DC KO: Superman vs Captain Atom #1 review

A pretty brutal fight, that’s what this cover by Jorge Corona and Sarah Stern shows. The colouring is heated, the rendering of the figures scrappy. It’s perfect. Inside, the art is generally smoother, Sean Izaakse’s style is at times as glossy as Captain Atom’s skin. But when the visuals are in fight mode, it’s intense. […]

JSA #14 review

It’s summer 1940, and on the streets of Keystone City, super-speedster The Flash, Jay Garrick, stops speeders and finds a surprise consignment. Realising the guns were heading for Gotham City, Jay sets out for the address he sees. Meanwhile, under Gotham, a murder investigation finds Green Lantern Alan Scott and Spectre Jim Corrigan uneasy partners. […]

Podcast Plugtime – House of Mystery #191

Horrifying dragons! Creepy puppets! Vengeful witches! They’re all in this festive issue of House of Mystery from 1971. But what’s Christmassy about this particular number of DC’s reliably great horror anthology? Find out by joining Billy D and me on the latest edition of Billy’s Magazines and Monsters show as we go mining for four-colour […]

The Flash #27 review

Wally West hates time travel. Something always goes wrong, he says. He’s not wrong, which may be why I love time travel stories. This one, part of the DC KO nuttiness, but apart from the DC KO nuttiness, is pure pleasure. We have Impulse, Bart Allen, time tossed to Siberia while trying to stop Darkseid […]

Superman #32 review

Dan Mora’s cover is spectacular. Luthor, as imposing as he’s ever been. Superman unbowed, looking forward to the scrap. While I’ve been against the idea of Superman enjoying what’s being billed as a fight to the death, a cover isn’t really part of the story. Yes, sometimes they’re literal previews of scenes inside, but often […]

DC KO #2 review

Earth’s superheroes are trying to kill each other in the hope a sole survivor will inherit enough power to stop Darkseid, the evil god who’s lately become even more godly, though his evil levels seem about the same. Last issue, the opening round of a tournament helpfully organised by a talking Apokoliptian firepit sparker – […]

Spider-Man Holiday Spectacular #1 review

Now that’s a Christmas cover, worthy of a Seventies Treasury Edition. Just looking at Luciano Vecchio’s superhero snowball slugfest fills me with simple joy. And the warm fuzzies continue inside as writer Rainbow Rowell and a quartet of artists – including Vecchio – tell a tale of a very Spidey Christmas. It’s set in, basically, […]

Superman Unlimited #7 review

The best thing about this cover is the lettering, that ‘terror’ looks great. As for the illo by regular series artist Rafael Albuquerque, it’s not brilliant. My best guess is that the central figure is meant to be Pa Kent, who doesn’t pick up a gun this issue, but it’s hard to tell – he […]

Batman/Superman: World’s Finest #45 review

A team-up between the Joker and Luthor, what could be more traditional for World’s Finest? Superman and Batman, it’s your two favourite foes together. Very together, as it turns out… The book starts with no action, but lots of entertainment, as Superman and Batman relax in Gotham’s Batcave with a bowl of popcorn – the […]

Superman: The Kryptonite Spectrum #4 review

What is it about covers homaging Silver Age 80pp Giants that I never get tired of them? This example from Kryptonite Spectrum creators W Maxwell Prince and Martín Morazzo is delightful and nicely reflects the nuttiness inside. Mind, the nuttiness is controlled, perfectly meshing into the overall storyline, which has Superman testing new varieties of […]