Review: DC/Young Animal: Milk Wars
Comic Reviews Jonathan Edwards Comic Reviews Jonathan Edwards

Review: DC/Young Animal: Milk Wars

By Jonathan Edwards

DC/Young Animal: Milk Wars is a weird kind of crossover. I know, big surprise from the story about the extradimensional corporation Retonn weaponizing milk to “homogenize” the DCU. But, what I mean is, it’s not a dedicated five-issue miniseries, nor is it a five-part story taking place in single issues of the various books involved. Instead, it’s five separate one-shots, each pairing DC and Young Animal characters. Now, Grant Morrison did something similar with The Multiversity, but there, it directly ties into the narrative. Whereas, with Milk Wars, it’s a stylistic choice more than anything else. But, what makes it truly strange is the fact that two of the one-shots, Mother Panic/Batman Special #1and Shade the Changing Girl/Wonder Woman Special #1 have little to no impact on the plot. You could remove both of those issues and their respective characters, and the story literally wouldn’t change at all.

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Review: Eternity Girl #5
Comic Reviews Kelly Gaines Comic Reviews Kelly Gaines

Review: Eternity Girl #5

By Kelly Gaines

A moment of real communication between Caroline and Rick dissolves into chaos, and much like the rest of Caroline's relationships, volatile reactions pull her deeper into an internal void. Eternity Girl #5 is a beautifully crafted issue; well done enough to almost be worth the horrible sinking feeling it's created in my chest. Caroline is a creature of conflict and self-alienation. Profound as her awareness may be, she seems to be missing a key point: the more she isolates herself, the bigger threat she poses. Stopping her isn't about friendship, loyalty, or compassion- it's about saving lives at any cost. 

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Review: Mother Panic Gotham A.D. #4
Comic Reviews Kelly Gaines Comic Reviews Kelly Gaines

Review: Mother Panic Gotham A.D. #4

By Kelly Gaines

Violet is a contender- make no mistake about that. She's an heir to the Paige fortune, a rival to Gotham's dark underbelly, and the defending "costume" of Gotham. In this reality, Batman may be gone, but his fight is not forgotten. Whether she likes it or not, Violet Paige/ Mother Panic/ The White Witch is one of the only forces in Gotham actively fighting to heal the city's open wounds. The rescue mission to recover her mother from Arkham was a success that unfortunately cast light directly into Violet's operation. In her eyes, she's saved her mother from pain and exploitation. But to Gala and the rest of Gotham's criminal collective, Violet has stolen a priceless piece in their human gallery: The Oracle of Gotham. 

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Review: Shade the Changing Woman #4
Comic Reviews Kelly Gaines Comic Reviews Kelly Gaines

Review: Shade the Changing Woman #4

By Kelly Gaines

The Cray are coming. We know how Paul Revere would have handled the situation, but Shade is having a much more difficult time sounding the alarm for Earth’s approaching doom. Readers have become well acquainted with the more risque and criminal parts of Loma/ Meghan/ Shade’s past and Shade the Changing Woman #4 visits a new memory. Though Shade has tried hard to forget this piece of her past, the memory holds a long lost fear that may be Earth’s only hope.

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Review: Eternity Girl #3
Comic Reviews Kelly Gaines Comic Reviews Kelly Gaines

Review: Eternity Girl #3

By Kelly Gaines

Good news everyone! Sloan is alive and well, possibly homeless, and asking the police to turn a blind eye to the rogue superwoman that blew up his home. His wife and kids are fine too- if anyone was wondering. On to important matters. Eternity Girl #3 continues Caroline’s graceful slide into what I assume is complete insanity. How else do you justify the desire to end all existence forever? There’s something eerie about a determined and motivational dialogue geared towards the ultimate mass murder. It’s the same passion and righteousness read in the lines of the Justice League, and somehow, it makes you root for Caroline. Sympathy for the devil? Maybe not. But it’s sympathy for a unique kind of darkness, one that is equally inviting and terrifying.

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Review: Doom Patrol #11
Comic Reviews Jonathan Edwards Comic Reviews Jonathan Edwards

Review: Doom Patrol #11

By Jonathan Edwards

Doom Patrol#11 really, really should’ve come out before Milk Wars. I already knew that going in, but after reading through it, it’s pretty baffling that DC would ever let that event happen before this issue. From setting up Milkman Man to establishing this version of Cliff as being from fanfiction to explaining where the Doom Patrol just came from and what they’re talking about at the beginning of JLA/Doom Patrol Special #1, several things from Milk Wars make considerably less sense without first being touched upon here. All that being said, Doom Patrol #11 is itself a great issue with a lot going on in it.

