Batman Comics

Good evening, Gotham City!! Happy Canada day to those in Gotham North, and Happy Independence Day to my friends south of the border! This hot weather puts me in the mood for a cool drink and a comicbook, and lucky for me there are a few good ones coming out today. Before I get to that, though, a costume update — as I’m sure everyone will be glad to hear, my Bat-dress is ready to go! It’s about time, since the San Diego Comic Con is next week! I don’t have any full costume photos to share quite yet, but here’s a blurry iPhone shot that gives you an idea of what the utility belt looks like:

Yes, those are Bat-sunglasses, we creatures of the shadows don’t do too well with California’s bright sunshine. Enough costume talk, here’s what I’m reading this week:

Batman: Earth One – Batman’s origin story, the official DCnU version! Some people may think it’s redundant, but I love a good origin and don’t mind reading Batman’s again! With a storyline that’s as well known as this one, it’s always interesting to see what the writer adds, changes, or removes altogether. I think Geoff Johns has enough history with the character to do it justice, and although I’m not very familiar with Gary Frank’s art, I’ve liked his recent Justice League work. Although I don’t normally buy hardcover graphic novels when they first come out, this was a birthday present that I’m definitely looking forward to reading (and thanks again!!)

Earth 2 3 – Still mad at DC for calling it Earth 2 instead of Earth Two. And don’t tell, but I may have neglected to actually read issue 2 (despite enjoying issue 1)… This isn’t technically a Bat-book anyways, but I have to read it for gay Alan Scott if nothing else!

Detective Comics 11 – I’ve seen a lot of hate for Tony Daniel’s run in this series, and I didn’t really agree because I’ve generally enjoyed D.C. lately (especially issue 10, I thought it was great, though it’s possible that most of what I enjoyed was the art…) Then it occurred to me that the main problem I have with D.C. was how they started big with the Joker (insert Nic Cage quote here) and then didn’t follow through, we haven’t seen Mister J all year. I’m thrilled to bits that the Batman team will be writing a Joker storyline, but whose fault is it that we had to wait this long? Of course, I don’t know what goes on behind the doors of DC Comics (and I get the sense even that people working there don’t plan ahead sometimes) but maybe if Daniel had done something with the Joker, he’d be writing Detective Comics for more than a couple more issues.

World’s Finest 3 – The continued adventures of Huntress and Power Girl! I really enjoy the inversion here: the “World’s Finest” title starred Superman and Batman for so long, it’s great to see two women taking up that title and all the symbolism that goes with it. We’re early in the series, still getting to know the characters and learning how they relate to each other and the world they find themselves in. I’m most interested to see how Helena Wayne goes from being Robin to being Huntress, and how she grieves the loss of her father, the Batman of Earth 2.

Batwing 11 - The villain here is a gangster named Long, who just happens to be a dragon. Not a man in a dragon costume, no. An actual dragon. This is why I read comics! What is the point of having a guy in Bat armor running around fighting crime if not to have him fight a dragon? Exactly. Add in Marcus To’s art and I’m definitely sold; take a look at this cover – I love Long’s antlers, and Nightwing is just perfect!

Happy Wednesday, Bat-fans! Once again it’s been longer than I’d like between updates, but we do what we can. Despite not sharing my pull file last week or the week before I did read my comics, and love the Court of Owls storyline. I’m trying not to speculate too much about who’s behind it, but it’s been fun seeing theories online. What do you think will happen this week, and who do you think is really in charge of the Court of Owls? Leave a comment and let me know!

For the record, on April 18th I picked up Batman 8, Birds Of Prey 8, Catwoman 8, Justice League 8, Nightwing 8 and Red Hood and the Outlaws 8 (yes, I’m still buying it…) It was a busy week! Then on April 25th I read Dark Knight 8 and Teen Titans 8. Today is also a great day for Batman comic readers, here’s what I’ll be buying after work today:

Batwing 9 – Issue 8 came with some startling realizations about Batwing’s current nemesis Massacre, and I wonder how that will tie in to the Court of Owls storyline today. Perhaps there’s no connection at all, the Court may just swoop in and disrupt everything in this issue! Either way, with art by Marcus To we’re in good hands and I’m sure we’ll finally see some background detail in the art, what a relief.

