Very Very Boring

Robin #157
Written by Adam Beechen
Art by Frazer Irving

This issue was just boring. I mean, I really enjoy Beechen’s writing on this title (besides the whole Cassandra Cain bullshit) but this was just blah. Nothing really happens in this issue. Robin makes a date with a girl and finds a cat who get attacked by a monster. I could see where something like that could work, but it doesn’t work here. It is just boring, I finished the issue thinking what the heck happened here…it did not seem like anything occured in the entire issue. Lame effort by Adam Beechen and definitely decompressed. The cover announced Klarion is in the issue, but he doesn’t appear till the final page! If DC really wanted to make it exciting, they shouldn’t have announced it on the cover.The art, while not bad, is a little dissapointing compared to Freddie Williams’s art on this title.

The Old Guys Are Back, And Better Than Ever

Justice Society of America #1
Written by Geoff Johns
Art by Dale Eaglesham and Art Thibert

Yes, this series is as good as everyone has been saying. In fact, it was better than I expected. Geoff Johns knows how to write teams books. Especailly considering this and Teen Titans are the best teams books on the market right now…and he writes both. He manages to incorporate into the first issue of this new JSA series while at the same time leaving it accessible to new readers. That is what Geoff Johns does best, continuity without confusion. I ate up every moment of it. Cyclone and Starman are two new characters and I love them both already. Having a mentally unstable superhero like Starman on the team is great and the fact that he looks nothing like he acts makes it so much better. The old JSA series was great and this one looks like it will end up bring just as great if not better. Oh and the art is fantastic as well. Highly Recommended.

Batman Begins, Oops I Mean Confidential

Batman Confidential #1
Written by Andy Diggle
Art and Cover by Whilce Portacio and Richard Friend

This is the start of a new series that will focus on the early days of Batman’s career….and like many before me, all I have to say is…..haven’t we seen this a million times? Isn’t this what Legends of the Dark Knight is supposed to be about? Aren’t like half the mini-series focued around Batman about his early days? I suppose you can make the arguement that Batman’s early days have been changed a bit since Infinite Crisis but I mean…come on. Now ignoring all that, Andy Diggle’s story is not bad. It wouldn’t be the type of first I would choose to start off the book but it isn’t a bad choice. This is the story of the first meeting between Bruce Wayne and Lex Luthor. I have always wondered about Wayne Enterprises and LexCorp and if they have any competition between eachother and this story shows that they do. This story bars plenty of Batman Begins which isn’t necessarily bad but you don’t want to make it seem like it is copying it, which Diggle kind of is. Lucious Fox is in the tech department here much like he was in Batman Begins and Bruce’s banter with Fox is very similar to the film. But I guess since it was a great movie, there is no reason why elements of it shouldn’t be brought to the comics. The art wasn’t my cup of tea, they draw Bruce really weird in this. He looks deformed or something.

Loving the New Roster

Teen Titans (Volume 3) #41
Written by Geoff Johns
Art by Paco Diaz and Ryan Benjamin

Teen Titans never fails to excite me. Every panel is just filled with comic goodness and this issue is no exception. I love the new line-up of the team (which is spotlighted by Tony Daniel’s great cover). Wonder Girl and Robin…These two have to be on the Titans and for good reason. Cyborg….he is the heart and soul. Raven….Love the character. Miss Martian…Probably the best new character of this year. The Ravager…..I am really starting to like her. Kid Devil…Ditto. Jericho…Much better costume than his old one. The only thing wrong with this issue is I wish Tony Daniel would drawn it. But the guest artists were pretty good. I can’t wait to see the new roster when they get more settled and become more of a team than they are now. Highly Reccomended.

Yay! Plastic Man!

Superman/Batman #30
Written by Mark Verheiden
Art and Cover by Ethan Van Sciver

Okay, I have no idea what is going on or why this alien thing is turning everyone bad, but because Plastic Man is in this issue, I freaking loved it! In case you do not know, Plastic Man is one of my favorite characters anytime Kyle Baker’s lame ass isn’t writing him. I don’t get why Batman said that he doesn’t trust Plas, because I thought in JLA Batman was one of Plas’s biggest supporters. That would be my only complaint about this issue because Plas is in it! I can’t get enough of Plastic Man! If only DC would have made the Plastic Man series without Kyler Baker’s art and cartoonyness things would have been great. They should have had Joe Kelly write it or something. Anyways, I am not a big fan of the heroes go bad for this storyline thing so I wasn’t excited when Superman all of a sudden went evil but you guessed it, yes, I didn’t mind because it involves Plastic Man!

