NEW COMICS 4 THIS WEEK (06/07/23)
*All comics will be rated on a scale from 1 to 10*
Adventures of Superman: Jon Kent # 3 
Batman # 136 
Captain America: Symbol of Liberty # 13 
Daredevil # 12
Fantastic Four # 8
The Flash # 800
The Invincible Iron Man # 7
Nocterra # 15
Shazam! # 2 
Spider-Man # 9
Steelworks # 1
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles vs Street Fighter # 1
Venom # 20
Batman # 136– Bruce Wayne has no choice but to face the new status quo that’s been established after his multiversal adventure but even though most of the issue is a chore to get through, Chip Zdarsky makes up for it with its shocking ending (**NO SPOILERS**) that feels more like an Alfred Hitchcock movie while setting into motion the next big story arc. Seeing Batman deal with PTSD from his time in that alternate reality is a great plot element for Zdarsky to work off as he can really get into the inner working of that element and make something excellent. Yes, this issue was a great follow-up to the manic events from the previous issue but after this ending, it’s going to be a wild ride in seeing Batman battle back from the influence of Zur-En-Arrh (Yeah, he’s still lurking around and Zdarsky really does a great job of exploring that factor and the readers reap the benefits of that) while trying to find some normalcy now that he’s back on his world.
The Flash # 800– Time to break out the champagne, your best dress shirt and rent out the best taco truck money can buy as DC brings us the 800th issue of the Flash!! (YAAAAYYYY!!)……*Ahem*, now that I’ve gotten that out of the way, This issue celebrates every aspect of the Fastest Man Alive, from the Reverse Flash (In a chilling tale that reunites Geoff Johns and Scott Kolins) to the tight-knit bond that Wally West shares with Barry Allen and the rest of The Flash Family (And yes, I’m just going to throw this out there as both the Flash and Superman families are a perfect example of how to write a close family- Take THAT, Fast & Furious franchise!); But there are two stores that are standouts in their own way, first the opening story that sees a bunch of criminals get together to talk about the Flash always there to stop crime in Central City but I should also point out that this story serves as the swan song for Jeremy Adams as we say our goodbyes to a writer that injected a lot of enthusiasm to this title. You’ll be missed, Mr. Adams; The second issue brings together Mark Waid and Todd Nauck for a fun and engaging Impulse story (Am I the only one who would LOVE to see Waid and Nauck on an Impulse ongoing?!); Finally, Si Spurrier and Mike Deodato Jr. gives us a taste of what they have planned for the upcoming run as they bring their sci-fi horror factor to light and let’s see where it goes…it could be good. This is a perfect celebratory issue for the Flash so while we await the Spurrier/Deodato Jr. run, we’ll wrap up this party and get ready for the 900th issue….but let’s not tap into the Speed Force or do anything reckless as Adam Sandler did in “Click”. Be patient.
Spider-Man # 9– I can say with pride that both Dan Slott and Mark Bagley have made this title a gem every month due to both of them really bringing out the classic elements that make a great Spider-Man story even thought the concept of Spidey dealing with his amped-up spider sense is starting to wear thin but I do like that Spider-Boy is making more appearances that will no doubt lead into his “reunion” with Spidey himself and it is a disappointment that Electro’s appearance is being dragged out while most of the dialogue presented in this issue is a complete hit or miss, let’s hope that Slott can get back on track and not waste the goodwill that this series has racked up and that would be a shame since some of his stories have been better.
Steelworks # 1– Michael Dorn, the voice for John Henry Irons in the 90s Superman cartoon and portraying Worf on “Star Trek: The Next Generation” makes his comics writing debut and it’s a good read so far since Dorn really captures the essence of Steel that hasn’t been done since Louise Simonson’s days on “Superman: The Man of Steel” as the whole superhero slash businessman wanting to do good may be worn out since it’s been done so many time but with Steel, Dorn manages to make this fresh and engaging to where you just want to see Steel win; no matter what odds come his way. Yes the villains could be a bit more intriguing as Dorn tries to give them a menacing feel to them (Hey, it’s only his first writing gig so I’ll cut him some slack) and there are moments when the issue gets dialogue-heavy while the conclusion (**NO SPOILERS**) leaves us scratching our heads while ending on a low point, I’m really hoping that Dorn addresses some of these concerns as he begins his script for issue two. With these flaws out in the open, it’s still a solid but bold direction for Steel and I have to say this, at least this is far better than that 1997 Shaquille O’Neal movie. There, I said it!
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles vs Street Fighter # 1– Anyone who’s been a huge fan of these two franchises will find joy in this series but I will say that the first few pages are a really slow burner even though we do get to see a “match made in heaven” team-up between M. Bison and Baxter Stockman who set up a tournament that sees the TMNT and the Street Fighters go at it (Chun-Li vs Michelangelo is the best in my opinion); The series itself does a great job when it comes to capturing the personalities of all of these iconic characters but the plot thread of Bison trying to recruit Raphael looks promising so while this issue is taking it time in setting up any worthwhile confrontations or huge surprises it does have that ‘WOW’ factor that anyone who grew up on these characters will love to no end (Looking at you 90s babies) and I’m just glad that a series of this magnitude exists so with that, issue two better pick up the pace or risk disappointing every 90s baby on earth.
Well, that’s it for me this week. Thanks for sticking around and I will see you all next time.
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