Action Comics #25 Review

Writer: Greg Pak
Artist: Aaron Kuder

I have been looking forward to the release of this issue for some time now, as with Greg Pak taking over writing duties I expect the series to sore back to the amazing quality it was when it started. Also the fact that it's a Zero Year tie-in has me even more excited.

Plot

After dealing with a group called the Supremacists, Superman heads to Gotham City to try and stop a storm.

Review

This was an astonishing issue and a brilliant start to Greg Pak's run on this series. Pak would do a great job of showing the young Superman, but what I loved most was that he had a slightly different tone compared to the Batman/Superman version that Pak has been writing, showing that it is the actions around him that affected his attitude in his younger years. I also loved how Pak managed to tie this in with the Zero Year story that's happening in Batman, as although there was a while I was thinking that this was a unnecessary tie-in, Pak would eventually manage to tie it in very nicely, making it feel slightly more connected the events of Zero Year.

The artwork on this issue would also be amazing, as although Aaron Kuder isn't the best artist to feature on this series, his art is still outstanding. The detail in Kuder's art would be very consistent, as although it wasn't spectacular, there weren't many imperfections. What I loved most about Kuder's artwork in this issue had to be the layouts, as although the ones from the preview pages are still the most exciting, the rest would also be very dynamic and unique The action in this issue would also be handled perfectly, and although you'd think that Superman beating baddies would be the most exciting part, it would turn out to be Superman's battle with the storm that would steal the show, and Kuder did an excellent job.

Not to far into this issue Superman would face a group called the Supremacists who have a plan that involves human sacrifice and fifth dimensional plasma gods. Now the group itself wasn't extremely interesting, but the fight between them and Superman was outstanding, being extremely exciting and entertaining. I also enjoyed how hard this fight was for Superman, as although it would prove to be relatively easy, he'd use more effort than he would've if it had taken place in the present day, with this showing just how far his strength has progressed over the years.

The main part of this issue however would see Superman try and stop a storm in Gotham City. Now you could easily say that this is a relatively coincidental way of making this story a tie-in to Zero Year, but the development itself would make the story not just a justifiable tie-in (even if unnecessary) but an exciting story in it's own right. I also loved the concept itself of Superman going up against the elements, and testing his abilities to the max. On top of that it would also be interesting to see just how naive this young Superman is, as it would make it much more interesting, and would show just how much he's progressed over the years.

This issue would also feature Lana Lang, in both the main story and the back-up story. Now I won't go into too much detail about Lana's appearance as to avoid spoilers, but I will say what I though of her appearance, as well as the possibility of her being a regular feature in the series. First off the interaction between Lana and Clark at the start of the issue would be very interesting, as although it wasn't anything spectacular it would give a building point for her appearance in the issue as a whole. I also like the idea of her becoming a regular feature in the series, even if it's only in small back-up stories, though if she does become a regular addition we'll need to see some interaction between her and Clark in the present.

Final Verdict

This was an outstanding start for Greg Pak who has once again proven just how well he knows the Superman character, producing an amazing story in the process. The issue would be exciting and suspenseful, also having a lot of depth. It would also be very dramatic and overall is the kind of Superman story that Action Comics deserves. Due to this I'd highly recommend this issue as it's a great opportunity for new fans and old to get into Superman.

Rating: 9/10

Batman/Superman #4 Review

Writer: Greg Pak
Artists: Jae Lee & Ben Oliver

This has become one of my favourite series from the New 52, as although it hasn't always been phenomenal, it has always been very entertaining, having some very interesting and exciting moments, and Greg Pak continues to show in this series how good a writer he really is.

Plot

There is conflict between the two Supermen and Batmen, and how they must decide what to do with the mysterious crystal.

Review

This was a fantastic issue, and an amazing conclusion to this opening story. Greg Pak did a wonderful job of tying the story off in this issue, as although there were minor problems I had, overall it was a very exciting and interesting issue. The pacing throughout the issue was also brilliant, as although there were some sequences that were a little too quickly paced, the overall issue flowed very smoothly. Pak also managed to add a lot of suspense and tension in this issue as well, with the entire atmosphere being amazing. I would however add that this is an issue that you need to pay attention to, as if you speed through it you may get slightly confused, and have to re-read certain parts, or even the entire issue again.

The artwork in this issue was also brilliant, as although I'm never going to become a huge fan of Jae Lee, his work on this series has been outstanding. Overall his artwork is simply beautiful, but the main problems I have is the lack of emotion throughout the characters, as well as the odd way he draws characters hair. I do however love his unique and dynamic layouts, and the amazing energy that he brings out of the story. Ben Oliver who did a few pages worth of art on the first issue would also help out once again drawing the latter pages of the issue. The detail and atmosphere was once again fantastic, with there being brilliant tone and emotion throughout, and I kind of wish he'd done the entire story.

