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Teen Titans GO and Scooby Doo Team Up Review

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It’s time for DC’s counter to the Marvel comic! This is a double comic as the title suggests and those can always be interesting, but they also mean that each story will be a little on the short side. In this case, I wish that the Scooby Doo comic could have gotten more pages as it was infinitely better than the Teen Titans adventure. Ah well, it can’t be perfect right?

In the Teen Titans comic, the girls decide to have a slumber party. Naturally, no guys are allowed so Beast Boy and Cyborg decide to have some fun bowling. Robin disappears…to do some spying. His role is pretty bad here and it is sad that he would go to such lengths to spy on Starfire. His help is almost valuable against Trigon, but not quite. In the end, we realize that even Trigon can’t infiltrate a slumber party and get away with it!

The art was decent I suppose as it looks like the TV show. Teen Titans GO is a cartoon that really varies from episode to episode. Some episodes can be genuinely good while the majority of them range from decent to downright terrible. This would be one of the weaker episodes if it was animated. There are no scenes that will get you to laugh and seeing as how this is a comedy…that’s a bit of a bad thing. The sideplot involving bowling was better than the main one for me and that’s considering that the food distractions weren’t up to snuff. Cyborg should have led off with pizza and donuts!

The Scooby Doo team up is worlds better than the Titans story. The Mystery Gang are enlisted by the Super Friends to vanquish the ghosts that have taken over the headquarters. They would do it themselves, but even Superman was no match for these guys. The Man of Steel was disintegrated by a single ray blast. Impersonating former Super Friend members, (From the big Showcase book that I read, which was neat since I apparently read that collection in the nick of time!) the mystery gang must stop the ghosts at any cost!

The body count continued to rise in that story and the whole group of Super Friends was taken down. The ending is both startling and unsurprising. It’s still a superb ending and you can bet dollars to donuts that I am interested in finding out how the story ends. Scooby Doo Team Up looks like it has the makings of an incredible comic series and I hope that it goes on for a long while. This story was just about perfect and it was both interesting and funny. The Mystery Gang were all in character and they have always been enjoyable individuals to have in an adventure. Since I also like all of the Super Friends, it makes sense that this comic would be an all star.

The art was very good as well as the issue looked like a retro Super Friends adventure. It’s not quite as high budget as those comics, but it looks fairly authentic. You’re definitely missing out if you don’t read this half of the comic so don’t let Teen Titans GO stop you. This story is worth it even if it is just to see Superman get taken down by a ghost. Who would have ever thought that Scooby Doo and friends would save Earth’s mightiest heroes?

Overall, This was a collection that was hampered by the first story. The Scooby Doo one could have gotten an easy 8, but it will have to sacrifice 2 stars to hang onto Teen Titans. Teen Titans wasn’t terrible so you shouldn’t get that impression, but it just wasn’t that good. I probably would have given it a 5 on its own. I’m still glad that I’m watching Teen Titans Go as it has certainly had its moments, but the comic would likely work better if I was reading a whole collection. That way there’s more of a chance that there would be good stories along with the bad ones. Just grabbing a random story is like gambling. You don’t always come out on top.

Overall 6/10

Avengers #1 Review

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All right, it is time to bring back the Big 2 as far as comics are concerned. Marvel’s given us a glimpse of what the new Avengers roster will look like and how they perform as a team. Comically given the term, the PC (Politically Correct) Avengers online, it would be interesting to see how good the comic was. I think it is safe to say that it was a little more fun than I had anticipated.

The Avengers head off to stop the Radioactive Man. While half of the team deals with a giant lizard that has appeared, the kids head inside the warehouse to fight the main threat. The comic seems like it will be good light hearted fun even if we do already have some casualties. The bodies are off screen, which helps for that, but I guess we’ll see if the series decides to go Uncanny Avengers level of serious on us soon or if they go for a cheery atmosphere. It’s been a while since we got the former with the Avengers so that would be fun to see.

