Thor [2020] #35 - Marvel Comics

THOR No. 35, August 2023

For those comic book collectors who were enticed into purchasing “the Midgard-shattering finale of Blood Of The Fathers” on account of its seemingly shameless solicitation synopsis misleadingly claiming it concerns Doctor Victor Von Doom making “his final stand to control all if humankind – past, present and future”, the contents of Issue Thirty-Five of “Thor” must have come as something of an unpleasant shock. True, the twenty-page periodical does feature a fleeting visit from Latveria’s monarch. But the supervillain is already beaten by this stage in Torunn Gronbekk’s impenetrable storyline, and rather bemusingly appears simply so the Goddess of Death can absurdly threaten him with grinding “up your bones to sugar my tea” – even though Jack Kirby’s co-creation has held Hela helplessly captive for almost the entirety of the multi-part tale.

Instead, the “portrait painter from Norway” provides an admittedly charming, though utterly bewildering, flashback adventure involving a much younger Thor and Loki temporarily outwitting King Bergelmir in Jotunheim, so that the Asgardians could claim a knife “forged by the light elves in the depths of Alfheim.” This contest of strength, superbly sketched by Spanish illustrator Sergio Davila, certainly seems to contain an allure all of its own, especially with its rather enjoyable tongue-in-cheek banter between the two siblings. However, just what it has to do with the mighty Thunder god fighting for “the future of the Ten Realms” is anyone’s guess, with the protracted sequence’s point apparently solely being to introduce the God of Mischief to his future daughter.

Just as bizarre though, has to be some of the Jessheim-born author’s irksome dialogue for Laussa Odinsdottir. Despite her own naïve adolescence, the second born daughter of the All-Mother Freyja repeatedly berates her new sovereign and his half-brother by calling them “Nitwits” and “idiot boys”, debatably making the Asgardian noblewoman’s ‘holier than thou’ personality increasingly dislikeable as the narrative progresses. Furthermore, these speeches prove surprisingly poorly penned when compared to Gronbekk’s genuinely emotional ending, in which she has Thor warmly reminiscing over Odin’s bedtime stories with a respectful Jane Foster; “He was not the King in those moments. He was our father. And we would never let Ostegompen find his way back home because we knew it would mean the story would end.”

The regular cover art of "THOR" #35 by Nic Klein

Titans #1 - DC Comics

TITANS No. 1, July 2023

Ingeniously hooking his audience straight from the start by penning Wally West’s mysterious murder, Tom Taylor’s script for Issue One of “Titans” certainly appears to live up to the ongoing series’ prepublication hype of Dick Grayson’s friends being the “new premier superhero team” in the Dawn of DC Comics’ relaunched universe. Indeed, Garfield Logan, Princess Koriand'r and Donna Troy’s impressive dismantling of a King Kong-sized Titano just outside a nuclear power plant, strongly suggests the upcoming protectors of the Earth are more than “ready for the big leagues.”

Happily however, the “New York Times bestselling author” doesn’t simply pit “the no-longer-teen heroes” against a villainous giant gorilla, but also provides them with a worthy adversary who theoretically should be working alongside them for the greater good of Humanity. The Peacemaker has arguably always been something of a controversial character, considering Charlton Comics’ original creation is essentially a “deadly vigilante who would kill at the slightest provocation”. So his presence representing the President of the United States of America immediately grabs the reader’s attention, especially once he starts feuding with Batman’s protégé; “The existence of the Titans is antagonistic. Do you honestly believe we will allow so much unchecked power to operate freely?”

Similarly as beguiling is the aforementioned death of the Flash to an unknown assassin who shot him straight through the heart from behind at point-blank range. Whether the “Fastest Man Alive” is going to be able to recover from such a terminal wound tantalisingly remains rather murky throughout this “landmark” twenty-four-page periodical, courtesy of the Scarlet Speedster desperately attempting to use the Cosmic Treadmill to change his fate before his lifeless corpse is shockingly found in Bludhaven. Yet many a bibliophile will doubtless become ensnared enough to pre-order this title’s subsequent instalment from their local comic bookstore, so as to find out more.

