in both plot and visuals.

Story: Jeff Lemire Pencils: Denys Cowan  Inks: Bill Sienkiewicz
Colors: Chris Sotomayor Letters: Willie Schubert
Story: 7.8 Art: 9.0 Overall: 8.3 Recommendation: Buy

DC Comics/Black Label provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review

Review: The Question: The Deaths of Vic Sage #1

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The Question: The Deaths of Vic Sage #1

DC Black Label branches out from Batman, the Joker, and Harley Quinn in the gritty and trippy The Question: The Deaths of Vic Sage #1. With a dedication to both Question’s original creator Steve Ditko and his finest writer (Up to now) Dennis O’Neil, writer Jeff Lemire, artists Denys Cowan and Bill Sienkiewicz, and colorist Chris Sotomayor attempt to bridge the character’s portrayals as an Objectivist, who views the world in strict black and white terms and as an Eastern philosophy-influenced fighter of systemic evils, who donned the Question mask to right wrongs that newscaster Vic Sage couldn’t. They also craft the first chapter in one hell of a mystery. It features an art style that is far from the usual capes and tights.

Bringing back artists Cowan and Sienkiewicz from The Question’s original DC Comics series was a stroke of genius. It’s what initially got me interested in this series. Sienkiewicz’s scratchy inks and Cowan’s almost journalistic portrayal of human nature roots the first half of Question in the violent, yet ripped from the headlines crime stories that characterized the original run.

The comic opens up with Question muttering something straight out of a Mr. A strip or an Ayn Rand novel and catching a Hub City councilman in a brothel with underage girls. He knocks the creep about a little bit but is mostly concerned with recording footage for Vic Sage to play on the evening news where he openly accuses Hub City mayor Wesley Fermin of being connected to organized crime that leads to a lawsuit and more trouble. The sequence sets up Sage’s very public persona and role as the gadly, or voice of truth, in Hub City. That makes it necessary for him to wear face-warping masks courtesy of his old chemistry professor, Aristotle “Tot” Rodor.

However, this dual identity isn’t so simple. Lemire and Cowan play with the different sides of Question and Vic Sage’s personalities. They show that Question’s single-minded quest for justice sometimes makes him lose the big picture. An example is the police shooting of an unarmed man while he’s following a lead about a ring that was on both the councilman’s finger and the mayor’s lawyer’s. The Question is a skilled detective but his conspiracy-driven nature can blind him to the everyday issues of his city. Cowan, Sienkiewicz, and Sotomayor show this visually through a wavy line, lots of black ink, and a darker color palette. It culminates in Question’s discovery of a literal abyss and some surreal imagery where you can really see the Sienkiewicz influence shine through.

Thankfully, in the second half of The Question #1, Lemire and Cowan create the context for these images. It’s a departure from the crime fiction of the comic’s first act to something more mystical. Hence, Richard Dragon shows up with insight and potty mouth one-liners. (Think the Bride’s sensei in Kill Bill sans the misogyny and xenophobia.) From a big picture perspective, the conversation between Dragon and Sage also seems like a conversation between O’Neil and Ditko. The former taking Question into more of a zen Buddhism direction while Ditko used him as the avatar of his black and white view of the world. That was passed onto his creation Mr. A and Question’s spiritual offspring, Rorschach. (The nine panel grids and the use of “Hrrm” are a nod to that fellow.)

Richard Dragon believes that souls can travel between bodies while Question just wanted to learn martial arts to kick ass and is talking to his old teacher to solve a mystery steeped in symbolism, but connected to Hub City and its corruption. To take a page out of the German philosopher Hegel‘s book, Dragon is thesis, Question is antithesis, and they are a long way from synthesis. The last few pages introduce another wrinkle in the status quo in a natural non “Oh shit, we need a cliffhanger” way. Cowan makes fantastic use of recurring metronome motif to slip readers into another world. It’s like seeing a hypnotherapist as the story shifts in genre. His solid storytelling and well-placed use of six and nine-panel grids, as well as larger layouts, doesn’t waver.

