DC Comics
Action Comics #988
At the end of “Action Comics #987” it was revealed that (SPOILER ALERT) Superman’s father, Jor-El, is in fact Dr. Oz.
In “The Oz Effect Part 2,” readers find out exactly how this is possible–sort of.
After Clark’s, or Kal-El’s, parents put him in the pod that got him to Earth, Krypton died, along with Lara-El, Superman’s mother. But something that has only been referred to as Jor-El’s controller intervened at the last minute and saved him, while he had to watch Lara die.
While reading “The Oz Effect,” I am just in a constant mindset of being mind blown. “Action Comics #988” ends with Jor tell- ing Kal that the world is doomed and it’s time to leave.
Batman: The Murder Machine #1
“Batman: The Murder Machine” comes from Earth -44, where Alfred is killed by several of Batman’s villains. After this, Bruce asks Victor, a.k.a. Cyborg, to help him build the Alfred Protocol, a way for Alfred to always be with Bruce.
This protocol goes rogue and kills just about everyone who Batman has ever so much as tusseled with. Then it takes over Bruce and he becomes the Murder Machine. He kills the Justice League of his world and comes to the main universe, Earth 0, when he and the other evil Batmans rip Cyborg apart, barely leaving him alive. “Batman: The Murder Machine” is one of the darkest comics I’ve read.
Suicide Squad #26
“Gotham Resistance Pt. 3” picks up where part 2 left off and features one of the coolest scenes ever with Harley Quinn, Robin, Nightwing, Killer Croc, and Green Arrow driving a Mad Max-style school bus toward a cliff.
When they go over the cliff, they are caught by Poison Ivy. Harley is happy to see Ivy until she realizes that Ivy isn’t on her side.
This brings the ragtag group of heroes face to face with the Robin who laughs, and Mister Terrific joins in to help save the day.
Batman: The Dawnbreaker #1
“Batman: The Dawnbreaker” really shows just what could’ve happened to Bruce Wayne when his parents died, if just a few things went differently. After his parents were shot, all he felt inside was a “void,” just pure blackness. Because he didn’t feel fear, a Lantern Ring was drawn to him.
The void inside of Bruce corrupted the Lantern Ring, and he began killing anyone who opposed him. Suddenly his earth, Earth -32, crumbles into the void. The Batman Who Laughs comes to the Dawnbreaker and tells him there’s a world full of light for him to purge — and that’s exactly what he does.
Green Arrow #32
In “Gotham Resistance Finale,” Nightwing gets another series of visions he’s been having. This view shows Croc and the Teen Titans strapped to this giant spider machine. The heroes come up on the machine when Barbatos, the Batman Who Laughs, comes riding in his Laughing Batmobile. Green Arrow fires an Nth Metal arrow, and it goes through Damian (Robin), who then uses it to stab the Robin Who Laughs, killing the evil Robin. Barbatos then shows the Gotham Resistance all of the evil Batmans. Moments later, a long-awaited return happens when Doctor Fate pulls the heroes into his realm.
Nightwing: The New Order #2
“Nightwing: The New Order” takes place in 2040, after super powers and abilities went more mainstream than they already were. People could just buy them.
One day all of these superpowered people were fighting in Metropolis when Nightwing set off a device negating all powers. This led to laws being made against super powers.
In Chapter One, readers found out that Nightwing’s son had developed powers. In “Nightwing: The New Order Chapter Two” the police force storms their house, and in the commotion, Alfred is shot and killed and the Graysons are taken into custody.
Marvel Comics
Marvel Legacy #1
“Marvel Legacy #1” begins right after The Avengers of 1,000,000 BC finished defeating a Celestial (a cosmic giant). On this team was a young Odin — Thor’s father
— trying to tame Mjolnir the hammer, as well as the Pheonix, a Starbrand that resembles the Hulk, a Ghost Rider mourning the death of his mammoth, the All-Seeing Agamoto — then Sorcerer Supreme — a female Iron Fist, and a Black Panther.
This leads into the present and the Legacy that today’s heroes are trying to live up to. “Marvel Legacy #1” sets the stage for many of Marvel’s old and new characters and teams to move on from “Hydra Nation.”
The Avengers #672
Although “The Avengers #672” is subtitled “The Avengers vs. The Champions,” at this point in the story arc, they’ve only just teamed up — which is still super sweet.
A giant meteor is coming at the earth, and the Champions — Ms. Marvel, Nova, Miles Morales’ Spider-Man, Viv Vision, Amadeus Cho the Hulk, and Cyclops — must team up with the Avengers — Wasp, Lady Thor, Falcon, Vision, Peter Parker’s Spider-Man, and Hercules — to stop this extinction level event from happening.
I’m quite excited to see what’s in store for this lineup of Avengers and Champions, and I can’t wait to see what comes of these teams.
Iceman #6
“Iceman #6” begins shortly after Bobby Drake, a.k.a. Iceman, comes out as gay
to his parents, and kind of himself. There isn’t actually a ton of action in the comic, and most of it is about Bobby getting asked out and taking the original Champions — Hercules, Ghost Rider, Angel, and Darkstar — out to the club for his date.
When he’s about to go home with the guy, a girl trying to get a a special effects studio up and running makes Sentinals (giant mutant killing robots) start attacking Hollywood and the “Champions” burst into action.
Venomverse #4
In “Venomverse #4,” there is an all-out war between the alien poisons and the symbiote possessing heroes. This fight is definitely the most entertaining fight to grace the pages of the “Venomverse” series.
The symbiotes capture the poison Gwenpool. While they’re questioning her, Deadpool kills her and pretends to still be on the side of symbiotes. He captures Carnage and delivers him to the poisons for “disect”-ing.
Venomverse #5
I don’t absolutely love Deadpool as a character, but he looks cool, even more so in the “Venomverse” series. But he is unpredictable, and I do really aprreciate that.
I’ve been questioning Deadpool’s motives throughout a lot of this series. When he delivered Carnage to the poisons, I thought that was it.
But in “Venomverse #5,” he kills the poisoned Captain America almost out of nowhere.
The symbiotes begin storming the poisons HQ and win the battle. All of the remaining symbiotes are returned to their home universe, and it’s the end — for now.
Mace Windu #2
“Mace Windu: Jedi of the Republic #2” picks up with the jedi team entering a cave on Hissrich with lightsabers drawn. To my enjoyment, they don’t sheath them for almost the entire comic.
They encounter droids of different shapes and capabilities while delivering some really fun action sequences.
This makes for beautiful streaks of light across the pages of this comic as the jedi delve deeper into their mission and protect- ing the planet Hissrich.
“Mace Windu: Jedi of the Republic” is delivering an extremely satisfactory Jedi adventure.
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