DC Comics reviews for the week of 5/2/18

DC Nation #0

If DC Nation is any indication, the next few months are going to be a lot of fun for DC fans. Essentially a three story anthology, this is a primer for all the amazing and fun stories to come.

The first finds Joker awaiting his invitation to Batman and Catwoman’s wedding. Tom King’s story is so well done capturing every unnerving aspect of The Joker and that sense he’s going to snap at any moment. It’s enough to forgive the confusion of how Joker found out Bruce Wayne and Selina Kyle are getting married in the first place. King always does a great job of making Joker and The Riddler simply telling jokes and riddles come across like an ominous threat. There’s some great gags here and considering the source, it’s even more nerve rattling.

Clay Mann draws a dangerous looking Joker particularly when he smiles. For a one room setting, Mann never runs out of creative ways to stage the story and build the tension.

Brian Michael Bendis continues his slow burn revealing his vision for the Superman titles. This story focused more on the operations of the Daily Planet. Bendis established a surprising shift in status quo with just a few interesting changes. I’m encouraged that Bendis seems to have a good feel for Perry White, Jimmy Olsen and Clark Kent. This story was a terrific blend of classic Superman tales with a dash of modern storytelling. If this is an indication of his run, Bendis taking over Superman could be a lot of fun.

The third story is a teaser of No Justice with writers Scott Snyder, James Tynion IV and Joshua Williamson sending four teams of heroes and villains to deal with a galactic threat. Marvel might have the movie theaters on lock with Infinity War, but No Justice feels like an epic comic crossover in one title. The characters in play are a fun mix of powers and personalities and Jorge Jimenez’s art is astonishing. His pencils fully capture the majesty, grace and power of a wide array of characters.

DC Nation #0 is all about getting readers hyped for the third year of DC Rebirth. After reading it, it’s hard to imagine not being stoked for what’s to come in the core DC titles.

Rating: 10 out of 10