Saturday, February 28, 2015

Batman: Eternal #47 Review

Written by: Tim Seeley
Art by: Juan Ferreyra
Cover Price: $2.99
Release Date: February 25, 2015

Lucha-Bore


Last week's issue of Batman: Eternal pulled the rug out from under it's fans for what seemed like the hundredth time.  We were lead to believe that Ra's al Ghul was the Big Bad, but again it was a big, fat red herring.  Don't get me wrong, I like a story that twists and turns, but this is getting ridiculous.  We are nearing the end of the game and Scott Snyder and company better have a hell of a two-minute offense or a bunch of people are going to be really, really mad.  Count me in with that group.  To make things worse, the last couple of issues haven't pushed the story forward much at all.  Then, last week's issue ended with a silly cliffhanger that I'm convinced was supposed to piss me off personally. Tim Seeley is back again this week and the issue does address that cliffhanger.  Am I still pissed off? Let's see...


Teen Titans #7 Review and *SPOILERS*

Written By: Will Pfeifer
Art By: Kenneth Rocafort, Dan Brown
Cover Price: $2.99
Release Date: February 18, 2015


Time Most Certainly Is Not On Their Side


*Non Spoilers and Score At The Bottom*

When we were last fighting crime in New York with the Teen Titans, (You have your reality and I have mine) they picked up a new member in the form of Tanya Spears the new Power Girl and it didn't go as well as getting a new teammate should have.  First off Tanya criticized how the team operates and how they like to take some time after stopping evil to congratulate themselves on a job well done......... While I might agree with Tanya, that isn't the thing you want to hear from a new girl that you want on the team.  The issue had an explosive ending though when the new STAR Labs facility on Governors Island actually exploded in a mushroom cloud from a group of terrorists who needed to blast to the secret lower level of the facility to gain access to some of the most dangerous weapons in the world.  Now it's up to the Teen Titans to stop them and hopefully Power Girl will get off their cases.  Let's check it out.

Friday, February 27, 2015

Justice League Dark #39 Review and *SPOILERS*

Written By: J.M. DeMatteis
Art By: Andres Guinaldo, Walden Wong, Chris Sotomayor
Cover Price: $3.99
Release Date: February 25, 2015

Time To Give Up


*Non Spoilers and Score At The Bottom*

When we last got our Dark on, we saw our heroes pulled from all the places outside of time to the Land Before Time where Zatanna had spent thousands of years exploring her magic and merging with the World Tree.  After freaking out about how she's been stuck in a place where all your dreams come true........ dramatic much?  We find out that time is in trouble and it could mean the end of all creation, so the World Tree puts the team up to the task of saving the Multiverse.  To help them with this task, the World Tree either creates or recreates the House of Mystery........ It's a little sketchy due to all the weirdness of time in these stories and our team rushes off to find the heart of time being ripped open by black oozy time gremlins........ That's right, black oozy time gremlins.  Let's see where we go from that in this issue of Justice League Dark.

Justice League Dark #38 Review and *SPOILERS*

Written By: J.M. DeMatteis
Art By: Andres Guinaldo, Walden Wong, Chris Sotomayor
Cover Price: $3.99
Release Date: January 28, 2015


Time To Get The Band Back Together


In the last issue of Justice League Dark.......... Which was awhile ago for me because man am I doing this review late, our Dark heroes Madam Xanadu, Deadman and Black Orchid found themselves in a place where time has no bearing and people aren't born, they don't die, they just are.  Even though this place seemed like a paradise, our heroes tried to find a way out by going to a forbidden black time ribbon in the sky and while they battled it out with the guards, the ribbon opened and it looked like the blackness had come alive and tsunamied out of control......... Possibly because Madam Xanadu allowed some of time to leave her body and killed one of the immortals there........ I don't know, this whole story has been weird as hell.  Let's see if it gets any weirder as we jump into this issue and see what happened with Zatanna merging with the world tree before time existed......... Yeah, pretty weird.

