[Editor’s Note: This review DEFINITELY contains spoilers]

Writer: Geoff Johns
Art: Diego Olortegui with J.P. Mayer & Scott Hanna, Jerry Ordway, Steve Lieber, Todd Nauck, Scott Kolins, Viktor Bogdanovic, Brandon Peterson and Gary Frank
Colors: Nick Filardi, John Kalisz, Matt Herms, Jordan Boyd and Brad Anderson
Letters: Rob Leigh

Reviewed by: Matthew B. Lloyd

Summary

Someone is targeting the Justice Society of America throughout time in all its incarnations.  A mysterious narrator guides us on the journey resulting in a satisfying reveal as the future daughter of Batman and Catwoman stands revealed as the once and future Huntress.  

Positives

This could be a long section!  Whenever DC Comics decides to do a book that features the Justice Society or those characters traditionally associated with Earth-Two, there has to be a balance between nostalgia and modern relevance.  Geoff Johns, no stranger to the Justice Society or Golden Age legacy characters channels a monumental amount of nostalgia that in most cases would be enough to carry an issue.  Additionally, he sets up a mystery on multiple levels.  The main villain doesn’t seem that hard to guess for longtime fans of Earth-Two stories, but the narrative is peppered with numerous additional questions that must be answered.  Those mysteries are more interesting than the villain, but stopping the villain is not only imperative to the survival of the Justice Society, but it is essential to answering some of the questions set before the reader in The New Golden Age #1.

The nostalgia component comes from incidents.  Johns pulls moments from the history of the JSA that will be recognizable to fans.  Each different segment is drawn by a different artist as well, ensuring that the reader isn’t confused about what time each segment takes place in.  Jerry Ordway handles the 1940 segment.  Johns incorporates the moments leading up the “photograph” of the JSA that is the cover image on the team’s first appearance in All-Star Comics #3.  Johns weaves the narrative and plants clues to the larger mystery in these scenes with the JSA.  

Perhaps, the most surprising scene from the past is taken from the 1970’s incarnation of the JSA.  Johns not only drops more clues that flesh out the mystery and how it’s affected the JSA through the ages but sets it in 1976 when the stories were originally published.  We get to see Power Girl in her youth as she interacts with Dr. Mid-Nite and Dr. Fate.   I’ve read those comics numerous times over the years, and it’s a truly lovely thing to see referenced so significantly in a modern comic. but it also presents some questions about how time is working.  

Positives Cont’d

With the events of the original Crisis on Infinite Earths, the original Earth-Two was erased from existence.  With the current state of the DCU and the Omniverse etc…one can reasonably assume that it is out there somewhere.  However, we aren’t getting a comic about that.  The New Golden Age #1 appears to take place on the main DC Earth- whatever that is called now.  In keeping with the nostalgia that permeates the issue, Johns appears to be righting a wrong that was a result of the Crisis.  The narrator turns out to be Helena Wayne, the Huntress.  However, it’s not the original Earth-Two Huntress, instead it’s the future daughter of the Batman and Catwoman from the main DC Earth.  The Crisis wiped her from history, and now she returns to the JSA in some fashion.  Interestingly, she’s at the heart of the mystery, the detective that seems to have the most knowledge of what’s going on, however, many characters have an inkling that something isn’t quite right, especially Dr. Fate, Kent Nelson.  The inclusion of the Huntress in conjunction with the appearance of Power Girl in the issue leads to questions about their pre-Crisis friendship and their iterations that were featured in Earth 2 during The New 52.

The title of the issue, The New Golden Age is certainly appropriate as Johns introduces a number of new characters that he will explore in Stargirl: The Lost Children and the new ongoing Justice Society of America series.  It all began in the Stargirl Spring Break Special in 2021.  Johns is finally getting to follow up on concepts introduced in that comic.

Essentially, Johns is presenting a “new” take on the Golden Age.  This is the part that should feel fresh and relevant.  This ensures that this isn’t a retread of what’s come before.  It’s also the aspect that will rely most on the execution.  How will old readers react to new Golden Age characters being introduced.  We’ve seen this before.  Roy Thomas in his heyday at DC Comics did the same thing in All-Star Squadron.  We met new Golden Ager Firebrand, Danette Reilly and Amazing Man, Will Everett.  Post-Crisis, he introduced new characters to fulfil the roles of the characters that were erased from history, the Golden Age Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, Green Arrow and Aquaman.  This is Johns doing the same sort of thing.  However, it’s hard under value Thomas’s attention to detail with the actual stories published by DC in the Golden Age.  One would be hard pressed to find an example of Thomas disavowing any of those tales.  

Positives Cont’d

Johns seems to be doing something similar, but also vastly different.  At the end of The New Golden Age #1, there are Who’s Who style pages for 13 new Golden Age characters.  It may be hard for longtime readers accepting the childless Jay and Joan Garrick as parents of a time lost daughter, but the Who’s Who page and her appearance on the last page of the story go a long way in breaking the ice for even the most stone-faced fan.  Additionally, Johns (one assumes Johns wrote all the entries) gives these characters very Golden Age style origins.  One of the most exciting characters to appear here is the Golden Age Aquaman.  Last seen in continuity (I think) in All-Star Squadron #60 (August 1986), Johns incorporates his original origin from his first appearance in More Fun Comics #73 as well as including his brief All-Star Squadron membership as part of his backstory.

Finally, the different artists all turn in a solid job with Jerry Ordway brining his own nostalgic aspect to the proceedings having been the most important artist on Earth-Two and JSA characters during the ’80’s on All-Star Squadron and Infinity, Inc.  Diego Olortegui captures the different moments in Helena’s life with a focus on her emotions.  His work here helps Helena feel significant as the character through whom the reader experiences the story.

