Batman: Curse of the White Knight #4 (2019)
pencil & ink by Sean Murphy
color by Matt Hollingsworth

It’s been a while, folks, but no worries! We have plenty of Gog for you – with a side of Boomerang and Spidey, to boot!  I think it was mighty nice of Spencer to hold this issue and wait to release it on my 25^th wedding anniversary.  My wife, I’m sure, shares my sentiments.  We’ve delayed getting this issue long enough – let’s break down the events of ASM #43!

Credit Where Credit Is Due

Story Title:  True Companions: Part 3

Writer: Nick Spencer

Penciler: Ryan Ottley

Inkers: Cliff Rathburn

Colorist: Nathan Fairbairn

Letterer: VC’s Joe Caramanga

Cover Artist:  Ryan Ottley and Nathan Fairbairn

Asst. Editor: Kathleen Wisneki

Editor: Nick Lowe

Published: May 27, 2020

Remedial ASM 101

Boomerang has been given Lifeline Tablet Sense and knows where pieces of the tablet lie hidden.  Spidey has joined in the search in a race against time to keep Kingpin from obtaining it.  But if you think this tablet is just for turning old gangsters into young children, think again!  Apparently, it is an intergalactic war MacGuffin and Gog is tasked to hiding the pieces on earth (since earth has been shown to handle itself so well with this stone in the past) and keeping one piece in particular safe.  Oh, and Gog is a sad and sympathetic monster that you should ohh and ahh over (on a similar level, but not quite as much as Baby Yoda).  And he’s going to kill Boomerang for stealing his piece.

The Story – Pay Attention, This Will Be on the Test

Picking up right where we left off, Baby Gog flies in a spaceship back to the Baxter Building, which must have its defense system down for maintenance, and hides his piece of the tablet.    Boomerang accidentally leads Gog (full strength, no cute little Baby Gog here!) to the surface where the monster proceeds to destroy public property.  Kingpin, being a responsible mayor, comes to the rescue of his citizens and has his police force proceed to shoot to kill the menace (after congratulating Spider-Man n a job well done).  Spidey leaps in to save Gog.  When Boomerang tries to help, Gog reverts to Clifford the Big Red Dog mode and fetches his boomerangs for him.  Spidey has Boomy throw a sleeperang into the back of a truck, where Gog goes, using the Pym Particles in his system to shrink back to Baby Gog (aww!) size.  Boomerang decides to take him home as a pet.

What Passed and Failed

PASS – Spider-Man and Boomerang Team – I love this.  The dialogue between them is always enjoyable and the situations that Spider-Man finds himself in with Boomerang is appropriately humorous.  What Spencer does so well with Boomerang is how he keeps him in character.  So, Boomerang is a “good” guy, but at heart he is still Boomerang.  While I like my Spider-Man solo, I would buy a Marvel Team-Up that featured only Spider-Man and Boomerang if Spencer wrote it.

FAIL – More Gog Background – Normally, I don’t think I would have minded too much about this quick continuation, but given the circumstances, I wasn’t too thrilled to see it picking up where we left off two months ago with the Spider-Man-less story.

PASS – This image of Kingpin in a normally Jonah-esque situation.

FAIL – The End? – Well, I believe this marks the end of the True Companions arc and it is now revealed that the companions are Boomerang and Baby Gog, but I was expecting this to end the Boomerang / Kingpin arc. I don’t feel that this story line is over yet, but here we are moving on.  I want some closure on this one before jumping into another story.  Am I wrong?  Anyone feel like this doesn’t have a satisfactory ending?

OOTI (Onomatopoeia of the Issue)

Spencer (or Ottley – whoever it is that adds the onomatopoeias) got quite chatty this issue!

On a scale of 1 (POW) to 10 (BLRKBQRKPQRBLNB), K-THOON! rates an 8. I’m a sucker for the addition of the exclamation point to drive an onomatopoeia home.

Analysis

Pym Particles – I am not an expert on Ant Man (though I cannot recommend the Irredeemable Antman enough!)  However, I am quite sure that the particles do not stay in one’s system long enough for Gog to be able to still make use of them.  I am aware that long term exposure to them starts to change the body so that the body naturally produces them, but doubtfully can we say that Gog was exposed that long.  Spider-Man should probably know more about Pym Particles – isn’t that how he got his job in the Daily Bugle science department?  Maybe I’m remembering wrong. Oh well, Gog has some sort of growing ability, so maybe the Pym Particles work differently on him and Spider-Man just got lucky. Anyone here an expert that can set me straight?

