Young Justice #19 Review

No Means No, Grandpa 

Written By: Brian Michael Bendis, David Walker

Art By: Scott Godlewski, Gabe Eltaeb, Wes Abbott

Cover Price: $3.99
Release Date: October 6, 2020

It's the penultimate issue of Young Justice and for this issue, we're going to be dealing with Cassie Sandsmark, Wonder Girl, and her defiance towards her Grandfather Zeus and him wanting her to join the Pantheon. Now if that was just some weird Walmart Giant side story that didn't matter with the overall DC Universe then that concept would be fine, but let's jump into this issue and see how little Brian Michael Bendis knows about the larger Universe that he tries to write these characters in. Let's check it out.

Justice League #54 Review

Getting Mind Freaked

Written By: Joshua Williamson

Art By: Xermanico, Romulo Fajardo Jr., Tom Napolitano

Cover Price: $3.99

Release Date: October 6, 2020

It's back to the Metalverse for us as we travel to Brimstone Bay to unhook the Legion of Doom from Perpetua's throne and hopefully win a small victory in this overall war and maybe depower the Mother of Creation enough so it at least makes some kind of difference when the final battle happens in this event. That's the name of the game right now, just win small victories against Perpetua, while our Trinity travel to the Dark Multiverse and gather enough Crisis energy to fuel up Wally West for one more showdown against our foe. Let's see if our new Justice League team that features Nightwing, Hawkgirl, Detective Chimp, Cyborg, Starfire, and Lex Luthor will be able to accomplish their task. Let's check it out.

DCeased: Dead Planet #4 Review

Writer: Tom Taylor

Artist: Trevor Hairsine. Gigi Baldassini, Rain Beredo, and Saida Temofonte

Cover Price: $3.99

Release Date: October 7, 2020

I have been enjoying Dead Planet enough so far.  I haven't appreciated it as much as Unkillables, but I like it more than the original DCeased.  I know I'm a weirdo, but that's how I roll.  I like how Tom Taylor deals with the lesser-known characters more than the A-Listers, and so I was looking forward to the idea of heading off to Kirby's Fourth World to see what we get. Nothing could go wrong there, right?  Let's find out...

Batman #100 Review and *SPOILERS*

Wait… WHAT?!

Written By: James Tynion IV
Art By: Jorge Jimenez, Tomeu Morey
Letters By: Clayton Cowles
Cover Price: $4.99
Release Date: October 6, 2020

*Non Spoilers and Score At The Bottom*

It all comes down to this. Months of building and building up this Joker War crossover eventually culminates in this final issue. While I was initially very high on this series when Tynion took over, that story soon changed to fit the massive crossover event that is The Joker War. Since the reveal of Joker being the Designer, this title has nosedived in quality and the reason is very blatant. We had months of issues that didn’t advance the story in any way and now that we are at a landmark issue, it’s very clear that the company was extending this crossover in order to have the finale take place during this landmark number. Artificially extending this story is the main cause of why this title is struggling but I have good news. We had a companion title come out just last week and overall it was very good. The question really is, whether this issue will capitalize on that goodwill or simply end things on a whimper. There’s only one way to know for sure so let’s jump into the finale of Joker War.

PREVIEW: Young Justice #19

Written By: Brian Michael Bendis, David Walker

Art By: Scott Godlewski, Gabe Eltaeb, Wes Abbott

Cover Price: $3.99
Release Date: October 6, 2020

Wonder Girl calls Young Justice together to help her with a family problem. Seems the pantheon of Greek gods is having a hard time with some of Cassie’s choices. She’s taking a stand to change rules as old as the heavens! And she is going to need her team by her side to do it.

PREVIEW: Justice League #54

Written By: Joshua Williamson

Art By: Xermanico, Romulo Fajardo Jr., Tom Napolitano

Cover Price: $3.99

Release Date: October 6, 2020

“Doom Metal” part two of five storms the stage in this essential Dark Nights: Death Metal tie-in! It’s the Titans reunion you've been clamoring for when Starfire and Cyborg join Nightwing in this twisted Justice League. The team is hell-bent for Brimstone Bay to free the Legion of Doom, but what horrors and desires will the Valley of Starros reveal to them-and who or what is the villain named Mindhunter?

PREVIEW: American Vampire 1976 #1

 

Written by: Scott Snyder

Art by: Rafael Albuquerque, Dave McCaig, and Steve Wands

Cover Price: $3.99

Release Date: October 6, 2020

America is broken. Trust between the government and the American public has crumbled. Paranoia reigns supreme. It’s 1976, and this is the concluding chapter of the Eisner Award-winning American Vampire! Skinner Sweet has exhausted all efforts to regain his lost immortality. With his powers and purpose gone, he is now determined to go out with a bang. At a seedy motorcycle rally in the desert where he’s closer than ever to his death wish, Pearl Jones and a shocking partner track him down for one last, desperate mission: The force known as the Gray Trader and its minions are tunneling through the bowels of the world to unleash hell on Earth—just in time for America’s bicentennial. With catastrophe looming, it’s up to Skinner and Pearl to reconcile and change the course of history—or die trying. The series that launched the careers of superstars Scott Snyder and Rafael Albuquerque returns for nine final issues and the closing chapter of the legacy of American Vampire.