Negatives

The New Golden Age, like any book that attempts to retcon will fall under heavy scrutiny from longtime fans.  It’s hard to change history and characters that have been around for 80 plus years.  There are questions about Molly Mayne (Scott?) that need to be answered satisfactorily.  There are also some new sidekicks that will need solid reasons explored for being where they are.  Some of that modern relevance does seem out of place.

It’s not clear if the recent (in comic book terms) retcon of Alan Scott’s sexuality will play a large role, or any role at all.  Alan makes a comment to Doiby Dickles about something that could be construed as an oblique reference to it, but there are so many mysteries in the issue that it could also be a reference to that.  No matter, incorporating the retcon of Alan’s sexual orientation will always feel forced and incongruent based on the history of the character and that DC is just “checking a box.”

Additionally, one wonders how the racial and ethnic diversity of the “missing” characters will be handled.  Roy Thomas introduced Amazing Man, Will Everett in the pages of All-Star Squadron #23 (July 1983.)  Everett was based on a real Golden Age character Amazing Man created by Bill Everett (creator of Sub-Mariner) for Centaur Publications.  However, Thomas made DC’s Amazing Man an African American, and laudably, Thomas didn’t shy away from the issue of race in the comic.  Everett even faced distrust from members of the All-Star Squadron. The writer even made Everett consider fighting against the heroes because of his feeling as an outsider, being an African American in the America of the 1940’s.

One hopes that Johns will approach these characters of diversity and inclusion with the same depth and not automatically make all the heroes enlightened and modern in their thoughts and beliefs.   It’s not a storyline that’s always easy to read.  If not treated authentically, it will not feel genuine.  It will feel forced like we are rewriting history.   Take the time to make the inclusion and diversity be something of substance and not just a box to check.  

Verdict

The New Golden Age #1 is a heck of a fun issue!  The pages drip with multiple forms of nostalgia while setting up a few mysteries.  There is a heavy focus on character, and not just Helena Wayne, but all along the way the issue is peppered with moments that lend some sort of insight.  The Who’s Who pages at the end do the same.  It’s hard not to be interested in every single one of these “lost” characters on some level.  It’s been too long since the Justice Society has had a prominent role in the DC Comics Universe.

It’s hard to judge what this does for readers unfamiliar with the concept save for the solid set up and character bits.  For longtime fans, it’s about as good as one could expect without Roy Thomas coming back to pick up where he left off in 1986.

The post Review: The New Golden Age #1 (One-Shot) appeared first on DC Comics News.

[Editor’s Note: This review may contain spoilers]

Writer: Brian Michael Bendis

Artist: Scott Godlewski

Colours: Ryan Cody

Letters: Dave Sharpe

Reviewed By: Matthew Lloyd, Derek McNeil

Summary

Justice League Vs The Legion of Super-Heroes #6: The blockbuster shocking conclusion to the Gold Lantern Saga. Which legendary DC Villain is behind this great darkness that is about to destroy all the ages of heroes all at once? Find out right here all this AND the future of the Legion of Super-Heroes is revealed!

Positives

Derek: If you can think of any positives, Matt

Matt: LOL!

Actually, the smaller moments aren’t bad.  Vandal Savage explaining his plan to “Bruce” thinking he’s won, and then the surprise…that’s actually quite good.  It’s like finding the one unspoiled apple in the bunch.  The inclusion of Jonah Hex is a nice touch and, and then there’s uh…well…yeah, that’s about it.  Godlewski does an admirable job of doing what he’s there to do, but he doesn’t have a lot to work with.

Derek: That was a neat bit of foreshadowing. It was clear that there was something up with “Bruce”.  Godlewski cleverly drew the cowl as if it were empty. At first, it had me guessing that Batman had escaped and left a stuffed Batsuit to trick Savage. And I agree that it was great to include Hex. There were a number of great cameos in this series, such as Kamandi and Alan Scott. It’s just too bad that Bendis didn’t really do anything with them. They just served as window dressing.

Positives Cont.

Matt: And, of course, the biggest positive is that this abominable series is over, and with it, hopefully, Bendis’s time at DC.  One would hope that the powers that be see the horrific impact he had on the entire DC Comics Universe and that it’s a mistake that has to be actively undone.  If only Vandal Savage was attempting to wipe out Bendis’s tenure at DC instead of the Age of Heroes.  The entire time Bendis has been at DC, the entire line has suffered.  One would think it would simply be on the characters he was trying to ruin, Superman, the Legion and the Justice League, but somehow DC found a way to create a synergy with the entire line.

I’ve seen online in more than one place that Bendis gets $1000/page.  I hope DC considers suing him on some grounds, because at his best at DC, he was never worth more than a couple hundred.  It’s a long road ahead for DC, but with books like Nightwing, The Flash, Batgirls and Wonder Woman readers can find some good comics in hopes the rest of the line rights itself.  We are a far cry from “Rebirth” when it seemed almost every DC Comic was very good to great.

Derek: I take your point about the ending being a positive, but it would have been better if it had come earlier. It was evident fairly early into this series that it wasn’t going anywhere, and I honestly don’t think most readers would have noticed or complained if DC had just quietly cancelled the series halfway through. I am guessing the only reason to let him finish was so they could complete a trade collection.

While I agree that Bendis’ work for DC has been overall lacking, I doubt that DC will take drastic action to right the damage he’s done. It’s unclear whether or not this is Bendis’ final work for DC, but I’m hoping it is, at least in any capacity where he is empowered to change the status quo of any characters he’s writing. I hope that the next continuity adjustment will undo some of his more egregious changes to the DCU and the Superman mythos.

Negatives

Matt:  It’s pretty obvious that the biggest negative here is that the most critical and exciting part of the story happened off panel.  That’s right, the united League and Legion defeat the Great Darkness (haha!) entirely off panel.  The writing is so bad that it genuinely feels like we’ve missed an issue.  This issue is all denouement.  This should’ve been the last half of a final issue.  It’s like a blockbuster film that skips the third act and goes right to the wrap up before the credits.

