Behind the Capes

Meet The Order of The Dragon! Enter:  The Order of the Dragon! Creative Team Charles Soule - Writer; Mike Henderson - Artist; Matt Milla - C olor Artist; VC's Clayton Cowles - Letterer; Chris Sprouse & Marte Gracia - Main Cover Artists; Lauren Amaro - Assistant Editor; Devin Lewis - Editor; C.B. Cebulski - Editor in Chief; Joe Quesada - Chief Creative Officer; Dan Buckley - President; Alan Fine - Executive Producer Introduction to Daredevil 604 New York is under siege by The Beast, the demon overlord of The Hand, and his ninja horde.  The initial wave of attacks not only targeted the city;s law enforcement, but also its newly elected mayor, Wilson Fisk, the former Kingpin of Crime.  With Fisk in critical condition, Deputy Mayor Matt Murdock (a.k.a. Daredevil, The Man Without Fear) FOund himself promoted to Mayor of New York. With more responsibility on his shoulders than ever before, Matt has leaned on Daredevil's allies and his new mayoral authority...

Get the Penultimate Issue ! Man of Steel, Part 5 Creative Team Brian Michael Bendis - Writer; Adam Hughes & Jason Fabok (pp 8-11) - Artists; Adam Hughes & Alex Sinclair (pp 8-11) - Colors; Josh Reed - Letters;  Ivan Reis, Joe Prado, Sinclair - Cover; Jessica Chen - Associate Editor;  Michael Cotton - Editor; Brian Cunningham - Group Editor; Superman Created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster; Superboy Created by Jerry Siegel; Supergirl Based on the Characters Created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster; By Special Arrangement With the Jerry Siegel Family DC Comics' Solicitation Beaten by Rogol Zaar, his city burning at the hands of an unknown arsonist and the secret of what happened to Lois and Jon drawing closer to revelation—even Superman feels powerless against all that stands before him. Finding Your Potential As in Man of Steel #4 , we continue to get a trickling of answers to the mysteries being set up throughout the series.  Here we learn what Rog...

Get the issue here ! Man of Steel, Part 4 Creative Team Brian Michael Bendis - Writer; Kevin Maguire & Jason Fabok (pp 12-13) - Artists; Alex Sinclair - Colors; Josh Reed - Letters; Ivan Reis, Joe Prado, Sinclair - Cover; Jessica Chen - Associate Editor; Michael Cotton - Editor; Brian Cunningham - Group Editor; Superman Created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster; Superboy Created by Jerry Siegel; Supergirl Based on the Characters Created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster; By Special Arrangement with the Jerry Siegel Family DC Comics' Solicitation Rogol Zaar has committed a string of atrocities across the cosmos that have led him to the Fortress of Solitude—and now Superman and Supergirl plan to crush his schemes! But are even two Kryptonians enough to stop his sinister machinations? "It's a Cleansing" We are officially over halfway done with this great mini-series!  In my opinion this issue suffers a bit from being the middle point, however we did learn ...

Read this emotional issue for yourself! Man of Steel, Part 3 Creative Team Brian Michael Bendis - Writer; Ryan Sook & Jason Fabok (pp16) - Artists; Wade Von Grawbadger - Inks (pp12-13, 15); Alex Sinclair - Colors; Josh Reed - Letters; Ivan Reis, Joe Prado, Sinclair - Cover; Jessica Chen - Associate Editor; Michael Cotton - Editor; Brian Cunningham - Group Editor; Superman Created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster; Superboy Created by Jerry Siegel; Supergirl - Basied on the Characters Created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster; By Special Arrangement With The Jerry Siegel Family DC Comics' Solicitation The merciless killer and zealot calling himself Rogol Zaar has searched the cosmos for Superman—and when he reaches the Fortress of Solitude, his actions will cut Superman to the core. Failure to Protect Brian Michael Bendis is building up a thrilling mystery surrounding the disappearance of Lois and Jon, but this issue strikes an entirely different emotional chord.  Wh...