Nightiwing: Buried Alive!

Nightwing #127
Written by Marv Wolfman
Art by Dan Jurgerns

First off, not sure why, but I really liked this cover and I really liked Jurgerns’s art in this issue. Story-wise, the mystery behind the Raptor does not really interest nor does the Lexcorps stuff, but I do like the whole “Nightwing was supposed to die in the crisis” thing and that is the mystery I am most interested in. I suppose though that it ties into the Lexcorps stuff somehow. We’ll see. Someone being buried alive and how they get out of it is fun and cool in any type of entertianment, whether it be Kill Bill or a comic book. The way that Nightwing gets out is even cooler. I loved it. Dick is a smart guy even though he seems to be losing it this issue. Although, if I was buried alive I think I might too. Decent issue.

GREAT Joker Story

Detective Comics #826
Written by Paul Dini
Art by Don Kramer and Wayne Faucher

I think I just read the best Joker story ever. It was just that good. Dini writes the Joker as the entertianing yet sick fuck that he should be. I expected this to be good because Dini wrote the Joker for Batman: The Animated Series and that is probably one of the best Jokers ever, but I did not expect this to be this good. It was a work of freaking art. I loved every moment. I loved how Robin was watchign the Joker do all these evil and horrific things and he could not do one thing about it. Now, I figure some will complain that Batman barely makes an appearence in this issue, but I don’t think it really matters. Having Batman appear in this issue too much could have ruined it. I loved also how we get to read Robin’s thoughts about how to get out of the situation, it really shows that Robin is a professional hero, he knows what he is doing and using the Marx Bros to trick the Joker was fan freaking tastic. The only complaint I would say is the flashback part of the story was a little jarring. It came out of nowhere and I was not sure if it was a flashback or not at first. Plus, it was hard to tell if Tim was talking to Dick Grayson or Bruce Wayne at first. Otherwise, perfect issue. If anyone wanted to read a good Joker story, I would give them this issue.

Decent Filler

Batman #659
Written by John Ostrander
Art by Tom Mandrake

This is the beginning of a little filler arc on this series while Grant Morrison takes a break. It is a decent issue that incorporates what seems like an interesting mystery but so far really nothing to write home about. In other words, it is clearly just filler. The idea of Batman fighting with a someone who kills bad guys is not a new one, not a new one at all. Neither is the idea of someone who uses fire as weapon. Both of these characteristics fit the new villain/vigilante Grotesk. Ostrander is a good writer though so I trust that he will turn this storyline into a little less cliche. The Leslie Thompkins clinic makes an appearence in this issue and it just reminds me of the horrific “War Crimes” storyline for a few years ago where the character of Leslie Thompkins was basically destroyed, in a way similar to the way DC destroyed Cassandra Cain. But even with all my complaints, this was a decent issue that won’t bore or dissapoint anyone.

The Son of Zod

Action Comics #845
Written by Geoff Johns and Richard Donner
Art and Cover by Adam Kubert

I am not going to lie, I did not enjoy this on the first read. I felt like they were trying to replace Connor Kent and that is just not exceptable. But now, after reading it a few times, I realize that is not what it is about. Connor was never Clark’s “son”, I don’t knw I guess I just changed my view on this. Kubert’s art also took some getting used to and I think I really like it now, it fits this story wonderfully. Now, I am not a big Bizarro fan but it was interesting to see that he was locked up by Lex Luthor. I don’t like the cover of this issue, it just doesn’t grab me like a cover should. Clark and Lois naming the boy “Chris Kent” was a nice nod to Christopher Reeve that I really did not catch on the first read. The ending was surprising and I really didn’t guess that Zod would be part of this.

Don’t Fix Costumes That Aren’t Broken

Outsiders (Volume 3) #43
Written by Judd Winick
Art by Ron Randall and Art Thibert

Okay my biggest complaint in this issue has to be Katana’s new costume. Look at that thing, it’s hideous. Why fix something that isn’t broken? Katana’s old costume was just fine. In fact, I rather miss it. Storywise though, this issue was full of comic goodness. O love the parts of a comic where the villain reveals his “master plan” and Sivana even calls it that in this issue. His plan makes sense but I am not sure if Winick had planned this all the way from the beginning of this series or not. He could have but it seems unlikely. The ending was cool too, I did not expect Sabbac to show up. Winick is like the kind of all thing Captain Marvel at DC lately, whether that is a good or bad thing is debatable, but I enjoyed seeing Sabbac and his reason for helping the Outsiders surprisingly made perfect sense. Next issue looks like a lot of fun, Red Hood will make an appearence in a “one year ago” flashback.