The post The Batman Pt II Delayed Until 2026 appeared first on DC Comics News.
]]>There’s been a lot said of superhero fatigue given the recent box office disappointment of Marvel and DC movies, so maybe they just wanted us to miss the caped crusader a little longer. Another factor could be it just wouldn’t have been ready in time. We can all safely say Matt Reeves knows what he is doing. Little is known about what the film will be about or who the villain is, so if Reeves needs more time I’d rather wait for him to fully realize his vision.
Another factor to consider is James Gunn’s DCU. It’s common knowledge the The Batman Pt II will not be part of James Gunn’s DCU which get’s its first movie, Superman, in 2025. It could be that Warner Bros didn’t want to muddy the waters. Lucky for fans we won’t have to wait that long to return to Reeves’ Gotham. This fall will see the release of The Penguin TV series starring Colin Farrell.
Stay tuned to dccomicsnews for more updates!
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]]>The post Review: Wesley Dodds: The Sandman #6 appeared first on DC Comics News.
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Writer: Robert Venditti
Art: Riley Rossmo
Colors: Ivan Plascencia
Letters: Tom Napolitano
Reviewed by: Matthew B. Lloyd
The Sandman has his final showdown with Wheeler Vanderlyle. It doesn’t look good for Wesley as he is stabbed, shot and gassed.
Venditti and Rossmo do a great job of building the tension in this issue as The Sandman battles Vanderlyle. It’s not always easy to do this with a character the reader knows will survive. However, they are certainly successful in Wesley Dodds: The Sandman #4. Venditti adds emotional and psychological elements that enhance the drama. It’s been something Venditti’s addressing all along as it connects to Wesley’s characterization in Sandman Mystery Theater and that I’ve noted in previous reviews of this series.
(I don’t like to spoils things that are essential to endings, but…SPOILERS AHEAD, last chance to turn back)
The denouement of this story has a couple nice touches, first, the appearance of Sanderson Hawkins, the future Sandy the Golden Boy. Also, the Justice Society of America shows up at Wesley’s back door. It gives the series a feel good ending that connects this mini-series to a larger world that fans will appreciate.
The resolution of Wes’s fight with Vanderlyle can go either way. From one perspective it is a perfect ending that echoes the development of the Wesley/ Dian relationship from Sandman Mystery Theater. It’s great to have Dian in the proceedings and give her a role. It’s great to see that aspect of the Wesley/ Dian dynamic, and it’s something that should be developed should this series be able to go forward in some capacity.
The cover by Rossmo is also a great homage to a Golden Age cover by Alex Schomburg featuring Captain America and Bucky. It’s from U.S.A. Comics #7, though some readers may be more familiar with an Alex Ross Invaders image that also homages this cover.
The other side of this is that in this first solo series in decades, Wesley Dodds has to be saved by another character. While it works on one level as it is emblematic of their partnership, it isn’t the strongest ending for Wesley. Had Dian had a larger role earlier in the story, it would’ve given Dian some agency while not stealing the spotlight from Wesley. Outright it’s not a full negative, it just isn’t the best ending, and unfortunately, the reader wants to see Wes be the hero here.
If this series is over, then it’s the biggest negative for Wesley Dodds: The Sandman #6. This series has been great and it’s a real shame if it doesn’t continue in some way. There’s a lot more stories to tell with Wes and Dian.
The appearance of the JSA at the end IS a nice touch. However, their desire to recruit him calls into question the very history of the JSA and their origin. The Alan Scott: The Green Lantern mini-series has so far altered Alan Scott’s history as well as some JSA history. In the JSA origin story, the Sandman is one of the characters that goes to Germany to face Hitler. The JSA forms after this adventure. It doesn’t make sense that Wesley would be recruited by the JSA after they started to form a group. Unfortunately, if the JSA shows up at Wesley’s door to recruit him, it means the origin of the JSA with Hitler gaining the Spear of Destiny is being altered/retconned or whatever.