As for the members, well, I doubt that anyone is going to prefer these guys to the originals. Falcon is not quite the same Captain America that Steve Rogers was. He overreacts quite a bit and he’s insecure about his position. Iron Man…well, we know that it’s not Stark even if he hasn’t said anything yet. The theory that it is Pepper seems to be right on. She is more experienced than the others and that’s good since the team needs someone who knows their stuff. Nova, Ms Marvel, and Spider Man are the rookies so they will grow up during the series. Right now, Nova would be my favorite from the three as he jumps into danger. He’ll likely be heavily nerfed throughout the series since he outranks the other heroes so badly. The new Thor doesn’t get many lines, but she will certainly stay as the team’s power hitter. I look forward to seeing who her alter ego is once that twist finally comes out.

While a lot of the members are new, I wouldn’t actually call them weak. It’s a little surprising, but when you really think about it, these guys have what it takes to still be Avengers level. Thor and Iron Man give the team a good amount of raw power while Nova and Spider Man help out on the speed angle. The other help give the team the sheer numbers advantage and it all adds up to a fighting force to be feared. We shouldn’t underestimate the new generation!

The art is nice and streamlined, which makes for some nice fight scenes. It’s splendid and I’m glad that Marvel has once again done a good job on the areas that count. Writing and artwork. This series has the potential to be one of the better Avenger titles even if most of the members are rookies. I forgot which comic had a hero saying this, but it sure has become easier to join the Avengers nowadays. I guess it is just something that happens with time.

Overall, Avengers succeeds in what it sets out to do. It gets you engaged in what’s happening and eager to read the full comic. We jump to the action scenes right away and the pacing seems like it will be nice and quick. While I wouldn’t want this as the main Avengers title, it seems like it’ll be a good team book to check out from Marvel. If the X-Men could have around 6-7 series back in the day, the Avengers should be able to juggle a few as well. We will see if Falcon ends up getting used to the leader role or if he is eventually forced to relinquish the title. While this issue is more exciting than Secret Wars, I preferred the latter as it still looks like it will be a blast to read. I’m highly looking forward to that big event.

Overall 8/10

Sonic and Hedgehog and Mega Man Worlds Unite Prelude Review

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It’s time for a double comic! Sonic and Mega Man seem like perfect choices for a double comic since it feels like they are always crossovering into each other’s universe. Technically, it’s only happened once, but the event was so big that it felt like more than one adventure. The thought of seeing them team up again is already epic and the fact that more guest stars will also be present is epic. Just think of it…soon, they could make this a Super Smash Bros comic! Well, let’s not get ahead of ourselves.

The Sonic comic is where all of the action is and it’s a great issue. Sonic and Silver team up to defeat the Ifrit. It hasn’t been around since Sonic Rivals 2, but portals have been opening up across the planet, which is leading all sorts of monsters to Sonic’s home world. Silver has been tasked with closing them all, but this is far from a simple mission. The heroes dispatch Ifrit rather easily and I would expect no less from the blue blur.

Sonic’s portrayal here is dynamite and there’s also something that I was thrilled about. His design is finally back to his Sonic Adventure 2 Battle one! Now, I don’t mind the “Big Hair” Sonic depiction that you see in a lot of the Sonic Universe titles among others, but this is the best design for Sonic. It’s not even close if you ask me and Sonic really seems like a seasoned pro here. Yeah, you really can’t top this comic and Mega Man wasn’t able to keep up. After all, who can keep up with Sonic right? He may have gotten the raw end of the deal in the last crossover, but I’m sure that he’s coming back with a vengeance this time!

In Mega Man’s comic, the anti robot guy is going crazy in prison. He recently got a glimpse of the future and witnessed Mavericks destroying the city. Now he believes that he was right all along about the robots and he won’t stop until all of them are destroyed. There’s not much that he can do about it though so he must wait for an opportunity. Most of the comic is simply recapping what has happened to him over the course of the series and he has definitely had a lot of unfortunate events.

