Can you believe we got to go another week with new comics coming out? How exciting! Especially since it’s stuff like Power Rangers Prime and the new X-Men United.

Comic Book of the Week goes to Absolute Batman, which is earning it’s once-a-generation, industry-defining status.

Meanwhile, the second volume of The Museum of the Uncanny anthology from Very Big Comics is coming to Kickstarter soon! The landing page is already up, so click the “Notify Me” button to help build some pre-launch attention. I had a short story in the first volume, but nothing in this one, but I will always support my comic-making buds and I hope you do too! Check it out!

Comic Reviews: Absolute Batman #18, Power Rangers Prime #15 and X-Men United #1.

Absolute Batman #18
Writer: Scott Snyder
Artist: Eric Canete
Colorist: Frank Martin
Letterer: Clayton Cowles

I am very excited to see Absolute Robin come to fruition, but until then, let’s read this wonderful issue!

As Batman battles Poison Ivy, we flash around to various other important scenes, like Martha dealing with the Court of Owls (she used to be a Talon!), Bruce’s friends, Ivy’s further origins and more. There’s also a flashback to a conversation between Bruce and Jim Gordon, with Gordon revealing he knows Bruce is Batman. He gives Bruce some solid advice, but will Bruce take it? The battle with Ivy reveals that Bruce believes she was right: he needs to evolve into something tougher and darker if he’s going to take on the dangers ahead of him.

Comic Rating: 10/10 – Fantastic.

This is an excellent issue that I bumped up to a perfect score because of it’s excellent construction. Snyder and guest artist Canete are showing the true mastery of their craft with this issue, and I felt that deserved a bump. They expertly jump between multiple stories and multiple scenes and multiple conversations, all while keeping the flow going and using all these various scenes to reinforce and underline the main story. The overall idea is that the fight with Poison Ivy convinces Batman that he needs to evolve into something stronger and darker, which fits with Poison Ivy’s various themes about growth. And then those themes are all buoyed by Bruce’s conversation with Gordon (though Gordon probably didn’t mean for Bruce to take it this way), as well as Bruce’s efforts to get in touch with his friends and his growth from that. It’s all masterfully woven together. If this was a TV show or movie, I could really see it all flowing nicely.

The issue itself is just as excellent. Canete does a fine job on the artwork, really turning Ivy into an inhuman monster, while still maintaining an Ivy look. The fight itself is pretty straight forward, but the fight isn’t the point, like I mentioned above. The big ending was cool, with Batman making his first really dark choice against Ivy. I like that kind of swerve. The new Court of Owls have a neat look, though we don’t know too much about them just yet. And I’m very much looking forward to what is finally done with Dick Grayson. I’m expecting big and exciting things! Especially in the long run.

On a personal note, I’m perfectly fine suspending my disbelief that people close to our heroes don’t just automatically see through their secret identity. Yeah, not many people are gonna match the physicality of Batman, and Absolute Bruce Wayne is an Absolute Unit. But this is superhero comics and secret identities are a core part of that, and Gordon putting two-and-two together behind-the-scenes isn’t my favorite storytelling choice. But it’s fine. I’ll go with the flow on this one.

TL;DR: Deft storytelling, great artwork and some real plot progression make for another excellent issue of Absolute Batman.

Power Rangers Prime #15
Writer: Melissa Flores
Artist: Federico Sorressa
Colorist: Joana LaFuente
Letterer: Ed Dukeshire

I wish Prime had really succeeded. I think this could have been a cool Power Rangers reality. Instead, it seems we’re just gonna rush to the finale without having accomplished much.

When Rita sent a message into the universe for help, Trey the Gold Zeo Ranger heard and has arrived with the Legion and its giant monsters. One part of Trey recruited Lauren’s dad and brother, who are both Red Samurai Rangers. They don’t seem to care about the collateral damage that the invasion is causing, especially to Mutant Town. Meanwhile, two other parts of Trey are fighting Rita and Orion. And then Jun and Mark are reunited. Also, the giant monster invasion is causing the Eltarians to flee the Earth.

Comic Rating: 5/10 – Alright.

