Breaking In To Arkham

Gotham City Sirens #20
Written by Peter Calloway
Art by Andres Guinaldo and Ramon Bachs

 

After a so-so opening arc on this book, Calloway blew me away with this issue! Perhaps the best issue of this series so far – it details how Harley Quinn breaks into Arkham Asylum by using psychological manipulation on the guards and staff and inmates. She of course was once a therapist there and knows all their secrets. It really shows a cold and calculating side of Harley we rarely get to see and Calloway nails it. Hats off to Guinaldo and Bachs as well whose art really helps to tell the story beautifully. I really enjoyed this.

Leaving Arkham

Titans (Volume 2) #30
Written by Eric Wallace
Art by Fabrizio Fiorentino

 

It’s a shame this Arkham arc is coming to an end as this has been the best this book has been since the Villains for Hire thing started. Heck any comic set in Arkham is usually a treat but this setting really amped up the fun for this series which I found to just be incredibly depressing before. Osiris leaves and swares off killing for now, which is a good thing, although it was kind of abrupt and the confrontation between Dick and Roy was great cause I am glad to see that Dick still believes in his friend even if Roy has become a drug addicted mess. I wonder where this is going.

Arkham Fights

Titans (Volume 2) #29
Written by Eric Wallace
Art by Fabrizio Fiorentino

 

This was an okay issue but I don’t feel like a lot happened – just a lot of fighting inside Arkham and Tattooed Man talking about his dead son – who I didn’t even know was dead. But it’s still Arkham and that is always fun. Osiris is completely nuts now.

A Trip To Arkham

Titans (Volume 2) #28
Written by Eric Wallace
Art by Fabrizio Fiorentino

 

I have to say that this is the best issue of Wallace’s run yet, and that has a lot to do with it is always awesome when a comic is set in Arkham Asylum and the Bat-Villains show up. The idea that the one guard had the key to all the cells is incredibly dumb but whatever. Osiris is a full-on killer now I highly doubt he can be redeemed even if he thinks killing is going to bring his sister back to life. Arsenal is actually quite interesting as a drug addict but it’s still so sad to see him like that. It was just as heartbreaking to see Ray Palmer investigating Ryan Choi’s disappearance. A part of me still has some hope that Ryan may still be alive somehow.

Gotham’s Creepiest Couple

Detective Comics #865
Written by David Hine
Art by Jeremy Haun
Co-Feature by Greg Rucka
Art by Cully Hamner

 

The main story was prefectly creepy! I love good Arkham Asylum stories and the new pair of Jeremiah Arkham and Alyce Sinner will probably make stories in the future. Arkham is an inmate of the asylum now just like his ancestor – he even carves his intial into Zsas’s eyelid! But Alyce is now director of Arkham Asylum and she is equally insane and in love with Jeremiah Arkham! This was a great little story. The Question back-up comes to its conclusion and we are left with a cliffhanger. Odd, Rucka really must have left DC in a hurry but we are not told whether Renee Montoya has the mark of Cain now or not. I wonder if we will have to wait till Rucka comes back to DC or if The Question is too high profile to keep waiting for him. Hmmm. All Good Questions haha.

Pretty Blah Issue

Batman: Streets of Gotham #11
Written by Paul Dini
Art by Dustin Nguyen
Co-Feature by Marc Andreyko
Art by Jeremy Haun

 

Zsasz is defeated in a rather unremarkable issue of this book. I really did not care for the whole Damian fighting without his mask thing. I mean if Zsasz sees the son of Bruce Wayne somewhere he is going to know he is Robin now. The Manhunter back-up was also not great (but not bad either). It just had everyone looking for Ramsey although it is always cool to see Jane Doe again.

Keep Her In Gotham

Batman: Streets of Gotham #10
Written by Paul Dini
Art by Dustin Nguyen
Co-Feature by Marc Andreyko
Art by Jeremy Haun

 

The main feature was a probably the first solo Damian story – as Damian is kidnapped by Zsadz’s men whom he went looking and is forced to fight the serial killer in an arena. It annoyed me how easily the Abuse kid figured out Damian was Robin and that Damian is going around introducing himself as Damian – I mean if he is going to do undercover work at least use a fake name! Ah! Oh well I guess we can chalk that up to his inexperience. It wasn’t a bad issue, but was a little on the short side. The Manhunter back-up kicked major ass…I love the character of Jane; she is such a creey villain and pulling a bomb out of her neck made her even creepier. Why is this co-feature ending exactly? I mean how are they even judging how well a co-feature is doing without the trades out? I am loving Manhunter in Gotham and do not want to see this end.

There Is Nothing Quite Like A Gotham City Christmas

Batman: Streets of Gotham #7
Written by Paul Dini
Art by Dustin Nguyen
Co-Feature by Marc Andreyko
Art by Cliff Richards

The main story is one of the more disturbing Batman Christmas stories I have ever read and I get a love disturbing Batman Christmas stories! Especially when written by Paul Dini! How great was that Joker and Robin Christmas issue from his Detective run?! Children are being locked up under a catholic orphanage and forced to fight to the death by Szasz. Their bodies are discovered by Humpty Dumpty who is desperately trying to put them together again. What a seemingly sweet villain Humpty is!? I have very limited experience with him and I would like to read more of him. Damian’s expression when he realizes that the kids Humpty is taking care of are all dead is great because you know when Damian is sickened by something, then it is really bad. I am really starting to love Damian since that Batgirl issue. I love how he has the balls to say that if you are a real son you get better gifts for Christmas haha. The Manhunter back-up is also great as Two-Face comes after Dylan and Manhunter has to defend him.

