DC Digital Mini Reviews February 22th - 26th (Milestone Returns Infinite Edition #0, Represent! #5, Sensational Wonder Woman #8, Truth & Justice #8)

This week was very rich for DC digital firsts. We had the start of a new series, mini The Next Batman: Second Son (review is here). Then we had three installments of ongoings and one-shot Milestone Returns Infinite Edition #0.

Pearls of Digital Comics:Jessica Jones: Blind Spot

This is a series of articles about the best titles in the history of digital comics. And this is the first article about Marvel comics on this site. House of Ideas had two big digital first initiatives - Infinite Comics and Marvel Digital Originals. This six digital chapter title started the later. It was then printed in three oversized printed issues and one TPB.

Private detective Jessica Jones was created by Brian Michael Bendis in the Marvel Max comic book Alias. Since she was a member of New and Mighty Avengers and Defenders, she had two series of her own TV Show and she married Luke Cage after being pregnant with him. Digital First series Jessica Jones: Blind Spot is starting here.

Mini Review: The Next Batman: Second Son #1 (9/10)

DC comics just started a digital-first mini-series which is pretty unique even for them as leading digital comics publisher. It is the origin of Tim Fox which is the new Batman in Future State and it is very possible that there will be more of him in other titles. There was only one similar series, “Arrow: The Dark Archer”, but it told the origin of the villain and it was set not in the main DC Universe but in Arrowverse.

It is very good news that for the first chapter you don't need to read Future State nor “Dark Nights: Death Metal” which set basics for the future seen in Future State. You will find Tim Fox straight in action in Vietnam at some stealth operation. As always, it will not be as expected and it will continue to be a big danger. For almost complete issue only one thing known from Future State is Vol, some remote collaborator of Tim. Only on the last page we are meeting persons which Tim apparently knows.

DC Digital Mini Reviews February 15th - 19th (Represent! #3, Sensational Wonder Woman #7, Truth & Justice #7)

This week we had three issues. Irt is standard DC Digital production for last three weeks, since “Challenge of Super Sons”´s break started. Bit next week is mini-serie “The Next Batman: Second Son” and we have also robust start of Milestone Revival, one-shot Milestone Returns: Infinite Edition #0. But this week we had a nice chapter of Represent!, very good Sensational Wonder Woman half-story and superb start of John Contantine issue in Truth 7 Justice.
 

Mini review: Truth & Justice #6 (8.5/10)

Conclusion of Superman’s story in Truth & Justice is able to ask deep social questions behind the action story. At the beginning we have one of Superman' s older villains explaining what was his motivation and why all this thing about prisoner’ s teleportation happened. Chapter is ending with Clark’ s article contains some harsh facts.

All these three chapters were very fine and good to read. Brandon Easton shows that it is not so hard to write action stories with huge moral points and even make contributions to Black History Month. First DC story illustrated by Jahnoy Lindsay proves that his sharp lines and over-mimic faces fitts to superhero comics, even to that of the first superhero. I hope that DC will have more work for him.

Mini review: Sensational Wonder Woman #6 (9/10)

Sixth installment of Sensational Wonder Woman brings first Diana´s team-up with DC A list hero. Even the most popular - Bruce Wayne, but only in his “civil” identity. Itś not the only reason why this is for me the best chapter from this title to date.

Bruce is doing one of things for what is he most famous - organizing the gala. Like at almost all his parties we have uninvited guest. It is one of his best villains even if not so famous as he deserves. And Diana is resolving the situation.

News: Digital Justice League by Chip Zdarsky

Chip Zdarsky, author known from various Marvel titles as Peter Parker, The Spectacular Spider-Man, Star Lord and now writing one of best current Marvel comics Daredevil, will write digital first  limited series starring Justice League.

Titled Justice League: Last Ride, the series will include the team's failure, breakup and events after it. It will start on April 14 and will have 16 digital chapters then collected in eight printed issues (first released on May 11). Each digital chapter will have 10 pages, so Zdarsky and artist Miguel Mendonça will use full page format.

Mini Review: Represent! #3 (8/10)

DC Comics is treating Black History Month really seriously. Not only in a lot of Future State issues, in The Other History of DC Universe, but also in digital first comics. anti-racist issues of Thuth & Justice, origin of New Batman in Second Son, but mainly Represent! anthology are strong comic book additions to it. After brilant second issues by Jesse J. Holland we have next installment by Regine L. Sawyer, Afro American author known from few small press comic books, owner of one of small press and writer of one of recent stories in Death Metal tie-ins.

Pearls of Digital Comics: Arrowverse tie-ins

I want to look at the best things from the history of digital comics. I’m starting with Arrowverse tie-ins because this has probably most known trade paperbacks (even in Slovakia we have them, in czech translation). But this series of articles (as all this blog) will be not only about DC, I want to write abot Marvel Infinite comics and Comixology Originals later

First Arrowverse tie-in came even before the first Arrowverse TV show started. Arrow Special Edition #1 was released for guests of San Diego Comic Con in July 2012, then distributed to comics shops. It was preview of first episode plis few pages from New 52’ s Green Arrow (vol.5) #1. It wasn’t digital and you can read digitally in the first TPB of Arrow 2012 series. 

Mini review: Sensational Wonder Woman #5 (7.5/10)

First single-chapter story of Sensational Wonder Woman is very female-ish. Main hero is a journalist who just wants good photos on her phone. And it´s not only Wonder Woman who she meets during her trip to the ocean.

It is not only the first story in one chapter for this series, but it is also the first which is written and drawn by the same person. Colleen Doran is known for her Legion of Superheroes, The Sandman and Amazing Spider-man works. She also wrote the autobiography of Stan Lee and adapted Neil Gaiman's short story Snow, Glass, Apples for which she received the Eisner Award.

Mini review: Truth & Justice #5 (8/10)

Only four days after the first Superman´s chapter of the anthology Truth & Justice we have another one.

This is one of the stories where two sides of his personality have two different quests. Clark Kent is still investigating why prisoners are found at home without memory of how they came there. During this investigation he is questioning common people about their fear of other races. Superman is fighting from troubles which came at the end of the previous chapter and he found who is behind it. So we have a very known villain anti-Superman organisation.

Mini Interview: Jesse J. Holland: This was a really hard story to tell

Jesse J. Holland is awarded journalist and novelist. He wrote novelization of Reginald Hudlin´s comics Who Is the Black Panther? for which he was nominated for National Association for the Advancement of Colored People Awards. Now he is editing prose Black Panther anthology. I gave him three questions regarding his yesterday´s digital comics in anthology Represent! #2 (mini review you can find here)

Mini Review: Represent! #2 (9/10)

After more than four months since the free first chapter, DC released another chapter of digital first anthology Represent!. It is centered at common people in their landscapes where their lives are often more interesting than most superheroes. And maybe due to a change of genre, this is for me the best this year’s DC digital chapter to date.