Thursday, January 23, 2025

Absolute Wonder Woman #4 Review




  • Written by: Kelly Thompson

  • Art by: Hayden Sherman

  • Colors by: Jordie Bellaire

  • Letters by: Becca Carey

  • Cover art by: Hayden Sherman (cover A)

  • Cover price: $4.99

  • Release date: January 22, 2025


Absolute Wonder Woman #4, by DC Comics on 1/22/25, seeks out the help of Gateway City's resident witch to conjure a special spell that will restore her strength and defeat the Tetracide.



Is Absolute Wonder Woman #4 Good?


Recap


When last we left the Absolute Woman of Wonder in Absolute Wonder Woman #3, a flashback revealed Diana sent Steve Trevor back to the land of the living by sacrificing her right arm in a dark magic ritual. In the present, Diana begins her fight against the Tetracide. She knows her physical attacks are futile, but she must stop the Tetracide from unleashing a sonic call that will drive everyone within earshot to become slaves to the monster's appetite. The issue ended with Diana casting a spell that would make everyone within range deaf, blocking the Tetracide's siren song of death.

Plot Synopsis


In Absolute Wonder Woman #4, past and present continue to converge. Diana and Steve Trevor pay Etta and Gia Candy a visit in Gia's coven shop. Etta is surprised that she can hear Diana and Steve speak after Diana cast the deafening spell. Diana explains she placed a counter spell bubble around the building to let them speak freely. Diana needs ingredients to cast a spell to restore her prosthetic arm, and Steve happens to know that Gia is a witch.

Etta is in awe of Diana, partly because she didn't believe Steve's earlier description of her. Gia has all the ingredients Diana needs, minus a good amount of blood, but Steve, Gia, and Etta happily volunteer the last ingredient. After a quick ritual to Hecate, Diana's arm is restored, and she heads out to find that the Tetracide has entered the city to consume humans when its "death of fear" sound failed.

In a brief flashback, we learn Circe was banished to Hell and forced to raise Diana as part of a grand plan to form Diana into the warrior she was meant to be to save everyone. That plan was facilitated by Hecate, emphasizing the link between Diana's destiny and the gods.

The issue ends with Diana putting an end to the Tetracide by making her sword grow to many times its normal size, and Veronica Cale appearing to ensure the President's interests are protected.

First Impressions


Absolute Wonder Woman #4 is fine but not great. Writer Kelly Thompson spends a lot of time showcasing Diana's magical prowess to deal with a Kaiju-sized threat, but the issue lacks urgency and tension. You never get the feeling Diana didn't have all the answers and wouldn't be victorious, which dampens the four-issue buildup with a so-so payoff.

How’s the Art?


Likewise, Hayden Sherman's artwork is fine but not great. In the small, intimate moments where all focus is on faces and subtle expressions of emotion, Sherman's sedate style is perfectly okay. In the wider shot panels with lots of background detail or in the bigger action set pieces, Sherman's squiggly, indie linework falls short. To be fair, the one, brief action scene in this issue is an improvement over the previous issues, but it's still not great.

What’s great about Absolute Wonder Woman #4?


If you're a Wiccan, writer Kelly Thompson puts focus and detail into giving your brand of magic plenty of representation. Diana shows off her knowledge of conjuring and impresses Gia with a deeper understanding of the uses of certain ingredients than mere mortal practitioners would suspect. In short, this issue is less about showcasing Diana as a warrior and more about Kelly Thompson showing off her knowledge of witchcraft, which could be a big positive for you Wiccans out there.

What’s not great about Absolute Wonder Woman #4?


The big drawback is the almost complete lack of momentum, urgency, and rising tension. Diana's journey through the adventure happens at the pace of a leisurely stroll, her calm demeanor relaxes everyone around her, extending that relaxed vibe to the reader, and the outcome is almost a letdown for how simple and fast it happens.

In short, the four-issue buildup to battle a massive monster culminates in a finale that's energetically, emotionally, and physically flat.



About The Reviewer: Gabriel Hernandez is the Publisher & EIC of ComicalOpinions.com, a comics review site dedicated to indie, small, and mid-sized publishers.

