batman and robin

The Pull List – April 7th

| xeyeti

It’s a beautiful day out today, but I didn’t let that stop me from sitting down and reading this week’s comics!

…

That sounded a lot better in my head.

Batman and Robin #11: This comic continues to be awesome. I’ve read a lot of speculation about who Oberon Sexton really is (and there are some out there who are convinced he very well might be Bruce Wayne, despite that being way too easy an answer for a Grant Morrison comic), but one thing’s for certain: this comic kicks ass. Batman runs around in a secret underground railroad, Alfred flies the Batmobile, and Sexton and Robin beat the crap outta some guys from a group called the 99 Fiends. Plus, we get some nice callbacks to Morrison’s original Batman run (with a nice reference to the Domino Killer and that bit at the beginning of the issue with The Penitent). Add to that Andy Clarke’s fantastic and expressive art, and you’ve got a damn good comic here. It’s not doing anything all that different from the previous 10 issues, but why mess with awesome?

Doom Patrol #9: For awhile, I was considering dropping this (especially when I heard they were getting rid of the Metal Men backup), but I’m glad I’ve stuck with it. While the book may’ve had some troubles stumbling out of the gate, it’s finally starting to pick up a bit. There’s some solid character interactions, a new power from the Negative Man, and lots of sarcasm from the robot (and the brick). Giffen keeps throwing weird idea after weird idea at us (Danny the Bungalow?), the dialogue was sharp, and the ending was pretty damn funny. Add to that the new character who’s implied to be joining our merry little band on the last page (surely not, though. Right? I mean, really?), and you’ve got a solid issue here.

S.H.I.E.L.D. #1: I’d heard so many good things about this one this past week that I decided to pick it up and give it a shot. The art’s beautiful, the concept is pretty cool, but it feels kind of disjointed to me. The issue didn’t seem to flow too well, but that could just be because it’s a first issue setting up what’s to come. Da Vinci as (essentially) a superhero is a pretty awesome idea, though.

In terms of trades, there was some fun stuff this week. First, there was volume four of Booster Gold, which I find I’m enjoying quite well (enough so that I’m adding the monthly to my pull list when Giffen and DeMatteis take over in May). This particular collection featured the issue written by Giffen from last year, which I actually quite enjoyed (and hey, who doesn’t love a good Happy Day’s reference?) as well as a solid story from series regular writer/artist Dan Jurgens. All in all, enjoyable classic superheroics.

I also picked up the second collection of the Secret Six ongoing, Depths, which happens to include one of my single favorite issues of anything ever (the “Double Date” story from issue 8) and features art by the always-awesome Nikola Scott. Simone’s writing is top-notch as usual, and Ragdoll is possibly one of my favorite characters ever.

The Pull List – March 10th

| xeyeti

I don’t let a little thing like having some bad RAM in my laptop stop me from bringing you a rundown of the comics I bought this week! I’m just that dedicated, really.

Batman and Robin #10: New story arc, new artist (Andy Clarke). And damn if this issue doesn’t kick some ass. There’s some great interaction between the two title characters (and a hint that there’s more to Damian than petulance), and a lot of fun clue finding in the Wayne family mansion. This comic is consistently fun and awesome (we’ll even give a pass to the arc with Phillip Tan on art chores), and the setup here for the Return of Bruce Wayne miniseries is handled pretty well. I’m definitely looking forward to next issue.

Batman: Widening Gyre #5: I’m still not sure what to think of this miniseries. It seems like it’s trying to do too many things at once: Bruce Wayne’s efforts to let go a bit, and the introduction of a new player in Gotham named Baphomet. It’s interesting, but the intrigue of who Baphomet really is and why he’s doing what he does and the love story with Silver St. Cloud just…it all seems like it should be in two separate books, not smooshed into one.

Doom Patrol #8: This feels more like what I was expecting out of this series from the beginning. It’s quirky, fun, and manages to maintain a frantic, excited pace throughout. Not to mention Keith Giffen’s use of lots of weird ideas from other incarnations of the Doom Patrol. It’s fun, which is something I always appreciate in a comic. More, please!

Secret Six #19: Another new arc in Secret Six, too. The issue plays a little too formulaic, but the characterization is as solid as we’ve grown to expect from the book, and the ending is pretty awesome (plus, there’s an old man in a tuxedo coat, shirt and tie, and khaki shorts, which is fantastic). This issue promises some crazy antics in the next couple of issues, so I’m still excited to see what happens next.

In terms of trades, I got the Batman: Heart of Hush trade, which was pretty good. Paul Dini’s run on Batman was pretty solid, and this was probably the best use of Hush I’ve ever seen (granted, it’s still Hush, so that’s damning with faint praise, really). Worth checking out if you’re a fan of Dini’s work or Batman in general. I also wanted to pick up the latest volume of Hellboy, but my LCS didn’t have it in stock, unfortunately.

The Pull List for February 24th

| xeyeti

It’s that time again: comics!

