Batman Comics

Hello Gothamites! I hope you’re still out there reading this even though I’ve been so woefully absent the last few weeks. Well, we have one more week of disruption but after that life will be as calm as it ever gets, so hopefully we can have some regular updates again soon.

Constant Readers may notice that my Dark Knight Rises release countdown has been removed from the sidebar since the movie came out. I’m not sure if I’ll post a full review but I did want to say that DKR was amazing, I loved it. The movie was everything I hoped for and more, and I’d like to see it at least once more in IMAX since that format adds so much to the viewing experience.

I have a couple comics to read this week, although loyal Bat-fans may wonder at the absence of Batman Inc 3. It’s not because I decided to skip one of my favourite books, not at all! Instead, this issue was delayed for a month out of respect for the Aurora Dark Knight Rises shooting, apparently some events in the issue hit a little too close to home. I can’t argue with that one, and I look forward to a day when people can be peaceful enough that Batman isn’t needed.

Batman: The Dark Knight 11 – I feel like I want to give this book more of a chance, and I think that may be because of David Finch’s appearance at the DC New 52 panel at Comic-Con. He seemed well aware of the negative feedback that the book’s received and urged everyone to give it another try now that Gregg Hurwitz is writing and Finch is only on drawing duties. I liked Hurwitz’s work on the Penguin mini-series, and I’ve enjoyed Finch’s artwork in this one, so I’m still glad to be here.

Teen Titans 11 – It’s a fun book and we all know that I need more Tim Drake in my life. Wonder Girl is the focus this week and I’m glad, I feel like I don’t know much about her and want to change that.  I have consistently enjoyed the covers on this comic, and this week’s issue (by Brett Booth, Norm Rapmund and Andrew Dalhouse) lives up to that. Just looking at this picture I want to know what’s going on, how they got here, and what happens next.

Happy Wednesday, Bat-fans! It’s a great week for new comics, we get some really fun things to read today. In related news, San Diego Comic-Con is rapidly approaching and the costume making is going quite well. Now I just have to be patient and wait for the organizers to post the panel schedule! Is anyone who reads this planning to be there? Leave a comment and let me know! Now, here’s what I found in my pull file this week:

Batman Incorporated 2 – I was very into issue 1, and I’m sure that Morrison and Burnham will continue to provide excellent Bat-stories with gorgeous art. Burnham teased on Twitter today that we get some back-story for the Talia/Bruce relationship, please tell me I’m not the only one hoping for some Naked Bruce Wayne time!!

For those of you wondering if Bruce was Batman yet when Damian was conceived, you’ll find out in just a few short hours!

— Chris Burnham (@TheBurnham) June 27, 2012

Batman: The Dark Knight 10 – This title has been kind of all over the place, with art that’s sometimes awesome and sometimes less so, and writing that’s been kind of uninspiring. Today Gregg Hurwitz takes over the writing with a new story arc featuring Scarecrow as the villain. The problem that Batman: The Dark Knight has had all along is that it doesn’t know what distinguishes it from all the other Bat-titles, so if this is their way of moving towards a more horror-themed comic, I think that’s a really good idea.

Justice League 10 - Who has two thumbs and can’t remember anything about Justice League 9? This girl! I even went back and read a summary of the issue (thanks gothamspoilers.com) and still have no idea what’s going on. It’s a great comic, but maybe my attention has been a little too dedicated to making the Bat-dress…

Teen Titans 10 - It feels too early for another Titans book, but that’s cool, I’m into anything that involves Tim Drake and dinosaurs! This week we get more info about Kid Flash’s background, and Bunker asks Red Robin what the deal is with their missing teammate Skitter; the Titans are definitely keeping busy! I had to share this cover for those dinosaurs I mentioned, but I love it for another reason too: I hope it’s the first in a long line of pictures I can tag “Kid Flash Outruns His Uniform.” This is by Brett Booth, Norm Rapmund and Andrew Dalhouse.

