‘Batman – One Bad Day: The Riddler’ – Review

In a similar vein to how ‘The Killing Joke’ redefined The Joker, this new series of one-shots aims to do that for other members of Batman’s rogues gallery. First up is The Riddler, from Tom King and Mitch Gerads.

They’ve all come to look for America – ‘The Last American’ by John Wagner, Alan Grant, AND Mike McMahon

O say can you see, by the dawn’s early light…

The Walking Dead – ‘Diverged’ Review

This week sees the latest in the series of pandemic episodes for The Walking Dead, and this is the one that perhaps demonstrates the limitations enforced on the show by a global pandemic in which close contact is generally considered a bad idea.

One Shot – Fantastic Four: Road Trip

Marvel’s first family take a quick break together to the Grand Canyon. But on the way, Reed wants to stop to investigate a strange occurrence at a nearby meteor crater. From there, things get extremely for the FF in this body-horror one shot.

Breaking the Fourth Wall – ‘Animal Man’ by Grant Morrison

Grant Morrison’s run on Animal Man (from 1988 to 1990) is probably the best comic you’ve never read, or most likely even heard of.

Marvel Frontier Comics – Marvel’s Forgotten Foray into Mature Comics

In the latter half of the 1980’s, it became clear that comics weren’t just for kids. Thanks in huge part to the extraordinary mainstream success of Alan Moore’s Watchmen, publishers were more aware than ever of the vast potential of comics for older readers. The big two both had their own homes for these more mature comics, Epic at Marvel and DC’s Vertigo.

But there was another imprint that no one seems to know about. From Marvel’s ill-fated UK branch, came Marvel Frontier Comics.

Quick Review – ‘Negan Lives!’ by Robert Kirkman and Charlie Adlard

In an attempt to get the struggling comicbook industry back on its feet, Negan Lives! is a call to get people back into stores and buying comics.

And it’s a fun one-shot in its own right, filling in some of gaps left after The Walking Dead’s final issue and setting up possible adventures in the future.

What I’m Reading – ‘Seven Soldiers of Victory’ by Grant Morrison

Seven Soldiers is a comic book event like no other, in which a bunch of reluctant c-list heroes all come together to stop an extraterrestrial crisis.

Except they never meet. In fact, they don’t even know the others exist or that they’re part of a superhero team. It’s Morrison at his most…Morrisonian.

What I’m Reading – ‘Hellblazer: Dangerous Habits’ by Garth Ennis

In this six-issue story, things catch up with John Constantine. And it’s not demons, monsters, or any of the usual madness. It’s something far more human. And inescapable.

What I’m Reading – ‘Batman: Last Knight On Earth’ by Scott Snyder and Greg Capullo

Bruce Wayne wakes up in Arkham Asylum. Young. Sane.

And…he was never Batman.

That’s the set-up, at least. Though it doesn’t take long for the comic to diverge from that great hook – for better or worse.