This issue would see a difference of opinion between the Batman and Superman of the regular DC Universe, and the Batman and Superman of Earth-2 about what should happen with the crystal. I really enjoyed this, and although it would have been nice to see more action, given the fact the story has two of each character it needed something like this, adding a lot of drama and suspense. I also found the crystal itself to be a very interesting object, as although it seemed a rather simple concept, it had vast amount of development points, and Pak managed to show this brilliantly.

The Trickster would also have some involvement in this issue, as she would continue her fight with Wonder Woman, which Lois Lane and Catwoman watch, with Lois trying to help stop the Trickster. Now overall the Trickster has been a brilliant addition to this story, and I'm sure she'll have a even more interesting role somewhere down the line. I would of however have liked to have seen a bit more of her fight with Wonder Woman, as although I understand why Pak focused more on the Batmen/Supermen sequences, it would make this sequence feel too much like background noise. I did however enjoy the message that Trickster had for them near the end.

One of the things that the solicit for this issue promised was to reveal how Superman and Batman have no recollection of this adventure. Now I won't go into any details about this, but it was just as expected, and due to that rather disappointing. It did however add a lot of tone and atmosphere to the end of the story, and I liked that due to this Pak has managed to keep the story in continuity. I also loved how Pak would follow-up on the opening sequence of this story, developing on Bruce and Clark's encounter involving a bullied boy, making the story come full circle.

Final Verdict

This was a brilliant conclusion to the series opening story, and although it wasn't quite as impactful as I hoped it would be, it was still very exciting and entertaining, with some very interesting moments. The character interaction was also yet again wonderful, and I really hope that Pak gets round to building on this story later in the series. Due to all this I'd highly recommend this issue, and the entire first story, though if you're short on cash and haven't been getting the series so far I'd recommend leaving it till next issue.

Rating: 8/10

Batman/Superman #3.1 Doomsday Review

Writer: Greg Pak
Artist: Brett Booth

Besides maybe the Riddler Villains Month issue this was the one I was looking forward to the most as I have really been enjoying the series so far, and when I heard that Brett Booth would be working on a story arc following this issue I was even more excited about seeing his artwork on it.

Plot

The House of El remember Doomsday and the damage he caused.

Review

This was a very good issue, as although it didn't amaze me as much as I hoped it would, it was still a brilliant issue. Greg Pak has been a bit inconsistent during Villains Month, as although all the issues he's written have been good, they have all varied in overall quality. He did however do a great job of introducing Doomsday to the New 52, as although this wasn't quite the story that I hoped it would be, it was very exciting at times, leaving a lot of possibilities for the future. There was also a lot of drama in this issue, and Pak handled the character interactions perfectly as they were very interesting. The tone of the issue was also brilliant as it managed to be dark and mysterious whilst also being lighhearted at times.

The best part about this issue was easily the artwork, and Brett Booth produced some of his best artwork in this issue. With Booth being DC's go to guy for re-designs and tweaks I was looking forward to see his re-design of Doomsday and I wasn't disappointed. Booth has draws some extravagant characters in the past but the beautiful detail in this monster was something else, as he managed to get the look that everyone knows whilst adding in his own unique touch, and I think these changes made Doomsday look even more ferocious. The other characters were also drawn perfectly, and I especially loved how he drew Zod and Kara Zor-El as both showed brilliant emotion.

Now the thing that I was looking forward to the most in this issue was seeing Doomsday, and although what we get to see is amazing, the amount of time he appears in the issue is slightly disappointing. Pak did however do a great job of showing his legend, as although we didn't get a proper origin story for Doomsday, nor a full on attack from him we still get to see just how ferocious he is, and how much destruction he can cause.

Another villain made an appearance in this issue, as Zod, who Pak wrote an issue on earlier in this month would appear for a short time. Now this appearance doesn't initially have a lot of impact, but there is more than initially meets the eye. Now I won't go into any more detail as to avoid spoilers, but I personally really enjoyed the appearance of this villain, and although I would rather have loved to have seen much more of Doomsday himself, it was nice to see Zod, and given the fact that they'll both be in Superman/Wonder Woman it was to see them both in the same issue.

