Review-apalooza

So it has been a long time since you have heard from the old Batmatt but I want to let you know I am still kickin and I am here to get you all caught up on the latest in the Batman and Robin saga. I also have a few surprises for you, so no peekin. First, I am going to change things up a bit in an effort to be less spoilery and just give you my thoughts on each book. Second I am going to add reviews from other Batman titles and Trade paperbacks and maybe a little something else once in awhile just to mix it up in the Matt cave. So let us start with Batman and Robin Issue 5.

Batman and Robin Issue 5

Story- 5/5 Great writing, I read the issue and was totally disappointed when I got to the last page. I want more and now I have to wait till next month. Dang Gina. Very fast paced and action packed and I have to say the best issue to date.

Art- 5/5 I think I am going to just use the name Philip Tan for five out of five. Oh that is some awesome art work I’m going to give it a “Philip Tan”. I mean come on Tan brings it month after month, I have seen so many artists over-use shadow… yah we get it Batman lives in the shadows. I mean a silhouette once and awhile is fine but other than that use detail… like Philip Tan. Wow how did I get on that rant?

Cover- “Philip Tan” Great close up of Batman and Robin looking down the barrels of Red Hoods Handguns.

Variant cover- “Philip Tan” Great action cover Batman and the Red Hood grappling with each other and shots missing Batman and going though his cape. Awesome, but I see why they chose the main cover for the release.

Batman and Robin Issue 6

Story- 5/5 I am really warming up to Damien and some of more subtle aspects of the stories as well as bringing in nods to things like the Death of Robin.

Art- 4/5 Now I did not give this issue a Philip Tan (see last review) and this is due to some panels were not as high a quality as other panels. I am not sure if this was artist’s prerogative but I did notice it. Maybe Philip is just resting a bit so the next issue just ROCK. With a cross-over like Darkest Night he will have to bring his A game.

Cover- 5/5 but I have to tell you I have little bias. I am a total freak for choppers and the old school on the cover of this month’s issue is sweet with the exception of the color. I’m not a fan of pink but it is the Flamingos bike so what you gonna do?

Variant Cover- 2/5 Now before you start yelling at me the art is fantastic and a total throw back to one of M.C. Escher’s sketches I just don’t like the Red Hood mask. It looks like a tube of lipstick. There I said it…whew, I feel better. So this is strictly a personal reason for not liking it so if you don’t like it I’m sorry you feel that way.

Batman and Robin Issue 7

Story- 4/5-ish I really like where the story is going and the re-introduction of Knight and Squire, which I found out they have a rather long history in the Batman Universe as peripheral characters. I also need to mention Batwoman was in this issue as well. The story takes place in London and really like the new local; Morrison shows that Batman is not stuck in Gotham. The story does flash to Damien going through a complete spinal replacement surgery under the close scrutiny of Talia Head. The biggest question I have for this entire issue is where did they get a spine matching Damien? I mean he is still a growing boy; did they rip it out of some other ten year old? The ish is because this was a total set up issue for the next few issues and because of this a lot of ground work had to be laid and it feels like the issue did not get to any kind of resolution.

Art- 5/5 There is a new artist for Batman and Robin and his name is Cameron Stewart. So I would like to have a moment of silence in respect for Philip Tan just to say he will be missed and I am forever hopeful that he will come back and draw my favorite dynamic duo… That said I am really impressed with Stewart’s work, it is very clean and not to cartoony. He does a fantastic job of showing the action of the story.

Cover- 5/5 Since the entire issue was located in London I would like to use one of my favorite British phrases “Brilliant”. The cover was very reminiscent of issue 620 of Detective from the 80’s. Batman and Robin was beautifully drawn by Stewart

Variant cover- 3/5 It is a fun cover and shows where the issue is but I can see why Stewart went the main cover. This issue had a dark undertone with the preparations for raising Bruce from the dead and the Variant just lacked that darkness needed to express   the issue.