Batman: Arkham Knight #2 Review

Written by: Peter J. Tomasi
Art by: Viktor Bogdanovic
Cover Price: $0.99
Release Date: February 27, 2015

Don't Change That Channel


The first issue of Arkham Knight surprised me beyond the fact that I had no idea it was coming out yet.  To me, this book shot up the Digital First ladder and immediately sat itself down next to the likes of Injustice as one of the best that DC Comics has to offer.  Peter J. Tomasi's story was a bit of catch up, a sprinkle of set up and a whole mess of awesomeness for new readers and Arkham game lovers alike.  Throw in Vikto Bogdanovic's superb art (I really mean that, check it out) and I couldn't wait for this issue to come out.  Well, maybe DC knew that and wanted to hook me up or they once again did something that made little sense, but this #2 is out days after the first.  Did it maintain the quality of the series premiere?  Let's sit down and discuss.

Deathstroke #5 Review

Written and Art by: Tony S. Daniel
Cover Price: $2.99
Release Date: February 25, 2015

A Fight, A Fight...An Assassin and a Knight


Do you like fighting?  No, I'm not trying to start my own Fight Club in my basement where we duke it out to win Baconators and Mountain Dew...or am I?!?!  No, I'm here to talk about the latest issue of Deathstroke.  Last week promised an action packed issue, but that didn't really happen. What we got was a nice dose of what the F just happened as Slade was reunited with a bunch of his past mates just before he headed off to Gotham for a little family reunion.  Of course, you can't just show up in Gotham and expect not to run into at least one of it's famous citizens.  Deathstroke got a twofer as he spent time with Harley Quinn before ending the issue with a stare down with the Dark Knight himself.  It was an awesome cliffhanger that had Harley squealing with delight and one Baconator loving comic reviewer waiting with anticipation for this issue.  Was it worth the wait?  Let's see.

Gotham By Midnight #4 Review and *SPOILERS*

Written By: Ray Fawkes
Art By: Ben Templesmith
Cover Price: $2.99
Release Date: February 25, 2015


O.G.I.F. Oh God It's Friday!


*Non Spoilers and Score At The Bottom*

During the last shift of Precinct 13, our supernatural slayers found themselves investigating a girl in a hospital that seemed to have a shadow entity controlling her.  If that wasn't bad enough, the monster also gave people smallpox.  It's a good thing that Dr. Tarr was working on this "Ghost Language" as he puts it that we've been dealing with since the first issue because he was able to distract the shadow monster long enough for Detective Drake to sever the connection with the young girl with....... get this, a flashlight.  Now I may have thought it was bullshit but what the hell, we'll go with it as we move into this issue knowing that all these threats our heroes have been facing are all connected.  Let's check it out.

Top 5 Fridays: DC Comics Titles We're Going To Miss In June


I was looking at the solicits for March today and I kept coming across FINAL ISSUE as I scanned through the titles and it really made me depressed.  Yeah, June might be fun with it's new titles and it's new "damn the continuity" attitude........... which I think is a big mistake but that's just me.  I'm just one of those awful people that fear change..... or possibly hate change and knowing that some of my favorite books are coming to an end next month really bums me out.  I'm going to keep this short and sweet so we can just get into the list but I just want to reflect a little bit about how June is going to be a brave new world for DC Comics and maybe it's just me but I think we'll yearn for when we had the books we liked and continuity wasn't a dirty word.  Let's check out with week's Top 5 Fridays and the DC Comics Titles We're Going to Miss In June.

Thursday, February 26, 2015

Aquaman #39 Review

Written by: Jeff Parker
Art by: Paul Pelletier
Cover Price: $2.99
Release Date: February 25, 2015

Mommy Issues


I'm sure most of you know by now, but Jeff Parker's run on Aquaman is coming to an end next month.  While I'm sad to see him go, he is ending with a bang...this Maelstrom story.  When Parker jumped on the book after Geoff Johns' departure, it was his sense of humor that first grabbed my attention.  Seeing Aquaman going to his High School reunion was great fun, but in the end, Parker's run will be defined by this story.  Aquaman looking for his Mother has been good from the start and it keeps getting better with each issue.  Does this penultimate issue follow suit?  Let's see, shall we?

