Category: DC’s Hardcovers & Trade Paperbacks

Written by Jeph Loeb.   

Art by Tim Sale & Bjarne Hansen.

Cover Art by Tim Sale & Bjarne Hansen.

SUMMARY:

Released in 1999 by DC Comics, this 208-page paperback collects 1998’s Superman For All Seasons # 1-4 mini-series.  Its segments are titled in order by the season (but not necessarily from the same year).   Each issue is narrated by a different member from Superman’s supporting cast, as their insights prove vital to the ongoing story arc.

Spring:  Told through Jonathan Kent’s sage perspective, he observes how his 18-year-old son awkwardly realizes that it’s time to leave Smallville after a tornado ravages the town.  After sharing his secret with a bewildered Lana Lang, a lonely Clark Kent moves away to Metropolis.  It isn’t clear how many years have then lapsed. 

The astonishing presence of Superman coincides with Clark’s arrival as a rookie journalist for The Daily Planet.  The Man of Steel’s interception of a nuclear missile targeting Metropolis has dual significance.  Specifically, it draws the interest of Clark’s colleague, Lois Lane, and glowering resentment from the city’s other ‘superman,’ Lex Luthor.

Summer: As a jaded Metropolis sophisticate, Lois Lane contemplates the Man of Steel’s seemingly too-good-to-be-true intentions.  More so, she acknowledges that Superman’s mutual enmity towards Lex Luthor is really a boon for a career.  After Superman rescues an unconscious female fan from an overnight fire, Luthor senses a nefarious opportunity.

Fall:  Seen through Lex Luthor’s eyes, a humiliating overnight stay in the Metropolis city jail expedites his desired revenge against Superman.  Lois gains a brief insight into Clark’s private life before an unknown virus cripples Metropolis.  Only a few, including Superman and a conveniently well-protected Luthor, are unaffected.  With Luthor’s help, it’s up to the Man of Steel and an unexpected ally to douse the city with the airborne antidote.  The price, however, is a tragic casualty.

Clark despondently comes home to Smallville while a triumphant Luthor gloats.

Winter: Reuniting in Smallville for the first time since their high school graduation, Lana and Clark poignantly observe the humble adults they have become.  Encouraged by Lana and his parents, it’s up to Superman to save Smallville from a flood.  Clark realizes that he must accept his responsibility as the world’s savior.  Meanwhile, in Metropolis, Lois Lane curiously ponders the simultaneous absences of Clark and the Man of Steel. 

Note: This title has been re-released multiple times, and its formats include hardcover and digitally.

REVIEW:

One included observation from Smallville’s co-creators, Miles Millar and Alfred Gough, describes the timeless Superman For All Seasons as reminiscent of a John Ford film.  That assessment is accurate, but this All-American take on Superman also ingeniously mirrors Frank Capra’s filmmaking style.  Predictable as it may be, readers will get the feel-good experience of Luthor’s ruthlessness losing to Clark’s humble innocence and the human spirit, as personified by Smallville. 

Keeping such a familiar origin tale simple yet insightful, Jeph Loeb and Tim Sale’s creative teamwork is beautifully rendered.  More so, this duo’s classy storytelling would be hackneyed in nearly any other team’s hands.  More so, what is so impressive is the story’s heartfelt vibe.  Superman For All Seasons, in that sense, is conveyed as if it were fresh from a Norman Rockwell painting. 

Excluding the usual components like Krypton, the Lois & Clark romance, the Fortress of Solitude (apart from a brief wink), and an assortment of outlandish villains, a far greater balance between Superman and his supporting cast is achieved.  Hence, Superman For All Seasons, as an introspective, is a masterpiece for fans of any age.   

ADDITIONAL CONTENT:

Tim Sale’s full-page cover precedes each segment.

BRIAN’S ODD MOON RATING:                     8½ Stars

Written by Brian Michael Bendis & David F. Walker.

Art by Jamal Campbell & Wes Abbott.

Collection Cover Art by Jamal Campbell.

SUMMARY:

Released by DC Comics in 2023, this 144-page hardcover compiles 2022’s Naomi: Season Two # 1-6.  Brian Michael Bendis, David F. Walker, and Jamal Campbell are the title character’s co-creators.  Chronologically, this storyline occurs after the events of 2022’s Justice League, Volume 1: Prisms, also written by Bendis.

It’s been three weeks since Black Adam and Superman made an unexpected visit to Naomi in Port Oswego.  As a rookie Justice Leaguer, teenager Naomi McDuffie is struggling to adapt to her new responsibilities.  In particular, maintaining control of her radiant super-powers is at the top of the to-do list.  One night, Naomi and her suspicious adoptive father, Greg, discover that their Thanagarian ally, Dee, has ominously vanished.  Quite possibly, Dee has left for Naomi’s home world to seek out Zumbado to avenge Naomi’s birth parents. 

Naomi’s subsequent investigation brings her into a crisis at S.T.A.R. Labs. where she encounters Cyborg.  Then, an agitated Hawkgirl becomes involved over a malevolent Thanagarian dial Naomi had found among Dee’s discarded possessions.  Once a gravely injured Dee returns, Naomi seeks out help from the Justice League.  Yet, when mysterious invaders from her home dimension invade Port Oswego, it’s up to a desperate Naomi to protect the town. 

Upon reconnecting with her birth mother’s friend, Akira, Naomi makes a pivotal decision, as to her short-term future.    

Notes: This title is also available digitally.  As of this writing, the trade paperback’s wide release is evidently still in the works.  The title character’s subsequent DC moniker is ‘Powerhouse.’

REVIEW:

As with Season One, artist Jamal Campbell’s excellent visuals are Season Two’s most valuable asset.  The teen-friendly plotting that co-writers Brian Michael Bendis and David F. Walker put forward is a good second round yet hardly remarkable. 

Their Season Two finish just comes off as too contrived that an inexperienced and impulsive Naomi would be allowed to return to her home world (without even finishing high school) as a solo freedom fighter.  As upbeat as this ultra-dangerous notion is made to sound, continuing to develop Naomi’s character depth in Port Oswego would have made better sense to set up a Season Three.    

