Finished reading Suicide Squad: Burning Down The House, dealing with the aftermath of the events of Justice League vs Suicide Squad writer Rob Williams sends the team straight back into action as they try to hunt down escapee Rustam. The book opens with Amanda Waller try to find where original Suicide Squad member, Rustam is after trying to use her kids to get his revenge. Meanwhile the Suicide Squad are in Tibet trying to hunt down the villainous team, the Annihilation Brigade with no luck and after the mission the teams temporary handler Emilia Harcourt while Amanda is under investigation allows the team a night one release in New Orleans where a dunk Amanda Waller finds herself being assassinated be a mysterious figure. Soon after the team are set on their next mission to stop a prison break at Blackgate in Gotham a organised by Rustam. The second story within the book sees the return of classic Suicide Squad writer John Ostrander to the team he help to define as the Squad find themselves having to retrieve a recently kidnapped government official from the Netherlands before he can be but on trial for war crimes. Overall this was a good book as it continues the series by dealing with the ramifications of what's happening within in the series so far and the events of Justice League vs Suicide Squad with how these events have effected the missions that the team find themselves on. The art of the book is great as the transitions between John Romita Jr and Eddy Barrows work extremely with how the more action heavy parts of the book works hand in hand with the more character driven parts of the book that writer Rob Williams weaves together in a very intriguing way. While the for the art for the second story of the book does a great job in differentiating it self from the rest of the book while still feeling a part of the Suicide Squad as well thanks to how the story feels quite simple in design that's has a great story underneath. 7.5/10.
Finished reading Batman: I Am Bane, continuing writer Tom King's run on the series as an angry Bane makes his way to Gotham to get revenge on Batman for taking Psycho Pirate from Santa Prisca. The book opens with Bronze Tiger helping Batman discovering one of Bane's henchmen within Arkham which confirms Batman's suspicions that Bane is on his way to Gotham to retrieve Psycho Pirate. This leads to Bruce warning his former and current protégées of Bane as Bruce plans to use Psycho Pirate to reverse what he did to Gotham Girl and protect her the best he can within the five days it will take. Only for Dick, Jason and Damian ignoring Bruce and go straight after Bane leading to them being severe injured. The next story sees Batman and Gotham Girl dealing with the aftermath of the fight against Bane as the two discuss about the future with the possibility of some normality being introduced into Batman's life. The penultimate story sees the origin of Batman's dog Ace as Alfred try's to train Ace as a Christmas present for Bruce. The final story sees Batman teaming up with Swamp Thing on a case to find the murderer of Swamp Thing's biological father. Overall this was a g-- book as it provides a nice payoff for the over arcing story of the series so far as with Batman has to confront and stop Bane before all his attempts in trying to help Gotham Girl go to waste. Writer Tom King does an interesting job in humanising Batman and even Bane in places as the two's childhoods and their relationships to they have with their mothers and how it motivated them to be the people they are to day, which also surprisingly parallels Swamp Thing's relationship with his father to a degree. While the addition of the epilogue story where Batman opens up to Gotham Girl helps to give Bruce the push he needs to make something more of his live than just being Batman by proposing to Catwoman. However one thing that lets the book down is the fact that the ending to the Bane story feels slightly abrupt as there seems to be a little bit of story missing. The art by David Finch helps to bring the edge of the seat and suspenseful action between Batman and Bane to life amazingly well thanks to the way the hits that are delivered which is help to be realised thanks to the rest of the story's art team. Additionally the art by Mitch Gerads and Clay Mann do a great job in contrasting between the different settings and story tones to that of the rest of the book. 7.5/10
Finished watching Kingsman: The Golden Circle, directed by Matthew Vaughan and starring Taron Egerton, Edward Holcroft, Julianne Moore, Hanna Alström and Mark Strong. The film opens with Kingman, Eggsy Unwin (Taron Egerton) leaving the taylor shop when he finds himself in a fight against former potential recruit Charlie Hesketh (Edward Holcroft) who has now been given cybernetic implants by successful yet unknown drug cartel leader Poppy Adams (Julianne Moore) in hope to get revenge on the Kingsmen as a strong motivator to help with Poppy's own plans. After the fight Eggsy meets with his girlfriend Tilde (Hanna Alström) for his friend birthday. The next day while Eggsy is meeting his girlfriend's parents for the first time, the members for Kingsman are targeted and killed by Poppy with Eggsy and Merlin (Mark Strong) being the last of the organisation, leading to Poppy to go about her plans unchallenged with Eggsy and Merlin's only hope to stop Poppy being within a sister organisation based in America called Statesman. Overall this was a good film as it continues from the first film very well as the events of the previous help to inform and effect the characters while also dealing with the new threat of Poppy Adams. The action set pieces are very creative with how the characters fight one another which their skills and equipment that is on show. 7.5/10.