If this is what’s happening, then I suppose that we will have to accept that this is a whole new history for the JSA and DC’s Golden Age characters. However, the third of the current Golden Age/JSA mini-series, Jay Garrick: The Flash specifically references Hitler and the Spear of Destiny. So what’s happening here? Editorial has been negligent at DC Comics of late and it’s not clear if this is just editorial error/ antipathy or a genuine attempt to rewrite a bit of history while not making it clear for the readers that this is what’s happening.
Overall, Wesley Dodds: The Sandman #6 is a really good comic. there are some really fun moments as well as thrilling ones. It’s clear that this series is deserving of an ongoing by this creative team. There’s plenty more stories to tell and more to be done with Dian and Wesley, and eventually Sandy. The hiccups mentioned don’t detract in a big way, but just distract for a bit.
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]]>The post Review: Green Lantern #9 appeared first on DC Comics News.
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Writers: Jeremy Adams and Sam Humphries
Art: Xermanico and Yasmin Flores Montanez
Colors: Romulo Fajardo, Jr. and Alex Guimaraes
Letters: Dave Sharpe
Reviewed by: Matthew B. Lloyd
Hal Jordan finds the end of the road Madame Xanadu set him on. It’s surprise after surprise that gets Hal off of the Earth and on the trail of the mystery of the destroyed Power Batteries.
Green Lantern #9 suddenly ramps up the action and mystery with a couple of surprises. They are big and integral to the plot so it’s hard to avoid discussing the spoilers.
(SPOILERS AHEAD)
Hal’s path leads him to Tom Kalmaku. Tom relates an encounter he had with a Guardian, reminding him that he’s the last of the New Guardians (see Millennium). This is a call back to a series over 35 years old. It’s not fondly remembered, but it’s a deep cut into DC history. Tom then reveals to Hal a power battery left on Earth by the Guardians of the Universe and a mission from them- the Green Lanterns of Earth are the safety back up if anything happened to the Guardians or the Green Lantern Corps. These events tie things together and provide some clarity for the events of the past few issues. It put Hal in a position he’s comfortable with…and he’s raring to go.
Adams plays off Hal’s characterization and the perception of Earthlings by the rest of the Universe. It’s cleverly executed as it fits both character and story. Adams also addresses Hal’s feelings for Carol. He gives Hal some resolution and it indicates that Hal is too attached to his life as Green Lantern to give it up for a regular married life on Earth. It’s not unlike a priest taking a vow of celibacy to tend his flock…Hal’s life as a Lantern isn’t as much a job as it is a vocation. The art by Xermanico and Romulo Fajardo, Jr. is simply beautiful at times. The locations sing! They capture the fantastic wonderfully.
The second story, “The Trial of Jessica Cruz” serves to expand the story and the world in which it is taking place. We get a bit of Jess’s history for those unfamiliar and enough to inspire some research. It’s put together well and connected to Hal’s story in an interesting way. It’s easy to see how things will come together soon. This back up story in Green Lantern #9 adds an additional layer as well as additional excitement for what will come next for not only Hal and Jessica, but the status quo of the Green Lantern Corps in the DC Universe. It’s especially intriguing as it addresses the role of the United Planets. The back up even reveals the parties behind the destruction of the Power Batteries, or at least one of them.
It’s hard to find a negative with Green Lantern #9. It may be a bit odd to bring back Millennium, but it goes a long way in making the history of the DC Universe matter. It feels like there’s a shift in direction with the series after the opening two issues that set up the characters so well. Even though it makes sense for Hal to be able to resign himself to being done with Carol, it would be good to see him actually have that conversation instead of just running away again.
Green Lantern #9 brings a number of plot ideas together. It feels like the lynchpin to this series and everything will pivot off this issue going forward. The deep cuts are really exciting, as are the potentialities suggested in this issue with the Green Lantern Corps, Jessica Cruz and the United Planets.
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]]>The post Review: Birds of Prey #7 appeared first on DC Comics News.
