Batgirl #43 Preview

… … …Okay, I’m beginning to notice a pattern with the Batgirl book as of late: One issue, they’ll tease something horrible that I absolutely hate happening, and then the next issue, everything turns out to be fine. I swear to God, though, if they reveal that Jo is actually Velvet Tiger right after the announcement that her and Alysia are getting married… …the only way that they can recover from that is if it pushes Alysia closer to Babs and THEY get together, because clearly Alysia has a thing for redheads. lol Anyway, enough gun-jumping, here’s the preview for Batgirl #43!

• Tech genius Luke Fox has brought his startup to Burnside, and he seems to be hiring all of Barbara’s friends…but not her! Unfortunately, someone else is setting up shop in Burnside as well…the mysterious Velvet Tiger!

http://comicbook.com/2015/08/21/exclusive-dc-comics-preview-batgirl-34/

My Thoughts On Batman #43 And The Massive Plot Hole I’ve Uncovered (WARNING – SPOILERS)

So, as you know, I have not been buying Batman since Jim Gordon took over the role. I’m sorry, but I just don’t like the idea, and I like it even less with Powers Industries and the GCPD following his every move. There ARE stories where it KINDA works, like in the last issue of Batgirl, but otherwise, not so much. However, I HAVE been following along with what’s going on, and I know what was revealed in today’s issue regarding how Bruce can still be alive and yet not have retaken the role of Batman. If you haven’t read today’s issue and don’t want to be spoiled, stop reading this article and go read the comic. Otherwise, here’s what’s happened.

Apparently, Batman DID die in that cave with the Joker. However, his body was regenerated by the chemicals that Joker had used to regrow his face, give himself temporary Wolverine-esque healing powers, and trick people into thinking he was immortal. So, all’s good, right? Well, the thing is, the chemicals may have dropped the ball on one point. See, they brought back Bruce Wayne. They did NOT, however, bring back Batman. Right now, Bruce believes what the public believes: That he FUNDED Batman for years. He’s not sure exactly what happened to him recently, but he remembers pretty much all of his assets being taken up by the government following Batman Eternal, and that he’s pretty much broke. That’s why he’s currently working at a teen centre with Julie Madison: He wants to continue to do what he can to help people, but he’s also having to rebuild his life from ground zero. He’s also told Jim Gordon that he can’t help him figure out how to stop Powers from tracking his every move, saying that’s not his life anymore.

As we find out, Alfred is well aware of what’s happened, and Superman’s figured it out too. However, there’s kinda this problem in the way of them telling him the truth: Even if they told him the truth and he put the cowl back on, his training to become Batman is gone. His body might be able to do the job, but not his mind. He’d likely get himself killed, only this time there’d be no way to bring him back. Now, as Superman brought up, Bruce always has a plan, and must’ve had something in mind in case he couldn’t continue to operate as Batman. Problem is, said contingency plan was the cloning machine from Batman: Detective Comics #27 and Future’s End: Batman #1, and he never got it to work. So, until they find a way to restore his memories, the real Batman’s dead, and he’s not coming back.

So yeah, this is a good explanation for why Bruce isn’t Batman right now, and presents a decent dilemma for how to bring him back. Mind you, Bruce having amnesia isn’t exactly a new story, but whatever, it nonetheless works here… … …Here’s where the problem is: Why the hell did they let Powers and the GCPD create a new Batman that worked for them? See, you’ve got I dunno how many different operatives in Batman Incorporated, all of whom were trained to operate using Batman’s methodology. Why couldn’t you just PICK UP THE PHONE AND CALL THEM?! What is the point of having so many characters that work with Batman, that know how he operates, that were trained by him to BE Batman in different regions of the world, if you’re not gonna use them in situations like this?! Hell, to the best of my knowledge, Superman knows that Dick Grayson is alive! Call him and tell him that Bruce has amnesia and needs someone to stand in for him! There is no reason to leave this up to Gordon to deal with the weight of all of this!

