To say that Zola’s baby had a rough start to life sure is an understatement. From the moment the baby was born on Olympus, it was immediately stolen away from its mother by Hermes, who we thought was one of the good guys. Now in Wonder Woman Vol. 3: Iron, she must track the tiny tot down before something terrible happens. Along the way, she meets even more members of her complicated family tree and something new is brewing in Antarctica.
An uncharacteristically stubborn Bruce Wayne refuses to believe in the existence of a shadowy organization that has run Gotham for over a century. He sure did pay for it in Vol. 1: The Court of Owls, as Batman narrowly escaped death at the hands of the Talons. But what can he do when a gang of Talons get the drop on Bruce in Wayne Manor while the rest of their army terrorize Gotham?
Had I not bought the first three volumes of Detective Comics in one shot, I would have stopped after the second one. The first showed potential, yet had a few glaring holes, while the second only made things worse with a droning story that didn’t go anywhere. I picked up Vol. 3: Emperor Penguin with the mindset that I would just plow through to get it over with, but then I noticed that the names on the cover were completely different.
Kudos to Tony Daniel for all the work he’s done in the past. I think his art in Detective Comics is great. I even liked his writing in Savage Hawkman #1. But as far as his work with this series, it really fell off a cliff. With a new creative team at the helm, this may be the kick start it needs to get back on track.
Ever since Harley Quinn severed ties with the Joker, she’s been on a roll. First, she’s made her presence felt as a member of the Suicide Squad. Now she has her own best-selling series. Harley Quinn #4 follows the same story template that have made the previous issues a success, but it falls short of the mark set by its predecessors.
Of the dozens of comics I’ve read in the last month or so, Wonder Woman has been the surprise hit. It’s mix of Greek mythology, superhero action and Maury-style baby mama drama make for a compelling read unlike anything else I’d experienced to-date. Vol. 1: Blood was a great first effort and Vol. 2: Guts picks up right where things left off.
Gotham never sleeps and Batman is back on the patrol in Batman – Detective Comics Vol. 2: Scare Tactics. Last time out, I generally enjoyed the book, but felt it was a bit too straightforward and one note. Also, I had concerns with the revolving door of super villains that made it difficult for a story to develop into anything meaningful. Well, this time, Batman squares off against The Mad Hatter, Black Mask, Scarecrow and the Court of Owls. Also, Two-Face is heavily featured towards the end of this book. Uh…lesson learned?
The next stop on my Batman adventure is Batman – Detective Comics Vol. 1: The Face of Death. As an outsider looking into the comic book scene, I never understood why the same character needed different comic lines. Well, after reading the first issues of both mainline Batman and Detective Comics Batman, I decided to continue with both, as they told very different stories with a different narrative approach. It also didn’t hurt that the events of Detective Comics issue #1 directly tie into other comics that I’ve already read. Looking to flesh out that story, I dive into another Batman adventure.
For over a century, rumors have spread across Gotham of a secret criminal organization that operates deep within the city’s shadows. Despite mounting evidence to prove their existence, Bruce Wayne uncharacteristically sticks to his beliefs that it’s nothing more than folklore. It’s this stubbornness that causes Batman to get caught with his pants down in Batman Vol. 1: The Court of Owls.
Wonder Woman is without a doubt one of the most iconic comic book characters of all-time and one of the original symbols of girl power. She’s also a character that had no real significance to me up until this point. Not that I had anything specific to hold against her, but I think the perceived girliness didn’t seem like something I was all that interested in. As part of the New 52 omnibus, Wonder Woman made a positive impression on me with her standout “first” effort. Off the strength of that, I did not hesitate to pick up Wonder Woman Vol. 1: Blood when I found it for half price at a store closing sale.
Ever since I bought the Marvel Now and New 52 omnibuses, I’ve been on a bit of a comic book vision quest. The benefit of starting with these books is that I can start at the first issue of almost every Marvel and DC franchise. The experience has kind of been like reading the first chapter of a few dozen books, which in itself is a bit odd. But with the way comic book stories have progressed over the years, this is a perfect introduction to the landscape. I’ve still got a long ways to go before completing either book, but I did want to jot down some notes regarding my progress.
In Third Person 