What I’m Reading – ‘Harleen’ by Stjepan Sejic

Stjepan Sejic writes and illustrates Harleen; one of the best comics I’ve ever read.

Working as a more up-to-date origin story for Dr. Harleen Quinzel, ‘Harleen’ details the beginnings of a very dangerous relationship.

What I’m Reading – ‘Batman and Robin Vol. 1: Batman Reborn’ by Grant Morrison

Batman is dead! Or so everybody thinks. He’s actually been sent back in time through a complicated series of events involving Darkseid, omega beams, radion bullets – but as far as anyone in Gotham knows, he’s dead. After a brief battle for the cowl, Dick Grayson is the new Batman. And Damian Wayne is the new Robin. It’s up to this oddball pair to restore order to Gotham. And with it being Grant Morrison, things are going to get weird.

What I’m Reading – ‘Nemesis’ by Mark Millar and Steve McNiven

On a number of occasions, Mark Millar has been referred to as “the poor man’s Garth Ennis” – which I don’t think is entirely fair. But this is one of his edgier stories. Nemesis raises the question; what if Batman was evil?

What I’m Reading – ‘Final Crisis’ by Grant Morrison

Final Crisis is deeply flawed, yet captivating. It’s head-scratching at times, and at others it’s seemingly far too straightforward. Characters will make grand speeches about the nature of good and evil, followed by a dumb joke. It’s Grant Morrison’s take on the epic, crossover event.

What I’m Reading – ‘We Stand On Guard’ by Brian K. Vaughan, Steve Skroce, and Matt Hollingsworth

We’ve seen countless times how The United States of America deals with threats, but this comic asks us to consider the question; what if that threat was a little closer to home? Would you feel the same?

It’s a knockout story that’s well-worth reading, now more than ever.

What I’m Reading – ‘Seven Cities of Gold’ by David Moles

This book has promise, but just from reading the first page you get the distinct impression that Moles had bitten off more than he could chew. The story claims it is a meditation on 9/11, the War on Terror, Iraq, and Hurricane Katrina – as well as being full of “emblematic violence and acute symbolism”.

All this, in just 66 pages.

What I’m Reading – ‘Batman: The Return of Bruce Wayne’ by Grant Morrison

Comics are confusing. I’d argue that nothing is quite as confusing as the world of DC comics, particularly the really out-there cosmic stuff. And Grant Morrison is famously bonkers. So the two of them together, in the wake of one of DC’s typically bloated and ridiculous crossover events (penned by the chaos magician himself) in a Batman-meets-Cloud Atlas time-hopping adventure – how confusing could it be?

What I’m Reading – ‘Batman: Damned’ by Brian Azzarello and Lee Bermejo

In 2008, Brian Azzarello and Lee Bermejo released Joker – which went on to be a massive hit. Now, and as part of the newly created ‘DC Black Label’ (an imprint for more mature readers), they’ve released Batman: Damned. This is a pseudo-sequel to Joker and continues the tone and world-building the pair had established – through Bermejo’s luscious art and Azzarello’s (potentially Marmite) edgy writing. I adored every page.

What I’m Reading – ‘Neuromancer’ by William Gibson

After becoming a little obsessed with ‘The Matrix’ recently, and with the upcoming release of ‘Cyberpunk 2077’, I decided to see where the cyberpunk genre began.

‘Neuromancer’ by William Gibson is a fast, messy, and excellent science fiction story.

What I’m Reading – The Forgotten Modern Warfare 2 Tie-in Comic

Back at the height of it’s popularity, Modern Warfare 2 was everywhere. It was a real cultural moment for a particular generation. And no one defined it better than the skull mask-wearing Ghost. To hype the release of the game, this comic was created. And it has every edgy moment you’d expect. It’s also pretty good.