Arrow season 3 episode 14 "The Return" review

A Ruse!
Last episode we saw Thea learn the truth about Oliver and under the guidance of Merlyn agree to train to fight Ras' Al Ghul. To do this they decide to go to the place where Oliver learned how to survive. Lian Yu. This seems the wisest decision. All it is that you decide to train on the island where your greatest enemy is on, after it was suggested by your other enemy who is convinced you need to be a killer to fight Ras'....wait a minute. Joke aside, this episode marked the return of Slade Wilson...for about 30% of the episode. Now to me thats just criminal, underusing the character in any way. That being said, the title is not the returning of Slade Wilson...but the return of Oliver to Starling in the flashbacks. Oh yeah, its a flashback heavy episode. Lets check it out!

Arkham Manor #5 Review and *SPOILERS*

Written By: Gerry Duggan
Art By: Shawn Crystal, Dave McCaig
Cover Price: $2.99
Release Date: February 25, 2015

Washing The Spider Out


*Non Spoilers and Score At The Bottom*

In the last issue of Arkham Manor, Batman had to put his hunt for the killer in the walls on hold while he took care of the Clownface problem.  What is Clownface you ask, well it's a part of Clayface that had broken off and appeared to take the form of a catatonic man, that is before the Joker somehow jokerized it and it began a rampage through the halls of Arkham Manor.  Eventually with the help of Mr. Freeze, Batman was able to subdue the monster and put it on ice and as the issue closed Batman abandoned his disguise of Jack Shaw and suited up to go back inside the walls of his home to hunt out the killer plaguing Arkham.  Let's see if our hero can finally put an end to this People Under The Stairs like killer and finally stop the blood from spilling in his family's home.  Let's check it out.

He-Man: The Eternity War #3 Review and *SPOILERS*

Written By: Dan Abnett
Art By: Pop Mhan, Mark Roberts
Cover Price: $2.99
Release Date: February 25, 2015


Raiders of The Lost Chrono Gem


*Non Spoilers and Score At The Bottom*

With the Eternity War begun, we've seen He-Man take the fight to Hordak by taking back Mount Zoar and Man-At-Arms possibly sacrificing himself to take out the Orbital Disruptor.  Yeah, we've seen a hell of a win for our Masters but the real mission is to find the Eyes of Grayskull.  These eyes are two gems that have been lost to time and it's up to She-Ra and the Sorceress to find them before Hordak because whoever possesses the gems has the ability to take anyone out in time and space.  As we saw at the end of the first issue, Skeletor has the Chaos Gem but the Chrono Gem is still hidden somewhere in the Sands of Time.  Let's see if our Princess of Power can find it before Hordak and our Masters can really turn the tides on the Evil Horde.  Let's check it out.

Wednesday, February 25, 2015

Sinestro #10 Review and *SPOILERS*

Written By: Cullen Bunn
Art By: Brad Walker, Andrew Hennessy, Jason Wright
Cover Price: $2.99
Release Date: February 25, 2015


Revenge Is A Dish Best Served...... In Yellow!


*Non Spoilers and Score At The Bottom*

When we last instilled fear in people who were smaller than us...... or simply read Sinestro, we saw that Mongul had lured Sinestro to Warworld by killing Korugarians he sought to protect but when our favorite fear monger went seeking revenge, he was met with a bit more resistance than he expected.  That's right folks, Mongul some how found a way to drain Sinestro's power level and even recruited the Apex League to help take him down........ You might remember the Apex League from Five Years From Now, where they imprisoned Sinestro on a prison planet and pretty much ruled over his life.  Let's see if Sinestro can fight that future and take out Mongul before the master of Warworld can claim the Sinestro Corps for his own.  Let's check it out.

The Flash #39 Review

Written by: Robert Venditti and Van Jensen
Art by: Brett Booth
Cover Price: $2.99
Release Date: February 25, 2015

Running Down a Dream


I don't know about you, but I have really enjoyed this Flash story.  Sure, it has it's flaws, but it's been so much fun and fun makes the world go round, right?  No?  Well, it does in my world, so there. Seeing Future Barry muck things up as he looks to make things right and Present Barry stuck in the Savage Lands of the Speed Force has been a real treat.  However, my main complaint has been that both story lines are strong enough for their own arcs and by throwing them together, Venditti and Van Jensen (why does it sound so much better with the "Van" included?) are not giving readers the complete awesomeness they want and deserve.  Maybe they have been listening or maybe I should be less pretentious and chalk it up to the plan all along, but this issue gives the reader a great dose of both stories...but is it good?  Spoiler alert...it is.  Let's find out how, shall we?

