I don’t normally post comic reviews from two weeks at a time, but work got really busy at the end of last week and I just didn’t get around to posting the reviews I prepared. So I’ve added a couple reviews to this week’s regular releases, like Absolute Batman and Captain America.

Comic Book of the Week goes to the Batman/Deadpool crossover because I love me a good Marvel/DC crossover project!

Meanwhile, I mostly spent the past week replaying some old PC games now that I’ve got a new computer with a fancy new graphics card! It’s been alright. In better news, work has begun on volume 3 of my own comic, Gamer Girl & Vixen! We’re gonna take a big swing with this new threequel and are very excited to make it happen. I love when the creative juices are flowing and I’m writing up a storm with ideas!

Comic Reviews: Absolute Batman #12, Amazing Spider-Man #12, Captain America #3 and Deadpool/Batman #1.

Absolute Batman #12
Writer: Scott Snyder
Artist: Nick Dragotta
Colorist: Frank Martin
Letterer: Clayton Cowles

Probably should have known we’d get here eventually. I’m cool with it.

The previous issue ended with Bane going after Batman’s friends, and now we see the carnage he wrought. Bruce Wayne, only partially recovered from Ark-M, visits Oswald, Harvey and Edward and finds them all brutally beaten and/or burned, each one turned towards their classic comic villain status. Bruce is torn about continuing as Batman or closing up shop…and that’s when Catwoman finally returns.

Comic Rating: 8/10 – Very Good.

I will admit to being slightly disappointed that Bruce’s friends will all eventually become versions of their classic villain selves. Making all of these villains his circle of childhood friends was a really interesting twist. But this was obviously a creative decision from the very beginning, and I do like how all of this went down. It helps to build Bane’s already impressive reputation, that he’s the origin point for the likes of Penguin, Two-Face and Riddler. And like with all Absolute Comics, they seem especially wild and crazy. So yeah, bring it on! Let us see these characters and the world of Absolute Batman evolve even further!

As for the issue itself, it’s another hardcore taste of everything Snyder and company have thought up for Absolute Batman. The issue is brutal in its depiction of what happened to Batman’s friends, and Dragotta does not disappoint in the artistic depictions. Once this Absolute Batman world truly gets up and running, it’s gonna be wild, yo! Lots of good scenes as Bruce reconnects with his mother and Alfred, and visits all of his friends. The tension has really mounted and Bane is as bad as ever, without even really appearing in this issue other than flashbacks. So all stages are set!

And then, of course, the highly anticipated arrival of Catwoman and her weird dome head.

TL;DR: Absolute Batman ratchets up the gruesomeness and the tension as the horrors of Absolute Bane continue.

Amazing Spider-Man #12
Writer: Joe Kelly
Artist: Ed McGuinness
Inkers: Cliff Rathburn and McGuinness
Colorists: Marcio Menyz with Erick Arciniega
Letterer: VC’s Joe Caramagna

This story continues to strum along. I wanted to check it out because of the spider cameos on the cover.

Norman Osborn struggles with his personal demons as his expectations while filling in as Spider-Man. Then he’s visited by Miles Morales, Silk and a couple other spider-people and gets into a fight, because he doesn’t like to be challenged. The arrival of Spider-Gwen snaps him out of it and he reveals himself to the heroes, ashamed of what he’s done.

Comic Rating: 7/10 – Good.

This was a solid issue in the ongoing story, though it does raise the question of why Norman Osborn is impersonating Spider-Man. There’s an explanation in the comic, and it’s a fine explanation, but…eh. I don’t think anything particularly interesting is being done with Norman as Spider-Man. He’s apparently able to mimic Spidey pretty well with gadgets and web-shooters. He wears the same classic costume. But Norman doesn’t really have much of a personal life to balance against the Spidey stuff. And, like, couldn’t he just go back to being the Golden Goblin? Why did that ever end? I never read it. Why does the city need a Spider-Man? That’s the weak reasoning.

The issue itself is fun. It’s a little silly that such a large cadre of Spider-people exists, but they do, and Kelly does a fine job having them confront Norman like this. It’s an entertaining fight, and fun to be in Norman’s head during the dust-up. And I like the ending, where he realizes his mistake and comes clean to all of them. It’s solid work and some fun cameos, and that works out nicely for me and my entertainment values.

TL;DR: Story moves along nicely without really doing any heavy lifting.

