I got this at a yard sale last week, and it's a million degrees out as I type this, so perfect timing! From 2018, DC's Beach Blanket Bad Guys Summer Special #1, featuring stories by Lee Bermejo, Jeff Loveness, Paul Dini, Tim Seeley, and more; and art by Gabriel Hardman, Minkyu Jung, Max Raynor, John Paul Leon, and more.
Ten summer-themed stories with DC's villains, are there more hits than misses this time? "Worst Finest" isn't a great start: is that supposed to be that Batman Who Laughs, or just the Joker with a cowl? Whatever, it's him versus Bizarro in a charmless story. In "Help," Lex Luthor gets roadside assistance from a guy with a Superman tattoo, and asks him why. He asks in a foaming-at-the-mouth kind of way; which Supes-tattoo either doesn't notice or is too polite to mention. Enh. "Close Shave" features Mister Freeze and his giant robot taking issue with a shaved ice truck's unauthorized use of his likeness: hasn't Freeze murdered a ton of people? That'd put me in the mood for a frosty treat! Okay.
"False Idols" is interesting; a young archeologist petitions Cheetah to share her power, but she may instead grant a different favor. Not bad. Black Manta stars in "Icy Embrace," where his true colors are rarely far from the surface. Okay. On the run, Giganta accidently returns to her hometown in "Giganta Strong," which goes about like you'd figure. Still, not the worst one here. Flash tries to understand Grodd's motives and reach out to him in "Cruel Summer," and it feels like a variation of the 'Martha' scene from Batman v. Superman. Grodd lets Barry know he's drawn the wrong conclusion here...a bit forced, but not bad? Next, Deathstroke takes a job from a young girl in "Dog Days of Summer." He tries to teach her an object lesson that really doesn't come out. Good!
"Perfect Gentleman" is a young Penguin story: surprise, he was a dick then, too! Okay. Lastly, it's the Crime Syndicate in "Independence." The team celebrates the Fourth of July their way, with bastardry and murder attempts. They're unlikeable dicks, but there is an amusing angle I hadn't seen before with Volthoom (the ring) controlling Hal/Power Ring. Okay!
I feel like I liked this one more than the Nuclear Winter special? It's slightly more cheerful, or maybe I'm just a summer guy. Harley Quinn's on the cover of this one too, but not on the inside again!
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