Why does it always take some ridiculous stunt or other for the mainstream press to sit up and notice a well-written comic book character? The Death of Captain America is the most recent of these stunts that spring to mind, and people remembered him for all but a week. DC have followed suit with “Wonder Woman’s New Look”, and I can tell you as a long-time Wonder Woman reader, that it came completely out of the blue.
Lasso of Truth is your weekly guide to what’s hot and what’s not in the DC Universe. Each week, the Red Baron goes through his comics haul to tell you what’s worth buying and what’s best left alone.
Here’s the key:
Must have – there’s no question, you should buy this great book.
Buy it – a high-quality read that won’t disappoint.
Check it out – pick it up if you have some extra cash. May be an acquired taste.
Avoid – a disappointing read. Save your money and steer clear.
Adventure Comics #3/506
Written by Geoff Johns ǀ Art by Francis Manapul
Gimmicky re-numbering aside, yet another fantastic issue of Adventure Comics. I never thought I’d care about Superboy, but I do now thanks to Geoff Johns. I never thought I’d care about Red Robin either, but Johns made me do that as well. An emotionally poignant character study of Conner Kent and Tim Drake.
Verdict: Must have.
Blackest Night: Batman #3
Written by Peter J. Tomasi ǀ Art by Adrian Syaf
An entertaining survival horror story with plenty of fan service for Robin fans. Dick Grayson and Tim Drake face their parents once again for the last time.
Verdict: Check it out.
Green Lantern Corps #41
Written by Peter J. Tomasi ǀ Art by Patrick Gleason
Tomasi keeps up the horror in his epic space battle. Gleason’s artwork is once again let down by the rotation of inkers throughout this issue.
Verdict: Check it out.
Secret Six #14
Written by Gail Simone ǀ Art by Nicola Scott w/ Carlos Rodriguez
Month in, month out, Secret Six is my favourite DC book. The “Depths” arc concludes with an issue that truly lives up to its name. Bane and Scandal Savage’s oddball relationship is pushed to the very edge, and it seems there’s even more upheaval on the horizon for the Six.
Verdict: Must have.
Wednesday Comics #11 & 12
Written by Various ǀ Art by Various
I know I’m a bit late with this, but for some reason my local comics store forget to hold a copy of issue 11 for me last month. Wednesday Comics was without a doubt a great experiment with the weekly comics format – an experiment I hope DC repeats sooner rather than later. Highlights for me included Azzarello’s Batman, Dave Gibbons’ Kamandi, Palmiotti’s Supergirl, Gaiman’s Metamorpho, Pope’s Strange Adventures, and Kerschl’s The Flash. Simonson’s The Demon and Catwoman finished excellently as well.
Verdict: Must have.
Lasso of Truth is your weekly guide to what’s hot and what’s not in the DC Universe. Each week, the Red Baron goes through his comics haul to tell you what’s worth buying and what’s best left alone.
Here’s the key:
Must have – there’s no question, you should buy this great book.
Buy it – a high-quality read that won’t disappoint.
Check it out – pick it up if you have some extra cash. May be an acquired taste.
Avoid – a disappointing read. Save your money and steer clear.
Batman & Robin #5
Written by Grant Morrison ǀ Art by Philip Tan
Jason Todd is back – or is he? The Red Hood administers a lethal dose of retribution to Gotham’s underbelly, but they aren’t about to take it lying down; not when the Flamingo flies into town. The new Dynamic Duo have their work cut out for them. Philip Tan’s no Frank Quitely, but he’s bringing his A-game to this story arc.
Verdict: Buy it.
Batman Unseen #1
Written by Doug Moench ǀ Art by Kelley Jones
I picked this up to read a Bruce Wayne Batman story from the creative minds that brought us Red Rain. What I got instead was a terrible Seventies throwback. If you ever wondered what The Invisible Man would be like if Batman was in it, wonder no longer. Seriously, it’s not worth it.
Verdict: Avoid.
Superman: World of New Krypton #8
Written by James Robinson & Greg Rucka ǀ Art by Pete Woods & Ron Randall
Superman proves his mettle as an inspiration for all peoples. Kal-El diffuses a Thanagarian attack through rather unorthodox means.
Verdict: Check it out.
Lasso of Truth is your weekly guide to what’s hot and what’s not in the DC Universe. Each week, the Red Baron goes through his comics haul to tell you what’s worth buying and what’s best left alone.
Here’s the key:
Must have – there’s no question, you should buy this great book.
Buy it – a high-quality read that won’t disappoint.
Check it out – pick it up if you have some extra cash. May be an acquired taste.
Avoid – a disappointing read. Save your money and steer clear.
Batman: The Widening Gyre #2
Written by Kevin Smith ǀ Art by Walter Flanagan
The Widening Gyre, despite its wanky title, is shaping up to be an interesting deconstruction of Batman and Bruce Wayne. Silver St. Cloud’s return to Gotham is a pleasant surprise, and doesn’t feel at all forced.
Verdict: Buy it.
