Batgirl #7 Review

Writer: Tate Brombal
Artist: Isaac Goodheart
Colorist: Mike Spicer
Letterer: Tom Napolitano
Cover Artist: Reiko Murakami
Cover Price: $3.99
Release Date: May 7, 2025

Brief Summary

The Book of Shiva, Chapter One - As Cassandra Cain journeys home to the Bat-Family, she listens to her mother Lady Shiva's life story.

Plot Summary

We open with Cassandra Cain getting on a train. She's on a call with Stephanie telling her not to worry and that she'll be home soon. Cass has received a mysterious package in the mail and as she takes her seat, she opens the envelope. A small walkman and a book drop out. Cass puts on the earphones and presses play. For a second I thought she was listening to the Weird Science DC Podcast, but no, it's a recorded message from her mother Lady Shiva. The recording accompanies the beautiful-looking book that Cass picks up. It's Lady Shiva's life story and she wants her daughter to both read and listen to it. Are you sitting comfortably? Then I'll begin.

Absolute Superman #7 Review

• Written by: Jason Aaron

• Art by: Carmine Di Giandomenico

• Colors by: Ulises Arreola

• Letters by: Becca Carey

• Cover art by: Rafa Sandoval, Ulises Arreola (cover A)

• Cover price: $4.99

• Release date: May 7, 2025

Absolute Superman #7, by DC Comics on 5/7/25, takes a peek at the android behind the screen when we learn the disturbing path Brainiac took to become Earth's greatest thinker.

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Is Absolute Superman #7 Good?

Recap

When we last left the last Son of Krypton in Absolute Superman #6, 18 months of isolated travel in space drove the boy to thoughts of ending his life. Fortunately, Sol found Earth and brought Kal to a safe landing spot right at the time the super-advanced A.I. ran out of power. Fortunately again, Kal was taken in by a kindly couple of farmers, the Kents, to look after him for a few weeks while Sol recharged. During that time, the Kents endured sudden onsets of superpowered destruction as Kal's exposure to Earth's Sun brought out peculiar abilities. The issue ended when a nosy neighbor called Lazarus Corporation about an illegal alien on the Kent Farm, resulting in an arrest and big trouble for the Kent farm.

Plot Synopsis

In Absolute Superman #7, readers learn the mentally damaged origin of Earth's Brainiac. We begin with the group calling themselves the Omega Men infiltrating a compound in Nevada where they believe the Brainiac server farm that powers the Lazarus Corporation's A.I. is located. The Omegas believe they can shut down the Brainiac A.I. if they destroy the data center. Suddenly, the group is decimated by advanced weaponry that shrinks their skin, turns bones to mush, and balloons up limbs. Brainiac is a being, and he killed three of the four Omegas, taking one hostage for questioning.

In a flashback, we see that Brainiac started as Brainiac 419,732 as part of the Brainiac collective. His purpose? Shovel the piles of discarded Brainiac bodies into an incinerator. One-hundred thirty-seven years later, the discarded bodies stopped falling from the disposal chute. Brainiac 419,732 leaves the incinerator room for the first time, finds all fellow Brainiacs, including the captain, dead from self-inflicted wounds, and decides to take over the ship.

Now, the time-ravaged and wholly unstable Brainiac puzzles over the existence of a human with superpowers. It tortures the captured humans and Brainiac clones to find a measure of peace. It even resorts to smashing and stomping on shrunken alien cities stored in its lab. Finally, Brainiac 419,732 sends a signal to the ruling Brainiac Collective Council, asking for help identifying the superbeing based on a particle of red sand from his cape. One of the Council members identified the sand as Kryptonian, matching the red sand to a sample of meteorite one of the Brainiacs discovered during a survey mission to the exploded remnants.

The issue ends with Brainiac completing cybernetic enhancements to Peacemaker Smith in preparation for a trip to Kansas.

First Impressions

This is a bad week for DC. Jason Aaron has a concept here, and his reimagining of Brainiac as a sadistic, disturbed being has a lot of (good) creep factor. Sadly, this story isn't going anywhere because nearly half of this series tells you nothing about Superman.

How’s the Art?

Rafa Sandoval is on the hook for delivering creepy, disturbing body horror, and he pulls it off. Brainiac isn't the pristine, ultra-clean, and disciplined machine we're used to. He's a collection of flesh, prosthetics, and programming that isn't socialized very well to work with others. Sandoval leans on a zombie-like aesthetic to make Brainiac gross and creepy, so it works out well.

