Checkmate #4 – Brian Michael Bendis, Writer; Alex Maleev, Artist; Dave Stewart, Colorist
Ray – 7/10
Ray: The other half of the story we see play out in Justice League, Checkmate is essentially Bendis and Maleev getting to do a full-on spy story in the DCU. The problem is, Bendis’ storytelling style isn’t a natural fit for a spy thriller. You have action segments like Katana and Green Arrow dueling with Merlyn and Guardian in an abandoned League satellite, and it looks great but half the action is covered up by dialogue. You have tense dialogue between Superman and Lois Lane about how far they should go to take down Mark Shaw, but the tension is undercut by sarcastic Bendis quotes that feel out of place. Some segments are excellent, but others feel disconnected from the main story. It sometimes feels like a comic at war with itself, which keeps it from really playing to either of its strengths, and there’s an odd pattern of issues ending on things that barely feel like cliffhangers.
Batman: Reptilian #4 – Garth Ennis, Writer; Liam Sharp, Artist
Ray – 2/10
Ray: Some writers really aren’t meant for mainstream comics. Liam Sharp is always brilliant and his art style here is suitably grotesque, if a bit muddled, but he’s not the problem here. The problem is that Garth Ennis has gone full Garth Ennis, and that’s rarely pleasant to read. With all the other Bat-rogues gone, Batman has tracked down Killer Croc who may have some ties to the strange reptilian monster targeting the villains—and things go downhill from there. Start with a bizarre mocking rant about the loose skin of fat people, and go on to explaining a lot of weird things about hermaphroditic animals that seems mostly to be poking fun at a character’s plight in a really outdated and off-putting way. This series has had a problem with Batman’s characterization from the start, with him crippling a man who had just been found not guilty of a terrible crime. This issue drives it home as he seems firmly unconcerned with Croc—one of his more sympathetic villains’ plight. The new origin explanation for Croc also doesn’t seem to add much beyond letting Ennis expound on some issues. Give it a miss.
Mister Miracle: The Source of Freedom #5 – Brandon Easton Writer; Fico Ossio, Artist; Rico Renzi, Colorist
Ray – 7/10
Ray: This series has been at its strongest when it focuses on Shiloh Norman, the third Mister Miracle and now the second black man to hold the title. But this issue throws much of the character-driven material out the window and sends Shiloh into deep space with Oberon in search of the deranged N’Vir Free. The possible daughter of Scott and Barda has been waging a war against the man she thinks stole her father’s legacy, complete with technology that is too advanced to exist under normal circumstances. This issue is almost entirely a chaotic battle segment, with the heroes—including a guest-starring Orion—battling against N’vir’s superior forces. The battle turns on the use of a Mobius Chair that reveals some surprising things about her origins, and provides a trip to the far future. There is still a lot of upcoming story to unfold in the final issue, and I’m not sure it’ll have time to explore the stronger parts of the narrative.
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GeekDad received this comic for review purposes.
