Don't Murder Me

Christopher Priest & Carlo Pagulayan “Deathstroke, Volume 1: The Professional” (DC Comics, 2017)

I’ve got some mixed feelings about this one. 

I really like the creative team.  Christopher Priest seems to write solid comics that feel like thrillers with a superpowered boost.  In some ways they feel like the blockbuster movies of the future.  I was not previously familiar with Carlo Pagulayan, but he did a solid job on this book.

On the other hand, I am not really a fan of Deathstroke.  I’m just not a fan of comic villains who are assassins.  I mean, how does that even work in the comics universe? It just seems to break the world for me.

So the challenge then, is can a good creative team make a book that I will enjoy?

The answer unfortunately is mixed. I really enjoyed the portion of the book that was more or less a spy or war story.  When it gets more into the “normal” DCU, I felt like the tension between the core of the character and the universe was too much to me.

I’d love to see this as a straight spy or war book. Keep Deathstroke away from the capes.

The Modern Stone Age Family

Mark Russell & Steve Pugh “The Flintstones, Vol 1” (DC Comics, 2017)

Let me just say that this is my new jam.

Back in the day, the Flintstones were riffing on contemporary culture. Russell keeps that idea, updating it of course for our times. It is biting satire, critiquing bigotry, warmongering, and consumerism, just to name a few.

While the issues themselves are primary self-contained, there are some through lines that slowly develop.

When I first heard how good this was, I admit I found it hard to believe.  But they weren’t lying! Read it! Tell your friends! I can’t wait for the second volume.