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Batman: Gotham By Gaslight gets a solid DC Compact Comics edition featuring two tales

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Step into the shadows of Victorian Gotham where the Dark Knight confronts Jack the Ripper and a mad prophet in this genre-defining Elseworlds classic.

Before Elseworlds became a staple of DC storytelling, there was Gotham by Gaslight. This groundbreaking tale transports Batman to the gaslit streets of 19th-century Gotham, where he faces the terror of Jack the Ripper in a battle of wits and shadows. With its dark, atmospheric visuals and gripping narrative, this story redefined the boundaries of Batman’s world.

The saga continues with Master of the Future, a thrilling sequel where Batman contends with a deranged prophet seeking to halt Gotham’s evolution into the 20th century. Both stories deliver a unique blend of gothic aesthetics and superhero intrigue.

This volume collects Batman: Gotham by Gaslight #1 and Batman: Master of the Future #1.

Story: Brian Augustyn
Art: Mike Mignola, P. Craig Russell, Eduardo Barreto
Color: David Hornung, Steve Oliff
Letterer: John Workman, Willie Schubert

Get your copy 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.

Bookshop
Amazon

This post contains affiliate links, which means that if you click on one of the product links and make a purchase, we’ll receive a percentage of the sale. Graphic Policy does purchase items from this site. Making purchases through these links helps support the site

The Question: All Along the Watchtower #1 kicks off an intriguing mystery

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The Question: All Along the Watchtower #1

In the wake of Absolute Power, the Justice League Unlimited has created a haven for all heroes–but can they keep it secure? Enter Renee Montoya, reeling from an abrupt end to her time in Gotham and looking for a place to hang her hat. But the Trinity didn’t bring her up to the Watchtower to relax–there’s a dark threat bubbling underneath the surface, and only the Question and her ad hoc support team stand a chance of figuring out who the problem is before it’s too late. The Question: All Along the Watchtower #1 is a solid start to a series that’s very new reader friendly.

I love a good mystery. Noir, crime, detective, those types of stories usually suck me in if done well and keep me guessing as to where they’re going. There’s some excellent ones when it comes to comics, so to get me to really be interested, the comic needs to really nail its various aspects. The Question: All Along the Watchtower #1 does exactly that providing a debut issue that sets up an intriguing mystery but also lays out the current DC status quo.

Written by Alex Segura, The Question: All Along the Watchtower #1 has Renee Montoya heading to space taking up residence in the Justice League’s Watchtower. Something is amiss with teases that something or someone is attempting an attack of some type. What exactly is going on is teased but the debut issue sets things up well… really well.

New readers can dive into The Question: All Along the Watchtower #1 without any issue. Segura has done a fantastic job of creating a first issue that is both an introduction for all readers but also steeped into the current status quo. The Question is taken on a tour as the mystery is laid out. Something is going on at the station but no one is quite sure what exactly. We’re introduced to the main characters while Segura also fills in Renee’s backstory. By the end, the mystery is even more complex but readers will leave understanding what has come before and what lays ahead.

What’s really intriguing about The Question: All Along the Watchtower #1 is that it’s a crime/noir/detective story (complete with murder) but it isn’t dark and gloomy. Much of that has to do with the art of Cian Tormey, color by Romulo Fajardo Jr., and lettering by Willie Schubert. The comic looks more like a typical superhero comic (not a bad thing) than a detective/noir story. There isn’t a dark and ominous tone to it. Instead we get some beautiful art, some of which will get you to pause. The visuals do an amazing job of pulling back to show the awe of what Renee is experiencing and then focus in as she learns the ropes. The pages are packed with characters making the new Watchtower feel active and used but not overwhelming or playing “spot the character in the background.”

The Question: All Along the Watchtower #1 is a solid debut issue that blends a good mystery with superheroes ending in a murder mystery. It doesn’t fall into traps of that DC superhero murder mystery from years ago, instead keeping things a bit brighter as well as focusing in on Renee herself and how she’s taking in the experience. It may involve superheroes on a space station hovering over Earth, but the comic delivers a grounded, familiar, and entertaining story that’s easy to dive in to.

Story: Alex Segura Art: Cian Tormey
Color: Romulo Fajardo Jr. Letterer: Willie Schubert
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

Vampirella Hits Milestone Issue #675!

