#IReadsYou Review: NOCTERRA #7

NOCTERRA #7
IMAGE COMICS/Best Jacket Press

STORY: Scott Snyder and Tony S. Daniel
PENCILS: Tony S. Daniel
INKS: Sandu Florea and Tony S. Daniel
COLORS: Marcelo Maiolo
LETTERS: Andworld Design
EDITOR: Will Dennis
COVER: Tony S. Daniel with Marcelo Maiolo
VARIANT COVER ARTISTS: Jason Fabok with Brad Anderson; Dani with Brad Simpson; Tony S. Daniel and Marcelo Maiolo
28pp, Colors, 3.99 U.S. (February 2022)

Rated “M/ Mature”

“Pedal to the Metal” Part One

Nocterra is a horror and science fiction comic book series from writer Scott Snyder and artist Tony S. Daniel.  Published by Image Comics, Nocterra is set on an Earth that has been experiencing an everlasting night, the “Big PM,” since the sky went dark and the world was plunged into an everlasting night over a decade ago.  Inker Sandu Florea, colorist Marcelo Maiolo, and letterer Andworld Design complete the series' creative current team.

In Nocterra, any living organisms left unlit in the dark for more than 10 hours start undergoing a biological transformation.  Soon, the living turn into monstrous versions of themselves, becoming something called a “Shade.”

Valentina “Val” Riggs – call sign “Sundog,” – was in the fifth grade the day the “Big PM” occurred.  Fourteen years later (“14 PM”), Val drives a big rig hauler, a heavily-illuminated 18-wheeler known as the “Sundog Convoy.”  A skilled “ferryman” Val transports people and goods along deadly unlit roads between the few remaining human outposts.  Aboard her rig is Bailey McCray, the rig's “bean counter,” and Emory “Em” Riggs, Val's brother who was cured of the Shade infection.

As Nocterra #7 opens, it is almost “14 PM,” fourteen years after the “Big PM.”  The Sundog leads a convoy of four rigs, including itself.  Their goal is Outpost 31, also known as the “Drive-in.”  They're hoping to get information on Bailey's late grandfather, August McCray, who may have been one of the people who helped bring the darkness, but who also claimed to have a way to bring back the light.

Meanwhile, Blacktop Bill meets some old friends.  Can Val and friends save the world?  And what dirty deals with they have to make to do it?

THE LOWDOWN:  After the sour taste that the Nocterra Blacktop Bill Special left in my imagination, I needed the the first chapter of the main series' second story arc, “Pedal to the Metal,” to bring back the good feelings this series gave me.  It did.

From the beginning of Nocterra, writer Scott Snyder has offered his readers a comic book series that reads like an old-fashioned pulp serial, complete with cliffhanger endings.  Nocterra is a mixed genre treat; sometimes it is like a penny dreadful and other times it is constantly dropping apocalyptic science fiction elements.

Now drawing with an inker (Sandu Florea) and with a new colorist Marcelo Maiolo, artist Tony S. Daniel electric storytelling is still … electric, moving swiftly from panel to panel.  Daniel builds up to an occasional big splash sequence that makes the story explode off the page while hitting the key points of the plot.  It makes for engaging and bracing comic book storytelling.

Nocterra is back.  And here, the dark is still good.

I READS YOU RECOMMENDS:  Fans of Scott Snyder and Tony S. Daniel will want to sample Nocterra.

