We are back with another week of a ton of comic books released this past New Comic Book Day. There were a lot of major releases this week to talk about. With that in mind this week we’ll be covering Absolute Catwoman #1, Avengers: Armageddon #1, Barbara Gordon: Breakout #2, Center Holds #4, Daredevil #3, M1: Monster Racing League #1, M.A.S.K. #1, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #19, and Transformers #33. Find out how these comic books turned out with the latest comic book reviews round-up below.
ABSOLUTE CATWOMAN #1
CREATIVE TEAM
Writers: Scott Snyder and Che Grayson
Artist: Bengal
Colorist: Giovanna Niro
Letterer: Lucas Gattoni
Absolute Catwoman #1 is yet another example of what has made the Absolute Universe special. Scott Snyder, Che Grayson, and Bengal welcome in readers to discover what their fresh take on Catwoman is. They do that by leaning into what makes Selina Kyle a compelling character. In doing so they utilize the opportunity the Absolute Universe provides to give us new twists so you can be surprised by where this adventure takes you. That all leads to show once again how each new Absolute Universe comic book makes the entire publishing line even better.
Overall Rating: 9 out of 10
AVENGERS: ARMAGEDDON #1
CREATIVE TEAM
Writer: Chip Zdarsky
Artists: Delio Diaz and Frank Alpizar
Colorist: Jesus Aburtov
Letterer: Cory Petit
Avengers: Armageddon #1 delivers exactly what it needed to drive home its message of this being a big event. It is far from perfect due to the continuity heavy nature of what led to this event. But even with that Chip Zdarsky, Delio Diaz, and Frank Alpizar make sure the reader focuses on why the Avengers, Fantastic Four, and X-Men must stop Red Hulk and his new group. The stakes are high and it’s clear the Marvel Universe will be different when all is said and done. Click here to read the full review.
Overall Rating: 7.5 out of 10
BARBARA GORDON: BREAKOUT #2
CREATIVE TEAM
Writer: Mariko Tamaki
Artist: Amancay Nahuelpan
Colorist: Tamra Bonvillain
Letterer: Ariana Maher
Barbara Gordon: Breakout #2 does a good job at keeping up the momentum created by the series debut. This second issue drives home that for as planned as Barbara’s current status quo was she is ultimately alone without her usual tools. The severe injuries that cause her to be haunted by her past is a big reminder of this for Barbara. Mariko Tamaki and Amancay Nahuelpan drive that home with how they lean into horror vibes. At the same time, we see various examples of how much long-term planning has gone into this story so we can expect even more compelling storytelling.
Overall Rating: 7.5 out of 10
THE CENTER HOLDS #4
CREATIVE TEAM
Writer: Larry Hama
Artist: M.D. “Doc” Bright
Colorist: Josh Burcham
Letterer: Janice Chiang
The Center Holds #4 continues the showcase of this series ability to maximize its page count. There is an old school feel to how much is packed in but Larry Hama makes sure there is a lot of modern refinement also being done. Even when pages are packed with dialogue, Hama writing is done in a way that compliments the action M.D. “Doc” Bright draws. This helps make how Bright handles the powers and emotions of each character stand out more. It all makes you further invested in all the characters arcs that are being juggled at the same time in this comic book.
Overall Rating: 8 out of 10
DAREDEVIL #3
CREATIVE TEAM
Writer: Stephanie Phillips
Artist: Lee Garbett
Colorist: Frank Martin
Letterer: Ariana Maher
Daredevil and Spider-Man teaming up will always be special. These two compliment each other so well. Even for how brief it is in Daredevil #3 Stephanie Phillips understood this to help further push Matt Murdock’s character arc forward. Their short team-up further emphasized how Matt needed a reset to meet the moment of the type of threat Omen presents to his future. We immediately see how this pays off with how Matt interacts with his new supporting cast and the Daredevil vs Omen battle.
Overall Rating: 8 out of 10
M1: MONSTER RACING LEAGUE #1
CREATIVE TEAM
Writers: Lily Windom and Robert Windom
Artist: Jae Lee
Colorist: June Chung
Letterer: Joe Sabino
M1: Monster Racing League #1 is all about style. Jae Lee’s ability to create a unique vibe with an art style that is unique to him is what gets you immersed in the story. That is not to say the story itself is boring. Lily and Robert Windom do a good job making the characters multi-layered with a show of the potential that will be tapped into as the series progresses. Though the general pacing of this issue is a lot of traditional first issue set-up of this new world. It is not until the final third that the story breaks away from the typical set-up and what makes it unique starts to break through.
Overall Rating: 7 out of 10
M.A.S.K. #1
CREATIVE TEAM
Writer: Dan Watters
Artist: Pye Parr
Colorist: Pierluigi Casolino
Letterer: Rus Wooton
M.A.S.K. #1 further strengthens the Energon Universe by showing how much this shared universe has changed from a different point of view. Dan Watters and Pye Parr pull that off while making sure M.A.S.K. stands out on its own. A lot of that comes down to how well Matt Trakker is established as the lead and how good the world building is in this debut. Altogether, it makes the Energon Universe feel even stronger and leaves fans with plenty to be excited about going forward. Click here to read the full review.
Overall Rating: 8 out of 10
TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES #19
CREATIVE TEAM
Writer: Gene Luen Yang
Artist: Fero Pe
Colorist: Luis Antonio Delgado
Letterer: Shawn Lee
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #19 is a much-needed slow things down for the series. Since this volume of TMNT started we have seen things be non-stop for the entire cast. It has made it difficult for the characters to truly assess where they are at. Which makes the timing of this issue much better. We see the Turtles and their allies be able to truly take in being reunited as a family with Tang Shen physically present rather than a legend to be revered. That difference is for the franchise is anyone’s guess, which adds to the fun of wondering where things will go from here.
Overall Rating: 8.5 out of 10
TRANSFORMERS #33
CREATIVE TEAM
Writer: Robert Kirkman
Artist: Jason Howard
Colorist: Mike Spicer
Letterer: Rus Wooton
Transformers #33 is the perfect set-up chapter. There is a lot of character exploration for the new status quo of the Autobots. It is led by how Optimus is adjusting to the changes he has been through recently. This along with some surprises sprinkled throughout this issue make this yet another must-read for this Energon Universe series. Click here to read the full review.
Overall Rating: 8.5 out of 10
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