GCPD: The Blue Wall #5 – John Ridley, Writer; Stefano Raffaele, Artist; Brad Anderson, Colorist
Ray – 7/10
Ray: Last issue threw the concept of this series for a loop when Officer Danny Ortega, pushed too far by racist fellow officers and an uncaring system, snapped and embarked on a murder spree—starting with Renee Montoya’s brother and his fiancee. With her last remaining family dead, Renee starts to spiral as Ortega begins to hunt down other agents of the police. As his fellow rookies try to find him before it’s too late, Renee hits rock bottom and considers making some choices she vowed to never make again. There are some good things here—particularly the characterization of Two-Face, continuing the more nuanced portrayal Ram V was giving him. However, Ortega’s characterization remains fairly weak, while this story mostly seems to be breaking Renee down and undoing much of the progress she made over the years. It’s just so relentlessly bleak it’s hard to really enjoy.
Catwoman #52 – Tini Howard, Writer; Sami Basri, Penciller; Vicente Cifuentes, Inker; Veronica Gandini, Colorist
Ray – 8/10
Ray: With Eiko Hasigawa taking over as Catwoman while Selina is in prison, this series has taken some major twists. I’m enjoying the new team-up of Eiko and Dario, although their plot is mostly just skulking around Gotham and arguing with gangsters. The best part of this story is Dario’s confrontation with Noah, which is very satisfying. The far stronger story is Selina locked up behind bars, as she tries to build an army out of her fellow inmates—some of which have their own surprising identities. But while Selina is using the prison to her advantage, she seems to have no desire to get out herself—punishing herself for Valmont’s death and the destruction of Alleytown. Even when her attorney gives her a shot at getting out, Selina only seems interested in staying in place. The issue builds to a dramatic training segment where Selina’s plan becomes a little clearer, but the two stories aren’t fully meshing yet.
Titans United: Bloodpact #6 – Cavan Scott, Writer; Lucas Meyer, Artist; Tony Avina, Colorist
Ray – 7/10
Ray: Like all alternate universes, this comic has always had the problem of a lack of stakes. Thing is, though, this is an alternate universe within an alternate universe! Last issue saw some surprisingly major deaths, which sets the tension high as the Titans finally confront the possessed Raven serving Brother Blood. There are some clever twists here as it’s never clear who’s in control of their body, and any story where Raven gets to pull some spooky stunts has some appeal. However, she’s very much been a passive presence in this story, only rarely appearing on page, so the battle to free her doesn’t have the impact I was hoping for. Additionally, the ending pulls off a massive reset to put things back in place for a third mini, which makes the whole thing feel like it’s left us right where we started. Its depiction of a twisted alternate world has some high points, but overall it didn’t quite match the first mini.
Harley Quinn the Animated Series: Legion of Bats #5 – Tee Franklin, Writer; Jon Mikel, Artist; Andrew Dalhouse, Colorist
Ray – 7.5/10
Ray: This series has been juggling two stories from the start, with Harley on the side of the angels and Ivy leading the Legion of Doom. That’s caused some strain in their relationship—but nothing like in this issue, when they’re on a collision course as Harley sets her eyes on Black Mask and his crew. This issue is action-packed, as we seem to be setting up for a very personal showdown next issue where they talk out the reveals at the end of the issue. However, I was most interested in the subplot involving Batgirl on babysitting duty—working with Robin, Tiffany Fox, and a pint-sized Cassandra Cain (who unlike her movie version, has most of her classic character traits intact). It’s a funny, chaotic issue that has some good points, but it maybe tries to juggle a few too many subplots. Much like the series it comes from, its brand of humor will always be a bit of an acquired taste.
To find reviews of all the DC issues, visit DC This Week.
GeekDad received this comic for review purposes.