Detective Comics 9 – The Court of Owls comes to Detective Comics as well! Batman has to protect one of the Talons’ targets, Jeremiah Arkham, which I guess means he’s back in charge of Arkham Asylum? That’s a far stretch from where we last saw him before the relaunch, when he was Black Mask (and just as villainous as the name suggests). I’m excited to find out what happened and what Jeremiah’s up to now!

Earth Two 1 – This new series opens up an alternate universe, where we meet Golden Age heroes Jay Garrick (Flash) and Alan Scott (Green Lantern). I got pretty confused just trying to figure that much out, so I hope James Robinson writes it to be a good first-issue introduction for those of us who started reading comics within the last few years and aren’t well-versed in DC history. Artwork by Nicola Scott, I’m not familiar with her work but it’s always nice to have another female artist in the mix!

Teen Titans Annual #1 – I don’t understand why there’s a random “annual” issue (well, maybe not so random) or why it costs $4.99 (most comics are $2.99) but surprise, I got this anyways. Teen Titans is good stuff, so I’ll go along for the ride.

World’s Finest 1 – Huntress and Power Girl from Earth Two are stranded in Earth One. How did they get here? Why can’t they go back? What will they do, what are they like, what do they want? I have so many questions! I’m also definitely excited that this comic is focused on two heroines, and I like the subversive aspect – instead of the classic World’s Finest team-up (Batman, Superman, and Robin) we have Power Girl (Superman’s cousin) and Huntress (Helena Wayne). There’s potential here! I really enjoy the cover, by George Perez and Hi-Fi (yes, really).

It’s new comic day and I’m back with my weekly pull file! Didn’t manage to share last week’s comics, but I did read Detective Comics 7, Batwing 7, and Huntress 6. They were all good, and based on Huntress 6 I think I’ll read the new series World’s Finest that’s starting soon. I like Helena and want to see more of her! This week I have three excellent Bat-titles, which I’ll be reading as soon as we’re done here.

Batgirl 7 – This issue gives us Barbara’s side of the events of The Killing Joke, which left her paralyzed until the DC relaunch when she regained the ability to walk. That’s actually really exciting to me; we so often hear stories about women told by men and from the perspective of men, it’s great to see this event which is so crucial to the character’s development from her own perspective. If anyone can do her justice, Gail Simone can.

Batwoman 7 – The last issue was written with a really interesting structure, and it wove together six (I think) people’s stories over the course of the issue. It was excellent in both art and writing, so I’m looking forward to that being continued here in issue seven. This is one of the issues drawn by Amy Reeder, who also drew 6 and 8; it was announced recently that she’s not working on it anymore and I’m disappointed, simply because I quite liked her style and felt that it suited the story very well. I hope she finds work on another book and that Batwoman continues to be awesome with the new team.

Batman & Robin 7 – I’m always happy when it’s a Batman & Robin week! We’re still in the ‘Damian Runs Away With a Bad Guy’ storyline, today Batman finds Damian in Morgan Ducard’s lair and confronts them. I expect to see a smashing fight scene, lots of expensive weaponry and destruction of property, and judicious application of post-battle Bat-hugs. Based on the cover, by Patrick Gleason, Mick Gray and John Kalisz, I’m sure I won’t be disappointed!

It’s comic books from the past! No, you’re not time traveling, I just didn’t have a chance to talk about these when they came out last week. Later on I’m going to change the date on this post, and then it will be like it was on time all along… Here’s what I picked up back on February 8th!

Batwoman 6 – Amy Reeder takes over as the artist on Batwoman, and as much as I loved what J. H. Williams III was doing with the book, I’m also excited to see a new take on it. Batwoman’s tracking down the source of a series of child kidnappings, and she agreed to work with the government, which I suspect Batman won’t be pleased to hear.

Batman and Robin 6 – I was so excited for this one, and it didn’t disappoint! Robin has rebelled and run away with “Nobody”, the villain Morgan Ducard. While Batman searches for them, he records for Robin the story of how he met Morgan and his father Henri, it’s a fascinating look at the final days of Bruce’s training before becoming Batman. Damian gets to really shine here, and the art is just great.

