Cloak and Dagger #1 review

Cloak and Dagger are a study in contrasts: light/dark; female/male; white/black; rich/poor; covered/flashing … goodness me, that Dagger girl really is flaunting it – outside of fan art I can’t recall the shapely slits of her costume ever being quite so slitty (I said slitty). She’s positively Emma Frosting, here. No wonder the Young X-Men […]

Avengers: The Initiative #34 review

On the one hand, there’s not much point trying to persuade anyone not reading this book to join the party; it’s cancelled in a month or so, as the Avengers titles realign. On the other, it would be a shame to ignore excellent work simply because the book is ending. So behind a gorgeous half-cover […]

Superman 80-Page Giant #1 review

It’s an 80-page giant, it’s seven new stories by creators DC describes as ‘up and coming talent’, but is it any good? We begin with Cold, written by Mike Raicht and drawn by Charles Paul Wilson III and, readers of the recent Superboy run in Adventure Comics will immediately note, coloured by Brian Buccellato. The […]

Thunderbolts #141 review

It’s a Siege tie-in so the Thunderbolts are off to Asgard to purloin the fabled Spear of Odin. No one’s actually sure what it does, but when Norman Osborn tells the bad boys ‘steal’, they steal – though not until they’ve had their transport craft downed by Hogun the Grim. Luckily they’re near the Asgardian […]

Superman #697 review

Behind a lovely Cafu cover featuring the slobberiest Krypto ever, it’s bits of Legionnaire business all round. The Espionage Squad finally reveals itself to Mon-El; police colleagues, the deli guy, a hover-cam . . . future teens all. But we still don’t learn what Chameleon Boy, Tellus, Starman, Sensor Girl, Matter-Eater Lad, Element Lad and […]

New Mutants #10 review

I used to love the New Mutants. The next generation of X-Men, they were a colourful bunch, with personalities and powers that set them apart from other mutant heroes. Their stories shifted from enjoyably X-Men-lite under Chris Claremont, Bob McLeod and Sal Buscema to insanely, entertainingly intense under Claremont and Bill Sienkiewicz. As the success […]

Justice Society of America Annual #2 review

The All-Stars respond to the news that one of their members, Magog, has organised a prison break. Of course, he hasn’t, but he’s such an obnoxious, irritating, hotheaded pultroon that he’s soon fighting his colleagues rather than bad guys. Did he think to tell his team-mates in advance? Does he take 30 seconds to explain […]

Outsiders #26 review

Today the Scottish Parliament published the End of Life Assistance (Scotland) Bill, which would make it legal for doctors to help the terminally ill die at a time of their choosing. Today this blog publishes the End of Useless Comic (Outsiders) Review, which implores that this terminally tragic book be put out of its misery. […]

Blackest Night: Wonder Woman #2 review

Having come back from the dead, Wonder Woman is susceptible to the will of demon guy Nekron, so at the close of Blackest Night #5 she became a Black Lantern. This issue takes place immediately after that, with possessed Diana engaged in a vicious, bloody fight with Atlantean queen Mera. Along the way she kills […]

Wonder Woman #39 review

Now here’s a heartening Christmas gift – the most satisfying Wonder Woman issue in ages. After last issue’s lamb to the slaughter impression, our girl gets her groove back, taking on a hell creature with guts and a grin. Writer Gail Simone provides the personality and artistic partners Aaron Lopresti and Matt Ryan bring forth […]