Comic Book Tuesday #29: Wonder Woman Vol. 4: Godwatch (Rebirth) by Greg Rucka

Author: Greg Rucka
Series: Wonder Woman, Volume V #4
Audience: +16
Genre: Comic Book
Publisher: DC Comics
Release Date: November 21st 2017
My Rating: 4 cups
Source: Netgalley
Blurb (from Goodreads):

NEW YORK TIMES best-selling writer Greg Rucka continues his celebrated return to the Amazon Warrior in WONDER WOMAN VOL. 4: GODWATCH!

Since the moment Wonder Woman arrived in our world, Godwatch has been waiting. But who are they, and what do they want? Diana’s journey to the truth that she’s been seeking since WONDER WOMAN VOL. 1 continues here, with the origin of what may prove to be her greatest enemies.

Teaming with up-and-coming artist Bilquis Evely, Greg Rucka’s critically acclaimed run on one of Rebirth’s most successful titles continues here in WONDER WOMAN VOL. 4: GODWATCH! Collects WONDER WOMAN #16, #18, #20, #22 and #24.

*Disclaimer: I received an eARC of this book from Netgalley and DC Comics in exchange for an honest review. This does not influence my rating or the content of my review in any way.

I have to say I was pleasantly surprised by this 4th volume of Wonder Woman. If the previous volumes that I read, 1 and 3, focused on Wonder Woman, here we get the other side of the story, Cale's story, which helped me understand her a little bit more.

I still believe it would have been better to have these volumes include the issues in order, but at the same time, having this last part told from a different POV altogether kind of made me like the story more. I got a few of the answers that I hoped I'd get, while at the same time some of the gaps I had are still there, like for instance what convinced Diana to fight the inner demons that kept her mind captive. But back to this volume.

We get to see how Cale, Doctor Cyber and Cheetah became who they were. The volume starts way back in the past, with Cale's daughter being a normal little girl, and we get to see doctor Cyber as a regular human, Cheetah as Barbara Ann. I believe this was a story that deserved a bit more page time, probably a bit more story development than it got, because there were a lot of elements that could have been explored more, but as a whole I liked the story. I would have wanted to see more of Cheetah, so I'm hoping there's a comic book out there that focuses on her a lot more than this one did.

Despite these missing details, I loved seeing the struggle of Victoria Cale and her transformation from regular woman to villain, her dehumanization in a way. At her core, Cale is just a mother trying to protect her daughter and willing to do anything in order to keep her safe. There's a wonderful scene halfway through this volume that shows just that, when she takes her now teenager daughter to see some specialists that might help figure out how to cure her. I liked that, because here you have a woman willing to do anything, from creating an inanimate AI version of her best friend to subduing the two gods who cursed her daughter, while at the same time you get the mother who is trying out everything medically possible to figure out how to cure her doctor. I loved that side of the story. Based on that alone, I kind of liked the idea of the story being split across the volumes, with this last one focused on the "villain's" side of the story.

The art was a bit confusing. While still pretty, it was strikingly different than what I was used to from the previous volumes. I felt like this was more similar to the older, 80s version of Wonder Woman. It kind of set the two versions of the story apart. This kind of made me realize that while everybody else was enamored with Wonder Woman, as shown in the previous volumes through the clean, almost poster-like art used there, here you have Cale who doesn't really care one way or the other, which for me seemed translated in the art. That's how I interpreted the choice made to have this big difference. It also made me think of how the insanity of Cale translated in the art. There's a sort of disturbing quality in the art, if it makes sense, which I loved seeing. It's not that the drawings are bad, on the contrary, but the lines, the colors used, everything about it made me think of how disturbing this version of the story was.

The volume has a few loose ends, and I hope that maybe they'll be picked up in the future and resolved, but if not, I thought this was a good way to end this run. I'll definitely read future installments if they come out, but if not, I just hope we'll get some connected stories, at least so we can see Barbara Ann get some form of happy ending. All in all, a good volume that I enjoyed a lot more than I anticipated.

