Comic Book Review Round-Up–April Week 4, 2019

Last week of April, and we have three DC titles and two new ones from Marvel. From DC, I dive into The Wild Storm #22, Detective Comics #1002 and Heroes in Crisis #8. From Marvel, I’m checking out War of the Realms: Uncanny X-Men #1 and Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge #1.

'The Wild Storm #22'

I’ll confess I’m only reading this because of Midnighter and Apollo. I am still no closer to understanding who the main characters are, aside from the fact that the series creators wanted to make them quirky. What baffles me is the change in character design for both Midnighter and Apollo. I’m down with Midnighter being black, but Apollo’s blond locks are now dark? That doesn’t work at all.

The main team having to convince Midnighter and Apollo that they’re on the same side is a cliché way to bring in new characters. We don’t know what these two have been up to since the end of their limited series, but they are good guys. It always feels like such a waste when an entire issue revolves around building trust between two groups of good guys.

'Detective Comics #1002'

Arkham Knight has tech that can infiltrate even Batman’s suit. Who is this person, and what’s his beef with the Bats? While Batman recuperates from his injuries, Robin (the Damian Wayne variety) sets off to investigate on his own. Because the teenaged kid continues to be an annoying know-it-all.

This issue was a vast improvement over Detective Comics #1001. Peter Tomasi is devoted to making Detective Comics about detective stories, and so far, he’s done that well. He was able to tone down Damian’s less-than-stellar personality, which made the issue readable. The biggest negative for me was the art–it was chaotic and difficult to focus on. The characters themselves aren’t too bad, but the action was tough on the eyes. I’m really hoping the big revelation is actually worth it. Who dons the mask of the Arkham Knight?

Heroes in Crisis #8

Wally West is at the centre of this issue, talking about his struggles and the ridiculously stupid setup in Sanctuary. How was Wally involved with the massacres? Why was the dead Wally five days older than he was supposed to be? All of this is explained in the penultimate issue of the series. You are not ready for these revelations.

I don’t even know where to start with this issue. Yes, the plot threads are tied up, but it’s terribly contrived. Not to mention, has DC made a grave mistake by dragging a good-hearted, fan-favourite character down to the level of a super villain? People are understandably outraged by the character assassination of the mentally ill, so what was DC thinking?

'War of the Realms: Uncanny X-Men #1'

Marvel events are always difficult to handle. Your favourite team gets embroiled in someone else’s mess, and their arc is thrown completely out of kilter. Last we saw the Uncanny X-Men, Dani was heart-broken over Rahne’s death. Now, Rahne is alive and in peril while Dani has been called away by the Valkyries (she was adopted by them several decades ago).

None of that is the actual story here though. Instead, we have a lot of in-fighting between Alex and Cyclops, and a heavy dose of chaos. I don’t know where in the timeline this mini series falls, but it’s an irksome interruption in the Uncanny X-Men storyline. I also don’t understand how the same writer can make the characters sound so petty, and the dialogue so dense. I was nodding off reading this, which hasn’t been the case with the main series so far. I can’t believe there are two more issues of this intertwined with the actually Uncanny series.

'Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge #1'

Do you know why people love Star Wars? It’s because it’s an easy franchise to dive right into. You don’t need any background to enjoy the films. This comic is the polar opposite. It’s so dense and the characters are forgettable. This series ties in with the opening of the Galaxy’s Edge theme park, but it’s so gimmicky, and a poorly conceived attempt at cashing in on fans’ excitement.

I didn’t mind the art; it was quite detailed. Unfortunately, Han wasn’t drawn too well. To top it all off, aside from the over-reliance on some of Han’s famous catchphrases, the author doesn’t capture his intonations, and snappy speaking style. I wasn’t expecting much, but this felt like a rush job with minimal effort to create an engaging story or interesting new characters.

And, that’s all folks!