Batman and Robin Issue 8

Story- 3/5 I am not very happy with the direction of this story. Ultimately this is a story of the failure of the resurrection of Batman and I think it could have been done so it does not fall flat. I really feel that this story arc is doing just that falling flat. The story does have some good action but why is Batwoman even in the story. IDK, I just hope it picks up in the next issue because I was not happy with where the characters ended up. SPOILER- Batman, Knight, Squire, and Batwoman are buried under a ton of rock and Batwoman is mortally injured. Zombie Batman is now in Gotham looking to kill wheelchair bound Damien.

Art- 5/5 Some more great artwork by Cameron Stewart. I have nothing to criticize in this issue. My favorite art from the issue was after crazy Batman came up out of the Lazarus pit and the fluid is dripping off his mantle and also the hit from the taser style bat-knuckles. This is an effect achieved in Photoshop to give the appearance of light and it makes the page pop.

Cover- 5/5 Awesome cover of Zombie Batman rising out of the Lazarus pit and facing off with Batman and Batwoman. I really like the use of the color orange it brings a sense of heat to the cover.

Variant cover- 1/5 the variant cover is just that a variation of the same cover, the characters are just in different positions and it does not convey the a sense of tension that the orange cover does.

Batman and Robin Issue 9

Story- 3/5 I am going to stay with the three because there was some good action and the last page that had any redeemable qualities. SPOILER of last page- Dick realizes that Tim Drake was right and Bruce is not dead.

Art- 5/5 Cameron Stewart is drawing this issue as well and he continually brings a high quality to the board, very nice work. My two favorite panels both involved Alfred; the first is when he is holding back Zombie Batman from killing Damien by grabbing his cape and pushing the up button in the elevator. Classic kill a zombie move and the next one is a throwback to Shawn of the Dead as Alfred uses a Cricket bat to fend off Zombie Batman.

Cover- 4/5 Not my favorite cover but the art is spot on and I have come to realize I have become invested in a new Robin. I did not want to see Damien leave the series and I am glad he is back and getting healed up for the continued fight.

Variant cover- 1/5 Just did not like this cover I don’t know why and I know they can’t hit a home run every month. I’m just glad I did not but the variant so I would not be disappointed.

There you go your all caught up with our favorite pair of crime fighters. As an added bonus I would like to review the latest issue of Batgirl. I have been reading this since it came out and I really like how the character is developing. If you are not up to date Stephanie Brown is the current Batgirl after Cassandra Cain decided to walk away from the crime fighting biz. Barbara Gordon “the original Batgirl” was not to keen on this but eventually relented and is backing up Stephanie from behind the curtain as Oracle.

Batgirl Issue 7

Story- 5/5 Bryan Miller is the author of this issue and I have really been enjoying the development of Stephanie as Batgirl. Steph is confident without being overconfident; she realizes that the bat on chest is a target that she did not have to deal with as Spoiler. I really like the almost sibling bickering between her and Damien when Batman and Robin cross into the story. I am looking forward to the next issue titled a reunion with the Red Robin; which is the persona that Tim Drake took on after handing over the mantle of Robin to Damien.

Art- 5/5 This issue was penciled by Lee Garbett. I have said it before there was a time that I was not a fan of certain types of artistic styles used in the comic industry. But I thank God that none of those artist are working for any Batman title I am reading. Garbett is a strong artist with very clean lines and a complete understanding of the anatomy of the human body. I don’t like blocky characters.

Cover- 4/5 As I said above I am not a fan of blocky characters and Batgirl came across as a little like that. The art inside the comic was much better.

My final review for Review-apalooza will be one of my favorite Trade paperbacks,

The Blackest Night has begun…

We pick up right where we left off in the last issue.  There are black rings hunting down the resurrected heroes in an attempt to reclaim those who had been lost.  I really like this twist in the story as it gives the deaths of these heroes a little more weight.  They weren’t supposed to come back.  Dead is dead and Nekron intends to bring back the status quo.

Superman, Wonder Woman, Green Arrow and more have already fallen to the rings and Barry Allen and Hal need to team up to escape the clutches of the rings locked on them.  Thanks to a little time travel, two seconds, they manage to break free of the rings hunt and return to the battle at hand.

