Batman and Robin Must Die! (Review)

Writer: Grant Morrison

Artists: Frazer Irving, David Finch, Cameron Stewart, et al

Publisher: DC Comics

Collects: Batman & Robin #13-16; Batman: The Return #1

When Bruce Wayne "died" at the hands of Darkseid in 2009's Final Crisis, rather than die with him, the Bat-franchise exploded into so many ongoing series that I honestly lost count. But there was one that stood above all the others: Batman & Robin, starring former Boy Wonder Dick Grayson as Batman, and recently revealed offspring Damian Wayne as Robin. Fun, colourful and action-packed, fans and critics alike loved this series a lot more than anybody could have expected.

But now Bruce is back, and I couldn't shake the feeling that the kids would have to pack up their toys now that Daddy was home as I unknowingly dove into the ominously titled Batman and Robin Must Die!
And that is the greatest thing about Grant Morrison's time writing Batman: It feels like anything could happen and nothing is set in stone. It's like a rollercoaster in the dark, and I don't know when it's going to stop.

Secret Six: The Reptile Brain (Review)

Writers: Gail Simone and Paul Cornell

Artists: J. Calafiore and Pete Woods

Publisher: DC Comics

Collects: Secret Six #25-29; Action Comics #896

Despite numerous brushes with the larger DC Universe, Secret Six has always felt like an indie book to me. Following a team of C-list villains (and Bane), it's violent, crude, sexy, and lots of other things that would make Superman blush. Being slightly off the rails has made it a thrill to read; with unpredictable storylines and captivating characters, it's one of the hottest mainstream series out there right now.

Which is why I was a teeny-tiny bit disappointed with The Reptile Brain.

With the team split in two, we get some fun new additions from the bottom of DC's collective rogues gallery. Every one of them gets the Gail Simone treatment; elevating them from "villain-of-the-weeks" into blank canvasses ripe for masterpiece. She makes King Shark disturbingly hilarious, and you just know something bad is gonna happen to Dwarfstar from his attitude.

Brightest Day Volume Two (Review)

Writers: Geoff Johns and Peter J. Tomasi

Artists: Ivan Reis, Patrick Gleason, Adrian Syaf, Scott Clark and Joe Prado

Publisher: DC Comics
Collects: Brightest Day #8-16

Previously on Brightest Day... Twelve dead characters (heroes and villains) were resurrected at the end of DC's last Event story, Blackest Night by an enigmatic white light. Now trying to put their lives back together, they discover that they may have been brought back for a purpose...

I felt that the first volume of this series was slow moving, and relied too much on dangling mysteries to string the reader along, rather than provide anything substantial in the present. Now that I have read Volume Two, I think I have a better idea of the overall story structure. We are now in the second act of this epic saga.

Fantastic Four: Three (Review)

Writer: Jonathan Hickman

Artists: Steve Epting, Nick Dragotta, Mark Brooks

Publisher: Marvel Comics

Collects: Fantastic Four #583-588

It is so rare that a mainstream, in-continuity superhero story is worthy of such high praise as Fantastic Four: Three. Not that there aren't exceptional stories out there, but it is like saying a single episode of your favorite TV show is equal to a great movie. Free of context or prelude, one small piece of an on-going saga can feel a little hollow when compared to a complete, self-contained epic.

Yes, Three is the culmination of Jonathan Hickman's entire emotional run on this series, and previous knowledge is essential, but the skill poured into this story and the impact that it has on the reader elevates it onto a whole new level, and into comic book history.

We all knew going in that this was going to be the much-publicised storyline that saw the death of a Fantastic Four member, but anyone who half-heartedly jumped on board just so that they could say the comic book equivalent of "I was there" will not find it that easy. This isn't just the death of a superhero -- this is the loss of a family member.

WARNING: SPOILERS AHEAD!

Justice League: Generation Lost, Volume One (Review)

Writer: Judd Winick

Artists: Keith Giffen (breakdowns), Aaron Lopresti, Joe Bennett, Fernando Dagnino

Publisher: DC Comics

Collects: Justice League: Generation Lost #1-12

Or, How to Write a Good Justice League Story could have been added on to the title of this nostalgic-yet-modern resurrection of Keith Giffen, J.M. DeMatteis and Kevin Maguire's light-hearted Justice League International run, which lasted from 1987 to 1994 and remains critically acclaimed to this day.

Freshly returned from the dead at the end of Blackest Night, former 80s business guy turned mind-controlling supervillain Maxwell Lord is up to his old tricks. Using his advanced psychic powers, he makes the whole world forget about him and his past evil deeds, giving himself a fresh start. The only ones who remember him are some of his "ex-clients" from the JLI: Booster Gold, Captain Atom, Fire and Ice. With everyone on the planet thinking they're insane, they must find out what Max is up to and stop him before it's too late.

