One-Star Squadron #6 review

If ever a comic book should come with a helpline number, it’s One-Star Squadron. The first five issues of this six-part mini-series have been relentlessly glum, with the cheeriest moments never managing to rise beyond ‘melancholy’. All along I’ve been hanging on to a hope – the final issue will be one massive dawn to […]

One-Star Squadron #5 review

On the one hand, this is a well put-together comic book. The pacing is good, the characters make sense, a mystery is solved satisfactorily. But don’t read it if you’re already having a bad day. Because yet again, kids, writer Mark Russell takes some of the DC Universe’s lesser-known heroes and drenches them in despair. […]

One-Star Squadron #2 review

Minute Man isn’t a big name among superheroes. A legacy hero, he depends upon the Miraclo drug created by Rex Mason for his vigour, but unlike the original Hourman he doesn’t get 60 minutes of strength – the clue’s in the name. A minute of super powers isn’t going to get you into the Justice […]

One-Star Squadron #1 review

If you’re Superman, you get to save the universe every other week. If you’re Minute Man, you get… ‘Who?’ Red Tornado is running the Metropolis branch of Heroz4U, a hero hotline which puts low-powered metahumans in touch with people who need help. The thing is, Reddy was a longtime Justice League member, what’s he doing […]

Future State: Superman Vs Imperious Lex #1 review

Welcome to Metropolis in 2050, as representatives of the United Planets meet in their shiny new headquarters. There’s an ongoing energy shortage in the Galaxy, but that’s quickly dealt with. The new business comes courtesy of Earth rep Lois Lane. Nobody wants a cake-stealing stinker on board, why would the leader of a rogue planet […]

Batman: Gotham Nights #22 review

As we all know, Santa can be everywhere at once, meaning all the world’s children get their presents on Christmas morning. Batman could do with the same ability when a toy coveted by all Gotham’s children turns deadly. Meet Benny, ‘The Hot Toy This Christmas’. The obvious thing to do is warn the citizens, get […]

Batman: Gotham Nights #7 review

Joker, Catwoman, Riddler… Killer Moth? The ‘lethal lepidopteran’ doesn’t sit easily on a list of Gotham’s greatest villains – if it wasn’t for his role in the origins of Batgirl, he’d likely never have survived the Sixties. The latest DC Digital First Batman story, though, repositions Killer Moth, massively increasing his role in Batman’s life. […]

Harley Quinn: Make ‘em Laugh #1 review

Her ubiquity across the DC Universe would make you believe otherwise, but Harley Quinn doesn’t spend all her time running with the super-set. Some days she freelances in her old profession of Harleen Quinzel, psychologist. Others, she consults on security matters. So it is that Harley Quinn and her baseball bat embed themselves at Gotham […]

Swamp Thing: New Roots #1 review

‘The beet goes on’ – terrible pun, brilliant story. DC’s daily Digital First programme rolls out another winner with Swamp Thing: New Roots #1, whose story debuted in Swamp Thing 100-page Giant #1 last year. One of the big benefits of stories being scooped out of anthologies and given a showcase is that covers originally […]

Wonder Twins #12 review

Wonder Twin Powers… de-activate! It’s the final issue of the wonderful series from Wonder Comics starring the Wonder Twins. Actually, it’s the second final issue, as the book was originally a six-part mini that was so well received, so soon, that it was quickly recommissioned for a second batch, with only a month or so […]