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Wise Beyond the Years
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- Posted: March 7, 2017 1:43:06 am
- New page. . .once again I repeat my warning: THERE WILL PROBABLY BE SPOILERS IN THIS THREAD
DETECTIVE COMICS #950 (DC)
This issue advertises itself as an "Oversize anniversary special!" and it's priced an extra buck to prove it. But when I think of a 'Special" issue, I think more along the lines of an annual or an extra-length one-shot. . .either one with a self-contained story worth paying a little extra for. This "Special" doesn't fit that bill.
What this issue has is three incomplete stories (all ending on cliffhangers) that tease future storylines for the Bat-Family. Therefore, it's more of a preview than an anniversary special in my mind. Really more like an extra-large Free Comic Book Day issue, where these kind of preview teasers are usually to be found.
That's not to say this issue is bad. It's good for what it is. The first story in particular, focusing on Orphan and the prologue to the upcoming "League of Shadows" storyline is a standout with impressive art and a good look inside the head of the Rebirth version of Cassandra Cain.
The other two stories are pretty good as well, but like I said above, they are incomplete previews of coming storylines. If they would have expanded any of the three to fill the issue, I would have a lot higher opinion. As it stands, this "Anniversary Special" has a very faint stench of money grab wafting from it.
Last edited March 7, 2017 1:44:00 amFavorite Characters: Lone Ranger, Green Hornet, Captain America, The Shadow, Zorro, The Rocketeer, Jonah Hex
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Wise Beyond the Years
Location: Utah
Posts: 1090
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- Posted: March 7, 2017 2:14:52 am
- DETECTIVE COMICS #951 (DC)
As the first issue of a new arc ("The League of Shadows"), there really isn't much here beyond setup.
Batman is framed for the murder of Mayor Hady. . .hasn't this been about the 10th time Batman has been framed for murder? When will they learn? It's pointed out in a pretty heavy-handed way that Orphan is a badass that could probably beat Batman in a fight. Batman starts to learn that maybe there was something behind Colonel Kane's madness after all. And finally, Shiva and the League of Shadows start making their move on Gotham by drawing the Bat-Team into a trap they knew he couldn't resist. . .by making it look like the Joker was back in town. Oh Batman. . .why don't you just kiss the Joker next time you see him and get it over with? Now THERE'S a story!
All in all, I don't have high hopes for this arc. Right out of the gate they have the vanilla ice cream of "Batman killed someone! Now the police aren't on his side. . .AGAIN!" ruse.
Then they top that with the old tasty cherry of "The real enemy is going to wear Batman down sending him all over the place on wild goose chases until he's weak enough to strike."
And I have suspicions we'll get a nice crunchy topping of "Batman's partner must choose between their true nature as a killer or Batman's way of doing things."
That's not to say this issue is BAD. It's well-written and the art is fine, if not exactly spectacular.
It just seems so. . .familiar.
Overall (for me) this issue begs the question: Have all the good Batman stories been told at this point?Favorite Characters: Lone Ranger, Green Hornet, Captain America, The Shadow, Zorro, The Rocketeer, Jonah Hex
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Wise Beyond the Years
Location: Utah
Posts: 1090
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- Posted: March 7, 2017 2:46:46 am
- MOTHER PANIC #3 (DC - YOUNG ANIMAL)
I didn't even know this book existed until they gave me the first issue free at my LCS on a "try it before you buy it" recommend. Right now, I'd have to say that this is my favorite new title out there. I always wondered what a Vertigo Batman book would look like and with Mother Panic, I think I have my answer and I like it a lot. My only concern is what will happen once they get past the obligatory "First Trade Arc".
ANYWAY. . .
This issue focuses on Batman trying to find out who the new costumed -kicker in Gotham is by putting Batwoman on the trail. We also get a little more information on the origin of Mother Panic when (in a flashback) young violet is dumped off at a mysterious religious school (?) by her brother after the death of her father and escalating insanity of her mother.
The art by Tommy Lee Edwards is reliably great. I especially loved the easter egg of the 1989 movie Batmobile being in the batcave on the first page.
All in all, this is another great issue. It gives a little, but not too much. I like the mystery of this new hero a lot. Hopefully they can keep up the quality after the first arc. This is one of those titles that looks like it could go off the rails QUICK with a simple creative team switch. But for now, this is some good stuff.
