Review: Harley Quinn – Holiday Special #1

(DC Comics, 2015)

Art by: John Timms, Darwyn Cooke
Cover by: Amanda Conner
Variant cover by: Amanda Conner
Written by: Jimmy Palmiotti, Amanda Conner

It’s Christmas time! And, it’s time for all of the holiday themed TV shows, movies, and comic books. Amanda Conner and Jimmy Palmiotti have put together a wonderful issue of Harley Quinn as she explores the wonders of Christmas in three short stories. Remember the old Looney Tune cartoons that were broken into two or three eight minute episodes? This is the format that Harley’s Holiday Special is formatted. It is an absolutely, wonderful read and one that is filled with the right amount of jeer, cheer, and destruction.

Conner brings a very interesting twist to Harley Quinn that allows her to maintain her psychotic, pyrotechnic lifestyle, yet somehow come across as a comic book character that you almost want your child to read. The artwork by John Timms and Darwyn Cooke in this Holiday Special features both colorful and exciting. The toon-ish feel holds to the rest of the Harley Quinn New 52 stories that makes this issue a true joy to read.

REVIEW: ‘Constantine’ #17

(DC Comics, 2014)

Written by Ray Fawkes
Pencils by Edgar Salazar
Inks by Jay Leisten
Color Artwork by Tanya & Richard Horie
Lettering by Taylor Esposito

John Constantine has always been one of my all-time favorite characters for the simple reason that he is a consummate survivor. He’s survived every sort of occult enemy, ethereal attackers of all sorts, sizes and denominations and he has even faced the sinister

REVIEW: ‘New Suicide Squad’ #2

(DC Comics, 2014)

Written by Sean Ryan
Pencils by Tom Derenick
Inks by Scott Hanna, Mark Irwin, Norm Rapmund, Matt Banning
Color Artwork by Blond
Lettering by Dave Sharpe

I have been a fan of the Suicide Squad since 1987 when John Ostrander was at the helm with Kim Yale as co-writers and the team roster boasted Captain Boomerang, Deadshot, Rick Flag Jr and a

REVIEW: ‘Aquaman and the Others’ #1

(DC Comics, 2014)

Written by Dan Jurgens
Pencils by Lan Medina
Inks by Allen Martinez
Color Artwork by Matt Milla

Aquaman has long deserved the kind of readership and critical acclaim the character is finally receiving. Not since Peter David’s harpoon-handed, shaggy-haired, bearded version of the Atlantean King ruled the seas in his series of the late 80’s has Arthur Curry received so much positive press. Usually reserved for the butt of jokes made by a largely non-comic book reading public, Aquaman holds

REVIEW: ‘Monster and Madman’ #1

(IDW Publishing, 2014)

Writer – Steve Niles
Artist – Damien Worm
Editor – Chris Ryall

If Mary Shelley could have known what she was doing, would she still have done it? The same question could have been asked of the doctor in her most famous work. From a vacation on the banks of Lake Geneva with Lord Byron was born the stuff of legends, and constant reinvention, as well as re-animation, of one of the classic characters in literature.

REVIEW: ‘Forever Evil’ #6

(DC Comics, 2014)

Written by Geoff Johns
Artwork by David Finch
Inks by Richard Friend
Color Artwork by Sonia Oback

The penultimate issue of Forever Evil is certainly a big one.  It has big action, big violence and big reveals but does it have big heart?

‘The Weekly Bat-Signals’, Episode #23

Hello and welcome fellow followers of The Bat, to another Weekly Bat Signal where we dish all the dirt on the Dark Knight. From the palatial Palisades to creepy Crime Alley, we cover Gotham City better than a roll of yellow police tape. This week we are going to dissect

REVIEW: ‘Red Lanterns’ #27

(DC Comics, 2014)

Written by Charles Soule
Artwork by Alessandro Vitti, Jim Calafiore
Color Artwork by Gabe Eltaeb
Lettering by Dave Sharpe

Charles Soule is without a doubt the hardest working man in comics. He is certainly prolific but more impressive than the sheer volume of his creative output is the quality of the work he produces. Soule is impossible to classify as any one type of writer because his work

REVIEW: ‘Harley Quinn’ #2

(DC Comics, 2014)

Review by Galen Garner

Written by Amanda Conner & Jimmy Palmiotti
Artwork by Chad Hardin & Stephanie Roux
Color Artwork by Alex Sinclair
Lettering by John J. Hill

Think about it! Harley Quinn as the landlord of an apartment building. How awesome would it be to live in a place where her crazy antics take place around you every day?

