“DC’s Legends of Tomorrow: The Comic’: Not What You’d Expect

It sounds good in theory: use the publicity surrouding DC’s Legends of Tomorrow  to write an anthology comic based on several DC characters who could use a higher profile. The result isn’t bad, and the Firestorm story is especially strong, but given the other three stories features characters not in the show, it seems a puzzling way to market it.

Meantime, over in the rest of this week’s DC Comics, Batman & Robin Eternal builds up to what’s shaping to be an excellent ending, Poison Ivy: Cyle of Life and Death continues to be wonderfully creepy, and Martian Manhunter‘s series continues to be woefully underrated. (Read it, you won’t be disappointed.)

Plus, reviews of Doctor Fate #10, Black Canary #9, Titans Hunt #6, Superman: American Alien #5, Superman: The Coming of the Supermen #2, Superman/Wonder Woman #27, Robin: Son of Batman #10, Sinestro #21, and Injustice: Gods Among Us Year Five #6.

As for Superman #50 and Green Arrow #50? We’re going to cover those landmark issues in a separate article.

Legends of Tomorrow #1 — Creators: Gerry Conway, Eduardo Pansica, Rob Hunter, Aaron Lopresti, Matt Banning, Keith Giffen, Bilquis Evely, Len Wein, Yildiray Cinar, Trevor Scott 

Ray: Firestorm – 8/10
Metamorpho – 5/10
Sugar and Spike – 6/10
Metal Men – 7/10

Corrina: Not the Television Show. That’s Both Good and Bad.

Ray: This is an odd book. DC is pushing it with the title of their new TV series, but out of the four stories, only one has anything to do with the Legends of Tomorrow TV series. These are actually four separate miniseries that were announced and canceled (along with the Katana mini-series in the Suicide Squad anthology). So based on that, I figured I should review them individually.

Firestorm is the only one that matches the title, and it’s the best of the lot. The status quo is different from the TV show, though – this Firestorm is Ronnie Raymond and Jason Rusch, with Martin Stein overseeing their fusion and helping them out. It’s good to see his creator, Gerry Conway, back in comics, and he’s been doing some good work for Marvel as well. This is a solid, old-school comic that picks right up where we left off with Jurgens’ run on Firestorm a few years back – Jason and Ronnie still don’t quite get along, but they’ve formed an uneasy partnership. However, the matrix is becoming more and more unstable, and Multiplex – an old associate of Stein’s – is cooking up a scheme. This story has potential and might have had a decent chance as its own story.

Corrina: Conway is an interesting character, as he went into television and became a writer/producer for numerous television shows, including the Law and Order franchise. I’d never expected to see a comic story from him again but, obviously, he hasn’t forgotten to write one. TV fans are going to be confused by Ronnie and the unfamiliar Jason but I, for one, read all of Stein’s lines with Victor Garber’s voice in my head and that made all the science explanations much more fun. Firestorm fans will like this a great deal.

Ray: The second story, Metamorpho – written and drawn by Lopresti – is probably the weakest of the lot. It picks up at the beginning, with Rex Mason having recently been mutated and being trapped in Simon Stagg’s lab. He’s experimented on by Stagg and Java, while Sapphire is sympathetic to him and tries to free him. The characters so far are complete cliches, with Simon being cartoonishly evil, Java being creepy and obsessed with Sapphire, and Sapphire mostly being a blank slate defined by her resentment of her father. I’m not impressed, although it’s not aggressively awful so far.

Corrina: See, usually, Sapphire is depicted as a simmering idiot. I liked that she showed intelligence and drive in this story, including checking on Rex’s condition on her own but not completely trusting him either because why would one completely trust someone in his physical and mental condition?

For me, this is a series that’s always been cartoonish, so this fit in. I can’t see it appealing to anyone outside of Metamorpho fans, though.