Keep up with this great series! Man of Steel, Part 2 Creative Team Brian Michael Bendis - Writer; Doc Shaner (pp 1-13), Steve Rude ( pp 16-24), Jay Fabok (pp 14-15) - Artists; Alex Sinclair - Colors; Josh Reed - Letters; Ivan Reis, Joe Prado, Sinclair - Cover; Jessica Chen - Associate Editor; Michael Cotton - Editor; Brian Cunningham - Group Editor; Superman Created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster; Superboy Created by Jerry Siegel; By Special Arrangement with the Jerry Siegel Family DC Comics' Solicitation With an arsonist loose in Metropolis, Superman’s powers are almost useless in finding the culprit. And back at the Daily Planet, everyone wants to know what’s going on with Lois Lane. How can Clark hold on to the secret of what happened to Lois and Jon much longer? Secrets of the Superman Superman is keeping some major secrets from absolutely everyone in his life.  Of course, this keeps the story intriguing for the reader, but why would Clark be keeping so much ...

Get your digital copy here! Mayor Murdock, Part 3 Creative Team Charles Soule - Writer; Mike Henderson - Artist; Matt Milla - Color Artist; VC's Clayton Cowles - Letterer; Chris Sprouse, Karl Story & Marte Gracia - Main Cover Artists; Emily Newcomen - Assistant Editor; Devin Lewis - Editor; C.B. Cebulski - Editor in Chief; Joe Quesada - Chief Creative Officer; Dan Buckley - President; Alan Fine - Executive Producer Introduction to Daredevil #603 Muse, an Inhuman serial killer and street artist, broke out of prison to wreak vigilante-inspired street-art havoc.  Sam Chung, a.k.a. Blindspot, onetime victim of Muse's terror and now a super hero, baited the murderous artist, and in the ensuing fight, Sam made a deal with The Beast, the demon overlord of The Hand, for the strength to defeat Muse. But when Sam refused to kill Muse as sacrifice, The Beast sent The Hand to conquer Manhattan - with the city's new mayor, Wilson Fisk, as the target of their first b...

Get your own copy of this landmark issue here ! "Man of Steel, Part 1" Creative Team: Brian Michael Bendis - Script; Ivan Reis - Pencils; Joe Prado - Inks; Jay Fabok - Art (pp 21-22); Alex Sinclair - Colors; Cory Petit - Letters; Reis, Prado, Sinclair - Cover; Jessica Chen - Associate Editor; Michael Cotton - Editor; Brian Cunningham - Group Editor; Superman Created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster; Superboy Created by Jerry Siegel; By Special Arrangement with the Jerry Siegel Family DC Comics' Solicitation:  "A new era begins for Superman as a threat from his earliest origins reemerges to destroy the Last Son of Krypton. As Superman struggles to come to grips with what has happened to his wife and son, he must also face a new threat that’s determined to burn down Metropolis!" "A Love Genuinely Lived" Back in 2016, DC Comics' Rebirth initiative served as my jumping-on point for new comics.  This was the return of what many (includi...

Read the finale for yourself! "Batmen Eternal, Finale" Creative Team: James Tynion IV - Script, Eddy Barrows - Pencils, Eber Ferreira - Inks, Adriano Lucas - Colors, Sal Cipriano - Letters, Barrows, Ferreira & Lucas - Cover, Dave Wielgosz - Assistant Editor, Chris Conroy - Editor, Jamie S. Rich - Group Editor, Batman Created by Bob Kane with Bill Finger DC Comics' Solicitation: "This is it—the unbelievable conclusion of James Tynion IV’s Batman epic! It’s the last stand of the Gotham Knights, fighting a monster they helped inspire...and a destiny they won’t accept! What will become of the greatest crime-fighting team Gotham City ever saw?" Defining Your Destiny Detective Comics 981 is a wrap-up for James Tynion IV, who has been on the title since Rebirth in 2016.  Throughout this arc (which began in issue 976 ) our heroes have been struggling with the dark future that seems to be imminent.  Our villain Ulysses wants to speed up its coming thr...

