At long last, Villains Month has arrived! Just as last September brought Zero Month, this September finds the villains of the DC Universe taking over as they battle an even greater threat than the DCU's heroes... the Crime Syndicate! With villain one-shots and the launch of Forever Evil (check out IGN's Forever Evil hub!), this is a huge month for DC.
But that's not all! Marvel also launched X-Men: Battle of the Atom this week, their latest X-Universe crossover, alongside the next issue of their cosmic event Infinity. Amongst all of that, the stellar X-Factor series released its final issue.
Check out what the IGN All-Stars are doing in covering all of the latest indie comics on Comixology's Submit platform! And Community Reviews from last week will be added to this round-up along with this week's contributions.
Join in on the IGN Community reviews!
DC COMICS
Written by Michael Alan Nelson | Art by Mike Hawthorne
"As many readers of Supergirl have probably already gleaned, the New 52 Cyborg Superman is not Hank Henshaw. He’s an entirely new creation with an origin that just might surprise you. I won’t give it away here because it’s actually an interesting twist on the concept. Henshaw’s origin was never this elegantly simple or this intrinsically tied to Superman’s history. While writer Michael Alan Nelson’s story is dark and often times disturbing, it succeeds in defining the villain and showing exactly why Cyborg Superman is the monster he has become." -Joshua
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Final Score:
7.3
Written by Andy Kubert | Art by Andy Clarke
"Never let it be said the writer Andy Kubert shies away from the grotesque and the cruel. In Batman #23.1 -- the Villains Month issue -- Kubert takes a walk down memory lane with the Joker, and the route he chooses is far from scenic. As far as Bat-villains go, the Joker has always been at the top of the class, but the peek Kubert and artist Andy Clarke give us into his twisted, tortured psyche reminds us just how disturbing the character can truly be." -Melissa
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Final Score:
9.0
Written by Various | Art by Various
"Batman: Black and White is an anthology that is entirely in -- wait for it -- black and white. It's a series of short tales assembled by some true giants of the industry -- both past and present – and it's absolutely incredible. In this single issue, we get stories that range from sweet and sincere to funny and action packed. You get a taste of everything. Even with the inflated cover price, this is well worth your precious pennies." -Ben
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Final Score:
9.0
Written by Peter Tomasi | Art by Guillem March
"With so many Villains Month one-shots flooding the stands this month, the surest way to tell what's worth buying is whether or not a particular issue is handled by that series' regular writer. In the case of Batman and Robin #23.1, Pete Tomasi is still at the helm. This Two-Face tale doesn't rise to the recent heights of the main series, but it's not a bad read by any means." -Jesse
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Final Score:
8.1
Written by Gail Simone | Art by Derlis Santacruz
"Batman himself has changed little with the onset of the New 52, but the same couldn't be said for all of his villains. And as Batman: The Dark Knight #23.1 shows, no villain has changed more than Ventriloquist. Little about the old character remains, not even the gender. But while Gail Simone makes a mighty effort to establish this new version of an old favorite, the prevailing question by the end is still, 'What was wrong with the old Ventriloquist?'" -Jesse
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Final Score:
6.5
Written by Keith Giffen | Art by Dexter Soy
"DC has done a great job of tapping into He-Man nostalgia with their recent Masters of the Universe books. In hindsight, it was only a matter of time before Eternia's mightiest heroes crossed paths with the Justice League. They are all under one roof now. And while inter-universe crossovers are usually varying shades of generic and disappointing, DC Universe vs. Masters of the Universe avoids many of the usual pitfalls." -Jesse
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Final Score:
8.5
Written by Derek Fridolfs | Art by Javier Pina
"Detective Comics #23.1 follows a similar series of beats as Batman and Robin #23.1 in how it showcases one Batman rogue maneuvering the chaotic streets of Gotham, reveling in the chaos of Forever Evil, and reflecting back on their early years. Though fundamentally similar, Batman and Robin succeeded more than this issue does. Poison Ivy's Villains Month spotlight is just a little too "by the books" in its execution and too concerned with flashbacks over the present day material." -Jesse
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Final Score:
6.8
Written by Paul Levitz | Art by Yildiray Cinar
"Earth 2 #15.1 breaks the familiar mold of so many Villains Month one-shots this week. But given that it's not even taking place on the same world as Forever Evil, that's to be expected. This issue reads less like an isolated origin tale and more like a side-story in the rapidly growing Earth 2/World's Finest saga. As such, this may well be the least new reader-friendly issue this week, but it will have no trouble appealing to veterans of those books." -Jesse
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Final Score:
8.7
Written by Brian Buccellato | Art by Chris Batista
