We’ve got the full gang back together again to discuss Wednesday’s releases! For those of you who have never checked out This Week in Comics, this is where we bring the entire review team together to have a water-cooler discussion to talk about DC’s most-recent releases. Yeah, you may have read Jay’s full review for Detective Comics #1009, but what did Casper, Nancy, Michael, or the others think about it? Well, this is where you’ll find those opinions and see where we all fall in line, or perhaps where we agree to disagree.
Detective Comics #1009
“Take Your Shot” begins! Deadshot has returned to Gotham City following a long stint with the Suicide Squad, and Batman fears that without the oversight of AmandaWaller, Floyd Lawton will go back to his old ways. Meanwhile, after taking Lex Luthor’s offer, Mr. Freeze begins taking action to get exactly what he wants and killing anyone who stands in his way.
Michael: Right from the first couple of pages I knew I was going to like this.
Josh: Same.
Michael: It’s always fun to see Batman on the more day-to-day crime-fighting grind.
Josh: That’s exactly what I loved about this issue. There aren’t grand stakes where the entire city is in jeopardy. It’s just Batman working the streets. And I liked that his main adversary here is Deadshot. I always feel that these two make for an interesting read when handled properly.
Casper: Absolutely. Small scale stories can have grand stakes too, it all depends on how you tell the story!
Jay: And we’ll come back around to it, but having a sense of humor is a plus too.
Josh: Yes.
Matina: I thoroughly enjoyed this issue as well. The opening bit was a lot of fun. The notes Batman left with each villain felt very much like a golden age story I read recently where he does a similar thing. It was a nice call back that I really enjoyed.
Nick: I agree with Matina about this feeling awfully reminiscent of the golden age.
Jay: Which, in my book, is never a bad thing.
Josh: Never.
Matina: I think what the issue did best was give us a number of nice character moments with Bruce. It’s good to see him doing normal things outside the cowl, and also being heroic as Bruce Wayne.
Josh: Yeah, we’ve had discussions recently about how we felt we weren’t getting enough Bruce Wayne. Seeing Bruce work and operate in Gotham really helps create the feeling of a lived-in city. It was easily one of my favorite aspects of the issue.
Casper: I also like how we get to see Bruce do his “entitled elite businessman” act. It’s good fun seeing him roast those snobs!
Nick: Bruce Wayne’s business meeting also reminded me of Nolan’s Dark Knight movies an awful lot.
Josh: Haha! It did! I thought the exact same thing when reading it. It was the whole sleeping through the meetings bit. I loved it though.
Casper: Huh, this didn’t even occur to me when I was reading it, but now I can’t unsee it! I love it!
I have to be honest, though: I think that this issue in particular kind of falls apart when the lightning hits the plane and destroys the hull (unless I actually missed a detail where this is a special kind of lightning and we can explain this with comic book science?). It’s too bad because this comic heavily relies on that plot beat, but in reality, planes can take lightning strikes. They are designed like that. The fact that this plane, transporting all these business people, can’t withstand lightning is just stupid. I’m actually surprised that the creative team or the editors didn’t come up with a more exciting and believable way to start the action sequence that follows, and even more surprised that apparently, nobody did the research. But, that said, the action itself is still a lot of fun, even if it makes zero sense.
Josh: You know, I didn’t even think about this while reading the book, but I see where you’re coming from. They should’ve just used a bird or something. They fly into engines all the time.
Michael: I do agree with Jay’s review in that something about the structure of the issue is slightly off. Taken individually, each scene is good, but the pace of each scene varies wildly.
Matina: My problem this week, didn’t come so much with the internal pacing, but more that the issue as a whole feels slightly off. I think that’s because DC as a whole is so focused on these gifts and offers, I’m expecting things to start rolling with that right away, only to be given it little by little. The Freeze focused cover didn’t help change that either. Still, that didn’t take much away from my enjoyment of the issue as a whole. It’s a great set up to see what comes next between Bruce and Deadshot.
