Greetings ‘Rama Readers! Pierce Lydon here! We’ve got a number of rapid review for you so we’ll get right to it!

Black Widow #5 (Published by Marvel Comics; Review by Matthew Sibley; ‘Rama Rating: 6 out of 10) Despite almost being blown up at the end of the last issue, Nat has no opportunity to slow down as the Soska Sisters reach the end of their story. She’s barely pulled herself out of the rubble before racing across Madripoor to save more people from Fun Dad. Flaviano and Veronica Gandini aren’t given material as expressionistic as the previous issue to illustrate, but the rhythm of their cross-cutting here is what grants the sequence tension. Even after this race against time, the issue’s narrative momentum can’t slow down due to the ambitious level of material that it intends to provide a conclusion to, with the last scene in particular being something which warrants more than just a couple of pages. Jen and Sylvia Soska have demonstrated an understanding of the Black Widow’s character that makes it easy to wish they had more than these five issues to work with – even just one more to better serve said scene and expand it into its own distinct issue – to see where else they’d take her and to see them get even more used to working in the medium.

Superman #11 (Published by DC Comics; Review by Justin Partridge; ‘Rama Rating: 7 out of 10): Brian Michael Bendis’ grand space opera continues in Superman #11. Picking up directly after last issue’s titanic cliffhanger, which found Superman and Jon facing down a three pronged attack against Jor-El’s ship, Bendis and art team Ivan Reis, Joe Prado, Oclair Albert, and Alex Sinclair deliver literally huge action supported by Bendis’ heartfelt narration. It doesn’t quite have the same intrigue as Action Comics, but the sheer scale and heart of the title cannot be denied. Neither can the issue’s sumptuously cinematic layouts, which are deployed all throughout the major battle. Starting from the opening splash page, one that provides a fresh angle on the whole space battle, Reis and the rest of the art team absolutely go for broke with huge, splashy action harkening back to a more classically visual era of Superman. It might be a little too decompressed, but Superman #11 is still a big, fun time.

Little Bird #3 (Published by Image Comics; Review by Matthew Sibley; ‘Rama Rating: 7 out of 10) The main draw and reason for recommending Little Bird is to see the fruit of Ian Bertram and Matt Hollingsworth’s collaboration. Bertram’s linework is reminiscent of Frank Quitely’s, a comparison that’s strongest when looking at the texture of the character designs which populate this story and the grace of the action beats. The latter’s colours bring life to a world so occupied with death. The miniseries has worked so effectively thus far on a visual level that the narrative’s simplicity hasn’t really mattered, though the conflict has become all the more nuanced as it has progressed. This midpoint in the story gives Little Bird and The Axe their own separate, but equally important missions in the fight; tasks which eventually converge and become further entangled with the New Vatican. With a character that The Axe comes across during his mission and a reveal that comes to the surface during the climax, Darcy Van Poelgeest’s tale now plays like their riff on the original Star Wars trilogy, transplanting some general concepts and beats into the distinct creation of their world. He and his collaborators approach them with a bleaker sensibility, though still find a beauty of sorts in the darker moments.

Daredevil #5 (Published by Marvel Comics; Review by Justin Partridge; ‘Rama Rating: 9 out of 10): “Know Fear” comes to a bittersweet conclusion in Daredevil #5. Pushing his body further and further, Daredevil is hot on the trail of The Owl, who is setting up a drug racket in the wake of “the death” of Daredevil a few issues before. But while Chip Zdarsky, Marco Checchetto, and Sunny Gho deliver some bone crunching action, there is something bigger, more affecting happening just beneath the surface. Thoughts of self-doubt have crept into Matt’s mind and after a gut-punch of a reveal from his Defender compatriots, Murdock realizes that he must now “renounce the Devil” and pack up his mask for good. Zdarsky’s Daredevil so far has been a true return-to-form for the title, engaging in poetic morality and bloody action. Now with this fifth issue Zdarsky looks to commit to his own premise fully, diving deeply into the consequences of Matt Murdock’s heroic life and the toll it takes on his very soul. It probably didn’t need to take five issues to get here, but Daredevil #5 is a brutally entertaining finale for this new volume’s first arc.