Ably assisting Taylor in his storytelling are Nicola Scott’s extremely lifelike layouts, whose detailed pencilling, particularly when it comes to the cast’s facial features, appears a far cry from the zany cartoon caricatures seen on the small screen as part of the (Teen) Titan’s 2009 American animated television series. In addition, the Sydney-born illustrator does a fantastic job of imbuing Peacemaker with some almost palpable testosterone when he swaggers out from inside a military helicopter to aggressively confront Nightwing and unsuccessfully lay down the law of the land.

Writer: Tom Taylor, Artist: Nicola Scott, and Colorist: Annette Kwok

Alien [2023] #2 - Marvel Comics

ALIEN No. 2, July 2023

Crammed full of human suffering and ground-shaking explosions, Declan Shalvey’s narrative for Issue Two of “Alien” certainly would seem to show why the Irish author so enthusiastically stated that "It's incredibly exciting to take on such a brilliant franchise” when “Marvel Worldwide” first handed him the gig. Indeed, plenty of the science-fiction horror films’ fans would probably have preferred to see the ear-shattering exploits depicted within this particular twenty-page periodical ‘up on the big screen’ rather than those penned by John Logan and Dante Harper for the 2017 movie “Alien: Covenant”.

Foremost of these high-octane set-pieces has to be the eventual grisly demise of Weyland-Yutani’s entire excavation team, who arrogantly seem to feel that their supposed expertise and advanced technology will do a much better job of discovering LV-695’s frozen secret than poor, one-armed Dayton Zhan’s “rinky-dink operation.” Mercilessly sliced into so much mutilated flesh by the Xenomorphs or burnt alive in the ensuing fireball which engulfs their convoy whilst fleeing the deadly extra-terrestrials’ nest, the multiple deaths of these engineers may well prove controversially satisfying to those bibliophiles who dislike big companies muscling their way through much smaller enterprises.

Likewise, this publication’s plot is not shy of rehashing old tropes so as to generate a similar response when it comes to the mega-corporation’s gun-toting troopers panicking wildly when faced with just a single Chestburster. The bullies’ egotistical bravado, such as threatening to beat-up the much smaller, adolescent Zasha if she doesn’t come quietly, genuinely grates upon the nerves as they barge their way through Batya’s home looking for the incarcerated scientist’s secrets. So it comes as something of a relief when in their fright they blow themselves up by firing bullets directly into a plethora of fuel containers; “C’mere, you little… whatever the hell you are. Christ! Get smoked! Eat lead you --!”

Ably adding plenty of gore and fireworks to Shalvey’s storyline is Andrea Broccardo, whose well-practised pencils do a reasonably proficient job in depicting the stark shock experienced by all those who come within sight of the mass-killing titular characters. True, the Italian illustrator’s drawings of a massive mechanical rig falling into the aliens’ nest isn’t arguably all that convincing and somewhat stiff-looking. But the look upon certain cast members’ faces as they react to the murderous mayhem moving before them is very well sketched.

The regular cover art to "ALIEN" #2 by Dike Ruan & Matthew Wilson

Blade #1 - Marvel Comics

BLADE No. 1, September 2023

Heralding the return of the New York City-based publisher's "slickest vampire hunter… in a brand new ongoing” series, Bryan Hill’s narrative for Issue One of “Blade” must surely have pleased any fan of Marv Wolfman and Gene Colan’s creation with a pulse-pounding script that simply doesn’t skimp on intrigue, action and black-hearted treachery. Indeed, the thirty-page periodical’s plot even manages to convey some of Eric Brook’s surprising naivety as to the underhandedness of his supernatural world in a similar way to that depicted when the Daywalker first encountered his long-thought dead mother in Stephen Norrington’s 1998 motion picture; “I get it. I was set up. And you’re bad. Fine.”

Quite possibly the biggest of this “explosive” comic’s successes lies in its pacing, with the American author rather nicely mixing up the vampire hunter’s sense-shattering swordplay with some much slower, sedentary exposition. Furthermore, even when things are a little dialogue-heavy, the Chicago-born screenwriter still manages to inject plenty of energy into the scene by suddenly having something unexpected shockingly occur, such as the titular character’s conversation with Werewolf Nation’s Tanaka being interrupted by Dana Smith’s heavily skewered boyfriend transforming into an undead weapon.