At least, Cyborg and particularly Hawkgirl make solid guest appearances that contribute to Bendis and Walker’s plot twists.  The same, however, doesn’t apply to the Justice League/Justice League Dark’s hollow presence; their star power is squandered as Naomi’s glorified cheerleaders. 

For Naomi fans, Season Two still presents a solid Young Adult read (without resorting to cheap profanities).  Outside of this book’s intended audience, other potential readers might want to at least discover Campbell’s high-caliber artwork. 

ADDITIONAL CONTENT:

For Issues # 2-5, Campbell’s wonderful covers follow each story.  Evidently, the cover for Issue # 1 is the collection cover.  After the first issue, artist Carla Cohen’s full-page retailer variant cover is provided.  From Issue # 2, also included is a full-page Matt Sayles variant featuring actress Kaci Walfall from Naomi’s live-action TV series.   

BRIAN’S ODD MOON RATING:                       6½ Stars

Written by Brian Michael Michael Bendis & David F. Walker.

Art by Jamal Campbell; Josh Reed; & Carlos M. Mangual.

Collection Cover Art by Jamal Campbell.

SUMMARY:

Released by DC Comics (via its Wonder Comics imprint) in 2019, this 160-page hardcover compiles that same year’s Naomi: Season One # 1-6.  The teenage title character is the co-creation of Brian Michael Bendis, David F. Walker, and Jamal Campbell.

In the U.S. Pacific Northwest, the sleepy town of Port Oswego witnesses a brief skirmish between Superman and Mongul.  As the Man of Steel once did, seventeen-year-old Naomi McDuffie ponders unanswered questions of her own adoption shortly after birth.  It’s a normal issue (for a normal teen), as Naomi’s therapist assuages her.  Yet, amidst the local excitement of Superman’s presence, Naomi’s suspicions quickly mount. 

In particular, she is bewildered why reclusive town mechanic D. (or Dee) specifies the exact date of her adoption.  Her rattled adoptive parents, Greg and Jennifer McDuffie, though loving and supportive, are evasive of Naomi’s inquiries.  Upon confronting Dee late at night, Naomi pressures the mechanic into relenting as to his guarded past. 

Told of Dee’s origin as a refugee/fugitive from planet Thanagar, Naomi is abruptly retrieved by her irate parents.  Feeling he can longer keep it secret from Naomi, Greg explains his own arrival nearly twenty years before on Earth as a Rann-born soldier.  Opting to abandon his assigned surveillance of Dee, Greg subsequently married the human Jennifer. 

Marking sure Port Oswego stays safe, Greg and Dee also uneasily established a détente as interplanetary refugees.  Dually investigating an interstellar energy alert one night, Dee and Greg fended off an apparent attack from another dimension.  Left behind for some unknown reason was an infant girl that Greg and Jennifer immediately adopt.

Upon showing Naomi his long-hidden Rann spacecraft, Greg gives his daughter a mysterious cube that had been sent along with her.  It causes Naomi’s radiant super-powers emerge from within her.  More so, a narrative of her birth parents’ ordeal on another Earth is revealed.  Naomi also learns of her home Earth’s tyrannical overlord, Zumbado. 

Transported to her decimated home Earth, Naomi’s defiant showdown with Zumbado is the beginning of their feud.  Returning to her adoptive home, Naomi’s future is now stunningly bright.  

Courtesy of Bendis, Naomi returns to her decimated home world in 2022’s Justice League, Volume 1: Prisms (Issues # 59-63). 

Notes: This title is also available digitally and as a trade paperback.  Though Naomi: Season One’s cover image is taken  from Issue # 6, neither the Justice League nor Young Justice actually appear.  Only Superman makes a brief appearance.  However, the Justice League are guest stars in Naomi: Season Two (along with a brief cameo by Young Justice).  The title character’s subsequent DC moniker is ‘Powerhouse.’        

REVIEW:

If absorbed as a Young Adult graphic novel, Naomi: Season One is a solid treat for its intended teen audience. 

Buoyed by artist Jamal Campbell’s stellar visuals, co-writers Brian Michael Bendis and David F. Walker collaborate on an intriguing origin tale.  Still, revelations and red herrings regarding Dee, Greg, and Naomi’s extraterrestrial origins become somewhat muddled.  Bendis and Walker’s ambitious plotting, as a result, risks overcooking their new heroine’s ‘last survivor’ concept far too soon. 

Even so, Naomi McDuffie makes a fun protagonist to join DC’s Young Justice generation of heroes.  Naomi: Season One, in that sense, is certainly worth a read.

ADDITIONAL CONTENT:

Campbell’s inspired full-page cover precedes each story.  Bendis pens an insightful two-page ‘Afterword’ to readers.  Campbell supplies the three-page ‘Drawing Fire’ (two pages in color; one in black-and-white) as a character design guide.       

BRIAN’S ODD MOON RATING:                   7 Stars

Written by Ram V & Simon Spurrier.

Art by Rafael Albuquerque; Dani; Dave Stewart; & Ariana Maher.

Collection Cover Art by Evan Cagle.

SUMMARY:

Released by DC Comics in 2023, this 152-page hardcover compiles 2022’s Detective Comics # 1062-1065.  Approaching midnight at the Gotham City docks, Batman’s routine clash with a gang of thugs has him worried why his timing is now inexplicably off. Worse yet, he senses something ominous has descended upon Gotham City. Brief consultations with Nightwing and a reformed Harvey Dent don’t ease Bruce Wayne’s mind.

Beyond being slowed by a combination of age and accumulated injuries, Bruce Wayne is now haunted by his own terrifying inner demon: Bar-Ba-Tos.  Its ongoing distraction risks costing Bruce his life.

Already rivals of Ra’s Al-Ghul’s League of Shadows, the Orghams, as foreign royalty, intend to stake its ancient claim upon Gotham City. First up is re-acquiring the decrepit remains of Arkham Asylum, which somehow has astronomical property value. Expecting the League’s ambush, the Orghams reciprocate with a vicious battle at the docks pinning down the outmatched police and media. Among the Orghams’ operatives is a psychopathic werewolf that even Talia’s fearsome bodyguard becomes easy prey for. 