Red Lanterns #39 Review and *SPOILERS*

Written By: Landry Walker
Art By: J. Calafiore, Gabe Eltaeb
Cover Price: $2.99
Release Date: February 25, 2015

Baby Got........ A Hell of A Right Cross


*Non Spoilers and Score At The Bottom*

When we all raged last month, we saw Guy Gardner taking on a town that became infected with the rage left behind from the Atrocitus War.  Guy being the Gloomy Gus that he's been lately looked like he was going to satiate the mob's rage by letting them take out their frustrations on him; since he felt like he deserved it but man did Guy Gardner put one over on us.  Just as you thought he might actually sacrifice himself and do a little personal atoning for the people he's gotten killed over the years, Guy actually gave himself to the mob because he knew that the rage inside of them would burn them up if they were able to focus it.  So yeah, Guy killed a whole town, but it looks like the rest of the world was saved by this rage infection.  The ends justify the means if you go with that sort of thing but here we see that the rage is still on and Guy Gardner's quest to make things right after the Atrocitus War continues.  Let's check it out.

Batman #39 Review

Written by: Scott Snyder
Art by: Greg Capullo
Cover Price: $3.99
Release Date: February 25, 2015

Desperate Times...


Okay, I've said it a couple of times already, but I still don't know what to make of this Endgame story.  While I am lukewarm on the idea of the Joker being immortal, I love seeing Batman struggle for his life.  In fact, when all is said and done, Scott Snyder's great run on Batman really comes down to that.  Each month Batman struggles for his life and I love it.  Give Snyder credit, however, because he still finds a way to maintain the tension even when we all know what really can't happen.  Don't we?!?  Last month ended with the awesome cliffhanger of Batman going to the Court of Owls for help and if that didn't show how desperate he is, what would?  Let's find out, shall we?

Earth 2: World's End #21 Review and *SPOILERS*

Written By: Daniel H. Wilson, Marguerite Bennett, Mike Johnson, Cullen Bunn
Art By: Scott McDaniel, Eddy Barrows, Eber Ferreira, RB Silva, Walden Wong, Robson Rocha, Guillermo Ortego, Eduardo Pansica, Paul Neary
Cover Price: $2.99
Release Date: February 25, 2015


Bad Day At Black Rock


*Non Spoilers and Score At The Bottom*

When we last walked through Earth 2 and thought to ourselves "What a shitty place to walk through", we saw Green Lantern get all Captain Planeted up as he was tasked with taking out parts of Apokolips that were enveloping Earth with plans of dining on it.  By Captain Planeted up I mean that the rest of the Avatars and even the Parliament merged with Alan Scott making him the sole protector of Earth........ Well, at least in the Earth's eyes.  Our Mister Terrific, Sandman, Fury, Mister Terrific team went and tried to commandeer Terry Sloan's ship, but it turned out Sloan was on board and he's the only one who can operate it.  All that and Huntress and Batman locating Oliver Queen.  Let's jump into this issue and see what Bruce Wayne left Helena in case Apokolips ever returned and hopefully see a way to send them packing.  Let's check it out.

The New 52: Futures End #43 Review and *SPOILERS*

Written By: Brian Azzarello, Jeff Lemire, Dan Jurgens, Keith Giffen
Art By: Andy MacDonald, Hi-Fi
Cover Price: $2.99
Release Date: February 25, 2015

Punching Your Future Self In The Face


*Non Spoilers and Score At The Bottom*

In the last issue of Futures End, Brainiac was still trying to dome up Manhattan and take it off to........ wherever Brainiac keeps his stuff.  Don't worry though all you New Yorkers, our heroes came through........ Well, The Atom came through and disconnected Engineer from the Brainiac skull ship stopping Manhattan from being collected.  Let's see what this issue holds, like if Superman is going to Superman up and stop getting his ass knocked around or what's up with Mister Terrific and his Brainiac bromance.  Let's check it out.