It’s new comicbook day once again! I hope everyone had a chance to get their Dark Knight Rises tickets – I got up at midnight on Monday to get some before they sold out, only to find that Canadian tickets didn’t go on sale until noon anyways! But it turned out fine, I got my tickets without too much trouble and am definitely looking forward to wearing my SDCC costume to the movie premiere. This week there are some great comics, and as always I’d love to hear about what you’re reading today, so tweet me!

Batman 10 - The big title of the day, as we finally discover who’s behind the Court of Owls and how it changes Batman’s life. This is the second-last issue in the Court of Owls storyline, and I’m definitely excited to get the details and see how Batman handles it. I read Batman 10 immediately when I got home, and all I can say is wow. I really didn’t see that coming! Greg Capullo’s art continues to be amazing as well, I’m definitely a satisfied Bat-fan.

Batgirl 10 - We meet a new villain, Knightfall, who challenges Batgirl in new and exciting ways. Sounds like Knightfall started off okay but was somehow sentenced to life in Arkham Asylum despite being innocent. That’s Gotham for you! Can’t keep the inmates in Arkham but send good girls there all the time…

Batman and Robin 10 - It’s a meeting of the Robins! Of course, with Stephanie Brown still missing from the DCnU, it’s not quite all the Robins, but apparently DC hasn’t got the message yet. The previous issue was great, but I’m confused about how this book ties in with Batman Inc. Did the events of Batman Inc 1 just not happen yet? Does anyone know? I especially enjoy seeing Tim and Damian interact, but based on this cover by Patrick Gleason, Mick gray and John Kalisz I don’t think it’s going very well.

Happy Wednesday, Bat-friends and Bat-foes! New comic day once again, and as always there are some great things waiting for me at The Beguiling. There’s been a lot of internet buzz lately about DC’s announcement that someone’s coming out as gay, and I’ve got a post about that coming later this week, but first things first. What are you reading today? Here’s what’s in my pull file:

Batman Incorporated 1 – Grant Morrison returns to the Bat-verse with the continuation of his pre-relaunch Batman Incorporated story. Bruce Wayne has publicly stated that he’s financially supporting Batman, and Batman goes around the world setting up franchises while learning more about the evil organization Leviathan. I’ve loved Morrison’s work with Batman; he understands the character so well, and brings a very special twisted sensibility that works perfectly in this setting. Now that Damian is Robin, I’m excited to see how Morrison writes the little Wayne brat. Chris Burnham’s art was superb on the previous run of this title, so that’s another reason to pick this one up. Plus, nobody forget, issue 3 has Matches Malone on the cover, my little fangirl heart is all aflutter!!

Batman: The Dark Knight 9 – Keeping the Night of the Owls showdown active while we wait for the upcoming conclusion in Batman 10 and 11, Red Robin heads back to Gotham for a showdown with a Talon! This kind of demonstrates exactly why B:TDK is not my favourite comic – what do Red Robin and the Talon have to do with Batman being the Darkest of Knights? That said, I won’t complain about seeing more Red Robin, we all know I love me some Tim Drake, and overall this title has been fun to read.

Teen Titans 9 – Two Tim Drake comics in one day? I may never recover! The Titans and some other dudes continue fighting a bunch of bad guys in a weird hellish arena, and more importantly, some creepy character in a hood is stealing Red Robin’s style. When it comes to feathered capes, there can be only one! Here’s the cover, by Brett Booth, Norm Rapmund, and Andrew Dalhouse, click to enlarge and fully enjoy the wingspan.

Thanks to Dee for the shiny new ‘pull file’ header image, based on Dustin Nguyen’s cover for 2011′s Batman 80 page giant.

Hello Bat-fans! Oh, how I miss you! What with life being kinda crazy right now and my scanner being broken, detailed posts just haven’t been in the cards (as our favourite Joker might say), so I hope you’ll forgive me. I’m going to keep working on it and have big plans for the coming year. OK, here’s what’s in my pull file this week, it’s a good one:

Batman 4 – The Court of Owls storyline continues, with Batman investigating the shadowy group at the heart of Gotham’s criminal underworld. I’ve mentioned how much I enjoy this comic, so all they have to do is continue being awesome!