Having baited Batman twice, Talia’s enigmatic presence in Gotham doesn’t clarify if she comes as a friend or foe.  Per a flashback, Talia reveals to young Damian Wayne their country’s ancient myth of the ‘Grim Soldier.’  Its outcome now impacts a present-day Gotham City’s bleak emergency mostly orchestrated by the Orghams.

Falling behind is a bewildered Dark Knight.  No matter his weariness, Batman must quickly catch up on the rules of a deadly game commenced between the League of Shadows and the Orghams.  With a cured Harvey Dent falling to the Orghams, Two-Face has resurfaced to take command of Gotham’s criminal underworld.  Designed as a gothic opera, Gotham Nocturne: Overture ends with an unconscious Dark Knight sidelined.  He is in no position to thwart the Orghams’ nefarious scheme.       

Related is a three-part back-up story entitled “Coda,” with deliberately murky artwork.  Now retired, an elderly James Gordon is prodded into searching Gotham City for a drug-addicted prostitute’s missing son.  His investigation leads to a grisly discovery within the ruins of Arkham Asylum and a mysterious young man hiding there.  Gordon’s arc later links with the Dark Knight’s subsequent return to the docks in Overture’s climax.  More so, the ex-Commissioner’s face-off with the mysterious demons now plaguing Gotham City set up his next post-retirement phase.

Starring Harvey Dent, another three-part back-up tale begins entitled “A Tale of Three Halves.”  Having been forcibly relapsed into his Two-Face persona, Dent’s tormented mind struggles with silencing his innocent psychiatrist at the Orghams’ behest.

Notes: Some sources inaccurately claim that this book is 232 pages; it is not – a manual tally confirms 152 pages.  This title is also available digitally; its trade paperback’s release is scheduled for July 2024.

REVIEW:

Anchored by high-caliber visuals, writer Ram V’s opening salvo makes for a potentially intriguing read. Other than James Gordon, Two-Face, and cameos by Nightwing, Damian Wayne, and Renee Montoya, it’s quite noticeable that the Bat-Family and other supporting cast members aren’t included. 

More so, with Bruce Wayne sidetracked by mental problems, the humorless Volume 1 focuses less on Batman and more on his multitude of current adversaries.  To Ram V’s credit, he isn’t telegraphing future plot twists, but this storyline’s surplus of operatic self-indulgence can be grating on readers.  Hence, its pretentious tone doesn’t necessarily make one want to seek out Volume 2.

Batman – Detective Comics, Volume 1: Gotham Nocturne – Overture clearly isn’t meant to engage casual readers.  For die-hard adult Bat-fans, however, this first installment likely stirs the pot enough to keep them tuned in.  

ADDITIONAL CONTENT:

In a full-page format preceding each story is a variant cover: # 1062 {1:25} (by Innhyuk Lee); # 1063 {1:25} (by Amano Yoshitaka, though it is credited within the story as ‘Martin Simmonds’); # 1064 {1:25} (by Martin Simmonds); and # 1065 {1:25} (by Simmonds). 

Afterwards, in a full-page variant cover gallery, these covers appear:

• # 1062 (1. Lee Bermejo 2. Julian Totino Tedesco; 3. J.H. Williams III; and 4. {1:50} Williams III);
• # 1063 (1. Jim Lee, Scott Williams, & Alex Sinclair; 2. Lee (pencil sketch); and 3. Drew Zucker;
• # 1064 (1. Jay Anacleto & Arif Prianto {Harley Quinn 30^th Anniversary}; 2. Williams III; and 3. Williams III {1:50 Foil};
• # 1065 (1. Lee, Williams, & Sinclair; and 2. Lee).

There is also a promotional two-page spread by Rafael Albuquerque, which is followed two pages of his character sketch designs.  Then, there is a single page from Ram V’s script for Issue # 1062’s pages 4-5.  Next is a single panel by Albuquerque and Dave Stewart, as it evolves through two additional stages into full color.  The final extra are four logo designs by artist Darran Robinson.

BRIAN’S ODD MOON RATING:                     6 Stars

Written by Mark Russell.  

Art by Michael Allred; Laura Allred; & Dave Sharpe.

Collection Cover Art by Michael Allred & Laura Allred.

SUMMARY:

Released by DC Comics in 2023, this 264-page hardcover compiles 2022-23’s Superman: Space Age # 1-3.  Per the onset of 1985’s Crisis on Infinite Earths, the Superman of Earth 203495-B sadly realizes that his universe’s annihilation by the Anti-Monitor has commenced. 

In a flashback to the fateful November of 1963, farmer Clark Kent of Smallville, Kansas, decides it’s time to reveal his existence after President Kennedy’s shocking assassination.  With the United States and Russia agitated to the brink of war, Clark’s naivete ironically almost causes World War III.  After fighter pilot Hal Jordan shoots Clark down as an ‘UFO,’ the future Man of Steel discovers his Fortress of Solitude at the North Pole.

In 1964, Clark joins The Daily Planet as a rookie reporter and gradually develops a friendship with his colleague, Lois Lane.  Meanwhile, industrial rivals Bruce Wayne and Lex Luthor pursue a vital U.S. defense contract to build the country’s future war strategy.  Outmaneuvering Wayne, Luthor’s chilling arrogance soon precipitates the nuclear annihilation of Coast City.  Superman and Wayne’s Batman unknowingly aid each other in averting another close call with World War III.  Luthor is sent to prison for mass murder for the next two decades. 

In the subsequent years, a Justice League forms, though no one realizes that its most secretive member is their benefactor: Bruce Wayne.  While Lois becomes the guiding light exposing Watergate, Clark’s encounters at a Metropolis bar finds him in sporadic contact with Pariah.  Despite Clark’s skepticism, Pariah matter-of-factly prophesizes that the world is doomed in a matter of years, due to the Anti-Monitor. 

In the meantime, Clark and Lois finally acknowledge their mutual love and marry.  Both have previously acknowledged being influenced by their fathers’ own wartime experiences.  Lois and Clark soon have a young son: Jonathan, raising him at the Fortress with help from Jor-El’s hologram.

