Batwoman #9: Sorry, Batwoman. I think I'm done. As much promise as this series had in the beginning, as much as I wanted to troll Gotham's nightlife with Kate, as much as I wanted to support a gay superhero with her own book, I just can't keep pretending that I enjoy these issues. WnB give us a more straight-forward issue than we've gotten in a while, with the various disjointed stories having more obvious connections to the other ones than they've had in previous issues. But, I'm still not entirely sure how D.E.O. managed to get its hands on Sune, even though I'm pretty sure that we actually saw it happen in a previous issue. I'm also not sure why Falchion and Medusa need more children even though, again, I'm pretty sure we learned why in a previous issue. I'm all about complicated stories that take time (and several readings) to appreciate. Even though I find Morrison to be too intentionally obtuse at times, I've always been willing to put in the work necessary to come to that conclusion honestly. I'm also excited to get home and re-read the first four issues of "Winter Soldier," because I think issue #5 will be even greater when I realize how many previously seen sub-plots Brubaker manages to advance. But, with both Morrison and Brubaker, I generally had a sense of what happened in a story while reading the issue in my hands. It might've required a re-reading (or, in Morrison's case, several re-readings) to grasp all the complicated details, but I could at least follow the main plot without help from previous issues. However, I can honestly say that, even in their most straight-forward issue to date, WnB fail to even manage that much. I honestly have no idea what plot Medusa is trying to put into effect or why D.E.O. wants to stop it (let alone how it discovered the plot in the first place). As such, unfortunately, it's time for "Batwoman" to go. I'm trying to pare down my monthly costs to less than $75, and this series is unfortunately the lowest hanging fruit. Good luck, Kate. See you in "Batman."
Justice League #9: Holy %$&^ing $&%#. This issue is intense. Johns pulls a David special here, taking a minor character from previous issues and turning him into a serious villain. I'm sure that, at some point, we'll learn what deal with the Devil Graves made to gain the powers that he now has, since I'm
pretty sure that an ordinary journalist wouldn't have easy access to
whatever it is that turned him into the nascent badass that he is here. I'm also sure that we'll learn why exactly he's seeking revenge on the Justice League. Johns seems to imply that their relationship goes beyond just him writing books about them, but I'm still not sure why exactly he thought that they could help him cure his cancer (or that, maybe, they were responsible for it). But, for now, Johns excels in making him a brooding menace, a foreboding characterization made all the more profound by Lee, who shows us the fear in the eyes of the Key and Weapons Master just at the mere mention of his name. Along the way, Johns also manages to show us some great moments as he breaks the team into smaller groups. We see Flash trying (and failing) to play bad cop, Cyborg showing that he can play with the big boys, and Steve fraying at the edges a bit before everything goes South. To me, Johns' use of Trevor as the human lens through which we see the League has vacillated between feeling effective and hollow over the last few issues. But, it's at its most impactful here, as Steve falls to a very human emotion, protecting his family, as he betrays the Justice League. Given that it's, you know, the Justice League, I'm pretty sure that it's an acceptable calculated risk to them for Steve to set Graves on them and not his family. But, Johns and Lee make it clear that it's a decision that's going to haunt Steve for a long time. This series has been a drag lately, but I have to say that I enjoyed this issue a lot more than I thought I would.
X-Factor #236: I thought that the most interesting thing about this issue was the fact that David seemingly wraps up the two-issue arc without actually resolving anything. We still don't know why Scattershot decided to target the X-Ceptionals. It seems logical to think that he was sent by Jezebel, the woman who told the Isolationist that she was doing as much in issue #234. However, when I thought more about it, I wondered whether it actually happened that way. I mean, why would she hire Mojo to send one of his agents to kill the X-Ceptionals? Wouldn't it be easier to find an Earth-based assassin? Would you really need a super-powered alien assassin to take out a bunch of non-powered vigilantes? Did she use Mojo because she specifically wanted to raise the ire of Shatterstar for some as-of-yet unrevealed purpose? If she didn't hire Mojo and wasn't referring to the events of this arc when speaking with the Isolationist (and Mojo just happened to move against the "superheroes" in Seattle at the same time), then what does Mojo want? Plus, how is the ghostly (Mr. Tryp-ish) image who appeared to True-Sight connected to the events of this issue? Is he working with Jezebel? Or someone else? We still don't have answers to any of these questions, but David, in his usual fashion, makes the ambiguity work. He is clearly telling an ambitious story, and this small arc just sets the stage. It doesn't it well, though I'll note the only off-note to me was the fact that Lord Defender seems a little, if you'll pardon the pun, cavalier in his responses to his dead friends. By my count, he knows that three of his "colleagues" (the two killed in "X-Factor" #234 and the one killed in this issue) were killed in the line of duty, and all he's able to do is comment on how they deserved better and try to recruit the drug user that he (erroneously) believes that he saved. (I wonder what his reaction will be to the death of True-Sight.) Beside that weird characterization, this issue was a good read, whetting our appetite for the story that David is getting ready to tell.
Showing posts with label Batwoman (2011). Show all posts
Showing posts with label Batwoman (2011). Show all posts
Tuesday, May 29, 2012
Tuesday, April 17, 2012
New Comics!: The Bat-Edition (HERE BE SPOILERS!)
Batgirl #8: OK, before I get to the main plot, I have to mention that I'm totally glad that Babs didn't buy her mom's story, because, although I totally believe that James, Jr. killed the cat and that Barbara, Sr. had a breakdown, I totally don't believe that she left James, Sr. and Barbara, Jr. with a burgeoning sociopath to "save" them. By the way, I'm thrilled James, Jr. is the James, Jr. that we all know and fear, as created by Scott Snyder. I think I would've put down every DC comic, period, if that amazing story had been part of the reboot. I can't wait to hear how he managed to escape Arkham Asylum. I mean, under normal circumstances, I'd wonder why no one has notified Commissioner Gordon that he's escaped, except, knowing James, Jr., he's somehow found a way to make it look like he hasn't or like he's paroled. It'll be genius whatever it is.
Onto the main story, Simone continues to deal with the repercussions of the Joker's shooting of Barbara in "Batman: The Killing Joke" in a way that I find totally believable. After all the years, it never dawned on me that the Joker intended for Barbara to die. I mean, he absolutely did, but it's never said explicitly in the story itself. Barbara survives, and you're focused on her paralysis as the result, without really focusing on the fact that, like she says here, the Joker probably intended for her to bleed to death. The fact that Simone so seamlessly picks up that thread is a testament to her writing skills. But, she takes that thread and runs with it. I couldn't figure out why Barbara let go the hood that she recognized at the end of the last issue as being one of the Joker's henchman on the night that she was shot. By rights, she should've beaten him to a bloody pulp. But, Simone builds the reveal beautifully, telling us in the end that he called the cops to alert them that she was there, bleeding to death. It was a true masterstroke and one of the reasons why I think this book is the best written Bat-book behind "Batman."
Simone includes other moments of grace in this issue, like Barbara preventing the other hood from smashing his skull on the curb. She also leaves open some questions, like, you know, who exactly Grotesque is. We should probably get some insight into him at some point, other than just the fact that he likes to rip off rich people of exquisite things. But, the Barbara, Sr., James, Jr., and Joker hood parts of this issue were so great that the Grotesque part seems almost like an afterthought.
Batman and Robin #8: OK, I've been critical of this arc, and I stand by my criticism. Tomasi has portrayed Bruce as focused more on Damian as an idea than a child, viewing him as a pawn in his game with Nobody, and Damian as a sociopath, ignoring the lessons that Dick taught him. However, here, Tomasi at least starts to correct that portrayal, and we get Bruce showing as much emotion as he's capable of showing. I though that his conversation with Damain about the fact that he's as much Bruce's son as Talia's was extremely well done, mostly because it results in the best defense of Bruce swearing off murder as I've possibly ever read in a Bat-book. In fact, I feel like Jason Todd's life would've turned out a little differently if Bruce had been open, as he is with Damain here, with Jason about the fact that he fights the urge to murder his opponents every time that he faces them. I thought it was equally compelling that Damian admits to wanting to be like Bruce, a rare insight into Damian that shows something other than the sociopath that he's often portrayed as being. It reminds me of "Batman" #713, where he talks about the honor that he felt at being Dick's friend, and makes me hope that those emotional connections -- first to Dick, now to Bruce -- help to begin to move his character past the way that he's been shown thusfar. (I don't think it would hurt to maybe have the three of them join together on a mission for a few issues, to help underline that point.)
Batwoman #8: I...have no idea what's happening in this story anymore. I can't say it was terrible, because I don't understand what happened enough to know whether or not it was terrible. Some mystic group needs to do something involving some kidnapped kids. Someone previously within their group who (for reasons I either don't remember or don't yet know, a distinct possibility given the choppy structure) found herself in police custody and agreed to help Batwoman take down the aforementioned group. There you go. I've got nothing else. We have yet to get any real idea what the group intends to do or any sort of backstory on its leaders, like Mero and the "Mother." As such, the threat that they theoretically pose to Kate feels hollow, because, given the odd structure, we haven't really seen them do anything, other than create monsters who are, at various points, sent against Kate. Moreover, these monsters don't exactly pose a threat, given that Kate deploys some sort of magically powered arrow-head to take down Killer Croc, the creepy girl, and the Weeping Woman. She barely even breaks a sweat. If WnB actually spent the rest of the issue focusing on character work, I might actually be OK with Batwoman just walking into fights, hitting a button, taking down the villains, and then returning to discuss whether she and Sawyer should go Thai or Vietnamese that night for dinner. But, we get so little character development that I'm hard pressed to see what exactly the magic fighting arrow-head does, narratively, for WnB. If no one is a threat, because of your tech, and no one is a friend, because of your walls, then what stories are there to tell? In the end, the patch-work approach, where we move between characters and timeframes, has officially gone from interesting to a liability to unbearable, a problem exacerbated by suddenly weak characterization and overly convoluted plots. This series had such potential, and I would love to stay with it, but I think I'm done next issue.
Onto the main story, Simone continues to deal with the repercussions of the Joker's shooting of Barbara in "Batman: The Killing Joke" in a way that I find totally believable. After all the years, it never dawned on me that the Joker intended for Barbara to die. I mean, he absolutely did, but it's never said explicitly in the story itself. Barbara survives, and you're focused on her paralysis as the result, without really focusing on the fact that, like she says here, the Joker probably intended for her to bleed to death. The fact that Simone so seamlessly picks up that thread is a testament to her writing skills. But, she takes that thread and runs with it. I couldn't figure out why Barbara let go the hood that she recognized at the end of the last issue as being one of the Joker's henchman on the night that she was shot. By rights, she should've beaten him to a bloody pulp. But, Simone builds the reveal beautifully, telling us in the end that he called the cops to alert them that she was there, bleeding to death. It was a true masterstroke and one of the reasons why I think this book is the best written Bat-book behind "Batman."
Simone includes other moments of grace in this issue, like Barbara preventing the other hood from smashing his skull on the curb. She also leaves open some questions, like, you know, who exactly Grotesque is. We should probably get some insight into him at some point, other than just the fact that he likes to rip off rich people of exquisite things. But, the Barbara, Sr., James, Jr., and Joker hood parts of this issue were so great that the Grotesque part seems almost like an afterthought.
Batman and Robin #8: OK, I've been critical of this arc, and I stand by my criticism. Tomasi has portrayed Bruce as focused more on Damian as an idea than a child, viewing him as a pawn in his game with Nobody, and Damian as a sociopath, ignoring the lessons that Dick taught him. However, here, Tomasi at least starts to correct that portrayal, and we get Bruce showing as much emotion as he's capable of showing. I though that his conversation with Damain about the fact that he's as much Bruce's son as Talia's was extremely well done, mostly because it results in the best defense of Bruce swearing off murder as I've possibly ever read in a Bat-book. In fact, I feel like Jason Todd's life would've turned out a little differently if Bruce had been open, as he is with Damain here, with Jason about the fact that he fights the urge to murder his opponents every time that he faces them. I thought it was equally compelling that Damian admits to wanting to be like Bruce, a rare insight into Damian that shows something other than the sociopath that he's often portrayed as being. It reminds me of "Batman" #713, where he talks about the honor that he felt at being Dick's friend, and makes me hope that those emotional connections -- first to Dick, now to Bruce -- help to begin to move his character past the way that he's been shown thusfar. (I don't think it would hurt to maybe have the three of them join together on a mission for a few issues, to help underline that point.)
Batwoman #8: I...have no idea what's happening in this story anymore. I can't say it was terrible, because I don't understand what happened enough to know whether or not it was terrible. Some mystic group needs to do something involving some kidnapped kids. Someone previously within their group who (for reasons I either don't remember or don't yet know, a distinct possibility given the choppy structure) found herself in police custody and agreed to help Batwoman take down the aforementioned group. There you go. I've got nothing else. We have yet to get any real idea what the group intends to do or any sort of backstory on its leaders, like Mero and the "Mother." As such, the threat that they theoretically pose to Kate feels hollow, because, given the odd structure, we haven't really seen them do anything, other than create monsters who are, at various points, sent against Kate. Moreover, these monsters don't exactly pose a threat, given that Kate deploys some sort of magically powered arrow-head to take down Killer Croc, the creepy girl, and the Weeping Woman. She barely even breaks a sweat. If WnB actually spent the rest of the issue focusing on character work, I might actually be OK with Batwoman just walking into fights, hitting a button, taking down the villains, and then returning to discuss whether she and Sawyer should go Thai or Vietnamese that night for dinner. But, we get so little character development that I'm hard pressed to see what exactly the magic fighting arrow-head does, narratively, for WnB. If no one is a threat, because of your tech, and no one is a friend, because of your walls, then what stories are there to tell? In the end, the patch-work approach, where we move between characters and timeframes, has officially gone from interesting to a liability to unbearable, a problem exacerbated by suddenly weak characterization and overly convoluted plots. This series had such potential, and I would love to stay with it, but I think I'm done next issue.
Thursday, March 29, 2012
New Comics!: The Bat-Edition (HERE BE SPOILERS!)
Batgirl #7: Simone has really done an excellent job of peeling back the layers of the mysteries at the core of this series at just the right speed to keep you interested and not frustrated (***cough***Bendis***cough***). For example, Barbara's mother reveals that she left the family because of James, Jr. It's a pretty clear sign that James, Jr. is still the sociopath he was in Snyder's run on "Detective Comics" in the DCU, but Simone still hasn't shown us proof that he is. Did he do something in particular that creeped out Barbara, Sr. enough to leave, or was it just her intuition that he would? Simone advances the plot by more or less confirming that James, Jr. is who he was, but leaves open enough questions to keep us reading. Similarly, she isn't papering over Barbara suddenly being able to walk. I thought Simone did great work with Barbara's conversation with Black Canary here, because I think it's understandable that Barbara is going through all the moping she wouldn't allow herself to do when she had no choice but to live with her paralysis. Moreover, the cliffhanger really brings the issue to a head. Simone also has other pots on the fire, opening up the question of how Barbara got her equipment (I had assumed from Batman) and who Grotesque really is. All in all, it's like reading a Peter David story, where you're getting a lot of plot development on various levels at the same time. (I can't think of higher praise than calling something David-esque.)
In addition to the various mysteries, one of the interesting things about this series is that Barbara isn't doing so well. I mean, each arc so far has left a body count that resulted, at least partially, from Babs' inability to take immediate action: she couldn't prevent Mirror from killing Detective McKenna's partner, she couldn't stop the mob boss from killing his sons, and she loses the billionaire here. I like how Simone is using these events to show that Barbara isn't just having some sort of existential crisis about her mental blocks, but that the blocks are actually preventing her from doing her "job." If she were performing flawlessly, saving everyone all the time, it would be hard not to just see her concerns as indulgent. Instead, if she is going to be the superhero she once was, she has to resolve these feelings. The fact that Simone is matching the rhetoric to the action is probably the reason this series feels as emotionally satisfying as it does.