Similarly as well-penned though are the book’s action sequences, which do an excellent job in illustrating just how violent (and fast) the Dhampir needs to be in order to survive his various rescue missions. Hill’s opening, focusing upon a young girl quietly drinking during a concert in a public house and then dramatically facing a coven of savage blood-drinkers when the music stops, genuinely sets a high bar of sense-shattering shenanigans for the rest of the publication to follow, and is probably only bested by Blade’s battle against “the only person in the world who can destroy” Adana.

However, Elena Casagrande also arguably needs a mighty pat on the back for helping make “Mother Of Evil” as engaging a reading experience as it is, with her prodigiously pencilled panels. The Italian artist does a first-rate job of permeating Brooks’ demeanour with all the confident, slightly arrogant, physicality of Wesley Snipes’ big screen portrayal, making “probably Marvel’s number one horror hero” dominate each and every scene in which he appears.

The regular cover art to "BLADE" #1 by Elena Casagrande & Jordie Bellaire

Predator #5 - Marvel Comics

PREDATOR No. 5, February 2023

Exclusively focused upon Theta Nedra Berwick’s incarceration at the hands of Captain Ferrier on board the Astar Industries Recon Ship, the Turnstone, Ed Brisson’s script for Issue Five of “Predator” probably had its readers crying out in frustrated anger as much as the Sandpiper’s sole survivor does throughout the comic. Indeed, this incredibly word-heavy, twenty-page conversational piece seems to almost purposely go around and around in circles, simply so the book’s bibliophiles can wholly sympathise with its central protagonist’s repeated demands to be let free before another Yautja descends upon the frozen planet of Tusket.

Disappointingly however, whether intentional or not, British artist Kev Walker prodigiously pencilling an endless series of questions and piecemeal answers – all of which any longtime reader would already know – quickly bogs the publication’s plot down to a sedentary, snail-like pace, and is only momentarily broken when Paolo Silva somewhat unconvincingly decides to disobey his senior officer’s orders by bringing his space vessel’s prisoner a futuristic version of “Pot Noddle”. Lamentably though, even this ‘opportunity to escape’ is reduced to little more than a contrived cell break using an everyday eating utensil rather than the Chief Scientist using the new knowledge he has gained from Sandy’s databanks to deduce his crew’s sole hope of survival is to rearm Berwick; “If you don’t I swear I’ll drive this fork into your carotid artery, and you’ll be dead before they can get you to the Infirmary.”

Similarly as strange is arguably Ferrier’s apparent complete disinterest in the deadly Predators and Theta’s evident ability to both track and actually kill them. Admittedly, the Captain is understandably suspicious of a lone human single-handedly piloting one of his company’s missing space exploration vessels. But once he knows the truth, and that the mass-murdering extra-terrestrial species were responsible for both the massacre on Damara and at the local Astar Industries facility, it seems distinctly odd that the skipper would simply decide to return to Earth rather than ascertain whether there is now an opportunity for Humanity to stop the Yautja once and for all – or at least determine a defence which could prevent similar bloodbaths from occurring in the future.

Writer: Ed Brisson, Artist: Kev Walker, and Colorist: Frank D'Armata

Alien [2023] #1 - Marvel Comics

ALIEN No. 1, June 2023

Definitely delivering a distinctly icy chill to its readers’ spines, Declan Shalvey’s quite political plot for Issue One of “Alien” certainly seems to capture all the dread fans of the science-fiction horror franchise might expect from a comic focused upon a solitary scientific expedition discovering a frozen Facehugger trapped underground in long-forgotten glacier. True, no-one within this particular thirty-page periodical falls victim to the savage Xenomorphs from the moon LV-426, or actually even encounters a ‘living’ specimen of the deadly extra-terrestrial species which sixteen years ago mercilessly overran the colony known as Hadley’s Hope.

