It's Wednesday!!
It’s Wednesday, boys and girls, which means it’s comic book day. I haven’t posted a review in a while, because, frankly, nothing has been that great. Nightwing last week was tepid. Detective was alright, and worth the read for the bukkake shots of Tim, but the cutest parts were posted over on scans daily (Don’t make me lock you in the cave!) and on top of that, it was a two parter, so I’ll review it proper when the rest comes out. Superman/Batman sucked. I hate this story line and I wish it would just be over. Outsiders had some cute stuff between Grace and Anissa, and most importantly had NIGHTWING VOUCHING FOR RED HOOD! Guh. Just guh. 52 made me cry TWO WEEKS IN A ROW, more on that below! Soooo, without further review: The Reviews!
Robin #160: The cover is simply atrocious, but the rest is fine. More Killa Nilla, which I love. Tim was witty and nerdy, as he should be. The plot was fairly interesting. I’m worried though, as one of the small population who actually likes Zoanne, what’s going to happen when it comes out that it’s her Mom and Dad or something who are the ones making the meta-drug. Because, you know that’s were this is going, right? I don’t want to see her go after 6 issues or something. Tim needs continuity of supporting characters, damnit!! Also, Poor Dodge. He’s going to be completely psycho villain now.
Teen Titans #44: In the words of Kid Devil: Hot Damn. Tim for the mother fuckin’ win. First off: That panel with Tim tied up and Cass crawling to him might just be the hottest thing ever. Second, Cass about to stick Tim with the super soldier serum made me squee outloud. Third, though I already saw it on
scans_daily, I think I might be the only person alive who likes the idea of Match as a Bizzaro. Guys, it’s been years since we saw Match, He’s a clone of SB, which means he has Kryptonian DNA which we all know is HIGHLY unstable and prone to going Bizzaro. On top of that, He’s had his genetic make up messed up by Joker once, and he was just as susceptible to all the clone effecting viruses that Superboy had Cadmus to protect him from. We haven’t seen or heard from Match since at least 3 years comic time (Assuming YJ broke up a year before the crisis, then there was the 52 year and a half year since OYL, plus the last time we saw Match was several months before YJ ended… so…there). That’s more than enough time for him to have gone Bizzaro. Though, it is possible that this isn’t Match, but it is Kon gone Bizzaro. Kon IS a clone of a Kryptonian, and before when he fought SB prime and nearly drained himself and Luthor gave them the miracle cure thing, he did say that were Kon to lose power again, he’d degrade and die. I wouldn’t put it past Slade or Cass to dig up Kon, tell him he’s Match, then send him off to mess with Cassie and Tim’s heads. Evidence to this fact: I’m sure Supes would have restrictions in place in the Fortress to not admit evil clones that everyone knows about. Match wasn’t a perfect clone of Kon, he had slightly different DNA. How would the fortress have admitted him? Second evidence: When Tim gave Cassandra the antidote to the serum, she was holding Superboy’s shirt… not Spoiler’s cloak. It would make more sense for her to mourn Spoiler’s loss, since she was closer to Spoiler and since Spoiler was her spirit guide while she was dead. However, if she knew what she had done with digging up Superboy, she would have felt more pity about that. Yeah, it’s a theory. Hope it turns out. The last page of the issue = PURE SEX. Just… plain and simple. Deathstroke done pissed off the baddest fighter in the DCU. Good going, Slade. Hope you had a nice life.