Get your copy here ! Mayor Murdock, Part 2 Creative Team: Charles Soule - Writer, Mike Henderson - Artist, Matt Milla - Color Artist, VC's Clayton Cowles - Letterer, Chris Sprouse, Karl Story & Marte Garcia - Main Cover Artist, Annalise Bissa with Emily Newcomen - Assistant Editors, Jordan D. White & Devin Lewis - Editors, C.B Cebulski - Editor in Chief, Joe Quesada - Chief Creative Officer, Dan Buckley - President, Alan Fine - Executive Producer Marvel Comics' Solicitation:  "The fallout from the shocking conclusion of DAREDEVIL #600 continues as Matt Murdock and Daredevil both rally allies in the face of an overwhelming enemy. And how exactly does Wilson Fisk fit into things? Not the way you expect…" Vocational Tightrope Matt Murdock is in the midst of a vocational crisis ever since he was appointed Deputy Mayor under Fisk.  Now that he is mayor, the tension between his two roles is ratcheted to another level.  On one hand, he is Hell"...

Get your digital copy here to get the full story! "The Assassination of King Rath" Creative Team:    Dan Abnett - Writer, Riccardo Federici - Artist. Sunny Gho - Colorist, Steve Wands - Letterer, Stjepan Sejic - Cover, Andrea Shea - Assistant Editor, Alex Antone - Editor, Brian Cunningham - Group Editor, Aquaman Created by Paul Norris DC Comics' Solicitation:    "Aquaman and the resistance hatch a new plan to assassinate King Rath and end the Atlantean Civil War! But even with a double agent strategically placed inside Rath’s inner circle, the resistance may not stand a chance, as Rath’s new magical abilities make him more lethal—and unstable—than ever before!" Taking Down a Tyrant This issue revolves around two central themes, the morality of assassinating a tyrant as well as what it means to be consumed by evil. The latter is something we have wrestled with for a few issues now, and it seems like the author is really building this as a central p...

Read this great issue here! For Those Who Serve Patrick J. Tomasi & Patrick Gleason - Writers, Scott Godlewski - Artist, Gabe Eltaeb - Colorist, Rob Leigh - Letterer, Jorge Jimenez & Alejandro Sanchez - Cover, Andrew Marino - Asst. Editor, Paul Kaminski - Editor Initial Reactions Much like the entire run from Tomasi and Gleason, this issue is filled with a ton of heart!  Sure, there is plenty of dinosaur-fighting action like the cover suggests, but that is not the focal point.  At the core, it revolves around Superman and Jon going on one last adventure which doubles as a morality lesson.  If you have enjoyed Superman for the last 45 issues, this will be another satisfying installment in the series. The Story Like the Action Comics Special issue, there are two backup stories that we won't discuss here.  In my opinion they don't quite hold up to the main story but are still interesting to read if you decide to purchase the issue.   ...

Get your digital copy here ! Batmen Eternal, Part 5 James Tynion IV - Writer, Scot Eaton - Pencils, Wayne Faucher - Inks, John Kalisz & Allen Passalaqua - Colors, Sal Cipriano - Letters, Alvaro Martinez, Raul Martinez & Brad Anderson - Cover, Dave Wielgosz - Assistant Editor, Chris Conroy - Editor, Jamie S. Rich - Group Editor Initial Reactions This was a pretty cool issue.  There was plenty of action, but the heart of the issue is at the end.  Our heroes seem to finally be making the turn against Brother Eye and his soldiers thanks to the strong ties of the Bat Family.  With this being the final arc for Tynion IV, we are wrapping up in a great way.  If you have enjoyed Detective Comics since Rebirth, I think you will appreciate this issue. The Story The issue opens with Montoya and Bullock bantering about going through some old paperwork.  Montoya receives an urgent call from Kate Kane telling her to run.  Before they could move, the...