Follow @ComicalOpinions on YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter



Final Thoughts


Absolute Wonder Woman #4 brings the fight against the Tetracide to an end when Diana visits a witch for a little magical help. Kelly Thompson's script continues to mix the present battle with intriguing tidbits about Diana's origins for a strong sense of mythology. That said, the flat energy and lax pacing make the battle's outcome anticlimactic, and Hayden Sherman's sedate, uneven art falls short.

5.8/10



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Wednesday, January 22, 2025

Justice League Unlimited #3 Review




  • Written by: Mark Waid

  • Art by: Dan Mora

  • Colors by: Tamra Bonvillain

  • Letters by: Ariana Maher

  • Cover art by: Dan Mora (cover A)

  • Cover price: $3.99

  • Release date: January 22, 2025


Justice League Unlimited #3, by DC Comics on 1/22/25, sets out to stop the Brazilian Rain Forest from burning when Inferno returns to dominate the world.



Is Justice League Unlimited #3 Good?


Recap


When last we left the world's greatest collection of superheroes in Justice League Unlimited #2, a small team of supers transported to Costa Rica to aid Batman and Blue Beetle when they discovered a nest of alien eggs under the watchful protection of the universe's first sentient parademon. The battle to stop the eggs from hatching was eventually won, but the fight brought to light Martian Manhunter's shortcomings from the fallout to Absolute Power.

Plot Synopsis


In Justice League Unlimited #3, the issue begins with The Question following cookie crumbs (literally) through the Watchtower to find Air Wave hiding out while watching movies and eating junk food. The Question deduces Air Wave hasn't returned to Earth because he has nowhere to go, but she doesn't know Air Wave has a secret mission to kill the Justice League, and it's stressing him out.

Meanwhile, the Watchtower receives an alert that the entire Brazilian Rain forest is on fire. Teams are dispatched to put out the flames, and they soon discover that the fire is caused by a series of monolithic pillars spewing magic fire. The pillars also bear the symbol of the terror group calling itself Inferno. Superman is vulnerable to the magic flames, so magic users and the Metal Man are dispatched to help while the rest of the team works on rescue efforts.

During the magic-casting, Zatanna deduces they can summon the individuals who created the pillars as long as the magic is flowing. After a quick spell, a portal opens to show the hooded figures calling themselves Inferno. The group is impressed with the summoning but openly mocks the futility of the Justice League's actions. Through snippets of their dialog exchange, we learn Inferno intends to control and dominate Earth as an act of vengeance.

The issue cuts to a completely unrelated aside where we see the Atoms (Ray Palmer and Ryan Choi) use a new device to return swap the powers of Plastic Man and Phantom Girl. The prototype works, and Phantom Girl finally has the power to return to her home dimension.

The issue ends with Air Wave sent to aid Aquaman in finding Swamp Thing to to stop Inferno from hijacking the Green's power and Dr. Occult leaping through the portal to the Inferno's location before the portal closes.

First Impressions


The narrative flow of this issue is a little messy, particularly the mid-issue halt to deal with the Atom Project, but Justice League Unlimited #3 is a enjoyable issue overall. Writer Mark Waid pumps up the energy, pacing, and drama to make the unfolding developments as fun as possible. That said, the mystery concerning the Inferno's identity, intentions, and motivations, plus Air Wave's secret mission, feel like they're dragging on too long without a clue.

How’s the Art?


You just can't beat what Dan Mora is doing for DC. Mora's line work, eye for detail, powerful moments, figure work, and visual storytelling are as good as it gets. There are only so many ways to says "Dan Mora is one of the best."

What’s great about Justice League Unlimited #3?


Action, adventure, excitement, intrigue... These are the ingredients that should form the foundation of every DC Comic, and it's to DC's detriment that those ingredients are commonly scarce. Writer Mark Waid puts the heroes in the middle of a creative battle with potentially world-ending stakes, a mysterious villain, and a hard-hitting cliffhanger. This issue exemplifies why this series is one of the better debuts at DC in the last six months.

What’s not great about Justice League Unlimited #3?