Teen Titans #30 (Published by DC Comics; Review by Matthew Sibley; ‘Rama Rating: 3 out of 10) A coda to The Terminus Agenda crossover in which the team was just embroiled in, Teen Titans #30 at first glance promises to get into where the team stands now that they know what Robin’s been doing with the villains they’ve faced. The first half of Adam Glass’ script exists on the verge of insight when it comes to imprisonment and attempts at reform, as Damian mentions how many get sent to Arkham and Blackgate only to wind up back on the streets, though much of the argument is pitched at a level of petty squabbling. Bernard Chang attempts to render this with some flair, with pages where a character’s profile lines one side of a page, but their discussion remains a static and flat scene, just biding time until a fight. Any point that could be made gets tossed aside for an attention-grabbing cameo-driven cliffhanger which delivers no guarantee the series will actually get around to making a final statement about this. Considering that this issue is positioned as an epilogue to the crossover, the fact it doesn’t end on something conclusive (or as conclusive as a serialised medium can provide) renders this half of the crossover a waste.

Spider-Man: Life Story #3 (Published by Marvel Comics; Review by Justin Partridge; ‘Rama Rating: 8 out of 10): It’s Chip Zdarsky’s “Alien Suit Saga” in Spider-Man: Life Story #3. Picking up in the 1980’s, you would assume it would be a bit more broader than the previous issues. And in a way it is, as the creative team provide their world’s version of the “Secret Wars”, in which the heroes of earth were swept into a grander cosmic battle. But at the same time, Zdarsky continues to play the concept of a “real-time Spider-Man” deadly straight, as characters age realistically and the personal and political ramifications of superheroes are explored in depth. It is harrowing stuff. Artists Mark Bagley, John Dell, and Frank D’Armata find a nice synergy with this third issue, using the more darkened color scheme of the era and Black Costume to their advantage. The heavy inks and shadowy colors really sell the grimmer tone of this issue as Peter’s life continues to spin out of control through another decade. Though nowhere near as sunny as Chip’s previous Spider-Man work, Spider-Man: Life Story #3 is still a worthwhile read.

Uncanny X-Men #18 (Published by Marvel Comics; Review by Pierce Lydon; ‘Rama Rating: 6 out of 10): With Jonathan Hickman’s arrival to the X-books imminent, Matthew Rosenberg’s take on Marvel’s merry mutants has lost a lot of its luster. A seemingly endless parade of C-lister deaths have brought a fleeting sense of urgency to the proceedings but its the fallout from Rahne Sinclair’s death that gets the focus here. While Rosenberg is clearly a student of Chris Claremont in terms of delivering an emotional post-death denouement, there’s something bittersweet about the whole thing. Carlos Villa is a vast improvement over Salvador Larroca with a style that doesn’t do too much with what he’s given. But playing it safe works for the big cast and simply delivering on strong linework and consistently recognizable characters goes a long way to making the storytelling fairly smooth. However, this era has increasingly diminishing returns as as it seemingly can on tread water until the next big relaunch.

From: https://www.newsarama.com/45221-best-shots-rapid-fire-reviews-black-widow-5-superman-11-daredevil-5-teen-titans-30-more.html

DC Comics Universe and Superman #11 Spoilers and Review follows.

Battle With Rogol Zaar Unites Superman, Superboy, Supergirl, Jor-El / Mr. Oz As House Of El, But…

…What About House Of Zod?!

The issue opens with a flashback in the Phantom Zone with Rogol Zaar having defeated Dru-Zod aka General Zod and ordering him to help get him out of this Kryptonian prison.

Then in modern day, Superman, Superboy and Jor-El are caught in the middle of a three-pronged attack of the Thanagarians (of Hawkman fame), the Khunds and the Trillium Collective.

Superman tries to have all three commit to a cease-fire…

…but it seems the genesis of this skirmish is with Jor-El / Mr. Oz?!

In super-speed, Superman and Jor-El talk about what’s up, as Superboy listen, but…

…a freed Rogol Zaar attacks!

It appears General Zod may be on his side as he looms of Superboy…

…who isn’t afraid of Zod!

Superman and Rogol Zaar battle as Zod looks troubled / conflicted.

Looks like Superman sees all of his fellow Kryptonians, his family and even Zod, as part of his House of El as…

…Supergirl enters the fray with Zaar’s weapon!

The cross-over with Supergirl begins and continues in Supergirl #31!

The Pulse:

Another action-packed issue with lots of drama and mystery rendered beautifully. Some confusing bits, but that may be design as the story isn’t over yet and all will likely be explained. 8 out of 10.