Last edited March 7, 2017 2:47:18 amFavorite Characters: Lone Ranger, Green Hornet, Captain America, The Shadow, Zorro, The Rocketeer, Jonah Hex
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Wise Beyond the Years
Location: Utah
Posts: 1090
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- Posted: March 8, 2017 1:08:53 am
- BATWOMAN: REBIRTH #1 (DC)
I'm a big Batwoman fan. No. . .let's put that another way. I like Batwoman just as much, if not more, than Batman himself. And I have a replica Bat-Phone in my mancave. And my comic-loving daughter? She dressed up as Batwoman every single year for Halloween from 2011 to 2015 (when she transitioned from trick or treater to candy distributor) I'm not sure WHY we like Batwoman so much. Maybe it's the more supernatural elements not usually found in the other Bat-Family books. But my daughter and I both agree that this is one of the series that we have been wanting and waiting for from Rebirth.
ANYWAY. . .
There isn't much story to be had in this issue, but the awesome Epting art more than makes up for it. And when I say there's not much story, that doesn't mean there's nothing to it. . .this is an introduction to Batwoman told mostly in flashback (and flashforward) vignettes of single pages or single panels, so the story is a bit fragmented, but that's on purpose. It reads like the thoughts of someone looking back on their life.
So coming from the place where there really isn't a story to this, I still give it a good review for being a fine introduction to Batwoman. . .even if some of the flashbacks will have absolutely no meaning to anyone not already a Batwoman fan. It's a nice summary of her past, and the flashforwards are fairly intriguing.
And then, like I said earlier, there is the fantastic Epting art. The cover is frameworthy and almost every panel is a real work of art. If he's going to be the regular artist, I'm definitely going to be liking this series a lot.
Last edited March 8, 2017 1:10:59 amFavorite Characters: Lone Ranger, Green Hornet, Captain America, The Shadow, Zorro, The Rocketeer, Jonah Hex
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Wise Beyond the Years
Location: Utah
Posts: 1090
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- Posted: March 8, 2017 1:46:53 am
- THE WALKING DEAD #165 (Image)
So I asked last issue where Kirkman and Company can take the Walking Dead now that the "Whisperer War" is over. The answer in this issue is that they're still thinking about that themselves because the wheels are still sort of spinning.
The Alexandrians are STILL dealing with the massive herd of walkers the Whisperers unleashed on them, so the majority of this issue is pretty much the same as the last. . .and the one before that. . .as various groups ride and run to and fro shouting "Lead them this way!" "Split them off!" and so on and so forth.
It's getting a bit old at this point.
That's not to say there's NOTHING to be had here. . .the Saviors decide it's time for them to strike while Alexandria and Rick's allies are at their weakest, and Dwight possibly dies at the hands of his former friends during their first strike.
Elsewhere, Negan and Rick seem to be forming a reluctant buddy-cop movie relationship with Rick being the "I'm too old for this " guy and Negan being the "Rules are for fools" guy. Not sure if this is a good or bad thing.
Siddiq discovers Eugene's working radio and the woman he's been secretly communicating with. . .let's hope that this isn't going to be a repeat of the exact same story that was on the Fear The Walking Dead T.V. show with a gender swap.
AND FINALLY. . .after rescuing Eugene from his own stupidity, we get a final page where it looks like Andrea has been bitten on the neck. Buh-Bye. I was wondering when someone would actually die during this "War" besides Father Gabriel. . .who was obvious cannon fodder from the day he was introduced.
All in all, despite a little movement forward past the Whisperer War, this issue seems to be stuck in the mud.
Last edited March 8, 2017 1:49:47 amFavorite Characters: Lone Ranger, Green Hornet, Captain America, The Shadow, Zorro, The Rocketeer, Jonah Hex
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Wise Beyond the Years
Location: Utah
Posts: 1090
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- Posted: March 8, 2017 2:19:24 am
- BATMAN #18 (DC)
fennrx said:
The only one I read is Batman. I agree with your summary. The book is completely garbled.
And while issue 18 was interesting in its comparison of bane and Batman, it's hardly original and just served as a distraction from the band beating up Batman plot going on in real time.
Yep.
Despite the fact that Finch is probably one of my favorite Batman artists ever, this issue just had me shaking my head and wondering how much longer I'm going to keep this title on my pull.
The issue is split between flashbacks that try to establish that Batman and Bane are two sides to the same coin and a battle in "real time" where Batman is pretty much handed his like a chump.
The flashbacks were interesting, and the point was fairly made, so I'll give this issue that. Unfortunately, the Bane/Batman showdown was extremely weak in that. . .come on. . .it's BATMAN! He knows, what? 30 different fighting styles? And all we get from him is a single haymaker swoosh before Bane proceeds to take the Dark Knight down like he's a Robin trainee still trying earn his yellow cape? Even Adam West Batman could have landed ONE good punch.
I appreciate the fact that they are trying to make Bane some sort of unstoppable force of nature (and the art makes him look suitably awesome, let's get that straight) but for 's sake. . .THE SECRET TO HIS STRENGTH AND AGILITY ARE IN PULSING GREEN TUBES ALONG HIS ARMS AND INTO THE BACK OF HIS HEAD!
