The Batman And Scooby-Doo Mysteries #10 - DC Comics

THE BATMAN AND SCOOBY-DOO MYSTERIES No. 10, September 2023

Initially appearing to promise plenty of deep-sea detective work aboard the first annual “Mega-Mystery Cruise”, courtesy of Bruce Wayne’s state-of-the-art exploration vessel attempting to “scan the ocean floor with incredible precision”, Ivan Cohen’s narrative for “Scooby-Cruise, Where Are You?” ultimately must have come as a great disappointment to its readers. Indeed, by the time the ship has dramatically been pulled off-course and docked alongside a deserted island, even the “entertainment executive specializing in working with established brands across diverse media” appears to have become so disinterested in his own storyline that it abruptly ends without Batman throwing a single punch.

Much of this lethargy sadly starts to appear following Velma unwittingly ruining one of the trip’s amateur detective games by immediately identifying the actor who supposedly stole a priceless diamond necklace. The premise that every other room contains a fake themed theft should have led to all sorts of investigative intrigues and criminal conundrums. But none of these Machiavellian machinations ever materialise as the writer simply seems to use them as an implausible explanation as to how a gang of salty swashbucklers could hide in plain sight on the Silver St. Cloud; “The pirates didn’t need a ship, because they were already on ours!” 

To make matters worse though, once the unruly crew of cut-throats are discovered, the author just lazily pens them supposedly being outfought by Mystery Incorporated off-screen. This resolution makes absolutely no sense considering that artist Dario Brizuela prodigiously pencils just a pair of the pirates previously terrifying the young sleuths, and smacks of Cohen simply needing the narrative to end before this twenty-page periodical runs out of sheet space.

However, arguably this book’s worst moment comes when Captain Hyde is revealed to be the Black Manta, who then calmly surrenders to Batman without any fight whatsoever. Just why a super-villain who in the past has been a match for the Justice League needed to don a fake beard and cutlass is never explained. Nor is his need to capture Wayne’s ship and redirect it to an isolated landmass, when the “ruthless underwater mercenary” already has access to so much advanced technology that he can simply teleport beneath the waves like a ghost at a moment’s notice.

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

Dungeons & Dragons: Fortune Finder #2 - IDW Publishing

DUNGEONS & DRAGONS: FORTUNE FINDER No. 2, December 2023

In many ways something of a hard reboot of this mini-series, Jim Zub’s storyline for Issue Two of “Dungeons & Dragons: Fortune Finder” will probably still baffle and bewilder many a bibliophile with its early soup-based shenanigans and tongue-in-cheek theatrics. True, the overall adventure does start to make a little progress once the central character suddenly teleports to Dungeonland. But any excitement garnered from the comic’s revelation that the gnome girl is actually the highly sought after Shard is sadly soon dispelled, courtesy of the short-statured server's horrific death upon the horns of a stampeding bull; “Watch out for… the Cow.”

What the “Dungeons & Dragons fan favourite” author does do well though, is imbue this latest incarnation of Finder with plenty of brazen bravado, which leads to a few genuine loud-out-loud moments. Perhaps the best of these is Maddyknack’s green-skinned seeker spitting out his wine when he spots the small humanoid spying upon his business meeting from an overhead chandelier. Although the goblin magic user’s stoicism at being blasted to pieces by some explosive glyphs during the one time he’s not surrounded by healing clerics is perhaps just as waggishly penned.

The Canadian writer is also rather good at introducing the audience to “Sigil’s most famous casino” without delving too deeply into the “new Dungeons & Dragons sourcebook” which apparently “inspired” this comic. Rather than just wax lyrical about all the different deities and denizens who frequent the gambling den, as if the twenty-page periodical was a mere textbook, the reader is instead introduced to the frantic, almost chaotic gaming house via its army of catering staff – who buzz about the place’s patrons carrying all sorts of exotic dishes and drinks.

Helping to add the odd guffaw to this publication’s proceedings is Jose Jaro, who for the large part does a solid job of pencilling the fast-paced antics of young Finder. However, the illustrator does arguably appear to somewhat struggle with some of the larger panels he’s asked to populate, such as a double-splash page welcoming the audience to Fortune’s Wheel, which contains large areas of blank walls, ceilings, and floor space – despite supposedly being an incredibly popular saloon.

