ButtonDown.Com: Lynx (links) of interest

 ButtonDown.Com: Lynx (links) of interest

ButtonDown:Com: Private Eye July: Atom Agency: The Begum's Jewels

 ButtonDown:Com: Private Eye July: Atom Agency: The Begum's Jewels

ButtonDown.Com: Wayne Shelton (Vols 1-5) by Jean Van Hamme, Christian Denayer, Thierry Cailleteau

 ButtonDown.Com: Wayne Shelton (Vols 1-5) by Jean Van Hamme, Christian Denayer, Thierry Cailleteau

ButtonDown.Com: Shoulder Wound Sunday: Biotope

ButtonDown.Com: Shoulder Wound Sunday: Biotope 

ButtonDown.Com: Dark & Twisted: Dead Flowers by Duane Swierczynski & Andrea Mutti - quick take

 ButtonDown.Com: Dark & Twisted: Dead Flowers by Duane Swierczynski & Andrea Mutti - quick take

ButtonDown.Com: Shoulder Wound Sunday: Mugshots

 ButtonDown.Com: Shoulder Wound Sunday: Mugshots

ButtonDown.Com: The Best Crime Comics of 2025

 ButtonDown.Com: The Best Crime Comics of 2025

ButtonDown.Com: 2025 Releases: The Kosher Mafia & The Hive

 ButtonDown.Com: 2025 Releases: The Kosher Mafia & The Hive

ButtonDown.Com: 2025 Releases: The Brownout Murders, Consensual Violence

 ButtonDown.Com: 2025 Releases: The Brownout Murders, Consensual Violence

Thrilling Detective: Recent and Upcoming Comic & Graphic Novel Releases

 Thrilling Detective:  Recent and Upcoming Comic & Graphic Novel Releases

SleuthSayers: Old English Words, New Scottish Quotes

SleuthSayers: Old English Words, New Scottish Quotes: Two weeks ago I wrote about my family's visit to Scotland for the World Science Fiction Conference. I promised that this time I would in...

Scott's Take: Scott's Take: DC Dark Knights of Steel Vol 2 by Tom Taylor

Dark Knights of Steel Volume 2 by Tom Taylor is an action packed volume includes the last issues of this series plus tie ins set in the past which spotlight the young trio of Bruce Wayne, Zala (this universe’s Supergirl), and Kal-El. Like the first volume, this is an elseworlds read and is set up like DC Universe meets Game of Thrones. Make sure you read my review of the first book here before reading the below.

 

In the first story, Kal-El meets a young Jimmy Olsen and attempts to save him from being kidnapped. Bruce and Zala tag along and eventually help out.

 

A young Bruce Wayne, long before he is Batman, meets Bane in the second story.

 

In the third story, Harley Quinn takes Kal-El and Bruce out on Halloween to attempt to give them some fun in their life.

 

In the main part of the book, the three kingdoms are now at war because of the manipulations by the White Martians. Can our heroes prove that the war is based on lies and stop the fighting in time to stop the White Martians from conquering all?

 

This is an action-packed graphic novel featuring interesting versions of classic characters that while being similar to their main earth counterparts are quite different. New versions of heroes and villains are introduced here in the read. Because of the fact that this is an elseworlds read, the tales here are more graphic and feature plenty of violence, death, and loss. 

 

This version of Harley Quinn remains a delight while the main trio of heroes remain excellent. Bruce has to deal with the truth from the first novel that he is only half human and part Kryptonian. I love how quickly Kal-El accepts that Bruce is his biological brother. In a lot of stories, this situation would be played for drama, but not here as Kal-El just loves him and accepts him for who he is every day.

 

There is a vague teaser setting up much more in this universe that I hope comes to pass as I very much would enjoy reading the multiple ideas suggested.

 

My reading copy came by way of the Hoopla App through the Dallas Public Library System. Unfortunately, the library system caps patrons at 15 Hoopla items a month. I very much wish they would raise it significantly or take the cap off altogether as I can do that easily in graphic novels within a couple of days at the start of each new month.  

 

Scott A. Tipple ©2023

Bookblog of the Bristol Library: Cute Graphic Novels to Get in the Autumnal Spirit!

Bookblog of the Bristol Library: Cute Graphic Novels to Get in the Autumnal Spirit!:   Reviewed by Christy             I love middle grade graphic novels. They’re the perfect antidote to a reading slump or if you’re just in...

Scott's Take: Moon Knight Vol. 3: Halfway To Sanity by Jed Mackay

Moon Knight Vol. 3: Halfway To Sanity by Jed Mackay collects five issues plus the annual.  Moon Knight is dealing with his D.I.D. and trying to get a handle on how best to operate with his mental issues while also trying to stop the expansion of vampires in New York. Midway through this volume, the vampire threat is put on hold when Jack Russell, the Werewolf by night, thinks it is a brilliant idea to kidnap Moon Knight’s daughter.

Several new villains are introduced and that includes the leader of the vampires in New York. The leader of the vampires in New York is rather disappointing in the opinion of this reader who also believes this was the author’s intention. Full of action, violence, cinematic set pieces, and character development, I highly enjoyed this volume. The art is very good and continues to be a highlight of the series. I am looking forward to volume 4 which is currently untitled and unlisted on Goodreads so I just have to be patient. 

