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Batman/Superman #2
Writer: Greg Pak
Artists: Jae Lee and June Chung
Cover Artists: Jae Lee and June Chung
Publisher: DC

Two of the world’s greatest heroes are at the mercy of a trickster god, though whether or not he means to kill Batman and Superman is still in question. In the last issue, Batman and Superman met for the very first time and things did not go well. There was fighting, chaos, in other words, a lot of good stuff. This issue has our heroes transported to another dimension, Earth-2, where they come face to face with their alternate reality selves. A world where Bruce is married to Catwoman and Clark is married to Lois. Greg Pak does a remarkable job writing this issue. The story is excellent, but what shines the most is the dialog. From Catwoman, to Ma and Pa Kent, to Lois Lane and Wonder Woman, he writes these characters with such distinction and personality that it’s almost like you’ve known them for years. Jae Lee’s art, which didn’t particularly grab me in the first issue, was spectacular in this issue. His graphic style creates such vibrant panels. During the fight scenes his characters almost leap right off the page, and when the characters are just standing and talking, their faces just pour off emotions. A lot of this also has to do with June Chung’s colors. She does an amazing job setting the tone of the book through her pallet. The way Lee’s and Chung’s art collides is a visual masterpiece. 4.5/5

The Flash #22
Writers: Brian Buccellato and Francis Manapul
Artists: Francis Manapul and Brian Buccellato
Cover Artists: Francis Manapul and Brian Buccellato
Publisher: DC

What makes a comic book hero great isn’t necessarily the hero, but rather the villains. In the DC Universe, after Batman the Flash has some of the best villains. One by one, Francis Manapul and Brian Buccellato have been making their way through Flash’s rogues bringing us to, arguably, his most dangerous foe, The Reverse Flash. The Reverse Flash’s history has always intertwined with Barry’s, mostly because the Reverse Flash lives to torment Barry. It will be interesting to see Manapul and Buccellato’s take on this powerful enemy, especially because we haven’t seen him since Flashpoint. Amidst all that, we’ve got Patty and Iris hanging out, which is great if you enjoy awkward moments. Patty and Barry have a strong, reliable relationship, but I can’t help but root for Iris. Their relationship is historic, and their chemistry in this book is excellent. As consistent as their story has been for almost two years now, Manapul and Buccellato on art duties have been absolutely brilliant. These two are hands down one of the best duos in comics today. Manapul is a master with the brush and pen. He’s created a world that is almost constantly in motion, and Buccellato works wonders with his colors. As fast paced as this series is, you’re never lost as a reader, and that has a lot to do with how well Buccellato distinctly distinguishes everything while keeping Barry at the center of your attention. 4.5/5

Red Hood Outlaws #22
Writer: James Tynion IV
Artists: Julius Gopez, Ray McCarthy and Nei Ruffino
Cover Artists: Guillem March
Publisher: DC

There’s something a little off about this current arc. By no means is it bad, it still provides an interesting story and the art is better than it has been, however the characters just seem slightly out of their element. There’s Jason who has no memories, but is supposed to lead the world’s most dangerous assassins; Roy is off working with god-like beings making powerful weapons; and Kori is wrestling with a spirit-girl. It just seems a little like the story was written, and as an afterthought Jason, Roy, and Kori were incorporated in. What made this series so great in the beginning was the way this team worked together, and this issue, unfortunately, has them all working separately towards different goals. Julius Gopez does a strong job with the art in this issue, which is great because the art on this book has been struggling for a couple of months now. I tend to let cover art slide in most cases, however the cover on this issue was shockingly bad. You can clearly see that there must have been some form of time constraint, because while Essence on the right looks amazing, Kori on the left looks mutated and anorexic (she has two knees on her right leg!). Hopefully James Tynion can wrap this story up soon and move on to something new. 3/5

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Arnab Pradhan
arnab@comicattack.net