It might be October for us, but Li’l Gotham is celebrating the holidays of June and July in this issue and it’s just as adorable as you’d expect it to be.
Minazuki
What’s Minazuki? It’s June. Apparently there weren’t any good holidays in this summer month so creators Derek Fridolfs and Dustin Nguyen just went with the Japanese word for June and did an Aquaman story. That’s fine. We can’t expect the series to sustain new holiday themed episodes forever and limit how fun the material can be. So rather than watch the Bat-family celebrate Flag Day or International Picnic Day we are instead treated to DAMIAN WAYNE IN…PACIFIC RIM. That’s right, if you want to see Dustin Nguyen’s beautiful water colors bring to life Batman’s boy in a mech-suit fighting sea monsters, well then this is your lucky day. Bonus if you love Aquaman and puns! OUTRAGEOUS!
Independence Day
It’s not as patriotic as you may think. Go read Li’l Metropolis if you want Truth, Justice, and The American Way… oh wait, there isn’t a book called Li’l Metropolis! No, in this issue we see the rogues gallery celebrating their Independence from Arkham Asylum and they do so by splitting up in teams of two to collect as many fireworks as they can to make on really big bomb. The mismatched pairs such as Bane & Firefly and Killer Croc & Roxy Rocket provide the most laughs, but it’s Harley Quinn that steals the show with a hilarious final page reveal that I’ll think of every time I see a certain Fourth of July staple from here on out.
Recommend If…
- It’s always a good time for a pun, especially an ocean pun
- You’re shopping for your kid or the kid inside you
- Watercolors by Dustin Nguyen never go out of style
- You want comedy and character cameos
- Aquaman is a favorite hero of yours
- You want to see some great Damian Wayne moments
Overall
The holiday themes were weak, but the artwork and affable nature were as strong as ever. A nice issue, especially if you’re a fan of Aquaman and Damian Wayne.
SCORE: 8/10
