FORT SOLITUDE (DC COMICS: SECRET HERO SOCIETY #2) by Derek Fridolfs and Dustin Nguyen

Published in 2017 by Scholastic

Synopsis

The DC Comics Secret Hero Society series s a re-imagining of the DC universe with a comic twist. 

The first book in this series featured a Hogwarts-type school where only children with special talents are invited. Young Bruce Wayne suspects that there is more going on in the school than meets the eye and his new friends Clark Kent and Diana Prince join him to investigate.

Fort Solitude is book 2 in the series. The trio are invited to a special summer camp. They notice that this camp has an off vibe. Then, campers start to disappear. And, there are constant warnings about a scarecrow that stalks the woods at night.

The trio adds in a kid that runs really, really fast, a kid that wins every target shooting contest, and a kid with robotic implants - Flash, Green Arrow, and Cyborg. Clark also finds a journal with detailed notes from a girl that attended a previous session of this same summer camp - Lois Lane.

Using the clues from Lois' notebook, the campers investigate the camp and work together to figure out what is going on.

My Review

This was a fun read, but it's basically the same plot as the first book in this series. I liked the first book pretty well, but it just seemed cheesy to do the same plot twice in a row.

I rate this graphic novel 3 stars out of 5. It can be found on Amazon.com here: Fort Solitude (DC Comics Secret Hero Society #2).

STUDY HALL of JUSTICE (DC COMICS: SECRET HERO SOCIETY #1) by Derek Fridolfs and Dustin Nguyen

Published by Scholastic in 2016.

Study Hall of Justice is a YA graphic novel that is a re-imagining of the DC universe with a comic twist. 

Synopsis

Imagine a Hogwarts-type school where only children with special talents are invited. Young Bruce Wayne suspects that there is more going on in the school than meets the eye. The teachers are odd, not only quirky, but sometimes malicious - increasingly so.

Bruce starts to investigate, sometimes wearing a special costume to hide in the shadows, he begins to suspect that there is a malevolent figure running the school. He also encounters two other students who are looking into the school leadership - Clark Kent and Diana Prince.

My Review

While this book is aimed at middle schoolers, adult super fans of DC Comics will appreciate the easter eggs that abound. For example, Bruce Wayne's locker has shark repellent (from the 1960's Adam West movie) and movie stills from The Gray Ghost, a movie that inspires young Bruce Wayne to create his Batman personae (from Batman: The Animated Series.)

Coming of age themes abound, including each of the good guy trio acknowledging what makes them different, and coming to appreciate those differences in each other (see the picture to the right.)

It's a fun graphic novel. I rate it 4 stars out of 5.

This graphic novel can be found on Amazon.com here: Study Hall of Justice (DC Comics: Secret Hero Society #1)

SUPERMAN / WONDER WOMAN VOLUME 2: WAR and PEACE (graphic novel) by Charles Soule

Written by Charles Soule
Art by Tony S. Daniel

Published in 2015 by DC Comics

Synopsis

Superman has fought and defeated Doomsday, but during the fight he was infected with a Doomsday virus of some sort that is slowly merging into his genetic code and changing him into Doomsday.

Superman can hold it off simply by will and the sheer strength of being Superman, but Earth-based planetary defenses have released Kryptonite into the air around the world to drive the Superman/Doomsday hybrid away. Good enough, except that Brainiac has unleashed an attack on Earth and the Justice League really needs Superman's help...

My Review

This graphic novel was confusing and unnecessarily complicated. It seemed like it was an attempt to bring every possible character into the story and it was missing a key component - the fight with Doomsday.

The reason for that is simple - the story of that fight is not included in the Superman / Wonder Woman series. It is actually in a stand-alone volume called Superman: Doomed. The Doomed book is actually part of 3 or 4 different DC Comics story lines that all come together to meet in that story. However, there is no reference to the existence of that volume anywhere in the Superman / Wonder Woman cover art or in a prologue. They simply did not tell the reader that they should have read another story first.

That means this reader went in blind and felt like I was playing catch up the entire time. 

This quote from my review of Volume 1 of this series certainly applies to this volume in spades:

Almost everything about this story feels rushed. It's as if Soule had a 12 or 13 comic's worth of story that he had to tell in just 7 comics. Even worse, the story keeps gliding back and forth in time in a series of flashbacks that are labeled with a little blue box at the top of the first page of the current flashback. "Two hours ago." "Eight hours ago." "Now." They bounce around so much that it just confuses an already rushed story. Also, it ruins the drama because when they are in the "Now" timeline you can see how it all ends up.

