BRZRKR #11 - BOOM! Studios

BRZRKR No. 11, December 2022

Arguably padding out this “penultimate issue of the record-breaking hit comic book series BRZRKR” with some serious interplanetary-based mummery and plenty of 'text-lite' splash pages, Keanu Reeves and Matt Kindt’s narrative certainly doesn’t lack dynamic action, or at least the impression that something catastrophically cataclysmic is occurring somewhere in an inhospitable Saudi Arabian desert. Indeed, as ‘mind-blowing endings’ go, this publication has it all, with colourist Bill Crabtree providing an incredibly colourful celestial lightning show denoting the sheer alien nature of “the metaphysical Blue Plane” and artist Ron Garney prodigiously pencilling a subsequent scintillating fire-fight packed with plenty of hot lead once it becomes clear that the American authorities are not the only military organisation eager to get their hands on the perpetual warrior’s godlike powers.

Frustratingly however, despite this plethora of spectacular set-pieces, most notably a sequence which sees Caldwell’s elaborate scientific research centre explode with a combination of crackling electricity and homicidal clones, it is more than likely that many a reader will be scratching their heads trying to understand just what is actually going on. Sure, it seems clear that the titular character has been badly betrayed by the bespectacled brains behind the government’s experiments to better understand why he cannot be permanently killed. But the sudden suggestion that his mysterious, deity-crafted origin is entirely due to aliens is arguably both disappointingly cliched and confusingly contrived.

For those bibliophiles bamboozled by such extra-terrestrial technobabble and this publication’s blue-tinted light show though, the notion of the Black Ops Team’s commanding agent simply going rogue in order to achieve his own immortality is much easier to understand. In fact, this sudden shift in the status quo probably won’t shock or surprise too many within this million-copy selling series’ audience considering just how duplicitous and murderous the man has been in the past. Yet his sudden emergence as the leader of the cult dedicated to the Bezerker definitely provides the plot with an intriguing twist, especially when it becomes abundantly clear that Caldwell’s well-armed forces are so advanced that they can hold off his former employers long enough for him to enter an energised box and become irradiated with all the phenomenal capabilities Unute desperately seeks to lose; “God. Dammit. Eagle Team with me! Time to put this motherf*%ker down.”

Written by: Keanu Reeves & Matt Kindt, Illustrated by: Ron Garney, and Coloured by: Bill Crabtree

DC Vs. Vampires #11 - DC Comics

DC VS. VAMPIRES No. 11, January 2023

Potentially beguiling their audience like a circus performer with three simultaneous storylines, James Tynion IV and Matthew Rosenberg’s juggling act for Issue Eleven of “DC Vs. Vampires” certainly mixes all-out, adrenalin-fuelled action with stealthy, nerve-jangling shenanigans as Batgirl leads a seemingly suicidal assault upon Gotham City’s vampire army, Green Arrow initiates a prison break in Smallville and John Henry Irons desperately attempts to smuggle Supergirl onto an orbital rocket ship. Yet whilst some lesser writing teams might struggle to keep a perusing bibliophile hooked handling so many ‘balls in the air’ at once, “Our Finals Hours” arguably manages to do just that with admirable ease; “Sometimes you gotta learn the hard way not to mess with the main man, Martian Lady.”

Foremost of these ‘hooks’ has to be John Constantine’s supposedly doomed squad revealing themselves to King Nightwing’s blood-drinking cohorts and straightforwardly spanking them in their droves within an inch of their undead lives. This frenzied battle is absolutely spellbinding throughout, whether it be during its early stages when surprise is definitely on the fiery Bat Family’s side, or later on, when the super-heroes leap upon a number of motorcycles so as to make a headlong dash for the safety of the Huntress’ ultra-violet Bat-Signal.

Just as engaging is the admittedly much less violent and distinctly quieter infiltration of the Tamala space centre in Australia. Somewhat disconcertingly throwing the brash and ultra-loud Lobo into a supposedly covert penetration of extra-terrestrial collaborators definitely ramps up the tension to this sub-plot, with the duplicitous, gun toting Czarnian likely to let his new partners’ disguises slip at any moment and resultantly rob Humanity of its last chance to bring Kara-El before the energy-restoring light of the Earth’s sun.