Superman: The Black Ring, Volume One (Review)

Writer: Paul Cornell

Artist: Pete Woods, et al

Publisher: DC Comics
Collects: Action Comics #890-895

There was a time when it was a treat to see characters from different series together. When seeing Green Lantern fight the Joker, or Batman fight Sinestro would have thrilled and delighted in idea alone. But such things are taken for granted now. The bad guys team up every year, and nobody sticks to the confines of their own territory for long. We seek other thrills now.

It seemed like such simple wonders were behind us, and naught but shadows of a "less sophisticated" time.

And then a terribly entertaining Englishman called Paul Cornell swam the channel between Marvel and DC, and between past and present, to bring us The Black Ring.

Thunderbolts: Cage (Review)

Writer: Jeff Parker

Artist: Kev Walker

Publisher: Marvel Comics

Collects: Thunderbolts #144-147; material from "Enter the Heroic Age"

The great thing about only being a casual reader of Marvel is that I have no idea who half the characters are in most stories. I go in blind, ready to discover their personalities and nuances, and be wowed by some new hero or villain. A good writer can appeal to readers such as me; showing us why these characters are so long-lasting without simply referring to their pre-established reputations.

And Jeff Parker is a good writer.

Compared somewhat unfairly to DC's Secret Six, which I love, I was attracted to the idea of a team of Marvel villains working under the supervision of Luke Cage. I was further lured in by the aforementioned exciting opportunity to get to know new characters (aside from Cage and Crossbones, whom I were already familiar with). Plus, everybody loves a good villain story. You know you do.

Thor: The Mighty Avenger, Volume Two (Review)

Writer: Roger Langridge

Artist: Chris Samnee
Publisher: Marvel Comics
Collects: Journey into Mystery #85-86; Thor: TMA #5-8

In my review of the first volume of this "closed continuity" series I said that it felt like a superhero rom-com. It left me feeling warm and fuzzy inside, but did not leave much of an impression on my mind. Nevertheless, I liked it enough to pick up this second and (sadly) final volume. Thank Odin that I did.

Although the tragically premature death of this series means a few sub-plots were left unresolved -- the identity of the person or persons who captured Thor, why Thor was sent to Earth, what (if anything) Loki was up to -- the only thing that was really important, the relationship between Thor and Jane, sees a happy end.

Shadowland (Review)

Writer: Andy Diggle

Artist: Billy Tan
Publisher: Marvel Comics
Collects: Shadowland #1-5; X-Men: Curse of the Mutants Spotlight

As I understand it, Shadowland was conceived as a street-level equivalent to big, cosmic, universe-threatening comic book Events, and was born out of Andy Diggle's run on Daredevil in which the Man Without Fear became the leader of the Hand, an ancient alliance of powerful ninja. Daredevil thought he could turn the Hand towards good, but things didn't quite turn out that way.

I'm not entirely sure if the "mini-Event" label is accurate. On the one hand, Shadowland did not have the same "everything must change!" impact that most Big Events have. On the other, it was nice just to read a good story for the sake of reading a good story. On the third hand, while many may decry the unrealistic plot points -- the Hand buys Hell's Kitchen and turns it into a fortress, complete with dungeon -- this is proportionally equal to the much grander scale plots found in regular Events.

WARNING: SPOILERS AHEAD!

The Flash: The Dastardly Death of the Rogues (Review)

Writer: Geoff Johns

Artists: Francis Manapul (main story) and Scott Kolins

Publisher: DC Comics

Collects: The Flash #1-7; The Flash: Secret Files and Origins 2010

I said in my last review, for The Return of Bruce Wayne, that Batman is the poster boy for the "grim and gritty" superhero archetype. If that's true, then the Flash is undoubtedly the best representative for the opposite, which, despite many protests, is just as plentiful in comics.

The Dastardly Death of the Rogues is an excellent example of just how much fun both the Flash and his series can be, without sacrificing gravitas. I usually dislike using the term "Silver Age-y" to describe stories like this (because they should not be seen as something long past) but this is like a Silver Age story for the modern day. An outlandish time-travel murder mystery wrapped around some not-too-heavy drama and lovable character moments.

