Welcome back to another edition of comic book reviews round-up! This week we’ll be covering Absolute Superman #11, Amazing Spider-Man #11, Batman #1, Birds of Prey #25, Imperial War: Exiles #1, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #11, and Uncanny X-Men #20. Find out how these comic books turned out with the latest comic book reviews round-up below.
ABSOLUTE SUPERMAN #11
CREATIVE TEAM
Writer: Jason Aaron
Artist: Carmine Di Giandomenico
Colorist: Ulises Arreola
Letterer: Becca Carey
Absolute Superman #11 wraps up the “Superman, Son of the Demon” in a way that doesn’t conclude the story. Instead, this finale is structured in a way that it is a set-up for the story this series has been building towards. That story is the major battle that will be taking place in Kansas between Superman, Ra’s Al Ghul, and all those involved with both of them.
The way this finale sets up the next Absolute Superman story most benefits Absolute Brainiac. This gets over how different this version of Brainiac is while still maintaining classic elements of the character. What Brainiac does to Superman really makes you question what Kal-El will do with what he is put through. That is on top of everything Ra’s Al Ghul is doing and how Lois and other characters react to what is going on.
Overall Rating: 8 Night Girls out of 10
AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #11
CREATIVE TEAM
Writers: Joe Kelly, Saladin Ahmed, Lee Gatlin, and Jason Loo
Artists: John Romita Jr, Pepe Larraz, Pere Perez, Lee Gatlin, and Jason Loo
Inker: Scott Hanna
Colorists: Marcio Menyz, Marte Gracia, and Morry Hollowell
Letterer: Joe Caramagna
And just like that we see the Superior Spider-Man impact on the franchise continue to be seen. Things can’t just be simple with the clash Spider-Man had with Hellgate sending him on a cosmic journey. Nope. As we see with Amazing Spider-Man #11 Peter Parker is sent to the unknown of space while Ben Reilly and Norman Osborn are posing as Peter and Spider-Man, respectively. It is a head scratcher of a direction to force things to be more complicated when “Spider-Man lost in space” would’ve been new and exciting on its own.
Due to the forced status quo change it made it easy to forget this issue was supposed to also celebrate the Amazing Spider-Man #975 legacy issue. The back-up stories were fine. If anything they emphasized what Amazing Spider-Man is at its best when Peter is the focused. That is not a good thing with what the main story of this issue does.
Overall Rating: 3.5 Night Girls out of 10
BATMAN #1
CREATIVE TEAM
Writer: Matt Fraction
Artist: Jorge Jimenez
Colorist: Tomeu Morey
Letterer: Clayton Cowles
Batman #1 does everything right for a debut for a new creative team. Matt Fraction and Jorge Jimenez make it clear they are aiming to move the Dark Knight and the world of Gotham City forward. How that is communicated sets the groundwork for a lot of intriguing developments to happen in the future. It leads to a much-needed fresh creative start for Batman. Click here to read the full review.
Overall Rating: 9 Night Girls out of 10
BIRDS OF PREY #25
CREATIVE TEAM
Writer: Kelly Thompson
Artist: Cliff Richards and Sami Basri
Colorist: Adriano Lucas
Letterer: Clayton Cowles
Birds of Prey #25 is set-up issue for the next phase of this current Shadow Army storyline. Luckily Kelly Thompson, Cliff Richards, and Sami Basri make sure to mix in plenty of action as part of this set-up. Having action to help with all the talking heavy scenes give a sense of progression to this Shadow Army.
Most importantly, the chemistry between the cast continues to shine in very engaging ways. The inclusion of Inque into the group helped to test that chemistry and shows how far this team’s chemistry has come. It all set-up what should be a fun adventure we don’t normally see from DC Comics.
Overall Rating: 8 Night Girls out of 10
IMPERIAL WAR: EXILES #1
CREATIVE TEAM
Writer: Steve Foxe and Jonathan Hickman
Artist: Francesco Manna and Davide Tinto
Colorist: Erick Arciniega
Letterer: Clayton Cowles
Imperial War: Exiles is a one-shot that is not 100% tied to the current Marvel cosmic event. While the impact of Imperial is certainly felt, this was 100% about examining the state of the Shi’ar Empire. Specifically, how all the choices Xandra has made led to the Imperial Guard rebelling against their Empress.
The rebellion of the Imperial Guard provided a much-needed chance for Xandra to connect with her parents. It is a reset that Charles Xavier, Lilandra, and Xandra needed. Their reunion set the stage of the new Exiles team to possibly fill the hole left by the Guardians of the Galaxy.
Overall Rating: 7 Night Girls out of 10
TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES #11
CREATIVE TEAM
Writer: Jason Aaron
Artist: Juan Ferreyra
Letterer: Shawn Lee
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #11 is a phenomenal penultimate chapter to Jason Aaron and Juan Ferreyra’s run on this series. There is so many great payoff moments throughout this issue that increase the investment in this new direction for the franchise. April O’Neil and Karai’s presence in this issue in particular elevate what has happened with each action they take. I can’t wait to see how Aaron and Ferreyra plan to wrap up this story and set-up the future for the franchise. Click here to read the full review.
Overall Rating: 9.5 Night Girls out of 10
UNCANNY X-MEN #20
CREATIVE TEAM
Writer: Gail Simone
Artist: Luciano Vecchio
Colorist: Matthew Wilson
Letterer: Clayton Cowles
Uncanny X-Men #20 does a great job at shinning a light at how the franchise is at its best when it balances iconic and new characters. The X-Men are very much about the legacy they are creating with how the older generation teaches a new generation of mutants to use their powers. We get that sense of growth with this issue.
In the process of highlighting this series having the X-Men teaching a new generation of mutants we get more into the chemistry with the cast. We get a specific spotlight on Wolverine teaming up with Ransom. The team-up highlights Wolverine’s continued growth as a teacher with how he backs up Ransom in their team-up mission. It is a mission that drives greater investment in the new generation of mutants we are following in Uncanny X-Men
Overall Rating: 8.5 Night Girls out of 10
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