DC’s Lex and the City #1 – Sina Grace, Maggie Tokuda-Hall, Jonathan Rivera, Charles Skaggs, Brendan Hay, Sabrina Futch, Callie C. Miller; Dave Wielgosz, Writers; Sina Grace, Leslie Hung, Michael Avon Oeming, Serg Acuna, Stephen Byrne, M.L. Sanapo, Lisa Sterle, Howard Porter; Artists; Nick Filardi, Rachael Cohen, Alex Guimaraes, Arif Prianto, Marissa Louise, Hi-Fi, Colorists
Ray – 9.5/10
Ray: DC’s Valentine’s Day anthologies are always among their most offbeat and entertaining, so how do the eight stories in the 2025 edition compare?
“Lex and the City” by Sina Grace focuses on Lex Luthor and a relatively new character, gossip columnist Trish Q. He’s dealing with a stock dive due to his supervillain reputation. She’s searching for the next big scoop on him. So begins an entertaining game of cat and mouse as they try to get the edge on each other, culminating with Luthor inviting her into his inner sanctum on a date – only to result in a close encounter with a major Metropolis supervillain. Is any of their flirtation real? It’s hard to tell, but that’s part of the fun here.
“A Valentine’s Day Gift for Poison Ivy” by Maggie Tokuda-Hall and Leslie Hung is a Harley and Ivy story told mostly in prose and storybook-style illustrations, which is a big change of pace. As Harley searches for the perfect gift for Poison Ivy, she gets up to her old criminal games, but keeps finding that none of her picks are enough for her special green gal. It ends with the two lovers meeting up for a rendezvous in a surprising location – and the resident deciding to just let it be for one night. Very funny story with great art.
“Beautiful Lies” by Jonathan Rivera and Michael Avon Oeming turns the focus on Mr. Freeze, as a pair of young lovers join Freeze’s gang to pull off a museum heist – claiming a crystal rose that holds deep meaning for Victor. But the heist goes horribly wrong, with one getting injured and another minion going rogue. The result is a seemingly tragic outcome – but one that has a surprising twist at the end that pulls in Batman and does a very good job of reminding us that Freeze is one of Batman’s more human and morally ambiguous rogues.
“Together Again” by Charles Skaggs and Serg Acuna brings the original four Titan boys – Dick Grayson, Wally West, Roy Harper, and Garth – back together for a reunion in Happy Harbor, where it all began. Amid reminiscing about their first weekend together, including Roy’s rivalry with Dick and a massive kaiju battle, they have enough time for Garth to flirt with a waitress and the four to discuss where they are in their lives now. Not sure it really fits the theme, but it’s one of the best character pieces for this team in a while
“To Live and Date in Gotham” by Brendan Hay and Stephen Byrne focuses on the Robins, as Damian has an important date coming up with Flatline, and swallows his pride to ask Tim for help in how to have a normal night out. This leads into a hilarious series of events as the entire Robin gang gets involved, both helping Damian and putting his patience to the test. It also has a cameo from a character from the original Robin run who I was damn sure we would never see again. Between the excellent art, the clever dialogue, and the continuity deep cuts, can we just give this creative team an ongoing?
“Riddle Me Kiss” by Sabrina Futch and M.L. Sanapo has Riddler realizing that he’s the only one of the Gotham rogues – including Joker – who doesn’t seem to have a dating life. When a big Arkham breakout happens, Joker plays matchmaker and puts Riddler and Magpie together for the escape. It doesn’t go well, and neither do encounters with Poison Ivy or Nocturna. The characterization in this reminds me a lot of Batman ‘66, with everyone being a slightly more whimsical and offbeat version of themselves. Odd story, but fun.
“Roses are Red, Blood is Too” by Callie C. Miller and Lisa Sterle has Raven trying to give Gar an ideal Valentine’s Day despite not really vibing with the holiday – but supernatural forces seemingly tied to her father keep interfering in creative ways, such as a sinister rock musician with a supernatural guitar. It all culminates in the return of an iconic TT villain with a dark plan. The story here is fun, although it leans hard into cartoon characterization. The art by indie sensation Lisa Sterle (Dying Inside) is the real all-star here, though.
“Heartbreak Lane” by Davie Wielgosz and Howard Porter closes things out with Hawkman, as he struggles with life without Hawkwoman by his side. He seeks out a Thanagarian tool that will allow him to relive his memories of their time together in Midway City, only to find it guarded by a massive Nth-metal dragon. This is a very interesting tale that uses sci-fi twists to elaborate an emotional narrative about holding on to the past too tightly, and manages to make sense of one of the most convoluted backstories in the DCU.
Overall, each of these stories ranged from good to fantastic. This is probably the best DC anthology top to bottom in quite some time.
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GeekDad received this comic for review purposes.