Batgirl 6 – I love the opening scene in this book, where Batgirl has to face a Bruce Wayne that’s been hypnotized! Bruce is a big part of this issue, having a Special Moment with Batgirl in the first scene, then appearing in public to launch Wayne Enterprise’s new urban revitalization program while Batgirl protects him from Gretel (who had hypnotized him). It’s always great to see Bruce and Barbara together, they’ve got a really sweet dynamic.

Huntress 5 of 6 – The art in this book, by Marcus To, continues to be excellent. If you don’t read it, just check out the first page next time you’re at the comic store and you’ll see what I mean. Helena takes on “The Lion”, a huge bodyguard to the slave-trafficking dictator who had nearly defeated her in a previous issue. This series has been very action-packed and exciting, and I look forward to the final issue next month.

Penguin: Pain and Prejudice 5 of 5 – In this final issue of the series, Penguin goes through with his plan to get revenge on Gotham city by calling thousands of birds to terrorize and attack people. Batman finally finds Penguin’s base, where he finds him with his new blind girlfriend Cassandra. Things don’t end well. Most of this book is written without dialogue, instead using sound effects and very expressive artwork to further the story, and it’s an interesting choice for the climax of the series. I quite liked it, but it may not be for everyone. Here’s the cover, by Szymon Kudranski, I just love it.

Hello and happy Wednesday! Did everyone have a good New Years celebration? I got to spend the evening with some other Bat-fans, and we had a lovely time. There may even have been champagne and fancy dresses! This week a few exciting comics came out, here’s what I found in my pull file tonight:

Batwing 5 - I enjoyed issue 4 and definitely want to see where this storyline goes. Will Batwing get the jump on Massacre before another former superhero is killed? Will he need Batman’s help to do so? We’ll find out! I also noticed that there was a different artist for issue 4; Ben Oliver drew issues 1 – 3 and also 5, but Chris Cross drew issue 4. I appreciated that Cross gave more detail in the backgrounds, which was my main criticism of Oliver, but now that I’ve had a change, I’m actually sort of leaning towards preferring Oliver’s treatment for this particular bat-title.

The Huntress 4 (of 6) – I love this book! Huntress is a really interesting character, and although I don’t know much about her backstory at this point, I like how she handles herself and the fact that she’s working against crimes like human trafficking. Also, she’s so fashionable! In this issue, Huntress has to decide if she’s willing to kill for her cause, it should be very interesting to see how she comes to her decision.

Penguin: Pain and Prejudice 4 (of 5) – I wrote about how great the art in this book is, so it’s exciting to have a new issue to read. Now that Batman’s in the picture, I wonder when he’ll take a more active role in the situation? I’m also looking forward to seeing what happens when Cassandra finds out that Penguin is not exactly the man he’s presented himself as being.

Detective Comics 5 – The Joker is still at large, and this issue opens with protesters out in force to support Joker and call for Batman’s arrest or worse. I’ve really liked Detective Comics so far, it’s been great. One odd thing – I notice that Szymon Kudranski (who is the artist on the Penguin miniseries) is credited on the cover of this issue, but not on the title page inside. Does anyone know what’s up with that? Here’s the cover, by Tony Daniel and Tomeu Morey:

Feels like Tuesday, but comics come out today so it must be Wednesday! I notice there’s a new edition of No Man’s Land coming out, I’d love to get a copy but I put it on my Holiday Wish List so I can’t pick it up this week. If anyone else gets it, let me know how it looks and if it’s a good edition to get! Here’s what I’m reading today.

Batwing 4 – The cover says “Secret Origin Unveiled” and I’m looking forward to learning more about Batwing’s history and motivations. I glanced at the first page to see how it looked and got sucked in to reading the whole opening scene, it’s definitely an engrossing book!

Detective Comics 4 – Finally! It feels like ages since the last issue and I really want to know if Gordon is OK — I’m pretty sure he was in The Dollmaker’s clutches when the last issue ended! Batman will probably save him, but how? I’d also like to know a bit more about The Dollmaker. He seems to make dolls out of pieces of people, but why? Where does he come from? Maybe I’ll find out today!