The really sad thing is that this is not new for Bendis in his DC work.  Supposedly, Bendis was a really good writer over at Marvel a while ago.  I wouldn’t know, but judging from his work at DC, and in particular, this series, he shouldn’t even be employed as a comic book writer.  It’s arguable whether or not Bendis’s dialogue is bad, or his decompression of story is effective, but skipping the resolution because you ran out of pages is just bad writing.

Derek: That pretty much fits with how he wrote last issue. He was arsing about for the first 4 issues, flitting from one “cool” idea to the next, losing sight of the core story. Then he had to rush to tell that story with a tidal wave of exposition. And he probably figured he was capitalizing on that “success” by doing the exact same thing again this issue. A commonly accepted rule of writing is “show, don’t tell”. Bendis seems to think that doesn’t apply to star writers like himself. His believes that he writes so engagingly that his exposition is superior to actually including any action in the story.

I feel sorry for Godlewski. DC tapped him to draw a major team-up of DC’s tentpole teams. But does he get to draw much action? No, he’s stuck drawing them standing around talking to each other for the bulk of the series. And lettering all that inane dialogue must have been a laborious task for Dave Sharpe.

Negatives Cont.

Matt: This leans into editorial at this point.  DC gave Bendis carte blanche to ruin their comics.  This is utterly senseless.  Any editor with any skill should’ve realized that this story is terribly plotted and scripted.  They wouldn’t let a new writer be this bad.  There’s a lot more going on than we are privy to, but it doesn’t mean that Bendis or DC get a pass.

Derek: The general assumption is that it was Dan DiDio that gave Bendis this carte blanche. I do have to wonder why DC didn’t show Bends the door immediately after DiDio departed. I suspect that there was some sort of contractual obligation to keep him on.

Matt: Just in case you were thinking his dialogue got better somehow, the League and Legion remain uncharacteristically quippy and speak when they don’t need to.  Does Dinah really need to say she might stay in the 31st century?  No.  And, not only that, she’s not going to.  It’s just an example of the inane things Bendis has characters say.

Derek: Generally, nearly everything that happens in this story seems rather pointless. There are no real consequences, despite the cosmic scale of the story. Everything just reverts back to the same status quo. Nominally, this is a tie-in to Dark Crisis, but the only effect it seems to have on that story is a single reference in Justice League #75 where Green Arrow saying that they’ve already faced the Great Darkness and beaten it. I suspect that this miniseries was make-work to keep Bendis too busy to stick his fingers into the main Dark Crisis event.

Matt: Finally, there is a ring Savage uses to generate the Darkness, a ring not unlike a Green Lantern ring.  It’s a mystery to everyone, the League, the Legion, the Elders of Oa…and, we never find out anything about it.  I’m guessing that this and the creation of the Gold Lantern Corps was originally intended for further issues of Bendis’s Legion of Super-Heroes.  We are all probably glad to be spared of this, but leaving this dangling plot element is yet another example of the poor writing in the series.

Derek: You might be right that he was trying to cram every idea he had for the Legion into this last story. Much like Geoff Johns tried to shove about 5 years of storylines into a single year of his Shazam series. Or perhaps Bendis is still assuming that he’s going to get another Legion series to flesh out these ideas in full. All things considered, I would rather see these threads left dangling than for Bendis to attempt to weave them into further stories.

Verdict

Matt:  This is a flat out awful comic.  It’s one of the worst endings to a mini-series/ story arc I’ve ever read.  Vigilante: Southland was probably better had it been published.   It seems clear that Bendis just isn’t capable of executing big ideas.  He can do Batman and Vandal Savage in a room, but the larger scope escapes him, and we all suffer for it.  His underwhelming Superman work and abysmal Leviathan mini-series also show this.   I’d like to say that Godlewski’s art elevates it on the whole, but that only works if you look at the pictures.  You might have a more enjoyable overall experience if you do that for the whole series.

Derek: This series may be Bendis’ swansong for his DC work. And it’s somehow appropriate, as it exemplifies the main problem with Bendis’ work for DC. Bendis is good at coming up with ideas. But he has no filter to tell the good ideas apart from the bad ones. And he seems to have lost the ability to do anything with these ideas. So, he falls back onto his supposed strength: “witty” dialogue. I’ve enjoyed some of Bendis’ pre-DC work, so I know he can do better than this. I will give Justice League Vs The Legion of Super-Heroes #6 two stars, but they are entirely for the lovely art.

Matt’s Score:

Derek’s Score:

Average Score:

The post Review: Justice League Vs The Legion Of Super-Heroes #6 appeared first on DC Comics News.

The director, returning from his first successful stint at the helm of Arthur Curry’s journey, says “I’m a bit superstitious, and I love that it’s a December release like the first one.”

The delay of the film, along with fellow DCEU film Shazam!: Fury of The Gods, are just two of the sweeping changes following the merger of Warner Media and Discovery. Projects like Batgirl have been permanently shelved as CEO David Zazlav strives to find direction with Warner Discovery’s DC projects.

Aquaman Director Shares Concept Art And Possible Plot Details Therein

Wan also took the opportunity to share with fans new concept art for the upcoming film. The imagery released suggests Aquaman (Jason Momoa) will battle a giant jellyfish, as well as a frozen enigmatic creature. There is also imagery depicting the long-awaited rematch between Arthur and Black Manta (Yahya Abdul-Mateen II). And lastly, there is art revealing an idyllic kingdom. Could this possibly be The Lost Kingdom, seen briefly in the first film now populated by The Trench? Is this to be seen in a flashback sequence?

