The Batman's Grave Review (Warren Ellis, Bryan Hitch)

Gotham’s latest nutter is a Power Rangers-cosplayer calling himself Scorn and he’s got an army because he’s a Batman villain. Which means Batman gotta punch ‘im. For twelve bloody issues!

Killing For Company: The Case of Dennis Nilsen by Brian Masters Review

Dennis “Des” Nilsen murdered 15 men between 1978 and 1983, and was eventually arrested when the drains in his London flat were found to be clogged with human remains - he had been butchering his victims in the bathtub and flushing pieces down his toilet! Because of the recent hit TV show, Des, starring David Tennant as Nilsen, Brian Masters’ 1985 true crime book, Killing For Company, where he interviewed the serial killer in person, has been reissued - and it’s a pretty decent read for the most part.

Best and Worst Books of 2020

Any year where the government literally confirms the existence of UFOs and it barely registers in the collective consciousness tells you just how harrowing the rest of the news must be like. And now monoliths are randomly appearing across the globe…?!

The Stranger Times by CK McDonnell Review

The Fortean Times and the National Enquirer are real newspapers in the same way that Dr Pepper is a real doctor. But while The Stranger Times may appear to be another such questionably-sourced publication, the news it reports - on subjects like vampires, werewolves, etc. - are all true. Hannah Willis becomes the latest in a string of Assistant Editors of The Stranger Times who figures this out shortly after starting - just in time to cover a dark magician’s infernal goings-on in the Manchester underworld that might make her the last hire of the paper… evarrr!

The Batman Who Laughs Review (Scott Snyder, Jock)

Eight issues of nonsense and I still couldn’t tell you what The Batman Who Laughs was about! Far as I can tell, it’s just an excuse to trot out the derivative Judge Death-ish Batman Who Laughs villain from Dark Nights: Metal for another barney, just ‘cos. He’s brought with him the Grim Knight (aka Punisher Batman) from the Dark Multiverse and together they want to, I guess, take over Gotham or something mindlessly generic.

COVID Chronicles Review (Ethan Sacks, Dalibor Talajic)

COVID Chronicles collects the short comics Ethan Sacks and Dalibor Talajic produced for the NBC News website earlier this year, coloured for this print edition by Lee Loughridge. Everything here is nonfiction and covers stories from the multiple frontlines of the 2020 pandemic.

Zom 100: Bucket List of the Dead, Volume 1 Review (Haro Aso, Kotaro Takata)

21 year old Akira gets his dream job at a production office - only to find that his company is one of Tokyo’s notorious black corporations. Black corporations make you work way, way beyond your contracted hours, insisting you pull all-nighters and rack up thousands of hours of unpaid overtime. But it’s his dream job - he’s gotta stick it out!

Batman: Black and White #1 Review (Paul Dini, Emma Rios)

Batman: Black and White, DC’s award-winning Batman anthology title, returns for a new run since its last seven years ago. And this first issue is… meh, kinda crap!

Invisible Kingdom, Volume 1: Walking the Path Review (G. Willow Wilson, Christian Ward)

Lux (Amazon) and the Invisible Kingdom (the Catholic church) are both corrupt. A none (aka a nun - see how gosh durned imaginative G. Willow Wilson is?!) and a spaceship captained by a lesbian Han Solo are gonna tell everyone about how evil they is - that’ll show ‘em!

Everything, Volume 1 Review (Christopher Cantwell, INJ Culbard)

A new big box store called Everything opens in the small town of Holland, Michigan - and it contains everything anyone could possibly want! But strange things have started happening since the grand opening like sudden deaths, mysterious illnesses, and odd music filling the air. What does the new store have to do with them - and what’s their real business…?

The Seeds Review (Ann Nocenti, David Aja)

(Some minor spoilsies ahead)

It’s the end of the world and grey aliens are secretly among us collecting seeds of our doomed species or something dumb like that. A journalist unearths a human/alien romance and ponders whether to tell everyone because THAT’S what people apparently care about when facing oblivion, huh?? Doesn’t make sense - sounds like complete nonsense? Yeah it’s an Ann Nocenti-scripted comic alright!

Batman/Catwoman #1 Review (Tom King, Clay Mann)

An old flame of Bruce’s asks for his help in finding her runaway son - but will the Bat and the Cat find the kid before the shadows of Gotham claim him? Also, in the future, old lady Selina, recently widowed, visits an elderly man - but why and who is he?

