Habemus Papam: Pope Leo XIV

Habemus Papam. Robert Cardinal Prevost of the United States has been elected Pope Leo XIV.

Review: Shazam #16 thru 21: Final Issues

I let my reviews of the current Shazam series slide as I found reviewing this series to become more and more of a chore. But just as I predicted, the series was cancelled with issue 21.  Never the less I can review the final 5 out of 6 issues* with one word: mediocre. 

(* issue 20 for some reason was an awful Shazam-Superboy team up fill-in issue that did not need to be there.)

This series started out so promising with issue 1 only to fall off a cliff, reverting back to the abysmal new52 status quo.  To be fair, this series did make progress in one area: giving the Captain a distinct and more mature personality from Billy.  But really, it is too little too late. I doubt this current take on the classic character will ever become successful, and DC can attempt as many series and movies as they want, but it will all ultimately end in failure.  

What needs to happen is to scrap the entire New52 Curse of Shazam continuity and history, and establish the Multiversity: Thunderworld Adventures continuity as the main DC Captain Marvel.  And yet part of me thinks even if DC were to do this, unless they had a truly dedicated editor such as Carl Shinyama or Alex Ross guiding the series, DC would still find a way to screw it up, blow it off course, and end up giving Captain Marvel another failure in his column.

Review: Batman '89: Echoes #5

As with the previous issue, there is a whole lot of plot crammed into this issue.  The story opens with Barbara interrogating Alfred at Wayne Manor.  Bruce surprises both of them by showing up.  There is exposition explaining the break out. 

Meanwhile Dr Q is attempting a publicity stunt hostage scam using the other escaped inmates that backfires, as her producer double crosses her, and convinces her TV network not to give in to terrorism.  

Bruce plans out a trap to get Crane, and exhibits a residue of Batman fear from his earlier treatment by Crane.  Dr. Q fully embraces the Harley Quinn persona to exact revenge.  As Batman is about to capture Crane, a mob associated with the comatose Kashif character that was introduced an issue or so back, challenge Batman by saying they are taking Crane.  

This is a very brief and simple synopsis but Sam Hamm's script is very dense. It also includes a cameo by the Joker's moll Alicia, whom supposedly jumped out a window, perhaps with the Joker's help, to her death off screen in the first movie.  

The artwork in this issue may be the best yet, and it is note worthy that artist Joe Quinones is assisted with another penciller, Stacey Lee, and inker Paolo Rivera.  This issue earns a B+.