What’s great about Absolute Superman #7?

If you wanted a different kind of Brainiac that's still intimidating and dangerous, Jason Aaron's reimagined concept is a worthy approach to the villain, making him simultaneously familiar and new.  You could imagine this Brainiac engaging in the most horrific forms of abuse and torture to get his way, which makes him a significant threat to the Man of Steel.

What’s not great about Absolute Superman #7?

Well, Brainiac would be a significant threat to the Man of Steel if we knew anything about the Man of Steel. Jason Arron wasted too much time at the beginning of the run to build out Krypton. Now, he's spending too much time building out villains and side characters. Readers want to get to know the Man of Steel through his decisions and actions. How can they do that if Aaron focuses on everyone and everything else but the one character who matters - Superman?

Of all the Absolute titles, this one is taking the biggest hit in terms of sales, falling outside the Top 25 for April 2025. If Aaron doesn't correct his focus, Absolute Superman may be the first Absolute title to hit the chopping block.

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About The Reviewer: Gabriel Hernandez is the Publisher & EIC of ComicalOpinions.com, a comics review site dedicated to indie, small, and mid-sized publishers.

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Final Thoughts

Absolute Superman #7 turns in the secret origin of the Absolute Brainiac as a sadistic, disturbed cyborg hell-bent on learning Superman's secret. Rafa Sandoval's body horror artwork is great, as usual, and Jason Aaron's twist on a classic Superman villain crafts him as a dangerous threat. That said, the series is still spending too much time on world-building and backstory, putting the main character on the back burner...again.

6/10

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JSA #7 Review

• Written by: Jeff Lemire

• Art by: Rafael De Latorre

• Colors by: Luis Guerrero

• Letters by: Steve Wands

• Cover art by: Jorge Fornes (cover A)

• Cover price: $3.99

• Release date: May 7, 2025

JSA #7, by DC Comics on 5/7/25, mourns the loss of Ted Grant as the JSA struggles to make sense of how to move forward, where to find their lost members, and who may be a traitor in their midst.

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Is JSA #7 Good?

Recap

When we last left the team in JSA #6, Wildcat paid the ultimate price when he stayed behind in the Tower of Fate to give Dr. Fate the cover he needed to hold back an invading demon army. In the end, Ted's heart wasn't enough when the Injustice Society arrived to claim Dr. Fate's helm for their grand plan. Meanwhile, Yolanda's anger turned lethal when she led the charge into a KOBRA facility to find Dr. Mid-Nite. The issue ended with everyone returning to Earth and the JSA base with one dead Wildcat and another Wildcat accountable for murder.

Plot Synopsis

In JSA #7, members of the JSA assemble for the funeral of Ted Court, aka Wildcat. Tears are shed, feelings remain raw, and regrets bubble to the surface. The situation becomes tense when the Holy Trinity (Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman) arrive for a private meeting to offer aid, subtly suggesting the JSA hasn't been handling their business.

The issue ends with an epilogue in the demon dimension as Hawkman, Hawkwoman, and the ghost claiming to be Kid Eternity walk along the brimstone path to find a way out. Suddenly, "Kid Eternity" receives a summons through a nearby portal. When she enters the tunnel, she's greeted by the original and deceased members of the JSA who ask for her help.

First Impressions

Jeff Lemire's pacing is killing this series. After the previous issue, which showed promise due to the increase in urgency and the decrease in multiple threads, there was hope that Lemire's return to DC was bearing fruit. JSA #7 isn't a cooldown issue. It's practically glacial.

How’s the Art?

Rafael De Latorre steps in as the guest artist from main visionary Diego Olortegui, and the results are solid enough to be an improvement. Granted, De Latorre doesn't have much to do as the entire issue is focused on interpersonal conversations, but the art is presented in such a way as to give you as much drama and impact as possible.

What’s great about JSA #7?

For what it's worth, Lemire creates several moments of emotional depth. Yolanda wrestles with the shame of killing someone, convincing her she's not worthy of the Wildcat mantle. The living JSA doesn't receive the offer of help from the Justice League graciously. Khalid feels the grief of Ted's passing because Wildcat died protecting him. It's heartache on top of heartache.

What’s not great about JSA #7?