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The Daughter of Drakulon is celebrating another huge historic moment, as she comes up on Vampirella #675! Dynamite has announced this celebratory milestone special release, with another essential chapter in the long-running epic run by the legendary Christopher Priest, a set of show-stopping variant covers, and more as the march to #700 continues!

Following the status quo-shattering events of “The Dark World” story arc (issues #671-674), Vampirella’s analyst Doc Chary is brought before a review board to explain his conduct with his bizarre patient. How can he explain his alleged “enabling” of her “vampire fetish”-inspired paracosm to those who do not know the deeper, darker truths of her life and backstory?

Chary will reveal to fans a never-before-seen episode of the raven-haired antiheroine’s life in which Vampi was committed to a mental institution for a 72-hour observation period. Across those three fateful days, several people wound up being murdered — but is Vampirella to blame?

For this special milestone issue, the legendary Christopher Priest is joined by acclaimed artist Aaron Felizmenio, as well as the continued veteran lettering of Willie Schubert. The creative team ring in the New Year this January with this chilling tale of blood and madness like no other.

To mark this major mark in the road to #700, a squad of skilled artists have assembled to pay homage through stunning variant covers. Leading the pack is the heralded return of Jenny Frison, who remains a fan-favorite among the character’s fans for her beloved run of covers a decade ago for the run by Nancy A. Collins. Since then she’s only become even more of a superstar, and this may be her best vision of Vampirella yet! She’s joined by stalwarts Lucio Parrillo, Joseph Michael Linsner, and cosplayer Rachel Hollon. Plus, Elias Chatzoudis whips up a special New Year’s 2025 cover!

This issue is both a critical chapter of Priest’s ongoing epic, yet also a perfect jumping-on point for new and returning readers. It is a standalone chapter break between major story arcs, revealing an untold tale of the Drakulonian’s twisted life and acting as a primer explaining who Vampirella is and the basic dynamics of this series. What follows the next month will only ramp things up even more for the next major era of the character, the return of modern signature artist Ergün Gündüz, and more big surprises. More details to be revealed soon!

Catwoman: Trail of the Catwoman is absolutely amazing a must get as part of DC Compact Comics

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Graphic novels to read anywhere: DC Compact Comics collect DC’s bestselling, most iconic stories in a new size! Get Catwoman: Trail of the Catwoman for just $9.99!

For years, Selina Kyle has prowled the skyline of Gotham City as its most famous thief, Catwoman. But when word spreads of Catwoman’s demise, Selina decides to leave the costumed world behind and continue her trade cloaked in the shadows.

Unable to enjoy her newfound anonymity for too long though, Selina decides that she must return to her infamous persona. Donning a new costume and attitude, Catwoman returns to the streets and sets her sights on the serial killer that has been preying upon the people she calls friends.

Collects Catwoman: Selina’s Big Score, Catwoman #1-9, and backup stories from Detective Comics #759-762.

Story: Ed Brubaker, Darwyn Cooke
Art: Darwyn Cooke, Cameron Stewart, Michael Allred, Brad Rader, Rick Burchett
Color: Matt Hollingsworth, Lee Loughridge, Giulia Brusci
Letterer: Sean Konot, Willie Schubert

Get your copy in comic shops! 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.

Bookshop
Amazon

This post contains affiliate links, which means that if you click on one of the product links and make a purchase, we’ll receive a percentage of the sale. Graphic Policy does purchase items from this site. Making purchases through these links helps support the site

Superman: Lost #2 is a muted and slow lesson

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Superman: Lost #2

As Superman struggles to re-enter his life on Earth, we begin the story of his epic 20-year journey home with an encounter with spacefaring scavengers who transport the Man of Steel to an unnamed earthlike planet whose properties redefine the limits of his powers, while the world’s ecological and political turmoil beckons for his help. Superman: Lost #2 is an interesting issue feeling a bit like a parable packed with lessons.

Written by Christopher Priest, Superman: Lost #2 continues what is an intriguing series. There’s so much to enjoy and so much to be frustrated by the series as a whole. The first issue felt littered with character depictions which never quite felt like the characters we know. The second issue has a little of that too with Superman shattered and broken by his trip home and in flashbacks, attempting to figure out what has happened.

