Nightwing #135 - DC Comics

NIGHTWING No. 135, April 2026

To be fair, Issue One Hundred And Thirty-Five of “Nightwing” does debatably bring Dan Watters’ “Cirque Du Sin” multi-part storyline to a pretty satisfactory conclusion. Indeed, with the exception of Blüdhaven City’s mayor now being the villainous Bernard Bisogni, and large chunks of the metropolis being in ruins due to “the biggest quake to hit the East Coast since the Cataclysm”, Dick Grayson’s life as a costumed crime-fighter is pretty much back to where it was before he re-encountered the Zanni.

Admittedly, having Barabara Gordon simply state that Spheric Solutions and Olivia Pearce are “gone” isn’t the most convincing explanation as to how a multi-billion dollar advanced weapons company and its headless, zombie owner have disappeared. But at least it helps provide the Justice League, the Flyboiz and the Teddy Gang with an opportunity to work together so as to assist “people in the wake” of the conurbation’s massive misfortune; “My friends prove once more that they have my Town’s back when I need them.”

Furthermore, poor Nightwing-Prime’s sacrifice to stay locked within the Fifth Dimension so he can eternally battle the Zanni seems to be a fairly well thought out solution to bring Grayson’s worries about having to mentor a Superman-like protégé to a rather quick end. Poor Bryce Moran’s presence on Earth was always going to cause a multitude of problems for anyone penning adventures set within the former Whaling Town, as anything other than a Kryptonite-laced disaster could easily be fixed by the meta-human swooping down to save everyone – including Dick. Now though, the youngster can safely develop his special abilities in isolation, whilst simultaneously keeping his fellow children’s dreams free of the sinister clown’s influence.

Lastly, regular artist Dexter Soy returns to provide plenty of tension with his pencils as Nightwing attempts to valiantly escape the Fifth Dimension with all of Blüdhaven’s stolen youngsters via a terrifyingly tall ladder. This ultimate confrontation between the two supposedly long-time adversaries is laced with drama and danger. It’s just a pity that so much of this atmosphere is then debatably lost once Bryce flies in and blasts the disconcerting, spider-like Zanni away from the original Boy Wonder just as things are looking bleak for Grayson.

The regular cover art of "NIGHTWING" #135 by Dexter Soy

Nightwing #130 - DC Comics

NIGHTWING No. 130, November 2025

Seeing as the first part of Dan Watters’ storyline for Issue One Hundred And Thirty of “Nightwing” deals with the titular character fighting a seemingly never ending battle against the corruption of wannabe Mayor Bernard Bisogni, whilst its later pages explore a potential Superman-level threat to Bludhaven, many a bibliophile may well view this comic as containing two rather contrasting halves. And resultantly, may then feel that the book’s initial ‘deep dive’ into the shady politician’s dealings with the Blockbuster Gang fits in far better with Dick Grayson’s street-level alter-ego, than a being whose very presence alone warrants the dramatic arrival of the Justice League; “You don’t need any help tracking down your faux Kryptonian?”

Unfortunately however, it is this second plot-thread which the English writer seemingly chooses to put the more effort into by having the original Boy Wonder rather unconvincingly decide that young Bryce Moran should remain as “an aspiring hero with incredible power” - albeit with the Teen Titan as his mentor. This decision debatably comes completely out of the blue, and seems to go against everything Grayson was planning to do – even to the point of bringing Night-Hare with him to show the fake Van-Zee that in his present super-powered state he might hurt the little critter by accident.

In addition, the London-born author also tries to ‘push’ the responsibility of the ill-advised choice onto the youngster’s shoulders, by penning Dick feeling that the former juvenile criminal has somehow made a “good point” and that the city’s guardian had somehow been talked into letting the boy remaining as he is. Neither of which the lad actually does. Indeed, the 'youngster in a man’s body' appears to agree with Nightwing’s belief that he should revert back to his true self, and is a millisecond away from drinking a drop of Bat-Mite Soup when he’s stopped from doing so.

Somewhat surprisingly though, regular artist Dextor Soy’s contribution to this publication also seems to be equally ‘hit or miss’, with the Filipino doing a first-rate job on the vast majority of this comic’s pencilling, until he strangely begins giving the likes of Wonder Woman, Superman and Bryce some disconcertingly doe-shaped, almost romantic-looking eyes. Whether this technique is used to perhaps show innocence or goodness on behalf of these individuals is difficult to say. But the style does debatably jar with that used to draw the aforementioned Bisogni much earlier in the book.