Kingpin – I’m reading Daredevil on Marvel Unlimited and am really enjoying all the depictions of Kingpin as he moves to try and legitimatize his business dealings.  The characterization of Kingpin there and here do not mesh, but that is because the tone of the two books are very different.  I do like how Daredevil’s issues show Kingpin trying to distance himself from crime and here we see that he is most likely trying to get the tablet in order to bring back Vanessa, who in the past has frowned on his criminal dealings at times.

Pet Gog – I like the idea of Boomerang now owning Gog as a pet.  I would like to think that we will see the problems with house training such a pet going on in the background , but I doubt we will.  In fact, I am going out on a limb and predicting that we will not see Gog again (maybe once) until after #850.  Who knows?  Maybe I’m wrong and Gog will play a big role in taking down Kindred.    What I really want to see is that Randy gets saddled with having to do all the chores dealing with Gog and getting bit every issue he appears in.

Extra Credit

I’m not very observant, so I can’t remember.  Has Ottley been drawing Spider-Man with McFarlane-esque spaghetti webbing this whole time?  It looked different to me this time.

Final Grade

This is purely a grade on how it hit me.  I love a good Spider-Man/Boomerang team up, but this issue just didn’t move me.  I can’t really put my finger on it, maybe too much Gog, maybe the lack of closure on the lifeline tablet, but I’m betting it has a lot to do with the lull in between issues, which is no fault of Spencer’s.

C

Your Turn

What grade do YOU give it?

But Wait!  There’s More!

Back up teaser – There is a large vault door.  Sin Eater (presumably) walks up to it, then away.  Whatever is inside the vault blows up.

I’m clueless here.  Who is behind the vault door?  How did Sin Eater blow up whatever it inside the vault while being outside the vault?  It appears that maybe Sin Eater now has some actual powers?

What’s Next?

• Kindred has big plans with the Sin-Eater, and none of it looks good for Spider-Man.

Amazing Spider-Man is going to explode this summer, and this is where we light the fuse.

Even though I am quite sure this is going to be a “Road to Kindred” issue, I am psyched!  I am ready!  If you haven’t already, check out my Kindred Revealed! Cobwebs article where I lay out all the clues presented so far (I’m not above a little self-plugging here and there).

I was specifically forbidden to use this image again by none other than BD himself, so this may be my last review, freinds!

Nick Lowe has asked people to let the Spider office know how they are doing by sending an email to spideyoffice@marvel.com and to make sure you mark it “OK to print”.  If you get published, make sure to draw our attention to it!

‘Nuff Said!

After six weeks I review the conclusion to the True Companions story line in Amazing Spider-Man #43. While surprised by the ending, I also noticed that Nick Spencer has been dropping settle clues on one of the cast members these past two years. I give the book an A-.

What a disguise!

Spider-Girl (Vol. 1) #65

Published: c. October, 2003?
Cover Date: December, 2003

“Grave Matters”
Writer: Tom DeFalco
Artist: Ron Frenz
Inker: Sal Buscema
Letterer: Virtual Calligraphy’s Rus Wooten
Colorist: Udon Studios

In what seems a little bit like the night of the long knives, DC Comics has decided that the issue of the Sandman Presents: Lucifer comic published in March before the shutdown, will be the series final ongoing issue. Instead, the unpublished #19 to #24 by Dan Watters and Sebastian Fiumara will now be published as an original graphic novel. Here's what DC has solicited previously for Lucifer, now being repurposed.

LUCIFER #19 (MR)
DC COMICS FEB200524
(W) Dan Watters (A) Sebastian Fiumara (CA) Tiffany Turrill
"The Wild Hunt" reaches its stunning conclusion as the Prince of Darkness travels to the necropolis known as Litharge (from The Sandman: Worlds End) to wage war against Odin's hunters.In Shops: Apr 15, 2020 SRP: $3.99

LUCIFER #20 (MR)
DC COMICS MAR200593
(W) Dan Watters (A) Sebastian Fiumara (CA) Tiffany Turrill
At last, the devil goes to hell. In Shops: May 20, 2020  SRP: $3.99

