The Absolute books are the best comics on the stands, each of them giving readers entirely new versions of the greatest heroes in comics. Absolute Martian Manhunter grabbed attention immediately. Absolute Martian Manhunter is comics as high art, a visually arresting, mental stimulating story starring FBI agent John Jones, and a mysterious Martian presence in his mind. The book gave readers a new version of the White Martians, and has impressed readers with every new issue with its amazing visual storytelling. Absolute Martian Manhunter is brilliant, but there have been some complaints about the book in recent months. However, Absolute Martian Manhunter #4 finds a way to reinvigorate the book, giving readers a beautifully layered story that digs into the characters more than any issue so far.

Writer Deniz Camp has been setting up the new threat of the White Martians since the second issue of the book, but takes it into high gear with the latest issue. The book revolves around the White Martians using the sun itself as a weapon, as a heat wave causes tempers to flare across Middleton. Camp does a great job of setting up the various conflicts that the White Martian has flared up, presenting readers with little moments of city life out of control. Each little vignette is perfect, but the book has been doing things like this since it started. However, Camp isn’t done there, as he finally takes a look at the Jones family, specifically the dissolution of the marriage of John and Bridget. John has been sneaking out to deal with the White Martians, his marriage suffering from his tendency to overwork and disappear. It all comes to a head in this issue, and it gives the book the emotional core that it’s been missing since the beginning.

As cool as the various conflicts are, it’s this one that is the most poignant. We see all of the problems written on Bridget’s face from the first moment she appears in the issue, and as it goes on, the marital gulf keeps extending, growing into a chasm that neither of them can bridge. It’s presented with a heart-wrenching beauty, and much like the violence that has gripped the city during the White Martian influenced heatwave, the whole thing explodes. This is brilliant character work, and Camp is able to put readers directly into the marriage. There’s so much emotion in this section of the book. The fight between the two of them is the heart of the issue, and it’s done so very well. Camp built this moment up throughout the issue, and when he hits readers with it, it’s unexpected despite being telegraphed from the beginning. This is bravura storytelling, and it shows the promise this book has had ever since it began.

Read Next

Is Absolute Batman Too Violent?

The art has been the best part of Absolute Martian Manhunter from the beginning, and this issue is no different. Javier Rodriguez is operating on a level that few other artists are right now, but if we’re being honest, his art started to feel pretty same-y as each issue has gone on. The first issue found an entirely new way to visually represent telepathy, using color in awesome ways, but Absolute Martian Manhunter #4 goes in new directions. Rodriguez continues to find new ways to show the mental effects of the White Martian’s attack, and it’s just as great as the earlier issues. Readers got used to the highly colorful pages, with the colors representing thoughts and emotions, but Rodriguez goes in new directions. Before it was a conflict of the mind, but this issue drags things into the real world, with Rodriguez using new little tricks. There are some sensational panels in this issue. The way he uses visuals is inspired from the first page, and it keeps going from there, as he brings the script to life in new ways.

The fight between Bridget and John wouldn’t be the same without the amazing art of Javier Rodriguez. His character acting really sells the emotions of the moment. Looking at Bridget, you can see exactly how she feels in every panel. The art keeps ratcheting up the tension of the moment, until it all explodes, literally, in a gorgeous full page spread that captures the moment everything in a marriage can go boom. Rodriguez is showing his mastery of the comic page with every issue, and this one is his greatest work so far. The page layouts are amazing and Rodriguez’s use of color continues to be the best in the business. I really can’t say enough about the book’s art. Each little moment builds and builds, and the art is the key.

Absolute Martian Manhunter #4 is easily the best issue of this book so far, and that’s saying something. By now, we’ve come to expect the non-traditional threat of the White Martians, and Camp is again showing that he’s thinking on levels that few others are. Adding in the character work on the Jones is the icing on the cake, and shows the potential of this book. I’ve called Absolute Martian Manhunter a work of art with every chance I’ve gotten, and this issue proves it. There’s so much happening on every page, so much emotion, and it uses its 21 pages perfectly. You won’t read a better comic this month, and you probably won’t read a better one this year. Camp and Rodriguez are working at a level that few other creators are, and that’s all there is to it.

Rating: 5 out of 5

The post Absolute Martian Manhunter #4 Is an Absolute Stunner appeared first on ComicBook.com.

The X-Men are in a strange place right now. “From the Ashes” has divided the fandom, the opening sales success of the books petering out for a lot of the line. There have been a lot of problems with “From the Ashes”, and it’s been met with some pretty big failures. However, there have definitely been diamonds in the rough, and X-Men: From the Ashes: Demons and Death #1 is one of them. There’s two different stories in the book, both of which takes place in the time period between the end of the Krakoa Era and “From the Ashes”, with the first story focusing on the tragedy of Havok before he joined the new X-Factor, and a story starring one of Wolverine’s most dangerous villains: Omega Red. This is some good old fashioned character-driven X-Men goodness, and it’s a shame that more of “From the Ashes” isn’t like this.

Alek Paknadel wrote the Sentinels miniseries, one of the better installments of “From the Ashes” and he brings that skill to this book. The first story picks up from where the Krakoa Era book Dark X-Men ended, revealing why Havok looked normal in X-Factor #1 after being resurrected as a zombie by Madelyne Pryor. The story focuses on K’yrb, a demon that was helping Maddie with Havok, as he works to cure the unfortunate Summers brother. There’s a good mix of action and character throughout the story, and it brings back some classic X-Men characters like N’astirh. It’s honestly a pretty great story, all told, nicely paced and full of emotion. It shows the twisted nature of Maddie and Havok’s relationship, and is a wonderful little chapter of her evolving story. Paknadel does a fantastic job with every character and I’d love to see him write even more about Maddie in the future. The first story is awesome, and I figured this issue couldn’t get any better after finished this story.

However, the second story focusing on Omega Red is even better. Omega Red is a character that is very hard to like. He’s a monster, and it often seems like the more we learn about him, the worse he gets. Paknadel does a brilliant job of actually making Omega Red sympathetic, using flashbacks to tell the story of the only person who was actually nice to Omega Red as he returns to his hometown to find her. Of course, things don’t go well, and we get to see Omega Red as a righteous agent of vengeance. Paknadel puts us in Omega Red’s head for the first time, and does a great job of making us actually feel bad for him. There’s some tremendous action in this story, showing just how scary that Omega Red can be. There’s a moment where he talks about how the members of the Politboru called him “righteous” as a joke, but the story shows that he has that tendency in him. Omega Red is a monster, but sometimes, only a monster can make things right. That’s the throughline of both stories, honestly — monsters who have done terrible things making even worse evils right.

Read Next

10 Best Wolverine Stories of the 90s, Ranked

The art by Phillip Selvy does a tremendous amount of heavy lifting. The linework is heavy and gives the book’s art a darkness that works brilliantly. His art on the first story, at times, leaves something to be desired when it comes to the designs of the demons and zombie Havok, but it definitely works for the story. There is a Polaris demon that is pretty awesome, and he does a good job with Maddie and Polaris when they appear in the book. With Maddie, sometimes it feels like the printing process messes up the linework on the character, but only her, which is strange. However, Selvy’s page layout and detail are pretty good overall, giving this story some cool visuals.

The second story’s art is just like the writing, superior to the first. The flashbacks have a nice sepia tone to them, supplied by colorist Arthur Hesli (who does a tremendous job on colors throughout the issue), that set the scene. He does a great job of capturing the sadness of the script in this story, as well as the hopelessness of Soviet life, which is very important to its tone. Selvy is able to capture the complexity of Omega Red, allowing readers to see him in an entirely new light. The action scenes in this story are great, but that’s a given after seeing how Selvy and Hesli rendered the fights of the first story.

After reading this issue, I want Paknadel, Selvy, and Hesli to work together on either a Maddie or Omega Red book. I didn’t have high expectations for this book, but was pleasantly surprised with every page. Demons & Death is the perfect title for this book. It’s pretty dark, but there’s a lot of emotion and sadness, a sense of melancholy from broken love. You should definitely pick this book up. “From the Ashes” can lean too much on nostalgia, which is something of a problem, but this book’s character focus is perfect and it’s what we love about the X-Men.

Rating: 4.5 out of 5

X-Men: From the Ashes: Demons & Death #1 is on sale now.

The post X-Men: From the Ashes Demons & Death #1 Is an Unexpected Pleasure of a Comic appeared first on ComicBook.com.

Marvel’s Ultimate Universe has been a breath of fresh air across the board, but Ultimate Spider-Man has been in a tier all on its own. To understand why, one need look no further than Ultimate Spider-Man #18. Every character has something memorable and important to contribute to the whole, while the same is true of key concepts and story threads that all feel like they are leading somewhere meaningful. The artwork captivates as much as the dialogue, and even after almost 20 issues, the series still finds ways to subvert one’s assumptions and expectations. Ultimate Spider-Man continues to be the crown jewel of Marvel’s Ultimate kingdom, and that’s likely not going to change anytime soon.

Jonathan Hickman has never had an issue with building an extensive cast of characters within a story, but it’s the attention he pays to each of those characters along the way that stands out, especially when you look upon the bigger picture and realize that none of the subplots ever manage to overwhelm the central character. This issue alone includes further exploration of the Mysterios, the evolving relationship between Richard and Felicia, and what Otto’s been up to, in addition to what’s happening with Wilson Fisk, and yet Peter, MJ, and his immediate family are still unquestionably driving the car.

No character feels disposable or simply there for continuity’s sake, and each interaction is rewarding unto itself. Ben Parker continues to be one of the most brilliant shifts in Peter’s story and family dynamic, and it’s a joy seeing him interact with not only MJ and May but also J. Jonah Jameson, who has been yet another revelation in this switched-up universe. That’s even before we get to Harry Osborn and Gwen Stacy, who feel miles away from any shackles of fate they once held in the 616, and they are flourishing in every conceivable way.

Harry’s got all the baggage with his father like before, but he’s channeled it in a different way this time around, and it’s changed his friendship with Peter and his relationship with Gwen. Speaking of change, Gwen’s shift is a sight to behold, and watching the various members of this ancient collective clash in ideals, approach, and purpose is endlessly compelling, as is Gwen’s ability to forcefully steer the ship forward, whether the rest want to or not.

Read Next

Ultimate Spider-Man’s Sinister Six Explained

We’ll get to one last key sequence in a minute, but first, I want to praise the magnificent work of artist Marco Checchetto, colorist Erick Arciniega, and letterer Cory Petit. This issue bounces between contentious exchanges and almost breezy battles under the New York skyline, and it all pops off the page with the same intensity and vibrancy regardless of locale or circumstance. Checchetto gets a chance to truly showcase how much of a natural he is as a Spider-Man artist, mixing in some of those classic Spidey-swings and maneuvers but with a modern flair. Arciniega’s colors are brilliant throughout, shifting from murky greens and browns to bold purples and reds on a dime, and it all looks flawlessly cohesive and of the same world.

That brings us to one of the book’s final sequences involving Richard and Felicia, and the artwork shifts yet again, embracing the shadow-heavy blacks and greys and pairing them with the stark white of Richard’s suit. Then there’s the context of what this particular scene means, and while I won’t spoil this scene here, what I will say is I always loveit when a story delivers a twist and then lays out immediately why it makes all the sense in the world while not undoing everything that came before.

Ultimate Spider-Man is a force to be reckoned with in every sense of the term, and thanks to meaningful stakes, a sense of heart and family at its core, and truly stunning artwork across the board, it will continue to deliver at an absurdly high bar.

Rating: 5 out of 5

What did you think of Ultimate Spider-Man? Let us know in the comments, and you can talk all things comics with me on Bluesky @knightofoa!

The post Ultimate Spider-Man Proves Why It’s the Crown Jewel of Marvel appeared first on ComicBook.com.

DC Comics is known for its fractured continuity, but all of that changes with New History of the DC Universe #1. This is the second time in the last 50 years that DC has decided to outline the history of its universe for fans — the first time came in The History of the DC Universe that came out after Crisis on Infinite Crisis — and they picked the perfect writer for the job: DC historian Mark Waid, one of the best writers working right now. This is the perfect book for DC fans, laying out the history of the DC Universe from the beginning of time to the destruction of Krypton. It’s exactly what fans have wanted for years, taking the many esoteric DC characters and concepts and bringing them back into the fold of the DC Multiverse.

The book is a story told by the now powerless Barry Allen, as he writes down the known history of the DC Multiverse, starting with the creation of the Multiverse. It’s a great choice, partly because Barry hasn’t really had anything to do since he lost his powers (other than scolding Wally West in recent issues of The Flash about his actions in the war against Eclipso,) but also because Barry Allen is such an important part of DC history. He’s the one who heralded in the new DC Universe of the Silver Age, so making him the chronicler of the history of DC is exactly what the doctor ordered. Waid is well-known for his love of the Flash — it was writing Wally West that made him a star — so the writer using Allen as the person telling the story of DC is fitting. From there, readers get an amazing look at the history of DC. For anyone who’s owned a DC Encyclopedia, this book is full of characters you’ll recognize but rarely read a story about, from Anthro to Viking Prince to Arak, Son of Thunder to the Western heroes besides Jonah Hex to Enemy Ace and the WWII war story heroes.

For longtime DC fans, this is a comic that will have you smiling. Waid is able to cram a lot of DC history into the book’s captions, giving readers just what they need to know about each one. I find myself pointing and smiling, calling out with happiness every time some esoteric DC character that I haven’t seen in a book was brought up. A lot of people might think that a book like this, which is just a history lesson on a fictional multiverse, could be boring, but there’s something undeniably fun about the whole thing. Waid’s love of DC comes through on every page and it’s honestly nice to know exactly what happened in the history of DC. There have been plenty of times when this sort of thing would make fans very happy — one of the biggest problems with the New 52, for instance, was the lack of knowing what was and wasn’t canon — and this is the best time for it. For fans that aren’t as familiar with DC, this is the perfect primer. I really hope DC plans on reprinting a lot of the classics that this book references, because this book is going to make people want to known even more.

Read Next

7 DC Comics Moments I’m Still Not Over

The art in this book is sensational. Artist Jerry Ordway, one of the greatest writer/artists in DC history, and Todd Nauck, whose more modern animation style has always been gorgeous, give readers full page splashes of the events of DC history. Ordway and Nauck’s styles aren’t at all similar — Ordway is old school and Nauck is a student of ’90s style anime influenced art — and that’s part of the charm of the comic. The splash page style of the book is perfect for the narrative, what there is of it. Each page combines the heroes of multiple eras. There aren’t really panels, but nothing gets confusing.

The art works with the script to make this an exciting read. It can’t really be called a story — there’s no actual narrative other than just history — but each little snippet of the book gives readers a dynamic scenes of what the character do best. Ordway and Nauck were honestly the best choice for this book. Both of them have a deep love for DC and much like Waid, that love and respect comes through. Many times, when two different artists work on a book, it’s easy to pick a favorite, but each of them do a sensational job of giving readers the perfect imagery. I prefer Ordway, but I found myself loving it when Nauck’s pages came. The classic and modern art styles are a huge strength for this book.

I highly recommend this book to anyone who wants to understand DC Comics. The book even ends with even more information, giving readers pages of first appearances of just about every DC character referenced in the book, in a section written by David Wielgosz, from research he did with Waid. Everything about this book is a labor love from a group of people who want you to love DC’s past as much as they do. This is the perfect time for this book, and it’s an invaluable resource for DC fans new and old.

Rating: 5 out of 5

Colors by Matt Herms and John Kalisz

Letters by Todd Klein

The New History of the DC Universe #1 is on sale now.

The post New History of the DC Universe #1 Perfectly Lives Up to Its Name appeared first on ComicBook.com.

Absolute Flash has raced into readers’ lives, and has done a pretty great job of setting up the world for the new Wally West. DC promised fans a new kind of Flash comic, and so far we’ve gotten a lot of interesting little changes to the canon. Barry Allen is dead, Gorilla Grodd is a cute alien monkey, and the Rogues work for the US government under the command of Wally’s father. Absolute Flash #4 doesn’t have the action of some of the previous issues, but it continues the world-building of the title, giving readers some great character moments, fleshing out the supporting cast, and teasing fans with even more Rogues goodness.

So far, fittingly, Absolute Flash has moved pretty fast. We were introduced to Wally, and then got the accident, then got the Rogues, and the fight. Writer Jeff Lemire set the stakes and let it rip for a quick three issue set-up story with some action. Absolute Flash #4 slows the pace down and does a load of world building. That’s the key to this issue. Lemire takes some familiar pieces of the Flash formula — Linda, Iron Heights, the Dibneys (just Ralph so far, but Sue is there off the page), a Thawne, and more Rogues — and lays them out for readers, moving the series into its next phase. We also get information on what Barry was doing for the military, and the reveal of a secret at the center of the whole thing with the Rogues. It’s all set up nicely, and drops even more hooks for readers to get stuck on.

Lemire’s Wally is very interesting. Older readers will remember when DC introduced Impulse in the ’90s, and made him into the living embodiment of ADHD (although back then, it was mostly just called ADD.) Lemire brings some of that to Wally. The book begins with Wally using a mnemonic technique his mother taught him to deal with his hyperactivity. Speedsters with ADHD-like symptoms is a really cool idea, and it works well for this version of Wally. Grodd’s telepathy proves vital to fighting Wally’s hyperactivity, which is a cool idea. We also find out that the military is tracking Wally through Grodd, which begs the question about whether Grodd is a help or hindrance to Wally. This issue was exactly what the book needed, a nice little break that deals with our characters and the new situation they find themselves in.

Read Next

Is Absolute Batman Too Violent?

Nick Robles is out for this issue, replaced by A.L. Kaplan. Kaplan’s style is a bit more cartoony than Robles, but it all looks very good, especially on close-up shots. Longer shots don’t look as good — there are some panels with the Rogues in them that aren’t as detailed as some of the other panels — but it’s still a very good looking book. Kaplan’s style fits the slower, less action oriented tone of the issue. His character acting is especially good, which helps in an issue that’s all about introducing characters. For example, there’s a moment with Linda where Kaplan captures this sense of a secret, that there’s something dark in Linda’s life, that she’s keeping back. It’s all there in the panel, and it’s one of the more interesting parts of the book.

The issue ends with the reveal of the new Heatwave, and Kaplan does an amazing job of making this introduction feel very alien compared to other Heatwaves we’ve seen before. One of my favorite things about Kaplan’s Wally is his eyes. Kaplan gives a lot of attention to the eyes and eyelashs, and I got the impression that this was an artistic choice, because it made it look like Wally’s eyes were bleeding energy. This is a great little way of showing the raw energy inside of Wally, a visual representation of the hyperactivity that the writing told us about earlier. Kaplan’s stuff isn’t always perfect, but there’s a great sense of storytelling to the pages that makes it all work. Robles can be a tough act to follow, but Kaplan does a great job.

Absolute Flash #4 slows the book down for much needed worldbuilding. There are a lot of moments where longtime fans are going to get a little tingle from the book, seeing Linda, Ralph, and Elenore Thawne (maybe a female version of Eobard?) as well as the new Rogues, and introducing the town of Iron Heights. Lemire does a fantastic job with the characters, all while setting things up for the future of the book. Issue #4 introduces a lot of things that can be expanded on later, little hints and clues that can blossom into something special. Kaplan’s art feels exactly right for this kind of issue. While I hope we get to see him unleashed on his action scenes — check out his work with Circuit Breaker in Lazarus Planet and Titans: Beast World to see how exciting things can get in his action scenes — his art does a lot of the heavy lifting for the script.

Rating: 4 out of 5

What did you think of Absolute Flash #4? Sound off in the comments below.

The post Absolute Flash #4 Is All About the World Building appeared first on ComicBook.com.

There’s something inherently nostalgic about these Godzilla versus series from Marvel. Each issue takes place in a particular period in Marvel’s past, with Godzilla vs. Spider-Man issue occurring during the 80s Alien Symbiote Saga. Godzilla vs. Avengers features the King of the Monsters fighting Marvel’s Mightiest Heroes in the 21st century, specifically during Brian Michael Bendis’ New Avengers run. It’s genuinely nice to read this old-school team back together, which includes Spider-Man, Luke Cage, and even Wolverine. Unfortunately, this New Avengers reunion is hampered by lukewarm artwork and a weak script. These Marvel Godzilla versus one-shots are typically superficial fun, but Godzilla vs. Avengers lacks the engagement the other issues had.

The biggest problem with the one-shot is the comedy. While there is some tongue-in-cheek humor among the other Godzilla vs. issues, at least most of the other comics treat the gravity of the situation seriously. Instead, Godzilla vs. Avengers has the Avengers downplay the situation and argue with Maria Hill. Writer David F. Walker attempts to replicate Bendis’ witty and conversational dialogue, yet instead, he makes the Avengers seem grossly irresponsible. Captain America especially feels out of character as he would be the one who would take the situation the most seriously.

Read Next

Ranking Godzilla’s Heisei Era

Godzilla Fights Fing Fang Foom With the Avengers

The main conflict around the comic centers on a fight between Godzilla and Fing Fang Foom. The comic later reveals that Fing Fang Foom wanted to take Godzilla’s King of the Monsters title. Even though the reasoning is flimsy, it perfectly aligns with Fing Fang Foom’s character. Concurrently, the Avengers were attempting to rescue as many innocent civilians as they could. Most of the issue is told via flashback as Maria grills the Avengers, and later the inventors of the new Jet Jaguar, about collateral. Jet Jaguar is a giant robot introduced in the Godzilla film franchise. The robot has been in a renaissance recently, reappearing in a major role in the Godzilla: Singular Point anime.

Typically, these Godzilla vs. comics would have one cool moment from the heroes to prove their worth against the giant lizard. Even Spider-Man was able to free the King of the Monsters from the Venom Symbiote with Shocker’s gloves in his one-shot. Unfortunately, the Avengers feel so inconsequential in the Godzilla vs. Avengers comic. Their main goal was saving as many people as possible, which is undeniably noble, yet they don’t act nobly. Everyone bickers with each other, complaining as if it’s another day at the office. Admittedly, the big appeal of Bendis’ original New Avengers run was how grounded he made the characters and how mundane he treated the bigger-than-life situations. When you exist in a world like the Marvel Universe, weird stuff just becomes everyday occurrences.