I rate this graphic novel 1 star out of 5. Too many flashbacks, too rushed, and, most importantly, they should have told the reader that they were missing a key element of the story if they didn't read a stand alone volume. 

The Superman / Wonder Woman series continues on, but it continues without me.

This graphic novel can be found on Amazon.com here: Superman / Wonder Woman Volume 2: War and Peace.

SUPERMAN / WONDER WOMAN, Volume 1: Power Couple (graphic novel) by Charles Soule

Published in 2014 by DC Comics.

Written by Charles Soule.

Art by Tony S. Daniel

Synopsis

In the New 52 reboot of the DC universes we have a world where Superman and Wonder Woman are secretly dating. They are working through their relationship, dealing with cultural differences, a massive age difference, and the fact that a lot of her Greek god family basically hates him because he is a commoner, despite his extraordinary powers.

As part of larger plot to escape from the Phantom Zone, General Zod released Doomsday. Doomsday, you may remember, is the creature that killed Superman in the "Death of Superman" series back in 1992. This is one of  the first appearances of Doomsday in the New 52 reboot and he is as fearsome as ever. 

Meanwhile, Clark Kent's partner in an online publishing venture (Cat Grant) publishes an exclusive video that she received from an anonymous source. It shows Superman and Wonder Woman making out and suddenly they are the "it" couple around the world.

My Review

This summer I discovered Charles Soule and took full advantage of the library to read as much of his stuff as I could. Most of it is pretty good, but I cannot say the same of this collection. 

Almost everything about this story feels rushed. It's as if Soule had a 12 or 13 comic's worth of story that he had to tell in just 7 comics. Even worse, the story keeps gliding back and forth in time in a series of flashbacks that are labeled with a little blue box at the top of the first page of the current flashback. "Two hours ago." "Eight hours ago." "Now." They bounce around so much that it just confuses an already rushed story. Also, it ruins the drama because when they are in the "Now" timeline you can see how it all ends up. 

I rate this story 3 stars out of 5. There are moments of quality stuff here, including a scene between the Greek god Apollo and Superman that did not turn out the way that Apollo had hoped.

But, not enough.

This graphic novel can be found on Amazon.com here: Superman / Wonder Woman, Volume 1: Power Couple.

BATMAN: ONE BAD DAY - MR. FREEZE (graphic novel) by Gerry Duggan

Published in 2023 by DC Comics.

Written by Gerry Duggan

Art by Matteo Scalera and Deron Bennett.

Synopsis

Inspired by the "spirit of Christmas," Batman, Robin, and Alfred discuss the possibility that a hardened criminal can actually reform. Batman and Robin decide to reach out to Mr. Freeze and offer to fund his research. 

Mr. Freeze has always justifies his crime sprees with the rationalization that he needs the things he steals for his research. He put his wife in a frozen stasis in order to stop the progression of a fatal disease and the research to fight this disease is incredibly expensive and sometimes requires exotic materials. 

Now, Batman has provided everything Mr. Freeze needs in an old LexCorp lab. Theoretically, this should put an end to Mr. Freeze's criminal career, right?

It turns out that Mr. Freeze is far more complicated and far more creepy than anyone knew...

My Review

I read all of the graphic novels in the One Bad Day Series this summer and I think that this one was the best of a strong collection. It made me see Mr. Freeze in a completely different light and made him seem much more human - a profoundly mentally disturbed human with a lot of scientific and technical skills, but human.

The art is dark and moody, but also very clear. You can see when Robin smirks in a hopeful way at a comment Batman makes and you can feel the Batmobile fishtailing on a icy street. 

I rate this graphic novel 5 stars out of 5. It can be found on Amazon.com here: Batman: One Bad Day - Mr. Freeze.

SUPERMAN '78 (graphic novel) by Robert Venditti

Published in 2022 by DC Comics.

Written by Robert Venditti.

Art by Wilfredo Torres and Jordie Bellaire.

