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Return of Bruce Wayne
Posted by David Torres Categories: Editorials, DC Comics,
It was announced a few days ago that Bruce Wayne would finally be coming back as Batman beginning in April 2010. The event will take place in a min-series entitled Batman: The Return of Bruce Wayne and it will be written by Grant Morrison. I’m very happy that Bruce Wayne will be returning, but I’m curious as to why both he and Captain America are through the exact chain of events in their lives right now. Both characters saw their side kicks resurrected (Jason Todd and Buck); both were “killed off”; both characters saw side kicks take over the mantle for them (Dick Grayson and Bucky); both are stuck in the past; and both are now trying to make their ways back to the present. What gives? Who’s copying who?
Well the idea of resurrecting Jason Todd began during the Hush storyline in 2002, but we didn’t see Jason return until 2005. The return of Bucky began around the same time in 2005 as well. Steve was killed in early 2007 and Bruce was killed in late 2008. It was revealed a few months ago that Steve was stuck in time, but Bruce was revealed to be stuck in the past at the end of Final Crisis at the beginning of the year. Since we are fans, we are not privy to which company came up with which idea first, but if it were me, I would try to do something a bit different with my company’s character. Also, what good is it for the fans? They will buy it nonetheless, but is it really that interesting to have the same exact thing happen to two iconic characters? What happens when they return?
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DC Comics Review: Blackest Night: Batman #3
Posted by David Torres Categories: Reviews, DC Comics,
Rating: *** 1/2*
The Blackest Night: Batman mini-series ends here and it’s very good. The dead have been rising thoughout the DC Universe and in this series we saw the parents of Dick Grayson and Tim Drake rise to face off against their sons. In our last issue we saw Batman, Robin, Red Robin, and Deadman rescue Jim and Barbabra Gordon from the threat of the Black Lanterns at Gotham Central. The Black Lantern Graysons and Drakes strike and we begin our story with that showdown.
Batman and Red Robin decide to face off against their parents themselves and tell Robin to get the Gordons to safety. Robin begrudgingly agrees and it is here that writer Peter Tomasi finally writes the character of Damian Wayne more along the lines of the way he’s supposed to be portrayed. Deadman decides the boys need more help and heads off to recruit Jason Blood aka Etrigan. Blood is unwilling to assist, but Deadman jumps into his body and possess him in order to bring out the demon Etrigan.
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DC Comics Review: Red Robin #4
Posted by David Torres Categories: Reviews, DC Comics,
Rating: ***
I wasn’t thrilled that Damian Wayne would be replacing Tim Drake as Robin, but with that disappointment came the revelation that Tim was now the new Red Robin. In my reviews of this series so far, I haven’t been all that thrilled with the writing or the artwork for this series. The first two issues were okay, but the last issue was not very good and I began to think that maybe it was time to drop this title. This month’s issue was able to prevent that decision from being made. Writer Chris Yost has written a good issue - maybe the best in the series so far, but Ramon Bachs artwork is still weighing things down which prevents me from giving this book a better rating.
Our story picks up with Tim in Iraq. The members of the League of Assassins that we’ve seen in the previous issues are there waiting for him to assist him with his mission in locating Bruce Wayne. It dawned on me in this issue that these three members of the League of Assassins don’t look like people Ra’s al Ghul would normally have in his League. The lead member in this trio is a black man who fought against Tim and the other members of the Bat Family as a ninja when Ra’s was being resurrected. Normally I picture Middle Eastern assassins with Ra’s, but at this point it doesn’t really matter.
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DC Comics Review: Red Robin #3
Posted by David Torres Categories: Reviews, DC Comics,
Rating: **
This issue of Red Robin is pretty weak. The only reason I didn’t give this issue a lower grade is because I like the overall plot of the story of Tim Wayne searching for Bruce Wayne. I’ve also read a hell of a lot worse over the years in my comic book reading. As we know from the previous issues, Ra’s al Ghul is the only other person who believes Tim that Bruce Wayne is really alive. At the end of the last issue, Tim agrees to join up with Ra’s in his search.
Tim’s investigation takes him to a museum in Berlin. While he’s there, Tim discovers something we don’t see, but his reaction causes him to say, “Oh my God it’s true.” I don’t think that he’s found the information he needs to prove Bruce is alive, but I’m curious as to what it is he found. At the museum, he runs into the Wild Huntsman, a character I never heard of before. Tim has his back to the wall with the Huntsman, when Ra’s al Ghul’s League of Assassins arrive to back him up.
