Uncanny X-Men #516 review

The X-Men have renamed Magneto’s downed Asteroid M, now floating off San Francisco, Utopia. ‘This is our homeland now people. And we treat it as such’ says Scott Summers, Cyclops, as he has his lackeys prepare arms. Subtle. Why Scott is so keen to gather all mutants on a crap old rock, with no shops, […]

Batgirl #3 review

Stephanie Brown, former Spoiler and onetime Robin, takes on the Scarecrow, a villain who has proven a huge headache for Batman and Robin on numerous occasions. Here, despite being half his size, never mind that she’s hallucinating from his latest toxin, she takes him out. Hard. Possibly this has something to do with the fact […]

Secret Six #14 review

Too many comics these days promise a graphic novel-length saga that’ll knock our socks off, but after building the adventure, bungle the payoff. Not Gail Simone in this fifth instalment of Depths, which has seen the DCU’s motley mercenaries fighting for, and against, a modern day slaver. And more frighteningly, the dark beast Grendel, who […]

Doctor Voodoo: Avenger of the Supernatural #1 review

There’s an article in the back of this bumper-sized issue by comics writer and Comic Buyers Guide critic Tony Isabella from the early Seventies, heralding the next big thing from Marvel, Jericho Drumm aka Brother Voodoo. Stan Lee ‘wanted to make sure this character did not become a black Dr Strange’. So in his Strange […]

Batman and Robin #5 review

Nine-tenths of this book could have been rubbish but I’d still have loved it for the one page that made me grin from ear to ear. The page that had Jason Todd show sidekick Sasha/Scarlet that he’s a redhead who used to dye his hair to look more like Dick. Bye bye black-haired street kid […]

Astonishing X-Men #31 review

Abigail Brand, Agent of B.O.R.E.D., is retreating from a Brood-bashing mission when something or other goes wrong, sending her plunging into Earth’s orbit in an escape pod. Luckily the X-Men have six minutes to save her. Which they do, before confronting a mystery at San Francisco’s Fisherman’s Wharf. No, the mystery isn’t how the heck […]

Justice League: Cry For Justice #4 review

This issue, Green Arrow gets his groove back. Having stood by last issue and allowed Green Lantern and Atom to torture Clayface for information, this time he remembers that he’s meant to be a caring kinda guy and tells them to cut it out. GL and Atom tell him where to shove it, the latter […]

Sex and the Superhero #1 review

More accurately, that would be Sex and the Gay Superhero, as all the metahumans in here are pretty darned queer, from the terribly camp Cosmic Man to the so-macho-he’s-even-camper Pink Storm. There’s also Captain Avenger, the hero you could take home to your mother, sole female Lady Web and the hilariously named Street Diver. Individually […]

Blackest Night: Titans #2 review

I’m being sparing in following the Blackest Night crossovers, as the core concept of zombiefied DC heroes and villains isn’t an immediate grabber for me. But which old New Teen Titans fan could resist this cover, and the promise that where baby Robert goes, dad Terry Long can’t be far behind. And who knew that […]

Batman: The Brave and the Bold #9 review

Don’t tell Secret Six fans, but here’s Catman going through a whole issue of a comic without stripping down to his tighty whities. Mind, this is a DC all-ages book and this isn’t the same version of Catman – this is a Catman who’s just starting out, and keen to get in Batman’s good graces […]