However, Walker doesn’t capture that same feeling. The Avengers don’t come across as likable, especially when they try to justify their actions to Maria and still make jokes about the conflict even after the destruction. Georges Jeanty’s artwork also greatly undersells many of the comics’ big moments. Jeanty’s art appears rushed, featuring cluttered backgrounds and genuinely ugly faces. The Avengers’ big moment in pushing Godzilla back into the waters doesn’t work because the art doesn’t make the scene seem epic enough. Fortunately, the artist illustrates a great Godzilla, drawing the King of the Monsters with great detail that highlights the character’s gravitas.

Godzilla vs. Avengers should be an enjoyable comic where the Earth’s Mightiest Heroes confront the world’s most famous Kaiju. Sadly, the issue is let down by shoddy art and annoying dialogue that fail to capture an iconic era of Avengers comics. Although Marvel is publishing a New Avengers comic to synergize with the recent film, it isn’t the same as the classic team from the 2000s. While reading the iconic New Avengers team again is undeniably nostalgic in Godzilla vs. Avengers, it fails to live up to its legacy.

Rating: 2 out of 5

What did you think of David F. Walker’s and Georges Jeanty’s Godzilla vs. Avengers? Let us know in the comments!

The post Godzilla vs. Avengers #1 Makes Earth’s Mightiest Heroes Irresponsible appeared first on ComicBook.com.

While most are familiar with the concept of Krypto the Super Dog, you’d be pardoned if you didn’t know the story of how the beloved canine ended up on Earth fighting alongside Superman. Thanks to James Gunn bringing Krypto back to the forefront in the new Superman movie, there’s even more reason to get acquainted with Krypto’s history, and that’s where Krypto: The Last Dog of Krypton comes in. While this could have just been an easy cash-in on the extra attention, this talented team instead wholly embraced what connects a family to their pet and vice versa, and the result is a truly heartwarming and endlessly endearing debut that can’t help but make you an even bigger fan of the Man of Steel’s best friend.

Along those same lines of what could have been, it would have been easy to have Krypto act more like a human to connect with what he’s feeling and thinking throughout the story, and it’s not like that would have necessarily been a wrong decision. That said, what immediately stands out about the series is how the team of writer Ryan North, artist Mike Norton, colorist Ian Herring, and letterer Lucas Gattoni made a decision to have Krypto act like the adorable puppy he is through and through, so it’s up to Krypto’s mannerisms and expressions to convey his feelings in the moment.

To say that was executed beautifully would be an understatement. Norton and Herring’s Krypto leaps off the page with lively expressions and a genuine spark of life to everything he does. This is also true of the El family that surrounds him, and even as conversations unfold that he’s not a part of directly, the artwork conveys a subtle understanding of what’s happening throughout the issue, including one moment that will melt even a Grinch’s ice-cold heart.

Gattoni’s lettering is just as important, conveying the shifts in tone between the El’s and the larger populace of Krypton, who haven’t yet come around to the reality of their situation. Gattoni’s work really shines, however, as the issue makes a big shift towards the end, with Krypto’s every move and reaction heightened as he finds himself in unknown territory, and it all feels almost overwhelming, just like it would be to Krypto.

Read Next

These Are the Best Krypto Stories Ever

This is where North shines as well, taking the known framework of a story and then successfully building a sense of stakes and uncertainty into that frame. We know Krypto is ultimately fine, but it doesn’t make the journey any less compelling. You’ll feel every emotion as Krypto attempts to make the best of his circumstances, and you’ll empathize with the family that wasn’t prepared to say goodbye. You’ll also find yourself shocked by that last page, too, but we won’t get into why here. Just know, it’s a pretty stellar curveball, and I’m intrigued to see where it leads.

While there are several wonderful moments, there is one in particular I can’t quite shake. As Jor-El and Lara-El discuss the reality of Krypton’s impending destruction, Krypto looks over at a sleeping Kal-El with a look of concern. As he approaches, that look slightly shifts to care, and as North’s brilliant dialogue plays out, the final expression is fittingly love. By the end, there’s hope too, and Krypto is right at the center of why.

It’s a fitting end to a rollercoaster ride of an issue that allows Krypto to shine his absolute brightest. I simply can’t recommend it enough.

Rating: 5 out of 5

Krypto: The Last Dog of Krypton #1 is in comic stores now.

What did you think of the issue? Let us know in the comments, and you can talk all things DC and comics with me on Bluesky @knightofoa!

The post Krypto: The Last Dog of Krypton Is a Beautiful Tribute to Superman’s Best Pal appeared first on ComicBook.com.

Brian Michael Bendis changed everything when he launched The New Avengers #1 with David Finch in 2005. Bendis broke long-standing rules, including adding Wolverine and Spider-Man to the roster, creating a team that truly was the all-star assembly of the Marvel Universe. Twenty years later, Marvel has revived the New Avengers line with Sam Humphries and Ton Lima. The new comic doesn’t match the same uniqueness that defined Bendis’s book, instead incorporating harder-edge characters. There’s nothing wrong with that on paper, especially since Humphries’ book is meant to follow the trick marketing for the live-action Thunderbolts* movie.

When Humphries’ and Lima’s New Avengers book was announced, it was initially given the title of Thunderbolts. Marvel then revealed the book’s real title not long after the launch of Thunderbolts* movie, where it was unveiled to be a New Avengers film instead. The edgier roster makes a bit more sense in a Thunderbolts comic, even though the line-up had oddball choices like Hulk, Clea, and Namor. The title also comes off the heels of Thunderbolts: Doomstrike, yet The New Avengers book doesn’t feature the same main creative team. That leads Humphries’s new book in an odd place, as it’s neither a traditional New Avengers book nor a new Thunderbolts title.

Read Next

The MCU’s New Avengers Are Nothing Like the Comic Books

The New Avengers Are Back!

The first issue sets up Bucky and Natasha hooking up and deciding to form a new team. Humphries takes no time re-establishing the Winter Soldier and Black Widow romance, which has existed in the background as a common fling. Humphries leans heavily on the characters’ attraction to each other, with one joke in the comic being Bucky wanting to make out during the middle of a conflict. This kind of humor doesn’t really work for either character, as they are typically stoic. They’re humorous flirtation doesn’t fully land, but it does set up Humphries’ New Avengers as being more light-hearted and campy.

The silly nature of the comic becomes apparent when it’s revealed that the Jackel is the primary antagonist, and he’s one of the most camp villains in Marvel’s arsenal. Furthermore, it’s revealed that the Jackal made defective clones of the Illuminati, including a clone-hybrid of Cyclops and Professor Xavier, plus a buffed-up Black Bolt. It’s a silly and undeniably fun premise for a comic, but it feels like the wrong characters are in it. Jackal and the Illuminati clones make more sense for colorful heroes like Spider-Man, rather than the Winter Soldier and Black Widow.

Laura Kinney joins in on the fun, continuing the character’s trend of being far more aggressive and stoic in team books than she is in her solo adventures. Laura’s inclusion continues the team-up she had with Bucky in her book, replacing Logan as the team’s designated Wolverine. She is an enjoyable addition to the cast, even though she has yet to do anything significant. Namor also makes a big splash in the first issue, and Humphries has a good handle on the character, wonderfully representing his arrogance and heroism. Unfortunately, the full team isn’t formed by the rest of the comic. Clea Strange gets a cameo, whereas Hulk and Carnage don’t even appear. It can be disappointing not to have the full roster at onset, but at least Humphries is not rushing to include the full cast.

Ton Lima delivers strong lineart, which is enhanced by Rain Beredo’s amazing coloring. Beredo adds great texture and lighting to the artwork. Lima and Beredo make the action clear and precise, with a standout panel being a to-scale image where the team stands in front of a large cloning machine. Lima does an excellent job of conveying the machine’s size, incorporating many intricate details.

Humphries’ and Lima’s New Avengers #1 is a competent yet imperfect first issue. The darker characters don’t fully mesh with the over-the-top story Humphries is constructing, but the action and coloring are great. It’s too early to tell if the series will reach the same heights as Bendis’ definitive run on the title. Nonetheless, the new comic may still have time to shine when more of the roster make their grand appearance. Maybe when the full team is formed, we can finally see what kind of chemistry they will have, potentially enhancing the story.

Rating: 3.5 out of 5

What did you think of Sam Humphries’ and Ton Lima’s The New Avengers #1? Let us know in the comments!

The post New Avengers #1’s Sillier Story Doesn’t Fully Mesh With the Edgier Roster (Review) appeared first on ComicBook.com.

Giant-Size Amazing Spider-Man #1 is a collection of short comic stories featuring some of Marvel’s biggest stars, including famed Hollywood Director Kevin Smith. Despite the talent, the stories are unambitious and superficial. Each writer and artist offers something unique and enjoyable, but none of the stories are exceptional. The stories lack dramatic weight and are frivolous, making it a fun yet light comic. Even though there isn’t anything inherently wrong with the one-shot, there also isn’t much substance in Giant-Size Amazing Spider-Man either.

While the comic technically features four stories, the last one is more of a three-page prologue for the upcoming Kid Venom series. The placement of the Kid Venom feels almost random as it has barely enough room to set up the upcoming series, but doesn’t offer anything else. It’s too short to appreciate it more than anticipating the full series.

Read Next

Kid Venom Rises From the Ashes of Death of the Venomverse

Giant-Size Amazing Spider-Man #1 Has Peter Team Up with G.O.D.S.

Kevin Smith provides the first story alongside artist Giuseppe Camuncoli. Smith has dabbled with comic book writing before, notably writing Daredevil: Guardian Devil and Spider-Man/Black Cat: The Evil that Men Do. Smith’s writing style can be real hit-or-miss, and his story is the weakest of the three main ones in Giant-Size Amazing Spider-Man. His story features the most bare-bones narrative of the three, with Spider-Man going around asking his fellow superheroes how to fix a rip in his costume. The story takes place in a dubious part of Spider-Man’s history, making it seem as if it’s an origin of how Spider-Man’s costumes are so impervious. The story lacks stakes and feels so inconsequential, and Smith’s dialogue and humor don’t fully land. For all the stories he could’ve written, Smith needed to write about Spidey getting a new suit. The story also has no strong pay-off, making it seem hollow. Camuncoli has returned to penciling Spider-Man after a long absence with the character, delivering amazing and nostalgic work.

Al Ewing and Mark Buckingham team up to deliver a more cerebral story where Spider-Man teams up with Wyn from G.O.D.S. Ewing attempts to imbue his tale with his trademark philosophical complexity, connecting Spider-Man to the 616 termonilogy and higher-ups of the Marvel deities. However, the story is shockingly bland, despite Ewing throwing a bunch of heady ideas and dialogue. Spider-Man somehow pulls heroes from other times to help him against a monster, yet even that moment doesn’t deliver the excitement you would expect from Ewing. The best thing about the story is Buckingham’s art, which is a great throwback to the Silver Age. It’s also always fun when Spider-Man teams up with a new character, in this case, Wyn.

Chip Zdarsky and Cafu deliver the best story in the one-shot, introducing a new superhero. Zdarsky has been in the mood for creating new characters for Marvel lately, having recently made the superhero couple Wolverpool and Deadverine. For Giant-Size Amazing Spider-Man #1, Zdarsky introduces Rapid, a superhero who can create a time bubble that freezes everything around him. He still moves normally within the bubble, allowing him to appear to go faster than he actually is. Rapid’s powers are pretty cool, reminiscent of the time powers featured in JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure. The problem is that Rapid isn’t a terribly engaging hero. He has noble morals and is using his powers to slow down the cancer cells of his estranged father, but nothing else about him is unique or interesting. The character is still young, and he has potential. Cafu’s linework is strong, but the artist’s design for Rapid is oddly flat.

Giant-Size Amazing Spider-Man is overall a mixed bag, with some great artwork yet shallow stories. Zdarsky’s provides the best plot, introducing a new superhero who has real potential to the grander Marvel Universe as long as the writer has more time to flesh out the character.

Rating: 3 out of 5

What did you think of Marvel’s Giant-Size Amazing Spider-Man #1? Let us know in the comments!

The post Giant-Size Amazing Spider-Man #1 Lacks Ambition, But Introduces a New Hero With Potential appeared first on ComicBook.com.

Wonder Woman is sitting pretty right now. Absolute Wonder Woman is brilliant, wowing readers every month. Tom King’s Wonder Woman run has garnered a lot of attention on the book, especially with its introduction of Wonder Woman’s daughter Trinity. Wonder Woman‘s Trinity back-ups were a highlight of the series, and she’s finally getting her own book in Trinity: Daughter of Wonder Woman. Trinity: Daughter of Wonder Woman #1 is a romp, the cross time meeting of Trinity at three different points in her life bringing the humor. However, seeing as the death of Steve Trevor is a focus and we already know the tragedies of Wonder Woman’s future, there’s a melancholy to the series that reminds readers this is still a Tom King book.

So, right off the bat, this book starts out hilariously. We get the return of Pariah, more Crisis on Infinite Earths era than Dark Crisis on Infinite Earths, and King gives him overwrought tragic dialogue that will elicit a chuckle from even the most jaded readers. In order to keep things clear, when I refer to Lizzie, I’m talking about the youngest Trinity, Wonder Girl as the second oldest, and Trinity as the oldest. Lizzie has always been a delight, and the meeting between her and Pariah is perfect, the work of a smart young child who knows the hows but not whys. The two of them talking is the story’s framing device, where we learn all about the plot of the series — Wonder Girl came to see Lizzie because she knew she was depressed, and then going to Trinity to make a plan on how to make Lizzie happy.

From there, shenanigans ensue. King is in rare form in this issue. There is a lot of funny, snappy dialogue and the way Lizzie, Wonder Girl, and Trinity play off each other is hilarious. Wonder Girl and Lizzie get along well, but Wonder Girl and Trinity are much more contentious, which makes sense because each of them want to be the one who saves the day. King’s writing can get too psychological for its own good at times, too obsessed with digging into what makes superheroes tick. His work on Trinity has been a big change for his usual work, and this issue is more than that. That’s not to say there isn’t any of King’s trademark trauma porn writing in the issue — Lizzie is sad because she doesn’t have a father, and Wonder Girl wants to help her be happy again for both of their sake — but the focus of the issue is the girls’ fun interplay and how their temporal jaunts are a huge problem for all of reality. See, each of their sets of Jon and Damian are changed into Corgis, and the three girls split up in time to find them. All of this is super fun, but adding in the Steve Trevor makes it better because it grounds the whole thing.

RELATED: From Amazon Princess to Vampire Thug: How DC vs. Vampires Created Diana’s Most Terrifying Form

Trinity reunites King with Belen Ortega, who drew the Trinity back-ups in Wonder Woman, and honestly, the main reason this story works so well is because of her art. Ortega’s expressive pencils really sell everything in every panel. There is a lot of emotion in this book — Lizzie’s exuberance and sadness, Wonder Girl’s sympathy, and Trinity’s resolve — and Ortega does an amazing job of getting all of that across. Right from the beginning, a key part of the book’s humor comes from Ortega’s beautiful pencils, as each character reacts the craziness of the situation.

Every panel is beautifully detailed. The page with the six Jon and Damian Corgis playing with Lizzie is a perfect example of this. The page is cute and funny, and you can feel just how happy Lizzie was in this moment. Ortega’s style is perfect for this sort of this thing. There is page after page in this book of amazing visual storytelling. The best art works with the script to give the readers the entire experience. That’s what Ortega’s pencils do with every page. Alejandro Sanchez’s colors are a key part of that. This is a bright and shiny book, and the colors pop off the page. Ortega and Sanchez make a potent artistic team; this is a gorgeous book right from the start.

If you loved the Trinity back-ups in Wonder Woman, you’ll love Trinity: Daughter of Wonder Woman #1. The book is able to capture the humor of the back-ups beautifully. I laughed out loud several times while reading it, and was enamored with each page. Every page of this book is a visual feast. King is cooking with this one, and it’ll be interesting to see where he takes this miniseries. This is a brilliant first issue; even if you don’t like King’s Wonder Woman, you should love this one.

Rating: 4 out of 5

The post Trinity: Daughter of Wonder Woman #1 Is Hilarious and Heartbreaking appeared first on ComicBook.com.

Perhaps more than any other genre, sci-fi is full of stories of revolution. It’s the basis of some of our biggest and most beloved franchises — think Star Wars and Dune, even The Hunger Games though it is a bit less sci-fi, for example — where we find ourselves following the story of a group or groups coming together in an act of revolution against a massive, powerful empire figure, a narrative that takes its energy from the idea of the oppressed fighting the oppressor. It’s a story that works but Image Comics’ Free Planet, from Aubrey Sitterson and Jed Dougherty it’s also a story that gets a new angle. The stunning first issue of the series flipped the concept on its head by giving readers not the story of revolution but dropping readers into a tale of “well, now what” with the revolution having already taken place and the ultimate goal reached. Now, with Free Planet #2, not only is the story itself starting to come together but it’s becoming pretty clear that this is a story that has the potential to redefine what we expect from sci-fi revolutions, reminding us in a direct and fascinating way that the revolution isn’t the end and the victors may not always be truly victorious.

The first issue of Free Planet did a lot to establish its world. We were introduced to the various characters in the Freedom Guard that is now here to keep the wheels of total freedom for everyone on the first-ever completely free planet moving. But it also sows the seeds of something greater and it doesn’t take long for the first issue to show the disconnect between the idealized concept of total freedom and the execution of it. Freedom for one looks like oppression for another. How do you balance that? How do you make things equitable? What does it even look like? This is the challenge that the Freedom Guard is thrown into from the jump, not to mention the repercussions of what total liberation means for the world beyond Lutheria. There are economic impacts on the rest of the universe in which Lutheria exists — again, the idea of freedom for one isn’t necessarily good for everyone else. By the end of the first issue, the idea of freedom, that tenuous flip from suppression to protection, starts to feel messy and challenging. It’s a damn good hook.

Free Planet #2 Presents a Hard Reality: Freedom Has an Ongoing Cost

Going into the second issue, the mess and the challenge intensifies when the people decide to add to the Freedom Guard, bringing on a controversial choice. “This is what happens when civilians make military decisions,” one character says of the decision. It’s a notable observation, and one that feels like a snapshot of the situation Lutheria is in: the ideal colliding with reality. Issue #2 sees the Freedom Guard facing the reality that freedom comes with cost — but so does defending it. The question is, is that cost too high and who will ultimately be willing to pay it.

Read Next

No, The Power Fantasy Isn’t Watchmen (But It Might Be Better)

This is the genius of Free Planet as a title and, more broadly, as a concept. While it is on the surface it’s a story of a world embarking on its total freedom and as such, fits into the comfortable revolution sci-fi trope, Sitterson’s writing and Dougherty’s art go well beyond the surface. Like Free Planet #1, issue #2 is incredibly dense with what I can only call narrative elements that deeply explain the world we’re observing. We are given facts and information that may feel mundane, but actually really matter — there are economic details, for example, in addition to current events on other worlds that all inform the pulse of the story and what our characters are dealing with. We also get glimpses of the pasts of various members of the Freedom Guard, humanizing them as characters but also helping readers understand the choices they are making in the present and what their place in this unsteady, infant liberty may really be. There is no corner here unexplored, but also simultaneously not too much is revealed. The mystery remains intact even as the bigger picture comes into focus. In Free Planet #2, that means the issue leaves us with more questions than answers, but also more of a desire than ever to find out what those answers really are.

Free Planet Challenges the Status Quo of Sci-Fi Stories (And Elevates the Comics Format)

Overall, Free Planet is doing something unexpected, especially with this second issue. By taking readers into the story not of a revolution as its happening but the impact of what “successful” revolution looks like – complete with the idea that victory may itself be a form of losing, Free Planet is challenging what stories in the vein of Star Wars tell. Readers are used to having a team of “good guys” to root for as the fight against the “bad guy” empire with the end goal of the nebulous concept of liberty. By taking the fight out of the equation, Sitterson and company have largely eliminated the good/evil dichotomy and instead are embracing a story that is very much gray. It’s a far more interesting approach and the mechanics of how they’re doing it, with detailed world-building that offers up plenty of details without giving away too much makes this a story that goes beyond the comic book format that holds it. Comics are always art, but Free Planet has a weight to it that puts it in the same conversation of other heavies that redefined the format and their genres before them – things like Watchmen and Saga and others.

Free Planet #2: 5 out of 5

The post Free Planet May Just Be Comics’ Great Sci-Fi Masterpiece (& It’s Changing the Genre) appeared first on ComicBook.com.

Absolute Superman has taken fans across the globe over the course of the past 7 issues, but Absolute Superman #8 brings things back to Smallville, and in doing so, begins to form two of Superman’s foundational relationships without sacrificing the macro-level Absolute universe storytelling that’s been happening since the series debuted. As the various factions collide, Superman continues to be the conflicted beacon of hope that grounds everything else, though the series excels at hitting the gas and raising the stakes when you least expect it. Absolute Superman consistently pushes the envelope and yet still delivers the elements that have become intrinsic to DC’s biggest icon, and that’s only about to get better now that the rest of the gang is joining in on the fun.

As you can glean from the cover, Superman shares the spotlight with Lois Lane and Jimmy Olsen as the first chapter of “Superman, Son of the Demon” begins. While we’ve spent more time with Lois to this point, both characters soon start to take on elements of their previous depictions once they occupy the same space for a while, and yet each character still retains what has made them so unique in this Absolute iteration.

Jason Aaron has already taken Lois quite a ways since we were first introduced to her, and yet her evolving approach and opinion of Superman never feels disingenuous, making the clash with Olsen that much richer and more compelling. Olsen never had the more antagonistic viewpoint of Superman, so it’s understandable that Superman would trust him more, though it’s never conveyed that he doesn’t trust Lois either. In fact, Superman seems more and more intrigued with Lois at every exchange, even when he’s not outwardly showing it, and that’s partly why seeing these three interact is easily one of the biggest highlights of the issue.