Sara Review (Garth Ennis, Steve Epting)

1942, the Eastern Front and the wolf is in the door and advancing further into the Motherland. Sara is the best sniper in a team of female Russian snipers doing what they can to push the Nazis back - and it turns out she’s so effective that the Nazis have dispatched their best marksmen to take her out specially. Who will win the duel - Russian or German snipers?

Sentient Review (Jeff Lemire, Gabriel Walta)

In da future, humans leave Earth to go lives on a space colony - woah, thas original maaan! On the space ship, bad people kills all the adults - but not the childrens! Now it’s up to the babies and the space ship compooter to make it to the colony. But more bad people is coming - wuh oh! Time to get astoopid, it’s a steaming pile of sci-fi pap slopped together by Chef Lemire!

Plunge Review (Joe Hill, Stuart Immonen)

40 years ago the Derleth went missing off the coast of Alaska with all hands. Except now, suddenly, a signal from the lost ship begins transmitting again! A mysterious businessman charters a shipping crew for a salvage mission to the wreck in the middle of nowhere. Could the crew still be alive - and, if not, what onboard is broadcasting the signal…?

Please Don't Step on My JNCO Jeans by Noah Van Sciver Review

Noah Van Sciver’s latest book, Please Don’t Step on My JNCO Jeans, is a small, short paperback of colour and black and white strips, some of which appeared in his local Ohio paper, Columbus Alive! And, like a lot of Noah’s books, this one is a really fun read.

Legion of Super-Heroes, Volume 1: Millenium Review (Brian Michael Bendis, Ryan Sook)

Superboy joins the Legion of Super-Heroes in the 31st century to help them stop a baddie from using Aquaman’s trident to do something bad! Feeling r-worded? Then let’s talk about the Legion of Poopoo-heroes!

A Blink of the Screen by Terry Pratchett Review

A Blink of the Screen collects Terry Pratchett’s short fiction and is divided into non-Discworld short stories (the first 200 pages) and Discworld short stories (the remaining 100 pages). And most of it isn’t very good unfortunately!

Batman: Three Jokers Review (Geoff Johns, Jason Fabok)

A crime family wiped out, a comedian murdered during a live stream and a trio of corpses dressed to look like the Red Hood, splayed across the grounds of Ace Chemicals - all appear to have been killed by the Joker at the same time. But that’s impossible - how could the Joker have been in three places at once? Unless there are three Jokers: a Criminal, a Comedian, and a Clown. Three vigilantes - Batman, Batgirl and Red Hood - hunt down Joker(s) across three chapters in Three Jokers.

Inside Story by Martin Amis Review

I don’t know what makes Inside Story a “novel” because it reads like what I’m fairly sure it is: a memoir. Maybe because, at times, Martin Amis adopts novelistic devices like third person perspective or because he was covering himself in relating the numerous conversations from decades past and wasn’t sure if the words he was attributing were accurate - maybe even some of the details about the people were made up? But I’m gonna give Amis the benefit of the doubt and treat this as nonfiction with a nominally stylistic veneer of fiction, ie. belonging to the genre of Truman Capote’s Nonfiction Novel.

Young Justice, Volume 2: Lost in the Multiverse Review (Brian Michael Bendis, John Timms)

I have a love/hate relationship with Bendis. He’s written some undeniably brilliant comics over the years (and continues to - see his latest Jinxworld stuff) but some of his worst books suffer from word diarrhea, and nowhere is it more evident than in his superhero team books. His Avengers was basically them sitting around drinking coffee and “bantering” (ie. a meaningless blur of contemporary - now outdated - references and unfunny jokes). Same thing with his All-New X-Men, which was overloaded with characters from the beginning and only had more crammed in as the series went on, and his Guardians of the Galaxy - entire books full of characters standing around wittering on endlessly about nothing.

The Rings of Saturn by WG Sebald Review

We all have our reasons for reading the books we do. For me, I saw a video where the actress Gillian Jacobs talked about having read WG Sebald’s The Rings of Saturn and, because I’m madly in love with her, I decided there was no better reason than to pick it up! And I’d heard the author’s name for some time now and was curious to see what he was like.

King of King Court by Travis Dandro Review

Travis Dandro’s childhood memoir King of King Court is about his biological father, Dave, whose psychological problems lead him down a dark path of crime, addiction and hurting his family. It’s a compelling story that sees Dave’s behaviour get worse over time. When he can’t get his prescription painkillers he turns to heroin, then his relationships crumble, and his behaviour becomes more desperate to fund his habit - it’s a sad depiction of what drug abuse does to a person.

