The final week of zero month is upon us as DC heads back to the last days of Krypton and even that dire evening in Gotham's Crime Alley. At Marvel, Spider-Man's plight with his new sidekick continues and the amazing run of Greg Rucka on The Punisher reaches its conclusion (kind of). Also, obscure X-Man Doop gets some time in the spotlight to astounding (and hilarious) results.
A quick note: with Joey heading on vacation and New York Comic-Con impending, the next couple of review round-ups will be a little thinner around the edges.
You also might notice that IGN as a whole has moved back to the 100-point scale. Love it; embrace it.
DC COMICS
All-Star Western #0
Written by Justin Gray & Jimmy Palmiotti | Art by Moritat
"All-Star Western #1 dropped us into the action with little explanation of who Jonah Hex is and where he came from. For those who first encountered Hex in that issue, All-Star Western #0 will serve as a bare-bones but helpful reference concerning Hex’s origin story. Readers who have been following him since the beginning are likely to be a bit more frustrated by the recapitulation." -Poet
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Final Score:
6.6
Aquaman #0
Written by Geoff Johns | Art by Ivan Reis
"In terms of most of DC's books, the Zero Month event was timed well, arriving just after most books had wrapped up their second major story arcs. Aquaman is one of the notable exceptions. Issue #13 promised a climactic showdown between Arthur and Black Manta. But now we have to wait an extra month for the wrap-up to that storyline. In its place is a flashback issue that details Arthur Curry's transition from quiet teenager to king of Atlantis. Issue #0 has its definite strengths, but it really does read like a placeholder for more interesting stories down the road." -Jesse
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Final Score:
7.5
Batman Incorporated #0
Written by Grant Morrison & Chris Burnham | Art by Frazier Irving
"These DC zero issues can really kill the momentum of a series. They jump back in time to the origin of a character or team and supposedly provide a nice jumping on point for new readers. For Batman Inc. it's especially strange, since the series is not that old. Even before the whole New 52, there were only a handful of issues out. It seems a bit odd to be going over all this again. Fortunately, Grant Morrison, Chris Burnham and Frazer Irving still produce a fun and interesting issue, even if it kinda of feels unnecessary." -Ben
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Final Score:
7.5
Batman: The Dark Knight #0
Written by Gregg Hurwitz | Art by Mico Suayan & Juan Jose Ryp
"Move along, nothing new to see here. You like Batman? You've seen the Batman movies and read some Batman comic books? Then you know this story. Sure, this little take is well written and has a nice flow, but come on. Joe Chill? We know this DC. Everyone knows this. Let's get back to that Scarecrow story; it wasn't great but at least it wasn't the story of Crime Alley all over again." -Ben
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Final Score:
5.0
Before Watchmen: Ozymandias #3
Written by Len Wein | Art by Jae Lee
"In terms of its story, Ozymandias ranks as possibly the least interesting and innovative of the Before Watchmen books. This series tells us absolutely nothing about the character we didn't learn from the original series. It's fortunate, then, that this book has the sublime visuals of Jae Lee to fall back on." -Jesse
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Final Score:
6.5
The Flash #0
Written by Francis Manapul & Brian Buccellato | Art by Francis Manapul
"I’ll say this much: you won’t find a poorly drawn issue of The Flash. Francis Manapul never ceases to deliver impressive layouts to tell his and Brian Buccellato’s story. The page showing how Flash designed his costume looks incredible with the way the panels seem to spring from his costume-springing ring. It looks great, but the lack of a compelling narrative that matches the quality of the art continues to leave this series in the dust." -Joshua
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Final Score:
5.6
The Fury of Firestorm: The Nuclear Men #0
Written by Joe Harris | Art by Yildiray Cinar
"It’s fairly common to hear about those thrust into the spotlight wishing for nothing more than to go back to their old lives. In comics, they usually get that chance for just long enough to taste relief before being thrown back into turmoil. The Fury of Firestorm spends Zero Month proving this corollary, and the style uses to do so makes it worth the trip." -Poet
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Final Score:
7.0
I, Vampire #0
Written by Josh Fialkov | Art by Andrea Sorrentino