Synopsis

Superman '78 is a short series (sadly) based on the Christopher Reeves movies that were released from the late 1970s through the mid-1980s. Like the movies, the plot is pretty simple and everything follows a very traditional Superman storyline - red shorts, sassy Lois Lane, bald Lex Luthor, and so on. That's fine by me - I really like traditional Superman.

Brainiac saves the city of Superman's Kryptonian home from ultimate destruction when Krypton explodes by shrinking them and storing them safely on his ship in a glass jar. He keeps them stored away because they are the remnants of "a careless, dangerous civilization."

When Brainiac discovers that Earth has a Kryptonian (Superman), he seeks to save Earth by eradicating Superman because he is an infestation of an alien civilization that has already destroyed their own world. Kryptonians are dangerous and must be collected and stored away in their little glass jar.

Because he believes all Kryptonians are dangerous, Brainiac sends his robots to collect Superman. He is surprised when he finds that the citizens of Metropolis are more than willing to defend Superman - with arguments and weapons. One resident yells out, "ALL of us come from somewhere else" and another follows up with "Superman couldn't BE more Metropolis."

Brainiac decides that the mere presence of Superman has tainted the humans in Metropolis and they might have to be removed to one of his collection jars. Superman offers himself up willingly - as a trade in order to protect his city only to find out that Brainiac has other plans for Metropolis...

My Review

I really like the clean and simple lines of the art in this series. The spirit of the Reeves movies is obvious throughout. Quite enjoyable.

Funny note - Lex Luthor is on parole for one of his many crimes. Part of the condition of his parole is getting a job. The sight of Luthor in an unemployment office and being offered a job in a cafeteria is a hoot.

I rate this graphic novel 5 stars out of 5. It can be found on Amazon.com here: Superman '78.

BATMAN - ONE BAD DAY: CLAYFACE (graphic novel) by Collin Kelly and Jackson Lanzing

Published by DC Comics in 2023.

Written by Collin Keely and Jackson Lanzing.

Art by Xermánico and Romulo Fajardo, Jr.

Synopsis

Clayface has moved away from Gotham City and has gone to Hollywood to be a movie star. The original Clayface character from 1940 comic where he premiered was a B movie actor named Basil Karlo.

Basil Karlo is working as a waiter in Batman - One Bad Day: Clayface while trying to make it big in Hollywood. He's diligent about everything, but he does not have a light comic touch that is called for in romantic comedies. His roommate does, however. When they both read for the same part it becomes a problem when the roommate gets the part and Basil Karlo doesn't.

Being Clayface means you can make yourself look like anyone - at least for a little while. Clayface kills the roommate and then assumes his shape so he can get his big Hollywood break. And then one murder leads to another. And another. And another. And another and so on.

Meanwhile, Bruce Wayne is in town trying to sell a studio on the idea of filming a movie on location in Gotham City...

My Review

Batman in Hollywood was a little ridiculous, but I liked the way the story made a nod to the original roots of Clayface. At one point the story takes on aspects of a dark comedy as Clayface keeps on taking over the lives of more and more people while trying to keep it all hidden.

I also loved the nod to the really well-done episode of Batman: The Animated Series called Beware the Gray Ghost. Bruce Wayne is in town to discuss the filming of this movie because the Gray Ghost was a childhood favorite and one of the inspirations for Batman. 

I rate this graphic novel 4 stars out of 5. It can be found on Amazon.com here: Batman - One Bad Day: Clayface.

BATMAN - ONE BAD DAY: RA'S al GHUL (graphic novel) by Tom Taylor

Published in 2023 by DC Comics

Written by Tom Taylor

Art by Ivan Reis, Danny Miki, and Brad Anderson

Synopsis

The One Bad Day series looks at individual top level Batman villains (If you are a fan of Bootface, sorry) and gives them a comic that focuses on just that villain. 

In Batman - One Bad Day: Ra's al Ghul we encounter a newly brought back to life Ra's al Ghul. He looks at the current state of the world - a world with just a few corporate oligarchs controlling the media, manufacturing, shipping, etc. and decides to take action. 

When Batman notices the odd string of deaths Bruce Wayne's corporate peers, he decides to start investigating (the "World's Greatest Detective" actually does some detecting!). Ra's al Ghul lashes out to deter the investigation, and he goes after what Batman values most...