Batman Incorporated: Leviathan Strikes – Did the unpublished Batman Inc issues from before the relaunch get repurposed as this one-shot? I’m not sure, but I loved everything about Batman Inc (Morrison’s story line and writing! Burnham and Stewart’s art!) and so I’m definitely interested in reading this one. I hope it ties up the loose ends of this story!

Birds of Prey 4 – Batgirl joins up with the Birds of Prey! I suspect they won’t all get along really well – somehow I can’t imagine Barbara Gordon working on the same team as Poison Ivy, and I’d probably feel the same about the other Birds if I knew them. This should be fun.

Catwoman 4 – When we last left Catwoman she was destroying evidence in her dead best friend’s apartment and the police had just burst in. That can’t lead anywhere good! My guess is that she’ll escape out the window and then up to the roof. I’m still not sure if I want to keep reading this book, but I’ll wait and give it a chance to really grab me (or turn me off).

Nightwing 4 – Dick Grayson continues his quest to find Mr. Haly’s killer and understand his own past! Batgirl’s busy this month, she turns up in Florida to work with Nightwing and apparently we start getting answers to some of the questions raised in the first three issues.

Red Hood and the Outlaws 4 – As mentioned before, I’m giving this book six issues before deciding to drop it from my pull file. I’m waiting because I want to give the creators a chance to respond to the criticism raised after the first issue, and six issues seems like long enough to do that. Also, I like what I’ve seen of the characters in other stories, so I’d enjoy reading them if it’s done well.

Justice League 4 – Aquaman! I keep hearing he’s awesome now, but haven’t been reading his comic so this is all new and exciting. I really like the art in this series, and watching the Justice League come together and start getting to know each other as a team. Here’s the cover, by Jim Lee and Scott Williams.

Writer: Grant Morrison

Artist: Scott Clark, Dave Beatty

Date: October 2011

My Rating: Fun, exciting, beautiful to look at – everything a comicbook should be!

I vastly enjoyed Batman Inc 8, it was an engaging and satisfying read. Wayne Tech has developed “Internet 3.0″, an immersive virtual reality environment that both recreates and enhances our own world. On top of all that, it looks like Tron!! Malware attacks during the demonstration to a group of investors, and Mr. Wayne reveals something very interesting about Internet 3.0:

I can’t get over how publicly Bruce is connecting Wayne Industries with Batman! And it seems like he’s selling Batman’s services, right? I’m not sure how I feel about all that, but we’ll see what happens. The title page of this issue is beautiful, Oracle is amazing on her lightcycle.

Batman and Oracle determine that one of the investors was a Trojan horse, bringing the malware in with him. They fight it out as though it’s a video game, I love the writing (“Boss Level!”) and the aesthetic.

Oracle isolates the virus and Batman realizes Tanaka was aided by Leviathan, so this all fits into that larger overall story. I think the Leviathan thing will be carried into the DCnU, but we’ll have to wait for the next run of Batman Inc. to find out what happens, and that waiting’s going to be hard.

I also just wanted to note that the artist’s name is spelled Dave Beatty on the cover, but Dave Beaty on the title page. Holy editing error, Batman! So amusing. Check it out, this is is the top of the cover:

Hello and happy Wednesday! I hope everyone’s having a good night, I shared a lovely sushi dinner with a friend and now have five very exciting comics to read!

Batman Inc 8 – The final issue of this run in such an excellent series. Last time we had Batman’s “I’m on a horse” moment, and the mysterious evil group Leviathan attacked the Man of Bats and his son Raven, who fought them off with Batman’s help. This issue should be excellent, with Batman and Oracle fighting inside the internet!

Batman: Gates of Gotham 5 of 5 - And now, the thrilling conclusion to this twisted tale of Gotham’s distant history. The Architect, who built Gotham’s bridges so many years ago, is back to destroy his work! I’ve loved the art by Trevor McCarthy and the writing by Scott Snyder and Kyle Higgins, and it’s good to get to know Snyder and see how he deals with the world, since he’ll be writing the main Batman title in September.

