Bullet Reviews #117

You know it’s hot when you can’t even sit down and review comic books! But, with the purchase of an AC unit the temperature has finally come down enough to talk about Dark Shadows #18, Godzilla #13, Justice League #22, Superior Spider-Man #13, and The Walking Dead #112!

DARK SHADOWS #18 (Dynamite)
Barnabas is a little closer to changing the dark future where everyone he knows and loves is dead or stalked. He travels to Hell, or a version of it, and faces off against the devil who resides there for the souls of Roger and Carolyn. There isn’t as much a battle as the demon readily gives them up pointing out he already knows the future that Barnabas is trying to prevent from happening and that these two people are not a part of it. So part of the problem has been taken care of but there is still the threat of the other demon in Barnabas’s body and the evil vampire Lockwood who put together a new plan that makes Lockwood even more dangerous than before!
I can’t say I know where this story is going to end but the stakes are high and the risk of losing everything and that makes this a highly entertaining story! This is this the Dark Shadows story for long time fans and those who were let down by the Tim Burton movie, and honestly… who wasn’t, that movie sucked! At least this comic has, besides a great story, a great look. Nacho Tenrio’s art continues to make the world of Dark Shadows as moody and gothic as it should be. Great story, great look.. Dark Shadows is just a great book! -Skott Jimenez

GODZILLA #13 (IDW)
No, you didn’t miss something, this is the final issue of the previous Godzilla series, the prelude to Godzilla: Rulers Of Earth which came out a few weeks back. This issue wraps up the year-long story of Boxer and crew who have been hunting down the monsters. Boxer has been using the minds and tech to hunt down a specific monster: Godzilla and he’s finally caught up with the King! But in before he can get his revenge on Godzilla he has to wait for the monster known as Keizer Ghidorah to have its battle with Godzilla. Boxer has to help Godzilla in order to destroy him and it’s here that he makes the ultimate sacrifice in order to stop the monster king… sadly, it’s all for nothing as Boxer dies but Godzilla lives.
I really wish this issue came out before Rulers Of Earth #1 because that issue actually does pick up after this one and reading them in order would have been much better. Needless to say this issue does answer some questions I had and is a bridge between this and the current series. I just wish IDW would stop relaunching Godzilla every year. It’d be nice to have a Godzilla series with higher numbers.
Also this issue has an amazing cover! Absolutely love it! -Skott Jimenez

JUSTICE LEAGUE #22 (DC)
The Trinity War has finally begun! But before we get into all the awesome this book offered, and believe me it offered quite a bit, I have to talk about this cover. It looks awful! The rest of the artwork in the book looks great, but the cover just looks bad. Each character except Cyborg looks like it was drawn in some sort of “who can draw so and so the fastest” competition. The cover being terrible can be easily overlooked because this issue is fantastic. Perhaps my colleague Jeff Hill’s review is far more in-depth than my tiny little paragraph that I get to write in bullets but Jeff really nailed this issue dead on with nearly every single sentence he writes, but I will try to talk about the issue without making it seem like I am treading over familiar territory. The Trinity War is the going to bring the entire DCU together for a monstrous event, or so it would seem. As I said earlier the artwork is beautiful, especially the scene where Superman takes in the evil held in Pandora. The dialog between all characters is enjoyable, especially the talk between Supeman and Wonder Woman on killing, as if Justice League wanted to add some color commentary to what many have griped about with Man of Steel (I am not one of those griping; I loved it). But the best thing? Superman vs. Shazam! Maybe just a hint of what that battle would be like but it was a nice preview for what we know will happen at some point in the future. This New 52 shows characters in a new light and I look forward to seeing how the Question ties into this seeing as he is my second favorite DC character. Trinity War looks to be on a mission to making an event so good we will think “Darkest Night” and “Crisis” are childs play compared to what is to come. -Nick Furious

SUPERIOR SPIDER-MAN #13 (Marvel NOW!)
Yikes. Bring back Stegman the art on this issue just didn’t feel very Spider-Man. Some panels look great while others look like garbage. Which I suppose is better than the entire issue being garbage. As per usual Dan Slott brings the action. This issue brought into play a lot of things that had been set up for a while now, mainly how Vulture really is a guy who wants to do right. He had his time as a villain and now he wants to retire and be left alone. He almost gets a feel of what is like to help people but the people turn on him before he can get the chance. So much for Vulture becoming a better person. This will only sour who he is and make him trust humanity even less than before. The 2.0 versions of all the villains didn’t last forever but I hope Marvel goes back to it. It made the other villains more…how do I say this? Threatening? They seemed more fierce and unstoppable than before. Perhaps these upgrades can become permanent as Marvel attempts to up the ante with the Marvel Now! characters giving them a much needed face lift as characters are starting to look more and more like said Ultimate Counterparts. This issue marks the even bigger change for the Superior Spider-Man as we find him killing Smythe (supposedly) and getting a new headquarters and prison called “Spider Island II” which is a very dumb name, but Dan Slott has a plan and who am I to tell him what I think is dumb. The man is a genius. He should write everything. -Nick Furious

THE WALKING DEAD #112 (Skybound/Image)
Negan needs to die. After gutting Spencer last issue then, in this issue, telling Rick he did him a favor, then continuing to be a total jerk to everyone. But it’s here that Rick decides to end it and kill Negan but, sadly, we discover that Rick has been three steps behind Negan for some time. Rick’s ambush backfires and is going to cost him… big time. This is the lead-in to the upcoming All Out War story which will pit everyone against Negan and the Saviors and I have a feeling that we are going to lose a major character, if the promo for All Out War is any indicator then we are possibly losing a long time leader.
Anyway, I don’t really think we need much more building of Negan, we already know what a sick man he is and I understand, to a point, his twisted sense of honor. I don’t agree with it but I can see where a sick mind would see this crap as normal. Despite what I’ve read elsewhere, this series hasn’t lost its punch at all. It continues to move forward and without the cheap scares often associated with modern horror stories.
Man, Negan is twisted! -Skott Jimenez