The same is true of the book’s villains, though admittedly Ra’s is the much more intriguing side of that equation. Aaron has created a Ra’s that still holds true to many of the character’s core principles, and yet this iteration still somehow feels incredibly distinct from his main universe counterpart. His motives and his methods are ruthlessly effective, and he feels like a villain worthy of going head to head with even someone of Superman’s power levels.

[RELATED: DC Reveals Massive Superman Rollout, Including Toys, Apparel, Games, Crocs, and the Most Adorable Build-A-Bear]

There’s also Captain Smith, who has continued to fail upwards and is now an absurdly powerful Peacemaker creation that can go toe to toe with Superman, and that bloody battle simply looks fantastic. Every punch thrown feels like it holds the force of a semi thanks to the brilliant work of Rafa Sandoval, Ulises Arreola, and Becca Carey, and when the power levels start to soar off the charts the action becomes that much more intense, with beautiful reds and organs crackling swaths of energy across the page.

Some of the battle’s final moments might just land with the most impact though, both in a literal sense when it comes to Superman’s health, but also in how Carey’s lettering allows these moments to soar off the page. It all leaves off in a place that promises some much-anticipated answers, and if the series has taught us anything, it’s not going to be at all what we expect when those answers finally arrive. Absolute Superman continues the DC icon’s simply superb year, and it still feels like we’re just scratching the surface.

Rating: 5 out of 5

What did you think of Absolute Superman #8? Let us know in the comments, and you can talk all things comics with me on Bluesky @knightofoa!

The post The Classic Superman Trio Finally Arrives in the Absolute Universe, and It’s Glorious appeared first on ComicBook.com.

Ultimate Wolverine has been one of the more interesting Ultimate series, melding together two different plot lines — Weapon X and the Winter Soldier — into the person of Wolverine. Ultimate Wolverine #6 continues the story began the issue before, where readers got to meet Ultimate Sabretooth for the first time. Ultimate Wolverine has been introducing more Omega-level mutants, and even teased that the book’s Opposition was basically the original Ultimate version of the X-Men. Ultimate Wolverine #6 brings things to a head, as readers meet even more familiar characters, who all want one thing — to bring their friend Logan out of the Eurasian Republic’s Winter Soldier. It’s a pretty great issue, even if it’s something that long time Wolverine fans have seen before.

So far, writer Chris Condon’s style on Ultimate Wolverine has been more cerebral than anything else, and this issue plays into that quite literally. The story is happening inside his head, as he’s assisted by David Haller — the son of Professor X known as Legion — to break through the programming the Eurasian Republic put inside of him. It kicks off with a Charles Dickens quote, one that perfectly describes Wolverine at this point. The quote is about the chains we put on ourselves, and the issue goes quite far to show why this is case with Wolverine. Condon realizes something that only the best Wolverine writers realize about the character — the problem with Wolverine was never all of the mind control he’s been through, the problem has always been him.

This isn’t a new idea, but Condon does a great job of making it feel fresh. The Eurasian Republic did use multiple methods of mind control on Logan, but the reason why they were able to work is because of who Wolverine is. They choose him because he was a killer, and that desire for violence has always been the greatest lever to use against Wolverine. Condon isn’t breaking new ground here, but it’s a very interesting way to look at Wolverine and his struggles over the years. The issue is well paced and laid out, and ends with a few surprises, namely more members of the Opposition readers will find familiar. Ultimate Wolverine is about to completely change, and it’s going to get very exciting.

RELATED: Marvel Previews: Spider-Man Meets the Ultimate X-Men and Shang-Chi Hits the Ultimates

Alex Lins is still on art for the issue, and I’ll be honest — I like Lins’s more stylized pencils than I do regular artist Alessandro Cappuccio’s art. That’s not to say Cappuccio’s art is bad; it’s excellent and it definitely fits the world of violence that Ultimate Wolverine has created. However, for something like this issue, a trip through Wolverine’s mind (a tried and true X-Men comic concept if there ever was one), Lins’s style just plain works better. His page layouts are sensational. The panels gutters are small and get smaller as the pages go on and Lins starts to stuff the page with panels. The panels themselves are often oblong and claw-like, fitting the type of story we’re being told. Page layout is an underrated art in comics, and Lins’s page layouts do a remarkable job of communicating to the reader.

Lins understands the symbolism of the story that Condon was trying to tell, and does a great job of bringing it to life. The jail cells and chains are powerful imagery for the cage of Wolverine’s mind, and Wolverine going after larger than life versions of Colossus, Omega Red, and Magik are great examples of visual storytelling. They are titanic, but Wolverine can beat them. However, the beast inside of him is drawn to be exactly the same as Wolverine, and that little bit of visual storytelling tells you everything you need to know. Wolverine can fight against things bigger than him, he’s been doing that his whole life; however, the fact that he’s always had to defeat himself is wonderfully outlined by him fighting his doppelganger. If there’s any complaints about the art, it’s the last couple of pages aren’t as detailed as the beginning of the book and last issue. However, this is a minor problem for an issue with such tremendous art.

Ultimate Wolverine #6 is the dividing line between what we got before and what we’re going to get. It’s the most psychological issue of Ultimate Wolverine so far, which is saying something, and shows an understanding of Wolverine that we don’t always get to see anymore. The art is perfect for the story; Condon and Lins gel wonderfully, and it would be great if he got to the regular fill-in artist for when Cappuccio needs a break. Ultimate Wolverine has set the bar high, and this sixth issue shows that the book is up to the challenge of clearing it.

Rating: 4 out of 5

Ultimate Wolverine #6 is on sale now.

The post Ultimate Wolverine #6 Gives Readers the Moments They’ve Been Waiting For appeared first on ComicBook.com.

It’s rare for me to get genuinely excited about a comic book release nowadays. There’s a constant cycle of reboots and relaunches, and everything builds towards the next big “event” crossover. Even with this in mind, the rare project can present itself that is too enticing, too tempting to straight out ignore. For me, Imperial is that type of anticipated comic. Combining the talents of Jonathan Hickman, Federico Vicentini, Iban Coello, and Federico Blee into an event series is nothing less than a winning formula. We’re talking political intrigue, mysterious puppetmasters, and an Angry Hulk. What more could you ask for?

Let’s start with the tag team of artists Iban Coello and Federico Vicentini, who are splitting art chores on Imperial. Iban’s work on various Venom stories has made him one of my all-time favorites, so it’s great seeing him on another high-profile project. His character work is always rich with energy and emotion, and that’s on display with his work on the Hulks. As for Federico Vicentini, he’s done nothing but kill it on Miles Morales: Spider-Man, and gets to push the political agenda at the core of Imperial. The coloring choices by Federico Blee originally caught me off guard when I went through the preview pages, but after thinking over it, they make sense. There are contrasting colors everywhere you look, but they often appear calmer than I expected them to be. This could be due to presenting the colors of space from a different perspective, rather than how the pages would look if the action primarily took place on Earth.

The entire time reading Imperial, I couldn’t help but think about it in comparison to Game of Thrones. You have a collection of houses/galactic empires, each with a prominent figurehead. There are secret alliances, murder, and the promise of war on the horizon. Our familiar characters are Hulk, Star-Lord, Nova (Richard Rider), Gladiator, Hulkling, and Wiccan, just to name a few. The Imperial cast is even larger and is guaranteed to grow in future issues, though we do lose certain characters through assassination attempts. There’s enough page space to allow everyone to get their time in the spotlight, making some of their deaths hit a little bit harder.

[RELATED: Hulk’s Newest Role in the Marvel Universe Will Surprise You]

It’s funny to think about a superhero book building drama through a murder mystery, but Imperial succeeds in this endeavor. Hulk isn’t just smashing his way through the galaxy looking for answers. Hulk and Amadeus Cho speak with medics, collect information, and build a case to help solve the murder of Hulk’s son, Hiro-Kala. That doesn’t mean Hulk is not without his trademark rage. We see that pretty early on. But it’s fun to see him reserved and in control while draped in his Worldbreaker regalia.

So there have been assassinations, and a culprit has been identified. Of course, it’s too convenient and out in the open for the killer and their empire to be the true suspect. But that isn’t going to stop Hulk and others from seeking retribution. I’m curious why this one world was possibly framed for the crimes, but my first guess is that it comes down to a precious resource only they are known for. Even if I’m wrong, I’m sure the twist will be worth the speculation.

I don’t want to wait another month for Imperial #2, but it looks like I’m forced to. One extra thing I enjoyed was the comic being split into four chapters. It made the story move along at a steady pace and helped to break up the set pieces. As our mystery gamesmasters would probably say, “Let the games begin.”

Rating: 5 out of 5

Make sure to let us know your thoughts on Imperial #1 in the comments below!

The post Imperial #1 Wages Cosmic War on the Marvel Universe (And I’m Here for It) appeared first on ComicBook.com.

It’s June which means that we have arrived once again at Pride Month. For the fifth year in a row, DC is celebrating Pride with their one-shot, anthology-style publication celebrating the LGBTQ+ community and experience through the life, love, and humanity of its beloved characters and creators. In a month where there is plenty of rainbow activism, DC Pride has carved out a space of being a genuine love letter to its readers of all identities and this year’s is no different. It’s a long issue that features iconic and beloved characters as well as a deeply moving original, personal story from a creator — this year being Black Lightning co-creator Jenny Blake. However, while the format and mechanics of the issue and its stories are generally the same, this year’s DC Pride 2025 feels very different. Coming at a time when the LGBTQ+ is enduring old challenges in new forms with drastic anti-trans legislation nationwide and growing anti-queer sentiment, the community is enduring a lot of pain and it’s something that going into this year’s special, I wondered how DC would approach things. It turns out the answer comes in embracing the moment and doing what every generation of our community has done before us: fighting on and finding hope for tomorrow.

DC Pride 2025 is functionally set up as two stories — the larger overall narrative “The Heart Wants” and then the personal story from Blake. This is a little bit of a departure from previous year’s stories in that the main story is indeed one full story, but it’s told in different chapters by different creators each following different characters with one character, Ethan, serving as a throughline between them. The story starts as a beloved gay bar is closing down and Alan Scott takes new trans friend Ethan to see a famous wall in the basement of the establishment, one where patrons have carved and written on over the decades, marking their existence and place in history and the community. However, things soon get a little weird as reality seems to warp and we all find ourselves (and by that, I mean readers and characters alike) in different stories, different realities, a little off our center because things are familiar and comfortable but something is just off.

[ RELATED: DC’s Black Lightning Creator Jenny Blake Isabella Comes Out as Transgender ]

I won’t get into the actual details of exactly why things are off — there is a real story being told here and some twists and elements need to be read for one’s self in order for this story to ultimately pack the emotional punch it’s going for. And the story does pack a punch. What is fascinating about “The Heart Wants” is it is at different turns confusing, nonsensical, disjointed, and uncomfortable. On the surface that seems like a flaw; after all, this is a story penned by numerous writers with numerous artists and the flow is challenging to say the least. However, the deeper you go the more you realize that that is the point. The story is itself functioning as mirror of sorts to the community experience. For many, after a period of time of feeling secure and accepted, the social landscape has shifted again, with old prejudice and bigotry coming back to the forefront. It makes for a disorienting and disheartening reality and it’s that reality that this story reflects. The story uses this as a rich tool, sharing the idea that while one might want the comfort of everything they think they’ve wanted, real progress and real hope for a better tomorrow requires us to move forward, even through adversity. In short, while “The Heart Wants” can be a confusing read — and I would argue that this story would have made a much better full series rather than an extended single story — when you realize the story is itself a metaphor, it’s a gut punch that will break your heart and inspire you in equal measure.

As for the personal story. the past few DC Prides have included a personal story and Blake’s addition is a welcome one. While I would argue that nothing will ever top Keven Conroy’s beautiful story “Finding Batman” from 2022, Blake’s “Master Planner” is a giddy, beautiful, hopeful and richly nerdy celebration of transition, acceptance, and even the joy of comics. Blake tells her personal story very much through the lens of comics — and I personally love her referencing some deep cut comics moments, Claire Kent anyone? It’s fun and it’s uplifting and it is exactly the kind of injection of joy that’s needed.

When it comes to Pride celebrations, it’s far too easy to fall into something that’s performative, but each year DC Pride pushes things a little further and works to make their contribution something real and meaningful. With DC Pride 2025, DC continues these efforts in a way that speaks to the community where it is and continues offering inspiration for the journeys to come. I only wish we get more of these stories outside of June.

Rating: 4.5 out of 5

DC Pride 2025 is on sale now.

The post DC Pride 2025 Offers More Than Just Representation and Celebration appeared first on ComicBook.com.

In 2013, writer Greg Rucka and artist Michael Lark brought what has since become one of Image Comics’ landmark series to life: Lazarus. Set in a near-future dystopia, the world of Lazarus is one in which society has settled into feudalism, ruled by sixteen extremely powerful Families. The story follows Forever Carlyle, the genetically enhanced super-soldier military type enforcer for the powerful Carlyle Family who is controlled by her father Malcolm Carlyle. However, a dozen years later, Lazarus is entering a new — and final — chapter, one that changes everything and could see the end of not just the Carlyle Family but the social order as the world knows it. That chapter is Lazarus: Fallen, the first issue of which will hit stores on June 25^th. ComicBook had the opportunity to do an early review and, without getting into spoilers, the final chapter of the Lazarus story is one that fans of the series won’t want to miss and one that newcomers to the story will quickly find themselves engrossed in as well.

When Lazarus: Fallen #1 picks up, the Carlyle Family is on the hunt, specifically for Forever Carlyle. She’s finally broken free from her family’s control and has a new mission: burn it all down, even if that means burning her own Family down as well. It is an exciting premise and issue #1 pays off on it, wasting no time dropping readers into the situation as it sets up the early hours after Forever is declared rogue by the Carlyle Family. This is not a spoiler; first looks at Lazarus: Fallen reveal a strike team infiltrating the Hock Wellness and Preservation Facility 074 on the hunt for Forever only to find that she’s not there, having been aided by her own mother in escape. From there, the story moves forward to reveal time passing with Forever still rogue and the brutal lengths Malcolm is willing to go to get her back, lengths that include manipulation and control of his own family.

[RELATED: No, The Power Fantasy Isn’t Watchmen (But It Might Be Better)]

I can’t get into more details about what those lengths entail — or about the twist in the final pages of issue #1; we’re doing this spoiler free. What I can get into is how seamless the story is. It’s been three years since the last issue of Lazarus (Lazarus: Risen #7 arrived in 2022,) but Rucka hasn’t missed a beat with the storytelling. For those already familiar with Lazarus, this latest installment fits in perfectly with everything readers already know and one can nicely hit the ground running. For readers coming to the world of Lazarus with Fallen #1 as their starting point, while going back to the beginning is an absolute must so as to get the full story, you still get an intriguing hook and the turn on the final page will have you quite literally trying to turn the page to get more (don’t worry, a second issue will follow in July, you’ll get more and what Rucka is doing here is already very much worth the wait.)

But while Rucka’s writing is impeccable — The Old Guard creator is highly regarded for a reason — it’s not the only element of Lazarus: Fallen #1 that stands out. Lark’s art here is superb. The book has a look and feel that is both realistic — there are moments when Lark’s work almost looks like a photograph, it’s so crisp and clean — and beautifully textured. It’s the balance between these two elements that give the book a cinematic feel, reminding readers that this is a big story told on a big scale even within the more intimate parameters of the comic book format. That, interestingly, is particularly noticeable when you get into the details: freckles smattered across a character’s nose, the way a body crumples on the floor, the look of resignation in the eyes of one character and the sort of conspiratorial gleam in another’s. Lazarus has always been good, with both Rucka and Lark delivering fantastic work, but Fallen is not only the story at its peak, but both creators doing some of their absolute career-best work. The result is something that is gritty and elevated in equal measure.

To put a finer point on things, Lazarus changed what is possible with sci-fi dystopian stories in comics and created something really special when it arrived in 2013 and now, the final chapter Lazarus: Fallen is not only starting off as a very worthy next part but is poised to perhaps be even better than the original. With excellent writing and art that may be some of the best of both creators to date, Lazarus: Fallen #1 may see Forever Carlyle on a mission to burn everything down, but it looks like this story is going to go out in a blaze of glory.

Rating: 5 out of 5

Lazarus: Fallen #1 goes on sale June 25th from Image Comics.

The post Lazarus: Fallen #1 Is an Epic Beginning of the End appeared first on ComicBook.com.

The enthralling roller coaster of DC’s Absolute Universe kicks off the next chapter of Wonder Woman’s story in it with Absolute Wonder Woman #8, itself part one of the book’s new story “As My Mothers Made Me”. While not as action heavy as Diana’s literal emergence from Hell itself in the beginning of Absolute Wonder Woman, that’s by design with Diana finding her footing in mankind’s world in the aftermath of her first big battle. The issue’s biggest asset, however, are the multiple twists it introduces that set up Diana’s journey in the Absolute Universe as one that is just getting started.

When “As My Mothers Made Me” begins, Diana has made a new home for herself in Gateway City after here defeat of the monstrous creature, the Tetracide, but while she has several new human friends including Steve Trevor, Etta Candy, and Barbara Minerva, Diana still yearns to find her Amazonian sisters from her homeland of Themyscira whom she never got to meet due to her upbringing in Hell. Meanwhile, the sinister director of Area 41, Veronica Cale, prepares to throw a curveball in Diana’s direction with help from the captive Doctor Poison, the two having both a secret weapon and a tool of enticement to catch Diana off guard.

Absolute DC has excelled as a collective Elseworlds story for all of DC, and Absolute Wonder Woman #8 picks up the ball from Diana’s Absolute debut in both an understated and impactful way. If the first seven issues of Absolute Wonder Woman placed great emphasis on Diana as a warrior, the eighth is all about achieving peace in her new home as she primarily focuses on finding the sisters she never met in the home she’s building for herself.

RELATED: 7 Biggest Changes Absolute DC Has Made To DC’s Trinity

While Steve, Etta, and Barbara don’t have a big role to play other than being impressed by Diana’s big magic trick of the issue, the villainous cabal that Veronica Cale and Doctor Poison more than makes up for it. Re-imaging Doctor Poison as a sentient cloud of gas assuming a rough human form through a containment suit is just the latest brilliant DC character makeover the Absolute Universe has treated readers to, while Veronica’s role in the story shows her with a surprisingly Amanda Waller-esque persona in her talent for pulling strings to make villains into her pawns.

Hayden Sherman and Jordan Bellaire’s artwork keeps the cave painting-like quality that has been Absolute Wonder Woman‘s visual bedrock enthrallingly vivid, but like any great part one of a comic book story, “As My Mothers Made Me” saves its strongest punch for its last couple of pages. Suffice it to say, Diana being called upon to face an old enemy is just the appetizer to the real shocker of the twist in its final panel. An absolutely splendid cliffhanger is how Absolute Wonder Woman #8 chooses to wrap up part one of “As My Mother Made Me” – one that sets the stage for Diana’s new big challenge and that reminded me of how and why DC’s Absolute Universe has been consistently knocking it out of the park from day one, as it is sure to do for millions of other readers.

Rating: 4 out of 5

Absolute Wonder Woman #8 is on sale now from DC.

The post Absolute Wonder Woman Was Already Great And It’s Only Getting Better appeared first on ComicBook.com.

A new chapter in the thrilling saga of DC’s Man of Steel is now underway in Superman #26, and while all eyes are on the future, Superman never abandons the critical threads of the past. This key element has made Superman one of the most gratifying series in DC’s current library, as past events always feel meaningful without becoming obstacles to fresh concepts and ideas. It’s resulted in a book that rewards longtime readers with additive layers to characters, relationships, and alliances while also consistently pushing the story forward into new territory, and over two years in this series still feels as powerful as ever.

Superman #26 deals directly with the fallout of Mercy’s big gamble that set a murderous and crazed clone (X-El) on a rampage across Metropolis, and writer Joshua Williamson takes some time to catch up with several different areas of the Superman family and the book’s extended cast. It’s become a trademark of the series and is a credit to how much investment has been made in the rest of the cast, as Lois, Lex, Mercy, and Lena have all become just as important to the overall story and just as compelling as Big Blue.

Lena Luthor is especially great throughout the issue and makes an immediate impact during the book’s opening pages thanks to the brilliant work of Eddy Barrows, Alejandro Sanchez, and Ariana Maher. Luthor has been on the receiving end of no shortage of scoldings over the years, but you feel every painful word in Lena’s justified evisceration of him, just as you can’t shake the feeling that something is off with Lois after her back-to-business shrug-off of not having powers. Everyone feels remarkably human in this series, and it’s part of what successfully grounds the bigger superhero spectacle of it all.

That leads us to the direct threat of this issue, which isn’t actually coming from Lex or Mercy this time around. Williamson leans into other aspects of Superman and his personality that we don’t always get to see and creates a freight train of internal conflict in the process, and then we also get key characters from earlier in the run (including one of my absolute favorites) showing back up in unexpected ways.

[RELATED: DC Reveals Four New Kryptonites in Black Label Superman Series]

There’s also a grand plan in place, with two interludes building upon the two most recent arcs and setting up big confrontations down the line. Those who have been paying attention to not only Superman’s main series but also All In overall will be excited to see both of these story elements in play, and it once again goes to show how deftly the series balances its macro level storytelling and the moments in between that gets you invested in the first place. Superman has been on an all-time run over these last two years, and as the next era begins in earnest, I can’t see a future where that is going to change.

Rating: 4.5 out of 5

Superman #26 is on sale now.

What did you think of Superman #26, and what do you want to see next from the series? Let us know in the comments, and you can talk all things comics with me on Bluesky @knightofoa!

The post Superman Makes the Man of Steel His Own Worst Enemy and I’ve Never Been So Excited appeared first on ComicBook.com.