Earlier books in this series:

Moon Knight Vol. 1: The Midnight Mission by Jed Mackay (Reviewed June 2022)

Moon Knight Vol. 2: Too Tough To Die by Jed Mackay (Reviewed December 2022)

 

My reading copy came from the Audelia Road Branch of the Dallas Public Library System.

 

Scott A. Tipple ©2023

Scott's Take: Captain America: Sentinel of Liberty Vol 1: Revolution by Collin Kelly, Jackson Lanzing, and Tochi Onyebuchi

Captain America: Sentinel of Liberty Vol 1: Revolution by Collin Kelly, Jackson Lanzing, and Tochi Onyebuchi is a Captain America that features Steve Rodgers. Steve has moved back to his childhood home in attempt to connect with regular people. He is hanging out and using a ham radio to talk to several of his old buddies. Late one night a number station starts reciting a new number. Which leads him to information on a new terrorist attack and a new conspiracy involving secrets from his past. Secrets unaware of at all. He also has to face secrets that Bucky and others have kept from him. If that enough, Peggy Carter is back to mess with him and not in a good reader. As readers know from the last run, she has been alive this whole time while he thought she was dead.

 

While playing with elements that have been used many times by other authors, this Captain America title is a fun read. You have Steve trying to reconnect with regular people, you have secrets being kept by his friends, and secrets from his past. Bucky and Peggy playing their spy games with Steve in the middle trying to figure out what is going on. The rich and powerful elite manipulating the country for their own ends. I enjoyed this read.

 

A flaw I have with the read is that no one is pointing out that while Steve is wanting to make regular friends is understandable, him living in his old apartment is painting a target on that block for the rest of the people living there. Everyone knows he is Captain America so someone is going to take a shot at him and people could get hurt. Trying to have a more “normal life” is understandable, but his life is not normal. He should embrace that fact. Instead, he is putting others in danger. Not very Steve like, but this is probably going to be a plot point later in this series.

 

The action and art are really good. The writer clearly gets Steve. The events from issues 5 and 6 should have major ramifications for this title and leave Steve in an interesting place.  One that should find him in an emotionally painful place if what has been foreshadowed comes to pass. The next volume is currently untitled and does not have a release date. 

 

 

My reading copy came from then Pleasant Grove Branch of the Dallas Public Library System.

 

Scott A. Tipple © 2023

Bitter Tea and Mystery: A Man and His Cat, Vol. 1-3

Bitter Tea and Mystery: A Man and His Cat, Vol. 1-3: A Man and His Cat is a Japanese manga series; the writer and artist is Umi Sakurai. This comic started out on Twitter, self-published on Tw...

Scott's Take: Nightwing Vol 2: Get Grayson by Tom Taylor

Nightwing Vol 2: Get Grayson by Tom Taylor is technically the third volume because there is an unnumbered volume that collects the Fear State tie ins along with some other miscellaneous other stories. I reviewed the first volume,  Nightwing Vol 1: Leaping Into The Light, but not the Fear State tie ins. This volume collects 4 issues of Nightwing and one issue of Superman. The same crossover that is in Superman: Son of Kal-el Volume 2 that I reviewed previously is reprinted here again in its entirety.

 

In Nightwing Vol 2: Get Grayson, Blockbuster puts out a hit on Dick Grayson, Nightwing, because Dick Grayson publicly said he was going to use his money to help the people of the city have a better life. For scum like Blockbuster, he needs people to suffer for him to make money. Grayson’s plan simply can’t happen. So, he puts a hit on Dick Grayson. Luckily, Batgirl discovers the problem, and alerts Nightwing as well as the entire team of Titans. This result in Nightwing teaming up with various heroes, Raven, the Flash (Wally), and others, throughout this tale as he resolves his assassin problem.

 

While the assassins are a major threat for Nightwing, as soon as his friends show up, the read becomes more comedic in nature. While several of these trained killers are the world’s best assassins, facing off with people with actual superhero powers and not just skills, is beyond their capabilities. Such as the genius who decides to headbutt Superman. Then there are the folks who decide to shoot ordinary guns at The Flash. These brilliant folks shoot at him even though they are aware that The Flash has super speed.

 

The art is excellent and Nightwing Vol 2: Get Grayson is a fun volume even if it is a rather short one. I am looking forward to the third volume when they do finally release it. There is also a new series that will tie into that third volume by this author which will see the Titans being the premier superhero team in the DC Universe as the Justice League has disbanded after various deaths and resurrections. Can Nightwing and friends step up to the plate as Earth’s defenders?

 

My reading copy came from the North Oak Cliff Branch of the Dallas Public Library System.

 

Scott A. Tipple ©2023

Scott's Take: Batman Beyond: Neo-Year by Collin Kelly and Jackson Lanzing

Batman Beyond: Neo-Year by Collin Kelly and Jackson Lanzing is the latest miniseries and this most recent one features Terry McGinnis as Batman. This is another soft reboot with a new status quo and new supporting cast. It is a broad strokes sequel to all the previous series while ignoring the various parts that contradict. One example of that fact is that this read does not pick up where the previous series ended with Terry joining the Justice League to be the team’s Batman. The league is completely absent from this title.

