Quickfire Combo-Reviews: "Bombshells Annual" #1 / "Aquaman" #6 / "Batman" #6

"Bombshells" Annual #1: It sure looks fantastic, especially when artist Charretier wonderfully captures the atmosphere and look of 1910's France. But for all the narrative innovation and verve found in the annual's first part, the second part will largely disappoint with its uninspired dialogue and characterizations.

6/10

"Aquaman" #6: A bit of fresh air, here in the form of the President's right hand (a.k.a. Superman), might just be what this series needed, as it was in danger of drowning (get it!?) in mediocrity.

7/10

"Batman" #6: A heartfelt and truly excellent interlude before what promises to be an exciting new story arch. Tom King manages the almost impossible in offering a fresh spin on Bruce's (and, naturally, Gotham Girl's) trauma of losing their parents. Not only the best Batman Rebirth title, but the best Rebirth title at all so far. 

10/10

Review: "Justice League" #1 / #2 / #3

After the rather dull and too conventional "Justice League: Rebirth" #1, it's good to see that Bryan Hitch was able to turn the series around considerably. From what looked to be your next "giant-space-alien-attack-forces-heroes-to-save-the-world-story", the comic has incorporated a few welcome twists and turns to the formula, to make it stand out in comparison to other series. 

But "Justice League" also scores with the presentation of Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman etc., where each hero is given fair and considerable attention, with a focus that truly emphasizes the concept of the sum that is greater than its parts.

8/10

Quickfire Combo-Reviews: "Deathstroke: Rebirth" #1 / "Aquaman" #5 / "Batman" #5

"Deathstroke: Rebirth" #1: You'll sincerely hate Slade Wilson pretty much from page 1 here, and this evocation of strong disdain is probably Priest's greatest achievement, setting up Deathstroke as one of the best villains in DC's "Rebirth" universe so far.

7/10

"Aquaman" #5: "Aquaman" has become a pretty pointless affair by now, as it has lost even the last bits of verve that it might have had in the beginning. The action here is at least semi-entertaining, but the story is moving nowhere at all. Disappointing. 

4/10

"Batman" #5: The story of Gotham and Gotham Girl ends with a blast, and the additional pieces of information on the siblings' origin are truly fascinating. King has managed to establish a truly compelling pair of characters here, and I'm looking forward to see more of them in the next issue.

8/10

Quickfire Combo-Reviews: "Aquaman" #4 / "Batman" #4 / "Daredevil" Annual #1

"Aquaman" #4: It's all pretty much what you'd expect, as the relationship between Atlantis and the USA deteriorates rapidly. It's good, but never really tries to do anything differently.

6/10

Batman #4: An unexpected and bloody twist for the "Gotham" heroes, and Batman teams up with an unlikely ally. Great coloring again, as King seems to find his voice already early as the series' main writer. 

8/10

"Daredevil" Annual #1: It's everything you'd expect from an "Annual". Unusual art, storytelling, the exploration of exciting support characters. An absolute blast.

9/10

Quickfire Combo-Reviews: "Aquaman" #2 / "Superman" #2 & #3

Aquaman #2: Abnett is playing it relatively safe here, as the moral conflict between Aquaman and Black Manta is presented solidly, but relies too heavily on well-known tropes.

7/10

Superman #2: More than anything else it's the father-son relationship between Clark and Jon that shines most here, as Tomasi and Gleason finally nail this aspect and make the latter a truly integral part of the story.

8/10

Superman #3: The story around the Eradicators appearance is slightly underwhelming, adding to the sense of imbalance that pervades this comic as a whole. At least the end promises a badass next issue.

6/10

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

"The Good, the Bad and Something About Comics": "Justice League: Rebirth" #1

                + Positive                                        - Negative

Doesn't waste any time in getting to the action Art is in line with other current “Rebirth” titles Convincing dynamic between the “League” members Characters feel distinct and unique Knows how to stage and dramatize the concept of the Justice League

Clark Kent’s conflict of whether to join the Justice League seems largely artificial Generic space-alien-invader Not as funny as it thinks it is

A solid first issue for Justice League that gets to the point immediately, but has still considerable room to improve.

6/10

Keepin' It 360: "DKIII: The Master Race" #5

By now, DK III probably considers itself more edgy, important and tough than it actually is, as Miller, Azzarello and Kubert gradually trade in compelling storytelling for big graphic gestures. Don't get me wrong, this is still AAA entertainment, from art to writing, but #5 is the weakest entry so far, losing some of the series' drive and direction.

7/10

Further Links:

DKIII: The Master Race #3

DKIII: The Master Race #4

Review: "Aquaman: Rebirth" #1

How do you approach a title that, over the years, has been so divisive as Aquaman, and help it off to a fresh new start? Why not be as self-referential as you can and remember the old principle that acknowledging a problem is often as good as actually solving it. 

While it might not be particularly clever, writer Dan Abnett knows that openly addressing some of the persistent stereotypes and misconceptions about Aquaman (you know, weirdo who talks to fish, I guess we all have seen this Family Guy skit by now)  so early on might actually benefit the series in the long run. It's also not often that you'll see a comic put so much emphasis on its narrative mode, but Abnett's virtuous play with it will leave you in for a big surprise at the end.

Only held back by its somewhat lacklustre art, whose sturdiness never quite manages to reflect the thoughtfulness of the comic's text, Aquaman: Rebirth #1 is a skillful attempt to redefine the titular superhero, and much more of an actual "rebirth" than many other DC titles at the moment.

7/10

Comic of the Day 2/5: "DK III: The Master Race" #4

Frank Miller and Brian Azzarello have decided to go all out on this issue, with results that don't always convince. 

Everything in DK III: The Master Race #4 is supposed to be meaningful, important and grand. From the amazingly composed first panel that harks back to the shrinking of The Atom to the confrontation between Superman, Lara and the Kryptonians to a surprise appearance of The Flash, everything is extremely fast paced, first class entertainment. But it was their ability to squeeze every ounce of drama of a selected amount of scenes that have made the first three issues so special.

Andy Kubert's pencils and Brad Anderson's colors only add to the spectacle. Images of blood on snow and a Bruce Wayne that looks even more battered than in the last issue make for a relentless and violent atmosphere that penetrates the whole comic. The Batgirl tie-in comic complements the main story perfectly, as it knows to impress with great gestures and even adds Aquaman to the mix. 

But featuring Batman, Superman, Supergirl, Wonder Woman, Batgirl, Robin, The Atom, The Flash and Aquaman, DKIII: The Master Race is too crowded and has too much to tell to actually make a valid point. As a one-off spectacle it's great, but I hope Miller and Azzarello return to the moderate and more ponderous atmosphere that so magnificently defined the series .

7/10