Green Arrow #72: Oh. My. God. This was like, the sexiest issue of GA in a while, and that includes all the “training vacation” issues with the Conner/Mia fest. I know a lot of people don’t like him from his run on Batman, but Judd Winnik’s writing really shines through in the GA books. The whole issue read like some kind of cracked out Bat/Arrow slash, which, I love. Ok…. Maybe not slash. You could just look at it as a really good mirror on Bruce and Ollie’s relationships with each other and with their partners. I’m going to go on and on about this, just warning you now. I really liked this issue. Ollie’s reaction to finding out Hood has taken Mia is so perfect, “I am calm, but I’m also Enraged and Shouting!” and his venting his anger at Bruce in the ‘mobile is also perfect. These two are the most alike of all the heroes in the DCU (Both un-powered humans relying on tools and gizmos who practice non-violent means of fighting. Both from blue blooded backgrounds who use their inherited fortunes to fund their nighttime activities. Both work with teenaged partners who they took in after said partner was orphaned and both have turbulent relations with partners once that kid has grown and moved on.) And yet, Ollie wants nothing more than to make himself separate from Bats. He calls Bruce cold and unfeeling and a poor father. He thinks that it’s Bat’s fault what Jason has become, which just says to me Ollie really doesn’t know Bruce. Is this how the rest of the DCU views the Hood? The ones that know he’s the fallen Robin think it’s because Bats drove him to this? That’s pretty sad. Luckily, Bruce is the Goddamned Batman and threw it right back in Ollie’s face. Reading Bruce say flat out to Ollie that Ollie doesn’t know what he’s talking about and that it’s really rich hearing that come from the mouth of the man who found out his adopted kid was on heroin and threw him out on the street. I actually said “OH SNAP, BATS” out loud. The carhop at Sonic looked at me funny for this. I mean, really, lets look at this:
SIDEKICK BATTLE ROYALE!!! SIDEKICK BATTLE ROUND ONE! Dick had some parental trust issues, but kept them largely internal and only came to blows once. He then went on to be a very well respected member of the hero community and save for one slip (Renegade, thank you, Devin Grayson) is an all-round great kid. Roy was abandoned by his partner so Ollie could go Jack Kerouac it up and be very gay with Hal, got hooked on heroin, then Ollie kicked him out. He was helped out of this by GL, BC, and the Titans and eventually went on to be a well respected member of the hero community, a Leaguer, and a good parent. Winner: While both kids ended up good, Bruce wins because he didn’t abandon his kid when the boy needed the most help. Tough love is better than abandonment, Ollie.
SIDEKICK BATTLE ROUND TWO! Jason was a messed up kid before Bruce got his hands on him. He always had anger issues, but while he was with Bruce they did seem to mellow out some. Bruce actually adopted him, and for a while things were ok. Then his mother betrayed him to the Joker and there was no way Batman could have saved him so he died. Then Superboy-Prime punched time and brought him back, only for him to be found by Talia (No fault of Bruce’s) be put into a Lazarus Pit and made crazy (Again, not B’s fault) and then trained for several years by Talia to keep him crazy (Again, NOT B’S FAULT). Now that Jason is back, he’s caused hell for the Bats, Psych warfare for being replaced and not avenged (Though, he’s friendly with Dick, who was genuinely sad Jason was gone and regretted not spending time with him, and who also ‘killed’ the Joker back in the Last Laugh story line). He kills, yes, but he kills the bad guys who need killing. He’s not a complete psycho like the League of Assassins. There is method to his madness, and he is redeemable. And, for what it’s worth, Bruce did everything he could for Jason except kill Joker. On the other side you have Conner Hawke, who yes, I know isn’t Ollie’s side kick, but he is Ollie’s son. Who Ollie admitted to abandoning as an infant. Conner turned out to be really great, but that’s because he was raised by monks. He has so, so very little to do with Ollie, so much so that the training year was the first time they’d really spent together. And Ollie spent it fighting little Asian psycho dudes. Winner: Ok, Conner is the better kid. Jason is a baddie. But that’s not Bruce’s fault, and Conner isn’t good by any doing of Ollie’s. So, draw. Though Ollie gets major anti-cool points for abandoning his baby son at a monastery.
SIDEKICK BATTLE ROUND THREE! Tim and Mia come from completely different backgrounds, but through the influence of their mentors, have become great heroes in their own rights. Mia is the first time Ollie has really tried, which says to me he’s learned from his mistakes and is trying to do it right this time. Because of this, Mia is off the streets, in a top notch treatment program, has friends and allies, and a reason to live. Tim is more like Bruce in personality than any other Robin, and because of this, has picked up more than a few of the Bat’s bad habits. Tim, without Batman, would have likely gone on to be a good, if normal kid. I could see him being a nerd in school, doing science or maths, going to college to be a doctor or an archeologist or maybe even an FBI agent or pathologist. He would have been respected in College and his professional field. He would have gone to live with some relative away from Gotham after his parents died (Assuming that Batman wouldn’t have been in Haiti to save Jack Drake if he wasn’t doing it for Tim) and if Jack made it, Tim would have had a good relationship with his father. Because of his time with Batman, Tim has suffered more hardship than any previous Robin (Save…you know… Jason dying and all). He’s seen both parents killed, two ex girlfriends killed, best friend killed, step mom go crazy, contracted an Ebola-like plague, seen two cities he’s protected razed to the ground, and had to survive being tortured by Granny Goodness. Looking at it that way, Mia’s life is better thanks to Green Arrow and Tim’s is worse thanks to Batman. But, both kids are relatively happy and Tim doesn’t see his time with Bruce as a curse. For a while, Bruce was a better parent to him than Jack Drake. Regardless, I have to call the Winner here as Ollie, simply because Tim is the DC Whipping boy.