Ray: The oddest of the four stories, Sugar and Spike, is maybe the strangest idea DC has had in the last few years. The long-forgotten kid characters as grown-up private investigators? This story doesn’t really do much to make me intrigued, stranding them in a generic story as they shoot Killer Moth’s henchmen with tranq-guns and exchange bland banter. The reveal of exactly what they’re trying to steal back from the villain is amusing and leads to a fun cameo. But overall, maybe people more familiar with the characters would get more out of this? There may be some references I’m missing.

Corrina: I have no familiarity with the characters at all.I enjoyed the artwork, I loved that they’re basically the ones people call to handle low-level stuff in the DCU. But, as Ray pointed out, the characters are kind of bland.

Ray: Wein’s Metal Men looks good, filling the page with constant action as the titular heroes go up against an army of military robots gone rogue. Wein has the distinct voices of each metal down pat, but the problem is that the story that surrounds them isn’t original. The public doesn’t trust sentient robots and the government wants them shut down. Isn’t this the exact same plot of Cyborg, only with cyborgs instead of androids? Also, I know it’s petty, but out of all the unnecessary de-agings in the New 52, I think Hipster Will Magnus annoys me the most. The lead characters have promise here, but the story needs some work.

Corrina: Not a Metal Man fan, never have been, as they have to be written with just the right amount of pathos to be interesting and they’re stuck in a generic “anti-AI” plot here. However, I suppose Metal Man fans might like this? Overall, I’m not sure the book is worth it’s high price tag, even with the good Firestorm story.

Martian Manhunter #10 – Rob Williams, writer, Eddy Barrows, penciller, Eber Ferreira, inks

Ray: 9/10

Corrina: Wildly Imaginative. But…NOT MR. BISCUITS!!

Ray: If there’s one thing I’m going to remember out of DC You when it all goes away come June, it’s “big dark sci-fi epics that should have sold much better than they did.”  Omega Men gets more hype, but Rob Williams’s Martian Manhunter run is up there in quality and originality as well.

The Martian Manhunter’s always been set apart from the rest of DC’s alien heroes in that he is distinctly not human, but this series takes it much further and delves into some fascinating concepts involving Martians being able to divide and combine themselves into different forms. As Wessel, Alyssa, and Biscuits chase down the mysterious Martian child who holds the future of Mars in its hands. The identity of this child and what they mean to J’onn, as well as the truth of the last days on Mars. There’s been a lot of takes on the destruction of Mars, but I prefer this one and its dark sci-fi vibe by far to the uncomfortable Holocaust-inspired scenes on recent episodes of Supergirl. It’s an apocalypse unlike one we’ve seen before in comics.

There’s some great character moments for Wessel, Alyssa, and Biscuits in this issue, and there’s a great final showdown coming with Ma’alefa’ak. This, like Omega Men, is one of those breakout runs that might not be a big seller in singles, but is going to be regarded as a classic for years to come.

Corrina: If people only knew how good this book was. I’ve gushed enough about the great SF concept but now I’m going to take time to praise Barrows. Without his artwork, this series wouldn’t be as interesting as it is, from the character designs of the various selves, especially Mr. Biscuits, to the Martian “child” and its expressive face this issue, to the amazing splash pages which combine the retelling of the true history of Mars, it’s destruction, and MM, it’s all epic and yet somehow still personal.

And that final panel….NOOOOOO!!!

Poison Ivy: Cycle of Life and Death #3 – written by Amy Chu, pencils by Clay Mann and Stephen Segovia, inks by Dexter Vines and Art Thibert,

Ray: 8/10

Corrina: Great (But Creepy) Anti-Hero Story.

Ray: There’s an Image comic right now, The Violent, that is essentially about someone desperately trying to get out of a violent self-destructive life only to have it pull him back in repeatedly. In many ways, this comic is about the same thing, only Pamela Isley is a lot smarter than the mope in that book. With another one of her colleagues murdered under mysterious circumstances, Pamela has found herself as the focus of the investigation. She’s able to get out of it with the help of a mysterious patron, but she’s got bigger problems. For one, her strange hybrid plant babies are starting to manifest unusual abilities.

