Harley Quinn #48</em – Elliott Kalan, Writer; Mindy Lee, Artist; Triona Farrell, Colorist
Ray – 8/10
Ray: After last issue’s traumatic sequence of events, Harley has fled Throatcutter Hill for safer pastures – the swamps of her girlfriend Poison Ivy. In what’s definitely DC’s only portrayal of an open relationship, Harley is very open with Ivy about all that’s going on, including her infatuation with the evil Althea Klang. Before the girlfriends have the time to sort all that out, they’re rudely interrupted by the arrival of Professor Pyg and his mutilated Dollotrons, who intend to kidnap Ivy to transform into one of Pyg’s twisted creations. But that’s not what he wants with Harley – he views her as a kindred spirit who is just as messed up as he is, and Harley’s inner voice agrees. This is actually an interesting take on Harley, looking at the various chaotic versions of her as if they’re in competition, but it’s frequently interrupted by the antics of the obnoxious Pyg, who continues to be one of Batman’s most divisive villains.
The Flash #18 – Simon Spurrier, Writer; Vasco Georgiev, Artist; Matt Herms, Colorist
Ray – 7.5/10
Ray: This run on Flash has had a lot of ups and downs, as it struggles to balance cosmic surrealism with some pretty down-to-earth family plotlines. This arc is now tilting back towards the former, as Wally has split himself into two parts with one half working with the Justice League and the other half on a family vacation to Skartaris. But that vacation has turned into a chaotic battle with Eclipso, with Jai sent off to another dimension with our favorite dog and Wally being trapped in Eclipso’s thrall. There is a ton of exposition in this issue, particularly as Eclipso details just how he’s turned all of Skartaris into his thrall. It has a ton of interesting ideas, but it never really slows down long enough to even feel like there’s any character growth for its core family, to say nothing of the larger Flash family. By the time things settle down, this family could definitely use a vacation from its vacation.
Power Girl #18 – Leah Williams, Writer; David Baldeon, Artist; Romulo Fajardo Jr, Colorist
Ray – 8/10
Ray: Power Girl is a character who never really had that much of a supporting cast or a rogues gallery, so it’s no surprise that this creative team has built most of it from scratch. Now that Paige and her closest friends are busy moving into their new apartment – with the help of some magical guys from Asgard – what could go wrong? Well, for one thing, they could wind up trapped in a time bubble fenced off from the rest of the world with dinosaurs rampaging around. It’s the work of some strange mystical beings led by a mysterious figure named Mother Unwinder, and the visual design of these characters is pretty amazing, even if their plot isn’t all that clear yet. Much like Flash, this is sort of a surreal comic with a cosmic vibe, which doesn’t quite fit Power Girl, but it does have a clearer point of view and its cast of characters has some fun energy that carries this title a long way.
Little Batman: Month One #4 – Morgan Evans, Writer; Jon Mikel, Artist; Ian Herring, Colorist
Ray – 8.5/10
Ray: It’s the final issue to this offbeat sequel to the quirky animated movie which saw a pint-sized Damian Wayne join his father in the crimefighting game. Now, Bruce has been kidnapped by Scarecrow and can’t risk exposing his identity, so it falls to Damian to save the day as Little Batman – if he can ditch his mean, intimidating babysitter. I initially thought this might be Talia or Lady Shiva, but the actual reveal of this woman’s identity sort of comes out of nowhere as she’s a fairly obscure villain. However, the rest of the issue is a blast, as Damian infiltrates the base and tries to get to his father – while Bruce apparently sees his worst nightmares come true under the influence of fear gas. While the art style is pretty distinct and takes some getting used to, there’s some great emotional stuff and humor in this book that makes it a bit of a hidden gem.
To find reviews of all the DC issues, visit DC This Week.
GeekDad received this comic for review purposes.
