DC This Week Roundup – War Cries

Kneel Before Zod #5 – Joe Casey, Writer; Dan McDaid, Artist; David Baron, Colorist

Ray – 8.5/10

Ray: Zod defeated the Khund army—but at great cost, as he now finds himself a horribly burned captive on an alien ship. During his convalescence, he reflects back on a childhood that explains a lot about his treatment of his son earlier in the series (and makes him look better by comparison to his own father, if only slightly). But it’s not long before he awakes, shrugs off his horrific injuries, and proceeds to tear his way through the prison ship. After quickly establishing himself as the alpha of the motley crew of prisoners, he crowns them his new Legion of Zod and sets out for revenge—against just about everyone. This is a fast-paced, pitch-black issue, but the depiction of Zod’s injuries sort of defy belief—essentially turning him into a faceless meat skeleton. It’ll no doubt be healed by the time he returns to a yellow sun, but it’s still an oddly grotesque way to depict things for a full issue.

Poison Ivy #22 – G. Willow Wilson, Writer; Haining, Artist; Arif Prianto, Colorist

Ray – 8.5/10

Ray: As Ivy’s actions through this series come back to haunt her, last issue revealed that all the “children” she created with her lamia fungus were descending on the swamp. But they weren’t the only ones—they were led by the deranged Jason Woodrue, now fully devoid of humanity. After the flashback arc explaining just how toxic Woodrue was and the role he played in her transformation, this is a good capstone to the entire run so far. Haining’s surreal art is a perfect fit, although Woodrue does come off as rather cartoonish at times. This is a very fast-paced issue, almost entirely composed of a massive battle as Ivy and Woodrue duel and Janet, Croc, and Grundy try to survive against a horde of zombies. While there isn’t nearly as much meat to the story as the previous arc, it does take an interesting twist towards the end as we discover exactly what Ivy’s plan to stop Woodrue is—and how much she’s willing to sacrifice.

The Batman and Scooby-Doo Mysteries #5 – Matthew Cody, Writer; Puste, Artist; Carrie Strachan, Colorist

Ray – 8/10

Ray: This series has become an anthology with different creative teams, and every one has a different approach to things. Matthew Cody’s first issue might be the most chaotic one we’ve seen yet, with a large cast investigating the haunted mansion of Dr. Jekyll. Jekyll and Hyde played a key role in a major episode of the most popular animated series, but they’re long gone—or are they? Batman, along with the Mystery Machine crew, are joined by Kirk Langstrom, who thinks that Jekyll’s files may have a clue to the cure for his condition. Of course, his monstrous alter-ego isn’t going to stay hidden for long. Add in Velma entertaining a surprising offer from Batman, and more than one monster hanging out in the mansion, and this is a fast-paced issue that feels like a classic Scooby mystery—even if the unmasking is rather rushed and seems almost deliberately so.

Suicide Squad: Kill Arkham Asylum #4 – John Layman, Writer; Jesus Hervas, Artist; David Baron, Colorist

Ray – 8/10

Ray: A prequel to a game that’s already largely come and went, this is an odd project—but it has a strong creative team, with some unexpected twists. This issue begins in a surprising way, with an elderly Captain Boomerang recapping the most terrifying day of his life—the Arkham riot. He barely survives the early stages, then winds up getting dragooned into an alliance with Mad Hatter and an odd group of obscure illusionists. This leads them into Waller’s web, as she’s looking for a new recruit for the Suicide Squad—and has decided that the survivor of this group will be the one who makes it. What does it look like when four illusionists all try to drive each other mad? Nothing good, but Boomerang’s unlikely survival takes a turn I did not see coming and nicely establishes why this D-list Australian criminal would become one of Waller’s few chosen villains.

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GeekDad received this comic for review purposes.