I would have liked some more Mega Man action here to be sure. It’s decent set up for the crossover of course, but considering how many interesting concepts there are in Mega Man, we could have gotten something a little more breath taking. Still, I’m looking forward to seeing Bass and Proto Man help out in the crossover and seeing Mega Man X is always a treat. I’m not crazy about the mad bomber being the big villain from the Mega Man side of things though and I would actually prefer to see the return of Dr Wily!

The art for the Sonic comic is dynamite and it really can’t be beat. Everything looks flawless and Sonic continues to prove why it is easily one of the best comics out there. The Mega Man comic’s art is solid as well and I definitely know it well from previous volumes of his series. It’s certainly no Sonic, but it gets the job done and you’ll always know what’s happening on the screen. It’s a simplistic style that allows you to focus on the action.

Overall, This was a fun double comic. Mega Man’s comic was good, but it certainly wasn’t as exciting as Sonic’s. Sonic’s had the action and scope that we’ve come to expect from the Hedgehog and Silver gets his props as a powerful telekinetic. Sonic’s inventive use of the time puns is also to be commended and he certainly never backs down even when Silver tells him to stop. Sonic’s a free spirit and this is what makes him so cool. I’m definitely hyped for the big crossover event when the Worlds Unite once more. You can bet that I’ll check it out as soon as the library snags it.

Overall 8/10

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Review

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We’ve seen that Transformers was a success so can the ninja turtles really keep up? It’s certainly not quite as exciting as the Transformers comic, but we get to see a lot of the villains who currently plague the heroes. Things have never been more dire for them and the heroes may need a power up of sorts if they are to stay in the game.

The comic takes place after Donatello’s close encounter with death. The turtle now inhabits a machine while his body is still taken out of action. Getting him restored to full health will take a while and the villains are not waiting. The Shredder is still out there and various other groups of villains are also making their move. Right now, the turtles can barely take on the Hun, let alone the mutants. This is truly their darkest hour and they know it!

Power levels is something that has always given the TMNT a tough time and the comics are really showing us this. For all of their martial arts, they are still relatively weak compared to some of the outlandish threats that they face. Donatello has some new abilities thanks to his robot body, but what about the rest of the turtles? I really don’t think they have a chance without some kind of new ability so hopefully they will get new weapons. Maybe a thunder staff for Donatello and some kind of extendable sword for Leonardo. These are just ideas, but the writer will need to think of something unless he wants to run the risk of plot hax.

The turtles have an interesting origin in this series. This time, they were the songs of Splinter and they were all humans, but they got reincarnated after the Shredder destroyed them. A rather dark change to their original origin and I wouldn’t call it a positive one, but either way it leads up to the same place. Splinter is indisposed as he is watching over Donatello, but I’m sure that he’ll be able to fight when the time comes. Let’s hope that he does not wait too long.

As for the Shredder taking out Donatello through his two minions, he likely would have done it no matter what. Still, you have to wonder about the turtles making the first move over there. They are the ones who effectively tried to betray him by tricking him into a war with another villain. They should have expected the Shredder to retaliate so I don’t see how they could have left Donatello on his own. With no friends to help and outnumbered 2-1, there was really no way that Donatello could win. Even 1 on 1 it likely would have been a very difficult right.

TMNT’s art is good here. It is a little subdued and not quite as bright as most of the other titles, but the fight scenes still look solid. I think a more colorful style would suit the series even more, but as long as the art is good, that’s what matters. The author is clearly going for a more serious style for this series so we’ll see how it plays out. If the Turtles don’t get new abilities, they’ll likely just need to rely on their allies, which should prove interesting. Apparently, they have friends who are rock giants and April has some kind of super ability. I still want the Turtles to be able to fight as well though so maybe it’s time to awaken the dragon!

