It’s another week of solid comics with a dud stuck in the middle. This week features another chapter in King’s Batman, the return of Azzarello and Risso’s Moonshine, and the end of the first arc of Redlands. There’s a few spoilers this week so go read your books and come back!

FOR REAL.

THERE ARE SPOILERS BELOW.

READ YOUR BOOKS AND COME BACK LATER.

 

Batman #41

Tom King and Mikel Janin

DC Comics

 

I don’t know what else I can say about this Batman run that I haven’t said a hundred times already. I’ve enjoyed King’s villain work the most throughout this run and this most recent issue is a perfect example of why he’s the best. This issues center is on Poison Ivy and like most of the other issues, it uses Batman’s relationships as a catalyst to attack him. The story starts out with Ivy invading the psyches of Catwoman and Batman while they lay in their shared bed. When Bruce finally realizes what is happening he makes a break for the Bat Cave where he can administer a syrium that will combat her powers and ultimately injects Selina to keep her safe as well. It’s later revealed that Ivy has managed to control everyone on the planet except for our two heroes, while she uses Alfred has her mouthpiece. Ivy explains that her endgame is to have every person of power in love with her so that’s she’s able to control them and their arsenals. Mikel Janin completely blew the art out of the water on this issue. Especially with his depiction of Poison Ivy on the fourth to last page. His chaotic pencil work fits this arc very well and really adds a depth to Ivy that I haven’t seen in a while. He makes her out to be more of a femme fatale rather than a flirty piece of arm candy. This is part 1 of Everyone Loves Ivy and I’m excited to see where King and Janin take this arc.

 

Moonshine #7

Brian Azzarello and Eduardo Risso

Image Comics

 

I’ve been waiting for this book to return for months and I’m so glad it’s back. This is my favorite creative team in all of comics and I’m finally able to follow an ongoing of theirs as its coming rather than discovering it months or years later. I don’t want to give too much away about this issue because I need a quick refresher since it’s been so long since a new one has come out, but we’re finally starting to get an explanation of the supernatural element to this book. Eduardo Risso’s art looks incredibly polished throughout this book but it still has the gritty, dark, and shadow ridden style that he’s known for. I could go on and on about this book but I think it’s best to let you figure it out for yourself. The trade for the first volume is out and the 2nd arc just started this week, so this would be a great jumping on point for anyone who is interested in crime, old monsters, and a unique setting during prohibition.

 

Punks Not Dead #1

David Barnett and Martin Simmonds

Black Crown

 

This book was not good. I couldn’t even finish it. I don’t know why this is a thing, but it’s the worst thing to ever happen to me.

 

Redlands #6

Jordie Bellaire and Vanessa Del Ray

Image Comics

 

This story started out slow and I was kind of struggling to stay interested, but this last issue has me hooked. I don’t normally go for supernatural or horror books but I was familiar with Jordie Bellaire’s work and thought it was interesting that she had moved to writing, so I picked it up. From what I gathered in the beginning, this wasn’t going to be much to write home about and was almost like a trashy romance novel you get at a supermarket. It started out that way but this recent issue was definitely the most intriguing and even Bellaire said co-creator Clayton Cowles said this was the angriest thing she’ll ever write. This is the ending of the first arc and it definitely leaves us wanting more but doesn’t leave us confused about what is going on. I recommend picking this up if you’re into the horror genre or even neo-noirs.

 

 

 That’s all for this week, come back next week for another installment of the Pull.

Next week:

Days of Hate
Redneck
Moon Knight