When it comes to Superman, I’ve always felt like he’s a character who will step in to stop injustice no matter the situation. He wants to right the wrongs, which is partially what makes Superman: Lost #2 so frustrating. First salvaged by aliens, he’s dumped on a planet destroyed by war and ecological disasters but much like Earth. Yes, he’s limited by his powers but after finding some who aren’t so bad off, he just grabs some equipment to help him get home and takes off. The comic feels like there’s a lesson to the story but I’m not sure what it is and the lesson absolutely isn’t very Superman like. Even with issues concerning his powers, I’d expect the Man of Steel to spend time to try to save the planet and its people. Here, he just kind of bolts after learning the people don’t really seem to want help. “Fuck em” seems to be the lesson of the day.

The art by Carlo Pagulayan continues to be fantastic. There’s something beautiful and haunting at the same time with a sadness pervading over the sci-fi visuals. With Jason Paz on ink, Jeromy Cox on color, and lettering by Willie Schubert, the comic visually looks great with so much that feels familiar but alien at the same time. But, the tone of the comic is set up early as Clark personally deals with the reality of his time away, a tone that’s sad and morose.

Superman: Lost #2 is an interesting comic in that it feels like there’s a lesson there. It has a style that it’s a parable but I’m not quite sure what that underling thing is. It continues a series which feels grand in concept and execution but I’m not sure if that is really going to pay off.

Story: Christopher Priest Art: Carlo Pagulayan
Ink: Jason Paz Color: Jeromy Cox Letterer: Willie Schubert
Story: 7.75 Art: 8.4 Overall: 8.1 Recommendation: Read

DC Comics provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review

Purchase: TFAW – Zeus Comics – comiXology/Kindle

Superman Lost #1 kicks off an intriguing mystery

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Superman Lost #1

DC is celebrating 85 years of Superman (technically 90 since he was created) with Superman Lost, an intriguing series. After a mission with the Justice League, Superman returns home and reveals he’s been lost for 20 years. Superman Lost #1 kicks off a mystery that feels a bit like a horror story as much as anything else.

Written by Priest with the story also by artist Carlo Pagulayan, Superman Lost #1 begins like an superhero comic. Lois and Clark go back and forth over a breaking story involving a politician caught with a lot of cash when the Man of Steel is called away on a mission. From there, the Justice League must prevent war over a crashed alien ship with a secret.

Superman Lost #1 is an intriguing start to the series but as a whole, something feels rather off. Things start that way and then get more odd as the issue progresses.

First, there’s the issue of a possibly crooked politician. While it absolutely makes sense Lois would be all over the story and suspicious over things, Clark’s dismissal of it all still feels rather off. No speeches about believing in the best of people and the money can be explained. No doubt at all. He’s almost aloof in this sense, coming off as rather disconnected from reality and Lois. It’s not until moments before he runs off that you feel a connection between Clark and Lois.

From there, it’s rather paint by numbers with the Justice League with Priest’s Superman coming off a bit more stiff as usual and that’s compounded on his return home. Yes, he’s been gone 20 years but it’s almost body snatchers like with no emotional read as opposed to someone who has missed his wife and comes home to her, finding her unchanged. There’s again a weird emotional disconnect. As a whole, the comic feels like a shock, like bad news has dropped from the beginning, leaving everyone hard to connect with.

The art by Carlo Pagulayan is fun. With ink by Jason Pax, color by Jeromy Cox, and lettering by Willie Schubert, the comic has a classic feel about it. The action has each Justice League member having their moment with over the top action that’s somewhat cinematic. Then there’s the quieter moments, especially the end of the comic, where a feel of dread pervades the comic. There’s an ominous aspect to it.

Superman Lost #1 is an oddity of a debut. The concept of the comic is great. The idea of Superman thinking he’s been gone for decades and returning home to find things hasn’t changed is a solid idea. But, the characters feel really off. It’s like they’ve been replaced with body doubles. The only one that feels right is Lois. Maybe there’s an explanation for all of that but as a beginning, it’s a bit of a headscratcher.