Why are we taking a timeout when the adventure was just picking up steam? I criticized Lemire's approach in the earlier chapters of trying to juggle too many subplots at once, but now, the pendulum has swung too far in the opposite direction. Nothing is moved forward, and nothing is resolved. We don't know where Dr. Mid-Nite and the real Obsidian are. We don't know what the ISA is up to, and whatever the Hawks are doing in Hell is moving as fast as a snail in Winter.

If Lemire has a story to tell, he needs to get to it because this title didn't even rank in the ICv2 Top 50 for April.

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About The Reviewer: Gabriel Hernandez is the Publisher & EIC of ComicalOpinions.com, a comics review site dedicated to indie, small, and mid-sized publishers.

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Final Thoughts

JSA #7 takes all the progress and urgency of the last issue and pushes the Pause button. Jeff Lemire's script hits a few emotional beats during Ted Grant's funeral, and the guest art is solid, but what little momentum the last few issues built up is now gone.

5/10

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Secret Six #3 Review

• Written by: Nicole Maines

• Art by: Stephen Segovia

• Colors by: Rain Beredo

• Letters by: Steve Wands

• Cover art by: Stephen Segovia, Rain Beredo (coverA)

• Cover price: $3.99

• Release date: May 7, 2025

Secret Six #3, by DC Comics on 5/7/25, sends the team undercover at a club where the rich and powerful hang out. A night of undercover recon turns into a multi-page complaint session.

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Is Secret Six #3 Good?

Recap

When we last left the fledgling team in Secret Six #2, the members were at each other's throats, accusing each other of backstabbing or worse. Eventually, the arguments settled down when the team realized the goal was to find and capture (or kill) Amanda Waller.

Plot Synopsis

In Secret Six #3, Senator Gravenport does his best to keep his fellow compatriots from asking too many questions about how Amanda Waller amassed so much power and wealth unchecked. It turns out Gravenport aided Waller when he was blackmailed for possessing.... unsavory material. One night, Gravenport is summoned to meet with CheckMate at an exclusive club to discuss their situation, but the shadowy leader of CheckMate isn't interested in saving Gravenport's neck.

Meanwhile, the Secret Six sneak into the same club to find intel that could help them locate Waller and put CheckMate down for good. The team enters the club in their most fashionable outfits, thanks to a magic spell from Black Alice to observe and mingle.

The rest of the evening is taken up with the team members bickering with each other (again) over past slights and differences in moral attitudes. In the case of Nia and Jon, a potential romantic conflict is rising. The issue ends when Nia spots and jumps Davenport, but her efforts are stymied by the shadowy leader of CheckMate - Banshee.

First Impressions

Strip away all the thoughtful analysis and technical critiques, and you come up with the same impression. Secret Six #3 is annoying and boring. Why would anyone at DC think a superhero comic that spends most of its pages on petty bickering about past slights would be entertaining?

How’s the Art?

Stephen Segovia's artwork ranges from very good to great. I've been a fan of Segovia's longtime work at Dynamite, so it's a pleasure to see him bring his talents to the Big 2. That said, Segovia's flair for movement and off-kilter camera angles is wasted on this pointless script.

What’s great about Secret Six #3?

The art is the highlight of this issue. That's about all you could give it in terms of praise.

What’s not great about Secret Six #3?

The story goes nowhere and accomplishes nothing except provide an opportunity for a team of superheroes to sit around and spew catty grievances at each other. Plus, Nicole Maines unwisely chooses to stoke the possibility of a romance between Jon Kent and Dreamer. Nobody is looking forward to the amount of critical noise that pairing would generate.

One last point. Isn't Banshee enjoying domestic bliss as a reformed criminal with Jimmy Olsen in the Superman ongoing? What is she doing here as a top person in CheckMate? Oy!

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About The Reviewer: Gabriel Hernandez is the Publisher & EIC of ComicalOpinions.com, a comics review site dedicated to indie, small, and mid-sized publishers.

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Final Thoughts

Secret Six #3 is a waste of time and paper. If not for Stephen Segovia's gorgeous art, there would be no reason to read this comic. Nicole Maines's ill-conceived script accomplishes nothing and spends the entire mission gawking at the team members sniping at each other. 

3.5

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Absolute Green Lantern #2 Review

• Written by: Al Ewing

• Art by: Jahnoy Lindsay

• Colors by: Jahnoy Lindsay

• Letters by: Lucas Gattoni

• Cover art by: Jahnoy Lindsay (cover A)

• Cover price: $4.99

• Release date: May 7, 2025

Absolute Green Lantern #2, by DC Comics on 5/7/25, finds Hal and Jo reminiscing about the horror Abin Sur brought to the sleepy town of Evergreen.