Zod would not be the only well known Superman character to make an appearance in this issue, as a young Kara Zor-El, who is better known as Supergirl would ask her father Zor-El about this monster. Now this was in my opinion the appearance that made up for the earlier disappointment, as Pak managed to add so much emotion into this sequence, whilst also adding some lightheartedness and even a small bit of humour. I also enjoyed the change in tone that this sequence would give the issue, as it allowed it to be more diverse, and unique.

Final Verdict

This was a fantastic issue and although not quite the Doomsday issue I was expecting it was still very enjoyable. The issue also had a lot of drama and excitement, with some of the best artwork that I have ever seen from Brett Booth. There was also plenty of emotion and even a bit of lightheartedness, and if there was more of Doomsday this could have easily have been a perfect issue. Due to all this I'd highly recommend this, especially if you're fans of Pak's work, but if you are Doomsday fans I'd recommend caution as you may be disappointed.

Rating: 8/10

Action Comics #23.2 Zod Review

Writer: Greg Pak
Artist: Ken Lashley

With both my favourite Superman villain in General Zod appearing in this story, as well as it being written by one of my favourite writers Greg Pak I was really looking forward to this. I was however also hoping that it was better than Pak's last villains month issue (Darkseid), which although interesting was slightly disappointing.

Plot

Growing up watching his family die at the hands of a monster life seemed hard for Zod, but after being found by Zor-El, and Jor-El he would have a new life in Krypton becoming it's millitary's general.

Review

This was a phenomenal issue, and is one of the best issues that Villains Month has produced so far, along with the Riddler issue. Greg Pak simply did a wonderful job, and more than made up for the slightly disappointing Darkseid issue. The tone, and style of this story was simply amazing, and Pak did a brilliant job at telling Zod's origin, changing it slightly whilst not completely butchering it. There was also plenty of drama in this issue, but the best thing had to be the excitement, as Pak managed to give us some  explosive action sequences, that also showed what type of character Zod is. I also loved how Pak paced this issue, as the transitions through time were much smoother than they were in Darkseid.

The art in this issue was very good, and although not spectacular, Ken Lashley overall did an amazing job. The detail to Lashley's art was overall very impressive, but there was the odd imperfection that let it down slightly. I did however enjoy his style, as although it's not my favourite style for a Superman story, it really helped with this one, as it worked perfectly with the younger Zod, as well as his older self. I also loved how Lashley handled all the creatures, or rather, "monsters," that were in this issue, as with a lot going on it'd be understandable for slightly less than perfection, but most of the time it was just that, adding a lot of excitement to the issue.

Zod was perfectly portrayed in this story, as although I was slightly sceptical about the changes to his origin, as I said it was very well handled, and the perfect characteristic made up for any small quibbles. I especially loved how this story showed a slightly different side to Zod at the very beginning, whilst ultimately showing him as the determined war general that he is, wanting to make Krypton as he envisions it, no matter what the cost. I was however in two minds about changing Zod's father to a scientist, as I liked the idea that every Zod was a warrior, whilst all El's were scientists.

Talking about the House of El, both Zor, and Jor-El would also feature in this story, being the people who found Zod. I liked the way that both characters were portrayed in this issue, as although I'm not full aware of the changes made to Zor-El since the start of the New 52 these younger versions were fairly close to the characters I know. I also loved seeing the connection that Zod would make with both these characters, as well as the differences between Zod, and them.

This issue would also show Zod's abilities as a general, as it would see the Kryptonian army face the Char in a very explosive fight. I also enjoyed seeing how Krypton saw Zod following this fight, and how it was in a much different light than he'd ultimately be seen in. I also loved that we also got to see Zod's lieutenants, Non, and Faora Hu-Ul, and how they interacted with Zod, having similar goals as him. I also feel that Zod is always much better with his lieutenants, and I especially enjoyed seeing Faora again following her appearance in Man of Steel.

Final Verdict

This was a truly amazing story, and one of the best that Villains Month has produced so far. Pak did a fantastic job of showing the characteristics of Zod, whilst also showing a slightly different side to him. The story itself was also filled with some brilliant drama, and amazing action, and I'd highly recommend this, and hope that Pak does just as good a job when he takes over Action Comics.

Rating: 10/10

Justice League #23.1 Darkseid Review

Writer: Greg Pak

Artists: Paulo Siqueira & Netho Diaz

Darkseid has been a character that has intrigued me over the last few years, so I was excited to hear that he would be part of the Villains Month like he should be. Also given the recent events of Batman/Superman, and the talk of him playing a role in that I had to see what was behind this.

Plot

Uxas, a mud grubber on his home planet despises the Old Gods, eventually making a plan to rid himself of them, becoming a god himself. Now he has to live the life of a god, killing anything he dislikes.