Batman: The Return of Bruce Wayne (Review)

Writer: Grant Morrison

Artists: Chris Sprouse, Frazer Irving, Yanick Paquette, Georges Jeanty, Ryan Sook, Pere Perez, Lee Garbett

Publisher: DC Comics

Collects: Batman: The Return of Bruce Wayne #1-6

When Bruce Wayne appeared to shuffle off this mortal coil at the end of Final Crisis two years(!) ago, most of us who had been reading superhero comics for a while knew it was only a matter of time before he returned. What we didn't know was how much we would come to enjoy Dick Grayson's career as Batman in the meantime.

As we found ourselves growing to like the former Boy Wonder more and more with each new adventure, Bruce's return became less and less anticipated. Yet it still loomed on the comic book horizon, and we felt a strange sense of dread and shame as it approached.

But we cannot put off the inevitable any more. This is comics, after all, where nothing lasts forever and nothing ever ends. And so, The Return of Bruce Wayne, as its title suggests, has our eponymous and amnesiac hero trapped in the past, jumping ever closer to the present and to his former position, all the while trying to solve a millennia-old mystery and recover his memories in the process.

The Question: Pipeline (Review)

Writer: Greg Rucka

Artist: Cully Hammer

Publisher: DC Comics

Collects: Detective Comics #854-865 (back-up material)

Ever since Renee Montoya took over the role of the Question from Vic Sage there's been a general feeling of uneasiness. Was she right for the job? This uneasiness was part of her character, as she constantly questioned her own identity and future, so it played quite nicely.

Renee's involvement in her first two major stories, The Five Books of Blood and Final Crisis: Revelations, continued this theme. Renee was starting to accept herself as the Question, but these mystical tales hardly seemed fitting to such a character.

With Pipeline, any and all uneasiness in both Renee and the reader is eliminated. Like Vic (or Charlie to his friends) before her, Renee has shed her former destructive self and embraced a more productive and positive lifestyle. It is rare that one takes pleasure in seeing a character mature like this, especially in mainstream comics where one is dreading the return to status quo.

WARNING: SPOILERS AHEAD!

Dracula: The Company of Monsters (Review)

Writers: Daryl Gregory (story by Kurt Busiek)

Artists: Scott Godlewski and Damian Couceiro

Publisher: BOOM! Studios

Collects: Dracula: The Company of Monsters #1-4

Did you know that Dracula owned shares in the East India Trading Company? 'Cause I didn't.

This and other interesting facts about Prince Vlad III of Wallachia make up part of Dracula: The Company of Monsters as it cleverly weaves together history and myth in a story about a present day corporation that revives the Impaler Prince to serve as their... business consultant.

And if, like me, you're thinking that such an insane concept must be the stuff of comedy, you'd be sadly mistaken. Instead we get a strange mix of horror, corporate thriller and drama both historical and modern.

Doom Patrol: Brotherhood (Review)

Writer: Keith Giffen

Artists: Matthew Clark, Ron Randall and Cliff Richards

Publisher: DC Comics

Collects: Doom Patrol #7-13

Every superhero fan has that one character or team that they possess an inexplicable love for. Their books might not sell as well as others and they might not get talked about as often, but there's a small, almost cultish appeal that they have.

For me, it's the Doom Patrol. I know they're not household names and their stories are hardly genre-defining, but that, in a way, is what makes them great. They're like those kids at school who don't fit into any of the usual social groups, and are therefore in a group of their own.

But as much as I love the Patrol, I went into Keith Giffen's latest run (starting with We Who Are About to Die) with low expectations. The current and much discussed climate in the world of comics publishing is not friendly to a "middle of the road" type book for a start. On a more personal level, I honestly did not think that Giffen could possibly capture the classic spirit of Arnold Drake's original Silver Age stories, nor the pure imagination of Grant Morrison's 1989-1993 run.

WARNING: SPOILERS AHEAD!

One Month to Live (Review)

Writers: Rick Remender, Rob Williams, Stuart Moore, John Ostrander

Artists: Andrea Mutti, Koi Turnbull, Shawn Moll, Shane White, Graham Nolan, Jamie McKelvie

Publisher: Marvel Comics
Collects: 1 Month 2 Live #1-5

Stand-up comedian Dylan Moran once said that all Irish people look as if they are being told really good news in one ear while being told really bad news in the other.

That is essentially what happens to the character of Dennis Sykes in this creator-jam story from Marvel, presumably sent to remind us of how "real" their stories always are. Dennis -- who seems to be some kind of... accountant? Bank employee? I dunno; whatever he is, he seems to wreck people's dreams for a living and is ashamed for it -- discovers he has matter-altering superpowers at the same time he discovers he has cancer, with one month on the clock.

Resolved to use both his powers and dwindling time to make a positive difference in the lives of others and his family, Dennis soon finds himself entering the wider world of the Marvel Universe with consequences both personal and far-reaching

WARNING: SPOILERS AHEAD!

