NEW COMICS 4 THIS WEEK (12/11/24)
*All comics will be rated on a scale from 1 to 10*
Action Comics # 1079 
Amazing Spider-Man # 63
Batman: Dark Patterns # 1 
Batman & Robin # 16 
The Infinity Watch # 1
Laura Kinney: Wolverine # 1
Phoenix # 6 
The Powerpuff Girls: Winter Snowdown Showdown # 1
Superwoman Special # 1
Ultimate Universe: One Year In # 1
Ultimate X-Men # 10
Uncanny X-Men # 7
X-Factor # 5
Amazing Spider-Man # 63– The latest chapter of “The 8 Deaths of Spider-Man” gets turned over to the team of Justina Ireland and Gleb Melnikov (Joe Kelly’s workload has limited him to writing a few issues of this arc), and while the art is solid, most of this issue feels too much like a therapy session as Spidey’s battle with the latest pick of the Cytorrak brood (in the form of Cyros, The Inevitability of Time) brought out the emotional aspects by going over many of Spidey’s failures and heartbreaking moments, this battle was quickly resolved that comes off as baffling for the most part while Peter Parker takes some time to enjoy life before the next Cytorrak challenger shows up so it’s great that the concept of Spidey dying yet again Is not being worn out. It’s a solid issue where Spidey finds some joy before everything once again gets thrown into utter madness, and since some people are still on the fence about this latest arc, this particular issue is a breath of fresh air that is by far the biggest highlight for this series as a whole.
Batman: Dark Patterns #1 – Set in the early days of the Dark Knight’s career, this series starts with a classic feel reminiscent of “Legends of the Dark Knight.” To his credit, Dan Watters has crafted a tale that feels fresh enough for new readers to dive in without needing to track down previous Batman titles, as he ensures the audience is familiar with the characters introduced here while keeping the story flowing effortlessly. I should also mention that Hayden Sherman’s art (who’s brought his A-game with “Absolute Wonder Woman”) is executed with such precision that his portrayal of Batman evokes an earlier version of Tim Sale but with a unique style. Because it offers a cohesive conclusion, this series is the perfect entry point for both old and new Batman fans, while boosting Dan Watters’ reputation as one of DC’s leading writers. Highly recommended.
Superwoman Special # 1– Lois Lane, who’s been embracing the powers and identity of Superwoman in the wake of “Absolute Power,” gets a major spotlight in this special that fleshes out her origin and what’s the most refreshing aspect of this story is how the core elements of Lois Lane is still intact to where having powers doesn’t blow up her ego. Instead, it only empowers her ability to help while finding a balance between her life outside of being Superwoman, and seeing her interact with Lana Lane (the first Superwoman) and Kara Zor-El (Power Girl) was a complete delight that only adds charm to this special along with the larger-than-life action sequences that are just amazing as they just leap off the pages. The last page, however, reveals the true source of how Lois got her powers is simply mindblowing (**NO SPOILERS**) that will set up the next big challenge for Superwoman as well as shake Superman’s world to its core. The idea of Lois Lane as Superwoman may have been done before to just half-hearted results (see the DC Rebirth era), but this new iteration has enough creativity to succeed, making it a bright and exciting element in Joshua Williamson’s acclaimed run on “Superman” while waiting in anticipation to see what comes next.
Uncanny X-Men # 7– The first X-Men crossover, “The Raid on Graymalkin,” makes its presence with the second installment. Picking up where X-Men # 8 left off, Cyclops’ team comes face-to-face with Rogue’s team to free the imprisoned mutants from the Graymalkin prison, which is located in the X-Men old mansion in Westchester has an energetic feel to it due to the action scenes that do wonders in ramping up the drama as well as highlighting the conflict between both teams that could have readers talking sides but at least it doesn’t feel like a bad retelling of “Civil War” mainly due to Gail Simone’s extraordinary writing as she has a great comprehension of both X-Men teams and their convictions when it comes to what’s right or what’s wrong that in turn, truly makes this a strong issue and at the same time, showing that this is one of the most entertaining crossovers to come out of the “From The Ashes” line and knowing that “Uncanny” is once again an X-Men title that continues to be dynamic on all fronts.
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