Batman: The Dark Knight 5 – I still can’t remember what’s going on from issue to issue on this one, and I’m starting to wonder if that means something about the book itself, rather than something about me? The series is will be relaunched and hopefully that’ll help me get more into it, although I have enjoyed the stories as I’ve read each one.

Batman: Arkham City 5 of 5 – So confused by the second page of this book, there’s a Robin who doesn’t look like any Robin I’ve ever seen. I didn’t really enjoy this series as much as I’d expected to, although the Joker and Harley Quinn parts were fabulous. Carlos D’Anda’s art is great, the style is very modern and I really enjoy how he’s done all the characters.

Gotham City Sirens 26 - Harley Quinn and Poison Ivy have teamed up against Catwoman, and they mean to actually kill her! They’ve finally sort of realized that Catwoman’s a good guy (even though she’s a thief). This is a great conclusion to the series and they really go out with a bang. I love Guillem March’s cover (seems like I say that a lot!), the way all three women have bits of each other’s costumes is such a great way of showing how they’ve influenced each other.

Good morning! I’m out of town and don’t actually get my new comics today (*sob*) but I know what’s waiting for me when I get home. Unfortunately that means I won’t have any cover to share with you today, go buy some comics of your own to enjoy!

Detective Comics 878 – This series has been excellent lately and Scott Snyder’s writing is great, so I’m eagerly anticipating this reading issue. Batman’s being held captive on a boat, will he escape? And we get to see more in the James Gordon Jr. storyline that’s been so intriguing…

Gotham City Sirens 24 – This issue finishes out the recent storyline where Harley Quinn breaks Joker out of Arkham Asylum. I loved their dynamic in the last two issues and how they were both drawn, and I can’t wait to find out which side Catwoman chooses – her friendships with Harley and Ivy or her romance with Batman. Gotta say, I know which one I’d choose

Batman Inc 7 - Batman Inc! Hurray! The storyline described on the DC site doesn’t seem to match what I remember of the last issue, so I’m not really sure what this one will be about, but it’s been an excellent series and whatever happens I’m sure it will be exciting. Hopefully we get to see more of Cass as Black Bat, she’s so fantastic!! Wish she had her own book in the DCnU reboot.

So many comics today! Excellent.

Batman Inc 6 (Jun ’11) – I was so excited, I read this one right away. It’s awesome, the story is great and so much happens, and the art is beautiful. I especially love Cassandra Cain, who’s now operating as “Blackbat” and is utterly amazing.

Birds of Prey 12 (Jul ’11) – Haven’t read this series before, but it was recommended online and it’s written by a woman, so I’m in!

Red Robin 23 (Jul ’11) – My Tim-love knows no bounds, and the art in Red Robin has been consistently great. What more can a girl ask?

Batgirl 21 (Jul ’11) – I liked the previous issue, so I added Batgirl to my pull file. Looking forward to getting to know the series.

Batman: Arkham City 1 of 5 (Jul ’11) – Paul Dini is a great writer, so I’ll check out this series even though it’s related to the video game. I actually quite like the drawing style as well.

If you’re reading these comics or others, leave a comment, I’d love to hear what you think!

Good evening Gotham city! It’s Wednesday again and I’ve got two new comicbooks all ready and waiting to be read. Excellent!

Detective Comics 876 (Jun ’11) – The previous issue was very well written and the artwork was great. The artist has changed in this issue, but after flipping through the first couple pages I’m quite looking forward to it. I wonder if we’ll find out more about James Gordon Jr.? And will Batman be on more than one page in this book? We’ll find out soon…

Batman Inc 5 (May ’11) – So into this series. I love how Yanick Paquette draws Batman, and Grant Morrison may be confusing but he’s also totally awesome. I’ve got a variant cover and it’s great. What shield is that in the top half? I love how the Batman Inc logo is part of the shield. The man in the foreground looks like Azrael, who was just making trouble in Red Robin, Batman and other comics, what’s he doing here? And Batman himself looks great, so stern and in charge.

That’s it for me! What comics are you reading this week?