Equally as impressive as this twenty-two-page periodical’s penmanship are its layouts, with Otto Schmidt, Francesco Mortarino and Pierluigi Casolino doing a first-rate job in depicting all its dynamic drama and sense-shattering shenanigans. Indeed, perhaps one of this comic’s biggest draws is the sheer sense of despair and world weariness which is persistently pencilled upon the faces and bodies of its formidably sized cast, as the few surviving meta-humans frantically fight against their insurmountable foes with little hope, but still plenty of bravado and deadly determination.

The regular cover art of "DC VS. VAMPIRES" #11 by Guillem March

Predator 2 #1 - Dark Horse Comics

PREDATOR 2 No. 1, February 1991

As comic book adaptions of a film go, Franz Henkel’s narrative for Issue One of “Predator 2” certainly appears to be a well-written conversion of Jim and John Thomas’ original screenplay. Indeed, the thirty-sheet storyline almost follows the 1990 American science fiction action flick to the letter, only deviating during the narrative’s more sedentary, dialogue-heavy sequences in an effort to maintain the different medium’s fast-paced momentum.

Such truncation might well cause some confusion to those readers unfamiliar with the plot of director Stephen Hopkins’ $57 million worldwide grossing motion picture. But it certainly means that there is rarely a pause of more than a half dozen panels between Lieutenant Mike Harrigan either shooting someone with a formidable-looking firearm or physically manhandling them ‘back at the Palace.’ Furthermore, a lot of the missing conversations are actually quite cleverly shoehorned into the grizzled street veteran’s numerous thought boxes, so despite the actual discussions not being shown, the information exchanged during them is carried over onto the printed page. 

Alongside this admirable attempt to keep his audience’s experience as exhilarating as possible, the author also does a tremendous job in capturing the sheer raw energy and sense-shattering violence of the movie’s opening. True, the lead protagonist’s fear of heights probably doesn’t carry over as well as it does on the silver screen, nor perhaps the desperate urgency needed to get Officer Johnson off to hospital before he bleeds to death. But the sheer gratuitous nature of Harrigan’s actions, as well as those of the deadly extra-terrestrial, are quickly established in any perusing bibliophile’s mind within moments of both characters making an appearance; “He wasn’t talking to me! Whatever he was hallucinating -- it must have been pretty ugly.”

Probably this comic’s biggest selling point though, besides it licenced tie-in to “the lowest-grossing film in the Predator franchise”, lies with Dan Barry’s pencils, Randy Emberlin’s inks and Lurene Haines’ colours. Between them the trio create a seriously grisly representation of (future) Los Angeles in 1997, with the artistic team’s visual recreation of both the alien hunter’s infra-red vision and invisibility cloak’s deactivation proving particularly effective – especially during poor Danny Archuleta's fatal exploration of Colombian drug dealer Ramon Vega’s “posh penthouse”.

Script by: Franz Henkel, Pencils by: Dan Barry, and Inks by: Randy Emberlin

Task Force Z #12 - DC Comics

TASK FORCE Z No. 12, November 2022

Described by “DC Comics” in their pre-publication solicitation as “Jason Todd’s final second chance”, this twenty-two-page periodical’s plot surely must have enthralled its audience with its variety of twists and turns. Indeed, every time Matthew Rosenberg pens for a chilling confrontation to take place between his storyline's numerous heavy hitters, the author immediately wrong-foots the reader by suddenly swapping one opponent out for another; “Harvey… I believe we were still talking when you dropped that building on me.”

Happily however, such a rotating carousel of pulse-pounding pugilists never gets tiring, especially when the likes of Solomon Grundy, Gotham Girl and Henry Clover Junior increasingly start to vent their pent up anger upon Mister Bloom. Furthermore, there’s a lot of cleverly-written dialogue to be navigated whilst the ferocious fisticuffs are taking place, with various members of this book’s sizeable cast undergoing some intriguing character development – most notably that of Harvey Dent, who quite delightfully returns to his dark Two-Face persona so as to create a new, non-government sanctioned “Task Force Z” who will doubtless be mass-murdering zombie criminals as opposed to covert super-powered operatives.

Just as well done is how all the utter carnage, death and large-scale destruction caused by “an anonymous participant of Daryl Gutierrez's underground metahuman experiments” is succinctly folded into the DC Universe’s ongoing canon without causing too much of a ripple in the current status quo. Sure, Jason Todd departs for West Texas having been erroneously thought dead following the literal collapse of Powers International Headquarters. But considering just how many villains and anti-heroes were killed during this twelve-issue mini-series some bibliophiles will be amazed that the vast majority are at least temporarily brought back by its end, courtesy of a single Lazarus Resin injection.