Review

This was a very good issue, but not quite as good as I was hoping for. Greg Pak did however do a fantastic job of re-telling Darkseid's origin, and the way that he has managed to work this in with the work he's been doing on Batman/Superman was very nice, and extremely interesting. I did however feel that it all happened a little too quickly, as due to wanting to be both an origin story, as well as a story that sets up Darkseid for the future it felt like too much in one issue, jumping about a bit too much like a stone getting skipped over water. Pak did however manage to make this a very impactful story, as although it was a little too much for one issue it was still very enjoyable.

I loved the art in this issue, and I felt that Paulo Siqueira, and Netho Diaz did a fantastic job. I haven't seen much work from either artists, only having seen Siqueira's art alongside other artists on certain issues, so I was pleasantly surprised with how good it was. The way both artists work meshed with each other was brilliant, as although I usually dislike more than one artist on an issue, it's not a problem when they work that well next to each other that you can't tell which is which. I also loved the layout, and the emotion on Darkseid throughout, and love how imposing he looked. I also need to credit colourist Hi-Fi, as although it's the pencils that make the art great, it needs great colour to make it phenomenal, which Hi-Fi did.

This issue would start with Darkseid as a normal person named Uxas working as a mud grubber in the world before our world. I found this to be an interesting addition to the issue, as although due to most of it being an origin it was expected, it was still nice to see, and executed perfectly. I just loved how we get to see some proper emotion from this character, and that he was relatively normal prior to becoming Darkseid, just disliking the ways the Old Gods work, and how they were always laughing.

Becoming Darkseid was however what I was most looking forward to with this issue, and it didn't disappoint. It would show how as Uxas he got that angry with one god that he killed it, eventually killing more until he became one himself, becoming Darkseid. Again Pak executed this perfectly, as although I complained earlier about how I disliked the way it jumped from place to place, he did manage to make the sequences exciting, and interesting, and the transformation was probably the best being very impactful. I also loved seeing him living as a god, and how he would kill anything that he disliked.

This issue would also play of Pak's recent Batman/Superman story, having the Trickster have an involvement in the issue, forever teasing Darkseid. I really enjoyed this as following the disappointing appearance of Darkseid in Batman/Superman #3 (it wasn't actually Darkseid) it was nice to see where the idea to tease an appearance of him came from. I also liked how Trickster's involvement allows the speculation that he may very well make another appearance soon, whether in Batman/Superman or Earth 2.

Final Verdict

This was a brilliant issue, but overall it wasn't quite as good as I hoped it would be, being too much for one issue. It did however re-tell Darkseid's origin nicely, and teased the possibility of him returning to the main pages of a DC series soon by tying this in slightly with the events of Pak's Batman/Superman series. Overall however I'd recommend this issue, as although I found it ever so slightly disappointing, you may love it, as it's very exciting, and entertaining.

Rating: 7/10

Batman/Superman #3 Review

Writer: Greg Pak
Artists: Jae Lee & Yildiray Cinar

This is quickly becoming one of my favourite series out the now, as although the last issue didn't quite live up to the brilliant opening issue it was still very interesting, having me very excited for this series. I am also very interested with this new character Trickster, and after seeing the cover for this issue am interested as to how Darkseid will be involved.

Plot

The Trickster reveals a dark secret and we see how the Clark and Bruce of Earth-2 met each other.

Review

This was an amazing issue, and although not quite better than the first issue of this series, it was better than the last issue, and Greg Pak continues to develop this story brilliantly. This issue had a lot of very exciting parts to it, as although still not quite as exciting as the first issue the developments in this one were really interesting, and have me extremely excited about the conclusion in issue 4. I also loved how Pak managed to add some lightheartedness to this issue with the younger Bruce and Clark from Earth-2 sequence, which was very interesting as well. There were however also a couple of things that I was slightly disappointed about, but overall this was a fantastic issue.

The art in this issue was overall very good with both Jae Lee and Yildiray Cinar both doing a terrific job. I've already stated in my previous reviews on this title that I'm not a huge fan of Lee's work, but I have to say that he has impressed me on this series. The layouts of his artwork were once again brilliant, and he even managed to show some emotion in the characters, even though it was overall still rather stiff. Cinar's artwork on the flashback sequences was also fantastic, as although a much different style to Lee's, it really suited the lighthearted nature of the sequence, showing the characters emotions perfectly, and although the layout in this sequence wasn't as good as Lee's it was still very dynamic and impactful.

