Saturday, July 26, 2014

Off-Topic: Comic Book Reviews For 7-23-2014 Pt 1

DC's BATMAN BEYOND UNIVERSE #12

This continues to be one of the best comic books DC has to offer. In fact, it is one of the best ongoing comic books any company is offering at all with superheroes at the center. This issue concludes the new Justice League (Ultimate/Beyond Universe) battle with the other-dimensional Justice Lords. The twists and turns here are just spectacular, and I have loved the storyline. From Zod II's confrontation with his newly-discovered parents to Terry McGinnis' experience with his alternate-universe counterpart, every thread works individually and it all comes together seamlessly. I am even becoming fonder of the art, which used to strike me as more fitting for an animated show than a comic book, and somehow lacked something. I still think some new directions in the art would be interesting, but the aesthetic of the book is growing on me. This is a must-have issue of a must-collect series.
Storyline: 4.5 Stars
Dialogue: 4 Stars
Pacing: 3.5 Stars
Art: 3.5 Stars
Overall: 4.5 Stars

DC's JUSTICE LEAGE: DARK #33
Finally, FINALLY we are getting a storyline focused on Deadman. And I, for one, love it. They are capturing Deadman's internal monologue and dialogical rhythms perfectly. There are some very interesting Cthulu-mythos elements used here in this issue, to great effect. The ending caught me off-guard, though they've done it in JLD before. The pacing is a little off, but nothing too terrible. The dialogue is solid, the storyline is awesome, and the artwork is fantastic as usual with this book.
Storyline: 4 Stars
Dialogue: 3.5 Stars
Pacing: 3 Stars
Art: 3.5 Stars
Overall: 3.5 Stars

DC's BATMAN '66 #13
Holy Moly this issue of this book took me in some new directions, directions I did not expect. Here the classic 1966 Caped Crusader takes on a new television show that seeks to present a 'darker, grittier Batman'. It is like the campier Batman is critiquing the realistic and darker versions of himself that have dominated at other times. The comedy worked as usual, but it was the commentary that I really liked. It showed that this book could do things beyond what I expected.
Storyline: 4.5 Stars
Dialogue: 4 Stars
Pacing: 3.5 Stars
Art: 3.5 Stars
Overall: 4 Stars

Marvel's DEADPOOL: DRACULA'S GAUNTLET
While comedy is always the center part of any Deadpool comic book, and it dominates here, we also actually get some genuine character development in Deadpool himself. Maybe this is nothing new, as I'm new to the character, but I enjoyed it here. The only sucky thing is that the expectation and tension in this book has been reduced by the most recent issue of THUNDERBOLTS which kind of gave away the ending. Marvel should've done something about that.
Storyline: 4 Stars
Dialogue: 4.5 Stars
Pacing: 3 Stars
Art: 3 Stars
Overall: 3.5 Stars

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