Josh: I understand what both of you are saying. The structure did make the story feel a little disconnected in a way, as well as the fakeout from the cover. I was expecting the Mr. Freeze arc to ramp up, and we essentially got something completely different. That being said, I actually enjoyed the surprise.
Michael: The ending splash page on the island felt a little abrupt to me and the inclusion of Mr. Freeze right after only heightened that feeling.
Josh: Yeah, completely agree with you there. I mean, I expected Freeze because he is on the cover, but it felt out of place in the grand scheme of things.
Jay: With reports that the next Superman and Supergirl issues are being recalled due to different story directions, I’m wondering if Tomasi is playing it safe with his “epilogue” approach: keep the “Year of the Villain” stuff attached, but disconnected from the main story in case it needs tweaking.
Josh: I didn’t know those issues were being recalled. Your deduction makes sense though. And Tomasi has been in the industry long enough and knows it well enough that he probably plans and prepares for situations such as this. It’s why I feel he’s one of the better writers around today.
Nick: I don’t feel like I have much to say about Tomasi’s Detective Comics stories so far, other than that it acts as a great palate cleanser – solid standalone tales where characters aren’t burdened by high stakes and the tangled web of continuity… aside from the Mister Freeze content, which I agree with Michael in that it felt tacked-on (for now). I feel like I won’t remember this run terribly well so far, but it’s a nice refreshment in the moment.
Casper: Well, despite my criticism, I think I will actually remember this run very well, Nick, because, on the whole, I love this run!
Josh: I agree. Tomasi may not be making waves with his plots, but his character work and the relationships he’s building are top-notch.
Michael: The art is great as well, though I think this style of coloring makes people look a little waxy, which is not my favorite.
Josh: That’s a good way of describing the coloring. I was trying to think of the best way to express what I didn’t like about the art, and I think you nailed it, Michael. That being said, I thought Christian Duce’s linework was incredible! I’m not familiar with him as an artist, but he made enough of an impression that I want to seek out more of his work. I became a fan. I felt like he captured so many “iconic” shots. Batman on a gargoyle. The Batmobile. The cave. Just the way he depicted each of them… I loved it! Great book all around!
Would you recommend buying this for 3.99?
Yes: Michael, Matina, Nick, Casper, Josh, Jay, Brian
No: Nobody
Check out Jay’s full review of Detective Comics #1009
Event Leviathan #3
From the award-winning team of writer Brian Michael Bendis and artist Alex Maleev, it’s DC’s biggest whodunit in years! The world’s greatest detectives—Batman, Green Arrow, Lois Lane, Plastic Man, the Question and Martian Manhunter—have gathered to solve the mystery behind the true identity of Leviathan’s leaders and the destruction of the world’s top intelligence agencies! Red Hood is their leading suspect—and he is on the loose! Plus, the Silencer takes her shot! This mystery will unleash a new evil on the DC Universe!
Casper: Guys … I don’t think I can do this anymore.
Jay: Same, Casper. Same.
Josh: Yeah, I’m not giving up on Event Leviathan by any means, but I’m not nearly as enthralled or excited as I used to be.
Nick: I feel very frustrated that I can’t recommend this. I’ve been so enthralled with Leviathan’s unraveling plot in the pages of Action Comics, but nothing has really happened in three issues of the main series! There’s “slow and contemplative” and there’s “we’re halfway through, make something happen already!”
Matina: I’m with Nick on this one. I had a lot of the same problems with this particular issue. I’m most frustrated with the slowness of the plot. In three issues, the only thing I feel like I’ve learned is what we saw at the very end of this one. Jason being suspected, and even a lot of the conversations being had all feel like a regurgitation of facts and information we had at issue one.
Nancy: I agree that it’s slow. I thought the Fortress of Solitude scene, for example, was longer than it needed to be, though it produced an important lead. To be honest, I’m having pacing issues with many DC books lately.
Josh: That makes two of us, Nancy.