SIDEKICK BATTLE CONCLUSION: On one hand: Arsenal, GAII, and Speedy. On the other Nightwing, Red Hood, and Robin. Looking at it like that, Ollie has turned out 3 good kids, Bruce 2, so on paper, Ollie wins. However, that’s really more a victory for Hal and Dinah in Roy’s case, and Bruce had nothing to do with Jason going bad, so I have to give the Better parent award to Bruce. Wow… that rant was kind of long.
Ok, back to the issue at hand. Jason and Mia. Ohemgeee! New fav paring! I demand more of this, MORE I SAY! Oh god, now I have to fic it. I have so many things I want ficced, and I haven’t even freaking finished the next chapter of Multiverse. Gah. Ok, I’m gonna do it anyway. Jason’s right though, Mia is the most like him of all the side kicks. I can completely see her coming up against some rapist pimp and going for a killing blow now. She’s already done stuff like cut the tendons in her pimp’s thumb. She knows that sometimes, dudes just need killin. I want to see her be the Hood’s sidekick! Crackfic! In all, this issue was le’ awesome sauce. It was the second best DC input I had today.
52 #43-45: I’m lumping together the last 3 weeks, because it’s really all one bit of story. I really can’t say I’m surprised that Osiris and Isis were killed. I expected it. Doesn’t mean I LIKED IT! Damn you, mad scientist, for your genetically engineered apocalypse! Damn You, Dr Silvana! I HOPE BLACK ADAM RIPS OFF YOUR SHINY BALD HEAD! There is MUCH BA Bad assery (Haa Black Adam = Bad Ass. Coincidence? I think not) in 44 and 45. Renee totally rocks the Carmen San Diego look. We got to see more of the Great Ten in 45, and I fear they are all about to die. Which would be a real true shame. 52 is finally starting to pick up. I can’t wait for next week and seeing a massive Suicide Squad plus the Great Ten and Metal Men try to stop Adam. I. Love. Black. Adam. “You are no longer death. Now I am!” Beautiful.
Batman: Ace of Detectives #14: Sweet Jesus. Yes, I am putting a review of this with my comic reviews even though it is a radio play and not licensed by DC. However, IT SHOULD BE. Every facet of this episode rocked my socks off. I literally have no socks on now. I didn’t to begin with, but that’s beside the point! I should say that I did get an advanced script of this to help with picking cover subjects for Superman issues. But, I don’t like ruining plot points for myself, so I didn’t really read that in depth, but rather scanned to see what characters were appearing. I’m glad I didn’t! It was so awesome getting to be pulled into the story! I love all the stuff between Renee and Gordon (And the little Maggie Sawyer part of my brain was very scared for Renee!). The dialogue between Diana and Clark was some of the best between those two characters I’ve ever heard. Timmy!! Muaha! VIVA TIMMY THE PARADEMON! The fact that Clark named him after a kid from Kindergarten is So. Very. Clark of him. And the conversation between Tim and Bruce? And Bruce’s little Tongue in Cheek “I’m the Batman”? Perfection. Sheer perfection. Bravo, Seth and Jon for that brilliant delivery. Bravo, Pete for that wonderful dialogue and direction. Bravo, Jeff for the great story that Imperium has been. Bruce calling Tim ‘son’ nearly made me cry. I listened to this on repeat all morning long. It was the best bit of DC input I’ve had all year, I think. Pendant’s DCU is my new canon.
Reason why I get behind on comic rants? I started typing this while at work after returning from lunch break at 2:30. I just finished and it is 5. Sure, I’ve had to occasionally stop to answer the phone or pretend to be busy doing actual work, but I have even more distractions at home (Dog, Cats, parents, TV, etc). I’m going to cross post this to the
persist_heroes since it covers Titans and Robin, and the AOD part to the Pendant Yahoo!Group with a link back. Hopefully if more people read and comment, I’ll feel better about spending 2 and a half hours ranting about the monthly adventures of fictional characters.
In other news, last week and week before last in Pendant chat had everyone saying how great my artwork was for Superman 26 and Dixie 9. I, being the toughest critic of my own art, think it’s just ok. Check out the stuff I’ve done! Then check out the episodes! Make sure you remove your socks first though, unless you want them blown off and across the room!