A

★★★★+ out of 4 stars

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux a.k.a. "I Reads You"


https://twitter.com/Ssnyder1835
https://www.instagram.com/ssnyder1835/
https://twitter.com/TonyDanielx2
https://tonydaniel.bigcartel.com/
https://twitter.com/tomeu_morey
https://twitter.com/deronbennett
https://twitter.com/andworlddesign
https://twitter.com/ImageComics
https://imagecomics.com/


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#IReadsYou Review: GEIGER #1

GEIGER #1
IMAGE COMICS/Mad Ghost

STORY: Geoff Johns
ART: Gary Frank
COLORS: Brad Anderson
LETTERS: Rob Leigh
EDITOR: Pat McCallum
COVER: Gary Frank
VARIANT COVER ARTISTS: Erik Larsen; Jason Fabok; Gary Frank
32pp, Colors, 3.99 U.S. (April 2021)

Rated “T+/Teen Plus”

Geiger created by Geoff Johns and Gary Frank

Geiger is a new comic book series from writer Geoff Johns and artist Gary Frank.  Published by Image Comics, Geiger is set on a dying Earth in the years after a nuclear war ravaged the planet.  Colorist Brad Anderson and letterer Rob Leigh complete the series' creative team.

Geiger #1 opens 20 years after the nuclear war known as the “Unknown War” ravaged the planet, turning Earth into a dying world.  In the state of Nevada, desperate outlaws battle for survival in a world of rapidly disappearing resources and supplies.  But there is still time for myths and legends.

In the wasteland that was Boulder, Nevada, there is man even the most fearsome avoid.  People have given him a multitude of nicknames:  Joe Glow, The Meltdown Man, the Monster of Boulder City, the One Who Walks Outside Without a Suit, the Walking Bomb, and the Man of Mass Destruction, to name a few.  But before the war, he was simply a man named Tariq Geiger.  So who or what is Geiger, now?

THE LOWDOWN:  As first issues go, Geiger #1 is mostly an introduction, kind of like a prologue.  This first issue introduces the title character, Geiger, giving readers a look at who he was in the past and a glance at who he is now.

Honestly, Geiger #1 isn't Geoff Johns or Gary Frank's best work, but it is intriguing.  One has to consider what they have done as a creative team, such as the recently acclaimed Doomsday Clock, a sequel (of sorts) to Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons' legendary comic book, Watchmen.  So Johns and Frank are not going to deliver “perfect ten” comic books every time they drop a new issue or graphic novel.

Frank's pencil art is rougher and less refined than his usual work, which is a good thing here.  It is as if Frank is letting readers now that Geiger isn't some superhero fast food or dessert.  Frank's compositions and graphical storytelling are edgy and bleak, and it all looks like he is indicating that he is embarking on something quite different from past works.  To go along with this, colorist Brad Anderson offers earthy tones instead of his usual bright superhero comics colors.

Writer Geoff Johns seems to be mixing genres in the creation of Geiger.  The post-apocalypse apparently has crime lords, mutants, and loners.  Geiger has elements that are similar to those found in Harlan Ellison's short story, “A Boy and His Dog” and in the Mad Max films.  There are probably elements from other fictions that I don't recognize, and future issues could reveal even more.  Letterer Rob Leigh keeps the pace nice and easy so that readers can slowly figure their way around Geiger.

Geiger intrigues me, but honestly, I am not sure that I would keep reading Geiger if I had to buy it.  But since I don't have to pay for it, I'll keep reading … for the time being.

I READS YOU RECOMMENDS:  Fans of Geoff Johns and Gary Frank will want to check out Geiger.

B+
7 out of 10

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux a.k.a. "I Reads You"


https://twitter.com/geoffjohns
http://www.madghost.com/
https://twitter.com/1moreGaryFrank
https://twitter.com/ImageComics
https://imagecomics.com/


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Review: THE MAN OF STEEL #1

THE MAN OF STEEL No. 1 (2018)
DC COMICS – @DCComics

[This review was originally posted on Patreon.]

SCRIPT: Brian Michael Bendis
PENCILS: Ivan Reis; Jason Fabok (pp. 21-22)
INKS: Joe Prado; Jason Fabok (pp. 21-22)
COLORS: Alex Sinclair
LETTERS: Cory Petit
EDITOR: Michael Cotton
COVER: Ivan Reis and Joe Prado with Alex Sinclair
32pp, Color, $3.99 U.S. (July 2018)

Superman created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster

“Man of Steel “ Part 1

In November 2017, Marvel Comics' best writer of the last two decades, Brian Michael Bendis, ended his tenure with Marvel and signed an exclusive deal with Marvel's rival, DC Comics.  It was not long before rumors of Bendis focusing on the character Superman were burning up the e-grapevine.