Anyway, that’s the plot hole in this story. Whether or not this is a mistake on Scott Snyder’s part is up to debate, though, since he could’ve overlooked all of this or is simply having to ignore it for the sake of the story. And frankly, I honestly don’t know if Jimbo becoming Batman is really his idea, or if it, combined with Superman’s new status quo and Wonder Woman’s new look, are part of an ill-fated attempt by DC to copy what Marvel has done with their big three. In addition, Jim Gordon becoming Batman could also be an attempt to promote the show Gotham, where he is oftentimes considered the main protagonist…which I don’t even understand why you’d wanna do that, since Gotham is a piece of shit show that doesn’t even understand its own fucking mythos. Regardless, this plot hole makes things problematic at best, and hopefully, Snyder addresses this issue in-story sooner than later.

Before I call it a day on this post, though, there’s one other thing I wanna address, concerning the new enemy, Mr. Bloom. A theory I’ve heard about the villain is that he’s actually the Joker, who was likewise brought back to life by the chemicals in the cave and is lacking parts of his personality. I REALLY hope that’s not the case. Don’t get me wrong, a similar story could be done to bring Joker back while also erasing his memory of Batman’s identity and possibly bringing back more…charming aspects of his personality beyond being a simple horror villain. However, I’d much rather that be done much LATER from now, and have Mr. Bloom be his own unique character that simply represents the kind of foe Joker was to Bruce in his relation to Gordon. Not to mention, bringing both Bruce and Joker back so quickly would make Endgame seem so small in the grand scheme of things. Mind you, Mr. Bloom is kind of a dumb name for a supervillain we’re supposed to take seriously, and we’ve already done the plant-based rogue for Batman, but he nonetheless has potential as his own character.

Anyway, that’s all I wanted to say about this. Hopefully, we get some good answers pretty soon. Ja né!

What Should Infinite Batman’s Costume Be? YOU DECIDE!

So, as anyone who has been reading along with my Justice League Infinite fanfic, you should know that Batman has been wearing a high tech ‘Meta-Buster’ costume, which, on the surface, is a repaint of the Justice League 3000 Batsuit. However, as the most recent chapter that I posted revealed, the suit is actually a plot point: When Starro manages to take control of him, Batman’s Meta-Buster and his knowledge of the heroes’ powers and abilities are turned against the team. As such, the Meta-Buster is NOT Batman’s primary costume in JLI. But then, what is? Well, I HAD a plan going in, but now, looking over the various costumes Batman has worn throughout the years, I find myself doubting the plan. So instead, I decided to bring up a few costumes I think would work great for the DC Infinite Universe’s incarnation of The Dark Knight.

The Batman Incorporated/Earth One Batsuits

 

The reason I post both of these together is because I think I’d want to use a suit that incorporates elements of both, and also leaving out the…*ahem*, ‘Bat-Cup’ that the Batman Incorporated Batsuit had. I do kinda like the idea of the light-up Bat symbol, though. Maybe he could use it like that spot-light Spider-Man used to freak out bad guys with.

The Burtonverse Batsuit

 

The original suit that I had in mind. I think the only changes I’d make would be to very lightly tint it blue (because for some weird reason, blue actually blends into the dark better than black, don’t ask), and to make the belt pouches more rectangular. The cylindrical ones bug me. It makes me wonder how the hell he ever kept anything in them.

The Arkham Knight Batsuit

 

While it makes me wonder how the heck he’s supposed to change into this costume on the fly, I rather like it. The panels actually kind of remind me of the live action Iron Man suits, which I’m assuming is the idea, and is probably what I’d go with as well in using it.

The Zero Year Costume

I just love how this suit pays great homage to the original Batsuit. The only thing I’d probably change is to remove the weird line patterns going down the sides. I have no idea what the hell those were for.

The New 52 Costume

Basic and badass. That said, because his Robin is Carrie Kelley, I’d probably change the Bat symbol to look more like the one from The Dark Knight Returns, just for the heck of it.