The regular cover art of "NIGHTWING" #130 by Dexter Soy

Justice League Dark Annual #1 - DC Comics

JUSTICE LEAGUE DARK ANNUAL No. 1, September 2019

Although Ram V was absolutely correct in his pre-publication publicity that this comic contains “a story about Swamp Thing and The King of Petals and the greater events of The Justice League Dark storyline”, the “award winning author” was arguably doing his narrative to the thirty-eight page long “A Carious Bloom” something of a distinct disservice. For whilst “this one-of-a-kind story” unquestionably features plenty of Alec Holland’s horrific-looking alter-ego, as the anthropomorphic mound of vegetable matter ponders the fall of the Parliament of Trees and exchanges barbed comments with a somewhat disconcertingly all-knowing John Constantine, it is undoubtedly this book’s fascination with the emotionally draining fate of Doctor Oleander Sorrel which provides it with a hook few perusing bibliophiles could surely resist..?

Indeed, rather than simply being a tale concerning the super-heroic exploits of a monstrously transformed swamp monster, an edgy "supernatural advisor", a member of the Bureau of Amplified Animals and an Amazonian Princess, this “Justice League Dark” Annual instead provides its audience with a completely compelling, yet equally chilling, literary journey involving an agonised parent’s worst nightmare. Certainly, it is hard not to feel overwhelmed with emotion for Natasha at the loss of her young son to cancer, or the grim fate of the woman’s distraught husband when “his walking grief” wants to spend time at her sisters and seemingly never returns to therapeutically mourn their dead child with him; “I poured myself into work after that. Hours spent planting strains into the ground. I did not eat. I did not sleep.”

Just as enthralling as this comic’s tearful plot is Guillem March’s beautiful storyboards, which go a long way to help pace out the despair-laden drama across such a sizeable, well-populated periodical. Frantically panelled one moment to depict the quick-fire banter between Swamp Thing and the Hall of Justice’s most recent addition, as well as infer the panic of Oleander’s beating heart as he races through his home looking for his upset wife, the professional illustrator from Spain also occasionally slows things down to a much more settling, sedentary pace courtesy of a lavishly-sketched flashback sequence showing a grim-faced, bespectacled Sorrel experimenting upon his blessed flowers all on his lonesome, or a fantastically-colourful and well-detailed drawing of the short-lived King of Petals, eerily stalking full of bloom through the undergrowth of his former life’s garden.

Story: James Tynion IV & Ram V, Art: Guillem March, and Colors: Arif Prianto

Justice League Odyssey #1 - DC Comics

JUSTICE LEAGUE ODYSSEY No. 1, November 2018

Supposedly “spinning out of Justice League: No Justice” Joshua Williamson’s script for “Ghost Sector” may well have initially bamboozled and befuddled its audience as a result of it presenting plenty of Stjepan Sejic pencilled panels packed full of guilt-ridden gobbledegook concerning mysterious subliminal voices warning not to “befriend the machine and the alien”, the Omega Titans previously destroying Colu, and a bizarre assortment of super-heroes desperately trying “to break about 3,458 galactic regulations” simply because Cyborg has an irrational feeling that he needs to do so. But whilst this twenty-page periodical’s narrative undoubtedly contains plenty of head-scratching dialogue and unsettling sequences, such as Victor Stone’s apparent regret at ‘breaking the universe’ and Darkseid’s suggestion that he can give the likes of Starfire and Azrael “answers to your purpose in the universe”, the comic’s central plot is basically built upon the premise that the Justice Leaguers have been called to the maelstrom’s “Wild West” by the son of King Yuga Khan to simply “try to stop Despero from slave-trading Coluan refugees…”

Fortunately though, the American author’s over-complication of so straightforward a story-line shouldn’t stop this book’s readers from enjoying some of its cast’s sense-shattering shenanigans, with Topal’s desperately doomed attempt to reach the Guardians of Oa and let them “know why these worlds were hidden” arguably being one of this publication’s highlights, especially when the impotent Green Lantern is torn asunder by a giant clawed space dragon whilst reciting her corps’ famous oath: “In brightest day… in blackest night… no evil -- what is… No! The Guardians need to know! They have to stop them! The old gods can never -- Aaahhhhhh!” This scene genuinely pains the heart as the horned law enforcement officer’s beloved helplessly watches her die from the surface of the planet below, and initiates an aura of deadly desperation which permeates throughout the rest of the adventure.