Uncanny X-Men has been setting the bar very high for the rest of the “From the Ashes” X-Men books. The book’s latest story has seen the Outliers discovering the truth about their new base, Haven House, and Uncanny X-Men #15 shows exactly what the X-Men have been sitting on since they moved her. “Dark Artery” has introduced readers to Lady Henrietta, a powerful mutant who has been around for a century, guarding a mutant secret unlike anything readers have ever experienced. Uncanny X-Men is the best current X-Men book, and this newest issue shows off exactly why, as Gail Simone and David Marquez take readers on a terrifying ride through the past.

Simone promised that Uncanny X-Men would be something of a Southern Gothic horror book, and Uncanny X-Men #15 does a tremendous job of capturing that feel. The truth about Haven House is revealed both through flashbacks and current day exposition, as Lady Henrietta tells the Outliers the story of the Penumbra, a Hell-like place for the dead who hurt mutants. A big problem with “From the Ashes” since the beginning has been the way the majority of the books rehashed Marvel’s merry mutants’ history. Uncanny X-Men has done a tremendous job of sidestepping this; while Simone has definitely captured the flavor of the past — specifically the more character focused of X-Men legend Chris Claremont — she’s been telling stories that aren’t as obviously rehashes as some of the other X-Men books. “Dark Artery” is yet another example of that.

The mystery of Haven House and why Gambit chose it as the X-Men’s newest base has been one of the major questions of the book, and the answer is so much cooler than readers could have imagined. Simone’s ability to weave together character and plot is one of the reasons this story works so well. A big focus of the issue is the camaraderie between the Outliers, as the four young mutants show just how much they care about each other when Deathdream makes a decision that could change his life forever. The Outliers are some of the coolest new mutants ever, and Simone has done a great job of giving each of them distinct personalities. They are the majority of the focus of the issue, and it’s great to see the way they work together and play off each other. One of the best things with Simone’s writing has always been her ability to do a lot with a little, and she does that with Outliers. Ransom is the leader, Deathdream is the weird one, Calico is the one with secrets, and Jitter is the group sweetheart. Simone is able to show off who each of them are with some simple dialogue, and she’s able to fit in so much character all while creating a great plot and dropping lore on the readers.

RELATED: Ms. Marvel Meets the Age of Apocalypse’s X-Men in First Look at Marvel Event (Exclusive)

Marquez’s art is fantastic, but that’s no surprise. This is a very dark issue, lighting wise, but Marquez never slacks on the detail. His character acting is amazing, really selling the emotion of every scene. There’s a moment between Jitter and Calico that works so much better because of Marquez’s art, capturing love, fear, and surprise in two panels. This issue has some great action scenes, and Marquez is able to capture the sense of motion that action scenes need to work.

The Penumbra, the otherworldly place under Haven House, has a simple design and it works so well because of Marquez’s art. Anyone entering the Penumbra gets gothed up — there’s a dress code for Hell apparently — and Marquez creates great alternate costumes for both the Outliers and the X-Men. One of the things that fans have loved about this book is the sexiness of the characters (the last issue with everyone in their underwear was talked about constantly in X-Men fan spaces), and Marquez keeps that up in this issue as well. Looking at Marquez’s Wolverine in his cut-off jean shorts will definitely make readers realize why Wolverine is such a ladies man. His Man-Thing looks sensational, and it’s enough to make readers want him to draw the character more.

There’s so much to love about Uncanny X-Men #15. Team books have gone through a lot of changes over the years, but Uncanny X-Men is an example of borrowing the structure of the past and making it work in the present. This issue has everything a reader could want — expert character work, fun lore, exciting action, and tremendous art. “Dark Artery” has been a blockbuster so far, and this penultimate issue will definitely hype readers up for the story’s end.

Rating: 4.5 out of 5

Uncanny X-Men is on sale now.

The post Uncanny X-Men #15 Is a Master Class of Borrowing From the Past to Tell New Stories appeared first on ComicBook.com.

When it comes to the biggest Batman comic book storylines of all time, Batman: Hush is always in the conversation. Stories such as The Dark Knight Returns, The Long Halloween, Death In The Family, The Killing Joke, and Batman: Year One stand at the top of the food chain for the Dark Knight, with the introduction of the villainous Hush standing side-by-side with many of them. Thanks to DC announcing that the original creative team of writer Jeph Loeb and artist Jim Lee returning for a sequel storyline, many were expecting a new golden era of the Bat but unfortunately, they might get anything but with the latest issue, Batman #160.

Much like the title of this review suggests, Batman #160 throws an incalculable amount of characters, storylines, and action-packed scenes readers’ way. To start, Bruce is having some difficulty in wrapping his head around the Red Hood’s current alliance as Jason Todd and Hush seem to be working in tandem. On top of this, Tommy Elliott’s big comeback has spawned new villains for the Dark Knight to fight as Hush has been putting his surgical skill to good use. The issue also injects subplots involving Commissioner Gordon, Nightwing and Batgirl teaming up with the Riddler, Damien Wayne hitting the scene with Bane, Tommy creating new villains for Bruce to fight, and all these elements stirred into a chaotic pot. Unfortunately, all of these plotlines find themselves almost doing battle with one another by the issue’s end.

[RELATED: This Fan Favorite Batman Story Isn’t The Masterpiece It’s Made Out to Be (And I Will Die on This Hill)]

The original Hush storyline, much like The Long Halloween and its sequel Dark Victory, did an adept job of juggling an avalanche of Batman’s villains into one storyline. Specifically, it did this by typically spending an issue seeing the Dark Knight take on one of his rogues gallery within the backdrop of an overarching mystery that is unfurling. Here, Loeb takes a far more chaotic approach in that countless villains are smacking against one another for panel time in a way that might have seemed more in line with the grand finales of these respective stories. This methodology worked as something of a pay-off to what had transpired before in the original Long Halloween but unfortunately, it almost appears as though Hush 2 is throwing everything at the wall relatively early.

The Hush sequel has an issue in giving you time to breathe and percolate on the many plots that are interweaving with one another. It’s all too fast and far too furious in comparison to Loeb’s past mysteries that worked so well, such as The Long Halloween with the methodology for introducing the nefarious Holiday. To say nothing of the fact that we are once again retreading the idea of whether or not the Joker should still be alive and how far Bruce Wayne should go in saving the villain’s life. This of course leads me to my next big issue with the issue.

We really need to have a discussion about Jason Todd in the DC Universe. For me personally, I think that there has never been a good enough storyline, aside from Batman: Under The Red Hood, that felt like Jason’s resurrection was justified in the face of his initial death’s impact on the DC universe. That’s a personal preference for yours truly but it’s one that feels exacerbated here in Hush 2 because readers are once again dragged into a villainous take on the Red Hood, which is territory that has been explored time and time again. Yes, Jason wants the Joker dead but that fact has been mined to death, and seeing him once again coming to blows with Bruce over this fact doesn’t feel fresh anymore. It’s a hard sell that Jason, who is a murderer, is allowed to walk free and fight for Gotham but him switching sides again pushes the believability of the universe to its breaking point.

On a positive note, Jim Lee once again proves himself to have not missed a beat since he was drawing far more often for both DC and Marvel Comics. Lee’s work makes each of these characters truly feel as though they are gods walking the Earth, which is fantastic for the DC universe as a whole. There’s a reason why in plenty of marketing and promotional material, Jim Lee’s artwork feels like the “go-to” for Batman and his villains and the artist proves that here. Scott Williams’ inks and Alex Sinclair’s colors on the issue greatly accentuate Lee’s linework here, and if nothing else, I really am looking forward to seeing more of what Hush 2 has to offer in the art department.

Hush 2 is a storyline that I believe will need to be judged when all is said and done, ie once the arc is finished and readers can read it in a single afternoon. Reviewing the arc piecemeal feels like a tough scenario though it’s one that still needs to be done. As it stands, I wouldn’t recommend this sequel for readers looking for the next big Batman book and while it is flawed, there are good enough aspects to bring me back to see how it all wraps.

Rating: 2.5 out of 5

Batman #160 is on sale now from DC.

The post Batman’s Hush Sequel’s “Everything But the Kitchen Sink” Approach Just Isn’t Working appeared first on ComicBook.com.

In both reality and fiction there may be one thing that is more dangerous than power and its secrets. On their face, the idea of secrets — information withheld or concealed, usually to avoid a consequence — doesn’t seem like such a terrible thing. People keep relatively harmless secrets every day in the name of basic privacy. But not all secrets are benign and when you combine secrets with the volatility of a world containing superpowered beings it’s not just feelings that could be in the balance but the fate of the entire world. This is where The Power Fantasy from Kieron Gillen and Caspar Wijngaard brings us in issue #9 and it’s the revelation of a couple of secrets in particular that could save the world or be its entire undoing.

The Power Fantasy sees the Superpowers in a strange and strained situation. Jacky Magus has previously entered into an alliance with the U.S. government after Etienne killed the president, it’s discovered that Heavy has a secret Superpower son who could end up being a dangerous player in the mix, and Masumi is already hanging by a very delicate emotional thread. All of that threatens to blow up in everyone’s faces in the issue (potentially literally). We start to realize that Heavy may not have the biggest handle on things when it comes to his secret son and that he’s not necessarily entirely confident about his own stance. We also finally see Isabella be honest with Masumi, revealing their own bitter feelings about how the Atomics (and particularly Masumi) survive over and over while humans die in droves when things go wrong. It’s a huge risk, but opening up that secret both unburdens Isabella and seems to do some good for Masumi as well.

[RELATED: No, The Power Fantasy Isn’t Watchmen (But It Might Be Better)]

But it’s the big secret that gets revealed in The Power Fantasy #9 that may be the most dangerous thing the story has faced to date, something that is poised to be more of an issue for how it could upset the balance of power and what it means for the already delicate dance the Atomics are doing. Jacky Magus has been doing some sneaky stuff for a while and everyone’s been trying to get Eliza on their side, but as it turns out, what’s really going on with Jacky goes back to the catastrophic Second Summer of Love in 1989. It also turns out to have major, major connection to Eliza and how she’s ended up the way she is. The issue hits Eliza — and the reader — with the gut punch that Jacky isn’t exactly who he seems to be.

I’m not going to spoil the reveal — that should be read for itself — but it’s one that changes everything and not only does Gillen set it up brilliantly with the writing but Wijngaard’s art, particularly as Eliza realizes what she’s being told, is absolutely phenomenal. Gillen tees things up perfectly, with Etienne commenting on the random nature of how big revelations of truth really are. He’s speaking about Matsumi when he talks about luck and stakes, but he may as well be speaking about what Jacky reveals to Eliza except while we see how Matsumi’s luck plays out the reader is left to wonder what will come with Eliza. Wijngaard’s art gives nothing away, but somehow simultaneously captures every nuance of relief and horror in Eliza’s face as so many pieces start to fall into place for her. She’s very much our window into this moment and it in a way that feels like screaming without a sound. To put it another way, it’s a cliffhanger that hits as though you’ve already fallen right into the ground at top speed. You know something has broken, but you’re also in no position just yet to take stock of just what.

That is perhaps what makes The Power Fantasy as a title work so well generally, but this issue specifically excel. The things you expect to be catastrophic — powers, Matsumi having to deal with emotional distress, Heavy’s secret son — are somehow less dangerous than the thing you didn’t really see coming, the secret so well-kept that it’s really more of a bomb, one that no one might survive. The Power Fantasy has always been a story of layers and complicated relationships, but issue #9 takes things to a completely different level — and it may be the best of the series to date.

Rating: 5 out of 5

The Power Fantasy #9 is on sale now from Image Comics.

The post I Don’t Know How The Power Fantasy is Gonna Top That Latest Gut Punch Reveal appeared first on ComicBook.com.

Fantastic Four has been going like gangbusters since writer Ryan North took over the book, and One World Under Doom has seen the team become more important than ever. Doom has stolen the Thing’s powers, leading to the gradual depowering of the Fantastic Four. The only hope is a time travel mission to get his powers back, but the Thing ruins everything and accidentally makes sure the Fantastic Four never existed. Fantastic Four #32 takes place in this new universe, as Valeria Richards tries to figure out a way to save the day against the greatest odds she’s ever faced. This is yet another excellent issue of Fantastic Four, leading to the end of the the current story before the upcoming relaunch of the book.

Fantastic Four #31 ended with the destruction of the timeline and the new issue picks up afterwards, as Valeria Richards’s mind is somehow transported to a world where the Fantastic Four never existed. North sets things up rather quickly, using Valeria’s narration to continue to tell the story. Unlike Marvel’s other two major teams, the X-Men and the Avengers, the Fantastic Four usually doesn’t go in for dystopian realities, but North finds a clever way to make this new timeline a very scary place to be using two ideas, one from older Marvel comics and one from the show The Twilight Zone. Franklin’s mind didn’t travel to this world, but his powers did, creating a God from a child. Franklin eventually became Galactus on this world and uses his power to ensure the safety and happiness of everyone, whether they want it or not.

The way North threads all of this through the story is wonderful. This is definitely a Fantastic Four comic, but he finds way to work a strand of cosmic horror through the whole thing. What would happen to a baby forced to use his godlike powers to save the world in the Fantastic Four’s stead? North answers that question beautifully throughout the issue, showing just how scary Franklin Richards can be. This also may be a sly way to give Franklin back his powers in the restored timeline, but that remains to be seen.

North does a great job of setting out the stakes, all while using Valeria as his cat’s paw. Valeria’s plan — a somewhat complicated plan that is partly the X-Men’s plan to stop a terrible future from happening in “Days of Future Past” and partly something completely unexpected — shows off just how intelligent Valeria can be and what a force she is as a character. Valeria Richards is a great character, and this story so far has done a great job of showing off why the adventures of the Fantastic Four aren’t as good without her.

RELATED: A Member of the Fantastic Four Is Going to Fight the Entire Marvel Universe

Cory Smith, along with inkers Wayne Fauncher and Oren Junior, supplies the art for the book and it’s pretty great. There aren’t any big fights in the comics, but they’re able to find the creepy vibe that North’s script is putting down. The blank smiles on the faces of Reed and Sue when Valeria tells them the truth are perfect, and it all leads to a great looking reveal of Franklin as Galactus, with more “happy” people looking up at their savior. It’s all played beautifully. Faces like this can be hard to do — the artist has to capture the falseness of the smile — and the art works with North’s script perfectly to give readers an idea of what this kind of world would be like.

The change in inkers is pretty apparent later in the issue, when the linework gets a little heavier, but it doesn’t really hurt the art as much as having multiple inkers can. There are some really great panels in this issue, especially the ones showing Franklin’s actions over the years. This isn’t the flashiest art in the world, but it doesn’t need to be because it’s extremely sound. Great character acting, well-rendered figures, and expert page layouts do a great job of making reading this issue into a near-perfect reading experience.

Fantastic Four #32 is another example of pitch-perfect Fantastic Four. North is able to make a Fantastic Four story that has tastes of cosmic horror, and it works wonderfully. This is exactly the way a Fantastic Four multiverse story should go, and North and company knock it out of the park. It was hard to predict where the book would go after the last issue’s cliffhanger, and the place the creative team took the book was perfect from start to finish. Valeria still has one chance to save the universe and her family, and if it’s as good as this, it will be one for the ages.

Rating: 5 out of 5

Published by Marvel

Released on May 21, 2025

Written by Ryan North

Pencils by Cory Smith

Inks by Wayne Faucher and Oren Junior

Colors by Jesus Aburtov

Letters by Joe Caramagna

What did you think of Fantastic Four #32? Sound off in the comments below.

The post Fantastic Four #32 Shows Off the Intelligence of the Youngest Richards Child appeared first on ComicBook.com.

Marvel is teaming up its two most popular superheroes for a new series by Marc Guggenheim and Kaare Andrews. This wouldn’t be the first time the two would team up, having been part of Jason Aaron’s and Adam Kubert’s amazing 2010s miniseries, The Astonishing Spider-Man and Wolverine. While Aaron’s and Kubert’s Astonishing was over-the-top and wild, Guggenheim and Andrews keep things relatively grounded with their Spider-Man & Wolverine #1, focusing on the espionage angle that ties both characters. A database of the Marvel world’s double agents is in danger of getting into the wrong hands.

It’s up to everyone’s favorite webhead and angry Canadian to find the database to secure the safety of every past and present agent and ensure secret missions from the past aren’t leaked. Spider-Man & Wolverine #1 offers plenty of fun banter between the two heroes and dynamic artwork from Kaare Andrews. Peter Parker and Logan are such polar opposites that their interactions are typically fun to read, especially when they have conflicting views. Some of the story is bland, with the plot being fairly straightforward. The issue is primarily an extended fight sequence between the two heroes’ rogues’ gallery, but the comic has enough fluff and satisfying action sequences that make it a worthwhile investment for any fan of the Big Two.

[RELATED – Ultimate Spider-Man Teases Another Classic Marvel Villain]

Spider-Man & Wolverine #1 Is a Light Yet Good Read

Spider-Man & Wolverine #1‘s main hook is a huge twist borrowed from Captain America: Civil War. Before the ending twist, most of the issue is a slightly generic action story with Peter and Logan. Andrew’s artwork enhances the comic, yet his work can be divisive for some readers. Andrew’s intentionally wonky limbs and large, muscular torsos can be off-putting. Nonetheless, it is also so stylistically distinct that it is hard not to admire. Even though Andrew’s work is a clear throwback to the works of Todd McFarlane, the artwork is still evidently a Kaare Andrews comic. Andrew brings enough vigor to the comic, imbuing it with personality and dynamism, elevating the material. Your opinion on Spider-Man & Wolverine #1 would determine how much you enjoy Kaare Andrews.

Marc Guggenheim, who has a long history working on The Amazing Spider-Man, paces the issue well and gives equal focus to both heroes. His dialogue can be expository, particularly during a scene where Peter’s girlfriend Shay randomly brings up his dead parents. That scene sets up Peter’s connection to the spy world, but it is very clumsy and hand-fisted. Furthermore, the Spider-Man comics attempt to incorporate Shay in so many issues doesn’t endear the character to readers in a way Marvel is probably hoping. It doesn’t help that Shay has yet to feature any defining personality besides being upset with Peter’s lateness, which only makes him look bad. Some of the internal dialogue from both heroes can also veer into heavy-handedness.

Nevertheless, Guggenheim gets the voices right for both leads, especially Logan. Spider-Man sometimes feels as if he’s taking a backseat to the story, but the two leads’ contrasting personalities are on full display. Although the heroes don’t share much in common, Guggenheim firmly establishes that the two are friends. This comic does feel like an appropriate point in the characters’ journeys, with both accepting each other for who they are after spending so many years fighting together. Peter has a wildly out-of-character moment against Logan in the closing pages, yet given the twist, there’s some justification to Peter’s reactions. Spider-Man & Wolverine #1 isn’t the most revolutionary comic on the stand, but if you want an enjoyable comic where Marvel’s Big Two partners up, this issue delivers.

Rating: 3.5 out of 5

Published by Marvel

Released on May 21, 2025

Written by Marc Guggenheim

Art by Kaare Andrews

Colors by Brian Reber

Letters by VC’s Travis Lanham

What did you think of Marc Guggenheim and Kaare Andrews’ Spider-Man & Wolverine #1? Let us know in the comments!

The post Spider-Man & Wolverine #1 Reminds Me How Fun This Team-Up Can Be appeared first on ComicBook.com.

DC got fans buzzing when it was revealed that Dan Slott would be making his DC debut on the company’s biggest icon, and now the heavily anticipated debut of Superman Unlimited is finally here. With that debut obviously comes expectations, and I’m delighted to say that Superman Unlimited #1 impressively lives up to those expectations and then proceeds to blow the doors wide open on the way out, shaking up Superman’s world while also creating seismic shifts across the rest of the DCU. Slott has never shied away from big swings, and with an all-star team around him, Superman Unlimited is shaping up to be a home run.

Fans got their first look at Superman Unlimited in the Free Comic Book Day special, which revealed that a meteor-sized rock of Kryptonite was on a collision course with Earth. The setup is a compelling one on its own, but while it does dictate much of the moment-to-moment action of the issue, it’s merely a prelude to the real story Slott wants to tell. If it were just that setup, this issue might not have landed as well, but the issue also acts as a way for Slott to bring lapsed readers up to speed while also giving him a chance to showcase the moments of Superman’s history and mythology to resonate with him most.

The first half of the issue spends just as much time examining Superman’s journey from Smallville to fatherhood as it does with the immediate threat, but it all weaves together to pull you into Superman’s increasingly dire circumstances. It’s emotional, heartfelt, and powerful seeing one of the most powerful heroes in the universe facing mortality once more, and the artwork of Rafael Albuquerque, colorist Marcelo Maiolo, and letterer Dave Sharpe is a huge reason why those moments resonate and land with so much impact.

Maiolo’s colors are out of this world, and while Kryptonite is as deadly as ever, it’s also rarely looked this stunning. We’re dealing with epic stakes after all, so it stands to reason these sequences should feel grand and epic in scale, which they absolutely do. The same is true of more poignant moments, which paint an impressively vivid picture of what these moments have meant to him and how they have informed the hero he continues to be. While the dialogue paints the picture extremely well, the artwork makes you feel it.

[RELATED: Absolute Superman Introduces Kryptonite & Sets Up Kal-El’s Darkest Defeat]

It’s funny, though, because as previously mentioned, that’s just the prologue. Those last few pages shake up everything, and the ripple effects go far beyond the boundaries of Metropolis. It’s almost like Slott told us this story so he could get to this other story, and it’s kind of ridiculous that both work and both managed to sink their hooks in by issue’s end.

Superman Unlimited is off to a soaring start, and if this is just the introduction, we could be in for something truly out of this world.

Rating: 4.5 out of 5

Written by Dan Slott with art by Rafael Albuquerque, colors by Marcelo Maiolo, and letters by Dave Sharpe, Superman Unlimited #1 is in comic stores now.

What did you think of Superman Unlimited #1? Let us know in the comments, and you can talk all things comics and DC with me on Bluesky @knightofoa!

The post Superman Unlimited Has Me More Excited For the DC Hero Than Ever Before appeared first on ComicBook.com.

