Cheetah and Cheshire Rob the Justice League #5 – Greg Rucka, Writer; Nicola Scott, Artist; Annette Kwok, Colorist
Ray – 9/10
Ray: It’s heist time, as Cheetah and Cheshire’s crew puts their plan into motion. Cheetah has already been captured, a key part of their plan – because Lian is on the Watchtower as well, and no one suspects her. This issue is mostly about how the crew breaks down the Watchtower’s defenses one by one, in clever and often gruesome ways. The best thing about this issue is that this plot obviously comes from a writer who knows a lot about crime fiction. However, to get there it does require giving some leeway on characterization – particularly on Lian, who kind of seems like the opposite version of her character from Green Arrow right now, where she’s fully committed to life as a superhero. The back half of the issue is where everything hits the fan and betrayals are revealed – those by the heist team, and one within the heist team as well. The stakes are dramatically raised before the final issue, exactly as it should be.
Poison Ivy #39 – G. Willow Wilson, Writer; Marcio Takara, Artist; Arif Prianto, Colorist
Ray – 8.5/10
Ray: After last issue’s intense confab with the forces of nature, as Ivy desperately struggled to save Janet’s life, this issue takes a breather and lets the two women have some time to themselves. Janet is still extremely sick and weak, so Ivy cooks her a meal – one infused with the power of the Green in some unique ways, as the two talk over their betrayals and failings. This takes up about two-thirds of the issue and ends with an emotional reconnection, so your interest in this issue will heavily depend on your interest in Janet – and I’ve got to admit, mine isn’t the highest, especially given who shows up in the final pages. But this seems like it’s a necessary bridge issue to get us to the next big arc plot, where Ivy returns to Gotham for a much bigger showdown. This series has been going so long, with one continuous storyline, that it’s incredibly impressive what the creative team has pulled off.
Teen Titans Go! #10 – J. Torres, Writer; Dario Brizuela, Artist; Franco Riesco, Colorist
Ray – 8/10
Ray: It’s time for the annual Teen Titans Christmas, and the team is heading to the Doom Patrol’s house to reunite with Beast Boy’s adoptive family. It’s fun to see some new characters reinvented in this style, although a lot of them are very different – I haven’t watched the show, so I assume this is based on the stylistic decisions the show made. However, Beast Boy is busy running errands and the Chief warns the Titans that they’re being pursued by Madame Rouge, a supervillain who tries to ruin their Christmas every year. This leads to a dense, funny issue where the shape-changing villain could be anyone and anything, as the Teen Titans nearly destroy the house trying to find her. There are some amazing physical comedy bits, with a clever resolution. I think the very distinctive comedy style of Teen Titans Go works better in this issue than it usually does in comic form.
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GeekDad received this comic for review purposes