It turns out that things are looking worse than they thought.  Not only do they have to deal with the major heroes now in the grasp of the black rings plus the mass of folks that died in the destruction of Coast City but they also get word that every Black Lantern has been called to Earth and they are closing in fast.  I liked the reveal of this with a two-page spread showing John Stewart speeding through space with a dark mass of Black Lanterns screaming behind him.  He’s trying to call out a warning for the folks on Earth but they have enough on their hands at the moment.

The big thing about this issue is that the heroes have realized that they just don’t have the firepower needed to take on the might of Nekron.  Ganthet scores a Green Lantern ring for himself and uses his abilities to cause each of the other colored rings to spawn a duplicate ring to increase their fire power for at least the next twenty four hours.  The rings are sent out and they recruit others from the DCU to join the cause.  A couple of them are a surprise to say the least.

The rage filled Mera is chosen as a Red Lantern during her fight with the Black Lantern Wonder Woman.  With all the pain and hurt she has suffered over the years and even more recently in the pages of this series she is filled with a mournful rage that spills out in a powerful wave when she gets the ring.

The Blue Ring finds hope in the heart of Barry Allen and turns the Scarlet Speedster into a blue flame of hope for the heroes fighting in the darkness.  After dying to save the world and then getting a second chance with his loved ones he has nothing but hope for the future.

The Yellow ring travels all the way to Gotham to find the one man who is a master of fear.  The Scarecrow accepts the ring instantly and joins the fight, his obsession with fear now powering his every move.

The Atom is chosen by the Indigo Tribe to bear their mark, as his heart has nothing but compassion even for the woman who broke his heart.

The ring of Avarice finds its target in the form of Lex Luthor.  Lex has always wanted everything and everyone to bow before him in a greed that knew no bounds.  Now the orange light consumes and amplifies that greed.

Finally the Sapphire ring battles a Black ring for control of the powerful Wonder Woman and winds.  The Amazon Princess has returned to the battle with new purpose.

Together they join Ganthet and the battle has now become a two front effort on the side of the heroes.  The bleakness of their situation has grown a little brighter but you have to wonder how long that will last as the Blackest Night continues with no end in sight.

STORY: 5/5

I really liked the formation of the new All Corps Team.  I always been a fan of team ups between characters you wouldn’t normally see together and this one takes the cake with the inclusion of the Scarecrow and Lex Luthor.

ART: 5/5

The art has remained excellent through out the series and the major parts of the issue were done perfectly.  From the rings finding their targets to the massive scene with John Stewart I think the art hit all the pieces exactly as they needed to be.

COVERS:

Regular Edition: 5/5

I really dig the cover with all the main players of the Corps together and ready to battle it out with the undead.  It’s colorful.  It’s simple.  It’s pretty sweet.

Variant Cover: 5/5

An excellent cover.  I’m a guy who likes the simple images on covers and this one doesn’t mess around with flashy images.  It’s Nekron with a handful of colored rings.  And blood.  Gruesome and awesome.

ALL IN ALL:

The series has been going strong for a long time and it doesn’t look to be slowing down anytime soon.  The only thing that is killing me is the amount of tie in and side issues this thing has.  This is one of the biggest company events that I’ve had to deal with in a long while and I’m starting to know what it feels like for the Marvel fans out there.  Plus they just started announcing the follow up books for when this all wraps up in a couple months.

Anyone who has been reading DC Comics knows that when one references the World’s Finest then they are talking about Superman and Batman. These are the two heroes that define heroics in the DCU. Sure there are other heroes that are big as well. Flash, Wonder Woman, Plastic Man… but in the end they all look to these two for guidance.

Superman, a being from another world who found himself on Earth and has become its greatest protector. With the ultimate list of powers he fights the good fight and makes sure that the world is safe for us normal folks.

Batman, a regular human without any special powers. A man with an intense drive to rid his city and eventually the world of pain and fear. He has managed, through hard work and determination, to perfect his body and mind and become the world’s greatest detective and fighter. He is the Batman. You know you’re tough when you get a “The” in front of your name. Not even Superman has that.

But this comic does not feature this crime-fighting duo. Instead, it focuses on their legacy.