For another, we get our first glimpse of the kind of creature that is killing her associates. Third, several of her associates are snooping around – one has sinister intentions and meets a grim end. The other is actually a friend and Pamela is trying to protect him as much as her. With her research missing and under lock and key, she turns to a friend with expertise in stealing secure things – the third member of the Sirens team, Catwoman. This is a weird book, to be sure, but it’s also one that embraces the inherent strangeness of its character and really explores her creepy world. Looking forward to finding out exactly what is targeting her here, because that one visual we got here was memorable.

Corrina: This is a weird book because Pamela Isley is a supremely weird individual. You can’t call her evil. Or even human, for that matter–certainly she has no regard for human laws–but she does have a certain moral code. Meaning, if you’re not a good person, she feels no guilt whatsoever about killing you but she does not want to kill people who don’t deserve it. That leaves her in the position of someone completely capable of murder who is suspected of two murders that she didn’t commit.

And pity to any who harm her “children,” because Pamela has no sense of mercy. I also fear this is where the book is going, that her children will be destroyed and send Pamela over the edge again. Or maybe the plant/human hybrids are the ones committing the murders for some unknown reason. We’ll see.

Superman: American Alien #5 – Max Landis, writer, Francis Manapul, illustrator

Ray: 7.5/10

Corrina: It’s Decent.

Ray: After four issues focusing on Clark Kent, this issue finally brings Superman onto the scene, and the series continues to improve. I kind of like the idea at the core of this issue – which is that any young superhero would likely go through a terrible beta phase before settling on their final look and name. Hence, why we get Superman in a helmet, goggles, and bulletproof vest swooping around the city like a bootleg steampunk Batman. His first major battle pits him against Parasite, who he then deposits right back at Lexcorp – only for Lex to inform him that he has no proof of anything, and he could sue HIM for breaking his window.

This Luthor, while a bit over-the-top smug for my tastes, definitely feels like the master tactician who ran circles around Superman for a while. I was a bit unsure about the portrayals of Clark and Lois in their lunch scenes, with Lois being the more optimistic and idealistic one when it came to Superman, but the issue was mostly free of the cynical vibe that dragged the series down in the early issues. And the Francis Manapul art this issue was fantastic. Nothing groundbreaking here, but a strong early Superman story.

Corrina: Love the Manapul art. It’s evocative and I just love the design of Superman flying around with a World War I pilot googles. It makes sense, as they’re a good mask and Supes is flying. (Idle question: how come dust never gets into Superman’s eyes when he’s flying? More invulnerability?)

I didn’t like the Luthor bit. Clark is a reporter. Why wouldn’t he have a recording device of some sort on him when confronting Luthor. Also, Superman isn’t an agent of the police, which means the police can use Superman breaking into Lex’s offices and depositing the “monster” at his feet as plenty of evidence to get a search warrant to find Lex’s connection to someone who, at least, caused millions of dollars in property damage.

So, no, Lex wouldn’t want to charge Superman for breaking and entering. (Aside: Can Superman do something more interesting than breaking into Lex’s windows all the time? Leave notes on his pillow, maybe?)

Did love Lois. She is idealistic. Yes, she can be cynical but you don’t do what she does without have idealism hidden under there. She knows Clark shares her idealism, that’s why she’s talking to him about it.

Overall, though, this series is wildly uneven.

Superman: The Coming of the Supermen #2 – Neal Adams, writer and artist, 

Ray: 2/10

Corrina: Crazy and Not Quite In A Good Way. Yet.

Ray: Well, the first issue wasn’t bad. It was actually kind of generic and missing the Neal Adams insanity that I was expecting from his work on Batman: Odyssey. Well, worry no more! The plot this issue is actually fairly tame – we find out the origin of the three new Supermen. They’re all Superman fanboys from Kandor who decided to leave and join the good fight in case Superman needs some help. They help Superman beat up Parademons and Kalibak and then try to track down stolen Kandorian blood from Lex Luthor. Then Kalibak shows up, holding Superman’s new foster kid from a warzone hostage and makes them chase him to Apokalips.