The story has some flashbacks as we see Wonder Girl meeting up with Tim at a cemetery. She tells him that she’s here to give him some comfort when he tells her he knows Bruce is alive. She doesn’t believe him, and he leaves. She then contacts Dick and tells him that Tim needs help.
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WEEKEND READING: SpongeBob, Wally Wood, Philip K. Dick, Star Wars and Harry Potter!
Posted by Tom Mason Categories: Editorials,
Gather ‘round, internet pals. There’s a lot of great stuff all over the internets this week and not all of it has to do with Comic Con International. For example, there’s George Orwell, Philip K. Dick, Joe Murray and Wally Wood, Doug Mahnke and a whole lot more out there. Let’s roll some of it out:
DOUG MAHNKE: You might know Doug Mahnke as the original artist on The Mask with writer John Arcudi. Maybe you know him from Major Bummer or Stormwatch, or even the new Green Lantern series with Geoff Johns. But Tom Richmond knows Doug as one of the inventors of live airbrushed caricatures, and he tells all over at The Mad Blog.
RED ROBIN: Todd Klein is not only a great letterer and logo designer, he’s also a blogger. Over at his blog, Klein Letters, he breaks down the step-by-step process he used to design the logo for DC’s new Red Robin comic book.
WALT DISNEY: With Disney’s new The Princess And The Frog animated film due later this year, expect all kinds of blogposts about the Disney empire. Here’s a good one: Over at Bookforum, writer Hannah Frank revels in the ubiquity of the Disney brand by looking at five Walt-themed books that are not the usual “Disney is God” hagiography. One of the books even has Walt’s HUAC testimony where he outs one of his employees as a communist. Fascinating!
(h/t Galleycat)
DC Comics Review: Red Robin #1
Posted by David Torres Categories: Reviews, DC Comics,
Rating: ***
When it was announced that there would be a new Batman and Robin, a guessing game began. When a teaser image was released, we all made the assumption that the new Batman would be Dick Grayson and that the new Robin would be Damian Wayne. DC tried to keep the guessing game going, but in the end, we were all right. When the announcement came that a “Red Robin” title would be launched, with a new person behind the mask we made the assumption it was Tim Drake aka Tim Wayne. Well, guess what, we were right again!
I’ve revealed that in my opening paragraph because I don’t feel its worth it to continue teasing that information or say beware of spoilers. We knew it was coming and now Tim is Red Robin with the quest to find his presumed dead mentor: Bruce Wayne.
This was a good issue, but not a great start to the series. I think the reason why I’m interested in collecting this book is because of the character of Tim Wayne. Tim has developed into arguable the best character DC has created in over the past twenty years. He’s developed from this young, intelligent, and innocent boy who discovered the identity of Batman, to this man who seems to be not only capable of taking over for Batman, but he could be an even be a better Batman than Bruce could ever be.
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My Future with the Batman titles
Posted by David Torres Categories: Editorials, DC Comics,
According to IGN.com there are some big changes in store for the Batman titles post-Battle for the Cowl. In June we will see some new series premiere and the traditional Bat-titles get new creative teams. Here is the list: “Detective Comics,” “Batman,” “Batman and Robin,” “Red Robin,” “Gotham City Sirens,” “Batman: Streets of Gotham,” and the “Outsiders.” I also saw on a message board over at CBR that Batgirl will be getting her own series again. The CBR message board also posts who are the creative teams behind each book.
The good news for me is that Grant Morrison is off “Batman”. The bad news is that he’s being replaced by Judd Winick. I’ve enjoyed stuff that Judd has written in the past. His work on “Exiles” and “The Outsiders” was good - particularly the “Exiles” that book rocked and hasn’t been good since he left. However, I was not all impressed with his previous work on Batman. Why DC didn’t just give the “Batman” title completely to Tony Daniel as he’s staying as artist I don’t know. Maybe it would be too much to handle? I love what Daniel is doing on “Battle for the Cowl”. “Detective Comics” will be written by Greg Rucka and will feature Batwoman - I’ll check out the first issue, but I’m not a big fan of Greg Rucka so I may end up dropping it. I also could care less about Batwoman.
Although Grant Morrison will be leaving the “Batman” title, he will be staying in the Bat-universe and will be launching a new monthly series entitled “Batman and Robin” along with his usual artist collaborator Frank Quitley. According to IGN, this title will be the “flagship” of the Batman titles. I’m not happy with that statement as I feel the original title of any group of comic books should be the flagship title. The flagship title for Batman should be and always be “Detective Comics”.
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