But rather cleverly, the disconcertion emanating from this book’s narrative is surprisingly caused by the selfish, almost conspiratorial behaviour of expectant mother Batya Zahn, and the sudden arrival of the extremely dislikeable Weyland-Yutani representative Wendell Theen. Indeed, between them, this pair of decidedly dodgy characters generate an utterly entrancing sense of distrust and duplicity, which completely ensnares the reader by the publication’s end when they agree a mutually advantageous exchange of information; “I’m offering a lifeline for you and your family. Take it. The sample. What do you know about it?” 

In direct contrast to these sinister shenanigans are the Irish “award winning” artist/writer’s highly cynical water conservationist Dayton and the ‘full of life’ Zasha, who between them bring a lot of heart-warming dialogue and discussion to the comic’s proceedings. The one-armed hapless husband of Batya arguably proves especially sympathetic, seemingly being the only sane person on the ice-covered satellite who wants to disintegrate the entombed Manumala noxhydria the moment he first lays eyes upon the “extraordinary organism.”

Perhaps therefore this book's sole disappointment lies with the look of its interior layouts. Admittedly, there is nothing specifically wrong with Andrea Broccardo’s proficient pencils, as they do a solid job in assisting Shalvey with his storytelling. Yet, the Italian illustrator’s slightly Manga-like drawing style, coupled with Triona Farrell’s slightly flat colours, don’t debatably provide the panels with the sort of impinging darkness many within this book’s audience might expect of a darkly twisted universe inspired by the work of Swiss painter and sculptor H. R. Giger – at least not until the Boreas lands from orbit and disgorges a plethora of heavily-armed Weyland-Yutani troopers to blow up the Zahns' “front door”.

The regular cover art to "ALIEN" #1 by Dike Ruan & Matthew Wilson

Star Trek: The Motion Picture - Echoes #3 - IDW Publishing

STAR TREK: THE MOTION PICTURE No. 3, July 2023

Having arguably established plenty of tension with Admiral James T. Kirk and some of his bridge crew being held captive aboard Commander Toth’s Romulan Bird-of-Prey, Marc Guggenheim’s script for Issue Three “Star Trek: The Motion Picture – Echoes” probably ‘fumbled the ball’ for many of its readers with a series of somewhat corny and unspontaneous sequences which appear to have been manufactured solely to keep the mini-series going for two more editions. In fact, on one occasion some of the comic’s characters actually poke fun at themselves during these silly shenanigans when they use “literally the oldest trick in the book” to escape a prison cell by suddenly pretending to be dying.

One such plot point is surely the inconsistent gun skills of Lieutenant Uhura’s supposedly super-deadly double, who within the blink of an eye is prodigiously pencilled by Russian artist Oleg Chudakov literally blasting away the four Romulan Guards surrounding her with a savagely smooth circle of shots. This pulse-pounding panel then leaves the hard-nosed General staring down an unarmed Akris at point blank range. But rather than blast her arch-nemesis as she did her quartet of subjugators, this publication’s audience are nonsensically meant to believe the sharpshooter becomes so angry that she inadvertently misses her hapless target so he can run off and escape; “Sweet Nyota. Always indulging your emotions at the expense of your aim…”

However, the gravest contrivance is probably Pavel Chekov’s injury which apparently can’t be regenerated by a strangely self-doubting Doctor McCoy and resultantly needs to be stitched back together “the old-fashioned way” by Christine Chapel. To make matters worse the U.S.S. Enterprise's navigator can’t simply receive a blood transfusion of synthplasma either as he inconveniently suffers “from something called Dythraxis”, and sadly the Constitution-class starship is in breach of Starfleet Regulation 4587 by not storing a supply of his blood on board because they were originally on “a shakedown cruise where combat isn’t anticipated.” None of these narratives are compellingly delivered, and simply all lead to the inevitable conclusion that the Federation officers must now return to the Romulan Neutral Zone to somehow get hold of Pavel’s ‘maniacal doppelganger from a parallel universe’ alive.

