Posts tagged Batman

Canon? Not canon? Who knows!

May 10, 2012 · Filed under Uncategorized · Tagged , , , , ,

For reasons y’all have probably deduced, I’ve decided to drop Batman and Robin. And, because it did not hold my interest, I will not be reviewing Batgirl this month. So, let’s jump right in!

I’m dropping Suicide Squad. It’s stopped being my guilty pleasure, and moved into the territory of oh-god-why-am-I-still-reading-this. Frankly, I can only stand having two books like that on my pull list, and both slots belong to Scott Lobdell.

Somehow, while the other Batfamily books get worse and less interesting, the flagship Batman title just keeps getting better. The Court of Owls storyline, which has been building to this head since the first issue, is coming to a head. The Talons have infiltrated the Batcave, but were soundly defeated by a combination of subzero temperatures and…bats. Scott Snyder is excellent with exposition, but that was kind of ridiculous. I’m going to make a prediction. Once this Night of the Owls storyline is wrapped up, Bruce is going to pull a Green Arrow and run for mayor of Gotham. It would be an interesting turn for the book to take, as I don’t think anyone in the Batfamily (aside from Babs, pre-Crisis) has ever really had big political aspirations. However, my hat really goes off to the Snyder/Albuquerque team for their secondary story, involving Alfred’s father, Jarvis Pennyworth. To take a minor character like Jarvis and bring him into prominence is something Snyder is very good at, and the distinctive art style of Rafael Albuquerque fits the narrative perfectly. This is a story I really, really would like to hear.

I have mixed feelings regarding the latest issue of Green Lantern. On one hand, the secret of the Indigo Tribe that has long been theorized was made canon. Indigos are forcefully reformed murderers, this is now fact. But, on the other hand…how the hell can DC justify calling this a reboot when so much shit was left in?! Blackest Night happened. The dead rose. And yet, a very big part of the Blackest Night were the people who came back to life. Osiris, Jade, and Professor Zoom have no place in the new 52, at all. Osiris was connected to the Black Marvel family, which doesn’t exist. Jade was Alan Scott’s daughter, and he’s still a young man…in another universe. And Eobard Thawne died in Flashpoint. That means, if Blackest Night happened, then Brightest Day happened. That’s sort of obvious, if you’d been reading the Hawk and Dove book, as well as Justice League Dark. But how is this stuff connecting? I’m going to have to give that more thought. Let’s move on to something about this issue I liked. I like Sinestro, and I really like his girlfriend/wife, Arin Sur. Being able to see bits of his life with her was nice, though bittersweet, as we finally saw how she died. What we didn’t see, however, was a very important piece of their life together, namely, their daughter Soranik Natu. Where is she? What’s she up to? Does she even exist in this universe? Which all comes back to the big question: In the New 52, what is still canon? I hope we find out soon, because this is driving me up the wall.

Because they’re both connected to the Culling event, I’m going to be reviewing Superboy and Legion Lost together. Ugh, I shouldn’t have had to say that.
Why does Dawnstar’s Culling suit need a boob window? No, seriously. She’s not so incredibly stacked that she’d be in pain without one. No one else has a boob window. Why is it there? Not to mention that her costume design seems to change with every cover and interior Ugh, damnit. I’m getting mad over useless things, this doesn’t bode well.
Harvest, you are the worst villain, but I’m going to go ahead and blame that on Scott Lobdell. This plot was done before, and recently, too. The Dark Side Club kidnapped teenaged metahumans to be used as part of Clock Kings’s army, with the ‘best’ being used as his Terror Titans. The only part of Superboy that will even probably matter in the coming months was the tiny bit of information revealed about Bart Allen. In the future, he…was not a good kid. And this makes me sad.
Legion Lost is so bad. It’s written horribly, the dialogue is ridiculous, and I’m sure it’s only still running because Lobdell needed the team for his Culling event. I think my main issue with this, uh, issue, is that Tom DeFalco has turned Bunker into one of ‘those’ guys. The parody gay. No, don’t do that. This is a bad thing you have done. Though, every issue has a silver lining, and mine is the little bit of shipping we get regarding Caitlin and Rose. Hooray, a queer Rose Wilson narrative at last! Rose, I’d like to introduce you to a young lady named Cassie. In another universe, everything she touched turned to lesbians. Be friends.

I’ve got the mother of all headaches, and the crushing disappointment only a Bart Allen fan could experience. I need a bit of downtime to absorb all of this new information. Hope to see y’all back next week!

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And now, a first: An almost rage-free comic review!

April 19, 2012 · Filed under Uncategorized · Tagged , , , , , , , ,

Seven books? But, it’s not the second week of the month! Ah well.

See, this is what I like. A Legion cooldown issue done well. The issue starts out with the discovery that someone out there is trying to recreate the Fatal Five, which will surely be the big focus of the next arc. But the real stars of this issue are the original three. Garth and Imra take Rokk out on the town for the night, and he begins to reconnect with his old lady-love Lydda Jath, former member of the Legion of Substitute Heroes. It was a good issue, for what it’s worth, and the first time I haven’t had mostly negative things to say about a Legion book.

Okay, I was wrong. Remember how I said I thought Supergirl was a fairly dull book? Wrong wrong wrong. One thing I was right about, though, was how the Irish girl from a few issues back would pay a larger part. Spoiler alert: It’s Silver Banshee! I’ve always loved characters, especially villains, that draw from mythology and folklore, so banshees have always held a soft spot in my heart. So, while I’d have liked more time between Siobhan and Kara’s meeting, and Siobhan becoming Silver Banshee, I liked the end-of-issue reveal all the same. You go, team Supergirl!

I’m still not fond of Blue Beetle. Jaime reminds me a bit too much of One Year Later Tim Drake to be entirely likable, but by god, at least the story is getting better. Stopwatch is a fantastic villain, and I see that Tony Bedard was drawing inspiration from the likes of Clock King, with a nice helping of tragic mad scientist to net him some fans, when he was writing him. It’s also nice to see a holdover from the old DCU, namely, the Reach scarabs hating Green Lanterns. My only real disappointment is that the first GL Jaime has ever met is going to be Kyle. I’d have liked to see how Tony would have written a Jaime/Guy fight. Then again, he’s also writing New Guardians, so I guess it makes sense for it to be Kyle. Wow, I think this is the most positive I’ve ever been about Blue Beetle, and it only took 8 months of bitching to realize that.

