Retro Review: Action Comics #415 (August 1972)

One day in Metropolis, TV newsman Clark Kent gets an unexpected visitor. Behold the crack reporter, nothing gets past Clark. The strange visitor lunges at the mild-mannered newsman and rips open his shirt, revealing the famed chest-symbol of Superman. Luckily, Clark is alone in his office, meaning his secret is safe… and he can fight […]

Teen Titans Special #1 review

Damian Wayne’s USP is that he’s a bit of a dick – highly intelligent, but even more arrogant. I’ve defended him down the years as a wild card who can turn a story on its head, disrupting normally smooth-running relationships, injecting extra excitement. This issue, though, he does something unforgivable. Let’s work our way to […]

Justice League of America #7 review

It’s a downtime day for Batman’s Justice League of America. The Caped Crusader is at headquarters checking out the work of weapons maker turned Secret Sanctuary fixer-upper Xenos. In Manhattan’s Museum of Unnatural History, the Atom, Ryan Choi and Killer Frost, Caitlin Snow, have a lead on a cure for the latter’s need to snatch […]

Action Comics #980 review

Kneel before Zod’s bubble butt! Blimey, that’s rather the cheesecake cover on the new Action Comics. Nothing like this scene happens inside, though, as this issue is the precursor to Cyborg Superman and the Eradicator meeting the former Phantom Zone villain. Presumably he’s still working on his glutes as this chapter opens with new Superman […]

Deathstroke #19 review

Deathstroke has become the Fastest Killer Alive and Wally West is on his trail. He’s also the chattiest, explaining to Wally, aka The Flash, the deal he made with Dick Grayson several years ago, one centred on his daughter Rose. Here and now, Wally’s friends in the Titans, and the Teen Titans, try to stop the […]

Green Lanterns #23 review

It’s back to school for Jessica Cruz and Simon Baz as they’re summoned to Mogo for Green Lantern training. Simon has already had some lessons, so he’s on the advanced course. Jessica is well up for boosting her knowledge and fighting techniques, but after learning on the job with, first, the Justice League, then Simon, […]

The Flash #22 review

It’s a race against time as the Flash and Batman bid to solve the mystery of the smiley face button which appeared in the Batcave. Using a Cosmic Treadmill to traverse the timestream, they’ve encountered the ever-evil Reverse-Flash. Last time they saw him, a few minutes ago in their personal perception of time, he was […]

Superman #23 review

As a curious, angry Lois is telekinetically kept at bay by neighbour turned antagonist Cobb Branden, Superman examines the prison tubes containing Batman, Robin, Frankenstein and more. Lois assumes, reasonably, that Cobb is a villain, but he disagrees. Lois fights back with her Bat-gauntlet, angering Cobb and bringing a very angry Superman to the scene, […]

Retro Review: Justice League of America #145 (August 1977)

So come with me back to, well, half an hour ago when I finished the comic, for a tale of the JLA when they were at their most iconic, the Satellite Era. When the World’s Greatest Superheroes watched over the planet’s population from – all together now – 22,300 miles above Earth. Before the story, […]

Superwoman #10 review

Lana Lang is fighting… someone. We can see the arms, and readers of Superman past with particularly sharp visual recall might recognise the villain as Skyhook, a monster who stole children from the streets of Metropolis. Flash back several years and Natasha, niece of Lana’s boyfriend John Henry Irons, gets herself home after her no-good […]