After serving up a Superman tale in the anthology and milestone comic book, Action Comics #1000, Brian Michael Bendis officially begins his tenure as the lead writer of the Superman comic book line with the six-issue, weekly miniseries, The Man of Steel.  Each issue will feature a different art team, and the artists for the first issue are Ivan Reis (pencils) and Joe Prado (inks), with Jason Fabok drawing the story's last two pages (pp. 21-22).  Alex Sinclair colors, and Cory Petit letters.

The Man of Steel #1 opens sometime in the past when a being named “Rogol Zaar” declares that Krypton must destroyed.  Kryptonians mean to destroy the rest of the galaxy, according to Rogol, so they must be destroyed first.  Rogol believes he is just the being who can and should do the destroying.  Back in the present, Superman believes that he has discovered that arson is plaguing a particular section of Metropolis.  Meanwhile, Clark Kent deals with work and family, not realizing that a new threat to destroy him is emerging.

In late 1986, DC Comics published a special, event miniseries, entitled The Man of Steel.  Written and drawn by John Byrne, then one of the most popular and powerful comic book writer-artists, The Man of Steel re-imagined, rebooted, and modernized Superman.  After decades of stagnation up to the mid-1980s (according to some), the Superman comic book line needed a course correction.  Byrne's The Man of Steel was a seismic shift in terms of what a Superman comic book could and should be.

Brian Michael Bendis' The Man of Steel 2018 is quieter because it does not need to modernize Superman.  John Byrne already did that, beginning with The Man of Steel during his subsequent two-year run as writer-artist and writer on Superman, Action Comics, and The Adventures of Superman titles.  Since he does not have to modernize Superman, Bendis can focus on the character and personality of the Man of Steel.

Bendis presents Superman/Clark Kent as stoic and stalwart, but with a generous sense of humor.  I think that this Bendis Superman of the comic books is so like the cinematic Superman portrayed by beloved actor, the late Christopher Reeve.  Bendis's Superman is not so different from Patrick J. Tomasi and Patrick Gleason's Man of Steel, as seen during their recent run on the flagship comic book, Superman, except the emotional component of Bendis' Superman/Clark Kent is a bit edgier, even with the humor present.

Apparently, from what I have read, Bendis is rewriting Superman's origins.  Still, 2018 The Man of Steel does not seem like a sea change in terms of Superman's world and fictional mythology the way the 1986 Byrne miniseries was and still is.  However, from a character and emotional point of view, Bendis may adding or changing something rather than fashioning a new Man of Steel

8.5 out of 10

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux a.k.a. "I Reads You"


The text is copyright © 2018 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog or site for reprint and syndication rights and fees.

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Review: SWAMP THING Winter Special

SWAMP THING: WINTER SPECIAL #1
DC COMICS – @DCComics

[This review was originally posted on Patreon.]

STORY: Tom King; Len Wein
ART: Jason Fabok; Kelley Jones
COLORS: Brad Anderson; Michelle Madsen
LETTERS: Deron Bennett
COVER: Jason Fabok
MISC. ART: José Luis García-López; José Luis García-López and Joe Prado; José Luis García-López and Joe Prado with Mark Chiarello
80pp, Color, $7.99 U.S. (March 2018)

Rated “T” for Teen

Swamp Thing created by Len Wein and Bernie Wrightson

Editor's Note by Rebecca Taylor

Swamp Thing is a horror comic book character from DC Comics.  While there have been different versions of the character, Swamp Thing is a plant elemental and a sentient, walking mass of plant matter.  Created by writer Len Wein and artist Bernie Wrightson, Swamp Thing first appeared in House of Secrets #92 (cover dated July 1971).

