This review contains spoilers.
In this issue, Oliver and Tarantula come across the villains that kidnapped Ollie’s dog.
The issue begins with Oliver narrating about a young girl who was kidnapped by the Skeletons; this girl turns out to be Tarantula’s cousin. Oliver and Tarantula go to the latter’s bar but it’s a trap. The Skeletons kidnap the two and tie them to chairs made of bone. Their leader reveals that Tarantula was planning to trade Ollie for her cousin. Oliver manages to break free and rescue Tarantula and her cousin before going back for his dog.
Positives
The art is great. The issue takes place on Dia de los Muertos and a lot of cool imagery is the result. Additionally, the aesthetic of the Skeletons is interesting. The general vibe and feel is appropriate for this time of year.
Negatives
Oliver’s narration is pretentious and irritating.
There’s a joke in which Oliver complains about not liking the Black Canary band and I kind of don’t get it. It plays like Oliver hates the song because of a relationship with Dinah but he’s never met her in this continuity. I guess it’s just a reference to their relationship in previous continuities but it’s not funny either way.
This story is still way too dragged out. There just isn’t enough here to justify this many parts of a story. I want to be invested but there isn’t much characterization for Oliver or Tarantula; her betrayal isn’t surprising or interesting at all. This book is just a series of events happening to pad this story out.
Verdict
While there is great art, the story is dull and stretched out more than Plastic Man and it’s just not interesting. Some of the imagery gives a good vibe but the story is disappointing.
