The Joeys - Year End Comic Book Awards
Posted by Joel Rosenberg Categories: Editorials, Reviews, DC Comics, Marvel Comics,
Here we present the “Joeys,” which is our first annual comic book awards.
Book of the Year: This takes some thought. Did All-Star Batman actually come out with an issue this year? Why, yes, it did - the infamous issue 12. I think that Frank Miller’s re-imagining of Batman is so off the wall it transcends great. Kidnapping Robin, Robin almost killing Green Lantern, making Robin eat rats in the batcave, having sex with Black Canary in th rain and wanting, in a thought balloon, to smack her around because she won’t shut up, etc. I can see where some people hate the tarnishing of the Batman Legend, but I love it.
Story Line of the Year: This takes virtually no thought. Captain America has turned into a great comic novel in many,many parts. Beautifully drawn and well-plotted out, it takes the Death of Captain America into the Bucky Cap flawlessly. Things actually make sense, no one does anything out of character, and each chapter makes you anticipate the next. This makes the sting of Marvel doing away with their First Looks program even harsher because Cap was always there. Part of the fun of owning a comic store is helping out one’s regulars and letting them read this title one week early made everyone feel special.
Rat Finks of the Year: Marvel for doing away with First Looks.
Most Confusing Story Line: So many choices. Final Crisis can’t end soon enough for me. RIP has even DC confused about it. Countdown ended, I think. But, to my mind, I have no idea what is going on in Trinity and have stopped reading a book that I don’t have to pay for.
Trend of the Year: Sex. It seems everyone wants it but now they talk about it. Libra’s offering guys a shot at Supergirl. Red Hulk willing not to kill any of the Lady Liberator’s if they put out. Nemesis putting the moves on Wonder Woman. Spider-Man asking Ms Marvel out. Skrulls having sex with humans. Dogs and cats living together. What is the universe coming to?
In Part 2 of the Joey’s we’ll discuss individual characters. Stay tuned.
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DC Comics Review: Batman #683
Posted by David Torres Categories: Reviews, DC Comics,
This issue of “Batman” is part two of the “Last Rites” storyline. It is also the last issue before we get the “big” reveal of what happened to Batman which we will see in “Final Crisis” #6.
This issue was okay. I’ve enjoyed these last two issues a lot more than I’ve enjoyed “RIP”. The “Last Rites” storyline seems a bit more literal than what was happening in “RIP”. In “Last Rites,” we see two of Darkseid’s men have captured Batman and are attempting to use Batman in order to clone an army of mindless soldiers for Darkseid. What was confusing to me was the end. Did Batman escape? Or are the last scenes of him and Alfred in the cave still in his mind.
Click to continue reading DC Comics Review: Batman #683
The Evolution of Timothy Drake
Posted by David Torres Categories: Editorials, DC Comics,
I began collecting Batman comics shortly after the death of Jason Todd. I was a Marvel Zombie back then, but after seeing the first Tim Burton Batman movie I decided to give Batman comics a second look. The first issue I picked up was Batman #433 which was part one of the John Byrne storline the “Many Deaths of the Batman”. Following that storyline the “Batman” comic featured the storyline “Batman: Year Three”. This story gave an updated version of the year Dick Grayson’s parents were killed and his adoption by Bruce Wayne. In this updated version, not only was Bruce Wayne in the audience at the circus when Dick’s parents fell to their deaths, but so was a young couple with their son Timothy Drake.
After that came the storyline “A Lonely Place of Dying” which focused on a Batman enraged and out of control because of his anger and guilt over the death of the second Robin: Jason Todd. In this story a young boy enters into the life of Batman and reveals to him that he knows he is Bruce Wayne. The boy is the same boy from the circus: Timothy Drake.
Click to continue reading The Evolution of Timothy Drake
Comics Review: Batgirl 6
Posted by Joel Rosenberg Categories: Editorials, Reviews, DC Comics,
A famous Greek playwright said there were only five plots - those of Lust, Revenge, Power, Money, and Love. We lovers of comics are used to seeing plots rehashed over and over again. One of my postmates has commented on the direction Superman and Batman are going, which, is going to lead us to a 2009 without Supes and Bats. He commented that these seem too similar to Knightfall and World Without Superman. To me it seems they are just getting started.
I would guess that most readers of “Batgirl” are following the RIP storyline. This story takes place before RIP, which they don’t bother to mention. We also have the latest last battle of Cain and Batgirl. How many time have we seen these evil mentor/student battles before? 100 times? 200 times? A lot more? And Batgirl doesn’t kill him in the end? What a surprise. But, if you read “Robin” this week, we learn that Bruce has adopted Casandra, which doesn’t happen until this issue. But isn’t Bruce sort of dead? That is, if this story takes place before RIP. I am so confused.
Basically, it is a run of the mill mini-series which will be out in trade soon but I can’t recommend spending the 15 or 20 dollars it will cost.
“Final Crisis” Management
Posted by Todd Matthy Categories: Editorials, Reviews, DC Comics,
Grant Morrison is a polarizing guy. You either love his work or find it completely incomprehensible. When you try to get someone to explain, a typical answer is “it’s Grant Morrison” as the owner of my comic store, The Phoenix of Westchester and Comix 411 colleague, Joel Rosenberg learned. So where does Morrison’s “Final Crisis” fall in the scheme of his work? A little from column a and a little from column b.