Captain America #3
Writer: Chip Zdarsky
Artist: Valerio Schiti
Colorist: Frank Martin
Letterer: VC’s Joe Caramagna

While Captain America gets a lesson in politics and the modern world from Doctor Doom, we see flashbacks to a particularly horrible moment in David Colton’s time in Iraq that caused him to snap. This lines up with Doom’s declaration that America is the bad guy on the world stage these days. And Doom knows all about the resistance’s little plans and he’s prepared for them.

Comic Rating: 7/10 – Good.

The twin stories in this comic are proceeding nicely, though the connecting fiber is not as strong as I would have liked. We get a really strong flashback for Colton in this issue, but he’s barely featured in the ‘present day’ storyline of Steve meeting Doctor Doom. But I suppose there are parallels to draw between what Colton went through in the Middle East and what Steve is dealing with as a man unfrozen in time. Both are still enjoyable stories. Cap vs. Doom is a hoot, and Colton and the horrors of war is a true horror. And the artwork easily handles both. So this remains a very tight, very enjoyable comic all around.

TL;DR: The stories in this series continue to be very strong, though I want more focus on the new David Colton character over just another Doctor Doom story. But that might just be me.

Deadpool/Batman #1
Writer: Zeb Wells
Artist: Greg Capullo
Inker: Tim Townsend
colorist: Alex Sinclair
Letterer: VC’s Clayton Cowles
Also featuring: Chip Zdarsky & Terry Dodson; Kelly Thompson and Gurihiru; Kevin Smith an Adam Kubert; Al Ewing and Dike Ruan; Frank Miller; and Ryan North and Ryan Stegman.

The wait is finally over and the first Marvel/DC crossover in 20 years is here! I was very excited for this issue, though it’s mostly a mixed bag.

In the main story, Batman and Deadpool team up to take on the Joker’s latest scheme — but surprise! Deadpool is working for the Joker! In various back-ups and additional stories, we get Captain America & Wonder Woman, Jeff the Landshark & Krypto, Green Arrow & Daredevil; Rocket Raccoon & the Green Lantern Corps; Old Man Logan and Dark Knight Returns Batman; and a surprise Amalgam twist!

Comic Rating: 8/10 – Very Good.

As mentioned, this is mostly a mixed bag. Apart from the main story, all the back-ups are too short to really shine, and almost all of the artwork feels a little rushed. Greg Capullo is one of the greats, but the main story pales in comparison to his previous Batman work. So the artwork wasn’t as strong as it could have been on every story, in my personal opinion. But I’m more interested in the stories themselves and the fun of the crossover, so let’s talk about that!

That Batman/Deadpool story works really well. It’s a bit simplistic, in that they team up to take on another one of the Joker’s dastardly schemes, but that’s fine. It’s a very nice balance of Deadpool’s non-stop chatter and Batman’s solemn reactions. They aren’t exactly peas and carrots, but it works nicely, with Deadpool making some solid jokes about Batman’s various tropes. I had some good chuckles.

I didn’t care for the Wonder Woman and Captain America story. I think the two of them are a great choice, especially since part of the story takes place in World War II. But then the story itself supposes an entire universe and history where the two are part of each other’s major events, seen in quick snippets. I would have much preferred an original story of the two teaming up in WWII than this exploration of some life-spanning friendship between the pair. Also, she stops Cap from shooting Hitler, which isn’t as righteous as it might seem on the surface. Just shoot Hitler.

The animals story is cute, which is nice. And then Rocket Raccoon getting a Green Lantern ring is a really fun bit with a lot of laughs and good humor.

I think my favorite of the shorts was Green Arrow teaming up with Daredevil. I really enjoyed the dialogue, and was pleased to learn it came from Kevin Smith. He did good work, I gotta say. I especially enjoyed how Ollie just kept coming up with nicknames for Daredevil with each line of dialogue, until eventually just calling him “Satan” at one point. That was funny.

The Frank Miller segment was a bit of a let down. The man is a legend, but he’s far past his prime in both artwork and writing. So it was a neat story to have, but didn’t amount to much.

And then the reveal of an Amalgam combination of Wolverine and Lobo — Logo — was an absolute hoot! I love Amalgam and am still sour that I missed ordering that recent omnibus. Oddly, the story includes preexisting Amalgam characters, yet creates the new Logo combination, but I can let that slide. The design is neat and the dialogue is so, so on the nose, in a good way.

TL;DR: I love these sorts of company crossovers and this first half mostly lives up to the excitement. It’s a mixed bag of stories and artwork, but overall is a fun experience.

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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