NEW AVENGERS #15

Writer: Brian Michael Bendis
Artist: Mike Deodato
Publisher: Marvel Comics
Reviewer: KletusCasady

This issue pretty much encapsulates the reason why I don’t like SOME of Bendis’ comics. A great example of what I love about his writing is ULTIMATE SPIDER-MAN. I’m not even doing an introduction for this one…let’s just get to this weeks edition of “Really dude?!?” SPOILERS ABOUND.

Okay so the first page, a lot of words….which isn’t a problem unless they’re repeating the exact same thing. Let’s try an experiment, Grab your copy if you have one, I’ll wait….open to the first page with Squirrel Girl talking to the camera. Now cover up the panels on the right side and just read the left side from top to bottom. Okay now cover up the panels on the left and just read the right side. See my point? The panels on the left are basically conveying the same message and same feeling as the ones on the right, so why are they both there? Bendis could have cut out half the dialog on this page and achieved the exact same effect.

Let’s move on, Wolverine and Iron Fist are sparring, pretty cool. I’d like to mention that the art throughout this issue is stellar; Deodato’s layouts are amazing. So they spar, pretty good fight, Spider-man is saying stupid shit in NEW AVENGERS as usual, and now Wolverine challenges Squirrel-Girl to spar…no biggie right….well. I’ll just get right to it; she kicks his ass, threatens him with about 50 squirrels causing him to back off.

Really dude?!?!

I get the joke, she’s beat a bunch of powerful people, but c’mon man, really? Wolverine’s fought many a sentinel and not backed down but he’s now afraid of 50 squirrels…ok let’s say there were more squirrels off camera, he’s afraid of 150 fucking squirrels? I guarantee there would be 300 squirrel halves lying on the ground in about 3-5 seconds. Okay whatever, it’s a joke thing…fine.

Squirrel-Girl talks more on the next page, in another series of speech balloons that could have been drastically reduced. Don’t believe me? Read the first speech balloon of each panel and tell me I’m wrong (some of you will just for arguments’ sake…but I’m fine with that). Again, in another beautiful layout by Deodato, Squirrel-Girl is making a dash for Avengers mansion while Nazi Robo-Mechs are destroying the city (keep this in mind it will be important in about a second). She destroys a few, takes some damage, we flip a few pages and we are in Avengers Mansion (this panel layout is great, the next page too) where…THE AVENGERS HAVE YET TO LEAVE THE HOUSE!

Really dude?!?!

The Nazi Robo-Mechs are destroying the city and they have yet to leave the house? They’re waiting for Jessica Jones? She can’t be that crucial to the team that they can’t go into battle without her, especially since Wolverine is on like 6 teams and should really have no time to stand around in a house waiting. Then Luke Cage argues with Jessica about her wanting to stay home with their child while the city goes to shit.

Really dude?!?!

What spouse in their right mind (husband or wife) would argue if their significant other wanted to stay home with their infant child while the other goes to fight crime? Then, Squirrel-Girl shows up beaten, bloody…dripping blood at the front door and what does Jessica Jones do? Hands her the freakin’ baby and takes off to fight with the Avengers…

Really Dude?!?

That’s gotta be the worst Mother move since Rosanne let David live in the house with Darlene. Seriously though, no mom would do that, babies are kept pretty damn clean and no mother would allow blood from ANYONE to get on or near their child…yes I know it’s a comic but give me a fuckin’ break. Ok SG says a few things to the baby I’d say a few minutes have passed and this issue is done right? Nope an alarm goes off and….The Nazi Robo-Mechs ATTACK AVENGERS MANSION!!!

Really dude?!?

No…really?!?

Didn’t the Avenger’s just walk out the fucking front door? And what kind of shitty superhero headquarters alarm only goes off after the attack is under way? AGGGHHH, this comic is so frustrating, I want to roll this comic book up and bop Bendis on the nose with it and say, “Nnnno!”

The art is fantastic. Mike Deodato seems like he gets better every page he draws, his layouts are awesome and never gratuitous. You can always tell which direction to read and what is going on without extraneous explanations or lengthy dialog boxes. Plus his art just looks really good, great use of shadows…everything in this comic looks great!