The end of last issue would see Earth-2's Wonder Woman introduced into this storyline as she took down Trickster, using her Lasso of Truth to get answers out of her. I question whether Wonder Woman is a character that should be involved in this series, as although I loved seeing the interaction between her and the other characters in this issue I felt that overall it may have been slightly unnecessary. I also loved seeing how the younger Superman reacted to her and the fact that she called him "boy."

One of the things that I was slightly disappointed with in this issue was the lack of a proper Darkseid appearance, as after seeing the cover for this issue I was really looking forward to seeing him make an appearance, and the one we got was rather poor. It did however not take too much away from the issue, and at the same time also added more mystery and suspense. It also leaves some build up for the conclusion of this story, and I hope that Darkseid has a proper appearance in the conclusion.

The other part of this issue would show how the Clark and Bruce of Earth-2 met. I personally loved this sequence, and it was one of the best things about the issue. I loved the lightheartedness of the sequence, and how it's so different from the series so far. I also enjoyed seeing the relativity of this sequence, and the symbolism of it throughout this issue was brilliantly shown by Pak. I also loved seeing the attributes of these younger versions of Bruce and Clark, and how that even at their young ages they still showed the characteristics they'd have throughout their crime fighting career. I also enjoyed the interaction between the Earth-2 versions of Alfred and Jonathan Kent, as it added more depth to the sequence.

Final Verdict

Although the series hasn't matched the brilliance of the first issue in these last two issues it has however had some very interesting development points that have me very intrigued as to how this story will conclude. It also had some emotional and exciting points throughout, as well as some lightheartedness. Due to all this I'd highly recommend this issue and can't wait for the conclusion, though am more excited about the Doomsday Villains Month issue the now.

Rating: 9/10

Batman/Superman #2 Review

Writer: Greg Pak
Artist: Jae Lee

The first issue of this series was simply phenomenal and blew my mind. I had always expected great things due to Greg Pak working on it, but I never quite expected this, and I seriously hope that he can continue this as if so this will easily become my favourite comic out the now.

Plot

Batman and Superman have been taken to Earth-2 by a the Trickster where they meet their older counterparts.

Review

This was a fantastic issue, but wasn't as good as the last issue. Greg Pak did however do an amazing job of continuing his storyline in this issue, as although it overall was slower paced, it was still very interesting. It also had plenty of dram and emotion throughout, as due to the situation that all the characters have been put in it allowed for some very emotionally driven developments. Pak also did a great job of adding action to the issue, as although most of the issue was slow as to develop the story, there were still a few very exciting moments. The dialogue throughout the issue was also spectacular, and I really enjoyed how Pak handled the interactions between all the characters involved.

The art in this issue was also very good, and Jae Lee once again did a great job. Though I've never really been a fan of Lee's work over the years, due to his style not appealing to me, I have been enjoying it on this series, as although is till dislike how he draws the characters hair, the rest has been very dynamic, suiting the story perfectly. I also once again loved Lee's layouts, which are probably the best thing about his artwork, as they are so unique and dynamic, also adding plenty of depth to the issue. Lee did however once again not show that much emotion in his artwork, as although there were some parts that were better than usual, most of the time the characters look rather stiff and emotionless.

The last issue ended with the revelation of a new character who would be named as Kaiyo, the Trickster. Now I personally found this new Trickster to be rather interesting, and much different to the Trickster that we already know from the DC Universe. I also loved the mysterious nature to this character, as besides the mischievous nature of her, she had a lot that was yet unexplained which made things really interesting. I also love the other mystery as to why she wants these younger versions of Batman and Superman to meet parallel versions of themselves.

This issue would also as I said see both Batman and Superman meet their counterparts from Earth-2. The first out of these meetings would be between the two Supermen, as after the younger Superman starts beating up Earth-2's Batman, the Superman from Earth-2 would interject. The encounter itself was extremely interesting, and probably the better out of the two, as it had a lot of different tones to it which I loved, and the differences between these two Supermen were also very interesting, and the encounter as a whole was very entertaining.

The meeting between the two Batmen was almost as interesting, as although it didn't quite have the same varying tones, it had a very dark and mysterious tone as you would expect from two Batmen. I also loved how opposed to the differences in the Supermen how this would show the similarities that both these characters have, as not having really superpowers there's nothing for them to enhance, besides their pure skill. I also loved seeing Earth-2's version of Catwoman, as after seeing her briefly in Worlds' Finest it was nice to see her again, as well as Batman's reaction to this different version of his enemy.