Michael: In terms of the pacing though, I really do like how the story is taking a small scale approach to a large scale story. It’s pretty interesting to have this series operate mostly as closed-door conversations with the action scenes being relatively short.
Josh: Yeah, I see your point. I hadn’t really thought of it that way. There are times that I do wish we had more of the “big picture” action, but I enjoy the scale of everything. The exchanges between characters really make or break this book. When Bendis gets it right, he definitely gets it right. Unfortunately, three issues in, and I feel like he’s missed the mark more than he’s hit it.
Nick: The dialogue and the exchanges between characters (bar some funny one-liners) feel really sloppy like they’re all talking to themselves more than anyone in particular.
Casper: When they just casually mentioned that everyone said no to the Batcave without explaining why, I just sat scratching the back of my head. This is a detective case, the Batcave is the home of the WORLD’S GREATEST DETECTIVE. Why did Bendis even include that in the dialogue? Why is the dialogue so stiff and monotone and boring for the most part?
Nancy: I liked the character interactions.
Michael: There’s definitely some dialogue that comes off as odd at times, but not as much as the first issue for me. Some exchanges are really great, namely the Red Hood and Lois one. I loved that scene. Same goes for the action and art in general. Some pages are gorgeous with what I found to be very thrilling action. But then some of the action is extremely vague and unclear. That two-page spread of everyone attacking Red Hood was amazing, until the last row of panels for me.
Casper: How is Jason able to defeat all of them? And why are some of those panels so unclear?
Josh: Jason beating everyone is probably the thing that bothered me the most. I mean, we’ve seen on more than one occasion that Damian alone can best him, much less Batman. I would’ve believed it more had Jason gotten the drop on all of them, but since it’s the other way around, I didn’t care for it.
Nancy: Jason isn’t a particular favorite of mine, but I thought his escape was really cool. While a lot of other characters would be less than convincing to me in that fight, Jason having been trained by Batman and then honed his skills further afterward made it work for me.
Nick: I don’t see Jason escaping all of these characters, and while I did kind of love the dialogue between him and Lois (a rare combination I’d kind of like to see more of?), that could have easily happened if he were locked up too. And considering he’s not Leviathan, I don’t see what the point is in him being free. It’s disappointing to have had so much wonderful buildup for a main series that just doesn’t seem to have any steam.
Matina: The fight scene was fun but often confusing, and I really feel like we could have done without it or perhaps had it happen earlier? I know fans of it will be upset with me for that, but I’m eager to see more, not linger on Jason. I want to dig into this story and mystery and figure out what’s going on, and until the last few pages, I felt like the story was really just treading water. I’m really hoping that the next issue will move things forward in a new way and I’ll get to see some of that plot progression I’m looking for.
Nancy: The last part of the book was extremely intriguing, so I’ll read on.
Michael: I agree with Nancy in that the final scene is very intriguing.
Jay: This started in Superman’s comic, so it’s hardly surprising that it picked up when he (finally) showed up.
Josh: I’ll echo that.
Nick: Also, I love Manhunter, but why is she even here?
Josh: Right? Everyone’s presence and purpose have been acknowledged accept for hers. I mean, I’m happy to see her, but at this point, she’s just here to be here.
Michael: I agree. I hope the series can find more for her to do.
Jay: If she was included just so Bendis could make “who is Manhunter?” jokes, it… wasn’t funny the first time.
Or the fifteenth.
Josh: No, not at all.
I’m still curious to find out who Leviathan is. Not as excited as before… But curious.
Jay: The most interesting thing about Leviathan is how civil they are. It’s beyond the idea that a villain thinks they’re righteous in their crusade; Leviathan almost seems… likable. Kind of smug, but likable.
Josh: Agreed. They clearly have some type of code, and with the revelation that they may not actually be killing anyone, it really shines a unique light on Leviathan. I mean, we still don’t really know what they hope to accomplish.
