13 “Snow” (Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight #192-196)

When a family tragedy, coupled with the creation of an untested technological development, forges the obsession of a super-villain, a young Batman must assemble a strike force against a frosty foe, Mr. Freeze.

Story: J.H. Williams, Dan Curtis Johnson
Script & Dialogue: Dan Curtis Johnson
Art: Seth Fisher
Colorist: Dave Stewart
Letterer: Phil Balsam

The premise is interesting with its focus on a less seasoned and clearly overwhelmed Batman struggling to stay ahead of crime in a retro 70’s Gotham, but “Snow” often feels tonally off, its narrative set-ups partially sketched, its payoffs dramatically unsatisfying, Victor Fries evolution to Mr. Freeze all perfunctory.

14 “Red Skull: Incarnate”

As Berlin descends into chaos and ruin, sinister forces are on the rise…and the men who will form the Nazi Party ascent to power. Against this tragic backdrop of history, a boy comes of age: Johann Schmidt. Orphan, thug, urchin–Johann has nothing–and how far he would go for power will change the world.

Writer: Greg Pak
Artist: Miko Colak
Colorist: Matthew Wilston
Letterer: VC’s Clayton Cowles

One can draw parallels between “Red Skull: Incarnate” and “Magneto: Testament”. Both set in Germany against the backdrop of WWII, telling the stories of two young boys and their respective struggles for survival. The big difference, of course, being that our young protagonists are on opposing sides of the conflict. In terms of plotting, I thought “Incarnate” was excellent but I was, frankly, put off by the dog slaughter scene that ended the first issue, a sequence that felt manipulative to me and spoiled my overall appreciation for this tale. Oh, and another thing “Incarnate” has in common with “Testament” is that both are ultimately supervillain origin stories devoid of any super heroic elements – both equally unsatisfactory in that respect although in the case of “Incarnate” it’s more excusable since young Johann doesn’t acquire his abilities until much later in life.

15 “Kingpin: Severance Package” (Spider-Man’s Tangled Web #4)

Tom Cochrane, a mid-level boss in Wilson Fisk’s criminal empire, learns the price of failure.

Writer: Greg Rucka
Artist: Eduardo Risso
Colorist: Steve Buccelato
Letterers: Richard Starking, Comicraft’s Wes Abbott

Even though The Kingpin doesn’t appear until the closing pages, he is a strong presence throughout this story – powerful, implacable, menacing – his larger than life persona looming large over every panel, from the opening phone call that sets this tragic tale in motion to the final call that ends it. At a single issue, it’s brief but incredibly effective. Writer Greg Pak is at his very best, backed by strong visuals courtesy Artist Eduardo Risso and Steve Buccelato’s alternately elegant and ominous colors. A brilliant one-shot.

Our Columbo rewatch continues tomorrow, Friday April 4th, with “Requiem for a Falling Star”