Okay, I’m confused. Isn’t Justice League supposed to take place 5 years prior to everything else in the DCnU? Oh wait, last issue, they kicked it up to present day. Why? Why is that a good idea? The only way I can live with the characters in Justice League acting as completely out-of-character (or in some cases, acting as parodies of themselves) as they do is because they’re young. Just starting out. Taking time to grow and mature. But no, five years later, they’re still a bunch of bickering children…and Barry. I think Geoff Johns is trying to make up for his Road to Flashpoint arc of the previous Flash series by making Barry as caring and concerned for others as he possibly can. Oh, look, it’s time again for Grey to talk about the technical areas of the comic book! Speaking of creators, I’m convinced. Jim Lee truly is one of a kind. There are three guest artists on the book this week, including Ivan Reis who worked with Geoff on the old main Green Lantern book, Blackest Night, Brightest Day, and the current Aquaman series…and none of them have the ability to make these horribly written people look as good as Jim does. But back to the actual story, and the giant middle finger it loves to wave at us. I haven’t been reading the new Green Arrow series, nor have I been keeping up with StormWatch. So today, I was finally introduced to DCnU Ollie and J’onn (I’m not counting his appearances in Green Lantern Corps). Now, I’ve never liked Ollie. But J’onn J’onzz used to be the heart and soul of the Justice League. He was truly my favorite Martian. And now…he’s probably never going to appear as a friend of the League, ever again.
So, how about that Shazam? As soon as I saw the other characters in this backup, I realized that, oh snap, we’re going back to Flashpoint S!H!A!Z!A!M!. These are literally the same kids, and with their reveal, the name change makes sense. By the way, in case anyone was wondering, yes, Billy is still an awful little shit that you just want to beat into a pulp. Mary is fairly badass, though. And after all the crap DC put her through before the reboot, she deserves to be seen as something other than a joke.

Scott Lobdell, I sincerely hate your writing. I do. You’re awful. Suzie Su? She is literally just a fat ball of rage. That’s her character. That’s who she is. You dedicated almost an entire issue to that bit of nothingness…then wrote two pages of the best character interaction between Jason and Tim outside of fanfic. How. How is this. I can’t. How are you a person with some kind of depth to you, as well as at least a basic understanding of how people interact, and still put out three awful titles a month? I don’t get it. I’m so confused right now.

God, I love Batman. No, not Batman. God, I love the creative team behind Batman. Only Scott Snyder could write a story where a centuries-old Illuminati discovers the secret of Batman, and Alfred squishes one of them with the giant penny. Only Scott Snyder could do this, and not be called completely insane. The Night of the Owls has begun. It has already touched books like Red Hood and the Outlaws, Nightwing, and Catwoman. The first crossover event of the new year, of the new universe, and it promises to be a good one.

It has come to my attention that last month’s issue of Wonder Woman wasn’t generally well-received by my peers, namely, female comic fans. So here, have a rant from last month: http://touchofgrey37.tumblr.com/post/19720812353/im-seeing-a-lot-of-rage-and-sadness-and-hate-towards
As for this month, however. Wow. It’s all I can say. All I need to say. Cliff Chiang has a grasp of anatomy and movement that is unmatched by any on this mortal plane. Brian Azzarello is an amazing worldbuilder. In so many other adaptions of myth, the Underworld is a place where the dead are tortured, or trapped, or just generally miserable. Azzarello’s denizens of the Underworld are things, places. They fight for their master, when called upon. And the idea of them makes the concept of life after death all that much scarier. Of course, the twist at the end of the issue had me flipping pages. Had Hephaestus set her up, with the guns? Did Hermes know, as soon as he saw Zola, that he was only leaving with one woman? In any case, next month, Hades liked it, so he’s putting a ring on it!

Oh, wow. This week was so…positive. I don’t know what happened. Is it possible that comics are getting…good? No, can’t be. My sincerest apologies for posting this at 1 am. I had to go into work unexpectedly, and didn’t actually get to the comic shop until 8 pm. Hope to see you back next week!

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Two out of three ain’t bad…when we’re talking about the Trinity, anyway.

March 22, 2012 · Filed under Uncategorized · Tagged , , , , , , , , , ,

For my own reasons, I simply can’t continue to read Green Lantern Corps and Nightwing. As it is, we’ve got eight books on our plate today, including what seems to be the end of Kick-Ass 2. Let’s go!

I’m sorry, but I don’t see how anyone in this gang could possibly be Chinese. Is it a bad artist? I mean, he’s clearly seen Asians before. Harmonia is proof of this. Is the future of China just…an explosion of white folks? Okay…

I really like the designs of the Worldkillers, they’re certainly well done. Also, I’d like to be the first to decry the theory that Kara is another Worldkiller. After all, Reign said that only a Worldkiller can defeat a Worldkiller, and Kara was clearly losing her fight against them. This issue was…interesting. It was fairly slow, for an issue that was essentially one big fight scene. Though at the end, it stands to wonder. Did Reign and her Worldkillers take down the force field? It’ll be pretty awkward if they didn’t. Oh well, we’ll find out next month.

Justice League is completely unlikable. The team is made up of dicks. Well, dicks, Diana, and Barry. I haven’t really seen enough of Cyborg to make a informed decision as to whether or not he’s a dick yet. Though I do have a thing to say about Diana. With the whole ‘rejection of Steve Trevor’ thing, is it possible that they might explore a theme that has been speculated on for decades? Namely, the theory that Wonder Woman could be, dare I dream it, queer? I really, really want that route to be traveled, I just don’t want Geoff Johns to be the one to do it.
Now onto the second feature. Holy fuck, what did you do to Billy Batson? Billy ‘sweetest kid on the planet’ Batson. Billy ‘I’m going to make Black Adam’s magic word chocolate egg cream just to fuck with him’ Batson. Well, he’s apparently a brat now. Thanks for that, Geoff Johns. I will say, I always enjoy seeing Gary Frank’s art. I just wish it wasn’t attached to…this.

I love Wonder Woman. I’ve never said that before, but I say it now. This issue is just…fantastic. The perfect marriage of art and writing, simply amazing. Diana and her band of gods and demigods have sought out Hephaestus to arm them for their journey into hell to retrieve Zola, and on the way, learn the answer to a very good question. How is it the Amazons have only ever had girl-children? Answer: they haven’t. The ‘failures’ of Amazons have been traded to Hephaestus for weapons, and he raises them instead. They are not his slaves, as Diana assumed, but his children. This was a good, good issue. It showed that Diana isn’t always right, it introduced us to more members of her extended family, and it also answered a question that had not been answered before. If you haven’t been reading Wonder Woman before, it’d be a good idea to start. Brian Azzarello and Cliff Chiang have made fans out of a former Wonder Woman neutralist.

Wow, today is just a day for adoration. Anyone who knows me knows that I don’t like Bruce Wayne. I’m not a fan, never have been. But under Scott Snyder’s pen, something has happened. While he isn’t exactly likable, Bruce Wayne has become something. Perhaps something he’s always been, but I’ve just been too blind to see. Stripped to his core, he is…an unhinged, emotionally-stunted manchild in a Bat costume. And for some reason, I really, really like that.