Tags: House of Zod, Jon Kent, Jor-El, Mr. Oz, Superboy, Supergirl, Superman

From: https://insidepulse.com/2019/05/15/dc-comics-universe-superman-11-spoilers-review-battle-with-rogol-zaar-unites-superman-superboy-supergirl-jor-el-mr-oz-as-house-of-el-but-what-about-house-of-zod/

From: https://comicbook.com/dc/2019/05/13/supergirl-tyler-hoechlin-superman-dceu-casting/

Justice League, DC’s flagship team book that ran screaming out of the pages of Dark Nights: Metal and Justice League: No Justice, is on its 24th issue this week, and it’s been a run full of amazing things. New fundamental forces. A return to super villainy from Lex Luthor. Retcons galore. A telepathic starfish in a jar. But the most amazing thing about it is that after banging out 500 pages of comics, Scott Snyder, James Tynion IV, Jim Cheung, Jorge Jimenez and the rest of the crew haven’t even thought about tapping the brakes for a second.

This book barely lets up for a page. And that’s especially true of this week’s issue, of which DC sent along a preview. Jorge Jimenez continues his run on “The Sixth Dimension” story, and he and Alejandro Sanchez just destroy the art on this issue. Two things from the preview jump right out at me: the light and the grime.

The grime is obvious enough: Superman is inside his own head, being tortured by his own despair as he floats in a sixth dimensional void. The crap is all over his face because he’s been imprisoned there (by Sixth Dimensional Superman, of course) for a while and has been struggling to get out. But it feels so real, the smudges and smears on his face. It doesn’t look like someone was drawing grime on him; it looks like he was rubbing it out of his eye or had his head in his hands.

The second is the lighting. In the panel with Clark leaving the house, he’s backlit taking a memory lantern outside for Jon, and it’s this perfect combination of melancholy and ominous. That’s probably on Sanchez a little more than Jimenez, but these two have been knocking it out of the park this entire story arc and it continues here.

Snyder is, of course, continuing to go wild on this book in a way he never really did before. Until All-Star Batman he felt restrained, like the atmosphere he was going for was noir detective and everything he wrote would be nudged under that umbrella. He doesn’t feel constrained to noir here, and instead he’s just letting his craziest ideas bounce around, relishing the absurdity, and leaning into the more ridiculous plot beats inherent in superhero comics.

Here’s what DC has to say about the issue:

JUSTICE LEAGUE #24 written by SCOTT SNYDER
art by JORGE JIMENEZ
variant cover by JEROME OPENA
“The Sixth Dimension” chapter five! The League’s plan is in full swing, but one member of the team isn’t on board with their message and sides with the World Forger! Betrayed, there’s only one person who can turn the tide of this battle. Can Superman find the strength to escape his prison planet and save the Justice League, or is the League doomed to live out their days trapped in the Sixth Dimension?!

One last thing: I’m not usually one to go on about variant covers. They’re nice, but they’re speculator incentives, and I stopped worrying about speculative value of comics when I found a copy of Ultimate X-Men #3 sitting next to the toilet one day. I buy these comics to read them, not because they’re going to be worth something someday. That said, if it gets me a regular run on Superman, the League, Wonder Woman, the New Gods, the Legion or whoever from Jerome Opeña, I will buy and slab a thousand copies of this comic myself. He is my favorite artist working. 

Take a look at these preview pages, and congrats to Snyder and family on their new arrival!

From: https://www.denofgeek.com/us/books/justice-league/281067/superman-fades-away-in-justice-league-24

For years now, gamers have been wondering what the development team at Rocksteady Studios has been up to. After putting a bow on their Batman Arkham trilogy with Batman Arkham Knight, Rocksteady has gone dark with discussions about their next project, although that hasn’t stopped fans from speculating and rumors from flying.

The latest rumor comes by way Eddie Stubbington, who apparently is joining the Rocksteady Studios team in the Quality Assurance department. Initially, Stubbington included a gif of the DC Comics hero and villain lineup with his announcement but later changed it to a gif of Jonah Hill excitedly screaming. The original tweet was live just long enough to have fans speculating.

It could just be a coincidence, but the choice of DC Comics has plenty speculating that Stubbington is hinting at what Rocksteady is working on next. And the fact he changed the tweet is only going to further those rumors. Not that any new info was necessary to have fans thinking a DC Comics follow-up is in Rocksteady’s future.