Batman #7: Whoa. I had to re-read parts of this issue, and I'm still not entirely sure I get everything. But, the revelation that Dick was being trained to be a Talon for the Court of Owls BLEW MY MIND. BLEW. MY. MIND. Snyder works it into the story so well you barely notice the impact of it at first. But, in case you missed it, Bruce highlights the importance for you, noting how he now sees Gotham in an entirely different light. He implies that Gotham hasn't had its eyes on him to protect its stalwart guardian, as he once thought, but the Court has had its eyes on him to monitor its lost Talon. Birds v. bats, Robin v. Batman. Snyder creates a story that works on several different levels, pitting Bruce against the Court, against Gotham, against Robin. He strikes at the heart of the mythos of Batman in a way that doesn't feel ret-con-y at all, but almost as if this story was planned from the moment Kane started writing the first Batman story.
Moreover, Snyder uses this revelation to go to the core of the question I had earlier in this arc, namely how Bruce could've missed the presence of the Court in Gotham for so long. Bruce was so insistent that the Court hadn't existed for as long as it implied that it led you to wonder why, particularly when the evidence seemed to show that it had. It felt odd to me, because it seemed to box Snyder into a corner. Either the Court was going to be proven not to have existed as long as it was implying, undermining the impact of the story, or it was going to have existed that long, undermining the believability of the story, since you'd have to believe that Bruce somehow missed it all these years. But, Snyder is too good to write himself into a corner. He actually has Bruce admitting he was wrong, showing that his overconfidence that he understood Gotham was what led him into the blind spot that the Court used to manipulate him in the first place. But, usually, it would be hard to accuse Bruce of overconfidence, since he's so careful. Snyder has Bruce himself note to Dick in "Batman" #4 that he didn't believe in the Court because he had already spent time looking into it. Snyder reveals here that it wasn't a blinding overconfidence that kept him from finding the Court; it was an understandable overconfidence built on the fact that only Court was good enough to elude him. As I said in my review of "Batman" #2, I was worried that I would be disappointed by the reveal that Bruce was wrong, because I couldn't believe anyone could pull the wool over Bruce's eyes, particularly not yet another nefarious shadowy organization that we only just discovered existed. But, Snyder proved me wrong. His work over issues #5 and #6, showing us how calculating and powerful the Court is, made me a believer. Without these issues, I don't know if I would buy it, but, with these issues, I fully believe that Court could've eluded even Bruce's notice.
This issue of Bruce not understanding everything he thought he did brings us to the Robin factor. We learned in issue #2 that the John Doe killed in issue #1 had Dick's DNA under his fingernails because he had grabbed Dick's arm at a public event. As we learn here, he grabbed Dick's arm because he knew Dick was meant to be a Talon, because Doe trained the Talons. I will note that I'm not entirely sure how Doe would've been old enough to have trained Dick's great-grandfather. Snyder doesn't exactly lay out that sequence, and it's really the only part of the story that I felt could've used a bit more explanation, particularly because I don't think we're going to return to it. The only reasons I could devise were that the Court had re-animated Cobb at some point to get him trained by Doe and then put him back into suspended animation or that Doe only just trained Cobb after he was recently re-animated. But, neither of those answers are perfect. If he was re-animated and then re-suspended, why couldn't he be trained in his era? If he was trained only just after recently getting re-animated, why kill the trainer? Even if Cobb was "the star athlete," as Dick says, wouldn't the Court need to keep training all the other potential Talons? Wouldn't that mean that all those Talons that the Court just activated still need to be trained?
The point of the revelation, though, is that it further connects Dick to the Talons (since the trainer knew who he was). It draws the parallel that the DNA under Doe's fingernails might, or might not, have been Dick's DNA, but it was at the very least a Grayson's DNA. (Well, a Cobb's, but you get the point.) It also makes me realize that the whole Saiko business we've been seeing in "Nightwing" might not have been as random as I thought. I loved Dick's final speech to Bruce, cautioning him from seeing the world in black and white and reminding him that they all get to be who they want to be, not who the past tells them to be. Given how rooted this story is in both Bruce's and Dick's pasts, it seems like an important -- and prophetic -- reminder.
I can't wait to see where Snyder goes from here. Remarkably, we still know little about the Court, how it ties into the Wayne family (beyond merely kidnapping Alan), and why it wants Gotham back. It's amazing that Snyder has told such a gripping story, and we still have so much left to learn. Moreover, Snyder still hasn't told us how the Court avoided Bruce's notice. He's simply proven that it did. I can't wait to discover who really runs the Court, if only because we haven't really had anyone established as first among equals yet. Even the guy who sends the Talons into Gotham at the end of this issue seems to be just one of the masses. Is it Lincoln March? Maybe. Is it some guy? Maybe. Snyder will let us know in due time.
Batman and Robin #7: Ugh. Seriously, ugh. This issue...just...no. I don't know what was worse, Bruce screaming "You try to murder my son...and expect to live?!" like he's the "Goddamn Batman" or the last scene, with Damian declaring "Forgive me, Father, for I have sinned" while he's got his hand implanted in Nobody's forehead. I haven't felt that Bruce feels anything even remotely approaching love for his son. Every comment he's made, every emotion he's felt, seems driven more by the fact that Nobody was using Damian to attack him than it was by the fact that Nobody was attacking Damian in the first place. In this issue, Damian seems little more than a toy at the center of a fight between two squabbling brothers. I get that this series is going to be darker in tone than the other Bat-books, given Damian's participation in it, but Tomasi's Bruce is almost unrecognizable to me. I'll give this series one more arc, but, if I'm still getting this Bruce, I'm canceling it.
Batwoman #7: This issue is hard to follow, starting, as it does, at the end. I had some trouble determining whether or not my confusion over who some of the minor characters were (and what role they played) came from failing to remember them or from never getting to know them in the first place. Sometimes this confusion got in the way of the plot, sometimes it didn't. For example, I didn't know who Abbott was, but WnB manage to use him, regardless of whether you remember him, to inform the reader that Medusa is trying to force other gangs, such as Abbott's Religion of Crime, from Gotham. However, I had no idea what happened once Kate de-hooked Hook. She calls the guy "Rush," clearly knowing who he is, despite the fact that he doesn't seem at all familiar to me. Moreover, he says that she swore she'd protect him, leading me to believe we haven't seen the sequence yet where they meet. WnB are equally hot and cold in presenting some of the developments of the overall plot in this issue. They give us more insight into Medusa, letting us know that it's run by a guy, Falchion, who uses his mystic powers to turn urban legends, such as the Weeping Woman, into real monsters. However, I didn't entirely follow the exchange with Sune and the guys who appeared to be members of the Religion of Crime but may have been Medusa. Why would she cover their escape if they're Religion of Crime? Is she betraying Medusa? Is that why the D.E.O. thinks it can work with her? If she is betraying Medusa, why does she give the escapees a message to pass onto Falchion, given that he's the head of Medusa, not the Religion of Crime? Wouldn't they be running from Falchion not to him? Moreover, if they're actually agents of Medusa, why are they so sick from the events in the room? Is it just squeamishness over Croc eating people? I'm OK with WnB juggling all these characters and plots in the time-jump narrative, but it's only interesting so long as it's not distracting. Unfortunately, at least in this issue, I feel that it is starting to undermine WnB's ability to tell the story that they want to tell. If you're constantly wondering who's who, it's difficult to focus your attention on who's doing what. All that said, the art is great. Reeder does an amazing job slowly revealing the fact that the hook talks and the Bloody Mary sequence is amazing. I'm hoping that next issue refines this story a little so we can start getting a better sense of what Medusa is and what its goal is, beyond shoving out other gangs.
Nightwing #7: As I said in my review of "Batman" #7, this arc makes a lot more sense now that I know Higgins wasn't just ad libbing the mystery. In fact, it seems like he was more or less forced to drag out the mystery a little long than he might've otherwise, simply to make sure the reveal -- that Dick was supposed to be a Talon, but the death of his parents and his adoption by Bruce meant the Court of Owls chose Raymond instead -- was timed to "Batman." It actually gives me a lot more hope for this title, because a lot of my complaining about Higgins' writing had to do with pacing, something I now realize was outside his control. As such, this issue does a good job of wrapping up Raymond's story and preparing us for the "Night of Owls" event. The only downside to this issue, to my mind, is the fact that we've already seen 3.5 pages of the 20 pages in "Batman" #7. Higgins couldn't avoid it, obviously, since the scene in the Batcave is key to both titles. But, it does throw off the rhythm of the issue. Otherwise, though, Higgins does a good job wrapping up the loose ends and propelling us into the next mystery, namely who (yet again, seemingly) is framing Dick for murders he didn't commit.
Red Hood and the Outlaws #7: OMG, I wish Lobdell would just resolve this All-Caste/Untitled business once and for all. I mean, OK, he at least gives us some insight into who the Untitled are and why Ducra wasn't one of them. But, he still doesn't explain why she had to protect humanity from them (other than the fact that they were evil), how exactly she managed to do so, and why one of them decided to break the truce and kill her now. Moreover, I'm not really sure what Lobdell was trying to do with Essence. For example, she tells Jason that he killed the Untitled responsible for slaying Ducra. However, the Untitled that Jason killed in Colorado wasn't the one that killed Ducra; Jason was led to her by the actual killer (presumably) for reasons that still haven't been made clear, but imply a civil war among the Untitled. (To recap issues #2-#5, the Untitled who killed Ducra stole something called the Azar and left a snow globe of Colorado to taunt Jason. Jason went to Colorado, where he encountered another Untitled, who made it clear she didn't kill Ducra. Jason killed said Untitled and plans to kill the rest of them, since he now views it as his mission to avenge the All-Caste.) Why exactly would Essence tell Jason that the Untitled in Colorado was responsible? Lobdell seems to be implying that she killed Ducra and she's trying to throw Jason off her tail with misdirection, sending Jason to Colorado to kill the Untitled who she hopes that he would view as responsible for the deaths. But, does she really believe that Jason wouldn't have known he was being tricked into believing that the Untitled in Colorado killed Ducra? I mean, the snow globe seems a little much. If Essence wasn't the killer, though, I have no idea what her game was, since she never really gets a chance to tell Jason why she's appearing before him before he attacks her. I know that Lobdell is using Jason's quest against the Untitled as a way to move Jason past his problems with the Bat-family; Jason says as much this issue. But, the problem with this approach is that he has to make sure that the new family in Jason's life, the All-Caste, is as compelling as the other one. He's not really doing that here. We're seven issues into this series (and essentially six issues into this arc) and we still have very little idea of where Lobdell is going with it. Moreover, it still feels remarkably different from the stories I think we all assumed we'd get in this title. It was OK for a few issues, but the more we meander in this supernatural alley, the more I'm wondering why I'm getting this title other than the hope that Jason will appear shirtless. But, at this point, he could be naked each and every issue, and I think I'd still be disappointed.
In addition to the various mysteries, one of the interesting things about this series is that Barbara isn't doing so well. I mean, each arc so far has left a body count that resulted, at least partially, from Babs' inability to take immediate action: she couldn't prevent Mirror from killing Detective McKenna's partner, she couldn't stop the mob boss from killing his sons, and she loses the billionaire here. I like how Simone is using these events to show that Barbara isn't just having some sort of existential crisis about her mental blocks, but that the blocks are actually preventing her from doing her "job." If she were performing flawlessly, saving everyone all the time, it would be hard not to just see her concerns as indulgent. Instead, if she is going to be the superhero she once was, she has to resolve these feelings. The fact that Simone is matching the rhetoric to the action is probably the reason this series feels as emotionally satisfying as it does.
Batman #7: Whoa. I had to re-read parts of this issue, and I'm still not entirely sure I get everything. But, the revelation that Dick was being trained to be a Talon for the Court of Owls BLEW MY MIND. BLEW. MY. MIND. Snyder works it into the story so well you barely notice the impact of it at first. But, in case you missed it, Bruce highlights the importance for you, noting how he now sees Gotham in an entirely different light. He implies that Gotham hasn't had its eyes on him to protect its stalwart guardian, as he once thought, but the Court has had its eyes on him to monitor its lost Talon. Birds v. bats, Robin v. Batman. Snyder creates a story that works on several different levels, pitting Bruce against the Court, against Gotham, against Robin. He strikes at the heart of the mythos of Batman in a way that doesn't feel ret-con-y at all, but almost as if this story was planned from the moment Kane started writing the first Batman story.
Moreover, Snyder uses this revelation to go to the core of the question I had earlier in this arc, namely how Bruce could've missed the presence of the Court in Gotham for so long. Bruce was so insistent that the Court hadn't existed for as long as it implied that it led you to wonder why, particularly when the evidence seemed to show that it had. It felt odd to me, because it seemed to box Snyder into a corner. Either the Court was going to be proven not to have existed as long as it was implying, undermining the impact of the story, or it was going to have existed that long, undermining the believability of the story, since you'd have to believe that Bruce somehow missed it all these years. But, Snyder is too good to write himself into a corner. He actually has Bruce admitting he was wrong, showing that his overconfidence that he understood Gotham was what led him into the blind spot that the Court used to manipulate him in the first place. But, usually, it would be hard to accuse Bruce of overconfidence, since he's so careful. Snyder has Bruce himself note to Dick in "Batman" #4 that he didn't believe in the Court because he had already spent time looking into it. Snyder reveals here that it wasn't a blinding overconfidence that kept him from finding the Court; it was an understandable overconfidence built on the fact that only Court was good enough to elude him. As I said in my review of "Batman" #2, I was worried that I would be disappointed by the reveal that Bruce was wrong, because I couldn't believe anyone could pull the wool over Bruce's eyes, particularly not yet another nefarious shadowy organization that we only just discovered existed. But, Snyder proved me wrong. His work over issues #5 and #6, showing us how calculating and powerful the Court is, made me a believer. Without these issues, I don't know if I would buy it, but, with these issues, I fully believe that Court could've eluded even Bruce's notice.
This issue of Bruce not understanding everything he thought he did brings us to the Robin factor. We learned in issue #2 that the John Doe killed in issue #1 had Dick's DNA under his fingernails because he had grabbed Dick's arm at a public event. As we learn here, he grabbed Dick's arm because he knew Dick was meant to be a Talon, because Doe trained the Talons. I will note that I'm not entirely sure how Doe would've been old enough to have trained Dick's great-grandfather. Snyder doesn't exactly lay out that sequence, and it's really the only part of the story that I felt could've used a bit more explanation, particularly because I don't think we're going to return to it. The only reasons I could devise were that the Court had re-animated Cobb at some point to get him trained by Doe and then put him back into suspended animation or that Doe only just trained Cobb after he was recently re-animated. But, neither of those answers are perfect. If he was re-animated and then re-suspended, why couldn't he be trained in his era? If he was trained only just after recently getting re-animated, why kill the trainer? Even if Cobb was "the star athlete," as Dick says, wouldn't the Court need to keep training all the other potential Talons? Wouldn't that mean that all those Talons that the Court just activated still need to be trained?
The point of the revelation, though, is that it further connects Dick to the Talons (since the trainer knew who he was). It draws the parallel that the DNA under Doe's fingernails might, or might not, have been Dick's DNA, but it was at the very least a Grayson's DNA. (Well, a Cobb's, but you get the point.) It also makes me realize that the whole Saiko business we've been seeing in "Nightwing" might not have been as random as I thought. I loved Dick's final speech to Bruce, cautioning him from seeing the world in black and white and reminding him that they all get to be who they want to be, not who the past tells them to be. Given how rooted this story is in both Bruce's and Dick's pasts, it seems like an important -- and prophetic -- reminder.
I can't wait to see where Snyder goes from here. Remarkably, we still know little about the Court, how it ties into the Wayne family (beyond merely kidnapping Alan), and why it wants Gotham back. It's amazing that Snyder has told such a gripping story, and we still have so much left to learn. Moreover, Snyder still hasn't told us how the Court avoided Bruce's notice. He's simply proven that it did. I can't wait to discover who really runs the Court, if only because we haven't really had anyone established as first among equals yet. Even the guy who sends the Talons into Gotham at the end of this issue seems to be just one of the masses. Is it Lincoln March? Maybe. Is it some guy? Maybe. Snyder will let us know in due time.