My Review

As I write this review, I want to be clear that I am not a fan of the Ra's al Ghul character, but his goals in this graphic novel made for an interesting read. I know that this is a DC Comic, but I have a Marvel comment to make. I've heard it said that the MCU movie villains have a point, but their way of dealing with the situation is over-the-top. For example, Thanos notices that there aren't enough resources, but he decides to kill off half of all life rather than help create more resources. Magneto and Killmonger have similar over the top answers to actual real world problems.

Ra's al Ghul has a point about horrible billionaires running the economy, but his reaction is more than a bit twisted - it's an MCU villain response to a problem. He needs Batman to stay out of the way and he has an equally twisted plan to do that. 

I rate this graphic novel 3 stars out of 5. I don't like the villain, his plan is ridiculous (and could probably be accomplished with legal maneuvers).

This graphic novel can be found on Amazon.com here: Batman - One Bad Day: Ra's al Ghul.

BATMAN - ONE BAD DAY: BANE (graphic novel) by Joshua Williamson

Published by D.C. Comics in 2023.

Written by Joshua Williamson

Art by Howard Porter and Tomeu Morey

Synopsis

The One Bad Day series looks at individual top level Batman villains (If you are a fan of Johnny Karaoke, sorry) and gives them a comic that focuses on just that villain. 

In Batman - One Bad Day: Bane we find Bane working as a professional wrestler in Mexico where he reenacts the moment where be broke Batman's back in match after match to the cheers of adoring crowds. Bane has wealth and fame, but he is broken inside. This graphic novel is the story that explains that brokenness...

My Review

Up until the halfway point of this graphic novel, I was sure that this edition of the One Bad Day tales was a dud. It was initially very confusing and the drawings seemed to be all overdone muscles, veiny arms, and monstrous faces.

The moment that changed the book was a moment of great sacrifice. It changes the arc of Bane's life and makes this a surprisingly hopeful (and grisly) story. I still hated the art, but the story was quite good.

I rate this graphic novel 4 stars out of 5. It can be found on Amazon.com here: Batman - One Bad Day: Bane. 

BATMAN - ONE BAD DAY: TWO-FACE (graphic novel) by Mariko Tamaki

Published in 2023 by DC Comics.

Written by Mariko Tamaki.

Art by Javier Fernandez and Jordie Bellaire.

Synopsis

The One Bad Day series looks at individual top level Batman villains (If you are a fan of Polka-Dot Man, sorry) and gives them a comic that focuses on just that villain. 

Batman - One Bad Day: Two-Face begins with a flashback of a hostage situation on the roof of a tall building. One of the cops on duty down below is Patrolman Christopher Nakano. Flash forward to the present day, for some inexplicable reason, Mayor Christopher Nakano offers Two-Face the chance to resume his job as the District Attorney of Gotham City.

Batman goes along and is determined to reform Two-Face so he can just be Harvey Dent

Why? Why? Why? Is Two-Face the only attorney in the city?

So, things go really well and Two-Face retires a hero.

Yeah right.

My Review

If you can get past the weirdness of responsible adults offering a violent felon with serious mental health issues an important job like District Attorney (which I clearly could not), the story is fairly interesting. You get to meet Harvey Dent's dad. There are arguments from Batgirl against the idea of hiring a super villain as the DA that no one listens to. 

The art was first-rate throughout.

I rate this graphic novel 3 stars out of 5. It can be found on Amazon.com here: Batman - One Bad Day: Two Face.

BATMAN - ONE BAD DAY: THE RIDDLER (graphic novel) by Tom King

Written by Tom King.

Art by Mitch Gerads.

Published in 2023 by DC Comics

2023 Eisner Winner - Best Single Issue/One-Shot

2023 Eisner Nominee - Best Limited Series

2023 Eisner Nominee - Best Writer, Tom King

2024 Libby Award Nominee for Best Comic/Graphic Novel

Synopsis

The One Bad Day series looks at individual top level Batman villains (If you are a fan of Condiment King, sorry) and gives them a comic that focuses on just that villain. 

Batman - One Bad Day: The Riddler begins with The Riddler in jail. He is ruminating over his abusive childhood and the reader gets to see his first steps into the world of crime. All of that ruminating has made The Riddler change his game plan when it comes to being a criminal...

My Review

The flashback scenes were extremely good, but the current day scenes were full of literally unbelievable things.

*****Spoilers*****

There are multiple things that just made me roll my eyes. Things that just don't make sense, even in a comic book world.