I have my problems with Red Hood and the Outlaws, I’d be lying if I said I didn’t. I think my major issue is that this All-Caste thing would have worked just as well attached to a new character, not one as well-established in the DC universe as Jason Todd. That being said, I do like the backstory of Essence. Revealing her, as well as Ducra and the Untitled as a whole, to be Vandal Savage-esque immortals was pretty cool. And the designs are fantastic. But…it just doesn’t feel like a book Jason Todd should be attached to. That’s just my two cents, like it or leave it.

Kick-Ass 2 ended in an interesting way. Red Mist is defeated, the superheroes get their shining moment, Mother Russia gets a particularly gory decapitation scene…it wasn’t bad. It’s clearly not the last we’re going to see of Hit-Girl, if the fact that Millarworld is going to be putting out a solo title about her in June. Yes, that’s right, Millarworld. A company where Mark Millar writes everything. And he’s got the gall to advertise it in the back of a Marvel comic with the line, “The Big Two just became the Big Three” attached. Um. Hi, there’s this other company, goes by the name Image, it’s got one of the most popular comics on the market right now? And said comic spawned a TV show? Yeah, get in line for number 3 status.

Hm. Okay, want my opinion? Of course you don’t, but I’m giving it anyway. Jaime is in New York City. Virgil is in New York City. They should totally team up. By the way, the phasing villain here bears a striking resemblance to the other phasing villain who showed up, connection? Perhaps. I’m still not enjoying the Blue Beetle book, but at least I’m hating it less that usual so…progress?

That was this week in comics! I wrote a lot less that I thought I would, hm. In any case, I was barely driven to insane rage this week, fantastic! Let’s hope next week goes just as well. Until then, my lovelies!

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We’re starting with chicks, we’re ending with chicks…I dub this chick week!

February 16, 2012 · Filed under Uncategorized · Tagged , , , , , , , , ,

Oh goodness gravy gracious, seems like it’s the second week of the month again. Eight books, including two DC 52′s I’ve only recently picked up, Batman and Wonder Woman! Shall we begin?

So, remember how I said I was annoyed with Kara’s characterization? Well, I still am, sort of. But at least she’s kicking ass now! Somehow managing to regain her yellow sun-caused powers, Kara saves herself from Argo’s fate, flying back to Earth just in time to start fighting Reign in New York City. It was sort of a slow issue, with random scenes (will the Irish girl play a bigger part in later issues), flashbacks, and a strange hallucination bit, but it was well-written and well drawn, so I guess I can excuse it. Though I have to say, I’m still confused as to the purpose of the knee holes in Kara’s boots.

Still not understanding how Green Lantern Corps is my least favorite Lantern-related book. I feel like I should love it, but it’s so…long-winded and boring. Even the action sequences are snooze-worthy. Ugh, how is this happening?!

Interesting. Maybe it was her name, maybe it was the way she was drawn to look like another Caucasian biped, but I had no idea Dragonwing from Legion of Superheroes was supposed to be Chinese…I think. Fairly certain, at least. I’m not too invested in this book anymore. Though, the scene with Dream Girl smooching Thom, then princess-carrying him back to his own chair was pretty cute. Girl power! Not to be confused with Power Girl, who looks nothing like Nura Nal. Speaking of people not looking anything like they should, has Francis Portela ever been to China? Because everyone there seems to be white in the future. I don’t think that’s a very good future, do you?

I’ve been trying to like Nightwing, I really have. But between the uninspiring art, the lackluster storyline, and Dick’s own recently bland personality, I’m afraid I just can’t find anything to enjoy. I’m sorry, Nightwing. I’ve failed you.

Ah, now this I can get into. Of all the little origin stories I’ve seen since the reboot, the one I’ve hoped for the most was this one, how Jason and Kori met. Long story short, he blew up a submarine and ended up marooned on the island she called home. We learn a lot about Kori’s character during this issue, and hopefully, a lot of the slut shaming will stop now. She was in a relationship with Dick Grayson, and presumably, he ended up hurting her, and they broke it off. She chooses not to dwell on her past with him, and actually sort of blocks him out, except for the happy times when they were together. The end of the issue actually brings up something interesting. Were Jason and Kori actually together, or were they just friends who had sex? It’s not an important question, or even one I hope to have answered right away, but it is a good question nonetheless. Oh! And another thing. In one of her Dick-related flashbacks, we see Kori with both Dick and Roy during a mission. So…did Kori know Roy previously? And if so, why hasn’t that been addressed? Did Roy forget her as a side-effect of the drugs he’d been on? I’m hoping they cover Roy’s history next, as I’m now very, very curious.

I only started reading the DCnU Batman title last month. And I’m actually pretty sad that it took me this long to hop on board the bandwagon. Those of you who have been reading this blog, or know me in real life, know I’ve got a pretty low opinion of Bruce Wayne. He’s just not an interesting character to me. And then someone pointed out that his book was being written by Scott Snyder. Now, I loved Scott Snyder’s work with DickBats, and I actually own the hardback trade of The Black Mirror. The man does quality work. Such quality work that, for the first time ever, I’m now committed to buying a monthly title focusing solely on Bruce Wayne. I’m a sucker for conspiracy theory stories, and secret societies, so this first arc is just sucking me right in. This latest issue is possibly the trippiest thing I’ve read in ages. The long-awaited confrontation between Batman and Talon of the Court of Owls! It’s certainly a good fight, visually, though there’s very little exposition to drive the story forward, until the last page. Basically, the Court is Caesar, and Talon is the champion gladiator. They take people from above who get too close to the secret, and have them run around in their labyrinth until they can’t go on, and then Talon ends them. I’m going to have to take a second now, before I start the next book, to thank Scott Snyder for making me like Bruce Wayne. Thank you, Mr. Snyder. You’re doing an excellent job.

I am not happy with Tony Bedard. I am not happy with DC. Why does everything have to be edgy and gritty? It’s 2012, not 1993. Jaime Reyes was a normal kid with good friends and a loving family…that happened to accidentally acquire the most powerful suit of living armor on the planet. And you’ve taken that away from us. The Scarab isn’t his friend, Brenda isn’t his friend so much as a love-interest-in-training, his parents’ personalities are warped, Jaime’s personality is shot to hell…the only real similarity I can find is that he still cares so much for the people in his life, that he would get as far away from them as he could just to make sure they’d be safe. I can’t look at you right now, Blue Beetle. Just, just go away.

You know what bugged me about Wonder Woman, when I read the first five issues last month? Why was it that she was the one to get the big re-origining? Batman’s parents are dead, Superman still came from a doomed world, but now Wonder Woman is actually the daughter of Zeus? Personally, I always loved the Perez origin, how she was made from clay and blessed by the goddesses. But hey, at least she’s not ‘edgy’. I really like the designs used for the different gods and goddesses in this book. Hades as a child with a head of candles, and Poseidon as a crowned sea monster are especially interesting. It’s also nice to see that Azzarello is paying attention to the classic depiction of Hera as a raging bitch. Though, the assumption that a woman could not rule the heavens without a man is pretty awful. All in all, Wonder Woman is a fairly good book, a nice blending of classic myth and modern adventure. I approve.

