The TALKING COMICS Review Round-Up

Every week, the Talking Comics collective posts a mega-list of the comics they’re most excited to pull off the shelves that week. Check back here to see if the comics on the Pull List met the team’s expectations with reviews and quippy quotables!!! Click the links to go to full reviews and reflections!!!

Also, check out our weekly Favorite Comic Book Covers of the Week column for more coverage of last week’s new books!

Also also, our very own Bobby Shortle is keeping an updated weekly ranking of every new DC Rebirth book!!! Check it out!!!

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ARCHIE COMICS

Betty & Veronica #1 – By Adam Hughes

• Verdict: Skip. While Adam Hughes’ art is as always very beautiful (albeit a bit  cheesecake-y), the story quickly falls apart under hackneyed dialogue and overbearing word-balloons. Hughes tries to imbue as much “teen-speak” into Betty & Veronica as possible, turning what is already a tough-to-swallow concept (two teenage girls fighting–DRAMA!) into something nigh unbearable. It is pretty though… – Joey

DARK HORSE COMICS

Black Hammer #1 – By Jeff Lemire and Dean Ormstrom & Dave Stewart 

• VERDICT: Buy it. Black Hammer #1 has the makings of an emotional and mysterious story for anyone who loves reading super hero comics with a twist. I want to know more about these characters, and will most definitely be adding this title to my own personal pull list.  – Steve

[Editor’s Note: For more of Steve’s hot take on Black Hammer #1, click here!!!]

DC COMICS

Batgirl and the Birds of Prey REBIRTH #1 – By Julie Benson & Claire Roe

• Verdict: Meh? I think? There are some good things, some bad things, but this is only the Rebirth issue, so I’m sure there’ll be room to grow once the series kicks up. The writing doesn’t feel like the Barbara and Dinah I grew to love in the Burnside storyline. However, I will continue to give it a shot, at least through the first arc. -Mara
• Verdict: WAIT AND SEE. Look, I know raising questions concerning continuity in the context of DC’s Rebirth is like asking, “so what’s going on with the X-Men?” but the cherry picking of history going on within the pages of Batgirl and Birds of Prey: Rebirth #1 is a real head-scratcher. Series writers Julie and Shawna Benson choose to start this new series with only a partial bit of what’s come before and I’m concerned that this series may devolve in much the same way the New 52 version of the team did back when they didn’t know each other at all. Birds of Prey fans should give this a look, but this isn’t the return to form for the team people are clamoring for. At least not yet anyway. -John D.

[Editor’s Note: For more of John’s thoughts on Batgirl and the Birds of Prey: Rebirth #1, click here!!!]

• Verdict: Not thrilled… I won’t go into too much detail, except to say that while there are things for older fans to embrace, there are others that don’t ring true, and for me personally I was hoping that the new creative team would not “re-canon-ize” The Killing Joke after the departing creators gave them an out.–Bob
• Verdict: A shaky start – As with Bob, I was quietly hoping that Bab’s fate in The Killing Joke would be removed from canon with this as opposed to rubber stamped. Sadly, I think without TKJ there can’t have been an Oracle, so it’s somewhat of a necessary evil now. The characters we come across in this issue didn’t quite hit with me and I’m not sure I’m too keen on the way things are being set up as far as how the ‘band’ getting back together goes. I’ll stick with it for a few more issues and hope for the best. – Huw

Justice League #1 – By Bryan Hitch & Tony S. Daniel 

• Verdict: Check it out – I went into this feeling pretty tentative and I’m glad to say my fears were somewhat allayed. This isn’t shaping up to be a story that’ll win any awards for being intricate, but it’s got a fun summer blockbuster disaster movie feel with just enough intrigue to be enjoyable. It’ll be very interesting to see where things go as the League face a truly global and seemingly extinction level event. A good fun read! – Huw

The Hellblazer: Rebirth #1 – By Simon Oliver & Moritat

• Verdict: Buy It. I’ll admit to having not read a whole lot of Constantine, so those that were enjoying the previous incarnation of the character might not find this one to their liking, or maybe they will. At $2.99, it’s hard not to recommend at least checking out an issue, and The Hellblazer: Rebirth #1 is worth giving a shot. -John D.

IMAGE COMICS

Snotgirl #1 – By Bryan Lee O’Malley & Leslie Hung

• Verdict: BUY. Snotgirl #1 is an impressive and special new comic from veteran Bryan Lee O’Malley and breakout talents Leslie Hung, Mickey Quinn, and Maré Odomo. And holy damn that ending… I need issue #2 now. Check it!

[Editor’s Note: Click here for Joey’s full review of Snotgirl #1!!!!]

MARVEL COMICS

All-New Wolverine #10 – By Tom Taylor & Ig Guara, Victor Olazaba, and Bob Wiacek 

• Verdict: Buy! Another month, another fantastic issue of Tom Taylor’s All-New Wolverine and yet another not-Civil-War-II-tie-in-tie-in. This one kind of sort of deals with Ulysses’ future sight, but it’s more an impetus on what’s to come rather than the content of this issue. This issue is all about family–both Laura and her clone Gabby spend a considerable amount of time with their new house guest, Old Man Logan (who Gabby calls her “interdimensional dystopian future grandpa”–love it!). Seriously, this book is great and I can’t stress enough how little it has to do with Civil War II despite the big banner at the top of the issue’s cover. –John D.

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And that’s our Pull List for this week!!! If you happen to pick up any of these books, please join the conversation here or on twitter and let us know what you think! As we update the site with reviews and verdicts on these comics, we’d love to include your input!

#READCOMICS