As fans can recall, Atlantis was sunk by the hubris of King Atlan’s scientists. With his trident, Atlan enabled the survivors to become water-breathers, and many broke off to found their own kingdoms. The energies released also mutated them in different ways. While many managed to retain their civility and intelligence, The Trench devolved into savage, humanoid piranha-like monsters dwelling in darkness. Further, it was through that very kingdom that Arthur and Mera (Amber Heard) risked their lives in their quest to reach the Trident. Claiming it not only solidified his right to the throne, but allowed him to command all sea life. And that sea life included The Trench. As to where this journey back into the Lost Kingdom will lead Aquaman, a full synopsis has yet to be released.

Other returning cast members from the first film are Dolph Lundgren, Patrick Wilson, Temuera Morrison, Nicole Kidman, and Randall Park. Recent reports have confirmed that Ben Affleck will also reprise his role as Bruce Wayne/Batman in the film.

Official Source – Aquaman 2: James Wan Comments on Delay, Shares New Concept Art (collider.com)

The post “Aquaman 2” Director James Wan Weighs In On Delayed Release appeared first on DC Comics News.

HBO Max Changes: Why and What Shows Will Fade To Black?

Yet another change following the merger of Warner Media and Discovery+, the company released the following official statement:

As we work toward bringing our content catalogs together under one platform, we will be making changes to the content offering available on both HBO Max and discovery+. That will include the removal of some content from both [platforms. At] the same time, we’re already starting to bring our content catalogs together like the launch of the new CNN Originals Hub on discovery+ and a curated collection of Magnolia Network content coming soon to HBO Max.

Here is the full list of programs that have been pulled from the streaming line of HBO Max:

-12 Dates of Christmas
– About Last Night
– Aquaman: King of Atlantis
– Close Enough
– Detention Adventure
– Dodo
– Ellen’s Next Great Designer
– Elliott From Earth
– Esme & Roy
– The Fungies!
– Generation Hustle
– Genera+ion
– Infinity Train
– Little Ellen
– Mao Mao
– Heroes of Pure Heart
– Messy Goes to Okido
– Mia’s Magic Playground
– Mighty Magiswords
– My Dinner with Herve
– My Mom, Your Dad
– Odo, OK K.O.! – Let’s Be Heroes
– The Ollie & Moon Show
– Pac-Man and the Ghostly Adventures
– Ravi Patel’s Pursuit of Happiness
– Select Sesame Street Specials
– Make It Big, Make It Small
– Share
– Squish
– Summer Camp Island
– The Not-Too-Late Show with Elmo
– The Runaway Bunny – Special
– Theodosia
– Tig n’ Seek
– Uncle Grandpa
– Victor and Valentino
– Yabba Dabba Dinosaurs

Official Source – HBO Max Pulling More Original Series Including Aquaman, Elmo, Close Enough, and More (comicbook.com)

The post HBO: Aquaman Series and Others Pulled From Streaming Schedule appeared first on DC Comics News.

[Editor’s Note: This review may contain spoilers]

Writer: Brian Michael Bendis

Artist: Scott Godlewski

Colours: Ryan Cody

Letters: Dave Sharpe

Reviewed By: Matthew Lloyd, Derek McNeil

Summary

Justice League Vs The Legion of Super-Heroes #5: With the reveal of who is behind the great darkness that is tearing the galaxy apart, the Justice League and the Legion of Super-Heroes are at odds over how to handle the incomprehensible evil that has brought them together.

This time-spanning epic stars all your favorite superheroes from two different time periods! Batman! Saturn Girl! Superman! Brainiac 5! Naomi!, and dozens more race into battle to save the galaxy from being pulled apart… but at what cost? Will everyone survive this?

Positives

Matt: The fact that something actually happens in this issue is a positive.  It’s not well placed or paced, for the overall story, but something indeed does happen.  How it happens is another matter entirely, but we’ll get to that.  I’m not usually one to spoil big stuff in a review, but it’s about the only positive that we can discuss- the JLA and LSH figure out who’s behind this “Great Darkness.”  Turns out it’s none other than Vandal Savage!  This could’ve been really interesting if the story had been put together better.

Derek: Having Vandal Savage turn out to the villain is actually a brilliant idea. As an immortal, Savage would presumably still be around in the 31st Century. So it’s actually surprising that he hasn’t been a major presence in the Legion’s history before this. Unfortunately, as is typical with Bendis, this great idea is let down by a lacklustre execution. Bendis didn’t give the slight hint to foreshadow this ending. Savage’s appearance should have engendered a reaction of “oh, it all makes sense now”. But instead, it seemed more like random happenstance.

Positives Cont.

Matt: Despite Bendis’s time at DC Comics being not only completely forgettable and an unmitigated mistake of Biblical proportions (dozens of people should be fired for it), it is interesting that Bendis has managed to tie in all his DC work into this story.  You may, or may not recall that early in his tenure at DC Bendis wrote a Batman story called, Batman Universe which was serialized in the Walmart exclusive Batman Giant 100-Page Super Spectacular.  Ironically, this Batman story is probably Bendis’s best DC work.  Bringing all of this together somehow gives a connectivity to the stories like they should matter, even if they aren’t really that interesting or well executed.

Derek: Bendis is not a bad writer, per se. But I agree that his work for DC has not been his best work. I loved his Ultimate Spider-Man for Marvel. That Batman story you mentioned was pretty good as well. And although his general direction for the Superman books was disastrous, he still did occasionally produce a decent story. Overall, his work for DC has been pretty hit-or-miss. And while I wish it were otherwise, this series is not one of the hits.

Negatives

Matt: Like I’ve said in previous reviews of this series, Bendis just can’t seem to execute the interesting ideas he does have.  This should have been issue #2 or #3 of this series, not #5.  If the two teams had been through a bunch, figured out the clues and uncovered the identity of the villain with three issues remaining for the capture of Savage and resolution of the trouble he’d caused it would’ve been a lot more enjoyable and well-executed a story.  Instead, it’s all got to wrap up in a single issue.