1) The scene where the The Riddler says he will hurt the armed guards' families if they take him to Arkham rings untrue. He promises that he can escape in hours. He looks at one guard and lists the name of the guard's children and the school that they attend. In this scene, the guards all shoot one another because one guard decides to take out a cuffed Riddler rather than have his family put at risk. I think it much more likely that they would just shoot him with the rubber bullets they had and then beat him to death with their rifle butts - all the more so in a city where insane villains keep escaping from Arkham Asylum. The Riddler says he  has escaped from Arkham more than 36 times! Why are they sending him back there? Why would the guards even hesitate to kill the man who threatens all they hold dear?

2) The Riddler maims a man who is sliding a food tray through the slot in the cell door. He grabs the tray and forces the man's hands into the top of the slot. So far, so good. That would hurt a lot and reminds the guards that Riddle is quite feral. Then, he pushes the tray so hard it cuts off eight of the man's fingers (not his thumbs). If Bane was doing the pushing on the tray, maybe. Is The Riddler as strong as Bane? Hardly.

3) A character points a shotgun at Batman's face from less than 10 feet away and shoots twice. He misses both times. Not a single piece of shot touches Batman because he is too fast. Ugh. I know Batman is fast and I know Batman's cowl is bulletproof, but the lower half of his face isn't. Shotguns are not rifles - the shot spreads out and covers a lot of area. Batman should have ended up looking like Two-Face.

*****End Spoilers*****

I think this graphic novel received rave reviews because of the extensive flashback scenes and the art. The art is not my favorite style, but it did set a profound mood of tragedy and danger. The flashbacks are excellent, especially the ones with his teacher. 

But, those scenes don't make up for the things that I mentioned in the spoilers. I know that it seems weird to expect some realism in a book with a man who wears a bat outfit to fight crime, but I think it's exceptionally lazy writing to have a characters in a comic book get away with unrealistic things just to make the plot move forward.

I have read almost all of the graphic novels in this series. If I had read this one first, I probably wouldn't have bothered with the rest.

I rate this graphic novel 2 stars out of 5. It can be found on Amazon.com here: Batman - One Bad Day: The Riddler.

BATMAN - ONE BAD DAY: CATWOMAN (graphic novel) by G. Willow Wilson

Written by G. Willow Wilson

Art by Jamie McKelvie

Synopsis

The One Bad Day series is a look at some of the biggest Batman villains in a book just dedicated to that villain. A lot of them, but certainly not all of them, take a sympathetic look at that villain.

Batman - One Bad Day: Catwoman is one of the more sympathetic takes. 

Catwoman is looking through an auction catalog for high end jewelry when she finds an unusual listing for a piece of post-World War II French jewelry that commemorates the end of Nazi occupation. It is a rare piece with a message of a return to freedom for France's artists its reserve price is $30,000.

It is also a piece her mother sold to a pawn shop for only $200 when Catwoman was a child in order to attempt to make her rent money that month.

Catwoman decides to take back the jewelry and right a wrong...

My Review

This one was interesting because the stakes, in reality, are really pretty low - a piece of jewelry that is worth thousands instead of millions and a long-forgotten bit of family pride. 

But, because it's so personal, the stakes are actually very high for Catwoman.

The heist story was good. For once, this did not involve the worn-out plot device of Catwoman cutting glass with her claws and slinking around laser security systems in order to steal a priceless diamond from a museum. 

The art was clear and easy to follow and there was no need to be aware of some obscure plot point from a comic published decades ago. All that is required is a basic knowledge of Catwoman and her relationship with Batman. 

I rate this graphic novel 5 stars out of 5. It can be found on Amazon.com here: Batman - One Bad Day: Catwoman.

SUPERMAN '78: THE METAL CURTAIN (graphic novel) Robert Venditti

Published by DC Comics in 2024.
Written by Robert Venditti.
Art by Gavin Guidry and Jordan Bellaire.

Synopsis

These are the further adventures of the Christopher Reeve Superman from the movie series that ran from the late 1970s into the 1980s. It has the feel of those movies in the simple and clear art style and the look of many of those characters. Interestingly, Superman looks nothing like Reeves and Clark Kent only looks like him from time to time.