Axe Cop, Volume One (Review)

Writer: Malachai Nicolle

Artist: Ethan Nicolle
Publisher: Dark Horse Comics
Collects: Axe Cop Episodes 0-70; Ask Axe Cop #1-42

Axe Cop is a popular online webcomic written by 5-year-old Malachai Nicolle and illustrated by his older brother Ethan. Filled with zany characters, outlandish scenarios, and imaginative plots that could only have come from the mind of a child, it's no surprise that Axe Cop finally found an outlet in Dark Horse.

Following the hilarious and violent adventures of the eponymous Axe Cop (whose catchphrase is "I will chop your head off!") in his day-to-day battles with aliens, robots and general evil-doers, aided by an overwhelming supporting cast, this is just about the funniest thing I have ever read.

No adult writer, in any medium, can possibly replicate the pure, unfiltered creativity of Malachai's 5-year-old brain. Axe Cop is thought given form, and captures that raw childhood imaginative energy perfectly on the page. It almost defies criticism, because to enjoy it one must regress oneself to that long-gone mindset that favours instant gratification over slow development. Not to say that it lacks relative depth and complexity once you've swallowed your pompous grown-up pride and knelt down to look your inner child in the eye, rather than sneer judgementally down your nose.

Thor: The Mighty Avenger, Volume One (Review)

Writer: Roger Langridge

Artist: Chris Samnee

Publisher: Marvel Comics

Collects: Journey into Mystery #83-84; Thor: TMA #1-4

A continuity-free, all-ages series released as a companion to its mainstream counterpart, Thor: The Mighty Avenger tells the story of a god who fell to Earth. Unsure of why he is here, Thor quickly finds himself becoming an unwary superhero in the world of mortals, while also becoming wrapped up in the life of museum curator Jane Foster.

This was a breath of fresh air. Light-hearted but unrestrained, TMA is good old-fashioned superhero fun in every form. This should be held up as a basic example of how to do good comics without resorting to moody moping which, although effective, is not always essential.

Despite being chock full of exciting action sequences, this is first and foremost a love story in a very modern sense. Snappy dialogue, genuinely funny comedy pacing, and heartwarming moments between Thor and Jane make this seem like a rare breed of superhero rom-com that's actually quite good. The best material in here is the quiet interactions of those two starcrossed lovers.

Superman: Secret Origin (Review)

Writer: Geoff Johns

Artist: Gary Frank

Publisher: DC Comics

Collects: Superman: Secret Origin #1-6

Many writers over the years have attempted to tinker with the Last Son of Krypton's well worn origin. From Grant Morrison's one-page summary in All-Star Superman to John Byrne's groundbreaking Man of Steel mini-series. Mark Waid tried to shake things up in the epic Birthright, as did J. Michael Straczynski with the more recent Superman: Earth One.

But the three greatest words a superhero fan can hear are, "Back. To. Basics." And that is a principle Geoff Johns excels at.

Anybody looking for a trendy new take on Superman best check elsewhere. Anybody looking for a brilliant and heartfelt story about a true legend, this is it.

Brightest Day Volume One (Review)

Writers: Geoff Johns and Peter J. Tomasi

Artists: Ivan Reis, Patrick Gleason, Fernando Pasarin, Adrian Syaf, Scott Clark and Joe Prado

Publisher: DC Comics

Collects: Brightest Day #0-7

Blackest Night concluded with twelve characters being resurrected from the dead by the enigmatic White Light of creation for some elusive purpose. Brightest Day follows these characters as they resume their ordinary lives, and slowly discover the reason behind their return.

"Slowly" being the operative word.

After the frenetic, action-packed Blackest Night, Brightest Day feels more along the lines of 52 or Batman: No Man's Land in terms of story pacing. We get the impression that there is something big unfolding here, it's just taking its time doing so.

Planetary: Spacetime Archaeology (Review)

Writer: Warren Ellis
Artist: John Cassaday
Publisher: WildStorm/DC Comics
Collects: Planetary #19-27

What is it about British comics writers? They all seem to be able to tap into this fantastical, "the world behind the curtain" idea that I, being from the UK, love. Maybe it's something in the water.

Warren Ellis is no exception to this, and Planetary is a now-complete series that he did with (American) John Cassaday from 1998 to 2009, about the shadowy organisation Planetary, which is dedicated to investigating the secret history of the world.

But it is also so much deeper than just that intriguing premise. It is about exploring the tropes and archetypes of fictional storytelling in almost every medium since cavemen drew on walls. More on that later though; for now, let's talk about the three main characters.

WARNING: SPOILERS AHEAD!