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Review: Eternity Girl #2
Comic Reviews Kelly Gaines Comic Reviews Kelly Gaines

Review: Eternity Girl #2

By Kelly Gaines

I hope that Eternity Girl, in whatever plane of reality she exists, understands that I am in no way trying to come at this from a place of judgment. That being said- is she out of her fucking mind? Caroline, a.k.a Eternity Girl, a.k.a the world’s most reluctant immortal, has continued her nihilistic parade of self-hatred into issue #2 and wrapped the issue up with a nonsensical and unproductive display of power. It’s 2018, so most comic readers no better than to expect a clean cut hero against villain narrative. We’re wading through the age of the anti-hero. That’s not a complaint; I do believe that heroes with a grey morality can teach powerful lessons about personal responsibility. I’m not sure yet what sort of lesson Eternity Girl is trying to teach and to be fair; no one said readers should expect her to be a superhero. Eternity Girl #2 has tumbled from the shades of grey between good and evil and landed firmly in pure not okay, what the fuck are you doing, evil.

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Review: Shade the Changing Woman #2
Comic Reviews Kelly Gaines Comic Reviews Kelly Gaines

Review: Shade the Changing Woman #2

By Kelly Gaines

Don’t let the bright colors and swirling patterns fool you- Shade the Changing Woman #2 takes Shade’s new arc down a darker road than before. Post Milk Wars, Loma/ Megan/ Shade, has died and been reborn, shedding the skin of her former identities and settling into her role as the new Shade. Accompanied by her Raq Shade spirit guide, the Changing Woman is trying to find her place in a world that doesn’t seem to want her in it. I’ve heard the criticism that Shade the Changing Girl stripped the Shade mythology of its previous complexity. If you’re one of those critics, don’t jump ship just yet. This series is barreling towards a dizzying existential crisis and taking all of us readers along for the ride.

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Review: Eternity Girl #1
Comic Reviews Kelly Gaines Comic Reviews Kelly Gaines

Review: Eternity Girl #1

By Kelly Gaines

DC’s Young Animal imprint has added a new hero to their roster with the mysterious, nihilistic, and clinically depressed Eternity Girl #1. Once an overachieving student, Caroline Sharp is recruited by an agency known as Alpha 13. Her devoted service royally screws Caroline when her accidentally obtained superpowers go haywire and destroy the Alpha 13 home office. Caroline, horribly disfigured and struggling with her new abilities, is placed on indefinite leave and forced into psychiatric treatment. What do you do when you’re suspended from work, can’t maintain your human form, and can’t die no matter how hard you try? Drink. Drink a lot. Fortunately for Caroline, there must be a God, because her superhuman imperviousness left her with one crucial human component- the ability to get fucked up.

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Review: Cave Carson Has A Cybernetic Eye - Swamp Thing #1
Comic Reviews Kelly Gaines Comic Reviews Kelly Gaines

Review: Cave Carson Has A Cybernetic Eye - Swamp Thing #1

By Kelly Gaines

I used to think I was incredibly lucky in terms of friendship. I’ve always believed myself to be one of those fortunate few who have an infallible support system of loving companions who tough out the bad times and make the good times shine brighter. Turns out, I don’t know shit about friendship. Real friends risk life and limb to fight for your cause. Real friends warn you when alien psychos are about to force you to wear khakis. Real friends live in your stomach until the time comes for you to vomit them up so together you can save the world. Swamp Thing is a real friend. Swamp Thing should do a TED Talk.

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Review: Shade the Changing Girl - Wonder Woman #1
Comic Reviews Kelly Gaines Comic Reviews Kelly Gaines

Review: Shade the Changing Girl - Wonder Woman #1

By Kelly Gaines

I don’t really know where to begin here. All my years of studying literature and critical theory have not prepared me for this. I’ve seen Wonder Woman breastfeed a Dustbuster. I didn’t know that was something I should be afraid of experiencing- how could I? I find myself drawing on the distinct memory of the first time I saw Alice in Wonderland as a child. I was disturbed to my core by the fact that a little girl was lost in such a bizarre place and the adults she encountered seemed to be more dedicated to making it worse than helping. I had nightmares about the Queen of Hearts screaming “off with her head!” for weeks, and don’t get me started on the oyster story.

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DC’S YOUNG ANIMAL POP-UP IMPRINT RECEIVES A REMIX WITH NEW TITLES AND SERIES
Press Releases Press Release Press Releases Press Release

DC’S YOUNG ANIMAL POP-UP IMPRINT RECEIVES A REMIX WITH NEW TITLES AND SERIES

Press Release

Following the events of the DC/Young Animal crossover event “Milk Wars” this winter, the main titles of the DC’s Young Animal line will get a mix-up of their own, with new series titles and story directions. The pop-up imprint, curated by My Chemical Romance frontman Gerard Way, continues to set the bar for innovation in comics, using the five-part event beginning January 31 to send each title back to #1, with strange and crazy new stories. 