Batman and Robin #7: Ugh. Seriously, ugh. This issue...just...no. I don't know what was worse, Bruce screaming "You try to murder my son...and expect to live?!" like he's the "Goddamn Batman" or the last scene, with Damian declaring "Forgive me, Father, for I have sinned" while he's got his hand implanted in Nobody's forehead. I haven't felt that Bruce feels anything even remotely approaching love for his son. Every comment he's made, every emotion he's felt, seems driven more by the fact that Nobody was using Damian to attack him than it was by the fact that Nobody was attacking Damian in the first place. In this issue, Damian seems little more than a toy at the center of a fight between two squabbling brothers. I get that this series is going to be darker in tone than the other Bat-books, given Damian's participation in it, but Tomasi's Bruce is almost unrecognizable to me. I'll give this series one more arc, but, if I'm still getting this Bruce, I'm canceling it.
Batwoman #7: This issue is hard to follow, starting, as it does, at the end. I had some trouble determining whether or not my confusion over who some of the minor characters were (and what role they played) came from failing to remember them or from never getting to know them in the first place. Sometimes this confusion got in the way of the plot, sometimes it didn't. For example, I didn't know who Abbott was, but WnB manage to use him, regardless of whether you remember him, to inform the reader that Medusa is trying to force other gangs, such as Abbott's Religion of Crime, from Gotham. However, I had no idea what happened once Kate de-hooked Hook. She calls the guy "Rush," clearly knowing who he is, despite the fact that he doesn't seem at all familiar to me. Moreover, he says that she swore she'd protect him, leading me to believe we haven't seen the sequence yet where they meet. WnB are equally hot and cold in presenting some of the developments of the overall plot in this issue. They give us more insight into Medusa, letting us know that it's run by a guy, Falchion, who uses his mystic powers to turn urban legends, such as the Weeping Woman, into real monsters. However, I didn't entirely follow the exchange with Sune and the guys who appeared to be members of the Religion of Crime but may have been Medusa. Why would she cover their escape if they're Religion of Crime? Is she betraying Medusa? Is that why the D.E.O. thinks it can work with her? If she is betraying Medusa, why does she give the escapees a message to pass onto Falchion, given that he's the head of Medusa, not the Religion of Crime? Wouldn't they be running from Falchion not to him? Moreover, if they're actually agents of Medusa, why are they so sick from the events in the room? Is it just squeamishness over Croc eating people? I'm OK with WnB juggling all these characters and plots in the time-jump narrative, but it's only interesting so long as it's not distracting. Unfortunately, at least in this issue, I feel that it is starting to undermine WnB's ability to tell the story that they want to tell. If you're constantly wondering who's who, it's difficult to focus your attention on who's doing what. All that said, the art is great. Reeder does an amazing job slowly revealing the fact that the hook talks and the Bloody Mary sequence is amazing. I'm hoping that next issue refines this story a little so we can start getting a better sense of what Medusa is and what its goal is, beyond shoving out other gangs.
Nightwing #7: As I said in my review of "Batman" #7, this arc makes a lot more sense now that I know Higgins wasn't just ad libbing the mystery. In fact, it seems like he was more or less forced to drag out the mystery a little long than he might've otherwise, simply to make sure the reveal -- that Dick was supposed to be a Talon, but the death of his parents and his adoption by Bruce meant the Court of Owls chose Raymond instead -- was timed to "Batman." It actually gives me a lot more hope for this title, because a lot of my complaining about Higgins' writing had to do with pacing, something I now realize was outside his control. As such, this issue does a good job of wrapping up Raymond's story and preparing us for the "Night of Owls" event. The only downside to this issue, to my mind, is the fact that we've already seen 3.5 pages of the 20 pages in "Batman" #7. Higgins couldn't avoid it, obviously, since the scene in the Batcave is key to both titles. But, it does throw off the rhythm of the issue. Otherwise, though, Higgins does a good job wrapping up the loose ends and propelling us into the next mystery, namely who (yet again, seemingly) is framing Dick for murders he didn't commit.
Red Hood and the Outlaws #7: OMG, I wish Lobdell would just resolve this All-Caste/Untitled business once and for all. I mean, OK, he at least gives us some insight into who the Untitled are and why Ducra wasn't one of them. But, he still doesn't explain why she had to protect humanity from them (other than the fact that they were evil), how exactly she managed to do so, and why one of them decided to break the truce and kill her now. Moreover, I'm not really sure what Lobdell was trying to do with Essence. For example, she tells Jason that he killed the Untitled responsible for slaying Ducra. However, the Untitled that Jason killed in Colorado wasn't the one that killed Ducra; Jason was led to her by the actual killer (presumably) for reasons that still haven't been made clear, but imply a civil war among the Untitled. (To recap issues #2-#5, the Untitled who killed Ducra stole something called the Azar and left a snow globe of Colorado to taunt Jason. Jason went to Colorado, where he encountered another Untitled, who made it clear she didn't kill Ducra. Jason killed said Untitled and plans to kill the rest of them, since he now views it as his mission to avenge the All-Caste.) Why exactly would Essence tell Jason that the Untitled in Colorado was responsible? Lobdell seems to be implying that she killed Ducra and she's trying to throw Jason off her tail with misdirection, sending Jason to Colorado to kill the Untitled who she hopes that he would view as responsible for the deaths. But, does she really believe that Jason wouldn't have known he was being tricked into believing that the Untitled in Colorado killed Ducra? I mean, the snow globe seems a little much. If Essence wasn't the killer, though, I have no idea what her game was, since she never really gets a chance to tell Jason why she's appearing before him before he attacks her. I know that Lobdell is using Jason's quest against the Untitled as a way to move Jason past his problems with the Bat-family; Jason says as much this issue. But, the problem with this approach is that he has to make sure that the new family in Jason's life, the All-Caste, is as compelling as the other one. He's not really doing that here. We're seven issues into this series (and essentially six issues into this arc) and we still have very little idea of where Lobdell is going with it. Moreover, it still feels remarkably different from the stories I think we all assumed we'd get in this title. It was OK for a few issues, but the more we meander in this supernatural alley, the more I'm wondering why I'm getting this title other than the hope that Jason will appear shirtless. But, at this point, he could be naked each and every issue, and I think I'd still be disappointed.
Monday, February 27, 2012
New Comics!: The Bat Edition #1 of 2 (HERE BE SPOILERS!)
Batgirl #6: OK, so, one of the things that bothered me last issue, but that I was giving Simone time to explain, was the idea that Gretel could have brainwashed Bruce Wayne. As Barbara herself notes in this issue, Bruce has resisted every type of mental attack out there. I mean, we're talking about the guy who created a back-up personality just in case someone messed with his mind. But, Simone doesn't disappoint. She reveals that Bruce was mostly acting for the witnesses, since, to be fair, Bruce Wayne shaking off Gretel's powers might've raised a few eyebrows. With that lingering question resolved, I was free to enjoy the rest of the issue. Simone gets a little exposition-y here with Gretel's story, to the point where I feel like, had she taken an extra issue, we might have gotten her origin story more naturally, possibly through Barbara's investigation, rather than three pages of thought bubbles. That said, I believed this origin story a lot more than I believed the one provided for Mirror. Moreover, I have to applaud Simone for really diving right into providing Barbara with her own rogues' gallery. Simone also keeps some of the ongoing sub-plots going, giving us appearances by Barbara's mother (and revealing that James, Jr. does exist in the DCnU) and Detective McKenna, who I'm guessing will eventually become Barbara's own Commissioner Gordon. All in all, this series continues, for me, to be the best thing about the DCnU.
Batman #6: OK, it was hard for this issue not to a bit anti-climatic, given that last issue was maybe the single best comic book I've ever read. But, Snyder actually puts the plot a bit on fast forward here, having let the dramatic tension build over the last few issues. We start to get a better sense of who the Court of Owls are, or, at least, how they operate and how insane they are. (To be honest, the latter is a sort of reveal, given that it was possible that the Court was a sort of gentlemanly pursuit, albeit a gentlemanly pursuit of the type you'd only find in Gotham. Instead, it's more of a Black Glove pursuit.) We also maybe (maybe?) get a clue that the Court of Owls might've really existed around the time of Alan Wayne, given that he appears to be one of the victims whose photos appear on the wall. Does that mean Bruce was wrong that they never existed? Snyder relies on the pretty standard Batman denouement here, where Bruce is pushed to the brink of physical exhaustion only to find a last reserve of strength to defeat Talon and reveal his carefully laid escape plan. However, Snyder is Snyder, and we don't see Bruce stagger into the Batcave to be tended by Alfred, but instead face yet another impediment to his escape. It might not have been the greatest comic ever written like last issue, but it's still a satisfying and intriguing read.
Batman and Robin #6: OK, let's address the most obvious problem with this issue: pet peeve #1. Bruce and Damian never fight in this issue. I mention it, because it's one of those covers that throws off the entire issue as you're reading it. You're kind of moving past important plot points because you're waiting to get to the scenes depicted by the cover (Batman and Robin fighting), but you never get there, leaving you feeling disappointed at the end, regardless of how good the issue was. And, it was a good issue. Although I'm not a fan of the device of having Bruce narrate his past with the Ducards for Damian, I felt that the flashback sequences in this issue were more effective and interesting than they were last issue. We see Bruce almost kill Ducard; we so rarely see Bruce in this sort of rage that it was downright shocking. Moreover, it seems to set up the next issue, because you can tell Bruce is going into the coming battle with Ducard totally beside himself in concern and rage. I almost wonder if Tomasi would have Bruce kill Ducard, which goes to show how well Tomasi sold Bruce's emotions in this issue. Tomasi also doesn't disappoint in the Damian department. I actually bought the fact that Damian intended to shoot the Ambassador, just as I bought the reveal that he was faking it. In the end, I'm glad it was the latter, not the former. As I've said before, I've been annoyed by how Tomasi seemed to discount the work Dick did with Damian, though, here, you can see it shining through the ruse. Moreover, he also reminds us that Damian is vulnerable; as Bruce himself says, he's the only ten-year-old boy patrolling the streets at 2:00 am. I feel like we're going to end this arc moving past a lot (though, clearly, not all) of the issues that Tomasi showed Bruce and Damian having. All in all, it's probably the best issue of this relaunched title and addresses A LOT of the concerns I had about this series. I can't wait to see next issue's fight!
Batwoman #6: I feel like you have to accept the occasional experimental and non-linear storytelling techniques when reading Williams and Blackman (can we call them WnB yet?), so I put aside my initial annoyance and kept reading. I'm glad I did. If nothing else, WnB (see, maybe I'm making it a thing) manage to show us just how populated of a world they've created, giving six different characters their own storylines. (OK, really five, since, after all, two of the characters, Batwoman and Kate, are the same person.) They reveal that Maria's children were killed in order to drive her to suicide, so that a mysterious woman named Maro could trap her spirit before it moved to the next world and use it to harvest children and strike fear in the hearts of Gothamites, making them "start believing in monsters again." (I'm pretty sure the people of Gotham believe in monsters, though. I mean, maybe the people of Topeka don't, but I don't see how you live in Gotham and don't believe in monsters.) They imply that Detective Sawyer has a child, reminding us that we don't know a lot about her, something highlighted by the conversation she has with Kate, who refuses to allow them to discuss their pasts. They also upgrade Batwoman's armor, a perk of her new alliance with the D.E.O. I'm still not a fan about the sudden change in her relationship with the D.E.O., but it's a minor point. Most intriguingly, they drop us in media res of Batwoman's battle with Medusa (or, at least, who I assume are Medusa). It's a lot for one issue, but WnB pull it off really well, delivering yet another excellent issue.
Batman #6: OK, it was hard for this issue not to a bit anti-climatic, given that last issue was maybe the single best comic book I've ever read. But, Snyder actually puts the plot a bit on fast forward here, having let the dramatic tension build over the last few issues. We start to get a better sense of who the Court of Owls are, or, at least, how they operate and how insane they are. (To be honest, the latter is a sort of reveal, given that it was possible that the Court was a sort of gentlemanly pursuit, albeit a gentlemanly pursuit of the type you'd only find in Gotham. Instead, it's more of a Black Glove pursuit.) We also maybe (maybe?) get a clue that the Court of Owls might've really existed around the time of Alan Wayne, given that he appears to be one of the victims whose photos appear on the wall. Does that mean Bruce was wrong that they never existed? Snyder relies on the pretty standard Batman denouement here, where Bruce is pushed to the brink of physical exhaustion only to find a last reserve of strength to defeat Talon and reveal his carefully laid escape plan. However, Snyder is Snyder, and we don't see Bruce stagger into the Batcave to be tended by Alfred, but instead face yet another impediment to his escape. It might not have been the greatest comic ever written like last issue, but it's still a satisfying and intriguing read.
Batman and Robin #6: OK, let's address the most obvious problem with this issue: pet peeve #1. Bruce and Damian never fight in this issue. I mention it, because it's one of those covers that throws off the entire issue as you're reading it. You're kind of moving past important plot points because you're waiting to get to the scenes depicted by the cover (Batman and Robin fighting), but you never get there, leaving you feeling disappointed at the end, regardless of how good the issue was. And, it was a good issue. Although I'm not a fan of the device of having Bruce narrate his past with the Ducards for Damian, I felt that the flashback sequences in this issue were more effective and interesting than they were last issue. We see Bruce almost kill Ducard; we so rarely see Bruce in this sort of rage that it was downright shocking. Moreover, it seems to set up the next issue, because you can tell Bruce is going into the coming battle with Ducard totally beside himself in concern and rage. I almost wonder if Tomasi would have Bruce kill Ducard, which goes to show how well Tomasi sold Bruce's emotions in this issue. Tomasi also doesn't disappoint in the Damian department. I actually bought the fact that Damian intended to shoot the Ambassador, just as I bought the reveal that he was faking it. In the end, I'm glad it was the latter, not the former. As I've said before, I've been annoyed by how Tomasi seemed to discount the work Dick did with Damian, though, here, you can see it shining through the ruse. Moreover, he also reminds us that Damian is vulnerable; as Bruce himself says, he's the only ten-year-old boy patrolling the streets at 2:00 am. I feel like we're going to end this arc moving past a lot (though, clearly, not all) of the issues that Tomasi showed Bruce and Damian having. All in all, it's probably the best issue of this relaunched title and addresses A LOT of the concerns I had about this series. I can't wait to see next issue's fight!
Batwoman #6: I feel like you have to accept the occasional experimental and non-linear storytelling techniques when reading Williams and Blackman (can we call them WnB yet?), so I put aside my initial annoyance and kept reading. I'm glad I did. If nothing else, WnB (see, maybe I'm making it a thing) manage to show us just how populated of a world they've created, giving six different characters their own storylines. (OK, really five, since, after all, two of the characters, Batwoman and Kate, are the same person.) They reveal that Maria's children were killed in order to drive her to suicide, so that a mysterious woman named Maro could trap her spirit before it moved to the next world and use it to harvest children and strike fear in the hearts of Gothamites, making them "start believing in monsters again." (I'm pretty sure the people of Gotham believe in monsters, though. I mean, maybe the people of Topeka don't, but I don't see how you live in Gotham and don't believe in monsters.) They imply that Detective Sawyer has a child, reminding us that we don't know a lot about her, something highlighted by the conversation she has with Kate, who refuses to allow them to discuss their pasts. They also upgrade Batwoman's armor, a perk of her new alliance with the D.E.O. I'm still not a fan about the sudden change in her relationship with the D.E.O., but it's a minor point. Most intriguingly, they drop us in media res of Batwoman's battle with Medusa (or, at least, who I assume are Medusa). It's a lot for one issue, but WnB pull it off really well, delivering yet another excellent issue.
Friday, February 10, 2012
New Comics!: The Bat Edition #1 of 2 (HERE BE SPOILERS!)
Batgirl #5: To be honest, with the Bat-books I'm still reading, I've gotten to the point that I've forgotten that we're in the DCnU. It's pretty clear when you're reading "Superboy" or "Teen Titans," because they suffered a pretty hard reboot. But, as promised, DC gave us a fairly soft reboot of the Bat-books, and the stories have been so well done that it's easy to forget we're dealing with a different Universe at this point. It wasn't until Barbara mentioned that Jim Gordon hadn't remarried after her mother left him that I remembered, "Oh, wait, it's a different world." At first, I worried for what it meant for James, Jr., because I was worried he -- and the excellent (amazing, really) work Scott Snyder did with him in "Detective Comics" in the DCU -- would be wiped from the books. Then, I remembered James, Jr. is James, Sr.'s son with his first wife, who presumably is the woman who appears to Barbara here (which, presumably, also means that James, Sr. is Barbara's father in the DCnU and not her uncle, as he sometimes was in the DCU).