Ever since Rocksteady Studios completed Batman Arkham Knight, there has been speculation that the developer would return to the world of DC Comics, albeit in a different form. First there were rumors and speculation that Rocksteady was working on an open world Superman game, similar to the Batman games but with more freedom of movement. However, additional sources shut down the Superman game rumors.

New Rocksteady employee posted and deleted a Justice League gif.@IronGamer15 @slcmof @Salvage1009 @CabooseEK pic.twitter.com/pAi0qu05Wp

— James Sigfield (@Jsig212James) May 10, 2019

Then, rumors and speculation suggested that Rocksteady was working on a Justice League game. And once again other reports shut down those rumors, although not completely.

And then most recently, there was a rumor that Rocksteady’s project is a Suicide Squad game. It was the most unexpected of the candidates for Rocksteady’s next game, but it also seemed the most believable, if only because Suicide Squad has jumped in the limelight thanks to its film projects.

All that is to say Rocksteady Studios is strongly expected to be working on another game within the DC Comics universe. And Eddie Stubbington’s tweet further adds fuel to the fire. Perhaps fans will hear more about what Rocksteady Studios is working on during E3 2019 next month.

Source: Gamin Realm

From: https://gamerant.com/rocksteady-studios-justice-league-dc-game/

Marvel Comics’ Editor-in-Chief C.B. Cebulski says the company plans “an exclusive announcement” on Friday, as well as name more creators involved with its mystery August 2019 project(s). All that, and some art.

Phase two complete. Yesterday, it was ads. Today, it was tweets. Tomorrow, it’s an exclusive announcement. With more creators. And art. #MarvelComics #MakingAList #TheresEvenMoreToCome

— C.B. Cebulski (@CBCebulski) May 9, 2019

Cebulski didn’t specify if “exclusive announcement” meant the announcement of a new creator under a new ‘exclusive’ agreement, or if it was something else. The “exclusive announcement” could mean an announcement made exclusively by Marvel Comics, likely related to the creative teams named in the “ads and tweets” Cebulski mentions.

Given Cebulski’s past as Marvel’s globe-trotting talent scout however, it’s also possible the announcement could be a new creator or creators going Marvel exclusive. Superman artist Patrick Gleason was announced as a Marvel ‘exclusive’ creator last weekend.

From: https://www.newsarama.com/45117-marvel-plans-to-announce-new-exclusive-friday.html

DC has provided ComicBook.com with an exclusive preview of Superman #11 from writer Brian Michael Bendis and the art team of Ivan Reis, Joe Prado, Oclair Albert, and colorist Alex Sinclair. The “Unity Saga” comes to a dramatic head in this issue as the Superman family go to war while Rogol Zaar continues to beat on General Zod. Since the beginning of Bendis’s run, Zaar has been a constant presence, driving story forward in a way that, almost a year agonow, Bendis promised would pay off big time a year from then — son don’t be surprised if “The Unity Saga” and the upcoming events in the Superman titles get a little crazy.

“I called up, and I said, ‘I’m not pitching, but have you ever done a story about what really happened to Krypton?'” Bendis explained of Rogol Zaar’s real-world origins. “And then Dan [DiDio] did this voice — and it’s a voice, as a fellow author, you know this is the good voice. He just goes, ‘Why, what really happened?’ And then, you know you’re going to have a good time. That started the ball rolling for here and opening up the historical precedent of what happened with Krypton. What were the other elements in the universe going on during that? How did other people react to it when it happened? Not only is it, obviously, a genocide of the highest order, but that kind of thing affects the entire galaxy, and we’re going to see how that’s been playing out over the years.”

Superman (2018) #11
Gallery

You can check out the official synopsis below, and the images in the attached gallery.

Named one of the best books of the year, the Unity Saga continues! The drama of the House of El tears the galaxy in half as Superman and his son are forced to confront his father about the secrets of Krypton in front of the gathered heads of the galaxy. Superman makes a bold choice that will forever change his relationship to the Earth, the Justice League and his family! Witness one of the most important chapters in Superman history!

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In this latest episode, we go all in on the Spider-Man: Far From Home trailer and Disney’s big announcement of movie releases! Is Spider-Man introducing the multiverse? Will Aladdin or Lion King be the live-action remake king this summer? Make sure to subscribe now and never miss an episode!