Bag and Bored’s ‘Best of 2013’: SHAWN WARNER

BEST OF 2013
with Shawn Warner

So here we are about to close out another year and as sure as public drunkenness, unwanted gifts and over eating are all part of the festivities indulged in to celebrate the end of twelve months of

REVIEW: “Harley Quinn” #1

(DC Comics, 2013)

Review by Shawn Warner

Written by Amanda Conner and Jimmy Palmiotti
Artwork by Chad Hardin
Color Artwork by Alex Sinclair
Lettering by John J. Hill

This book opens with Harley roaring into a new town, the surviving articles of her past bundled up on the back of her chopper and a talking beaver strapped to the front. Topping the jumble of miscellaneous items

REVIEW: “Swamp Thing” #26

(DC Comics, 2013)

Review by Shawn Warner

Written by Charles Soule
Artwork by Jesus Saiz
Color Artwork by Matthew Wilson
Lettering by Travis Lanham

When I first heard that Charles Soule was going to be following Scott Snyder on Swamp Thing I wasn’t very familiar with his work and being a huge fan of Snyder’s, I maintained a wait and see attitude.  I honestly didn’t expect

REVIEW: “Talon” #13

(DC Comics, 2013)

Review by Shawn Warner

Written by James Tynion IV
Artwork by Emanuel Simeoni
Color Artwork by Jeromy Cox
Letters by Taylor Esposito

Like most Talon readers I have been having a love/hate relationship with this book for the past few months.  I love the story James Tynion IV told with Scott Snyder back in the beginning but

REVIEW: “Harley Quinn” #0

(DC Comics, 2013)

Review by Shawn Warner

Written by Jim Palmiotti, Amanda Conner
Artwork by Various

Amanda Conner and Jimmy Palmiotti don’t just break the fourth wall in this issue, they obliterate it! However it’s all in good fun and it goes miles in restoring some of the humor that the New 52 re-invention of Harley Quinn has leached from the sometimes silly sidekick of Mistah J.

REVIEW: “Forever Evil: Arkham War” #2

(DC Comics, 2013)

Review by Shawn Warner

Written by Peter J. Tomasi
Pencils by Scot Eaton
Inks by Jaime Mendoza
Color Artwork by Andrew Dalhouse

This second issue of the Arkham War mini-series picks up a bit of speed but still contains quite a bit of set-up. Peter J. Tomasi is taking the slow burn approach to this narrative, meticulously building the story at a pace that allows for more detailed characterizations while still driving the plot forward.

‘The Weekly Bat-Signals’ with Shawn Warner, Episode 10

Greetings my fellow Gothamites and welcome to the tenth installment of Weekly Bat Signals where we discuss all things related to our favorite Dark Knight Detective

REVIEW: “Superman” #22

(DC Comics, 2013)

Review by Shawn Warner

WRITTEN BY:  Scott Lobdell
ARTWORK BY:  Eddy Barrows, Daniel HDR & Geraldo Borges
INKS BY:  Eber Ferreira
COLOR ARTWORK BY:  Peter Pantazis
LETTERING BY:  Rob Leigh

It seems things have gone from bad to worse for Hector Hammond as the Psi-wars continue in this issue; unfortunately Kenneth Rocafort’s stunning pencils do not. Eddy Barrows, Daniel HDR and Geraldo Borges all contribute fine work to issue #22 but they all lack the refined genius that defines Rocafort’s technique.

REVIEW: “Batman / Superman” #1

(DC Comics, 2013)

Review by Shawn Warner

WRITTEN BY:  Greg Pak
ARTWORK BY:  Jae Lee & Ben Oliver

Gotham City seen through the eyes of Jae Lee is a terrifying place full of twisted gothic iron gates and filthy denizens of the crawling living night, perhaps that is why Clark Kent looks like he has just stepped into a waking nightmare on the first page of this esoteric look at the reigning kings of the DCU and their first meeting.

REVIEW: “Batman: the Dark Knight” Annual #1

(DC Comics, 2013)

Review by Raymond Jacques

STORY: “Once Upon A Midnight Dreary”
WRITTEN BY:  Gregg Hurwitz
ARTWORK BY:  Szymon Kudranski
COLOR ARTWORK BY:  John Kalisz
LETTERING BY:  Dezi Sienty
COVER:  Alex Maleev

After a pretty undeniably rocky start, the New 52 title: Batman: The Dark Knight, gained creative traction amidst the rubble of what went before and made great strides towards becoming something truly worthwhile & to be looked forward to upon handing the reins to writer Gregg Hurwitz in issue 10 of TDK.

REVIEW: “Detective Comics” #20

(DC Comics, 2013)

Review by Raymond Jacques

MAIN STORY: “King For A Day”
WRITTEN BY:  Jon Layman
ARTWORK BY:  Jason Fabok
COLOR ARTWORK BY:  Jeromy Cox
LETTERING BY:  Jared K. Fletcher

BACKUP STORY:  “Empire Of The Son”
WRITTEN BY:  John Layman
ARTWORK BY:  Andy Clarke
COLOR ARTWORK BY:  Blond
LETTERING BY:  Dezi Sienty

This issue is the finale of the “Emperor Penguin” storyline that began in Detective Comics #13 which followed the rise of henchman, Ignatius Ogilvy, from the ranks of The Penguin’s Lieutenant and his calculated dismantling of Oswald Cobblepot’s unbreakable grip on Gotham City’s underworld.