DARK CRISIS: BIG BANG #1 DC COMICS
When I was handed this issue as possible review material, I snickered at my Graham Crackers Comics contact. Why would I want to review a book that represents everything I hate about the current state of comic stories. Stories so complicated and confusing that it has to be told in a hundred parts, many of which a one-shots and mini-series! Stories that can’t even be gathered in one volume of a collected trade. My wily contract conned me into reviewing this by pointing out that my friend Nathan Szerdy did one of the alternate covers and that the book held a bonus feature at the end of the book that I would enjoy. So here we are. Nathan’s cover is a good one and the story itself while mainly unnecessary but did give a fun look at some of the less well known parallel universes that occupy the DC Multiverse. Based on the fact that reading this one-shot actually had a self-contained story (of sorts) and didn’t force me to read forty other titles would have gotten it a 6. But a few pages from the pages of Barry Allen’s notebook revealing the known Earth variants, their new numeric designations, and some interesting notes attached to some of them brought it up a notch. I give it a 7 out of 10 Grahams.
BATMAN INCORPORATED #3 DC COMICS
All secrets revealed (well, maybe not ALL secrets)! We know who is targeting Ghost-Maker. Why he’s doing it. Who else might be on the list. But what is interesting in this portion of Ed Brisson’s story is the interactions between the members of Batman, Inc. And maybe one of the greatest duo of 4th string Batman villains, Mr. & Mrs. Menace! Move over Polka-Dot Man, you may have some competition! Multiple teams, multiple threats, multiple locations, and even flashbacks, Brisson is keeping artist John Timms hustling. This title is worth following. I give it an 8 out of 10 Grahams.
DANGER STREET #1 DC COMICS
Once upon a time in 1975, there was a little title known as 1st Issue Special. It would last 13 issue and was a sort of random Showcase wanna be title. Showcase had been packed up 5 years earlier only to return in 1977. What it did give us was a wonderful assortment of high end characters returning with strange bottom of the barrel characters. And everyone knows I love me an underdog (even back then). The New Gods got their second wind here, along with Doctor Fate, the blue alien Starman that became a regular character during Robinson’s run on Starman (1994), and Mike Grell’s Warlord began here. But more importantly, Lady Cop, Dingbats of Danger St, Atlas, as well as others showed up here for their first (and last) full comic title. And they are all back! All 13 characters! And the best part is that writer Tom King knows these characters and has come up with an interesting way to gather them together. And Jorge Fornes’s art add that unique not-your-regular-artist style that was the norm for 1st Issue Special. Nostalgia, great story and art, and maybe a little vindication for some long mistreated characters. This one is worth the 10 out of 10 Grahams.