Comic Book #28: Injustice 2 Vol 1 by Tom Taylor

Author: Tom Taylor
Series: Injustice 2 #1-6
Audience: +16
Genre: Comic Books
Publisher: DC Comics
Release Date: October 31st 2017
My Rating: 4 cups
Source: Netgalley
Blurb (from Goodreads):

From the makers of the critically acclaimed prequel comic to the smash hit fighting game Injustice: Gods Among Us comes the highly anticipated prequel to Injustice 2!

Batman has triumphed over the tyranical Superman! But now he must piece all of the world back together, and to make matters worse, he has to do it while fighting off the former dictator's supporters working to reinstate the old regime. With all the in-fighting a dark shadow appears on the horizon.

From best-selling writer Tom Taylor, scribe of the original INJUSTICE: GODS AMONG US graphic novel series, comes INJUSTICE 2! Collects issues #1-6.

*Disclaimer: I received an eARC of this book from Netgalley and DC Comics in exchange for an honest review. This does not influence my rating or the content of my review in any way.

I really enjoyed this comic book. I was a bit confused at times, because I haven't played the Injustice games, nor have I read the related comic books, but I was still able to follow the story pretty easily.

The story focuses on Batman's struggle to help rebuild the world after the destruction Superman caused, while also fighting off against a pretty strong opponent intent on helping Batman's enemies. This was the first time I've read anything related to the fight between Batman and Superman, and it was the source of my confusion, because there were a lot of gaps there that I don't know if they're from the previous Injustice series or in the game or if they'll be filled at least partially later on in Injustice 2. I liked the idea of Superman being a villain, to be honest. If I had to choose between the two, I'd pick Superman, because I grew up watching the movies many, many times, a lot more times than the original Batman movies, but I've always wondered if somehow Superman's desire to help the world, to save everybody couldn't turn into a dangerous and negative aspect of him. This is probably the reason why I loved seeing Superman depicted as a bad guy.

At the opposite side of the war you have Batman, who is trying to keep the world together, but just before he starts working on fixing everything, new enemies rise. I liked this new foe and I wonder where that will lead the story to. It was an interesting plot device, to be honest. Here you have Batman, trying to save the world, when all of the sudden, a Batman impersonator comes along to wreak havoc everywhere. The subtle hints towards the duality of Batman are also among my favorite parts of this story. I never believed Batman to be a full hero, because he's so dark and he's willing to do some pretty hard choices. Maybe it's also the fact that his hometown, Gotham, is such a dark place, that the darkness of it rubbed off on Batman. But the idea of a fully-dark, villainous Batman fighting with the original, hero version of Batman is kind of like seeing Bruce's inner struggle come to life, so I cannot wait to see how that will progress in future installments. There's also another side to this war, that I won't give too many details about, because of spoilers, but I'm also curious about how that will be explained and resolved.

I also loved the art. There were a lot of details in the panels, but not too many as to distract me from reading. The story itself is reflected in the art, and you can tell there's a big difference between Batman and Superman in the way color is used for these two characters' panels. As for good Batman vs bad Batman, there are subtle differences, but generally you get the same style, which again was amazing, because it made me think of the duality of this character.

I read this pretty easily and I was actually very sad to get to the end of it. I'm definitely planning on reading the rest of the story.

Comic Book #27: Batwoman Vol.1 : The Many Arms of Death (Rebirth) by Marguerite Bennett, James IV Tynion

Author: Marguerite Bennett, James IV Tynion
Series: Batwoman (2017-) #1-6
Audience: +16
Genre: Comic Book
Publisher: DC Comics
Release Date: October 31st 2017
My Rating: 4 cups
Source: Netgalley
Blurb (from Goodreads):

Batwoman returns with her own series in BATWOMAN VOL. 1, as a part of DC Rebirth!

