Batman/Santa Claus: Silent Knight Returns #3 – Jeff Parker, Writer; Lucas Ketner, Michelle Bandini, Artists; Marcelo Maiolo, Colorist
Ray – 8.5/10
Ray: The penultimate chapter of this unique holiday adventure leans heavily into action, as the Silent Knight’s unique ability to sap the energy of people comes back to haunt the heroes in a big way. We saw Jason Blood seemingly die last issue, and another A-lister falls in dramatic fashion as this issue opens. It’s enough to send Damian into despair, and Santa is forced to head off on another mission – but not before giving Robin the name of a mysterious figure who might be able to turn the tide. The visuals this issue are great, but it does lean more into pure action and horror without much of the whimsy that defined the previous mini amid the stakes. Still, the ending reveal – introducing us to a very different version of an iconic Christmas character – has a lot of promise as we head into the final issue. Still a lot to wrap up in the finale, and I’m hoping fan-favorite Krampus returns.
DC Vs. Vampires: World War V #5 – Matthew Rosenberg, Matthew K. Manning, Writers; Otto Schmidt, Acky Bright, Artists; Pierluigi Casolini, Colorist
Ray – 8/10
Ray: As the vampire war escalates, this issue centers around the world’s two most wanted kids. Damian Wayne, of course, has become the linchpin of the new world order – a vampire who hasn’t been 100% turned and has become his own people’s worst enemy. Green Arrow believes the only good vampire is a dead vampire, while Dinah believes Damian can help them with a key mission. And then there’s the child of Scott and Barda – the first child ever born to two vampires, and the key to potentially the future of the species or the end of the plague. And in the middle of it, John Constantine continues to play both sides against each other – including an attempt to work with the scarred Queen of the Vampires, who survived Damian’s assassination attempt. It’s a dark and bloody issue, with some of the most disturbing scenes of the series so far.
The backup featuring Black Lightning has a bit more hope than the main feature, as well, with Jefferson Pierce fighting some of the deadliest vampires around to find his way to his family – with a melancholy and ambiguous ending. This is a more subtle and emotional story than the ultraviolent mile-a-minute main tale.
To find reviews of all the DC issues, visit DC This Week.
GeekDad received this comic for review purposes.