Overall, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles is certainly building up to some kind of big climax. The heroes are going to have to be ready to end everything once and for all. The cliffhanger ending shows that a new army of villains is about to approach the streets and that could actually help the Turtles chances of winning or hurt them even further. Only time will tell and they’ll need to plan this one out carefully. This story felt like a complete one and it was long considering that it was free. There’s definitely a lot of ways that the comic can continue and it’ll be interesting to see how it ultimately ends.

Overall 7/10

Transformers Robots in Disguise Review

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Transformers threw in a comic for Free Comic Book day, which is pretty neat since the new TV show airs on Saturdays as well. While it may be less plot oriented than some of the other shows, G1 was like that for a while and look at how much fun it is. Robots in Disguise isn’t ready to take on Prime just yet, but it’s been a very fun show and I don’t see that changing. This comic is really similar in that regard.

A Decepticon bird has appeared in the area and he is trying to get back to Cybertron. The Autobots must now get him away from the amusement park before the humans begin to suspect that something it up. Can Bumblebee and his team defeat this foe in time? The comic really came at a good time since the episode in the TV show today featured a Decepticon bird. Coincidence? I think not!

There are a lot of villains who escaped in episode 1 so it makes sense that some of them should also be captured in the comics unless we’re actually going to have over 100 episodes of just catching Decepticons. Some of them will be off screen so putting them in the comics is a safe bet. The story is fun to read from start to finish and it is one of the main reasons why I liked the comic. Remember what I was saying about Jurassic Strike Force 5 in my earlier review?

Transformers is using the same techniques as that series, but they are doing a better job of it. For starters, the characters are more likable and that’s already a big win in my book. It’s like Sonic Boom or the Sonic Comics. There are action scenes, but the dialogue also flows really well and this results in a complete comic. The Robots in Disguise comic series seems to be off to a very good start and I will definitely be on the lookout for trade paperbacks once the Library orders them.

This comic also did something that most of the issues on Free Comic Book Day did not do. It had a cliffhanger of epic proportions. Let’s just say that the characters of the Prime series are not pleased with Bumblebee’s exploits and now they are going to take matters into their own hands. Unfortunately for Bumblebee, I have to say that his team really has no chance here. Arcee outranks Strong Arm and Grimlock can’t match up to Bulkhead. The only chance for Bumblebee will be to see if he can team up with Sideswipe to beat Ultra Magnus. It will be a stretch though and this could end very badly for the new team.

I can’t even blame the Prime counterparts as the main team is cutting is really close lately. They’re flirting with danger in just about every comic/episode and the humans only haven’t figured anything out because they don’t seem to be as smart as the average joe. With the stakes climbing up and the plot starting, the series has nowhere to go, but up!

As for the art, it is standard TV show cash in stuff. The faces can look pretty off model at times and particularly the characters’ mouths. You should see Strongarm try to do a scowl! On the bright side, the action scenes can still look good and I did like the art on the final page. It’s just going to be constantly uneven and changing so it’s nowhere near the level of art that Marvel and DC possess. Hopefully, experience will help it along as the series goes on.

Overall, Robots in Disguise is really starting to make a name for itself. On the Transformers totem pole, I think that it is safe to say that it beats Beast Wars, Animated and Rescue Bots while losing to G1 and Prime. I don’t really see it passing those two for quite a while if ever, but it just goes to show how good Robots in Disguise can be. The art was not the best, but at least it is rather streamlined and you can chuckle at some of the face expressions. IDW’s next comic is going to have a tough time beating it.

Overall 7/10

Captain Canuck #0 Review

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Now, it is time to check out an independent superhero. He is not from Marvel or DC, which should make things interesting. It means that there will naturally be some similarities to established heroes, but it is almost literally impossible for that not to happen nowadays. I applaud the fact that we still get new superheroes and he isn’t even new as the character had an unpopular comic series decades ago. It simply wasn’t remembered, but this new series should change that as it is off to a good start.