Waid interrupts the middle of the story by slamming the plot into a brick wall and taking a hard left into an aside related to the Atom Project. The Atoms have nothing to do with the conflict at hand, and the break is super-jarring. It would have made more sense to include the Atom Project aside as a backup.



About The Reviewer: Gabriel Hernandez is the Publisher & EIC of ComicalOpinions.com, a comics review site dedicated to indie, small, and mid-sized publishers.

Follow @ComicalOpinions on YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter



Final Thoughts


Justice League Unlimited #3 is a banger of an issue when Inferno returns to set fire to the world. Mark Waid's action fest ticks all the boxes for a chapter focused on excitement and adventure, with big stakes and big threats. Plus, Dan Mora's art rates as one of the best from DC.

8.5/10



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Superman #22 Review




  • Written by: Joshua Williamson

  • Art by: Dan Mora

  • Colors by: Alejandro Sanchez

  • Letters by: Ariana Maher

  • Cover art by: Dan Mora (cover A)

  • Cover price: $4.99

  • Release date: January 22, 2025


Superman #22, by DC Comics on 1/22/25, finds the Aftermath of Calaton issuing an ultimatum to Superman - Hand over Doomsday, or the Earth will suffer the consequences.



Is Superman #22 Good?


Recap


When last we left the Man of Steel in Superman #21, readers were "treated" to a cooldown issue depicting a date night of a sort between Superman and Superman, aka Lois Lane. The issue ended with alien warships from Calaton arriving on Earth to claim Doomsday.

Plot Synopsis


In Superman #22, we get back to the story. Superman and Superwoman quickly fly to meet the leader of the Calaton ships, a masked being who explains he is the leader of the Aftermath, people who have suffered pain and death at the hands of Doomsday. The leader has a simple request - hand over Doomsday, and the Aftermath will leave in peace.

Superman is immediately skeptical, but he's open to hearing the Aftermath out. When Superman presses for an explanation of what the Aftermath intends to do with Doomsday, the leader's only answer is that he will never kill anyone again.

Superwoman steps in to call out the leader for hiding his true intentions. In turn, the leader decides no further talks are needed, and he unmasks himself to show he is the resurrected Radiant, and he will take Doomsday, even if he has to destroy Earth to get him.

What follows is a fight that spills out of the Aftermath ship, into Supercorp, and onto the streets below. During the fight, Radiant hits the sleeping Doomsday with a massive energy bolt, freeing him. The issue ends with Superman and Doomsday fighting side-by-side and Time Trapper intervening to pay Lois Lane a visit.

First Impressions


Not bad. Writer Joshua Williamson's turn on Doomsday's lore sets up an interesting moral challenge for Superman because he can't keep Doomsday contained forever, but he can't turn the beast over to a group intent on killing him. No matter how you slice it, someone will die, and that's the kind of lose-lose scenario where heroes are made... IF Williamson can pay it off.

How’s the Art?


Dan Mora's art is practically glorious, mixing beautiful figures and features, dynamic acting, epic action, and a powerful sense of energy. Dan Mora's one of the best around, and this series is only benefiting from his presence.

What’s great about Superman #22?


After the momentum loss in the previous issue, Superman #22 is a strong return to form with an impressive antagonist, an interesting moral dilemma, fantastic art, and an intriguing cliffhanger. Williamson and Mora tick all the boxes.

What’s not great about Superman #22?


The ending establishes an obvious plot hole that's hard to overlook. If Time Trapper has the ability to freeze time, and his goal is to find someone to kill him so that he can ascend to godhood, why not partner with Radiant and Aftermath to achieve their common goal?

The next issue may resolve that hole, but it's a pretty big one.



About The Reviewer: Gabriel Hernandez is the Publisher & EIC of ComicalOpinions.com, a comics review site dedicated to indie, small, and mid-sized publishers.

Follow @ComicalOpinions on YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter



Final Thoughts


Superman #22 brings the action, drama, and world-ending stakes for another strong issue. Joshua Williamson's script paints the Man of Steel into a no-win corner with interesting implications, and Dan Mora's art is the best around.