Sadly, Williamson’s penmanship behind the sector’s subsequent Green Lantern, Jessica Cruz, doesn’t debatably produce anywhere near the sense of depth her ill-fated colleague created, with the volunteer appearing to be immaturely desperate to battle the likes of Kanjar Ro, Despero or Lobo simply to stop her from being bored. Such a deadly desire to tweak the nose of fate is always going to be answered, so it comes as absolutely no surprise whatsoever that within seconds of making such a wish, “Power Ring” spies Braniac’s ship tearing towards the Ghost Sector and unwisely attempts to intercept it despite her solid light forcefield being highly susceptible to the region’s radiation. However, whereas Kov Mal’s previously depicted dearly departed comes across as being courageously foolish, the efforts of Simon Baz’s former partner disapprovingly portrays the “only member of the Justice League permitted to serve as sentry” as an impulsively reckless disagreeable individual, overly eager to play the hero and rather too keen to arrest the very people who have literally just saved her from a gruesomely painful death in outer space…

Writer:Joshua Williamson, Artist & Cover: Stjepan Sejic, and Letters: Deron Bennett

Superman [2018] #1 - DC Comics

SUPERMAN No. 1, September 2018

Proudly proclaimed by “DC Comics” as “a bold new chapter for the greatest superhero of all time”, yet disconcertingly only the fifth best-selling comic book in July 2018 according to “Diamond Comic Distributors”, Issue One of “Superman” must have disappointed many of its 133,703 fans with its tantalisingly fleeting glimpses of Clark Kent’s alter-ego battling prehistoric monsters and giant astronaut gorillas on the moon. Indeed, just why Brian Michael Bendis instead frustratingly focused upon a dialogue-heavy tête-à-tête between the titular character and the Martian Manhunter which runs for half the entire length of the publication is anyone’s guess, and disappointingly results in the Cleveland-born author arguably squandering precious space within this twenty three-page periodical on Kal-El pondering the fact that “we’re going to be part of this galactic conversation soon and someone is going to have to lead us there” rather than providing his readers with a far more detailed account of the Man of Steel’s epic tussle with the entire Dominator Armada “headed right for earth”..?

Sadly, the five-time Esiner Award-winner’s infuriating ‘stop and start’ story-telling approach persists throughout “The Unity Saga” and whilst initially slightly amusing, as the Metropolis Marvel suspends J'onn J'onzz in his “lovely” sympathies surrounding “the shocking truth behind your home planet’s demise” so as to ‘punch-out’ a Doomsday-like dinosaur rampaging close to London’s St. Mary Axe, the interruptions soon become incredibly unfunny and additionally hint at Superman having some far more interesting interactions with the likes of a NASA-suited Gorilla Grodd or bravely defying the heat of another towering inferno in order to rescue a building full of children. These action-packed interludes are far more sense-shattering than anything the green Martian’s deadly dull discussion produces, especially when its revealed at the end of his conversation when the Big Blue Boy Scout unsurprisingly turns down the offer to “lead the world”, that the Justice Leaguer “knew this would be a hard sell” anyway.

Fortunately, this “looking at the world through new eyes… with new ideas” publication does contain a few highlights of note, such as the Kryptonian’s establishment of a new Fortress of Solitude hidden amidst the waters of the Bermuda Triangle. Incredibly well-pencilled by Ivan Reis, this double-splash of “crystal technology created light-years from the Earth and its yellow sun” appears a far more unfriendly, formidable looking “place of solace and mediation” than the one ‘borrowed’ from Henry W. Ralston’s co-creation Doc Savage. In fact, considering that the structure supposedly houses “a museum of all of Kryton’s history, an alien zoo, laboratories, technologies and rooms dedicated to all sorts of relics and trophies of his past adventures”, it’s a pity Bendis didn’t decide to have the titular character linger a while within its corridors rather than rush off to disappointingly debate with the Martian Manhunter.