In Gotham City, Bruce Wayne’s ironic feud with his own corrupted company tips his beloved Gotham City’s breaking point.  Subsequent clashes with Maxwell Lord and the Joker may prove too much for even Batman.  Considering the Justice League’s tragic encounter with Brainiac, Superman realizes his Earth’s time is now rapidly running out.  It’s up to him to make a desperate bid to save humanity, even as a gloating Lex Luthor returns to the free world.  Meanwhile, an expanded Justice League makes a last stand in Washington, D.C., without either a Man of Steel or a Dark Knight.

Elsewhere, the Superman of Earth 832654-Z is again the lone survivor of his planet – it’s conveyed by a collection of Brainiacs that this depleted Earth might still stand a partial chance of survival.  With humanity forever lost, this other Superman grimly awaits any cosmic sign that his existence isn’t for nothing. 

Note: This title is also available digitally; its trade paperback edition is set for release in 2025.

REVIEW:

Visually, Michael Allred and Laura Allred’s low-key artwork is far more endearing than it is aesthetically impressive.  Still, their simplistic visuals provide an ideal accompaniment to the storyline’s heartbreaking content, making Superman: Space Age a DC must-read. 

Apart from ingeniously spinning off Crisis on Infinite Earths in a historical narrative reminiscent of Forrest Gump, writer Mark Russell devises a down-to-earth brand of storytelling.  Though his Batman and Justice League are glaring underachievers (in comparison to DC’s primary versions), Russell’s take on this alternate-reality Superman and Lois Lane’s maturing bond is a treat to explore.

Russell’s balance of poignancy and a bleak plot isn’t without fault, however.  For instance, the main characters’ aging over twenty-two years doesn’t make much sense from the get-go (i.e. how is Clark a ‘teen’ as he claims in 1963, but Bruce and Lois are evidently twenty-somethings? Or how could Lois then only be 28 at the time of Watergate?).  It’s one of several questions in plain sight that Russell doesn’t address. 

Case in point: Why isn’t Supergirl (or even a Krypto) in this reality? Why wouldn’t Martha Kent be with Clark’s family come the world’s end?  Why doesn’t Russell divulge the fate of seven abducted Gotham City children?  Lastly, why is this Justice League’s mindset so ridiculously passive for years awaiting a cosmic cataclysm?  Even with such plot holes, Russell’s tale still makes a gripping read. 

The Space Age Superman’s fate presents, in effect, a timeless philosophy lesson.  The conveyance of hope as merging one’s inner peace with selfless bravery – even in the face of imminent death – makes an apt analogy for the human spirit’s resiliency. Russell and the Allreds offer a thought-provoking exploration of a doomed world (echoing Krypton) where super-powers can’t surpass reality’s worst nightmares. If anything, this Space Age Superman’s solution for saving his beloved world leaves room for some thoughtful debate, as to what actually constitutes life after death.      

Another argument is that DC Comics’ crass reliance upon style (and even sleaze) over substance has been its own worst enemy for nearly forty years since the first company-wide Crisis.  Fittingly enough, this nostalgic tribute to its Silver Age/Bronze Age is a reminder that DC Comics can still generate excellent work.  A gem like Superman: Space Age delivers welcome proof.  

ADDITIONAL CONTENT:

All three Michael Allred & Laura Allred covers are included in a full-page format.  In a full-page cover gallery, there are variants for Issue # 1 (1. Michael Allred; 2. Nick Derington; and 3. Steve Rude); Issue # 2 (1. Derington; and 2. Dave Johnson); and Issue # 3 (1. Derington – a Dean Cain homage; and 2. Joe Quinones – a Superman III homage). 

Also included are Michael Allred’s black-and-white cover and sketch work; and the Allreds’ full-page Action Comics # 1050 variant cover.  The last page is an advertisement for other DC works by Mark Russell.   

BRIAN’S ODD MOON RATING:                8 Stars

Note: Another thoughtful Superman title worth discovery is 2004’s Superman: Secret Identity (written by Kurt Busiek).  In an alternate reality reminiscent of DC’s original Earth-Prime, this Clark Kent/Superman ages in real time during his life’s journey.

Written by Chip Zdarsky.

Art by Mike Hawthorne; Miguel Mendoça; Belén Ortega; Jorge Jimenez; Mikel Janín; Jorge Corona; Adriano Di Benedetto; Tomeu Morey; Roman Stevens; Romulo Fajardo Jr.; Ivan Plasecenia; & Clayton Cowles.

Collection Cover Art by Jorge Jiménez.

SUMMARY:

Released in 2023 by DC Comics, this 240-page hardcover compiles 2023’s Batman # 131-136.  A seemingly fatal shot by the Failsafe robot using Toyman’s high-tech blaster had made Batman vanish before a horrified Tim Drake’s eyes. Immediately robbed of his utility belt, a battered and semi-conscious Dark Knight now finds himself stranded in an alternate-reality Gotham City. 

Initially haunted by a ghostly Commissioner Gordon, Bruce Wayne discovers that this bleak reality had no Batman, as its own Bruce Wayne met a grim fate.  Batman’s probe also confirms countless others from Gotham City and beyond have been abducted as test subjects for ghastly experiments conducted beneath Arkham Asylum.  Donning a makeshift uniform, Batman soon suspects the insidious research is linked to this Gotham’s reclusive billionaire philanthropist: Darwin Halliday.    

With help from his new young friend, Jewel, Batman senses that he must thwart this world’s Joker counterpart: the Crimson Mask.  More so, with such limited resources, Batman’s presence as an anomaly from another universe is a dire predicament he can’t resolve alone.  He must then take a chance that this world’s Alfred Pennyworth and mercenary Selina Kyle will become his allies rather than enemies. 

Shocking twists unfold, as a depleted Batman must later pursue the Crimson Mask out into DC’s multiverse.  In each different Bat-reality he encounters, the Dark Knight seeks a final showdown with his elusive adversary, who is chaotically bringing Joker variants to life.  

Upon finally returning home, Bruce Wayne acclimates to the changes that occurred in his absence, including Selina’s escape from prison.  Reuniting with Tim, Selina, and others in the Bat-Family, the Dark Knight resumes his relentless nocturnal mission.  The Failsafe crisis has seemingly ended for now.  Reeling from multiple surprise revelations, Bruce’s increasingly fractured psyche, however, is taking a bizarre turn for the worst.     