In 2017, both Wein and Wrightson died.  In 2016, DC Comics published a six-issue Swamp Thing comic book miniseries written by Wein and collected in a trade paperback, Swamp Thing: The Dead Don't Sleep.  Before he died, Wein was working on a new Swamp Thing series with artist Kelley Jones, who drew The Dead Don't Sleep.  This new series would have also been a continuation of the miniseries, and the first issue would have been published as Swamp Thing #7.

Wein produced a detailed plot for the first issue/chapter (“Spring Awakening!”), but died before he could produce a “lettering script” for the first issue of this new Swamp Thing series.  The art for the new comic, drawn by Kelley Jones and colored by Michelle Madsen, is printed in a recently published square-bound, one-shot, comic book, Swamp Thing: Winter Special.  In a two-page editor's note, Rebecca Taylor explains the situation around this still-born project.  Swamp Thing: Winter Special also includes Wein's plot for Swamp Thing #7, which runs six pages (for a 20 page story).

“Spring Awakening” depicts long-time villain, Solomon Grundy, kidnapping an infant girl, and, later, Batman visiting Swamp Thing.  I don't know what to make of the story other than I would have loved to have read a finished version.  I am a longtime fan of Kelley Jones, and I love the way Michelle Madsen colors Jones' comic book art.  I am not a big fan of Swamp Thing unless the stories are produced by particular creators, and, of course, Wein was one of them, so...

The Wein tribute is the opening story of Swamp Thing: Winter Special.  Entitled “The Talk of the Saints,” it is written by Tom King; drawn by Jason Fabok; colored by Brad Anderson; and lettered by Deron Bennett.

“The Talk of the Saints” finds Swamp Thing shepherding a lost boy through a blinding snow storm.  As the two navigate a strange, frozen tundra, they face countless threats, especially an unseen bloodthirsty snow monster that is constantly stalking them.  Stripped of his powers and disconnected from “the Green,” Swamp Thing must uncover the true identity of the snow monster that hunts them.

Tom King's story does offers some genuinely scary and creepy moments, but, at the same time, it comes across as awkward poetry and metaphor.  The art by illustrator Jason Fabok and colorist Brad Anderson is gorgeous and, outside of Kelley Jones and Michelle Madsen's work, is some of the most beautiful Swamp Thing comic book art that I have see in years, especially the last five pages of this story.

Letterer Deron Bennett presents lettering that really heightens the chills and thrills.  For me, Bennett unites what is good about Tom King's story and the prettiness of the art into a striking graphical package.

Swamp Thing: Winter Special is not great, but it is an essential publication for Swamp Thing fans, if only for the Len Wein tributes and story material. But a Swamp Thing comic book full of pretty art is a good reason to have this one-shot comic book.

7.5 out of 10

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux a.k.a. "I Reads You"


The text is copyright © 2018 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog or site for reprint and syndication rights and fees.

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Review: JUSTICE LEAGUE VS. SUICIDE SQUAD #1

JUSTICE LEAGUE VS. SUICIDE SQUAD No. 1 (OF 6)
DC COMICS – @DCComics

[This review was originally posted on Patreon.]

STORY: Joshua Williamson
ART: Jason Fabok
COLORS: Alex Sinclair
LETTERS: Rob Leigh
COVER: Joshua Fabok with Alex Sinclair
VARIANT COVERS: Amanda Conner with Laura Martin; Gary Frank with Brad Anderson
40pp, Color, $3.99 U.S. (February 2017)

Rated “T” for “Teen”

The Justice League is the greatest superhero team in the world (at least, in the DC Comics universe).  The Suicide Squad is the deadliest team of super-powered individuals on the planet.  Now, these two teams clash in DC Comics' event, crossover miniseries, Justice League vs. Suicide Squad.  Published weekly, this series is written by Joshua Williamson; drawn by Jason Fabok; colored by Alex Sinclair; and Rob Leigh.

