Welcome back to the world of comic reviews! I’ve been on vacation this week, and one would think that would give me more time to read comics and review them, but nah. I’m as lazy as ever. But we’ve got a good batch this week with the likes of Absolute Flash and G.I. Joe.

Comic Book of the Week goes to Absolute Batman #6 for a very bombastic finale to the first story arc.

Meanwhile, I spent the majority of this week finally diving into Kingdom Come: Deliverance II and it’s everything I hoped it would be! I still haven’t mastered combat in the way you’re supposed to, but I do well enough. There needs to be an unlimited training mode/testing ground to practice. I saw The Day the Earth Blew Up in the theaters, and that was a hoot. And then the Severance season 2 finale was the bomb, yo! It’s been a good week.

Comic Reviews: Absolute Batman #6, Absolute Flash #1, Exceptional X-Men #7 and G.I. Joe #5.

Absolute Batman #6
Writer: Scott Snyder
Artist: Nick Dragotta
Colorist: Frank Martin
Letterer: Clayton Cowles

The first story arc comes to a big enough conclusion as the day is saved and Batman’s life gets a little more interesting.

Batman enlists the aid of his friends to launch a final attack on Black Mask’s yacht, where all of his servers are stored. They’re connected to the masks and weapons he’s dropping all over Gotham City, with VR connections that put price tags on crimes for everyday citizens. Batman does his awesome thing where he raids the ship and destroys the serves, while reminiscing about his mother and her words of encouragement. And when Black Mask is defeated and his servers destroyed, Alfred fishes Batman out of the bay.

Comic Rating: 8/10 – Very Good.

Yeah, it all comes together nicely and kicks butt. I could have done without the obvious Frank Miller splash page because I want Absolute Batman to stand on its own, but I can accept a little indulgence. Considering the beatdown Batman has gotten from Black Mask in previous issues, it felt a little light that all he had to do was fly out to Black Mask’s yacht and take it down in this issue, but it still worked for me. The action and child-kicking definitely made this issue something special. And I mean that literally.

This issue did a great job making use of the supporting cast. Batman comes clean to his friends, and while a lot of their reactions happen off-panel, it’s still a big moment. As is Alfred helping out in the end. I’m down for that. Let’s build the new Absolute Bat-Family going forward. And then we get a lot of nice moments and flashbacks with Martha Wayne, making her a prominent character, as she should be, since she’s alive. I really dig what Snyder has built with Absolute Batman and I’m excited to see where it goes from here now that he’s laid all this groundwork and has started building.

He’s also now mentioned that Dick Grayson will be coming sooner rather than later, so I’m definitely interested to see what he does there.

TL;DR: The crazy, over-the-top action easily sells this first story arc finale.

Absolute Flash #1
Writer: Jeff Lemire
Artist: Nick Robles
Colorist: Adriano Lucas
Letterer: Tom Napolitano

The Absolute comics have been nothing short of amazing so far, so I’m definitely going to check out the second round with Flash, Martian Manhunter and Green Lantern.

Wally West is a lonely, isolated military brat whose dad is part of something called Project Olympus. Dr. Barry Allen, one of the scientists involved in the project, tries to take an interest in Wally and give him something to do, but his dad puts an immediate stop to that — until Wally stumbles upon a weird, sciency test and something goes higgledy piggledy.

The next day, Wally is on the run in the desert with some weird powers? It’s unclear, but Barry is dead and a very militaristic version of the Rogues are chasing Wally through the desert.

Comic Rating: 7/10 – Good.

I wasn’t fully sold by this first issue, but it is nonetheless a very well-made comic with some great art and the start of something strong. I especially liked the use of the Rogues. Their appearance took me by surprise when they suddenly just showed up, but I really dig them and their role in this comic. The Rogues are an important part of the Flash mythos, so why not bring them in right away? The Absolute comics have been about finding the core of the character, preserving that and then building something new. I’ll admit that I don’t think I know what the core of the Flash is, and I’m not entirely sure if this issue finds that core right away.

Honestly, I’m not even sure if the Flash has super speed, based on this first issue. The artwork is astounding, though. Robles and Lucas dazzle with showing that Wally West is definitely going through something. The colors are especially eye-popping, especially the reds and yellows, the traditional Flash colors. But then perhaps him discovering exactly what’s happening to him will be part of this opening storyline. I’m more than willing to find out. I’m just saying that this first issue didn’t fully get me on board. We’ll see what happens with the next issue.