Casper: At this point, I don’t even care who Leviathan is anymore. I don’t know why I’m even trying to read this. Maybe I’ll try to read next month’s issue, but I barely managed to finish reading this one, so I’m probably just going to drop this all together. This is NOcenti all over again.
Josh: Trust me, as the person who reviewed Nocenti’s Catwoman, this isn’t nearly as bad as that was. I think, more than anything, Event Leviathan is just disappointing because we keep getting glimpses of how good it can actually be, but the product itself isn’t necessarily living up to it.
Would you recommend buying this for $3.99?
Yes: Nancy, Michael, Josh
No: Nick, Matina, Casper, Brian, Jay
Check out Brian’s full review of Event Leviathan #3
Batman Universe #2
The quest for the secret of the stolen Fabergé egg and its buyer continues as Batman teams up with Green Arrow against the Riddler, then travels to Gorilla City. But is the egg’s strange energy adversely affecting the Dark Knight’s mind? These stories were originally published in BATMAN GIANT #5 and 6.
Michael: This is just fantastic stuff all around.
Matina: It is fantastic stuff! I’m delighted by how much fun this series is turning out to be. Going into it, I wasn’t expecting really anything we’ve gotten so far beyond Batman hunting Riddler down. I’ve found the addition of characters like Green Arrow to be fun, and I’m honestly excited to see where things go next issue. I’m on board for this adventure.
Casper: I’m less excited about this series than you guys, it seems.
Josh: Yeah, I’m with Casper on this one. I enjoyed it, but not as much as I did the first issue.
Casper: I don’t think it’s bad, though, and I’m having fun reading it, and I will continue to read it, but that’s mostly because Derington and Stewart’s art is so good. I’m a huge fan of these two artists. But Bendis … I like the adventure, but his dialogue sometimes can be so stiff. I think it’s a lot better here than it tends to be in other titles, but the comic still “sounds” kind of monotone to me in terms of dialogue. Characters just sound very similar to me at times.
Josh: The dialogue didn’t really bother me here. I actually thought it was quite good. The plot itself is what bothered me. It just didn’t seem as focused.
Brian: It’s a shock reading this and Leviathan in the same week. Bendis actually does a better-than-decent job writing Batman here!
Jay: Yeah, for real. Maybe because he doesn’t have any pretensions with this other than “let’s have a fun story with Batman and also gorillas”? I mean, that’s a party right there.
Michael: I was a huge of Nick Derington’s art on Doom Patrol so it’s great to see him here. I like how lively each panel is, both in movement and color, and his storytelling is great. The panel layouts are simple because Derington knows his figure work is strong enough to generate energy and movement on their own. But then he knows to pull out back to back two page spreads to show the enormity of Gorilla City. I’m not totally all-in on the scale of adventure that’s been introduced at the end of the issue, but I’m excited nonetheless.
Matina: I agree the art in this issue is great. That Gorilla City spread was amazing. I also really enjoyed the way Batman’s sneaking through it was laid out, it was easy to follow and made the dialogue easy to keep up with as well. I feel like dialogue can be hard to keep up with across spreads like that, but this was nice and clear.
Nick: There really is a lot to love about the story, from the phenomenal art that’s worth the price of admission alone, to seeing Bendis’ slightly more upbeat take on Bruce (and the wonderful banter he has with Riddler, Alfred, and Green Arrow). Like Tec, these tales haven’t been ludicrously memorable to me, but I always feel refreshed after reading them because they remind me of watching an old episode of B:TAS or The Batman.
Would you recommend buying this for $4.99?
Yes: Michael, Matina, Casper, Brian, Jay, Nick, Josh
No: Nobody
Check out Jay’s full review of Batman: Universe #2
Batman & the Outsiders #4
At last—the Outsiders take off on their mission to rescue Sofia from none other than Ra’s al Ghul! But Ra’s has other ideas for the quartet, and with the aid of Lex Luthor’s mysterious gift, they are playing right into his hand.