2025 has been a banner year for the Superman family, and now Supergirl is rightfully stepping into the spotlight for a brand new series from the talented team of Sophie Campbell, Tamra Bonvillain, and Becca Carey. In many ways, this is a homecoming for Kara as she returns to Midvale with rather relatable hesitation, only to step into a nightmare scenario. That said, this issue couldn’t be further from a nightmare, embracing classic concepts with a story rooted in mystery and charm, and all with sensational artwork to boot. Supergirl kicks the door down in her debut, and it feels as if the fun is truly just beginning.

It doesn’t take long for Supergirl to make a killer impression thanks to the delightful appearance of Princess Shark, and after this, I’m going to need far more Princess Shark in the mix, so consider this my plea to DC on her behalf. Granted, the gorgeous artwork isn’t just a spotlight for Princess Shark, as Krypto, Streaky, Lar-on, and the two Supergirls all look fantastic and leap off the page.

Carey’s lettering and Bonvillain’s coloring raise the bar on fight scenes and general conversations alike, so whether it’s the Kshoom of a derailed train, the Ploosh of flying chemicals, or the Zornn of a mysterious blast, you can’t help but lose yourself in this world and the moments along the way.

The same is true of Campbell’s artwork overall throughout the issue, which captures not just Supergirl but the person behind the famous red and blue suit. While the circumstances that led Kara to Earth are obviously far different than what most have gone through, returning to one’s hometown after years away is something far more are able to relate to. The time warp aspect of returning to somewhere meaningful in a specific point of your life comes through loud and clear, and that allows the bigger mystery to have something to root itself in as the issue presents more and more questions.

[RELATED: DC Reveals the Most Sadistic Brainiac Ever in Absolute Superman]

That mystery is compelling too, and as the scenario starts to build in the book’s latter half, the hook has already been set. There are also other characters in the mix with big question marks as to what role they will play as the story moves forward, but I’m already invested in seeing that play out, especially with Lar-on, because you know who wants to see a Lar-on Supergirl team-up? The correct answer is everyone, and I’ve got my fingers crossed as we speak.

Supergirl embodies the All In era, mixing in vintage elements of the mythology with a fresh and modern tone, and it always feels unquestionably Supergirl. If you want a perfect place to begin your Supergirl journey or are simply looking to get lost in a new adventure, you can’t go wrong with Supergirl #1.

Rating: 4.5 out of 5

Published by DC Comics

Released on May 14, 2025

Written by Sophie Campbell

Art by Sophie Campbell

Colors by Tamra Bonvillain

Letters by Becca Carey

What did you think of Supergirl #1? Let us know in the comments, and you can talk all things comics with me on Bluesky @knightofoa!

The post I Can’t Stop Smiling Over How Good the New Supergirl Is (Review) appeared first on ComicBook.com.

Godzilla vs. X-Men #1 continues the fun ride of the King of Monsters fighting against Marvel’s greatest heroes. This issue delivers plenty of enjoyable moments and solid art, even though it feels almost like false advertising, as Godzilla doesn’t really fight Marvel’s Children of the Atom. He fights a Super-Adaptoid with all the powers of the X-Men. Super-Adaptoid, similarly to Amazo from the DC Universe, is a machine that copies the abilities of Marvel Superheroes. Gambit steals a Super-Adaptoid so that Professor X can use it against Godzilla, who is attacking the cargo of a Japanese company, Tsugunai Robotics.

The issue features the classic X-Men line-up from the 90s – Cyclops, Jean Grey, Storm, Wolverine, Beast, and Gambit. Sunfire also plays a supporting role in the comic, finally having Godzilla fight against a Japanese superhero. However, despite this all-star line-up, the X-Men are nothing more than background players in their own issue. Professor X carries most of the dialogue, with the rest of the team shouting one-liners or light exposition. The comic also doesn’t provide a scene where the X-Men confront Godzilla as detailed on the covers. The X-Men’s interaction with Godzilla stays strictly through Super-Adaptoid, limiting the heroes’ overall presence. Despite that, Godzilla vs. X-Men #1 is a joy to read.

[RELATED – Godzilla vs Spider-Man Is as Flimsy as You Expect (Review)]

Godzilla vs. X-Men is Filled with Plenty of Great Callbacks

The issue is written by X-Men veteran Fabian Nicieza and drawn by Emilio Laiso. Nicieza attempts to imbue some pathos to the story, trying to connect the prejudice Godzilla faces with that of the mutants. Nonetheless, this connection between Godzilla and mutants feels tenuous at best. Godzilla is more of a force of nature who rarely cares about humanity. He is the consequence of man’s hubris and constant nuclear testing. Conversely, mutants’ prejudice is an allegory towards minority representation. Godzilla does not care about humans, whereas mutants want to live among them. While Nicieza makes an effort to provide some thematic depth between the two, claiming Godzilla is just like a mutant feels weak.

Fortunately, Nicieza excels when it comes to the action, and Laiso pencils it all beautifully. Even though the X-Men take a backseat to the Super-Adaptoid, the robot is portrayed heroically and epically. Super-Adaptoid takes the appearance of all the X-Men, gifted with Wolverine’s claws, Cyclops’ visor, and Jean Grey’s Phoenix wings. The Super-Adaptoid with all the X-Men’s abilities is an image to behold, becoming one of the most visually interesting things conveyed in these Godzilla vs. comics from Marvel. Nicieza also infuses plenty of over-the-top fun in the issue, having the Super-Adaptoid grow in size with Pym particles to fight Godzilla on equal footing. Although the X-Men had powerhouses like Storm and Phoenix, having Godzilla fight something more kaiju-height is more appropriate.

Nicieza also knows his Godzilla history, incorporating connections to multiple films from various periods. A new type of Sentinel is revealed in this issue, and it is a robotic combination of three different Godzilla villains from his history. Tsugunai Robotics is even directly connected with Godzilla Raids Again, the second film in the character’s history. Whilst the narrative of Godzilla vs. X-Men #1 doesn’t fully jell with the mutant pathos, the comic is still incredibly pleasurable to read front and back, featuring some of the most amusing action scenes yet in the Godzilla vs. Marvel comics line.

Rating: 3.5 out of 5

Published by Marvel

Released on May 14, 2025

Written by Fabian Nicieza

Art by Emilio Laiso

Colors by Federico Blee

Letters by VC’s Clayton Cowles

What did you think of Fabian Nicieza’s and Emilio Laiso’s Godzilla vs. X-Men #1? Let us know in the comments!

The post I Don’t Think Godzilla Taking on the X-Men Was the Best Idea, But at Least It’s Fun (Review) appeared first on ComicBook.com.

One World Under Doom has reached its fourth issue, and things get even crazier than ever. Doom has taken over the world, and has been handing out defeats to everyone who stands in his way — whether it be Hydra, the Avengers, or the Fantastic Four — all while doing his best to gain the love of the populace. One World Under Doom #3 ended with a major cliffhanger — Dormammu wants to test the new Sorcerer Supreme. That’s where One World Under Doom #4 kicks off. Doom has to embrace his inner hero and battle against the lord of the Dark Dimension. This book has been a treat every issue so far, and this issue is more of the same, but there are some problems with the book.

So, this issue is basically just a fight between Doom and Dormammu right from the start and that’s a very good thing. Writer Ryan North puts us into Doom’s head as he and Dormammu battle, and does a perfect job of capturing Doom’s voice. North has proven that he deserves his place in the upper echelons of Fantastic Four writers, and his Doom is one of the coolest versions of the character ever. North does an excellent job of showing off Doom’s resolve, his intelligence, his arrogance, and something that no one ever thought they’d see from Doom: his desperation. North gives Doom the role as the issue’s narrator, and it’s cool to finally get a look inside of Doom’s head after three issues of having to see him through everyone else’s eyes.

North does a great job of showing Doom’s tactical side, as he fights against an enemy that is definitely out of his league. There are a lot of cool little moments where each of them gets the upper hand, shifting the momentum of the battle sometimes multiple times on a single page. North builds this battle excellently, giving it the epic feel that a fight between Doctor Doom and Dormammu needs to have.

RELATED: Rainbow Rowell Returns to Runaways to Steer the Team Through Doctor Doom Drama

R.B. Silva’s art is… well, there’s no easy way to say this, and I’ll explain, but his art is the only problem with his book. Silva is an excellent artist and there are some awesome pages throughout this issue. One World Under Doom #4 is a fight issue, and the art is very, very important to this type of comic. Silva’s pencils do a lot to make the fight look good, but there’s something cluttered about his panels. When he pulls out for long shots, his detail on the figures of Doom and Dormammu starts to slide. Sometimes, the panels feel way too busy; there’s so much debris and energy effects that distract the eye. The page layout is also a bit of the problem. There are a lot of little panels focusing on the minutiae of the fight, but Silva kind of drops the ball with these panels.

David Curiel’s color affects can also be a problem with the art, as well. Coloring plays a huge role in setting a scene and establishing a tone, and Curiel is usually pretty good at this. But this type of battle, with energy flying everywhere, has a lot of color changes all over the place. Sometimes, it works, but other times it just adds to the busy nature of the panels. Silva’s art hasn’t been as crisp as it was in the book’s inaugural issues, and the coloring doesn’t do it any favors in this issue. The art is the weakest part of this issue; it’s not terrible art, but there are a lot of little problems with it.

One World Under Doom #4 has A-list writing that easily outpaces the art. North’s Doom is perfect, and he plays the arrogant villain expertly off of Dormammu. North’s Doom is the best Doom has been since Hickman wrote the character, and this issue shows a lot of that off. The battle at the center of the book is an exciting fight, but the art pumps the brakes on reader excitement. Silva and Curiel have been a good team throughout this book so far, but their art in this one has a million little problems that hurt the fight. There are still some great visuals in this issue, but the art’s problems drag the rest of the book down.

Rating: 3.5 out of 5

Published by Marvel

Released on May 14 2025

Written by Ryan North

Art by R.B. Silva

Colors by David Curiel

Letters by Travis Lanham

What did you think about One World Under Doom #4? Sound off in the comments below.

The post We Finally Get Doom’s Perspective in One World Under Doom And It’s About Time (Review) appeared first on ComicBook.com.

DC’s Absolute line of comics has been ruling the sales charts, all kicked off by Absolute Batman. Absolute Batman is the best Batman series in years, taking the Batman mythos and completely changing them for this new universe. Fans have gotten to see amazing new versions of Batman, Alfred, and many of Batman’s foes, as well as learning the history of Bruce Wayne and how different it is. The book’s first six issues pit Batman against the Black Mask, but the book’s next storyarc is all about Mr. Freeze. Mr. Freeze is something of a Batman icon, with fans loving the villain for his tragic origin. However, Absolute Mr. Freeze isn’t Batman: The Animated Series‘s Mr. Freeze, something Absolute Batman #8 makes perfectly clear.

Writer Scott Snyder is many Bat-fans’ favorite Batman writer of the 21st century, and this issue shows off why. Snyder tells a story on multiple levels in this issue — we get the horrific Mr. Freeze capturing “Matches Malone”, really Batman in disguise, while the issue gives a flashback with Batman and friends talking about their friend Matches and why he was the way he was, paying homage to him after his death, while also showing scenes from when Alfred was training Bruce. Snyder is dealing with three distinct time periods in this issue, and does an excellent job of moving back and forth between the three periods in order to heighten the tension of the story, as Freeze drops Batman into tube of coolant. It’s beautifully paced, giving the issue a lot of narrative heft.

Snyder has always been amazing at taking what you expect from Batman stories and subverting it, and he does that beautifully with Mr. Freeze. There is a lot of baggage to using Mr. Freeze, because fans have a lot of expectations about a Mr. Freeze story. In a lot of ways, Mr. Freeze is one of Batman’s least intimidating villains. It’s not that he’s not dangerous or tough, it’s that his whole deal — the obsession with his wife Nora — make it easy for fans to like the character. Snyder throws all of that away with this new version of Freeze. This isn’t the somewhat cuddly villain of the main universe, this is a monster, and Snyder does a beautiful job of showing us that we aren’t going to get what we expected with this version of Freeze. One of the greatest strengths of the Absolute Universe so far has been the way it constantly surprises readers with the new versions of familiar characters, and this Freeze is yet another example of that.

RELATED: Absolute Batman Just Got Bruce Wayne’s Best Alter Ego Killed

However, Snyder’s new Freeze wouldn’t be nearly as special without the art of Marcos Martin. Martin does a beautiful job of making this version of Freeze into something terrible. The lanky, tightly muscled body, the blue veins everywhere, and the horror show face are all examples of Martin’s wonderful eye for design. One of the coolest part of the book is the way Martin keeps Freeze’s face in shadow for so much of the issue, building up this mythic sort of facelessness for Freeze. This is perfect villain art; Martin takes all of Snyder’s ideas for this new Mr. Freeze and brings them to life beautifully.

Martin’s art, with color artist Muntsa Vicente, is beautiful throughout. Martin’s page layouts are a key part of Snyder’s pacing, combining the different time periods, sometimes all three on the one page. I love the title page — with Bruce’s frightened eyes, with blue veins racing along his face, in the word “Zero”, a neat little way of showing Batman’s fear. Martin’s linework is sensational, his detailed pages really capturing Batman’s terror as he tries to escape Freeze’s trap. The book’s action scenes are sensational as well, as he battles against what can only be described as Freeze’s ice zombies. Regular Absolute Batman artist Nick Dragotta, left some big shoes to fill, and Martin does a tremendous job of not only filling those shows, but making the book his own. Vicente’s colors are gorgeous. He understands how to use color to set the scene, and that helps bring Martin’s art to the next level. This issue’s art is gorgeous.

Absolute Batman #8 has a lot riding on it, and it impresses with every page. It’s hard to imagine a world where a comic from Scott Snyder and Marcos Martin could be bad, because it’s definitely not this one. Absolute Batman #8 is a suspenseful masterpiece with art that needs to be seen to be believed. This is a perfect way to introduce Mr. Freeze to the Absolute Universe, and it fits into the horror vibe that Snyder and Dragotta built in the book’s first story arc. Absolute Batman has a lot of competition in the Absolute line, but this issue shows that the book isn’t ready to give up its crown any time soon.

Rating: 5 out of 5

Published by DC Comics

Released on May 14th 2025

Written by Scott Snyder

Art by Marcos Martin

Color Art by Muntsa Vicente

Letters by Clayton Cowles

What did you think of Absolute Mr. Freeze? Sound off in the comments below.

The post Absolute Batman’s New Mr. Freeze is Chillingly Horrific (Review) appeared first on ComicBook.com.

Godzilla fans are about to experience a whole new side of the MonsterVerse. Much of the Godzilla content has been taking place on the big screen with fights (and team-ups) with Kong, but the comics are finally getting in on the action. The MonsterVerse is giving way to a Godzilla shared universe at IDW, beginning with a new Godzilla ongoing series. This is obviously a big deal since Godzilla hasn’t headlined a comic book in over a decade. But if any kaiju is up for the challenge, it’s Godzilla. Luckily, Godzilla‘s supporting cast and premise offer enough intrigue to captivate new and longtime fans.

I went into Godzilla #1 being familiar with the property, but I wouldn’t call myself the biggest kaiju fan. I’ve watched none of the latest theatrical movies starring Godzilla and Kong, yet I was able to pick up this first issue and fully understand what was in front of me. A lot of this is helped by a prologue that introduces the world that Godzilla exists in, and who our key players are. Of course, we start with the massive kaiju, which gets an awesome redesign brimming with Kai-Sei energy. Godzilla is only seen in a couple of pages, but its presence is felt throughout the issue. Next, we have the members of G-Force tasked with protecting the United States from titan threats. Some characters get a larger spotlight than others, but they are all fleshed out enough so the reader understands their personalities.

One member of G-Force is arguably the most intriguing. Their mere presence and abilities feel like something that can only be told in a comic. This person is a newbie on G-Force but easily acclimates to this new environment. We have someone who is mysterious and likeable at the same time. Their story could go one of two ways: either they help defeat and kill titans like Godzilla, or bring about the end of the world. Talk about a lot of responsibility on one kid’s shoulders.

The entire creative team does an excellent job of keeping the story moving and providing eye-catching visuals. Each page is bright and colorful, with the character acting being parallel to something you’d see on an animated project. IDW did a great job gathering the likes of Tim Seeley, Nikola Čižmešija, Francesco Segala, and Nathan Widick to work together on Godzilla. Hopefully the team can stay together for a long run because what they’ve put out so far is worthy of more entries.

Godzilla is the headliner and has its name on the front of the comic, but all of the kaiju (and one character in particular) are linked together by a larger mystery that Godzilla #1 teases. This “family” is dysfunctional and deadly, which is the kind of drama that makes for the best stories. It’ll be fun to see how this shared universe continues to grow and expand.

Rating: 5 out of 5

Published by IDW Publishing

On July 23, 2025

Written by Tim Seeley

Art by Nikola Čižmešija

Colors by Francesco Segala

Letters by Nathan Widick

The post Godzilla #1 Is an Exciting Entry Point for the King of Monster’s Kai-Sei Era (Review) appeared first on ComicBook.com.

Eight years ago, the delightful town of Woodbrook was changed forever as two serial killers dueled for supremacy, and Samantha walked away the victor. That said, a lot has changed in 8 years, and with the era of the internet having fully arrived, Samantha now has to navigate a whole set of new challenges to keep her trail of death a secret. That’s the premise of Patrick Horvath and Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou’s much-anticipated sequel series, Beneath the Trees Where Nobody Sees: Rite of Spring, and the IDW Publishing series is off to an absolutely killer start.

In the wake of what happened in the first series, it would be easy to just jump in time and kick off a new story with some of the same main characters, but that’s not the case with Rite of Spring #1. Instead, it pulls directly from the first series and highlights the changes that time and technology can have on just about anything, regardless of how well covered those old tracks may be.

We are introduced relatively quickly to a duck named Monica, who has spent the last eight years searching for her missing brother. The lengths she has gone to in looking for any sign of her brother Danny after he suddenly vanished are extreme to some, but you can’t help but envision yourself in that situation as she attempts to live her life almost solely for closure. The success of that is a credit to Horvath’s commitment to showing all sides of the toll this has taken on Monica, exploring the mental, physical, and even financial sides of essentially pausing your life.

It goes a long way to drawing you into Monica’s world as she navigates unhelpful police, a quickly degrading city populace, and the dark web in hopes of finding any light at the end of the tunnel. While Danny is the mission, Monica is the heart of this story, and it doesn’t take long to become incredibly invested in her sarcasm and cigarette-filled journey. That’s also due to the vibrant artwork and big pops of color that populate each page, and seeing some of the brutal violence paired with crazy pops of greens, reds, and yellows makes for an interesting contrast.

[RELATED: IDW Publishing Heads Tease Big 2025 for TMNT, Star Trek, Godzilla, & More]

Sam actually doesn’t have a huge role in the first issue, but obviously her actions are the cause of every domino that continues to fall, and when she does show up, it turns what you thought was the direction on its head. Her role is going to be much different than expected, and you can already get a sense of the tension that will be in play as we move forward in the story.

Beneath the Trees Where Nobody Sees: Rite of Spring #1 might have jumped forward in time, but it effortlessly picks up where the last series left off in terms of storytelling, intrigue, tension, and stakes, and it without a doubt deserves a spot on your pull list.

Rating: 5 out of 5

Published By: Image Comics
Written, Illustrated, and Colored By: Patrick Horvath
Lettered By: Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou

What did you think of the original series, and are you excited for the sequel? Let us know in the comments, and you can talk all things comics with me on bluesky @knightofoa!

The post Woodbrook’s Killer Bear is Back and Deadlier Than Ever in Beneath the Trees Where Nobody Sees: Rite of Spring #1 (Review) appeared first on ComicBook.com.

All-New Venom, for its first five issues, teased who was the new symbiote host to Marvel’s most popular living costume. At the tail end of issue five, the shocking secret was revealed as Mary Jane Watson had bonded with Peter Park and Eddie Brock’s old costume, creating a very new Venom as a part of the Marvel Universe. Now, for the latest issue, writer Al Ewing and artist Carlos Gomez are documenting how MJ became the new Venom and what that means for the future as Marvel takes a very dynamic route to the character who has been villain, anti-hero, and nearly everything in-between.

The lion’s share of the issue, as stated above, focuses on the fallout from The Venom War crossover and how Mary Jane became permanently bonded with the symbiote. Using both Robbie Robertson and Paul as exposition dumps here, MJ and Venom explain that thanks to the events of the previous symbiote conflict, both beings were in dire straits. The symbiote had been struggling with both an anti-symbiote poison and “Time-Travel Reverse-Carnage Goop” while Mary Jane’s Jackpot gear had been altered to unleash her full power, but in doing so, making it drastically more dangerous. With MJ and the symbiote having little recourse, they not only bonded but were fused on a molecular level to save both of their lives, creating a brand-new Venom unlike anything before.

[RELATED: Mary Jane and Venom’s Origin Story Includes One Major Detail That Will Change Everything]

The Good, The Bad, And The Paul

Let’s get the good elements out of the way to kick this review off right. Robbie Robertson has the best selling points for this new union in that we never have actually seen a Venom that is a straight-up superhero before. We’ve seen anti-heroes and military men like Eddie Brock and Flash Thompson wear the symbiote, but a more light-hearted take on Venom. Ewing has a good understanding of the characters involved here and creates some witty banter between all parties involved. Gomez’s art here also works well in terms of the quieter, conversational moments as well as some of the more horrific elements in the issue.

Speaking of the horrific elements, Ewing and Gomez capture MJ’s current predicament in some of the creepiest body horror seen in recent Marvel comics. Thanks to her Jackpot tech going awry, Mary Jane’s skin is falling off, her bones are breaking, and her atoms are being turned into dust, sometimes all at once. These elements work well in setting the stage for why this new Venom needed to be created in the first place, though all isn’t sunny for this new status quo.

Mary Venom Watson

Unfortunately, All-New Venom’s latest entry is bogged down far more in the negative than the positive. Mary Jane’s current status quo is so reliant on the events of the Venom War that it seems quite confusing if you didn’t read that crossover. This is to say nothing of MJ’s current status as Jackpot, which requires tomes of knowledge to understand how she got super powers and decided to patrol the streets of New York City. Normally, continuity is something that can be overcome but it feels much more like an anchor around a reader’s neck than a benefit.

