This is from "Legends of the Dark Knight" issue 50. It’s one of the many different "Batman meets the Joker for the first time" stories. I do give props to Denny O’Neil for the last line of the book though. Even though I hate "intentional foreshadowing" in these "flashback tales" (Batgirl Year One is a horrible example), this made me smile.
Posted by Josh
It’s lonely out there. While every Bat-fan from coast to coast is sitting in front of their gaming console, playing and chatting about the coolest action game of all time; Batman: Arkham Asylum, I’m getting my Batman fix old school….reading comics. I may not know the difference between an Xbox and a PS3, but I can recognize good storytelling and great art. B&R #3 continues its run as the best Bat-book in print, if not the best comic book period. I haven’t been able to find anyone who is willing to pry themselves away from the video game and discuss the comics this week, so you will have to take my word for it.
Frank Quitely continues to deliver graphic art that is colorful, dramatic and most of all fun! Sadly, this is his last issue for a while, but he will carry on doing covers. It will be interesting to see how the book changes with Philip Tan helming the art. Morrison and Quitely have such cohesive chemistry, I wonder if Grant will alter his writing style to suit Tan. Quitely is superb at conveying emotion and directing the action without the need for narration. This has allowed Morrison to employ a minimalistic approach as compared to his writing in RIP. Hopefully this won’t change. One of the remarkable aspects of this title so far has been the chemistry between Dick and Damian that the other Batman Reborn titles have not been able to capture. Look at the great scene on page 11 of Batman and Robin taking out Pyg and then cementing their partnership. The writing is simple and the art so magnificent, it masterfully creates an emotional moment that grows the depth and identity of the new Dynamic Duo. I wonder if Morrison and Quitely see themselves in that same scene?
Believe it or not I actually have a criticism of the art. I found the depth of scale between the characters to be a bit off; in particular the scene where Robin is escaping his binds. His size compared to the henchman is inconsistent. I probably would never have noticed if the art wasn’t otherwise breathtaking.
Morrison’s defining of all his characters continues to be brilliant. I wish the other Bat-writers would read this book, if only for consistency sake. Dick isn’t smiling all the time or playing for the cameras, he is controlled and calculating. He has taken his own personality and enhanced it with some "Batman". The first scene of Dick getting his Circus of Strange stooge to talk and then securing his role with Commissioner Gordon is nothing but classic Batman, yet purely Dick Grayson. It seems simple, but it is the author’s brilliant technique that makes it so.
Morrison even injected some humor to the story, albeit sick in tone. The strip scene with Pyg and Robin is hilariously twisted. I actually turned my head away in both disgust and laughter.
I also appreciate the little detailed consistencies through out the three issues. For example, the splash page of Batman and Robin near the end of book. Robin always takes the lead when they crash a scene. I’m sure this is reluctant on Dick’s part, but the compromise is as much a part of his unique personality as the impetuousness is part of Damian’s.
As always, the last pages lead us into the drama that is to come. Quitely gives us a wonderfully cinematic scene of what is probably Red Hood watching Alfred reminisce over a family photograph. With almost no movement he creates suspenseful anticipation for the next arc. Equally as masterful, Grant Morrison gives us Scarlett’s motivation for joining Red Hood and forming the dastardly duo that want to erase Gotham’s Caped Crusaders once and for all. I can’t wait for issue #4.
I freely admit that I am envious of all the Bat-fans sharing their enthusiasm for Arkham Asylum this week. If I wasn’t so stuck in my ways I would probably buy the game and like it. But I am who I am, old school and not about to change. Thanks to Grant Morrison and Frank Quitely for creating a series that is fun, smart and exciting. I can’t think of anything more old school than that!
Batman and Robin #3:
Reviewed by Tiggerbrown
Batman confronts the killer of his parents and makes a startling revelation.
Posted by Josh
So another week has past, and if you are not going to be playing Batman: Arkham Asylum today, here is what is going to be on comic stands.