Instead, the plot is that Bruce Wayne has been murdered by a self-aware AI that has manifested out of the infrastructure of Neo-Gotham. It wishes to take complete control over the city and kill the last piece of resistance, Terry. So, Terry is on his own and must take the fight to a technologically superior enemy. That means all his usual gadgets and tech are out the window. It is time to use what Bruce has trained him to be --a ninja in the night and to operate based on hit and run tactics.

The story acts like this is the first time that he has fought without Bruce for such a long period of time however in other series he also has done this same thing. It is hard to know if that is still canon since the character has been rebooted and retconned so much. It is harder to get invested in a character with so much rebooting.

Each new writer has their own new spin with a new villain and new love interest for Terry. One weird thing is that his new love interest looks a lot like his most commonly used love interest. The art depicts them very similarly. 

Despite these flaws and a lack of humor from Terry who is usually more prone to jokes, Batman Beyond: Neo-Year by Collin Kelly and Jackson Lanzing is a good read. It is a darker tale so working in his more jokey parts of his personality might have been too difficult. I enjoyed this action-packed thriller with featured a more guerrilla warfare version of Terry. The layouts on some of the pages are really different than what normally is done. The art is pretty good and the new characters introduced are interesting. I really liked Batman Beyond: Neo-Year by Collin Kelly and Jackson Lanzing.

On the last page, it is declared that Batman Beyond will continue in 2023 in some new form. So, one is hopeful that this means an actual follow up and not another soft reboot.

 

My reading copy was on Hoopla via the Dallas Public Library System.

 

Scott A. Tipple ©2023

Scott's Take: Flashpoint Beyond by Geoff Johns

Flashpoint Beyond by Geoff Johns is a miniseries staring Thomas Wayne (Bruce Wayne’s father) from the Flashpoint timeline where he somehow has survived his death that occurred in a separate timeline.  In this version of the timeline, he is alive and trying to figure how he is living and in a timeline that is no longer supposed to exist. He is a living paradox. This Flashpoint Universe is a darker and more tragic universe because of the various changes to the timeline caused by Barry Allen (The Flash) going back in time to save his mother from her killer. While the original flashpoint title focused on The Flash with Thomas Wayne as a secondary main character, subsequent stories involving this timeline have starred Thomas.

 

There are many important differences in this timeline. Bruce Wayne is dead as he died when he was a child instead of his parents. That caused his Dad to become a Batman who kills while Martha Wayne lost her mind and became the Joker.  Superman’s rocket ship crash landed in Metropolis and killed tens of thousands of people. Baby Clark was imprisoned and tortured by the United States government until he escaped as an adult. This version of Superman is much weaker than his main universe counterpart because he never got the sunlight exposure as a child due to his captivity in an underground prison. Aquaman and Wonder Woman were engaged to be married and it never happened. Various other things did, which ultimately led to Atlantis and Thymesceria at war with most of the world caught in the middle. The most famous hero at this point is Cyborg who is trying to unite various heroes to protect what is left.

 

The art and action is very good and the tale is very complicated. There is violence, murder, suicide, and more so this is aimed towards the late teen reader and older. Since it is alternate timeline even beloved characters can be killed off without a lot of fuss. One character who is a fan favorite for many is burned alive. This is not an easy read.

 

This is a very good miniseries, but it is designed to setup various storylines and new titles. Part of Flashpoint Beyond by Geoff Johns is told in flashback form and could be very confusing if people have not read the previous works. It is a good book, but the ending is unsatisfactory as many plot points or storylines are not resolved as they will be continued in other titles such as the upcoming Justice Society volume.

 

 

My reading copy came for the Pleasant Grove Branch of the Dallas Public Library System.

 

Scott A. Tipple ©2023

Scott's Take: Hellboy: The Bones of Giants by Mike Mignola

Hellboy: The Bones of Giants by Mike Mignola adapts the book of the same name into comic form. I have never read the original book so I have no idea how good of a job they did on the adapting part.

In this graphic novel, a man is found dead in Sweden. The deceased is holding a large old war hammer. It appears that Thor is the dead man. Hellboy picks up the hammer and that causes the power of Thor to be transferred to him. That could be a positive. But, a major negative is the fact that the hammer is now stuck to his hand. He literally cannot let go.

Not only does Hellboy need to figure out how to let go, he also needs to figure out who killed Thor, and why. Hellboy is now stuck trying to figure out who and why Thor is dead. Hellboy meets Norse Mythology in this action-packed volume.

The main characters are Hellboy and Abe as they do their buddy team up investigate weird stuff thing. The art is typical Hellboy ---you either like it or you don’t.

I highly enjoyed this volume. This is a unique tale since Norse Mythology and Hellboy do not crossover much. I am a big fan of both so I might be biased. I recommend this volume for fans of both.

 

 

My reading copy came by way of the Hoopla App and the Dallas Public Library System.

 

Scott A. Tipple ©2023