The first story is only a handful of pages and nothing gets to happen, but we see Captain Canuck jump out of a plane just like Captain America did in The Avengers. The Captain seems to be an excellent character as he is no nonsense and he gets the job done. You really can’t ask for a better superhero and this is someone that we can all look up too. Of course, we haven’t had a chance to see how he deals with tricky situations, but I’m confident that he will be able to hold his own. His uniform is similar to the Alpha Flight’s standard gear and then you can throw a little Robocop into that design. It works quite well and does a good job of making Captain Canuck look intimidating.

I wasn’t crazy about the second half of the comic, but that’s because it is all about Canuck’s backstory. We get a recap of the adventures that he’s had up til now and they sound a little repetitive. This was probably unintentional, but he became a hero and then seemingly died in an explosion with the villains. It turns out that he actually escaped to the past and helped primitive humans live back during the early days of humanity. After that, he made it back to the present in time to save his planet from aliens…only to seemingly die in an explosion again. No worries, he was just flung….to the past….again. This time, he helped people while becoming a legendary hero and that’s where the backstory ends. Is it just me or did they just use the same plot twice in a row? It’s an original twist I suppose.

The art for both halves of the comic is good. I loved the art in the first half and it was the highlight of the issue for me. It reminded me of X Sanction, which I still consider to be one of the best drawn comics of all time. The second half goes for a retro feel, which works for me as well. Who doesn’t like to revisit the good ole days of comics right? The art styles certainly contrast one another, but that makes them all the more enjoyable.

The main villain seems to be a little shallow, but he doesn’t get to appear so I can only judge him from his character bio. Since the actual story was only 2-3 pages aside from the recap, we didn’t get to truly see what the characters are like. So, while the comic seems like it should be very good and a lot of fun, I would approach the trade with caution. You should always be wary when the free comic tries to hide the actual comic from you. Still, from what I saw, Captain Canuck looks like a keeper.

Overall, Marvel and DC may have found a new competitor to fight again! Captain Canuck may not be very powerful, but he can still have some fun issues as he gains battle experience and learns to fight alongside his comrades. Canada certainly needs more heroes as the United States (Particularly New York) has all of the best ones at the moment. If this guy gets really popular, that would certainly be a good thing for them. Time to read some more of the free comics that I got and then I’ll get back to reviewing. 4 down and 15 to go!

Overall 7/10

Jurassic Strike Force 5 Review

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The dinosaurs are back and now they’re agents? The cover certainly looked very intense and you may get ready for some big brawls upon seeing it. Well, you should be aware of the fact that the cover is rather misleading. This seems to be more of a comedy than a serious action so the main characters never look that grim. Of course, this approach can still work if handled right.

The plot seems to be that two dinosaurs have become cops and they must take down all of the villains who interfere. There may have been some exposition, but we haven’t really learned about why things are the way that they are. If the comic is as bold as Sonic The Hedgehog, then they won’t need to worry about this. If not, they’ll likely give us some kind of origin story later on. Regardless, we don’t need backstory so long as we have an engaging plot.

The villain appears to be a parody of Cobra Commander and the other big villains from the 80’s. He seems decent so far, but I’ll have to see more of him to determine whether he has the stuffing necessary to take the win here. The main dinosaurs aren’t great so far, but we are fairly early into the series. They are decently tough and do manage to save the day, but they don’t strike you as heroes who are very prepared to fight and I have a feeling that the first big villain will be able to crush them with ease.

The art is certainly very good and it is one of the main reasons why the issue is fun. This kind of series certainly needs good art as it makes the fight scenes more fun even if they aren’t played very seriously. This issue does a decently good job of making your interested in reading the series. I certainly wouldn’t be opposed to picking up a trade if I ever saw it in the library. Like I said, it is early so I’m not sure if the actual series will be good, but I have some hopes for it.