Batman and Robin #3
$2.99
Alright, hands down this has been the best of the Batman: Reborn titles. If you are not picking it up you should be admitted to your local asylum. Hands down-Buy It
Batman: The Widening Gyre #1
$3.99
Alright, we all have read Kevin Smith’s work in the past. His comics are packed with dialogue. He can steer a little too far off normality for some fans. The new series is said to introduce a new villain and will be broken into multiple volumes. This first issue I would say to give a chance, but for $3.99? I’m sticking with just Read It
Detective Comics #856
$3.99
Another series that continues to surprise myself and others. I didn’t think that the fake hype that DC was building up for this series was going to be true. But I was pleasantly surprised. The art in this book is the reason to pick it up. JH Williams does a superb job with the art style that we haven’t seen in very many comics out today. It is a different take on art, but it is something that is truly amazing. The story can be better, but you have to pick it up for nothing but the art. Buy It
Gotham City Sirens #3
$2.99
This next issue is something else entirely. The first two issues were kind of disappointing in a way were I myself was expecting more than we got. The only thing I am interested in is, how they are going to make sense of what Tommy Elliot has been doing between the two books that Paul Dini is writing. So this one just Read It
Alright a short post this week, but come on. Batman: Arkham Asylum is sitting in my Playstation 3. If you buy everything your total comes to $6.98. So inexpensive week, but you should spend the extra cash on BAA. Seriously, why are you still reading this? GO GET THE GAME!!!
Posted by Dustin
Jason Todd being….well Jason Todd. It’s no wonder he grew up to be the Gun-Toting Batman.
Posted by Josh
A few months ago, he following image caused a stir among Bat-Fans.
Ironically nobody, myself included, considered the possibility that this was a dream sequence. Here is the full scene as it appeared in "Titans" issue 16.
As you can see this comic was written by Chris Yost. For those who are wondering, he is just as bad with time-skipping here as he is in "Red Robin". I still hope Starfire gets a chance to see Dick Grayson as Batman. I’m a little disappointed.
Posted by Josh
The issue opens with Tim as Red Robin going through a museum in Berlin with Red Robin looking for some artifact while having a chat with Ra’s al Ghul, who Tim is now in an unlikely partnership with to find out what really happened to Bruce Wayne. We then cut to Wayne Tower in Moscow with the daughter of Lucius Fox being told to look for Tim Wayne for reasons that are never truly explained. We cut back to the present and Tim and his new allies, the league of assasins taking on the museum security and a German "Maxi Zeus" called the Wild Huntsmen. This part of the story ends with Red Robin finding out Ra’s sent the assassins to help with the mission and to kill people who get in the way. When Red Robin finds this out, he screams at Ra’s to call off his soldiers who are then disappear leaving Tim to clean up the mess. While this is going on we get a flashback of what happened a few days after the events of battle for the cowl and Tim visiting Bruce’s grave, with Tim repeating that he is now alone, only to be told he’s not by Wonder Girl. Cassie tells Tim that she is there for him if he ever needs anyone. Tim begins to open up to her about the problems he’s faced such as Anarky as Robin, causing the death of Anarky’s family, letting Jason Todd loose to go on his Batman fueled killing spree and being taken over by Darkseid during the events of Final Crisis. Cassie tells Tim that she’s here for him, to whom Tim lets her in on his secret “Batman is alive.” When Cassie tries to talk sense into him, Tim says goodbye to her and walks off. Cassie starts to cry and calls the only person she thinks can get through to Tim, that person being Dick Grayson.
This is another solid issue from Chris Yost, though it doesn’t advance the story as much as the first two issues, it does move it along and makes for an interesting issue, the scene between Cassie, Wonder Girl and Tim is almost heartbreaking. The story as a whole flies back and forth at a good speed, and leaves you wondering where you will end up next, Tim’s past before he becomes Red Robin, The Fox’s looking for Tim Wayne around the world, and Tim and Ra’s al Ghul trying to find the truth behind Bruce’s apparent death, it feels like a film and is never boring to read.
The art again, like the last two issues is solid, it is nothing that you would go out and pick up this comic for on its own, but it is solid art for the comic. In previous reviews I complained about Tim looking like he was fourteen years old and this will be no different, Tim looks way too young here, and compared to when he is Red Robin and is really one of the few problems I have with the art here.
So all in all, it’s an ok issue, but not something I would tell people who have never read comics to go out and read. I would say if you are looking for a good comic to read and you do like Tim Drake, Wayne whatever he wants to be known as this week, and then you can do a lot worse than read Red Robin issue #3.
Red Robin #3:
Reviewed by Suavestar
Honestly, I haven’t been this excited about Batgirl since my first glimpse of Yvonne Craig! Over the past month or so, DC has teased us with several preview covers of the mysterious new Batgirl. Her enhanced feminine appearance as compared to Cassie sparked intense speculation over who was actually behind the cowl. Did Barbara regain the use of her legs? Did Cassie finally grow up physically? Is it Steph, is it Mistfit? The different look of the multiple teasers led us to even think that there may be multiple Batgirls.
