Grimm Fairy Tales #78
(W) Dave Franchini (CA) Jeff Spokes
In Shops: Dec 06, 2023
SRP: $3.99
Trapped in a deadly battle with a foe she thought dead, Skye has unearthed information that could plunge the world into a darkness there is no coming back from. Meanwhile, across the realms, Sela Mathers has her own battles to fight, from threats both within and outside her own mind!
Wonderland: Out of Time
(W) Raven Gregory (CA) Jeff Spokes
In Shops: Oct 25, 2023
SRP: $7.99
The world of Wonderland can be a confounding and dangerous place. For Calie Liddle and her daughter Violet, it has led to lives of pain and unhappiness. Now they have a chance to change that by going back in time to stop the original sins that created the Madness in the first place But the path is treacherous, and there are those who will stop at nothing to make sure the Liddles fail in their mission.
Batman: The Brave and the Bold #6
(W) Guillem March, Ed Brisson, Rob Williams, Collin Kelly, and Jackson Lanzing (A) Guillem March, Jeff Spokes, Stefano Landini, and Jorge Molina
In Shops: Oct 24, 2023
SRP: $7.99
Guillem March writes and draws a poignant and heartfelt tale of redemption in Back to Year One. The shocking final chapter of Stormwatch has arrived from Ed Brisson and Jeff Spokes: What secret has Director Bones been withholding from the team all this time?! Emilia Harcourt returns…from the dead?! A mystery unfolds courtesy of Rob Williams and Stefano Landini! Plus: a no-holds-barred story of Batman from Collin Kelly, Jackson Lanzing, and Jorge Molina in their first Batman Black & White story!
Batman: The Brave and the Bold #5
(W) Ed Brisson, Rob Williams, Tom King (A) Mitch Gerads, Jeff Spokes, Stefano Landini, Jorge Fornes
In Shops: Sep 26, 2023
SRP: $7.99
The shocking finale to the horrific, groundbreaking first encounter between Batman and The Joker will leave you gasping for breath. The origin of the greatest duel in the history of comics is finally told! Stormwatch is on the trail of an old god who’s been slumming his way across Europe, leaving a mess of jilted lovers and bloody bodies in his wake. The god is protecting a powerful weapon that the team needs to defeat one of their greatest adversaries–a weapon he’s sworn to protect with his life Emilia Harcourt is back from the dead thanks to…Amanda Waller?! A shocking tale that will have huge ramifications for the Dawn of DC by Rob Williams and Stefano Landini! Ed Brisson and Jorge Fornes bring an epic story to the pages of Batman Black & White!
Batman: The Brave and the Bold #3
(W) Ed Brisson, Tom King, Jackson Lanzing, Collin Kelly, Christopher Cantwell (A) Javier Rodriguez, Jorge Molina, Mitch Gerads, Jeff Spokes
Price: $7.99
The horror goes on. In the first fight ever between Batman and his deadliest enemy, the Joker came out on top, giddily laughing in Batman’s swollen, bloody face. Now it’s time for round two. Bruce just learned never to underestimate the power of a man with nothing to lose—time for Joker to learn the same. The award-winning creators behind One Bad Day: Riddler continue their brutal epic!
“No More Kings “continues as Stormwatch break into S.T.A.R. Labs to retrieve Malware, a living computer infected with a virus that, if weaponized, could cause global chaos and a complete meltdown of the world’s technological infrastructure. One small mistake and Stormwatch could do the very thing they’re trying to prevent: unleash Malware upon the world!
In the conclusion of “The Order of the Black Lamp” by Christopher Cantwell (Briar, Iron Man) and Javier Rodríguez (Dead Boy Detectives, Daredevil), Superman teams with a person he never thought he’d see again as the mysteries of the secret location the Man of Steel has been led to are revealed!
And this issue’s Batman: Black & White tale by Collin Kelly and Jackson Lanzing and Jorge Molina takes us to a different Gotham City, where Batman is a young, arrogant monster hunter about to be humbled by a legion of bats!