That’s this week in comics, everyone. On a personal note, I hope all of you enjoyed the recent holiday, whether with a loved one or by yourself, throwing Molotov cocktails at cars in city dumps. Hope to see y’all here next week!

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Four plus three equals Batfamily: The Batkids and why I love them.

December 1, 2011 · Filed under Uncategorized · Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

What makes a Batman comic great?

Is it the fight scenes, the character interaction, the villains..? Well, maybe. But if you’re asking me, I’m going to look you dead in the eye and say one word:

“Robin.”

I love Robin. Every Robin. All of the Robins in all of their various forms. Dick Grayson, Jason Todd, Tim Drake, Stephanie Brown, Damian Wayne, even Carrie Kelly. Though to be fair to her, I’ll have to come clean and admit that it took me a couple of tries to get through the two books she was in. Frank Miller is not my favorite writer, and that art style was just…yeuch. Actually, speaking of terrible art, that brings me to the other half of the equation, namely, the Batgirls.

We’re actually going to start with the Batgirls because I have less to say about them than I have to say on the Robins.

For a long time, Barbara Gordon was my dream girl. I am saying this in the absolute least heterosexual way compared to what I actually mean, but yes. She was my hero. I loved her. I wanted to be her. Because I was born in 1990, and grew up watching Batman: The Animated Series. She was My Batgirl for a long time…until I got into comics. By the time I got into comics in 97, Barbara Gordon hadn’t been Batgirl for almost a decade. Instead, she is now Oracle, the wheelchair-bound computer genius who, arguably, keeps the superhero community connected. I loved her in that role, even more than I loved her as Batgirl. Batgirl will punch you in the face! Oracle will fuck your life up big time, the power is at her fingertips. Her recent return to the Batsuit…irks me. Why did it happen? What was the purpose of taking Barbara Gordon away from the thing she did best to get her back to doing what a thousand other people do just as well, if not better? The sting wouldn’t be so bad if the series was at least done well, but Gail Simone is really off her game on this one, and the art isn’t much better. But enough about Batgirl number one.

Now to be honest, I didn’t follow a ton of Bat-titles through the 90s, mainly because I could only really afford to pick up 4 or 5 titles a month (Flash, Impulse, and Titans always ranked above Bat-titles). If I had a little extra money, I would flip through the other titles on the shelf, usually paying more attention to the art rather than who was in them. And so, I’m a little ashamed to admit that for a long time, I passed up Cassandra Cain’s solo series, because Damion Scott cannot draw. I now own the entire series and, while the art still bugs the crap out of me when he’s on pencils, it’s still a great book, and Cassandra is a great character. She gives a new meaning to ‘strong, silent type’. But she also has just the right amounts of heartbreaking. Remember when Babs was trying to cheer her up, telling her, “You just go and be the best Batgirl possible!” And Cass was like, “Can’t. You were.” Oh god. Oh god my heart. When I read that, I knew that good art or bad art, I would love this girl for the rest of my life. Cass recently won the title of Most Kick-Ass DC Woman on Tumblr, via DCWomenKickingAss, and she deserves it. Hopefully, some DC executive types were paying attention.

You may be wondering why I’m going straight into the Robins. To which I say, have some damn patience, it’s only a few paragraphs more.

Dick Grayson is the single most important character DC has ever had. Why do I say that? Because while Superman and Batman were the heroes to little boys everywhere, Robin was one of them. A kid could only dream about someday being Batman. Robin, he could try right then and there. As Robin, Dick helped to found the Teen Titans. As Nightwing, Dick was the leader for several more incarnations of Titans, as well as the Outsiders. And then, after the battle for it was over, Dick became Batman. I could talk for ages about how much Dick Grayson means to me, but the truth is, he’s not my Robin. He was never my Robin, he was always just Nightwing to me. Want to know who my Robin was?

I first entered a comic shop in 1997. I’d been sort of into comics for about a year before that, reading backissues that my uncle and one of my grandmother’s friends had, but those issues were old, the most recent ones being from around 1986. Sure, I knew that Dick Grayson had been Robin first, but the first Robin I ever read about was Jason Todd. My uncle was more into Justice League and Superman than Batman, but he did have a few issues featuring Jason Todd, most of which I would later learn to be classified as pre-Crisis. So imagine my surprise the first time I go into a comic shop and see that Robin has his own series! Wait a second, that’s not…where’s Jason?! I actually had to ask the guy behind the counter who it was that was starring in the Robin series. After about five seconds of him being condescending (before he realized, whoops, that’s a little girl), he explained that it was Tim Drake, and that he’d been Batman’s partner for a few years now. “Wait, so where’s Jason? Is he Nightwing now?” The man explained to me very gently that Jason had died, and even gave me a copy of A Death in the Family (that was shot to hell and missing pages, but still, it was a nice gesture). I’d never been so upset over something fictional before in my life. This was three Bambi moms and a Mufasa all rolled into one. And right then and there, I swore that I would never like Tim Drake as Robin. Ever. Even years later, after Jason returned as the Red Hood, quite literally bringing sexy back, I would still hate that mantle-grabbing brat, Tim Drake.

I was a very stupid kid.

Tim Drake, from the beginning, was in love with the idea of being Robin. He was (subtextually) in love with Dick Grayson, enough to be able to figure out that Dick was Robin, just from seeing Robin perform a move that Dick had years ago. Oh yeah, and Tim had been at the circus the night Dick became Robin. To this day, I still haven’t read a lot of early Tim stuff, from before he had his own series, though I do own about 90% of the Robin title, as well as all of the Red Robin book, and let me just say this: If Dick Grayson is the guy everyone wants to know, then Tim Drake is that gigantic dork that everyone knows and loves, but can’t figure out why. For a long time, Tim was this giant nerd that, for some reason, endeared himself to me. He was never my Robin, though he was the one I ended up knowing best. Probably my favorite thing he was ever in, though was Young Justice. It was nice to see how awkward he was compared to DC’s other teenagers. He held the title of DC’s emo kid from 2004 until about 2009, though to his credit, DC shit on him pretty thoroughly for those years. And while he was sort of starting to get back some of his more essential Tim-ness towards the end of his run in Red Robin, that completely vanished once DC rebooted, so I guess I can go back to hating him in peace.