Helping to project the huge quantity of damage and debris caused by Mister Bloom’s maniacal machinations is Eddy Barrows, who along with inker Eber Ferreira and colorist Adriano Lucas, provides this comic with an incalculable number of broken bricks, support beams and billowing dust clouds. In addition, the Brazilian artist does a terrific job with the layouts illustrating Dent’s decline back into his heinous alter-ego. The horrific, cold-blooded murder of the Gotham Morgue technicians is chillingly pencilled, and probably only ‘out done’ by this title’s final (splash) page which shows a disconcertingly grinning Two Face gleefully looking forward to his future “big plans.”

The regular cover art of "TASK FORCE Z" #12 by Eddy Barrows, Eber Ferreira & Adriano Lucas

DC Vs. Vampires: All Out War #4 - DC Comics

DC VS. VAMPIRES: ALL OUT WAR No. 4, December 2022

For those comic book fans who enjoy an unremitting assault upon their senses straight from the opening panel, coupled with a publication’s artistic team fervently throwing buckets of body fluid over every other illustration, Issue Four of “DC Verses Vampires: All Out War” must have landed incredibly well. In fact, it’s debatably hard to find any fault at all with Alex Paknadel and Matthew Rosenberg’s twenty-four-page periodical as the Midnighter, Mary Marvel and Booster Gold dive head-first straight into the Baron’s formidably ferocious vampire knights “whose blades are every bit as bloodthirsty as they are.”

To begin with absolutely nothing is guaranteed due to this action-packed pseudo-Elseworld’s plot quite merrily ending its cast’s lives without so much as a moment’s notice, and in as gratuitously grisly a manner as this magazine's “Ages 13+” certification will allow. Such wanton death genuinely makes each and every scene a ‘must read’, as it’s never certain just who is going to survive what blow, nor even who can actually be trusted – Cue Vic Sage’s appearance as a vampiric Question who later on will doubtless catch many a bibliophile off-guard just as a certain cowled member of Stormwatch appears to have saved the day without even raising a finger to defeat the tactical super-computer built into his opponent’s “stupid [expletive] helmet.”

Likewise, penciler Pasquale Qualano and colourist Nicola Righi provide a mesmerising experience with their disturbingly dark illustrations, which are predominantly only lit by splashes of unnerving eldritch lighting and galleons of spilt claret. Indeed, it’s incredible just how much evisceration takes place during this comic’s ensuing melee, with various so-called super-heroes (and villains) having either their heads explode in a fountain of ruby froth, or their innards spattered all over the floor; “You can heal from this, right? I mean, you’re Midnighter!”

Similarly as well-received should be Matthew K. Manning’s “backup” tale entitled “Kill The Messenger”. This Black Lightning-centric storyline still contains an incredible amount of death, courtesy of its blood-drinking ghouls ill-advisedly entering Jefferson Pierce’s blessed abode. But due to Acky Bright’s much more clean-looking, self-taught drawing style, as well as his choice of a surprisingly sombre blue palette, the short-lived yarn provides an enjoyably enthralling contrast to the maniacal mayhem of this book’s main adventure.

The regular cover art of "DC VS. VAMPIRES: ALL OUT WAR" #4 by Alan Quah

Rick And Morty Verses Cthulhu #1 - Oni Press

RICK AND MORTY VERSES CTHULHU No. 1, December 2022

“Re-uniting the Eisner-nominated creative team from Rick and Morty Verses Dungeons And Dragons”, this opening instalment of a four-part mini-series should easily please fans of both Cartoon Network's animated sitcom and the Lovecraft-inspired universe - the Cthulhu Mythos. Indeed, Jim Zub’s twenty-two-page plot makes repeated nods to all the numerous storytelling elements which have made the “sociopathic mad scientist” and Great Old One so indelibly etched into modern-day nerd culture, such as frantic battles with exotic-looking extra-terrestrials, and superstitious American hillbillies fending off a mass of eldritch horrors which have pooled together at the bottom of their farmstead’s well.