Reading the first three issues of “Final Crisis” was like watching a five-car pile on. Morrison hit you with one thing after another without explaining anything. I felt like I missed an issue (and the tie-ins didn’t fill in any gaps). Then issue four hit and “Final Crisis” started making sense. So if you still don’t understand what’s going on, here’s a little primer to make sense of the basics so far…
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DC Comics Review: Batman: Confidential #24
Posted by David Torres Categories: Reviews, DC Comics,
Right now this is my favorite Batman story being published. I was underwhelmed by Denny O’Neil’s “Last Days of Gotham” and I’m confused with what Grant Morrison is doing over in “Batman”. So this story has been a nice cleansing of the palette.
As per my previous blog on this story arc, it’s written by Andrew Kreisberg; mostly known for writing various television shows over the past few years. The story he’s crafted is fantastic. It’s tight and each issue has ended with me wanting more.
Click to continue reading DC Comics Review: Batman: Confidential #24
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What The Bat?
Posted by Joel Rosenberg Categories: Editorials, DC Comics,
I have read a lot of comics over the past 55 years and I don’t think I ask for much. Everybody has their own preferences for artists and writers, but I like a well-plotted out story, which makes sense. Consistency is not the hobgoblin of little minds when you are dealing with a 70-year continuity in the comics universe. I can accept any premise as long as the story flows from it consistently. I can accept coming from a larger planet with a red sun causing the last son to have super powers. I cannot accept tossing plastic Ss or teleportation after 50 years or so. I can accept being bitten by a radioactive spider giving someone super powers, but not a demon reordering the entire universe so someone’s marriage can disappear.
So Batman 682 hits the store and I go “WHA?!?!?!”
The next day I get my regular call from DC, which usually means they are trying to sell me something. I, also, get to ask them any questions that we get that we can’t answer. So I asked my rep what he hell is going on in this book. Is Bats dead or not (comic dead, that is)? It seemed he got his helicopter blown up in 681, but ends up being tortured in 682. Does RIP take place before or after Crisis? He’s in Crisis so it’s unlikely RIP takes place before, but the world is supposed to be quite a different place after Crisis and it doesn’t seem to be here. What gives?
So, I got three different people from DC arguing and we all came to the same conclusion. We don’t know. I can live with the story being a jumbled mess that is supposed to make one think about what the author is trying to say, but this goes way over the line. Maybe in 683 he’ll be Bat-Baby and we can start all over again.
Will Christopher Nolan do Batman 3?
Posted by David Torres Categories: Editorials, Movies, DC Comics,
With the release of “The Dark Knight” on DVD and Blu-ray today, the director Christopher Nolan did an interview with USA Today to promote it. Of course with every interview comes the question if he’s doing Batman 3 and when will it be coming out? For now, Nolan states that there are no immediate plans to get the ball rolling on Batman 3. Nolan is nervous about doing another Batman so quickly because many third installments of franchises tend to stink (Superman 3, Godfather 3, etc).
In the article, he says he’s jotting down notes and doing some outlines for a script right now, but there is nothing so far that makes him want to put it on film. Nolan feels that doing a third film too quickly will result in the film being sub-par to the first two and that would be “disrespectful to the fans.” These statements make me believe that Nolan is committed to doing a third film, but he wants to do it right.
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DC Comics Review: Batman #682
Posted by David Torres Categories: Reviews, DC Comics,
Another issue of “Batman” by Grant Morrison that has me going, “What the #$@&?!!” Although I’m a bit confused, I think I got a grasp of what’s going on. I think.
This is part one of the storyline “Last Rites”. The solicitation for this issue reads, “In his last hours, Alfred the Butler tells the life story of the Batman as you’ve never seen it before in this two-part adventure, which bridges the gap between the events of “Batman R.I.P.” and FINAL CRISIS. Learn the secrets of Batman’s early years! Witness the nightmare of a Gotham City where Batman never existed!”
Click to continue reading DC Comics Review: Batman #682
Batman and Robin: Opposing Viewpoints (Part Two)
Posted by David Torres Categories: Movies, Reviews, DC Comics,
I’d like to thank Evan C. Price for contributing to Comix 411 with Part One of this “Batman and Robin” argument. It takes a real man to admit that on some level he liked “Batman and Robin”. I promised him that I wouldn’t bash him and call him an idiot for liking the film because we all have our likes and dislikes. I didn’t like the Lord of the Rings movies. I thought they were long and boring. I’m in the Kevin Smith camp on this one. (If you saw Clerks 2 you know what I’m talking about.)
Well, when I first saw “Batman and Robin,” I hated it. And after viewing it in its entirety after the first time since I saw it in the theaters, I still don’t like it. Just like other comic fans who have talked about the film over the years I agree that the film is campy, poorly acted, and poorly written. So I will start off with my short list (and it will be short) of the stuff that I did like about the film.
Click to continue reading Batman and Robin: Opposing Viewpoints (Part Two)
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