LUCIFER #21 (MR)
DC COMICS APR200627
(W) Dan Watters (A) Sebastian Fiumara (CA) Tiffany Turrill
Lucifer trespasses into the garden of Destiny of the Endless, but for what nefarious purpose? Nothing less than tearing a page from the Book of Destiny itself.In Shops: Jun 17, 2020 SRP: $3.99

The date of any such original graphic novel has yet to be released or decided upon. This is how the series was launched:

Stripped of his youth, his beauty and his mind, the book—the third ongoing Lucifer series, this time from Dan Watters, Max Fiumara, Sebastian Fiumara and Dave McCaig and set firmly in Neil Gaiman's world of The Sandman—begins with Lucifer waking up, trapped in a small town with little to no memory of how he got there. He's an old, grizzled man with long flowing ginger hair and a beard. He's both blind and powerless, with a body giving way to age.

It's a far cry from the Lucifer that TV fans are used to seeing on the Fox-turned-Netflix series loosely based on the original comic, with Tom Ellis bringing the devil to life with roguish charm, reveling in his luxurious life running a club in Los Angeles after abandoning his post in Hell. Gone are the fancy suits, the beautiful palm-tree-studded settings and rock-and-roll vibe. In its place is a town full of sepia-toned despair, the saturation drained from all the color as if one spark could turn the entire place to ash. And there isn't a bar in sight!

What Watters and artists Max and Sebastian Fiumara have done with one of the most recognizable characters from pop culture is a true feat, as readers wouldn't actually know that this character is Lucifer at first glance—although he does speak about himself in the third person quite a lot, giving readers a clue to his real identity. But watching him get coddled by a woman telling him to eat his oatmeal before it gets cold, and then seeing him get tortured in a crowd full of recognizable real-world villains like Hitler and Jack the Ripper, is like a shock to the system.

The swagger of the devil is gone, giving way to a ranting, decaying shell of a man. He's just so…human now. There's a desperation and sadness to the formerly omnipotent and terrifying being. How could this have happened?!

According to Watters' previous teases about the series, this all happened as a result of Lucifer trying to find the mother of his son. The how, when and why of it all will be explained as the series moves forward, but it's clear that things did not go the way Lucifer planned. He's about to suffer all the indignities of aging and humanity that he's never had to deal with before, and it's not going to be pretty. Watching him feel pain for the first time was only a small taste of how Lucifer's worldview is about to be rocked as he tries to escape the town from which no one can ever leave.

Bringing a fresh new perspective to a character so old and iconic that he's literally biblical is impressive enough on its own. But Lucifer #1 goes above and beyond showing the devil in a new light. It's created an entirely new reality and mystery surrounding one of the most open-book characters in history. Readers will be hooked by the first few pages alone to see what else Watters has been able to achieve with the notorious character.

And while there isn't much information to go off of so far about how Lucifer ended up in that town, what's even more of a mystery is how a detective from the LAPD ties into his story. Readers meet John Decker early in Lucifer #1, and his circumstances aren't much better than the devil's. His wife Penny is dying from an inoperable brain tumor, and he just wants to bring her home to pass in comfort.

But after a gruesome accident and an ominous dream, Decker is sent on a path that will lead him to eventually cross paths with Lucifer. Again, the how, when and why of it all has yet to be revealed, but something is clearly drawing him closer and closer to Lucifer's plight. What does the Gately House have to do with the devil? And what role does Lucifer's son, Caliban, have to play in his fate?

The post Lucifer Cancelled, Final Story Released as a DC Graphic Novel appeared first on Bleeding Cool News And Rumors.

More cancellations to come. DC Comics has told retailers that they have decided to no longer publish the Sandman Presents series, House of Whispers, by Nalo Hopkinson and Dominike "Domo" Stanton in print. The most recent issue #20, that was published on May 27th, will be its last – though this wasn't mentioned in the printed issue itself. The final two solicited issues #21 and #22 will instead be released digitally on June 2nd and July 7th, respectively, followed by a collection of the series' final arc. They had previously cancelled the series but stated that the final issues would be published in print. Things have changed. Here are the solicits for those final, now digital-only, issues.

