Detective Comics #967 - A Review

Tim Drake has freed himself from the inter-spatial prison of Mr. Oz. The bad news is that Tim's counterpart from a dark future where he becomes Batman has also escaped into the modern era and he's determined to avert his future by killing the woman responsible for making him become Batman... Kate Kane!

Now, all of the Knights - Tim's name for Batman's team that he's amazed nobody else thought of using before - must stand against a Batman armed with all of Tim Drake's intelligence, technology from twenty years in the future and no qualms about killing.


There's little I can say about this issue I did not already say about the previous chapters of A Lonely Place Of Living. Suffice it to say that James Tynion IV has outdone himself on the script for this story and any fans of the Titans Tomorrow arc from Geoff Johns' Teen Titans will want to check this out. The artwork equals the story in intensity and the only reason not to read this comic if you're any kind of Batman fan is if you're waiting for the trade to get it all in one glorious big gulp.

The Final Analysis: 10 out of 10. 

Injustice 2 #23 (Digital Edition) - A Review

Once, Alfred Pennyworth brought The Man of Steel to his knees with a modicum of technology and a gentleman's knowledge of boxing. Newly resurrected by The Lazarus Pit, Alfred may have managed something even more impossible - bringing about multiple reconciliations between warring parties. Can it possibly last?


Again, I find myself stunned into silence by this book and again I have to admonish whoever wrote the Comixology blurb for this issue, which spoils the entire story! Indeed, the only reason I've made mention of the return of Alfred The Butler is that the preview images for this issue make it impossible to hide that revelation.

Still, I will hide the rest of the story beyond this first page and hope you trust me when I speak of how powerful it is. Daniel Sampere, Juan Albarran and Rex Lokus have outdone themselves in bringing Tom Taylor's script to life, in all of its splendor and horror. There is plenty of both to be had here. Don't take my word for it - read it!

The Final Analysis: 10 out of 10. A Must Read! 

Injustice: Gods Among Us - Year Five #26 - A Review

Lured into the open by the death of Alfred Pennyworth, Batman still managed to overcome Superman in single combat. Will he finally end the conflict between them with an act of murder? How will Damian Wayne - now calling himself Nightwing - respond? And what of the rest of the Justice League, who are already en route to save their leader?


There is little I can say about this chapter of Injustice: Year Five that would not spoil the story completely. I can say that Brian Buccellato has crafted an amazing fight scene, which Mike S. Miller and J. Nanjan bring to life perfectly. Beyond that, you'll have to read this issue yourself, if only for the touching coda at the end.

Injustice: Gods Among Us - Year Five #23 - A Review

Desperate for a lead on Batman's whereabouts but unwilling to dirty his own hands, Superman releases the serial killer Zsasz from prison. Coincidentally, his release occurs on Alfred's birthday. Well, the day that Bruce Wayne has elected to celebrate his faithful butler's birthday this year, Alfred's real birthday being a closely guarded secret...


There is a lot of subtle humor in this week's chapter of Injustice. I'm not unused to comedy in Brian Buccellato scripts but it is is usually more overtly presented. There's a great irony that The World's Finest detective should prove incapable of deducing the birthday of his oldest ally. I find it hilarious that Alfred should keep holding this mystery over Bruce's head just to amuse himself and that Bruce still manages to find a way to fill Wayne Manor's kitchen with balloons from halfway around the world.


The action of the issue is ably illustrated by Superman: Lois and Clark artist Marco Santucci. Santucci draws a great fight sequence and the battle between Alfred and Zsasz is one of the most exciting this series has seen. Rex Lokus's colors provide the perfect finish to Santucci's pencils.

Injustice: Gods Among Us - Year Five #22 - A Review

As Harley throws herself into a fight with Shazam, Superman seeks out the one person he thinks might know where Batman is hiding - Bruce Wayne's loyal butler, Alfred Pennyworth! Meanwhile, Batman has a clandestine meeting with another hero who has reasons of his own for choosing to strike against Superman now.


Xermanico's pencils and inks for this issue are something of a mixed bag. The artwork is efficient enough during the action sequences, though the shading is somewhat odd, casting odd shadows across the characters in a scene set in broad daylight. This darkness proves more effective in the scenes where Superman confronts Alfred, but the medium and far shots here are oddly lacking in detail.