Josh: I don’t dislike Batman & the Outsiders, but the book definitely frustrates me. There’s so much potential here – between Hill, Soy, the characters, and even the current story – but none of it is being fully taken advantage of.
Casper: This reads like an in-between chapter. It’s a lot of setup for the coming issues, and while there are some character moments here (such as that scene with Duke and Cassie), I don’t feel like a lot really happened in this issue.
Josh: That’s because nothing did happen here.
Casper: It’s nicely drawn though, and the conversations are well-written. I would’ve liked to see a little bit more plot development.
Josh: I’m not sure I’d agree that the conversations were written well. They’re not awful by any means, but they definitely felt forced. And I don’t necessarily blame HIll for that either, it’s just what it is. The only truly good thing about this issue, for me, were the scenes with Ra’s, and one of Katana’s lines. The “Batman is a general who only sees soldiers. You are a teacher who only sees students.” I thought that was a good line.
Casper: I’m getting tired of all this emphasis on how Bruce sees the Outsiders as soldiers and how he supposedly doesn’t care about them. Hopefully that changes soon.
Josh: Yeah, I mean, I think it depends on the context. For example, I don’t mind Katana’s stance on this, but her attitude is also accepting of the fact that this is what Bruce is using them for. But then you have Black Lightning who is being incredibly whiny and complaining about being an “errand boy” when he chose to lead a team under Batman. And to circle back to Katana’s line, she isn’t calling out Bruce. She’s calling out Jefferson, and the relationship that he and Bruce have at the moment with each other. It’s kind of a “you’re not on the same page because…” type of jab.
Anyway, it’s not an awful book, but it’s not great either. It’s just kind of there at the moment – especially this issue – and sometimes that’s worse than being bad.
Casper: I think this chapter will work well enough when it’s collected in trade or when you’re binging all the floppies that you’ve collected. However, overall, I have to say I feel kind of indifferent about this issue, so I don’t think I can really recommend it.
Jay: I had the same problem that I did for each preceding issue: I know I read it, but I don’t remember much of anything about it. There was maybe a nice scene with Katana and Lightning? That was maybe nice.
Would you recommend buying this for $3.99?
Yes: Nobody
No: Casper, Jay, Josh
Check out Josh’s full review of Batman & the Outsiders #4
Justice League Odyssey #12
The new reign of Darkseid begins in the Ghost Sector! With the death of the New Gods, he plans to use the Sepulkore to rebuild a new army, but even the great Darkseid couldn’t enslave and control the Ghost Sector alone. He’ll require the help of the New Gods’ newest heralds: Cyborg, Starfire and Azrael!
Josh: I’ll just throw my hat in and say that I’m still not reading this. Maybe one of you will encourage me to do so. Until this book takes a new direction, I’m not sure I can get behind it.
Nancy: Well, this is a turning point issue, bringing the events of the prior issues to a head and pivoting in a new direction.
Josh: Well, hell… Haha!
Nancy: It’s not a good place for people who haven’t been reading JLO to jump in. The next issue would probably be better.
Matina: I’m with you on the idea that this isn’t the place to start. I picked up this issue as my first out of the series and was pretty thrown by what was going on. Still, I enjoyed the action and found myself wanting to know more by the end. I can see the ‘turning point’, that ending was pretty wild and feels like a set up for a lot more.
Nancy: This was a series of fights, a couple of them perfunctory, and no one but Jessica really gets any memorable action. I also thought the pacing was slow toward the end. Readers who like villain-centric stories might enjoy this more than I did, but I got tired of Darkseid’s self-congratulatory narration and would rather have had much less of it.
Casper: Yeah, it’s not an amazing issue, but I did find it entertaining for sure. Darkseid’s narration was a bit overwritten. It’s hard to get immersed in an action sequence when there’s so much talking. At least for me. But then again, I’m the kind of guy that generally hates it when characters have entire elaborate conversations while they’re fighting each other, and the same goes for inner monologue. Fight scenes need to flow, and text usually gets in the way of that. Sometimes I wish comic book writers would rely on the artwork more to tell the story. But I still like the setting and I’m kind of curious to see where this is going.