Derek: It seems to me that Bendis was flitting around from one “cool” story idea to the next for the last four issues and suddenly realized that he hasn’t progressed the story very much. So, to catch the story up to where it should be, Bendis relies on what he believes is his strength: dialogue. And so, Justice League Vs The Legion of Super-Heroes #5 is pretty much a special all-exposition issue. There isn’t a whole lot of action here, but the characters standing around, reasoning out the plot.

And saying “reasoning out” is being generous. The dialogue is presented as if that’s what they are doing. But the dialogue is more like a random stream of consciousness that eventually stumbles onto the truth.

Negatives Cont.

Matt: A well-written story would’ve revealed clues along the way instead of relying on a large information dump in a single issue.  The use of Thorn in Bendis’s stories seems to have been leading up to this one moment as a MacGuffin that allows her to solve the mystery of the temporal perpetrator.   She played almost no role in his Legion of Super-Heroes series.   It’s all too quick and pat to be interesting.  Batman couldn’t figure it out.  Brainiac 5 couldn’t figure it out, but Rose Forrest could?  Yawn.  She didn’t even figure it out in an exciting way.  It’s all off panel, in her own mind.  “Hey, look what I’m thinking!”  Bendis’s script didn’t even give Godlewski something interesting to draw in this sequence.

Derek: Bendis clearly intended Thorn to be a major part of his Legion story originally, but he seems to have forgotten about her. Thus he hasn’t prepared a proper role in this story for her, and now he’s struggling to cram her into the story anyway. And it’s actually not surprising that neither Batman nor Brainiac 5 never figured out what was going on. They are logical thinkers, and Bendis’ plot doesn’t really make a whole lot of logical sense.

Verdict

Matt: This may be one of the weakest comics I’ve read in a long time.  Bendis almost is able to cover a few interesting ideas with Triplicate Girl and Jo Nah’s personality, but it’s very minimal and nearly forgettable as the overall story is deeply flawed and ultimately uninteresting because of Bendis’s inability to put a decent story together.  Even if you’re still reading this series, I can’t imagine that anything in this issue is going to bring you back for a finale that is already obsolete.  We already know what happens next, and Bendis hasn’t put the work in to make the journey engaging.

Derek: Despite Bendis’ attempt to get the story back on track, it seems like a lost cause at this point. I strongly doubt there’s any way Bendis can turn this all around in the one issue left to him. And that’s a shame. There’s a great story here struggling to get out. If DC had assigned a more capable writer to take Bendis’ basic plot, weeding out the distracting diversions and pointless dialogue, this could have been a great story.

Matt’s Score:

Derek’s Score:

Average Score:

The post Review: Justice League Vs The Legion Of Super-Heroes #5 appeared first on DC Comics News.

The actor had already been confirmed to portray Bruce Wayne, AKA the Dark Knight, in The Flash starring Ezra Miller. However, due to being seen by tourists on the Warner Bros. lot alongside Jason Momoa, the Aquaman star posted the following photo on Instagram:

For those who can’t see it – if there are any – Momoa’s caption reads “REUNITED Bruce and Arthur. Love u and miss u Ben WB studio tours just explored the backlot alright. busted on set all great things coming AQUAMAN 2 all my aloha J”

Momoa also commented in the video as he laughed, “It’s not a f$*%& secret anymore, is it? That’s what happens, Warner Bros., when you walk out of your set and there’s our fans [back stage].”

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Jason Momoa (@prideofgypsies)

Aquaman and The Lost Kingdom remains one of the remaining ties to the Zack Snyder DCEU, albeit attached to the Joss Whedon version of Justice League and not Snyder’s own cut, which was released last year on HBO Max. The other remaining properties include Shazam, Wonder Woman, and the aforementioned Flash.

Superman, meanwhile, is still, for lack of a better word, up in the air until executives confirm that Henry Cavill is done as The Man of Steel or if he has a cameo in The Flash before Sasha Calle debuts as Supergirl in the film. However, because The Flash is loosely based on Geoff Johns and Adam Kubert’s miniseries Flashpoint (the springboard into The New 52 line of DC titles that retconned everything until 2018’s DC Rebirth brought familiar elements back) this is rumored to be a soft reboot of Warner Media’s line of films.

This cameo also contradicts earlier comments by Affleck on his status as Batman with Jimmy Kimmel, citing numerous reasons for stepping away.

That was a bad experience because of a confluence of things: my own life, my divorce, being away too much, the competing agendas and then Zack’s personal tragedy and [Whedon’s] reshooting [of Justice League.] It was just the worst experience. It was awful.

Ben was originally slated to star in and direct his own solo Batman film, but when the project fell apart, director Matt Reeves was hired and he retooled it into The Batman, starring Robert Pattinson as a younger Caped Crusader.

Judging by the title, Arthur’s next adventure leads him back to the region of the seas known as “The Lost Kingdom,” occupied by devolved Atlantean offshoots known as The Trench. These piranha-esque hybrid creatures, however, were last seen under the command of Arthur once he had acquired King Atlan’s trident in the first film, and served as proof of his worthiness as King of Atlantis.

Aquaman And The Lost Kingdom is set to debut in theaters in March 17, 2023.

Official Source – Ben Affleck’s Batman Confirmed to Return for Aquaman 2 (comicbook.com)

The post Ben Affleck To Suit Up as Batman In Aquaman 2 appeared first on DC Comics News.

