SUPERMAN/BATMAN: TORMENT! issues 37 38 39 40 41 42 TPB Review

RATING 3.4 out of 5

Dustin Nguyen's art is as great as ever in Torment. The story is not bad, but...just ah...how can I say this... some people's Torment is other people's pleasure. Superman seems to be in 'torment' while Batman is  mostly getting "action".  Wink wink nudge nudge.
The writer, Alan Burnett, does hand out a bit of mystery, and the dialogue is decent, so it's a decent story. While the storyline is wrapped up in this trade, it does leave a teaser for the storyline that followed when the original issues came out, called, Death of the New Gods.


Spoilers 

I'm sure most of you have heard of Bruce falling through time by being shot by Darkseid's omega sanction (Return of Bruce Wayne), that was Grant Morrsion's version of torment.

WELL.. here is Alan Burnett's version  of putting Bruce through Torment: The goddess of Desire from Apokolips, Bekka, has to save Bruce by... stripping him naked and putting him in bed. 

While... Superman has a mental breakdown handed to him by Scarecrow.  

Hmmm ....something doesn't seem fair in the handing out of Torment. 

But Sups does... get to face off with Bruce in a fight.. why wouldn't he want to, wouldn't you.. if you got such a bum deal.
 
Whose behind all this Torment? 

If you haven't guessed from the covers, I'm not telling ya...

Anyway...later in the story, Bruce does get to return Bekka the favor of saving his life... by saving her life, which includes...stripping her down naked ....and bed..ding her. 
Poor poor Bruce and Bekka...such such torment.

By the way...Bekka is Orion's wife, so why wasn't Bruce put in the line-up of suspects when Orion was found dead in Final Crisis...(throws hands up) just saying. 


Have I ever mentioned that not only am I closet comic book reader,  but... I also... love a good ROMANCE novel.  Ashes in the Wind by Kathleen Woodwiss was my first...ROMANCE novel.  I got it when I was 13, from a yard sale.  To this day, I regard it as the best romance novel... ever.   I'm sure you'll keep that close to the chest and not tell anyone. Riiiighht.


Superman / Batman : Torment 
Writer: Alan Burnett
Penciller: Dustin Nguyen
Inker: Derek Fridolfs
Colorist: Randy Mayor
Letterer: Rob Leigh
Ass. Editor: Adam Schlagman
Editor: Eddie Berganza
Cover Issue 37 : Nguyen, Fridolfs and Rod Reis/ Claudio Castellini & Noemi Vicens
Cover Issue 38 -42: Nguyen and Fridolfs
Alternate Cover Issue 38 - Claudio Castellini and Paul Mounts.
Publisher: DC comics
Issues dates Aug, Sept, Oct, Nov, Dec 2007, Jan 2008
TPB date: Feb 2011

Blackest Night: Untold Tales of Review

RATING 2.7 out of 5

These stories feel like an after thought.  I've already lived through the Blackest Night storyline, so the ankst at seeing characters in touble... isn't there.  I already know their outcome. 

If you really liked the Blackest Day storyline, you may get a kick out of seeing the two deleted stories that are scripted in Blackest Night Directors Cut issue.  There is also a Brightest day story in it, but I have a feeling it will be covered again in one of the other books.

Even though these short stories are self contained and the art is great, unless you know something about Blackest Night, you probably won't get very much enjoyment out of it.

SPOILERS:

Titles & story:

Sea of Fear part 1: Writer: Peter J Tomasi,  Pencils: Patrick Gleason, Inks: Sandra Hope, Colors: Buccelato
Lyssa Drak's story of how she became traped in the Book of the Black.
Rating 2.5: Meh

Deleted Scene from Blackest Night 1: Writer: Geoff Johns, Pencils: Ivan Reis, Inks:Oclair Albert, colors: Rod Reis
Black Hand calls the dead souls that make up Ragman to RISE.
Rating 3 :I don't remember what the script said, but this would've been better spread to three pages instead of squashed into two.

Deleted Scene from Blackest Night 2: Writer: Geoff Johns, Pencils: Ivan Reis, Inks:Oclair Albert, colors: Rod Reis
Bunch of uknown criminals think that they can gain power by killing themselves.
Rating 2: Meh

The Evolution of Species; Writer: Sam Schlagman, Pencils: Jason Fabok, INks: Ryan Winn, colors: Alix Sinclair
Animal man loves his family but lusts after Starfire and is turned into a Black Lantern.
Rating 2: less then meh, didn't like the Starfire lusting crap, I hate disliking a hero.

A Losing Battle : Writer: JT Krul, Artis: Ed Benes, Colors: Brian Buccellato
Story of  Donna Troy being turned into a Black Lantern and her friends trying to save her, then Cassie believing she can be strong on her own.
Rating 3: I was enjoying the Donna story then poof.. it turned into a meh... Cassie story ending.

Blackest Nightmare Writer: Jeremy Love, Art: Bret Booth, Colors: Andrew Dalhouse, Letters: Steve Wands
Story of Scarecrow becoming a Yellow Lantern, when the ring is put on, he invisions himself as Ichabod Crane with a Batman like figure on a horse chasing him.
Rating 3.5: This one was  pretty darn cool.

An Incident on Korugar : Writer, art and Colors: Ehan Van Sciver
Yellow Lantern Karu-Sil has to fight back Black Lanterns of her parents.
Rating 3: You almost feel sorry for her but then... don't.

MAJOR SPOILER:
Sea of Fear part 2: Writer: Peter J Tomasi,  Pencils: Patrick Gleason, Inks: Sandra Hope, Colors: Buccelato
Lyssa Drak's being pulled out of the Book of the Black by the Mystery Guardian and told there is another book to be writen.
Rating 2.5 Meh..

Publisher : DC Comics
Dec 2010