In this first issue we get the team up of Red Robin and Nightwing.

Tim Drake is Red Robin. Tim was the third person to carry the mantle of Robin, boy sidekick of the Batman. For years he trained and fought alongside Gotham’s hero and eventually the man under that cowl adopted him. The world believes that Bruce Wayne is dead. Tim refuses to believe that his adopted father is gone and is now searching the world to find clues to where he may be. He has taken up the name and disguise of Red Robin after Dick Grayson, the original Robin, took up the mantle of the Batman and made Damian Wayne his new Robin. Damian Wayne is the biological son of Bruce Wayne and the daughter of one of Batman’s greatest foes, Rahs al ghul.

Christopher Kent is Nightwing. The biological son of General Zod and the adopted son of Clark Kent. Chris has pledged his life to Superman and to follow in his footsteps. Over the last few months Chris has gone from a young boy to a young man due to some growth spurts of unknown origin. His mental minds has progressed as well and he now finds himself a part of a duo with another kryptonian named Thara who has assumed the costumed identity of Flamebird. As Nightwing and Flamebird they hunt down General Zod’s sleeper agents on Earth.

We begin the issue with Red Robin in Amsterdam taking on a biker gang. He’s doing pretty good on his own but receives a little help from Nightwing. At first he thinks it’s Superboy who has helped out but when he sees the newcomer he goes on the defensive until Chris reveals himself. Tim had met him before but Chris had been a little younger at the time.

It turns out Chris has come to Tim for help. Thara has been captured in Gotham City and Tim is the only person Chris trusts to help get her out of harms way.

There is a bit of introduction for a couple pages as DC Comics makes sure we know whom we’re dealing with and usually that causes me to speed read and skim, as I already know the history of these two characters. But this time I read on as the dialogue is natural and flows. Chris needs a friend and, at this point in his life, so does Tim.

There was a bit of griping from the Superman fan community when Chris popped up a couple years ago and was adopted by the Man of Steel. A lot of folks didn’t like it and it didn’t help that the comic appearance came right on the heels of the addition of a biological son for Superman in the most recent Superman movie, Superman Returns. I think Chris got a bad rap for this and wasn’t given a fair chance as his own character.

While I’m a fan of Chris and his addition to the mythology, I haven’t really been a big fan of the age spurts. I liked him as a kid and having to grow up as the son of Superman. But I’m getting over it the more I see him in the comics. He is well written so far and I look forward to seeing more of him in the future.

But I digress…

It turns out that the Penguin has Thara locked up and a man known as the Kryptonite Man is keeping her weakened. The point of all this is that Penguin is going to auction her off to the highest bidder for whatever that bidder feels like doing with her. Medical experimentation comes to my mind. I bet you there are a few folks out there who would like to see how a kryptonian works.

Tim and Chris get to the Iceberg Lounge and find that the interior has been coated with liquid lead. I like this as I bet there are a lot of things villains in the DCU do to ward off the stronger heroes. A little lead shielding just in case Superman comes snooping around sounds like something the Penguin would invest in.

Tim goes in first to scope out the situation and soon finds himself face to face with the Penguins goons and needing help in the form of Nightwing. Chris comes up out of the floor and dumps a barrel of the liquid lead onto the Kryptonite Man and manages to take him out of the equation.

With the villains defeated and Thara rescued the heroes help Tim with his work in Amsterdam. He manages to find another clue that may lead him to where Bruce has gone. With the adventure over they go their separate ways. This was a successful team up of the sons of Clark Kent and Bruce Wayne.

We also see that another villain of the Superman world has taken the Kryptonite Man away. The Toyman seems to have plans for our green friend. Plans that include him strapped to a medical gurney under the watchful eye of a scalpel-wielding automaton…

STORY: 4/5

It’s a pretty simple issue but I really enjoyed it as the first team up between the adopted sons of the World’s Finest. I liked the intro of the characters and how they trusted each other because of who their fathers were. I want to see more with these two and I’ll definitely be picking up this title from now on.