Of course, the biggest negative here is Paul and I’m not even approaching this from the idea of the general hatred of the character himself. Obviously, many Spider-Man fans haven’t been big Paul-enthusiasts since the character was introduced as little more than a barrier between Peter and Mary Jane being together and it certainly appears as though Al Ewing himself falls into that camp. The idea of making Paul less likable is one thing, but All-New Venom turns him into an annoying caricature where you can’t help but feel that it’s only a matter of time until he hits the bricks in this relationship.

Ewing makes Paul come across as something of a simpering, love-struck hindrance to Mary Jane herself, to say nothing of Dylan Brock taking the chance to drive the stake that much deeper into his heart. While Mary Jane’s character works well in this quagmire, it feels as though Paul and Dylan make for a gruesome twosome of a supporting cast. All-New Venom has promise in that it presents plenty of enticing story beats for the future but where the series is now? Something needs to change.

Rating: 2.5 Out Of 5

Published by Marvel

Released on May 7th, 2025

Written by Al Ewing

Art by Carlos Gomez

Color Art by Frank D’Armata

Letters by VC Clayton Cowles

How have you felt about the All-New Venom? Let us know in the comments!

The post All-New Venom #6 Reveals How Mary Jane Fused With The Symbiote (Review) appeared first on ComicBook.com.

The events of Absolute Green Lantern #1 were truly shocking in any number of ways, turning everything we have come to understand about the Green Lantern Corps and the power they wield upside down. That brings us to Absolute Green Lantern #2, and if you expected any recovery time, that’s not happening, as issue #2 just slams the gas and runs right through whatever expectations you had left. The Green Lantern mythology truly feels otherworldly in this series, and what’s scary is that this is only the beginning.

The issue is primarily split between two main points in time, those being a sit-down conversation between Hal and Jo and a step back in time to when the world first met Abin Sur. There’s a genuine sense of unease throughout both of these moments in time, but both have their unique slant, beautifully conveyed through the art and lettering of Jahnoy Lindsay and Lucas Gattoni.

While each vibe is different, they are both incredibly effective. As the conversation between Hal and Jo plays out, Al Ewing’s dialogue and the various offbeat mannerisms from one side indicate a deteriorating pretense, and as that gives way, you feel a more sinister presence start to emerge.

Meanwhile, in the past, Abin Sur is an absolute beast and puts every other version to shame. Lindsay has created the new de facto standard for this character from a visual standpoint, and Ewing leans into it wholeheartedly, creating one of the most bluntly lethal powerhouses we’ve ever seen in the DCU. You don’t understand everything behind what he’s doing, but the gears are already spinning to figure it out, and the mystery of what it means and what’s behind his methods is insanely compelling.

[RELATED: 33 Years On, The Death of Superman Is Still DC’s Greatest Ever Story]

Absolute Green Lantern takes place on Earth and features quite a few human characters, but it also feels much bigger than this one small planet at the same time. A big part of that is how the series pairs these epic beings and abilities with incredibly relatable everyday characters, so while you are dealing with ancient entities and powerful alien species, you are also dealing with two friends just trying to make sense of what’s happened to them, and all of the small annoyances and issues of life still rear their head even in those bigger than life circumstances.

It all goes to make Absolute Green Lantern feel like a truly cosmic story and yet incredibly human as well, creating a one-of-a-kind combination that has me glued to every single page. Where the series goes from here is anyone’s guess, but it’s already created a stellar foundation that feels like nothing we’ve seen in the franchise before and yet still true to some of the hallmarks we’ve always loved, and that feat is nothing short of amazing.

Rating: 4.5 out of 5

Published by DC Comics

Released on May 7, 2025

Written by Al Ewing

Art and Colors by Jahnoy Lindsay

Letters by Lucas Gattoni

What did you think of Absolute Green Lantern #2? Let us know in the comments and you can talk all things comics with me on Bluesky @knightofoa!

The post Absolute Green Lantern #2 Blazes a Path Through Your Expectations (Review) appeared first on ComicBook.com.

The X-Men‘s “From the Ashes” publishing initiative has had its ups and downs, and X-Men is ground zero for all the problems with it. While Uncanny X-Men has found a way to tap into the core of the X-Men and tell great stories, X-Men has been stuck rehashing the ’90s and ’00s and issue #16 keeps up this distressing tendency. X-Men owes a lot to the greatness of New X-Men, but this issue also shows a callback to a classic ’90s story. It’s definitely an action-packed comic, but it’s ultimately empty on a story level, one of the main problems with this comic over its run so far.

If there’s anything nice I can say about the writing of this issue, it’s that MacKay knows how to make a superhero/supervillain fight work. This issue pits Cyclops’s X-Men against 3K’s version of the team, and MacKay comes up with a lot of really interesting action set pieces in this issue. However, that’s basically the only good thing about the writing of this issue. It all starts right at the beginning, with the introduction of 3K’s X-Men. They’re just sort of dropped onto readers, with no introduction other than their names. In the past, we would have gotten at least a description of their powers in the caption boxes that give readers their names, but that’s not a thing here. It kind of hurts the whole fight, because despite seeing their powers during the fight, it would have been better for newer readers to get that little bit of an introduction. X-Men #15 was definitely a jumping on point, and this issue squanders all of that by explaining nothing that a new reader would needs to know.

From there, we get the rehashes. So, as a long time X-Men reader, I remember a little story called “Children of the Atom”, which pit the X-Men against a team of X-Men brought together by a villain. It’s a great story, and this issue often feels like a pale reflection of that story. It’s an evil team of X-Men trying to take the place of the main team, all while being led by an enemy who pretends to want to help mutants. Then, there’s Magneto’s use of a drug that enhances his powers and allows him control them again… which anyone who read Morrison’s New X-Men will recognize as sort of like Kick. MacKay has been generally plundering Morrison’s New X-Men, and this is yet another example of that. This book often feels like a generic X-Men comic, one that seems to know it can’t stand on its own, but is trying to fool readers that it can.

RELATED: Marvel’s Plan for the X-Men May Reveal the Next MCU Phase Title

Netho Diaz, working with inkers Sean Parsons, JP Mayer, and Livesay with colorist Fer Sifuentes-Sujo, does a pretty good job with the art. This issue definitely revolves around the central action scene and Diaz and the art team deliver a pretty good looking fight scene, taking MacKay’s ideas for the fight, and bringing them to life. The action is fluid and detailed. The last double-paged spread is pretty great, really hyping fans for the next issue’s big kaiju fight between a Magneto controlled Sentinel and a massive mutant under the control of Cassandra Nova.

However, while the art is mostly good, there’s something about Diaz’s pencils that feels very ’90s, but not in a good way. A lot of gritted teeth and pinched faces that can feel very weird. It’s never a good thing for the art when a book has three inkers, and anyone who has read comics for a while will be able to see the inconsistencies in inking in this issue. The art is the best part of the book, but it can’t save it from a lackluster plot.

MacKay’s X-Men has been something of a disappointment and this issue illustrates why. While it does everything right from a structure standpoint, it feels anemic when it comes to ideas. This is a bog standard X-Men comic that stands on the shoulders of much better runs that came before it. This is the kind of comic where you’re definitely better off just thumbing through the issue; the art is good enough that you’ll get a bunch of cool action imagery and not have to read a story that has nothing new going on under the hood. Ever since Hickman left the Krakoa Era, X-Men has become a book defined by good art and so-so writing and MacKay seems to be keeping that going. Maybe this is a good comic if you know nothing about the X-Men. Otherwise, it’s an exercise in rehashing.

Rating: 2 out of 5

Published by Marvel

Released on May 7, 2025

Written by Jed MacKay

Art by Netho Diaz

Inks by Sean Parsons, JP Mayer, and Livesay

Colors by Fer Sifuentes-Sujo

Letters by Clayton Cowles

X-Men #16 is on sale now.

The post Big Action and No Soul Drags Down X-Men #16 (Review) appeared first on ComicBook.com.

Batgirl‘s first arc established a new foundation for the mother and daughter duo of Shiva and Cassandra Cain, and not even death can stand in the way of that continuing to evolve. Batgirl #7 takes us into Shiva’s past to provide an even greater level of context for not just Shiva as an individual but also in her approach to family, and that directly feeds into her approach to being a mother as well. While Cassandra does take a step back from her own series, it’s difficult to argue with the effectiveness of The Book of Shiva’s first chapter, and it’s a story I can’t help but want to see through to the end.

Shiva’s backstory is unsurprisingly tragic, but you can already start to see how one of the deadliest people in the world was forged as these events play out. Every step of the way, you see a little bit more of that internal warrior start to emerge, and that is brilliantly conveyed through the artwork, colors, and lettering of Isaac Goodhart, Mike Spicer, and Tom Napolitano. When the action hits, there’s a genuine intensity to every action and movement, and you simply can’t turn away.

That’s true of the big finale as well, and several sequences are not only intense but also incredibly creative in execution. That final confrontation is set up wonderfully through a celebration sequence that captivates through movement, color, and sound, making the action switch hit that much harder.

What’s perhaps even more impressive is seeing the arc over time, as the issue moves across a decade, so seeing what happens towards the beginning of the issue and how that plays into what happens towards the end paints a vivid picture of Mei and Ming and their constant struggle to simply survive. After all, the love between two sisters is at the heart of this story, and throughout the issue written Tate Brombal explores their dynamic and relationship from a variety of angles and viewpoints, and all of them are compelling.

[RELATED: 33 Years On, The Death of Superman Is Still DC’s Greatest Ever Story]

They are sisters in the truest sense of the word, with both taking lessons and learning from the other as the story moves forward. Mei-Xing and Ming-Yue may approach things differently, but their understanding of what family means is unparalleled, as they’ve come to understand in the harshest way possible that after everyone else falls, they only have themselves to rely on. The book does play on ideas and themes that could seemingly fracture them down the line, but as of now, those attempts never see to stick, and that’s part of what keeps you invested in their next steps and what happens to them in the future.

Granted, I would have loved a bit more Cassandra in this story, as I just adore the character, and it is her book after all. That said, this still feels incredibly important to the previous arc that set a new understanding for Cassandra about who her mother really is, and as that looks to be a continuing part of the series, this all feels important and worthwhile as well. I didn’t necessarily expect to be as captivated by The Book of Shiva as I was, but I’m glad to be wrong about that assumption, and I’m pretty much completely invested from here on out.

Rating: 4 out of 5

Published by DC Comics

Released on May 7, 2025

Written by Tate Brombal

Art by Isaac Goodhart

Colors by Mike Spicer

Letters by Tom Napolitano

What did you think of Batgirl #7? Let us know in the comments, and you can talk all things comics with me on Bluesky @knightofoa!

The post Batgirl’s The Book of Shiva Takes a Riveting Step into the Past (Review) appeared first on ComicBook.com.

Captain Planet and the Planeteers was a beloved ’90s animated series. A lot of ’90s kids have fond memories of the cartoon, a cheesy action figure commercial of a show — as was common with animated series back then — with a pretty good message at its core. Captain Planet reboots have been teased over the years, but the comic industry has gotten there first. Dynamite announced a Captain Planet comic for Earth Day and put it in the capable hands of writer David Pepose, who has been killing it on Space Ghost, hyping fans up. After some unexpected delays, the first issue is out and it was worth the wait. It’s everything fans could have wanted.

So, right off the bat, we have to talk about how well Pepose did with reintroducing the mythos of Captain Planet. Captain Planet and the Planeteers ran for about two years in the early ’90s, but it doesn’t have the cultural footprint that other ’80s and ’90s cartoons have. Pepose realizes that, and lays out everything you may have forgotten about the Captain Planet mythos in this first issue. There’s something classic about the way that Pepose structures this issue; there’s a lot of old school comic feel here that works brilliantly. From the opening action scene to the introduction of the Planeteers, this comic feels like a comic that could have been published back in the day. This is a high compliment, because those old comics had an understanding of giving readers what they needed in one issue. Pepose pulls this off expertly.

However, while the book has a classic structure, Pepose doesn’t forget that we’re in the 21st century. Pepose isn’t just copying the old stories, he’s taking the cores of these characters and tweaking them for the present. I had completely forgotten who each of the characters were when I picked up this book, but Pepose’s writing not only reminded me of who these characters are, but gives them something new to make them intriguing. If this was the first episode of a Captain Planet show, it would definitely get fans interested in it.

RELATED: SDCC 2024: Dynamite Announces New Terminator Comic From Declan Shalvey

Penciler Eman Casallos and colorist Jorge Sutil do a wonderful job of rendering the issue. Pepose likes to jump right into the action with his work, and this issue is no different, kicking off with an action scene. Casallos captures the excitement of this scene and does a great job of laying the pages out for maximum impact. The art stays strong from there; each scene introduces our Planeteers in a situation that says a lot about who they are, and Casallos and Sutil’s art is does a lot of heavy lifting in that regard. The new design of Captain Planet is much better than what we had before; the added roots and rocks gave him a more a naturalistic feel than the original version.

Casallos also does a good job of modernizing the Planeteers. While it remains to be seen if they don outfits that mirror their Planeteer fighting togs, their appearances in the first issue are another example of bringing the concept into the 21st century. Linka, a Russian punk rocker with a heaping helping of the band Pussy Riot to her design and character, and Ma-Ti, the Brazilian holder of the Heart Ring, look the best, taking the original designs and vastly improving on them. If there’s any weaknesses to the art, it comes in the Gi part of the story. The detail of the art slips a little bit, not enough to call the art bad, but enough to be noticeable.

Pepose was able to reintroduce the Captain Planet mythos in the most entertaining manner possible, doing a great job of bringing a story that is over thirty years old into the present. This is an exciting comic with a lot of storytelling in its pages and does a wonderful job of getting people interested in the story. Casallos and Sutil’s art works well for the most part, taking the excitement of Pepose’s script and bringing it to life. Captain Planet and the Planeteers #1 is a great way to bring back a group of classic characters, giving readers some nostalgia while also introducing something fresh and new and very worth getting excited about.

Rating: 4 out of 5

Published by Dynamite Entertainment

Released on May 7, 2025

Written by David Pepose

Art by Eman Casallos

Colors by Jorge Sutil

Letters by Jeff Eckleberry

Captain Planet and the Planeteers #1 is on sale now.

The post Captain Planet Is Back and Better Than Ever (Review) appeared first on ComicBook.com.

One of the best thing about heist stories is that they are generally predictable in their structure, but even if you know what to expect, when done right the reveals always feel like surprise twists. That’s been the case with Godzilla: Heist over its first two issues and in issue #3, that remains especially true. Godzilla: Heist #3 sees the actual heist play out and while the story delivers some pretty genre-specific who-is-crossing-who twists, there’s also a good amount of heart and plenty of action to make readers want even more.

In Godzilla: Heist #3, the heist is well underway but what is notable is that we see — or rather have revealed to us in the narration — that Jai is struggling a little with the reality of what he’s doing. While things are going to his carefully laid out plans, the actual consequences of certain actions are very different once he’s faced with it in person — particularly the collateral damage and casualties both inside the base and outside with Godzilla rampaging through London. It’s an interesting juxtaposition, Jai’s conscience and trying to deal with the reality of what he’s carrying out as well as how he pushes it all down to keep his eye on the prize with the art of a rampaging Godzilla outside and the fight between soldiers and the heist team inside.

Speaking of the art, the best panels in Godzilla: Heist aren’t the action or even Godzilla. Instead, it’s the ultimate destination for the heist crew, the clean lines of the internal structure of the secret base and the hidden secret base beneath it. Kelsey Ramsay’s lines give a real sense of how big this mission is and it’s stunning. It’s almost cinematic at times, to the point that a reader might thing that we’re getting to some sort of grand conclusion, but while the art swells and pushes that feeling, we’re not done just yet. Van Jensen’s story hits us with the well-worn and well-loved trope many heist stories have: a major triple cross. Jai gets his ultimate goal just within his grasp only to discover that all of his plans haven’t been so clever after all. It’s a reveal that flips the story on its head and sets up for Godzilla: Heist to potentially become a more traditional Godzilla story thanks to the reveal of Mechagodzilla and the very real threat of global domination.

That might be the brilliance of Godzilla: Heist #3. It takes the heist trope and flips it to set the stage for a full-on classic Godzilla adventure, in the process giving readers a flawed character to want to root for despite the fact that they’ve unleashed Godzilla on London for personal gain. This is a story that, while cliche in certain aspects, has a surprising amount of gravity to it and keeps the whole thing fresh. Simply put, Godzilla: Heist is a blast — and not the atomic breath kind.

Rating: 4 out of 5

Published by IDW

Released on May 7, 2025

Written by Van Jensen

Art by Kelsey Ramsay

Colors by Heather Breckel

Letters by Sandy Tanaka

The post Godzilla: Heist #3 Flips the Script and Sets Up an Epic Fight (Review) appeared first on ComicBook.com.

Absolute Superman has provided glimpses of its marquee villain, but the curtain is finally pulled back with Absolute Superman #7, revealing one of the most unhinged villains we’ve seen in the Absolute Universe to date. Jason Aaron, Carmine Di Giandomenico, Ulses Arreola, and Becca Carrey have now introduced the world to a truly nightmarish version of Brainiac, and while it is a grisly picture they paint at times, the gripping character piece that this issue showcases absolutely shines from beginning to end, even as Superman is mostly a footnote. That’s not a slight either, as this sets the stage for what should be a truly epic confrontation, and that wouldn’t be the case without this spotlight.

Absolute Superman has had no issue shaking up the traditional mythology in any number of ways, whether that be Kal’s time on Krypton, the Kents, his powers, and Lois, to name but a few. That said, this might be the biggest shake-up yet, as while the core elements of Brainiac remain intact, this really does feel like a completely different character than we’ve come to know in the past.

First and foremost, the design of Brainiac indicates so much about the character right at first glance, though your understanding of that will not take full effect until you learn about his history and how he came to be this disturbingly powerful force for Lazarus. As Aaron takes you through moments in Brainiac’s history, you will start to see the true nature of what’s reflected in that present design, and it will all click into place. While he comes across as a bit crazed and unbelievably vicious in that introduction, getting the full context makes that initial imagery even more powerful and disturbing.

Immense praise is due to Giandomenico and Carey, who turn later scenes into something altogether more unhinged and sinister, and yet Aaron somehow finds a way to insert some level of empathy for what really set Brainiac off in the first place. The face close-ups of Brainiac truly set the standard for how far this version will go to get his way, and even as the tethers are established between Brainiac and Superman, Brainiac still remains his own distinct character and not just Superman’s nemesis.

[RELATED: 33 Years On, The Death of Superman Is Still DC’s Greatest Ever Story]

Aaron has crafted a villain that’s altogether compelling on his own, even if Superman is removed from the equation. Brainiac has long been one of Superman’s most popular enemies, but this version could easily have his own story with the rest of the Collective that I’d be fully invested in at this point, and that’s all from just one issue.

Absolute Superman continues to work wonders with the Superman mythology, and as that work expands to the rest of Superman’s supporting cast, it truly showcases just how special this series is shaping up to be.

Rating: 4.5 out of 5

Published by DC Comics

Released on May 7, 2025

Written by Jason Aaron

Art by Carmine Di Giandomenico

Letters by Becca Carey

What did you think of Absolute Superman #7? Let us know in the comments, and you can talk all things comics with me on Bluesky @knightofoa!

The post Absolute Superman’s Unhinged Brainiac Steals the Show (Review) appeared first on ComicBook.com.

JSA has a lot riding on its shoulders. The Justice Society is very much a storied team, and fans have loved them since the 1999 reboot of the team. The newest series is named after that legendary reboot, and luckily has been able to fill that title’s boots. JSA has revolved around the Injustice Society’s latest attack on the team, and it has already had a major casualty — Wildcat sacrificed his life to save Doctor Fate in JSA #6. That leads up to the latest issue. JSA #7 is the funeral for Wildcat, a poignant event that is ripe with drama. This issue is another win for the title, a high drama quiet moment after the insane battles of the book so far.

Jeff Lemire is a writer whose indie work has always revolved around emotion. Royal City is about a broken family, the events that broke them, and how they came back. Descender/Ascender is all about family, and the associated problems with it. Lemire knows his way around team dynamics and JSA #7 is a perfect example of that. Funerals are emotional events; sometimes that’s a good thing and other times, not so great. The funeral for Wildcat is definitely one of the latter. After a great speech from Jay Garrick about his friend, readers get dropped into the messy morass of the JSA at this moment, and it’s all perfectly rendered. Lemire has been steadily breaking the Justice Society throughout this run, and this issue shatters them even more, with Yolanda Montez, Wildcat II, trying to give up the mantle, the once perfect Hourman II/Jessie Quick marriage falling even further apart, Jade and Sandman trying to figure out who the traitor on the team is, and a contentious conversation with Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, and Mister Terrific.

Too many times in the past, the Justice Society has been portrayed as the perfect team, one that always gets along for the most part. Lemire smashing the team up is a big change and it’s so far worked very well. There is a lot of meat to this story, and it’s presented wonderfully. Lemire is expertly breaking down the team, and it will be a joy to see him build them back up.

RELATED: DC Has Their Own Wolverine (And It’s Not Who You Think)

Guest artist Rafael De Latorre has some big shoes to fill in this issue. Regular artist Diego Olortegui has been impressing since 2023’s The Flash: Jay Garrick, and fans have gotten used to his pencils on JSA. Luckily, De Latorre sticks the landing. This is a quiet issue, with very little action, depending mostly on the character drama to entertain. De Latorre is able to sell the emotion of each scene perfectly. His character acting is top notch, and that’s very important for the story that Lemire wrote for this issue. De Latorre’s style is close to Olortegui’s, and this allows the book to keep a continuity of artistic style that keeps the change of artists from being too jarring.

The colors by Luis Guerrero do a lot of heavy lifting for the art as well; Guerrero knows how to use lighting to set the emotional tone of a scene. De Latorre and Guerrero are able to take a quiet, drama-filled issue, and make it sing. Every artist wants to draw the big fights, but the true test of a comic artist are issues like this. De Latorre and Guerrero pass that test with this issue’s art.