With that bit of DCnU trivia handled, I'd like to resume raving about this series. This issue is great. It's Barbara at her best. She's witty as ever, and Simone gives us some funny moments. I LOLed when Barbara ordered two muffins and then asked her mother if she wanted anything, informing us later that she carboloads when she's stressed. (Don't we all, Babs? Don't we all?) Beyond that, Simone gives us an intriguing new character, a Batman-esque numerological mystery, and some great action sequences. What more do you want in a book?
Batman and Robin #5: OK, this issue had some problems. I liked the idea of it, Bruce coming to terms with the fact that he had failed Damian, but the execution was flawed, for me. First, I didn't remember last issue ending with the possibility of Damian going to the dark side, so it was weird (to me) to be informed that he had betrayed Bruce, because I didn't really realize that was in the offing. Second, I feel like Tomasi is really underselling the importance of Damian's relationship with Dick. We know that his time with Dick is preserved in the DCnU, so it's odd that he only mentions Alfred to Nobody when he's contrasting his relationship with Bruce to other people. In "Batman" #713, Damian made it pretty clear that he viewed Dick as a father figure (or, at least, an older brother figure). I mention it because Damian might have been angry enough with Bruce to want to betray him, but you'd think his relationship with Dick (and, though he wouldn't admit it, Alfred) would have given him pause. Tomasi has been avoiding Damian's time with Dick all series so far, so I'm not sure if it's possibly an editorial mandate. Third, it's weird to me that everyone keeps treating it as if Bruce has raised Damian for years. I mean, in the DCnU, they've probably only been around each other for a few weeks at most, particularly if Dick was only with Bruce as Robin for two years, three years max. All the hand-ringing over their lack of a relationship seems overblown to me, as a result. How much of a relationship are you going to have after a few weeks with the kid who, without your knowledge, your evil ex-girlfriend rapidly aged and trained to be an assassin? Finally, I thought that Bruce's narration was bizarre, particularly because it segued us into an overly convenient flashback about Nobody and his family. If Bruce had actually been telling Damian the story, it probably would've felt less expository, but the recording was just too much. Is he going to rescue Damian and, instead of hugging him and tearfully telling him he'll try harder, he'll just hand him a thumb drive with the recorded message? Wouldn't that really prove Damian's point about Bruce? I mean, doesn't the kid just need a freaking hug, not a voice recording? At this point, I just feel like this Nobody business has been dragged out too long. Nobody isn't the Court of Owls. I don't think he really merits at least six issues or that he's really served as the best vehicle for Tomasi highlighting Bruce and Damian's relationship. I'm going to hang with this series because, without it, I wouldn't see Damian at all, but I can't say I've enjoyed it all that much so far, unfortunately.
Batwoman #5: This issue is pretty solid. It wraps up some loose ends and brings the D.E.O. business to a head. To be honest, I found the D.E.O. conclusion to be somewhat anticlimatic. They've been this dark, nefarious force throughout the first four issues, so it was weird when it turns out Director Bones "just" wanted to offer Kate a job. Did his sidekick know that? She seemed pretty hell bent on taking down Batwoman, so it seems weird that she actually just wanted to find her to read her resumé. I mean, I'm assuming they're not exactly the good guys, or else Batman wouldn't be so opposed to Kate working for them. Also, I felt like Flamebird was in a much more precarious position last issue than she appears to be in this one. I mean, it seemed pretty clear that she was going to die, so it's weird that she's just in critical condition now. But, despite those drawbacks, I still enjoyed the issue. The revelation that the Weeping Woman had been dragooned into working for some Leviathan-esque organization called Medusa raises some interesting questions and propels us pretty nicely into the next arc. All in all, it wasn't the strongest issue of the series, but it did what it was supposed to do.
With that bit of DCnU trivia handled, I'd like to resume raving about this series. This issue is great. It's Barbara at her best. She's witty as ever, and Simone gives us some funny moments. I LOLed when Barbara ordered two muffins and then asked her mother if she wanted anything, informing us later that she carboloads when she's stressed. (Don't we all, Babs? Don't we all?) Beyond that, Simone gives us an intriguing new character, a Batman-esque numerological mystery, and some great action sequences. What more do you want in a book?
Batman and Robin #5: OK, this issue had some problems. I liked the idea of it, Bruce coming to terms with the fact that he had failed Damian, but the execution was flawed, for me. First, I didn't remember last issue ending with the possibility of Damian going to the dark side, so it was weird (to me) to be informed that he had betrayed Bruce, because I didn't really realize that was in the offing. Second, I feel like Tomasi is really underselling the importance of Damian's relationship with Dick. We know that his time with Dick is preserved in the DCnU, so it's odd that he only mentions Alfred to Nobody when he's contrasting his relationship with Bruce to other people. In "Batman" #713, Damian made it pretty clear that he viewed Dick as a father figure (or, at least, an older brother figure). I mention it because Damian might have been angry enough with Bruce to want to betray him, but you'd think his relationship with Dick (and, though he wouldn't admit it, Alfred) would have given him pause. Tomasi has been avoiding Damian's time with Dick all series so far, so I'm not sure if it's possibly an editorial mandate. Third, it's weird to me that everyone keeps treating it as if Bruce has raised Damian for years. I mean, in the DCnU, they've probably only been around each other for a few weeks at most, particularly if Dick was only with Bruce as Robin for two years, three years max. All the hand-ringing over their lack of a relationship seems overblown to me, as a result. How much of a relationship are you going to have after a few weeks with the kid who, without your knowledge, your evil ex-girlfriend rapidly aged and trained to be an assassin? Finally, I thought that Bruce's narration was bizarre, particularly because it segued us into an overly convenient flashback about Nobody and his family. If Bruce had actually been telling Damian the story, it probably would've felt less expository, but the recording was just too much. Is he going to rescue Damian and, instead of hugging him and tearfully telling him he'll try harder, he'll just hand him a thumb drive with the recorded message? Wouldn't that really prove Damian's point about Bruce? I mean, doesn't the kid just need a freaking hug, not a voice recording? At this point, I just feel like this Nobody business has been dragged out too long. Nobody isn't the Court of Owls. I don't think he really merits at least six issues or that he's really served as the best vehicle for Tomasi highlighting Bruce and Damian's relationship. I'm going to hang with this series because, without it, I wouldn't see Damian at all, but I can't say I've enjoyed it all that much so far, unfortunately.
Batwoman #5: This issue is pretty solid. It wraps up some loose ends and brings the D.E.O. business to a head. To be honest, I found the D.E.O. conclusion to be somewhat anticlimatic. They've been this dark, nefarious force throughout the first four issues, so it was weird when it turns out Director Bones "just" wanted to offer Kate a job. Did his sidekick know that? She seemed pretty hell bent on taking down Batwoman, so it seems weird that she actually just wanted to find her to read her resumé. I mean, I'm assuming they're not exactly the good guys, or else Batman wouldn't be so opposed to Kate working for them. Also, I felt like Flamebird was in a much more precarious position last issue than she appears to be in this one. I mean, it seemed pretty clear that she was going to die, so it's weird that she's just in critical condition now. But, despite those drawbacks, I still enjoyed the issue. The revelation that the Weeping Woman had been dragooned into working for some Leviathan-esque organization called Medusa raises some interesting questions and propels us pretty nicely into the next arc. All in all, it wasn't the strongest issue of the series, but it did what it was supposed to do.
Tuesday, January 10, 2012
New Comics!: The Bat-Edition (HERE BE SPOILERS!)
Batgirl #4: OK, this issue isn't perfect. For one thing, Simone has Barbara get a little too...chatty in her fight with Mirror, particularly given the fact that she should be concentrating on the fight since she keeps talking about how outclassed she is physically. For another thing, I had some trouble remembering the details of last issue. Barbara mentions that Mirror stole back the papers she stole from him, but I don't remember why those papers were so important in the first place and I didn't really see how whatever they revealed had anything to do with the plot of this issue. Moreover, I don't think we've gotten the story of how Mirror got to be as powerful as he is in the first place. Did he just train extensively like Batman? Simone seems to have implied that it's more than that, but I don't think she's ever really confirmed the source of his strength either way. Also, I'm still not really sure that we ever got an explanation on what Mirror's mirrors do (and how they do it). In previous issues, he seemed to have an almost super-natural ability to show people their worst fears through his mirrors, but Simone never really explained how he did that. If he doesn't have super-natural powers and he's just basically showing people their reflections, isn't that a little goofy? I mean, wouldn't Babs kind of laugh, like, "Oh, no, you're reminding me I forgot to use conditioner today. SCARY!"
But, despite these flaws, it's still a good issue. Of all the "New 52!" authors, Simone has done the best job of teasing the differences between the new Barbara and the previous one without crossing into annoying or frustrating territory. We learn here that she had some sort of experimental treatment in South Africa to regain the use of her legs, but Simone clearly isn't going to rush that story. But, we also get Barbara's mother appearing on her doorstep, promising a clarification of her relationship with Commissioner Gordon, who alternated between her father and her uncle in the DCU. Also, she mentions her brother here, and it took me a moment to realize that we don't know if James, Jr. is the psychopath he was in Scott Snyder's run on "Detective Comics." Beyond just exploring the differences between previous Barbara and new Barbara, Simone also underlines the differences between Batgirl and the various Batboys. In both this issue and issue #1, Barbara actually talks to the people she saves, showing interest in them beyond simply ensuring they don't become a crime statistic, something the boys aren't so great at doing. In other words, Simone continues to write a character about whom I want to learn more each month. Even if I feel like she could spend some more time focusing on the story at hand, her work on Barbara as a character is top notch and worth my $2.99 each month. (I can't wait to see Babs' appearance in "Nightwing!")
Batman #4: Just to warn you, this review is going to be another one where I rave about Scott Snyder and Greg Capullo.
Beginning now, I'm going to lobby Congress to pass a law to force Snyder and Capullo to work on "Batman" forever. It might involve risky life-extending procedures in a few decades, but I don't care.
First, Capullo. Amazing. I've mentioned before how magnetic Capullo makes Bruce look, something that goes a long way to explaining why people -- from hot girls to potential investors -- are drawn to him. But, Capullo doesn't just draw a good pin-up boy. He's also an incredibly gifted visual storyteller. Whether it's the quiet conversation in the Batcave between Bruce and Dick or Bats escaping the exploding apartment, Capullo has a great sense of movement, propelling you through the story at the pace he sets. It's seriously impressive.
Now, Snyder. One of the aspects of this run I've enjoyed the most is that Snyder has really spent time on Bruce and Dick's relationship. Dick has played an important role throughout this arc in trying to calm Bruce's obsessions. We see it more directly here, with Dick explicitly telling Bruce that everyone is concerned that he's too emotionally invested in the case. Part of what I like about Snyder's handling of their relationship is that he's made Bruce a little less distant and Dick a little less emotional. A lot of authors have played up the tension in their relationship too much, but Snyder strikes, to me, a much more reasonable balance. Dick clearly wants Bruce to listen to him, but he's not fighting for him to love and respect him (as other authors have often portrayed him as doing), because he knows Bruce does. We see him seek approval, but he still combined it with a keen insight into Bruce and a great sense of humor. (I loved him talking about the end of the world being nigh because Bruce is resting.) Conversely, Bruce doesn't totally blow off Dick here as an annoying apprentice (as so many authors typically have him do), but actually takes the time to explain his reasoning to Dick. It's just such a more enjoyable and realistic dynamic, the type I've always wanted to see and have been frustrated by not seeing, and I love that Snyder gives it to us.
Now, let's talk about the Court of Owls. Love it. First, Bruce's extended reminiscence addresses something anyone reading this series since the reboot has to have been thinking, that the Court of Owls might have been behind Bruce's parents' death. Snyder is setting up this story in such a way that, if it turns out it was (which I don't think he's going to do), I'd still buy it and not feel like it was ret-con-y. Talk about impressive. Snyder has just done great work in showing how the Court spreads through all aspects of Bruce's life, creating an organization that might actually be equal to Bruce. Moreover, Snyder explains what, to this point, had been the one plot hole, to my mind: Bruce's dismissal of the idea that the Court of Owls existed. Now, we know he dismisses it not just because he thinks it's a fairy tale but because, in typical Bruce fashion, he's already extensively researched it. As such, Snyder raises the question: if it exists, how has the Court of Owls managed to escape Bruce's attention, or, if it doesn't exist, why has someone gone to a lot of trouble to make it look like it does? Snyder still hasn't answered that question, and he's such an amazing writer that I'm glad he hasn't. Whereas I'd probably want to through a chair through a window in frustration at this point if Tony Daniel were writing this story, Snyder leaves these questions unanswered in a way that strikes to the heart of who Bruce is. I'm pretty sure Bruce is going to be right about the Court of Owls, but Snyder leaves open the door that it could be possible that he's wrong. If the Court does exist, what has it been doing and how has it avoided Bruce's attention? Did it target Bruce's parents? Why did it decided now that it wanted Bruce dead? If it doesn't exist, who's going through all the trouble to make it look like it does? Plus, if the Court of Owls does or doesn't exist, we still don't know who the people in the masks are. Lincoln March?
Needless to say, I can't wait for next issue.
Batman and Robin #4: Tomasi really delivers a great issue here. First, he really sells the "Oh, no, Batman and Robin are trapped!" scenario. I think I rolled my eyes when we ended last issue with Bruce and Damian held captive in the drive-in movie theater. But, Tomasi uses the device as a way to have Nobody remind Bruce of the consequences of his "no-kill" policy, showing images of the various super-villains he's faced over the years and the death and destruction they've caused. The scenario is believable (in terms of Nobody just not killing Batman and Robin) because Nobody isn't simply a villain. Tomasi is doing a great job of slowly revealing Nobody's motives in a way that really adds some tension to the book. Second, Tomasi also, finally, gives us a more nuanced view of the Bruce/Damian relationship here. Alfred, as usual, serves as the vehicle for reminding Bruce that he owes Damian something, particularly given the fact that Damian is scared after realizing that Bruce isn't immortal after seeing Nobody defeat him. The last few issues have been pretty heavy handed in terms of Bruce as grim father and Damian as misunderstood child, going almost into Frank Miller territory. Here, Tomasi takes down part of that wall. Bruce questions whether he's taking the right approach with Damian (mostly thanks to Gleason's talent at conveying emotions) and Damian wonders whether Bruce is the right fit for him. I really liked Tomasi's work on the original title, and I've been a bit disappointed with the first three issues of the rebooted one. This one, though, rights a lot of the wrongs I worried Tomasi was committing, and I'm now excited to see where he goes with Nobody.
Batwoman #4: Every time I pick up this series to read the latest issue, I think, "Maybe I'll drop this one." Then, I read it, and I forget how damn good of a series is it. Williams and Blackman do a lot of interesting stuff in this issue. First, the contrast between Flamebird fighting the clawed freak and Kate getting busy with Detective Sawyer was really well done. At some point, when Kate discovers what happened to Flamebird, she's going to realize it happened while she was with Sawyer. As such, Williams and Blackman are setting up a serious crisis of conscience, the same sort that eventually led Bruce Wayne to abandon the idea of having a normal life, because he felt the need to contanstly be fighting the good fight. It'll be interesting to see where Kate stands on that idea when she emerges on the other side of the crisis. Williams and Blackman also do some sork to distinguish Kate from Bruce, showing her working with the DCnU's version of Marvel's Night Nurse, one, however, who only works with super-villians. They use it to show how Kate is willing to be more morally compromised than Bruce in her pursuit of getting the job done.
