Grayson Annual #1

Writer – Tim Seeley, Tom King
Artist – Stephen Mooney
Colours – Jeremy Cox

Grayson comes out of the gate with another win, this time delivering a tale ‘Unusual Suspects’ style by providing the reader with the unexpected, though when you think back on it, maybe it should have been apparent.  Taking place in Dublin with flashbacks to Gotham, the story sees a crook trying to sell off Helena Bertinelli whom he has captured to some other crooks, specifically the man called St. Francis.  To do so he has to tell his story to a couple of people who are lower down the ladder and if they believe his tale, then things can proceed.  Of course the story that is related is extremely convincing because even you as a reader believe it.  Tim Seeley and Tom King have been killing it on this title with every issue being so utterly compelling that you probably find it sliding closer to the top of your read pile every time an issue is released.  Out of all the Bat-books, this is the one that does not even seem like it is part of the family.  It does have two fan-favourite characters in Dick Grayson and Helena, yet it uses the world as its stage and tells all number of stories, something the main Bat-titles do not.  The twist in the book is a classic and you do not see it coming which made this issue all the better for it.  Sometimes you just need a good spy-caper to read or watch and this book definitely hits the right spot each and every month.  If there is one title that demands your attention, Grayson is it.

4.5 out of 5

Earth 2 World’s End #12

Writer – Daniel H. Wilson, Marguerite Bennett, Mike Johnson
Artist – Scott McDaniel, Robson Rocha, Guillermo Ortego, Eduardo Pansica, Paul Neary, Jack Herbert, Vicente Cifuentes, Jorge Jiminez, Tyler Kirkham, Joe Weems
Colours – Mike Atiyeh

There is a lot going on in this book as Darkseid is freed of his prison, Barda has turned traitor, the Earth is losing its battle against Apokolips on multiple fronts, Batman’s team is just standing around and the Huntress has become a full-fledged Fury and is out to destroy some heroes.  The action keeps right up from the previous issue and things are happening very quickly with the various plans to save the planet having failed.  All that can happen now is to see how many people are able to be saved before the Earth is no more, but even that is going to be hard in the doing.  The best thing about this book aside from the story is the pacing as it rarely ever lets up while the worst thing continues to be the use of multiple artists to give it a very uneven look from one scene to the next.  Some parts of the book will look great and some not so much and it is a real shame as it makes it a little garish in having so many artists on one title.  It was great seeing Helena and Power Girl face off against one another, and even though Power Girl thinks she can help her friend, it looks as if there is no going back once transformed into a Fury.  There was not a lot of character development going on, which was fine, but it will be good to see The Atom getting back in on the action, hopefully, with the next issue.  World’s End is still a solid title twelve issues in with only a few weak spots that occasionally rear their head, but ultimately, it is worth your time.

3.5 out of 5