[Editor’s Note: This review may contain spoilers]

Writer: Tom King

Artist: Chris Burnham

Colours: Adriano Lucas

Letters: Tory Peteri

Reviewed By: Derek McNeil

Summary

Dark Crisis: Worlds Without A Justice League – Superman #1: When Pariah and his forces of the Great Darkness laid waste to the most powerful superheroes of all time, all hope was lost…with the Man of Steel suffering the same fate as that of his comrades, join us for a look at a world of dreams he would never have thought possible while alive. Where there’s life there’s hope, and with that hope comes a deeper unraveling of the tapestry of DCU’s biggest event of 2022!

Positives

It appears that the reports of Superman’s death in Justice League #75 have been greatly exaggerated, as he seems to be alive and in good health in this Worlds Without a Justice League – Superman one-shot. But there are a lot of strange things going on in the world around him. The same is true for Aquaman, who stars in a backup story.

I doubt anyone truly believed that the League really died in the story that kicked off Dark Crisis. It’s common knowledge at this point that Pariah has captured the members of the League in worlds that fulfill their deepest desires. Presumably, it’s that wish-fulfillment element that keeps them from attempting to escape the worlds that Pariah has built for them.

The main story featuring Superman is written by Tom King, who has written a rather similar story in his Mister Miracle series. In that story, Scott Free appears to also be living in a simulated reality that keeps him similarly trapped. And Superman has also gone through a similar story in Alan Moore’s classic story “For the Man Who Has Everything”.

Positives Cont.

I find that the granted wish that keeps Superman trapped is quite believable as something that would tempt someone as strong-willed as the Man of Steel. In 2019, DC made the major misstep of allowing Brian Michael Bendis to instantly age up Clark’s son Jon from 10 years old to 17. This essentially robbed Superman and Lois of seeing their son grow from a child into the man he currently is.

But in this reality, Clark gets those years that Bendis stole from him. As Jon sets off to lead his own life, he tells Lois:

And I wouldn’t trade any of it. Not a single second. For… I was there, Lois. I was here. I saw him. I got to see him grow into the man he had to be. I didn’t miss it this time. No, no, no, not for anything. I wouldn’t trade this… for anything.

This shows how badly and deeply Superman wants this life in which he got to see his son grow up. But it’s also somewhat troubling. There’s a clear implication that Superman knows this life isn’t real. But he emphatically states his refusal to give this false world up.

However, we know that at his core, Superman knows he is needed outside this dream world. And he knows that this Jon nd Lois are not his real family, no matter how much he wants them to be. He will eventually return to his true family.

There are some other interesting differences in this world Pariah created for Clark. And the costumes Chris Burnham has beautifully depicted offer some interesting insights into these difference. Clark’s costume is clearly patterned after the Golden-Age Superman costume. Combining this with the white hair on Clark’s temples, this makes him look like the Earth-Two Superman in his Silver and Bronze Age appearances.

Could this be hinting at Superman’s desire for  simpler life by showing him in a costume from a simpler time? The story tells us that past events have kept Clark within the bounds of Earth’s solar system. And there is no indication of other heroes on Earth. On the whole, Superman’s dream world leaves him with less to do, and consequently more time to spend with his family.

Positives Cont.

And Jon’s uniform is quite intriguing. It’s essentially a Robin costume with an S-shield in place of Robin’s R-symbol. Could it be that Clark on some level is jealous of Bruce’s father-son relationship with the various Robins? I think that might be so, especially Bruce’s relationship with Dick Grayson. Bruce got to see Dick mature and grow into one of the DCU’s foremost heroes, while Clark missed that with Jon.

There is a darker side to this idyllic world. Darkseid and his forces are running rampant on the universe outside the solar system, which Clark has retreated to. Clark knows the wider universe needs him, but he is afraid to defy Darkseid. But Jon sets off to do exactly that. He dons his father’s costume and sets out to fight Darkseid.

And that’s another thing that Clark deeply longs for. He’s not just content to see his son grown into a man, but he wants to see Jon surpass him. He doesn’t want to be the conquering hero. He wants to be the proud father of that hero.

The Aquaman story is similar, but the wish-fulfilment element seems rather less nuanced than in the main story. Basically, Aquaman’s ideal life involves him surrounded by friends and family. We them all gathered at a vow-renewal ceremony for Arthur’s parents.

This appears to be set a good few years in the future, as his daughter is now grown up and calling herself Aquawoman. And Arthur appears to be on friendly terms with Black Manta. I suspect this reveals Aquaman’s desire that his recent truce with Manta will eventually develop into a true alliance and friendship between them.

Positives Cont.

I also have to say that I quite liked how the title “Aquaman Has Everything” gives a nod to Alan Moore’s classic Superman story “For the Man Who Has Everything”. That was a nice touch.

Perhaps the less nuanced wish-fulfillment fantasy explains why Arthur is aware that this world isn’t real. He states this clearly, as well as his desire to escape this false reality. He addresses Pariah directly:

And maybe one day it’ll all be real… like it was meant to be. But it’s not real. Not yet. I don’t have everything yet. I don’t yet have my hands around your throat. You think you’ve beaten us–but better than you have tried, and in the end, you all learn…Not even death will hold us. I’ve been dead before, and I’ve come back. Soon…we’ll see if you can say the same.

This bit is truly chilling. Brandon Thomas clearly understands what a menacing badass Aquaman can be. I would love to see Thomas get a chance to tackle an Aquaman project in the future, or perhaps the main Aquaman title. He really seems to get the character.

Negatives

I have absolutely no complaints about Dark Crisis: Worlds Without A Justice League – Superman #1. Dark Crisis and the overarching new Great Darkness Saga has been handled superbly (except for a certain miniseries starring the League and the Legion of Super-Heroes), and this one-shot story is no exception.

Verdict

If this issue is any indication, the upcoming Worlds Without a Justice League one-shots are going to be something really special. I can’t wait to see what worlds Pariah has created for the other members of the League. And the Superman story is like Tom King’s best stories usually are – heartbreaking but also somehow uplifting at the same time.