Thankfully, Brian Buccellato's scripts are as strong as ever. The sequences with Harley are particularly effective, with Harley having a conversation with herself as she seeks a direction for her life. And the final pages delivered an honest surprise, which is always welcome in these days when Previews World frequently spoils everything.

Injustice: Gods Among Us - Year Five #13 - A Review

Damien Wayne returns home to Gotham City. Partly to confront Alfred on the reasons for his loyalties in the battle to come. But also to protect the city his father once called home from criminals. Criminals like Catwoman and Harley Quinn, who have seemingly abandoned Batman's Insurgency in order to return to their wicked ways.


One wonders how Alfred can still be at liberty in Gotham City, given his known association with Bruce Wayne. Could Superman not yet be so far gone as to go after someone he sees as an innocent or does he just remember the sound thrashing that Alfred gave him when the playing field between them was even by in Injustice: Year One?

It doesn't really matter in the end, but the interplay between all the characters as written by Brian Buccellato brings such questions to mind. There are some truly great character moments here, with Alfred explaining why he believes Batman will always beat Superman and it has nothing to do with him always having a plan or a piece of Kryptonite. It's a nice bit of metatextual commentary on Batman v. Superman as well.


Alas, Mike S. Miller seems to have phoned it in on this issue.  Individual panels are rendered well enough but some of the actual poses and expressions seem a bit off. Damien Wayne appears to be stoned at one point and Catwoman mysteriously seems to don a black thong over her catsuit. The whole issue just looks odd and off-putting!

Batman/Superman #28 - A Review

Saving astronauts when something disrupts a spacewalk is all in a day's work for Superman. But when he discovers the cause of the disturbance - a giant corpse that's come to rest on the moon - it looks like a job for Batman! Yet The Dark Knight Detective's examination of the alien's body will lead to a bigger mystery still...

Given his history writing both heroes during his run on Injustice: Gods Among Us, it's no surprise that Tom Taylor perfectly captures both Superman and Batman in this issue. No, the surprise lies in the story and a murder mystery to end all murder mysteries. And who could object to any story that gives Batman a legitimate reason to wear a spacesuit?


Robson Rocha's pencils for this issue are the best I've ever seen him produce. Three separate inkers worked on this issue, but you'd never know it but for the credits page, so uniform is the shading. And the colors by Blond perfectly complete the final artwork.

Injustice: Gods Among Us - Year Four #4 - A Review

The battle between Rene Montoya and Superman continues, promising dire consequences for both Superman's Regime and Batman's Resistance. Meanwhile, the gods of Ancient Greece watch the Earth and plot. For the time may be right for the gods of old to return and claim their dominion over the Earth...


Mike S. Miller's artwork for this issue is amazing.  Not only are his action sequences laid out incredibly well but his command of facial expressions is impressive.  The sequence near the end in which Clark and Bruce - not Superman and Batman - face each other seems all the more powerful for the emotion Miller displays so perfectly.


Brian Buccellato's script, too, is worthy of note.  This is an emotional chapter, to put it mildly, yet all of the characters seem true to form despite this being a highly unusual circumstance for all involved. For a brief moment, we see the World's Finest heroes again, as it seems a crack has broken in the wall between them... only for the cement of distrust to plug the hole again.  Powerful stuff!

Gotham: Episode 102: Selina Kyle - A Review In Random Thoughts

* (As Alfred catches Bruce burning himself) This would be an entirely different show if Alfred had just taken Bruce to a good child psychologist at this point.

* I am now going to call Riddler "Weird Ed" in honor of the equally awkward character from the Maniac Mansion games.

* I see the name of The Tick creator Ben Edlund in the credits as an executive producer.  And suddenly a lot of the choices this show has made make sense, re: camp elements.

* The shout-outs to the comics are much more subdued this time. Quick mention of Maroni - the gangster eventually responsible for creating Two-Face.

* So far, Falcone is the most likable character on the show by sheer virtue of being the one person who seems to honestly care about the city.

* There's Carol Kane as Penguin's mom.  Apparently she just escaped from the set of a Tim Burton movie.

* Mention of Arkham Asylum being closed down but The Wayne Foundation almost reopening it.

* Don't you just love how Barbara doesn't give a damn about the chance that their house line might be traced when she calls in a tip to the press?

* Do they mean for the mayor to look like Richard Nixon?

* For years, comic fans have debated whether the GCPD is mostly incompetent or mostly corrupt.  So far, the show is doing a good job of providing both camps with good case material.