The plot of Superman '78: The Metal Curtain is pretty simple. The Soviet Union has created a super soldier suit powered by a giant hunk if Kryptonite. The suit is pretty much an Iron Man suit (I know, wrong publisher) with the added benefit that it's fuel weakens the Man of Steel.

The Soviet Union is fearful of Superman. They perceive him as a weapon of the United States (because the events of Superman IV haven't happened yet) and plan to use the suit to defeat Superman and America...

My Review

I really liked the clean art style of this graphic novel. The plot is simple, direct, and the circumstances are dire. The only thing I did not like was the way Superman ended up winning - it was too simplistic and too short. It felt like a cheesy movie plot ending, which is exactly the vibe that they were going for. I guess that makes it a success.

I rate this graphic novel 4 stars out of 5. It can be found on Amazon.com here: Superman '78: The Metal Curtain.

BATMAN - ONE BAD DAY: PENGUIN (One Bad Day series) (graphic novel) by John Ridley

Published by DC Comics in 2023.

Story by John Ridley.

Art by Giuseppe Camuncoli, Cam Smith, and Arif Prianto.

Synopsis

Batman - One Bad Day: Penguin finds the hero (!) of the story, Batman's infamous foe Penguin, completely down and out. He has $20 and is sitting on a park bench in the rain. He is taped and bandaged up from a beating. He is unshaven and disheveled. He is waiting for a is waiting to meet a young person to sell him a gun.

He has been pushed out of his role of crime boss of Gotham by a former subordinate. He plans to go into the city and take back his organization - but all he has is one little snub-nosed pistol, one bullet, and no friends.

Turns out he didn't really need to pistol or the bullet - it's your friends that count.

My Review

I truly liked this comic. The way the story went surprised me and I really enjoyed it. Penguin can be a surprisingly sympathetic figure for a super-villain. His origin story isn't the roughest, but just about everyone has experienced a little bit of what made Oswald Cobblepot into the Penguin.

The tense confrontation/conversation that Penguin and Batman have in the middle was an interesting take on this version of Penguin. If this Penguin were in a Dungeons and Dragon campaign, he would be Lawful Evil, and that really shows throughout. No one likes a crime boss, but when the alternative is a chaos agent that actively enjoys the city being burned to the ground, you just end of rooting for the guy.

I rate this graphic novel 5 stars out of 5. It can be found on Amazon.com here: BATMAN - ONE BAD DAY: PENGUIN by John Ridley.

SUPERMAN SMASHES the KLAN (graphic novel) by Gene Luen Yang and Gurihiru

Winner of Will Eisner Comic Industry Award, 2021.
Winner of Harvey Award for Best Children or Young Adult Book.

Published by DC Comics in 2020.
Story by Gene Luen Yang.
Art by Gurihiru.

Superman Smashes the Klan is a graphic novel interpretation of a story arc from the old Superman radio show. At that time, Superman was the most popular radio show for children in the United States and the show's writers wanted to address racism with their young listeners. They wrote six 15 minute episodes with Superman opposing the racists of the Clan of the Fiery Cross.

This was a big risk. They were worried that it would turn off their fans since 1946 America was a very racist place. The actual Klan was experiencing a moment of resurgence. Superman had only been published for 8 years at the time - he was very new and his young fans and their families could reject this move into current day politics.

Turns out that the kids loved it. Ratings increased! Follow this link for another review on this topic.

This graphic novel adaptation is not a completely faithful re-telling of the radio drama. It has a whole layer of Superman still learning to accept all of his powers and his alien roots that runs along in tandem with white families in Metropolis learning to accept their new Chinese neighbors who have moved in from Metropolis' Chinatown neighborhood (and vice-versa.)

I really liked the clean art style in this graphic novel. There was no attempt to hide the art in shadows or make things overly-stylized. That being said, there are tons of dramatic angles to the drawings. Let's face it, Superman often brings a lot of drama, with all of the breaking through walls, leaping over tall buildings, and picking up cars. 

This was a fun graphic novel. I rate it 5 stars out of 5. It can be found on Amazon.com here: Superman Smashes the Klan.

BATMAN/FORTNITE: ZERO POINT (graphic novel) by Christos Gage and others

Published in 2021
by DC Comics

 

When I first heard of this crossover graphic novel I thought to myself that this could be a horrible mess of a book. I actually flipped through it just to be ready to make fun of it. After all, how could a book based on a videogame that's using Batman as a promotional gimmick be any good? 

