Action Comics Annual #1 review

Two old Superman villains make their DC New 52 debuts in this bumper issue. First up is the Kryptonite Man, whose deal is pretty similar to the already introduced Metallo – angry guy exuding deadly energy. The difference is that while the former has a Kryptonite heart, the latter glows from every orifice – right down […]

Teen Titans #13 review

Cassie Sandsmark explains to Superboy and Red Robin how she came to be Wonder Girl. Accompanying her archaeologist mother Helena around the world, she was something of the master thief, stealing antiquities wherever they went. One day, a youth going by ‘Diesel’ steamrolled over her heart, and soon he was following the Sandsmarks around the […]

The Fury of Firestorm the Nuclear Man #13 review

Yep, that’s Nuclear MAN, singular. Writer/artist Dan Jurgens comes on board and it’s no more Jason Firestorm and Ronnie Firestorm, no more two heroes merging into anger monster Fury. It’s just the Firestorm, with Ronnie in the driving seat and Jason as back-seat driver. That’s not to say Ronnie gets to be star attraction, as […]

National Comics #1: Madame X review

TV psychic turned law firm investigator Madame X turns her tarot towards finding out who killed a New Orleans politician in this one-shot pilot issue. A vocal critic of a wannabe witch queen, could Councilman Ben Meachum really have been killed by a zombie, as neighbours claim? Madame X? X for Xanadu, presumably, as DC already has […]

Superman #13 review

On the sixth day, he rested. For five days, Superman has been bench-pressing the earth’s weight, testing his limits with ‘omniologist’ Dr Shay Veritas. Back in Metropolis, he walks in on roomie Jimmy Olsen having sex in the shower with an unnamed woman. At the Daily Planet, in his Clark Kent mode, he lectures colleagues […]

Justice League #13 review

What a difference a few months makes. It’s not that long ago that Wonder Woman was attacking her Justice League teammates for the very suggestion that they might help with what she considered private business. But here she is, persuaded that the rest of the League should assist her in finding a lost tribe connected […]

Marvel Now! Point One #1

This oversized issue sets the scene for, or gives the flavour of, some upcoming Marvel launches. So let’s just launch into its contents. In a prelude to the Guardians of the Galaxy, we meet the future Starlord on the day young Peter Quill’s life is shattered by strange visitors. Brian Michael Bendis provides an affecting, […]

DC Universe Presents #13: Black Lightning and Blue Devil

I do enjoy a good pair of mismatched heroes. Green Lantern/Green Arrow; Power Man/Iron Fist; Blue Beetle/Booster Gold before they became a two-headed idiot … now here’s Blue Devil and Black Lightning, making their DC New 52 debuts. I expected light-hearted supernatural stuntman and streetwise gangbuster bouncing off one another. Instead I got two gritty […]

SPECIAL GUEST REVIEW Red She-Hulk #58 by Eugene Liptak

Bruce Banner’s love interest Betty Ross has played an important supporting role, for better or for worse, ever since the Incredible Hulk debuted 50 years ago. Her reincarnation as the Red She-Hulk during Jeph Loeb’s time on the Hulk titles has gained popularity thanks to Greg Pak and Matt Fraction’s respective runs on Incredible Hulks […]

Batman #13 review

He’s been gone from Gotham for a year, but the Joker is back and Batman’s on the back foot. The knave rampages through GCPD headquarters killing cops. He reenacts the murder that first got Batman’s attention, years before. And he tweaks another of his greatest hits, stymieing the Gotham Guardian’s attempts to outthink him. Finally, […]