Justice League vs. Suicide Squad #1 opens in Death Valley, California for some deadly doings at The Catacombs, the most top secret prison in the world.  But the main action is in the nation of Badhnisia.  That is where we find Deadshot, Captain Bommerang, El Diablo, Enchantress, Killer Croc, Killer Frost, and Harley Quinn.  They are Amanda Waller's “Task Force X,” also known as “Suicide Squad,” and they are there to stop a super-powered zealot from destroying the nation as part of some kind of vague, but ominous religious rite.

The execution of said mission draws the attention of the Justice League:  Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, Aquaman, Cyborg, Flash, and Green Lantern-Simon Baz and Green Lantern-Jessica Cruz.  They are ready to shut Task Force X down for good.  Let's get ready to rumble!  Wait!  Another bad-ass group wants to join the fun.

I could be cynical about Justice League vs. Suicide Squad, but to be honest, I wanted to read this as soon as I heard about it.  So how is Justice League vs. Suicide Squad#1.  It's good with some nice slow boiling and building of tension, but it only teases the climax.  This first issue suggests that the entire six-issue series won't be padded with extraneous scenes in order to get to six issues – at least it seems that way.

It's OK to like this even if you aren't the biggest superhero comic book fan or reader.  C'mon, you know you want it.  The Justice League and the Suicide Squad were bound to tangle; it's only natural.  Also, series artist Jason Fabok is proving that he can handle drawing and storytelling in big superhero comics with big characters and even bigger stories, and I like looking at his art.  Hey, gotta run.  I have a few more issues of this series to read.

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux a.k.a. "I Reads You"


The text is copyright © 2017 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog or site for syndication rights and fees.

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Review: SUICIDE SQUAD #1

SUICIDE SQUAD No. 1 (2016)
DC COMICS – @DCComics

[This review was originally posted on Patreon.]

STORY: Rob Williams
PENCILS: Jim Lee
INKS: Scott Williams
COLORS: Alex Sinclair
LETTERS: Nate Piekos of Blambot
COVER: Jim Lee and Scott Williams with Alex Sinclair
VARIANT COVER: Lee Bermejo
32pp, Color, $2.99 U.S. (October 2016)

Rated “T+” for “Teen Plus”

“The Black Vault” Part One: “I Wanna Be Sedated”

Suicide Squad by Robert Kanigher and Ross Andru

Suicide Squad is a DC Comics team.  It first debuted in The Brave and the Bold #25 (cover dated: August/September 1959) and was created by writer Robert Kanigher and artist Ross Andru.

The second Suicide Squad appeared in Legends #3 (cover dated: January 1987), the 1986 DC Comics event miniseries. Created by John Ostrander, this Suicide Squad was “Task Force X,” an anti-hero team of incarcerated super-villains that undertook high-risk, black ops missions in exchange for commuted prison sentences.

With the re-launch of DC Comics’ superhero line, “The New 52,” there was a new Suicide Squad comic book series.  The Suicide Squad was a team of super-villains, in which the members took on risky missions in exchange for time served. The team’s base of operations was Belle Reve Penitentiary, a special prison for meta-humans and super-villains located in Terrebonne Parish, Louisiana.

With the “Rebirth” event, there is a new Suicide Squad comic book.  It is written by Rob Williams; drawn by Jim Lee (pencils) and Scott Williams (inks); colored by Alex Sinclair; and lettered by Nate Piekos.

Suicide Squad #1 (“I Wanna Be Sedated”) finds Amanda Waller, the head of Task Force X, making a trip to Belle Reve Penitentiary where she meets with Colonel Rick Flag, Suicide Squad Field Commander, and his second-in-command, Katana.  Together, they will select a squad of super-villain scum for a mission to retrieve or destroy an alien item that a rogue Russian state is studying.  However, this Suicide Squad:  Deadshot, Harley Quinn, Captain Boomerang; The Enchantress, and Killer Croc may not be badass enough to compete this mission.

