Category: Comics Reviews

Comics Reviews: Batman 393, Detective 560, Batman & the Outsiders 31, Outsiders 5

Batman 393 coverBatman #393 – “The Dark Rider” – Doug Moench/Paul Gulacy

This story reunites Doug Moench with Paul Gulacy; the team did some classic stories together at Marvel in the 70s and it’s great to see them collaborating again (especially since I love Gulacy’s art). Gulacy has a very cinematic style and this tale plays out like a movie (a James Bond movie to be specific). It starts with Commissioner Gordon telling Batman the CIA needs a favour from him. Continue reading “Comics Reviews: Batman 393, Detective 560, Batman & the Outsiders 31, Outsiders 5”

Comics Reviews: Wonder Woman 329, Green Lantern 197, Firestorm 44, Vigilante 26, Warlord 102

Wonder Woman 329 coverWonder Woman #329 – “Of Gods and Men” – Gerry Conway/Don Heck

This one starts with Ares (the god formerly known as Mars) and Hades in the Underworld making a deal. Apparently, the Anti-Monitor has taken over the underworld and instead of fighting him, Hades has decided to ally with him. On Paradise Island, Wonder Woman makes peace with her mother Hippolyta, telling her she still loves her. But Hippolyta still despairs about the Crisis, believing it means the end for the Greek gods and the Amazons. Kore (aka Persephone) shows up to tell Hippolyta that death will bring no release. Continue reading “Comics Reviews: Wonder Woman 329, Green Lantern 197, Firestorm 44, Vigilante 26, Warlord 102”

Comics Reviews: Legion of Super-Heroes 19, New Teen Titans 17, All-Star Squadron 54, Infinity Inc. 23

Legion of Super-Heroes 19 coverLegion of Super-Heroes #19 – “No Good Deed Goes Unpunished” – Paul Levitz/Greg Larocque/Larry Mahlstedt

This one starts on Manna-5, a planet that’s recently experienced some damaging tidal waves. Ultra Boy, Phantom Girl, and Colossal Boy are there to help the victims and prevent any more tsunamis. Everything’s going fine until Phantom Girl and Ultra Boy suddenly vanish. Colossal Boy calls headquarters, where Timber Wolf and Blok are on monitor duty. They summon Element Lad, but before he can figure out what to do, he vanishes as well. Continue reading “Comics Reviews: Legion of Super-Heroes 19, New Teen Titans 17, All-Star Squadron 54, Infinity Inc. 23”

Comics Reviews: Superman 416, Action 576, DC Comics Presents 90, JLA 247

Superman 416 coverSuperman #416 – “The Einstein Connection” – Elliot S! Maggin/Curt Swan/Al Williamson

This story actually starts a few years ago (on March 14), with Lex Luthor arriving in a motorboat at the New Jersey shore. Superman shows up to grab him (although Lex’s only crime so far is breaking out of jail), and we learn that there’s something about this particular day that has a particular meaning to Lex. He seemingly teleports away, but Superman figures out that he’s hiding invisibly and follows as Lex hitches a ride to Princeton University. Continue reading “Comics Reviews: Superman 416, Action 576, DC Comics Presents 90, JLA 247”

Comics Reviews: Batman 392, Detective 559, Batman & the Outsiders 30, Outsiders 4

Batman 392 coverBatman #392 – “A Town on the Night” – Doug Moench/Tom Mandrake/Jan Duursema

This is basically a series of linked vignettes showing Batman and Catwoman hanging out on a typical night in Gotham. Now that Catwoman has reformed, she wants to help Batman in his nightly patrols, but she also wants to spend some one-on-one time with him. The story starts with Batman pounding some drunks in an alley and Catwoman swinging in to help. The drunks are no match for the two vigilantes and after using one strand from her cat o’ nine tails to tie them up, Catwoman suggests she and Batman hang out and get to know each other. Continue reading “Comics Reviews: Batman 392, Detective 559, Batman & the Outsiders 30, Outsiders 4”

Comics Reviews: Green Lantern 196, Firestorm 43, Vigilante 25, Warlord 101

Green Lantern 196 coverGreen Lantern #196 – “3” – Steve Englehart/Joe Staton/Bruce Patterson

This one starts with Guy Gardner enjoying his new status as a Green Lantern (after receiving a ring last issue from some renegade Guardians). Guy is in his old neighbourhood in Baltimore, using the ring to demolish the tenement where he used to live. He heads out to sea to look for the Shark, who the Guardians have told him to find. Continue reading “Comics Reviews: Green Lantern 196, Firestorm 43, Vigilante 25, Warlord 101”

Comics Reviews: Legion of Super-Heroes 18, New Teen Titans 16, All-Star Squadron 53, Infinity Inc. 22

Legion of Super-Heroes 18 coverLegion of Super-Heroes #18 – “Has Anyone Noticed a Crisis Going On?” – Paul Levitz/Greg Larocque/Larry Mahlstedt

This one starts at the Time Institute, with Rond Vidar losing it when he realizes the Crisis has been going on for weeks (or went on for weeks in the distant past, I’m not sure how that works for a series set a thousand years in the future) but nobody seems to have noticed, even though Supergirl and Kid Psycho were killed. Vidar goes to see Brainiac 5, but he’s freaked out too because he also can’t remember anything that happened in the Crisis, even though he participated in some of it. Continue reading “Comics Reviews: Legion of Super-Heroes 18, New Teen Titans 16, All-Star Squadron 53, Infinity Inc. 22”

Comics Reviews: Superman 415, Action 575, DC Comics Presents 89, JLA 246

Superman 415 coverSuperman #415 – “Supergirl: Bride of—X?” – Cary Bates/Curt Swan/Al Williamson

This one starts with Superman searching for oil deposits under the ocean when he gets an emergency signal from the Fortress of Solitude. Someone has broken in and set off a particular signal, one that was used by Supergirl. (Supergirl was recently killed in Crisis on Infinite Earths.) Superman zooms to the Fortress and finds an alien taking a strange object from beside Supergirl’s statue. Continue reading “Comics Reviews: Superman 415, Action 575, DC Comics Presents 89, JLA 246”

Comics Reviews: Batman 391, Detective 558, Batman & the Outsiders 29, Outsiders 3

Batman 391 coverBatman #391 – “Death Comes as the End” – Doug Moench/Tom Mandrake

This one continues from last time, with Robin running into Night Slayer on the rocky islet that holds the Gotham Observatory. Night Slayer is there to kill Nocturna and Robin tries to stop him, but Night Slayer’s crazed strength is too much. He swats Robin aside and starts climbing toward the observatory. Batman is still at the hospital with Selina (Catwoman) Kyle, who was injured pretty badly last issue. Continue reading “Comics Reviews: Batman 391, Detective 558, Batman & the Outsiders 29, Outsiders 3”

Comics Reviews: 1986 Preview

Well, that’s another year gone by in my comics reviews and it’s time for my 1986 preview. 1985 was a big year at DC, with the Crisis turning everything upside-down. 1986 will finish that process and give us the first steps into the new, amalgamated universe that came about as a result of Crisis. The real changes don’t start until 1987, but the die was cast and the differences could be felt in 1986. As always, I’ll break my preview into blocks corresponding to the way I’ll be doing the reviews. Continue reading “Comics Reviews: 1986 Preview”