THE FLASH #47/ Story by JOSHUA WILLIAMSON/ Art by HOWARD PORTER/ Colors by HI-FI/ Letters by STEVE WANDS/ Published by DC COMICS
Review by MATT MORRISON
Iris West killed Eobard Thawne to save herself and Barry Allen. Now The Renegades – a group of peacekeepers from the 25th Century – have come back in time to bring her to justice. Wally West smells a set-up and he’s right… but not in the way he thinks!
After being teased for several months, Flash War hits the ground running with an amazing first chapter. The only misstep is a flash-forward (no pun intended) on the first page that gives away what the story is building towards. Still, this does little but confirm what long-time fans of the series had already guessed as to just what would cause Wally West and Barry Allen to go to war with one another.
This could be Joshua Williamson’s magnum opus, building upon the plot threads that have been lain out across his run on The Flash over the past two years. He also draws upon elements of the pre-Flashpoint universe untouched for the better part of a decade but makes it seem like they were referred to just yesterday.
The artwork by Howard Porter looks fantastic but is also filled with many clever touches, such as Porter referencing some of his older work in Wally West’s “time seizure” flashbacks. Throw in some amazing colors from Hi-Fi and Steve Wands’ stellar lettering and this is one fantastic book!
INJUSTICE 2 #59/ Story by TOM TAYLOR/ Art by XERMANICO/ Colors by J. NANJAN/ Letters by WES ABBOTT/ Published by DC COMICS
Review by MATT MORRISON
The Red Lanterns have recruited Starro The Conqueror and sent a Brute Squad to the planet Oa to destroy The Guardians Of The Universe once and for all! The Green Lanterns’ only hope may lay in Hal Jordan, who has also been drawn into the rage-empowered group. But does Hal have Willpower enough to overcome his own Rage and one of the universe’s strongest telepaths?
There are many books I wish Tom Taylor were writing on a regular basis and Green Lantern is one of them. His command of the characters is pitch-perfect and the ideas he puts forth imaginative. There is more pure excitement in this single story than any Green Lantern story in recent memory that I’ve read.
The artwork by Xermanico is largely excellent, though a bit over-inked in places. This obscures the details of the pencils in several scenes. Thankfully, the bright colors chosen by J. Nanjan offset this to a degree, but there are still some moments that look far too dark for the aesthetic of Green Lantern. Still, this is a minor flaw in an otherwise amazing comic.
THE SILENCER #5/ Story by DAN ABNETT/ Art by VIKTOR BOGDANOVIC/ Colors by MIKE SPICER/ Letters by TOM NAPOLITANO/ Published by DC COMICS
Review by MATT MORRISON
Deathstroke confronts Honor Guest regarding the collapse of the mercenary underground known as The Underlife and her own role in starting the war that now threatens to destroy the new life she built for herself. She may not want to be The Silencer anymore but she may not have a choice. Not when her benefactor, Talia Al’Ghul, may be less innocent than she claims…
Dan Abnett continues to write one heck of an action-packed blockbuster, that redefines everything you thought you knew about the world of hired guns in the DC Comics Universe. The artwork by Viktor Bogdanovic and Mike Spicer perfectly matches the grit of Abnett’s script, presenting a book that looks like it should have come out of the 1990s yet sports a modern aesthetic in terms of its story. This is one fantastic book that proves that action fiction can be smartly written.
THE TERRIFICS #4/ Story by JEFF LEMIRE/ Art by DOC SHANER/ Colors by NATHAN FAIRBAIRN/ Letters by TOM NAPOLITANO/ Published by DC COMICS
Review by MATT MORRISON
The Terrifics (at least, that is what Plastic Man is calling them now) take a journey into space to Phantom Girl’s homeworld of Bgztl. Unfortunately, while Mister Terrific can plan for a lot, he didn’t count on his space-traveling T-Sphere being picked up by space pirates and the team having to fight a giant space squid in their garbage compactor.
Doc Shaner handles the art duties for this issue and if there’s a better artist to handle this series, I am hard pressed to name them. Shaner’s aesthetic bleeds Silver Age goofiness and he brings the same sense of fun that he brought to Future Quest to this issue.
I had pondered leaving this book behind because Jeff Lemire seemed to be taking forever to move forward with any kind of plot. Paradoxically, I loved this issue because it was just a simple, rollicking adventure without an long, overriding storyline behind it. This issue seemed far truer to the classic Fantastic Four spirit that this book is meant to emulate and I think Lemire has finally found his feet now that the base concept is established. We’ll know for certain in the months to come, but for now this book remains a must-read.
Buy these comics digitally or from your local comic book store!
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