The main story is 13 pages long and is not long enough for me to get much of a feel for the quality of the beginning of the story arc.  I can say two things.  First, I don't feel I need to read more. Second, Jim Lee is on the down side of his career.  Compared to even his average work, this is poor.

“Never Miss”
STORY: Rob Williams
ARTIST: Jason Fabok
COLORS: Brad Anderson
LETTERS: Nate Piekos

“Never Miss” is kind of an origin story slash biography slash early tale of the career of Deadshot.  I liked it.  It's dark and depicts Floyd Lawton a.k.a. Deadshot as a man who is much more complicated and conflicted than his costumed self suggests.  Writer Rob Williams smartly depicts the high costs of being Deadshot, and Jason Fabok's dark compositions makes this tale's tragic angle feel genuine.

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux a.k.a. "I Reads You"


The text is copyright © 2016 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog or site for syndication rights and fees.

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DC Comics from Diamond Distributors for January 25, 2017

DC COMICS

NOV160193    ACTION COMICS #972    $2.99
NOV160194    ACTION COMICS #972 VAR ED    $2.99
NOV160204    BATGIRL #7    $2.99
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OCT160299    BATMAN ARKHAM MANBAT TP    $19.99
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AUG160373    BATMAN BLACK & WHITE STATUE BY JASON FABOK    $80.00
AUG160340    BATMAN BRAVE & THE BOLD BRONZE AGE OMNIBUS HC (RES)    $125.00
SEP160336    BATMAN DEATH AND THE MAIDENS DLX ED HC    $29.99
NOV160212    BLUE BEETLE #5    $2.99
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NOV160309    FUTURE QUEST #9    $3.99
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OCT160294    GREEN LANTERNS TP VOL 01 RAGE PLANET (REBIRTH)    $16.99
NOV160238    HAL JORDAN AND THE GREEN LANTERN CORPS #13    $2.99
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NOV160244    HELLBLAZER #6    $2.99
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NOV160189    JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA KILLER FROST REBIRTH #1    $2.99
NOV160190    JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA KILLER FROST REBIRTH #1 VAR ED    $2.99
NOV160172    JUSTICE LEAGUE SUICIDE SQUAD #6 (OF 6)    $3.99
NOV160173    JUSTICE LEAGUE SUICIDE SQUAD #6 (OF 6) CONNER VAR ED    $3.99
NOV160174    JUSTICE LEAGUE SUICIDE SQUAD #6 (OF 6) GARCIA LOPEZ VAR ED    $3.99
NOV160160    KAMANDI CHALLENGE #1 (OF 12)    $4.99
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DEC160364    LOONEY TUNES #235    $2.99
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NOV160177    SUICIDE SQUAD #10 (JL SS)    $2.99
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NOV160262    TEEN TITANS #4    $2.99
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NOV160270    WONDER WOMAN #15    $2.99
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Review: JUSTICE LEAGUE #41

JUSTICE LEAGUE #41
DC COMICS – @DCComics

[This review was originally posted on Patreon.]

WRITER: Geoff Johns
ART: Jason Fabok
COLORS: Brad Anderson
LETTERS: Rob Leigh
COVER: Jason Fabok with Brad Anderson
VARIANT COVERS: David Finch and Jonathan Glapion with Brad Anderson (Joker 75th Anniversary Cover)
48pp, Color, $4.99 U.S. (August 2015)

Rated “T” for “Teen”

“The Darkseid War” Chapter One: “God vs. Man”

I picked up the forty-first issue of Justice League because it was the first “DCYou” issue, but I had no intention of reviewing it.  However, I enjoyed it so much that I had to share the good news.  Could we have what is the beginnings of a second Justice League creative dream team?  Writer Geoff Johns, artist Jason Fabok, colorist Brad Anderson, and letterer Rob Leigh might make the answer in the affirmative.

