Superman #14 Review

I regularly read this book so I was always going to pick up this issue, however I was looking forward to it even more after reading the set up given to it from from Supergirl #14. I am also very frustrated and surprised by all the bad reviews I have read for not just this issue, but this crossover event in general. There is a lot of hate surrounding these books at the minute, and I am not too convinced that a lot of it is really justified. I for one am really enjoying this event and I really enjoyed this particular issue, so here is some positivity for all to enjoy if you are inclined to do so.

I loved the opening of this issue with Clark and Lois. Clark came across as jealous, and some would say un-Clark like, however I am very happy with how the whole thing went down. Yes the man may not be human, but he is living on Earth and has a great understanding and experience of human emotions. He is bound to feel jealous, and therefore act a bit out of character when confronted with the Lois moving in with another man. I liked the whole scene, and felt that I could relate to it. Clark is not a robot.

H'el was seen for the first time in this particular title and gave Clark pretty much the same spiel as he gave to Kara. Of course, Clark is a bit more pessimistic and cautious about what he is being told, and believes that something is not quite right. He is proven to be correct in his judgement as we start seeing a more evil side to H'el towards the end of this confrontation. Of course Kara does not see this, and is currently unaware that H'el is turning her against her cousin.

Even though this is a Superman book, I really enjoyed reading Kara in this issue. Her total naivety and willingness to trust people came out like it did in her own book last month. I am looking forward to seeing how this ends, as I am sure it will be a great learning curve for her.
Superman seems up against getting his cousin to trust him again, as well as dealing with the threat of H'el; who I really like as a villain. This crossover event is going at a great pace and I am looking forward to reading more of it in Supergirl #14 later this month.


Rating: 8 / 10

Suicide Squad #14 Review

Well, this is one strange book to review. I have gone from really looking forward to Suicide Squad after reading last months fine issue, to now most likely dropping it after the Death of The Family ( DOTF ) tie ins are done with. What a massive difference a month makes.

So why is this book a funny one to review? Due to the fact that the DOFT tie in bits are brilliant, and the normal squad bits are very mediocre; that is why. The first half of this issue made up predominately of Harley and The Joker were exceptional. The Joker once again came across as completely terrifying. This new and improved persona he has taken on is more aggressive than anything we have ever seen, and I really hope it is here to stay. All the writers in the Batman family of books seem to be in cahoots on how to write him, which makes it a greater reading experience as the character is not having any major personality fluctuations.  I have heard rumours that it may be a copycat, but I really really hope that is not the case.

Now onto the second part of this issue. It was OK. Nothing great. All we see is the rest of the squad after the last mission which saw the death of Deadshot ( I am gutted about that by the way ). However it never really moved their story anywhere, and it just made me totally uninterested in any future story arc which includes this team. The only slightly interested bit is that Waller is planning on bringing Deadshot back from the dead ( or at least that is how I read it ), which would be pretty cool I guess.

So I have officially given up on this series. Yeah, I will buy the tie in issues just purely for any Joker appearances, and also for his interactions with Harley. Apart from that I am done with this series. I am going to miss Harley as she is one of my favourite DC characters; but alone she does not warrant the money that this series costs. If Harley had her own book then I would not have one single regret about dropping this book. It is a shame really as it used to be such a great series, and I hope one day that it can get back to those heights. If it does then I will no doubt be hopping back on board. But for now, me and this series are estranged.


Rating: 6 / 10

( The Joker and Harley = 7 / 10 )

Green Lantern #14 Review

I am going to go on record saying this as I really believe it to be true: "Green Lantern is one of the most consistent books out there today". There I said it.