Final Verdict

This was a brilliant issue, and although not quite as good as the opening issue was it was still very interesting with some very exciting moments. The issue also had a lot of emotion throughout, and the development though at a much slower pace in this issue has still been very interesting. I personally still however am not a huge fan of the artwork, as although I prefer Lee's art on this than anything else I've seen there are still things that I dislike about it. I would however highly recommend this issue as although slightly slow it was still amazing.

Rating: 8/10

Batman/Superman #1 Review

Writer: Greg Pak
Artist: Jae Lee & Ben Oliver

I've been looking forward to this series for a while now, as being a huge Batman, as well as a relatively big Superman fan I really wanted to see the first encounter of these two great character's in the New 52. Also with the brilliant Greg Pak taking the writing reigns I expect brilliant things.

Plot

As Wayne Enterprises employees start turning up murdered in Metropolis, Clark travels to Gotham City to ask Bruce Wayne's thoughts on the matter. This leads to Batman travelling to Metropolis to investigate, and the first meeting between Batman, and Superman.

Review

This was an outstanding issue, and one of the best opening issues I've read for a while, as although the first issues of Superman Unchained, and X-Men were good, this was something else. To be honest when I started reading this issue I wasn't sure if I was going to enjoy it, as it had a different start than I'm used to, but Greg Pak would soon show why he's such an amazing writer (having previously amazed me with his Hulk, and Hercules runs), by producing some amazing thought boxes, and dialogue. Besides this Pak does a phenomenal job of showing just how different Clark, and Bruce, and Superman, and Batman really are, which I loved. I also liked how you could easily tell that this was a much younger version of each character, as the way they think shows this, as both seem that little bit more naive that usual, seeing each other in a different light than usual as well. I do however question how this works with Justice League, as that series started with Batman, and Superman squaring of, and from their expressions, and actions then it looked like they didn't know one another, which is funny if this is actually their first meeting. I do however hope that Pak will address this, and I'm sure he will, and I'm also sure that he'll come up with a good reason.

Most of the art in this issue was drawn by Jae Lee, with Ben Oliver doing the final seven pages. Now I'm not the biggest fan of Jae Lee's art, as although it always looks nice, there's just certain parts of his style that doesn't appeal to me. The main thing I don't like about his art is the way he draws hair, as although he did Clark's hair brilliantly, he always seems to want to make people's hair as wavy as possible, and this to me makes it look very unrealistic. He also doesn't do a great job at showing the character's emotions, as although he adds the odd eye gesture, most of the time people's face's are very still, not showing much emotion, which is disappointing. There are however some positives about Lee's art, and the main one has to be his layouts. If you've read any comic with Lee's art in the past you'll have noticed that he has a unique style of laying out his work, and it's simply amazing, being extremely dynamic. The other thing that I always love about Lee's art is the colours that June Chung provides, which really make his art stand out, and also makes it much more vibrant. I am however a fan of the other artist on this book, Ben Oliver. His art on the likes of Batwing, and Action Comics #0 really appealed to me, and when I noticed that he'd have art featured in this issue I was very happy. It was very impactful, with lot's of detail, and the character emotions were brilliant, and to be honest I'd much rather he was doing the whole of the artwork on this.

This issue starts with Clark Kent travelling to Gotham City to talk to Bruce Wayne about the murders of Wayne Enterprise employees in Metropolis. Now although as I said earlier the initial start of this had me questioning if I'd like this series, but it quickly turned round, and became an interesting sequence. I loved how Pak understood both character's perfectly, whilst also making Bruce a little more rebellious, and the interaction between the two character's was golden. I also liked how we saw how being from Gotham allowed Bruce to understand the mentality of Gotham's citizens more, as when Clark tries to do something good, he's actually making the situation worse.

The villain in this issue turned out to be none other than Catwoman. Now I'm not sure if Catwoman's the best villain to start this series with, especially considering she was away from Gotham, but I have to say I loved seeing her as the villain once more, as although she's became a good heroine, she was always great as a villain. The fight between here and Batman in this issue was also brilliant, though I did feel that there could have been some interaction between the pair, as since becoming good they have some very entertaining conversations, whereas there was nothing during this fight, which was slightly disappointing. It didn't however take anything away from what was a phenomenal issue.

This issue would also see Batman, and Superman square off against each other, and to be honest it was always going to happen no matter who was writing it. I did however feel that Pak did a great job with this fight sequence, and it would have been hard to have done better. Although the fighting itself was entertaining, and exciting, with explosive artwork, it was however the though boxes from Pak that made this outstanding, as with both character's seeing the other as a killer, or murderer it showed how little they knew one another, and how naive they were in thinking this.