The regular cover art to "DUNGEONS & DRAGONS: FORTUNE FINDER" #2 by Max Dunbar

The Incredible Hulk [2023] #7 - Marvel Comics

THE INCREDIBLE HULK No. 7, February 2024

Crammed full of explosions, savage smackdowns and a barrel-load of flaming bullets, Phillip Kennedy Johnson’s storyline for Issue Seven of “Incredible Hulk” must have utterly enthralled its audience straight from the start as the Green Goliath goes toe-to-toe with an undead Ghost Rider. Indeed, this opening confrontation sets such a ferocious pace, that doubtless many a bibliophile were probably pretty pleased when the narrative finally slows down two-thirds of the way through the comic, thanks to Bruce Banner’s alter-ego pausing to bask in the friendly glow of some grateful, Texas-based migrant workers.

Intriguingly though, this edge-of-the-seat action is also surprisingly supplanted by the founding Avenger’s “teenage sidekick”, once Charlie Tidwell bravely decides to launch a recklessly futile assault upon a murderous War Devil, armed only with a ratchet. Having already ripped the throat apart of one hapless labourer, the terrifying beast genuinely appears about to tear the adolescent into pieces too, and is only stopped at the last moment by the story’s fiery motorcyclist when he drags the brute face-first through the dirt; “What’re you looking at, Man?”

However, this twenty-page-periodical’s plot is equally as good when exploring the less adrenalin-fuelled elements of Johnson’s tale too - most notably the revelation as to just where the oily, somewhat tribal-looking War Devil originates from. The notion that the evil entity is somehow feeding off of the fears of a collection of American military veterans is incredibly disturbing, especially when it quickly becomes clear that the grisly-looking gestalt loathes the haunted ex-soldiers as much as the “locusts” it sees trespassing upon its land. 

Helping to hurl the reader straight into this mesmerising mixture of ghostly gunplay, soul-shaking smashes and perplexing physical possessions are the layouts of Nic Klein. The German illustrator does such a fantastic job pencilling the burning bike of “Leo’s guardian angel” that the sound of the “badass” Harley’s engine leaps off the page and echoes in the ears. Whilst the sheer sense of determination on Charlie’s disfigured face as she defends the rundown settlement’s infants speaks absolute volumes for her resolute character. In addition, the artist does a top job in providing the girl with a genuine moment of light-hearted fun as she revels in her dream of accompanying a super-hero into the fray.

The regular cover art of "THE INCREDIBLE HULK" #7 by Nic Klein

Dungeons & Dragons: Fortune Finder #1 - IDW Publishing

DUNGEONS & DRAGONS: FORTUNE FINDER No. 1, November 2023

Despite bounding along at a ‘fair to middling’ pace, Jim Zub’s narrative for Issue One of “Dungeons & Dragons: Fortune Finder” will probably only appeal to those bibliophiles who share his evident in-depth knowledge of the Concordant Domain of the Outlands, or at least recently purchased “the new adventure book, sourcebook and monster manual themed around Planescape” by “Wizards Of The Coast”. Indeed, by the time Nottia Never-Lost, “the sharpest tout in all of Sigil”, has briefed this comic’s central protagonist as to the dangers of even looking at the Lady of Pain, everyone else’s head will arguably be spinning around in a confused mess of mortals, demi-gods, and deities as badly as the “amnesiac hero” is himself.

Such a deluge of different divinities, denizens, devils, and numerous locations, all of which can apparently be reached simply by walking through an unguarded gateway, is genuinely suffocating, and disappointingly drowns out what had been a rather promising start set inside the decidedly dangerous tavern, the Hooded Lantern. This ‘opening’ is most assuredly the highlight of the book, as “Finder” is intriguingly depicted being held at the mercy of several seriously mean marauders, who want to know his business before they slit the pointy-eared adventurer’s throat. However, just as soon as the young Elf narrowly escapes his incarceration, little excitement follows, besides a literal killer of a cliff-hanger where Maddyknack's murderous goblin minion decides to pluck some mysterious shard off of the witless wanderer's corpse.