Story: Priest, Carlo Pagulayan Art: Carlo Pagulayan
Ink: Jason Paz Color: Jeromy Cox Letterer: Willie Schubert
Story: 7.25 Art: 8.0 Overall: 7.75 Recommendation: Read

DC Comics provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review

Purchase: Zeus Comics – comiXology/Kindle

Review: Black Adam #1

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Black Adam #1

Every week there’s a few comics I’m super excited to read. This week, Black Adam #1 is one of them. The combination of the creative team and the subject is a comic that has me excited and it being DC Black Label means it’ll be a bit more mature and do things you can’t in the regular continuity.

Written by Priest, the comic plants a flag early as to what we can expect from it. Lord Adam is dragged before a US Senate hearing about violations of some exportation laws involving Kahndaq. A leader of the democratic opposition movement is murdered. All of that spins into a shocking finale that looks to explore the future of the nation.

Priest has delivered superhero heroics with political drama for a debut that looks to challenge the perception of Black Adam as a despot and ruler, a benevolent dictator. I can guess exactly where things might go and what discussions might be had but it all comes together for a start that has a lot of potential as a comic series that will challenge the reader to think about the role of superpowers and superheroes, as well as those in the middle.

The art by Rafa Sandoval is fantastic. With colors by Matt Herms and lettering by Willie Schubert, everything about Black Adam #1 looks beautiful. The character design is great. The action is solid and the transformations are memorable. The use of words in battle and switching explodes on the page in memorable moments… really all the visuals are memorable. It’s a comic that’s as great to look at as it is to read.

As an aside, having worked on the Hill, the scene in the Dirksen Senate building brought back memories and the rather cold and boring look of hearing rooms. It’s not that far off from reality so bravo to Priest and Sandoval. Though, The main room in the Senate might have been more appropriate for a head of state, plus the “comic hearings” took place there too.

Black Adam #1 is a fantastic debut. This is a “mature” superhero comic in that it’ll make readers think yet delivers the action and spandex and capes one would expect. I had high expectations for it and it met them in every way. One of the best comics of the week.

Story: Priest Art: Rafa Sandoval
Color: Matt Herms Letterer: Willie Schubert
Story: 9.0 Art: 9.0 Overall: 9.0 Recommendation: Buy

DC Comics provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review

Purchase: comiXology/Kindle – Zeus Comics – TFAW

Christopher Priest Explores Vampirella’s Year One

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In July 2019, the boundary-breaking and acclaimed Christopher Priest kicked off Vampirella’s 50th anniversary celebration. Now, three years later the next chapter begins – by going back to the beginning! Vampirella: Year One debuts this summer.

This limited event series is not only an exploration of the Daughter of Drakulon’s earliest days, but also a follow up to the explosive conclusion of Vampirella / Dracula: Unholy. Our vampiress is now wanted for murder, with every demon, vampire, whack-job zealout, reporter, and law enforcement officer on Earth hunting for her. As she takes refuge hidden away, Vampirella begins to recall and question how and why she came to this planet in the first place.

Artist Giovanni Timpano returns to illustrate the present-set framing sequences. For the core tale, Priest is reunited with Ergün Gündüz after the pair started the whole run back on Free Comic Book Day 2019. Letterer Willie Schubert continues to contribute as well. Together, the creative team is overhauling and expanding the classic origin story from Forrest J. Ackerman and Tom Sutton that originally amounted to just a handful of pages.

Travel to the scenic, exotic sites of Drakulon, and then back in time to 1960s New York City, where Vampi finds herself grappling with depression and intense loneliness as she attempts to build a new life.

Through the series she will meet her first friends like the fan-favorites Pantha and Pendragon, as well as her first enemies. She’ll also be navigating the turn of the decade amidst one of America’s most turbulent periods. Grab your go-go boots, Afro Sheen, and love beads!

A legion of unparalleled artists contribute covers to further solidify the history-making nature of this benchmark saga. Collette Turner is here, adding to her stunning pieces from Priest’s Draculina title. Lucio Parrillo continues his covers. Guillem March returns, as he helped kick this whole Priest era off too. Derrick Chew and Joseph Michael Linsner depict a young Vampirella that fans have rarely ever seen. Rachel Hollon makes history as the first cosplay cover with the white costume. And a limited incentive cover features the jaw-dropping pencils of Kevin Nowlan.

Vampirella: Year One #1 arrives in July.

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

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