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Is Absolute Green Lantern #2 Good?

Recap

When we last left Hal Jordan in Absolute Green Lantern #1, the present merged with the past. Hal, Jo, and John enjoyed a casual lunch when the center of their town was besieged by a green energy field and the arrival of an alien. In the present, Hal travels by foot to the next day, struggling to control a black infection that tears apart any threat. The issue ended with Jo, bathed in green energy, arriving to help Hal.

Plot Synopsis

In Absolute Green Lantern #2, Jo and Hal sit for a chat amid the decimated lives and ruin of a diner. The issue flashes back to the alien arriving in Evergreen, Abin Sur, stepping foot on Earth. The residents of Evergreen surround the alien, and Sheriff Guy Gardner and his deputies step forward to make introductions.

When Guy explains he represents the Law, Abin Sur blows him away with an energy blast. The violence prompts the deputies to open fire, but Adin Sur's energy deflects all attacks. The alien responds by decapitating one deputy and severing the gun hand of another. Jo and John rush to give aid to the wounded, but Hal feels compelled to pick up a gun and aim it at Abin Sur. Suddenly, the alien flies away.

The issue ends in the present with Hal explaining his struggle to control the black hand and John (in the past) coming up with an idea involving a ring.

First Impressions

I don't like it. That doesn't sound very analytical or thoughtful, but it's a start. Al Ewing mixes sci-fi and horror in a muddled narrative structure. It reads like a series that's trying to be cinematic, mature, and edgy, forgetting that it needs to be, first and foremost, entertaining.

How’s the Art?

Oddly enough, Jahnoy Lindsay's textured art style is the primary reason this issue is as strong as it is. Lindsay has an excellent eye for facial expressions and cinematic framing of the scenes. When you add in the distinctive, personable looks of the characters, you can visualize this issue as a show or movie adaptation.

What’s great about Absolute Green Lantern #2?

Beyond the art, Al Ewing successfully captures a palpable atmosphere of dread and tension. Abin Sur callously kills people, while the people of Evergreen are trapped and powerless to stop it. If the goal was to put the readers on the edge of their seats through pure tension, Ewing succeeded.

What’s not great about Absolute Green Lantern #2?

It always comes back to the basics. In a bid to create a complex story structure with big events happening in the past and the present, with the plot seemingly progressing to meet somewhere in the middle, the issue loses sight of the foundation. Whose journey are we following - Hal or Jo? If it's both, what are they after, and how do they get it? Is Jo in the diner to help Hal or stop him?

Let's say you get a quick answer to the basic questions. That still leaves all the major points concerning Abin Sur. Why is he on Earth? Why did he pick Evergreen? Did Abin Sur give Hal and Jo their powers? If Abin Sur is so powerful, how did Hal escape? 

Further, the dialog in the scenes between Hal and Jo uses on-the-nose descriptions to convey what's happening, and it's terrible. 

Jo: "So what's with your hand, Hal?

Hal: "The Black Hand."

Really? That's how we're doing this, Ewing? 

In effect, Al Ewing creates "mystery" by dumping a pile of open loops on the reader, wrapped in a wonky, back-and-forth plotline. So, if you're paying the full cover price, you've forked over $10 for a grim, gory, confusing pile of questions. Does that sound entertaining to you?

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About The Reviewer: Gabriel Hernandez is the Publisher & EIC of ComicalOpinions.com, a comics review site dedicated to indie, small, and mid-sized publishers.

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Final Thoughts

Absolute Green Lantern #2 is a dour, gruesome, confusing attempt at making the Green Lantern lore a sci-fi horror mashup. Janoy Lindsay's artwork beautifully portrays the horror of Earthlings slaughtered by an alien, but Al Ewing's script puts too much emphasis on shock and intricate narrative flow. It's weird and different but not entertaining.

5.8/10

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Batman / Superman: World's Finest Annual: 2025 Review

• Written by: Christopher Cantwell, Mark Waid

• Art by: Dan McDaid

• Colors by: John Kalisz

• Letters by: Steve Wands

• Cover art by: Dan Mora (cover A)

• Cover price: $5.99

• Release date: April 30, 2025

Batman / Superman: World's Finest Annual: 2025, by DC Comics on 4/30/25, finds Gorilla Grodd assembling the Legion of Doom for a plan to conquer Earth by conquering Time.