I've been mostly annoyed by the D.E.O. sub-plot that we've seen over the last few issues, but the authors do some good work with it here. Having Agent Chase pretend to be a nurse to get a dying Flamebird to give her Kate's name shows just how sleazy she really is. Williams and Blackman are making it clear that we're not dealing with the good guys in terms of the D.E.O., a conclusion you could've probably drawn given the fact that it's director is a guy with a skull for a head. In fact, the only downside of this issue is that I'm not entirely sure where we are with the case Kate is following, the Weeping Woman. Are we supposed to believe that the mom of the kids who died in the boathouse is the ghost? If I have my timeline right, the Weeping Woman appeared before those kids died, and she committed suicide after the kids died, so I don't see how that could be the case. But, I'll guess we'll see. At any rate, it's a pretty minor complaint, given how well the authors handle the rest of the issue.
Nightwing #4: Yay, Babs! As Dick himself mentions, I wasn't super thrilled with the way he and Babs left matters at the end of "Batgirl" #3 (despite how well scripted it was by Simone), so it's nice to see them come to an understanding in this issue. Moroever, with Raya clarifying that she and Dick just have a temporary thing going, it's pretty clear that Higgins wants us to know that Barbara isn't going to fade quietly into the background, though that he and Simone aren't exactly going to rush them into bed together. Given their playful discussions about Raya, it's pretty clear that the two of them aren't really as firmly in the "friend" category as they're pretending to be. Raya's introduction into Dick's life felt kind of arbitrary to me, like Higgins was trying to ignore Dick's past with Barbara, while, at the same time, Simone was addressing it more directly in "Batgirl." This issue goes a long way to correcting that impression, and I'm happier for it. I'm intrigued by Raya's decision not to knock on Dick's door after Barbara tells Raya that Dick cares for her. It could be Higgins' way of stressing that Raya isn't really looking for something long term (or she was spooked that Dick "likes" her), or it could be something else entirely. (Guilt? Is she involved in the conspiracy? Or, did she realize she's not going to compete with Babs?) Speaking of the conspiracy, we don't really get any more details on it here. Dick finds a journal with his name in it, but we still don't know what his connection is to the other targets or why Saiko's employers think he's the "fiercest killer in Gotham." It's probably time for Higgins to address the issue more directly. But, I enjoyed this issue more than I have previous ones, so hopefully it means Higgins is starting to hit his stride.
Red Hood and the Outlaws #4: OK, this issue is a little more straightforward than the last one. First, we finally learn a little more about the whole Untitled plot. Given that the Untitled/Hot-Cop didn't know that one of the Untitled invaded the All-Caste citadel, it's pretty clear that whichever Untitled did so is working on his/her own, for reasons we still don't know. I'm not entirely sure why s/he would have left a clue sending Jason et al. to Colorado, particularly given that one of his/her kind was located there, but I'm assuming Lobdell will address that at some point. At the very least, we're starting to get somewhere with this plot. (Though, I don't buy that Jason would've made such a rookie mistake as narrating his purpose for being in Colorado to Hot Cop, since it was him telling her that he was looking for the Untitled that got him into trouble.) Second, we get a new plot, which I might like even more. Although the extended expository narration we got from Crux was annoying, I kind of like his schtick, the guy so hell-bent on getting revenge on the aliens who murdered his parents that he transformed himself into a "living weapon." I like that Lobdell distracts us with his powerful bulk, but then has him use his smarts, rather than brawn, to take down Starfire. (Given that Starfire uttered Dick's name when she was injured, I'm wondering how long it's going to be before we see him in this title.) At any rate, I feel like Lobdell righted the ship here a bit, after we got all drifty last issue. Rocafort's art (particularly his dreamy Jason) pretty much makes this book for me, but it would be nice if Lobdell started giving us some more consistently enjoyable stories like we saw in issue #1. This one came close to it.
Batman #4: Just to warn you, this review is going to be another one where I rave about Scott Snyder and Greg Capullo.
Beginning now, I'm going to lobby Congress to pass a law to force Snyder and Capullo to work on "Batman" forever. It might involve risky life-extending procedures in a few decades, but I don't care.
First, Capullo. Amazing. I've mentioned before how magnetic Capullo makes Bruce look, something that goes a long way to explaining why people -- from hot girls to potential investors -- are drawn to him. But, Capullo doesn't just draw a good pin-up boy. He's also an incredibly gifted visual storyteller. Whether it's the quiet conversation in the Batcave between Bruce and Dick or Bats escaping the exploding apartment, Capullo has a great sense of movement, propelling you through the story at the pace he sets. It's seriously impressive.
Now, Snyder. One of the aspects of this run I've enjoyed the most is that Snyder has really spent time on Bruce and Dick's relationship. Dick has played an important role throughout this arc in trying to calm Bruce's obsessions. We see it more directly here, with Dick explicitly telling Bruce that everyone is concerned that he's too emotionally invested in the case. Part of what I like about Snyder's handling of their relationship is that he's made Bruce a little less distant and Dick a little less emotional. A lot of authors have played up the tension in their relationship too much, but Snyder strikes, to me, a much more reasonable balance. Dick clearly wants Bruce to listen to him, but he's not fighting for him to love and respect him (as other authors have often portrayed him as doing), because he knows Bruce does. We see him seek approval, but he still combined it with a keen insight into Bruce and a great sense of humor. (I loved him talking about the end of the world being nigh because Bruce is resting.) Conversely, Bruce doesn't totally blow off Dick here as an annoying apprentice (as so many authors typically have him do), but actually takes the time to explain his reasoning to Dick. It's just such a more enjoyable and realistic dynamic, the type I've always wanted to see and have been frustrated by not seeing, and I love that Snyder gives it to us.
Now, let's talk about the Court of Owls. Love it. First, Bruce's extended reminiscence addresses something anyone reading this series since the reboot has to have been thinking, that the Court of Owls might have been behind Bruce's parents' death. Snyder is setting up this story in such a way that, if it turns out it was (which I don't think he's going to do), I'd still buy it and not feel like it was ret-con-y. Talk about impressive. Snyder has just done great work in showing how the Court spreads through all aspects of Bruce's life, creating an organization that might actually be equal to Bruce. Moreover, Snyder explains what, to this point, had been the one plot hole, to my mind: Bruce's dismissal of the idea that the Court of Owls existed. Now, we know he dismisses it not just because he thinks it's a fairy tale but because, in typical Bruce fashion, he's already extensively researched it. As such, Snyder raises the question: if it exists, how has the Court of Owls managed to escape Bruce's attention, or, if it doesn't exist, why has someone gone to a lot of trouble to make it look like it does? Snyder still hasn't answered that question, and he's such an amazing writer that I'm glad he hasn't. Whereas I'd probably want to through a chair through a window in frustration at this point if Tony Daniel were writing this story, Snyder leaves these questions unanswered in a way that strikes to the heart of who Bruce is. I'm pretty sure Bruce is going to be right about the Court of Owls, but Snyder leaves open the door that it could be possible that he's wrong. If the Court does exist, what has it been doing and how has it avoided Bruce's attention? Did it target Bruce's parents? Why did it decided now that it wanted Bruce dead? If it doesn't exist, who's going through all the trouble to make it look like it does? Plus, if the Court of Owls does or doesn't exist, we still don't know who the people in the masks are. Lincoln March?
Needless to say, I can't wait for next issue.
Batman and Robin #4: Tomasi really delivers a great issue here. First, he really sells the "Oh, no, Batman and Robin are trapped!" scenario. I think I rolled my eyes when we ended last issue with Bruce and Damian held captive in the drive-in movie theater. But, Tomasi uses the device as a way to have Nobody remind Bruce of the consequences of his "no-kill" policy, showing images of the various super-villains he's faced over the years and the death and destruction they've caused. The scenario is believable (in terms of Nobody just not killing Batman and Robin) because Nobody isn't simply a villain. Tomasi is doing a great job of slowly revealing Nobody's motives in a way that really adds some tension to the book. Second, Tomasi also, finally, gives us a more nuanced view of the Bruce/Damian relationship here. Alfred, as usual, serves as the vehicle for reminding Bruce that he owes Damian something, particularly given the fact that Damian is scared after realizing that Bruce isn't immortal after seeing Nobody defeat him. The last few issues have been pretty heavy handed in terms of Bruce as grim father and Damian as misunderstood child, going almost into Frank Miller territory. Here, Tomasi takes down part of that wall. Bruce questions whether he's taking the right approach with Damian (mostly thanks to Gleason's talent at conveying emotions) and Damian wonders whether Bruce is the right fit for him. I really liked Tomasi's work on the original title, and I've been a bit disappointed with the first three issues of the rebooted one. This one, though, rights a lot of the wrongs I worried Tomasi was committing, and I'm now excited to see where he goes with Nobody.
Batwoman #4: Every time I pick up this series to read the latest issue, I think, "Maybe I'll drop this one." Then, I read it, and I forget how damn good of a series is it. Williams and Blackman do a lot of interesting stuff in this issue. First, the contrast between Flamebird fighting the clawed freak and Kate getting busy with Detective Sawyer was really well done. At some point, when Kate discovers what happened to Flamebird, she's going to realize it happened while she was with Sawyer. As such, Williams and Blackman are setting up a serious crisis of conscience, the same sort that eventually led Bruce Wayne to abandon the idea of having a normal life, because he felt the need to contanstly be fighting the good fight. It'll be interesting to see where Kate stands on that idea when she emerges on the other side of the crisis. Williams and Blackman also do some sork to distinguish Kate from Bruce, showing her working with the DCnU's version of Marvel's Night Nurse, one, however, who only works with super-villians. They use it to show how Kate is willing to be more morally compromised than Bruce in her pursuit of getting the job done.
I've been mostly annoyed by the D.E.O. sub-plot that we've seen over the last few issues, but the authors do some good work with it here. Having Agent Chase pretend to be a nurse to get a dying Flamebird to give her Kate's name shows just how sleazy she really is. Williams and Blackman are making it clear that we're not dealing with the good guys in terms of the D.E.O., a conclusion you could've probably drawn given the fact that it's director is a guy with a skull for a head. In fact, the only downside of this issue is that I'm not entirely sure where we are with the case Kate is following, the Weeping Woman. Are we supposed to believe that the mom of the kids who died in the boathouse is the ghost? If I have my timeline right, the Weeping Woman appeared before those kids died, and she committed suicide after the kids died, so I don't see how that could be the case. But, I'll guess we'll see. At any rate, it's a pretty minor complaint, given how well the authors handle the rest of the issue.
Nightwing #4: Yay, Babs! As Dick himself mentions, I wasn't super thrilled with the way he and Babs left matters at the end of "Batgirl" #3 (despite how well scripted it was by Simone), so it's nice to see them come to an understanding in this issue. Moroever, with Raya clarifying that she and Dick just have a temporary thing going, it's pretty clear that Higgins wants us to know that Barbara isn't going to fade quietly into the background, though that he and Simone aren't exactly going to rush them into bed together. Given their playful discussions about Raya, it's pretty clear that the two of them aren't really as firmly in the "friend" category as they're pretending to be. Raya's introduction into Dick's life felt kind of arbitrary to me, like Higgins was trying to ignore Dick's past with Barbara, while, at the same time, Simone was addressing it more directly in "Batgirl." This issue goes a long way to correcting that impression, and I'm happier for it. I'm intrigued by Raya's decision not to knock on Dick's door after Barbara tells Raya that Dick cares for her. It could be Higgins' way of stressing that Raya isn't really looking for something long term (or she was spooked that Dick "likes" her), or it could be something else entirely. (Guilt? Is she involved in the conspiracy? Or, did she realize she's not going to compete with Babs?) Speaking of the conspiracy, we don't really get any more details on it here. Dick finds a journal with his name in it, but we still don't know what his connection is to the other targets or why Saiko's employers think he's the "fiercest killer in Gotham." It's probably time for Higgins to address the issue more directly. But, I enjoyed this issue more than I have previous ones, so hopefully it means Higgins is starting to hit his stride.
Red Hood and the Outlaws #4: OK, this issue is a little more straightforward than the last one. First, we finally learn a little more about the whole Untitled plot. Given that the Untitled/Hot-Cop didn't know that one of the Untitled invaded the All-Caste citadel, it's pretty clear that whichever Untitled did so is working on his/her own, for reasons we still don't know. I'm not entirely sure why s/he would have left a clue sending Jason et al. to Colorado, particularly given that one of his/her kind was located there, but I'm assuming Lobdell will address that at some point. At the very least, we're starting to get somewhere with this plot. (Though, I don't buy that Jason would've made such a rookie mistake as narrating his purpose for being in Colorado to Hot Cop, since it was him telling her that he was looking for the Untitled that got him into trouble.) Second, we get a new plot, which I might like even more. Although the extended expository narration we got from Crux was annoying, I kind of like his schtick, the guy so hell-bent on getting revenge on the aliens who murdered his parents that he transformed himself into a "living weapon." I like that Lobdell distracts us with his powerful bulk, but then has him use his smarts, rather than brawn, to take down Starfire. (Given that Starfire uttered Dick's name when she was injured, I'm wondering how long it's going to be before we see him in this title.) At any rate, I feel like Lobdell righted the ship here a bit, after we got all drifty last issue. Rocafort's art (particularly his dreamy Jason) pretty much makes this book for me, but it would be nice if Lobdell started giving us some more consistently enjoyable stories like we saw in issue #1. This one came close to it.
Thursday, December 8, 2011
New Comics: The "New 52!" Bat-Edition (HERE BE SPOILERS!)
Batgirl #3: OMG, SQUEEE! I love this issue. I love that Simone gave us this issue early in the run. She covers so much ground here it's hard to put it all into words. Let's talk about Mirror first. Simone does an amazing job portraying Barbara's sense of dejection after she fails to stop Mirror from blowing up the train. Her conversations, both imagined and real, with her father in his office establish how on edge she is, struggling to be this sort of superhero again. We get our first hint here, both from the Commissioner and Nightwing, that she's pushing her physical limits, and I feel like Simone is doing a great job using these reveals to show that Barbara didn't just magically wake up one morning all healed. She's driving herself possibly too hard, something we'd expect from Barbara. Only three issues into this series, you can tell that its Barbara's drive to succeed, in spite of the consequences, that's going to give us an endless number of compelling stories. Now, let's talk about Nightwing.
I don't think I've ever read a better sequence of seriously intense flirting and heart-felt conversation than this one. My heart raced as Barbara narrated the chase, because Simone has such a great ear for her inner narrator and an amazing ability to convey real feelings. I really felt Barbara's emotions, from struggling with her complicated feeelings for Dick while at the same time trying to make him see her as something other than a charity case. Their chemistry here is electric, because Simone takes us beyond tired clichés and gives us real people. I mean, who wouldn't have a crush on Dick Grayson? Seeing him portrayed here -- cocky and sensitive at the same time -- makes me wish Simone was writing "Nightwing," because it's this type of story that shows us how different from Bruce Dick is. I particularly enjoyed that Simone let's Barbara be a red-blooded, sexual being. She doesn't just want Dick because he's nice to her. She actually wants him. Women are so often neutered in comics (see Wonder Woman) that I love that Simone had Barbara talk about Dick physically, how the look he gives her melts her, how having the former Boy Wonder wrapped around her makes her "think of something other than trains and explosins." It's this desire for him that really drives the issue, that takes it to the next level and made my heart race. The final images of the book -- frozen images of Barbara watching Dick somersault into the night -- were the topping on the cake. An amazing issue of a great series.
I don't think I've ever read a better sequence of seriously intense flirting and heart-felt conversation than this one. My heart raced as Barbara narrated the chase, because Simone has such a great ear for her inner narrator and an amazing ability to convey real feelings. I really felt Barbara's emotions, from struggling with her complicated feeelings for Dick while at the same time trying to make him see her as something other than a charity case. Their chemistry here is electric, because Simone takes us beyond tired clichés and gives us real people. I mean, who wouldn't have a crush on Dick Grayson? Seeing him portrayed here -- cocky and sensitive at the same time -- makes me wish Simone was writing "Nightwing," because it's this type of story that shows us how different from Bruce Dick is. I particularly enjoyed that Simone let's Barbara be a red-blooded, sexual being. She doesn't just want Dick because he's nice to her. She actually wants him. Women are so often neutered in comics (see Wonder Woman) that I love that Simone had Barbara talk about Dick physically, how the look he gives her melts her, how having the former Boy Wonder wrapped around her makes her "think of something other than trains and explosins." It's this desire for him that really drives the issue, that takes it to the next level and made my heart race. The final images of the book -- frozen images of Barbara watching Dick somersault into the night -- were the topping on the cake. An amazing issue of a great series.