Tuesday, February 24, 2015

Batman: Eternal #47 Preview

Written by: Tim Seeley
Art by: Juan Ferreyra
Cover Price: $2,99
Release Date: February 25, 2015

Preview via Comicvine

In the new order of Gotham City, Selina Kyle holds all the cards...and now it's up to master spy Julia Pennyworth to steal them back!


Earth 2: World's End #21 Preview

Written by: Cullen Bunn, Daniel Wilson, Marguerite Bennett, Mike Johnson
Art by: Tyler Johnson, Eddy Barrows, Paulo Siqueira, Jorge Jimenez
Cover Price: $2.99

Release Date: February 25, 2015


Preview via Comic Book

Does Oliver Queen hold the answers to saving Earth-2?





Secret Origins #10 Preview

Written by: Christy Marx, Dan Jurgens, Brenden Fletcher, Cameron Stewart
Art by: Sean Chen, Irene Koh, Stjepan Sejic
Cover Price: $4.99

Release Date: February 25, 2015

Preview via Hit Fix

Get ready for The New 52 origins of Batgirl (written by Cameron Stewart and Brenden Fletcher with art by Irene Koh), Firestorm (courtesy of writer Dan Jurgens and artist Sean Chen) and Poison Ivy (coming your way from writer Christy Marx and artist Stjepan Sejic)!


The New 52: Futures End #42 Preview

Written by: Brian Azzarello, Jeff Lemire, Dan Jurgens, Keith Giffen
Art by" Andy McDonald
Cover Price: $2.99

Release Date: February 25, 2015

Preview via Nerdist

Major fallout from last issue’s shocking demise of humanity’s one hope against apocalypse!


Justice League Dark #39 Preview

Written by: J.M. DeMatteis
Art by: Walden Wong, Andres Guinaldo

Cover Price: $3.99
Release Date: February 25, 2015




The JLD is reunited! But being lost in the timestream could not prepare them to confront the living embodiment of time itself. And she’s hungry…


Injustice: Year Three #22 Review

Written by: Brian Buccellato
Art by: Mike S. Miller
Cover Price: $0.99
Release Date: February 24, 2015

Burn in Hell


I really enjoyed last week's issue of Injustice.  After a couple of week's of bash-em up fighting, we got some really nice character moments and a death.  It feels wrong to list a death as a positive, but this is Injustice after all.  Plus, it really hit hard for everyone involved.  This issue continues the battle, but it's more about where the book (and characters) are headed.  Year Four is on the horizon and it's already looking like Hell.

Monday, February 23, 2015

Aquaman #39 Preview

Written by: Jeff Parker
Art by: Paul Pelletier
Cover Price: $2.99

Release Date: February 25, 2015

Preview via Comic Book Resources



Aquaman’s mother is alive – and she wants him dead! Welcome to the family reunion from hell!


Catwoman #39 Preview

Written by: Genevieve Valentine
Art by: Garry Brown
Cover Price: $2.99
Release Date: February 25, 2015




Will Selina save Gotham City? Or will she burn it to the ground? 

I have really enjoyed Valentine's run on Catwoman and can't wait to see what's going on this month. Watching Selina rise through the Gotham Underworld has been great, but the journey hasn't been easy. This issue looks to continue the troubles.  I can't wait.

Batman #39 Preview

Written by: Scott Snyder
Art by: Greg Capullo, Danny Miki
Cover Price: $3.99
Release Date: February 25, 2015



“Endgame” part 5. The Joker is back! The penultimate issue of the Clown Prince of Crime’s horrifying return! Plus, in the backup story, the inmates and Mahreen finally learn the truth about The Joker!

Eric hates the term "penultimate" so I love that it's in the solicit.  Take that, buddy!  You know what else I love?  Hamburgers and Batman.  This issue promises at least one of those.  I still am not sure what to think of this return of the Joker, but I'm interested in learning more.  Just remember...penultimate.