This issue is kind of a mess as it crams in a lot of complicated story to get us to the end. No real effort is made to explain Trey or his whole deal. He was a character in the show some 30 years ago, so sorry if my memory isn’t perfect for understanding what he’s about or why he’s got giant monsters. I do remember that he could split into three forms, so I guess that’s something. But yeah, it’s all rushed to get us to some conclusion, how Lauren’s father and brother are already in play instead of still being locked up, and how it’s all leading quickly to a fight against the Gold Ranger. And then the fight itself isn’t all that exciting because he just hasn’t been built up very well, considering he only just arrived last issue. And it’s not going to be a great conclusion to this story if the Eltarians controlling Earth story is resolved by them just leaving, for which the Rangers had no hand in making happen. Honestly, I think it was a bad idea to include any other Rangers in this Prime universe. Dilutes the team.

TL;DR: The penultimate issue of Power Rangers Prime crams in a bunch of stuff in the apparent hope to reach some kind of conclusion.

X-Men United #1
Writer: Eve L. Ewing
Artist: Tiago Palma
Colorist: Brian Reber
Letterer: VC’s Joe Sabino

In general, I like the idea of the X-Men running a school for young mutants, and I enjoyed the Exceptional X-Men comic that proceeded this one, so I’m on board with checking out X-Men United.

Emma Frost, Kitty Pryde and their three new students have opened up Graymatter Lane, a new mutant school that you access through the mind. They invite the various X-Men to check it out and induct a group of students, most of them gathered from various recent X-Men comics. We learn more of the inner workings, the nuts and bolts, and how the Exceptional students will be heading out to recruit new mutant kids. The only concern is that Cyclops doesn’t like the whole thing, especially since they built the school using technology they stole from Mister Sinister…and he’s kind of got a point about that part.

Comic Rating: 8/10 – Very Good.

First of all, Cyclops is 100% correct and it’s weird that everybody is so against him in this issue. Building this new school using technology stolen from Mister Sinister is an insane idea, and I question the very foundation of this comic because of it. Once again, Cyclops is painted as the weird one and it puts this comic on very shaky footing from the outset. But I can set that aside for now to let the comic happen as presented, and what’s presented is a solid follow up to Exceptional X-Men, which is a comic I enjoyed. You can tell it’s a direct follow-up because the three new mutants introduced in that series are definitely the stars of this one, despite the expanded cast of characters.

And that’s probably my main issue: the bigger picture story feels a little half-baked. We’ve got this big new school, which they show off as best they can; we’ve got the X-Men as teachers again, dealing with a class of new mutants; it’s a whole thing. But really, the story seems like it’s just going to be about Bronze, Melee and Axo — which is fine. I’m not complaining. I look forward to seeing how these new mutants develop in this new role. But again, it creates a bit of a push and pull. Maybe Exceptional X-Men wasn’t selling well on its own, so Marvel decided to reboot as a larger X-School title and Ewing has had to pivot hard. This definitely isn’t as strong as the launch of the Jean Grey School back in Wolverine and the X-Men.

But it’s still a strong enough launch issue that I’m looking forward to more. Like I said, I enjoy a school setting for the X-Men, and this one does a fine enough job getting us going. I like that the new class is composed of minor mutants we’ve met in the recent past. I enjoyed the visit the team took to recruit a new, young mutant. And I look forward to reading more.

Two quick notes: Don’t just tease me with a Multiple Man cameo, use him! And if we’re talking about the Exceptional teens recruiting new, young mutants…what about Ellie Tran? She’s a stegosaurus-themed mutant that Ewing created and introduced in the early issues of Exceptional, and is Melee’s cousin. Why is the stegosaurus kid not part of this new school already?! She was cool as heck! She can be best friends with the new young mutant recruited in this issue, who also has a tail and reptilian features!

Unless…did Eve Ewing forget that she’d already used her idea for a teenage mutant with dinosaur-like features?! Dun dun dun!

TL;DR: Off to a good start with a solid set-up, but the bigger school picture part of the story seems to be more of a background matter compared to continuing off from Exceptional X-Men.

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.

– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –