By [ad_1]
CBR reviews this week’s comics, including Dark Knights of Steel, Batman/Superman: The Authority Special, The Human Target, X-Men Legends and Newburn.
Each week, CBR has your guide to navigating Wednesday’s new and recent comic releases, specials, collected editions and reissues, and we’re committed to helping you choose those that are worth your hard-earned cash. It’s a little slice of CBR we like to call Major Issues.
If you feel so inclined, you can buy our recommendations directly on comiXology with the links provided. We’ll even supply links to the books we’re not so hot on, just in case you don’t want to take our word for it. Don’t forget to let us know what you think of the books this week in the comments! And as always, SPOILERS AHEAD!
DARK KNIGHTS OF STEEL #1 (DC)
COMIXOLOGY
The heroes of the DC Universe have been reimagined with a high fantasy twist through plenty of Elseworlds and alternate reality tales. And with Dark Knights of Steel #1, Tom Taylor, Yasmine Putri and Wes Abbot have revisited that well-worn concept with distinctly modern sensibilities.
In a world where Superman’s family escaped Krypton and landed in medieval times, familiar characters like Batman, Superman and Black Canary are reimagined as parts of a kingdom ruled by Jor-El. While most of the book’s initial charm stems from seeing how DC’s heroes are recast in the fantasy epic, Taylor’s penchant for heartbreaking twists and shocking, Game of Thrones-esque cliffhangers ends the issue with a shocking final moment. Putri’s art shines throughout, highlighting the natural colors of this epic landscape.
BATMAN/SUPERMAN: THE AUTHORITY SPECIAL (DC)
COMIXOLOGY
After Grant Morrison and Mikel Janin’s Superman and the Authority saw the Man of Steel forge an unlikely group of heroes into the new Authority, the team steps further into the DC Universe in Batman/Superman: The Authority Special. In this one-shot by Phillip Kennedy Johnson, Trevor Hairsine, Jonathan Glapion, Scott Hanna, Rain Beredo, Ben Templesmith and Tom Napolitano, Batman calls Superman and the Authority into action to take on a dangerous threat from DC’s Dark Multiverse.
Since this incarnation of the Authority barely assembled before its last miniseries ended, this one-shot offers a satisfying chance to see the new team in action. From the long-awaited meeting between Batman and Midnighter to the introduction of an ingenious new evil alternate reality Batman, Johnson’s work is strong, leaning into the dramatic stylistic differences of its numerous artists, who all deliver impressive work in their own rights.
X-MEN: LEGENDS #8 (MARVEL)
COMIXOLOGY
With X-Men: Legends #8, Larry Hama, Billy Tan, Chris Sotomayor and Joe Caramagna continue their fun, if inessential, throwback Wolverine adventure. Like a lost issue of Wolverine’s ’90s solo series, this comic sees Logan and Jubilee — at the peak of her mallrat phase — battling Lady Deathstrike and a seemingly endless supply of ninja as they try to break up a mutant-trafficking ring.
While there’s nothing revelatory here, this comic has a nostalgic charm that may please X-Men fans of a certain age. Tan and the art team deliver on its bigger fight scenes, while Hama’s straightforward plot hits all the right notes for a ‘90s Wolverine adventure, especially with a few returning fan-favorite villains in its second half.
THE HUMAN TARGET #1 (DC)
COMIXOLOGY
After a career spent taking bullets for other people in comics and two live-action TV series, Christopher Chance is finally running out of time. After a failed assassination plot against Lex Luthor, the star of The Human Target #1, by Tom King, Greg Smallwood and Clayton Cowles, finds himself with days to live and a mystery that implicates several members of the Justice League.
This Black Label debut leans into the old-school, rough-and-tumble swagger of its stylish lead. King’s script hits the perfect hard-boiled notes, and Smallwood’s always-impressive art is revelatory here, with brilliant, inventive colors that shape the mid-century aesthetic of the comic. Impressively, the comic combines the throwback style of Darwyn Cooke’s essential Parker graphic novels with the trappings of the DC Universe for one of the year’s best first issues.
NEWBURN #1 (IMAGE)
COMIXOLOGY
With Newburn #1, Chip Zdarsky and Jacob Phillips team up on a stylized, hard-boiled crime story of their own. This engaging first issue follows private detective Easton Newburn as he investigates a murder with ties to a few of the criminal families that employ him.
Beyond its relatively novel concept, Newburn #1 is an expertly constructed comic with a compelling lead. Zdarsky’s plotting and pacing are airtight, and the central mystery procedural of the issue works well. Phillips’ art keeps the proceedings lively, even making conversation-heavy pages look dynamic. Fans of Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips’ Criminal should find a lot to like in this gritty title, which just scratches the surface of its premise in this worthwhile first issue.
We hope you like the items we recommend! Comic Book Resources has affiliate partnerships, and as such, we receive a share of the revenue from your purchase. This won’t affect the price you pay and helps us offer the best product recommendations.
About The Author
[ad_2]