From: https://comicbook.com/dc/2019/05/10/exclusive-dc-preview-superman-11/

From: https://comicbook.com/dc/2019/05/08/batman-v-superman-doomsday-concept-art-comics-accurate/

Concept artist Jerad S.Marantz has unveiled a photo of his first Doomsday sculpt for Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice.

Zack Snyder’s Batman v Superman concluded with a chaotic showdown between the DC Trinity and the terrifying Doomsday. While some fans were thrilled to see the famous battle between Superman and Doomsday leap from the pages of the comics to the big screen, others were disappointed that the creature didn’t resemble its comic book counterpart closely enough. Now, concept artist Jerad S.Marantz has shared photos of his first Doomsday concept sculpt, revealing a more comic-accurate look for the creature that was ultimately altered for the final design.

You can check out the Batman v Superman concept sculpt for Doomsday in the post below!

This was my first #conceptsculpt for #doomsday for #batmanvsuperman #batmanvsupermandawnofjustice #dc #dcu #zbrush #creature #creaturedesign

A post shared by jsmarantz (@jsmarantz) on May 7, 2019 at 7:10pm PDT

What do you think of the early concept sculpt for Doomsday? Would you have preferred this comic-accurate look for Doomsday? Share your thoughts in the comments section below!

Here is the official synopsis for Batman v Superman:

Fearing the actions of a god-like Super Hero left unchecked, Gotham City’s own formidable, forceful vigilante takes on Metropolis’s most revered, modern-day savior, while the world wrestles with what sort of hero it really needs. And with Batman and Superman at war with one another, a new threat quickly arises, putting mankind in greater danger than it’s ever known before.

Directed Zack Snyder, Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice stars Henry Cavill, Ben Affleck, Gal Gadot, Amy Adams, Laurence Fishburne, Diane Lane, Jesse Eisenberg, Jeremy Irons and Holly Hunter.

Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice is available on Blu-Ray, DVD, and Digital HD.

Source: Instagram

Clay Enos Shares Hi-Res Stills Of ‘Batman v Superman’, ‘Justice League’ More

Photographer Clay Enos has shared a huge batch of new hi-res stills from DCEU films such as Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, Wonder Woman, Justice League, and Suicide Squad which includes several new images of Jared Leto as The Joker.

The hi-res images range from stills to behind the scenes photos featuring directors Zack Snyder and David Ayer working with cast members including Gal Gadot as Wonder Woman and Will Smith as Deadshot. In addition to the new images of Jared Leto’s Joker, a new image of Gadot as Wonder Woman in her own standalone film is included among the hi-res stills.

You can check out the images in the gallery below.

Warner Bros. and DC Films have many projects currently being developed including The Batman, The Flash standalone film, Green Lantern Corps, Black Adam, Supergirl, New Gods, and Nightwing.

The DCEU continues this month with Aquaman which is now playing and will be followed by Shazam! on April 5, 2019, Birds of Prey (And The Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn), on February 7, 2020, and Wonder Woman 1984 on June 5, 2020. A standalone Joker film set outside of the DC Films universe starring Joaquin Phoenix as the Clown Prince of Crime is also set to hit theaters October 4, 2019.

Directed by James Wan, Aquaman stars Jason Momoa as Arthur Curry, Amber Heard as Mera, Willem Dafoe as Vulko, Patrick Wilson as Orm / Ocean Master, Dolph Lundgren as Nereus, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II as Black Manta, Nicole Kidman as Atlanna, Ludi Lin as Captain Murk, and Temuera Morrison as Tom Curry.

From Warner Bros. Pictures and director, James Wan comes an action-packed adventure that spans the vast, visually breathtaking underwater world of the seven seas, “Aquaman,” starring Jason Momoa in the title role. The film reveals the origin story of half-human, half-Atlantean Arthur Curry and takes him on the journey of his lifetime—one that will not only force him to face who he really is, but to discover if he is worthy of who he was born to be… a king.

Aquaman is now playing. Stay tuned to Heroic Hollywood for the latest news on the future of the current DC cinematic universe as we learn it.

Source: Clay Enos

From: https://heroichollywood.com/batman-v-superman-doomsday-design/

From: https://comicbook.com/marvel/2019/05/07/avengers-endgame-batman-v-superman-similarities/