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dc comic reviews 10-3-23 batman #138
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DC Comics reviews 10/3/23 – Batman #138, Shazam #4

Jeffrey Lyles , , , ,
Fire and Ice: Welcome to Smallville #2

My affection for Fire and Ice irrationally led me to trying out the second installment of this title. That mistake won’t be repeated. Fire and Ice: Welcome to Smallville’s second issue might be the worst comic I’ve checked out this year. It’s just inept on all levels. The forced humor is lame, the artwork doesn’t make sense and there’s just no enjoyment to be had at all.

Writer Joanne Starer does not seem to have a grasp at all on the characters making Fire and Ice caricatures. And maybe that wouldn’t be so bad if the dialogue wasn’t so consistently bad. Some examples:

Whatever. All I’m saying is you’re doing bum fights but you need real housewives.

Are you asking me what the white women are up to?

“Maxie Zeus. Abilities: A white man who thinks he’s a god. Standard fare.”

I mean. I have better hair! Does Batman even have hair!?!

Figures, right? Men only have to be mediocre to make it. My brother, he’s the most famous ape in the world. For what? Everyone in Gorilla City can do what he does. Everyone! But can you name a single female gorilla?!

Fire is written criminally terrible, concerned only about her views and social media presence. In the Justice League International era, Beatriz was savvy enough to capitalize on popular trends, but writers Keith Giffen and J.M. DeMatteis understood how to write her in a likable manner. Here, she’s just obsessed with people checking out her socials.

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Natacha Bustos’ art generally steers towards making the characters look like a Fox cartoon. That’s a style choice, but the less forgivable aspect is the weird perspectives. Fire chats with a bartender who is using either an elevated wheelchair or an incredibly short bar. This then makes Fire grabbing a seemingly standard size bar stool even more confusing.

This book is intended for readers who don’t want to take anything serious. And that’s not a problem, but after The Human Target and Welcome to Smallville, I’m ready for a creative team to do right by these JLI icons.

Rating: 2 out of 10

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