Nancy: Because there were some good moments and a couple of major developments in it, I recommend it, just not strongly and really not for new readers of the series.
Jay: I’ll give it this: they got Darkseid back in a skirt, and that’s all I ever want in comics.
Josh: Mmm… I’ll check out Nancy’s next review and then I’ll decide if I want to catch up.
Would you recommend buying this for $3.99?
Yes: Nancy, Matina, Casper
No: Jay
Check out Nancy’s full review of Justice League Odyssey #12
Catwoman #14
A secret file out-lining the ins and outs of the criminal underworld of Villa Hermosa is on the streets, and every crook is after it. Whoever possesses this info can control everything, and some of the town’s hoods are even bringing in outside agents like Lock-Up and Gentleman Ghost to act as their champions—which, let’s face it, you’re going to need if you’re going to try to outsmart Catwoman. Making things even more dangerous for Selina Kyle, there is also a price on her head. If you can capture the database and kill the Catwoman, the payoff is double!
Matina: I enjoyed this issue quite a bit.
Nancy: I enjoyed this issue as well. Even though the ending reveals a much bigger problem for Selina, this story had a one-and-done feeling to it.
Michael: I agree that this issue feels a bit like a one-shot that has been expanded to a two-parter.
Josh: Yeah, the structure of the story was nice and led to some decent surprises. We don’t really see this approach to storytelling in comics anymore because everything is practically written for six-issue trades these days, but Ram V definitely jumped the ship in respect to formula. In a good way. Just when I thought the plot was heading in a certain direction, he’d take a left. It didn’t feel forced or out of place though.
Nancy: The current problem led to another but the initial bit was wrapped up. Her feelings were nice subtext in her imaginary conversations with Bruce, but I have mixed feelings about those.
Josh: I feel the same way.
Nancy: On the one hand, it’s good to see how she feels about him in her own book, not just in Batman. On the other, I would’ve liked to see her focusing on how to handle a particular situation rather than imagining how he would react to it. I really loved Selina’s sentiments on the last couple of pages.
Matina: I actually liked the idea of her playing out what Bruce would have said or done. I feel like it was sparked by the idea of giving up someone you love, and so she spends the issue playing out the what if. What if she hadn’t given that up? What if things were different? It’s not done in a pining way, but more of an exploration with a tinge of heartbreak. It also doesn’t fall into any kind of self-pitying. Selina is still very much her own woman and can take care of herself. The story, and Selina herself, remind us of that.
Michael: It also did stand out to me that Selina was thinking about Bruce instead of trying to save herself, but I think a little vulnerability from time to time is welcome. I like the idea of assassins being afraid of killing Catwoman because Batman will then come for them, but I love Selina’s claim that they should be afraid of her instead.
Matina: Also? That surprise of Nobody showing up? Call me fascinated, delighted, and hooked on figuring out who this guy is.
Casper: Nobody’s appearance kind of cracked me up. At first, I was confused, thinking back to Tomasi and Gleason’s Batman and Robin run, trying to remember if Nobody had aphasia then as well. And then I remembered this moment where Damian beat the crap out of Nobody and I had a laugh. It’s so silly. I love it.
Josh: I had to think back to Tomasi’s Batman & Robin as well. I don’t think he had aphasia then… And I’m not sure I like it now. Granted, I get that he’s supposed to have it because Robin jammed his fingers into his brain, but it just takes a relatively decent villain and makes them a bit of a joke. I would’ve preferred an older version of Nobody II (she would’ve aged like Damian through Rebirth). It would’ve also been nice to see her take a definitive direction in terms of being a hero or villain.
And then there’s Gentleman Ghost! He practically made this issue for me.
Jay: There is not nearly enough Gentleman Ghost talk in this conversation.
