The Boy Wonder #5 (of 5)
(W) Juni Ba (A) Juni Ba
In Shops: Sep 04, 2024
SRP: $5.99
The Robins have united to battle their way out of the stronghold of the Demon’s Head, but Damian cutting his family ties to Ra’s al Ghul isn’t just a matter of punching his way through ninjas. Could this fairy tale possibly have a happy ending? Or is the story of Damian Wayne an inescapable tragedy?
The Boy Wonder #4 (of 5)
(W) Juni Ba (A) Juni Ba
In Shops: Aug 07, 2024
SRP: $5.99
Damian Wayne may have been struggling to live up to his father’s legacy…but the last thing he ever wanted was to be returned to the clutches of his grandfather, the Demon King. But when his worst nightmare comes true, can he rely on his mother to defend him? Or has he lost her forever to the same horrific legacy he’s tried to escape?
The Boy Wonder #3 (of 5)
(W) Juni Ba (A) Juni Ba
In Shops: Jul 02, 2024
SRP: $5.99
The cunning Tim Drake has always been the smartest of Batman’s sons…and the most comfortable matching wits with the most sinister geniuses on Earth. Damian Wayne doesn’t like feeling outsmarted–to him, no smugly-written insult could ever be sharper than his sword–so when he’s forced to infiltrate a super-villain gala alongside the sneaky Red Robin, the biggest danger the two of them face might not be Lex Luthor but Damian’s own temper!
The Boy Wonder #2 (of 5)
(W) Juni Ba (A) Juni Ba
In Shops: Jun 04, 2024
SRP: $5.99
Jason Todd is the exile prince of Batman’s kingdom, stalking Gotham’s darkest alleys and eternally turning his face from the light of day–all because he cannot quench the burning flame of anger and retribution that consumes his heart. Can Damian learn from Jason’s mistakes? Or is the reflective mask of the Red Hood doomed to be a mirror held up to his own future?
Wednesdays (and Tuesdays) are new comic book day! Each week hundreds of comics are released, and that can be pretty daunting to go over and choose what to buy. That’s where we come in
Each week our contributors choose what they can’t wait to read this week or just sounds interesting. In other words, this is what we’re looking forward to and think you should be taking a look at!
Find out what folks think below, and what comics you should be looking out for this week.
Bear Pirate Viking Queen #2 (Image Comics) – The first issue’s narrative didn’t go in the direction we expected and definitely kept us on our toes. That mixed absolutely stunning art has us excited to check out the second issue of the series.
Beyond the Pale #1 (Dark Horse Comics) – War correspondent Hetta Sawyer is looking into the disproportional loss of black soldiers in the Vietnam War. Leads say losses are especially high at Firebase Tartarus, with most of them simply gone missing, their fate unknown. Something sinister is happening at Tartarus, and Hetta intends to uncover the truth.
The Boy Wonder #2 (DC Comics/DC Black Label) – The first issue was fantastic with Damian Wayne contemplating what makes each Robin special. Add in some great art and it’s a fantastic read.
Falling in Love on the Path to Hell #1 (Image Comics) – Western gunslingers and samurais in one comic? Yeah, we’re intrigued.
Get Fury #2 (Marvel) – The first issue had us sucked in as we’re taken to Vietnam where Fury has been captured and Frank Castle is sent to assassinate him before the enemy gets information out of him.
Kaiju No. 8 Vol. 10 (VIZ Media) – The series has been fantastic at mixing action with some heart as it takes the kaiju concept in new and interesting directions.
Mammoth #1 (Mad Cave Studios) – Something is wrong in the deep forests of Broke Tree Valley. Something deadly. Something mammoth. We want to find out what!
My Adventures of Superman #1 (DC Comics) – Spinning out of the animated series. The comic takes place after the first season.
Profane #1 (BOOM! Studios) – Solving murders in Los Angeles is the daily bread of private detective Will Profane, but something is strange about his latest case. We’re suckers for detective stories.
Scarlett #1 (Skybound) – The first issue is fantastic and continues to build towards the eventual G.I. JOE.
Space Ghost #2 (Dynamite Entertainment) – The first issue was fantastic breathing new life into the classic franchise and getting us excited for what comes next.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Alpha #1 (IDW Publishing) – What’s the world like without the TMNT? Since their time-spanning victory over Armaggon, the Turtles have started to pursue other interests, leaving a void in New York among humans and mutants alike. Plus, see what’s coming with the new series!
Ultimates #1 (Marvel) – Marvel’s Ultimate line has been great so far. This first team takes on the greater conspiracy of the world as it picks up after the shocking events that launched the new universe.
X-Men #35 (Marvel) – Celebrate 700 issues of Uncanny X-Men as an era ends!
The Boy Wonder #2 (of 5)
(W) Juni Ba (A) Juni Ba
In Shops: Jun 04, 2024
SRP: $5.99
Jason Todd is the exile prince of Batman’s kingdom, stalking Gotham’s darkest alleys and eternally turning his face from the light of day–all because he cannot quench the burning flame of anger and retribution that consumes his heart. Can Damian learn from Jason’s mistakes? Or is the reflective mask of the Red Hood doomed to be a mirror held up to his own future?
The Boy Wonder #1 (of 5)
(W) Juni Ba (A) Juni Ba
In Shops: May 07, 2024
SRP: $5.99
The young prince Damian Wayne was raised to be the heir to the fearsome League of Assassins–to follow in the footsteps of his deadly mother, Talia, and the Demon’s Head himself, his grandfather Ra’s al Ghul. But everything changed when his father, the Batman, reclaimed him and brought him back to Gotham City. As Robin, young Damian suddenly discovered he was merely one of a number of princes, preceded in the role by his brothers Nightwing, Red Hood, and Red Robin…and Damian doesn’t care to be merely anything. But when his father is forced to leave the city on urgent business, and a rash of abductions is accompanied by whispers of a demon stalking Gotham’s dark alleys, Damian will find himself battling alongside his adoptive brothers–and in the process, learning what the mantle of Robin really means! Visionary writer/artist Juni Ba makes his mark on the timeless story of Batman and Robin, synthesizing the characters’ complex history into an accessible and heartrending fairy tale!