Batman: The Brave and the Bold #2
(W) Tom King, Ed Brisson, Christopher Cantwell, and Joelle Jones (A) Mitch Gerads, Jeff Spokes, Javier Rodriguez, and Joelle Jones
In Shops: Jun 27, 2023
SRP: $7.99
Tick, tick, tick goes the clock as Gotham City prepares for another shocking murder at the hands of The Joker! The brutal and terrifying tale of The Joker and Batman’s first meeting continues as Tom King and Mitch Gerads once again deliver a shocking, bloody blockbuster tale! Stormwatch race to find an ancient sword that has long been buried in the darkest depths of the ocean. A sword of unspeakable horrors, capable of wiping out entire civilizations. But they may already be too late: a group of exiled Xebels have found the blade and are hell-bent on bringing humanity to its knees. For one member of Stormwatch, this may be the end. All-star creator Jo lle Jones (Catwoman, Wonder Girl) gives readers a Batman Black & White tale exploring Batman’s scars, both literal and psychological, revisiting the Dark Knight’s toughest fights and deepest wounds. In part two of Order of the Black Lamp from writer Christopher Cantwell (Briar, Iron Man) and artist Javier Rodriguez (Defenders, Daredevil), Superman uses a mysterious decoder ring to uncover a location with a shocking tie to his past!
Grimm Spotlight: Masumi
(W) David Wohl, Dave Franchini (CA) Jeff Spokes
In Shops: Jun 07, 2023
SRP: $5.99
Masumi is back! The last remaining descendent from a long line of assassins, Masumi was raised as a weapon with deep knowledge of witchcraft and demonic lore, who has seen everyone that she has loved perish in their war against demons. Now, a long thought vanquished enemy of her family has returned and is seeking vengeance!
Batman: The Brave and the Bold #1
(W) Tom King, Ed Brisson, Christopher Cantwell, and Dan Mora (A) Mitch Gerads, Jeff Spokes, Javier Rodriguez, and Dan Mora
In Shops: May 16, 2023
SRP: $7.99
Coming off the spectacular success of Batman – One Bad Day: The Riddler, the Eisner Award-winning team of Tom King and Mitch Gerads reunite for a horrifying four-part retelling of the first bloody clash between The Joker and the Batman. A tale of loathing, lies, and laughter, this may be the most frightening Joker story in a generation. Everyone is going to be shocked. Everyone is going to be talking about it. The Justice League may be gone, but its enemies aren’t. Who’ll protect the world from the worst of the worst? Ed Brisson and Jeff Spokes pick up the story started in the Wildstorm 30th Anniversary Special as Director Bones and his new covert StormWatch team travel the globe on black-ops missions to take super-powered weapons of mass destruction off the board. But this is StormWatch, and as always, not all is as it seems. Down with the Kings starts here! Superstar artist Dan Mora (Batman/Superman: World’s Finest, Detective Comics) makes his writing debut kicking off a new series of Batman Black & White short stories. In a Gotham City overrun by the cybernetic henchmen of The Joker, the only person who can save us is the mysterious motorcycle-riding, bat-costumed hero of urban legend… In The Order of the Black Lamp-Part I, from writer Christopher Cantwell (Halt and Catch Fire co-creator, Briar, Iron Man) and artist Javier Rodr guez (Daredevil, Defenders), Superman finds a decoder ring with a secret message- Save me -which sends him on a quest to solve a mystery with ties to the Man of Steel’s past.
When you see the title “The Brave and the Bold,” there’s a certain panache that comes with it. It’s a classic style that has a lot of positive memories around it. Thankfully, this latest iteration has a solid start delivering four stories, not all of them having to do with Batman. Batman: The Brave and the Bold #1 might have “Batman” in the title, but there’s far more than that inside.