The four-part back-up arc is “The Toybox.”  After consulting Jon Kent’s Superman and Nightwing, Tim Drake’s Robin goes on a solo multiversal quest to find the missing Batman.  Utilizing Mr. Terrific’s technological wizardry, Tim pursues a supposedly dead Toyman into another reality.  Tim believes this villain may be the only answer to saving Batman.  After rescuing innocent civilians the Toyman abducted, Tim can’t resist chancing a reunion with his mother from a parallel world.  It’s conveyed that, off-screen, Tim’s multi-dimensional journey has him encountering as many different Batmen as his mentor has. 

With Alfred alive, the storyline concludes with an eight-page, back-up tale entitled “The Plans Below.” Seeking inspiration to better concentrate, Batman wearily descends from the Batcave into a private chamber.  Awaiting him is a reinvigorating workout versus his Failsafe robot and an opportunity to update the machine’s programming.   

Note: This title is also available digitally. Its paperback release is presumably in the works.

REVIEW:

Deeming writer Chip Zdarsky’s “The Bat-Man of Gotham” a glorified (and overstuffed) Elseworlds epic is a fair assessment.  The concept of Batman, Robin, Mr. Terrific, Toyman, and Crimson Mask all vaguely dabbling in multiversal energy residue, detectors, retracting coils, etc. comes off as outlandish nonsense.  Had Zdarsky instead been writing Mr. Spock, such scientific miracles might be plausible … for the 23^rd Century.  In this century, however, Zdarsky pushes far too many multiverse-driven contrivances trying to pass his Bat-Man of Gotham off as a compelling read.

If Zdarsky had simplified his premise (i.e. challenging Batman to escape from an Elseworlds alternate reality) and incorporated a less-bonkers take on science fiction (i.e. the supposedly true purpose for Batman’s existence), a more efficient storyline should have clicked. From a reader’s perspective, the plot’s credibility suffers a significant hit when only Tim Drake is openly worried about Batman’s apparent death. With others (i.e. Nightwing) presumptive that the Dark Knight will resurface on his own like he always does, it seems peculiar that the Justice League isn’t bothering to investigate Batman’s disappearance.

Hence, why shouldn’t readers conclude the same outcome and recognize that Zdarsky’s storyline is backing itself into a corner? Tim Drake’s valiant search inevitably impacts the climax, but it ironically also mutes the imminent suspense — i.e. how does one think Batman will escape? The Bat-Man arc’s resolution, therefore, is telegraphed by the events of “The Toybox.”

Zdarsky also pitches a seemingly shocking injury, which merely duplicates the same device used for Luke Skywalker and Aquaman.  Such dramatic impact would have been sufficient for an Elseworlds Batman, but Zdarsky’s gambit of disfiguring DC’s primary Batman is an unnecessary eyeroll.  Undoubtedly, DC will ensure that Batman’s ‘irreversible’ loss is reversed in a matter of time – sooner than later.    

As for the pop culture parade of familiar Batmen (i.e. Michael Keaton’s Batman ’89), the ‘wow’ factor is obvious.  The one iconic Batman oddly excluded is his Golden Age incarnation (from DC’s original Earth-Two).  Though this creative team’s Bat-homages dangle fun fan-bait, it doesn’t take long for one to realize how superficial the gimmick really is.  These guest spots don’t sidestep an exceedingly convoluted storyline beyond a series of wink-wink optics.      

The artwork, otherwise, treads a consistent B-range resembling most Elseworlds Bat-projects – that is, until Issue # 136.  That installment’s artwork is hampered by some glaring visual discrepancies.  For instance, in the previous four issues, Bruce Wayne/Batman is exceptionally well-toned.  Issue # 136 oddly depicts his physique as now nearly Hulk-sized (resembling his appearance in The Dark Knight Returns). 

Hence, Batman is shown towering over a far smaller Selina – as if she’s a foot shorter (which doesn’t make sense, given their established heights).  An ultra-petite Selina Kyle is also drawn as if she’s barely twenty years old, let alone dresses as such.  Either way, this issue makes for a wonky transition into the next arc reviving Zur-En-Arrh. 

Batman, Volume 2: The Bat-Man of Gotham packs several intriguing moments; its excesses, however, translate into a merely okay read given its hefty page count.  Over-reliance on DC’s multiverse and a horde of ridiculous plot elements, ultimately, does Batman no favors.  Frankly, the most practical option is finding this Bat-title at the library.                     

ADDITIONAL CONTENT:

Preceding each story is Jorge Jiménez’s full-page cover and then Stanley “Artgerm” Lau’s own full-page variant.  In the cover gallery, one can explore a ridiculous glut of full-page variants: 

• Issue # 131’s second printing: artist – Jiménez.

2^nd variant: artists – Joe Quesada & Richard Isanove.

3rd variant: artists: Jason Fabok & Brad Anderson.

4^th variant: artist David Nakayama.

• Issues # 132 – 134 2^nd variant: artists – Quesada, Kevin Nowlan, & Isanove.

Issue # 132 3^rd variant: artist Derrick Chew.

                   4^th variant: artist – Mike Hawthorne.

                   5^th variant: artist – Nathan Szerdy.

                   6^th variant: artist – Szerdy.

Issue # 133 3^rd variant: artist – Chew.

Issue # 134 3^rd variant: artist – Clayton Crain.

                   4^th variant: artists – Frank Cho & Sabine Rich.

                   5^th variant: artist – Tom King

• Issue # 135 (two-page spread): artists – Quesada, Nowlan, & Isanove.

                   3^rd variant: artist – Gabrielle Dell’Otto.

                   4^th variant: artist – Karl Ngu

                   5^th variant: artists – Jim Cheung & Jay David Ramos.

                   6^th variant: artist – Lee Bermejo.

                   7^th variant: artist – Neal Adams.

• Issue # 136: artists – Quesada, Nowlan, & Isanove.

                    3^rd variant: artist – Dell’Otto.

                    4^th variant: artist – Stjepan Šejić.

                    5^th variant: artist – Bermejo.

BRIAN’S ODD MOON RATING:                          5½ Stars

Written by Bryan Q. Miller & Grant Morrison.

