Batman/Superman: World’s Finest #52 – Mark Waid, Writer; Adrian Gutierrez, Artist; Vicente Cifuentes, Inker; Luis Guerrero, Colorist
Ray – 9/10
Ray: The journey into Skartaris has brought some very interesting new elements to this title. Batman, Superman, and Robin have arrived in the primordial realm in search of pilot Randall Kreitzer, but they found Travis Morgan instead – and the Warlord informs them that Kreitzer has encountered dark powers here, being transformed into a mad witch king who is no longer fully human. As Batman and Morgan’s egos clash and Robin spends a little too much time flirting with the gorgeous women of Skartaris, Superman has been captured by Kreitzer, and thanks to his vulnerability to magic, is quickly tortured and corrupted. This issue gets pretty dark in places, much more in line with the work Mike Grell did on the world of Skartaris in his iconic Warlord series and its follow-ups. That’s a great way to set this arc apart from the other flashback works Waid has done, which have more of a Silver Age aesthetic.
Deathstroke the Terminator #4 – Tony Fleecs, Writer; Carmine Di Giandomenico, Artist; Ivan Plascencia, Colorist
Ray – 9.5/10
Ray: Surprisingly, for a comic that has stripped Slade of everything, this book does an amazing job of capturing all the elements that have formed him to this point. This issue, on the verge of being killed by Deadshot and Deathblow, he gets saved by his daughter Rose. But she’s not there to help him – she wants to kill him herself, for killing the man she viewed as far closer to a father than Slade ever was. He’s able to convince her that he’s innocent and is on the trail of the same thing she is – Wintergreen’s killer. With a car she “borrowed” from Red Hood, father and daughter go on a road trip that leads them to a diner where an encounter with a racist patron leads to another rupture between the two. Along the way, there is some fantastic dialogue that really sums up how complex Slade is as a character and how much damage he’s caused. All four issues have been great, but this one is probably my favorite as a long-time Rose fan.
Lobo #4 – Skottie Young, Writer; Jorge Corona, Artist; Jean-Francois Beaulieu, Colorist
Ray – 9/10
Ray: It’s not really a big surprise that Lobo is teaming up with Supergirl – after all, the movie’s coming. But this issue is exactly as chaotic as I would expect a Skottie Young comic to be. Back on the horse as a bounty hunter, Lobo is looking for an easy score, and he, his new associate, and his dog are planning to rob the Fortress of Solitude. No, not that one – a space-based backup that Superman used for a while but has now become a tourist attraction. They break in, but it turns out that it’s not as abandoned as all that. Supergirl has been using it, and she’s spoiling for a fight. After some hilarious and pretty crude dialogue, they start brawling, but while they’re doing that, their dogs are off having some fun of their own – and that’s what winds up getting them in trouble with the law. This comic is a blast, just like the three previous issues, and it also has a surprising tie-in to what comes next for Kara.
Batwoman #4 – Greg Rucka, Writer; DaNi, Artist; Matt Hollingsworth, Colorist
Ray – 9.5/10
Ray: The first three issues of this series have been a puzzle-box, with Kate seemingly locked up in a Greek sanatorium as she recovers from the death of her sister at her hands – only for Batwoman to head out every night to deal violence, at the same time a mysterious cult plots against them both. But now, things are becoming clearer. The investigations of Jacob Kane and Renee Montoya – who barely survived an encounter with Batwoman – have revealed the truth. Bawoman isn’t Kate at all. And now the story enters its second phase, as Kate is no longer a passive participant in her next act. The reveal as to Batwoman’s identity isn’t a huge surprise, but it is a great development that gives a character the spotlight they’ve deserved for a long time. I’m also really enjoying the whole caustic exes vibe that Kate and Renee are bringing to their scenes together – happy pride month, y’all.
Catwoman #88 – Torunn Gronbekk, Writer; Davide Gianfelice, Artist; Patricio Delpeche, Colorist
Ray – 9/10
Ray: I didn’t expect to see a full-on sequel to the legendary Brubaker/Cooke run – probably the darkest Catwoman story of all time. That title often seemed to be on the fringes of continuity, almost like a Vertigo book, due to how extreme it got. But this run, which brings back Black Mask as the main villain along with Katarina Belov, isn’t shying away from it at all. From Maggie Kyle’s horrific flashbacks to her husband’s murder, to Holly Robinson being pushed to relapse and overdose in Black Mask’s labyrinth, to the torture that Slam Bradley is put through once he’s captured, this issue doesn’t flinch even once as it breaks down Catwoman at the hands of two of her most vicious villains. That unending bleakness can make the issue a little hard to get through at the time, but that’s the story it’s paying tribute to and it’s easily the most thrilling and tense the Catwoman title has been in years.
End of Life #5 – Kyle Starks, Writer; Steve Pugh, Artist; Chris O’Halloran, Colorist
Ray – 9.5/10
Ray: It’s the conclusion of the first big arc, as Eddie Stallion’s demons come back to haunt him. Leona’s son has gotten mixed up in his dealings, and has been kidnapped by deranged cartoonist Richard Smiley. The reclusive, cancelled designer lives in his abandoned amusement park on the edge of town with his acolytes, and Leona gives Smiley an ultimatum to get him back or she’s calling the police on everyone. That’s enough to get Eddie to play hero, especially after a blowup with his dying father again. This book has the perfect mix of pulse-pounding action and darkly funny dialogue, with a great sense of time and place and an excellent villain who manages to be both incredibly evil and funny. This issue is pretty close to perfect, but it also seems to bring an end to the whole Pluto era of the title. I’m very curious to see where it goes now, as the small-town setting was one of the big selling points.
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GeekDad received this comic for review purposes
