By Paul Dini (Writer), Guillem March (Artist), and Jose Villarubia (Colors)
Some Thoughts Before The Review: The first issue of G.C.S. wasn’t anything special. Guillem March’s artwork looked great, but Paul Dini’s story and dialogue left quite a bit to be desired. Things need to develop more if I’m going to be adding another ongoing to my pull-list.
The Story: Through a flashback, it’s explained how Selina can resist revealing the identity of Batman, even though she’s under Ivy’s power. Selina’s answer satisfies Ivy and Quinn enough anyway, and off goes Harley to do some shopping. She then encounters “Bruce Wayne.”
What’s Good: Once again, Guillem March and Jose Villarubia take center stage in Gotham City Sirens. Clearly, they are up to the challenge. Their fantastic work absolutely carries Gotham City Sirens #2 in nearly every way.
Guillem March brings the cheesecake, sure, but it’s very well-done cheesecake that takes into consideration things like anatomy and realism. March’s eye for detail is also noteworthy, as every flower near Ivy is given a certain amount of care and every bystander during Harley’s trip to the store really feels like a unique entity, not a faceless one. The action in Gotham City Sirens #2 is satisfying as well, especially since it flows in a way that really adds to the frantic pace of the Bruce Wayne kidnapping. As for the opening flashback? Visually, it’s executed damn near perfectly. It’s trippy, creepy, and just the right kind of weird thanks to March’s surreal imagery.
Jose Villarubia’s color work makes March’s impressive artwork look even better. Villarubia truly shines during the moody, dark scenes taking place inside of Selina’s head. That said, special mention must also be made of the more colorful scenes as well. Vibrant, sunny, and full of life, Villarubia really takes March’s work to another level.
What’s Not So Good: The writing in Gotham City Sirens #2 is passable, but weak. It certainly isn’t bad, but I have yet to truly get hooked on the story Paul Dini is trying to tell. He’s giving Sirens a solid foundation, but nothing about the foundation ever really rises above average and generic. Simply put, March and Villarubia deserve something better to work with.
Conclusion: Pick Gotham City Sirens #2 up for the artwork. The story is nothing special.
Grade: C+
-Kyle Posluszny
Filed under: DC Comics, Reviews Tagged: | Batman, Batman Reborn, Bruce Wayne, Catwoman, Comic Book Reviews, DC Comics, Gotham City Sirens, Gotham City Sirens #2 Review, Guillem March, Harley Quinn, Hush, Jose Villarubia, Kyle Posluszny, Paul Dini, Poison Ivy, Selina Kyle, Talia, WCBR, Weekly Comic Book Review, weeklycomicbookreview.com