ART: 4/5

It looks good for this story and there are a lot of really cool panels that showcase the two heroes but it did have one problem that I see a lot of people doing in comics that feature these to characters.

They make Tim and Chris look too old. I’ll allow for Chris looking older than he should as we really don’t know his age now due to the growth spurts. But we know how old Tim is and ever since he got into the Red Robin costume he has been drawn as if he were in his twenties. He hasn’t graduated high school yet! Anyway…

COVERS:

COVER A: 3/5

While I really enjoyed the look of the cover and the art of Phil Noto I would have liked to have seen a team up cover with both Red Robin and Nightwing instead of just Nighwing.

COVER B: NO RATING

This cover features Red Robin but I have yet to find an image of it. So… yep.

ALL IN ALL –

A great start to what is going to be a four part mini series. I wouldn’t mind a full blown ongoing if all the issues are as good as this one.

To check out more about the World’s Finest check out these comics and DVDs and help the site out while you’re at it.

The Blackest Night has begun…

Issue four is when the heroes of Earth start to get an idea of what they are up against as Flash gets the word out. Once again… this issue isn’t without its losses.

We begin with Flash, Mera, and the Atom trying not to die as the corpses of the villains stored in the Hall of Justice try to tear the their hearts from their chests. Literally.

Jason, the new Firestorm, manages to get control of his body for a short amount of time to let them know that a voice coming from the ring is calling out for Barry Allen. We have known that the heroes who have come back from the dead in recent years were going to be a target of whatever was controlling all this and now is when that starts. Atom does a sweet move to help them escape by having them piggyback through the phone connection to the local 911-dispatch office.

The next thing we see is the risen Azrael gutting folks in Gotham city and leaving Scarecrow behind alive due to his lack of emotion. While this was a quick scene that some might not think was important at all… I liked it. I’ve always liked Scarecrow as a villain and this scene cements that he’s just not all there in the head.

The next small scene is another on that I liked as we see Lex Luthor locking himself down inside a secret bunker. He knows what’s going on and the thought of all the people he has hurt or killed over the years coming back to get him has him in lock down mode. His conversation with the Calculator was a good one as well. We see that Luthor doesn’t see himself as a villain. He’s better than all those who would consider them his peer. That’s the Lex we all know and love. He’s not a team player.

After a quick pep talk from the Flash, Mera and Atom head out to find the one remaining Green Lantern on the Earth. Alan Scott of the Justice Society. A jump through another phone line leads them into the middle of a battle between a bunch of Black Lanterns and the Society.

Flash speeds about the Earth telling all the groups of heroes what’s going down and they all get ready to hold their ground until the Green Lantern Corps can fix all this mess from the main battle out in space.

Alan Scott attempts to take out the Black Lanterns but his power source isn’t working as well as the actual Green Lantern Corps rings can. With the help of the Atom, Damage is able to fight against the Black Lantern who s posing as his father and get pumped for the long fight ahead. A friendship is forged in the heat of battle. One that is all too brief. The Atom watches as his former wife and lover Jean Loring rips Damage’s heart out through his back.

Now, folks… You may not care that some B List hero from the massive roster of the Justice Society has just been killed in a gruesome manner but I do. Damage is a hero I followed when I first got serious into collecting comics. It was in junior high and at this point I was deep into collecting comics that had teen heroes. Robin was at the top and Superboy right under that. Along that same time I got into a small comic titled DAMAGE. It was about a boy who was thrown into the hero role suddenly when he discovered that his whole life had been fake and that he could potentially be one of the most powerful heroes on the planet.

His comic didn’t last long but he popped up here and there from time to time to serve on a version of the Titans and even helped defeat Parallax during the event known as Zero Hour. Most recently he was hurt badly in a battle and his face was scarred horribly. He has since been the ill tempered muscle of the Justice Society on a journey or redemption and self-forgiveness. That journey ended in this comic. I was saddened by this death and it makes me really hope that not all is lost for the heroes falling during this event.

The death of Damage also brings forth the full charge of the Black Lanterns power battery. This whole time we have been seeing each death bring us closer and closer to full charge and us wondering what that means. Now we know.