There was also a bit of mystery in this issue, especially near the end. Now I won't go into any details as to avoid spoilers, but some of the stuff shown during this was amazing, and really had me intrigued, and wanting to read more. I also loved other small additions, and they also left more questions to be answered, which is always nice (as long as they're delivered on though).

Final Verdict

This was a great opening issue, and probably one of the best I've seen for a while. Pak really understood both character's, whilst adding his own uniqueness to them, which I loved. The action, and mystery also added for another level of drama, and suspense, and I can't wait to read more. Due to all this I'd highly recommend this issue, as it's a phenomenal read, and I seriously hope the series continues in this fashion.

Rating: 5/5

World War Hulk

Writer: Greg Pak
Artist: John Romita Jr.

I have enjoyed reading Hulk stories over the last few years some brilliant some dreadful but during that time I've been a huge fan on the amazing work Greg Pak's has produced on the character. With that I thought it would be only fitting to review the two stories Pak created that will not only go down as some of the best work he's produced but also two of the best Hulk stories ever told. I am talking about Planet Hulk and World War Hulk, so since I've already reviewed Planet Hulk here is my review on World War Hulk.

Plot

This story sees Hulk along with his Warbound (Miek, Korg, Hiroim, Elloe and No-name of the Brood) are heading to Earth to get revenge on Mr. Fantastic, Iron Man, Doctor Strange and Black Bolt for sending him into space but mainly for destroying Sakaar the planet he came to call home, Caiera his wife and the child she was carrying.

Review

This was a brilliant story and a fitting way to follow Planet Hulk which was a great story. Pak has done an amazing job continuing Hulk's journey from Planet Hulk whilst making this story stand out on it's own. Whereas Planet Hulk was a story to see the transformation of a misunderstood monster into a peaceful King, World War Hulk shows how Hulk can transform back into the monster fuelled by anger, and hell-bent on getting revenge. I also like how Pak uses Hulk's anger toward Mr. Fantastic, Iron Man, Doctor Strange and Black Bolt to drive the story whilst making sure Hulk understands the difference between justice and revenge.

I was in two minds about the art throughout this story as I try to like John Romita Jr's art because on the right series like Kick-Ass his art is amazing. I do however think that his style of art doesn't suit a lot of characters and especially comics with multiple different type of characters. I have also thought that his art on Hulk usually isn't brilliant but this time I actually enjoyed his art on Hulk. With his Gladiator armour on him JRJR managed to make him look more the size he should whereas usually I feel he makes Hulk look to normal and small. I also thought his art during the big fight sequences was good and very detailed.

The thing I loved the most about this story was that we have Hulk's Warbound which was introduced in Planet Hulk coming to Earth where along with Hulk himself they will collide with not just previous Hulk characters but the entire Marvel Universe. I was however happy to see that besides Hulk's Warbound and his targets that prior Hulk related characters like Bruce's cousin She-Hulk and his long time friend Rick Jones play a big part. I liked that both She-Hulk and Rick tried to remind Hulk of his time on Earth before becoming Warbound and that they have been his friends much longer. I also loved the expression on She-Hulk's face when she realised that Hulk is angrier than he's ever been before and how that didn't bode will for Mr. Fantastic, Iron Man, Doctor Strange or Black Bolt as well as Manhattan.

The addition of Thunderbolt Ross later on in the story was also nice to see as you can't have the entire world trying to defeat Hulk without Ross having a shot. Whilst reading the sequences before and during Ross' attempt to subdue the Hulk it isn't hard to think of some of the great battles they have had in the past or the amount of times Ross has previously tried taking down the Hulk also. I also liked how Ross admitted that the Hulk could be a hero but that deep down he was a monster and due to the brilliant mind that Banner possessed they would always either make up an excuse or divert the blame from Banner. I also loved how Ross also brought up things things that Hulk's done that has affected his life, including blaming Hulk for the death of his daughter Betty Ross.

I have never been a Sentry fan, so due to that and the fact Planet Hulk is the oldest modern Hulk story I've read I don't know much about Sentry's connection to the Hulk or Bruce Banner. I did however think that he was a great addition to this story and with the big hitters like Captain America and Thor being out of the Marvel Universe during this event they needed someone that could either match or defeat the Hulk and Sentry who has the power of a million exploding suns more than fits the bill. I also like how their are similarities between Hulk and the Sentry as underneath they are both relatively harmless people underneath when they are Bruce Banner and Robert Reynolds, and then change into Goliath's that they find hard to control.

