NEW COMICS 4 THIS WEEK (03/29/23)
*All comics will be rated on a scale from 1 to 10*
Action Comics # 1053 
Clobberin’ Time # 1 
Daredevil # 9
Deadpool # 5 
Detective Comics # 1070
Harley Quinn # 29 
Invincible Iron Man # 29
Mighty Morphin Power Rangers/Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II # 4
Night Club # 3
Ranger Stranger: Deep Cuts # 1
Rocketman & Rocket Girl # 1
Sereno # 1
Strargirl: The Lost Children # 5
Thor # 32
Unstoppable Doom Patrol # 1
Venom: Lethal Protector II # 1
Waller Vs Wildstorm # 1
Clobberin’ Time # 1– Ben Grimm, The ever-loving Thing, gets his own team-up series for the first time since “Marvel Two-In-One”
and from reading this, it’s a far-out adventure full of thrills with a sci-fi backdrop for good measure. From the creative mind of Steve Skroce, this premiere issue opens up with both Bruce Banner and Ben Grimm being pulled into an alternate universe as they band together to protect it from an army of demons. Skroce clearly had fun when it came to scripting this issue because he does well in keeping the spirit of Marvel Two-In-One alive and well due to the brilliant showcasing of the personalities of both The Thing and The Hulk while adding in some humor which I feel helps measure out the sci-fi weirdness that Skroce infused in his script. This series is the perfect throwback to a long-gone era in comics but it’s great that Marvel allowed Skroce the freedom to tell a story of this magnitude because not only is it another enjoyable Thing/Hulk team-up but Skroce’s handling of both of these icons will make anyone want to re-read this just for the fun of it.
Harley Quinn # 29– Harley Quinn enters the Dawn of DC with a new creative team in the form of writer Tini Howard and artist Sweeney Boo as they usher in a new era for Harley. Right off the bat, She crosses paths with Two-Face which results in her having to do community service (Teaching psychology at Gotham City Community College) and she also has to deal with ……(get ready for this)…..THE MULTIVERSE! (DC really loves getting some mileage out of this element); This is a great jumping-on point for new fans as well as the old ones who were uninterested in the last batch of stories from the previous creative team (Sweeney Boo’s artwork eclipses Riley Rossomo’s work with such style and grace); For her part, Tini Howard brings much to the table with her first issue as she does a wonderful job of keeping Harley’s voice and personality traits intact to where anyone can find the joy in seeing her troublesome yet charming imperfections in all of her glory. The backup story by Erica Henderson is a tribute to girl power with some anime mixed in for good measure, it’s silly but most Harley fans will find it amusing. Howard and Boo really hit it out of the park in their debut issue while forging a new path for Harley but even though the Multiverse continues to have a stay presence in most DC titles whenever the fans like it or not, I would recommend anyone to return to this title and get ready for another helping of havoc and mischief. You won’t be disappointed.
Ranger Stranger: Deep Cuts # 1– For those not familiar with this premise, it’s a dark comedy set in Hackensack National Park but this issue features a string of vignettes that stars a park ranger with a psychotic grip on reality that highlights all the gore and violence that one might encounter when camping or working as a park ranger. The vignettes are quite funny due to all of them having a surrealistic twist to them which is endearing in its own twisted way. Imagine Ranger Smith from the “Yogi Bear” cartoons but take away his personality and put him smack dab into an Adult Swim series that has portions of “Mr. Pickle” with some “Tim & Eric” comedy thrown in for good measure, add in the work of David Lynch and the spirit of Chris Elliott’s cult-classic sitcom “Get A Life” (90s babies will definitely remember this) and VOILA…you got this issue! It’s crude, bizarre, and all-around dark…..but it’s humorous from beginning to end and is worth checking out. Who knows?! This could easily be a Hulu series.
Rocketman & Rocket Girl # 1– First appearing in “Project Superheroes” the duo of Rocketman and Rocket Girl return for a special one-shot. Set in New York City in the 1940s, the duo (Known by their secret identities as Cal and Doris Martin) succeeds in stopping a group of bank robbers, but things take a rather ugly turn when they are confronted by an FBI agent who knows Cal and Doris’s secret then accuses them of taking a million dollars from the bank heist they broke up (Turns out it was 2 million dollars that were taken); Once the FBI agent’s boss comes into the picture, it seems like he was the one who set up Cal and Doris for the sole purpose of wanting their rocket packs and he was going to get them by any means necessary. Now I’ll admit that I have a fondness for any Golden Age character but this one-shot comes crashing down (No pun intended) after the first three pages because the rest of the story feels like a rejected plot for a Rocketeer sequel that never got off the ground and this is a shame because I went into the one-shop with high hopes but it just gave us a very weak plotline with such familiar elements one would find in a Golden Age story. Truthfully, save your money and time then pray that Dynamite gives us a true Rocketman and Rocket Girl story that will hopefully bring in something missing from the one-shot- Exictment!
Sereno # 1– From creator Luciano Vecchio, Sereno is a master of light as well as the guardian of a city called New Tela where both magic and science intertwine during the night. The issue is broken up into a series of chapters where our hero faces off against a shepherd of Nightmares, a Cult of Hate, and an avatar of Paranoia while dealing with a cat burglar named Rufian (You’ll be captivated by their chemistry); Vecchino has crafted a superhero epic that takes pride in its futuristic setting but also puts the spotlight on a hero that’s unique and breathtaking that feels like “Tron” but with better fight sequences and a story that will have your imagination running wild. For anyone looking for something stimulating in a superhero story, then check out Sereno.
Unstoppable Doom Patrol # 1– DC’s most peculiar team is back thanks to the team of Writer Dennis Culver and Artist Chris Burnham and yes, this issue brought with it an ounce of entertainment! Picking up after the events of “Lazarus Planet” the team finds themselves fighting evil while looking out for other metahumans; Robotman, Elasti-Girl, Negative Man, and new member Beast Girl are in the heart of Gotham City thanks in part to a metahuman situation that’s completely out of control and it ultimately finds them at odds with Batman and Robin. Jane’s The Chief persona is without a doubt the breakout star of this series because while I have a deep love for all of the DP, The Chief’s leadership is a truly welcoming dynamic for the team. It wouldn’t be a DP series without an appearance by The Brain and Monsieur Mallah with the two of them getting close to meeting General Immortus; I like how Dennis Culver takes the opportunity to show each character at their best while at the same time, showing how deadly Brain and Mallah are. The action sequences are just incredible but the team’s outlandish adventures make this one of the brighter aspects of the “Dawn of DC'” Initiative.
Well, that’s it for me this week. Thanks for sticking around and I will see you all next time.
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