Well the wait is finally over; Batgirl #1 hit the stands this week. While we were somewhat led to believe that the mystery of Batgirl’s identity would be played out over several issues, Dustin broke the news that in fact Stephanie Brown is revealed to be the new Batgirl. And if you listen to TBU Comic Podcast or participate in the Forums, you know that Steph was the odds on favorite from the beginning. So now that the mystery has been revealed, was the book any good? Well, it wasn’t perfect that’s for certain, but overall I enjoyed it.
Bryan Miller focuses his story equally on Steph and Barbara, smartly exploring how fate and circumstance have played a pivotal role in each of their present lives. Barbara has become increasingly bitter and void of purpose in her life. She is depressingly resigned to the fact that she will be in a wheelchair forever. Stephanie is addicted to the thrill of crime fighting and wearing the Bat, but she is struggling with the promise she made to herself and her Mother that she would live the life of a normal teenager. Miller brings the two opposites together full circle in what may turn out to be a new exciting mentor/apprentice partnership.
An element of Miller’s writing that may turn off some is his characterization of Stephanie. He writes her very much like Buffy the Vampire Slayer; a teenage girl struggling with everyday issues that all girls her age go through, but at that same time leading an extraordinary nightlife. We see Steph at home engaging in Mother/daughter talk, stressing over not doing her homework, and at school daydreaming in class. This may be a little “girly” for many comic fans, but it worked for me, at least in this first issue. Greg Rucka kind of wrote a similar treatment of Kate Kane in Detective but she is older, so it wasn’t as “Twilight” if you know what I mean. I was recently talking with a female friend about what kind of comics attract young women readers. I think this is book is exactly geared towards that demographic. I do like the way Miller portrays her as Batgirl. She is eager and full of moxie, but doesn’t have the skill of Cassie. I think this lends well to the future relationship between Steph and Barbara. I think Babs will see a lot of her young self in Steph, and will hopefully help her come to terms with her inability to walk.
Cassie’s treatment was disappointing. The nonchalant fashion in which she abandons the cape and cowl was a slap in the face to all the fans who love her. Hopefully her decision and future will be explored in this or another title with the depth her character deserves. Also, the transition between her and Steph was pretty weak. But I suspect this will be dealt with in upcoming issues.
Lee Garbett does a decent job with art. I was hoping for a more provocative Batgirl, especially after the cover teasers, but at least his action sequences were exciting. What I did like a lot was how he drew Batman. It reminded me somewhat of the later years of the animated series. Although the scene of Batman and Robin surveying Batgirl, and Damian thinking it is Cassie and questioning how she could be such a lethal assassin, but Dick knows it isn’t Cassie, was written very awkwardly…..much like this sentence!
I think this book has some potential. It isn’t as adult as I had hoped, but it has the potential to reach an untapped audience of future Bat-fans…….and who knows, maybe some new fans of The Batman Universe as well. Now that can’t be a bad thing!
Batgirl #1:
Reviewed by tiggerbrown
A forgotten Nightwing costume best left forgotten. He only wore it in "New Titans" issue 114. It was an odd period for him as he was going through his breakup with Starfire and getting ousted from the Titans in favor of Arsenal. The scene, odd as it is, displays some of the differences between Bruce and Dick.
Posted by Josh
Gotham city Sirens #2 picks up right where #1 leaves off with Catwoman tied up by Poison Ivy asking who Batman is. We then cut to three years ago and Talia telling Selina that being one of only two woman who Bruce has ever truly loved, she gives Catwoman the power to lie to herself about Bruce’s true identity as Batman.
What follows is a page of Selina going into a trance, remembering some of the horrible things that have happened over the past few years, dealing Hush, Jason Todd, and Black Mask and most heartbreakingly, losing her daughter. Selina begs Ivy to stop, to which she refuses and says Selina has to prove her friendship. Ivy asks if she wasn’t tied up, would she tell the truth, Selina says “Hell no” and goes back to trying to get into a state of mind where she can hide the truth. Selina then tells Harley and Ivy, Batman’s true identity, Bruce Wayne, Jim Gordon, Harvey Dent, Slam Bradley, and many more. Selina then tells her new “Friends” that one man could not truly be as driven as Batman is. Because of the mental state she put herself into, Ivy has no choice but to believe her and Harley follows along.