The newest chapter of Batwoman’s life begins here! Monster Venom is the hottest new bioweapon on the market…and to break up the syndicate spreading it around the world, Batwoman’s going to have to return to the place where she spent some of her darkest hours!

With writing from Marguerite Bennett (DC BOMBSHELLS) and James Tynion IV (DETECTIVE COMICS), as well as spectacular art from Steve Epting (CAPTAIN AMERICA: THE WINTER SOLDIER) and Ben Oliver (THE MULTIVERSITY), this new series spins directly out of the smash hit DETECTIVE COMICS series!

BATWOMAN VOL. 1 collects issues #1-6 and the one-shot special BATWOMAN: REBIRTH #1.

*Disclaimer: I received an eARC of this book from Netgalley and DC Comics in exchange for an honest review. This does not influence my rating or the content of my review in any way.

I went into reading this knowing nothing about Batwoman. I didn't even know Batwoman existed, to be honest. So I was surprised to see this redheaded heroine and read about her adventures, and let me tell you, I liked what I read.

The story is pretty interesting. We spend the entire first issue jumping through time, seeing brief instances from Batwoman/Kate Kane's life, since childhood to present times. This had me confused for a little bit, because for a while there I thought I was reading a similar story with Greg Rucka's Wonder Woman, which is different backstories of the same character. It took me a little bit to figure out it was small flashes of the same Kate Kane. This is probably due to me not knowing anything about Kane. We then see her trying to stop an attack at a pretty important market, which eventually leads her to a secluded island, where apparently Kate left her heart on many years ago. It was a pretty interesting concept, and I liked the flashbacks on the island, and trying to figure out what exactly happened. We still don't know a lot, so I'm hoping the future issues (if there are any) will shed some light onto what happened between Kate and Safiyah, where the latter is, and how big is this organization trying to bring down Kate.

I have to say, I wish the last issue in this volume, Rebirth #1 was at the beginning. This is actually the way I've been used to in DC comics so far, so I don't really understand why they decided to include that one at the end of the 6 issues of The Many Arms Of Death. That was the only thing that I didn't quite enjoy, mostly because it pulled me quite harshly from the original story.

The art is pretty great. There were a lot of vivid, really strong colors. The panels were not too crowded, and were easy to follow. There seemed to be a bit of a shift in drawing technique towards the last issues, but that didn't bother me as much as I expected. The art complements the story a lot, and it sort of follows the story and the timeline. The art in Rebirth however was pretty different than the one in TMAoD. Not a bad thing, just something that I noticed.

The pacing was great and I read it pretty fast. All in all, I think this is by far my favorite DC comic I've read so far. It was mysterious and dark enough to keep me wishing for more issues and page time. I will definitely read volume 2 when it comes out.

Comic Book Tuesday #20: The Flash (2016-) Vol. 1: Lightning Strikes Twice by Joshua Williamson, Carmine Di Giandomenico

Author: Joshua Williamson, Carmine Di Giandomenico (Illustrator)
Series: The Flash, Volume V #1
Audience: +15
Genre: Comic Book, Graphic Novel
Publisher: DC Comics
Release Date: January 24th 2017
My Rating: 3 Cups
Source: Netgalley
Blurb (from Goodreads):

Part of the most critically acclaimed, best-selling, all-new line of volume one graphic novels, DC Universe Rebirth!

His name is Barry Allen, and he’s the Fastest Man Alive. But he’s also so much more.

As he learns more about the Speed Force that fuels his incredible powers, the Flash is also discovering secrets about his past beyond anything he’d ever dreamed-how he created a Flashpoint that changed history and helped create a new world, watched over by forces unknown.

And when the same Speed Force that flows through him is unleashed all over Central City, striking cops, criminals and ordinary civilians alike, it’s up to the Flash to train this new wave of speedsters to use their amazing abilities wisely.

