There is a lot to cover on Wednesdays. We should know, as collectively, we read an insane amount of comics. Even with a large review staff, it’s hard to get to everything. With that in mind, we’re back with Wrapping Wednesday, where we look at some of the books we missed in what was another great week of comics.
Let’s get this party started.
Justice League Dark #23
Written by Jeff Lemire
Illustrated by Mikel Janin
Review by: Brian Salvatore
I know this might get me evicted from the cool kid’s club, but ‘Trinity War’ has been a ton of fun. This issue, illustrated by one of the most underrated artists in the industry, Mikel Janin, this issue continues the work that the entire crossover has been doing, which is bringing some life to the Justice League books. Characters are getting developed at a rate faster than they did in the 20 issues preceding these, the integration of Shazam, the Atom and Element Woman have been handled very well, and the action feels worthy of a big summer blockbuster event. This is not the smartest event ever constructed, nor the most perfectly put together, but this is exactly what the Justice League books needed, and this points to DC having a solid idea of where those books are headed post “Forever Evil,” which is more than can be said for most of the books they’re publishing. And with today’s announcement of Jeff Lemire taking over “Justice League of America” and renaming it “Justice League Canada,” that solidifies this event’s place in the overall DC strategy even more. I am legitimately excited for next week’s conclusion.
Final Verdict: 8.0 – Buy
Revival #14
Written by Tim Seeley
Illustrated by Mike Norton
Review by: David Harper
This has undoubtedly been one of my favorite books of 2013, and it’s surprised me with its steady growth throughout its run. That said, this issue felt a bit like being caught in neutral after last month’s marvel. Not that it wasn’t good, as Seeley and Norton keep developing the characters in interesting ways – I really enjoyed the triple date, for one – and the art from Norton continues to be appropriately grounded for a story that is often pretty fantastical (I also love how he depicts character interactions and mannerisms – you can see/feel the sexual tension between Ibrahim and Dana). But this issue for me was a bit of a hard follow, being a bit more all over the place. The first page felt tacked on given the finish of the past issue, and never seemed to really factor in, while the sequence with Aaron and Joe and then Joe fading away asked a lot more questions than they gave answers, but I’m not sure if it was in the way the team intended.
That said, well crafted art, rock solid character work and one of the best covers of the week? Definitely gets a buy rating, but the potential for more clarity in events (besides Joe fading away probably, as I’m sure that will be a big focus going forward) kept this issue at a lower level for me.
Final Verdict: 7.0 – Another quality issue, but missing just a little something
Thief of Thieves #16
Written by Robert Kirkman, James Asmus and Andy Diggle
Illustrated by Shawn Martinbrough
Review by: David Harper
Redmond and his bunch of merry thieves are off gallivanting in Venice now for their big job, and the big bad FBI woman Elizabeth Cohen has followed them on a rogue mission to catch Redmond. There’s a lot going on in terms of double/triple crossing and big bads being revealed and unfortunate situations in semi truck containers, and it’s all handled quite well by Diggle and Martinbrough. Any issues of this series begins and ends with Martinbrough’s greatness, a singularly great storyteller who handles moments like the Big Bad reveal at the end as well as Redmond’s sons despair with equal aplomb. This comic very easily could be the storyboards for the upcoming AMC series, if only because Martinbrough’s art and storytelling is so cinematic in nature. Diggle’s character work continues to be strong, although I have to say, Agent Cohen has gotten to the point she’s a caricature of unbelievable nature. This ship keeps on going, although we’ve gotten past the point where the art’s greatness greatly surpasses the writing.
Final Verdict: 7.5 – mostly because Martinbrough is amazing