PREVIEW: Legend of the Swamp Thing: Halloween Spectacular #1

 

Writer: Vita Ayala, Cullen Bunn, Phillip K. Johnson, Tom King, Julian Lytle, James Tynion IV, Ram V

Artist: Mike Perkins, Emma Rios, Dominike "Domo" Stanton, John Timms, Christian Ward

Cover Price: $5.99

Release Date: October 7, 2020

It's Halloween, and DC invites you to welcome Swamp Thing to your witching-hour festivities. In this 48-page collection of all-new stories, the Guardian of the Green reveals past lives and the unforgettable horrors that befall those who cross his path. From ancient Rome to present day, Swamp Thing stalks these ghostly and ghastly tales-all of which are best read by the light of a jack-o'-lantern!

PREVIEW: Far Sector #8

 

Writer: N.K. Jemisin

Artist: Jamal Campbell

Cover Price: $3.99

Release Date: October 7, 2020

While still processing her feelings about Councilor Marth, Jo tracks down the “riders” who killed Averrup Thorn, and gets the first hint of what’s really going on beneath the surface of the City Enduring. Reporting to the Council, Jo is disgusted to realize she’s facing the same kind of callous, responsibility-avoiding bureaucracy as back home on Earth.

PREVIEW: DCeased: Dead Planet #4

 

Writer: Tom Taylor

Artist: Trevor Hairsine

Cover Price: $3.99

Release Date: October 7, 2020

Time is running out for the Justice League to unlock the Anti-Life cure as they face a deadly new threat on Earth-in addition to the billions of the undead! Their final desperate attempt at finding the cure will take them off-planet for the greatest heist in the history of New Genesis!

PREVIEW: Batman #100

 

Writer: James Tynion IV

Artist: Jorge Jimenez, Guillem March, Carlo Pagulayan

Cover Price: $6.99

Release Date: October 7, 2020

“The Joker War” comes to a city-shattering conclusion as Batman battles The Joker in a brutal, no-holds-barred duel! This is a fight 80 years in the making, and its outcome won’t just change Batman’s life-it will change Gotham City for years to come! Plus, catch the first glimpse of the new villain known as Ghost-Maker! And after the senses-shattering conclusion of “The Joker War” come a pair of short stories that will chart what’s to come in Gotham City and Batman. Don’t miss the first showdown between Batman and Clownhunter!

Batman: The Joker War Zone #1 Review and *SPOILERS*

This new issue features five different stories starring the Bat Family supporting cast as well as a fresh new face. Usually I rate each story individually but I figure I’ll just give you a rundown of what happens and then give a brief explanation as to how the story hit me, whether that be good or bad. Then at the end, we will give a final grade to the entire collection so you know whether an investment in this new story is worth the buy. So, without further ado, let’s jump into this new collection and see what stories it has for us.

Red Hood: Outlaw #49 Review

Dimensional Bends And Losing Friends

Written By: Scott Lobdell

Art By: Paolo Pantalena, Arif Prianto, Troy Peteri

Cover Price: $3.99

Release Date: September 29, 2020

We're at a strange place in this issue for me personally because on one hand I usually hate when we have to interrupt a story to go over to a tie-in that usually doesn't matter overall with the character at hand and it usually just throws the whole groove of the previous story out of whack. That being said, I haven't been enjoying this Chamber of All/Trigon story and found the last issue to be such a relief because not only did we remove ourselves from something that I wasn't a fan of, but we were given something so kickass that I didn't want it to end.......... Well apparently Red Hood only gets one tie-in issue to the Joker War and now we're right back to where we were previously, with Bizarro taking on Trigon, while the rest of the Outlaws, including Jason Todd, Starfire and Arsenal from the past try to close the doorway to Trigon's dimension. Let's jump into this issue and see what happens to our Outlaws and if this story picks up any. Let's check it out.

Justice League Annual #2 Review

Saw Of Justice

Written By: Robert Venditti

Art By: Aaron Lopresti, Matt Ryan, David Baron, Tom Napolitano

Cover Price: $4.99

Release Date: September 29, 2020

Even though we've finally gotten the Justice League title in line with what's going on with Death Metal and in my mind made this title mean something again instead of just giving us random Tales of the Justice League stories thrown in, it looks like we're not out of the random stories woods yet and are back with Robert Venditti giving us an Annual story that shows our heroes facing off against the Hall of Justice itself. Will this story feel like something that matters, especially now that we've gotten a taste of a Justice League book in the Metalverse? Well, only time will tell, but let's jump into this Annual and check it out.

Dark Nights: Death Metal: Multiverse's End #1 Review

 

Crisis Hotline

Writer: James Tynion IV

Artist: Juan Gedeon, Mike Spicer, and Rus Wooton

Cover Price: $5.99

Release Date: September 29, 2020

These Death Metal tie-in one-shots have run hot and cold for me.  Some, like Trinity Crisis,  felt important to the overall story.  So important that Eric Shea (America's Sweetheart) said it should have been a numbered issue.  Others, sadly, have felt more like cash grabs than anything else.  So, where does this issue lie on that scale?  Let's find out...

Wonder Woman #763 Review

 

Pants on Fire!

Writer: Mariko Tamaki

Artist: Carlo Barberi

Cover Price: $3.99

Release Date: September 30, 2020

I was excited to see what Mariko Tamaki would bring to Wonder Woman, but this Liar Liar arc feels smaller and smaller with each issue.  The four issues leading into this finale have been full of recap and repeat and have not had much character work or overall setup.  However, it looks like we will finally get Emma confronting her father, Maxwell Lord, and that should be cool, right?  Let's find out...