Detective Comics #1039 Review

Writers: Mariko Tamaki and

T. Rex

Artists: Viktor Bogdanovic,

T. Rex and more

Rating: 7 of 8

Detective Comics #1039

There's more than one kind of sickness. There's the sickness of body. The sickness of mind - and perhaps worst of all, the sickness of the soul. Though, like the mind's sickness, it can't be seen on the surface, it's still one of the deadliest kinds. It's the failing of a man on a core, spiritual level and is usually harder to treat than nearly any other kind.

It's a sickness that affects many of Gotham's people and Hue Vile is no exception. As we see in both Tamaki and T. Rex's tales, there's something less than human about the Mayor's assistant (which makes him a perfect fit for politics). He has the ability to infect other people, making them give into their violent impulses. They, too, can infect others, so it only adds to the vicious cycle.

Like a parasite, he feeds on the suffering of others and, to sate his hunger, Vile seeks out violence wherever he goes - and in a city like Gotham, it's a veritable feast. It's why it's to his benefit if the battle between vengeful millionaire Roland Worth and Batman continues. Worth blames Wayne for his daughter's death and, while he's focused on him and his alter ego, his eyes are off the true culprit.

Like a lot of the previous issues, the issue features a backup that nicely complements the main tale. Though we learned a lot of what we needed to about Vile from the main tale, this goes some way to explaining just how he stayed under the radar for so long and goes into more detail as to just how horrific his story really is. 

Though there's a steady amount of horror throughout the issue, there's also plenty of action as well, as Batman and Huntress face Worth, Vile and a mass of Penguin's thugs. Bogdanovic delivers some incredible action, wrapped in a glowing red backdrop and billowing smoke. He also brings a wonderful intensity to the various characters, especially the ones at the center of the tale. Ultimately, whether you're more of a fan of action or horror, you're bound to find something to dig your teeth into. 

 

Ordinary Gods #1 Review

 Writer: Kyle Higgins

Artist: Felipe Watanabe

Rating: 7 of 8

Ordinary Gods #1

Does familiarity breed contempt? For some, it can be one of the most comforting things in the world; while for others, it can be frustratingly repetitive. Does a story lose it's power because of it, or does it only grow? 

Ordinary Gods tells a very familiar tale, of a young man struggling with his inner demons, as he's thrust onto a path he'd already been walking. It tells the tale of an endless war between two sets of immortal gods, as one fights for conquest and the other for humanity's freedom.

Spanning multiple eras, it's a war that results in just as many deaths, though never any permanent ones - at least for the gods. The issue starts as it means to go on, with a wave of death and destruction unleashed upon a Japanese gang's HQ. As you read it, you think you know what the story is, but before the scene's even over, Higgins pulls the rug out from under you, twisting your perspective of the scene. It's a rather effective bait and switch, that also serves as some early foreshadowing.

After that, Higgins flashes back even further, to a time before the war, when their pantheon was still united. Their realm was divided into thirteen territories, all named after their various gods' ''qualities''. Though most of the imagery here fits, like Sorrow, some doesn't, like Strength, which I think should've been Cunning or Inspiration, due to the imagery used.

Other than that, though, Watanabe's art is remarkably vibrant, with characters' emotions evident by not only their expressions, but also their silence. The action, too, is bursting with that same vibrancy, energy and just as much gore as you might expect. Despite its' familiar tropes and premise, it doesn't lose any of its' effectiveness.  

Parasomnia #1 Review

 Writer: Cullen Bunn

Artist: Andrea Mutti

Rating: 6 of 8

Parasomnia #1

What are dreams but hope and fear? The stranger at the heart of this tale has plenty of reason to be afraid. Living on the streets, he has little place to call home and when he finds somewhere to rest his head, one group of men harass him into leaving.

But he still dreams. He dreams of a whole other life, one where he's a fearsome, ruthless figure, hunted while he hunts for his lost son. Though he faces many foes in the search, he dispatches most of them with ease. But the true challenge doesn't lie in their blades - it's in his heart.

