Top 5 Comics Moments of the Week: The past gets its due as nostalgia haunts both present and future
Spoilers for comics released the week of May 31 - June 7
Nostalgia played a big role in this week's comics and the 80th Anniversary of Catwoman is only the start. With memories returned and callbacks to important moments in comic book history, this week's best stories all take a look back at what's come before, while some also offer a glimpse of futures that may yet come to pass. We count down our top 5 favorite comics moments of the week, starting with:
5. Hatred manifests with stunning artwork
The story of 'John Constantine: Hellblazer' #6 is a simple one - a racist ghost haunts a hospital. An all-consuming hatred has become a supernatural force of nature. Though simple in concept, writer Si Spurrier writes a powerful tale about overcoming hatred with empathy. What truly sets the story apart, however, is the surreal, powerful, dizzying art by Aaron Campbell and Jordie Bellaire. Despite the horrific nature of the ghost's manifestation, it's nearly impossible to look away. That's probably how it gets you.
4. A heartbreaking callback as a slayer dies
The life of a slayer is not an easy one and everyone has ended in a violent death. In 'Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Every Generation,' we get a look back at other slayers through history. 'The Sisters of Angelus' by Caitlin Yarsky follows the story of a slayer in Dublin, 1947, who goes up against a cult of demonic nuns started by none other than Angelus himself. In order to save her friend Kerry, the slayer sacrifices herself, and as she falls, she thinks, "The hardest thing in this world is to live in it." It's a line that fans of the TV series will remember from Season 4, where Buffy similarly sacrificed herself to save the world and more importantly, her friends. It's an emotional gut-punch that is sure to resonate with 'Buffy' fans everywhere.
3. The new Steve Trevor
It seems like DC just can't stop telling the story of Wonder Woman's origin and with every new origin comes a new version of Steve-Trevor. There have been multiple iterations of Trevor over the years, from World War II pilot to Agent of A.R.G.U.S., but the newest version might just be the best yet. 'Tempest Tossed' sees Diana leave Paradise Island at a much earlier age and sees her deal with the modern world. Caught in a refugee camp, a teenaged Diana meets married couple Steve and Trevor - both humanitarians who work to save the world not as soldiers, but as peacekeepers. Gone is the need for Diana to have a romantic subplot right off the bat; Steve and Trevor become her unofficial uncles, take her under their wing, and see her to a new home. It's rare to see an update to Steve-Trevor that actually does something new to the character, and this version is a lot more in line with a Diana who is more a social worker than a superhero.
2. A Kent family reunion
When the New 52 reset the DC Universe after 'Flashpoint,' many important characters were lost for good or dramatically changed. Some of those changes stuck, but others proved to be unpopular with the fans, leading DC to bring the old versions back. The most recent character to be brought back is Superboy - Connor Kent. This version of Superboy remembers the pre-Flashpoint timeline, but given that no one else does, his existence is a mystery to Superman. When he finds out Connor was raised by the Kents, however, he takes Connor to see them and the moment they do, their memories all come rushing back. The moment coincides with Jon Kent's return from the future, making this a real Kent family reunion - across dimensions and timelines, the Kents remain family.
1. Cat's out of the bag: Catwoman's pregnant
Tom King's run on 'Batman' had a lot of iconic moments, but one of the biggest things to come out of that run is the relationship between Batman and Catwoman, bringing the two superheroes together after decades of will-they, won't-they. In the 80th Anniversary issue of 'Catwoman,' Batman scans his partner, who hasn't been feeling well. When he sees the results, he doesn't need to tell her she's pregnant - the look on his face says it all.
Despite Bruce's obvious joy at the news, Selina is not happy with the news, at first. However, this story has a happy ending, as she falls in love with the child as soon as she's born. In the last panel, as the title of the story is revealed, we get our confirmation that the child is indeed Helena Wayne - who was first introduced to the DC Multiverse as the Huntress, daughter of Batwoman and Catwoman. While King's short story is not yet confirmed canon, it is absolutely a future that we hope comes to pass.
What were your favorite comics moments of the week? Let us know in comments.