Huntress 3 of 6 – If this one is as good as the last two issues, I’m happy. Huntress is a really interesting character, I like how she interacts with other people both as a hero and as a person. And it’s always nice to see a kick-ass woman get a comic focused on her and her work.

Penguin: Pain and Prejudice 3 of 5 – I have to admit, I didn’t get a chance to read issue 2 yet, but I want to! Penguin’s always been an interesting character, and I enjoy his parallels with Batman. The art also been good, so it will be fun for that reason too. Unfortunately due to technical woes I’m unable to share a cover image right now, but it was going to be this one, I love the use of light to emphasize the image.

That’s about it for me! Hopefully I’ll have the scanner back up and running so I can post in detail about some of these books on the weekend, wish me luck. And let me know what you’re reading!

Good evening Gotham! Oh, how I’ve missed you, and missed writing here! I hope you feel the same way and look forward to my triumphant return in a couple weeks. I’m still reading comics, so once things settle down a bit I’m sure we’ll have all sorts of interesting things to talk about. Also, who out there is reading Suicide Squad? I heard some terrible things from @zuzuhaha about their treatment of Harley Quinn in Issue 3, and would love to hear more about it from anyone who’s following the series. Here’s what I’m reading tonight – I can’t wait to get home and get started!

Batgirl 3 – It’s been an interesting arc so far, with Barbara going out as Batgirl again but not being fully ready for everything that entails. I’m definitely enjoying Gail Simone’s writing, and I’d say my biggest problem with this book is that I find Barbara’s roommate to be annoying rather than interestingly eccentric.

Batman and Robin 3 – Daddy Batman to the rescue! The last issue was great and I am so pleased with the direction that the characters are taking. Plus, who doesn’t want to see a dog living in Wayne manor? … Alfred, probably, but as long as Bruce is the one taking the heat it’s all good.

Batwoman 3 – I find the Department of Extranormal Affairs just fascinating, and I’m enjoying reading about their quest to hunt down Batwoman. When that combines with gorgeous artwork by J. H. Williams III and a budding romance with Detective Maggie Sawyer, we get a comic that I’m definitely glad to be reading.

Penguin: Pain and Prejudice 2 (of 5) – Issue 1 was interesting, and although Penguin has never been at the top of my list (any of my lists), I’m enjoying this take on his history and situation. The art style matched the content really nicely, and I’ll certainly keep this series on my pull file.

Huntress 2 (of 6) – My bat-crush on Marcus To remains intact as the Huntress kicks ass and takes names in this mini-series! Issue 1 was a great example of how a woman can be shown to be both strong and sexy, and I have to say, I’m jealous of her wardrobe! Can Helena get to the bottom of the human trafficking ring she’s found in Italy? We’ll find out! I love this cover, by Guillem March and Tomeu Morey:

It’s Wednesday again! Time always seems to pass much more quickly in the fall, but since I feel like I’m getting comics more often than usual, I don’t really mind. Here’s what I’m reading tonight:

Batwing 2 – I wasn’t so impressed with the artwork in issue 1, but I’ll definitely give this series a chance and see if it changes or if I grow to like it. There’s a lot of room for the story to be far-reaching and dramatic, I hope they take that opportunity.

Detective Comics 2 – I sure hope the cliffhanger ending last month gets resolved right away today! I can’t imagine how it will turn out, but issue 1 was great, and I think Detective Comics will continue to be one of my favourite series as it continues in the DCnU.

Huntress 1 of 6 – With Huntress as the lead character, and art by Marcus To (we all know I have a soft spot for his work), this series really excites me! There’s a great interview with Marcus To at Acme Comics, both the interview and the series are worth reading.

Penguin: Pain and Prejudice 1 of 5 – I hadn’t heard of this mini-series until today, and I’m not sure if I’ll enjoy it, but Penguin is an interesting character and I haven’t read too much about him over the past year or so. He did have some great moments in Flashpoint, and I hope that this series is good as well. I quite like the cover by Szymon Kudranski, especially the way he uses shadow and light.