It's not fully clear whether these dreams are just that, or memories of a life gone by. While, in the real world, a woman cries as she sees him, while another tends to someone in a deep sleep of their own. In the dream world, Mutti delivers a number of fast and fluid action sequences, filled with blood, speed and ferocity.

The only criticism I have is the inconsistency of the colours. In the dream world, sometimes it's a lot more bright and vivid, while at others, it's a lot paler and I just don't understand why that is. I also think he could've done a better job of making the two worlds stand apart. As it is, there's not much of a visual contrast.

Other than that, though, it's a pretty good debut. Bunn has a lightness of touch that really helps it flow and perhaps because of that, it's very easy to follow.

Batman: Reptilian #1 Review

 Writer: Garth Ennis

Artist: Liam Sharp

Rating: 5 of 8

Batman: Reptilian #1

There's more than one kind of monster. When you think of monsters, you probably think of demons, vampires, or werewolves - things like that. But those are just things of myth and legends. The worst ones, the ones that really haunt you, are entirely real.

In Batman's line of work, he comes across many of these and how he deals with them varies, depending on his mood and the depths of their lunacy. Here, he confronts Edgar Licchario, a boxer that's been recently exonerated. He lays into him in the most brutal way possible, before he finds a legal reason to hurt him.

Ultimately, it's not fully clear whether Edgar is a guilty man who got away with it, or an innocent one who just got through a brutal ordeal. Batman believes it's the former and goes some way to enacting his own kind of 'justice'. It's here we get a glimpse of a far more vengeful Dark Knight than we usually see, though it does fit with the nastiness often seen in Ennis' tales.

It's not what I like to see from the character, though given the writer and that it's more of an adult tale, it does make sense. Though the series promises a monster killing various Gotham villains, we don't actually get to see it here. Here, we get the aftermath of the killings and Batman attempting to figure out just who - or what - was behind them.

Here, we get a different edge to the line 'Batman doesn't kill', as the Knight turns it into a threat, telling one thug ''I'm far, far worse than that multicolored rabble. I will not let you die''. When you hear things like that, you can see why anyone would be afraid of him.

When it comes to the art, there's parts of it that are really impressive, like just how fearsome Sharp makes Batman, how deep he makes the shadows, or just how imposing he makes Edgar. But then there's other parts that disappointed me, like just how small he makes Scarecrow, who's usually a lot larger than he is here. Then there's the Joker, who looks a lot more like a clown with a bruised nose, instead of the refined, yet unhinged, killer he usually is.

Overall, a pretty mixed issue, that ultimately disappointed me. Though if you're up for a darker Batman, with a very different visual style to most books on the shelf, this is probably the one for you.

Venom #200 Review

 Writer: Donny Cates and

Phillip Kennedy Johnson

Artists: Ryan Stegman,

Mark Bagley,

Ron Lim and

many more

Rating: 6 of 8

Venom #200

It's amazing to think just how much a man can change. You might start out pretty selfish and self-serving - but you can change. And that's exactly what happened with Eddie Brock. 

Instead of remaining that man and refusing to change, he finally became the good man he'd for so long believed himself to be. Throughout Cates' run, Brock found a whole new side to the symbiotes, his 'other' and finally faced the sins of his past.

One of the best things he introduced, though, was Eddie Brock's son. By making him a father, he made him look past himself, his other, or even his own moral code. Now, he has to take care of him, even if it means putting himself last. It really added a greater degree of both depth and relatability, a key aspect to a lot of Marvel's characters.

Now, though, he has an even greater responsibility. With Knull dead, his hive freed and Brock back from the dead, it's time for a new King to take charge. That he does, as he and his army jet from world to world, undoing a lot of Knull's evil and saving many people from incredible pain and destruction.

It's just incredible to see what used to be a villain, then anti-hero, finally make the transition to hero, even if it doesn't last. We also get some lovely moments of humour from Spider-Man and Eddie's other, who's formed a very endearing bond with his son, Dylan. He, too, has changed, as he's a lot less vindictive than he used to be. It's great seeing just how far he, too, has come since his debut all those years ago.