Deathstroke #5 Preview

Written by: TONY S. DANIEL
Art by: TONY S. DANIEL and SANDU FLOREA

Cover Price: $2.99
Release Date: February 25, 2015



Deathstroke vs. Batman – with Harley Quinn stuck in the middle! The most intense, brutal battle in the history of The New 52 takes place in this issue!

I love Deathstroke and Harley and...well, I like Batman a lot. While last month's issue promised some Gotham fun, this looks like the issue where it all goes down.  Yep, shit just got real and it looks so good!

Red Lanterns #39 Preview

Written By: Landry Walker
Art By: J. Calafiore
Cover Price: $2.99
Release Date: February 25, 2015




The rage left behind on Earth following the Atrocitus War is spreading and in danger of erupting at any moment! Guy is determined to purge the world in order to save it, but can a man looking to die stop a primal force on a heavily populated planet?


I don't know why, but I got the impression that we were done with rage virus at the end of the last issue......... at least I stay consistent with how wrong I am all the time.  While I wasn't the biggest fan of the last issue, I'll be going into Red Lanterns optimistic this week....... Man am I going to miss this title when it's over.

Gotham By Midnight #4 Preview

Written By: Ray Fawkes
Art By: Ben Templesmith
Cover Price: $2.99
Release Date: February 25, 2015




Dr. Szandor Tarr is far from what anyone would consider social, but will it turn out he’s more at home with an insect monster savaging Gotham City than he is with the Midnight Shift?


I'm really enjoying this series and I can't wait to see the reveal on how everyone in Precinct 13 got to be on the job.  

Gotham Academy #5 Preview

Written by: Brenden Fletcher and Becky Cloonan
Art by: Karl Kerschl
Cover Price: $2.99

Release Date: February 25, 2015



This month’s assignment: Uncover the hideous secrets of Gotham Academy’s North Hall! Also: smooching?!

I don't think I could recommend Gotham Academy any more than I have already.  When I was recently on Geekcast Radio's Previews Podcast, this was the book I picked as my main pick of the month.  While the solicit is a little generic, I know the issue will be great.  Take my advice and grab this on Wednesday and maybe Brenden Fletcher will start liking us...stranger things have happened.

Deathstroke #4 Review

Written and Art by: Tony S. Daniel
Cover Price: $2.99
Release Date: January 28, 2015

Heads Will Roll


Tony S. Daniel's take on Deathstroke has been a slow burn story focusing on the who and what of a past that he can't remember.  The reader has been walking alongside him as he tries to get his footing in a world he doesn't know and people he thought were long dead.  Hell, Slade doesn't even recognize the guy looking back at him in the mirror.  While I thought the first couple of issues were pretty generic fare, Daniel's art has been superb since the first panel and last issue ramped up the story big time.  The promise of Deathstroke heading to Gotham only excited me even more for this issue, but now that I sat down with it, I feel a little let down.  Why?  Let me tell you, kiddies.

Sunday, February 22, 2015

Weird Science DC Comics Podcast Episode 7: Them's Fightin Words

This week, Eric and Jim find out the sad, sad truth that not everybody loves them.  They also talk a little Biz Markie, hot dogs, herpes and of course, comics.  They find out that neither of them is a huge Magog fan and that Eric wishes he could get more...well, we will let you find out because it's too awful to write.  I hope you enjoy the podcast and please write to us with any questions, comments and rants below in the comments or at weirdsciencedccomics@gmail.com.  Also, don't forget to rate and review us on iTunes because we are sad sacks who need constant validation.


Gotham season 1 episode 16 "The Blind Fortune Teller" Review

He watches you while you sleep
Ha

So last week we capped off the Scarecrow storyline to a truly twisted conclusion. As much as I hate the writers forcing characters unnecessarily down our throats, it was pulled off rather well with a new spin on the villain. Then I see the promo to the next episode and BOY did I get angry. Not only were they planning to force the Flying Graysons into an episode, they are forcing the one villain you really can't have Batman without! This of course is the Joker! I watched the episode AND...It's actually not as bad as I was afraid it would be. Don't get me wrong, I still don't think the Joker should have been on the show, but it really wasn't bad...it was actually good.