Zatanna Really Brings Down The House and Ninjak Battles Roku - June 26, Comic Reviews

This week’s comic book reviews. While I try to read everything, I can’t review everything. So, if you’re a publisher who wants me to check out their upcoming releases, email me at [email protected]!

DC Comics

Zatanna: Bring Down The House #1 - Mariko Tamaki, Javier Rodriguez, and Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou - Tamaki’s emotion-filled, smart writing combined with Rodriguez’s ambitious and wildly colorful art makes Zatanna: Bring Down The House one of the best new releases in some time. The first issue hooks readers from Page 1 while showcasing the magical hero like we’ve never seen her before in a mystery begging to be solved. MUST BUY OF THE WEEK 10/10

ABSOLUTE POWER GROUND ZERO #1 - Mark Waid, Joshua Williamson, Nicole Maines, Chip Zdarsky, Gleb Melnikob, Skylar Patridge, V. Ken Marion, Dan Mora, Patricio Delpeche and Steve Wands - Ground Zero is a great prelude to the dark events coming in Absolute Power. All three stories are worth checking out with Dreamer’s turn to the Suicide Squad continuing to be extremely captivating. The Queen Brainiac story gives the character much-needed depth and takes her relationship with Amanda Waller to a surprise place. 8/10

Marvel Comics

Thanos Annual #1 - Derek Landy, Salvador Larroca, Guru-eFX, and VC’s Cory Petit - This is a story I’ve long waited to see play out involving Thanos and the Death Note and the first chapter of the new Infinity Watch crossover does a solid job of setting up his battle against the living Infinity Stones. The issue is surprisingly funny. With that said, Salvador Larroca’s art drags things down - it all feels a tad clunky and expressionless. 6.5/10

Blood Hunt #4 - Jed Mackay, Pepe Larraz, Marte Gracia, and Cory Petit - The new issue of Blood Hunt really feels like a convergence of everything MacKay’s doing at Marvel right now. There’s some cool Moon Knight-related stuff here and a great back-and-forth between Doctor Strange, Clea, and Doctor Doom. Larraz and Gracia make the issue one of the best-looking books on the stands. 8.5/10

Mad Cave Studios

Gatchaman #1 - Cullen Bunn, Chris Batista, Carlos Lopez, and Buddy Beaudoin - I’m not at all familiar with the original Gatchaman anime, so I went into this book pretty blind and what I got was a fun, good-looking story bursting with color that quickly catches new readers up to speed. Bunn may be the most underrated writer working in comics so no surprise he does a stellar job in writing such a fine first issue. 7.5/10

Valiant Comics/Alien Books

- Ninjak vs Roku #1 - AJ Ampadu, Emiliano Correa, and Marina Leon - Ninjak has always been my favorite character from the Valiant Universe and this book shows him at his best. The story, as the title suggests, pits Ninjak and Roku, with the former lovers turned enemies forced to work together for a common goal. Ampadu’s storytelling is sharp and to the point, while Correa’s work here is an impressive showcase of their talents — as the action and tense moments have considerable weight to them. This book OOZES cool. This was a total surprise for me and I can’t wait to read issue two. 9/10