Vinny’s Comic Picks of the Week!
DC Nation #0 (DC Comics)
Runners Up: Batman #46 (DC Comics) , Go Go Power Rangers #9 (BOOM! Studios)
You might think that I’m on Tom King’s payroll or something, but I’m honestly going with my gut on these picks. King appears twice on this list, but first a message from our other sponsors.
That was a joke, duh.
DC Nation, which by issue’s end we find out will continue as a DC Comics promotional magazine, features three short stories highlighting the three biggest books of the summer (outside of the already running Doomsday Clock and Mister Miracle). I kind of expected this to focus on Scott Snyder, Josh Williamson, James Tynion IV and Jorge Jiminez’ No Justice Prelude, as that story needed the most explanation. Though it is not the highlight of the book, it does deliver a little more insight into the event, and places the League in a position that I’m personally happy with. There is a lot of explanation to come on why some of these characters have joined up, but I’m more confident in the concept after getting a taste. Brian Michael Bendis provides a second prelude to his coming Man of Steel mini-series, and while there wasn’t anything mind-blowing, it certainly felt a little more consistent with the current Superman than his story in Action Comics #1000. Jose Luis Garcia-Lopez’ classic art didn’t hurt either. The real star in the book is its opener, Tom King and Clay Mann’s Your Big Day, itself a prelude to the wedding of Batman and Catwoman. Though this is neither creator’s first shot at him, the pair present a terrifying vision of The Joker. Short and brutal, Your Big Day is a perfectly paced vignette, one that will likely be reprinted in collected editions for years to come.
King, along with Tony Daniel, brings us a very different tale in Batman this week. After altering the timeline, Booster Gold attempts to fix things by recruiting Catwoman to his cause. As with most alternate realities, Selina Kyle is not the woman we are familiar with and Booster’s adventure gets more and more twisted as it progresses. This has been one of many successful alternate timeline tales in recent months, and I can’t help but believe that with so many years of continuity behind them, an increasing amount of creators will use this tool to dissect heroes in years to come. Also be on the lookout for Catwoman’s Batman Returns inspired suit.
Go Go Power Rangers continues Shattered Grid with one of the best issues yet. Ryan Parrot and Dan Mora make a great team and provide a fast moving ride in this issue. It also shifts the focus off of Lord Drakkon, who needs the rest.