Turns out I was wrong. 

The plot makes sense. Even more importantly, it is an interesting and compelling read.

In the story, what Batman suspects is a crack in time and space opens up over Gotham City. People are fleeing. Batman consults with Chief Gordon and learns that some people are actually drawn to this tear in reality. 

As Batman gets closer to investigate he finds Harley Quinn. She is heading directly towards the tear and Batman cannot stop her. However, his efforts have placed him in a vulnerable position and a shadowy figure pushes Batman in.

Batman arrives in the world of Fortnite with no memory and surrounded by violence. The world gets smaller and smaller, making the violence more intense until everyone dies and the world re-sets with no one retaining a memory of what has happened before. 

Of course, Batman is still Batman so he figures out a way...

I rate this graphic novel 5 out of 5 stars. It can be found on Amazon.com here: BATMAN/FORTNITE: ZERO POINT (graphic novel) by Christos Gage and others.

BLACK CANARY: BREAKING SILENCE: DC ICONS SERIES (audiobook) by Alexandra Monir

 

Published in 2020 by Listening Library.
Read by Kathleen McInerney.
Duration: 8 hours, 29 minutes.
Unabridged.

Synopsis:

The DC ICONS series tells alternate origin stories for DC superheroes, focusing on them in their high school years. This is the fourth in this YA series that I have listened to as an audiobook. My previous ones were the "big three" of the DC Comics Universe - Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman. This time I listened to an often overlooked character, Black Canary. 

To be clear, this book focuses on Dinah Lance, the daughter of the original Black Canary. Black Canary was talented at martial arts but her main power was the ability to use her singing voice as a weapon.

The book is set in a dystopian future Gotham City. Think Gotham City meets The Handmaid's Tale. It is a generation after Batman and Commissioner Gordon have passed away. 

Based on a single comment from one of the characters, women's rights have been rolled back across the country. That being said, Gotham City is the most regressive city. Women have to wear approved types of clothing. Girls have only recently been allowed to go back to school, but they have a limited curriculum and will not go on to college. Women are not allowed to speak out in public, create art, or perform. All records of women in any sort of leadership position or performing musically have been expunged from all public records.

Gotham City is controlled by a group descended from some of the original founding families of Gotham City called The Court of Owls. Their leader is Mayor Cobblepot. DC Fans may remember that Cobblepot is the family name of The Penguin. It turns out that Mayor Cobblepot took some of The Penguin's research to create a chemical that robs women of their power to sing. Of course, this ended the power of the original Black Canary.

Dinah Drake is unhappy. She is a senior in high school and she feels restricted by the She knows that women used to be leaders, used to wear what they wanted and used to sing. She discovered a hidden treasure trove of old magazines and has seen photos of women singing on stage.

And now a new boy named Oliver Queen has moved to Gotham City...

My Review:

The first 90% of this audiobook was the most compelling of the 4 books I have read in this series.

***********Spoiler Alert************

The book had the makings of the beginning of a series with Dinah Drake pushing back against the totalitarian rule of the Court of Owls. I was imagining a reverse of the traditional Batman role. Black Canary and Green Arrow would not be the enforcer of laws, instead this team would make sure unjust laws were not enforced.

Instead, the book very neatly clears out the totalitarian rulers and everything is fixed ( the rest of the country was too?) Too bad - this could have been a great series. I am removing 1 star for ruining a great series.

***********End Spoilers**************

I rate this audiobook 4 stars out of 5. It can be found on Amazon.com here: BLACK CANARY: BREAKING SILENCE: DC ICONS SERIES by Alexandra Monir.

BATMAN: NIGHTWALKER (D.C. ICONS, BOOK 2) (audiobook) by Marie Lu

 

Published by Listening Library in 2018.
Read by Will Damron.
Duration: 8 hours, 39 minutes.
Unabridged.

The books in the D.C. Icons series are a re-writing of the origin stories of D.C. Comics' iconic characters. To be fair, these YA stories are not complete re-writes. Instead, they are basically about the largely unexplored teen years of these characters (the exception being the 10 year run of the Smallville TV show featuring a teenaged Superman.) 