Anyway, that’s it for some of the ones I could think of. Which do you think would look best for the Infinite Dark Knight’s Batsuit? Perhaps a mixture of the bunch, or a completely different one I didn’t mention? Lemme know in the comments below which you think I should go with, and we’ll see what happens. Ja né!

What I Bought This Past Week – Talon #10, X-Men #3, Batman Annual #2, Batman Incorporated #13, Fearless Defenders #7, Watchmen on DVD, The Hexagon Artwork (WARNING – SPOILERS)

Oh hey, it’s Wednesday, and it’s time to take a look at…

…Yeah, I kinda neglected to do this last week, and you’ll understand why when we get to it. Also, it ended up working out pretty well, since I bought something yesterday, and received a little something that I paid for a week ago and was expecting to receive at Harbour Con, but was ready for me a couple of days early. So, let’s start with what I bought last week, Talon #10.

The reason why I didn’t talk about this is because I wasn’t really all that inspired to talk about it. Maybe it was just kinda underwhelming, maybe it was because I had other stuff to talk about, or maybe I’m just used to doing bunches of comics all at once nowadays. Regardless, not much really happened. Calvin Rose got into a fight with one of Bane‘s goons, got cornered by a whole whack of them, but then was saved by Casey Washington’s buddies, which led into a much bigger fight on the horizon with Bane himself. The only thing of real relevance was that Casey managed to get herself free, and I was kinda expecting she would anyway. I will say that I DO feel delighted to know I correctly assumed the lead woman in this story, who is not a superhero, would be able to take care of herself just fine when kept in the Court of Owls‘ headquarters. 🙂

Adjectiveless X-Men #3 had a bit of a delightful mislead: Rather than the box with the ticking timer being a bomb, it instead is an override device that pretty much sets the X-Mansion against Kitty Pryde and the students, though they seem to be able to get out of danger just fine thanks to Bling (Hey, I’m finally learning people’s names! ^_^ ). Meanwhile, the rest of the team go with Sublime and track Arkea to a hospital. It seems she’s been busy with the patients, enslaving their minds, but Psylocke holds her at…erm, blade-point, while she’s in Karima’s body. She seems hesitant to go through with taking her down, though, but Karima manages to regain control just long enough to take Psylocke’s blade and damage herself enough to seemingly force Arkea out, though she leaves herself in critical condition. Overall, another great issue of a series that is definitely my favourite Marvel book thus far, with some awesome moments with Jubilee and her kid, and I honestly kinda hope Karima recovers well enough that she joins the team. Just seems like the logical step to make given how much time they used to establish just how much she means to the X-Men.

So when I learned that Batman Annual #2 was gonna be a tie-in to Zero Year, and then saw the preview pages showing him walking into Arkham Asylum in the costume to be locked away, I naturally was like “WTF?! They locked him up?!”. However, it seems Scott Snyder was kinda trolling us with those first few pages, as Batman’s actually there to test the new security systems. So how does this tie-in to Zero Year? Well apparently, while looking through files at the Asylum, he attracted some unwanted attention by a woman staying there who can walk through walls, referred to as the Anchoress. Essentially, she’s there because she actually WANTS treatment, but over the years, less attention was given to her as Batman started sending additional villains there. She breaks out when she finds out he’s present and nearly traps him in an inescapable prison of his own mind, but thanks to some help from a new guy working at the Asylum, he manages to stop her and return her to her cell, all the while the new guy arranges for the Anchoress’ treatment to be restored. Overall, a nice read, and much better than the last Batman Annual.