Do I hate Brian Michael Bendis? No. Do I want all of his comics to be burned immediately? No. Do I dislike ALL of his comics? No. Do I think I’m somehow better than him? No. Am I still going to read (and probably love) ULTIMATE SPIDER-MAN? Yes. I just don’t like SOME of his writing and this comic book was a great exercise in why. Sometimes the heroes in his comics act way out of character and rarely have their own voice (Spider-Man’s a dumbass with terrible dialog, Luke Cage is a buffoon, Wolverine lets himself get beat by Squirrel-Girl, Mom’s handing their babies over to bloody babysitters, etc). In SOME of his comics, characters just talk to talk and end up having extraneous dialog that could have easily been cut and retained the same general feeling and got the same point across. Also sometimes shit happens in his comics that makes no damn sense (the Avengers had no idea those Mechs were on the way…really…they didn’t see them as they left?) When you have a guy like Deodato backing you up, the less words the better. Let the guy have some room to tell the story through the art cause y’know…he’s good at it. I like SOME of Bendis’ work but this comic is pretty much why I don’t read NEW AVENGERS anymore.

BRIMSTONE AND THE BORDERHOUNDS #1-4

Writer: M.H. Carnevali
Artist: Sajad Shah
Publisher: Hound Comics
Reviewer: Optimous Douche

Here’s a great way not to get my attention…send a press release. I don’t mean a personal note with a “Hey Optimous, check it you douche.” No, I’m referring to the blind copy sends to every idiot with a pulse, one typing finger and an Internet connection. I’m in PR; I know these are the lazy man’s way to get attention for a project. Given my feelings on the archaic press release, it’s with little surprise that a book like BRIMSTONE escaped my attention. For months I would get announcements about this comic based on the visage of former wrestler Brimstone and something about hell. Considering that when most kids were trying to score tickets to Hulkamania I was begging my parents to get tickets to “Phantom of the Opera” or to take to me see “A Chorus Line” for the umpteenth time, a comic based on a wrestler announced in a press release simply made my skin crawl on levels akin to finger nails on a chalkboard.

Shame on me. About three months ago, when I was walking around the floor of Wizard World Philadelphia, I came across a table alive with activity. The busy-body quasi-journalist in me had to see what all of the hubbub was about. Sure enough, it was the table for BRIMSTONE AND THE BORDERHOUNDS. I applaud the comic guys that still put on a show at the con, so despite my past reservations on this comic idea, I sauntered drunkenly up to the table with the intent of giving these guys a modicum of coverage in my 2011 con report.

An hour later I joined the converted. What I found at the table was not simply a former wrestler looking to cash in on a brand, but rather a man that truly loved the medium of comics and more importantly the fans that supported it. I was honest with Brimstone and not simply because he could snap my neck in two with a glance and a step stool. I was completely open about my disdain for the spectacle of wrestling and he looked me point blank in eyes and said, “but do you love good comics?” Well shit, I couldn’t lie; I do in fact love comics. “Do you like violence that has nothing to do with a clothesline or fake foot stomp?” Well, again the answer is yes. “Then read my book.”

I was glad for this chance encounter; talking with Brimstone as he regaled my cousin and I with stories of his past was a delight. Reading BRIMSTONE AND THE BORDER HOUNDS, though, was the true icing on the cake as all the kids say. Not only is BRIMSTONE a finely crafted book from a mechanical standpoint, but author Carnevali was able to straddle the worlds of comic fandom and wrestling fanaticism with grace and ingenuity.

BRIMSTONE has nothing to do with wrestling--not a lick. What it does focus on in this enjoyable four issue arc is a gaggle of misfit bounty hunters that bring hell’s denizens home to roost should they ever escape. The concept has been done before, but never with this level of humor and, dare I say, heart.

What first struck me is that this really isn’t Brimstone’s book. The protagonist is actually a Muslim cop named Billy Alter on the hunt in the streets of New York for a serial killer named Hostile. When the story opens Hostile seems to be of this world, just entirely fucked in the head with a bloody oedipal complex akin to Norman Bates. As we get deeper down the rabbit hole, though, this Wall Street evisceration specialist is actually an escapee from hell that had battled with Officer Alter seven years prior. Here’s the cool part: both Alter and Hostile had died from their prior altercation and both had touched the plane of hell.