The post Review: Dark Crisis: Worlds Without A Justice League – Superman #1 appeared first on DC Comics News.

[Editor’s Note: This review may contain spoilers]

Writer: Brian Michael Bendis

Artist: Scott Godlewski

Colors: Ryan Cody

Letters: Dave Sharpe

Reviewed By: Matthew Lloyd, Derek McNeil

Summary

Justice League Vs The Legion of Super-Heroes #4: Now it’s the Legion of Super-Heroes’ turn to get stuck in a time they don’t belong in, the 21st century. Time for the greatest heroes of the future to see the reality of their heroes of the past. All this is happening because the Great Darkness is coming, and even as the truth behind it is about to be revealed, it may be too late to stop all from becoming nothing. It’s the heroes of two eras in ways you’ve never seen them before!

Positives

Matthew: Let’s be honest, there aren’t a lot of Positives as we hit issue 4 of this series.  Scott Godlewski continues to keep things interesting in the art department, but he’s not given a lot of interesting material to work with in Bendis’ script.  There are a couple of interesting lines from Bendis that are worth mentioning.

Positives Cont.

When Brainiac 5 walks into the bunker he automatically attempted to connect to the computer with his voice only.  Cleverly, Bendis has Brainy admit he’s only ever been in a world that has computers that are voice recognition enabled.  This feels like a genuine experience that someone from the future would have.

Derek: Yeah, Godlewski is basically carrying the book. Unfortunately, while a great story can sometimes save poor art, the reverse isn’t true. This series is great to look at, but it has little else to offer.

Matthew: In another part of the issue, the Gold Lantern who’s been thrown further into the past meets Alan Scott, the Golden Age Green Lantern.  It’s a neat moment, but way too short.  Well the idea is cool, but it’s not executed very well.

Derek: That pretty much wraps Bendis’ writing in a nutshell. He comes up with some really good ideas, but rarely goes anywhere with them. When I saw Alan Scott, I thought this could lead to something interesting. But Alan does nothing to contribute to the story during his brief appearance.

Negatives

Matthew: I don’t think it’s a stretch to ask if anyone even cares about this series at this point.  It doesn’t help that the series has gone bi-monthly.  However, it seems to be the overall pacing of the series that’s the biggest issue.  Everything is taking so long to develop that it’s hard to feel any sort of tension or drama with the events.  The first issue had a decent set up, but not much has happened since.  It feels mostly like a set up for something else.

Derek: I know I’m finding it difficult to stay interested in this story. The story ends with the caption “To Be Continued…?” as if the series might not carry on past this point. And I thought to myself “Why bother continuing it?”. It doesn’t really seem to be adding anything to the overall Great Darkness story being told in the Dark Crisis event.

Matthew:  All the talk of the “great darkness” isn’t really paying off.  For those readers who know what the Great Darkness really is this story feels aimless.  Even within the confines of the story itself, there’s no real development of the darkness for a reveal with some sort of payoff.

Negatives Cont.

Derek: And what’s worse, is that we already know how this story ends, thanks to the delays this series has encountered. In Justice League #75, Green Arrow states that the League has recently encountered the Great Darkness and defeated it – evidently referring to this series. We already know that the League will be back in their own time and at their proper ages by the end of this series. By the story’s end, the status quo will have come full circle. You could cut this piece of the overall Great Darkness story and it wouldn’t make a lick of difference.

Matthew: It’s hard to believe, but the dialogue seems to be getting worse.  There are moments that the dialogue is confusing from a storytelling standpoint as well as dialogue that is just there because Bendis thinks he’s being clever.  I don’t think he has any clue as to how Black Adam should speak.  It’s more of a distraction than anything effective in any capacity.

Derek: Bendis has always been a little too impressed with how clever his dialogue is. Yes, occasionally he will come up with witty things for his characters to say. But more often than not, it’s just something inane. And you’re absolutely right about him not having a good grasp on how the characters should talk. There were multiple instances in the main Justice League title where he put words in Batman’s mouth that the Dark Knight would never utter.

Verdict

Matthew: It’s not worth following this series.  There’s literally nothing of interest going on and there’s almost no chance anything of significance will happen.  Coupled with the fact Bendis’ Legion is uninspired, it’s best to just put this away and hope we get a classic Legion reboot and let Bendis leave the DC Universe well enough alone.

Derek: I suspect that Joshua Williamson and the other plotters of Dark Crisis and Flashpoint Beyond arranged it so that this story would be ultimately separable and irrelevant to the overall Great Darkness story. It’s likely just meant to keep Bendis occupied so that he doesn’t mess up the overarching Dark Crisis storyline. While I’ve been enjoying their new Great Darkness Saga very much, readers could very easily skip it. In fact, they probably should.

Matthew’s Score:

Derek’s Score:

Average Score:

The post Review: Justice League Vs The Legion Of Super-Heroes #4 appeared first on DC Comics News.

The theme park has brought Princess Diana’s essence of adventure and excitement to its latest rollercoaster endeavor entitled “Wonder Woman Flight of Courage.” It joins its predecessors “Batman: The Ride,” and “Jersey Devil Coaster,” the latter debuting the month before in Six Flags New Jersey. Given its additional 30 feet of track and one foot taller than “Jersey Devil Coaster,” “Flight of Courage” is the new title holder of the tallest single-rail coaster in the world. This is the theme park’s 20th rollercoaster to date, which is also a record setter as well. It is located in the six-acre DC Universe area, alongside Diana’s superhero brethren. Besides Wonder Woman and Batman, DC Universe houses rides such as “The Flash: Vertical Velocity,” “Aquaman Splashdown,” and “DC Super-Villains Swing.”

With 3,300 feet of track, the design of this ride is influenced by Greek architecture that stands at 131 feet. And, of course, painted in trademark Wonder Woman colors. This immersive experience takes guests for a steep climb, then endure an 87-degree drop with three inversions. The calculated speed the rollercoaster travels is approximately 58 mph.

