Review: "Deadpool" #18

"Deadpool" #18: Less Mercs, more fun. The impact of Deadpool no longer being tied to the Mercs for Money can be felt immediately here, most simply by the fact that the series is no painful bore anymore. If you'd stopped caring about Deadpool some months ago, now's probably the time to get back into it. And if you're reading this because of Civil War II, you have my sympathy. That this get's still marketed as a tie-in is an unacceptable money grab.

7/10

Quickfire-Combo Reviews: "Poe Dameron" #6 / "Batgirl & The Birds of Prey" #2 / "All-Star Batman" #2

"Poe Dameron" #6: The galactic mouse hunt between Poe Dameron and Agent Terex continues to be a highly entertaining affair, and one of Marvel's best Star Wars comics to date. It's light, fun, and perfectly captures the Poe Dameron established in The Force Awakens.

8/10

"Batgirl & The Birds of Prey" #2: Neither Batman nor her father can convince Barbara Gordon to accept any help here, and the comic is all the better for it. Batgirl, Huntress and Black Canary wonderfully click in this series, with a plot that retains a clear focus on where its headed altogether.

8/10

"All-Star Batman" #2: 2016 has not been short of great Batman series, and one almost has to feel sorry for Tom King, whose excellent new take on the Dark Knight in the main series gets overshadowed by this beast of a comic book. The artistic freedom Snyder enjoys here makes All-Star Batman truly excel in every aspect, and one of DC Comics' highlight series of the year.

9/10

Quickfire Combo-Reviews: "Deadpool" #17 / "Action Comics" #962 / "Detective Comics" #939

"Deadpool" #17: To sell this as a "Civil War II" tie-in is simply ridiculous, as it has simply no connection whatsoever to Marvel's big summer event (a fact even admitted by Duggan in the comic's intro page). Apart from that? Nothing to report, just the same old Deadpool shtick. This series needs some fresh new ideas, and the Mercs for Money should stick to their own series.

5/10

"Action Comics" #962: The Doomsday storyline is over (for now), and the series closes it in solid but unspectacular fashion. Kudos to Jurgens though for gradually developing and shaping the comic's characters.

7/10

"Detective Comics" #939: Admittedly, the series started out quite slow, but by now has come full circle in terms of drama, dynamic and great action set pieces. Can't wait for the conclusion.

 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: "Green Arrow" #4 / "Deadpool v Gambit" #3 / "Deadpool" #16

"Green Arrow" #4: It's fast, light and fun, with Percy knowing not to overemphasize Oliver Queen's personal drama; and the art here is simply spectacular, as Ferreyra's makes every panel look like a small portrait. 

7/10

"Deadpool v Gambit" #3: It has one of the funniest fighting scenes you probably have read in a while, but unfortunately Acker and Blacker lose more and more control of the story they're telling, resulting in an utter narrative chaos.

5/10

"Deadpool" #16: It's campfire story time, as Solo recalls how he dressed up as Deadpool once. It's good fun, but also anybody's guess why this gets marketed as a "Civil War II" tie-in.

6/10

Quickfire Combo-Reviews: "Batman" #3 / "Green Arrow" #2 & #3

"Batman" #3: We finally get some backstory on Gotham and Gotham Girl, and surprisingly, it's quite compelling. Bellaire's color palette is simply amazing here again, bathing Gotham in an amazing red, yellow and brown. One of DC's quintessential "Rebirth" series.

9/10

"Green Arrow" #2: The implosion of Oliver Queen's world is superbly staged by Percy, even though it doesn't have the emotional depth he might have aimed (sorry!) for. The series continues to impress and entertain, and even introduces a compelling new villainous organisation with the "Ninth Circle".


8/10

"Green Arrow" #3: Juan Ferreyra takes over the art department from Otto Schmidt, and instantly changes the comic's dynamic with his clear-cut and sinewy approach. Finally, we also get some more information on the "Ninth Circle", rounding off a thoroughly appealing experience.

9/10

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

Review: "Deadpool" #15

The "Civil War II" part here is actually the one that manages to convince least, as the "Mercs For Money" prove that they can even be fun(nier) without their masks. 

But the highlight here definitely has to be the epic "Deadpool vs. Black Panther" fight in the Triskelion, as the two battle it out over almost half the comic. Bawdy but never embarrassing, with a surprising chemistry and dynamic, it's Wade and T'Challa in the most unlikely brawl of "Civil War II". 

7/10

Further Links:

Deadpool #14

Deadpool v Gambit #1

Deadpool & The Mercs For Money #5

The Good, The Bad and Something About Comics: "Batman" #1

                   +Positive                                         -Negative

The Batsuit is still amazing. Love the homage to the original Batmobile. Jordie Bellaire's red and yellow color palette makes for an impressive Gotham. The showdown over Gotham impresses visually and dramatically. A more than auspicious ending.

The Justice League references are an afterthought. Dialogues are not always on point. Supporting cast does not convince.

Batman has not yet reached the heights of the Snyder/Capullo years, but this is by no means a disappointing start.

7/10

Further Links:

Batman: Rebirth #1

Keepin' It 360: "Deadpool" #14

It's the inevitable Civil War II tie-in, featuring the "Mercs for Money", which surprisingly offers a more complete package than the standalone series did in its last issues. It's still funny and fast, but not as over-the-top, with less anarchist mayhem and more clear-cut ideas. We see a different, more nuanced depiction of the Mercs, and all for the better.

7/10

Further Links:

Deadpool #12

Deadpool & The Mercs For Money #5