Wesley Dodds: The Sandman #5 – Robert Venditti, Writer; Riley Rossmo, Artist; Ivan Plascencia, Colorist
Ray – 9/10
Ray: Robert Venditti has been weaving a compelling, noir-inspired story of the original Sandman here, with Wesley Dodds out to reclaim his experiments before they’re perverted into a weapon of war. After foiling an assassination attempt on Vanderlyle last issue—at the cost of the assailant’s life—he’s on the trail of Colonel Breckinridge, the mastermind of the fire and the theft. After an action-packed infiltration segment, he gets alone with the ruthless military man and proceeds to interrogate him—revealing the depths of the villain’s sociopathy and how far he’ll go to give his country an edge. It’s a great segment, but it almost feels one issue too early—after all, we’ve still got a grand finale to see. And the last-page reveal makes why very clear, as an unexpected villain emerges and promises to give Wesley Dodds a very personal fight. It’s a great follow-up to the work Williamson did with the long-dead Dodds in Knight Terrors.
Blue Beetle #6 – Josh Trujillo, Writer; Adrian Gutierrez, Artist; Wil Quintana, Colorist
Ray – 8.5/10
Ray: Since the start of this series, the Blood Scarab has been hunting Jaime and his allies relentlessly, displaying a level of power never seen out of one of the Scarabs. But last issue revealed there was a young man not much different from Jaime, Javier, under the mask—and he wasn’t in control of the ravenous monster piloting him. Now, with the Blood Scarab fully unleashed, the entire cast of heroes along with Victoria Kord pull out all the stops to contain the monster before it’s fully unleashed against Palmera City. This is high stakes, but eventually it comes down to Blue Beetle vs. Blood Scarab—and the precedent of a Scarab taking control of its host comes back in a big way as Jaime discovers just how far Khaji Da will go to contain the threat. This is definitely the darkest issue of the series so far, and feels like a clean break in terms of a new status quo from here on out.
Speed Force #4 – Jarrett Williams, Writer; Daniele Di Nicuolo, Artist; Andrew Dalhouse, Colorist
Ray – 8/10
Ray: This issue is all about teamwork—for good and bad—as the heroes find their bond fraying. While Wallace is up against a possessed Superboy, who has been controlled by the misfit team of Mad Mod, Fiddler, and Music Meister, Avery is nowhere to be seen. She’s off in China, seeking help about feeling underappreciated, and this forces both her and Wallace to confront some of the anxieties plaguing them. While Wallace isn’t dodging for his life, of course. But the other team in this issue actually steal the show, as we get a look behind the scenes of the villain’s team, and discover how it all began in a Sebastian Stagg online class for better villainy. This is a pretty funny plot device—a tech-bro villain masterminding things makes a lot of sense right now—and this trio of oddball villains actually manage to surprise and become a pretty serious threat in this issue.
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GeekDad received this comic for review purposes.