Batman #3: First things first: Greg Capullo's Bruce Wayne can accost me in a dark alley anytime he wants. [Shiver.] Yes, I know he looks Dick's age and, yes, I know the reboot shouldn't have affected the time steam, but, seriously, I don't care. I could stare at Capullo's Bruce all day. The dreamy eyes, the toussled hair... [Deep breath.] OK, now that we've gotten that part done, let's move onto the plot. I love this Court of Owls business. It's what I had hoped "Batman: Gates of Gotham" was going to be, but, disappointingly, wasn't. I love the attention to detail that Snyder characteristically brings to the tale, having the owls "nest" in various buildings built with Alan Wayne Trust funds, as actual owls do in the homes of actual bats, their natural enemy. Now, the Waynes weren't associated with bats until Bruce, so I'm intrigued whether Snyder is going to make a more direct connection between the Court of Owls and Batman, or if it's just going to be coincidence that Bruce happens to be Batman, given that bats and owls are natural enemies. Either way, truthfully, it works, because the Waynes are the enemy in whose homes the owls are "nesting." Snyder keeps this issue moving at a brisk pace. I realized I hadn't breathed in a while as Bats made his way into the first owl nest and kept on not breathing during the creepy sequence where he made his way to various other owl nests. (Again, Capullo really brings it here, with those creepy photos of Talon posing with the people wearing owl masks really adding to the tense atmosphere.) I also marvel at the fact that Snyder has changed his tone for "Batman." Whereas his "Detective Comics" always focused on the dark threat that simmered underneath the surface -- the approaching menace whose movement you could see from the corner of your eye but on which you couldn't exactly focus -- he's giving us more traditional straight-up threats in "Batman." I mean, they still bring his careful plotting and amazing storytelling, but they fit more in the tone of "Batman," which focuses on him more as a superhero, than that of "Detective Comics," which focuses on him more as a, well, detective. Awesome stuff. I'm also glad to see Lincoln March survived, because, seriously, Bruce could use a friend.
(NOTE: I always write my reviews before reading anyone else's review. But, I usually have a lag of a day or so between when I write a review and publish it, because I usually just want to let it sit a day to make sure I'm, you know, coherent. In that time, sometimes I read reviews that make me think of something new, and I figure it's worth mentioning here. In the comments on the IGN review of this issue, a lot of people focused on how they like this arc because Batman gets proven wrong, something that, obviously, doesn't happen often, because the Court of Owls does exist. I hadn't quite noticed it, but, in fact, one of the things bothering me throughout this arc is that Bruce didn't think the Court existed in the first place. He's been dismissive of it since it was revealed, at one point even making a comment to the effect that he's the only shadowy operator operating in Gotham. It's bothered me, because I'm surprised Bruce, who, let's face it, has seen a lot would be so quick to dismiss a shadowy organization. I mean, he believes in Leviathan, but not the Court of Owls? I also think Snyder is a good enough writer that he's leading us down this road on purpose. Someone mentioned that Alan Wayne might've built the 13th floor on purpose because he was associated with the Court of Owls. Maybe Bruce was raised having it drummed into his head not to believe in them because, as Lincoln said, they weren't ready for him to know about them yet. At any rate, I thought it was worth mentioning that I will be either slightly disappointed at Snyder for Bruce adamantly insisting they didn't exist or seriously impressed when it's revealed that Bruce having the blind spot in the first place was the work of a criminal mastermind.)
Batman and Robin #3: Tomasi continues to take a restrained approach to this series. As such, you can just feel the tension behind every conversation had. In the end, this issue at its core is a pretty standard tale about Robin defying Batman and Batman having to save Robin when everything goes badly. Tomasi puts a twist on it, though, with No-Body identifying the killer instinct in Damian and encouraging him to embrace it. You can tell that Damian is a little distraught, after his rage subsides, at the damage he's inflicted on the muggers, and No-Body catching him in that moment of weakness doesn't help. I'm intrigued by this movie we're going to watch next issue, as well as some eventual information about No-Body and how he knows all of Bruce's secrets. Tomasi pretty much gets a pass for why we haven't previously heard of this guy, given the reboot, but he's still going to have to give us some details at some point. I can't say this series is setting my world on fire, and I think it's officially on my potential axe list. I more or less enjoyed Damian when he was with Dick, because the various Bat-book authors were doing a great job of telling a compelling story portraying his redemption attempts and contrasting him with the more light-hearted Dick. But, so far, Bruce isn't exactly bringing out the good side of Damian and, now that Damian is confined mostly to "Batman and Robin," the idea of dropping this title -- and his drama -- is tempting. We shall see.
Batwoman #3: Honestly, this issue was sort of odd to me. Williams and Blackman are keeping the Weeping Woman case and the D.E.O. investigation on a slow burn, and, rather than moving forward either plot in this issue, they add Kate "firing" Flamebird and introduce Kate's father. At this stage, it's a lot of angst but not a lot of progress. I'm not really sure why Kate breaks down crying at the end. I mean, sure, she "fires" Flamebird, but I didn't get the sense it was that emotional of a decision, particularly because, based on her conversation with Batman in issue #2, it seems like it's a temporary one. Plus, it seems like a ridiculous one, given that any reasonable person would predict that someone told not to do something is going to go do it, as we see at the end of this issue and as we saw in "Batman and Robin" #3. Moreover, it's a little abrupt. She climbs in the window, fires her, and lies on her bed. I mean, it was probably upsetting, but Williams and Blackman didn't really show anything here that convinced me it would leave her in tears. Similarly, the Weeping Woman incident was probably upsetting, but I don't feel like Williams and Blackman drew a direct enough line between that incident and Kate crying on Sawyer's lap to explain why she was so upset. I just felt like the pace of this issue was off a bit. Hopefully, we'll get more clarity on where the various plots are going next issue (and, you know, something might actually happen).
Nightwing #3: OK, I have to say, I had trouble focusing on this issue, because I was so distracted by the "A cornfield in Iowa, five years ago" banner that began the issue. Are we really supposed to believe the entire sum of Dick, Jason, Tim, and Damian being Robins happened within a five-year period? (I'm not sure if Stephanie Brown even exists in the DCnU, which is why I didn't include her in that list.) In the previous continuity, Dick was usually identified as 12-years-old when his parents were killed. (Dick mentioned in "Batman" #710, before the reboot, that, "The first time I came through this window I was twelve.") If that time frame holds, he's 17-years-old now? Really? Shouldn't he be in high school, not living by himself in an apartment in a bad neighborhood in Gotham? I mean, at most, he's no more than 16-years-old in the flashback scene, because it's not like Bruce was going to adopt a 17- or 18-year-old. In fact, I'd probably put him at no more than 14-years-old. So, we're supposed to believe he's 19-years-old now? Everything in the Bat-books so far has been a pretty soft reboot, so we're lead to believe that everything that happened before the reboot -- including Dick becoming Batman -- happened. (Jason Todd makes reference in "Red Hood and the Outlaws" #2 to all the times he tried to kill Dick, which he only really did when Dick was Batman.) As such, it seems like a stretch to ask us to believe that it all essentially happened in five years. I mean, was Jason Todd Robin for, what, three weeks? Was Dick Batman for only two or three days? The rest of this issue was fine, but I just couldn't get past this blatant attempt at ret-conning to enjoy it fully.
Red Hood and the Outlaws #3: OK, this issue was based around a pretty
obviously forced conceit. S'aru the Proctor, the guy at the heart of
the All Caste citadel, takes the Outlaws' most cherished memories as
collateral for their entry into the Chamber of All, which they need to
enter to retrieve a clue left for them by the Untitled. To be honest? I
have no idea what the hell happened here. I don't remember the
Untitled from last issue, so I certainly wasn't clear on why he would
simply enter the Chamber of All to leave Red Hood a clue to follow
as opposed to stealing some object or gaining some power and or doing
any number of thing that motivate villains to enter these sorts of
places. Moreover, it wasn't clear to me why exactly S'Aru needed
collateral. Was it to ensure the Outlaws didn't remove something they
weren't supposed to remove? Speaking of the memories, I was fine with
the fight between Starfire and her captors, but the conversation between
Croc and Roy was just ridiculous, because I don't believe for a minute
that Cros would spare Roy's life simply because he realized Roy was
trying to commit suicide by Croc. At the end of the day, though, all
these details don't matter. The whole point of this issue and the forced conceit was the last
page, seeing a sick Jason asleep on Bruce's shoulder. Lobdell reminds
us that Jason is still the fucked-up kid he was in the DCU and he still
has a lot of unresolved issues with Bruce and the Bat-family in the
DCnU. The fact that he tells S'aru to keep the memory, for me, was just
heart-breaking. Since hearing about this series, I've hoped we were
going to start working toward some sort of resolution of the issues
between Jason and Bruce et al. This issue serves as a reminder of how
far we have to go. I'm hoping Lobdell starts going somewhere with this
Untitled plot because, although I'm happily distracted by the great
characterization we saw in this issue, I would like to be able to
reasonably understand what I'm reading. At this point, the plot has
simply become a framing device for banter and emotions.
(NOTE: I always write my reviews before reading anyone else's review. But, I usually have a lag of a day or so between when I write a review and publish it, because I usually just want to let it sit a day to make sure I'm, you know, coherent. In that time, sometimes I read reviews that make me think of something new, and I figure it's worth mentioning here. In the comments on the IGN review of this issue, a lot of people focused on how they like this arc because Batman gets proven wrong, something that, obviously, doesn't happen often, because the Court of Owls does exist. I hadn't quite noticed it, but, in fact, one of the things bothering me throughout this arc is that Bruce didn't think the Court existed in the first place. He's been dismissive of it since it was revealed, at one point even making a comment to the effect that he's the only shadowy operator operating in Gotham. It's bothered me, because I'm surprised Bruce, who, let's face it, has seen a lot would be so quick to dismiss a shadowy organization. I mean, he believes in Leviathan, but not the Court of Owls? I also think Snyder is a good enough writer that he's leading us down this road on purpose. Someone mentioned that Alan Wayne might've built the 13th floor on purpose because he was associated with the Court of Owls. Maybe Bruce was raised having it drummed into his head not to believe in them because, as Lincoln said, they weren't ready for him to know about them yet. At any rate, I thought it was worth mentioning that I will be either slightly disappointed at Snyder for Bruce adamantly insisting they didn't exist or seriously impressed when it's revealed that Bruce having the blind spot in the first place was the work of a criminal mastermind.)
Batman and Robin #3: Tomasi continues to take a restrained approach to this series. As such, you can just feel the tension behind every conversation had. In the end, this issue at its core is a pretty standard tale about Robin defying Batman and Batman having to save Robin when everything goes badly. Tomasi puts a twist on it, though, with No-Body identifying the killer instinct in Damian and encouraging him to embrace it. You can tell that Damian is a little distraught, after his rage subsides, at the damage he's inflicted on the muggers, and No-Body catching him in that moment of weakness doesn't help. I'm intrigued by this movie we're going to watch next issue, as well as some eventual information about No-Body and how he knows all of Bruce's secrets. Tomasi pretty much gets a pass for why we haven't previously heard of this guy, given the reboot, but he's still going to have to give us some details at some point. I can't say this series is setting my world on fire, and I think it's officially on my potential axe list. I more or less enjoyed Damian when he was with Dick, because the various Bat-book authors were doing a great job of telling a compelling story portraying his redemption attempts and contrasting him with the more light-hearted Dick. But, so far, Bruce isn't exactly bringing out the good side of Damian and, now that Damian is confined mostly to "Batman and Robin," the idea of dropping this title -- and his drama -- is tempting. We shall see.
Batwoman #3: Honestly, this issue was sort of odd to me. Williams and Blackman are keeping the Weeping Woman case and the D.E.O. investigation on a slow burn, and, rather than moving forward either plot in this issue, they add Kate "firing" Flamebird and introduce Kate's father. At this stage, it's a lot of angst but not a lot of progress. I'm not really sure why Kate breaks down crying at the end. I mean, sure, she "fires" Flamebird, but I didn't get the sense it was that emotional of a decision, particularly because, based on her conversation with Batman in issue #2, it seems like it's a temporary one. Plus, it seems like a ridiculous one, given that any reasonable person would predict that someone told not to do something is going to go do it, as we see at the end of this issue and as we saw in "Batman and Robin" #3. Moreover, it's a little abrupt. She climbs in the window, fires her, and lies on her bed. I mean, it was probably upsetting, but Williams and Blackman didn't really show anything here that convinced me it would leave her in tears. Similarly, the Weeping Woman incident was probably upsetting, but I don't feel like Williams and Blackman drew a direct enough line between that incident and Kate crying on Sawyer's lap to explain why she was so upset. I just felt like the pace of this issue was off a bit. Hopefully, we'll get more clarity on where the various plots are going next issue (and, you know, something might actually happen).
Nightwing #3: OK, I have to say, I had trouble focusing on this issue, because I was so distracted by the "A cornfield in Iowa, five years ago" banner that began the issue. Are we really supposed to believe the entire sum of Dick, Jason, Tim, and Damian being Robins happened within a five-year period? (I'm not sure if Stephanie Brown even exists in the DCnU, which is why I didn't include her in that list.) In the previous continuity, Dick was usually identified as 12-years-old when his parents were killed. (Dick mentioned in "Batman" #710, before the reboot, that, "The first time I came through this window I was twelve.") If that time frame holds, he's 17-years-old now? Really? Shouldn't he be in high school, not living by himself in an apartment in a bad neighborhood in Gotham? I mean, at most, he's no more than 16-years-old in the flashback scene, because it's not like Bruce was going to adopt a 17- or 18-year-old. In fact, I'd probably put him at no more than 14-years-old. So, we're supposed to believe he's 19-years-old now? Everything in the Bat-books so far has been a pretty soft reboot, so we're lead to believe that everything that happened before the reboot -- including Dick becoming Batman -- happened. (Jason Todd makes reference in "Red Hood and the Outlaws" #2 to all the times he tried to kill Dick, which he only really did when Dick was Batman.) As such, it seems like a stretch to ask us to believe that it all essentially happened in five years. I mean, was Jason Todd Robin for, what, three weeks? Was Dick Batman for only two or three days? The rest of this issue was fine, but I just couldn't get past this blatant attempt at ret-conning to enjoy it fully.
Tuesday, November 1, 2011
New Comics!: The "New 52!" Edition #2 (HERE BE SPOILERS!)
Batgirl #2: I'm getting the sense that this title is going to wind up being the sleeper hit of the reboot. Although Simone makes a passing reference to the mystery of how Barbara regained the use of her legs, it's less present as an issue here than it was in the first issue. Instead, Simone wisely shifts the focus to Barbara's struggles trying to get into the routine of superhero-ing again. Simone does a great job with Barbara's inner dialogue; I felt like she was narrating the story directly to me. I also like what she does with Mirror here. I don't quite get how making his victims see their "true face" is tied into making his victims die the deaths they were supposed to die, but Simone does a good job selling the latter part of the equation. (I'm hoping we'll get more on the former part later.) I'm also not sure if he knows Batgirl's secret identity, because why would both Barbara Gordon and Batgirl be on his list? One of the challenges of the Batgirl reboot was going to be the fact that the author was going to have to be careful not to give us the sense that Barbara was regressing as a character. She had grown so much as Oracle, returning to her role as Batgirl is almost a demotion. But, Simone makes it clear that the talents Barbara had as Oracle are still there and, so long as she keeps doing so, I think we're going to see the merger of the two identities make Barbara an even more influential force in the DCnU. I'm excited about Dick's entry onto the scene next issue.
Batman #2: Batman smiling while he guns the Batcycle? I pretty much decided I liked this issue at that moment, regardless of what else happened. The good news is that the rest of this issue fucking rocks.
