Batman Beyond: Neo-Gothic #3 cover, via DC Comics.
Batman Beyond: Neo-Gothic #3 — Collin Kelly/Jackson Lanzing, Writers; Max Dunbar, Artist; Sebastian Cheng, Colorist
Ray — 8.5/10
Ray: This mini definitely feels like a step up from the first Batman Beyond story that Lanzing and Kelly told, adding a hefty dose of gothic horror to the futuristic Gotham. This issue, Terry and his sidekick Kyle the Catboy descend into the labyrinth of the Court of Owls, which is creepy as always. But this isn’t the original Court — they’ve been twisted into something even less human, overseen by a monstrous Batman who is looking to take them to the surface. This is the horror that Bruce locked up decades ago, as seen in a Brave and the Bold one-off story from last month. This is a fun, creepy, and action-packed tale that also gives us some major new insight into the character of Kyle. What is this mysterious mutant’s agenda — and how does it tie in to one of the DCU’s most famous magic-user? The ending promises that things are going to get darker before we find the light.
Static: Shadows of Dakota #6 cover, via DC Comics.
Static: Shadows of Dakota #6 — Nikolas Draper-Ivey/Vita Ayala, Writers; Nikolas Draper-Ivey, Artist
Ray — 8.5/10
Ray: The penultimate issue of this Wildstorm series dials it back to focus on the two main characters, Static and Ebon — but that doesn’t mean it’s a laid-back issue. Anything but, as the two go head-to-head in Ebon’s shadow realm. The villain has sought out Static, looking to draft him into the hunt for Ebon’s brother — taken by the same ruthless vigilantes who kidnapped and killed Static’s friend Quincy. While this is a noble motive, Ebon makes very clear that he has no problem killing anyone who gets in his way, and Static won’t tolerate that. We’ve seen this battle before between heroes and antiheroes, but this one feels personal and doesn’t demonize either side. We understand Ebon’s raging pain, but Static clearly makes the better case for why vengeance for vengeance’s sake won’t fix things. The art by Draper-Ivey is just as strong as his writing, a dark and ominous battle for two heroes souls in a surreal landscape.
WildCATS #11 cover, via DC Comics.
WildCATS #11 — Matthew Rosenberg, Writer; Stephen Segovia, Tom Derenick, Artists; Elmer Santos, Colorist
Ray — 7/10
Ray: It’s the penultimate issue of this series as well, and the factions are still milling around trying to figure out their next move. The main thing to realize about this comic is that few of the characters even tolerate each other — most of them have long-time grudges and are just looking for an opportunity to jump ship and turn on each other, as Grifter and Jacob Marlowe make perfectly clear. But with killer robots on the horizon, it’s time to let bygones be bygones. The plot is… a lot, as we build to a battle of factions that includes a guest appearance by the trio of Black Canary, Roy Harper, and Batman, but there are a few interesting bits including a surprising role for Caitlin Fairchild. I’m hoping that this VERY ’90s comic is setup for something else featuring these characters, particularly if it involves the return of the other Gen 13 characters. We’ll see how it wraps up next month.
To find reviews of all the DC issues, visit DC This Week.
GeekDad received this comic for review purposes.
