Batman Gotham by Gaslight: A League for Justice #3 – Andy Diggle, Rob Williams, Writers; Leandro Fernandez, Artist; Matt Hollingsworth, Colorist
Ray – 9/10
Ray: Andy Diggle gets a new cowriter on this issue, along with a whole lot of new elements as we get to the biggest threat yet. Luthor has succeeded in his plan, and that means Zod has been unleashed on Earth once again. Unfortunately for Luthor, Zod makes no bones about who is in charge here now. This makes for some unlikely bedfellows, as Ra’s and Talia find themselves aligning with the heroes, and John Constantine heads back to Gotham for a heist of his own. The most compelling subplot this issue is definitely the one involving Jay Garrick, who has been trapped between states for years now as part of Luthor’s experiments, and a psychic team-up is needed to snap him out of it and get him back to reality – potentially, with new abilities. This team right now is a very interesting mix of characters, each with their own agenda and with a fascinating period aesthetic that’s really well-thought-out.
Fire and Ice: When Hell Freezes Over #6 – Joanne Starer, Writer; Stephen Byrne, Artist
Ray – 8.5/10
Ray: This chaotic miniseries tried to balance a lot of things. The stuff back in Smallville, which involves all the wacky supporting characters switching bodies, had some really broadly funny moments. Heck, this issue alone involves a real estate scheme and a wave of sewage. And then the Fire and Ice A-plot which sent them to hell wound up delivering some deeply emotional material, going back to the JLA era and Ice’s first death. There were some scenes that were darker and more heartbreaking than most of the DCU’s most serious books. This issue features the two of them pitted against each other once again by the devil, forced to decide who stays behind – but it’s probably not a surprise that they find a third way instead. The ending is a little rushed, and filled with gags, but it continues to deliver some great visuals courtesy of Stephen Byrne and leaves us with a more interesting Smallville than we started with.
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GeekDad received this comic for review purposes