Foremost of this comic’s many accomplishments though, has to be how quickly the Canadian author simply plonks the entire Smith family down into late Nineteenth Century Massachusetts and pens the initially well-armed quartet participating in some of H. P. Lovecraft’s most memorable written works. Sure, the fact that Sanchez simply takes them through one of his infamous portals following the discovery that “the air here is already polluted with mythos molecules” is arguably a little clunky and contrived. But such a no-nonsense approach immediately reaps dividends by smacking the central antagonists straight into the middle of “The Colour Out Of Space” and depicting Morty’s grandfather having an absolute blast defeating a certain “monstrous constellation of unnatural light”.

Similarly as successful is how Jerry is rapidly overcome by the terror of what he is witnessing, and has to retire home before his sanity is completely eradicated. This sub-thread taps directly into the “stay-at-home” father’s vulnerable psyche and cowardice, as well as one of the central themes repeatedly depicted in Lovecraft’s tales – where peoples' mental stability is repeatedly called into question as a result of the psychological trauma they’ve incurred; “Humanity is less than a mole on the splayed skin of the Universe…”

Also adding an element of tongue-in-cheek humour into this publication’s proceedings is Troy Little, whose opening scene showing Morty inadvertently ruining an intergalactic sugar deal between Rick and the insectoid gangster, Globier, will surely cause many a bibliophile to laugh out loud at the utter contempt for his grandson pencilled upon Sanchez’s face. Furthermore, the Prince Edward Island-born cartoonist, alongside colorist Leonardo Ito, does a stand-out job of illustrating just how markedly different the Cthulhu Mythos universe is from Dimension C-137, by noticeably altering this book’s art-style with much darker overtones and less clean-looking line work.

The regular cover art of "RICK AND MORTY VERSES CTHULHU" #1 by Troy Little

The Batman And Scooby-Doo Mysteries #2 - DC Comics

THE BATMAN AND SCOOBY-DOO MYSTERIES No. 2, January 2023

Somewhat sensationally declaring itself “the sequel that sprouted from the hit maxiseries”, Ivan Cohen’s storyline for Issue Two of “The Batman And Scooby-Doo Mysteries” arguably soon captures the audience’s attention courtesy of a sub-plot depicting Daphne Blake as Batgirl. In fact, once Poison Ivy has been arrested for abducting Gotham City’s Mayor and infecting the metropolis’ Police Department with a super-scratchy facial rash, the ‘brave, black belt in karate and expert motorcycle rider’ takes the majority of this twenty-page periodical’s subsequent spotlight.

Beforehand however, the Dark Knight definitely takes centre stage, providing this comic with both the crime-fighting fisticuffs any reader would expect from the Caped Crusader, as well as some genuine loud-out-moments when he repeatedly sneaks up upon Shaggy Rogers and scares the absolute bejesus out of the amateur sleuth; “Like, we could leave a message! From the Batmobile! Or the Batcave! Or the Bat -- EEP!” These battles against giant writhing weeds and a humongous, carnivorous vegetable are pretty standard for an entanglement with Doctor Pamela Isley’s homicidal alter-ego. But they are still thoroughly enjoyable, especially when a killer tomato has Scooby-Doo humorously wolfing down his friend’s multi-layered sandwich just in case Shaggy is eaten by the bouncing salad plant.

Perhaps therefore this book’s sole drawback comes with the logic (or lack thereof) behind Poison Ivy’s ultimate goal “to raid the abandoned warehouse next door for its rare seeds.” Considering that the super-villain’s minions covertly break into the Thurman And Strong Import-Export Warehouse so as to help the incarcerated botanist escape the neighbouring old jailhouse, it seems strange that rather than go to such extraordinary lengths as kidnapping the Mayor, momentarily incapacitating the entire GCPD with toxic flowers, and then surrendering herself up to the authorities, Batman’s arch-nemesis didn’t simply steal directly from the store alongside her heavily-muscled goon squad.

Fortunately, Dario Brizuela’s marvellous layouts mean that any inconsistencies in this comic’s storytelling are easily overlooked in favour of his energetically sketched set-pieces. The aforementioned shenanigans occurring deep inside the mayor’s estate are a fitting example of the illustrator’s ability to bring this book’s cast to animated life. Furthermore, the penciler’s ability to make Batgirl clearly be "Danger-Prone Daphne" in disguise, though not to the point where it is clearly an imposter, is very well done and actually helps better sell the notion that the orange-haired investigator could convincingly pose as Batman’s female counterpart for a limited time at least.