The young prince Damian Wayne was raised to be the heir to the fearsome League of Assassins–to follow in the footsteps of his deadly mother, Talia, and the Demon’s Head himself, his grandfather Ra’s al Ghul. But everything changed when his father, the Batman, reclaimed him and brought him back to Gotham City. As Robin, young Damian suddenly discovered he was merely one of a number of princes, preceded in the role by his brothers Nightwing, Red Hood, and Red Robin…and Damian doesn’t care to be merely anything. But when his father is forced to leave the city on urgent business, and a rash of abductions is accompanied by whispers of a demon stalking Gotham’s dark alleys, Damian will find himself battling alongside his adoptive brothers–and in the process, learning what the mantle of Robin really means! The Boy Wonder #1 features the talent of Juni Ba and is a hell of a debut issue.
Juni Ba is a hell of a talent. It was clear early on this is a comic creator who is going to break big at some point. Djeliya is the first release I became aware of Ba and it has been entertaining to see the rise since. The Boy Wonder #1 takes Ba’s talent in both writing and art and delivers a debut that takes a classic storytelling technique and delivers a hell of a start.
Captured by a bank robber, a masked hostage recounts the story of a king and his three adopted sons and the fourth son he didn’t know he had and eventually meets. It’s the story of Batman and his Robins with Damian at the center trying to stand out from the others and figuring out what makes each of them so special.
Ba delivers a comic that takes a classic fantasy story, and storytelling style, and putting Batman and his boys front and center. You get a sense of questioning from Damian’s tale as he attempts to piece together what makes each Robin so special and feel sorry for his attempt to make himself special as well. It’s cute and there’s some empathy for Damian, a character who has grown so much over the years.
Ba’s talent extends to the art which is amazing to look at and blends classic creators like Tim Sale and Darwyn Cooke with his own spin and style. It’s fantastic to look at and the whole package delivers a read that feels like a bard recounting a grand adventure for a fantasy party. It’s classic in some ways and works so well.
The Boy Wonder #1 is the excellence I expected from Juni Ba, living up the high standards. It’s a great read that, if it keeps it up, is likely to be a modern classic comic fans won’t want to miss.
Story: Juni Ba Art: Juni Ba
Color: Chris O’Halloran Letterer: Aditya Bidikar
Story: 8.75 Art: 8.75 Overall: 8.75 Recommendation: Buy
DC Comics provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review
Purchase: TFAW – Zeus Comics – Kindle
It’s new comic book day! What are you excited for? What do you plan on getting? While you wait for shops to open, here’s some comic news and a review from around the web to start the day.
ICv2 – Viz Licenses ‘Magic: The Gathering’ Manga – Yay about the return of exclusive cards!
Review
Comicbook – The Boy Wonder #1
Wednesdays (and Tuesdays) are new comic book day! Each week hundreds of comics are released, and that can be pretty daunting to go over and choose what to buy. That’s where we come in
Each week our contributors choose what they can’t wait to read this week or just sounds interesting. In other words, this is what we’re looking forward to and think you should be taking a look at!
Find out what folks think below, and what comics you should be looking out for this week.
Ain’t No Grave #1 (Image Comics) – Skottie Young and Jorge Corona teaming for a Western/fantasy? Yeah, we’re down for this.
Beneath the Trees Where Nobody Sees #6 (IDW Publishing) – Great art and great concept of taking cute art and mixing it with the serial killer genre have resulted in a hell of a series.
Blood Hunters #1/Dracula: Blood Hunt #1 (Marvel) – Blood Hunt’s debut issue was fantastic and hooked us on Marvel’s summer event involving vampires finally making their move to take over the Earth.
The Boy Wonder #1 (DC Comics/DC Black Label) – Juni Ba makes his mark on Damian Wayne!
Crocodile Black #1 (BOOM! Studios) – A murder during the pandemic, the first issue is an intriguing one setting up a mystery as to what exactly is going on.
Deadweights #2 (Ahoy Comics) – The story about henchmen trying to find their way got us intrigued with the first issue and we want to see where this comedic take goes.
The Deviant #5 (Image Comics) – The series has been fantastic with a Silence of the Lambs vibe that we have no idea where it’s going.
The Devil That Wears My Face #6 (Mad Cave Studios) – Face/Off meets The Exorcist and it has been awesome with every issue. We have no idea how it’s going to conclude and we’re excited to find out.
Energon Universe Special #1 (Skybound) – Released on Free Comic Book Day, the comic gets new covers and if you didn’t grab a copy and reading the Energon Universe comics, this is one you can’t miss!
Faith Returns #1 (Alien Books/Valiant) – We’re excited to see what Faith’s return is all about! Such a great character and we’re hoping for some classic fun.
Mugshots #1 (Mad Cave Studios) – The kidnapping of a young woman sets in motion a chain of events that will set con artists, gangsters, killers and corrupt police on a collision course. Sounds like the type of film we’d sit down to watch and enjoy.
The One Hand #4 (Image Comics) – A great mystery involving a serial killer. If you like that genre, this is one you can’t miss!
Transformers #8 (Skybound) – The second arc has been solid so far and this issue is packed with drama, action, and surprises. It takes some classic concepts and brings them into this new take on the classic Transformers!
The Valiants #1 (Alien Books/Valiant) – There’s a big event coming in the Valiant Universe and we’re diving in to check it all out!