Writer: Marc Guggenheim, Artist: Oleg Chudakov, and Colorist: DC Alonso

The Amazing Spider-Man [2022] #5 - Marvel Comics

THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN No. 5, September 2022

Ending “the first arc of this historic new volume” of “The Amazing Spider-Man”, this twenty-page periodical arguably still proved something of a good jumping on issue for those Wall-crawling fans unsure of Zeb Wells’ pedigree writing “one of the most popular and iconic comic book superheroes of all time.” Indeed, courtesy of its narrative exclusively focusing upon the fall-out of Web-head single-handedly destroying the Rose’s criminal organisation, this particular edition actually makes quite an enjoyable stand-a-lone instalment of the ongoing series.

For openers, the American author rather enchantingly uses the green-skinned villain Vegas Thirteen as an intriguing, and somewhat tongue-in-cheek, bookend, who not only helps illustrate just how disastrously far Richard Fisk has fallen from power. But also suggests at the end that perhaps the Schemer’s sole-surviving henchman may still be in a position to win back some of his boss’ lost turf before he’s been released from police custody; “Digger found us! We got nothing that can stop him! We’re losing everything!”

Similarly as proficiently penned is arguably the “Robot Chicken” director’s depiction of the forimably-powerful criminal Maggia, with a victorious Tombstone still being unwilling to risk the wrath of his surviving peers if they ever get wind of his ‘close relationship’ with Peter Parker’s alter-ego. In fact, despite this sadly somewhat short-lived meeting of the marvel Universe's mafia almost being suffocated out amidst some much more action-packed sequences, the ‘sword of Damocles’ it creates above Alonzo Lincoln’s head remains in play for the rest of the comic - especially towards its end when Spider-man surprisingly appears at the albino’s home and threatens to reveal all to the likes of Madame Masque.

Definitely providing the brutally battered titular character with some disturbingly visible facial bruising is artist John Romita Junior, who manages to help sell a good deal of this book’s tension with just a look in each character’s eyes. Furthermore, the Eisner Award-winner does a very good job in illustrating both Digger’s pent-up anger and frustration, as well as the hoodlum’s concern that the Rose will “hunt me to the ends of the Earth when he gets out”, even when it’s done via the “Gamma-irritated being” humorously tossing a half-eaten ice cream cone out of a car before his employer sees him.

Writer: Zeb Wells, Penciler: John Romita JR., and Inker: Scott Hanna

Batman: The Adventures Continue Season Three #6 - DC Comics

BATMAN: THE ADVENTURES CONTINUE SEASON THREE No. 6, August 2023

Walking a somewhat slow, sedentary line with this twenty-page periodical’s plot, Alan Burnett and Paul Dini’s penmanship for Issue Six of “Batman: The Adventures Continue Season Three” probably struck its audience as being more in keeping with one of the animated television series’ films rather than its more fast-paced single episodes. But whilst the majority of the comic’s narrative focuses upon Bruce Wayne uncomfortably enduring a holiday on his own Caribbean retreat and then dining with the love of his life, Talia al Ghul, the writers still manage to inject some enjoyable action-packed moments into their script.

Indeed, the billionaire businessman’s night-time decision to windsurf near a suspiciously shady-looking family yacht absolutely smacks of something Ian Fleming would include in one of his James Bond novels, especially once the “wealthy American playboy” encounters some pistol-firing goons on water bikes and shocking gets swallowed up by a set of giant underwater claws; “Obviously that skirmish with the gunmen wasn’t intended to harm me, but to force me farther out to sea…”

Furthermore, this opening instalment to “The Offer” occasionally throws in a few pulse-pounding panels featuring a seemingly outnumbered Selina Kyle desperately attempting to shake-off an army of faceless pursuers who want her dead. Catwoman’s headlong dash through the sewers of Gotham City and all-too brief encounter with Detective Bullock on a rain-soaked road repeatedly reminds the reader that despite crime supposedly being “at an all-time low” in Batman’s metropolis, there’s clearly something sinister occurring which will doubtless draw the Dark Knight back to his usual stomping ground.

Quite possibly enjoying the opportunity to pencil and colour a decidedly restless Wayne for the vast majority of this publication are Ty Templeton and Monica Kubina, who between them do an excellent job of contrasting the brightly lit eye candy of this book’s tropical resort with that of the grim and decidedly much more deadly home of the Penguin, Black Mask and Esther Valestra. Furthermore, the emaciated appearance of the Demon's Head is decidedly disconcerting, with the leader of the League of Assassins looking suitably elderly and frail for someone who can no longer physically survive being submerged within a life-enhancing Lazarus Pit.