"Joshua Hale Fialkov and Andrea Sorrentino have been showing up a majority of DC’s New 52 since its debut one year ago, and they’ve done it again by using the zero issue in the best way I’ve yet to see. Not only do they tell how Andrew Bennett became a vampire, but they infuse the telling with details small and large that answer burning questions any reader might have. Chief among them, how did Andrew get that sexy white stripe in his hair?" -Joshua
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Final Score:
9.5
Justice League Dark #0
Written by Jeff Lemire | Art by Lee Garbett
"It always strikes me as odd seeing a John Constantine that isn’t as sure of himself as we typically see him. It’s so engrained in his character to be cocky, that it’s strikingly uncomfortable to see him as anything but. Using that notion to full effect in JLD #0, Jeff Lemire paints a pretty stunning portrait of the DCU’s Constantine and just what the hell the nature of his relationship with Zatanna is. Though it’s a quick 20 pages, Lemire effectively transforms Constantine from a magic novice to the cocksure pirate that we know and love, all the while planting the foundations for the Justice League Dark story at large." -Joey
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Final Score:
8.6
Red Lanterns #0
Written by Peter Milligan | Art by Ardian Syaf
"Red Lanterns #0 does not dare to do anything creative with its origin issue, and that proves to be its undoing. If you were wondering what foul deeds Atrocitus had to commit to gain his powers of blood prophecy -- and I’m talking foul -- then brace yourself for what Peter Milligan has in store. This issue reminded me of Neil Gaiman’s Sandman with its monsters and magic, but it has none of that story’s grace or ingenuity." -Joshua
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Final Score:
5.9
The Savage Hawkman #0
Written by Rob Liefeld & Mark Poulton | Art by Joe Bennett
"The Savage Hawkman has generally distanced itself from the Thanagarian portion of Hawkman's mythology, focusing instead on simpler, more horror and action-based storylines. Considering that Hawkman has one of the more convoluted character histories in comics, that may have been for the best. The Savage Hawkman #0 is notable both in that it marks Rob Liefeld's final issue on the series and that it finally delves into Hawkman's connection to Thanagar. Though rough around the edges in some ways, this issue makes for a surprisingly enjoyable read." -Jesse
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Final Score:
6.5
Superman #0
Written by Scott Lobdell | Art by Kenneth Rocafort
"Just as there was a return to Crime Alley over in Batman: The Dark Knight #0 this week, Superman #0 returns us to the well-documented last days of Krypton. Luckily, writer Scott Lobdell is able to find some new ground to cover and adds a wealth of new elements (and some odd twists) to the tale. The best thing I can say about this issue is that Lobdell finds a nice emotional hook for Jor-El’s discovery of Krypton’s eventual destruction: he makes the discovery the same day Lara tells him she’s pregnant. It’s a poignant moment that, unfortunately, is derailed by far less interesting notions of conspiracy theories and politics." -Joey
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Final Score:
5.9
Talon #0
Written by James Tynion IV | Art by Guillem March
"The idea of Talon as a series is certainly sound; following a man that was able to break free of the Court of Owls’ clutches and try to redeem himself is a concept with plenty to offer. We could see him try and right the many wrongs he’d done as a Talon while trying to avoid assassination by the Court he betrayed. However, with Calvin Rose being a brand new character introduced in issue #0 – after we’ve seen the kinds of motivations that lead one to becoming a Talon – he’s got a long way to go to proving his worth as not only a hero of Gotham, but as the anchor of one of DC’s New 52." -Joey
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Final Score:
7.0
Teen Titans #0
Written by Scott Lobdell | Art by Tyler Kirkham
"One of the best ways to draw out different aspects of Batman’s personality is to pair him with a new Robin. Tim Drake, a character with a personality distinct from both Robins who preceded him, entered Batman’s life at a very interesting time. Whether this retelling of Tim Drake’s path to the Bat-family is interesting as well is another question entirely." -Poet
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Final Score:
5.2
Voodoo #0
Written by Josh Williamson | Art by Sami Basri
"Like Resurrection Man #0, Voodoo #0 is one of those Zero Month issues that simultaneously serves as a flashback tale and a series finale. One thing Voodoo has going for it that Resurrection Man didn't is that the ongoing plot threads will be continued in the pages of Grifter, meaning Josh Williamson isn't forced to tie up all the loose ends in the span of 20 pages. The result is a very straightforward but competently executed finale that offers readers no real surprises." -Jesse
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Final Score:
6.5
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