yetanothercomicbook

[yetanothercomicbook]

A Death in the Family (Chapter 3)

Batman #427

Above average.

Batman vs. Shiva

The first half is bland. Not helped by a 4-page recap of chapters 1 and 2. It's just our two heroes attacking/overpowering some lame terrorists. Things get much better when the hostage turns out to be anything but.

7/10

[yetanothercomicbook]

200 Years of Solitude

Secret Origins #33

Man, this is so silly.

Lord of the Ice-Folk.

This is bonkers. Two investigators find a bikini-clad ice maiden in a secret community in Norway. And she's got powers. So they take her back with them and make her a super-hero.

Comics for children.

4/10

[yetanothercomicbook]

Ghosts and Shadows

Suicide Squad Annual #1

Exciting.

Argent.

This works exceptionally well. Intel suggests that a rival group is out to destroy the Squad. Is the Intel reliable? We get action and intrigue, wondering what is really going on. The twists in the final pages are great.

John Ostrander (22 of 70).

9/10

[yetanothercomicbook]

A Death in the Family (Chapter 2)

Batman #426

Average.

A cruise missile in the desert.

Nothing to get overly excited about. By crazy coincidence, Bruce finds Jason in Beirut. They team-up to thwart the Joker's plans.

6/10

[yetanothercomicbook]

The Spy Who Blew Me Up

Secret Origins #33

Lightweight.

Beatriz da Costa (Green Flame, alias Fire) tells her backstory.

This silly tale is clearly meant to funny. But the humour misses the mark.

4/10

[yetanothercomicbook]

Personal Files - Amanda Waller:

Suicide Squad #19

Good.

Amanda Waller's day.

Not much happens but this is a good read. Waller crosses paths with several of the Squad, there's some conflict along the way, and her mind is on an ongoing problem. We are invested because we like this world and these characters.

John Ostrander (21 of 70).

Luke McDonnell (20 of 25).

8/10

[yetanothercomicbook]

A Death in the Family (Chapter 1)

Batman #426

Above average.

"A nuclear device in the hands of that madman!"

Two threads run in parallel. The Joker one is the best. He's a fascinating character, fun to read about. The Robin storyline drags things down. He's become a wild card. And he's learned that his mother is not his real mother. It's an improbable development.

7/10

[yetanothercomicbook]

Blood Ties

Blue Trinity [The Flash #19]

Below average.

The story of Russia's answer to the Flash.

It plays likes a silver age anthology story for the first two-thirds. Then it switches to superhero mode. But it's too rapid-fire and muddled to enjoy.

5/10

[yetanothercomicbook]

The Private Life of Titans Tower

The New Teen Titans Annual #4

Awful.

The Tower tells its story.

Shockingly unfunny back-up story. It's a lame idea, and execution is dire.

1/10

[yetanothercomicbook]

That Daring Young Woman on the Flying Trapeze

Doom Patrol Annual #1

Dreary.

Rhea Jones (Lodestone) at the circus.

Basic story about thugs putting pressure on the circus owner and Rhea using her powers to save the day. Tiresome.

4/10

[yetanothercomicbook]

Testament

Wonder Woman Annual #1

Cringe.

Mindi Mayer's video will.

Awful short story, told in confusing non-linear style and full of musty old clichés. Again, WW is just a supporting character.

2/10

[yetanothercomicbook]

Astride a Grave

Deadshot #4

Good ending.

Showdown with his mother.

Surprisingly, it avoids dealing with the death of Lawton's son directly. Instead, we get a full on confrontation with the villain behind everything. And some mysteries are cleared up. The ending retains the fatalistic tone.

9/10

[yetanothercomicbook]

Victims

Deadshot #3

Grim.

"You know... what he does... with little boys?"

Yikes! This series isn't playing softball. This is dark stuff. Not just the deaths but also the backstory that is emerging.

10/10

[yetanothercomicbook]

Yawn!

Patsy Walker #41

Basic.

Patsy is tired.

One gag that we can see coming a mile off.

5/10

[yetanothercomicbook]

A Meeting of Rogues

The Flash #19

Light, funny.

Rogue's Gallery party.

It's a really stupid idea - various villains celebrating and inviting Wally - but it basically works. With DC Comics, you kinda have to embrace the silliness I suppose.

William Messner-Loebs (7 of 51).

6/10

[yetanothercomicbook]

Whom the Gods Would Destroy…

The New Teen Titans Annual #4

Excellent.

Bad dreams.

I'm not a fan of nightmares in comics. It's an overused trope. I don't understand the appeal. But... this is an exception. This is great. The nightmares each character experiences are freaky.

I'm not crazy about heroes being attacked in their HQ either. It's another overused trope. But, because the attack is through dreams it makes sense.

Mostly I loved this because the sense of growing menace was overpowering. It actually felt like the Titans were in a lot of trouble here. And that made it a great read.

10/10

[yetanothercomicbook]

Public Works!

Doom Patrol Annual #1

Above average.

Maddax the Destroyer.

There's a villain running around, causing damage in the city and he talks as if the Patrol are/were his friends. It's a fairly straightforward effort to discredit the team in the public eye. Nothing special.

Lex Luthor is behind it, and his reasoning is sound. The action is okay but 38 pages is too long for this story.

Paul Kupperberg (17 of 22).

7/10