Barry Allen feels a pull towards Coast City, home of Hal Jordan. When he gets there he witnesses Black Hand welcoming the arrival of the Black Lantern power battery to Earth and the rise of the creature behind the whole Blackest Night. Nekron has risen and with him come the seven million that were killed in the destruction of Coast City at the hands of Cyborg Superman.

This just got real, folks.

STORY: 4/5

I dug the issue. I heard a few complaints about this one and was wondering if the story had finally run out of steam but I found that not to be the case. A lot of big things happened in this issue and I felt it was just as strong as what we had scene before.

ART: 5/5

I’m still digging the art behind this series. I don’t expect my mind to change anytime soon. The death of Damage was drawn perfectly and the splash pages were all really great.

COVERS:

Regular Edition: 3/5

The coming of the risen villains was a good idea for a cover on this issue but I would have liked to see more of them instead of a massive Copperhead face filling most of the cover.

Variant Edition: 5/5

The original Atom about to eat a bite sized Atom. It’s simple. It’s awesome.

ALL IN ALL-

I really enjoyed the issue and I’m excited to see the main villain finally revealed. Plus the fact that the main battle has been brought to the Earth raises the stakes even higher. This series has continued to be well written and planned out and I’m still pumped to see what happens next.

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WONDER WOMAN #33 – Rise of the Olympian, Finale: Monarch of the Dead

Have I ever mentioned that Wonder Woman travels home to the island of Themyscira via a giant, magical, flying clamshell? Sort of like the one in the painting “The Birth of Venus”… only more mobil? If I haven’t, then consider this a quick little primer and heads up.

Anyway… as this issue begins a giant, magical, flying clamshell is skipping across the ocean and slams into the shore of Themyscira as two Amazonian guards look on. (Now aren’t you glad I provided a clamshell-transportation tutorial? Think of how random that scene would be without it!) The guards rush to find Diana unconscious, badly beaten from her previous battle, and they send for her mother. At first Hippolyta is, of course, focused solely on her injured daughter. Then, however, one of the ladies calls her attention to the ocean and the veritable wall of sea-monsters that’s approaching.

Now, Hippolyta is queen for a reason. The woman knows what to do in a battle. Step One: Have the unconscious Diana taken off the battle field to safety. Step Two: Remind someone to grab you a sword when they get a second. Step Three: Take off robe; prepare to defend kingdom in pajamas.

As her mother fights off the invading hordes in her PJs, Diana is slowly regaining consciousness as Phillipus is bandaging up her injuries. Phillipus asks her what happened to her hands, which are especially burnt, and Diana recounts her battle with Genocide. She explains how she had tried to go back for the creature – not wanting to give into the desire for revenge. Her musings are interrupted when she begins to hear the noises of the battle going on at the beach. Phillipus instantly knows what she’s thinking and tries to reason with her but Diana won’t hear of it. Her hands are too damaged to be of much good on their own so she has Phillipus bind a battle axe to her left hand and her lasso to her right hand using the bandages.

In the midst of the battle, the creatures begin to retreat. Ares has ordered Euphemus to focus the attack on Thalarion and Zeus’ Olympians. Athena appears to the Amazons and asks Hippolyta if they will help the men that Zeus wants to replace them with. The two groups join sides against Ares’ forces but Diana bypasses all the carnage and heads straight for the source. In order to stop his twisted plans for the future and to put an end to the war that he had instigated, Diana kills him.

As Diana stands there, removing the weapons she’d tied to her hands, Zeus approaches and congratulates her. Then, oblivious as always, Zeus proceeds to cheerfully tell Diana that he’s created a champion to replace her so that she can run off and be a good wife and mother like she was always meant to. Clearly not catching on to the fact that Diana is not a giddy-little-school-girl at his news, he continues blathering on. When he gets to the part about killing her patron god, however, I think he begins to catch on to the fact that she’s none too pleased. It may have been her punching him in the face and screaming “Murderer!” that finally made her feelings clear. Zeus, however, pompously believes that he knows best and continues on with his decree. Hippolyta will no longer rule, Achilles will take over her role, both the Olympians and the Amazons will be under Zeus’ command and Diana will obey him as her god.