Written by: Ivan Cohen, Drawn by: Dario Brizuela, and Coloured by: Franco Riesco

Shang-Chi And The Ten Rings #4 - Marvel Comics

SHANG-CHI AND THE TEN RINGS No. 4, December 2022

Probably best described as an amalgamation of the New York City-based publisher’s comic book events “Secret Wars” and “Contest Of Champions”, Gene Luen Yang’s narrative for Issue Four of “Shang-Chi And The Ten Rings” is crammed full of uncomfortable contrivances and all-too brief cameos from some of the titular character’s most nefarious past nemeses. Yet whilst all ten of the mysterious Game of Ring’s participants are implausibly whisked away to another dimension by a pair of “lion-faced gremlins” simply to set up the storyline, the vast majority of this periodical’s readers will arguably soon get caught up in the sense-shattering shenanigans it creates.

For openers, no sooner is the bemused Master of Kung Fu challenging his captors’ right to take the “mystical iron rings originating from Ta-Lo” from him, than he is fighting for his life against Doug Moench’s classic co-creation from 1975 – Darkstrider. This battle is wonderfully written, with the multi-limbed combatant being given plenty of false pride in his ability to fashion a web of dagger-fronted ropes, only to find his opponent less than impressed having witnessed Spider-Man do the same thing for real on numerous occasions; “Not to disappoint you, but I have a friend who shoots actual webs.”

Furthermore, Commander Hand’s inexplicable inability to call the outstanding nine rings back from the other competitors’ wrists to his one remaining one, suddenly provides all the supporting cast members with a chance of beating him – having all been defeated, sometimes repeatedly, by the “former ally of the Secret Avengers” in the past. This potential for disaster is raised quite early on, when Shang-Chi is saved from defeat by the intervention of his friend Shen Kuei, and therefore generates some much-needed tension when it comes to the supreme leader of the Five Weapons Society fighting against lesser challengers – especially when their rings are seemingly willing to strike at him unexpectedly, and without their new owners’ forethought.

Similarly as successful as this comic’s penmanship are its pencils by Marcus To and Erick Arciniega’s atmospheric colours. Admittedly, the Alberta-born artist’s bipedal brass lions will strike some in the audience as disconcertingly cartoonish-looking minions for “the most revered game administrators”. But there can surely be no doubting his ability to sketch a well-delivered drop-kick, ferociously fast assault or blow blocking parry when this plot’s dynamic action starts to heat up.

The regular cover art of "SHANG-CHI AND THE TEN RINGS" #4 by Dike Ruan & Matthew Wilson

Creepshow #3 - Image Comics

CREEPSHOW No. 3, November 2022

Co-authored and pencilled by Eisner Award-winner Francesco Francavilla, the Creep’s opening ‘scare’ for Issue Three of “Creepshow” certainly provides the ten-page tale with just the sort of sleepy, American backwater terror some of the horror franchise’s fans might find enjoyably reminiscent of Stephen King’s “Old Chief Wood'nhead”. Indeed, the Italian illustrator may well have missed something of a trick by not sketching the cigar store Indian nonchalantly standing idly by in a heavily shadowed corner of Jimmy the Barber’s salon, as the animal lover quietly goes about his daily business of cutting people’s curls and listening to boastful hunters talk of their potential future kills.

Happily, despite this slight quibble, there’s still plenty to intrigue the reader in “Hair” as both the role of James’ amiable raccoons and the innocuous task of him sweeping his customer’s severed locks down into the sewer system suddenly becomes abundantly clear. Unsurprisingly, this revelation also allows Francavilla the opportunity to depict a truly formidable-looking specimen of Procyon lotor, as well as hint that the story’s central protagonist probably isn’t quite as innocent as to the devilish doings taking place “down by the river” as his inoffensive surprise at so many grisly murders might suggest.

Somewhat more technologically minded, though equally as chilling, is Ariela Kristantina’s “journey to a temple hidden within an island paradise where many visit but not everyone leaves.” Depicting easily one of the most annoying and condescending ‘victims’ of a ghoulish demise imaginable, “The Bridge” will doubtless have many a perusing bibliophile urging this standalone story’s foul-mouthed Alexis on towards her inevitable doom with increasing urgency.