It’s not just superhero-themed amusement rides in the process of expansion. DC Universe is currently undergoing the same process to provide an “innovative restaurant and bar experience,” according to the park.

Click below to watch a POV experience of the ride provided by the YouTube group, CoasterForce.

Official Source – Record-breaking Wonder Woman ride to open at Six Flags Magic Mountain (newsnationnow.com)

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[Editor’s Note: This review may contain spoilers]

Writer: Joshua Williamson

Artist: Daniel Sampere

Colours: Alejandro Sanchez

Letters: Tom Napolitano

Reviewed By: Derek McNeil

Summary

Dark Crisis #1: Crisis on Infinite Earths. Infinite Crisis. Final Crisis. And now…Dark Crisis! The epic event years in the making is finally here! Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, and the rest of the Justice League are dead. The remaining heroes are left to protect the world from an onslaught of violent attacks by DC’s greatest villains! Can the legacy heroes step out of the shadows of the classic heroes to form a new Justice League? And will that be enough to stop a darkness greater than anything they’ve ever faced from destroying everything? Don’t miss out on the first issue of the blockbuster event of the summer!

Positives

With Dark Crisis #1, Joshua Williamson’s major summer event has now officially begun. However, DC has actually been building up to Dark Crisis for months now. Infinite Crisis, Justice League Incarnate, and Justice League #75 have been paving the way for this story.

From the first page, we get introduced to one of this series’ central themes: legagcy. We see a re-enactment of Dick Grayson swearing the oath that began his career as Robin, making him the first sidekick in comics and the first of DC’s second generation of characters. This is immediately followed by a two-page spread that summarizes the legacy from Batman and Robin up to the newest generation heroes.

And while this may seem like a celebration of DC history to fans, this is actually a rather sombre occasion, as Dick’s narration is revealed to be a eulogy for the Justice League who are presumed dead following the events of Justice League #75. However, Dick’s words exhort the gathered heroes to fight on and continue the League’s legacy.

And the question of how to follow the League’s legacy is an important question that falls upon the shoulder’s of Jon Kent. And he does so by assembling his own League. His first impulse is to form a new Trinity at the core by enlisting a new Batman and Wonder Woman. Unfortunately, neither Jace Fox nor Yara Flor are inclined to take him up on his offer. Thus, we see Jon talking to a succession of candidates. some of which turn him down, while others accept.

Positives Cont.

The team Jon puts together are a rather ragtag selection of heroes. Some make perfect sense, while others seem to be rather odd choices, as Jon was getting desperate to fill the roster. I suspect that this team will not serve as the permanent roster, but that some of them will stick around. I like that the reformed Killer Frost has joined the team, and Frankenstein makes a very intriguing addition. However, there seem to be some redundant selections. Black Adam raises the question “Do you really need two Blue Beetles?”. But he could also have asked if they needed a Superman and a Supergirl.

I think we will see some shakeups in the team’s roster as this series progresses. It’s unclear whether or not the original League will reform when Dark Crisis is over, but I suspect some of these characters will remain on whatever incarnation of the League arises out of this event.

I find the role of Hal Jordan in this story rather interesting. As the only original member of the Justice League remaining, Hal now represents his generation of heroes. He has been thrust into the position of the elder statesman, whom even Dick Grayson defers to. This seems a bit at odds with Hal’s personality, but I believe he can rise to the occasion and provide an example for the younger heroes to emulate.

And Hal gets right to work and doles out the assignments. He directs Wally to search for Barry, while he sets off to “find the perp” responsible for the League’s disappearance. This leaves Jon to deal with the rise in supervillain activity around the world.

Positives Cont.

Speaking of which, the issue ends with Deathstroke and his Secret Society of Super Villains launching an all-out attack on Titans Tower. Deathstroke states his intention to “Kill legacy once and for all”. Deathstroke has settled firmly into the role of a villain and has declared himself the enemy of the Titans and the very idea they represent. This gives the upcoming conflict an interesting edge. It’s not just a typical fight between heroes and villains, but a war of ideologies.

We also see what looks to be the first casualty in that war, as Deathstroke appears to execute Beaxt Boy with a bullet to the head. However, I suspect this isn’t the end of Gar. Readers of Teen Titans Academy will remember that he and Cyborg currently share a merged body. They appear to be separate, but this is an illusion generated by Raven. And Cyborg is is elsewhere when this happens. I suspect Deathstroke merely killed an illusory duplicate controlled by Gar’s mind.

Daniel Sampere’s visuals for this issue are astounding. Many of DC’s greatest characters are represented here, and they all look absolutely iconic. I loved every image: young Dick Grayson swearing his oath before Batman, the throng of heroes gathered to mourn the Justice League, and Deathstroke’s attack on Titans Tower. Sampere’s art really sells the idea that this story as a major event.

Negatives

Some of Jon’s selections for the new League seem rather odd. For example, Harley Quinn seems an outright bizarre choice. However, I understand that Jon was likely getting desperate to find enough heroes. And, as I said above, I suspect this lineup will change as the story progresses.

And actually, I think that Harley’s presence could prove interesting. She has been going through a redemption arc in her own title. Also, Harley is actually very intelligent and an expert in criminal psychology. She could be a disruptive influence, or she might actually turn out to be a valuable addition to the team – or quite possibly both. While her being on the team may or may not be a good idea, it will almost certainly prove entertaining.

Verdict

Dark Crisis #1 serves as a fantastic opening chapter for Williamson’s story. It has me hooked and I am eager to see what twists and turns this story will take over the next few months. Strap in, folks, as it looks like we’re in for a hell of a ride.

The post Review: Dark Crisis #1 appeared first on DC Comics News.