Hell has been portrayed many ways in comics. I like the BRIMSTONE approach, though, and have since I was a kid. It reminded me of a movie called “The Devil and Max Devlin”. As with most movies of the 80s, the thing is absolute shit in hindsight; what enthralled me, though, as a young Douche was the portrayal of hell. Bill Cosby sat as the damned CEO of the hell corporation complete with fiery boardroom and suits that sizzled. BRIMSTONE looks at hell much the same way, keeping the sensibilities and structure extremely modern. Don’t get me wrong; there’s always a place in my heart for the traditional thou and thee portrayal in books like LUCIFER, but it’s nice to see an ethereal plane reflect a hellish version of our modern sensibilities.

Along with any corporate structure comes the dreaded org chart. And yes, even in BRIMSTONE Hell is definitely steeped in a caste system. This stratum becomes readily apparent a few pages into the first issue after Hostile eviscerates a scumbag Wall Street trader, sort of Hostile’s MO we learn as the book progresses. This fresh soul along with several others escapes when a terrorist attack hits their transport on the way into the sulfuric gates. Enter BRIMSTONE AND THE BORDERHOUNDS, one of Hell’s many bounty hunters that hunt down souls that go missing into the nether territories of Dante’s Inferno. BRIMSTONE and his crew are scoffed at as the pretty boys of Hell’s bounty hunter legion…pretty bad ass boys, that is. Hell also has a monetary reward system that tabulates bounties much like the laser tag I used to frequent back in the 90s. Hell is fun, if you have the right position.

What’s not fun is when someone escapes Hell and the dreaded borderlands surrounding it. This is not an easy task, but Hostile was able to make it happen with some help. And therein is the mystery that takes us through the next four issues. Hostile and Detective Alter went toe-to-toe several years prior to the open of the book, Alter died for a few minutes after their altercation and Hostile was fried for his crimes in the electric chair. So, when Hostile appears several years after his death and goes back to his old slice and dice, it not only scares NYPD, it outright terrifies them and Alter.

The rest of the issues continue to unravel the mystery of why is Hostile back, who from Hell helped him get back, and what the hell is Altar going to do to track down a man who perpetually defies death?

I’m not talking a lot about Brimstone as a character because he and his Borderhounds truly felt ancillary to the complexity of Altar’s journey. Carnevali created an immensely multi-faceted character with Alter and should absolutely be applauded. Making him a Muslim was a stroke of genius; it gave fodder for his fellow cohorts in the NYPD to already dislike the guy. So when he starts claiming that a dead serial killer is on the loose again, it allowed for a plausible excuse for him to be taking this hero’s journey all by his lonesome.

I had a great time with this book, and no there is not an ounce of wrestling to be found anywhere in the pages. However, for those with the testicular fortitude to enjoy the machismo of the choreographed science, you will find an oasis of that bravado within the actions and dialogue of Brimstone and his cohorts. Every time they score a bounty and get closer to finding Hostile the pages explode with action and the type of dialogue that comes from such amped adrenaline.

Before I bounce out of the ring, I want to give a nod to the production of this book. Brimstone and the gang clearly understood this book would primarily be downloaded; this was one of the first PDF books that was actually a pleasure to read because it was crafted for that specific delivery channel. This may sound like a small issue to you casual comic readers, but every time I read a book rife with splash pages I want to kick a puppy and make an angel cry for Adobe’s propensity to cut these glorious wonders in half.

Optimous has successfully blackmailed fellow @$$Hole BottleImp into being his artist on Average Joe. Look for Imp's forced labor on Optimous brain child in mid-2011 from COM.X. Friend Optimous on FaceBook to get Average Joe updates and because ceiling cat says it's the right thing to do.

WAR OF THE GREEN LANTERNS: AFTERMATH #2

Writer: Tony Bedard
Art: Ransom Getty & Andy Smith
Publisher: DC Comics
Reviewer: The Writing Rambler

With WAR OF THE GREEN LANTERNS: AFTERMATH # 2 we finally reach the end of the entire WAR OF THE GREEN LANTERNS story. There’s so much happening that there’s no real closure given to the overall storyline but it’s not necessarily a bad thing in this case. While it does a lot more on the setting up end than actually closing out the WAR story, it is still an enjoyable read and is definitely great for any GREEN LANTERN fan waiting for all the repercussions from the events that just took place to be fleshed out more come September.

One thing I particularly enjoyed about Tony Bedard handling this AFTERMATH story is the way he focuses on each of the Lantern’s personalities in his writing. While I enjoy Geoff Johns’ large scale stories and what he’s done with GREEN LANTERN overall, I do always like seeing how Bedard can take it down a notch and get back to focusing on what’s going on inside the heads of the main characters. He gives us a story where the Corps are all but broken and there’s a real sense of confusion amongst most of its members as to what is going to happen next. Characters are angry, dealing with loss and having to accept decisions they don’t agree with while still remaining loyal to the Corps. It sets a great mood for the series overall and is a good starting point for what’s to come.