I think that the blend of comedy and action could work for this series like it does for Sonic and Mega Man. The critical part is just making sure that the characters are likable as no series can stand up without that. I don’t really care for the two dinosaurs yet. They aren’t bad, but they just aren’t good either. I’d say that calling them generic at the moment is fair enough.

Overall, Jurassic Strike Force 5 seems like it has the potential to be a really fun comic. We’ll really just have to see where it goes and I don’t picture it being a really long running series either so they will need to introduce the rest of the cast quickly. Who is the leader of the Strike Force and why are dinosaurs needed? These questions and more should be answered, but in an interesting way and not necessarily through flashbacks. Flashbacks can be good, but they must be handled very delicately or they will destroy the pacing of the comic. On the bright side, their taste in food is quite good.

Overall 7/10

Secret Wars #0 Review

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All right, now it is time to look at Marvel’s big title! To try and compete with DC’s big event, Marvel has brought back the Secret Wars. It is rather uncanny as I don’t believe that the Big 2 has ever synchronized their reboots/”reboots” like this before. It is fun and they say that competition brings out the best in us so this will help Marvel to really bring their A game. From what I’ve seen of it, Secret Wars is going to be incredible so they aren’t holding back.

There is only one main story here and we see it from the perspective of the Future Foundation. If you’ve been following the New Avengers series, then you’ll remember that multiple Earths continue to crash into each other. Our universe has blown up one of the (uninhabited) Earths that was heading our way, but these measures are temporary at best. The heroes now know that they cannot save the universe so the geniuses have constructed an arc with multiversal shielding. The multiverse may die, but they won’t!

The only problem is that it can only fit 60 people so almost everyone in this continuity is going to die. Plus, the Earth that is about to crash is that of the Ultimate Universe. They’re not going to just roll over and die so the big 616 vs Ultimate battle has begun and we must now choose sides. This comic doesn’t bring it up, but there is also a cosmic being that is going to make things a little more complicated. Do you remember how the original Secret Wars was essentially a big battle of good vs evil? Well, the new one has the heroes on a humongous planet. Every planet that has ever existed in a continuity will now be on that planet and the winning group is allowed to live. So, do you remember Super Hero Squad, The Marvel Cinematic Universe, the CGI Spider Man show, etc? Each of them is a different continuity and they will all be fighting for their right to survive.

It is rather ambitious and the only problem with this is that there is no way that the series will be able to show off even a fraction of the fights. Most of it will be left to your imagination, which is always sad, but the fights that we do get should be really cool. I have high hopes for this series and the comic was definitely a lot of fun. The hype is building and we shall see which is the strongest continuity. The art was good for the issue, but not great. I assume that it will likely step up its game once we enter the actual battles.

There’s also a backup story here, which features the mini comic about the Marvel Universe vs Attack on Titan. It is a pretty fun story and I actually found the art to be decent/actually good at some points. It only messes up with the titans as their faces look really off, but that may have actually been intentional. Spider Man gets his props as he handles the Titans with ease and this was a good example of what would happen if the Titans invaded the Marvel Earth. They would be obliterated in minutes. They don’t have the strength needed to fight off The Avengers.

Overall, I am ready for the Secret Wars! I read the original one not too long ago and I do think that it earned its right to be the best Marvel event. It was a lot of fun and this new version has a lot to live up too. Nevertheless, I believe that it shall rise to the occasion and Marvel always delivers when the chips are down. Now that I’ve reviewed the big Marvel and DC titles, get ready for a few one shots before I check back in with the two companies. After all, we’ve got to give everyone a chance right!?

Overall 8/10

Divergence Review

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All right, it’s time to look at the comics from Free Comic Book Day! I got a solid batch of 19. 15 courtesy of Midtown Comics and then an extra four over at the New York Public Library. Typically, I read the comics from worst to best, but I reversed the lineup a little this year. What better way to start than by reading about what’s to come over in DC right? I doubt that anything will beat this issue, but we shall see.

