Batman #1
The Caped Crusader returns with a new No. 1, this time under the tutelage of Hawkeye scribe and comic superstar Matt Fraction. Add in artist Jorge Jimenez, colorist Tomeu Morey and letterer Clayton Cowles, and this creative team is more stacked than the 2016 Golden State Warriors. I think this run is going to be special. From the first page, you can tell something’s different. It’s a sunset in Gotham, and former Commissioner Gordon is once again a beat cop, and Batman is rocking a sleek new blue-and-gray look. Some things stay the same, though, and as usual Gotham is in danger when Killer Croc escapes and starts wreaking havoc.
There are a few things to note. First, Batman is wrestling with a question that could invalidate his whole modus operandi. Can people change, or are we just who we are? Stuck in a cycle, doomed to repeat our mistakes on an endless carousel of woe.
Maybe. Regardless, Batman has a job to do, and he’s still an optimist in his own way. The kindness he shows toward his rogues is proof of that. Kindness is something that often gets left out of Batman stories and movies (cough Zack Snyder cough), but it is essential to Batman as a character. If Bruce Wayne didn’t believe people could be better, he would’ve started moving like the Punisher years ago. Fraction does a great job showing Batman’s softer side here, and it reminds you that Batman is a hero, not just an instrument of vengeance.
He’s intent on bringing even the worst villains in alive, something that puts him at odds with Gotham City police, now under the command of Vandal Savage. It’s anyone’s guess how this will play out, but Savage certainly won’t tolerate Batman running around his new city. So for the time being, Batman is once again a true vigilante.
Closer
(One Shot)
A bad breakup can feel like the end of the world. In Closer, that’s a bit more literal. The Wicked + The Divine scribe Kieron Gillen pays homage to his early work in this new one-shot from Image. Closer is a heady, atmospheric ride, complimented nicely by Steve Lieber’s art and Tamra Bonvillain’s vibrant colors.
The story centers around Marigold, a woman who’s entered a strange experiment. What follows is quite bizarre, but the details are best left for you to discover. What I will say is that this is a perfectly paced story. The characters feel like real people, and the mystery and stakes build to a shocking climax that will leave you scratching your head and mourning lost love.
Everything Dead and Dying #1
I blame The Walking Dead TV show for my zombie fatigue. There was a period in the 2010s where it genuinely felt like everyone had a detailed zombie survival plan. The runaway success of The Walking Dead and blockbuster movies like World War Z and Warm Bodies cemented zombies as the zeitgeist’s favorite monsters.
The problem I have is that, with the exception of Warm Bodies, almost all zombie media began to lose their human element and lean into spectacle. Zombie hordes became endless, and special effects artists pushed themselves to make gnarlier and more decayed zombies. It felt like the heart of what makes zombie stories compelling began to fall away. To put it bluntly, zombie media became all style and no substance. The world of The Walking Dead became a playground for viewers to imagine themselves as cool zombie hunters and not think too hard about what it really means for the world to end.
In that regard, Everything Dead and Dying is a breath of fresh air. It’s a story about a farmer, a hardworking family man trying to keep his world together years after it’s fallen apart. It’s not a story about headshotting the undead or wiping out rival factions. It’s a story about grief, trauma and the ways people cope with unimaginable catastrophe.
Tate Brombal weaves a layered story that makes you feel deeply for what protagonist Jack Chandler is going through, and you’ll understand why he’s chosen a rather unconventional method of apocalypse survival. Jacob Phillips’ art is stark but warm when it needs to be, a perfect blend for a story that jumps between timelines. After a cliffhanger ending, I sincerely hope this story will keep the same tone as this phenomenal first entry.
White House Robot Romance #1
This book is worthy of trust and confidence. In the quiet kitchen of a chaotic White House, two robots programmed to serve the president learn to serve each other.
There are a lot of threads to pull at in this story, and for a romance about robots it addresses some pertinent topics, from government corruption and unpopular wars to AI and the nature of art. Each character has their own agenda in play. The president wants to annex Canada and eat red meat without consequences. Danny and Pierre want to do the right thing, and artist Sara wants to make something that’s real.
At the center of it all are Service-1 and Chef-9, two robots that want something more than they were made for. It’s a cute relationship built little by little over kitchen conversations and queries. They feel like they’ve known each other for years, which makes the news that Service-1 is scheduled to be decommissioned all the more devastating.
This is where the odd couple dynamic is most evident. The stoic Service-1 is ready to accept his fate as just another part of his duty, while Chef-9 is having none of it. The inquisitive chef doesn’t see why it has to be this way and rightfully questions their circumstance. Robots don’t have rights, though, so Chef-9 acts accordingly, taking matters into their own hands to save the one they love.
One daring escape later, the robots are on the run. The only problem is Service-1 has seen every shady and corrupt deal the president and his cabinet have orchestrated, which makes them a loose end the White House can’t abide. Will these lovers get their freedom, or will the powers that be melt them down for scrap? Make sure to check out this thrilling new tale.
I've worked at Dr No's for just less than a year and I've been patronizing them for half my life. I like comics, video games, music and sometimes sports.
I’m a GSU graduate, veteran sandwich artist, and aspiring writer. Ask me about the X-Men or my anime car sometime.
I think all comics are good they're human expression, dreams put to a page through days, months and years of dedication. They're windows into other worlds, aspirations of all we can be, warnings of what we may become and everything in between. Above all I think comics can help us understand the things we often don't consider.
That's what I want these reviews to do, help folks understand maybe even appreciate something they haven't seen before, but yea lemme wrap this up I got books to file. Happy reading!
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