Tuesday, July 4, 2017
Starman Plays Skyrim Special Edition - Part 87
In which, having uncursed the orcs, Mjoll and I get our kids a dog and head off to explore yet another Nord ruin with an unpronounceable name in search of one of three mystic amulet fragments.
Monday, July 3, 2017
Detective Comics #959 - A Review
The Order of St. Dumas - the mysterious cult responsible for creating Azrael - have returned to Gotham and their ultimate weapon has been unleashed. As Jean Paul Valley prepares for the fight of his life, the rest of the team learn of his odd origins. Meanwhile, Batman seeks out his old friend Zatanna to seek her aid on another case that requires her magic touch.
Detective Comics is my favorite Batman book and that's almost entirely due to James Tynion IV. His grasp of these characters is phenomenal. While a flashback to a young Bruce Wayne and Zatanna Zatara discussing magic might seem indulgent under a lesser author, here it is a joy to read even if it ultimately has little to do with the main plot. Such is the magic of Tynion's pen and his gift for gripping dialogue.
The artwork is as excellent as the story. I'm hard pressed to think of any artistic team who has captured the savage beauty of Gotham City as well as Alvaro Martinez, Raul Fernandez and Brad Anderson have here. I regret that Martinez' gorgeous two-page layouts cannot be properly conveyed due to the size of my scanner but they are simply gorgeous and guide the reader's eye perfectly.
If this issue has a flaw it's that for all the focus on Azrael and revising his background for the reality of DC Rebirth there's surprisingly little of Jean Paul Valley in it outside of the fight scenes. It does make more sense for Batwing to be explaining the Azrael costume's AI given how taciturn Jean Paul is but it still seems a bit odd.
The Final Analysis: 8 Out of 10. A solid issue that suffers only in its inaccessibility to new readers.
Detective Comics is my favorite Batman book and that's almost entirely due to James Tynion IV. His grasp of these characters is phenomenal. While a flashback to a young Bruce Wayne and Zatanna Zatara discussing magic might seem indulgent under a lesser author, here it is a joy to read even if it ultimately has little to do with the main plot. Such is the magic of Tynion's pen and his gift for gripping dialogue.
The artwork is as excellent as the story. I'm hard pressed to think of any artistic team who has captured the savage beauty of Gotham City as well as Alvaro Martinez, Raul Fernandez and Brad Anderson have here. I regret that Martinez' gorgeous two-page layouts cannot be properly conveyed due to the size of my scanner but they are simply gorgeous and guide the reader's eye perfectly.
If this issue has a flaw it's that for all the focus on Azrael and revising his background for the reality of DC Rebirth there's surprisingly little of Jean Paul Valley in it outside of the fight scenes. It does make more sense for Batwing to be explaining the Azrael costume's AI given how taciturn Jean Paul is but it still seems a bit odd.
The Final Analysis: 8 Out of 10. A solid issue that suffers only in its inaccessibility to new readers.
Batgirl #12 - A Review
Batgirl doesn't usually take requests when it comes to her work. But when a local family recreation center finds itself besieged by a seemingly spectral figure, the threat to the community and the mystery is too much for her to resist. Of course Barbara Gordon doesn't believe in ghosts but can she get to the bottom of things with a clicks-crazy ghost-hunter getting in her way?
Batgirl #12 is easily the best one-shot comic I've read in recent memory. Hope Larson spins a riveting ghost story and it's an interesting twist to put Barbara outside of her comfort zone - both in operating publicly and throwing her against a seemingly supernatural threat. Still, Barbara's character comes out in subtle ways and the same idealism that made her seek training as a librarian to serve her community comes into play in this story.
Eleonora Carlini's artwork proves the perfect match to Larson's script. I've greatly enjoyed Carlini's previous work on other series and her work here is up to her usual high standard. Colorist Cris Peter does a fantastic job varying the palettes based on location and time of day. A shame they aren't sticking around for next month but I hope these two are paired together again soon.
The Final Analysis: 10 out of 10. A perfect entry point for those who have yet to give this amazing book a chance.
Batgirl #12 is easily the best one-shot comic I've read in recent memory. Hope Larson spins a riveting ghost story and it's an interesting twist to put Barbara outside of her comfort zone - both in operating publicly and throwing her against a seemingly supernatural threat. Still, Barbara's character comes out in subtle ways and the same idealism that made her seek training as a librarian to serve her community comes into play in this story.
Eleonora Carlini's artwork proves the perfect match to Larson's script. I've greatly enjoyed Carlini's previous work on other series and her work here is up to her usual high standard. Colorist Cris Peter does a fantastic job varying the palettes based on location and time of day. A shame they aren't sticking around for next month but I hope these two are paired together again soon.
The Final Analysis: 10 out of 10. A perfect entry point for those who have yet to give this amazing book a chance.
Starman Plays Skyrim Special Edition - Part 86
In which I show off my latest manor house and defend my first manor house from bandits alongside my war horse before getting on to the serious business of helping an orcish stronghold rid themselves of a dreadful curse.
Saturday, July 1, 2017
Starman Plays Skyrim Special Edition - Part 85
We're back into the Dwarven ruins this time, seeking to return an ancient codex to the place from which it was stolen.
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