The story then goes ahead to Harley going for a walk and seeing Bruce Wayne, or what the world believes to be Bruce Wayne being kidnapped, and Bruce, or as Harley calls him B.W, she has to help him as she owes him. Bruce Wayne, in case you haven’t read the Heart of Hush storyline, and are not currently reading Streets of Gotham, is really Tommy “Hush” Elliot. Hush who still is mad about what Catwoman did to him at the end of Heart of Hush when she successfully ruined Hush and took all of his money, wants revenge on her and everyone who she got help from, two of these people being Poison Ivy and Harley Quinn. Hush finds out about Harley living with Catwoman, and being driven by his lust for revenge he uses Harley as bait to get Catwoman and Poison Ivy and get the revenge he desires. We end with Selina and Ivy going after Harley looking for her, with Selina filling in Ivy about how Harley is in danger as the man she is with is not really Bruce Wayne, he is serial killer, Hush. The issue ends with Selina and Ivy finding Harleys phone, and a Harley doll with a knife in it.
This is a good issue, it’s not great, but it’s an improvement on the first one, the writing for this issue is more to the point than the first one. However the way Dini gets out of the cliff hanger from the first issue, that Talia taught Selina a few years ago how to hide Batman’s secret identity was just annoying to me, the use of this felt like Dini was told “You can’t have them know who Batman was” and he was left with twenty minutes to work out some answer and just gave some half a**ed option and it shows. That is the only true low point of the issue and except for the pay off of issue one the writing is solid.
The art by Guillem March is a lot better, it doesn’t feel as cartoony as the first issue, it does feel cartoony when dealing with Harley, but the rest of the issue, feels like strong and is nice to look at, but is nothing spectacular. So the art is ok when comparing getting punched in the face and getting lightly slapped, it still hurts, but not as much, which is like the art here, it’s not great, but it’s better than the first issue, so March is getting better.
Overall, this is an ok issue, it isn’t a comic I’d say go out and get right now, but if you see it in a 50p and need a batman comic to read, you can do a lot worse.
Gotham City Sirens #2:
Reviewed by Suavestar
So what can we expect this week? Is it going to be another week of Pass’s? Well let’s get into it and see what we have got. Oh and I have something new in store for you at the end of the post.
Batgirl #1
$2.99
Well, this is the first issue of the new series. Many have been saying online that it is the last new series to come out of the Batman: Reborn arc, but they are forgetting about Azrael which we will see in October. Anyway, Batgirl #1 should be interesting. Some might even say that the mystery of who new the Batgirl is is more intriguing then who the new Batman was going to be. I would be one of those people. We guessed who the new Batman was long before the spoiler images confirming who Batman was going to be. But one thing has kept us on our toes, and that is who is this new Batgirl. Many who listen to the comic cast know my choice is for Stephanie Brown or Spoiler, as some of you may know her. We have beat the possibilities of who it could be to death on the comic cast. But will we see who the new Batgirl is in this first issue? I think not. I think DC is going to keep this going for a couple of months before we figure out who it will be for sure by throwing us curve balls. So for this first issue, as much as I am convinced we will not find out our answer, Buy It.
Batman: Streets of Gotham #3
$3.99
So last month’s issue wasn’t anything to cry over if you missed. It in my opinion was a simple story with simple art. But it was still good. This month we are going to see some more of Tommy Elliot playing Bruce Wayne. Besides that what else can we expect? A great co-feature. I know a lot of people are not really liking the co-features, but this one actually makes the most sense of all the co-features in the other DC books. Why? Because this book is supposed to follow the supporting cast of Gotham and the co-feature is following the new DA. How much more relevant can you get? Well, for this one I say fork out the extra buck and Buy It.
The Outsiders #21
$2.99
Alright moving right along, this is something that for the most part of its run I really have not been enjoying. But that is going to change this month. Finally, we get to see the Outsiders become the Black Ops led by Alfred that we all expected after RIP. The Outsiders are going to be rounding up the escaped villains from Gotham. This is where we actually get to see some kind of attachment to what is going on in the Bat-Books. I have been waiting for this and you should too. Buy It
Superman/Batman #63
$2.99
Can’t say that I am looking forward to this last book for the week. I have never really been a huge fan of Grodd. Based on the solicitation for this one seems like it is just another redo of an original World’s Finest story line from the 60’s. If they can pull if off with a modern take maybe it will be interesting, but I swear we just saw "loved ones" kidnapped in only a couple of issues ago. Pass
So that is this week’s releases. If you buy everything you will be spending a mere $12.96 in the US. But you may want to save some of your money up for next week’s books because there are going to be some good ones. Leave any comments below. ‘Til next week….
Posted by Dustin