In fact, this tale’s tension is debatably caused solely by the suggestion that the repugnant social influencer will also lead her hapless trio of biographers into a fate worse than death, rather than it being generated by concern over the bikini-clad bimbo’s diabolical destiny. Artist Jorge Corona should also be heartily congratulated for their contribution to this staycation’s success, courtesy of some truly plant-packed panels, and their wince-inducing layouts showing Alexis’ disconcertingly ghastly physical transformation; “You… Learn some respect… Learn how to listen… Stay here… With the others… Forever…”

Writers: L Marlow Francavilla & Francesco Francavilla, and Ariela Kristantina, and Artists: Francesco Francavilla and Jorge Corona

The Batman And Scooby-Doo Mysteries #1 - DC Comics

THE BATMAN AND SCOOBY-DOO MYSTERIES No. 1, December 2022

Throwing its audience straight at the deep end by already having had the Caped Crusaders and a certain gang of “meddling kids” meet-up off screen, Sholly Fisch’s script for Issue One of “The Batman And Scooby-Doo Mysteries” sets a ferocious, action-packed pace which arguably doesn’t let up until the twenty-page-periodical’s end. Indeed, with the notable exception of a few panels depicting Shaggy and his Great Dane enjoying the lavish hospitality of Bruce Wayne’s private plane, the American author is utterly merciless in his endeavour to keep both the lead protagonists and their fans incredibly busy; “I take it back! I take it back! I don’t want all of our cases to be like this!”

Foremost of these debatably exhausting endeavours is the “Looney Tunes” writer’s determination to have this comic’s considerably sized cast travel all over the world and visit numerous locations. Such penmanship undoubtedly provides any perusing bibliophile with plenty of snippets of information as to the mythical mummery found in both Argentina and England. But by the time the Dark Knight and Robin arrive in the city of Batman, Turkey, it’s quite probable that the heads of this publication’s younger readers will be uncontrollably spinning. 

In addition, “A Few Good Batmen” isn’t slow to start expanding upon the members of The Batmen of All Nations, with the likes of El Gaucho, Musketeer, Impala, Knight, Legionary, Ranger, Squire and Wingman all becoming involved in the fray by the final few panels. Sadly, so many colourfully costumed crime-fighters soon get lost in the frenzied hubbub of Ra's al Ghul’s deadly ninja attack, and resultantly several characters aren’t given any spotlight to explain either their motivations for taking up the Mantle of the Bat, or how they fortuitously just happen to arrive outside the supervillain’s headquarters at precisely the right moment.

Of course, for those who enjoy being carried along upon such adrenalin-charged adventures and appreciate first-rate ‘cartoon-style’ pencilling, these are minor quibbles which can easily be pushed aside so as to enjoy Dario Brizuela’s layouts. The illustrator is especially good at capturing the laugh-out-loud facial expressions of Shaggy and Scooby, whenever the cowardly pair are spooked or scared. Furthermore, the line work suggesting just how well the Demon’s Head can wield a curved blade during a swordfight is excellent.

Written by: Sholly Fisch, Drawn by: Dario Brizuela, and Coloured by: Franco Riesco

Batman: Urban Legends #20 [Part Two] - DC Comics

BATMAN: URBAN LEGENDS No. 20, December 2022

Essentially comprising of a story-long argument between Bruce Wayne and Talia al Ghul, Nadia Shammas’ distinctly feisty “My Son” certainly maintains this anthology book’s atmosphere of adrenalin-fuelled action. But whilst there’s nothing wrong with witnessing an unmasked Dark Knight patiently fend off his angry former lover with a series of feints and parries, the entire tale, strangely set at the bottom of the stairs leading up to an unconscious Damian’s sickbed in Wayne Manor, is debatably fairly frustratingly contrived.

True, the female master assassin is the daughter of the super villainous Demon's Head, so perhaps it shouldn’t come as much of a surprise to this publication’s readers that she can enter the billionaire’s home by simply tunnelling straight through a brick wall with some sort of acidic smoke device. However, some bibliophiles may find the ease with which proficient penciller Jahnoy Lindsay illustrates her rather dramatically penetrating the mansion a bit disconcerting considering its state-of-art security measures. In addition, the entire fracas is apparently due to Nightwing failing to check his explosive equipment before conducting a routine evening patrol – something which seems rather incredulous considering the fastidiousness of Dick Grayson’s long-time mentor and the former Teen Titan’s usual attention to such details.