Stephanie Brown is my favorite Robin. No, seriously. I loved the idea of Steph as Robin in the World Without Young Justice crossover event, and when that actually happened in the main canon, I freaked. A girl Robin! Oh my god! And it was the girl who bricked Tim Drake! Steph was part of the reason I kept buying the Robin title. She was just so…normal, compared to Tim. She was this girl who had friends and went to school and didn’t exactly lie to her mom about what she was up to at night. Her only real flaw was that she seemed to have Tinya Wazzo syndrome, inability to function without Tim in her life. Though, I chock that up to it being Tim’s book, because whenever she’d appear in Cass’ book, she was just fine. And then she died. I didn’t even find out she died until, well, until Tim did. Because I didn’t really follow crossover stories. I didn’t know how to react. Surely this was a Disney death. Obviously she’d be back in a few weeks, because this wasn’t really happening. Well, Stephanie did eventually come back, as Spoiler, in one of the strangest, stupidest explanations for a character death ever. I mean, this was ‘Bucky was found by the Russians, given a new arm, and sent to kill things’ weird. But I swallowed it, because by this time, I’d pretty much accepted that I’d been drinking the Tim Drake Kool-Aid for years now. And then, an amazing thing happened. Stephanie, my Robin, my eggplant warrior, made the ultimate leap. While Cass ran around starkers (seriously, did she just…get naked on the roof and leave the uniform there?), Steph donned the cowl for the very first time as Batgirl! Augh, can I just be a fangirl for a second and screech about how much I loved it? Power Girl had her own (awesome!) title, and Steph had her own ongoing as Batgirl. Not to mention that the very Silver Age Batgirl/Supergirl friendship was revived…I was in heaven. Because here’s something you’re all going to hate me for. Stephanie Brown is my favorite Batkid. She’s my Batgirl, she’s my favorite Robin, she’s the one who worked the hardest for the recognition. She’s not perfect. She makes mistakes. But she doesn’t close herself off or hole up somewhere to mope about it. She just deals with it and moves on, just like a normal, well-adjusted person who runs around in a purple Bat-suit is wont to do.

When he first came on the scene, I fucking hated Damian Wayne. No, I didn’t just hate him. I fucking hated him. Expletive needed. He was this whiny, bratty, next to useless twerp who, yes, kicked Tim’s ass, but he also threatened Alfred. In my eyes, no one with a soul could want to hurt Alfred. And then his dad died. Damian teamed up with Dick and oh my god, that was the best. I started buying Bat-titles. Me. Batman and Robin hardly ever disappointed me. I mean, you guys know. You were here. You remember. Because while Dick was a fantastic Batman, Damian was a flawless Robin. He held himself to the highest of standards, learned from his mistakes, and started to crack wise. He even formed a kinship with everyone else in the Family (except Tim). And now…I don’t like reboot Damian. It’s like everything Dick was trying to teach him is slowly slipping away. He’s being more ruthless now. Why? In an act of defiance? Because he wants his brother back? Tell us what you want, Damian! We will try to give it to you! Also, hello, Bruce. Your child likes cats, and you bought him a dog. Wake the hell up.

If my body wasn’t telling me that I’m very tired, this would probably be longer. I’m sorry, Carrie Kelly fans, but I will not be discussing her this evening. I didn’t like the only books she was ever in, so I only ever read them once, to say that I had. And while I’d like to talk about Colin, technically, Abuse isn’t a Batkid, just a kid associated with Damian. Maybe some day, if Damian is ever allowed to age, we’ll have more Robins. But for now, we have a Nightwing, a Red Hood, a Spoiler, a Red Robin, a Batgirl, a Black Bat, and yes, a Robin. And I think we can all be content with them.

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The last two paragraphs of this entry are just a gigantic spoiler for the most recent issue of Superboy

November 10, 2011 · Filed under Uncategorized · Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Oh dear god, why me? I know I have the choice of not picking up some of these books, but I’m a masochist, sort of. Eleven books this week, and I’m really, really hoping that the good outweighs the bad.

Best pull the bandaid off as quickly as possible. Legion Lost, everybody. I don’t think I’ve stressed how much I don’t like this book. The art is half-assed, the characterization of all the Legionairres stuck in the past is shoddy, and oh my god, Fabian Nicieza, stop writing things. Okay? Killing off a character, just to have said character come back within the same arc is not good writing. I’m done with this.

I have to say, when it comes to blood and guts and gore, no title does it better than Deathstroke. I mean, that’s all the book is, really. Blood, guts, gore, and a little bit of a plot regarding someone out to kill Slade Wilson. For such a simple concept, it’s surprisingly enjoyable.

You know, I think I’ve discovered exactly what it is about Batgirl I don’t like. I don’t think, in this universe, Babs was ever Oracle. Even back when she was in the chair, people knew not to mess with her. Hell, there were entire issues of Birds of Prey dedicated to Oracle still being able to beat the crap out of people. Here she’s just…hesitant all the time. There’s none of that old feistyness that made Babs who she was. Yes, there’s snark, but every Batfamily member has that. And now, seeing the way she interacts with Dick, I’m sure of it. I’m not fond of this title. I don’t even like it. Sorry, Gail. Sorry, Babs. You’re not my cup of tea.

I find that by not reading the story and only looking at the beautiful art, Huntress is much more bearable. Marcus To is a wonder, and everything he draws is just fantastic. Paul Levitz puts me to sleep.

Batman, what are you doing? That’s the basic theme of Batman and Robin this month. First he buys a dog for a kid that prefers cats. Then he tells Damian that he can’t patrol with him. Then he makes terrible, terrible puns while fighting someone named Morgan. Okay. Yeah. Bruce, seriously. What the hell are you doing?

I don’t exactly advertise it, but I love Batman: The Brave and the Bold. It’s a fantastic show with a great cast of characters, and the comic, when I pick it up, is just as entertaining. I’m only going to say one thing about the all-Robin issue of B:TBatB, and that thing is, this is the single most quality comic to come out so far this month, and you should go buy it.

I’ve had people ask me why I like Batwoman so much, as a title. This isn’t just a little intro story, I’ve literally had people at my LCS ask me what I got out of Batwoman. It can’t be because it’s a title starring a woman, because I don’t like Batgirl or Catwoman, as books. It can’t be because of the creative team, because while I like Blackman, I will always prefer Rucka as a writer. So what is it? Why does this book have me singing its praises all the time?
Because. That’s my answer. Because.
The story is a continuation of another story that I personally loved. The main character is in turmoil because she believes that her father, someone she has looked up to and depended on for emotional support her entire life, has lied to her about the single most important event from her childhood. This isn’t just a book about Batwoman. It’s a book about Kate Kane, and Jake Kane, and Bette Kane, and Maggie Sawyer. It’s about intertwined destinies and new love and distrust and cynicism and death. Why do I buy this book every month, and talk it up every time I’m asked? Because it’s worth it.
This month’s issue was just…spectacular. The opening sequence, when La Llorona is drowning her in Gotham Harbor, the scenes with Bette and with Maggie…I can’t. I’m blown away. A special welcome back to Flamebird, by the way, whose costume just looks fantastic in this art style.

Ever read something that you hate to admit you love? That’d be Suicide Squad for me. I was never a huge fan of the original run (though I do love me some Amanda Waller), but it did have its moments. This new 52 run? I love it, except for those few moments I don’t. Not a fan of Waller’s new look, not a fan of Harley’s new look, nor the fact that she seems to have been thrown into the sexpot role her pal Ivy used to hold, but aside from that, I can dig it. I love Deadshot here. I love King Shark. And now, I love that Captain Boomerang is back in a starring role. I’m officially on board, Suicide Squad. You’ve converted me.