First, let's talk about the characterizations. I'm glad that Snyder quickly wraps up the question of why Dick's DNA was underneath the dead guy's fingernails, since everyone and his brother knew Dick wasn't trying to kill Bruce. I also loved Dick and Bruce's interaction in the Batcave, particularly Bruce noting that Dick knows him better than anyone save perhaps Alfred and Dick calling Bruce "partner." With the reboot and everything, I feel like these moments are important, because we don't necessarily know that the relationships are the same as they were. I feel like Snyder used these moments to confirm here that Bruce and Dick are on solid ground, or, at least, as solid as it gets for the two of them. In fact, we seem to be getting more of them working together now than they were before Bruce "died."
Moreover, despite the fact that, as predicted, he has some connection to the bad guys (though possibly in a good-guy way), I like Lincoln March. I'm seriously hoping he's not dead, because his speech to Bruce about the way Gotham saved him was great. It's like a more emotionally-grounded Bruce articulating the way his parents' deaths affected him. (Capullo also really sold the scene, with the image of the lop-sided heart in March's eyes.) I feel like March could be the closest thing we've had in a while to a pre-Two Face Harvey Dent, someone beyond Commissioner Gordon who's an ally and confidante to Batman. Of course, it probably means it'll all end in tears, but I'm hoping for the best.
Finally, just as I dug Bruce as corporate raider and sexpot extraordinaire in "Detective Comics" #2, I like him as maybe not the dumb rich kid here. Capullo draws a magnetic Bruce. You can see why corporate executives, sexy reporters, and mayoral candidates are drawn to him. It's definitely Snyder sending a message that we may, in fact, be getting a real Bruce Wayne here. In fact, March alludes to the fact that people are questioning his millionaire-playboy schtick. I would welcome dropping it altogether, somewhere I thought the various authors were going after the whole death ordeal taught him to be more in touch with his feelings. I'd be glad to see Snyder continue that here.
Second, let's talk about the plot. The Court of Owls? Awesome. Snyder hasn't really ever gone full-on conspiracy theory in his previous works, so I can't wait to see where he goes with this one. How did the assassin not die after he fell from that height? Was the assassin somehow involved in killing Bruce's parents? Why did the John Doe warn Bruce Wayne he was going to die? They're all questions to which I can't wait to get the answers. (I also now understand why Doe went to all that effort. Last issue, I questioned how he knew he and Bruce were going to die on specific dates and, if he knew that, why he warned Wayne so cryptically. But, it makes sense now, since he knew he was dealing with a shadowy organization that he couldn't stop from killing him and that would know if he tried to overtly warn Bruce.)
After a somewhat lackluster first issue, Snyder really hits the gas in this issue. Awesome.
Batman and Robin #2: Similar to Bruce praising Damian for his restraint, I feel the need to applaud Tomasi for the same thing. This book is the definition of tense. The relationship between Bruce and Damian just screams all sorts of unspoken emotions and truths. I love Alfred gently trying to guide Bruce into parenting Damian. Alfred was probably able to fill the nurturing parental role with Dick, Jason, and Tim, meaning it didn't exactly matter that Bruce would say things like, "Your actions are commendable." rather than, "I'm proud of you." But, Tomasi has made it clear that Damian is too special of a case for that to be true, meaning Bruce has to step up his game. Damian, for his part, is more unhinged than we 've seen him previously. The scene where he kills the bat is chilling, not just for the immediate reason of him wantonly killing an animal, but also the metaphoric level of him specifically killing a bat. Gleason's depiction of this scene was amazing. Damian looks almost confused, somewhat sociopathically so. The fact that we see it, essentially, through Alfred's perspective helps add to the sense that Damian is falling. (However, I have to note that I was more than moderately annoyed that Tomasi, of all people, is essentially sweeping under the rug the time Damian spent with Dick. Damian refers to it in issue #1, so we know it happened. I'm hoping we get some explanation for the seeming regression in Damian's behavior, even if it's just the cold reality of Bruce's "parenting." But, at this point, I think we need that explanation to come soon if I'm going to believe this regression is something other than an emotional ret-con.) The last part of the issue is equally tense. Tomasi seems to be opening a whole world here, seemingly implying, to me, that "Morgan" was somehow involved with Bruce becoming Batman and doesn't approve of the direction he's taking. I'm hoping Tomasi doesn't oversell it, but I'm definitely open to see where it goes. Overall, I was pretty pleased with this issue.
Batwoman #2: I thoroughly, thoroughly enjoyed this issue. After the first issue, I had mentally put it on the "three and out" list, because I wasn't particularly digging it. But, we cover a lot of great ground in this one. First, above everything else, I loved being in a hipster bar in Gotham City. Honestly, in all the Bat-books I've ever read, I don't think I've ever been in a bar I would frequent in Gotham. We're always either in some high-class establishment with Bruce or some transient dive bar with Batman. I really liked being there, a fly on the wall for the date between Kate and Sawyer. It sort of reminds you that regular people live in Gotham, not just homeless people and homicidal maniacs. Reading the other Bat-books, you forget that. Williams and Blackman are really filling a niche here, giving us stories of Gotham we don't really see, and makes me hope the other authors will notice. (We should be seeing Dick living a similar life.) It can't be all doom and gloom! I mean, I like Kate. She's funny and witty (and goofy, as Sawyer noted). I loved her "scene" on Sawyer's steps. I'd want to get a beer with her. I also like Detective Sawyer, who the authors manage to avoid reducing to standard cop stereotypes. For example, she doesn't immediately give Agent Chase the, "This case is my juridiction!" argument I was expecting, but instead agrees to help, within reason. It's a subtle but deft act of characterization on the authors' part, showing her as capable and confident, something they also highlight through her amazing work at the crime scene. Looking at the plot, I applaud the authors for distracting us from the Weeping Woman case. Particularly in the TPB-focused world we currently inhabit, it's rare to see an author give us multiple cases at once, even though, in all likelihood, I think it's how it would work in real life. We rarely see Batman following leads on multiple crimes, even though I'm pretty sure Joker and Penguin wouldn't collaborate to make sure their crimes happen sequentially. All in all, a great comic.
Detective Comics #2: Holy shit. Tony Daniel, when I don't sleep tonight, I'm calling you. I'm not a huge fan of Daniel's writing, but I give full props to him for this issue. It's creepy and spooky and confusing. I like how we started the issue with Bruce Wayne being all rugged playboy, scaling a climbing wall with a potential partner and seducing his current girlfriend in his office suite, and ended it with the creepiest villain I think I've ever seen. Daniel moves past the questions of where this series falls in continuity and gives us a fast-paced story, building up the tension slowly but surely as Batman walks further and further into the trap that Dollmaker has set. It's still unclear what the Joker's role in this game is or who the Olivia girl is. Last issue, Joker "mentioned" his location in front of Olivia to set up the trap to kill the police officers (and get himself thrown into Arkham with Dollmaker). In this issue, we learn that the "relative" who Gordon mentioned picking her up last issue was in fact a member of Dollmaker's group (who's then killed himself). Why does he want her? We do in this issue get a better sense that Dollmaker is actually the leader of some demented group of his "children," all of whom share his predilection for extreme plastic surgery. It appears that his only goal is to add Batman to his list, a clear example of the "Batman is the bright flame to which insane criminals are drawn" argument, though I'm intrigued to see if something more is driving him. I can't wait for next issue.
Justice League #2: First, I like bad-ass Superman. Finally. I've never been that interested in Superman because he's always been such a Boy Scout. But, I could dig this Superman. Together, Johns and Lee convey just how dangerous he is at this juncture. Johns has Batman frequently urging Hal to caution given that he's already ascertained Clark's superiority and Lee shows us Supes breaking through Hal's chains with minimal effort and sending Barry flying with a finger flick. (Lee really out-did himself with the chains scene. The 3-D effect of the chains popping at the reader was just awesome.) All these moments contribute to reminding us that this Superman isn't as polished as the one we're used to seeing and highlighting that this arc is a prequel to the characters we now know.
Beyond Superman, Johns uses Hal to great effect here, giving us the layman's view of the issue's events. He's not a scientist like Barry, a detective like Bruce, or a Superman like Clark. Johns plays up his arrogance here as a way to convey his nervousness, particularly as he begins to lose control of the situation, with Barry and Bruce getting all science-y. I enjoyed Hal's banter with Barry, trying to convince him that they can solve the problem on their own (and Barry trying to convince Hal to stop being an asshole so the adults can talk). Similarly, I liked the use of Victor's father as the nervous skeptic, the one who realizes how much the world has changed with the onset of super-human activity.
For all these reasons, it's a pretty great issue. I'm excited that Johns is starting with Darkseid, because I think it's fitting that we're going to get something really epic here at the beginning. I can't wait to see how we meet Wonder Woman...
Nighwing #2: OK, I can't say I'm totally thrilled with this issue. The opening fight with Saiko is fun, but Higgins seems to throw a lot at us in a pretty uncoordinated way here. I've got lots of questions. Why, for example, did Mr. Haly not think Dick would come? Last I knew (and, I mean, we're talking "A Lonely Place of Dying" here), Dick was a part owner of the circus. Did that change? Even if it didn't, did he and Mr. Haly have a falling-out? I mean, we never really get an explanation why Mr. Haly thought Dick wouldn't come see him and had to use Raya to get him there. Talking about Saiko for a minute, it seemed overly convenient that we discover that Mr. Haly knows Dick is Nightwing...just in time for him to tell Saiko. Really? I assumed Saiko got to Mr. Haly because he followed Dick, but then, at the end, Haly implies it's because he was involved in some sort of conspiracy. (Looking earlier in the issue, it also seems that he knew Saiko was coming for him that night.) Is Dick an innocent bystander and Haly the guilty party? What gives? And, why, again, does Saiko think Dick is the fiercest killer in Gotham? Even if it were true, why would it merit killing him? A lot of questions, and not in the intriguing "I can't wait to see the answers" way, but in the annoying "I wonder whether Higgins really has a grasp on this story" way.
Red Hood and the Outlaws #2: I know people were upset with the first issue of this title for the sexed-up nature of Starfire. I actually can't say I was too outraged, because I more or less bought what Lobdell was selling, the idea that "human" values don't really apply all that much to Starfire. As I noted in that review, I felt like he had to be careful not going too far down the straight, adolescent-boy, wish-fulfillment road. I mean, I thoroughly enjoyed the sexed-up version of Jason that Judd Winick gave us in "Batman and Robin," so it's not like I'm really against such portrayals, though I certainly acknowledge it's different when a woman is portrayed, given the decades of baggage that comes with it. Lobdell also threw some fuel on the fire with this issue, giving us the vampy flight attendant. EVERY woman in this series can't be this sexual or it's really going to undermine his argument that it's driven at least in part by Starfire's lack of "human" values. We'll see how it develops. None of the characters (except possibly Roy) seem particularly victimized by it, and I'm hoping that Lobdell finds a way to keep it fun and not mysognistic.
If Lobdell's portrayal of Starfire is questionable, his portrayal of Jason is the opposite. I feel like, for the first time, we're getting an emotional reckoning for Jason. When he returned in "Batman," the focus in that arc -- and almost all his subsequent arcs -- was Jason raging against Bruce and the world. Lobdell, as hinted last issue, really does seem to be putting us on a firm redemption arc. Jason refers to the lessons that Ducra teaches him about rage as a past he forgot he had, implying that maybe he's more ready to take her lessons to heart now that he's subsequently learned that rage hasn't really gotten him so far. I've read that Lobdell promises us some insight into Jason's relationship with Bruce in issue #6, so I'm still holding out hope that they've hugged out their problems (or will do so in that issue). At the very least, I'm totally on board for the journey Lobdell promises us here. It's about time someone definitively defines Jason, since he's been handled (and mis-handled) by so many different authors since his return.
Superboy #2: Similar to "Detective Comics," I'm having problems ascertaining whether or nor this title and "Teen Titans" are happening in the "present," as we now know it, or the past. Based on the cover of "Teen Titans" #1, showing a different-looking Superboy with tattoo, I'm guessing (hoping?) these events happen in the past, showing how the Titans came together and how Conner eventually made his way to humanity. If it's not, I'm disappointed, because we seem to have a long way to go to get to the Conner we all knew and loved. Conner is essentially a robot here, with none of the charm and flash of the previous Superboy. It makes for difficiult reading if we're going to get this Conner for the long haul. I'd rather us just see how he finds his humanity in a nice five-issue arc and then get to the Conner/Tim sexual-tension part.
Batman #2: Batman smiling while he guns the Batcycle? I pretty much decided I liked this issue at that moment, regardless of what else happened. The good news is that the rest of this issue fucking rocks.
First, let's talk about the characterizations. I'm glad that Snyder quickly wraps up the question of why Dick's DNA was underneath the dead guy's fingernails, since everyone and his brother knew Dick wasn't trying to kill Bruce. I also loved Dick and Bruce's interaction in the Batcave, particularly Bruce noting that Dick knows him better than anyone save perhaps Alfred and Dick calling Bruce "partner." With the reboot and everything, I feel like these moments are important, because we don't necessarily know that the relationships are the same as they were. I feel like Snyder used these moments to confirm here that Bruce and Dick are on solid ground, or, at least, as solid as it gets for the two of them. In fact, we seem to be getting more of them working together now than they were before Bruce "died."
Moreover, despite the fact that, as predicted, he has some connection to the bad guys (though possibly in a good-guy way), I like Lincoln March. I'm seriously hoping he's not dead, because his speech to Bruce about the way Gotham saved him was great. It's like a more emotionally-grounded Bruce articulating the way his parents' deaths affected him. (Capullo also really sold the scene, with the image of the lop-sided heart in March's eyes.) I feel like March could be the closest thing we've had in a while to a pre-Two Face Harvey Dent, someone beyond Commissioner Gordon who's an ally and confidante to Batman. Of course, it probably means it'll all end in tears, but I'm hoping for the best.
Finally, just as I dug Bruce as corporate raider and sexpot extraordinaire in "Detective Comics" #2, I like him as maybe not the dumb rich kid here. Capullo draws a magnetic Bruce. You can see why corporate executives, sexy reporters, and mayoral candidates are drawn to him. It's definitely Snyder sending a message that we may, in fact, be getting a real Bruce Wayne here. In fact, March alludes to the fact that people are questioning his millionaire-playboy schtick. I would welcome dropping it altogether, somewhere I thought the various authors were going after the whole death ordeal taught him to be more in touch with his feelings. I'd be glad to see Snyder continue that here.
Second, let's talk about the plot. The Court of Owls? Awesome. Snyder hasn't really ever gone full-on conspiracy theory in his previous works, so I can't wait to see where he goes with this one. How did the assassin not die after he fell from that height? Was the assassin somehow involved in killing Bruce's parents? Why did the John Doe warn Bruce Wayne he was going to die? They're all questions to which I can't wait to get the answers. (I also now understand why Doe went to all that effort. Last issue, I questioned how he knew he and Bruce were going to die on specific dates and, if he knew that, why he warned Wayne so cryptically. But, it makes sense now, since he knew he was dealing with a shadowy organization that he couldn't stop from killing him and that would know if he tried to overtly warn Bruce.)
After a somewhat lackluster first issue, Snyder really hits the gas in this issue. Awesome.
Batman and Robin #2: Similar to Bruce praising Damian for his restraint, I feel the need to applaud Tomasi for the same thing. This book is the definition of tense. The relationship between Bruce and Damian just screams all sorts of unspoken emotions and truths. I love Alfred gently trying to guide Bruce into parenting Damian. Alfred was probably able to fill the nurturing parental role with Dick, Jason, and Tim, meaning it didn't exactly matter that Bruce would say things like, "Your actions are commendable." rather than, "I'm proud of you." But, Tomasi has made it clear that Damian is too special of a case for that to be true, meaning Bruce has to step up his game. Damian, for his part, is more unhinged than we 've seen him previously. The scene where he kills the bat is chilling, not just for the immediate reason of him wantonly killing an animal, but also the metaphoric level of him specifically killing a bat. Gleason's depiction of this scene was amazing. Damian looks almost confused, somewhat sociopathically so. The fact that we see it, essentially, through Alfred's perspective helps add to the sense that Damian is falling. (However, I have to note that I was more than moderately annoyed that Tomasi, of all people, is essentially sweeping under the rug the time Damian spent with Dick. Damian refers to it in issue #1, so we know it happened. I'm hoping we get some explanation for the seeming regression in Damian's behavior, even if it's just the cold reality of Bruce's "parenting." But, at this point, I think we need that explanation to come soon if I'm going to believe this regression is something other than an emotional ret-con.) The last part of the issue is equally tense. Tomasi seems to be opening a whole world here, seemingly implying, to me, that "Morgan" was somehow involved with Bruce becoming Batman and doesn't approve of the direction he's taking. I'm hoping Tomasi doesn't oversell it, but I'm definitely open to see where it goes. Overall, I was pretty pleased with this issue.