I also enjoyed the art in this issue and actually preferred Getty and Smith’s work here over Miguel Sepulveda and Tyler Kirkham’s work on the first issue. There were a few panels in the first issue (specifically a few oddly drawn captures of Sinestro) that just took me out of the story but here I feel like everything is crisp and flows well. I also have to mention the Cover art (both the regular by Tom Fleming and variant by Dave Johnson) which are just beautifully drawn and do a great job of conveying the tone of the books in very simple yet detailed work.

The only real low point of this book is when the story jumps back to a conversation taking place between Saint Walker and Ganthet. While I have no problem with the story that’s being set up, it just seems to come out of nowhere in the book (much like it did in issue #1) and feels out of place in the issue. It’s like there should be a cheesy caption above it that reads “Meanwhile…on the other side of OA”. All in all, it’s a small blemish in an otherwise well handled story.

Overall, WAR OF THE GREEN LANTERNS: AFTERMATH does a good job of continuing the story, though it does present more questions than answers. It leaves the reader with some closure for the larger war (particularly a great “memorial” for Mogo) but still anticipating everything that’s on its way. It shows just how much the events of this war have taken out of the Corps and how there will probably be a lot of changes coming because of it. Personally, I think it’s a great time to be a fan of GREEN LANTERN and with four different titles coming in the DC relaunch I’m hoping for even more exciting stories in the future.

You can follow The Writing Rambler on his blog here!

FEAR ITSELF: ALPHA FLIGHT #3

Writer: Greg Pak &Fred Van Lente
Art: Dale Eaglesham
Published: Marvel Comics
Review: MajinFu

That wacky Canadian superteam is back and they’re taking on the government! Even though there’s a panel with a hammer-wielding Ben Grimm, this tie-in mostly uses the theme of fear to sow ominous seeds for incoming issues and pretty much ignores the event.

Alpha Flight is a big team, but that doesn’t stop Greg Pak and Fred Van Lente from juggling these characters and showing off each one. It’s a dense read that hops around a lot and sometimes feels cluttered. The characters have an established history, but it’s not difficult for new readers to catch on, even as they change right in front of your eyes. Songbird’s Sasquatch was subtle, and Aurora’s battle with herself had me cracking up, intentional or not, but Shaman had my favorite moment this issue. Plus…Puck.

Dale Eaglesham’s pencils serve key moments of the story quite well, and the layouts do a good job of giving said character moments room to breathe on the page. If I had any more criticism, I’d say the comic isn’t Canadian enough. A team going rogue against the government does create a lot of tension, but it’s not very fun. Taking away the team’s nationality seems to call their appeal into question, although it does a great job of asserting their individuality. It does make me wonder if Alpha Flight will pull a Superman and renounce their citizenship.

Then again, where are the mutant hockey players, the mass bear invasions? This issue had no real threats, and there was hardly any tension as a result. There are five more issues left in this mini-series, and it looks like Alpha Flight’s fight is just beginning, and pacing issues aside, this issue was reasonably entertaining, if a bit generic. Even with the obligatory Wolverine cameo lingering in the near future, I look forward to seeing where the story goes once it’s free of editorial mandates.

PETROGRAD OGN

Writer: Philip Gelatt
Illustrator: Tyler CrookOni Press
Reviewer: Mr. Pasty

There is no worse position to be in, as a reviewer, than to have your peers rant and rave about the marvels of a product that you found prosaic. Such is the case of the graphic novel PETROGRAD, a story that takes a critical (albeit fictional) look at the assassination of Grigori Rasputin, a historical figure whose role in 20th century Russian history “is near impossible to understate,” according to one of my fellow critics. I’ll have to take his word for it, as the name sounds important but until I read PETROGRAD I had no clue who Rasputin was, or that they called him the “Mad Monk,” or that his life (and death) were worth compiling into a graphic novel. I’m not so sure about that last one, but again, I’m willing to give my peers the benefit of the doubt since I’m cognizant of my chronic ignorance.

