Quickfire Combo-Reviews: "Superman" #5 / "Wonder Woman" #1 / "Deathstroke" #1

"Superman" #5: The action is solid here, as the "Son of Superman" storyline slowly approaches its conclusion. But the real highlight here is the Kent family going crazy with Batman's gadgets in his moon cave. Pure fan service that is.

7/10

"Deathstroke" #1: Its narrative mode, where little chapters jump back and forth in time is a good choice of telling the comic's story, but Deathstroke himself, unfortunately, has lost some of the grit and mercilessness of the "Rebirth" issue. 

6/10

"Wonder Woman" #1: It's reliance on art over dialogue continues to be a thorough success for "Wonder Woman", perfectly fitting the protagonists sturdy quest for truth. One of DC's best "Rebirth" titles.

8/10

Quickfire Combo-Reviews: "Black Panther" #4 / "Aquaman" #1 / "Batman" #2

Black Panther #4: With its complex philosophy and politics running so deep, and its characters being wonderfully ambiguous instead of only black and white, the only thing really missing was some kick-ass action. With #5 promising exactly that, "Black Panther" could manifest itself even more as one of 2016's best comic book series.

9/10

"Aquaman" #1: The story plays it relatively safe, as Aquaman is plagued with some well-tested enemies and personal conflicts. However, Walker's light art and Eltaeb's impressive color palette capture the beauty of Atlantean life in great fashion.

7/10

"Batman" #2: The slow pace and art style feel welcomingly retro, and Tom King has a real sense for the kind of dry humor that benefits both Batman himself and Commissioner Gordon. Anybody who was skeptical after Scott Snyder left the main series should now be convinced that Batman is indeed in good hands here.

9/10

Keepin' It 360: "Action Comics" #958

This is filler material at best, as the comic focuses entirely on action at the expense of any meaningful story progression. Zircher's art features a worrisome lifeless approach, and Arreola's brownish color palette only adds to the dilemma. Even though the action is solid and entertaining, it will need much more to keep readers invested in future issues.

5/10

Further Links:

Action Comics #958

Keepin' It 360: "Deadpool v Gambit" #1

In the tradition of recent Deadpool writers Bunn and Duggan, Blacker/Acker (hihi!) offer a fun ride that even tries to top aforementioned's work. Admittedly, its avalanche of satirical pop culture and self-references sometimes lack cleverness, but the playful, vivid art and entertaining chemistry between the protagonists make for a convincing first issue.

7/10

Further Links:

Deadpool #14

Deadpool & The Mercs For Money #5

Keepin' It 360: "Detective Comics" #935

Problems persist here, as the "superhero academy" story arc is a directionless mess, including artificial and shallow dialogues and a romance that really no one needs. The comic redeems itself a bit once writer Tynion IV addresses the story surrounding Azrael and the mysterious attackers; but after all it remains a pretty underwhelming experience altogether.

4/10

Further Links:

Detective Comics #934