Resident Alien: Your Ride's Here #1 Review (Peter Hogan, Steve Parkhouse)

My latest review for Multiversity Comics went up today - it's the first issue of Resident Alien: Your Ride's Here: http://www.multiversitycomics.com/reviews/resident-alien-your-rides-here-1/

Birds of Prey Review (Brian Azzarello, Emanuela Lupacchino)

A Mexican drug cartel (pictured on the cover) is moving into Gotham - Birds of Prey decide to stop them for reasons! Riveting…

2000AD Prog 2207 Review

My latest review for Multiversity Comics went up today - it's the first part of Judge Dredd: Simply Normal: http://www.multiversitycomics.com/news-columns/multiver-city-one-2000-ad-prog-2207/

Hangsaman by Shirley Jackson Review

17 year old Natalie is becoming an adult. Before setting off to college, she attends a disastrous party and then finds herself increasingly isolated and fraught in her new surroundings. That is until she meets the mysterious Tony, another outcast at the school - but who is Tony really and what does she want with Natalie?

Reckless Review (Ed Brubaker, Sean Phillips)

Ethan Reckless: former undercover FBI operative once posing as a ‘60s radical is now banished from the agency and, in 1981 Los Angeles when we catch up with him, he’s a surfer dude who owns a dilapidated movie house downtown. He’s also a secret gun-for-hire. And then an old flame tracks him down with a mission to kill for a fortune - but who’s playing who and what’s Ethan getting himself into?

Wonder Woman: Dead Earth by Daniel Warren Johnson Review

SPOILERS

In the wake of nuclear annihilation, Wonder Woman wakes up from a centuries-long sleep in a contrivance pod, I mean a sleep pod, to find the world has changed quite a bit while she’s been napping! Dangers are everywhere as she leads the surviving humans to her old home, Themyscira for... Reasons - but is Paradise Island the refuge she believes it to be?

We Will Be Watching by Ruth Ware Review

Lana and three of her fellow office workers embark on a team-building exercise in an escape room called The Masked Ball. But as they progress, the rooms become smaller and the dark becomes darker - and they realise that the clues are highly personalised, revealing shameful secrets about each of them. What is this escape room - and will they ever get out…?

2000AD Prog 2206 Review

My latest review for Multiversity Comics went up today - it's the one-shot Anderson, PSI Division: Early Warning: http://www.multiversitycomics.com/news-columns/multiver-city-one-2206/

Batman: Three Jokers #3 Review (Geoff Johns, Jason Fabok)

SPOILERS!

Three Jokers became two… becomes one. Batman, Batgirl and Red Hood race to the dilapidated Monarch Theatre for the final act in Jokers’ insane plan, involving Joe Chill - the man who killed Bruce Wayne’s parents. There can be only one Joker - but which one?

Ghostly Stories by Celia Fremlin Review

I’ve never heard of Celia Fremlin before but I’ve been enjoying the Faber Stories line and I’m a sucker for ghost stories so I gave Ghostly Stories a shot - and unfortunately it was turrible!

Black Widow: Widow's Sting Review (Ralph Macchio, Simon Buonfantino)

My latest review for Multiversity Comics went up today - it's the one-shot Black Widow: Widow's Sting: http://www.multiversitycomics.com/reviews/black-widow-widows-sting-1/

Remina by Junji Ito Review

Shortly after a wormhole is discovered in space, a killer planet (or a planet-sized alien) passes through it and starts bearing down on Earth - and of course it’s all a little girl’s fault! Ready for stoopid? Here’s another Junji Ito horror manga!

2000AD Prog 2205 Review

My latest review for Multiversity Comics went up today - it's the second and final part of Judge Dredd: They Shoot Talking Horses, Don't They?: http://www.multiversitycomics.com/news-columns/multiver-city-one-2205/

Notes on a Case of Melancholia, Or: A Little Death by Nicholas Gurewitch Review

A father seeks out a psychiatrist to unburden himself of his fears for his child - do they have what it takes to follow in his, and his family’s, footsteps? Also the father is DEATH!

Rorschach #1 Review (Tom King, Jorge Fornes)

A US Presidential election. An assassin: Rorschach. But Walter Kovacs is dead... isn’t he?

