I’m back with more comic book reviews! I missed last week because I was busy and sick, and I missed the Superman/Spider-Man team-up! The shame is immense. But thankfully we’ve got some real bangers this week, like some new Absolute Superman and a new Daredevil run!

Comic Book of the Week goes to Bizarro: Year None #1 for some truly fantastic artwork!

Meanwhile, my pals at Very Big Comics have a Kickstarter running for the second volume of the Museum of the Uncanny anthology! These are great creators putting in the good work in the amateur comic trenches, just like me. I had a short story in the first volume! So if you’re a fan of my reviews, please head over and check out Museum of the Uncanny: The Lost Archives and consider backing the project and ordering a copy! Thank you so much!

Comic Reviews: Absolute Superman #18, Batman #8, Bizarro: Year None #1 and Daredevil #1.

Absolute Superman #18
Writer: Jason Aaron
Artist: Rafa Sandoval
Colorist: Ulises Arreola
Letterer: Becca Carey

New storyline! New Absolute versions of popular characters! What more could you want?

Lois Lane is investigating a leftover Lazarus Facility, and she’s interrupted by Talia and Ra’s al Ghul, who are searching for the last Lazarus Pit to revive Ra’s — or, at least, that’s what Talia is searching for. When Ra’s finds it, he smashes it, his rehabilitation apparently absolute. Talia turns on her father, Lois turns on Talia, and it’s up to Superman to arrive and try to keep everybody calm. Except their dispute has gotten them dangerously close to someone being held prisoner: King Shazam! Also, Absolute Steel is now in the mix.

Comic Rating: 9/10 – Great.

I miss Absolute Hawkman already. But Absolute Shazam and Absolute Steel should tide me over! This issue was a lot of set up, but it was damn good set up. We get the origin for Absolute Shazam, who is Teth-Adam in this universe, and he makes for one heck of a good arrival at the end of the issue. I very much look forward to seeing what Aaron has in store for this version of the Shazam mythos. I am very, very confident that it should be pretty awesome and should put Superman through his paces. It’s great to have Sandoval back on art, and he does a great job with the flashbacks to ancient times to set up Adam and his former world.

I especially enjoyed seeing the repentant Ra’s. I really liked Aaron’s plan for Superman to rehabilitate the guy, and was legitimately worried when Talia broke him out of prison only a short time later. So I’m legitimately excited to see Ra’s actually change as a person because of the good work of Superman. That’s some nice character development and story progression, and I’m on board for it. So as you can see, this issue had a lot of great set-up going for it. I also really enjoyed the arrival and introduction, and appearance, of Absolute Steel. Apparently this person built the Peacemaker armor, and now they seem dedicated to tearing it all down. Works for me!

TL;DR: An excellent start to a new story, with some really great character introductions, to say nothing of some quality character development.

Batman #8
Writer: Matt Fraction
Artist: Ryan Sook
Colorist: Tomeu Morey
Letterer: Clayton Cowles

Creative issues like this one is definitely what I want to see from Fraction’s Batman.

The issue splits between three different stories. In one, Batman consults Green Lantern Alan Scott for how to deal with Vandal Savage. They get coffee in a very visible cafe, because Batman wants to be seen. In another, the newly elected Gotham City Mayor Poison Ivy (??) meets with Savage about his declared war on Batman. Savage talks her into agreeing. And in the last, the old timey reporter and the kid walk through the streets, with the reporter giving him some life lessons.

Comic Rating: 9/10 – Great.

Batman and Alan Scott sitting in a diner, drinking coffee and talking super villain shop is exactly the sort of thing I want from superhero comic books these days. It’s a fun, well-written scene that really fleshes out Savage as a main villain for this series. It’s also just super fun, the two old school superheroes talking shop and being friendly and, most importantly, being people. I love that sort of thing. Even if I don’t really like the Vandal Savage as Gotham City Police Commissioner storyline. I think it’s truly dumb and I’m not sure why Fraction is trying to make it work…

Likewise, I think I read somewhere that Poison Ivy was going to be the mayor of Gotham City. Did it happen in this series? It’s just so jarring. There’s at least one line of dialogue in this issue between Savage and Ivy where he points out the absurdity of them both being in positions of power like this, and how it’s most likely fleeting. I like that acknowledgement. I don’t like that a writer of Fraction’s caliber is ham-stringed by such a weird status quo choice. Or maybe he’s fully embracing it? I dunno. I just think it’s a very weird status quo.

The reporter/kid storyline is still strong…but I could definitely stand to have that go somewhere already.

TL;DR: Neat storytelling trick works nicely to further build the story, and the down-to-Earth scenes between Batman and Green Lantern are some delicious icing on the cake.