The regular cover of "BATMAN: THE ADVENTURES CONTINUE SEASON THREE" #6 by Evan "Doc" Shaner

The Batman And Scooby-Doo Mysteries #9 - DC Comics

THE BATMAN AND SCOOBY-DOO MYSTERIES No. 9, August 2023

Despite being a direct sequel to the classic November 1969 aired television episode of “Scooby-Doo, Where Are You!” entitled “Bedlam In The Big Top”, debatably the vast majority of this comic’s readers were probably soon wishing for the Ghost Clown to entrance them so they could easily forget Matthew Cody’s disinteresting script and bewildering reinterpretation of Mystery Incorporated’s characters. Furthermore, the twenty-page periodical’s portrayal of Batman is far from convincing, even for a book seemingly based upon the crime-fighter’s more tongue-in-cheek “Filmation” incarnation, as it depicts the World’s Greatest Detective becoming utterly fixated upon the Joker being behind a group of mind-controlled citizens attacking “some silly old award ceremony honouring a bunch of teenagers”, simply because the unsuccessful raid’s mastermind dressed them up as clowns.

These anomalies increasingly become frustrating, and lead to some truly implausible moments where the likes of Daphne Blake and Batgirl have to physically defeat Harry the Hypnotist and his ridiculous minions, whilst the ordinarily dependable Fred Jones unexpectedly cowers behind a chair and the Dark Knight inexplicably speeds off in the Batmobile for sources of Smilex Gas rather than “comb this crime scene for clues.” To make matters worse though the Missouri-born writer’s script also suddenly has Crystal Cove’s Madam Mayor and Sheriff Stone arrest “these meddling kids” for causing all of the town’s problems without a shred of evidence or arguably basic logic and throws them all straight in front of a clearly unimpartial courtroom so they can be later tossed “into the deepest, darkest cell you can find in Arkham.”

Similarly as disconcerting is debatably Scott Jeralds’ artwork, which appears to repeatedly encapsulate a handful of different drawing styles all within the same panel. This bizarre-looking technique, coupled with the illustrator persistently reusing identical drawings from one frame to another, has caused the likes of William Martin of “Batman-news.com” to believe that “there is a strong chance that most of this comic is traced” by the “Marvel Studios” animator. Whatever the explanation actually is though, it is probably safe to say that the contrast between Commissioner Gordon looking exactly as he does in the 1992 “Batman: The Animated Series” working alongside a slender-looking Batman, who is much more reminiscent of his 1977 Adam West-voiced cartoon portrayal, must have badly jarred with even the most devoted of Batfan bibliophiles.

Written by: Matthew Cody, Drawn by: Scott Jeralds and Colored by: Carrie Strachan

Thor [2020] #34 - Marvel Comics

THOR No. 34, July 2023

It’s hard to believe that many readers of Torunn Gronbekk’s convoluted script for Issue Thirty-Four of “Thor” will actually have much of a clue as to just what is going on within this twenty-page periodical. Indeed, the Norwegian author’s seemingly merciless obsession to cram as many Asgardian gods, kings, werewolves, warriors and super-villains as she can messily muster within this single comic may well have given the odd bibliophile a debilitating Marvel-flavoured migraine; “We need to get out of here! It’s… weird out there… like, bonkers weird.”

Foremost of these utterly puzzling bemusements is probably the unlikely meeting of this publication’s titular character with Doctor Doom, Thanos, Laussa Odinsdottir, Hela and Bor Burison in Nifflehein. “Blood Of The Fathers” clearly plays it fast and loose when it comes to converging timelines and personalities bumping into one another out of chronological order. But how the monarch of Latveria is able to calmly step across reality from his Earth-bound kingdom into Bor’s Vault just as the Mad Titan is about to stab an infant Goddess of Death is never explained, nor is the Thunder God’s ability to intercede on Victor’s behalf with Mjolnir when the armoured monarch is savagely wounded by “one of the last sons of A'Lars.”

