The Sandman Universe: Dead Boy Detectives #6 – Pornsak Pichetshote, Writer; Jeff Stokely/Craig Taillefer, Artists; Miquel Muerto, Colorist
Ray – 9/10
Ray: Pornsak Pichetshote and Jeff Stokely bring the curtain down on this creepy tale of young ghosts and international twists, as the source of the sudden plague of Thai ghosts is revealed. Like most things in this series, it’s a tragedy of not being able to let go – something Charles and Edwin are forced to confront themselves as one of them is fading fast. This leads them to an unexpected source for help—the witch Thessaly, who seems to be becoming the main villain of the Sandman Universe at the moment. Her machinations give the boys and their new companions a potential second chance at an afterlife that resets the table a little and leaves room for new adventures, but things do have to end a little abruptly. This mostly seems like it was setup for Thessaly’s next move, but the story Pichetshote built around it is packed with genuine, emotional moments that make it another big win for this line.
Static: Shadows of Dakota #4 – Nikolas Draper-Ivey/Vita Ayala, Writers; Nikolas Draper-Ivey, Artist; Wil Quintana, Colorist
Ray – 8.5/10
Ray: After three issues of hype, the debut of Ebon is finally here, as the most visually intimidating Static villain finally steps onto the scene. But despite this, the character doesn’t seem nearly as evil as he did originally. Mostly driven by the search for his brother—one of many missing Bang Babies—he’s on the same trail Static is, but is much more ruthless about it. Given how dismissive and possibly involved the police are in the kidnappings, it’s not hard to sympathize—and when Static tries to stop him from torturing a mercenary, he responds by plunging Static into a terrifying trial by fire aimed at scaring him off. He’s a rare example of how to do this kind of character, the ruthless antihero at odds with the hero while fighting for the same cause, right. But the end of the issue takes a seriously dark turn that might just make it impossible for Virgil to maintain his own optimism.
DC/RWBY #4 – Marguerite Bennett, Writer; Soo Lee, Artist; Marisa Louise, Colorist
Ray – 7/10
Ray: With each issue, this story brings in more of the DCU, with Wonder Woman teaming up with Team RWBY to fend off a demonically-empowered Cheetah. As Diana develops her own bonus power, the decision is made to quarantine Ruby, Yang, Blake, and Weiss so they can’t accidentally spread semblances. This only lasts one page until they’re magically summoned to Metropolis where Superman is fighting a Grimm. But it’s not Superman they’re there to see—it’s Lex Luthor. That’s where the problem with this issue comes in—far too much of it is just Lex monologuing about how he cut a deal with Salem to bring the Grimms and their powers to this world to change the balance of power. As someone points out, this is a little dumb for Luthor—sure, Superman will no longer be dominant, but he can’t ensure he will either. A new major threat emerges at the end, so the next issue should be more action-heavy.
To find reviews of all the DC issues, visit DC This Week.
GeekDad received this comic for review purposes.