Finished reading Justice League of America: The Extremists, after having their own spotlight stories writer Steve Orlando puts the newest superhero team of the DC universe against a team of super villains from an alternative universe as their first mission. The book opens with Batman and Killer Frost setting up a base at Happy Harbour as the two begin to recruit Black Canary, Lobo, Atom, The Ray and Vixen as part of a new Justice League. The book then continues with its main story as the team are called together when the inter dimensional team of super villains called the Extremists appear and try and conquer the world by starting with the DC universe version of their leader, Lord Havok's home country Kravia. The final story sees the team opening up their new base for the public when news of Penn City being currently under control of a warmonger know as Nikos Aegeus who has placed the town under under a marshal law as Aegeus is selling weapons from a mansion in the city which is heavily fortified leading to this being an interesting mission for the team. Overall this was a good book as it builds a new Justice League team that focuses more on helping the people than just fighting against an enemy which helps to build on the teams working relationship. The villains of the book are great foils to the new team with the Extremists being able to go one on one with the league and Aegeus' influence on Penn City being more than a fight with him but the people's livelihoods. The artwork of the book is great as the book each is able to transition between each art team extremely well that's to the book's structure and similarities of the different styles within the same story. 7.5/10.
Finished reading Harley's Little Black Book, spinning out of the pages of the main Harley Quinn series as writers Amanda Conner and Jimmy Palmiotti teams Harley up with an array of heroes from the DC universe. The book opens with Harley and her friends stopping the transport of some toxic chemicals that was on route to England in hope to use on Wonder Woman witch leads to Harley traveling to London in hope to meet her hero and help Wonder Woman. The next story sees Harley buying her own lantern ring of the internet that is a combination of a red and black lantern ring. Once it arrives and Harley try's the ring on Hal Jordan's own lantern ring instantly becomes aware of it, prompting Hal to travel to Coney Island. The third story has Harley teaming up with Zatanna when a group of ghosts try to make her building there new home as its the only place they can be save from a demon hunting them down. The following story see Harley traveling to DC's Bombshells universe as Harley is mistaken for the Bombshells counterpart as she along with the universe versions of Batwoman and Big Barda go on a mission to a German occupied castle in an alternative World War Two. The penultimate story sees Harley meeting Superman when an alien armada comes to Earth with Superman stopping them from attacking Earth by agreeing to fight their champion however with Harley wanting to fight as well, the two end up having to fight each other in a boxing match to decide. The last story of the book sees Harley teleporting to an intergalactic space ship with a large group of intergalactic criminals on board which Lobo plans to have the rewards for each alien. Only for Harley to open the ship's door killing nearly everyone on board and landing onto Lobos bike when he blows the ship up which leads to the two crash landing on a nearby planet. Overall this was a great book as it allows for the writers of the main Harley Quinn series to have Harley interact with heroes for the rest of the DC universe by make the book able to stand alone from the main series, which makes it very assessable to new readers. While also keeping to the same tone and style of the comedy and character within the main series making it a nice addition to readers of the Harley Quinn series. The art within the book is great as begins with the with the art styles of the main series that works extremely well with the story's being told which also keeping to the aesthetic the Harley's home. While the later half to the book brings in artists that accompany the characters that Harley is with as artists Neal Adams and Simon Bisley take the rains for the Superman and Lobo story's respectively which is a very nice touch to the book as the two have been attached to the characters before. 8/10.
Finished watching American Assassin, directed by Michael Cuesta and starring Dylan O'Brien, Charlotte Vega, Sanaa Lathan and Michael Keaton. The film opens with Mitch Rapp (Dylan O'Brien) proposing to is girlfriend, Katrina (Charlotte Vega) while on holiday when a group of gunmen to start shooting at all of the holiday goers as Mitch sees Katrina killed before his very eyes. Months later Mitch has been talking to a terrorist group over the internet while also training himself in hand to hand combat and the use of an array of weapons. When Mitch gets an invite to meet the leader of the terrorist group he agrees in hopes to kill the leader only for a group of American solders to kill everyone in the room and take Mitch to the CIA for questioning where the deputy director of the CIA, Irene Kennedy (Sanaa Lathan) offers him a opportunity to train with former navy officer Stan Hurley (Michael Keaton) as part of a secret black ops program. Overall this was a decent film as it divides on some really well choreographed fight scenes and a couple of characters backstories. What lets the film down is the fact that some of the the character motivations and even some of the film's plot twists are feel very obvious. 6/10.
Finished reading Green Arrow: Emerald Outlaw, continuing the series that began as part of DC Rebirth writer Benjamin Percy brings Oliver face to face with an imposter who wishes to tarnish his name. The book opens with news anchor Victoria Much doing a piece on how the citizens of Seattle view Green Arrow as Oliver is building a base of operations after recently returning to the city. Oliver soon finds out that he may have his work cut out as he stops a police officer that began to violently attack a citizen of Seattle as the officer is found out to be only one of many officers deciding to take the law into their own hands. While all of this is happening Oliver has to deal with the return of the villainous Malcolm Merlyn to the DC Universe as Merlyn is masquerading as Green Arrow by targeting the people of Seattle. Overall this was a great book as it puts Oliver against two separate threats of a rouge group of cops that are putting the law into their own hands and the appearance of Malcolm Merlyn who is trying to tarnish the name of Green Arrow. Writer Benjamin Percy also does a great job in continuing story of the villainous group, the Ninth Circle as the series wide villain as they indoctrinate newly elected mayor of Seattle, Nathan Domini in a very interesting way. The art work continues to be amazing throughout the series as the action is brings to life with not only great visuals but the tension and drama within and around the scenes. 8/10.
