NEW COMICS 4 THIS WEEK (05/03/23)
*All comics will be rated on a scale from 1 to 10*
Adventures of Superman: Jon Kent # 3 
Avengers: War Across Time # 5 
Batman # 135 
The Flash # 798
Joe Fixit # 5
Mighty Morphin Power Rangers/Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II # 5
Moon Knight # 23
Peacemaker Tries Hard # 1
Radiant Black # 24 
Shazam # 1
Spider-Man # 8
Spider-Man 2099: Dark Genesis # 1
Batman # 135– The Red Hood arc comes to a surprising conclusion with Chip Zdarsky pulling out all the stops that will bring a gigantic smile to the hardcore Batman fans while giving the readers something fun and exciting with the whole Multiversal aspect. To stop the Red Hood from releasing a gas that controls multiversal energy by infecting everyone who comes in contact with it, Batman uses the former’s traversal machine so that he can go after the Red Mask. Along the way, he encounters multiple Batmen, from the 1989 Michael Keaton version, Batman Beyond, The Adam West version from the 60s, and even Frank Miller’s “The Dark Knight Returns” and the big surprise is Jorge Jimenez (Who make this triumphant return to this title) really captures the essence of these iconic moments with his art and I swear his version of DKR is ten times better than Frank Miller (It truly is); Along with Jimenez, Mikel Janin also provides such stellar art to take away from Mike Hawthorne’s dullness to make this issue (# 900 according to the legacy numbering) even special and I have to say that from the beginning of this every arc, this was not Hawthorne’s best work but thankfully Jimenez and Janin save the day. While the surprise in this issue is without a doubt fan service, it’s one of the best Batman issues to come out after the boring elements from this arc so it’s glad to see Zdarsky and company end it with a bang to where it’s exciting to see when comes next.
Peacemaker Tries Hard # 1– The breakout star from 2021’s “The Suicide Squad” returns with a new series under DC’S Black Label and I have to say it’s HILARIOUS!! Written by Kyle Starks with art by comics legend Steve Pugh, the opening issue of this series sets of tone for the dark humor that will really get people hooked on this series; Starks does a great job of establishing Peacemaker’s personality traits while holding another back with the quips and mischief but at the same time telling a story about loneliness and yearning for companionship as Peacemaker gets the cold shoulder from everyone, even his fellow Suicide Squad members who want NOTHING to do with him (Especially from a disturbing encounter involving Peacemaker and his collection of VHS Porn- Don’t ask!); Starks shows that he can add some R-Rated comedy to his scripts that would make the writing staff of “Rick And Morty” blush with envy and while he’s not exactly doing everything that James Gunn did, it’s nice to know that he’s following in the same vein but adding his own flair to the mix. This issue is outright funny and pushes the envelope to no end and I feel that’s perfect for this series because it’s basically Peacemaker season 2 and fans of the HBO Max series will definitely enjoy that.
Shazam # 1– Mark Waid, who has quite the reputation of being a fan-favorite writer that can come aboard a title and recharge it to the amazement of the fans, and Dan Mora, whose artwork is quite phenomenal, take on another title, this time breathing new life into Shazam! It’s great to see Billy Batson back as Shazam (Now known as The Captain) fighting crime while getting the word out via social media (He’s got his own podcast) but what is the greatest thing about this title is seeing a hero through the eyes of a child and Waid never forget that Billy Batson is just as important than Shazam himself because that factor alone reminds me so much of “Big” than any of the DC movies combined and that’s saying a lot. The one lone point of this issue comes in the form of Billy not being able to share his power with his family due to the events of The Lazarus Planet but I trust that Waid isn’t going to stretch it out but has something planned in advance to where it will satisfy the readers. I love how the script for this issue can switch from a whimsical setting of taking dinosaurs and aliens to get such wonderful sequences about being a hero and balancing a normal life as a teenager and it’s all done with any long-winded exposition. Is this a series that you should pick up? ABSOLUTELY! Waid continues his winning streak of delivering you a story that not only highlights the fun but it’s also an entertaining and likable romp that reintroduces an iconic hero who’s won the hearts of the fans who picked up this issue while the last page (**NO SPOILERS**) sets up an interesting arc that looks to be promising. Another winning effort for Waid and Mora.
Spider-Man # 8– With the Spider-Verse now in the rear-view mirror, Dan Slott and Mark Bagley launch a new arc that sees Spidey getting an upgrade to one of his most important powers (**NO SPOILERS**) while at the same time, Slott once again finds a new element of the Wall-Crawler to explore and always pays off even though this issue starts off like any other Spider-Man story. Peter Parker’s continuing employment with Norman Osborn’s company feels fresh under Slott as he does a great job of exploring it but never lets it overtake the plot. The return of Electro looks to add more tension to this arc which is good as Slott always manages to make the best out of his stories when it comes to using any of the classic Spider-Man villains due to his fandom coming into play but is that a good thing or a bad thing? Depends on if you’re a big fan of Slott’s writing or not. Spider-Boy also makes an appearance but I’m hoping we get more of his backstory and if so, I’m hoping it will be monumental. With all of the plot elements coming into play, it’s no wonder why this series has been selling out while once again being an enjoyable alternative to “Amazing Spider-Man”
Well, that’s it for me this week. Thanks for sticking around and I will see you all next time.
About Author