Diana refuses. She renounces all her gods and because they are the gods of the Amazons… she declares that she will no longer be an Amazon. She says goodbye to her mother and promises her that she’ll be alright with her friends and alludes to possibly making amends with Tom. With a final warning to Achilles to look after her people she flies off. Alone.

Skulking around (as she apparently just lives to do) Alkyone mutters to herself about Diana still being an evil dragon and is disgusted with her for abandoning her mother. She reveals that, prior to his death, Ares placed Genocide’s soul in a totem in Alkyone’s possession. She vows to kill Diana and become the mother of Genocide.

STORY: 4 out of 5

DANG! They really weren’t kidding when they said they were planning on shaking up the lives of the DC Trinity. Diana’s not an Amazon any more and is on her own. Her former people and family just had their whole world completely turned upsidedown. And you’re left at the end of this story with no clue as to where it’s going to go next. Her best friends in the superhero world aren’t around anymore… for various reasons. The people who surrounded her in her day-to-day life are just completely messed up at the moment.

I love the story for having the guts to just take the character out of her comfort zone and try something new. Best of all, though, is that they haven’t just shaken up her story in some arbitrary way. It’s been a slow, honest change based on the logical progression of the story and the characters. Continuity for the win!

Forget about what’s coming next, though. [Although considering how late this review is... you may already know what comes next and what happens after that and whatever comes after that. Sorry!] What this issue does so well is payoff one little thing I’ve been begging to happen. Someone finally decked Zeus like he’s been deserving for a while now. Thank goodness it was Diana. (I also would have accepted Hippolyta.)

The only thing that’s holding me back from five stars was that face off with Ares. Really? Way to go out without even trying, Ares. I get that quick is good sometimes but of all villains in Wonder Woman’s rogues gallery… Ares has been there a pretty long time and could have gone down with a little more fanfare and a bit more of a fight. Especially on the heels of the previous issues epic battle with Genocide. Maybe that’s it, though. It’s kind of impossible to top that smack down so they went with the exact opposite.

It was a good summation of this Rise of the Olympians arc and it definitely makes me want to see what comes next for Wonder Woman.

ART: 4 out of 5

Not quite the 5 out of 5 that the last issue delivered for me but still good. It probably has a lot to do with my own personal bias. Big, scary monsters are never going to be my thing. They always come off a little cheesy for me and there are quite a few in this issue. It’s the renditions of the characters that always impress me with Aaron Lopresti’s art. Their body language and facial expressions are always so honest and indicative of precisely where that character is at in that moment. I could have used a few more epic frames though. A panel or even a full page to really climax the events. Near the end it all felt so small. Still, it was definitely enjoyable.

COVERS:

Main Cover: 3 1/2 out of 5

I liked that this cover was essentially a sequel to the cover of issue #31. It’s as though Wonder Woman is standing in the aftermath of the events on that previous cover. While I do like it for that aspect, there’s something about it that comes off a tiny bit bland. It feels a little more like an internal panel than a cover. The imagery works… Diana, alone on the battlefield with evidence of the Olympians and the Amazons having been there. It definitely conveys what’s going on for the character at this point. Yet, while it worked for me on the other cover, here it just feels a little too spelled out and on the nose. Nice art but I think the concept could have been played with just a bit more.

Variant Cover: 5 out of 5

This cover is just pretty and I mean that in the best of ways. I think it’s a beautiful piece of art. A haunting, elegant portrait of Wonder Woman. I love the colors that were used. The sleepy-eyed, close-up of Diana as the feathery sparks and flames fall all around her makes for a gorgeous picture. Plus, it still manages to convey elements of the story. It’s a striking cover. It jumps out at me. I really liked it.

MEMORABLE QUOTES/LINES:

Diana: “Bind the lasso to my right hand, General.”

****************

Athena: “Will you aid the men who mean to take your place and everything you have sacrificed for, for thirty centuries and more?”

Hippolyta: “… I’ll get my boots.”

*****************

Diana: “Then I will no longer be Amazon.”