You know, I think I remember why I don’t like the Body Doubles now. They’re so ridiculously male gaze-y, I feel like they’re not even people. Just…cardboard stand-ups with healing powers and guns. Resurrection Man will be a lot better once they’re no longer the center villain.

Geoff Johns ships Sinestro/Hal, and nothing anyone says can make me think differently. I mean, my god. “No, you can’t go see the woman you have a confusing and overly complicated relationship with, you have to come with me, right now. To save a planet.” That being said, Sinestro laughing is probably the creepiest thing. Like a Parallax-possessed Barry Allen making out with an Ophidian-possessed Hector Hammond. It’s creepier than that. And his attitude directly afterward. “Okay, you hilarious ape-creature. Let’s go save a planet and destroy a Corps.” These two are ridiculous. It’s like, Johns has been waiting to write this particular fanfic for years, so now he’s throwing every single idea he’s ever had for them into a single issue. Sinestro is able to control Hal’s ring. They’re going to go off and save a planet together. Sinestro is jealous that Hal wants to go see Carol before he leaves. So much banter. Oh no, is that Sinestro’s ex or something?! (probably his sister, to play up the wacky misunderstanding aspect) And then Hal dies! Congratulations, Geoff. The ultimate Green Lantern fanfic has been published as a comic. You win.

OH MY GOD, RED IS CAITLIN FROM GEN 13.
I’m sorry for the spoilers, but holy shit. My mind is blown. The rest of this issue is toilet paper compared to that final page. Holy mother of god. I have no words right now. I literally cannot think of anything else to say about this issue.

That was this week in- holy fuck, seriously?! Caitlin is Red?! I can’t even. I really can’t. You guys don’t even know how much I loved the Wildstorm version of Gen 13, and now Caitlin is interacting with Superboy and Rose Wilson..? Oh my god. That was this week in comics. I’m going to go try and find coherent words.

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The future’s so dark, I’m gonna need a Flashlight. See what I did there?

August 25, 2011 · Filed under Uncategorized · Tagged , , , , , , , ,

This is it. The last full week. I, I don’t have anything else to say.

As always, the Flashpoint titles will be lumped together.

Maybe it’s because I never got into Wildstorm, aside from Gen 13 and Authority, but I just don’t like Lois Lane and the Resistance as much as I could. It’s full of pointless backstory I don’t care about, and without the various Furies that I recognize (that have no lines, for the most part), I doubt I would be reading it at all. Lois Lane has never really been one of my favorite female characters and while a book about her could, theoretically, be interesting, this one just…wasn’t. Sorry, Lois.
I. I can’t I just.
Hoo. Okay. I am so angry right now. I feel like right now, there is no doubt in my mind that Bart isn’t going to be Kid Flash in the new universe. This one I’m dissecting, so prepare for maximum spoilers. Bart is the reason there isn’t any Speed Force in the Flashpoint universe. He took the speed from Max, and Jay, and maybe even Johnny and Jesse Quick. Because there was never any Flash back in the 40′s, Barry Allen never spent his life being a fan. He never got in the accident that gave him his powers, and never gave the same powers to Wally. Barry Allen never married Iris West. Bart was never born. He existed outside of time, then went back in time as the Black Flash to steal the speed from, and kill, the man who would eventually become Max Mercury. As the Black Flash, Bart bounces around the timestream collecting Speed Force to give to Barry, then performs an exact copy of Barry’s death on Crisis on Infinite Earths in order to also become one with the Speed Force. But the worst part of all this?
Barry doesn’t really care.
I mean, he basically says so. He says that he doesn’t really know Bart all that well, but did he ever try to take the time to get to know him? No, he did not. Even Wally, with all his problems and issues, took a break every now and then from saving the world and banging Linda to hang out with his cousin. Barry is Bart’s grandfather. Bart is the son of a child that Barry never knew. Barry and Bart are so removed from each other, I don’t even know what to say. Other than Kid Flash Lost #3 was probably the most disappointing ending to a series since the final issue of Wally’s series a few years ago. I’m not happy.
We now return you to your scheduled programming.

It’s pretty obvious that Geoff Johns doesn’t want the Green Lantern movie to be anything like the comics. Why do I say this? Well, the final Green Lantern movie prequel came out today, starring Sinestro. And it, as with the others, told his origins. Apparently, movie!Sinestro was a freedom fighter on his planet. In the comics, he was an archaeologist. Umm. The two aren’t really similar, but okay. This being said, it was a nice one-shot, and I actually enjoyed it. Kinda cements the Abin/Sinestro bromance for me.

The final issue of Gates of Gotham can be summed up in one sentence: “Given enough time, I’m sure you’d make an even better Batman than me.” Dick Grayson made a great Batman. Thank you, Scott Snyder, for voicing this opinion through the mouthpiece that is Bruce Wayne. Take that, ‘Bruce is the only Batman’ fanboys.

You know, I like to think that, despite all of their differences, Guy and Bruce actually get along really well. They’re both quite intelligent, though Guy likes to mask his smarts with bravado. They’re both very guarded when it comes to personal relationships. But above all, they both know how to save the day, albeit in different ways. I like this team-up issue, and yeah, it was kind of a fitting end to Guy’s series. Well played, Tomasi.

There comes a time in every reviewers life when they read the end of a series and think, wow. That was seriously pulled directly out of the writer’s ass last second, wasn’t it? “The Batman made me do it” is honestly the worst, and lamest, excuse I’ve ever heard. Bruce wasn’t Batman when this series began, Dick was. Dick wasn’t up for manipulating anyone at that stage in his career as Batman. He was dragging people down streets hanging off of his motorcycle. Still, good save, Selina. This issue earns a 3 of 5. Could have been a lot worse. Imagine if they’d actually killed her? Reboot or no, a cheap death is still a cheap death. Hear that, Sterling Gates?

So hey, who remembers Kick-Ass 2? Not me, the last issue came out in like, January. Anyway, issue #3 is out and…I’m going to be honest here. Is this supposed to be a serious real-world superhero book? Because it’s hilarious. There’s a heroine whose main objective is getting drunk girls home safely, and another guy who is cutting down on public transit violence. Frankly, I prefer those two to pretty much everyone else who just wants to beat people up. These guys are doing an actual civic duty that is often overlooked by regular law enforcement, especially in a big city. But this is the funny part. Remember Red Mist? He’s a full-time bad guy now, and his villain name is, wait for it, the Motherfucker. No, I’m not joking. This is the quality of the second half of this issue. Just, keep that in mind when the next issue of Kick-Ass comes out two years from now.