The regular cover art of "SUPERMAN" No. 1 by Ivan Reis, Joe Prado & Alex Sinclair

Man Of Steel #6 - DC Comics

MAN OF STEEL No. 6, September 2018

Whilst Brian Michael Bendis may well have truly believed that his narrative for this mini-series’ “slow-burn mystery of what happened to Lois and Jon” was “very enticing… very exciting”, it is arguably problematic to envisage the majority of the weekly’s audience feeling the same way considering just how many questions the five-time Eisner Award-winner’s script for Issue Six of “Man Of Steel” disconcertingly conjures up. In fact, many readers surely must have felt that the American author’s plot to “Finale” was a far cry from the “really smoothly” paced storyline he felt he had assembled upon the printed page “when all the pieces come together like a beautiful Tetris…”

To begin with, having literally had his ‘clock cleaned’ by Rogol Zaar in this adventure’s previous instalments, Superman suddenly demonstrates a superior fighting mentality over his much stronger opponent and manages to goad the alien into a rash assault simply by informing him that the Kryptonian feels “sad for you.” This sudden ‘baiting’ immediately provides Clark Kent’s alter-ego with the opportunity to dispose of the formidably-scarred fiend’s planetary bomb and within the space of a few frames the Earth is saved and Supergirl has succinctly zapped the destroyer of Kandor into the Phantom Zone.

Just why the “timeless sensory deprivation tank” wasn’t used before by Kara Zor-El straight after “the big baddie” ‘trashed’ the Fortress of Solitude is only fleetingly touched upon by Bendis, yet worryingly would suggest that his incarnation of the titular character would rather risk the lives of every person on the planet than utilise so straightforward a solution to Rogol’s threat simply because “it doesn’t give us any answers” as to just who his assailant was? This self-centredness, which appears additionally misplaced when Superman subsequently chides his cousin for tossing the villain into the “inter-dimensional realm” (and resultantly saving the planet), surely must have grated upon the nerves of some bibliophiles, as it would seem to oppose the very core of Jerry Siegel’s co-creation and merely be used as a contrived excuse to extend the main protagonists’ battle; “I wasn’t considering the Phantom Zone because it’s only a band aid.”

Long-suffering fans must also have been just as disappointed with the Cleveland-born writer’s revelation as to “the fate of Lois and Jon”, with mother and child just deciding to spend some time with Kal-El's biological father, Jor-El. Admittedly, their tearful departure apparently provides artist Jason Fabok with the opportunity to pencil “an intentional homage to the last panel of Superman #423 during the Whatever Happened to the Man of Tomorrow” event by illustrating Kent grieving after his family. But it’s hardly the most disastrous of outcomes, especially when compared to some of this title’s previous catastrophes, like Kandor’s demise or the utterly bizarre accusation at this comic’s very end where a small child blames the Metropolis Marvel for starting the city’s recent spate of fires…

Writer: Brian Michael Bendis, Artist: Jason Fabok, and Colors: Alex Sinclair

Man Of Steel #5 - DC Comics

MAN OF STEEL No. 5, August 2018

Considering that this penultimate instalment to the American author’s “Man Of Steel” mini-series both shows Superman to be almost nonchalantly bested by his new nemesis and then disconcertingly left alive on the Moon despite the “religious zealot” making it abundantly clear that he wants to eradicate all Kryptonians, it is difficult to imagine that many within this twenty-three page periodical’s 62,468 readership actually believed that Brian Michael Bendis genuinely felt “the legacy of the [titular] character” when he first ‘hopped on’ to deliver the comic’s narrative.

Indeed, the logic behind this publication in particular doesn’t debatably make much sense when compared to what the Cleveland-born writer has penned before, with Rogol Zaar’s decision to permit his hated foe to be revived by the Justice League simply being the tip of the literary ice-berg. For one, considering the sheer cataclysmic confrontation which tears up great divots into the Moon’s surface, how come it takes Supergirl so long to realise that that is where her cousin is battling for his life? True, scientifically-speaking “you cannot hear any sounds in near-empty regions of space”, but surely that would be a clue in itself to one with super-hearing that just such a location was a possibility, and judging by the huge billows of dust previously being raised by the duo’s bout of fisticuffs it surely wouldn’t have been impossible for Kara Zor-El to have spotted what was taking place with her super-vision..?