I cant comment on the other Lantern books, but in this series I think Rise of the Third Army has been awesome thus far. The pace is perfect. Every issue you can feel something building, getting closer and closer to breaking point. It feels great.
What is really great about this comic is once again Baz is leading the way, and successfully pulling it off too. His confrontation with the Justice League showed just how normal and likeable he really is. His conversation with his sister also went a long way in doing that too. He is still getting used to the ring, but it is cool to see how he is progressing along with that. As Flash points out; he is learning fast. This is shown by the way he eventually got away from the Justice League. Inventive and very smart indeed.
Speaking of the Flash, his line about Guy Gardner made me laugh out loud. I love the Justice League version of him, but that is a story for another book.
I also really enjoyed the conversation between the Guardians and the First Lantern. The fact that even he believes that what they are doing is wrong just goes to show how deluded the Guardians are. It also highlighted that we should not forget about the First Lantern just yet. I have a feeling he has more of a part to play in this than first thought.
 The Black Hand' brief appearance was also awesome, acting as a way to give a quick recap on current events for readers who may have missed an issue or two.

I have mentioned this before but I will mention it again; the pencils and colours in this book are exceptional. I would go as far as saying that the art in this book is my favourite out of all the current DC titles. I think that is really saying something. There was no two page spread in this particular issue, but when one is included it is always mind blowing.

We may have only had one panel showing the Third Army in this entire issue, but the danger they pose flows throughout the book very nicely. I am looking forward to see Baz continue on his personal mission in the next issue, as well as what lies ahead for Hal and Sinestro due to what was teased on the very last page. Of course we cant forget the Rise of the Third Army. Yeah, I am pretty much hyped for everything about the next issue. It can not come quickly enough.

Rating: 9 / 10


Note: It is funny writing reviews for comics. I read this comic and thought " yeah I will give this a 8, maybe an 8.5". However, when I collected my thoughts on this issue and put them down on the computer screen in front of me, it became clear to me just how much fun I had with this book. This is what saw the score rise. I have found this with a few books that I have reviewed. It is not a bad thing at all, in fact I think it is great. I am getting a sense of how much I am enjoying reading some of these books when I have to really think about what I have just read.
So thanks guys for checking this blog out. You are making me realise why I love comics so much.  :)

Animal Man #14 Review

Animal Man has been one of the surprise hits of the New 52. Jeff Lemire has been hitting it out of the park most months, however I feel like the last 2 or 3 issues have not been up to the standards that we have got used too. This "Rotworld" story arc is something that I was a bit unsure about. Saying that, this issue has gone some way into persuading me that Animal Man is starting to get back on track.

I think the best part of this issue, as well as this arc so far, are the flashbacks to Buddy's family before Rotworld began. The start of this issue was something that I wasn't expecting, half due to the fact that I forgot what happened at the end of last issue. However, seeing Buddy's family pretty much destroyed within the first couple of pages was shocking to say the least.
Maxine is now the last one standing. "Little Wing" was someone who I wasn't really too bothered about throughout the series until this issue. I am starting to see some great possibilities for some fantastic character development. I always forget that she is only four years old, and it is now clear that she will be facing some really difficult decisions in the next couple of issues. It is starting to look as though this part of the story is worth the price of admission alone.

Lets not forget what is happening in the other half of the book, Buddy Baker in Rotworld itself. In this issue we saw Buddy and the rest of the gang fighting some of Arcane's men which were sent for them; it was a nice little batlle. However, what we learned at the end of the battle is what was the most interesting; Maxine is being held captive by Arcane, and that Buddy must go after Arcane in order to save her.
I felt that this twist along with the surrounding area that Buddy finds himself in; gave this story arc a bit if a Stephen King feel to it. It is pretty hard to explain unless you are a fan of Kings' work, but it just feels very familiar; which is a really good thing by the way. I think some of this may be down to the art of Steve Pugh, along with the colours of Lovern Kindzierski. These two combine to give the book a very unique feel to it, as well as making it feel like a comic book for some sort of Stephen King novel.

All in all I feel like I am once again invested in the story of Buddy Baker; and I wish him all the best in it. I hope Lemire prolongs the travelling aspect of the book so we get to see more of the environment. However, I am now confident that whatever path is chosen, it will most probably be the correct one.


Rating: 8/10