Bizarro: Year None #1
Writers: Eric Carrasco & Kevin Smith
Artist: Nick Pitarra
Colorist: Michael Garland
Letterer: Dave Sharpe

DC Comics is all about creator freedom and creativity, and we get that in spades in this rather interesting Bizarro origin story.

Jimmy Olsen is an up-and-coming young man who wants a job at the Daily Planet. He’s all up in Perry White’s business about it, in the wake of an attack by the Toyman’s skyscraper-sized robot soldier. Both Jimmy and Perry are then kidnapped by proto-Bizarro, a guy from an alternate dimension who got his hands on a Daily Planet

Comic Rating: 10/10 – Fantastic.

The artwork really sells this issue. Holy cow. Pitarra and his art team deliver such vivid and detailed artwork, capturing both huge scale and tiny detail. It’s breathtakingly good artwork, people. From giant toy soldier robots to a 5 o’clock shadow, every page is a sight to behold and a great choice for showing off both Metropolis and Bizarro World. I especially enjoy the signature image on the cover there, which appears in the comic, of Bizarro standing on the edge of the square Bizarro World. Just a great image that really works to sell this idea…though I suppose the story is not necessarily as lofty as that image would imply? The story and characters are fairly straight forward at this point.

But the story and characters are also really fun at this point! Carrasco and Smith (I’m a big fan!) do a great job of establishing the Daily Planet newsroom and then the dynamic between Jimmy and Perry White. They do a great job setting up the status quo before launching into Bizarro World, where we get a great look at our main character. He’s not the Bizarro we know and love just yet, but he’s clearly on his way and all of the pieces are in place to make that happen. I am fully on board with seeing how this all plays out. I’ve always been a big fan of Bizarro!

Also, a little note, something I’ve always found funny: the Daily Planet is based out of this gigantic skyscraper, and yet Perry White’s main news team consists of a news reporter, a gossip columnist, a sports reporter and no photographer. Yes, Lois and Clark exist in this universe, but they’re in Washington for a thing in this issue. So it’s Steve Lombard, Cat Grant and, I think, Ronald Troupe, that’s all Perry can turn to for news stories about this giant Toyman attack. What’s happening in the rest of the building?! The printing presses, I suppose.

TL;DR: Gorgeous, very unique artwork easily carries and sells the first issue of this new Bizarro origin story, which should be a lot of fun!

Daredevil #1
Writer: Stephanie Phillips
Artist: Lee Garbett
Colorist: Frank Martin
Letterer: VC’s Ariana Maher

I don’t think I’ve ever read an ongoing Daredevil series while it was coming out. I keep waiting until its finished, then buying all the tpbs and reading them that way. But I was reminded that a new Daredevil #1 was out so I’ve decided to check it out!

Also, Born Again season 2 is going great, so why not more Daredevil in my life?

Matt Murdock is Daredevil, fighting crime and stopping bad guys. He’s also teaching a class on legal contracts at Empire State University. He’s got friends, a potential new love interest, and things seem pretty stable. And then a mysterious new bad guy shows up in his apartment, looking to deliver a cryptic message to Murdock!

Comic Rating: 9/10 – Great.

I very much enjoyed this first issue and will definitely be coming back for more. I like that it doesn’t cling to whatever came before, which is always a plus when I’m starting out. I wanted a blank slate and I got a very good one. We’re in Matt’s head as he fights crime, teaches class, hangs out with people and then gets ambushed, and it all works wonderfully. I feel like I know this version of Daredevil and helps to ground the story. I’m on board with this guy and what he’s going through. And it’s also nice and grounded. Nothing too crazy yet.

Something I’ve been feeling lately is that superheroes don’t fight crime anymore. It’s something I’ve mostly felt with the likes of Batman and Spider-Man, reading their ongoing comics. It’s always the city at war, or a big space adventure. So I, personally, really enjoyed having Daredevil stop some muggers and some dudes with a stolen car (while totaling the car). That was nice.

The new mystery bad guy at the end didn’t do anything for me. He’s just cryptic and weird and has a pretty generic spooky costume. But whatever, he doesn’t need to catch me immediately. He (or she, I suppose) provides the much needed cliffhanger/hook that I look for at the end of a first issue, and that’s enough for now. I also enjoyed all the set up we got on Matt at school, some other potential crimes in the works, and a sexy new love interest. All good stuff that helps pad out a new #1 issue. And the artwork holds it all together nicely. Detailed and stylish classic superhero artwork, which I really enjoy. So I’d say this issue is the full package.

TL;DR: A new run starts off very strong, establishing everything we could ask for in a new #1 issue.

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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