Wonder Woman #41: Mostly just an excuse for Wonder Woman and Power Girl to have a little throwdown, but it works pretty well. In typical superhero fashion, this leads to an inevitable team-up. Simone’s dialogue sparkles as usual, and the characterization between the two is swell. The way Wonder Woman defeats the Crows (those obnoxious, mind-manipulating little bastards who are causing all the trouble) is fairly novel, too, the gag about Wonder Woman needing Power Girl to tie her up is amusing, and seeing Power Girl use something other than her fists and her cleavage to accomplish something is nice, too. Could have probably done without the hot dog bit, though.

Batman and Robin #9: This issue wraps up Cameron Stewart’s three-issue run on the title, and damn it was a fun ride. Morrison throws several crazy ideas at us, from Batwoman letting herself die and trusting Batman to bring her back, to using Knight and Squire effectively (seriously, how come we only see these guys in Morrison-penned comics?), to the battle between the fake Batman and Robin & Alfred; everything just really worked. We even get a bit of justification for Dick Grayson’s apparent inconsistency with regards to using the Lazarus Pit to revive Bruce Wayne, even if it doesn’t quite fully explain things. Overall, a solid issue.

Deadpool #20: A definite improvement over the previous issue, though it still felt pretty weak (especially compared to the whacked-out zaniness of the previous storyline). Some of the bits between Deadpool and Spider-Man were pretty good (and the dress was a fantastically left field thing to throw in), but the continued use of Hit-Monkey kind of drags the proceedings down quite a bit. We’ll see if this story justifies its existence next issue.

As far as trades go, I picked up the Immortal Weapons TPB, a collection of one-shots featuring the immortal weapons of the 7 Cities of Heaven from Immortal Iron Fist. Haven’t gotten very far into it yet, but the Fat Cobra story was pretty decent, and I heard good things about most (if not all) of the stories in this collection, so huzzah.

Snow Won’t Stop New Comics!

| xeyeti

Despite the several feet of snow on the ground here in Northern Virginia, I managed to get out yesterday to the comic book store and pick up my books for the week. Pretty light haul, but what it lacked in quantity it made up in quality!

Batman and Robin #8: Cameron Stewart’s art continues to dazzle in its clarity and pure awesomeness, and Grant Morrison writes a story that’s clever and full of crazy ideas. Plus, he draws on stuff from Final Crisis and his earlier run on Batman to pull out a crazy twist with the body of “Bruce Wayne” that’s pretty cool. This series is awesome, plain and simple.

Secret Six #18: The final part of the Six’s Blackest Night tie-in does everything right. I didn’t even mind that it’s a tie-in to an event I’m not even following. We get the resolution of the fight between the Six and the Suicide Squad, some great lines from Ragdoll (finding out along the way the one thing in the world that can actually disgust him), and a nice little twist reveal at the end that sets up (I hope) some future stories and conflicts. If you’re not following Gail Simone’s Secret Six, shame on you!

I also picked up volume 2 of All-Star Superman. It’s easily one of the best comic books – and hands-down the best Superman story – I’ve ever read. Everything about it is pitch-perfect, from the tone of the stories to the brilliant art by Frank Quitely to the touching moments that show us the “man” is just as important as the “super.” Oh, and giving Clark Kent the headline? Absolute perfection. If you haven’t read this comic, there’s a giant gaping hole where your soul should be.

They May Be Late, But They’re Still Comics!

| xeyeti

Here’s my haul from last week. It was a DC week, that’s for sure:

Detective Comics #861: Like many, I was concerned about the departure of J.H. Williams III from this title, but his replacement – Jock – does a great job. Sure, it’s not as awesome as Williams’s work, but it’s still pretty damn nice. Jock’s style has a cartoony, angular feel to it that really works, and Rucka’s setting up an interesting story to go along with it. And, of course, there’s the Question backup feature continues to just work, man. It may not be the most original story, but there’s nothing wrong with a comic that’s just fun.

Batman and Robin #7: It may not feature much Robin, but it does feature Knight and Squire, the Batman and Robin of England. Cameron Stewart’s art is absolutely fantastic, ranking up there with Frank Quitely’s work on the first arc. Stewart’s grasp of storytelling and pacing is spot-on, and the story is intriguing and really pulls the reader in (much more so than the second arc of the book did). Definitely looking forward to what Morrison and Stewart do with the next issue.

Wonder Woman #40: The start of a new, pretty damn creepy story arc, some insight into Etta Candy, and a move away from the other Amazons and all the craziness that’s been happening on Themyscira. Also, there was the whole Twitter debacle where some idiot gender studies guy got all up in her grill about being “unfeminine” because she had Wonder Woman make a comment about taking care of something as “doing the dishes.” But, as per usual, great comic.

No new trades this week, though I did pick up the old JLA: A Midsummer’s Nightmare trade, which was a precursor to the fantastic Grant Morrison JLA run.