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Writer: Kelly Thompson
Art: Javier Pina
Colors: Jordie Bellaire
Letters: Clayton Cowles
Reviewed by: Matthew B. Lloyd
After Dinah explains to Barbara why she wasn’t included in the rescue of Sin interrogate Meridian on what she knows. This gives Barbara a place to begin the investigation on who’s targeting the Birds of Prey.
Page one of Birds of Prey #7 is huge indicator of how this issue is going to go. Javier Pina’s art stands out immediately. It’s significantly different from Leonardo Romero, but that’s not a bad thing. Nor is it a criticism of Romero’s work. Instead, it’s one of those rare occasions that two distinct artists of great skill are working on the same title. There’s a texture to Pina’s work that adds some depth to the visuals. Jordie Bellaire maintains the same type of color palatte as in previous issues, but Pina’s textural approach adds something special to the overall look.
Also, one page one, the appearance of Barbara Gordon and the nature of her conversation with Dinah (Black Canary) Lance immediately changes to feel of the book, and for the first time this series genuinely feels like a Birds Prey comic. It’s a hard truth, but if you don’t want to write Barbara Gordon, you really don’t want to write the Birds of Prey. Thompson makes the personal connections between Babs and Dinah feel legitimate and as Barbara echoes this reviewer’s feeling (why wasn’t she involved in the first arc?), the next question is where is Helena (Huntress) Bertinelli?
The mystery at the heart of Birds of Prey #7 is who’s time travelling to try and kill the Birds of Prey? We don’t get any big answers, but a few clues are uncovered as Barbara recruits Vixen. It’s a solid start to this two part story…
…and that may be a problem already. It doesn’t seem like one more issue will solve the mysteries that have been introduced. This may mean another story after the next issue to conclude the larger tale with this grouping of characters only around for this two-parter. The use of more and more super-powered characters takes away from the core concept of the Birds of Prey.
It’s still, and probably always will be awkward to see Barbara refer to her work as the Birds of Prey. It’s still a misperception by Thompson that this is a team instead of simply what Barbara does as Oracle and that any old group of female characters can be in a book titled “Birds of Prey.” As strong as this issue is, it does reinforce the idea conjured by last issue’s revelation by Meridian that this is where issue #1 should’ve started. This would’ve made it the first issue feel like a true Birds of Prey issue instead of an imposter and given an interesting opening set of pages with multiple mysteries. Dinah could’ve told Barbara the whole story, thus including her in the comic even if she was excluded from the mission. The first impression would have been stronger than what was actually presented in issue #1. It’s taken six issues to get to a comic that felt right some of the needless missteps in the first six issue.
Finally, there’s something odd about the dialogue when Vixen chastises Dinah for not feeling comfortable in the undercover disguise she’s picked for her. It doesn’t really matter that Vixen thinks it’s no less modest than Dinah’s fishnets, it only matters what Dinah thinks. People’s levels of modesty are unique, and it’s not right for Vixen to judge Dinah. It seems like Thompson is playing it for laughs, but it just comes off as awkward.
Birds of Prey #7 is easily the best issue of the series so far. The inclusion of Barbara Gordon and thus connecting the book to the core Birds of Prey concept makes it feels right. This issue doesn’t feel as derivative as feared with the time travelling killer plot that seems so similar to the first arc in the current Justice Society of America series. Things seem to be going in the right direction as long as future issues can wrap up the killer plot and move beyond connections to the first arc.
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]]>The post SUPERMAN: LEGACY Gets Title Change, James Gunn Reveals First Look appeared first on DC Comics News.
]]>James Gunn took to Threads recently and shared that principle photography was starting on his Superman film, and even shared a first look at the Superman symbol that will be used. As you can see below, the new symbol takes inspiration from the classic story Kingdom Come, but instead of red and black, it’s red and yellow.
Gunn wrote, “Overjoyed to be announcing the start of principal photography on SUPERMAN today, February 29, which just so happens to be – coincidentally and unplanned – Superman’s birthday.”
Post by @jamesgunnView on Threads
After that post, he also commented that while the original name of the film was Superman: Legacy, that has actually changed, and the film will now simply be titled SUPERMAN.