Art by Pere Perez; Dustin Nguyen; Derek Fridolfs; Ramon Bachs; Cameron Stewart; Lee Garbett; Trevor Scott; Guy Major; Nathan Fairbairn; Travis Lanham; Dave Sharpe; Carlos M. Mangual; Sal Cipriano; & John J. Hill.

Collection Cover Art by Dustin Nguyen.

SUMMARY:

Released in 2018 by DC Comics, this 328-page trade paperback completes Stephanie Brown’s initial journey as Batgirl — that is, prior to DC’s New 52 continuity reboot.  This volume collects Batgirl # 13-24; Bruce Wayne – The Road Home: Batgirl one-shot; and Stephanie’s overseas team-up with Bruce Wayne’s Batman in Batman, Incorporated: Leviathan Strikes # 1 — all originally released between 2010 and 2012.  With Issue # 24, DC Comics cancelled this series, as its subsequent New 52 reboot would restore Barbara Gordon to the role as the original (and again teenage) Batgirl.

After Volume 1, Stephanie Brown’s on-the-job training as the newest Batgirl resumes, as she tries evading her prior rookie mistakes.  Juggling her second semester as a Gotham University freshman, Batgirl must help enigmatic GCPD Detective Gage thwart a homicidal Clayface’s bank heist.  Another team-up awaits Stephanie, as fellow teen Supergirl flies into Gotham City for some downtime with her new friend.  Hence, they spend a wild Friday night pursuing twenty-four 3D clones of Count Dracula that have escaped from Gotham University’s campus movie screen into reality. 

Stephanie’s combat and sleuthing skills are then tested by a mysteriously stealth-powered adversary, who is the person she least expects.  Meanwhile, with Bruce Wayne still missing, a determined Vicki Vale confronts Barbara Gordon to confirm the original Dark Knight’s secret identity.

With Barbara and Wendy “Proxy” Harris providing her tech support from the Batcave and now the hidden ‘Firewall,’ Stephanie gains an unwanted ally in the ‘Grey Ghost’ in her pursuit of the sinister Reapers cult.  Worse yet, an injured Batgirl finds herself a prime suspect after being framed in the cult’s homicide of one of her own classmates. 

Stephanie, in the meantime, teams with Damian Wayne’s Robin in an undercover sting to rescue kidnaped children from their abductors. As his surrogate big sister, she later tries to demonstrate to ten-year-old Damian that he is still a child capable of innocent playtime.

Set amidst Valentine’s Day, Stephanie unexpectedly meets Klarion the Witchboy in Gotham City.  Helping Klarion find a romantic playmate for Teekl (his feline mascot), Batgirl reluctantly finds herself undercover in Limbo Town.  One friendly favor merits another, as Stephanie takes Klarion to a Valentine’s Day festival at Gotham University.  With Detective Gage and ‘The Grey Ghost’ at her side, Batgirl next faces the first of the Reapers’ techno-mercenaries: Slipstream.  Another of these techno-operatives, Harmony, subsequently challenges Batgirl.  At the same time, months after her brother Marvin’s grisly homicide, Wendy is now haunted by his zombie-like ghost.           

Assigned overseas to London by Bruce Wayne’s Batman, an undercover Stephanie teams up with her fellow teenage vigilante, the Squire, to rescue hostages.  The Knight makes a cameo appearance in this adventure.  Taken captive while probing a British boarding school, Stephanie confirms it’s an elitist front for a Leviathan terrorist recruitment center. 

With Batgirl vastly outnumbered, it’s up to the original Dark Knight to help even the grim odds.  Upon her return to Gotham City, Stephanie resumes her feud with The Reapers’ legion of armored thugs.  With an ally fatally struck down, Batgirl must re-double her efforts.  Hence, she summons the right kind of all-star firepower for this job: Supergirl, Miss Martin, Stargirl, and Bombshell.        

As the series comes to an end, Stephanie is stunned by the return of her supposedly dead father: the Cluemaster.  Rendered comatose, Batgirl’s life is saved by her beloved friends and the last person she wants discovering her secret identity.  Having dreamt possible future adventures awaiting her, Stephanie makes peace with her life as is.  She’s as ready for tomorrow as Batgirl as she’ll ever be.   

Notes: This title is also available digitally.  The prior volume complies Issues # 1-12, including a two-part crossover with Tim Drake’s Red Robin.

REVIEW:

Despite inevitable turnover with this franchise’s artistic personnel, Volume 2’s visuals are still well above-average.  In particular, Dustin Nguyen’s distinctive artistic charm is an ideal fit for Stephanie Brown’s Batgirl.      

In sync with a reliable visual look, writer Bryan Q. Miller proves consistently on his game progressing Stephanie’s “Lesson” as a rookie Batgirl.   Not only is Miller’s storytelling a fresh take on a college-age heroine, but he plays up Stephanie’s exuberance and self-confidence for what it should be – i.e. she’s a plausible teenager. 

Hence, energetic team-ups with Supergirl, Damian Wayne’s Robin, Klarion the Witchboy, and Stephanie’s British counterpart: the Squire, blend DC’s formulaic elements with the playful advantages this new Batgirl brings with her.  Ending an issue with a bounce house scene with the skeptical Damian, for instance, demonstrates how Miller has made Stephanie an appealingly relatable character to readers.         

With Barbara Gordon’s Oracle and Wendy Harris’ ‘Proxy’ leading the supporting cast, Miller ensures that his youthful protagonist isn’t overshadowed by a preponderance of too many Bat-characters crossing over.  That even includes the Dark Knight himself, as his team-up with Stephanie in the “Leviathan Strikes” crossover is a welcome treat. 

To Miller’s credit, he effectively phases in potential castmates that could stick around awhile or possibly prove expendable – it’s a welcome nod to unpredictability.  More so, DC Comics evidently paid attention to how Miller had revitalized Batgirl’s significance to the Bat-Family, even after this series was regrettably cancelled. 

One can recognize how many of Stephanie’s fun-loving traits were lifted for the New 52 Barbara Gordon to update the most famous Batgirl’s well-established persona with extra dimension.  It’s unsurprising given how another New 52 consolidation tweaked Barry Allen’s Flash to more closely resemble Wally West’s hyperactivity.  Hence, two Silver Age icons received contemporary personality makeovers while temporarily relegating both Stephanie and Wally to DC’s continuity dustbin. 