I’ll just go right ahead and say it: you gotta be a history buff to get something out of PETROGRAD. Not like the armchair JEOPARDY champions, I mean the real hardcore guys (and gals) that actually read books long after they graduate college. Me? I’ll settle for your garden variety comic book. The kind you find on a rusty wire rack in the corner drugstore with a dozen or so pages of muscular men in tights and girls with exaggerated bosoms killing Nazis (or zombies). Usually when I take a digital dump on a comic or graphic novel that doesn’t cut the mustard, I attack the writing or poke fun of the illustrations. I don’t have the ammunition to do that here because for as long as it is and as mundane as I found it, there’s still a high level of execution from both Philip Gelatt and Tyler Crook.

It’s well written, well-illustrated and should knock the socks off the intellectuals and history marks it’s constructed for. I’m neither, so I struggled to get through it across several sittings. I don’t like Russia (ever since that TWO TRIBES video) and I don’t like history. I do like graphic novels but unless Rasputin turns out to be a flesh-eating alien with a slutty sidekick, I’ll leave this one for the people who will appreciate it. Regrettably, I wasn’t one of them.

Web heads who can’t get enough of Mr. Pasty’s word vomit are encouraged to watch him operate as Nostradumbass over at MMaMania.com here. Love, hate and Mafia Wars requests should be directed here.

CLOAK & DAGGER: SPIDER-ISLAND #1

Writer: Nick Spencer
Art: Emma Rios
Publisher: Marvel Comics
Reviewer: Henry Higgins is My Homeboy

Holy fuck, read this book!

Cloak and Dagger have always been interesting characters. Their designs, the way they moved in big fights, their brief bits of dialogue, they always proved memorable. But every time I go to read them, it turns out less interesting then I had hoped. Which, to be honest, always disappointed me. Every time I would read them in old back issues of MARVEL COMICS PRESENTS, I'd find myself enamored with the character designs, but was disappointed with the stories. I was anxious for a CLOAK & DAGGER good story, but never expected to see it come about in a crossover event, much less in a Spider-Man crossover. It's actually rather great. The writing is smart and solid, and the art is stellar. The book stands out in a sea of solid recent tie ins from Marvel.

Writing: (4/5) The book is actually really great. The characters all ring true in what small appearances they get during the course of the fight scenes in the issue. No one comes out better then the two headliners, however. Dagger presents an interesting dynamic between wanting to continue being a hero while juggling a rent and attempting class in the background. It also shows an interesting Cloak, juxtaposed around his dedication to being a hero and his desire for a simple life. As with most under the radar characters, each new mini on them has to spend some time on the origin. Cloak and Dagger is no exception, but it turns out a quick, well written overview of the two. It simplifies their origins just enough to make it accessible, but remains faithful to the characters. Both convey so much with so few words, and set the tone for the book. Enough can't be said about the characterization and dialogue. It's fast, funny, and realistic. Neither sound fanciful or wrong, just great. Using Mister Negative as a villain for the two works extremely well, as well. His connections to the underworld and Spider-Man easily bridge the two to the event, and if Mister Negative remains around after the mini, it'd be interesting to see the pair brawl with him again.

If anything, the writing only really falters with the seer, who while interesting, detracts from the rest of the book. It comes late in the story and, while it could prove interesting, it doesn't quite yet.

Art: (5/5) The art is rather fantastic. Between this and Ramos's stellar art in the main story, Spider-Island is running with some great art. Between the movement of Dagger in fight scenes and Cloak's suit, the book almost feels alive. The art moves in a way very few comics do. The design of the darkforce within Cloak’s fight scenes are wondrous. They look amazing, blending with the characters and the brawls seamlessly. So much of the art plays off the writing, and even small things such as Cloak speaking to the Building Inspector. The expressions on Tandy are great and well done, and Tyrone sits on similar footing, remaining both subtle and rather fantastic. The art is wondrous here.

Best Moment: Fight scenes.

Worst Moment: Maybe the fortune teller.

Overall: (4/5) A really great tie-in.

KILL SHAKESPEARE #12

Writers: Conor McCreery, Anthony Del Col
Artist: Andy Belanger
Publisher: IDW Publishing
Reviewer: Lyzard

Is KILL SHAKESPEARE the end-all be-all of Shakespearean comic books? As I am unaware of any others then vis-à-vis I must say, yes. But even if I did know of other comics about the Bard, I’d have a hard time imagining them to be better than KILL SHAKESPEARE. The twelve issue series has twisted and yet respected great Will, appealing both to those that find Shakespeare a chore from school days or a voluntarily enjoyable read. But as with all good things, it must come to an end.