“When I finished the first draft of the script, I called the film ‘Superman: Legacy.’ By the time I locked the final draft, it was clear the title was SUPERMAN. Making our way to you July 2025.”
Post by @jamesgunnView on Threads
This works out since the Richard Donner film from 1978 was actually titled Superman: The Movie, and it makes for a much cleaner beginning to this brand new universe at DC Studios.
Superman will star David Corenswet as the titular superhero, along with Rachel Brosnahan as Lois Lane. Nicholas Hoult as Lex Luthor, Skyler Gisondo as Jimmy Olsen, Anthony Carrigan as Metamorpho, Edi Gathegi as Mister Terrific, Nathan Fillion as Guy Gardner, Isabela Merced as Hawkgirl, Sean Gunn as Maxwell Lord, Maria Gabriela de Faria as The Engineer, Sara Sampaio as Eve Teschmacher, and Milly Alcock as Supergirl.
Superman is set to hit theaters on July 11, 2025.
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]]>The post Review: Power Girl #6 appeared first on DC Comics News.
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Writer: Leah Williams
Art: Marguerite Sauvage
Colors: Marguerite Sauvage
Letters: Becca Carey
Reviewed by: Matthew Lloyd
Power Girl and Supergirl team up to investigate the disappearance of a number of people and the relationship to a new drug making the rounds- Avalon. It’s not quite what they expect.
The best thing about Power Girl #6 is the variant covers by Dan Panosian and Brad Walker. These are two great depictions of Power Girl, despite featuring the current costume. Panosian wisely loses the jacket to draw attention to Power Girls arms. Clearly, this isn’t the Power Girl that’s actually in the comic itself. Unfortunately, one would have to spend extra to get both of these variants. Panosian also depicts Power Girl as an overall more physically imposing individual. Walker and Panosian both capture the inner PG as a strong, independent, confident character. Again, it’s unfortunate that the Power Girl inside the comic shares none of the physical or internal traits Panosian and Walker’s covers show.
There’s an interesting idea in this comic that Williams presents of a “drug” that transports the user to an alternate dimension. Oddly, it seems like it might fit better in a My Little Pony story than Power Girl, or indeed any DC Universe comic. If anything, it doesn’t seem out of place for one of the more whimsical Supergirl stories from the Silver Age save the inclusion of the drugs. It’s surprising that Williams is able to connect Streaky’s story in Power Girl #5 no matter how tenuously.
Eduardo Pansica, who drew the first four issues of this series has been replaced by Marguerite Sauvage who drew the Power Girl back ups in Action Comics and the Power Girl Special. Pansica’s style fits Power Girl better, but Sauvage’s art is definitely well suited to the playful world Kara and Kara enter in pursuit of the missing people. Sauvage actually changes her style a bit to reflect the difference between Ferimbia and the regular world. Her regular style would fit just as well, however…
…the more cartoony approach fits too well with the tone of the script so that any sort of gravitas is lost. There’s no irony here, either. It’s hard to feel the weight of the situation outside of the facts we are told in the narration and dialogue. For a character who’s been emasculated in this current incarnation, Power Girl #6 takes all the oomph out of her adventure as well. The story arc in issues #1-4 at least felt like there was something significant happening. This first chapter in this new arc is bereft of any seriousness.
The characterization is minimal and subtle. Williams may do a nice job depicting the relationship between Kara and Kara indirectly, but it leaves the reader with the impression that Supergirl is more competent, more experienced and more capable than Power Girl. We are used to this characterization of Power Girl by Williams, but it’s still difficult to consume. Pretty sure Supergirl even blames Power Girl for getting them stuck in a mess.
When Williams was interviewed about taking this series on, one of the things she stated was that she wanted to “definitely wanted to showcase what sets her apart from the rest of the Super-family; not only in her expertise, but how different her personality is. She’s kind of a wild card comparatively because her experience and background differ so greatly [from the others].” Six issues in it’s clear that what Williams has envisioned about Power Girl is the complete opposite of every other incarnation of Power Girl. It’s obvious now that this won’t change until someone (an editor? someone on the internet?) explains to Williams that she’s got it all wrong. Supergirl is not the more confident, experienced and capable character, Power Girl, Karen Starr is.