Brian: He’s certainly a gentleman, that’s for sure.
And a ghost.
Jay: And that’s real.
Josh: Very real indeed! What I liked about Gentleman Ghost here is the same thing we like about Leviathan. His methods don’t scream “standard villain.” There’s an honor to him that’s quite likable. I want more of that in comics!
Overall, I thought this was a solid issue even if it felt a bit removed. I wasn’t as crazy about the sentiments towards Bruce as everyone else, but I loved nearly every other aspect of this issue!
Would you recommend buying this for $3.99?
Yes: Nancy, Michael, Matina, Casper, Josh
No: Brian, Jay
Check out Michael’s full review of Catwoman #14
Titans: Burning Rage #1
Hawk and Dove lead ordinary citizens in an uprising against the rich-but former Doom Patrol member Mento is pulling their strings! It’s up to the Titans to uncover his sinister purpose before someone gets killed! These stories were originally published in TITANS GIANT #1 and 2.
Jay: This story was very much okay. Felt pretty basic, but I didn’t hate anything.
Josh: Agreed. It felt pretty safe and generic all things considered, but unlike Bendis with Batman Universe, Jurgens didn’t seem to have any fun with this. If you have the blessing of writing a Wal-Mart title that doesn’t hold as much pressure as the main continuity titles, then you might as well have some fun!
Casper: I didn’t hate anything, either, but it didn’t really hold my attention. I read most of the issue, but then I got distracted and never actually finished reading.
Josh: Well… There you go. Haha!
Would you recommend buying this for $4.99?
Yes: Nobody
No: Jay, Casper, Josh
Black Hammer/ Justice League #2
DC Comics and Dark Horse Comics present the ultimate superhero crossover event of 2019! After a mysterious stranger warps reality, the out-of-practice Black Hammer heroes must contend with both Starro and the rest of the DC universe. Meanwhile, Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, and Cyborg try to adjust to life on Black Hammer Farm, while Colonel Weird and the Green Lantern try to uncover the secret behind this reality swap and the strange man who started it all.
Nick: I’m just taking this moment to remind myself to finally get off my ass and read Black Hammer already.
Jay: I’ve not read any Black Hammer before, which was my main problem with the first issue. In effect, it didn’t make me think I needed to seek out any Black Hammer, because I was not interested at all. This issue was slightly more engaging, and had a decent cliffhanger, though I still don’t know how much I actually care.
Michael: I am a huge fan of Black Hammer but didn’t find myself all that interested in this. I caught up and read both issues back to back and found myself surprisingly engaged by what’s going on here. The scenes with Bruce, Diana, Clark, and Cyborg on the Black Hammer farm are the most interesting to me. Since the Black Hammer characters are homages to DC, their time in the DC Universe doesn’t feel quite as novel in comparison. Also, I think the art feels much more in line with the Black Hammer universe and I wish that perhaps this book changed visual styles between the two worlds. Overall, I think this is probably more enjoyable for fans of Black Hammer, but I think the book does a good enough job of explaining the world of Black Hammer to newcomers so they don’t feel lost.
Casper: Despite not having read any Black Hammer either, I actually like this issue. I think it could definitely be better, though. I feel like the first issue and this one doesn’t offer enough story for me to stay really engaged, but I agree with Michael that the scenes with the Leaguers at the farm are the most interesting. I wish Lemire had more pages to tell this story because sometimes I feel like we only get to see some highlights instead of a full story arc. But, that said, I’m definitely going to keep reading this, and after this, I think I’m going to start reading Black Hammer. There’s just something about this story that really speaks to me, but I’m not quite sure yet what it is.
Josh: This completely fell off my radar, but I want to read it. I’ll catch up before next month. I’ve also never read Black Hammer, however, it is in my gigantic read pile. I’m interested, and Lemire is definitely a selling point for me, but we’ll see.
Would you recommend buying this for $3.99?
Yes: Michael, Casper
No: Jay