Bane SHOULD be one of Batman's EASIEST foes to take in a straight up fight.
And then there's the "twist" that Catwoman let herself get captured so she could rescue everyone else that she and Batman knew Bane was going to take hostage. Yeah. . .see? It was the plan all along. . .see? *facepalm*
No bueno.
Last edited March 8, 2017 2:33:46 amFavorite Characters: Lone Ranger, Green Hornet, Captain America, The Shadow, Zorro, The Rocketeer, Jonah Hex
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Wise Beyond the Years
Location: Utah
Posts: 1090
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- Posted: March 8, 2017 3:01:55 am
- STAR WARS #29 (Marvel)
As a child of the 70's it's pretty much a given that I love all things Star Wars. I don't want to make myself sound like THAT old guy, but kids these days just don't understand what it was like when the first movie came out. They've never seen a movie with such an immediate frenzy around it that there were lines at the theaters down the block with people standing there for two hours waiting for the next showing. NOW GET OFF MY LAWN!
I've generally been really liking the new Marvel Star Wars comics (But truth to tell, I liked the story in the Dark Horse run better) and think that Marvel/Disney is showing a lot of respect for the material and the long-time fans such as myself, even if the first arc was nothing but pure, blatant fan service.
ANYWAY. . .
Although I've really been liking the occasional inclusion of stories from Obi-Wan Kenobi's journal to break things up a little by letting us take a look into the past and away from the main characters, this current arc (Spotlighting Yoda about 30-40 years before the prequels) is a bit disappointing.
On paper, it sounds awesome: Yoda! Before the prequels! And the art is pretty good. Unfortunately, the story itself is a bit of a drag and just feels like filler. It all just seems like a wasted opportunity and I just want to get to whatever is coming next.
Don't get me wrong. It's not bad. . .it's just not that good.
This story is so utterly average that I've already forgotten the details, and I just read it about 15 minutes ago.
Last edited March 8, 2017 3:47:12 amFavorite Characters: Lone Ranger, Green Hornet, Captain America, The Shadow, Zorro, The Rocketeer, Jonah Hex
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Wise Beyond the Years
Location: Utah
Posts: 1090
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- Posted: March 13, 2017 2:14:52 am
- JUSTICE LEAGUE: ALIEN JUSTICE (DC/GENERAL MILLS)
I have to admit. . .for a mini-comic I bought a box of Lucky Charms for, this wasn't too bad.
It's definitely for younger readers, with a message of cooperation above violence to achieve common goals that you might not even know you have.
Coming from the expectation of it being for all ages, it serves as a nice introduction to the Justice League. . .especially to characters (Like the 2 new Green Lanterns) that they might not be familiar with. The art was also pretty nice, another good point.
All in all, not bad.Favorite Characters: Lone Ranger, Green Hornet, Captain America, The Shadow, Zorro, The Rocketeer, Jonah Hex
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Wise Beyond the Years
Location: Utah
Posts: 1090
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- Posted: March 13, 2017 2:35:07 am
- APOCALYPSE #11 (DC)
Another artist change on this issue, and if I thought the art change last issue was iffy, it's just pretty bad this time out.
The art in the backup story is a little better, but by that I mean it's okay and not much more than that.
There has been a steady slow decline in quality, both in writing and art, on this series from first issue to this one. At this point (with an inability to keep a steady artist from issue to issue) it just looks like DC is trying to reach another trade before they put this poor dog down. . .
If this wasn't one of my daughter's pulls, I would have already dropped it.
Last edited March 13, 2017 2:36:24 amFavorite Characters: Lone Ranger, Green Hornet, Captain America, The Shadow, Zorro, The Rocketeer, Jonah Hex
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Wise Beyond the Years
Location: Utah
Posts: 1090
My Collection
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- Posted: March 13, 2017 2:52:35 am
- STAR WARS: DOCTOR APHRA #5 (Marvel)
Last issue felt like trade padding, this issue is better. It completely embraces the "Indiana Jones in Space" vibe as Aphra, her merry band of misfits, and her father explore the temple of an ancient fringe order of Jedi while being pursued by Captain Tolvan and her Imperial troops.
The art (especially Aphra's face) is still a little iffy, but looks better. The coloring in particular stands out in a big, good way on this issue as they make their way through the traps and pitfalls of the temple to confront an ancient Jedi warbot at the center.
All in all, I liked this issue. It didn't feel like padding, and I think this series COULD shape up into something great if they keep it up.Favorite Characters: Lone Ranger, Green Hornet, Captain America, The Shadow, Zorro, The Rocketeer, Jonah Hex
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