This week in comics, Frankenstein, Demon Knights, and The Shade continue to impress, Image launches a pretty fantastic new title in Revival, and we can finally stop giving a crap about owls.
Pictured: A scene that is still a good 15+ years off from where this issue ends.
Demon Knights #8 gives a fascinating, not-entirely-trustworthy backstory to two of its most interesting characters.
Demon Knights #4, cover by Choi
Paul Cornell’s Demon Knights has all the elements of a comic book I’ll love. It uses a whole host of new and lesser-known characters from some of the most fascinating parts of DC’s vast toybox. It tells stories we haven’t seen in settings we rarely visit. It has Shining Knight in it. And yet, I’ve felt like I was being held at arm’s length, like Cornell wanted me to enjoy the book but not get too close. After a very solid first issue, he followed it with two slow-moving issues that seemed to be rearranging pieces on the board, rather than telling a story. Demon Knights #4 is a slight improvement over the last two, but it seems to me that Paul Cornell isn’t just writing for the trade; he’s writing, to steal a phrase from fellow contributor brucecastle, for the omnibus. And when done well, as he does here, that can be very enjoyable indeed.
This is where I serve up one sentence reviews of each ongoing title released this week. They are scored out of five and at the end I have a cumulative leader board (averaging the scores of each title) to show which are consistently excellent, which are on the rise, and which are circling the drain.
I also review limited series, like The Shade and My Greatest Adventure minis, but these are not included in the leader board.
Fair warning, there could be spoilers ahead (although I try to avoid them).
Batwoman #1
Just like last week, I’m going to provide a plot synopsis and review for each issue that came out this week. I’ll talk a little bit about my general feelings about the relaunch thus far, and how week two did overall. Finally, for those who like awards, I’ll give out awards to The Must Read Book of the Week, to The Most Pleasant Surprise and, finally, to The Biggest Disappointment.
Click through to find out more!
read/RANT! 