But the dialogue. My God, the dialogue. These are some of the sample lines. And mind you, these come from Superman and his allies, not the villains. “To those sounds I bring you silence – Bone Crunching Silence!” “As before, you want the blood – this you shall not have!” “I know you, monster, and I know your works! And I deny it all to you!” It feels like some bizarre Shakespearean sci-fi soliloquy. And it’s just not a good comic on any level, but I won’t say it’s not entertaining.

Corrina: This kinda reminds me of the immortal All-Star Batman & Robin by Frank Miller and Jim Lee, which features such lines as “I’m the goddam Batman,” “Out of my way, sperm bank,” and “we do it with our clothes on.” Next to that, “Bone Crunching Silence!” is downright pedestrian. Let’s go more over the top! I want Luthor to laugh maniacally and monologue like it’s going out of style. Superman also needs to up his game, he sounded a bit too much like someone from Dr. Stranglelove. “I will deny you my bodily fluids!”

What the heck is this comic? I don’t know but it’s fun to write reviews about.

Batman and Robin Eternal #24 – James Tynion IV and Scott Snyder, story, Steve Orlando, script, Alvaro Martinez, pencils, Raul Fernandez, insk

Ray: 9.5/10 (Book of the Week)

Corrina: I’m Beginning to Believe In an Epic Ending.

Ray: We’re only two weeks away from the grand finale, as Orlando steps up for his second arc. Orlando’s first arc had some of my few quibbles of this series, particularly the cruel way several characters treated Cassandra Cain. However, this issue assuages a lot of those concerns – although Cass doesn’t have a significant role in this issue, so those concerns will have to wait for next week.

Still, he balances a huge cast very well here and delivers a compelling story. As Dick approaches Mother’s secret base, the entire Bat-league is in action against her forces. The issue opens with a huge two-page spread of 12 heroes in action against the armies of brainwashed kids, with varying success. It’s great to see Talon in action again, if only for one panel – I liked that series. Orlando also gets to use Midnighter, which is always a cause for celebration. The character is so much fun under his hand, and while he’s stuck at mission control this week (which allows him some more dialogue with Cullen, which is appreciated), next week promises to have him enter the fray.

Tim Drake and Stephanie Brown have some great moments this issue, even if Stephanie’s feels a bit like a repeat of her one from last week, but it’s good to see her get a moment in the sun. Azrael may no longer be brainwashed, but he’s now out for blood against Mother – something Dick has no intention of allowing. The real key scenes this issue, though, take place in Mother’s lair. Harper Row is being treated as an honored guest, rather than a prisoner, as Mother attempts to lure her over to her side and complete her training as one of her “children”. Mother is a genuinely creepy villain whose use of twisted love as her MO is eerie to watch. And when she offers up Cassandra, the girl Harper blames for the death of her mother, as a sacrifice…well, can next week get here already? As long as Harper is going to make the right call and cut Cassandra down so they can kick Mother’s butt together. The shorter length of this series has worked wonders, because it’s been a non-stop thrill ride from moment one.

Corrina: I’m not as high on this issue as Ray is but I can say I’ve been consistently entertained by this story and that’s hard to do with a story spanning over 24 chapters.

My problem? Ray finds mother creepy and interesting while I find her just another in a string of villains using and abusing children. She’s like another pale shadow of the crazy Talia who created all those clones of her son for the greater good. Or she’s Granny Goodness, just in human form. Or she’s like the original people behind Azrael’s creation.

That means, for me, the story is driven by the characters I love, and that’s what I like about this series, especially in its use of Cassandra Cain, Stephanie Brown, and all the Robins, though I still feel like poor Tim Drake doesn’t have a distinct personality since the whole continuity was rebooted. Yet I love stories that use the full scope of the Bat-crew, and remember to include Batwoman and Black Canary and Talon and everyone. (Did I miss Bette Kane?)