Early on, there's a wonderful moment between he and Dylan regarding his name. It's a rather touching moment, something that I'm surprised hasn't been touched on before Cates' run. Speaking of how far things have come, Eddie and Peter have a heart to heart and, afterward, shake hands. It's just wonderful to see how far their relationship has progressed.

Though it's a great issue, it's not without it's problems. Some of the art, specifically in Flash Thompson's segment, is weaker than the rest. The writing's a bit weaker there, too and, though it's often good to set up future stories, here, Eddie and Dylan's story might've been enough, especially at the end of the run. 

Bagley and Stegman doing art probably would've been enough, though some of the other artists, like Kev Walker, were good too. Overall, though, it's a great issue and a brilliant end to Cates' run.

 

Loki - Series Premiere Review

 Starring: Tom Hiddleston,

Owen Wilson

and Gugu Mbatha-Raw

Produced by: Tom Hiddleston,

Mike Waldron

and more

Rating: 5 of 8

Loki

Series Premiere

Even the most popular characters have to step out of the spotlight sometime. It's a fact most artists - and fans - struggle to accept. When a character really resonates with you, it's understandable that you'd want to see more of them. When that happens, it only makes sense that any artist would want to keep that spark alive.

Unfortunately, that's exactly what Marvel tried to do here, even if, creatively, there was no good reason to. Three years ago, Loki died trying to kill a genocidal maniac - and before that, he'd already found some kind of redemption. He was at his brother's side and, for once, he was happy to be there.

He'd reached the end of his arc, so there was nothing more to explore. Unfortunately, instead of realizing that and leaving it there, they chose to tell a time travel tale with the God of Mischief when another character/characters - like Dr. Strange or the Exiles - would've probably fit better.

Though that's one of the main problems with Loki, it isn't the only one, as there are a lot of unfamiliar elements - the Time Keepers, the Time Variance Authority - introduced and, for a long time, you're left just as confused as Loki. Even by episode's end, I left with a number of unanswered questions.

Hopefully later episodes go some way to answering them, though I'm not sure if I'll be satisfied with the answers. On top of that, Loki gets pretty easily overpowered and outsmarted at times, which makes it harder to look on him as a legitimate threat. After a number of films where that's already happened, he could do without any more.

Overall, this is a pretty disappointing premiere that, aside from some emotional moments and a very good performance from Hiddleston, I definitely recommend against giving it a go.

 

Out of Body #1 Review

Writer: Peter Milligan

Artist: Inaki Miranda

Rating: 7 of 8

Out of Body #1

There's nothing quite like a good murder mystery and it's even more tantalizing when the victim is you. What you might have otherwise half-assed, or put off, now you invest a lot more of your time, effort and attention.

Of course, when the only thing you can move is those blinking eyes, what else can you do but think? It's something Dan Collins realizes pretty quickly, as he looks back over the time before he was attacked. It's not a search that bears much fruit, yet it's one he has to make, if only to have that most sacred of all things: an answer.

He runs down a list of suspects, trying to rule out any that just don't fit. A lot of this is hampered by his current situation, though that and more could well change with a little help from a 'friend'. Of course, Dan isn't the only one trying to figure something out, as we see with a medium called Abi.

As she communes with the dead, she does her best to comfort both them and those that lost them. Luckily for her, - and her mother - she gets paid for it. Though there are those seeking genuine aid, there are still those who seek to use her gift for their own dark ends...

In the first issue alone, Milligan succeeds in introducing the world and many of it's different shades, while also adding a considerable amount of depth to its' main character. Other characters, like Abi, or the sinister figures, aren't as fleshed out so far, though given we get to see a lot of what Dan's thinking, it make sense he gets the lion's share of depth.

When it comes to the art, while most of it's pretty standard, some of it's bursting with life. Later on, Miranda delivers some of the most mind boggling imagery I've seen in some time, while he makes the sinister Dorian fittingly ghoulish.Though, at page 10, I think he could've made the characters bit more expressive, given what happens.

Other than that, though, it's a pretty good debut. If the team can maintain this quality, readers are in for a treat.