Similarly, having been battered to near-death by the Phantom Zoner (for a second time in as many issues) and buried alive beneath the Moon’s surface, Kal-El supposedly just needs a moments bed-rest before being able to drill through the Earth’s crust at such an incredible speed that he quickly reaches the planet’s core. This incredible feat of recovery admittedly provides this comic with an awesome-looking conclusion, as Superman faces the “anti-Kryptonian mass-murderer” for presumably a final face-off, yet surely if the Metropolis Marvel’s constitution worked so fast such classic crossover event storylines like his near-fatal fight with Doomsday would have had remarkably different resolutions..?

Quite possibly this magazine’s least frustrating element therefore, is its focus upon Jor-El’s visit to the modern-day Earth-based House of El, and his arrogant offer “to take Jon across the galaxy and show him a side of his heritage Jon's parents can't teach him” without even discussing such a trip with the boy’s stunned parents. This infuriating haughtiness, superbly pencilled by Jason Fabok, must genuinely have irked those parents within the comic’s audience which have encountered similar attitudes from their own children’s grandparents, and Clark Kent’s ability not to punch Mister Oz in the face for such a suggestion does him proud, especially when a brattish Jon impudently declares “I’m going.”

Writer: Brian Michael Bendis, and Artists: Adam Hughes & Jason Fabok

DC Nation #0 - DC Comics

DC NATION No. 0, July 2018

Despite this “Free Comic Book Day” magazine featuring three “prelude[s] to some of the biggest DC events of 2018”, as well as arguably the definitive “line-up of superstar talent” currently at the California-based publishers, it was probably still something of a surprise to many that Dan DiDio was able to reveal that Issue Zero of “DC Nation” had ‘sold’ one million copies in pre-orders before it even hit the newsstands in May 2018. Indeed, at the time, this title actually looked set to spearhead a serious “DC Comics” drive with perusing bibliophiles everywhere, courtesy of the co-publisher additionally announcing that his company’s Superman eightieth anniversary anthology “Action Comics” #1000 had incredibly also received pre-orders for half a million copies; a staggering achievement considering that the best-selling publication of 2017, at least according to “Diamond Comic Distributors”, was the 305,427 unit shifting “Marvel Legacy”…

Fortunately however, this twenty-four page periodical is not just over-hyped hyperbole, as there’s plenty of ‘bang for its buck’ inside the twenty-five cent costing cover, with Tom King’s excellent script for “Your Big Day” undoubtedly being worth the book’s price alone. Focussing purely upon the Clown Prince of Crime and his latest hapless victim, Roger Martello, this highly emotive ‘short’ is packed full of tension and jeopardy as the Joker unrealistically waits for an invitation to Batman’s wedding, whilst all the time relentlessly torturing the nerves of his petrified hostage; “I can’t… Just… Do it. Sitting here, waiting. Do it now. Kill me.”

Slightly more action-orientated, at least during its fleeting flash-backs to Superman triumphing over a group of Costa-Rican arms dealers who have erroneously decided to “sell old Lexcorp tech”, is Brian Michael Bendis’ somewhat unsuccessful script for “Office Space”. Dialogue-driven, and resultantly overly-wordy, this forerunner to the writer’s “Man Of Steel” six-issue mini-series is arguably the most disappointing preamble of the piece, as it predominantly just depicts a disagreeably heated conversation between Clark Kent and Perry White in the newspaper offices of the Daily Planet.

Lastly, Scott Snyder’s pulse-pounding preface to “Justice League: No Justice”, scintillatingly sense-shattering and gloriously pencilled by “all-star artist” Jorge Jimenez, undoubtedly brings this anthology to a stunning conclusion with its simply mind-blowing cast of characters and battle-sequences. Absolutely stuffed full of some of “DC Comics” greatest heroes and villains, all of which are amazingly fighting side-by-side against the common threat of the formidable-sounding Omega Titans, this dynamically-charged extravaganza completely captivates and arguably leaves the reader wanting so very much more once its gobsmackingly good cliff-hanger featuring Super-Girl and Green Arrow drops…

Writers: Tom King, Brian Michael Bendis, and Scott Snyder, James Tynion IV & Joshua Williamson