Operation Morthor: The Last Great Mystery of the Cold War by Ravi Somaiya Review

In 1961, the Congo was in crisis. Having regained independence from the hated Belgian occupiers, who caused decades of pain for the Congolese, the country was thrown into civil war as the mineral-rich region of Katanga attempted to secede - without the wealth of resources and income from Katanga, the Congo would not survive as a country. The battle-lines were drawn between the Western-backed Katangese rebels and the Congo forces, the latter of whom were appealing to the newly-formed United Nations to diffuse the situation. So the UN Secretary-General, Dag Hammarskjold, flew out to the region to help - and then his plane was shot down, killing himself and everyone else on board. Whodunit?

2000AD Prog 2204 Review

My latest review for Multiversity Comics went up today - it's the first part of Judge Dredd: They Shoot Talking Horses, Don't They?: http://www.multiversitycomics.com/news-columns/multiver-city-one-2204/

Judge Dredd Megazine 425 Review

My latest review for Multiversity Comics went up today - it's the second part of The Returners: http://www.multiversitycomics.com/news-columns/judge-dredd-megazine-425/

Punisher: Soviet Review (Garth Ennis, Jacen Burrows)

Someone’s taking out Russian mobsters in New York City - and for once it’s not the Punisher! So who’s doing it and why? Frank Castle’s on the case.

Avengers, Volume 1: The Final Host Review (Jason Aaron, David Marquez)

A million years ago primitive versions of the modern day Avengers fought Celestials. Now, the Avengers have to fight more Celestials again. Oh and Loki’s up to something. In an Avengers story? No! Yes, it really is that imaginative - hacks assemble!

Avengers books are almost always dismal and unfortunately Jason Aaron’s take on the series is no different. I love Jason Aaron but this is the worst book of his I’ve ever read - The Final Host is so utterly pathetic it makes me wonder how the same guy who wrote Scalped managed to write this. It couldn’t be any worse.

All that happens is that the Avengers go giant size and punch Celestials - it’s like seeing a kid playing with toys smashing them into one another. It’s so childish and silly. And what’s amazing is how much tedious overwriting Aaron is able to cram into this book considering how little is happening - it’s just dumb fighting.

Avengers, Volume 1: The Final Host is skull-numbingly boring - nothing worth seeing here!

Steeple Review (John Allison, Sarah Stern)

Billie Baker is the chirpy new curate in the small Cornish town of Tredregyn - but little does she realise she is stepping into THE hotbed of the fight between good, evil and sea monsters! While her colleague, the hawt older man Reverend Penrose, battles things that climb up the cliffs at night, Billie meets the local Church of Satan, a rapturous company trying to develop a local wind farm, and gets stuck in with a witch’s convention. But who is Billie - really?

The Joker 80th Anniversary 100-Page Super Spectacular Review (Scott Snyder, Jock)

What do you get a clown for his 80th anniversary? If you’re The Joker, a 100-page bumper special!

2000AD Prog 2203 Review

My latest review for Multiversity Comics went up today - it's the fourth and final part of Judge Dredd: Carry the Nine: http://www.multiversitycomics.com/news-columns/multiver-city-one-2203/

The Captain and the Glory by Dave Eggers Review

Dave Eggers reimagines Trump as a captain of a ship called Glory (America) in this boring satirical novella, The Captain and the Glory.

Doomsday Clock, Part 2 Review (Geoff Johns, Gary Frank)

SPOILERS! 

As Ozymandias tries to convince Doctor Manhattan to save their world, the DC Universe begins to implode too as a metahuman war between America and Russia breaks out - with Superman caught in the middle! All roads point towards these two - but what will happen when Superman meets Manhattan? The Doomsday Clock is mere moments away from midnight…

Batman: Three Jokers #2 (Geoff Johns, Jason Fabok)

Three Jokers becomes two in, er, Three Jokers #2! After the dramatic finale of the first issue, Red Hood is on a rampage, chasing down the remaining Jokers with Batman and Batgirl hot on his tail. Meanwhile, a judge is found beaten to death by a weapon covered in Joe Chill’s prints - the man who murdered Bruce Wayne’s parents. But Joe’s been in the Blackgate medical wing being treated for terminal cancer for months - what do the two remaining Jokers (or are there more…) have planned?

2000AD Prog 2202 Review

My latest review for Multiversity Comics went up today - it's the third part of Judge Dredd: Carry the Nine: http://www.multiversitycomics.com/news-columns/multiver-city-one-2202/