Almost as disconcerting is debatably this publication’s dialogue, which disappointingly may remind some bibliophiles of something penned in a fanzine. The second born daughter of All-Mother Freyja seems to particularly struggle with her words, nervously uttering “Eh, Hullo!” when as an adult she meets Thor at the lowest level of the universe and then later fangirling “Whaaaat?! Wolf-sword… Awesome!” over a possessed blade when she effortlessly hacks apart the supposedly great supernatural fighter Varg. 

Even this comic’s illustrations appear somewhat confusing with Juan Gedeon’s rudimentary pencils later being replaced by the much more stylish sketchings of Sergio Davila. The Buenos Aires-born professional’s panels disappointingly lack any real sense of movement, apart from when the Avenger is thwacking Thanos in the face with his hammer, and this lethargy sadly undermines any sense of tension during the “all-out war” which occurs. However, as soon as the sequential artist from Barcelona takes over the entire ensemble appear to jump into life, with a much younger Odinson clobbering a pack of unruly, blue-skinned trolls in an enthralling flashback sequence.

The regular cover art of "THOR" #34 by Nic Klein

Batman: The Adventures Continue Season Three #5 - DC Comics

BATMAN: THE ADVENTURES CONTINUE SEASON THREE No. 5, July 2023

Considering the sheer number of anti-heroes permeating this conclusion to Alan Burnett and Paul Dini’s “Crack-Up” narrative, many a bibliophile might find the twenty-page-periodical’s plot a little too rushed. Indeed, the entirety of Amanda Waller’s Suicide Squad are surprisingly easily taken out twice during this particular publication, despite the Wall’s team comprising of some significantly powerful combatants such as Deadshot, Katana, Captain Boomerang and King Shark; “Said he was gonna make his own gang of mindless mercs -- The J-Team!”

This somewhat frustratingly fast-paced storytelling sadly also surrounds the tale’s central character, Straightman, who despite being on the run from the authorities is all-too quickly located by Batman and Robin roasting a pair of rats for his supper down one of Gotham City’s lesser-frequented alleyways. The Joker’s former bodyguard is still depicted as having the strength of several normal men. But that doesn’t stop him somewhat shockingly being taken straight down by the Boy Wonder and a trusty bat-a-rang within moments of the Dynamic Duo trundling up to his location in the Batmobile.

Perhaps therefore this comic’s most impressive moment comes when General Joker launches a full-on frontal assault against the military hospital where Professor Hugo Strange is attempting to save Captain Finley’s “almost unsalvageable” mind. This set-piece initially appears to contain all the elements necessary for some truly memorable pulse-pounding panels, especially once the Clown Prince of Crime has the brain-washed Suicide Squad capture a formidably sized tank for him to use as a command vehicle. However, once again the action is cut frustratingly short by the Bat Family, in order to save plenty of sheet space for a ‘sickeningly sweet’ series of heavily narrated epilogues.

Of course, some within the audience may well argue that this publication is probably worth its cover price just for Ty Templeton’s dynamic pencilling and Monica Kubina’s eye-catching colours. The artists do a cracking job of imbuing the Joker with all the deadly zaniness a reader would expect of Jerry Robinson’s co-creation, as well as include the odd Easter egg within their artwork - not least of which is a spine-chilling Funtime Freddy look-a-like sat on a display shelf in the deserted Pizza Clown Family Restaurant at the start of the book.

The regular cover of "BATMAN: THE ADVENTURES CONTINUE SEASON THREE" #5 by Scott Godlewski

The Batman And Scooby-Doo Mysteries #8 - DC Comics

THE BATMAN AND SCOOBY-DOO MYSTERIES No. 8, July 2023

Arguably containing some of the corniest and contrived subplots imaginable, even for a narrative partially based upon one of Hanna-Barbera’s most successful animated franchises, many a bibliophile may well have been put off by Sholly Fisch’s storyline for Issue Eight of “The Batman And Scooby-Doo Mysteries". In fact, the comic’s opening featuring an utterly disagreeable Dark Knight and his second-rate Mystery Incorporated rip-offs is genuinely unappealing, particularly when it’s made crystal clear by the Caped Crusader that he no longer values the original “meddling kids” anymore; “No! This is our case, and we’ll handle it. Have a safe trip home.”

