Batman Meets Godzilla #1 Review

Writers: Eric Elliott, Paul McCoy, Matt Dennion

and Neale Jutzen.

Artists: Kero Wack, Stephen Schilling, Josue Cubero

Ian Miller and many more.

Rating: 6 of 8

Batman Meets Godzilla #1

Batman and Godzilla. These are two characters I never expected to see together, but in Batman vs Godzilla, we do and, so far, so good. I never expected a story with such a serious, grim character like Batman battling a massive, fearsome one like Godzilla to work, but surprisingly, it does.

A lot of the reason for this might be because of the version of Batman they use. Instead of going for the grimmer, more serious Dark Knight, Elliott very wisely uses the kookier, offbeat Adam West version, paired with Burt Ward's Boy Wonder. This particular iteration of the Dark Knight fits a lot better with such an offbeat concept.

In this issue, you get a lot less Godzilla than you might expect, but I appreciate Elliott and co not rushing his introduction. Even before the King of the Monsters enters the frame, the Duo's got more than enough to keep them busy, between hidden assassins, the Weather Prophet and his threat to destroy Japan. Honestly, his plan doesn't make much sense, as he threatens to destroy Japan if he isn't made Emperor of Japan, but if he destroys it, he won't have anything to rule.

I've gotta praise the writers for their choice of villain. I never expected to see them here, but was very pleasantly surprised that they were. When it comes to the art, I think Cubero's could be better. At times, it's a bit brighter than I'd like, with the characters drawn more simply than in later pages, like Miller's, which has a more unique style.

This is definitely evident in an early fight scene with the Dynamic Duo, which is packed with energy, greater detail and the classic POW, WHACK and KACHOOM that I loved in the TV show. The issue's also a decent amount of the classic Robin one-liners, like 'Holy Masses!' and 'Holy Jolly Giants Batman', which I really love.

Overall, despite a couple flaws, the issue's well worth a read, especially for another classic West style Batman adventure. I think there'll be more Godzilla next issue and I'll be intrigued to see how that part of the story works. Definitely recommend it.

Justice League #41 Review

Writer: Robert Venditti

Artist: Aaron Lopresti

Rating: 6 of 8

Justice League #41

It can be hard to follow up an epic. That's definitely the case here, with Hawkman's Robert Venditti taking the reins from Scott Snyder. He's definitely not a bad writer, but so far his run's been underwhelming compared to Snyder's.

Where in Snyder's, the League had to stop humanity giving up on justice and deal with a being who had wiped out universes, in Venditti's, they have to deal with a Daxamite army with power equal to Superman. Led by longtime Superman foe Eradicator, they seek to turn the Earth into a New Krypton. Despite how big of a threat this is, the stakes feel a lot lower than they were even two issues ago.

While kicking off on a relatively low stakes threat can be refreshing after such a lengthy saga, it can also be disappointing due to just how large a scope Snyder shot for. Surprisingly, his run seemed to end on a cliffhanger and while I hoped it'd be resolved in the next issue, I was disappointed to see that wasn't the case. So far, there hasn't been any mention of what'd been happening in Justice/Doom War, without any changes in the status quo because of it, which doesn't make sense to me.

Despite this, there are some pretty good moments; like when Superman affirms he's ''not just Kal-El from Krypton. I'm Clark Kent from Kansas!'' It reaffirms his strong connection with Earth as his home, while also recognizing what he's done in his own comic, which I also like. It was also great seeing Batman humble himself to get Madame Xanadu's help, perhaps revealing some self-doubt.

Overall, the issue's fine, which is disappointing for Justice League. As he's only 2 issues in, Venditti could always improve over time, but only time will tell.

The Leaders of the Free World #1 Review

Writer: Corey Pruitt

Artist: Elijah Isaiah Johnson

Rating: 5 of 8

The Leaders of the Free World #1

Sometimes the different pieces of something good fail to come together to make a greater whole. Unfortunately, that's the case with The Leaders of the Free World's debut issue. There're different elements that, if better realized, could make for a more satisfying issue, but they aren't.

I will praise how Pruitt tells us the world's history. Instead of one character explaining it to another, we find it out from Cong Li reading out his history book in class, which is a unique way to fill us in on the world's history. 

So far, Li isn't a really likable or compelling protagonist. He has such an attitude that it feels like he's rebelling against something, but what? It could be what they're being taught. Not understanding it, or agreeing with it. Or that he's not allowed to use his powers in other parts of the world, so needs to let that anger out somewhere. 

Even though it's only brief, I liked the conversation between Brotha Nature and his mother Gaea. It teased an interesting internal conflict that could be interesting to see explored in future issues. I didn't understand why it ended all of a sudden, with the next scene being between them, Cong and his friend.

The issue also didn't explain what Cong and Cage were doing there and only alluded to why Nature was chastising them, instead of showing what angered him. I feel the issue ended abruptly and that it was odd it ended where it did, having only switched scenes. It might've been better if the issue had the Moonshine scenes toward the end, instead of having the Cong scenes interrupt the flow.

Overall, a disappointing 1st issue. Shows some promise, particularly with Brotha Nature's internal conflict, but not much else. Art's mostly a bit messy, though there is some excitement from a scene where superhero Technokinetic faces off against a giant octopus. Most of the Godsend are very well drawn, with Johnson here evoking a style reminiscent of classic superhero comics. Hopefully future issues are an improvement.

Ant-Man (2020) #1 Review

Writer: Zeb Wells

Artist: Dylan Burnett

Rating: 6 of 8

Ant-Man #1

Good things can come in small packages. That's certainly the case with Ant-Man #1, the first Ant-Man comic in years. One of it's highlights is definitely it's humour. Whether it's an ant giving out to Scott, or a beekeeper telling him they should've called Bee-Man, the issue's filled with a very welcome humour that really helps it stand apart from other comics on the market.

 Instead of hearing what insects said from Ant-Man, we get to see what they said from the insect's mouth. Instead of having them speak like people, they have a shorter, more straightforward speech pattern. I really loved Well's using a lesser known villain, one that I never expected to see, but makes perfect sense for Ant-Man to take on.

Here, Scott and his daughter Cassie have a more fractious relationship than I expected, though that could be because they're not used to fighting crime together, so it could take some time to adjust. The art isn't as defined as I'd like, though it really shines at times, like when Scott pops out to greet Cassie, or when he's shrinking.

I don't usually praise lettering, but Cory Petit did a great job, particularly when Cassie's shouting for her Dad, or when he leaves his 'house'. Overall, a pretty good 1st issue and one I'd happily recommend. It's not perfect, but I enjoyed it a lot more than I expected to. It'll be interesting to see where things go from here, particularly due to how it ends. Definitely worth a read.