The final issue of Teen Titans wasn’t as half-assed as I thought it was going to be. Unlike the final issue of Superboy, which had been given two chances to not suck but failed, it was well thought out and well-paced. Sssssorta. Not going to lie, I facepalmed my way through the post-battle Kon/Rose moment. The art was very good, as was the writing, but so many questions were left unanswered for me. Who was under the Inertia costume? How did Prime clone three Kon’s? What if they were mind-controlled versions of Kon brought to the future? Who decided it would be a good idea to give Damian the Kryptonite phallic object? Why won’t Gar stop creepin’ on Raven? Are we seriously supposed to believe that the Source Wall is the permanent solution to Superboy-Prime? I’d voice some more questions, but I think I’ll just let y’all speculate on those for now.

Well. That’s it, then. Next week I’ve only got two books, the final issue of Flashpoint and, because I refuse to make a post about one book, the first issue of Justice League. Will they suck? Will the reboot sap my will to live? Will this blog still exist come October? Only time will tell. Until next time, readers. I’m Touch of Grey, and I have a chicken sandwich in my purse. And I’m going to eat it. Peace out.

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A moment of silence for the fallen: Adventure Comics and Secret Six say goodnight.

August 4, 2011 · Filed under Uncategorized · Tagged , , , , , , , , ,

Well, we’re at the beginning of the end here, folks. This is the fist week of the last month of DC’s history. Starting in September, everything will change. We’ve got seven books this week, two of which are final issues. Shall we begin?

As always, Flashpoint and its minis will be reviewed as one.
Oh, Flashpoint, you fantastic pile of shit. We get a more in-depth look at ‘Captain Thunder’ and his hosts in the next to last issue of Flashpoint. Oh, and apparently Barry Allen in this world is comparable to Layla Miller in House of M. Seriously, when Billy touched him, he regained some of his old memories. Huh. Whatever you say, Geoff Johns. Well, I guess all I can say is that I understand why there isn’t going to be a Shazam in the new DCU. RIP, Billy Batson, you were fucked over royally. The last few pages of this issue are just fighting, fighting, exposition, and oh look! It’s Eobard Thawne! About damn time he showed up. I give this issue a 2 of 5. Could have been better, but frankly, the only really interesting things in this issue were the sketch pages in the back.

Okay, what?! First he goes from being all “Durr, I don’t know anything about this chick who saved my ass, not even how old she is derr” while watching her shower, then there are makeouts between Deathstroke and Jenny Blitz? Comic, I’m turning the page now. This better be gone when I turn the page. Ugh, thankyou. What is it with Slade and his fucked up pedo thing for teenage girls? What the hell, DC? His things with Terra, Batgirl, and his own damn daughter were implied at best, so you decided to beat the questions and just announce that they’re banging during this scene change? Thanks for that. Someone get my brain bleach. Anyway, after a few pages of exposition and fight scenes, Rose is saved and Deathstroke apparently has a harem of ladies now. And thus was the tale of Deathstroke the pirate. Yarr.

World of Flashpoint had a bit of a disappointing ending. I mean, it was interesting, but it wasn’t really all that great. Traci’s father has been using dark magic, she teleports herself into the middle of a battlefield, they reconcile, she gets hit by a killing blow but the Earth itself heals her, then her dad stops the satellite he himself built and Traci loses all her magic? The simple fact that I could describe the whole issue in a sentence is just a tribute to how…dull this issue was. Sorry, Traci 13, but you were very boring this month.
We now return you to your scheduled programming.

Gates of Gotham got weird this month. So, one of the original architects of Gotham City built a steamgear suit in order to become Gotham’s first supervillian and get revenge on the city’s royalty? Okay, if you say so. At least Cass gets a few good lines this issue.

And so ends Adventure Comics, not with a whimper, but with a NOOOO face. Seriously, this issue had an overabundance of noooooo moments. At least five. Like World of Flashpoint, it wasn’t a bad issue, it just had the capacity to be better. It was a series of fight pages followed by two deaths and a character quitting the Legion Academy to follow his…boyfriend? This is how little I remember of the last issue, I can’t recall who this Jedidiah Tel is talking about is supposed to be. The Legion Academy issues of Adventure Comics mostly went over my head, as they were a concept of something that wasn’t in the Legion I grew up reading, which was the first Reboot. I’ve only managed to find Legion issues that predate the Giffen series recently and while I’ve enjoyed those, I’ve also found them sort of silly, and out of date, which is sort of the point. Anyway, what I’m trying, and failing, to convey is this: I will not miss Adventure Comics as much as I’ll miss other parts of this DCU. Sorry.

Okay, 18 pages of exposition, 9 pages of ads, and 2 pages of Kon actually being in the panels. And it ends on a cliffhanger. Is there going to be a second issue of Superboy this month that no one told me about?

Ow. No, seriously. Ow. You just hit me right in the emotions, Gail. And it hurt like hell. This is the last issue of Secret Six, the comic that, for the last three years, has been my self-confessed favorite current book. They’ve gone to hell and back together, fallen in love, beaten the shit out of each other, but most of all, they’ve been a family. A fucked up, mildly incestuous family. And this last book had it all. Bane getting laid. Catman and Deadshot admitting that they’re bros. Scandal getting married- to both Kay and Liana. Jeanette being generally awesome. And then you let Lawton aim for my heart. Fully surrounded by heroes. No way out. Huntress letting herself be taken hostage to try and dissuade them. Bane offering his team, his family, a chance to go down fighting. And they took the venom. And, and they went down fighting. God, I can’t emotions right now, guys. I can’t. Kay reaching for Scandal’s hand as she died, calling her ‘wife’…I just can’t. I loved this book, this team. Not counting the two six-issue minis that started it all, and the few appearances in the first Birds of Prey series, the Secret Six had 36 issues of pure awesome, topped with love, war, and ultimately, death. It’s a book I’ll miss like crazy. Well done Gail. Well done, everyone.

That was this week in comics, I think I’ve earned a little mourning period. So until next week, this is Touch of Grey, signing off. Peace be with you.

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The girls are back! For another month or so!

July 20, 2011 · Filed under Uncategorized · Tagged , , , , , , , ,

Nine books this time around, geez. I think my wallet may actually be looking forward to the September Reboot. Oh, and speaking of which, be sure to pick up the FREE Reboot primer from your LCS this week! Get the skinny on the new 52, and see a sneak peek of the new Justice League! And then promptly come online and start bitching about it.

As always, Flashpoint is going to be one massive paragraph. Hold onto your hippogriffs, folks.
Wonder Woman and the Furies is one of those titles that just makes me sad. Deception across the board, war-mongering…it’s just a book I won’t buy on principle.
So, in no universe is Dick Grayson allowed to have parents. I get it, I get it. Deadman is still a douche, Count Vertigo is a good guy, hmph. If this issue ends with Dick putting on that fucking helmet, I’m going to vomit at the predictability of it all. Oh. Oh my. Holy balls. Okay, there are things I love about Flashpoint, and things I hate about Flashpoint. And Kory’s design? That’s one for the LOVE side. The costume looks impractical as hell, but I’ve always been a sucker for things that couldn’t possibly exist in real life. And her gauntlets. And her HAIR. God, I bet it’s all just painted on.
Legion of Doom is fun. It’s a villain book, plain and simple. There are familiar faces, but no real good guys. There is gruesome death, bloody executions between inmates in plain sight. And it starts Mick Rory, Heat Wave. You can bet your bottom dollar that I enjoy this book. If you haven’t picked it up yet, I do recommend it.
We now return you to your scheduled programming.