I’ve finally figured out who this series is for. It’s definitely not for existing fans of the character who supported her in her first nearly 50 years of existence. As Williams doesn’t understand anything that happened to the character before she started writing her, Williams has invented an approach. It’s for young girls (and boys?) who feel insecure and like they don’t fit in anywhere. That’s all well and good, but there’s no reason to reinvent Power Girl to fit this approach. The first five issues have been an awful experience and Power Girl #6 doesn’t really change that. This is probably the worst issue of the series, friendship is not magic in this case.
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]]>The post Review: Wonder Woman #6 appeared first on DC Comics News.
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Writer: Tom King
Art: Daniel Sampere and Belen Ortega
Colors: Tomeu Morey and Alejandro Sanchez
Letters: Clayton Cowles
Reviewed by: Matthew B. Lloyd
Wonder Woman faces off against her rogues gallery as recruited by Sarge Steel and Trinity can’t sleep in another adventure in babysitting with the Super Sons.
The best thing about Wonder Woman #6 and this series is the art by Daniel Sampere. That’s about all that’s good about this issue. I mean, there are a lot of aspects that Sampere excels at, but it’s important to know that his art is not only THE best thing, but perhaps the ONLY thing as well.
It’s hard to know where to begin…. Six issues in and almost nothing has happened in this series. To say that the pace has been glacial is an understatement. We should’ve been at this point in issue #4. King has spent so much time on set up and developing The Sovereign that this has become one of the most tedious and boring series I’ve ever read. Like Brian Michael Bendis’s run on Superman King has a faulty premise and his execution of that faulty premise is not only going nowhere fast, but the approach is slowing the already slow plot down.
Even if you believe the idea that Amazon’s make up a large enough demographic to be a threat in America, and somehow the people of the United States would turn against Wonder Woman because of the actions of a single rogue Amazon and the hatred and bigotry in America stems from the machinations of a shadow monarchy, it doesn’t make up for the fact that the narration of this tale by The Sovereign drags the decent ideas down. Wonder Woman #6 is a perfect example of this. As a big action issue with Diana battling all the rogues that were recruited last issue, the narration takes all the excitement, tension and fun out of it. It’s a story that should rely on Sampere’s story telling and art. However, King is too in love with the sound of The Sovereign’s voice and he HAS to talk over the entire conflict. It’s not even exciting narration! The Sovereign is reflecting on his mistakes as he narrates to Lizzie in a future time, and it’s a very dry and from his perspective disappointing sequence of events. King definitely makes this come through, because it’s wholly uninspiring.
King has the ability to write a gripping and engaging story. Human Target for all its faults in characterization of the Justice League International characters is a tight, intriguing noir-style mystery. For that it’s quite good, but the personalities are so far afield, the JLI characters are like actors cast in a movie playing roles and they clearly aren’t themselves. In Wonder Woman, the characters are off, but the story doesn’t even hold the reader’s attention.
This run, the story and even the execution by King has made me think of “The Emperor’s New Clothes.” In that story, an emperor is told by some con men that these “new clothes” will make him look great. Of course, there are no clothes and the emperor goes before his people completely naked. For whatever reason, many people want to believe Tom King is writing a great comic here. King believes it and he’s telling us how great Wonder Woman is as he brainwashes the reader with The Sovereign’s narration. Unfortunately, there’s nothing beyond the beauty of Sampere’s art. Every aspect of the execution is slow and downright boring, and most of the set up just doesn’t work in the context of Amazons in the DC Universe. Readers want to believe the analogy is deep and meaningful, but it just doesn’t line up. It’s a poor analogy.
