Fantastic Universes

Article by Steve J. Ray One of the greatest comics events of all time is just around the corner. With The Joker planning to crash the festivities in  DC Nation  #0  in May, and the wedding of Batman and Catwoman slated to happen in Batman #50 on the fourth of July, fan fever is mounting. Over the last couple of weeks,  Batman  writer Tom King has shared beautiful images from artists Joëlle Jones and Mikel Janín. These gorgeous pieces of art show Bruce Wayne and Selina Kyle in their wedding gear. They both look GREAT! The first image, by artist Mikel Janín, shows Bruce Wayne in his suit. It’s beautifully imagined and executed, with Batman looking back at his alter-ego from his reflection in a full-length mirror. The first image, by artist Mikel Janín, shows Bruce Wayne in his suit. It’s beautifully imagined and executed, with Batman looking back at his alter-ego from his reflection in a full-length mirror. Joëlle Jones’ piece also...

Article by Steve J. Ray There are many types of celebrities in the world. There are the famous, the T.V. stars, the movie stars, Superstars, and even a few legends. Over the last week in London, my home town had the honour and privilege  of hosting two events featuring an honest to goodness, true life  Greek  Geek God. The Man, the chin, the immortal... Bruce Campbell. The star of the Evil Dead Trilogy , its terrific ongoing spin-off show Ash Vs Evil Dead , Hercules , Xena , Brisco County Jr. and Sam Raimi's Spider-Man Trilogy shook hands,  high-fived children and spoke to thousands of fans, including a certain chubby blogger that regular readers may be familiar with. In my capacity as freelance journalist I have been fortunate enough to speak to many celebrities who make their homes at various points on the star status list; this meeting was perhaps the most nerve wracking, hilarious, and surreal of them all. Over the course of March 10th...

“The Long Payback” – Part Four Writer: Dan Jurgens Artists: Phil Hester and Ande Parks Review by Steve J. Ray The all-action Batman title continues to deliver the thrills. We last saw Terry about to be unmasked, and neck deep in trouble. Sound familiar? You’d better believe it… and don’t you just LOVE IT? In chapter four of “The Long Payback” we finally get the answer as to who’s behind Stalker’s latest attack on Batman, and it’s a doozy! Sometimes comic-book adaptations of TV shows can seem forced, or like cheap cash-ins. This is  not  the case with  Batman Beyond . Comics veteran Dan Jurgens has certainly done his homework, bringing back both notorious villains from the old show, but also the odd, surprising, friendly face too. In issue #17 readers are fortunate enough to get one of each! Stalker always maintained that he was just a gun for hire, in this instalment we find out who’s finger is on the trigger. The other surprise return probably shouldn’...

Review by Steve J. Ray Wow! Talk about tense. This episode of The Flash is an absolute blast… literally! “Enter Flashtime” evokes classic silver age comics, modern movie blockbusters, and is a pulse-pounded thriller of an episode. When tied in with all the emotion, and character driven storytelling that we’ve come to expect from this show, we get yet another killer instalment. I really feel blessed when it comes to my writing assignments. I’ve interviewed some T.V. superstars, I review some of my favourite comics titles, and I get to review  The Flash  every week, too! Talk about lucky. 15 episodes in, and season 4 of The Flash is proving to be arguably the best of its entire run. Without giving too much away, a threat hits Central City that could almost prove to much for even THREE Flashes to handle! Yes, you read that right, THREE FLASHES. This episode sees the welcome return of both legendary Flash Jay Garrick, played by the inimitable John Wesley Shipp, and...

Review by Steve J. Ray Finally, The Flash is back! This time he has to face the music, when Devoe tries to grab the 9th Bus Meta, A.K.A. The Fiddler. Watching American shows in the UK can sometimes be a pain. Mid season breaks, winter breaks, long breaks, short breaks… Aaarrrggghhh! Makes me wanna break stuff! Oh, well… them’s the breaks, I guess. This new meta has sonic powers, seemingly capable of debilitating even The Thinker. One thing is also clear, she has the power to make Elongated Man weak at the knees. It’s really great to see the ongoing sub-plots in this series continue to slowly unravel. Izzy Bowen’s Fiddler really helps in continuing the development of Ralph Dibney. When we first met him he was selfish, and only out for himself. Over the course of this season he has grown to care for others, and truly become a hero. The Mean Fiddler Being a meta is HARD! Yeah, they have cool powers, but they can be targets and victims too. The sense of dread that DeVoe ...

“The Trial Of Batwoman” Writer: James Tynion IV Artists: Alvaro Martinez, and Raul Fernandez Review by Steve J. Ray The latest issue of Detective Comics sees many welcome returns. My favorite creative team; writer James Tynion IV, artist Álvaro Martínez , inker Raül Fernandez , colorist Brad Anderson, and letterer Sal Cipriano has reunited to bring us the tale of “The Trial Of Batwoman.” This is a team that has helped this book rocket to greatness, most recently in the stunning “ A Lonely Place Of Living .” We also have the long awaited appearance of all of Batman’s original sidekicks; Dick Grayson, Jason Todd, Barbara Gordon, Tim Drake, and Damian Wayne. It’s a Bat Family reunion, but NOT in a fun way. Oh yes, this issue is BIG… in more ways than one. Bruce Wayne has called in Nightwing, Red Hood, Batgirl, Red Robin, and Robin to help him decide the fate of Batwoman. After shooting and killing Clayface Kate Kane’s future as part of Gotham’s Knights is in question. O...