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Is Batman / Superman: World's Finest Annual: 2025 Good?

Recap

In the ongoing World's Finest series, we learn Gorilla Grodd from the future transferred his mind to the present to occupy his younger body. It was Grodd who manipulated Air Wave into betraying the Justice League (Unlimited), and it was Grodd who created the mysterious group known as Inferno. In reality, Inferno is the reassembled Legion of Doom.

Plot Synopsis

In Batman / Superman: World's Finest Annual: 2025, Grodd lays out his master plan, but he has to convince the Legion of Doom it will work first. Grodd explains that the assembly of villains will be defeated in the future by the Justice League. What's his plan? Grodd will send the LoD on a three-pronged attack to steal time-related tech that will transport them all to the future when they're at the peak of their strength and take over the Watchtower.

The first team, Bizarro and Lex Luthor, head to Central City to create a tachyon pulse using the Flash's Cosmic Treadmill. Scarecrow and Joker head to the laboratory of one Dr. Nichols to steal his reserve of tachyon energy particles. When Batman and Robin arrive, Robin is zapped by a tachyon gun during the escape and disappears. Sinestro, Black Manta, and Cheetah attack the Atom in his lab to steal his time Pool. Unfortunately, none of the strike teams are blindly obedient to Grodd's instructions, leading to shenanigans and hijinks during the thefts, especially when members of the Justice League show up. Fortunately for Grodd, the teams succeed.

What the LoD doesn't know is that Grodd has secretly made a deal with Pythoness to weave her magic for the trip. Why? Grodd explains she dies in a few years, so a trip to the future circumvents her pending demise. In exchange, Cheetah gets left behind to take the fall.

The adventure ends with the LoD arriving in the future, but they're not the only ones who made the trip.

Backup Story

Writer Morgan Hampton and artist Clayton Henry give readers a montage introduction to John Stewart, from his years as a boy to a decorated soldier and, eventually, a Green Lantern. There's nothing to see here unless you've never heard of John Stewart and want to get to know the man behind the ring.

First Impressions

Writer Christopher Cantwell's master plan for Gorilla Grodd is... odd. The classic Legion of Doom lineup bristles with nostalgic fun, and of course, everyone would fight Grodd's instructions because their egos are too big to follow, but if you think about what Grodd is trying to do, the plan just doesn't sound, well, smart.

How’s the Art?

Dan McDaid's artwork is decent enough. Admittedly, McDaid has a tall order trying to match Dan Mora's razor-sharp power from the pages of the World's Finest ongoing series, but he holds his own. John Kalisz's colors pop, McDaid's action is energetic (albeit a bit rough), and the net visual appearance is solid.

What’s great about Batman / Superman: World's Finest Annual: 2025?

In a positive way, this annual is nostalgia bait. You get the classic Legion of Doom lineup together to execute a master plan that will put them back on top for all time. Further, Cantwell does a fine job capturing the inflated egos and hubris of each Legion member through their dialog.

What’s not great about Batman / Superman: World's Finest Annual: 2025?

The heart of the issue relies on the strength and cleverness of Grodd's plan, which isn't presented as particularly strong or clever. Grodd believes he can win by taking the present Legion to the future, defeating the Justice League, and taking over the Watchtower to rule over humanity. If the Legion of today can barely function as a team, and it already has its hands full with the current Justice League, how is the Legion going to overcome an older, wiser, and more technologically advanced Justice League of the future?

Cantwell and Waid appear to be angling for an approach that says the Legion of today, in the prime of their strength and power, is somehow superior. How does that work? As a bickering team of individuals, wouldn't they be less prepared? Wouldn't the historical knowledge and advanced tech of the future Justice League be more than capable of stopping the Legion of their past? That's like attacking modern Russia with the best soldiers who fought in Vietnam. An M-16 won't do much good against remote drone strikes.

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About The Reviewer: Gabriel Hernandez is the Publisher & EIC of ComicalOpinions.com, a comics review site dedicated to indie, small, and mid-sized publishers.

Follow @ComicalOpinions on YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter

Final Thoughts

Batman / Superman: World's Finest Annual: 2025 unveils the secret plan of Gorilla Grodd to assemble the Legion of Doom and take over the world. Christopher Cantwell and Mark Waid's script is packed with nostalgic fun, and Dan Mc Daid's art style is super solid. That said, Grodd's plan doesn't sound smart or effective, so you'll be left with a resounding "Huh?"

7/10

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