JSA #7 is yet another triumph for this series. Lemire has set out to break one of the most beloved teams in comics, and has been doing an expert job of it. Lemire is showing that he has the goods with JSA. De Latorre and Guerrero do an excellent job with his issue. They don’t get any big action scenes like the book had in the first six issues, instead having to render a drama-filled comic. They knock it out of the park, really selling the emotion of the issue. JSA #7 keeps the hit coming.

Rating: 4 out of 5

Published by DC Comics

Released on May 7, 2025

Written by Jeff Lemire

Art by Rafael De Latorre

Colors by Luis Guerrero

Letters by Steve Wands

JSA #6 is on sale now.

The post Even Heroes Have Drama at Funerals in JSA #7 (Review) appeared first on ComicBook.com.

In a sea of amazing comics, a new series has to find a way to immediately stand out from the crowd and showcase what makes it special. Image Comics and Skybound look to do just that with its new series Blood & Thunder, pairing the core elements of a buddy cop movie with the lovely insanity that is the world of Metro 1. Oh, did we mention that the buddy cop of it all is actually a cop and her sentient gun? Yeah, that’s right, and it’s where the series not only gets its name but also where it gets its sense of charm, humor, and history, making for one of the most delightful debuts of 2025 so far.

Before we get to the two protagonists, we need to first highlight the insanely cool world that the team of Benito Cereno, E.J. Su, Msassyk, and Rus Wooton have brought to life. Metro 1 is a tiered city where life gets progressively more difficult and challenging as you continue to go through each tier, and there’s also another city on the other side of the planet that seemingly has its own tiers, though we don’t get to see much of that yet.

If that sounds like an idea rife with possibilities, it absolutely is, and the first few pages set about introducing you to the various structures and way of life on various tiers. Meanwhile, Su and Msassyk make a grand first impression with a two-page spread that is just absolutely stunning, instantly giving you a sense of this mysterious place without even setting foot on it. Their work continues to impress throughout the issue, with each tier conveying its own distinct personality even in the briefest of appearances.

Their work is also impressive in the characters that populate this world. While there are humanoid-looking characters and actual humans living in the city, there are a host of other aliens that call this place home, and their character designs don’t just feel like human offshoots with a different coat of paint. Some of the designs are really creative, and it bodes well for what we’ll see from the series as it progresses.

[RELATED: 2025 Comic Preview – All the Biggest Storylines & New Series to Know About]

While the world is fantastic, it doesn’t matter if you aren’t compelled by the book’s main heroes, and that’s where Blood and Thunder come in. Blood is a bounty hunter who excels at operating in the lower levels, and she uses a gun named Thunder. The thing is, Thunder is a full sentient gun who talks to Blood, and this forms the buddy cop dynamic throughout the series. The opening fight sequence is fun to watch from an action perspective, but the dynamic between the two is what really makes these sequences shine, as Thunder continues to want to use non-lethal measures whenever possible, and Blood is a bit more on the aggressive side.

That ties into a key point of history with Blood, as Thunder was her father’s old weapon before he died, and he was also a part of the IPPF (the police force on Metro 1). That promises to be rich with complex issues for Blood, as she holds her father in high esteem, and while her mother is hinted at here, there’s a lot said in what is unsaid if that makes sense. That’s even before we get to bigger mysteries revealed towards the end of the issue, so the future is quite bright.

There are a few odd moments in regards to facial expressions, but that’s a relatively minor nitpick. One thing I would have loved to see is more time with Blood and Thunder after the big action sequence. All that amazing world-building at the beginning has to trade off somewhere after all, but I’m sure we’ll get plenty of time with them as we continue the series.

It’s not easy for a new series to truly showcase who it is and who it wants to be in just one issue, but Blood & Thunder did that exceptionally well, and it’s created an adventure full of action, charm, and mystery that already has its hooks in. If you give it a try, I think it just might hook you, too.

Rating: 4 out of 5

Published by Skybound and Image Comics

Released on May 7, 2025

Written by Benito Cereno

Art by E.J. Su

Colors by Msassyk

Letters by Rus Wooton

What did you think of Blood & Thunder #1? Let us know in the comments, and you can talk all things comics with me on Bluesky @knightofoa!

The post Blood & Thunder #1 Is the Buddy Cop Adventure I Didn’t Know I Needed (Review) appeared first on ComicBook.com.

The Star Wars brand has been doing plenty of celebrating these last few weeks. Revenge of the Sith had a successful re-release in theaters to commemorate its 20th anniversary. Star Wars Celebration Japan unveiled many new projects for the franchise. May the 4th released a new set of animated shorts, Tales of the Underworld, and Andor Season 2 has been ongoing to rave reviews. All those Star Wars projects don’t even touch on all the High Republic novels. This plethora of Star Wars content can be overwhelming, especially if you’re a fan who wants to consume it all. Marvel Comics has taken advantage of the May the 4th weekend to release a new Star Wars #1 issue this week. With so much Star Wars to consume, does the new number one from Alex Segura and Phil Noto stand out?

The new number one takes place not long after the Battle of Jakku, the trio of mini-series Segura helped usher in. The issue is split into three storylines told through the perspective of Luke, Leia, and Han Solo. Segura carries over the character Rynn Zenat from Battle of Jakku, serving as the co-protagonist with Luke’s sideplot. Luke and Rynn also partnered up in the Free Comic Book Day Star Wars comic, highlighting the two’s search for pirates. Rynn’s sudden rise to importance may irk some fans, as she takes away panel time from the characters we care about. She has yet to endure in the same way as other comic characters like Doctor Aphra, but it is still too early to judge her. At the moment, she’s a decent character with potential.

[RELATED – Star Wars: Marvel Announces New Mandalorian Series]

Meanwhile, Han Solo rescues Beilert Valance from a group of criminals. It’s always good to see Valance once again, especially since the end of the Star Wars: Bounty Hunter comics made fans fear the character wouldn’t be seen again for a while. Valance’s and Han’s dynamic continues to evolve, showcasing how far the two men’s relationship has become. Their friendly banter provides the only comedic relief in the issue, with everything else being self-serious and dire.

Leia’s subplot is the most interesting and layered in the comic, spotlighting the growing difficulties of rebuilding the Republic. Leia and Mon Mothma try to sway the Pirrosi, an assembly of plants in a specific sector, back to the new Republic. The tension between Leia and the Prime Minister of Pirrosi is apparent, with the latter refusing to budge on their stance against the republic. It’s the most interesting part of the comic, foreshadowing future conflicts while potentially introducing a new villain that isn’t directly connected to the Empire. It makes logical sense that the protagonists would face other problems beyond the Empire, and it would be nice to see the franchise branch out.

Part of Star Wars’ ongoing celebrations this year is the tenth anniversary of the new Star Wars comics from Marvel. The comics company initially had the rights to the Star Wars comics in the 70s, returning after Disney purchased Lucasfilm. Ten years in, Segura’s and Noto’s Star Wars #1 is Marvel’s third relaunch of the mainline title. This new number one isn’t as exciting as when Marvel originally launched the comic line with Jason Aaron and the late John Cassaday’s Star Wars #1 in 2015. Something was electrifying about that new era of Star Wars in 2015 that Segura couldn’t really capture again. Segura still achieves a good story, capturing the voices of all the major characters well enough that nothing stood out as incorrect.

He brings in plenty of sci-fi action, with Noto supplying some of his most beautiful work yet. Noto has had a storied career with Star Wars, providing multiple fan art and covers for a franchise that clearly means so much to him. Noto’s early pages are thrilling, featuring Luke and Rynn’s space battle against a surprise attack. Everything about Segura’s and Noto’s Star Wars #1 is fulfilling and satisfying, but it didn’t reach the heights of previous comics published by Marvel. The era between Episode VI: Return of the Jedi and Episode VII: The Force Awakens is still mostly unexplored by the Star Wars extended media, so it’s interesting to see what direction Segura will take the characters.

Rating: 3.5 out of 5

Published by Marvel

Released on May 7, 2025

Written by Alex Segura

Art by Phil Noto

Letters by VC’s Clayton Cowles

What did you think of Alex Segura’s and Phil Noto’s Star Wars #1? Let us know in the comments!

The post Star Wars #1 Is Fulfilling and Satisfying, But Lacks Spark (Review) appeared first on ComicBook.com.

The Amazing Spider-Man‘s latest reboot has been going swimmingly so far. The Amazing Spider-Man hasn’t had a good reputation for a long time, so this current run has a lot riding on it. The new creative team of Joe Kelly and Pepe Larraz has been doing a pretty good job with the last few issues of The Amazing Spider-Man, and The Amazing Spider-Man #3 keeps building that plot. Last issue, we got the return of Itsy Bitsy, a villain from Kelly’s Spider-Man/Deadpool series, and issue #3 continues the confrontation between Spider-Man and the villain, as well as revealing even more about her and Hobgoblin’s plot. However, this issue doesn’t really reach the heights that the book has reached so far.

So, to begin, this isn’t really a bad comic, it’s just sort of mystifyingly structured. Spider-Man has been hallucinating since the end of The Amazing Spider-Man #1, which has played a huge factor in the series so far. This issue continues that and it’s honestly getting a little tiring. It’s a fun gimmick for a Spider-Man story, but it’s been going on way too long. The Amazing Spider-Man #3 shows this possibly false flashback of Peter’s early teenage years that doesn’t really fit anything we know about Spider-Man’s history and it feels so out of place. Kelly has played a lot with this idea of young Peter becoming a bit of a hellion with his friend Brian, but there’s always been something off about that idea, and this issue really pushes further than it already has.

This feels like a pretty standard issue of a Spider-Man comic — some action, some civilian Peter shenanigans, and an ending that sets up the next big fight — but it just never seems to gel into something interesting. Kelly makes a very weird choice with Itsy Bitsy, and it doesn’t at all feel right. The pacing of the issue is off as well; so many of the book’s events feel like filler that had to be stretched out for the purposes of the overall story. There’s a lot of little things wrong with the writing of this issue. It’s not enough to make it a terrible comic, but it feels like the book has already run out of steam, which is unfortunate after such a good start.

RELATED: Marvel Teases Amazing Spider-Man Milestone Issue With New Villain Hellgate

However, the art from Pepe Larraz and Marte Gracia is gorgeous. From the opening flashback to the inaugural opening scene, Larraz shows off his expert character acting, as well as his penchant for action scenes. From there, we get an exciting battle between Spider-Man and Itsy Bitsy, with a very cool double page spread, and then most of the rest of the issue is quiet moments dealing with the aftermath of the fight with Itsy Bitsy and more flashback scenes. The highlight of the issue’s art is the beginning and the end, with some really good Spider-Man swinging through the city panels in between. The issue’s weird pacing is a problem with the writing, but it’s always nice to spend more time with Larraz and Gracia’s art.

The last page of the issue is the best. It’s the first meeting between Hobgoblin and Spider-Man in a while and it’s hype. Larraz’s Hobgoblin has a touch of Humberto Ramos’s version of the villain, and looks perfect. Larraz doesn’t really change the design of the character too much, but he definitely captures the core of the character. The lighting on the scene, supplied by Gracia’s beautiful colors, give this moment the right amount of light and shadow.

The Amazing Spider-Man #3 takes all of the cool work in the first two issues and squanders it, to an extent. This is definitely a build-up issue of the current story, without a lot of things happening, but the problem is that it feels like it. Every story arc has issues that are just meant to build the story, which isn’t a bad thing; not every issue of a story arc needs to be full of action and big moments. However, other than the art, there’s really not much to actually enjoy in the issue. It’s a middling comic, not really good, not really bad, just sort of there, even with the fantastic art.

Rating: 2.5 out of 5

Published by Marvel Comics

Released May 7, 2025

Written by Joe Kelly

Art by Pepe Larraz

Colors by Marte Gracia

Letters by Joe Caramagna

The post More Flashbacks and Some Weird Choices Makes The Amazing Spider-Man #3 A Real Drag (Review) appeared first on ComicBook.com.

Two of my biggest passions in life are Godzilla and Spider-Man. A comic starring both should be a slam dunk, yet the outcome is only a resounding okay. The biggest problem with Godzilla vs Spider-Man #1 is that Godzilla doesn’t mesh well with Spidey’s world. Adding the King of Monsters in a Spider-Man comic feels like pushing a circle peg down a square hole. It’s not exactly like the expression, “a square peg in a round hole,” because you can fit a circle peg in a square hole. You can put a Godzilla-sized peg in a spider-shaped hole, but why would you? Godzilla vs Spider-Man #1 doesn’t really answer this question other than “why not?”

Admittedly, Spider-Man has faced giant monsters before, with villains like Gog. Reptile-based enemies are also his specialty, having been fighting against The Lizard and Stegron for decades. Nonetheless, Godzilla feels so far out of Peter’s depth that it’s hard to justify why the two will fight in the first place. The comic doesn’t really offer much justification other than Spider-Man just so happened to be around, with the comic suggesting Godzilla may have been targeting Spidey specifically for his alien suit. However, given that the epilogue reveals the symbiote remained in New York after Godzilla left, it exposed that theory to be as flimsy as it was when it was first brought up.

Godzilla vs Spider-Man #1 takes place at a specific moment within the Marvel Universe timeline, just like in the other Godzilla vs. comics. The comic book takes place in the 80s, right after Peter got his alien symbiote suit. Writer Joe Kelly makes an admirable attempt to make the comic feel as if it comes from the 80s, flourishing the comic with cheesy dialogue and narration overexplaining necessary backstory. The issue even takes place in an exact moment within the Spider-Man timeline. Godzilla attacks New York before Peter realizes the suit is a symbiote, he’s still dating Black Cat, and Mary Jane has just returned to the city.

Godzilla vs Spider-Man even reveals Mary Jane has already figured out Spider-Man’s identity, fitting in nicely within the original Symbiote Saga, where Mary Jane returns to reveal that she knew his secret identity for a long time. It’s always appreciated when writers and editors figure out these timeline placements, even though they didn’t need to since the comic takes place in an alternate universe. Kelly’s attempts at 80s dialogue don’t always land, with some characterizations suffering. Mary Jane’s and Black Cat’s instant rivalry makes both women seem petty, even though it was a clear throwback to the soap opera drama that was a touchstone to the Spider-Man comics for many decades. Nevertheless, there’s a reason why we left that kind of characterization for women in the 80s.

Despite criticism, the comic is certainly not bland. It would take a lot of work to make a comic book with Spider-Man and Godzilla seem boring. The comic features rare interior artwork from Nick Bradshaw, injecting much-needed life into the story. While some people criticize Bradshaw’s art for being too cartoony and making characters short, his linework and details are impeccable. Some of the perspectives in certain panels don’t always match, yet the characters and monsters are full of personality. There’s even a moment where the Venom Symbiote takes over Godzilla, so there’s that too.

Godzilla vs Spider-Man isn’t a highlight of this line of Godzilla Marvel comics, with the 80s throwback being more of a hindrance than anything. The issue is still filled with plenty of fun webhead action that makes the story fun, but superficial.

Rating: 3 out of 5

Published by Marvel

Released on April 30, 2025

Written by Joe Kelly

Art by Nick Bradshaw

Color Art by Rachelle Rosenberg

Letters by Joe Caramagna

What did you think of Godzilla vs Spider-Man? Let us know in the comments!

The post Godzilla vs Spider-Man Is as Flimsy as You Expect (Review) appeared first on ComicBook.com.

Power Rangers Prime has successfully established a new team of Rangers, but has only scratched the surface of what they are capable of as characters. Enter Power Rangers Prime #6, which pushes Mark into the spotlight and instantly becomes one of the most gripping and likely important issues of the series to date. While there are well-known characters in the book like Rita and Lauren, the series needed one of the new characters to truly step into a linchpin role to reach its potential. Well, ladies and gentlemen, that person has now stepped on the stage, and the future looks as promising as ever.

Writer Melissa Flores shifts from the thrilling chaos of the last issue and focuses solely on Mark, who was the book’s main tether character from the very first issue. He’s the one who made first contact with Lauren after all, but despite being in that lead spot, there were still a lot of questions regarding his past and what informed his beliefs, but all that changes with issue #6.

Around half of the issue is a conversation between Ryan and Mark after his capture, while the other half is within Mark’s mind, slowly revealing the tragic circumstances that led to his arrival on Earth. It was already rather easy to empathize with Mark as a refugee in an Eltarian-controlled Earth, but you don’t really understand the profound effect his interactions with Eltar have had until you understand his relationship with his mother, and these are some of the most profound moments of the issue.

Flores paints a very different picture of Earth and Eltar through the lens of Aquitar and their views on freedom. It allows you to decontextualize those early issues and Mark’s initial interactions with the rest of the team, and it also feels like a satisfying and well-earned evolution of his character by issue’s end. He’s not at the finish line yet, mind you, but you can see that arc and its trajectory, and that should only endear Mark to fans even more.

[RELATED: Jonathan Bowen’s The Comic Shop Tackles the Joys and Realities of Running a Comic Store]

The work of Jo Mi-Gyeong, Ellie Wright, and Ed Dukeshire is superb throughout, though it’s their exceptional storytelling that stands out most. The team shifts seamlessly between various times in the past and back to the present, and every past moment feeds directly into Mark’s mindset in the present without it feeling disjointed. You feel understand his heartbreak and feel his anger, and when the action does kick into gear, it’s as stylish and thrilling as you’d hope for.

There are a few odd moments on the art side, mostly with certain close-ups of Ryan and Mark towards the end, but those are incredibly minor nitpicks, and it didn’t rob any enjoyment of the issue overall. Power Rangers Prime hit the ground running, but it’s now starting to truly hit its stride.

Rating: 4.5 out of 5

Published by BOOM! Studios

On April 30, 2025

Written by Melissa Flores

Art by Jo Mi-Gyeong

Colors by Ellie Wright

Letters by Ed Dukeshire

What did you think of Power Rangers Prime #6? Let us know in the comments, and you can talk all things comics and Power Rangers with me on Bluesky @knightofoa!

The post Power Rangers Prime Is Hitting Its Stride at the Perfect Time (Review) appeared first on ComicBook.com.

Something is Killing the Children is finally set to address one of its biggest mysteries, and it all begins here. Issue #41 kicks off part one of All Her Monsters, and from the looks of it, James Tynion, Werther Dell’Edera, Miquel Muerto, and Andworld Design are finally pulling the curtain back on a pivotal and tragic moment in Erica’s past. A hallmark of the series has been its ability to define its characters and convey a wealth of backstory and lore in the quieter moments, and issue #41 once again showcases that in spades. This is the calm before the storm, but the series has consistently shown that the calm can be and often is just as compelling.

One of several critical events in Erica’s life is the loss of her mentor Jessica, and over the course of the past 40 issues, fans have seen how much Jessica’s presence meant to Erica and how Jessica’s death has affected her from that point on. While we’ve seen glimpses of the aftermath, the series has never revealed what happened to Jessica or the events that led up to that fateful encounter, which is why issue 41 means so much to longtime fans.

Tynion is a master at creating small moments that leave big impressions, and issue 41’s first few pages are a brilliant example of that in action. An encounter at a funeral early on epitomizes this, being equal parts heartwarming, intensely awkward, and delightfully funny, and Dell’Edera’s animated expressions and Muerto’s crisp colors breathe life into these moments and raise them to an entirely new level.

The same is true of Erica’s interactions with Aaron, or Aaron’s brief exchanges with Adda, though those take on a different tone. Those sequences dip into an eerie tension that starts to build towards the end of the issue, and those small moments will likely feel massive as more revelations are made about Jessica and Erica’s next mission.

[RELATED: 2025 Comic Preview – All the Biggest Storylines & New Series to Know About]

These interactions are also the primary way you learn more about the world, and it’s always impressive how much you can glean from small asides in the midst of bigger conversations. Adda, for instance, doesn’t say a word, and yet not only do we have a better understanding of her relationship with Jessica, but we also might have a hint as to what happened to her and Jessica in the past, as well as a better understanding of how Adda sees Erica and Aaron. All of that is conveyed through expressions, eye movement, and one-way conversations, and while the series has pulled this off in the past, this is simply on another tier.

Something Is Killing the Children #41 is revealing some long-awaited answers, but there’s no doubt that even more compelling questions will follow, as there are few books I trust more implicitly to deliver than this one.

Rating: 5 out of 5

Published by BOOM! Studios

On April 30, 2025

Written by James Tynion IV

Art by Werther Dell’Edera

Colors by Miquel Muerto

Letters by AndWorld Design

What did you think of Something Is Killing the Children #41? Let us know in the comments, and you can talk all things comics with me on Bluesky @knightofoa!

The post Something Is Killing the Children Sets the Stage for Its Grandest Moment Yet (Review) appeared first on ComicBook.com.

A new super-team is back on the grind in the DC Universe. The Justice League may be back together to take on threats on a global scale, but there are plenty of criminals and villains out there who need to be dealt with. This is where The Power Company steps in. DC has slowly been building to The Power Company: Recharged #1 in the pages of Black Lightning and DC Power: Rise of the Power Company, and this newest one-shot brings together a collection of DC’s finest Black superheroes. Funded by Josiah Power, the Power Company all seem to be on the same page… except for Batman.

Jace Fox is our Dark Knight in The Power Company: Recharged #1, and he perfectly portrays how a Batman would act if he were recruited for something he never asked for. My only problem is that Jace leans a little too much into being the dark, brooding outsider amongst the team. Signal and Vixen are the field agents alongside Batman, but he refuses to work with them. Even Bruce Wayne has learned to work inside the confines of the Justice League, and he has several allies like Red Hood, Nightwing, and Robin. Jace Fox wants none of that, and it really brings down the positive vibes that The Power Company: Recharged is aiming for.

Black Lightning barely appears in the issue, but since he’s running oversight on the team, you would think that he’d confront Batman about his bad attitude. But nope. Josiah barely calls Batman out. That job is left up to Vixen, but she can only get so far with him. With a family being murdered by an anti-metahuman hate group, you would think our heroes would put aside their differences to change the narrative and bring the killer to justice.

