Review - The Shadow / Batman #1 (2017)

The Shadow / Batman #1 - 

Dynamite Comics / DC Comics

 

Written by Steve Orlando

Art by Giovanni Timpano

Colors by Flavio Dispenza

Letters by Taylor Esposito

Cover by David Finch

 

No matter the publisher, sometimes the combination of two characters just makes too much sense not to put together.  That was how I felt when I read Batman & The Shadow from DC & Dynamite recently.  Luckily, we did not have to wait long to get more.  Just reverse the order of the character names, and we have ourselves a brand new story.

 

This time Batman finds himself in New York to foil the plot of Professor Pyg who launched a large scale attack on New Year's Eve.  That's the easy part as, from there, things start to unravel in a way that reaches far beyond the usual Pyg assault.  What we do see from The Shadow (and it's not much in this first issue) is that he's not happy about all of this being brought to his city.  There may be a reason for that, but I won't spoil any motives.  This book does have one conflict for Batman that I did not expect, not because it doesn't make sense, but because it was in this book.  I won't reveal who it's with, but it is a character Bat fans know very well and will not be surprised.  What may surprise you is the level is escalates to, and the end result of this first issue.  It's one of those "there's no way that just happened" moments in comics that I just love.

 

While I wish that I had seen more of The Shadow in a book that gives him top billing, I'm reminded that we do have six issues here.  I know Steve Orlando's work well enough to know that he's setting something up in this first issue, and the payoff will come sooner rather than later.  Honestly, I forgot all about it while reading the moments of conflict at the end of this issue.  The premise is clear, the seeds have been planted, and I like that Orlando isn't rushing but letting the story grow naturally.  This is also another big win for Giovanni Timpano, as every page was just spot on.  When we do finally see The Shadow, the team of Timpano and Dispenza do a great job of capturing the essence of the character and add great depth to it.  This book has a clear direction, and just enough unanswered questions to leave you wanting more.  Looking forward to see how this onion gets peeled.

 

RATING:  PULL / BUY  

Review - Dark Ark #1

Dark Ark #1 - 

AfterShock Comics

Written by Cullen Bunn

Art by Juan Doe

Letters by Ryane Hill

Whether you're religious or not, it is a story you are probably familiar with.  It would rain for 40 days and 40 nights, Noah would build an ark and gather two of every animal to save their species from the flood.  What if there was another ark full of something...unnatural?  That's where Cullen Bunn comes in, with Dark Ark #1.

The story centers around the very story that I mentioned, only this time, the task belongs to a sorcerer named Shrae.  This time it's a gathering of things from the unnatural world that he and his family must tend to.  As you can imagine, that makes for some tense moments on the arc.  Monkeys and lions getting along are one thing, vampires and dragons are a whole other task.  Not only does this story center around those that have been gathered and their interactions, but also the family who is left wondering if what they're doing is the right thing.  There is also one big part of the story (that I won't spoil) that is one of the conditions of Shrae's deal and it's a BIG one.  This book is full of tension, personal conflict and the question as to whether you really want this ark to succeed or fail.  We see a bit of conflict, which we can see will set up Issue 2 very nicely and give you something to think about while you wait for it.

Nobody does weird and creepy like Cullen Bunn, let's just get that out of the way right now.  If you see Cullen's name on a book of other worldly beings or creatures in general, it's just something you want to read.  As long as you know the premise going in, that is definitely the case with this book as well.  Cullen does let the reader know what's going on about half way, should this be a book you pick up on impulse without having known anything about it.  I actually read this twice, and was able to appreciate it much more the second time.  We get to know a lot about a few characters, but I am interested to see who gets further depth added to them in future issues.  Another thing that will keep you turning the page is the pure genius artwork from Juan Doe.  This felt like I was looking at a high end manga or anime story.  If felt do wicked, and there was something so right about it.  The depth of the colors on any panel in the exterior of the ark were especially stunning.    The premise of Dark Ark is one that really has my attention, and it feels like this book is set up for the long haul.  I remember feeling this way about Harrow County after Issue 1, and I wasn't wrong about that, so I'm going with my gut on this one.