There are three stories in this comic. The first one shows us what the new Batman series will be like as Commissioner Gordon takes over the role of Batman. There are heavy spoilers for Batman #40 so I hope that you read it. I’m not sure about the new incarnation of Gordon as he looks nothing like the Commissioner that I have grown used too. He seems tougher, which could be a good thing, but I trust him less than the older version. I don’t believe that the series will be able to hold its own without Batman for long, but it should be a decent series. Probably not my style though so I can’t guarantee that it will be a good title.

The second story is about the upcoming Superman series and I can already tell you that it is worlds beyond the Batman one. Superman’s identity has been leaked by Lois Lane and he is now on the run. His life has turned upside down as a result and the series will be about him coping with this until the inevitable moment where everyone forgets who he is. I’m hoping that they actually let people know for a few years or more like Iron Man so we can see how Superman would handle this. It would be a nice angle so long as people don’t go after Pa and Ma Kent. (If they are alive in this version) The story seems like it could be quite good even if Clark is slightly overreacting when it comes to hiding. If he truly needs to hide, I’m sure Batman could whip up some kind of disguise.

Finally, we have a Justice League comic. Technically, not a whole lot happens as it is all about foreshadowing, but it still has an aura of intensity that put it above the Batman story for me. The preview of Darkseid taking on the Anti Monitor looked very epic and you can tell that the stakes are going to be high. Batman is going to become a god once more and even Superman may need some backup this time. I’m certainly hyped to see how this all plays out and this could be the adventure of a lifetime for DC fans!

The art for the three series varied as the artists changed, but they all looked good. Justice League naturally looked the best and I’d put Superman in second, but they all use different styles that work for their respective series. The writing appears to be on the level and DC really gave us a great free comic book to celebrate the event. Talk about not pulling their punches!

Overall, This is how a free comic book should be. It had 3 different stories and set up some major plot points for what is to come. These were really previews, but they were enough to get you interested in buying the actual comics. There was really nothing bad to say about them and I look forward to seeing the Superman story in particular as this is a plot that should be very enjoyable to read. (I do think that Superman’s design is a little off though) Justice League will have the ultimate fights that I’m looking for and Batman has…Batman! Nuff said.

Overall 9/10

Supergirl Volume 2 Girl in The World Review

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It has been a while since I read the first comic, but I remember that it was a fun adventure. The collection had a lot of action and it really paved the way for future comics to start off right. Unfortunately, I don’t think that many of them will decide to do this, but it was still nice to see a comic getting the intro right. This volume isn’t quite as exciting as it certainly slows down, but it still makes for a nice adventure.

Supergirl is still trying to live on Earth without attracting attention, but it is tough because she doesn’t know how to fully control her abilities. Moreover, she doesn’t understand English, which makes discussion rather difficult. Luckily, she meets up a girl who is able to learn new languages after hearing them for a few minutes. The only drawback is that the girl is the Silver Banshee’s daughter and her dad is trying to absorb her. Supergirl must now help her new friend, but can she defeat such a menace?

The premise is a little difficult for me. Why can’t Supergirl just beat the Banshee with a single blow? She may not be Superman, but her abilities are still on his level so this match should be child’s play. The Banshee’s reason for surviving her attacks so easily is that he is using magic, which helps him deal a lot of damage to Supergirl. I don’t mind magic as an excuse, but it doesn’t change the fact that Supergirl is faster than him. She can easily dodge his attacks with her super speed.

As a villain, The Banshee is a lot cooler than he used to be. I like his design and his abilities are certainly formidable. He is portrayed as being more powerful than he really is, but at least that makes him a threat. I wonder if we will ever see him again. Somehow, I have a feeling that he will definitely return.

