Batman: Streets of Gotham #9: Writer: Mike Benson. Pencils: Dustin Nguyen.
We open things up with Dick Grayson easily taking down a man who was attacking the prostitute he was fooling around with... Don't ask me to explain THAT one. Either check out Streets #8 or better yet, my review for Streets #8! All right, back to the story... Dick(now as Batman)takes the man and the woman down to police headquarters, where they are interviewed by Commissioner Gordon. We discover that the man and the woman were in cahoots, the woman would invite a john to her room, where her accomplice would pretend to be an angry ex-boyfriend, rough her up a bit and then rob the the john. Unfortunately, every man the duo would pull this scam on wound up dead, which led Bats and Gordon to believe that they were behind the murders. After interviewing them though, Bats and Gordon both seemed to believe that the duo were innocent of the charges being levied against them. With those two ruled out, Bats tells Gordon to let the woman go, the hope being that she would be confronted by whoever was behind the murders. Sure enough, the woman is confronted by an angry ex-boyfriend, but she is saved by the timely arrival of the burly doorman at her building and the eventual arrival of Gordon. Gordon takes ex-boyfriend into custody, and Bats and Gordon proceed to interview/rough up the man. After interviewing him, Gordon and Bats realize that he wasn't responsible for the murders either, so they cut him loose and Bats tells Gordon the best way to capture the murderer is for Gordon and the woman to work together and pretend that he was one of her johns. As such, Gordon pretends to pick the woman up at her club, and the two head back to her apartment under the watchful eye of Batman. After Gordon leaves the woman's apartment, he comes across the dead body of the ex-boyfriend from earlier. He is then immediately attacked by the doorman at the woman's building, who tries to stab Gordon. Fortunately for Gordon, Bats swoops in and takes the doorman out with relative ease. This issue ends with Gordon seeing the woman to a bus that takes her out of Gotham and possibly to a better life.
Hey, once this story got rolling, I actually began to enjoy it. I enjoy a good murder-mystery as much as the next guy, and this comic kept me guessing the identity of the murderer until the very end, so good job. While I can't wait for this series to get back to the Zsasz storyline, these last two issues served as a very nice little filler story.
Score: 8 out of 10.
Umm, should Batman really be allowed to interview suspects with the Gotham Police? REBELS #13: Writer: Tony Bedard. Pencils: Claude St. Aubin.
This issue begins with the Omega Men finally finding the plant venom they need to break the mental hold Starro the Conqueror has over his followers. From there we head to Dox, who along with the Psions is able to create a body for Despero. As a part of the deal for a new body, Despero agrees to provide his “Flame of Pytar” to power Dox's anti-Starro gun. The scene then shifts to Dox's son, Brainiac 3, who is helping Starro coordinate his forces in preparation for an attack on the Earth. After sending Starro to his destination, Brainiac 3 plots with Starro's top lieutenant, Smite, against the Conqueror. After his business with Despero is concluded, Dox meets up with his REBELS and learns that Starro was beginning his move against the Earth. Before Dox can lay out his course of action against Starro, he is abducted by his son. Dox tries to attack his offspring, but he is taken down and locked in an MMA style armbar. While holding his father in the armbar, Brainiac 3 explains that he is going to betray Starro and teleport him directly to his father. Dox doesn't believe Brainiac 3, and questions why he would betray Starro, and Brainiac 3 explains that Starro is irrational and bent on self-destruction, and as such, it's a waste of his vast intelligence to work for such a being. Brainiac 3 then proceeds to dislocate Dox's elbow(to make sure he doesn't risk himself by acting as the triggerman)and sends him back to his team. Dox warns his team of Starro's impending betrayal and arrival, and this issue ends with Starro teleporting directly to Dox's forces.
I LOVE this comic! What more do I need to say? All of the storylines have converged perfectly and the next issue will finally give us the Starro/REBELS battle that has been 13 issues in the making. Seeing as that this storyline has gone on for 13 issues and one annual thus far, I'm both eagerly anticipating and dreading the next issue, which is the conclusion to the whole Starro storyline... Sure, I can't wait to see what happens between Starro and the REBELS, but I'll also be a bit sad to see the story end, because it's been very good to excellent throughout. With that said though, Tony has left enough story-threads dangling so that I'm looking forward to this series even after the war with Starro has concluded.
Score: 10 out of 10. Huh, after a long drought, that's two straight nights a DC comic I've read has attained a 10 out of 10... Not bad!
Tap out Dox! Tap out Dox! Ouch... He should have tapped out...Superman/Batman #69: Writer: Joe Casey. Pencils: Ardian Syaf.
This issue is a flashback to the events of the DC x-over from a couple of years ago, Our Worlds At War. It seems somebody has hired the assassin NRG-X to kill Clark Kent. Superman attacks the assassin after NRG-X attacks the Daily Planet building looking for Kent, but NRG-X manages to escape. From there we head to a meeting in Gotham where all of the local fatcats are discussing how and where they should spend their money after the War. Bruce Wayne runs into the formerly reclusive backer of STAR Labs, Anderson Gaines, and the two of them discuss ways they could have STAR Labs and WayneTech work together. While the two are talking, Gaines is called away by his associates, and Wayne is contacted by Alfred about what had happened at the Daily Planet building. Bruce gets in touch with Supes and the two agree to meet up and discuss who could have possibly have sent NRG-X after Superman's alter-ego. The two meet up at the Watchtower, and they conclude that it was a Durlan shapeshifter who was trying to eliminate the last Kryptonian in the galaxy(well, until the whole New Krypton thing happened...), since it appears Durlans and Kryptonians are mortal foes or something... From there, Bats figures out that Gaines was the Durlan shapeshifter by using the type of logic only Batman could use... This issue ends with Bats and Supes discussing how best to go after a public figure like Gaines without compromising Supes civilian identity or attacking Gaines in the open.
Eh, this comic was alright I guess. The whole World At War storyline is one DC event that I have very little knowledge of, so some of the stuff that was going on in this issue tended to go right over my head. Even though some of the stuff here escaped me, the stuff that I did get seemed to be pretty good. Sure, the way Batman concluded Gaines was the Durlan was kind of cheap, but everything else here was readable, and as such, I'll be happy to pick up the next issue to see where this storyline is going.
Score: 7 out of 10.
What in the HELL is THAT?!?
Marville? Seriously?? Do yourself a favor and just burn those issues right now. I get sick just thinking about that series...
ReplyDeleteOh man, really? Ugh... Well, at least I didn't pay that much for them. I honestly don't even know what the series is about Marc, I just grabbed it because the price was right!
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