Arguably much more intriguing is “The Murder Club” by Joey Esposito, which rather neatly dangles the audience along with its suggestion of a mysterious cult murdering Gotham City’s super-rich in a terrifyingly gruesome way; “Gradual rotting of the flesh, then sudden violent psychosis until the body gives out.” Indeed, Batman’s investigation into the fifth such killing “in as many months” has all the hallmarks of being a classic crime thriller involving the World’s Greatest Detective, especially as this four-parter’s opening instalment features the Caped Crusader confronting his arch-nemesis the Penguin. Unnervingly however, the author then completely wrong-foots everybody by revealing the shock identities of a couple who initially appear destined to be the contagion’s next victims, with a genuine, jaw-dropping cliff-hanger.

Also adding some palpable edge to this twenty-one-page plot is Vasco Georgiev, whose ability to capture all the grotesque physicality of Oswald Chesterfield Cobblepot alone makes this adventure well worth perusing. Coupled with Alex Guimaraes' colours, the Swiss provides some incredibly atmospheric layouts to this fable, not least of which is its appropriately dark, heavily shadowed opening inside the Gotham City Medical Examiner's Office.

Writers: Nadia Shammas and Joey Esposito, and Artists: Jahnoy Lindsay and Vasco Georgiev

DC Horror Presents: Sgt. Rock Vs. The Army Of The Dead #3 - DC Comics

DC HORROR PRESENTS: SGT. ROCK VS. THE ARMY OF THE DEAD No. 3, January 2023

Whilst “DC Comics’” pre-publication synopsis for Issue Three of “DC Horror Presents: Sergeant Rock Verses The Army Of The Dead” enthusiastically speaks about Easy Company having “some fun defending themselves against Hitler’s undead goons”, such joy probably pales when compared to how much entertainment this comic’s audience will have actually reading Bruce Campbell’s narrative. Sure, the twenty-two-page periodical starts off a little slowly, courtesy of the grizzled squad being thoroughly briefed back at Allied Command Centre about their latest offensive behind enemy lines. But once the likes of Four Eyes and Long Round have been equipped with the latest weaponry, the veteran soldier company are quickly thrown straight into the deep end; “With these new toys, we were itchin’ to get back into the sandbox.”

Furthermore, the brief pause in zombie-killing action allows the American author to establish the parameters of a mission which is far more interesting than a simple full-on assault against the Fuhrer’s walking dead. The Allies’ need to “flush” out an unharmed Doctor Theodor Morell so the evil physician can potentially lead Rock to Hitler himself makes the assignment doubly difficult and adds an extra edge to the pulse-pounding proceedings when events start to take a turn for the worse – such as Team Dozer inadvertently blocking their entry into the Nazi’s unholy serum factory with a bazooka blast to its brick-built giant chimney.

Equally as enthralling is the fact that even with such advanced armaments as a heavy counterassault rifle, Easy Company are far from the unstoppable killing machine lesser comic book writers might be tempted to pen them as. Indeed, despite their flamethrower, ability to breach cement walls and be deadly “accurate from a thousand yards”, this mini-series’ protagonists are repeatedly shown having to desperately hurl themselves behind cover as their disconcertingly gleeful, almost bestial foes, continue to soak up physical damage which would ordinarily lay low a mortal opponent. 

Adding an insane number of detached retinas and entrails to “Belly Of The Beast” is Eduardo Risso, whose pencils don’t shy away from the notion of depicting a goose-steeping undead German having his entire face or all-too visible bowels shredded by a shotgun shell or two at close quarters. In addition, colorist Kristian Rossi does a first-rate job providing plenty of atmospheric lighting for all the gratuitously graphic set-pieces, whether it be inside the heavily shadowed Fuhrer’s bunker, the purple-saturated darkness of night, or the beautifully bright glow of a flamethrower.

The regular cover art to "DC HORROR PRESENTS: SGT. ROCK VS. THE ARMY OF THE DEAD" #3 by Gary Frank

Batman: Urban Legends #20 [Part One] - DC Comics

BATMAN: URBAN LEGENDS No. 20, December 2022

Hooking its readers straight from the start with a thrilling trip “to the world of Batman, monster hunter”, this particular anthology comic book must surely have pleased any fans of “DC Comics” alternative reality-based publication imprint “Elseworlds”. In fact, considering Jim Zub’s storyline for “Castle Arkham” arguably contains the perfect mix of medieval horror, dedicated detective work and pulse-pounding pugilism, it’s doubtful any perusing bibliophile would have been able to put Issue Twenty of “Batman: Urban Legends” back down until they’d at least witnessed Bruce Wayne and Julia Pennyworth successfully thwart Kirkland Langstrom’s misguided attempt to rule Gotham as a terrifying demonic bat-creature.