Introducing The Broker

Batman: Streets of Gotham #4
Written by Paul Dini
Art by Dustin Nguyen
Co-Feature by Marc Andreyko
Art by Jeremy Haun

This has to be the best issue of this series to date. Dini goes back to what he does best, exploring Gotham’s villains and adding interesting new ones to the roster. In this issue, he introduces The Broker, the real estate guy who sells all the abandoned warehouses and amusement parks to the bad guys of Gotham. That’s just genius! I can’t believe no one has thought of that before. I also loved how Dini explains why there are so many abandoned amusement parks by going over the history of Gotham. I love when writers flesh out DC’s fictional locales. The Manhunter back-up was pretty good as well, Kate makes the statement to the press that she will bring down Two-Face no matter what and I am sure that will get her in a lot of trouble. She also teams up with Huntress.

League Of Executives

Batman: Streets of Gotham #3
Written by Paul Dini
Art by Dustin Nguyen
Co-Feature by Marc Andreyko
Art by Georges Jeanty

Now this was a good issue. I liked how Dick and Damian solved the Hush problem, bring in the Justice League and the Outsiders and make them board of exectives that Hush has to listen to as Bruce Wayne! It is brilliant yet a little too easy. I liked it. But I don’t think Dick should turn to the League everytime he has a problem, I just think it worked this time. And damn can Dini write villains, he is really making Zsasz interesting, and I didn’t think he was at all before. I like how he keeps imagining how he will murder people. Nguyen’s art was inconsistent, but never horrible. Oh and you gotta love Damian saying that “Criminals are a superstitious and cowardly lot” is the stupidest thing he has ever heard. That shows how different he is from his father. The Manhunter Co-Feature still featured the incredibly creepy Jane Doe but was a really quick read that basically consisted of a fight and Huntress saving the day. It was just a little too quick for my tastes. But this was a good issue overall.

The Boy Wonder Meets The Girl of Steel

Superman/Batman #62
Written by Michael Green and Mike Johnson
Art by Rafael Albuquerque

You may think I am nitpicking, but this blog is called the CONTINUITY Blog for a reason. Robin simply did not wear that costume yet when Kara first came to earth. The editor should have caught this and told Albuquerque cause there is no way this adventure takes place one year after Infinite Crisis. Unless it takes place right before Supergirl joined the Teen Titans…hmmm…I suppose you could place it there but it seems like Kara should have met Tim long before then. Otherwise, this was a really fun issue. Any time we get to explore Arkham it is a good comic and this is no different, and Albuquerque’s art is perfect for this book! I never really liked his Blue Beetle art because I thought it was too cartoony but I think he adjusted his style or something because I enjoyed his art here a lot. I am glad he is the regular artist.

Imposters And Skin Suits

Batman: Streets of Gotham #2
Written by Paul Dini
Art by Dustin Nguyen
Co-Feature by Marc Andreyko
Art by Georges Jeanty

Okay I did not expect the main story with Hush to go the way it did – but I liked it! I am very interested in seeing how this plays out with Hush posing as Bruce and Dick not being able to do anything about it (I assume). it was also cool to see the League’s reaction to Bruce’s  fake return. We still don’t know who the new Black Mask is and I hope we find out soon enough. I also wonder who this mysterious new vigilante guy is? I hope it’s some guy from the past and not some random new duded. Nguyen’s art kindve annoyed me because it was said that Gordon was there – but I did not see Gordon. Did he read the script? But I really enjoyed this issue. The Manhunter Co-Feature was kick ass and I liked it even better then the last issue. Jane Doe is one scary villain! Art-wise it seemed like Kate was drawn like a little girl sometimes and I didn’t like that at all but story-wise it was great.

BATO 8 – 11

Batman and the Outsiders (Volume 2) #8
Written by Chuck Dixon
Art by Julian Lopez

God I love this series….Lopez’s art is just plain gorgeous in this issue and I am actually really liking Remac….not the stupid annoying guy that controls him, but he is a cool looking hero himself.

Batman and the Outsiders (Volume 2) #9
Written by Chuck Dixon
Art by Julian Lopez

Julian Lopez’s work is extremely underrated. This is some great work. I especially liked the detail put into Looker’s mansion…and I am not even an art person. Anyways, it was fun to see Looker again, she is a lot less annoying then when she was with the Outsiders.

Batman and the Outsiders (Volume 2) #10
Written by Chuck Dixon
Art by Ryan Benjamin

Sadly this is Dixon’s last issue on this series and he doesn’t even get to finish off his whole arc with the thing on the moon. The idea of a parasite that gives metahuman powers is an interesting one. The opening page was particularly terrifying for an opening page….but I miss having Lopez on this title. I look forward to seeing how the crossover with Batman RIP goes.

Batman and the Outsiders (Volume 2) #11
Written by Frank Tieri
Art by Ryan Benjamin

Well I am happy to say that this wasn’t a bad issue. I liked how all the villains ar Arkham are singing “Ding Dong the Witch is dead” because Batman is missing haha. I also like how out of all the RIP tie-ins, this one was the most tied in…even referencing more events then just the Black Glove’s existence. I just wish the other Outsiders would stop picking on Batgirl….cause they SHOULD listen to her she is Cassandra Cain and she is kick-ass.