TL;DR: Loved parts of this first issue, didn’t love other parts, but it looks gorgeous and does a phenomenal job of introducing it’s characters. So I’d say we’re off to a good start.

Exceptional X-Men #7
Writer: Eve L. Ewing
Artist: Carmen Carnero
Colorist: Nolan Woodard
Letterer: VC’s Travis Lanham

It’s been a while since I checked out Exceptional X-Men, and that’s a damn shame, because it’s a really good comic. Definitely one of the best From the Ashes titles.

Axo has been getting in deep with CEO Sheldon Xenos and his company Verate, which uses submitted DNA samples to help people better their lives. It offers a lot of discussions/arguments with him and his friends, considering he’s the visible mutant and they’re not (like Xenos). Buuuuut Xenos is revealed to just be Mister Sinister, so so much for reasoned discussion. Also, everyone else finds out about the Manhunt crossover going on in the other X-titles, which I’m ignoring.

Comic Rating: 7/10 – Good.

I’m disappointed with myself for letting Exceptional X-Men slip away from me, because it’s definitely one of the best From the Ashes comics. It’s also one of the only ones to survive the first chopping block of cancellations. So I hope Marvel likes this one as well. Exceptional has a very down-to-Earth feel to it, which I love in comics. There’s a real focus on these characters, especially the new kids, living their lives and juggling life with X-Men. That’s definitely not part of the other X-Books. I got caught up on all the issues I missed this week and really, really enjoyed everything Ewing was brewing with this Verate stuff.

And then she blew it by revealing the morally complex new antagonist, Sheldon Xenos, was actually just Mister Sinister. Sigh.

And it’s not just because I’m not a Mister Sinister fan. It’s more that…Ewing had done such a good job creating this new antagonist and really tying him into her new characters. I was really invested in Axo bonding with another visible mutant, and how that was affecting his relationships with the rest of his team. So much great groundwork was being laid! But nope, it’s just a classic, overused X-Villain in disguise, so there goes all that moral ambiguity, right out the window.

Oh, also, in one of the issues I missed, we were introduced to a young Stegosaurus mutant girl. I hope she becomes a permanent fixture.

TL;DR: The villain reveal takes a ton of wind out of the sails of this otherwise truly excellent comic.

G.I. Joe #5
Writer: Joshua Williamson
Artist: Tom Reilly
Colorist: Jordie Bellaire
Letterer: Rus Wooton

I don’t want to give up on the Energon Universe, so I got caught up on G.I. Joe. It’s not as amazing as I would love it to be, but is still otherwise entertaining. No Snake Eyes yet.

The Joes have been taken captive by Cobra and are going to be used as test subjects for the kidnapped Dr. Venom’s Brainwave Scanner, which Cobra Commander is having him turn into a mind control bomb. But Clutch comes in clutch and creates enough of a distraction that the Joes are able to fight their way out and escape, with Destro in hot pursuit. All except Duke, who stayed behind and confronts Cobra Commander!

Comic Rating: 8/10 – Very Good.

This was a very cool action issue, as the Joes fought their way out of a whole heap of trouble, and did so with fun moments and good character. That’s really all there is to it. Clutch hiding among Cobra pays off very nicely, as does the cliffhanger confrontation between Duke and Cobra Commander. It’s an important moment, and it’s handled very well. I have really enjoyed this take on Cobra Commander. I have no memory of what he was like in the original cartoon, and I’ve never read any other G.I. Joe comics, so I don’t know if this is a new take on him. But his aloofness is a hoot. Not everybody gets a unique character moment this issue, but the Joes as a team taking on overwhelming odds is fun. Though in my catch up, and reading this issue, I was taken by the idea that Cobra has a ton of foot soldiers, but the Joes do not, and yet the Joes are part of the U.S. military. Have the G.I. Joes every used foot soldiers? It would help from becoming overwhelmed all the time by superior numbers.

TL;DR: Big, fun, entertaining action issue puts the G.I. Joes on top.

The comics I review in my Hench-Sized reviews are just the usual comics I grab from Comixology any given week, along with a few impulse buys I might try on a whim. So if there are any comics or series you’d like me to review each week, let me know in the comments.

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