Plus, you know, Midnighter, being all snarky. It’s the little things.

Superman/Wonder Woman #27 – Peter J. Tomasi, writer, Cliff Richards, artist

Ray: 5/10

Corrina: Tolerable, I Guess, Since It’s Not Dependent on Tru Luv.

Ray: This is the first of two parts in this storyline this week, making it an essential lead-in for Superman #50. However, to call it “essential” would be sort of stretching it. There’s no real focus on Clark and Diana’s relationship, which has been a common theme for the last few issues. Rather, this issue is essentially a 20-page action sequence with a good number of splash pages.

Now fully re-powered, Superman joins with his allies to take on Savage’s children. They’re all obsessed with pleasing their father, to the point where they stretch their powers to the extent that they start degrading and dying. This would be sad, except that none of them really have any development. Superman then takes to the skies to battle Savage over control of the meteor, with Savage eventually getting to it and gaining the ultimate power he seeks, setting up a huge final showdown in Superman #50 this week. And with that, for all practical purposes, this experiment of a title ends. The last two months are part of Super-League, the crossover by Tomasi to set up the new status quo. Tomasi’s generally a good writer, so I think this title just dragged him down like it did Soule. There’s a reason this book isn’t continuing into Rebirth.

Corrina: See, I liked it didn’t focus on the relationship that doesn’t work yet doesn’t seem to die either. But that’s an old complaint. Their interaction was tolerable this issue, as they worked together nicely as a team during the fighting. I also loved the clean and clear style of the art. I could see Richards on a Wonder Woman title.

Of course, their opponents are generic and uninteresting, so there’s that. I cannot express my happiness that this title isn’t going to continue into Rebirth.

Titans Hunt #6 – Dan Abnett, writer, STephen Segovia, pencils, Art Thibert, inks

Ray: 7.5/10

Corrina: My Inner Fangirl Loves This.

Ray: This series has been a blast, as we find out more and more about these characters and their shared history. If I had one complaint, it’s that I wish we spent a little less time watching them beat each other up and a little more time with them figuring out how to work together. When we last left off, Mal Duncan was forced by Mr. Twister to play a tune on a creepy bone-organ to bring the Titans to him.

Now we have Hawk going nuts as Roy, Gnaark, Lilith, and Dove try to stop him, as Dick, Donna, and Garth battle Mammoth. The Hawk and Dove storyline, while not involving my favorite characters, involves an interesting wrinkle as one of the original Titans has since died and been replaced by an outsider in this story. Lilith finally lays out some of what happened here – it seems the lost memories were deliberate by the team, to keep them and the world safe from Mr. Twister. Meanwhile, a mysterious hit squad called Diablo – led by the modern version of Mad Mod – is targeting the Titans to keep this secret silenced. We also get hints that Karen Beecher is not simply Mal’s wife here, and Bumblebee may have existed in the past. This is pretty clearly the best TT story we’ve gotten in the New 52. I just wish we didn’t have the Lobdell fill-in coming next issue. I’m worried about a Harvest or Doomed cameo…

Corrina: I agree that it’s been a blast. The best part has been the characterization of the entire team, with special mention of how Lilith and Gnaark were not only remembered but written so well in this series.

The whole “lost memory” thing works bring back the original Titans into continuity, I suppose, rather than have them come from an alternate universe or lost time-line. I’m not thrilled with it but if it gets the stories I love back for follow-up sometime later in the DCU, I’m all for it.

What I’m not thrilled about is yet another use of “we all wiped our memories for the greater good but now we’re trying to uncover them because we forgot,” plot. Perhaps I’m just annoyed at the use over in Castle, but it was lousy in Alias too and…I don’t think I’ve ever seen it done well. I expect it’s something done for necessity’s sake, though, so I’ll stop griping.

And, hey, of course, Karen was still Bumblebee! She has an action figure now. Also, she was always awesome, making her own costume and all.