RATING:  PULL / BUY 

Review - Action Comics #987

Action Comics #987 -
DC Comics
Written by Dan Jurgens
Pencils by Viktor BogdanovicInks by Jonathan Glapion, Jay Leisten & Viktor Bogdanovic
Colors by Mike Spicer
Letters by Rob Leigh
Cover by Nick Bradshaw & Brad Anderson



Who is Mr. Oz?  That is a question I feel like we have been trying to answer since DC Rebirth began.  There have been a lot of fan theories, and a lot of great stories leading up to that moment.  The wait is finally over!  We finally get to find out in Action Comics #987.

Before we get to the big reveal, this story centers around something very simple: people.  It's easy to see Superman be the focal point of his own story, but Mr. Oz takes this story much larger.  He has unleashed chaos not just in Metropolis, but around the globe, and Superman is left to deal with it on a massive scale.  The best part of this story is the vulnerability that is shown by the Man of Steel, and even glimmers of hopelessness at times.  One page in particular where he sees a problem that he literally JUST solved only turn worse after he left was a big moment.  Then the moment arrives...and don't worry, I will not be spoiling it for you here. Once Superman confronts Mr. Oz, and  the motive is revealed, there is a ton of anticipation in the coming panels and you know we are about to get THE reveal we've been waiting for.  I won't tell you who it is, but I will say this, it is a level of epic that I was not expecting in the slightest.  What we are left with is, what could be, one of the most interesting Superman stories ever.

Putting a writer like Jergens at the helm of the massive story arc to come was a great decision by whoever made that call.  We know that Jergens has tackled some of the Man of Steel's biggest moments, and this is sure to be one of them.  This is one of those spoilers that your friends would block you on Twitter for if you revealed it to them.  I don't want to take any credit away from the art team here though.  Inks and pencils were amazing, and especially good in those moments of chaos and capturing those moments perfectly.  It just feels so appropriate that this happens with the legacy numbers, and not in a limited series or larger story arc.  This is a MAJOR Superman story and it needed to be in a Superman comic.  This is one of those reveals that makes me want to say, screw the timeline, I need to go forward a couple of weeks and find out what happens NOW!  I could not be happier with how this was executed and I am a very happy Superman fan right now.
 
RATING:  PULL / BUY

Review - Sheena: Queen of the Jungle #1

Sheena: Queen of the Jungle #1 (2017) - 

Dynamite Comics

 

Written by Marguerite Bennett & Christina Trujillo

Art by Moritat & Dimi Macheras

Colors by Moritat & Casey Silver

Letters by Thomas Napolitano

Cover by J. Scott Campbell & Sabine Rich

 

Earlier this week, Deadline broke a store about a reboot of Sheena: Queen of the Jungle coming to the big screen.  I'm paraphrasing here, but studios are apparently looking for the next (or at least their version of) Wonder Woman.  In a case of spectacular timing, Dynamite Comics is bringing Sheena back to comics on September 13th.  Let's see if she really is Queen of the Jungle.

 

This book is set in modern times, and we know that because of something that happens within the first couple of pages.  From there it is very much as the description says, Sheena is protecting the Amazon from anyone and anything that may threaten it.  This is not a spoiler, since it's in online previews, but a team of mercenaries threatens her village and accuses her people of a horrific act.  So Sheena sets off to prove the innocence of her village, but also find out more about exactly what they are there for in the first place.  We get to see a bit of what Sheena can do, outside of brute force, which is a nice change of pace and shows good balance.  That does lead her to something, but that's about all we know in this first issue.  We are not really given a cliffhanger or a wow moment, more of a "we'll pick up where we left off" moment.

 

While I did enjoy the way that Bennett and Trujillo wrote the character, there is one thing that I found it hard to get past.  This is a story that we have seen before, or at least a very familiar premise.  I'm not saying it's one that it is one that has been worn out, but I certainly would have welcomed something different.  The other problem is, we're not really given much of a reason to believe this will be any different.  Maybe that is part of the nostalgia that Dynamite is so good at, or maybe it just is what it is.  Sheena is a solid character, with a lot of great potential in this day and age, but Wonder Woman she's not.  I don't think that Bennett and Trujillo intend for her to be, and I really hope that's not the bar we're setting.  If the next issue gives me a new spin on the premise, I could see this being a really great series.  The art is very good, and they do have quite a bit of talent on covers and variants.  So my caution bulb is lit on this one, but I'm definitely willing to stick around and see where it goes.

 

RATING:  PICK UP