If readers aren’t actually familiar with Wonder Woman, Steve Trevor and the Wonder Girls then I can understand why those readers might be drawn to this sort of thing. It all sounds very dramatic, but there’s no real drama in last issue’s showdowns between Diana and the Wonder Girls. That whole bit made no sense. It’s not just Diana’s problem, ALL Amazons have been targeted, it’s natural for the Wonder Girls to be involved. Additionally, not everything on Themiscyra is decided by rite of combat. That whole bit demonstrates how little King understands Diana’s relationships with the people she’s closest to. This goes hand in hand with her awkward dialogue with Steve Trevor at the beginning of Wonder Woman #6. King writes Diana like she’s new to Man’s World and English. Let’s just forget that Amazons know a multitude of languages, but she’s been around for a while…she shouldn’t have stilted dialogue. Plus, recapitulating her “No thank you,” response in this issue doesn’t work as King thinks it does. It’s another example of style over substance, as if saying “no” is somehow emblematic of Diana’s persona.
The adventures in babysitting with the Super Sons backup in Wonder Woman #6 is no different than the other chapters. Jon and Damian don’t seem to have matured and there’s no endearing quality to Lizzie because we know how she turns out from her first appearance in Wonder Woman #800. As we learn why Lizzie is a brat, it doesn’t do much for creating anticipation for her appearances as an adult. King killed any hope for Trinity to be likable in her first appearance and he’s not changing anything with these stories.
The appeal of this series is to readers who are easily impressed by superficial ideas and manufactured drama and for those who aren’t really familiar with Wonder Woman and her supporting cast and world, readers who are just familiar with the idea of Wonder Woman. I guess that describes King as well, since that’s what he’s given us. For those fans of Wonder Woman who know what a Wonder Woman story is supposed to be like I recommend the previous run by Becky Cloonan and Michael W. Conrad or the post-Crisis George Perez era.
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]]>The post Review: Nightwing #111 appeared first on DC Comics News.
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Writers: Tom Taylor and Michael W. Conrad
Art: Sami Basri, Vicente Cifuentes and Francesco Francavilla
Colors: Adriano Lucas and Francesco Francavilla
Letters: Wes Abbott
Reviewed by: Matthew B. Lloyd
Gotham City: Batman investigates a murder with an M.O. that matches Heartless and the Dark Knight calls in Nightwing to help…and more begins to feel familiar as the investigation begins.
Tom Taylor is playing the long game with Heartless. I don’t think he’s writing for the omnibus, but I think he’s got a long plan for Nightwing that casts Heartless as not just a “big bad,” but a thematic opposite of Dick Grayson. It seems likely that Taylor saw the interruptions in the series over the past couple years, “Beast World,” “Knight Terrors,” “Fear State,” etc…, and planned the long story with this in mind. Nightwing #111 brings Heartless back into play, but also includes a smaller story that allows Taylor to focus on Dick’s relationship with Bruce and related themes of adoption and being an orphan. The moments between Dick and Bruce are particularly strong and it succeeds in focusing the issue on character. Along these lines, Taylor also settles any lingering Bea vs. Babs questions with a caring question from Bruce, and insightful but straightforward answer from Dick.
This provides Nightwing #111 to include some touching moments from Dick’s childhood in parallel as a comparison to Heartless’ past which we first saw back in Nightwing Annual 2022. These plot lines point to a larger scope that promises Heartless to become a true epic as well as developing Heartless into Nightwing’s true opposite number.
The back up story takes the reader on a journey deep into the past of Dick Grayson’s family. The art by Francesco Francavilla provides the atmosphere that one expects in his work. It pairs well with the period nature of the story and whets the appetite for something from Dick’s family’s past.
It would be nice to have Bruno Redondo back on this title. He’s still providing covers, but his art has been a big part of this series and his work is missed here.
Nightwing #111 feels like a return of sort. The plot gets back to Heartless which brings the reader back to where Tom Taylor’s run began back with Nightwing #78. Perhaps, Taylor has moved past the events which have been interrupting the DC Universe and Dick Grayson will soon face off against Heartless in a definitive if not final confrontation.
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]]>The post Review: Green Lantern #8 appeared first on DC Comics News.
]]>Hal Jordan with the help of Razer of the Blue Lantern Corps, finally gets a break on the case of the wonky emotional spectrum. Someone is destroying central power batteries.
