Memory hold us together this week.
Whether an incident in our past sets us on the path to murder, or just temporarily losing all knowledge of who we are.
Some stories are told in the future, so present activities become the memories they look back on.
Cave Carson even starts in a memory to bring Star back, and I agree he’s a character too good to stay dead.
Batman Sins of the Father #3
Words – Christos Gage
Pictures – Raffaele Ienco
More playtime with Batman’s least favorite hired-gun Spider-Man cosplayer (Black Spider).
Bruce breaks in to Arkham for the files people just don’t want him to get.
It’s a super fun sequence that really feels like you’re going through a level of the game; Bruce gets to show off his amazing nearly inhuman aim and reaction time (it could’ve only be made perfect if “—- will remember that” popped, up maybe by Alfred?).
The files reveal, the dirty dealings of Thomas Wayne were worse than Bruce knew.
Wayne Tower would not exist without an agreement to let a sick case out of Arkham, putting into motion the events leading to the silencing of witnesses today.
Batwoman #14
Words – Marguerite Bennett
Pictures – Fernando Blanco
Drugs! In every layer of this spiraling arc so many drugs to enhance, to control (to explode!).
The Twin Eyes of the Many Arms of Death have gotten a real bad performance review, you can’t get worse than being handed a cuppa instant death.
With them out of the way (though all over the carpet- ewwwww), Tahani and Alice can move forward on their slaughter-filled revenge plan.
But, since we last saw her Beth has been getting better. Will her objections get in their way?
And will Kate get to her in time to save her/stop her from committing an act she can’t come back from?
Cave Carson has an Interstellar Eye #2
Words – Jon Rivera
Pictures – Michael Avon Oeming, Paul Maybury
Did you miss Star?
Were you afraid just because he imploded last issue that was the last we’d see of him?
Au contraire, this a book of flashbacks, and we get the (still) Earthbound Star of 22 years ago touring and writing a song about the alien world (and it’s conflict) this issue that Cave and crew are about to be hip deep in.
Sounds like a tall order right?
But between Rivera and Oeming they pull it off effortlessly and with flair.
This is the kind of Young Animal book that plays with the narrative, feels true to it’s Vertigo roots and I want more of.
The second feature is another podcast. It continues the story of how Cave’s last group broke up. It’s adorable, and is the better book with ant-headed side characters.
Death Bed #3
Words – Joshua Williamson
Pictures – Riley Rossmo
Luna’s cult saved them from a messy spot, they take Val and Luna to an entire underground city/church
dedicated to him.
It turns out to no one’s surprise, that Luna is not above straight-up BS-ing a group if they’re gullible and it seems fun. So back in the 70’s when these people had drugs, wine, their bodies and their unwavering belief in him; Luna started the cult just to take them to orgy town but ran away when they expected it to get serious.
But they kept at it after he fled, and repeated his deep teachings like “You are what you eat” – this can’t go
badly.
Green Lanterns #45
Words – Tim Seeley
Pictures – Ronan Cliquet
Jess is gone and trapped in her own head.
The memory of when her friends were slaughtered out in the woods has eaten at her since that day, partially painful due to their incompleteness. It has been hinted that maybe her own ring is responsible for shielding her from the identities of the murderers (for some reason), but a word from Singularity Jain seems to have unlocked it all throwing the Jess from now into then.
It’s interesting to see the JLA flail.
When there’s no one to punch and nothing to break they’re at a bit of a loss. This will be a job for scalpels over hammers, for a light touch. Luckily no one (on the good guy side) is more light fingered than one John Constantine.
Harley Quinn #42
Words – Frank Tieri
Pictures – Mauricet
Do you have a favorite post-apocalyptic story?
Look closely, it might be referenced this week. Red Tool (in the fuuuuutuuure) drives through the Jersey Wastelands with Harley strapped to the front of his car (wow, we thought it was hard to get her back in the present).
A smattering of Kingdom Come, Spaceballs, Robocop, Escape from New York, Back to the Future II, Max Headroom… I think Tieri is writing what he loves.
And then things go bonkers.
Quinn was brought back (forcibly) to stop a gang war between the (former)
Harleys. In her absence it’s become some straight up “the Warriors” insanity. And don’t forget, since this
is a future story anything goes.
Meaning all’s fair and fun and canon’s out the window!
Justice League #43
Words – Priest
Pictures – Pete Woods
We conclude this story’s war-torn African chapter jumping between “now” and “ the week before” with the week before occurring directly after last week’s issue so it’s only kinda confusing.
Deathstroke killed “the Fan” (last issue) and acts like this solves the JLA’s problems, but we know the Fan
worked with others (like the woman who took down the Watchtower), so does it really?
Deathstroke claims to be unstoppable and powers his way through the JLA in many pages of fight.
Wonder Woman recovers enough to throw herself back into battle and is told AFTER clocking Deathstroke that him defeating all the JLA was part of a plan (it’s too bad they don’t have communication devices to have warned her over before she did that).
Teen Titans Go #27
Words – Matthew K. Manning, Ivan Cohen
Pictures – Erich Owen, Jeremy Lawson
Robin goes to the doctor and gets a exemplary bill of health. So psyched he sends all the other Titans to get checked out too. Some character-related jokes later, Robin is asked for his insurance information. Relating health insurance to the “insurance” the mob strong-arms Robin goes ballistic.
Insurance-related jokes no child will get are thrown in. The Antna Ant-people fight with blue shields (and swords). Manning, Owen where did our for-profit medical system bad touch you? It wasn’t funny but I’m glad you got that out of your systems.
The second story is about the team cleaning the Titans Tower. Before they get far an explosion gives the collected dust life (and the physical appearance of the team members). A fun enough little one-and done story that’s dumb but inoffensive.
The Brave and the Bold: Batman & Wonder Woman #3
Words and Pictures – Liam Sharp
Bruce wakes up in nothing but his skivvies surrounded by fair folk and can not remember how he got there. Sounds like the set-up to a punchline, but the time in the Irish Quarter strained him enough for it to take time for his memory to return.
Now fully regained of his senses Batman and Wonder woman ride the mystical countryside in search of clues to the murder. They find instead the underpinnings of this entire bottled society.
Everyone genuinely seemed to have loved the deceased, and deep down has no real reason to fight the other side anymore. Except perhaps the reason is to not notice the walls of their cage?
This is going to take some exhaustive digging, the results won’t only change the fates of these people but might save their own. A leak from this realm is what’s causing the incident holding prisoner the people of Gotham!
