Comic Book Review Round-Up – February Week 3, 2019

For this week’s Comic Book Review Round-Up, I’ve mostly stuck to my favourite titles. So, find out how Batman, Nightwing, and the Uncanny X-Men are doing, while I also check out Nightcrawler’s antics in Age of X-Man. Finally, don’t miss my reviews of comic book number ones High Level, The Life and Death of Toyo Harada, and Image Comics’ Sharkey the Bounty Hunter.

'Batman' #65

In the penultimate issue of The Price crossover, Gotham Girl finally loses it. She’s been teetering on the edge of sanity, but all she needs is a little push. But who is helping her? The Flash and Batman have no idea, but this is yet another incident that is pushing the two friends apart. Are their differences irreconcilable now?

Guillem March’s art and Tomeu Morey’s colours are fantastic in this issue, but it highlights the problem of how impractical Gotham Girl’s outfit is. How does her flared skirt stay in place? Why does she wear two-inch heels?

I’m hoping the finale has a really exciting reveal in store for readers because this crossover has been an exciting departure from the regular Batman storyline. My guess is this arc will indeed affect the main characters across titles, but one wonders if the heroes can come back from these tragedies. Is the DC Universe headed for an implosion and another rebirth?

Nightwing #57

Ric Grayson is still reeling from the Scarecrow attack in the previous issue of the series. It’s given him a fresh perspective on being a hero, and on his new life. It helps that he’s also fallen hopelessly in love with Bea the Bartender. Can he find a way to make his past and present work together to build a better future?

What the future holds is in jeopardy, not only for Ric, but for all of Blüdhaven. As one evil villain is dispatched, another takes their place. Now that the Nightwings have made headway in their fight to protect their city, they’re going to need all the help that they can get if they’re going to go toe-to-toe with a villain a month. Are they up to the challenge?

'Age of X-Man: The Amazing Nightcrawler' #1

I like Nightcrawler and it makes sense that in a perfect mutant utopia he would be a swashbuckling superstar. The only thing I didn’t care for was how sexualised the female actors and characters in general are. If you’re in a world that is devoid of emotional attachment, then what is the point of impractical outfits for the ladies? Nightcrawler isn’t dressed like that? And let’s be honest, his chivalry has always bordered on chauvinism and continues to do so in this issue.

There’s a moment when Kurt’s co-star Megann switches to "casual" mode and it took me a long time to figure out what the change in her was. Seems like the artist couldn’t bring himself to make Megann a little more normal looking. I know they’re sticking to her historical look but... this comic is fun and builds the central strife of the Age of X-Man, but I wish the creators would put some thought into certain aspects of the series. Can’t just add characters as eye candy when there’s no need for it.

'Uncanny X-Men' #12

Cyclops and Wolverine team up to rescue the only mutants still alive on the planet. This task should be simple, but it looks like the humans are a little more prepared than they used to be.

When Cyke and Wolvie finally penetrate the ONE facility, they are witness to the horrors that many fan-favourite characters have been put through. I was not aware so many X-Men had been captured by mutant-hating humans. To see some characters who I read as a teenager having suffered is hard to swallow. But things are heating up in this series and I’m enjoying seeing Cyclops back in action as a sensitive and conflicted leader. With these new X-Men in fighting form, will the team be able to find Jean Grey and the others? They’re going to need some heavy psychic powers to get to where X-Man has the others trapped, but hopefully Cyke has a plan.

Comic Book Number Ones

High Level #1 is from the Vertigo imprint of DC Comics, which allows its creators carte-blanche to include mature language and subject-matter. From the get-go, this instalment felt like a bundle of comic book tropes. Gorgeous punk scavenger girl? Check. Gets hit on by random dude? Check. Looks like she’s LGBT, but is straight as hell? Check. Gets kidnapped and needs rescuing by her ex-boyfriend? Also, check. And the pièce de résistance? She’s given the oh-so-important job of taking care of a messiah girl because the dude can’t do it.

None of these tropes are helped by the fact that the concept and premise are derivative as well. The art, though, is quite arresting. I’d liken it to Stephanie Hans’s current work on Image Comics’ DIE, but here we have some horrific body modifications, which some readers will probably like. Vertigo has a style for its comics, but not everyone will enjoy it.

I received an early working copy of The Life and Death of Toyo Harada #1 and it doesn’t disappoint. Harada is the big bad of the Valiant Universe, but his intentions (like those of all villains) began from a need for peace. He has achieved exactly the opposite as becomes painfully clear in the first issue of the series.

This instalment briefly recaps how Harada began his villainous career while also setting up the central antagonist and premise of the story. Harada always believes he has a plan and is one step ahead of everyone else, but is he really? I can’t wait to find out in the rest of the three issues of this series.

Sharkey the Bounty Hunter #1 is not about a cute shark as I originally thought. Instead it’s about a smarmy run-of-the-mill bounty hunter who is after the kind of stuff all male characters want: Money, women, and a good adventure. He’s always short on cash, so when a big job comes his way, Sharkey is unlikely to give it up. Unfortunately for him, there’s a kid on his tail insisting Sharkey is responsible for him, and the big job has also been snapped up by a rival bounty hunter.

This series is headed to be a whimsical romp with a Firefly feel to it, but it isn’t refreshing. We’ve seen these male characters a thousand times before and the only female characters who appear in this issue are eye candy. Why not switch up the genders and do something new?

Conclusion

And that concludes another Comic Book Review Round-Up. Check in next week for more!