The P.O.W - 08/05/20 -DEATH METAL: LEGENDS OF THE DARK KNIGHTS / EMPYRE #4 / ICE CREAM MAN #20

PICKS OF THE WEEK - Aug, 5, 2020

• DEATH METAL: LEGENDS OF THE DARK KNIGHTS: This comic cavalcade from DC’s most celebrated creators shows Batman at his bloodcurdling worst in this gruesome one shot set to scratch that sinister itch if you’ve been keeping up with the Death Metal event. The book runs the gamut of lunacy and lunatics as it covers the origins of more Batmen turned bad in more terrifying ways than you could comprehend. From the B-Rex to the sentient Bat-mobile, that would give kit from Knight rider a run a for its money, there is something for any fan who likes their horror with a dash of comedy. And there is one twisted Batman concoction that opens the floodgates to what is possible in the DC Universe and how terrifyingly grim the future looks for our heroes. There are some great multiverse stories for any interested in the macabre, villains or the craziest mash-ups you’d never thought you’d see that DC is brave enough to publish with these creepy tales from under the cowl of the Batman who laughs.  

• EMPYRE #4: Marvel’s big summer event takes a turn as all the power players and pieces begin to shift into a dire situation as the Chlorophyll infused cruelties of the Cotati comes into focus. Betrayals and back stabbing are a bound in this issue as the Avengers and the Fantastic Four have their backs against the wall with their alliances tested and ticking time bomb about to go off. Ewing and Slott’s story is starting to reach critical mass and the last page of the story will be a cool surprise with a moment that will leave fans of the Young Avengers gasping and cheering. Schiti’s art is on point as he draws the action and tension with flare and finesse that get all the little emotions and reactions of the power players spot on with style. Keep this event on your radar because it’s a bombastic blast with all your favorite characters teaming up for what is sure to be one epic conclusion that may tip the cosmic scales in the Marvel Universe.

• ICE CREAM MAN #20: Ya know, Just a little something for the kids in another fantastic, bone chilling issue this week from the masters of horror W. Maxwell Prince and Martin Morazzo. This issue does an incredible job of parodying your favorite children’s stories and turns them inside out for some disturbing nightmares to make your hair stand on end. From the works of Dr. Seuss to The Giving Tree, all bets are off when Prince grabs hold of these stories and makes them into twisted tales that will make nauseous and nervous until the final frame. Morazzo’s art is a pure tour deforce with his style changing from his traditional, Frank Quietly-esque pencils to a complete reproduction of the of the stories he riffs off of. This is what makes the issue so special, He takes you down a trip a trip on memory lane that you would never ever wanted to go on in the first place. And yet, you can’t look away. If you read ‘Legends of the Dark Knights’ and still can’t get enough terror in your reading then pick up this issue to fulfill your darkest childhood fears come to life.