Check out this issue , which includes 2 back-ups! The Last Will and Testament of Lex Luthor Dan Jurgens - Writer, Will Conrad - Art, Wil Quintana - Color, Rob Leigh - Letters, Will Conrad and Ivan Nunes - Cover, Andrea Shea - Assistant Editor, Paul Kaminski - Editor Initial Reactions Overall, I liked this story.  For me, the conclusion was by far the strongest point in the story.  Anytime Lex and Superman get to talk it brings up some interesting ethical points.  The ending is quintessential Superman, and it serves as a solid wrap-up of Action Comics since Rebirth. The Story We open at the Fortress of Solitude, where there is an intruder fueled by hate.  Kelex detects the intruder, but it is too late. It is blasted away and the intruder gains access to the crystals.  With this access, he is able to look in on the Kent apartment, confirming Superman and Clark Kent are one in the same.  While watching on, he scoffs at Superman, saying that his ...

Check this issue out now! Batmen Eternal, Part 4 James Tynion IV - Writer, Philippe Briones - Artist, John Kalisz - Colors, Sal Cipriano - Letters, Alvaro Martinez, Raul Fernandez & Brad Anderson - Cover, Dave Wielgosz - Assistant Editor, Chris Conroy - Editor, Jamie S. Rich - Group Editor Initial Reactions If you are a Tim Drake fan, it has to be hard to see what is happening to him in this issue!  All he wants is to protect people, yet Ulysses is twisting his plans to bring about an authoritarian State in Gotham.  This issue does a good job of progressing the story and is visually stunning.  By the end of the issue, Gotham (and our heroes) are in really bad shape, and are definitely under the thumb of Ulysses and Brother Eye. The Story The issue begins with a cold open of Tim being shown the future deaths of his teammates while Ulysses is taunting him through Brother Eye.  Meanwhile, his physical body is fighting Cassandra in the Batcave under th...

Check the issue out for yourself! Darkness Falls Dan Abnett - Writer, Robson Rocha - Pencils, Daniel Henriques and Danny Miki - Inks, Sunny Gho - Colors, Travis Lanham - Letters, Howard Porter & Hi-Fi - Cover, Andrea Shea - Assistant Editor, Alex Antone - Editor, Brian Cunningham - Group Editor Initial Reactions While I have truly liked the political intrigue in this title, there have been some extended time spent without action.  That is certainly not the case in issue 35.  This issue is packed with battle scenes aided by amazing art.  After months of story about the tyrannical reign of Corum Rath, things are finally starting to come together to form a meaningful resistance. Hopefully this means more up-tempo action in the issues to come.  I am ready, let's dig in to Aquaman 35! The Story  The issue opens with Elder Leot and Commander Urcell discussing the actions of King Rath.  They decide that it is their duty to Atlantis to attempt to ...

You don't have your copy yet?!? Own a digital NOW! An Enemy Within Script - Marv Wolfman, Pencils - Curt Swan, Inks - Bruce Guice (p1-4) & Kurt Schaffenberger (p5), Colors - Hi-Fi, Letters - Rob Leigh, Original Story by Cindy Goff, Curt Swan, and Butch Guice, with page 5 courtesy of "Superman: The Secret Years #2" by Bob Rozakis, Curt Swan, and Kurt Schaffenberger Initial Reactions This may very well be the least amount of time that we see our birthday boy, but it is one of the most poignant message about who Superman really is.  Of course, when you see the name Curt Swan you can't help but think of the Man of Steel.  Add in the legendary Marv Wolfman? Forget about it, sign me up! The Story This brief story centers around the heroic actions of Maggie Sawyer and the officers in her unit.  There is a hostage-taker who we discover is under Brainiac's control.  Superman is in awe as Maggie and the people involved in the situation as they resist the ...