Batman gets to be the conquering hero by defeating Agent Liberty alone. I understand that Batman is the big name in The Power Company, so he should get more of the spotlight, but it ends up devaluing the other members. I will say I enjoyed Agent Liberty’s costume. He looks like a mix of Captain America, Peacemaker, and Guardian from the Young Justice cartoon. With Agent Liberty defeated, we’re left with a tease of more The Power Company stories in the future. Batman gives Josiah Power the ol’ “I don’t trust you” line, but says they can call if they need him. What has Josiah done that would make Batman not trust him? If Batman is the detective he claims to be, he would have already researched everything there is to know about Josiah Power. There’s a lot of “trying too hard” going on with Batman.

Hopefully, future iterations of The Power Company flesh the team out even more, and builds them into a team that can stand side-by-side with the Justice League and Titans. Highlights of the comic are the art, and those duties are split among several A-list talents who deliver some entertaining pages. The choice of characters to start with makes sense, and they each bring something different to the team. Seeing them actually working together should have been more of a priority.

Rating: 3 out of 5

Published by DC

On April 30, 2025

Written by Bryan Edward Hill

Art by Khary Randolph, Alitha Martinez, Norm Rapmund, Ray Anthony Height, Studio Skye Tiger

Colors by Emilio Lopez, Alex Guimaraes

Letters by AndWorld Design

The post The Power Company Recharged Builds a Formidable Team With One Glaring Weakness (Review) appeared first on ComicBook.com.

Ultimate Spider-Man #16 proves why this book is considered the best Marvel book. Ultimate Spider-Man has always found ways to impress readers, and the book has been dropping huge shocks on readers in the last several issues. Ultimate Spider-Man #15 started a new life for the Parkers, and Ultimate Spider-Man #16 finally gives readers the Gwen Stacy focused issue that they have been waiting for. What follows is yet another shocking book that completely changes everything about the story so far. Things have changed in the comic industry since Ultimate Spider-Man kicked off, with DC’s Absolute books sucking a lot of air out of the room, but Ultimate Spider-Man #16 is exactly the kind of attention-grabbing comic the book needed. As most of the plot revolves around the biggest reveals of the issue, just be aware that there are SPOILERS FOR ULTIMATE SPIDER-MAN #16 BEYOND THIS POINT.

Jonathan Hickman has a reputation for being the best writer in comics, and Ultimate Spider-Man #16 is an example of why. Gwen Stacy is something of a controversial character in recent years. She’s always been considered one of the most important Spider-Man characters, but Marvel’s insistence on her as the most important Spider-Man girlfriend has angered a lot of readers, most of whom never read a story starring the original Gwen. Ultimate Spider-Man is the book for people who don’t want what Marvel editorial is selling in the 616, so Hickman has to walk a delicate path with Gwen. So, in Ultimate Spider-Man #16, he blasts everything we thought we knew about Gwen Stacy to pieces and uses it to change the book, setting it on an entirely new path.

In fact, Hickman also uses Ultimate Spider-Man #16 to completely change another Spider-Man villain, Mysterio. There are five Mysterios in the Ultimate Universe, and the Stacy family is a part of that number. Gwen’s father, a police captain in the 616, was a Mysterio, and upon his death, Gwen takes his place. This is a massive bombshell, and it gets bigger from there. Hickman has built this Gwen in an entirely different direction throughout the book; Ultimate Gwen has definitely been hiding something. Giving readers Gwen as Mysterio is a brilliant idea, and the mission of Mysterio — to reveal the truth about the Maker to the world — gives us an idea of why Gwen has acted the way she has. We get to see her throughout her life in the issue, and the role she’s played in Harry’s mission as the Green Goblin. It honestly feels like there’s a great surprise on every page of the issue. Writing like this is why fans love this book so much, and that’s before you even get to the end of the issue (which I won’t spoil because you need to see it for yourself). This is peak Hickman.

RELATED: Ultimate Spider-Man: Marvel Previews Miles Morales Crossover With the New Ultimate Universe

Marco Checchetto is back on pencils for this issue and it’s obviously gorgeous. This is a mostly quiet issue — there’s not much action at all in the issue — so the script lives and dies by Checchetto’s ability to sell the emotion and the shock of the moment. He does a spectacular job on every single page. Checchetto perfectly captures every moment in this book. He brings to life a date between Gwen and Harry. He sells us Gwen’s sadness upon the death of each of her parents. We get to see the resolve of the character, the iron that has been under Gwen’s facade since she first appeared in the book. There’s a scene between Norman Osborn and Gwen where they seem to bond over their shared secrets, that just feels so momentous, all because of the way they look at each other. This is pitch perfect character acting.

But that’s not the only reason that the art is amazing. The introduction of the Mysterios has the perfect vibes, all dark and mysterious which fits into the idea of a group who have bought into their own mystique. Later in the book, we get to moments we’ve already we’ve seen in the book, with a Mysterio over Gwen’s shoulder. It’s an interesting way to show both sides of Gwen in each scene, and Checchetto really nails it. Also, the new Mysterio design? Awesome. It’s still very obviously Mysterio, but Checchetto makes changes to it that fit the new Mysterio ideas that Hickman introduces in this issue.

Ultimate Spider-Man #16 is brilliant. There’s really no other way to say it. Hickman takes two separate classic Spider-Man characters, mixes them together, and creates something new and exciting. Issues like this are we love Ultimate Spider-Man. Checchetto’s art is the icing on the cake, really selling everything that Hickman puts down in the book. Gushing over Ultimate Spider-Man can seem a little cliche at this point, but issues like this keep giving us reasons to.

Rating: 5 out of 5

Published by Marvel

Released on April 30, 2025

Written by Jonthan Hickman

Art by Marco Checcetto

Colors by Matthew Wilson

Letters by Cory Petit

Ultimate Spider-Man #16 is on sale now.

The post Ultimate Spider-Man #16 Changes Everything You Thought You Knew about the Book’s Events (Review) appeared first on ComicBook.com.

Fantastic Four has been experiencing a renaissance since writer Ryan North has taken over the book. This is the best the Fantastic Four have been in over a decade, and their central role in One World Under Doom has helped raise their profile even more. With Doom ruling the world, the Fantastic Four immediately jump into action, but Doom did something that the Fantastic Four never could — cure Ben Grimm of his mutation. That’s where Fantastic Four #31 kicks off. The Thing is at his lowest ebb, and the team makes a fateful decision in order to help him get his powers back. What follows is everything that a Fantastic Four should be.

North’s run has been spectacular so far, because he gets what makes the team work. The Fantastic Four is a sci-fi family, and both of those things are equally important. Fantastic Four #31 does a wonderful job of presenting them as a family, working together to solve their problems. The team has been through a lot since One World Under Doom has started, and North brings back an idea from 2017’s Marvel Two-In-One that recasts Doom’s action of curing Ben into a fatal blow to the Fantastic Four. It’s something that most fans haven’t thought of since that book ended, and shows that North is always doing his homework on the team.

From there, we get a perfect Fantastic Four plot — the team traveling through time and the multiverse to get Ben’s power back. This is exactly the kind of thing that should be happening in a Fantastic Four. It’s a great sci-fi idea, and what makes this work so well is that it’s informed by the Fantastic Four’s familial relationship. The team isn’t just going to take their dangerous trip through time and space just to get Ben’s powers back, all while theirs fade, because they’re teammates. They care about Ben and the toll that transforming back to human has had on him, and want him to feel better. This is actually a pretty fun twist on the old idea of Ben hating his Thing form. Ben has reached a point where being the Thing is no longer the curse that it was; he’s grown to love it. Losing those powers has had a negative impact on his life. This is frankly fantastic writing from North. This issue is exactly the way a Fantastic Four comic should be written, and it’s why this is the most acclaimed Marvel book without the word “Ultimate” in the title.

RELATED: One of Marvel’s Strangest Fantastic Four Villains Returns

Cory Smith and Oren Junior showed off what they could do in last year’s “Sabretooth War”, which was a bloody masterpiece. Luckily, they’re just as good here. From the book’s opening pages — a replaying of the events of the original Fantastic Four #1 — it looks sensational and it stays great from there. Because of the focus on familial relationships in Fantastic Four, the character acting has to be especially good. Smith is able to supply that on every page. Davos the Devastator, a nice deep cut Fantastic Four villain, shows up and there’s a cool little action scene that works out beautifully. Junior’s inks give the lines a nice heft to them, really helping enhance Smith’s pencils.

There’s a scene after the fight of Johnny trying to convince everyone that his powers aren’t on the fritz and it hits so well because of Smith and Junior. They’re able to sell Johnny’s acting, and Susan’s eye roll is just perfect. The first time that Ben doesn’t get his powers back from the cosmic radiation bath is wonderfully rendered, capturing Ben’s disappointment, which builds in every subsequent failure. This is exactly what art for a Fantastic Four should do. Smith and Junior are able to hit all the right points with the sci-fi and the action — when the team starts traveling through the multiverse, there are some really cool panels of alternate universes of the team — and they’re also able to sell the feelings of the characters, helping to illustrate the relationships of the team.

One of the biggest problems with Fantastic Four in the years since the end of the Hickman run (other than Marvel marginalizing them because they didn’t have the film rights until recently) has been that most of the time, one aspect of the team was pushed beyond the other, and the book was never able to do what a Fantastic Four comic should do. It was either too sci-fi, too superhero, or too family oriented. North’s run has succeeded so well because he has found the perfect balance of all the things that a Fantastic Four comic should have. Fantastic Four #31 is basically a perfect Fantastic Four comic in every way. The writing is constantly impressive, doing some deep lore digs and using them to inform the story he set up in One World Under Doom, hitting the right emotional notes, and giving readers an awesome cliffhanger ending. The art brings it all to life wonderfully. Future Fantastic Four creative teams need to take a look at this issue and follow it as a blueprint.

Rating: 4.8 out of 5

Published by Marvel

Released on April 30, 2025

Written by Ryan North

Art by Cory Smith

Inks by Oren Junior

Colors by Jesus Aburtov

Letters by Joe Caramagan

Fantastic Four #31 is on sale now.

The post Fantastic Four #31 Is the Epitome of What a Fantastic Four Comic Should Be (Review) appeared first on ComicBook.com.

R.L. Stine is one of America’s most well-known horror authors. While there are some who would say that Stephen King is better, Stine’s Goosebumps series is a cultural icon. Stine has written over 300 books, and many of his works have been adapted to television and movies. Stine’s work runs the gamut of horror, with books for children and for adults, something many other horror writers don’t do. Stine is a fan of comics, having written several over the years, and announced The Graveyard Club last April. The Graveyard Club: Fresh Blood #1 is the latest chapter in the series focusing on a group of teens in the town of Grave’s End. It’s a welcome return, with a deep scoop of old-school horror comic charm.

The first thing that struck me about the book — other than a feeling of keep these particular teens off my lawn, the true sign of aging — is how much fun this issue is. The foursome of Patti, Trip, Rhonda, and Parker is immediately entertaining, the perfect little group of teen heroes for this kind of story. A lot of the dialogue feels like it’s out of an old Marvel or Archie horror comic, a heaping helping of horror cheese that gives the book a charm it wouldn’t have if this was a more hard-edged horror style. The book presents some interesting mysteries, with the disappearance of Parker and Rhonda’s fathers being the central bit leading to the reveal of one of the dark secrets at the center of Grave’s End.

This is classic outcast storytelling, which has its strengths and weaknesses. There’s a lot of teenage shenanigans, with the foursome coming up with interesting ways to have fun. These are the rebel kids, but instead of making them into sad little nerds, they give as good as they got. This is sort of a problem — the foursome sometimes seems to take their revenge against their targets a little too far — but it also makes for a lively comic. The main plot is pretty interesting, and really made me wonder what exactly the kids had found in town. All in all, Stine does a great job with the characters and the plots, keeping the reader’s attention throughout the book. This is a long comic, but it’s paced well-enough that it never feels as long as it is.

RELATED: R.L. Stine Confirms Even More Fear Street Movies Are on the Way (Even After Prom Queen)

The art by Carola Borelli and Francesco Segala, with assistance from Gloria Martinelli, is the MVP of the book. Borelli’s style lends itself very well to the story, capturing the right atmosphere for this little horror tale. Her linework is sensational, and she does a great job with the characters. It can be hard in comics to render anyone younger than an adult and make them look their age, but Borelli’s detailed art does a great job. These are teens, not just younger adults, and there’s an energy to them that jumps off the page to the reader. Her monster design is pretty great, and she’s able to put you right there in the town. The backgrounds have a nice amount of detail to them; Borelli doesn’t skimp on her panels.

Borelli’s art is great through and through, and a big reason that is the colors from Segala and Martinelli. Color is very important to establishing atmosphere, probably more important than the pencils honestly, and the coloring on this book is out of this world. Grave’s End is supposed to be a spooky place, and the color washes on the scene do a great job of giving anything indoors the right kind of atmosphere. For example, when they go into the pharmacy so Patti can apply for a job, there’s a bluish color wash to the scene. It captures the feel of artificial lighting and gives the scene a feeling of menace that wouldn’t be there if the book had more natural coloring. This extends across the book; the colors in this comic are very important to establishing the mood and they constantly succeed. YA horror has to use different tricks to get across its vibes, and the coloring is a key part of why The Graveyard Club: Fresh Blood #1 looks so sensational.

YA horror can have its problems, but very few of them are apparent in The Graveyard Club: Fresh Blood #1. Stine is a master of this kind of storytelling, and this issue sees him flex some familiar muscles. While the story itself isn’t perfect, it’s pretty entertaining, and it keeps fans hooked and wanting to know what’s going to happen next. The art is the key factor to the entire equation. It’s spooky and atmospheric, wonderfully detailed, and brings the characters to life perfectly. This is YA horror done right.

Rating: 3.8 out of 5

Published by BOOM! Studios

Released on April 30, 2025

Written by R.L. Stine

Art by Carola Borelli

Colors by Francesco Borelli and Gloria Martinelli

Letters by Jim Campbell

The Graveyard Club: Fresh Blood #1 is on sale now.

The post The Graveyard Club: Fresh Blood #1 Is Old-Fashioned Horror Comic Goodness (Review) appeared first on ComicBook.com.

While a Superman vs Lex Luthor showdown is anything but unusual, it has never played out like the epic confrontation seen in Superman #25, and that couldn’t be a bigger compliment. One of the hallmarks of this Superman run has been that every character and big idea ultimately mean something in the long run, and that once again is the case in Superman #25, paying off a host of story threads in satisfying ways and then turning those into compelling new threads that will continue to make Superman must read every single month.

Superman #24 ended with a rather massive reveal that Lex’s backup plan was lying in wait this entire time, and Mercy has now put the aptly named X-EL into action. What wasn’t clear until now though is that Luthor never actually planned to use X-EL due to its flawed nature, and we see that play out in an epic battle across the Metropolis skyline.

That battle truly lives up to that description by the way, even with several different artists piecing it together. It helps that the team is made up of a talented roster, including Jamal Campbell, Eddy Barrows, Eber Ferreira, Dan Mora, Alejandro Sanchez, and Dave Sharpe. Lex is always intimidating, but there’s an eerily menacing quality to X-EL that the team captures throughout the issue, especially as he starts to become more unglued.

The action itself fits with X-EL’s more unhinged nature, and it allows for some of the hardest-hitting Superman and Superwoman battles yet. That’s especially true of Superwoman, who really gets to unleash in a way she’s not been able to in the past. That said, there’s always a cost, and just like in past issues, Joshua Williamson ties it all together in a way that feels earned and also pushes the story forward in new directions.

[RELATED: These Are the Best Krypto Stories Ever]

That brings us to Lex, who is just as important to the issue’s success as X-EL is. Lex’s amnesia seemed at first like it could have been a plot device that was easily moved past when convenient, and yet over time, that’s proved to be far from the case. Instead, Williamson has used that narrative switch to explore Lex’s past and the possibilities of what he could be if so much of that baggage was removed, and it’s resulted in a compelling battle between two versions of the same character that actually changes how you look at one of DC’s most iconic villains.

That’s part of what makes this issue so powerful, though it’s also where its main flaw can be found. Lex makes a decision towards the end of this issue that feels important to the character internally, as it represents a key shift in his approach after so much change. What doesn’t change though is Superman’s reaction, and it can’t help but feel a little out of pocket given the nature of who X-EL is and isn’t. It’s a very black and white viewpoint for someone who has grown to show that he also understands the grey, even if he doesn’t choose to live there, so this just comes off as misplaced.

That’s a tiny flaw, mind you, and depending on proper context in future issues could end up making more sense. Even if it doesn’t, it’s a small complaint regarding a book that is simply fantastic through and through, and I don’t see Superman’s stellar run coming to an end anytime soon.

Rating: 4.5 out of 5

Published by DC Comics

Released on April 23, 2025

Written by Joshua Williamson

Art by Jamal Campbell, Eddy Barrows, Eber Ferreira, and Dan Mora

Colors by Alejandro Sanchez and Jamal Campbell

Letters by Dave Sharpe

Superman #25 is in comic stores now.

What did you think of Superman #25? Let us know in the comments, and you can talk all things comics with me on Bluesky @knightofoa!

The post Superman #25 Promised An Epic Showdown, and It Lived Up To the Hype (Review) appeared first on ComicBook.com.

Absolute Martian Manhunter is already a phenomena after a mindbending first issue. The first issue sold out immediately, and Absolute Martian Manhunter was extended to twelve issues off the monumental success. Deniz Camp and Javier Rodriguez introduced readers to John Jones, an FBI agent whose life changes forever after surviving an explosion. Suddenly he can see minds, the city becoming a tangle of the colored smoke of people’s thoughts. He soon learned the reason for this — his body is home to the Martian Mindhunter. Absolute Martian Manhunter #1 was a perfect synthesis of words and images, and it raised the bar high on what a comic book could be. Absolute Martian Manhunter #2 has some big boots to fill, and luckily it’s up to the challenge.

Absolute Martian Manhunter #1 was a singular comic reading experience, and it honestly feels like we’re in a new world of what comics can do to tell stories. Absolute Martian Manhunter #2 doesn’t do anything like that; it’s not going to change the nature of comic book storytelling for a second issue in a row. However, that doesn’t mean that this isn’t an excellent comic, because it is. Honestly, if Camp and Rodriguez would have just went back to the well with this one, giving us the exact same kind of ideas and imagery, it would have been a little disappointing. This issue has more structure to it, with less pages devolving into masses of color contorting themselves into images, and more panel grid storytelling. It’s a subtle nod to the fact that this issue is more of an ordered story. John is more in control of his faculties than he was before, and is seeing the world in a new way, making sense of it. Camp and Rodriguez understand how to use the structure of the page to tell a story in a way that barely registers on a conscious level, but is nonetheless there.

This is more of an info dump issue than the last one, all while the Mindhunter pushes John to go after the “trigger” — a heavily armed man on a killing spree to reveal that aliens have taken over everyone. John and the readers both learn more about the relationship between John and the Mindhunter, establishing a new kind of Martian Manhunter story. Suddenly, we’re in a buddy comedy of sorts, as straight-laced FBI agent John Jones is forced to share a body with an alien who lives in the chaos of thoughts. Where the last issue was more freeform chaos, as readers and Jones alike were bombarded by this new relationship, this issue goes a long way in establishing the order of the book. We get to see the way John and the Mindhunter work together, and watch the Mindhunter at work, using thoughts, memories, and the nature of brains themselves as weapons. This issue gives us the prototype of what these stories are going to be like from this point on, giving us a story to go with the chaos. The final page teases the big bad as well, bringing some of the mythology of Martians in the DC Universe over to the Absolute Universe.

RELATED: Absolute Martian Mahunter Isn’t Just a Great Comic, It’s Fine Art

Rodriguez’s art is, much like in the last issue, the most important part of the puzzle for the comic. Rodriguez could have just copied the ways he used imagery in the last issue to tell the story and we would have been satisfied, but he finds new ways to use the artistic ideas that he established in issue #1. There aren’t as many pages of the minds of everyone overtaking the entire image; instead, because of the more ordered relationship between John and Mindhunter, he uses the panels to contain the thoughtscapes, much like our minds do. Telepathy has always been one of the visually boring superpowers, but Rodriguez keeps coming up with new ways to make it into the most exciting visual power in comics. Even something as simple as the Mindhunter calming John down with his memories is a sensational little piece of art, fragments of thought overtaking the reality around him. Rodriguez finds a way to use the comic page to show how the insides of all of our minds work, and it’s a feast for the senses.

There are a lot of sensational pages and panels in this book. From the introduction of Trigger Taylor on the first page to Mindhunter explaining why humans go bad by visually representing the vices of the mind with neon signs to portraying the scenery of Trigger Taylor’s rampage in ways that no one else has before, Rodriguez keeps finding ways to go above and beyond with comic art. We’ve seen scenes like this a million times before, but we’ve never seen them like this. Last, but definitely not least, is Hassan Otsame-Elhaou’s letters. The lettering of this book is constantly outstanding, with the evocative script of the Mindhunter’s dialogue allowing readers to actually hear his voice. This is grade-A lettering. This bravura storytelling at its finest, and it’s why Absolute Martian Manhunter is the most exciting book on the stands.

Absolute Martian Manhunter #2 is able to follow up a masterpiece of a comic with a continuation that brings order to the beautiful chaos of what came before. This comic is visual storytelling at its finest, using page composition and art to bring a world to life. Absolute Martian Manhunter #2 brings together the disparate elements of comic storytelling, weaving them together into a mass of words and images that is completely unlike anything on the market. It’s hard to imagine a comic can be this good, but here it is. Books like Absolute Martian Manhunter show just what comics can be.

Rating: 5 out of 5

Published by DC Comics

Released on April 23, 2025

Written by Deniz Camp

Art by Javier Rodriguez

Letters by Hassan Otsame-Elhaou

Absolute Martian Manhunter #2 is on sale.

The post Absolute Martian Manhunter #2 Gives Readers Mindblowing Answers (Review) appeared first on ComicBook.com.