411’s Comic Reviews: WWE: WrestleMania 2019 Special #1, War of the Realms #1, More

Hello and welcome to 411mania’s weekly Comic Book Review! Each week we’ll be serving up a warm dish of reviews (and previews) from Marvel, DC, and anything else that captures our interest. What did you pick up this week? Let us know in the comments.Want to write a review? If you can write at least one review a week, consistently, email me at [email protected]!

Spencer & Locke 2 #3

Preview by Steve Gustafson

The stakes have never been higher than in SPENCER & LOCKE 2 #3, as the Ringo Award-nominated saga takes our heroes to the edge! Hovering between life and death, Spencer and Locke must make the ultimate choice as they journey across a terrifying and otherworldly battlefield. Meanwhile, Roach Riley aims to paint the town red — that is, unless an unexpected hero has something to say about it! Be sure to preorder writer David Pepose and artist Jorge Santiago, Jr.’s pulse-pounding fight across the funny pages in SPENCER & LOCKE 2 #3, arriving in comic shops and on digital devices June 2019!

Robotech #19

Preview by Steve Gustafson

On the threshold of Event Horizon, the universe holds it breath! Legendary writer Simon Furman (Transformers) and dynamic artist Hendry Prasetya (Mighty Morphin’ Power Rangers) gear up for a new event that will leave fans reeling!

Doctor Who: The Thirteenth Doctor, Vol 1

Preview by Steve Gustafson

Bestselling comics writer Jody Houser and fan-favorite artist Rachael Stott launch the Doctor into a new universe of unforgettable adventure! Featuring Jodie Whittaker as the first female incarnation of the Doctor!

Bursting straight out of her hit new television adventures, this first collection of the Thirteenth Doctor’s comic book tales is a scorchingly fresh incarnation, taking the show – and its comic strip adventures – where no Doctor has gone before!

Facing off against vile villains and misunderstood monsters in flavours both human and alien, the Doctor and her friends must push the limits of time and space, confronting evils deliberate and accidental all throughout history – and uncovering secrets long-hidden and wonders never-seen along the way!

Perfect for fans old and new alike, this is an awe-inspiring jumping on point to the Doctor Who comics mythos.

Buy it, read it, then travel back in time to read it for the first time all over again…!

Collects Doctor Who: The Thirteenth Doctor #1-4.

War of the Realms #1

Review by Steve Gustafson

I’ll admit that I had some serious reservations about Marvel’s War of the Realms, thinking that it was their way of riding on the Game of Thrones buzz. I can say that I was wrong and this issue sets up an intriguing story with plenty of entertainment.

You might not have noticed that War of the Realms has slowly been building up over the years and we’re getting a payoff to a number of choice seeds.

Writer Jason Aaron has done a superb job setting up the table with his run on Thor and it has inspired me to go back and collect his…GULP…six year run.

But don’t worry. You don’t need to know the intricate working of his work to enjoy War of the Realm. It works on both levels, which is impressive.

The evil Dark Elf Malekith has attacked the various branches of the World Tree, and has set his sight on Midgard, or Earth for the uninitiated. This issue sets up the players and the stakes in a nice, steady build that delivers an important death, for comics anyway, and gives us plenty to chew on for the coming issues.

As far as heroes, we run the whole gauntlet from street level characters like Daredevil and Punisher to the usual suspects like Thor and the Avengers.

Kudos to artist Russel Dauterman who more than delivers and steps up big time. Smooth lines, detailed work, and a talented understanding of scope, show why Russel should be getting more shine.

Outside some flow issues, War of the Realms gets it right and while another epic, crossover, this is one that feels fresh, almost cinematic.

Grab it and enjoy!

Rating: 9.0 out of 10

WWE: WrestleMania 2019 Special #1

Review by John Pumpernickel

Before you roll your eyes at a review for a wrestling comic book, give this one a chance and you’ll see we’ve come a long way from the days of anything the Ultimate Warrior gave us.

BOOM! Studios acquired the license for the WWE and has done an admirable job and putting out some entertaining and fun stories that straddle the line.

While this WrestleMania 2019 Special doesn’t really put the spotlight on this years Wrestlemania, it gives us a few stories that capture the spirit of the event and some great character moments that you won’t find on RAW or Smackdown.

The first story deals with Charlotte Flair and Asuka from last year’s event and comes from writer Bill Hanstock and artist Hyeonjim Kim. While the weakest of the bunch, that’s not a knock. It’s well done at establishing the women and the importance of their match.

The second story, “The Destruction of Brothers,” goes all the way back to 1998’s WrestleMania XIV and match between Kane and the Undertaker. Andrew Scott and Andy Belanger do a really solid take with the match while splicing in scenes from their childhood.

Writer Lan Pitts focuses on last year’s Wrestlemania again with one of my favorite wrestlers, Shinsuke Nakamura. A standout story that does more to give Nakamura weight than anything he’s been given on the big stage. The scenes with Asuka are well done are a highlight of the issue.

The issue closes with an incredible story of the match between Ric Flair and Shawn Michaels. I don’t need to say much but rest assured it’s worth the price of admission.

While this doesn’t hype this years Wrestlemania like you’d expect, it’s a worthy pick up for fans of wrestling and shows how far we’ve come with capturing the fun it can be on the printed page.

Rating: 8.0 out of 10

That’s all the time we have. Tell us what you’re reading below and see you back here next week! You can now find our reviews on ComicBookRoundUp.com!