Flash #22
And so, the end of the prolog to the button storyline comes to a close. It has been a long time since I’ve really enjoyed a mainstream DC title but I will admit that this brought a smile to my face. Maybe its the revelation of any puzzle piece in the return of the Justice Society? Maybe its the return of the Cosmic Treadmill? Maybe its watching Professor Zoom (suck it millenials, that was his name!) not only bite the big one again but cowering and begging for his life that did my heart good. Plus, while I’m not a big believer in wacky cover variants, the flexy weird variant cover featuring Jay Garrick is pretty cool. And believe it or not, I like the fact that DC isn’t giving us instant gratification with the JSA’s return. The little snippets here and there certainly capture the imagination The storyline here gives us enough to work with without drowning us in over-simplification or some quick answer over-riding of the previous existence.
9 out of 10 Grahams.
Batman #23
While reviewed by others, I felt the need to weigh in on this one. Tom King’s script is a magnificent example of a well-rounded writer who actually gets the character’s he/she is writing about. This story had it all. From the classic renaming of the original home of team up featuring Batman to the traditional 1970’s subtitle, this issue highlights the highs and lows of the Batman universe. From Gordon’s reactions to the case before them to Alfred’s dirty looks at the Swamp Thing, this is a very human story. The sarcastic dialog between Swamp Thing and Batman are awe-inspiring and the final betrayal between friends is really gut-wrenching to read. Batman screaming out “Coward!” over and over are painful to see. While made to be a pallet cleansing one-shot between storylines, this issue holds its own and hits us much harder than a 6 to 7 part storyline.
I give it 10 out of 10 Grahams.