Green Lantern #46
Written by Geoff Johns ǀ Art by Doug Mahnke
The Green Lantern series refocuses on the uneasy alliance between Hal Jordan, Sinestro, and Carol Ferris. Sinestro returns to Korugar to reclaim his Corps.
Verdict: Must have.
Wonder Woman #36
Written by Gail Simone ǀ Art by Aaron Lopresti
Equal parts charm, wit and action, this is Wonder Woman as she always should have been.
Verdict: Must have.
Lasso of Truth is your weekly guide to what’s hot and what’s not in the DC Universe. Each week, the Red Baron goes through his comics haul to tell you what’s worth buying and what’s best left alone.
Here’s the key:
Must have – there’s no question, you should buy this great book.
Buy it – a high-quality read that won’t disappoint.
Check it out – pick it up if you have some extra cash. May be an acquired taste.
Avoid – a disappointing read. Save your money and steer clear.
Blackest Night: Superman #2
Written by James Robinson ǀ Art by Eddy Barrows
Blackest Night: Superman #2 drops the horror movie tone of the first issue and opts for superhero fisticuffs instead. It’s a pity, because depicting horror is Eddy Barrows’ specialty. This book reads as a who’s who of Crisis on Infinite Earths, which will no doubt excite long-time DC readers. It does lack a little in the emotional pay-off department, though (which is surprising considering the re-appearance of the Psycho Pirate).
Verdict: Check it out.
Detective Comics #857
Written by Greg Rucka ǀ Art by J.H. Williams III
Bold and beautiful artwork, coupled with DC’s most interesting new villain makes this comic hard to fault.
Verdict: Must have.
Final Crisis Aftermath: Dance #5
Written by Joe Casey ǀ Art by Eduardo Pansica
The Super Young Team finally awaken to their destiny, as their leader Most Excellent Superbat proves he is worthy of both names. The art holds up surprisingly well, considering ChrisCross’ absence once again.
Verdict: Buy it.
Superman: Secret Origin #1
Written by Geoff Johns ǀ Art by Gary Frank
It’s great to see these two back on a Superman title again, and boy, do they knock this one out of the park. It’s simply beautiful, human drama.
Verdict: Must have.
Lasso of Truth is your weekly guide to what’s hot and what’s not in the DC Universe. Each week, the Red Baron goes through his comics haul to tell you what’s worth buying and what’s best left alone.
Here’s the key:
Must have – there’s no question, you should buy this great book.
Buy it – a high-quality read that won’t disappoint.
Check it out – pick it up if you have some extra cash. May be an acquired taste.
Avoid – a disappointing read. Save your money and steer clear.
Batman & Robin #4
Written by Grant Morrison ǀ Art by Philip Tan
Grant Morrison shifts gears for his next story arc, while Philip Tan turns in his best work since, well, ever. “Revenge of the Red Hood” trades day-glo for bold black and red.
Verdict: Must have.
Blackest Night #3
Written by Geoff Johns ǀ Art by Ivan Reis
I’m sorry, but if you’re not reading Blackest Night, you’re a damn fool. First go back and read every single Green Lantern-related thing Geoff Johns has touched, then come back here when you’re done. The Indigo Tribe make their true debut here, and they bring a lot of answers with them. Of course, if they didn’t bring even more questions, then this wouldn’t still be the most intriguing event book in comics history, now, would it?
Verdict: Must have.
The Brave and the Bold #27
Written by J. Michael Straczynski ǀ Art by Jesus Saiz
Okay everyone, it’s safe to come out now – DC’s put a decent creative team back on the Brave and the Bold! JMS turns in a rather poignant one-and-done story starring Batman and “Dial ‘H’ For Hero”. Sounds like an odd team-up, but he really makes it work. I’m not so sure I appreciate his take on the Joker, though…
Verdict: Buy it.
Can Diana fight her way back to 600? You decide!
A very vocal group of Wonder Woman fans have petitioned DC Comics to return their favourite comic book series to its original numbering. By their math, that would make the upcoming 45th issue number 600. They reason that as part of DC’s holy trinity, Wonder Woman deserves a numbering reflective of her standing in the industry. By way of comparison, both the Man of Steel and the Caped Crusader are well on their way to issue 700.
Senior VP and Executive Editor of DC Comics, Dan Didio has thrown down the gauntlet, promising to meet those demands if he receives 600 postcards before the book goes to press. Which is rather big of him, considering his personal opinion on the subject:
“I believe the current numbering is more inviting to the casual fan who might want to come in and sample a series without feeling like the story is weighed down by over 65 years of history.”
A fair point, Dan; a fair point.
Still, if you feel that Wonder Woman deserves a landmark 600th issue, rise to the challenge and send a postcard to the following address:
And do it quick, because Gail Simone and Aaron Lopresti can’t hold off forever!
Bat-Shark Repellent is the blog of armchair critic Adam Redsell. When he's not reviewing comics, he's writing videogame articles on IGN AU, retro reviews for EVERY GAME...EVER, or spouting crap on the IGN blogs.
You can reach Adam anytime on: adam DOT redsell AT gmail DOT com.