Nearly fifteen years later, Miller’s take on this underrated Batgirl still hasn’t received its due reward – let’s just say the poignant series finale speaks for itself.  Batgirl: Stephanie Brown, Volume 2, ultimately, is a teen-friendly gem well worth re-discovery.

ADDITIONAL CONTENT:

The original cover is presented in a full-page format followed by a posed Batgirl portrait taken from the interior artwork to precede each story.  The cover artists are: Stanley “Artgem” Lau (Issues # 13-14); Shane Davis & Barbara Ciardo (Bruce Wayne – The Road Home: Batgirl); Dustin Nguyen (Issues # 15-24); and Chris Burnham & Nathan Fairbarn (Batman, Incorporated: Leviathan Strikes # 1).

BRIAN’S ODD MOON RATING:                    8½ Stars

Written by Grant Morrison.  

Art by Frazier Irving; Pasqual Ferry; Ryan Sook; Mick Gray; Yanick Paquette; Serge LaPointe; Doug Mahnke; Billy Dallas Patton; Michael Bair; Freddie Williams II; & J.H. Williams III.

Collection Cover Art by Ryan Sook.

SUMMARY:

Released in 2011 by DC Comics, this 381-page hardcover concludes the 30-issue Seven Soldiers of Victory epic originally published in 2005-2006.  With Seven Soldiers # 0 and Seven Soldiers # 1 serving as its bookends, the saga’s seven primary characters are each showcased in his/her own four-part, interrelated mini-series playing off the premise that none of these Soldiers interact with one another, let alone realize their link to an ancient prophecy.

Presenting writer Grant Morrison’s storyline by each issue’s chronological release rather than each individual mini-series together, Volume 2’s contents shift between Klarion the Witch Boy # 4; Mister Miracle # 1-4; Zatanna # 4; Bulleteer # 1-4; and Frankenstein # 1-4 before concluding with Seven Soldiers of Victory # 1.  Grim revelations of The Sheeda’s magical invasion of Earth become more specific, as the destined Seven Soldiers rise against their common enemy. 

Notes: As with Volume 1, this title was subsequent re-released as as a trade paperbacks and in digital form.  Other formats include: a full-scale, nearly 800-page hardcover Omnibus assembling the entire series and the original Seven Soldiers Books 1-4 trade paperbacks (i.e. Volume 1 combines Books 1-2 and this Volume 2 is the combined  Books 3-4).

Klarion’s series finale begins with the Witchboy nearly burned at the stake by Limbo Town’s incensed inhabitants, including his own mother and sister.  With the sinister Mister Malmoth and his mercenaries invading Limbo Town, dark secrets are revealed.  It’s up to teenage Klarion and his feline familiar, Teekl, to save his underground home from Malmoth’s diabolical plans for ‘updating’ Limbo Town. 

Elsewhere, a re-imagined a ‘Mister Miracle’ named Shilo Norman emerges as possibly Earth’s greatest escape artist (note: the existence of Scott Free’s Mister Miracle isn’t addressed).  Like his unacknowledged predecessor, the slippery Mister Miracle finds himself targeted by a cadre of otherworldly threats, including the ominous ‘Dark Side.’ Even his extraordinary talents escaping the inescapable may not be enough to overcome these odds.  

A possibly powerless Zatanna Zatara and her young apprentice, Misty, arrived in Slaughter Swamp in search of its mysterious Seven Unknown Men.  A lethal showdown awaits Zatanna in the form of the evil magician, Zor.  The ethereal prize awaiting their battle’s victor is the truth of her late father’s elusive four magical books: the Libri Zatarae. 

Stunned by her husband’s reckless death, Alix Harrower has reluctantly become the hero-for-hire Bulleteer – a Bullet Girl for a new generation.  It’s revealed that Alix was the unidentified no-show in Seven Soldiers # 0, who had avoided the prior team’s gory annihilation.  Forced into battle by a personal foe, Alix refuses the summons of a persistent ghost pressing her acceptance as one of the prophesied new Seven Soldiers.  Another ominous link to the prior team has targeted this rookie Bulleteer for assassination by The Sheeda.

With help from his estranged secret-agent wife, The Bride, Frankenstein’s Monster faces multiple grisly missions in his pursuit of the immortal Mister Malmoth following the villain’s escape from a defiant Limbo Town. The legendary undead monster senses he must hunt down Malmoth first in order to destroy The Sheeda. 

To thwart The Sheeda Queen and her insidious forces, desperate solo gambits must be made by Frankenstein’s Monster; Zatanna Zatara and Misty; Klarion the Witchboy; Sir Ystina the Shining Knight; and Shilo Norman’s Mister Miracle.  Also converging on the scene are Jake Jordan’s Guardian and the Bulleteer, as one of the Seven Soldiers will make the ultimate sacrifice to secure victory.  The epilogue updates the fates of some of the survivors.

REVIEW:

Explaining Grant Morrison’s strange Seven Soldiers of Victory, Volume 2 to non-fans would be the equivalent of fathoming Kurt Vonnegut’s Slaughterhouse Five as a graphic novel.  Perhaps Morrison was aiming for a Vertigo Comics audience that deems weirdly subversive sci-fi/fantasies like Robert A. Heinlein’s Number of the Beast as top-caliber entertainment.

Given the artistic talent involved (and their varying degrees of murkiness), Volume 2’s visuals are consistently stellar – no matter how incomprehensible Morrison’s storyline often is.  Before proceeding further, Volume 2 concocts some cleverly devised plot twists, and a few well-written segments (i.e. Zatanna # 4) are easy to follow – scoring some rare poignancy at welcome moments.  Yet, that’s more the exception than the rule.  While Klarion # 4 and Frankenstein # 2-4 contribute necessary depth to The Sheeda invasion angle (and mostly make sense), the same doesn’t apply so much to either The Bulleteer # 1-4 and Mister Miracle # 1-4.       

Case in point: The Bulleteer’s sub-plots include some supernatural characters relevant to Seven Soldiers # 0 and # 1, which generates well-played intrigue.  However, the primary arc constructs an inevitable showdown between likable heroine Alix “The Bulleteer” Harrower and the woman her late husband was having a cyber-affair with. Aside from their terrific visual quality, Alix’s adventures are, therefore, mostly irrelevant. 