Y’know, there’s something to be said about a cover done like this for a book where major change happens. lol

Fearless Defenders #7 promised major change to the status quo, and it has. As you’ll recall, last time on Fearless Defenders, fan favourite Annabelle Riggs died to stop Valkyrie’s rampage as the Maiden of Rage. Well, good news to fans of the character, she’s alive again!…Sorta. I’ll admit, I’m a little confused, but long story short, Valkyrie goes to Valhalla where she finds Clea and asks her to resurrect Annabelle. Clea says it can only be done with a sacrifice of some sort, though it appears to work just fine, and they all return to Misty Knight‘s safe house, Valkyrie stating that Clea would be safer with the Defenders. However, upon arriving, only Clea and Annabelle are present, until Annabelle turns into Valkyrie, Clea stating that the two will need time to get used to some changes. I read that and was like “…Wait, WHA???” over and over for a good fifteen minutes. As near as I can tell, Annabelle’s spirit has been bonded to Valkyrie’s, and they essentially are now, as SongbirdDiamond on Twitter referred to them, the Superior Valkyrie…Except, y’know, not stupid. lol Either way, colour me intrigued.

The End Is Here…

And now, the big one: Batman Incorporated #13, the end of Grant Morrison‘s run on Batman, and……..I feel kinda underwhelmed. Now, before ANYONE calls me out on this, I am NOT saying this is a bad comic by ANY stretch of the imagination. However, I did see a couple of things coming from a mile away, namely that the mystery woman who kidnapped Jason Todd was Kathy Kane, the original Batwoman, and that Talia was going to die, killed by a bullet to the skull by Kathy. All of this is being shown to us as Bruce narrates the events to Commissioner Gordon at the GCPD, following his arrest that we saw in Batman Incorporated #1 of the New 52. He tries to be a bit vague, though, as to keep Jim from knowing that he and Batman are one and the same. However, some inner monologue boxes from Gordon suggests that he’s always had a hunch that they are but keeps it to himself, mainly because it doesn’t really matter to him who Batman really is. Then we learn that some woman (most likely Kathy) has bailed Bruce out and gotten the charges against him dropped. All the while Bruce was contemplating shutting Batman Inc. down, but a returning Alfred gives him reason to stick around: Damian and Talia’s graves, both dug up and their bodies missing. And as this goes on, Ra’s al Ghul has retaken control of the admittedly battered League of Assassins and is now breeding an army of Damian clones.

…The Game Is Over…

So why do I feel underwhelmed by this issue? Well, because this is the LAST issue of Grant Morrison’s run, and despite it ending where it began, with Bruce and Talia and Damian, I’m left with so many frakking questions! How did Kathy Kane bail Bruce Wayne out of all his charges and lift the ban on the Bat Symbol? What’s Jason Todd’s plans now that it’s been revealed he was actually working for Talia but betrayed her? What happened to Talia and Damian’s bodies at the end? If the Fatherless was the actual individual to become Batman 666, why are we getting a ‘What If?’ mini-series about how Damian becomes Batman 666? With so many Damian clones being created, does that make it possible for the real one to come back someday? Is the British Government really going to resurrect Knight somehow? What’s the status of Batman Incorporated as a group now that the book is cancelled? Is there any chance they’ll let Chris Burnham do a Batman of Japan series? And most important of all, WHO’S GONNA FEED BATCOW?!?!

…No More Pretending…No More…! NO MORE!

Now, of course, I expect that all these things will be answered soon enough. However, if Grant Morrison was going to create so many major changes to the status quo, you’d think he’d wanna give the resolution himself, unless of course it turns out he wanted to but for whatever reason he couldn’t. Either way, it leaves a lot unresolved for his LONG run with Batman. Still, as I said before, it ended where it began, and that’s oftentimes the best place for a massive story-line to end.

This city’s afraid of me. I’ve seen its true face. The streets are extended gutters and the gutters are full of blood. And when the drains finally scab over, all the vermin will drown. The accumulated filth of all their sex and murder will foam up about their waists and all the whores and politicians will look up and shout “Save us!”… and I’ll look down and whisper “No.”