Kicking off with “Batman: The Winning Card,” the anthology really sets the tone for what’s to come. Written by Tom King with art by Mitch Gerads, and lettering by Clayton Cowles, the story involves the early days of the Joker as Gordon and the GCPD have to protect and individual and his diamond who have been threatened that it’ll be stolen and he’ll die by midnight. But, King gives so much more with peaks into the Joker as he talks to a young girl in a park. Since it’s early, she doesn’t know the evil she’s interacting with creating a back and forth that’s tense. You expect the worst at any moment. It’s a hell of a start for Batman: The Brave and the Bold #1 that sets a high bar for the rest. Thankfully, the rest is pretty solid. The art is fantastic with a style that fits the tension of it all perfectly.
Writer Ed Brisson is joined by Jeff Spokes on art and Saida Temofonte on lettering for “Stormwatch: Down with the Kings.” Stormwatch is reintroduced in the DC Universe as they need to complete a mission involving an incarcerated villain. It’s a new team with a new attitude and while the basics are there as far as Stormwatch, a lof the details are changed up, especially the team. With the reintroduction of WildC.A.T.s this team’s integration with the DCU feels perfectly timed and done in a similar way that works really well.
Superman gets an intriguing story, “Superman: Order of the Black Lamp.” Written by Christopher Cantwell with art by Javier Rodriguez, and lettering by Simon Bowland, the story has a bit of a throwback quality to it. Superman discovers a ring and travels to a mysterious place while also needing to turn in a hell of a story to lift paper sales for The Daily Planet. There’s something rather nice about it all, with no hint of malice or dark aspects to it. It takes on the cheery nature of Superman including the art which has a nice style about it that feels both familiar and new.
Wrapping things up is “Heroes of Tomorrow” by Dan Mora with lettering by Tom Napolitano. We get a Batman of the future battling it out to protect two kids. The art is amazing with this one and there’s just something fun and cute about how it ends, leaving readers to see what’s next.
Batman: The Brave and the Bold #1 is a solid start to the series featuring a nice mix of stories that are fun and feature some great art. Why “Batman” is in the title is a bit of a headscratcher, especially if it features far more than just Batman and his family. Overall though, it’s a great read and one that’s a definite buy. It’s a rate anthology where every story is top notch and something to get even if they were on their own.
Story: Tom King, Ed Brisson, Christopher Cantwell, Dan Mora
Art: Mitch Gerads, Jeff Spokes, Javier Rodriguez, Dan Mora
Color: Mitch Gerads, Jeff Spokes, Javier Rodriguez
Letterer: Clayton Cowles, Saida Temofonte, Simon Bowland, Tom Napolitano
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: The Brave and the Bold #1
(W) Tom King, Ed Brisson, Christopher Cantwell, and Dan Mora (A) Mitch Gerads, Jeff Spokes, Javier Rodriguez, and Dan Mora
In Shops: May 16, 2023
SRP: $7.99
Coming off the spectacular success of Batman – One Bad Day: The Riddler, the Eisner Award-winning team of Tom King and Mitch Gerads reunite for a horrifying four-part retelling of the first bloody clash between The Joker and the Batman. A tale of loathing, lies, and laughter, this may be the most frightening Joker story in a generation. Everyone is going to be shocked. Everyone is going to be talking about it. The Justice League may be gone, but its enemies aren’t. Who’ll protect the world from the worst of the worst? Ed Brisson and Jeff Spokes pick up the story started in the Wildstorm 30th Anniversary Special as Director Bones and his new covert StormWatch team travel the globe on black-ops missions to take super-powered weapons of mass destruction off the board. But this is StormWatch, and as always, not all is as it seems. Down with the Kings starts here! Superstar artist Dan Mora (Batman/Superman: World’s Finest, Detective Comics) makes his writing debut kicking off a new series of Batman Black & White short stories. In a Gotham City overrun by the cybernetic henchmen of The Joker, the only person who can save us is the mysterious motorcycle-riding, bat-costumed hero of urban legend… In The Order of the Black Lamp-Part I, from writer Christopher Cantwell (Halt and Catch Fire co-creator, Briar, Iron Man) and artist Javier Rodr guez (Daredevil, Defenders), Superman finds a decoder ring with a secret message- Save me -which sends him on a quest to solve a mystery with ties to the Man of Steel’s past.
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