KILL SHAKESPEARE #12 cuts right into the epic battle we left off on in the last issue. There is Hamlet versus Iago, Juliet against Lady Macbeth, and then King Richard fighting William Shakespeare himself. The struggle is epic and bloody, as is fitting with the end of any Shakespearean tale.

But what is not fitting is the very conclusion of the book. Without spoiling any specifics, not enough characters die. Think of the plays HAMLET, TITUS ADRONICUS, or KING LEAR. Barely anyone makes it out of those pieces alive. The large number of survivors, though providing more of a happy ending, does not follow in what the bard himself would have done.

This ending also made me realize that too many of the characters are black and white. They do have depth and dimension, don’t get me wrong. The characters are by no means two dimensional. My complaint is that they are clearly good or evil. Shakespeare’s works are filled with ambiguous characters, who at times you cheer for and at other times you find repulsive. Here you seem to find few shades of grey.

However, these two complaints have to do with fidelity, a style of adaptation criticism that is narrow in its analysis. Would changing either of these two “problems” assist the particular story that McCreery and Del Col were telling? Since I do not know the exact plans for the future of KILL SHAKESPEARE, it is hard for me to judge on the first offense. As for the lack of ambiguity, I do believe that making some characters greyer would have aided the comic. But, keep in mind, if again judging by fidelity, some characters (such as Romeo and Juliet) should remain purely favorable and not altered. It is a hard balance and I don’t want to fault the writers too much for choosing not to go down this path.

I know it may seem from this review so far that I didn’t like the conclusion to KILL SHAKESPEARE. Though I enjoyed the series as a whole, KILL SHAKESPEARE #12 did not leave me with the same feeling of awe as the rest of the series. Not to say that the issue was bad, it was just bittersweet. This would be the end of the story I had followed for oh so very long and I merely didn’t want to see it end. That being said, the conclusion did not leave me in a full depression as it was filled with humor. Intentional humor, mind you, not like the ending of the last HARRY POTTER. Yes, if you are going to bid farewell, you might as well leave your audience smiling and that they do.

Lyzard is actually Lyz Reblin, a senior screenwriting major with an English minor at Chapman University. Along with writing for AICN, she has been published twice on the subject of vampire films.

DETECTIVE COMICS #881

Writer: Scott Snyder
Artist: Jock and Francesco Francavilla
Publisher: DC Comics
Reviewer: Optimous Douche

WOW! Simply wow! This closing chapter was not just a farewell to the story arc of the psychopathic spawn of Jim Gordon, but also a fitting close to the existing Batman universe.

When this story arc opened oh so many moons ago we all knew it would be good. I mean, how could it fail with DC powerhouses Scott Snyder and Jock helming the ship? Well, actually there are lots of ways. While Snyder has been tearing things up in AMERICAN VAMPIRE and more recently in GATES OF GOTHAM, those stories live outside of continuity. Many a writer, Robert Kirkman being the first that comes to mind, can often create fantastic universes within their own sandbox, but can lose that magic quicker than Zatana can talk backwards when confronted with the juggernaut of continuity. Perhaps that’s part of the beauty of DETECTIVE, or at least DETECTIVE in recent years--the title itself has lived beyond continuity allowing it to play a game of “just the tip” when relating to the larger DC whole. Or it could simply be that Snyder is just one damn amazing writer.

I’ve made no bones about my reservations on the concept of BATMAN INC. In my opinion it threw open the Kimono way too wide for comfort. Fine, I’ve always lived with the plausible deniability that Jim Gordon would not piece together the Bruce/Batman mirage with enough gravel in the voice and the fact they always meet in the dark. But when Bruce announced BATMAN INC. Jim Gordon would have to be functionally retarded to not piece together that Bruce was Batman. This irksome nit became even more apparent at the start of this arc. How on earth would Dick Grayson, a circus performer and heir to Bruce Wayne’s fortune, know so damn much about forensic sciences? Even more fourth wall shattering, even if you believe that Bruce Wayne could privatize law enforcement and research, why on earth would Dick even be involved in this venture out of the clear blue? Compound these confounding facts with the fact Dick does not sound like Bruce, or appear as large as Bruce in any drawing I’ve ever seen. So when Jim Gordon stands next to Dick as Batman how can he not say, “You’re Dick, I know you’re Dick! I just hung out with you in the crime lab!” Look, I understand these are comics and we’ve all been willing to believe that a pair of glasses and a combover could hide Clark Kent’s identity, but Batman has always been the real-world antithesis of Superman, where comic fans could go for some level of plausible believability to counteract the utter non-science of every comic book.