* Although, after the two kidnappers manage to grab a whole bus full of kids in the middle of a depot swarming with cops in broad daylight, I'm firmly on the side of "mostly incompetent".

* Obscure Batman villain The Dollmaker got a mention.  And a thousand Arrow fans immediately begin working on fan fiction to justify making this one the same guy Quentin Lance put away.

* Thomas Wayne had a "no psychologists" clause in his will yet he was ready to start funding Arkham Asylum?  I'm thinking there's a story here.  At least, there should be.

* Alternatively, The Waynes are Scientologists.

* Oh yeah!  I guess Penguin still is in this show.  Huh.



THE FINAL THOUGHTS

For an episode titled 'Selina Kyle', there sure wasn't a lot of Selina Kyle, was there?  That said, I enjoyed this episode far more than the pilot.

Gotham : The Pilot - A Review

Gotham is a paradox on multiple levels. On the one hand, the show goes out of its way to try and win over skeptical fans of the Batman comics by dropping repeated references to the books. On the other hand, much of the show's story cuts out the heart of those same comics.

The show is at its best when it is played as a straight police procedural drama. It is at its worst when it winks at the camera whenever anyone compares toadying-thug Oswald to a penguin or GCPD technician Eddie is told to stop talking in riddles. However, the unsubtle references are merely an annoyance. It is the subtler references that are likely to outright offend the comic fans.

Case In Point. Early on in the episode, Detective Rene Montoya is introduced along with her partner, Crispus Allen. In the comics, they are among the few honest cops in Gotham City. In Gotham, they are glory-hounds who try and take over the Wayne murder case. Later, when they are given a tip that an innocent man was framed for the murder as a result of Jim Gordon's investigation, Rene goes to Jim's fiancee - Barbara Kean - to tell her that James is a low-down crook and she should leave him. And then we get the revelation that Rene and Barbara are more than old friends.

Where do I start in describing everything that is wrong with this from the perspective of a comic fan? Rene Montoya being more concerned with publicity than justice? Rene's first response to finding out that a fellow detective is bent being to go outside the department and tell stories out of school? The cliche of the predatory lesbian trying to win back the ex-girlfriend who went straight? All of this is a slap in the face to fans of Rene's character in the comics.

This is the most extreme example, but other characters are similarly warped. Harvey Bullock, for instance, is portrayed as a mobbed-up cop whereas his comic counterpart is as clean in his conduct as he is dirty in appearance. And Alfred Pennyworth - from what little we see of him - seems to be an East London thug rather than a Gentleman's Gentleman.

Jim Gordon introduces a completely different set of problems. Jim is portrayed as the honest policeman that he should be but much of the character's motivations in the comics were born of his being an outsider to Gotham and their way of doing things. It seems ludicrous for Gordon to be as naive as he is portrayed here when he's reportedly a Gotham native and his father was a former district attorney. Then again, having Gordon be part of an old money Gotham family is perhaps the only way to explain how he can afford the opulent apartment he has on an honest cop's salary.

Still, at least Harvey and Jim are fully developed as characters in this pilot.  Most of the references to the comics are completely incidental to the plot.  Yes, we get to see a young Selina Kyle prowling around but nothing is made of her appearances throughout the episode nor of her chance presence when The Waynes are killed.  Yes, there's a young redhead girl who loves plants named Ivy Pepper but she is completely unnecessary to the story.  And how is Edward Nygma's presence in this episode like an unsharpened pencil?  They're both completely pointless.

Technically, the show is something of a mixed bag.  The cinematography is decent enough when we're getting long, slow shots of the Gotham skyline yet it becomes laughably bad during the action scenes, which feature some of the worst shaky-cam effects I've ever seen on television.  The music is subpar industrial rock, which leaves a montage of Harvey Bullock's questioning suspects looking and sounding like a Slipknot video from four years ago.

The performances are equally mixed.  Ben McKenzie is suitably earnest as Jim Gordon and Donal Logue makes Harvey Bullock into a likable rogue, even as he's working against Jim. Sean Pertwee manages to make Alfred Pennyworth intriguing by sheer force of personality. But Robin Taylor's Oswald Cobblepot and Cory Michael Smith's Edward Nygma are far too campy compared to the dark tone of the show.  And Jada Pinkett Smith's performance, as the mob boss Fish Mooney, shows why she is best remembered by audiences as Will Smith's wife.

