Off-Topic: Comic Book Reviews

DC's FOREVER EVIL #5
Boy was it refreshing to see one of the CRIMINAL SYNDICATE get their comeuppance. I won't ruin it by telling you which, but it was definitely a 'heck yea' kind of moment. In this issue, Batman and Luthor's teams are collectively attacked by Syndicate lackeys, some of whom then end up recruiting. Batman is put on the defensive (a rare place for the Caped Crusader to be) as Luthor makes it clear that he is in charge. This book also corrects a frustrating moment from the last issue by making it clear that Batman could be a great yellow lantern if he so chose. There is a twist at the end that was also pretty good. The pacing was a bit off on this issue, but everything else was top notch.

Storyline: 4 Stars
Dialogue: 4.5 Stars
Pacing: 3 Stars
Art: 4 Stars
Overall: 4 Stars

Dynamite's GRIMM: THE WARLOCK #3 (of 4)
This was a good issue as the Grimm Universe's legendary reach grows even broader. Here we see an exploration of the classic legend of the Yeti re-imagined in the Grimmverse. What makes both the television show and the comic book work is the examination of the inter-personal relationships between the various characters, including the beasties we come in each week. We see that here as the relationship between the two Yetis is given an interesting and timely twist. This book's pacing was a bit off, and as usual the art leaves something to be desired, but overall I enjoyed it.

Storyline: 4 Stars
Dialogue: 3.5 Stars
Pacing: 3 Stars
Art: 2.5 Stars
Overall: 3.5 Stars

Zenescope's OZ  #6
Oh my gosh what happened to this book? It was so well done for so long, and the recent offering of the prequel featuring the Tin Man was excellent, that I expected a wonderful end to a wonderful tale. What I got was a badly-paced, explain-nothing, unoriginal ending that left everything to be desired. Oh there were some good individual scenes, and some good dialogue, but it seemed that the writers had no idea how to end all of this. It is a stark contrast to the Big Dog Ink original LEGEND OF OZ: THE WICKED WEST mini-series all those years ago, which had a clear direction and one of the best endings to any storyline in any comic I'd ever read. Oh, Zenescope, you really dropped the ball here.

Storyline: 2 Stars
Dialogue: 3 Stars
Pacing: 1.5 Stars
Art: 3.5 Stars
Overall: 2 Stars