Wasn’t too fond of this month’s issue of Zatanna. Oh, no wonder, Paul Dini wasn’t writing. No offense to you, Derek Fridolfs, but Paul kinda has me spoiled when it comes to the Mistress of Magic. And when you make your one-shot issue about witch hunters and assassination attempts, well, at least the art was good. And apparently, Zee is a Doctor Who fan. Did any of you catch that scarf?

I’m only reading Legion of Superheroes for Yildiray Cinar’s art. I’m sorry, Paul Levitz, but this bad habit you have of turning an entire issue into a fight scene is just grating on me. Still, ooh, look at all the pretty, pretty ladies and gents.

So last time on Supergirl, Kara went to school to solve a mystery (again). This time, she’s compromised her secret identity after a fellow student gets kidnapped (again). And the villain of this arc, fresh off his spot in Power Girl, is , yes, Professor Ivo. The art is alright, the writing is engaging, so why do I keep feeling like I’ve read this story before?

This month’s Power Girl is so obviously for the fans. The female fans, at least. Every comic girl dreams of being a superhero at least once in her life and in this issue, a few girls actually get to live the dream. I’d like to think that superhero conventions where real superheroes show up happen in the DCU. Superman and Superboy probably love going to those things. I’m going to miss this book, it had a good run.

I’ve got a series of complaints to lodge with the two-shot War of the Green Lanterns epilogue. First off, this art is terrible. Everyone has foot-face syndrome. Okay, with that bit of bitchery out of the way, I’m just going to come right out and say it. What the fuck, you guys? No, seriously, what the fuck? The Guardians going all nuts over Hal being able to kill Krona, not immediately stripping Sinestro of his ring, Kilowog quitting…what’s going on here? And then there’s the only really good scene in the issue, the scene where Saint Walker constructs a glowing blue Sayd for Ganthet as he heals himself subconciously. That was really sweet, and will hopefully lead to a reunion.

To call Gates of Gotham an intriguing book is an understatement. It’s a mystery steepled in the history of Gotham City itself. The four families of old Gotham, Wayne, Elliot, Cobblepot, and Kane, are as deeply engrained into the Batman mythos as they are in the memories of the readers. This issue, we learn of the tragedies of years past, and how they fit into the present. It’s mostly talk with very little heavy action, but it’s good nonetheless.

That’s this week in comics, and about the end of my battery life. I’ve got an appointment with the latest Harry Potter movie, again, so this is where I take my leave. Hope to see you all again next week, same place, vaguely the same time.

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There’s a shameless self-plug at the end of this post!

June 23, 2011 · Filed under Uncategorized · Tagged , , , , , , ,

Relatively small week, well, in comparison to what we’ve had lately. Seven books, and I’m only genuinely looking forward to three. Possibly four. No, three. Zoom is a dick. Shall we?

As always, I’ll be addressing the Flashpoint stuff in one go, because frankly, I don’t care much about or for it.
Sorry, James Robinson. You no longer have any entertaining value for me. I’ll always think of you fondly when I read Starman.
Lois Lane and the Resistance, however, is totally fierce. The Amazons have turned the United Kingdom into something akin to Nazi Germany. Men and women are seperated, all possessions are surrendered. Women are reprogrammed while men are seemingly transformed. Brilliant writing, really. A few complaints, though. Having Jimmy Olsen be a part of Cyborg’s resistance, ace. Killing him so that Lois has a guaranteed way in, not so ace. Also, what the fuck is Artemis wearing on that last page? Was she late for bondage night at Lashina’s house? Not very battle-compatible.
Okay, the Reverse Flash book is, predictably, an origin story. An origin story that ignores everything before Flash: Rebirth, apparently. Oh dear, this is just…really bad, to be honest. I liked the origin Eobard Thawne had in The Return of Barry Allen, that one was ace. And what’s this ‘never killing Iris’ bullshit? Uh, her death is kind of extremely important and…forget it. I’m not going to rant.
The Kid Flash book, on the other hand, is a work of art. Great plot, excellent art…DC, this is why Bart needs more spotlighting. He’s grown as a character since his days as Impulse, and too many people seem to forget that he’s not just the distracted kid with the great hair anymore. In this mini, Bart needs to figure out a way to jump-start the Speed Force…or he’ll die. He’s joined by the woman with the perpetual boner for Barry Allen, a deceptively youthful looking Patty Spivot, who is now using the guise of Hot Pursuit. I actually want to see how this one turns out.
We now return you to your normal programming.

In the tradition of other youth teams, this month’s issue of Young Justice takes place around a campfire! Seriously, this plot? Done to death. The New Teen Titans had a 4-issue origin mini set around this plot, the 7th issue of Young Justice had a campfire plot, even the short-lived Teen Titans Go! had a campfire-based origin issue. But hey, new Earth, new rules. Wally’s origin pisses me off. It’s widely accepted that the day Wally became Kid Flash was pretty much the happiest day of Barry’s life. He finally had someone who understood the power, someone to fight beside. What’s this bull about Wally having to convince Barry to take him on as a sidekick?! Ugh, I just…no.

I don’t know how he managed it, but Adam Beechen made me laugh. A lot. And I actually enjoyed this issue of Zatanna…until his legendary lack of research came into play. Zatanna can affect people. Hell, her most famous storyline of the past few years has involved her morphing peoples memories and personalities. It’s her cousin, Zach, who can’t affect people yet. Long story short, it’s an issue that’s good on one-liners, bad on pretty much everything else.

Batman: Gates of Gotham is a great book in many ways, and a terrible book in others. The writing and art are superb, it’s submersed in the history of a city we all think we know but really have no clue, and it’s not just a Batman book; it’s a Batman family book. Cass, Tim, Damian, and Dick are all working with Daddybats to discover who is dismanteling Gotham bit by bit- and why. My one complaint, the thing that makes this a bit of a bad book to me, is Damian. Y’all know me, I love that little brat to bits. But his attitude towards Cass…what is that? He’s shown to be nothing less than worshipping towards her very existance, and now he wants to beat her up? Sorry, I thought we’d moved past Morrison-era Damianby now. I’m still looking forward to how this series comes together, but not as much as I once was.

And that was this week in comics for me!
Hey, any of you guys Floridians? If so, have I got an idea for you! Stop on by Tate’s Comics this Saturday for the first-annual Swap and Sale! It’s from 10 am to 2 pm Saturday June 25th, and I have a booth! Hope to see you!

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