Catwoman #68 – Tini Howard, Writer; Carmine Di Giandomenico, Artist; Veronica Gandini, Colorist
Ray – 8/10
Ray: The finale of this run suffers from some of the main issues of the last year of stories – namely, a very busy plot and way too many villains, all of which have converged on Gotham to fight as Selina lies on an operating table, undergoing brain surgery from the bad doctor himself, Thomas Elliott. While pretty much the entire supporting cast fights to keep her safe, complete with Batman making his presence known in a pretty interesting way, Selina goes on a psychic journey into the afterlife, communing with Bast once again and preparing to have her heart weight in judgement – unless, of course, she decides to go back one more time. These segments are excellent, save for the reminder that Valmont was a character who existed at some point. But once it’s over, there’s only a few pages left to wrap things up, and the actual last act feels a little rushed.
John Constantine, Hellblazer: Dead In America #9 – Simon Spurrier, Writer; Aaron Campbell, Artist; Jordie Bellaire, Colorist
Ray – 9/10
Ray: Last issue wrapped up the first main narrative of this series as John Constantine made it to hell and back. Now he’s investigating a place that might be even more sinister – Hollywood. As the search for the sand takes an unexpected turn, the story zeroes in on the story of a new arrival in Hollywood, an embittered backwoods young man who struggled back in the south and is now trying to make his fortune here – but is filled with paranoia and resentment over the opportunities he’s been denied, for which he blames minorities. It’s an interesting look at the way conspiracies take root in the mind of the disaffected – but with a supernatural twist that works nicely with the overall narrative of the series so far. Aaron Campbell’s art continues to be excellent, with his depiction of the supernatural evil lurking behind the eyes of one character being suitably chilling.
To find reviews of all the DC issues, visit DC This Week.
GeekDad received this comic for review purposes.
