Future State: Gotham #11 – Dennis Culver, Writer; Geoffo, Artist
Ray – 8/10
Ray: Ever since Dennis Culver has taken over this title, it’s had a singular focus—action from beginning to end. With a new Joker in town, the Court of Owls on the prowl, and multiple vigilantes getting in on the action, the story has sped up a lot and embraced its pulpy roots. New artist Geoffo is well-suited to this as well, with a loose style that lends itself to some crazy twists straight out of anime-inspired art—particularly the cliffhanger. While Jason and Jace Fox mostly seem to bop around from one fight to another—with an assist from Harley this issue—Dick Grayson has the best storyline as he teams up with Talia to search out Damian, who has gone missing. This includes a brilliant one-page splash with a surprising burst of color as he undertakes a risky move to discover Damian’s location. It’s maybe a little too frantic at times, but it works as a fun, no-holds-barred look into Gotham’s future.
The Batman and Scooby-Doo Mysteries #12 – Sholly Fisch, Writer; Dario Brizuela, Artist; Franco Riesco, Colorist
Ray – 9/10
Ray: It’s the final chapter of this chaotic crossover adventure, so who to get for the final chapter? How about… everyone! The Mystery Machine gang is investigating a haunted lodge filled with mutant plants, killer birds, and a monster in the pool, only to discover it’s not haunted—it’s playing host to the Gotham Villains’ Convention, and they’ve already captured Batman and Robin. Or have they? There isn’t much of a mystery here past the first few pages, but this is really more of a spotlight to bring in the entire cast of rogues—and the Bat-family to face off against them. This means some hilarious deep cut villain references from Fisch, as well as the Scooby-verse debuts of Bat-characters like the Batgirls, Red Hood, Batwing, Signal, and even Bat-Cow in what’s sure to be a fan-favorite scene. This is all rather silly and chaotic, but it works—especially with the last reveal. I hope Fisch and the rest of this team gets to keep doing these comics as long as they want to.
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GeekDad received this comic for review purposes.