Like Ray, I shudder at what the conclusion under the writing of Lobdell will bring…

Robin, Son of Batman #10 – Ray Fawkes, script, Ramon Bachs, art

Ray: 7/10

Corrina: Back to the Year of Blood!

Ray: Another fill-in by Fawkes and Bachs, who did an issue two months ago. There’s a distinct change in style from Gleason’s issues, but this team does do a pretty good job of capturing everyone’s voices.

Damian’s vacation in Gotham comes to an abrupt conclusion as he has to leave the Bat-pets as some of the Year of Blood artifacts have been stolen by a mysterious new villain. That villain is none other than Suren Darga, the son of Den Darga, who plans to finish what his father started. As Damian charges through temples, things are complicated when Maya is kidnapped – not by Suren, but by Talia, who blames her for stealing the artifacts and being in league with the Dargas. I

was a little disappointed by how easily Maya got captured by Talia’s forces. The plot is fairly basic and similar to most of the recent issues, but I really enjoy the Indiana Jones vibe that this title has had since the beginning. Also, next issue has Damian and his evil ersatz double battling it out in Gorilla City, so that’s guaranteed to be pretty cool. I’m a little surprised this title isn’t continuing into Rebirth – the sales are good and Damian has a big fanbase.

Corrina: Do any of Damian’s pets have a plushy figure yet? Because I want my very own Goliath, complete with wings.

I realize this issue is treading water, with some changes coming to Damian. That’s why I won’t be too hard on Talia yet again kidnapping people and threatening them because, at this point, that’s kinda all she does. It’s especially disappointing after hints of a more three-dimensional characterization earlier in this series.

I get the concept behind making Suren Dargo Damian’s nemesis because of the parallels in their origins but the parallels are a little bit too on-the-nose. I also believe I’ve seen way too many blood-drenched panels in this series. Still, hey, gorillas coming, right?

Black Canary #9 – Matthew Rosenberg, writer, Moritat, artist

Ray: 5/10

Corrina: Okay But It Pales In Comparison to the Regular Creative Team:

Ray: I don’t recall seeing this in solicits, but this issue is a total fill-in by Rosenberg and Moritat. Some fill-ins, like Robin this week, do a pretty good job of approximating the tone of the regular team and continuing the story. Then there’s this one. Taking place before the beginning of the series, when Black Canary was on its nationwide tour, the issue focuses on one disastrous gig for the band. They’re hired to play the party of a hyperactive teenage girl who loves their band – only to find that the birthday girl’s mother is the daughter of Carmine Falcone, and she’s got some…interesting ideas of appropriate guests for her daughter’s party. The likes of Black Mask and Tobias Whale.

Meanwhile, Dinah manages to stop her old rival Valentine from Team Seven from assassinating the birthday girl, which uncovers a big contract on her head. The rest of the issue is a concert crossed with Dinah kicking a lot of random thugs in the head, only for the woman who hired them to refuse to pay them because they made her daughter cry. It’s all very broad and feels like a, to use an appropriate analogy, cover band. This series is one of DC’s best, and I can’t wait for it to be back next month.

Corrina: I love that the fill-in tried to keep the vibe of the regular series, as this is a story that would fit into its unique continuity. I also loved, loved the opening page of Black Canary and her hair in all its glory.

Otherwise, though, it’s kinda a basic story of foiling a bunch of paid assassins, while protecting a target. There are shades of the regular creative team’s concept of the Most Dangerous Band, but the birthday girl was so unlikeable, I kind wished she was dead.

I would, however, love to see Moritat do more work for DC.

Sinestro #21 – Cullen Bunn, writer, Martin Coccolo, artist

Ray: 7/10

Corrina: Eh.