"Any comic where Gorilla Grodd demands that people 'Kneel before Grodd!' is worth a purchase in my book. That's just one of several qualities that this Villains Month special has going for it. Another is that it's written by series regular Brian Buccellato. Buccellato skips the increasingly tiresome origin story route for a tale set firmly in the here and now of Forever Evil. And even though this issue is steeped in current Flash continuity, all you really need to know is that Grodd is one pissed off and amped-up gorilla warlord." -Jesse
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Final Score:
8.5
Written by Geoff Johns | Art by David Finch
"It might be a little soon to use the adjective 'special,' but Forever Evil #1 is certainly an engaging read. This mini-series finds Johns right where he's the most comfortable in the DCU -- with the villains. Johns has done wonders over the years for villains like Sinestro and Black Adam, to the point where they've become far more compelling than their arch rivals. Who wouldn't want to read a mini-series where Johns dives straight into DC's supervillain community and depicts a war between the world's villains and the invading Crime Syndicate of Earth-3?" -Jesse
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Final Score:
8.0
Written by Jeff Lemire | Art by Andrea Sorrentino
"This issue could have just been a regular issue of Green Arrow. The story of Count Vertigo is told by the series regular creative team of Jeff Lemire and Andrea Sorrentino, which might be why it just feels like more of the same. This is not a bad thing, since Lemire and Sorrentino have been doing a hell of a job month after month with the globe-trotting adventures of Oliver Queen and company. What we get in this issue is a brutal trip through the tortured mind of the world's worst momma's boy. It's dark, folks. Really, really dark." -Ben
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Final Score:
8.3
Written by Robert Venditti | Art by Rags Morales
"The Green Lantern franchise takes a break from its main narrative so it can dive into Villains Month with an informative issue about Relic’s origin. While it is a flashback, the details we learn make for a nice prelude to the upcoming Lights Out crossover. As the last survivor of another universe who is really, really tall, Relic feels a lot like Galactus, only with a grudge against “lightsmiths” and no case of the munchies. This wouldn’t be so bad if Relic himself was a more compelling character. Even though his concept is exciting and well thought-out, Relic lacks a personality." -Joshua
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Final Score:
7.0
Written by Greg Pak | Art by Paulo Siqueira & Netho Diaz
"When dealing with a villain as iconic as Darkseid, any tinkering runs the risk of offending more than a few fans. Greg Pak sidesteps this potential problem by creating a wholly fresh origin that gives an insightful look at Darkseid’s transformation from mud grubber to ruler of Apokolips. The story is full of rich material and excellent character moments, but it races by at breakneck speed. It’s enough to make you wish this story could be told over an entire graphic novel instead of just one Villains Month issue." -Joshua
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Final Score:
7.0
Written by Ann Nocenti | Art by Various
"The simple fact that The Creeper is one of the characters included in the Villains Month lineup was cause for concern. For whatever darkness Jack Ryder and his alter ego may have carried in the past, he's ultimately a hero. But his sporadic appearances so far in the New 52 have suggested that Creeper is being radically overhauled, and this particular issue attempts to make sense of this new take on an old favorite." -Jesse
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Final Score:
4.0
Written by Matt Kindt | Art by Various
"Ales Kot's brief Suicide Squad run was strong enough that it was a major disappointment to see him depart after four measly issues. But the good news is that the series appears to be in strong hands still. Why is this relevant to a Justice League of America review? Because this Villains Month special features Deadshot and acts as a lead-in to writer Matt Kindt's Forever Evil tie-in arc of Suicide Squad." -Jesse
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Final Score:
7.6
Written by Sholly Fisch | Art by Jeff Johnson
"About halfway through this issue, I flipped back to the cover to make sure I had picked up the right comic. Supposedly this is a Bizarro story, but that's a half truth. It's more about Lex Luthor than anything, about his obsession with Superman and his desire to harness that Kryptonian power. It's really weird, because Bizarro seems like an afterthought, just a brief story beat." -Ben
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Final Score:
6.5
Written by Jeff Lemire | Art by Jeff Lemire
"After an absolutely stunning debut, Trillium picks up right where it left off with Nika (the astronaut/botanist from the future) and William (the explorer/Englishman from 1921) meeting for the first time. They can’t understand one another, and we are treated to that classic game of “I don’t know what you’re saying but let me try and communicate by drawing a picture in the dirt with this stick.” It’s actually quite sweet, and also informative, so the story progresses a tad while we get to see the first spark between these two time-crossed lovers." -Joshua
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Final Score:
9.5
Source : ign[dot]com
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