In the end, Gotham tries too hard to be all things to all people and succeeds only in being nothing special.  Fans of cop dramas are unlikely to be wowed by the differences the show's setting inspired. And most comic fans will be indifferent, at best, to the nods to the source material that amount to nothing more than a handful of names and nothing else.
 

Batman #24 - A Review

Visually, Batman #24 is a stunning book from start to finish.  This should prove no surprise to regular readers, who have grown used to amazing imagery on a regular basis thanks to penciler Greg Capullo and inker Danny Miki.  Yet this issue seems even stronger for the contributions of colorist FCO Plascencia, whose vibrant watercolor-style gradients lend a cinematic aura to the artwork, with alternating oranges and blues dominating most of the palette.    

This may be the first Hunter S. Thompson reference in a mainstream DC Comics book ever.

The issue's imagery borrows a lot from the Batman films of Christopher Nolan.  The idea of Bruce Wayne marking his territory with his symbol  is a reoccurring theme.  It comes off somewhat better here than in the Nolan films, however, as Bruce has good reason to announce his presence beyond showy displays of force.  There's also a greater element of fun, as Bruce creates a Bat-symbol out of squirming members of the Red Hood gang not only to announce his presence but also because it amuses him to do this behind the back of one minion and then whisper into the thug's ear "My bat... it still needs a head." 

Sure, he knocked out power to a good portion of the city to do this... but it's still awesome!
Scott Snyder's plot and dialogue also borrow heavily from the Nolan films and herein lies the issue's one weakness - unoriginality.  We've seen this same origin story for Batman and The Joker played out ad nauseam.  We've heard The Joker - still in his guise as The Red Hood - give similar speeches about the futility of hope.  The fact that the whole affair is well-written does nothing to change the fact that we've heard this story before. 

Thankfully, Snyder does include enough original ideas to make the familiar scenes bearable for long-time Bat-fans.  The best of these is the conceit of Bruce Wayne becoming as much a symbol of Hope in Gotham City as Batman.  Snyder previously established the death of Thomas and Martha Wayne as the inspiration for The Red Hood's philosophy of nihilistic absurdism and Bruce Wayne speaking publicly of Gotham City as a place where people can be made better through adversity is as much a blow to The Red Hood's work and world view as anything Bruce Wayne had done before as a faceless vigilante.



These ideals come full-circle in the back-up story by Snyder and James Tynion IV, with art by the equally awesome Rafael Albuquerque of American Vampire fame.  The story does little more than set-up the next big story detailing Batman's first battle with The Riddler but it does feature a very good speech by Alfred.  On the surface it's about the nature of masks and theater but really it's about fiction and the power of a good story.  It works on both levels and it alone would make this comic a must-read, even if the rest of the issue weren't excellent as well.

Beware The Batman... And His Gun-Totting Butler

SOURCE: "Beware The Batman" CGI Animated Series Coming For 2013, "DC Nation" Updates

Right. So there's going to be a new CGI Batman cartoon. The style looks... well, like they tried to convert Bruce Timm's Batman designs into 3-D. It's not fair to judge until we see the cartoon in motion but... this just looks odd.

Odder still is the news of the cast, with Batman being assisted in his war on crime by a woman named Katana (no word on if she'll be the same one of Outsiders fame of if she'll have a soul-sucking sword, but I doubt it on both counts) and a gun-totting Alfred Pennyworth.

You heard me. A gun-totting Alfred Pennyworth.

...

A GUN-TOTTING ALFRED PENNYWORTH?!

I can deal with Alfred carrying a hunting rifle around Wayne Manor on the lookout for prowlers. I can even cope with him loading the bloody thing and not just using it to scare off intruders. But actually going out on the streets - WITH Batman - shooting at the bad guys?

*face palms*

On the bright side, the news is not all dark. The same block of new cartoons will apparently see a cartoon based on the Doom Patrol, which I expect will be aimed at young boys who love freaks, monsters and robots. Why do I make that guess? Because the third cartoon they announced is definitely aimed at young ladies and it definitely sounds the most promising on every front. The creator behind the new My Little Pony cartoon is working on a series of animated shorts teaming Wonder Girl, Batgirl & Supergirl called Super Best Friends Forever.

Why couldn't we have gotten THAT as a comic book instead of Catwoman?