Justice League Odyssey #22 – Dan Abnett, Writer; Cliff Richards, Artist; Rain Beredo, Colorist
Ray – 8/10
Ray: This title takes another wide left turn after last issue’s cliffhanger, where it seemed like Jessica Cruz got erased from existence by the scheming Epoch. But for the second time in this run, she makes a surprising escape. She’s sent back in time where she encounters her ally Suzi Starr—who is not the vigilante Gamma Knife, but a Space Ranger dealing out justice. That’s right, she’s been sent back in time to around the time of Emerald Twilight. It’s a little surprising that Suzi is old enough to still be in action back then, but sliding timescales. Taking place on the far reaches of the galaxy in a grittier environment, this is a fun issue that turns the two heroines into underdogs as they put together a crazy plan to send Jessica back where she should be. The lack of Dex-Starr this issue is noted and unwelcome, but it’s a fun and exciting space adventure that serves as a nice diversion before we head back to the main plot.
The Batman’s Grave #8 – Warren Ellis, Writer; Bryan Hitch, Artist; Alex Sinclair, Colorist
Ray – 8/10
Ray: Obviously a lot has changed for the creative team since the last issue came out, but DC is seeing this series to its conclusion even as the writer’s other work for the publisher is canned—likely due to the great work Bryan Hitch has put into it. It continues to be a solid Batman story, even if this issue turns into way too much of an infodump. The book’s been frustratingly vague about the identity of the mysterious Scorn Army leader so far, but this issue reveals his identity and his origin in a few pages. He turns out to be another twisted anti-Batman, with a motivation very similar to that of Prometheus. The best parts of this series are always Hitch’s action, and the very clever dialogue between Bruce and his closest friends, Alfred and Gordon. The former is always dryly hilarious, and the ending of the issue has a clever twist. But the pacing of this series continues to be all over the place.
House of Whispers #22 – Nalo Hopkinson, Dan Watters, Writers; Dominike “Domo” Stanton, Artist; Zac Atkinson, Colorist
Ray – 8.5/10
Ray: The first of the Sandman Universe books to close its run does so with a strong final issue that brings its entire cast together for a seafaring adventure. While the book has been a mythology-dense story dealing with ancient beings from another world, it’s ultimately a story of love. And this final issue grounds that love in a timeless question—how far would you go to save a member of your family? As Mistress Erzulie ponders a horrible betrayal to resurrect her husband Agwe, the various players confront each others’ lies and find something resembling peace and cooperation. The ending has a lot of clever twists, as well as a positive anti-ableist message and a rare celebration of a polyamorous love. This book became overly dense and a bit confusing in its last arc, but the ending brings home why it’ll be missed—it’s unlike anything else DC is putting out.
Doom Patrol: Weight of the Worlds #7 – Gerard Way, Jeremy Lambert, Writers; Nick Derington, Artist; Michael Allred, Inker; Tamra Bonvillain, Colorist
Ray – 7/10
Ray: A much-delayed finale—both due to the pandemic and scheduling issues before the shutdown—has led to the final Young Animal book being both a spectacular visual feast and a complete mess. Doom Patrol has always been one of the more abstract DC comics, but this run by Gerard Way (and a co-writer, on the second volume) has embraced that. Artist Nick Derington is brilliant as always, capturing such strange scenes as a metal planet with a brain at the center and a galaxy full of carnivorous eels. But the script doesn’t quite live up to it, with an ending that essentially makes one character’s journey pointless and resets another in an odd way that isn’t likely to be followed up on. Are there some great moments in this issue? Yes, especially for Jane. But the overall narrative is odd and not helped by the seven-month gap between issues.
To find reviews of all the DC issues, visit DC This Week.
GeekDad received this comic for review purposes.