In fact, the vast majority of this comic appears to have been penned just to introduce its audience to “the strange city and how it connects to outer planes like The Abyss, The Nine Hells and Mechanica”, as well as perhaps a little cynically, encourage the odd customer to buy into the role-playing game upon which its based. Of course, this isn’t a new sales ploy by any means. But perhaps on this occasion the “fan favourite” author’s story might have been better served by him providing some background to the City of Sigil in a more piece-meal fashion as the plot progresses, rather than off-loading a twenty-five-panel flurry of gobbledegook proficiently pencilled by artist Jose Jaro; “It’s at the centre of the ring on top of the ring inside the ring, separate yet central, hence all the doors. Don’t overthink it.”

The regular cover art to "DUNGEONS & DRAGONS: FORTUNE FINDER" #1 by Max Dunbar

Moon Knight [2021] #21 - Marvel Comics

MOON KNIGHT No. 21, May 2023

Somewhat side-lining the titular character in favour of his vampire-turned-secretary Reese, Jed MacKay’s narrative for Issue Twenty-One of “Moon Knight” is initially a little slower-paced than some of its readers were probably expecting. Indeed, the twenty-page periodical’s plot is completely devoid of any action whatsoever for its opening half, as the audience are shown just how a principled blood-drinker likes to spend a night out with friends; “You’re going out dancing! Living life! And old Jake’s found you the hottest ticket in town!”

Happily however, that doesn’t mean that the comic’s start isn’t intriguing, as the Canadian author does a nice job in penning just how Marc Spector’s fanged confidant is coping with being an undead creature, and what life-style changes she has accepted so as to carry on ‘living’ as normal a life as possible. Considering just how violent her savage transition was, this development makes ‘Draculady’ even more admirable a cast member than before, especially when she ensures the less-experienced Soldier drinks up all his plasma before ‘hanging around humans’.

Furthermore, “Let’s Dance” provides Jake Lockley with some enjoyable spotlight as the taxi driver enthusiastically conveys his employee and her pals to their nocturnal destination. Humorous and witty, the moustache-wearing cabbie injects every panel in which he appears with plenty of energy, even when he’s just talking to one of his other personas as to where he’s stashed the Fist of Khonshu’s costume.

Ultimately though this publication lives or dies upon the success of Moon Knight’s battle against “a sinister pied piper [who] plays a deadly tune”, and despite being rather abruptly resolved, courtesy of Reese transforming into a cloud of mist and falling upon her attacker, there’s still enough fisticuffs on show to arguably please the majority of perusing bibliophiles. In fact, this book’s ending, with the vampire actually being gunned down by one of the deadly deejay’s shotgun-wielding minions, probably left most looking forward to a dramatic re-match.

Adding a distinctly disconcerting red gleam in the personal assistant’s eyes are artist Alessandro Cappuccio and colorist Rachelle Rosenberg, who together imbue even the most mundane, dialogue-driven scene, with lots of flashing lights and noise. Of particular note is the creative pair’s ability to have the loud music inside the disco literally pop off the page, and then replace it with the sound of shouts, screams and punches, as the dance floor descends in chaos.

Writer: Jed MacKay, Artist: Alessandro Cappuccio, and Color Artist: Rachelle Rosenberg

Terrorwar #7 - Image Comics

TERRORWAR No. 7, November 2023

Waiting until this comic’s very end before presenting its readers with any sort of noticeable action, Saladin Ahmed’s narrative for Issue Seven of “Terrorwar” is arguably something of a slog. Indeed, for those bibliophiles willing to wade through the cast’s consistent swearing and profanities, there’s still sadly not much storytelling to enjoy until Doctora Z casually allows Muhammad Cho’s team to waltz straight into Representative Ronali’s supposedly impregnable flying fortress in an attempt to sabotage Blue City’s power grid.