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Review: Doom Patrol #7
Comic Reviews Benjamin Snyder Comic Reviews Benjamin Snyder

Review: Doom Patrol #7

By Ben Snyder

Gerard Way continues to pump out the comedy in this humor and exposition filled entry of Doom Patrol. However, the same problems that plagued the last story arc continue to permeate in the beginning of Doom Patrol #7. Despite this, Way provides some hope that this story arc will be different as the team symbolically and literally denies their past and moves on towards the future.

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Review: Cave Carson has a Cybernetic Eye #9
Comic Reviews Shawn Warner Comic Reviews Shawn Warner

Review: Cave Carson has a Cybernetic Eye #9

By Shawn Warner

Cave Carson has a Cybernetic Eye is possibly the best comic book on the racks today, the only problem is that it is most likely one of the most consistently overlooked offerings from DC. Now to be fair it is part of their Young Animal group of more eclectic books, however unlike the Vertigo titles that came before them and dominated the 90’s pre-hipster comic book era with such series as the legendary Sandman by Neil Gaimen, The Preacher by Garth Ennis and countless mind-blowing mini-series by the great Grant Morrison, Young Animal and its leader the uber-cool Gerard Way seem to be stumbling in the dark to find its target audience. In fact, the flagship title, Doom Patrol also penned by Way has just recently been all but officially cancelled. Things seem bleak indeed for Way and his Young Animal cohorts, but that’s the ironic thing here, these books are darn good reads, all of them. However, we are here to speak of Cave Carson so, shall we begin?

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Group Review: Bug! The Adventures of Forager #1
Comic Reviews Comic Bastards Comic Reviews Comic Bastards

Group Review: Bug! The Adventures of Forager #1

It’s not every day that DC’s Young Animal launches a new title and so we’re back again as a site to group review Bug! #1. If this is your first group review from Comic Bastards then here’s the deal, each of the participating writers will give their thoughts and a score on the issue. No averages, just individual scores.

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Review: Shade, the Changing Girl #7
Comic Reviews Levi Remington Comic Reviews Levi Remington

Review: Shade, the Changing Girl #7

By Levi Remington

For an issue that's been marketed as "stand-alone," this week's Shade, the Changing Girl is surprisingly reliant on context. It may not be new-reader friendly, but it's a must for anyone following the series. Read ahead for my thoughts as we dive deep into Loma's past and prepare for the annual winter dance.

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Review: Mother Panic #5
Comic Reviews Levi Remington Comic Reviews Levi Remington

Review: Mother Panic #5

By Levi Remington

As Violet shares a longing for vengeance with her new acquaintance, a breaking point is reached. Meanwhile, a basement dweller by the name of Flannegan is getting friendly with some rats, and as per usual Violet's mother is acting strange. Read ahead for thoughts on this week's issue!

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DC's Announces Next DC's Young Animal Title - BUG! The Adventures of Forager
Press Releases Press Release Press Releases Press Release

DC's Announces Next DC's Young Animal Title - BUG! The Adventures of Forager

DC’s Young Animal is adding more strange and wonderful to the mix with BUG!: THE ADVENTURES OF FORAGER. The new miniseries is an original story that pays tribute to the work of Jack Kirby by featuring his characters, like his version of Sandman and sidekick Sandy, Blue Beetle, Atlas and more! What makes this comic book even more unique is that it’s a family affair—with Lee, Michael and Laura Allred writing, drawing and coloring the book. The six-issue miniseries is set to debut May 10.

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Review: Shade: The Changing Girl #4
Comic Reviews Dustin Cabeal Comic Reviews Dustin Cabeal

Review: Shade: The Changing Girl #4

By Dustin Cabeal

I keep thinking that I’m going to drop this title for review and just read it, but then it’ll entice me just enough that I want to review it. It’s not that it’s the best of the DC’s Young Animal line, but it’s quite possibly one of the best.

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Mini-Reviews: Week of 11/9/16
Comic Reviews Dustin Cabeal Comic Reviews Dustin Cabeal

Mini-Reviews: Week of 11/9/16

By Dustin Cabeal

Something I used to do quite often was mini-reviews. Essentially talk about books that I didn’t want to do a full review for, but still wanted to mention and maybe even attach a score to. If we have a full review for something it won’t show up here, but here’s some titles I read this week that are worth mentioning.

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