As for the daughter, she seems like a nice supporting character. She certainly helps Supergirl out of a jam even though she begins to lose her will power rather quickly. It is too bad that she temporarily lost her abilities since they would have been very useful here. I hope that she stays on the side of the heroes as Supergirl can use an ally against the many villains that she wil be facing soon. The girl also happens to be the only supporting character that I like so I hope that she sticks around.

There’s a who tries to be a nice supporting character as well, but I don’t see the point in his character. He just has a filler role where he starts to like Supergirl. The comic would be exactly the same without him. As for Supergirl, she makes for a very good main character. At times, she can be a little unreasonable like when she told Superman that she would examine the ship on her own, but she is typically a good character. She isn’t afraid to fight at full power and she takes on her opponents with great efficiency. She did take a chance when she blasted one of the opponents in a way that could have destroyed him, but at least things worked out all right. Supergirl has always been one of my favorite comic book heroines and it is safe to say that the comic book did her justice. I do think that it is very early for romance though so I’m glad that the subplot ended before it could truly begin. Supergirl is still overwhelmed by being in a new culture, but this is fairly realistic and she isn’t as dramatic about it as Starfire. I don’t typically like the trope of adjusting to Earth culture, but it’s handled well.

The art style looks good for this comic. It is hard to describe, but it is like a paled version of the Superman comics. The colors are darker and that’s the easiest way that I can put it. This works for just about everything in the comic except for Superman’s design. The artist clearly hasn’t looked at Superman in a while because the character on the page looked nothing like the legendary hero. He seemed meek, timid, and unassuming. Those qualities don’t belong in the same sentence as Superman and even the hair was oddly flat. That was my one gripe with the art, but it is not a major one.

One of the comics had a quick fight with a random villain. That plot will likely come back soon, but it is the being who is on the cover of this collection. He made for a fun villain even if I couldn’t take him all that seriously. If the comic took super speed a little more seriously, Supergirl could have handled this battle with ease. The collection ends with Supergirl’s origin story and it is fairly straightforward. She got out of that planet alive, which is good. Her dad’s plan was sound although he really cut it close. The mom tried to stop him at the end though, but I think it was really because she didn’t really get what he was doing or she just thought that the planet was safe. Because of that, I was on the dad’s side since he did keep some secrets, but he ultimately got the job done. It is just too bad that he also had to do some illegal experiments on the way. This made him seem rather shady and untrustworthy. I’m guessing that Superman’s dad was going to stop him, but with the planet in turmoil, he had bigger fish to fry. Krypton always looks so…unprepared for such a futuristic civilization.

In the end, this volume couldn’t beat the original. Both of them had some really good writing and action scenes, but volume 1 had the better villains. The Worldbreakers were a serious threat and they may just be the strongest villain group to debut in years. As a group, most heroes wouldn’t even stand a chance against them. I do think that it was a little iffy that Superman couldn’t break through the shield last time, but that’s a minor thing. I really can’t wait until they show up again and they were referenced several times so this definitely hints that they will be returning soon.

Supergirl demonstrated some new abilities in this comic, which is neat. I know that Superman recently learned how to weaponize his solar energy and Supergirl is already showing that she can do this as well. When the strongest comic heroes start to get even stronger, you know that some massive villains must be getting ready to pop up. I still do consider Supergirl to be stronger than Wonder Woman is almost all incarnations and this comic certainly helps that as well. It is no stretch of the imagination to say that Supergirl is the strongest comic book heroine so it is good to see her get credit for being so powerful here.

Overall, This volume was a fun way to continue the Supergirl adventure. The series still provides us with a lot of action and some quality dialogue. It is a complete title that I would certainly recommend to comic readers since it is a lot of fun. The art works for the collection, but I expect Superman to look a little better in future issues. Even the way that he acted seemed a little off although I think that Supergirl overreacted in that scene. I look forward to seeing where Supergirl goes from here, but I’m looking forward to the return of the Worldbreakers even more. Now those were incredible villains!

Overall 7/10