Before this cliff-hanger of a conclusion, all the American author pens is a strange row between the dishevelled contractors as to who is willing to sacrifice everything in order to save Humanity, and somewhat surprisingly, which of the Terrorfighters selfishly just want to return to their loved ones before civilisation's end. These arguments are debatably rather illogical considering that all of Cho’s comrades-in-arms now realise the psychic manifestations are actually helpless sentient lifeforms knowingly being turned into liquid fuel by the powers that be, and have seen first-hand the devastation the surviving creatures will cause in their desperate attempt to throw off their mass-murderer’s chains.

Furthermore, so much of Muhammad’s journey to Safehaven is made super-easy by Doctora Z’s sudden betrayal of Ronali, even though no mention has ever been made as to just why the planet’s greatest scientist has suddenly decided to switch sides. Admittedly, the green-haired inventor does unapologetically make mention of the “armoured, sealed, self-sustaining community” being built to protect the world’s children. But without the physicist inexplicably turning up out of the blue and repeatedly providing the slowly dwindling freelancers with top secret intelligence and conveniently superior technology, “the fancy part of town” would already have been destroyed with only the upper quadrant’s people presumably surviving the attack.

Adding another element of ‘hurriedness’ to this twenty-two-page periodical is Dave Acosta’s artwork, which whilst being perfectly proficient in places, appears rather rushed and ill-disciplined in others – such as during the journey to Safehaven inside Doctora Z’s limousine when everyone is shouting at one another. However, for those bibliophiles able to find the illustrator’s original pencils for this publication on social media, a lot of the man’s linework appears to have been sacrificed by inker Jay Leisten in order to either allow colorist Walter Pereyra to provide some garish hue to the proceedings, or simply to help the book hit its deadline.

Written by: Saladin Ahmed, Pencils by: Dave Acosta, Inks by: Jay Leisten, and Colors by: Walter Pereyra

Blade #6 - Marvel Comics

BLADE No. 6, February 2024

For those readers able to ‘stomach’ the titular character’s alliance with his arch-nemesis, Dracula, Bryan Hill’s penmanship throughout Issue Six of “Blade” was probably perfectly palatably. Indeed, the American author’s pitch that the undead Transylvanian nobleman would help Eric Brooks “unlock new powers of vampirism” arguably makes for a pretty engrossing experience, especially when the pair later spar with one another, and Gerry Conway’s Marvel Comics version” of Vlad the Impaler demonstrates just how much more his special abilities exceed those of the supposedly formidable Daywalker; “I’ve seen what I needed to see. And I know why you failed.”

Sadly though, some bibliophiles will surely struggle to shake-off the belief that the shades-wearing Dhampir would never ally himself with “his sworn enemy”, no matter what the reason, and this deeply disconcerting contrivance debatably permeates every scene within the twenty-page-periodical. Sure, some within this comic’s audience might claim that the plot points at just how desperate the Midnight Sons member has become to defeat the Adana. But others may well be disappointed by the Chicago-born writer’s decision to suddenly ‘up-gun’ the Sheriff of Vampire Nation with the power of Dracula himself, courtesy of Brook shockingly drinking his eternal foe’s blood.

In fact, this particular instalment of “Mother Of Evil” could cynically be seen as Hill rather lazily shortcutting “generations” of tutelage under Vlad in order for Eric to instantly “awaken what you’ve hidden inside of you” simply so the vampire-killer is apparently 'more in tune with his imminent Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) reboot.' Such lackadaisical ‘modernisation’ genuinely grates upon the senses, and smacks of the New York-based publisher's unhappiness at having to work within the long-established limits of Blade’s reliance upon man-made weapons to overcome his supernatural enemies.

However, what this book possibly lacks in convincing commotion, it does make up for with the prodigious pencilling of artist Lee Ferguson. The illustrator does a terrific job in imbuing both this comic’s two leads with plenty of restrained dynamism whilst they fight against blood zombies, the walking undead, vampire bats and each other. Furthermore, despite the rather emaciated, sombre appearance of Dracula, the figure moves throughout his stronghold in Chernobyl with all the regal haughtiness one would expect from a Fifteenth-century Wallachian prince.

The regular cover art to "BLADE" #6 by Elena Casagrande & Jordie Bellaire