HOUSE OF WHISPERS #21 (MR)
DC COMICS
MAR200590
(W) Nalo Hopkinson (A) Dominike "Domo" Stanton (CA) Marcio Takara
Trapped in Guinée, the Land of the Dead, Papa Midnite and Erzulie must join forces to return to their own realms…unfortunately, their mutual foe the trickster god Ananse is in the way, and he's eager for a rematch!In Shops: May 13, 2020
SRP: $3.99

HOUSE OF WHISPERS #22 (MR)
DC COMICS
APR200624
(W) Nalo Hopkinson (A) Dominike "Domo" Stanton (CA) Marcio Takara
The time has come for both Erzulie and Poquita to take back the power of their twinned Houses… but Anansi will stop at nothing to keep his treasures! The sweeping epic of Erzulie's war with the trickster god comes to an explosive conclusion!In Shops: Jun 10, 2020
SRP: $3.99

House Of Whispers, part of the Sandman Universe, welcomed readers to the House of Dahomey, the houseboat of Erzulie Fréda, where the souls of Voodoo followers go when they sleep to beseech the flirtatious and tragic goddess to grant them their hearts' desires and counsel them on their futures and fortunes. When you arrive, you'll find a party is in full swing, filled with all kinds of fabulous and fierce folk, while fish fry and music blasts. From her bayou, Erzulie scries upon the mortal realm and sees four human girls open a mysterious and magical journal filled with whispers and rumors that, if they spread, could cause a pandemic unlike any the Earth has seen, with the power to release Sopona, the loa lord of infectious disease and cousin to Erzulie, who is currently banned from the human plane. But even the fearsome Erzulie cannot be of assistance when her dream river turns tumultuous, tossing her house from her realm and into another…

The post DC Comics To Publish House Of Whispers Final Issues Digital-Only appeared first on Bleeding Cool News And Rumors.

There's a brace of DC Comics cancellations coming down the pipe, with a number of 100-Page Giants that would normally have debated in Walmart, now cancelled altogether, as well as Dollar and Facsimile reprints. DC also cancels the planned series Manhunters: The Secret History by Marc Andreyko and Renato Guedes, which was originally solicited for May, thus;

After the revelation of Leviathan's true identity in the pages of Event Leviathan, Kate Spencer-an earlier Manhunter-must go on a quest to uncover just how deep Leviathan's plans go. What Kate didn't expect is a conspiracy that goes back to the very beginnings of DC history! Unearthing the past to save the future, this is Manhunters: The Secret History! Eisner Award-winning writer Marc Andreyko returns to his classic crime-fighter in this hard-hitting miniseries that will reverberate across the DC Universe!

DC is really pulling the plaster, announcing so many cancellations at once. DC cancels a surprising number of Walmart Giant titles. The Wonder Woman 84 I would have guessed, because of the movie delay. But cancellations of Titans, Swamp Thing and Flash? Deep cuts it seems. The Batman and Superman titles are still continuing though,

Cancelled Giant Comics:

• Titans Giant #2
• Flash Giant #5
• Swamp Thing Giant #5
• Teen Titans Go!/DC Super Hero Girls Giant #1
• Wonder Woman 84 Giant #1

Cancelled Facsimile Edition:

• Green Lantern #76 Facsimile Edition
• Man-Bat #1 Facsimile Edition
• Batman #321 Facsimile Edition
• Flash #135 Facsimile Edition

Cancelled Dollar Comics:

• Dollar Comics: Batman #13 (2013)
• Dollar Comics: Batman #450
• Dollar Comics: Batman #663
• Dollar Comics: Catwoman #1 (2002)
• Dollar Comics: Catwoman #1 (2011)
• Dollar Comics: Checkmate #1 (2006)
• Dollar Comics: Detective Comics #826
• Dollar Comics: Green Lantern #1 (2011)
• Dollar Comics: Dark Nights: Metal #1
• Dollar Comics: Green Lantern #29 (2008)
• Dollar Comics: Manhunter #1 (2004)
• Dollar Comics: Stars and S.T.R.I.P.E. #1
• Dollar Comics: Wonder Woman #212
• Dollar Comics: Wonder Woman #14 (2005)
• Dollar Comics: Wonder Woman #206 (1987)
• DC Classics: Justice League #50
• Dollar Comics: Saga of the Swamp Thing #21
• Dollar Comics: Legion of Super-Heroes #1 (1989)

Any more for any more cancels?

The post DC Comics Cancels Manhunters Secret History, Walmart Giants, Reprints appeared first on Bleeding Cool News And Rumors.