Neil Raymundo 
The Dark Knight Returns: The Last Crusade
DC Comics, June 15, 2016
Writers: Brian Azzarello, Frank Miller
In February of 2016, American publisher DC Comics published “Dark Knight Returns III: The Master Race”, which is the third part of Frank Miller’s iconic The Dark Knight Returns franchise. This series of titles portray a future version of the character Batman, in his twilight, weakened by old age, aware of his own mortality, yet unable to turn a blind eye as his world descends into chaos.
Vote Loki #1
Marvel Comics, May 31, 2016
Writer: Christopher Hastings
It is not a surprise that Marvel would come out with an election-themed miniseries right around the time when the United States is getting ready for its election, and neither is the decision to craft it around the Marvel supervillain and trickster god Loki. Politics, particularly the United States’, is now more than ever a very easy target for satire. There are numerous real world examples that the publisher can satirize using their version of the Norse god of lies and mischief.
The premise is simple. Loki wants to become the next U.S. president. But the way it is handled is surprisingly nuanced in balancing the protagonist’s character foibles against politics. We discuss that in some detail below.
SMOSH #1 (review)
Dynamite Entertainment, May 4th, 2016
Writers: Michael McDermott, Yale Stewart
“SMOSH” is a comedic comic book series published by Dynamite Entertainment, based on the same-named web-based comedy channel from Youtube stars Ian Hecox and Anthony Padilla. The duo only serve as co-developers of the story alongside Dynamite editor Rich Young, with zombie anthology FUBAR’s Michael McDermott and online webcomic JL8’s Yale Stewart on writing chores.
The stories themselves are based on recurring SMOSH comedy skits that Messrs Hecox and Padilla conceptualized and starred in, which in a way justifies the use of the SMOSH brand even without the active participation of its creators.
Dynamite Entertainment’s decision to publish an SMOSH comic book is a commercially sound one – Messrs Hecox and Padilla’s network of Youtube channels boasts of more than 36 million combined subscribers. It also helps that the bulk of SMOSH’s audiences consist of that very lucrative teen/tween demographic.
However, the execution palls as neither of the two writers commissioned seem capable of translating SMOSH’s brand of comedy into comic book form.
Nighthawk #1
(Marvel Comics, May 2016)
Writer: David F. Walker
As discussed in World Comic Book Review’s previous essay on homages to famous DC Comics’ character Batman, the other major American comic book publisher Marvel Comics has never hidden the fact that its character property called “Nighthawk” is intended to be a Batman analogue. The two characters have a similar backstory; each are depicted as being members of a group of substantially identical superheroes; and each character is described as deploying a similar Dracula-esque modus operandi of dressing up as a nocturnal creature and fighting street-level criminals at night.