So, I finally rectified a mistake I’d made for quite some time and bought Watchmen on DVD. And if you’re wondering what took me so long, the answer is simple: I honestly thought I already had it on DVD somewhere. lol Yeah, not sure why I thought that, but whatevs. I have it now. Of course, I’ve already seen it at least a couple of times, and it still remains a great flick. And yeah, I know they made it without the slimey squid, but I don’t really think that’s anywhere near as low as the standards of the 90’s Kid. 😛

Six Winds Blow As One
They Will Turn The Tide
We Are Marching On
Standing Side By Side
And We’ll Carry On
Until All The Fire Has Gone
Blown Away, Away To Lands Beyond

And finally, my friend Nikki-Lee Dyckow drew this picture of The Hexagon, my superhero team (which, I promise, I will get back to eventually). I LOVE this so much, and she even made some improvements, like giving Strix boots that more resemble an owl’s talons, and The Bard a more medieval look…She also gave her slightly bigger boobs, which is a little odd, and was a little disturbing to N. Harmonik, but at least it provided a good laugh from me while explaining it to her. 😀

So that’s it for this week. Next week, we check in with The Movement and their attack on a police headquarters, and venture back to the world known as Earth 2. Ja né!

Related articles

• Fearless Defenders #7 (comicvine.com)
• DC Histories: Grant Morrison’s Batman (ifanboy.com)
• Threat Level Wednesday – Angels, Bats, Wolves, and Physics! (whatchareading.com)
• Guide to Reading Batman Comics in the New 52 (residinginthefifthdimension.wordpress.com)
• Comicbook releases 31/7 (justpressplay13.wordpress.com)
• Bunn’s “Fearless Defenders” Protect the Marvel Universe (comicbookresources.com)
• COMICS: Preview ‘BATMAN ANNUAL #2’ And ‘DETECTIVE COMICS ANNUAL #2’ (comicbookmovie.com)
• Review: Talon 10 (comicbooked.com)
• This Week’s Essential Comics: 07/29/13 (comicvine.com)
• 5 Suggestions for Marvel’s Valkyries (houseofgeekery.com)

What I Bought Today – Batman Incorporated #12, Earth 2 #14, The Movement #3 (WARNING – SPOILERS)

Well, it’s Wednesday, so let’s take a look at…

Kind late today, I know, but that’s because I went in earlier and they weren’t ready since the books were late due to Monday being a holiday, so I had to go back later. No biggie, though, it happens. So, let’s start with Batman Incorporated #12.

So, only one more issue to go after this one, which means it’s time for rapid-fire holy-crap-moment deployment! So Batman comes sailing in, decked out in his exo-skeleton/Azrael costume/Man-Bat serum look. Don’t worry, though, the swarm of bats accompanying him are injected with the antidote to the Man-Bat serum, making them the perfect air-to-air combatants for Talia‘s Man-Bat army, as well as allowing Batman to gradually recover, basically using the Man-Bat as an early edge against The Heretic. The fight between the two is violent as hell, and the reveal of what The Heretic looks like under his own cowl may supply you with nightmare fuel for the next few weeks, especially after he fails in both stopping Batman AND in heeding Talia’s orders, which causes her to decapitate the clone of her own son. Talia then blows up Wayne Tower, then arrives at the Bat Cave for the final showdown with Batman, all the while it seems there’s a far bigger picture to worry about, one that is made known to Batman Inc. by a woman who seems vaguely familiar to Nightwing. Overall, great issue, can’t wait for the final issue, but going to be sad to see the end of Grant Morrison‘s run with Batman.

