It’s a short week for the Comic Review as there are only 4 comics that I read that came out this week. So enjoy.
Nightwing #56
Knight Terrors (Part 7)
Scarecrow and the Nightwing gang (my words not the comics) come face-to-face. The group quickly gets overrun by the mobbed of fear toxin-induced citizens and Scarecrow quickly gets the upper hand. It’s not long before Zac (one of fake Nightwing members) gets shot by a cop infected with the toxin. Ric sees what happened and springs into action feeling he is responsible for what happened. Ric’s instincts kick in and he drives a flaming tire tied to his cab into the mob. The smoke releases the civilians of their fear, and Ric is able to take out the Scarecrow. The Nightwing group decides they are a team and includes Ric to the chagrin of Detective Sapienza, the lead Nightwing member.
This story was fun, it was good to see Ric is starting to go back to being a hero… sort of. The shot on Zac (as Nightwing) may have been what Ric needed to realize he can’t give up the life of Nightwing and that gives me hope he will take over as the only Nightwing in the next few issues. Seems to be getting closer and closer and I can’t wait for it, I am tired of these fakes running around as they are uninteresting.
Batman #62
Knightmares Part 2 “Lost”
Batman appears to be tied up and hanging in a butcher shop while being tortured by Professor Pyg. He can’t hear what Pyg is saying for most of the issue and spends most of it trying to free himself and figure out how he got there in the first place and how to get it out. After he breaks through the ropes he overcomes Pyg, but not before getting stabbed. After Batman is able to regain some thought process he finally asks Pyg how get got in the butcher shop and how does he get out. Pyg recites the “Little Pig, Little Pig” line from the 3 little pigs over and over again, before taking off the mask to reveal he is Damian.
It appears that Batman is affected by the Joker toxin or something from the previous issue(s) and is in a dream state. During the course of the comic, he remembers the shot on Nightwing, Alfred talking about his (Bruce Wayne’s) father, etc. I don’t know what to make of it as I am a bit lost. Not sure if it’s because maybe I don’t remember the last issue to well but the suspense definitely grows but the end of the issue. With leaving more questions then answers it makes me want more.
Captain Marvel #1
Re-entry
Captain Marvel returns to Manhattan and helps Jessica Drew a.k.a Spider-Woman take down a Kraken. Once she finishes, Tony Stark shows up to take away the beast for testing or what-not and alerts Carol (Captain Marvel) that they will meet later. Once Carol shows up at Tony’s office he alerts her that she needs to do an interview in order to keep public relations good as she has been missing for some time. Carol begrudgingly agrees as she really wants no part of it. Once the formalities are out of the way Tony quickly changes the subject to get Captain Marvel to help Hazmat, a super-hero in training, as Hazmat can’t stand Tony. Again, Carol agrees against her will.
While trying to talk with Hazmat Rhodey shows up and the two (Carol and Rhodey) start rekindling their relationship. During their “semi” date/catch up session, they are interrupted by Ripley, the reporter to interview Captain Marvel. Carol starts the interview while they are walking and is suddenly blindsided with a blast from Nuclear Man. The fight seems to end rather quickly with Captain Marvel subduing him. The Avengers (Iron Man, Captain America, and Thor) show up to help but are a little too late. It is revealed that Nuclear Man is playing opossum and uses a “weakening ray” on the team and takes off with Ripley as a hostage through a portal. Captain Marvel springs into action and goes through just before the portal closes leaving the Avengers wondering where she went.
I wasn’t sure if I was going to jump on this bandwagon after reading “The Life of Captain Marvel” series, but I am glad I did as this is the best comic of the week. It started out with a quick battle and some entertaining banter between Jessica and Carol. The banter and writing in this issue is some of the best so far that I have read in any comic. The conversations feel real and flow very well. The comic was also very action packed with two different battles and a good cliff hanger.
Man Without Fear #2
Matt is now awake in the hospital and Kristen McDuffie is back to help nurse him to health. Kristen seems to be an old girlfriend of Matt’s who wants to rekindle the relationship. Matt tells her that he is giving up being DareDevil and things will be normal. Kristen tells Matt she has some business in upstate NY and departs but tells him she will be back and they will get him out of the hospital and go home together.
After she leaves, Matt talks with Foggy and confides in him that he is scared of being normal. Being bound to a wheelchair and not even being able to walk when he used to “fly” scares him. Foggy ensures him that there is nothing to fear as normal is a lot easier than being DareDevil. After Foggy leaves, Matt falls back to sleep and is confronted by “Fear” again. Fear tells him that Kristen is going to end up like Karen, Elektra, etc. (dead) once his adversaries find out that DareDevil is nothing but a crippled blind man now.
The first issue was definitely better than this second issue. However, I am suspect on Kristen. The comic shows that Matt and she have a past, but I wonder if her leaving for upstate is part of some villain plan. Why leave your loved one in a hospital in what appears to be a critical shape to go away for work? Since this is a small 5 issue mini-series my guess is this is all going to come together relatively quickly in the next issue to two.