But while some may become his partners in crime-fighting-forming a true “Speed Force”-others will use their godlike powers for a more sinister purpose. And the Flash is about to learn that there’s some evil even he can’t outrun…

The race is on as writer Joshua Williamson (DEATHSTROKE) and artist Carmine di Giandomenico (All New X-Factor) present THE FLASH VOL. 1: LIGHTNING STRIKES TWICE-the starting line of a bold new era for the Scarlet Speedster, bursting from the blockbuster DC Universe Rebirth event! Collects THE FLASH: REBIRTH #1 and THE FLASH #1-8.

*Disclaimer: I received an eARC from Netgalley and DC Comics in exchange for an honest review. This does not influence my rating of the book or the content of this review in any way

Ever since the TV show The Flash, I've been dying to read more about the superhero, so when I received the approval notification on Netgalley, I was super duper excited. Alas, I can't say I was as in love with this book as I thought I'd be. Let me start with what I did like.

I realize there's a lot of backstory that I don't have, but I liked the fact that I was able to start reading this book, even with what little knowledge I acquired from the TV show, and not feel as lost as I thought I'd be. That's always a huge fear of mine when I try to read comic books about superheroes that have been getting their stories told for decades, that I'll never get the gist of things. So it was actually a really nice surprise to see that I was able to read this book and not be completely lost about some of the characters or storylines.

The thing that I liked most was the fact that this book shows that sometimes the Speed Force makes mistakes. It shows that not always someone that gets speed powers has good intentions. Sure, we all know about how Zoom killed Barry's mom, but that is one example (or at least the only one I know of). But in this story there are a lot of bad guys turned speedsters, people who are willing to abuse their newfound powers and use them for evil. I also liked the balance between those who wanted to use the powers, those who thought they got lucky or that they had a chance to be what they always wanted to be with their powers, and those who wanted nothing to do with superpowers. In a way, I feel like that was one of the main themes of this comic book, balance between good and evil, between friends and enemies, between those who wanted powers and those who didn't. And the book did an okay job of getting that across. I also liked that I wasn't suspecting the right person, so the book kind of fooled me for a while.

The art itself was pretty great. Not the best I've seen, probably not what I imagined a DC comic should look like, but I did go into this with pretty high expectations. Even though they can be challenging to read, I adored the double-paged panels. The panels themselves aren't that difficult to read, they aren't too crowded with either characters or text bubbles. I liked the fact that whenever the POV changed, we got some inner monologue bubbles, because, in a way, it helped me understand the characters better.

The thing that I didn't enjoy was how fast it seemed that Barry got to the answer, and the fact that, in some way, the first part of the book seems to be very, very disconnected from the second part of the book. This part of the review might have spoilers for some of you, so don't read ahead if you don't want to.

Maybe this is just me, since I'm new to this comic book, but I was slightly confused by the idea of Barry Allen not remembering certain things in the beginning, and not knowing about it. It seemed as if he wasn't even aware that something was wrong with him, and then just a few pages in, he manages to crack that mystery and restore part of his memories. Not a bad idea, except, and maybe I'm wrong here, but it didn't feel as if that particular plot point had anything to do with the rest of the story. Now, it's possible that that is the big story with the full run of this comic book. Or, which is another possibility, is that the first part of this volume is actually the first issue of the Rebirth comics, while the rest is from a different comic book, in which case, I'm still confused. Mostly because, and this is another thing that kind of bothered me, the volume doesn't make it clear when one chapter or issue ends and when another one begins. I don't know if that's the case with every DC comic book volumes, but this one didn't include chapter breaks, or at least it didn't seem like that to me. I guess you could take the change in the POV as a new chapter, but it still doesn't really help all that much.

I actually wanted to be more impressed with this book than I actually was. It may be that I had too high expectations, or it could be that because of the two different storylines, the entire volume felt a bit strange. Will I read the next volume? Probably, since this one ends on a cliffhanger and you know I can't help myself but be curious about it and to want to know the end of the story. But I'll probably seriously reduce my expectations. In the end, I did enjoy this story, even if not as much as I wanted to.