Comic Book Reviews (Week July 8, 2020): Batman Issue 94, X-Force Issue 10 and More!

Yay! A good number of comic books were released this week. In this week’s comic book review round-up, I will be covering Batman Issue 94, DCeased: Dead Planet Issue 1, and more. From now on, I will also mention if a comic book has queer characters in it or not.

Of course, I will begin by talking about Batman Issue 94. The current issue shared Joker’s plan after acquiring all of Bruce’s wealth. In the previous issue, as far as I could understand it, writer James Tynion IV revealed that Bruce Wayne hasn’t been paying taxes which… yeah, okay, if you say so, James Tynion IV. Meh!

Batman’s worried about Joker coming after everyone in the BatFamily. All of them need to regroup and think of a counter-strategy. We got an emotional scene between Bruce and Selina as she recovered from being shot by Punchline. Y’all, can we talk about Punchline? As far as my opinion goes, she’s a disappointment. Her proper introduction in the Batman world was being hyped up for weeks only for her to be nothing more than Joker’s groupie.

Also, the flashback to Bruce’s youth felt out of place in this issue. Anyway, let’s see what happens in the “Joker War” event.

Recommendation: You can pick it up if you want to.

Does it have obvious queer characters? Yes.

DCeased: Dead Planet Issue 1

I loved every freaking moment of DCeased: Dead Planet Issue 1 by writer Tom Taylor. It’s one of those stories where you know things will continue to get worse. And Taylor sure didn’t disappoint. The final panel was just amazing!

This issue offered action, emotion, horror, and even some comedic moments. Will Taylor provide the superheroes with a cure and a bright future? I have no idea. I have to say that the opening with a drunk John Constantine did remind me of Justice League: Apokolips War.

Recommendation: PICK IT UP!

Does it have obvious queer characters? Yes.

X-Force Issue 10

I think this is the second X-Force comic book title I have read as far as ten issues. Usually, I would drop said series after an issue or two. Writer Benjamin Percy has made me interested in seeing where the current team will go. The current issue focused on Beast’s massive mistake. He killed numerous people in the name of science and I doubt he’s very remorseful about it. There’s definitely something wrong with him.

Seeing an angry Jean was a delight. Percy making Jean leave the team also made sense. I never understood why she would want to be part of a team that went on questionable missions. The political parallels in X-Force Issue 10 also felt quite timely.   

Recommendation: Pick it up.

Does it have obvious queer characters? No.

Something Is Killing The Children Issue 8

While I expected more from James Tynion IV’s Batman series, he’s more than delivering the goods in his original work Something Is Killing The Children. Issue 8 showed Erica and Aaron going to acquire the bait for hunting the baby monsters, but things didn’t go as they planned. I could sense the frustration Aaron experienced when Tom stopped him from taking away Bian.

With how things ended in the final panel, the small town that Erica is in has a lot to deal with. And while I understand that James is in the hospital, I would like to see him begin interacting with Erica again. James’ conversation with the Sheriff was fun. If you think about it, certain adults would be more willing to believe that they’re dealing with murderous aliens instead of supernatural creatures they can’t see. 

Recommendation: PICK IT UP!

Does it have obvious queer characters? Yes.

Dryad Issue 3

Whenever I think I have understood the fictional world that’s being featured in Dryad, creators Kurtis Wiebe and Justin Osterling offer more information. The world of Dryad seems to be a strange mix of fantasy and sci-fi. I think I will need more time to grasp all of the rules in play.

Things aren’t looking great for our main family and I hope everyone gets out safe at the end. While we know that Morgan is a warrior, her husband Yale isn’t a slouch. Yale using magic to try and defeat his opponents was cool. I mean, I knew he was going to lose, but the fight sequence was still enjoyable.

Their two kids need to be ready because their world is about to grow bigger. And yes, I have to be ready to keep up with even more Dryad lore.

Recommendation: Pick it up.

Does it have obvious queer characters? I don’t think so.

Money Shot Issue 6

The weirdness of Money Shot, from writers Tim Seeley and Sarah Beattie, has me hooked. I don’t want to give anything away, but the current issue dealt with the consequences of humans hooking up with various alien species. The story continues to have a political element I think many fans will enjoy.

Recommendation: PICK IT UP!

Does it have obvious queer characters? Yes.

Join The Future Issue 3

I was not expecting all of the twists and turns that happened in this issue. Writer Zack Kaplan offered us an installment that focused on Clementine getting trained by a mysterious man called Trader. She wants revenge, but she can’t get it without the proper set of skills. I liked how the Trader continued to ask her to make some compromises. Due to being young, Clementine took a bit of time to realize that sometimes you need to let go of certain opinions if you want to achieve a goal. Her journey has only begun and I’m interested in seeing where it will lead her.

Recommendation: Pick it up.

Does it have obvious queer characters? No.

Ash & Thorn Issue 2

I was provided with a free copy of Ash & Thorn Issue 2 for review. The opinions I have shared are my own.

This is a new comic book story I think everyone should read. Writer Mariah McCourt offers a ‘Chosen One’ story but with a twist. The main lead of Ash & Thorn is an old woman and she’s not really happy about carrying the weight of saving the world.

From the information shared, Lottie Ash is from a lineage of Champions. So, of course, she has what it takes to save everyone, right? Well, let’s just hope so. Seeing Lottie growing bored with her training sessions made me laugh way too much.

There’s a lot to be explored in the world McCourt and artist Soo Lee have created. The demonic being is quite creepy. The Guardian Counsel seems to have left Earth because they all think the upcoming apocalypse can’t be stopped. The entire thing is a joyride complete with a duo of old women defeating demons. 

Recommendation: PICK IT UP!

Does it have obvious queer characters? I don’t think so. 

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Did you pick up any of the comic books I reviewed this week? What did you think of Batman Issue 94? Are you reading Something Is Killing The Children?

Let me know.

Author: Farid-ul-Haq

Farid has a Double Masters in Psychology and Biotechnology as well as an M.Phil in Molecular Genetics. He is the author of numerous books including Missing in Somerville, and The Game Master of Somerville. He gives us insight into comics, books, TV shows, anime/manga, video games, and movies.

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