Gotham Academy #1 - A Review

Olive Silverlock is not having a good year at Gotham Academy so far. Bad enough that she's snubbed by most of her classmates because she's attending the prestigious school on a scholarship! Now she has to mentor Maps - the younger sister of the ex-boyfriend who hasn't quite been ex-ed yet. Throw in the rumors of a ghost haunting the building and some things in Olive's past she's trying to get away from and it is going to be a long semester.


A manga-style slice-of-life comic set in a private school in the world of Batman?  Sounds a little crazy, doesn't it?  But sometimes the craziest ideas are the ones that work and Gotham Academy #1 definitely works.

The script by Becky Cloonan and Brenden Fletcher hits the usual notes for the first chapter of this sort of genre piece.  Our major characters and their quirks are established along with the setting of the Gotham Academy campus itself.  And there's even a little bit of action which establishes Olive as a brave and resourceful protagonist.  There's not a lot to indicate exactly where the series will go from here but enough mysteries are presented to offer several promising avenues of exploration.  


The artwork by Karl Kerschl is gorgeous. Kerschl's style fuses elements of both Eastern manga tropes along with Western cartooning to create something that is unique and memorable. The coloring by Geyser and Dave McCaig adds an additional astonishing level to the finished product.

Gotham Academy isn't the kind of book I normally read.  In fact, I dare say I'm the polar opposite of the audience this book is meant to attract. That being said, I found this first issue to be a promising start and think that while it wasn't quite my cup of tea, it will appeal to the audience it was intended for.

Conan: Queen Of The Black Coast Motion Comic!

I usually don't like motion comics, but by Crom this is good!

Batman #12 - A Review

Some of the best Batman stories ever written barely have Batman in them at all. In many ways, Batman: Year One is more Jim Gordon's story than it is Bruce Wayne's. More than a few episodes of Batman: The Animated Series ("P.O.V.", "Legends of The Dark Knight" and "The Man Who Killed Batman" come to mind) were built around examining Batman's indirect influence rather than his actions. And my pick for the greatest Joker story ever - Going Sane - puts the focus firmly upon The Caped Cruasader's greatest foe and how he might react if he believed he'd successfully killed Batman.

Yes, a lot of great Batman stories barely feature Batman. And now we can put Batman #12 on that list.


The focus of this issue is firmly upon one Harper Row. A tomboy of indeterminate age (though we're informed she was an emancipated minor) and an electrical engineer for Gotham City, Harper has a knack for fixing things that are broken. But there are some things even the best handyperson can't fix and one of them is her brother Cullen's problems with the local gangs. Not one to back down from a fight, Harper and Cullen are saved by The Batman one fateful night. The experience leaves Harper obsessed with finding out more about Batman and - after a chance discovery - finding a way to repay him for saving her and Cullen.


As always, Scott Snyder's spins a stupendous story. Harper is an engaging protagonist and I hope this isn't the last that we see of her. But the real treat this time around is the work of guest-artist Becky Cloonan. One can look at this book and scarcely believe this was drawn by the same artist who also drew this week's Conan The Barbarian #7. Such is Cloonan's versatility as a creator. Even if you aren't a big Bat-fan, this issue is a must-read.

Conan The Barbarian (2012) #7 - A Review

In his time since leaving home, Conan has become a thief, a reaver and a slayer. He has journeyed further than any of his race dared before, from the snowy plains of Hyperboria to the lust pits of Zamora. He has faced dark wizards, foul demons and gigantic beasts alike without fear. But now, as he returns to his homeland of Cimmeria for the second time since beginning his wanderings, Conan must face his greatest challenge yet - introducing his mother to his girlfriend!



Brian Wood takes this broad concept beyond its' sitcom stylings and tells a story that is both serious and seriously good. True, there is a another subplot involving a raider who has stolen Conan's name and identity to attack other Cimmerians. But this story takes the backseat to the main drama which centers upon Belit and her discomfort among the Cimmerian people. It would have been easy to play off the fish-out-of-water comedic tropes here but Wood is (mercifully) a better writer than that. There is very little comedy here - merely character development as Belit is forced to cope with a place where her ability for command and noble heritage mean nothing as Conan himself must cope with the realization that the place of his birth no longer has any place for him.