There’s also no mistaking the talented art team’s fixation on displaying the Bulleteer’s blatant sex appeal vs. crafting her a compelling origin tale.  While Alix’s mini-series is actually a fun read, her contribution is far more padding than any substantial one. More so, Alix’s cameo in the Seven Soldiers finale surely doesn’t add much to Morrison’s mixed-bag finish line. 

As for Morrison’s Mister Miracle, his re-imagining of Jack Kirby’s New Gods (including Darkseid) is a high-concept homage that baffles far more than it dazzles.  Readers will find that they have to operate on the same wavelength as Morrison to follow Shilo Norman’s confusing four-part tale.  Mister Miracle is prime evidence of how muddled Morrison’s saga becomes when Volume 2 is absorbed as a whole.  The glorification of horrific, R-rated plot curveballs (off-screen or not) makes their creative justification throughout this wonky project seem even more tasteless.

Note: Volume 1’s grisly surprises are more repulsive than in Volume 2.      

Ultimately, Volume 2’s high-caliber artwork and pristine production values are its two best and most enduring assets.  Morrison’s bizarre plotting, by comparison, is overrated, as his impressively grand ambitions tend to fall short of the actual content.

ADDITIONAL CONTENT:

A two-page summary conveys the events of Seven Soldiers of Victory, Volume 1.  The original full-page cover precedes each story.  Cover artists are: Frazier Irving (Klarion # 4); Pasqual Ferry (Mister Miracle # 1-2); Freddie Williams II & Dave McCaig (Mister Miracle # 3-4); Ryan Sook (Zatanna # 4); Yanick Paquette, Michael Bair, & Alex Sinclair (Bulleteer # 1 & # 4); Paquette, Serge LaPointe, & Sinclair (Bulleteer # 2-3); Doug Mahnke & Dave Stewart (Frankenstein # 1); Mahnke & John Kalisz (Frankenstein # 2-3); Mahnke & Nathan Eyring (Frankenstein # 4); and J.H. Williams III (Seven Soldiers of Victory # 1).

Morrison, at the end, presents six pages of insightful script notes preparing Seven Soldiers of Victory # 1.  Presented in a full-page format, the collection covers for Seven Soldiers of Victory, Book Three (cover artists: Paquette, LaPointe, & Stewart) and Book Four (cover artists: Mahnke & Stewart) are included.  In a full, double-page montage (essentially, a poster), Sook’s collection cover artwork for Seven Soldiers of Victory, Volumes 1 & 2 is saved for last.

BRIAN’S ODD MOON RATING:                      6½ Stars

Written by Joe Casey & Joshua Williamson.

Art by Scott Kolins; Ardian Syaf; Jay Fabok; Vincente Cifuentes; David Enebral; Norm Rapmund; Marlo Alquiza; Prentis Rollins; Rebecca Buchman; Derek Fridolfs; Walden Wong; Michael Atiyeh; Ulises Arreola; Pete Pantazis; & Rob Leigh.

Collection Cover Art by Ardian Syaf; Vicente Cifuentes; & Ulises Arreola.

SUMMARY:

DC Comics, in 2010, released this 144-page paperback compiling Superman/Batman # 64 and # 68-71 from 2009 and 2010.  Thousands of years before, homicidal Durlan terrorists aboard a hijacked Kryptonian vessel flee local justice through a space-time portal.  The shape-shifting Durlans intend to exterminate all Kryptonians to finally achieve victory in their intergalactic feud. 

In the present-day (amidst the aftermath of Our Worlds At War), Batman & Superman grimly investigate this same vessel they have found now derelict in a secluded asteroid belt.  Given a missing escape pod and the ship’s uneasy proximity to Earth, they conclude that an alien hostile is apparently now hiding somewhere on the planet. 

What confounds the World’s Finest Duo is how this Kryptonian ship could have jumped through time – more so, the reason why.  Meanwhile, in the Himalayan Mountains, reclusive billionaire (and STAR Labs silent partner) Anderson Gaines evidently makes a sinister discovery. 

A seemingly routine assignment weeks later for Clark Kent has him interviewing the enigmatic Gaines.  Soon afterward, an incendiary assassin named NRG-X launches fiery attacks targeting Clark Kent at The Daily Planet and then the Man of Steel in his own Fortress of Solitude.  Having probed his own suspicions of Gaines’ unusually public activities, Bruce Wayne contemplates the identity of NRG-X’s shadowy employer.  Whoever it is knows Clark’s secret and is unleashing a very personal vendetta to kill Superman.    

Against two formidable adversaries, the Dark Knight and the Man of Steel must go on offense to end a predator’s wrath bent on finally destroying Krypton’s legacy.   

Note: This title is presently available in a trade paperback format only.

REVIEW:

Considering this title’s brevity, readers could construe Big Noise either as a tight, plot-driven space/action thriller or a fast and forgettable read.  Squandering excellent artwork (specifically, Issues # 68-71), one makes a more convincing case for the latter.  Suffice to say, Big Noise’s storyline is, at most, superficially entertaining. 

A lack of depth is glaring, such as the absence of pivotal supporting characters  – apart from Alfred Pennyworth making some contributions, the plot leaves one wondering: where is Clark’s spouse, Lois Lane?  Or Perry White, for that matter, especially if The Daily Planet’s upper deck has been firebombed?  Writer Joe Casey doesn’t provide any answers, let alone seems to care.

As adequate compensation, Casey might have pitched some welcome plot twists, but the Superman-targeted-for-death storyline doesn’t bother with a single surprise.  Minimal creativity isn’t a deal breaker, but this story’s business-as-usual outcome has no impact.  The predictable Superman/Batman: Big Noise, if anything, is strictly a library find.  

ADDITIONAL CONTENT:

The full-page cover precedes each story.  The cover artists are for Issue # 64: Scott Kolins & Mike Auyeh; and for Issues # 68-71: Ardian Syaf; Vicente Cifuentes; & Ulises Arreola.

BRIAN’S ODD MOON RATING:                     4½ Stars