Earth 2 #14…I kinda have mixed feelings about. Not that it’s bad or anything, it’s still really good, but I have a slight issue with Alan Scott‘s plan here. Basically, they decide to attack Steppenwolf’s forces in the country he took over before the World Army gets there, take down the outer defenses and soften up the capital, then Alan will use his broadcasting corporation to spin the heck outta the story so the public will come to instantly trust in them and the World Army will leave them alone. Granted, I understand that the World Army hasn’t exactly made life easy for them in this series, but this seems like rather selfish and foolish behaviour, and Dr. Fate and Jay Garrick are apparently just fine with it. So they arrive, they smash baddies, Steppenwolf orders his people to release the hounds…no, really, he says that. And yes, I DID imagine Mr. Burns‘ voice over that. However, while the JSA manage to take down quite a few enemy soldiers, it isn’t long before Wesley Dodds, the Sandmen, The Atom, and apparently Earth 2’s version of Red Arrow, all arrive a bit ahead of schedule, looking mighty pissed with the JSA, all the while Commander Khan and Mister Terrific are not far behind. It seems they were going for the more subtle and sneaky approach against a foe from Apokolips, and the JSA coming in guns blazing kinda ruined that. GL tries to keep everyone calm and work out an alternative for everyone, but it seems there’s not much time for that, as the Hunger Dogs of Steppenwolf have arrived to cause all kinds of crap.

The Movement #3 was…hang on a sec, I gotta ask something: Gail Simone? Were you locked in closets as a kid or something? Because you’re a really great writer, I love your work, but there’s kind of this darker aspect to a lot of your writing nowadays that makes me think there’s something not quite right in your head. o.O Anyway, The Movement continues to be compelling as we learn a bit more about certain members of the cast. The team discovers a bit more about who is really behind the killings in the city from Rainmaker, who I believe is a character from the Wildstorm Universe, but I’m not too familiar with her. I think she’s supposed to be some kind of a witch (at least that’s what Burden keeps calling her), and that she’s a lesbian, as she semi-discreetly gives Virtue her number, who jokes about it a bit…before pocketing it when no one is looking. Interested to see what happens there. Anyway, it seems they have issues a bit closer to home, as the police have Kartharsis (during which we get to see some of that darker writing I mentioned come into play), and when initial attempts to negotiate a hostage trade with the cops fails, Virtue instead decides to let the people of the city under their protection aid as they seek to literally tear down the police department. Um, eep?

Anyway, that’s it for this week. Btw, the reason I thought this week would be an expensive one is because I thought the newest issue of Fearless Defenders and the first issue of Gail Simone’s Red Sonja would be coming out. Apparently not so, so only three books this week. Not sure if they come out next week or not, but either way, check in then to see what I buy. Ja ne!

Related articles

• Batman Incorporated #12 (comicvine.com)
• Andy Kubert Launches “Damian: Son of Batman” In October (comicbookresources.com)
• Earth 2 #14 (comicvine.com)
• New Releases: July 3rd (catywhomp.wordpress.com)
• Wonder Woman graphic novel: Grant Morrison takes on the feminist icon (herocomplex.latimes.com)
• Gail Simone praises male reader support (digitalspy.co.uk)

Changes To My Pull List

So I’ve heard rumors that DC Comics plans to increase the price on all their books by a dollar at some point in the next few months to compete with the kind of money that Marvel makes. Wonderful. I should note for the record that I am unemployed and only have so much money to spend on comics. Heck, I’m pushing it as it is. So, with that said, I’m thinking I’ll be cutting back on some of the comics that I buy.

So, which ones get dropped? Well, obviously Batman Incorporated, since the book is getting cancelled in a couple of months. I’ve already dropped Justice League of America, and I wasn’t ever really steadily buying Justice League, instead buying what issues interest me if and when they pop up. And unfortunately, one book I MIGHT need to drop is Earth 2 once James Robinson leaves. It’s just, he’s leaving the book that he was highly passionate about and was making plans for all the way into late next year, and now he’s leaving it and DC altogether. That tells me that, among other things, DC has plans for Earth 2 that rubbed him in a seriously wrong way. If that turns out to be the case, it will be sad beyond words, so I hope I’m VERY wrong here. And finally, I’ve considered dropping Detective Comics in favour of Superman Unchained. Nothing personal, its just that, other than one or two hiccups, I really like Unchained. Besides, I’m already buying what I consider to be the best Batman book going right now, I don’t NEED this one too.