Justice League #41 (The Darkseid War Chapter One: “God vs. Man”) opens with two mysterious figures (Kanto and Lashina) in the midst of an apparent killing spree.  Meanwhile, Mister Miracle is trying to discover what Darkseid is up to.

Steve Trevor is with the Justice League:  Wonder Woman, Batman, Cyborg, Flash, Shazam, and the Green Lanterns: Hal Jordan and Jessica Cruz, as they investigate a crime scene.  So why is the Justice League interested in what appears to be a mere homicide?  Meanwhile, Superman finds himself having to deal with Lex Luthor.  And who is Myrina Black?

“God vs. Man” is a first chapter that does not short the reader on awesome superhero fantasy-action theatrics.  Justice League #40 was the prelude to “The Darkseid War,” so issue #41 is free to go crazy, which writer Geoff Johns does.  I do get the feeling that Johns is going to do more than merely throw big fight scenes and spectacular sequences at us.  In this issue, he teases at the frailties, doubts, and past grievances and injuries of several of the characters.  My reading of it is that this big JL event will find much of its conflict originating from the interior lives of several of the main players.

I don't want to give short-shrift to artist Jason Fabok, because, as the artist, he is the “sequential artist” who builds that panels that we read and interpret.  I am still trying to get used to the idea of Fabok as the appropriate artist for a big superhero team book like Justice League.  His storytelling is good, but his style lacks the visual punch of someone like Jim Lee, who is perfect for a book like Justice League.  Still, I think Fabok could be the artist half of a memorable Justice League creative team.  “The Darkseid War” will tell if Fabok is the right guy.

A

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux


The text is copyright © 2015 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog for reprint and syndication rights and fees.

I Reads You Review: BATMAN ETERNAL #1

BATMAN ETERNAL #1
DC COMICS – @DCComics

STORY/SCRIPT: Scott Snyder and James Tynion IV with Ray Fawkes, John Layman, and Tim Seeley
ART: Jason Fabok
COLORS: Brad Anderson
LETTERS: Nick J. Napolitano
COVER: Jason Fabok with Tomeu Morey
VARIANT COVER: Andy Kubert and Jonathan Glapion with Brad Anderson
32pp, Color, $2.99 U.S. (June 2014)

Rated “T” for “Teen”

Batman created by Bob Kane with Bill Finger

Although we are already a few issues in, I just obtained a copy of Batman Eternal #1.  DC Entertainment and Warner Bros. have begun the celebration of the 75th anniversary of the debut of Batman (in Detective Comics #27: cover dated May 1939).  Part of DC Comics’ year-long celebration is the launch of Batman Eternal, a new, year-long, weekly comic book series, which will apparently consist of 60 issues.

Scott Snyder, the writer of the ongoing Batman comic book series, is Batman Eternal’s lead writer with James Tynion IV.  The series’ other writers are Ray Fawkes, Tim Seeley, and John Layman; Layman’s work will appear early in the series, before Kyle Higgins replaces him.  The art at the beginning of Batman Eternal will be provided by Jason Fabok.  Batman Eternal will apparently feature an “immense cast” (according to the “DC Comics All Access” column) and will focus on Batman’s relationship with his allies and with Gotham City (“his city”)

Early in Batman Eternal #1, we meet Jason Bard.  Bard is a young police lieutenant who is transferring to the Gotham City Police Department from Detroit.  He arrives in Gotham, where he gets a welcome from Harvey Bullock.  Meanwhile, Batman and police Commissioner James “Jim” Gordon are on the trail of Professor Pyg.  Then, everything starts to go bad.

I enjoyed reading Batman Eternal #1.  It’s interesting, though not the most interesting Batman comic book of the moment, but it could be.  There is potential here, especially because of the way this first issue begins and ends.  I can say that I am impressed with the art by Jason Fabok.  He has an old-school style, in which he uses his inking to create depth, texture, and feathering – three elements many current comic book artists have given over to the people that color comic book art.

For the time being, I plan to keep following Batman Eternal.

B+

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux


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