9/10



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Detective Comics #1093 Review




  • Written by: Tom Taylor

  • Art by: Mikel Janín

  • Colors by: Mikel Janín

  • Letters by: Wes Abbott

  • Cover art by: Mikel Janín (cover A)

  • Cover price: $4.99

  • Release date: January 22, 2025


Detective Comics #1093, by DC Comics on 1/22/25, finds the Batfamily rounding up the teenagers hunted by the new serial killer in town. 



Is Detective Comics #1093 Review Good?


Recap


When we last left the Caped Crusader in Detective Comics #1092, Kai, the teenager Damian stashed in a safe house, was killed by a mysterious assassin. After a quick bit of detecting, Batman learned the new healing drug contains aspects of a teenager's blood, which links the serum to Kai's death. Meanwhile, Bruce Wayne "pumps" Scarlett for information about her research. The issue ended with a link between Scarlett's company and the juvenile detention center where all the murdered teenagers were housed.

Plot Synopsis


In Detective Comics #1093, the issue begins with a brief flashback to when young Bruce Wayne first met Scarlett shortly after his parent's death. Evelyn, Scarlett's mother, was scarily remorseful over the death of the Waynes, likely due to her former boyfriend's part in their murder.

Now, the Batfamily rounds up all recently released teenagers from the Faultless Juvenile Detention Center and brings them to a secluded warehouse. Batman arrives and explains the Family is positioned to keep everyone alive, gifting them all clothes that have Bat-help callers built in. Batman fails to disclose that the clothes also have surveillance equipment built in, a fact the Family is quick to point out.

Later, Batman chases down one of many mercenaries who've recently entered Gotham City. He learns the mercenaries responded to a bounty on the serial killer, but the bounty was recently canceled. The trail for the bounty led to Penguin. When Batman confronts Penguin, he gets the usual "it wasn't me" excuses, but Penguin divulges his network learned the killer is called Asema and has the protection of someone very powerful.

Oracle contacts Batman when an alert is raised by one of the teenagers. Batman arrives in time to stop Asema from killing the teen, but Batman couldn't hold his own in the fight. The issue ends with another teenager dead and the killer getting away with a sample of Batman's blood to uncover the Caped Crusader's real identity.

First Impressions


Writer Tom Taylor's mystery almost works until it doesn't, for one specific reason. The obvious conclusion that Asema is really Scarlett may or may not be a red herring, so plausible deniability exists, but the fight between Batman and Asema is where the issue falls apart.

How’s the Art?


The art is great. Mikel Janín is considered one of the top artists in DC for a good reason. The level of detail and cinematic style are on full display. Everything, from the facial acting to the action and backgrounds, is on point.

What’s great about Detective Comics #1093?


The central mystery behind Asema's identity and plan is still holding attention, which is a commendable bit of writing from Taylor. Red herrings can be a double-edged sword if you inject too many clues or withhold too much plausibility, so Taylor infuses the right amount. That praise only works IF Taylor can pay off the reveal. We shall see.

What’s not great about Detective Comics #1093?


The final act is where this issue stumbles mightily. Since taking the Sangraal drug, Batman has gone out of his way to demonstrate he's stronger, faster, and moves with better reflexes. How on Earth is one of DC's greatest and best-prepared hand-to-hand combatants outmaneuvered by a new character on the scene? It's fair to say that if Asema was trained by a master Batman hasn't already met, learned from, and matched, that person doesn't exist.

You'd have to accept that Asema beats Batman readily, and that's a tough pill to swallow.



About The Reviewer: Gabriel Hernandez is the Publisher & EIC of ComicalOpinions.com, a comics review site dedicated to indie, small, and mid-sized publishers.

Follow @ComicalOpinions on YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter



Final Thoughts


Detective Comics #1093 keeps the mystery behind the serial killer's identity and intentions afloat, but the issue ends on a sour note. Tom Taylor's script admirably drops enough breadcrumbs about the mystery to keep you guessing, and Mikel Janín's art looks fantastic, but Batman's inability to stop the killer in a one-on-one fight requires too much disbelief to muster.

6/10



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