Ray: The thing with Sinestro is, you’re never sure whether he’s lying or not. He’s always got a game or two brewing. So when he supposedly expended almost all his power to defeat the Pale Bishop last issue, leaving him weakened and causing him to turn over leadership of the Sinestro Corps to Soranik, there was definite doubt in my mind that isn’t dispelled this issue. Even out of power, he’s manipulating things at every turn. Aside from a brief battle with a freed Mongul, there’s relatively little action in this issue, with most of the story being devoted to the fallout of the last arc.

Soranik is dedicated to a calmer, more compassionate approach to leading the Fear Corps, including stationing a permanent representative on Earth in the form of Arkillo, with the assistance of his friend Saint Walker. Meanwhile, most of the new Corps members are stripped of their rings – with the exception of Black Adam, who Sinestro has a secret pact with. Overall, the art is strong and I like most of the characters in this title. It’s just that it feels like only Sinestro and Soranik really good any development in this title. Sinestro is one of the anti-heroes better equipped to carry a title, but unlike Magneto it doesn’t seem like he has as strong a character narrative.

Corrina; The thing with Sinestro for me is that I’m not interested. That’s a problem because, as Ray points out, he’s the center of the book and gets most of the lines, and I’m so bored I want to stop reading. Soranik isn’t that much better. The father/daughter thing might do more for me if it was other than “I know what’s best/no you don’t/but I’ll do what you ask anyway.” Lather, rinse, repeat.

Again, a shout out to the art team, dealing with so many characters, including familiar DC ones, and doing a fine job.

Doctor Fate #10 – Paul Levitz & Sonny Liew, storytellers

Ray: 7/10

Corrina: More of the Young Hero Learning About His Powers, Please.

Ray: 10 out of 12 issues in, and while I love the style of this book and the ideas behind it, I can’t help but be frustrated by how little time gets spent on developing the cast of characters. Khalid is an interesting lead, but the characters around him feel fairly thin still. That’s because the book has been dominated by big supernatural stories. The opening arc focusing on Anubis was great and covered all sins, but now that the big threat is vanquished, it’s starting to become a little more glaring.

The current threat involves Egyptian protestors – including Khalid’s friend – being arrested and held at a haunted Egyptian consulate staffed by ancient ghosts. There’s some cool visuals as Khalid figures out how to battle the ghosts, but I’m not sure how the Egyptian ghosts then lead to him fighting the ghost of Julius Caesar next issue. Overall, Sonny Liew’s art is the highlight, surreal and cartoony as always, but I can;t help but feel there’s more to learn about these characters – and it saddens me that due to sales and Rebirth, they’ll likely get lost in the shuffle.

Corrina: What I liked about this issue is that Khalid’s discovering how to fight in the middle of, well, a fight, especially his discovery that if he can go through walls, he can go through floors and ceilings as well. More of this type of thing, and earlier in the series, and it might have pulled in a wider audience.

The Roman ghosts do seem kind of random unless we remember that Caeser was the one who finally conquered Egypt. Except, by that time, the Egyptian Pharoahs had been replaced by a Greek dynasty, so I’m not sure why the history should overlap like that.

And, yes, Liew’s art is definitely the star. That’s a theme this week. I like the art.

Out-of-Continuity Reviews:

Injustice: Gods Among Us Year Five #6 – Brian Buccelato, writer, Juan Albarran, Tom Derenick, Bruno Redondo, artists

Ray – 7/10

It’s Superman vs. Superman vs. Superman of sorts in this week’s issue, as Superman goes on the hunt for Bizarro, only to finally meet him just as Solomon Grundy escapes from captivity and goes on the rampage. So three super-powered men are battling it out, and threatening the entire area until Hal Jordan puts them all in a shielded Thunderdome of sorts. There’s a lot of action in this issue, but the story doesn’t really heat up until Superman defeats Grundy and goes to confront Luthor over whether Bizarro is one of his experiments. The segment of Superman listening to Luthor’s heartbeat while interrogating him is more intense than most of the action scenes in this series. I’m not expecting a fully satisfying conclusion out of an overly elaborate video game tie-in, but if we get an epic Superman/Luthor showdown before this is over, I’ll be happy.