In this book we meet Bruce Wayne in the 12th grade and he is turning 18 - the age where he inherits the Wayne family fortune and the family business. He may be a legal adult, but he is still an impulsive teen. Bruce joins in on a police chase with a high-tech car created by Wayne Industries. He helps catch the bad guy but he gets arrested for getting in the middle of a police chase.

Wayne gets assigned community service in, of all places, Arkham Asylum. Can you imagine why anyone would assign anyone community service at Arkham Asylum? 

As expected, Bruce Wayne discovers something going on in Arkham that could mean the end of everything as he knows it...

This book requires a bit of suspension of disbelief (as noted above - who would put anyone assigned community service in Arkham?) but it was entertaining. We also meet a teenaged Harvey Dent, giving a bit of insight to his later incarnation as Two-Face. 

It does serve as a natural bridge to Bruce Wayne's eventual transformation to Batman and leaves the door open to more books. I know I would be up for reading more. 

I rate this audiobook 4 stars out of 5. It can be found on Amazon.com here: BATMAN: NIGHTWALKER (D.C. ICONS, BOOK 2) (audiobook) by Marie Lu.

V for VENDETTA (graphic novel) by Alan Moore and David Lloyd

 

Originally published in 1982.

Originally published in completed form in 1988 by DC Vertigo.

This iconic graphic novel has been on my to-be-read list for a long while. I tried watching the movie, but it had been a long week and I soon fell asleep. I assumed that the movie missed some of the pizazz of the graphic novel. I decided to go ahead and read the book when I noticed it was on the list of some 850 books that a Republican Texas state legislator wanted to ban from all Texas schools. 

V for VENDETTA is the story of a masked vigilante who decides to stand up against the fascist government of an alternative history version of the United Kingdom. The masked character has become the single most recognizable feature of the book and the face of the "anonymous" movement that swept over social media a few years ago.

Many people assume that it was put on the censorship list because it features a character that fights back against a repressive government. They assume that Texas is afraid of people that fight back, but they forget that this is a state that loves its own history of fighting back. The story of the Alamo and the Texas Revolution is revered in Texas. Texas was also a member of the Confederacy in the Civil War and some people in the Texas Republican Party have openly discussed another attempt at secession.

Based on the other books on this list, I think that the book was added to the list because there are 4 or 5 little panels in the comic that show a naked woman. They are not particularly lurid drawings, but most of the books are on this list for some sort of sexual reason. What appears in this book is certainly not worth the fuss of banning the book, but if you are making a list of 850 books you don't care about not making a fuss.

On to my review:

I was very much looking forward to this book. I like dystopian novels and I am very sympathetic to the themes of this book. However, I must admit that my reaction to the movie pretty much matched my reaction to the graphic novel. It is stylish but very slow and boring. I had a hard time finishing it and probably wouldn't have if not for occasional bursts of interesting plot showing up from time to time. 

I rate this graphic novel 2 stars out of 5. It can be found on Amazon.com here: V for VENDETTA by Alan Moore and David Lloyd.

WONDER WOMAN: WARBRINGER: DC ICONS (audiobook) by Leigh Bardugo

Published in 2017 by Listening Library.

Read by Mozhan Marno.
Duration: 11 hours, 56 minutes.

Unabridged.

D.C. Comics' DC ICONS series creates a new YA version of their flagships character's origin stories. DC went out and found established YA authors and let them do their thing in books like Wonder Woman: Warbringer.

Leigh Bardugo is an established YA fantasy author and she brings that vibe to

the story of Princess Diana of Themyscira, the character who will eventually be better known as Wonder Woman.

Diana is a teen that lives on the island of the Amazons - female warriors who died in battle but were reborn on Themyscira, where they can no longer intervene in the lives of mortals. Her mother is the queen of the island. Diana witnesses an explosion of a ship off the coast of Themyscira and breaks the rule of non-intervention by rescuing the sole survivor, a teenage girl and brings her back to the island.

And then everything started to fall apart...

This book borrows a lot on themes of Greek mythology without feeling the need to be beholden to it. It has a nice surprise twist at the end but it moves a little slow at about the 1/3 mark. That makes for a rating of 4 stars out of 5.

Mozhan Marno read the audiobook and she did a great job of creating different voices and creating a sense of drama. The action scenes had a lot of zing and she helped create that.

This audiobook can be found on Amazon.com here: WONDER WOMAN: WARBRINGER: DC ICONS (audiobook) by Leigh Bardugo.