The debut is steeped in the classic O’Neil and Cowan run as well as the ideology of Ditko. Lemire, Cowan, Sienkiewicz, and Sotomayor make sure The Question: The Deaths of Vic Sage #1 isn’t a nostalgia-driven retread. In a current era where political corruption runs rampant, and the said corrupt don’t even try to sweep it under a rug, a character who isn’t afraid to speak truth to power is incredibly relevant. However, the Question also engages in Randian purity policing and has a primal, childish view of the world. He’s far from an inspirational figure. This is why Cowan and Sienkiewicz’s naturalistic, almost dirty art style is a good fit for the book. They and Lemire also aren’t afraid to get a little weird. I’m interested to see how they synthesize the various versions of the Question in both the spiritual and physical realms.

Story: Jeff Lemire Pencils: Denys Cowan  Inks: Bill Sienkiewicz
Colors: Chris Sotomayor Letters: Willie Schubert
Story: 8.9 Art: 9.5 Overall: 9.2 Recommendation: Buy

DC Comics/Black Label provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review

The Question: The Deaths of Vic Sage #1 Begins to Explore Vic Sage’s Past and Present

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The Question: The Deaths of Vic Sage #1 (of 4)

Written by Jeff Lemire
Pencils by Denys Cowan
Inks by Bill Sienkiewicz
Colors by Chris Sotomayor
Lettering by Willie Schubert
Cover by Denys Cowan and Bill Sienkiewicz
Variant Cover by Jeff Lemire and Marcelo Maiolo
In Shops: Nov 20, 2019
Final Orders Due: Oct 21, 2019
SRP: $6.99

The series will go through multiple time periods and explore aspects of Vic Sage’s past and present that have never been explored before. Combined with Bill Sienkiewicz’s inks and Chris Sotomayor’s deft color touch, this may be the best version of the Question yet.

–Denys Cowan

Vic Sage knows right from wrong. He knows black from white. But what happens when he is drawn into a conspiracy that reaches from the heights of Hub City power to the depths of its underground tunnels? What happens when things stop being black-and-white and start getting a little gray? And what happens when, in a secret chamber deep beneath the city, Vic Sage meets his own end…and his new beginning? Legendary artists Denys Cowan and Bill Sienkiewicz and letterer Willie Schubert return to The Question, alongside Eisner-winning writer Jeff Lemire and colorist Chris Sotomayor, to resurrect Vic Sage, only to destroy him all over again…and again…and again….

The Question: The Deaths of Vic Sage will carry an Ages 17+ content descriptor (for mature readers) and will ship bimonthly in DC’s Prestige Plus format. The Question: The Deaths of Vic Sage #2 hits shelves January 15, 2020.

The Question: The Deaths of Vic Sage #1 (of 4)

Preview: Secrets of Sinister House #1

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Secrets of Sinister House #1

(W) Paul Dini, Rafael Albuquerque, Rafael Scavone, Bryan Hill, Dan Watters, Others (A) Rafael Albuquerque, Cian Tormey, Jorge Fornes, Others (CA) John Romita, Bill Sienkiewicz
In Shops: Oct 09, 2019
SRP: $9.99

Witness what hides within the Sinister House-the DCU’s most horrific secrets and mysteries! Travel alongside Harley Quinn, John Constantine, Detective Chimp, Zatanna, the Atom and others as they face this macabre devastation firsthand! And in the bowels of this dark mansion…we return to the world of the legendary Red Rain to meet once again with the dreaded vampire Batman. Don’t miss this year’s DC Halloween special-because if you do, it’ll haunt you!

Secrets of Sinister House #1

Review: Secrets of Sinister House #1

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Celebrate the Halloween season with this anthology of spooky tales featuring DC’s superheroes and villains!

Story: Rafael Albuquerque, Rafael Scavone, Robbie Thompson, Dan Watters, John Layman, Paul Dini, Che Grayson, Diego Lucero Lopez, Bryan Edward Hill
Art: Rafael Albuquerque, Tom Raney, Sumit Kumar, Jorge Fornes, Cian Tormey, Miguel Mendonca, Phil Hester, Alessandro Vitti
Color: Dave McCaig, Hi-Fi, John Kalisz, Jordie Bellaire, Romulo Fajardo, Jr., Bill Crabtree, Jeromy Cox, Adriano Lucas
Ink: Ande Parks
Letterer: Tom Napolitano, Rob Leigh, Troy Peteri, Steve Wands, Travis Lanham, Dave Sharpe, Andworld Design, Willie Schubert

Get your copy in comic shops now! To find a comic shop near you, visit http://www.comicshoplocator.com or call 1-888-comicbook or digitally and online with the links below.

Kindle/comiXology
TFAW

DC Comics provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review
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