Batwoman #2: I thoroughly, thoroughly enjoyed this issue. After the first issue, I had mentally put it on the "three and out" list, because I wasn't particularly digging it. But, we cover a lot of great ground in this one. First, above everything else, I loved being in a hipster bar in Gotham City. Honestly, in all the Bat-books I've ever read, I don't think I've ever been in a bar I would frequent in Gotham. We're always either in some high-class establishment with Bruce or some transient dive bar with Batman. I really liked being there, a fly on the wall for the date between Kate and Sawyer. It sort of reminds you that regular people live in Gotham, not just homeless people and homicidal maniacs. Reading the other Bat-books, you forget that. Williams and Blackman are really filling a niche here, giving us stories of Gotham we don't really see, and makes me hope the other authors will notice. (We should be seeing Dick living a similar life.) It can't be all doom and gloom! I mean, I like Kate. She's funny and witty (and goofy, as Sawyer noted). I loved her "scene" on Sawyer's steps. I'd want to get a beer with her. I also like Detective Sawyer, who the authors manage to avoid reducing to standard cop stereotypes. For example, she doesn't immediately give Agent Chase the, "This case is my juridiction!" argument I was expecting, but instead agrees to help, within reason. It's a subtle but deft act of characterization on the authors' part, showing her as capable and confident, something they also highlight through her amazing work at the crime scene. Looking at the plot, I applaud the authors for distracting us from the Weeping Woman case. Particularly in the TPB-focused world we currently inhabit, it's rare to see an author give us multiple cases at once, even though, in all likelihood, I think it's how it would work in real life. We rarely see Batman following leads on multiple crimes, even though I'm pretty sure Joker and Penguin wouldn't collaborate to make sure their crimes happen sequentially. All in all, a great comic.
Detective Comics #2: Holy shit. Tony Daniel, when I don't sleep tonight, I'm calling you. I'm not a huge fan of Daniel's writing, but I give full props to him for this issue. It's creepy and spooky and confusing. I like how we started the issue with Bruce Wayne being all rugged playboy, scaling a climbing wall with a potential partner and seducing his current girlfriend in his office suite, and ended it with the creepiest villain I think I've ever seen. Daniel moves past the questions of where this series falls in continuity and gives us a fast-paced story, building up the tension slowly but surely as Batman walks further and further into the trap that Dollmaker has set. It's still unclear what the Joker's role in this game is or who the Olivia girl is. Last issue, Joker "mentioned" his location in front of Olivia to set up the trap to kill the police officers (and get himself thrown into Arkham with Dollmaker). In this issue, we learn that the "relative" who Gordon mentioned picking her up last issue was in fact a member of Dollmaker's group (who's then killed himself). Why does he want her? We do in this issue get a better sense that Dollmaker is actually the leader of some demented group of his "children," all of whom share his predilection for extreme plastic surgery. It appears that his only goal is to add Batman to his list, a clear example of the "Batman is the bright flame to which insane criminals are drawn" argument, though I'm intrigued to see if something more is driving him. I can't wait for next issue.
Justice League #2: First, I like bad-ass Superman. Finally. I've never been that interested in Superman because he's always been such a Boy Scout. But, I could dig this Superman. Together, Johns and Lee convey just how dangerous he is at this juncture. Johns has Batman frequently urging Hal to caution given that he's already ascertained Clark's superiority and Lee shows us Supes breaking through Hal's chains with minimal effort and sending Barry flying with a finger flick. (Lee really out-did himself with the chains scene. The 3-D effect of the chains popping at the reader was just awesome.) All these moments contribute to reminding us that this Superman isn't as polished as the one we're used to seeing and highlighting that this arc is a prequel to the characters we now know.
Beyond Superman, Johns uses Hal to great effect here, giving us the layman's view of the issue's events. He's not a scientist like Barry, a detective like Bruce, or a Superman like Clark. Johns plays up his arrogance here as a way to convey his nervousness, particularly as he begins to lose control of the situation, with Barry and Bruce getting all science-y. I enjoyed Hal's banter with Barry, trying to convince him that they can solve the problem on their own (and Barry trying to convince Hal to stop being an asshole so the adults can talk). Similarly, I liked the use of Victor's father as the nervous skeptic, the one who realizes how much the world has changed with the onset of super-human activity.
For all these reasons, it's a pretty great issue. I'm excited that Johns is starting with Darkseid, because I think it's fitting that we're going to get something really epic here at the beginning. I can't wait to see how we meet Wonder Woman...
Nighwing #2: OK, I can't say I'm totally thrilled with this issue. The opening fight with Saiko is fun, but Higgins seems to throw a lot at us in a pretty uncoordinated way here. I've got lots of questions. Why, for example, did Mr. Haly not think Dick would come? Last I knew (and, I mean, we're talking "A Lonely Place of Dying" here), Dick was a part owner of the circus. Did that change? Even if it didn't, did he and Mr. Haly have a falling-out? I mean, we never really get an explanation why Mr. Haly thought Dick wouldn't come see him and had to use Raya to get him there. Talking about Saiko for a minute, it seemed overly convenient that we discover that Mr. Haly knows Dick is Nightwing...just in time for him to tell Saiko. Really? I assumed Saiko got to Mr. Haly because he followed Dick, but then, at the end, Haly implies it's because he was involved in some sort of conspiracy. (Looking earlier in the issue, it also seems that he knew Saiko was coming for him that night.) Is Dick an innocent bystander and Haly the guilty party? What gives? And, why, again, does Saiko think Dick is the fiercest killer in Gotham? Even if it were true, why would it merit killing him? A lot of questions, and not in the intriguing "I can't wait to see the answers" way, but in the annoying "I wonder whether Higgins really has a grasp on this story" way.
Red Hood and the Outlaws #2: I know people were upset with the first issue of this title for the sexed-up nature of Starfire. I actually can't say I was too outraged, because I more or less bought what Lobdell was selling, the idea that "human" values don't really apply all that much to Starfire. As I noted in that review, I felt like he had to be careful not going too far down the straight, adolescent-boy, wish-fulfillment road. I mean, I thoroughly enjoyed the sexed-up version of Jason that Judd Winick gave us in "Batman and Robin," so it's not like I'm really against such portrayals, though I certainly acknowledge it's different when a woman is portrayed, given the decades of baggage that comes with it. Lobdell also threw some fuel on the fire with this issue, giving us the vampy flight attendant. EVERY woman in this series can't be this sexual or it's really going to undermine his argument that it's driven at least in part by Starfire's lack of "human" values. We'll see how it develops. None of the characters (except possibly Roy) seem particularly victimized by it, and I'm hoping that Lobdell finds a way to keep it fun and not mysognistic.
If Lobdell's portrayal of Starfire is questionable, his portrayal of Jason is the opposite. I feel like, for the first time, we're getting an emotional reckoning for Jason. When he returned in "Batman," the focus in that arc -- and almost all his subsequent arcs -- was Jason raging against Bruce and the world. Lobdell, as hinted last issue, really does seem to be putting us on a firm redemption arc. Jason refers to the lessons that Ducra teaches him about rage as a past he forgot he had, implying that maybe he's more ready to take her lessons to heart now that he's subsequently learned that rage hasn't really gotten him so far. I've read that Lobdell promises us some insight into Jason's relationship with Bruce in issue #6, so I'm still holding out hope that they've hugged out their problems (or will do so in that issue). At the very least, I'm totally on board for the journey Lobdell promises us here. It's about time someone definitively defines Jason, since he's been handled (and mis-handled) by so many different authors since his return.
Superboy #2: Similar to "Detective Comics," I'm having problems ascertaining whether or nor this title and "Teen Titans" are happening in the "present," as we now know it, or the past. Based on the cover of "Teen Titans" #1, showing a different-looking Superboy with tattoo, I'm guessing (hoping?) these events happen in the past, showing how the Titans came together and how Conner eventually made his way to humanity. If it's not, I'm disappointed, because we seem to have a long way to go to get to the Conner we all knew and loved. Conner is essentially a robot here, with none of the charm and flash of the previous Superboy. It makes for difficiult reading if we're going to get this Conner for the long haul. I'd rather us just see how he finds his humanity in a nice five-issue arc and then get to the Conner/Tim sexual-tension part.
Sunday, October 2, 2011
New Comics!: The "New 52" Edition #1 (HERE BE SPOILERS!)
Batgirl #1: OK, to be honest, I had pretty low expectations for this issue. It was pretty clear from the start that it was going to have to be an exposition-heavy outing, given that Simone would need to address why Barbara Gordon was suddenly going to be able to walk. To its credit, DC has at least made clear that the Joker did in fact paralyze Barbara. Both Simone and Syaf highlight the fact in the book, with Simone focusing Barbara's first case on a home invasion and Syaf using images directly from "Batman: The Killing Joke." However, Simone only hints at why Barbara could now suddenly walk, referring simply to a "miracle." I'm hoping Simone doesn't drag out the story too long, because, similar to "One More Day" and "Brand New Day" in "Amazing Spider-Man," the quicker we can get past the crappy turn of events that got us here, the better we'll all be. Except for the use of WAY too many paralyzation metaphors to signify Barbara's return to action ("stretch my legs"), the rest of the issue more or less surpasses my expectations. (How's that for a backhanded compliment?) Simone reasonably presents Barbara's growing pains in re-learning how to be a costumed superhero again while at the same time starting to introduce Barbara's supporting cast of characters (I like the new roommate) and developing a fun voice for Barbara, something that differentiates her from the boys and their serious miens. Some moments don't really ring true for me at times; for example, the detective screaming at Barbara for being a murderer seemed kind of crazy to me. So long as Simone can move us quickly past the paralyzation-focused storylines, this series should be OK.
Batman and Robin #1: If my biggest question going into the reboot was, "What happened that made Barbara Gordon walk again?" my second biggest question was, "Were Dick and Damian ever partners?" The answer, thankfully, is yes. Of all the rebooted issues I've read, this one reads most like one that could've happened in the old continuity. It tells the story we all knew one day was coming, of Bruce taking back the mantle of the Bat and suddenly having to deal with Damian. Tomasi plays out this scene more or less exactly how I thought it would go, focusing on Bruce's need to control his junior partner and Damian's need not to be seen as a junior partner. (One note, though: I hope Tomasi keeps in mind that we've seen a kinder, gentler Damian than the one he portrays here. For example, in "Blackest Night: Batman" #1, Tomasi himself has Damian wryly note that most kids don't "meet and greet" their grandparents as corpses. It's totally legit for Tomasi to harden Damian, if you will, because his kinder, gentler moments came as a result of his relationship with Dick. But, it's important for Tomasi to remember that Damian IS capable of emotions. It's the fact that he's suppressing them to build walls in his relationship with a father who doesn't entirely trust him that's interesting.) Moreover, Tomasi carries over a theme from the previous continuity, focusing on Bruce's attempt to emerge from the darkness, moving past his parents' death and focusing on his current life, full of people he loves and trusts (for the most part). For all these reasons, it's a fairly familiar feeling read. The mystery of Nobody is interesting, particularly since it shows that "Batman, Inc." still exists. I'd also like to know who the glowing figure standing by the side of the pool that Batman drains to cool off the nuclear reactor is. All items Tomasi will address next time, I'm sure.
Batwoman #1: I've never read "Batwoman," so, for me, it's unclear what parts of this story are different as a result of the reboot. I'm pretty sure I would've known if Renee Montoya died, so I'm guessing her appearance on the wall of fallen officers has a story. Moreover, I'm pretty sure her relationship with her dad is different than it was when I first saw him in "Batman, Inc." #4. Otherwise, I'm left just to enjoy the story as it is, and it's a pretty enjoyable one at that. Williams and Blackman create a great Gothic feel to the book, giving us quiet, dark moments like Kate's surprise meeting with Batman on the last page. The central villain herself is creepy; Williams and Blackman do a better job recalling the Bat-books' history of dealing with supernatural themes than Finch did in "Batman: The Dark Knight." The art is, of course, spectacular. Williams breaks the mold with his rejection of traditional panel structure, though it occasionally becomes difficult to follow the action. All in all, I'm happy to keep getting this one.
Batman and Robin #1: If my biggest question going into the reboot was, "What happened that made Barbara Gordon walk again?" my second biggest question was, "Were Dick and Damian ever partners?" The answer, thankfully, is yes. Of all the rebooted issues I've read, this one reads most like one that could've happened in the old continuity. It tells the story we all knew one day was coming, of Bruce taking back the mantle of the Bat and suddenly having to deal with Damian. Tomasi plays out this scene more or less exactly how I thought it would go, focusing on Bruce's need to control his junior partner and Damian's need not to be seen as a junior partner. (One note, though: I hope Tomasi keeps in mind that we've seen a kinder, gentler Damian than the one he portrays here. For example, in "Blackest Night: Batman" #1, Tomasi himself has Damian wryly note that most kids don't "meet and greet" their grandparents as corpses. It's totally legit for Tomasi to harden Damian, if you will, because his kinder, gentler moments came as a result of his relationship with Dick. But, it's important for Tomasi to remember that Damian IS capable of emotions. It's the fact that he's suppressing them to build walls in his relationship with a father who doesn't entirely trust him that's interesting.) Moreover, Tomasi carries over a theme from the previous continuity, focusing on Bruce's attempt to emerge from the darkness, moving past his parents' death and focusing on his current life, full of people he loves and trusts (for the most part). For all these reasons, it's a fairly familiar feeling read. The mystery of Nobody is interesting, particularly since it shows that "Batman, Inc." still exists. I'd also like to know who the glowing figure standing by the side of the pool that Batman drains to cool off the nuclear reactor is. All items Tomasi will address next time, I'm sure.
Batwoman #1: I've never read "Batwoman," so, for me, it's unclear what parts of this story are different as a result of the reboot. I'm pretty sure I would've known if Renee Montoya died, so I'm guessing her appearance on the wall of fallen officers has a story. Moreover, I'm pretty sure her relationship with her dad is different than it was when I first saw him in "Batman, Inc." #4. Otherwise, I'm left just to enjoy the story as it is, and it's a pretty enjoyable one at that. Williams and Blackman create a great Gothic feel to the book, giving us quiet, dark moments like Kate's surprise meeting with Batman on the last page. The central villain herself is creepy; Williams and Blackman do a better job recalling the Bat-books' history of dealing with supernatural themes than Finch did in "Batman: The Dark Knight." The art is, of course, spectacular. Williams breaks the mold with his rejection of traditional panel structure, though it occasionally becomes difficult to follow the action. All in all, I'm happy to keep getting this one.
Superboy #1: At first, I was disappointed to see that DC had decided to rehash Conner's "OMG, I'm a clone!" past. I liked, in his "Adventure Comics" run, how Johns had moved Conner past that, allowing him to focus on his present and not obsess about his past. But, Lobdell really sells it here. As intended, I was confused by the Smallville sequence, particularly with Conner walking past the woman in a burning house calling for help. The revelation that it was a virtual-reality program used by Superboy's creators to determine whether he felt empathy was brilliant. Lobdell did even one better, implying that Lex Luthor still constitutes half of Conner's DNA in the reboot and that his "pathological, megalomaniacal narcissist" predisposition negates Superman's obsession with helping people, leaving Superboy's moral code deeply in question. Moreover, Lobdell is setting up an interesting situation where Superboy is seemingly the pawn of a large organization with questionable objective and he may in fact be a plant on the Teen Titans. All great stuff. The previous "Superboy" series was so terrible that I'm just excited by the chance to read some great stories in this title.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)