But for those readers who manage to clamber over this hurtful hurdle and dig deeper into the twenty-page periodical, the desire to discover just what on earth is going on in Gotham City to cause such a notable change in its cowled vigilante actually becomes enjoyably palpable.

Foremost of these ‘hooks’ is debatably just how unconvincing the thieving Bat Spirit is which is behind all the book’s supposedly spooky shenanigans. It seems reasonably clear straight from the start that ‘Batman’s most fearsome foe’ is an utter fraud, notably once the giant flying mammal starts waxing lyrical about “ridding the world of these pretender bats” and subsequently steals “Rube Bluth’s historic baseball bat!” However, the revelation that it’s actually “one of the greatest and deadliest assassins in the DC Universe” comes as a complete, jaw-droppingly genuine surprise, as does the cold-hearted criminal’s main mission to mercilessly murder Fred, Shaggy, Daphne, Velma and Scooby Doo if given half the chance.

Similarly as surreal are the American author’s Wraith Wranglers, who bear such a striking resemblance to the real Mystery Machine’s crew, that it’s difficult to take any of the “paranormal investigators who recently came to Gotham” seriously in any shape or form. Erich Owen’s pencils admittedly imbue the quintet with a modicum of interest, courtesy of some different hairstyles, clothing and skin colour swaps. Yet, it is the burning question as to just why Batman has teamed-up with the implausible party to fight the metropolis’ supernatural menace which remains at the forefront of the audience’s mind throughout, with Duke, Sensei, Specs, Bongo and Ranger’s origin never being explained until the publication’s very end.

Written by: Sholly Fisch, Drawn and Colored by: Erich Owen

Ultimate Invasion #1 - Marvel Comics

ULTIMATE INVASION No. 1, August 2023

Apparently penned “in the bold tradition of the Ultimate Comics line,” Jonathan Hickman’s “new vision of the Marvel Universe” certainly should have caught the imagination of its readers with its pulse-pounding opening and the sensational gunplay which it entails. In fact, the four-person team’s outrageously upfront attempt to simply walk into the heavily fortified Damage Control Remote Prison 42 and brazenly wipe out its hapless inhabitants is wonderfully written, especially as the South Carolina-born author uses mercenary replacement Jackson to ask all the questions which are doubtless occurring to the audience as the murderous action ensues.

Perhaps somewhat disappointingly however, this enthralling narrative slows down quite considerably once Dominic Green, Mischa Slope and Randall West remove their masks at the behest of their one-billion-dollar prize. The Maker has always arguably been a bit of a dialogue-driven super-villain, even before the terrorist’s Earth-1610 was destroyed when the Multiverse perished. Yet in this oversized forty-page-periodical, the “Human Mutate altered by the N-Zone” simply doesn’t stop waxing lyrical about his grand scheme, even towards the end of the book when he faces the combined might of the Illuminati; “How can you stop me when you know neither where I’m going nor what I’m going to do.?”

Frustratingly, the 'real' Reed Richards isn’t shy of ratcheting up the word count either, most notably when he briefs the rest of the planet’s disconcertingly impotent “covert think-tank” as to what his devious interdimensional duplicate has been up to since escaping custody. The Fantastic Four founder’s summary of the criminal’s various thefts from Wakanda, New Arctilan, the Sanctum Sanctorum and the ruins of Atlantis is probably this publication’s biggest missed opportunity as Hickman simply has Mister Fantastic gloss over these cataclysmic events with a few well-populated text balloons, rather than providing the book’s bibliophiles with some much needed frantic fighting and high-octane battle sequences.

Ultimately therefore, the success of this comic rests upon the shoulders of Bryan Hitch, whose layouts, especially during the aforementioned jail break, are top notch. Indeed, perhaps the biggest motivation for purchasing this publication lies in its behind-the-scenes article featuring the British artist’s raw pencils, which provide a terrific insight into just how much detail the illustrator crams into each and every one of his prodigious panels.

Writer: Jonathan Hickman, Penciler: Bryan Hitch, and Inker: Andrew Currie