CORT: Children of the Round Table #4 – Tom Taylor, Writer; Daniele Di Nicuolo, Artist; Rain Beredo, Colorist
Ray – 9/10
Ray: This original fantasy series continues to be one of the most entertaining new concepts DC has come up with in some time, taking a diverse group of middle-school soccer players and giving them possession of enchanted weapons powered by the spirits of the Knights of the Round Table. Now, their training begins – under the tutelage of Merlin and a surprising drill instructor. As the influence of their spirits grows, these kids find themselves torn apart in some interesting ways, as each starts to reflect the personality of the hero they’re bonded to. There are some really interesting callbacks to Arthurian lore here, but the main villain of the series turns out to be something much more current and close-to-home. Overall, this series feels like it might be more suited to a full-length graphic novel, but I think it’s definitely going to find its audience as it ramps up the action and suspense.
Batman Gotham by Gaslight: A League for Justice #6 – Andy Diggle, Writer; Leandro Fernandez, Artist; Matt Hollingsworth, Colorist
Ray – 9/10
Ray: The final issue of this series – for now – has dispatched General Zod, and is now on to the Phantom Zone, which here isn’t just a Kryptonian prison. It’s a cosmic realm that’s home to Darkseid himself and has a distinct horror theme. With John Constantine guiding them into the supernatural, the heroes found themselves confronted with horrific specters of their past, taunting them with failures real and imagined. The visuals in this segment are spectacular, and the oversized final issue allows for one last shocking betrayal – and another double-cross of a double-cross from there, as is perfectly suited to one character. This issue does have a lot of characters in it, some of which don’t get much time to shine, but its retro-adventure tone and its Lovecraftian leanings provide a ton of interesting ground for the series to work with as it comes back for another installment down the line.
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GeekDad received this comic for review purposes