Final Verdict

This was a truly brilliant story and a fitting follow up to Planet Hulk. I thoroughly enjoyed this story myself and would recommend this story to anyone whether a previous Hulk fan or not, whether having read Planet Hulk or not (I would however recommend reading Planet Hulk as it itself is a brilliant story and the two together are a better experience than individually) this is a brilliant book and a must read for any comic book fan.

Rating: 4.5/5

The Incredible Hulk: Planet Hulk

Writer: Greg Pak
Artists: Carlo Pagulayan, Aaron Lopresti & Gary Frank

Hulk has been one of my top rated characters since I was young and I loved this big giant unpredictable character who deep down is just a very misunderstood character and not the monster he was made out to be. Greg Pak has done an amazing job with Hulk over the years and both this book and World War Hulk were what got me into reading Hulk comics when I started collecting.

Plot

This story starts with Mr. Fantastic, Iron Man, Doctor Strange and Black Bolt sending Hulk to a planet where there is no intelligent life form that Hulk can harm or be bothered by. However Hulk's ship goes through a portal which takes him to the planet Sakaar were he is made a gladiator. He angers the Red King when he tries to kill him and is put in the Maw. There he becomes Warbound with Miek , Korg, Hiroim, Elloe, and No-name of the Brood. Hulk plans to escape his slavery and kill the Red King and during his journey it is asked whether he is the Sakaarson who is prophesied to bring life and piece back to the planet or the Worldbreaker who is prophesied to destroy the planet.

Review

This was a brilliant book and probably the best Hulk story ever told (in my opinion). Pak has done an amazing job in this book and I don't think it could have been any better than it was. This book has tones of great things about it but the thing I probably loved most about it was the emotion. It was nice to see the transformation in the Hulk's feelings throughout this book and it was also nice to see him have proper friends for a change. I also liked how we see some traits form the Hulk's past shown and that due to him being betrayed by friends in the past he is wary whether to fully trust his new friends.

The art throughout this book was amazing and think Pagulaya, Lopresti, and Frank were brilliant on this story. Pagulayan's art in particular was very nice and he did an excellent job of drawing all these different characters, whilst keeping detail in the backgrounds. Although I like Frank's work in general I don't think his contribution to this story suited the story itself, and that his line shading art is very different to Pagulaya or Lopresti's art. I also loved Jose Ladrönn's covers throughout this book and he did an amazing job at showing the events in the issue without spoiling it.

I also thought it was great to see all these new characters be introduced and although Hulk has had a brilliant cast of allies and villains in the past it was nice to see something fresh. I also thought Pak did a great job writing these new characters and was happy that he went into detail about there background and didn't just chuck them into the story without explaining where they're from or what's happened to them. The two new characters I especially liked were Miek and Korg. I liked Korg because he was the soul of the team providing encouragement to the group. He also is a very good companion for Hulk as both are brutish characters with tones of strength. I enjoyed the Miek character because he added humour to the story and character wise is a lot different to Hulk, as he's weak and naturally a coward but with Hulk as a friend becomes braver whilst finding strength within.

The fights throughout this book were amazing and I loved how Hulk was made a gladiator. I did however feel that some of the fights were a bit short and although Hulk can defeat most things easily it would have been nicer for them to have longer. Ending some of the early fights quickly story wise was probably a good thing as not only does it add surprise (as in you'd expect a huge fight for it to end in seconds) whilst showing from an early point that Hulk is extremely powerful and possibly the strongest being to ever set foot on planet Sakaar.

The addition of Silver Surfer during this story and although he wasn't in it long it was nice to see someone Hulk knew on Sakaar. The fight between Hulk and Surfer was immense and possibly the best fight in the book. I also liked how Hulk recognises Surfer as a friend and the pain he shows when Surfer attacks him due to the obedience disc. I also enjoyed that even though the other members of Hulk's Warbound tried to fight the Surfer that the fight was mainly focused on Hulk and Surfer. I also liked how you can see that Surfer doesn't really want to fight Hulk but that due to the obedience disc in his chest he has no option but. I also thought it was a very smart idea to have Surfer use his board as a shield during the fight.

The Red King was a brilliant villain and loved how like a true villain he only cared about himself and would do anything to get what he wanted. I also loved his reaction towards the Hulk throughout this story as before and during Hulk's arrival the Red King has dictated over Sakaar with no one questioning him living and that now Hulk is here there is actually someone that can pose a threat to his reign.

Final Verdict

This was an amazing story and will probably be one of my favourite Hulk stories for years to come. I would highly recommend this book as Pak has done an excellent job, and it has tones of violence, emotion and unpredictability. Also if you are a new to the Hulk character this is a brilliant story as you don't need any prior knowledge of the character to enjoy it.

Rating: 5/5