Snyder must feel as I do, because with this last issue he single-handedly addresses all of my concerns and in a sense brought the BATMAN INC house of cards tumbling to the ground while also shattering some tropes that comics hold so dear.

Yes, the arc comes to a close, but it’s how that makes the issue so damn delicious. We learned last issue that it was Jim Gordon Jr. making our intrepid Dark Knight and his police counterpart go bonkers over the last few issues, but this issue uncovers the why and with any great mystery the why is the full-course meal to compliment the surprising appetizer of the who unveiling. The “why” in this case is simple: Jim Gordon Jr. is fucked in the head. It’s a story as old as time--the son faltering from the father’s expectations. But Jim Gordon is no ordinary character; he is a Greek tragedy in the truest sense of the word. Sworn to protect a city that can’t be saved, he has sacrificed his personal life and his own health in this Sisyphean endeavor. Losing Barbara’s vitality to the Joker, one would think his life couldn’t be any more of a shitstorm. Yeah, well, guess again. Jimmy Jr. not only is a sociopath, but he’s a sociopath with a burning need to hurt those closest to him. At one point after capturing Barbara Gordon he goes into a monologue about why he is who he is. The panels continue to become more and more engrossing…then just when the monologing becomes apparent Barbara turns the tables to use the trope against him and actually calls him out on this traditional villain’s fallacy.

So it continues…each moment of this book mattered not only to the story, but also as the wake for the DC universe. The crime lab established by BATMAN INC. gets dismantled. Dick realizes (with a little help from Jimmy Jr.) that while Gotham is not his soul, it is his life. And Jim Gordon Sr. taught us that a father’s love is infinitely forgiving no matter how bitter and acrid a taste that love leaves inside one’s mouth.

It was clear that Jock had help on this issue. Francesco is a fine artist, but there were few panels in this issue that inspired an audible OMG out of my mouth like last month’s. Jock is a genius, though, and to be able to even play in the same pool is no small feat. This is not a slight, simply a fact. The proof is in the panels.

A great issue to cap what is probably my favorite Batman arc in recent memory.

STAR WARS: DARK TIMES-OUT OF THE WILDERNESS #1
Dark Horse Comics

Subtitled, “Vader: One Step Behind!” this comic is about what happened right after Darth Vader was done howling for his lost love, and Emperor Palpatine gave him a kick in the pants and told him to get to killin’ those Rebel scum. It’s obviously an introduction to a much bigger story, but the presentation is shinier than a Nubian starcruiser and it moves faster than a pod-racer at full throttle. Doug Wheatley obviously has a good grasp of the Star Wars aesthetic, from the ships to the costumes, all executed with a very clean line and a galactic color palette, thanks to Dan Jackson. STAR WARS is one of the reasons I got into comics, but at some point I lost interest. It’s good to see a comic that can revitalize the spirit of the old movies. If the following issues pay as much attention to characterization as they do to visual design, then the coming months should be especially kind to STAR WARS fans. This is the kind of issue that gets me excited about revisiting another universe, in a galaxy far, far away. - MajinFu

BLACK PANTHER: MAN WITHOUT FEAR #522
Marvel Comics

Isn’t this the guy who outwitted Doctor Doom and married a weather goddess? I’m having trouble believing he’d have a hard time with a super-bigot and a roided out cop with a penchant for panther ears. David Liss can’t seem to put together a very interesting script to match what could be a powerful commentary on fear and bigotry, even with hip phrases like “chillax” and “natch.” His attempt is admirable, kicking things off with T’challa smashing some skinheads’ skulls in a jail cell, then a five-panel origin of the American Panther, shortly before he kneels to lick the boot of the Grand Wiz-er… Hate-Monger. Frankavilla’s combination of warm and cool color tones are perfectly suited to the negative subject matter. There are even several nice compositions, especially during the fights, but there’s obviously not much there to work with. Writing bad reviews is not easy, especially when it’s about a character you love, but Marvel should be embarrassed. - MajinFu

Editing, compiling, imaging, coding, logos & cat-wrangling by Ambush Bug
Proofs, co-edits & common sense provided by Sleazy G
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