Despite the quality of Jeremy Adams’ writing in the Green Lantern issues of the “Knight Terrors” event, there’s no doubt that the delay from the event has slowed the progress in many series, including Green Lantern. Green Lantern #8 begins to bring together the bigger idea of the issues of the problems with the emotional spectrum and Sinestro’s reasons for being on Earth in the first arc of this series (issues 1-6).
Adams continues to play with the Hal/ Carol dynamic in a subtle and nuanced way as well providing an interesting surprise at the end with some new antagonists. The appearance of Madame Xanadu is also a fun component as she always opens a doorway to something unexpected. As elements come together, revisiting the emotional spectrum promises to be a significant idea for exploration and piques excitement for what’s to come.
The back up story is an interesting callback to the Kyle Rayner Green Lantern series of the 1990’s. Writer Ron Marz returns to the character as he takes Kyle back to his beginnings including a ring construct appearance of Alex DeWitt the character that inspired the phrase “women in refrigerators.” It’s a nice touch that will bring back the memories for readers of those comics from the ’90’s.
Green Lantern #8 doesn’t quite bring everything together as some parts feel like they would’ve been better to have played out as the action instead of flashback. While the magic connection between Madame Xanadu and the power rings is intriguing, that association has been more in line with Alan Scott’s ring while the rings of the Green Lantern Corps have remained rooted more in science fiction as a device of alien science. It raises some questions that one trusts Adams will address in this story arc.
Green Lantern #8 is a solid read that promises a large drama that will unfold in this series. There are a number of interesting moments in the issues and it really feels like something is beginning in both the stories.
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]]>The post Review: Wesley Dodds: The Sandman #5 appeared first on DC Comics News.
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Writer: Robert Venditti
Art: Riley Rossmo
Colors: Ivan Plascensia
Letters: Tom Napolitano
Reviewed by: Matthew B. Lloyd
Wesley makes some headway in the mystery, but he hasn’t quite figured it all out. Maybe you saw it coming…the men behind the Fog- REVEALED!
Wesley Dodds #5 like last issue demonstrate the balanced approach to story telling that Venditti, Rossmo and Plascencia are employing in this series. Previous reviews have indicated the relationship of this series to the seminal Sandman Mystery Theater under the Vertigo imprint from the 1990’s, but with this issue, there’s a bit more of a connection to the Golden Age Sandman stories as there’s more focus on the physicality of Wesley Dodds. It’s a lot easier to imagine this version of Dodds donning the yellow and purple swashbuckling costume introduced by Joe Simon and Jack Kirby in Adventure Comics #72. It’s a wonder dichotomy between the two takes on the character, a perfect marriage if you will. Plascencia’s colors contribute to this wonderfully as some of the bright choices recall the comics of the Golden Age while also maintaining darker ones the keep the mystery/ noir elements in play.
A lot of the details keep the reader firmly in the 1940’s setting, both in the art and the significance of World War II in the plot. Additionally, Rossmo (and Venditti?) includes a brilliant old comic reference that fits thematically with Wesley Dodds dreams. On a newspaper that just happens to be on the floor of a shack that Sandman confronts someone Rossmo draws a strip of Little Nemo in Slumberland by Windsor McCay. This is an important strip in the history of comic strips. In the strip, Nemo has adventures in his dreams which can be thematically connected to Dodds own prophetic dreams. In Wesley Dodds #5, Rossmo draws Nemo as a kid in a Batman costume. It’s an amazing connections as the Sandman would’ve been the premier street level/ creature of the night type of hero in the DC Universe during the Golden Age without Batman.
It should also be noted that Rossmo and Plascencia also combine to evoke different atmospheres and settings quite wonderfully. The setting is a huge part of the Venditti’s story and the art and colors get this part right.
Hard to find a real negative in this series. Perhaps, the fact that the series is due to end after next issue is the obvious one.
Wesley Dodds #5 sets up a finale that may hold further surprises or simply wrap up the story. Either way, this series has maintained a consistent quality as it’s progressed. It’s just plain good with some moments of brilliance.
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