Becky Cloonan returns to the art duties on this book with this issue and the title is all the richer for her presence. Under Cloonan's pencils, Belit manages to look uncomfortable without ever looking weak, despite her continual discomfort throughout the issue. Her Conan is, true to Robert E. Howard's descriptions, a wolfish figure one can easily see sneaking upon an enemy in a dark alleyway. And her backgrounds accurately convey the majestic grandeur of Conan's homeland. Colorist Dave Stewart also deserves praise for choosing a palette that perfectly captures the bleak splendor of Cimmeria.

If you haven't given Conan The Barbarian a chance before, now is the perfect time to give it a try!

Conan The Barbarian (2012) #1 - A Review

Continuing on from where Roy Thomas's 12-issue Conan: Road Of Kings mini-series ended, this latest Conan The Barbarian book starts in the the thick of it. As the book opens, Conan is rushing for the docks of Messentia with the guards in hot pursuit. Just barely making the leap onto a departing boat, Conan explains to all assembled just why he was in search a hurry to get out of town.

Luckily the ship's master, a merchant named Tito, proves to be no friend of the corrupt courts of Messentia and is all too glad to have an experienced swordsman on his ship given the recent troubles with raiders. One group of reavers in particular, led by the pirate queen Belit, has become particularly infamous. But while Conan is quick to pledge his sword in defense of his new friend, a part of him cannot help but wonder about this woman who sounds as fierce and dangerous as Conan himself...

Following Roy Thomas, who first adapted Robert E. Howard's Conan for comic books almost 40 years ago, would be a hard act for any writer to follow but Brian Wood proves to be up to the task. Wood is a wonderful adapter, thus far showing a perfect sense of when to quote from the original text and when to paraphrase or add a little of his own material. A prime example of this comes early on, as Wood captures the essence of Howard's original prose while still condensing it into language that will fit more easily among the illustrations.





I am glad to see that this scene remained intact, for this scene - to my mind at least - shows more of Conan's true character than any other scene in the Howard canon. Far from being the mindless brute he is so frequently portrayed as, Conan does have a certain wit about him and proves to be no mean storyteller, quickly winning over the sailors whose ship he has hastily boarded through sheer charisma. Conan is not one to waste words when action is needed but he can wax eloquently when necessary.

Later, we see see one of Wood's additions to the story, which I approve of as it makes a good deal of sense. As Tito tells Conan of the Belit, we see how Conan's mind wanders. Tito speaks of the evil that this dangerous she-devil has wrought upon the peaceable sailors but all Conan can think of is how much she sounds like the warrior women of his own people's legends. It's been long-established that Conan - while not being particularly picky about whom he shares a bed with - has always had a particular affection for women who share his own sense of adventure and that he always dreamed of a woman who had steel under her silken skin. Not only does this make Conan a more realistic hero (what young man DOESN'T think of his dream woman at least once a day?) but I believe it also will serve to make his later efforts to romance Belit somewhat less sudden. Those of you who have read the original story know what I mean.





The artwork by Becky Cloonan is equally praiseworthy. Cloonan stands among that rare group of artists who managed to design a Conan who does not appear boorish, brainless or bull-necked. Howard most often described Conan in comparison to great cats - tigers and panthers - a man as fast as he is strong, yet most Conan artists draw Cimmeria's favorite son as a mass of muscle. That is not the case here. Cloonan's Conan looks lean, cunning and wolfish.

Her Belit, from what little we have seen so far, looks equally formidable - looking like a goddess with ivory limbs and hair black as a Stygian night yet capable of handling herself in a fight. Colorist Dave Stewart, too, deserves praise for his choice of pallete. The day scenes, night scenes and dream sequences all have their own unique color schemes, which helps to subtly move the story along.

If you have not been fortunate enough to experience the adventures of Conan of Cimmeria yet, now is the perfect time to jump on board and set sail for high adventure!