Much of this mesmerising spell is indisputably due to the Canadian author penning an incredibly believable and intriguing feudal world of swashbuckling swordplay and mean-spirited politics. However, enormous credit must also be given to Max Dunbar’s simply sumptuous layouts, with the illustrator pencilling some seriously disconcerting ghouls who increase their grinning numbers through a bloody sacrificial ritual, as well as an awesome-looking finale set high above the dark metropolis’ rooftops; “In the city square, the people celebrate good harvest and good fortune… Until their revelry crumbles into unspeakable fear.”

Equally as enjoyable, though significantly shorter than this periodical’s opening yarn, is Chris Burnham’s “epic Alfred saga” which quite marvellously manages to spotlight the loyal butler’s ability to outthink his opponents even when they are both numerous and dangerously fanatical about their diabolical cause. Absolutely vibrant in its Lovecraftian imagery, courtesy of the narrative’s fixation upon the Assyrian fish deity, Dagon, this ten-pager’s plot probably wrong-footed a fair few in its audience by rather cleverly having the decapitated god’s scales actually turn out to be much more than just ancient rigid skin plates.

Furthermore, the Connecticut-born artist also provides “Out Of The Frying Pan” with plenty of compelling visualisations, not least of which is the imaginative underwater museum display dedicated to Dagon’s long-dead corpse. Coupled with the American’s dynamic drawings of two competing cult factions, including amphibian-headed rubber masks plus obligatory red robes, and most readers will easily get caught up in the frantic post-ritual fight once the first angry punch is thrown.

Writers: Jim Zub and Chris Burnham, and Artists: Max Dunbar and Chris Burnham

DC Horror Presents: Sgt. Rock Vs. The Army Of The Dead #2 - DC Comics

DC HORROR PRESENTS: SGT. ROCK VS. THE ARMY OF THE DEAD No. 2, December 2022

Featuring an undead fascist host which is not only almost unkillable, but also retains enough memory of their former life to drink, drive, converse and fire automatic weapons, Bruce Campbell’s narrative for Issue Two of “DC Horror Presents: Sgt. Rock Vs. The Army Of The Dead” unquestionably produces a genuine sense of deadly danger surrounding Easy Company as they reconnoitre behind enemy lines. Indeed, at one point it actually appears a sure-fire certainty that Dozer is about to be throttled to death by a grinning cadaver, when the unsuspecting soldier is surprised by a pair of Third Reich zombies being carried inside a canvas-covered German truck.

Enjoyably, such sincerely felt jeopardy isn’t palpable just for this one set-piece either, as the Michigan-born writer later places the veteran squad inside a derelict building which is suddenly swarmed full of almost bestial, gun-toting zeds. Moreover, ‘the Sword of Damocles’ is even shown dangling above the head of Doctor Theodor Morell’s second-in-command, when the villainous physician makes it abundantly clear to his sub-ordinate that the factory the terrified officer controls will increase its output of walking dead immediately; “Need I remind you that your employment -- and your very life -- depend upon it?”

Marvellously matching these pulse-pounding proceedings are Campbell’s frequent injections of dark humour, such as the putrefying, goose-stepping goons who decide to get drunk in Das Hafenzimmer and subsequently start gleefully shooting one another to bits in an attempt to see who can take the most bullets. This ‘tongue in cheek’ approach entertainingly extends even to Easy Company, as Sergeant Rock and his men make numerous quips throughout the twenty-two-page periodical.

Similarly as successful as this book’s prodigious penmanship are its sense-shattering layouts, with Eduardo Risso pencilling some incredibly animated corpses and seemingly spraying every panel possible with a hail of deadly lead. Indeed, some of the German zombies depicted within this comic convey such evident personalities of their own, especially whenever they’re about to strangle or shoot someone, that many readers might arguably find it hard to imagine even Joe Kubert’s co-creation being able to outfight the Fuhrer’s formidably strong machines of undying flesh and bone.

The regular cover art to "DC HORROR PRESENTS: SGT. ROCK VS. THE ARMY OF THE DEAD" #2 by Gary Frank