YDRC's Premier Panels 3/27/19
Welcome back to Premier Panels! A weekly round-up of the highest rated books from You Don't Read Comics. This week marked the 80th birthday of DC's iconic Dark Knight, with the company celebrating the hero's debut in a landmark #1000th issue of Detective Comics. DC also premiered the latest iteration of Dial H for Hero and concluded its Hex Wives series from the Vertigo imprint. Doctor Strange encountered Galactus in his ongoing, and indie darlings Black Hammer and Isola continue to impress with issues #9 and #7 respectively. All this and more in the reviews below!
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Age of X-Man: The X-Tremists 2 - Grade A
“It’s a bit of a relief to see an issue like this pop out of the Age of X-Man event. A couple of months in, it’s begun to have serious pacing issues as the same thematic elements were echoed through nearly every title without and issue adding anything terribly novel. With any luck, there will be more than a few Age of X-Man issues like this in the months to come.”- Russ Bickerstaff
Batgirl 33 - Grade A
“Though the issue fits into a more massive crossover event, Scott and Casagrande put together a story that stands quite well on its own. There are more profound implications of the overall psyche of Barbara Gordon that carry plot lines from previous issues, thus making this a chapter in the life of a crime fighter that works well both on its own AND as a part of a long-running saga.”
Black Hammer Age of Doom 9 - Grade A+
“The world continues to grow ever so large. This ambitious tale expands with every new issue and mini-series still to come. Lemire and Ormston have indeed worked together and created something magical that will stand the test of time. Akin to a 90’s Vertigo series, this title ascends time and supplants itself into the source wall of comics as a whole.”
Black Widow 3 - Grade A
“There’s no question that the Soskas have a very definite plot for the series with a clear progression. There’s an end coming. It’s undeniable. Too bad it can’t keep going after the end of this story. The Soskas have a very sophisticated grasp of what makes Black Widow such an interesting character. “- Russ Bickerstaff
Detective Comics 1000 - Grade A+
“Detective Comics continues to reign as the premiere Bat-title currently on the market. This milestone issue gushes with the love and affinity that the creators feel for this character as a gift to the fans. Standing as the poster child for DC Comics, sorry Superman, this issue will hope to bring in longtime Batman fans that might be new to the actual comic book community and create new readers, even if just for more Batman titles.”- Rick Lopez
Dial H for Hero 1 - Grade A
“Dial H For Hero #1 is a promising start to what looks like another win for the Wonder Comics imprint. This first issue makes a lot of great connections; here’s hoping the call doesn’t get dropped as the series continues.”- Jason A. Fleece
Doctor Strange 11 - Grade A-
“Strange and Galactus are two of the more ridiculously powerful beings in the Marvel Universe. A meeting between the two of them could prove to be interesting so long as Waid respects the dizzying complexity of the Marvel Universe as the two of them interact. There’s enough complexity in this first chapter to suggest that Waid knows what he’s doing here. The initial issue of the “Herald Supreme” story is a suitably ominous intro to an account of great potential.”- Russ Bickerstaff
Hex Wives 6 - Grade A
“It’s a satisfying wrap-up to the initial six issues. At the outset of the series back in October, Blacker and Andolfo said they wanted to keep doing the series indefinitely. There are so many places the story could go from here, and there are quite a few mysteries revealed in the sixth issue for Blacker and Andolfo to uncover. The ensemble of witches has been introduced. From here it could get really interesting.”- Russ Bickerstaff
Isola 7 - Grade A+
Isola looks like no other book on the market as this trio bring about something extraordinary with this series. From the grand landscapes to the heartfelt and budding relationship between Rook and Olwyn, this series delivers the love and care to show what a creator-owned comic can accomplish. By far the selling point of the series is easily the spectacular artwork, luckily it is accompanied by an equally heartwarming as well as a heart-wrenching tale to display the weight this series is capable of.
Man-Eaters 7 - Grade A+
“Cain and Niemczyk continue to bring something genuinely compelling to comics with a breath of fresh air to the medium. Their unique framing and pacing of a mystery story open endless possibilities for the nearly 100-year-old comic book medium that make it feel new again. As the series progresses, the long-running issues of plot development in an unfolding mystery will eventually emerge, but for now, it’s fun to watch Cain, Niemczyk and company play with an inventively novel idea in such a whimsically deft way.”- Russ Bickerstaff