But what about the others? Well, at this exact moment, the only two I am swearing off dropping are Scott Snyder‘s Batman and Brian Wood‘s X-Men. The others, I don’t want to drop, but I will if I have to. So, for the next couple of months, I’m gonna be doing some serious thinking about this. However, since I like talking about the books I buy every week in What I Bought Today, and since plenty of people read those articles, I’m gonna ask you for your help in this decision.

Now, I’m not asking you which book(s) I should drop. I’m just asking, of the books I regularly buy, which one do you like to hear me talk about the most, which one do you think is the best, etc. Also, keep in mind that I’m adding Gail Simone‘s Red Sonja to this list since I plan to buy it next week. So, feel free to vote on the poll, or add comments below. Keep in mind, this won’t necessarily mean the one(s) that get the least votes will be dropped, I just want your take on all of this to help me make my decisions.

I should note that it may yet turn out I’m wrong about DC increasing the price of their books, but even if that is the case, I really should be considering doing this given my current financial status. Thank you for your time, and I hope to have this all figured away soon enough. Ja né!

Related articles

• “Injustice’s” Tom Taylor Takes Over “Earth 2” in October (comicbookresources.com)
• Early Review: Gail Simone’s RED SONJA #1 (comicvine.com)

Happy Birthday to ME! ^_^ + 10 Favourite DC Superheroes

Happy birthday to me, happy birthday to me! lol Okay, I’m not gonna do that the whole post, but I felt like bringing it up. And so, on this day that I turn 28, I decided to do two lists of my favourite superheroes, 10 from DC and 10 from Marvel. Let’s start with DC, since I’m honestly more of a DC guy than Marvel. I will elaborate on which interpretations of each character I prefer.

#1 – Bruce Wayne, AKA Batman

Yeah, be honest, you knew this was coming. In fact, I don’t know a single person who likes superheroes who doesn’t have Batman in their Top 10. I think it’s because there’s so many different interpretations of the character, thus allowing different people of different likes/dislikes to get into the character. Be it the comics, the 90’s cartoon, heck even the 60’s live action series, there’s plenty of interpretations of Batman to go around. Me personally, my favourite interpretations of the character are from Batman: The Animated Series and the Scott Snyder comics, neither of which should surprise anyone. lol

#2 – Clark Kent, AKA Superman

Ahh, the original template for the superhero in the 20th Century. Superman is the physical embodiment of hope, just as Batman is justice and Wonder Woman is truth. His feats are legendary, his abilities are unmatched, and his sheer power is only outdone by his sheer will and the strength of his heart. My favourite takes on the character are probably All-Star Superman and, again, the DCAU, although they perhaps showed him getting slapped around a bit too often there.

#3 – Stephanie Brown, AKA Batgirl

Hands down, my favourite super-heroine of all time. Sure, there are plenty who are faster, stronger, more intelligent, or more inventive, but Stephanie Brown is by far the most entertaining to read for her wit, her charm, and her never-say-die attitude. Obviously, my favourite take on the character is from Bryan Q. Miller‘s Batgirl title. But, to be fair, I have to pay homage to the original super-heroine…

#4 – Diana Prince, AKA Wonder Woman

As I said, Superman embodies hope, Batman upholds justice, and Wonder Woman is the spirit of truth. I get the feeling that perhaps one reason a lot of people tend to write poor Diana in such a botched up manner is because she is both the most compassionate super-heroine of all in DC while also the best fighter. However, my favourite interpretation of the character seemed to get the balance just write: Gail Simone‘s take on Wonder Woman.

#5 – Wally West, AKA The Flash

Yeah, I know I keep going on about this, but I seriously miss Wally West. Barry Allen is just not interesting as The Flash. The only comic strip I have ever read that has Barry written in a way that makes him fun to read is JL8, and that’s not even written by anyone in DC…for some bizarre reason. There’s actually a rumour going around that Wally is the new Reverse-Flash, with his memories of the pre-Flashpoint Earth intact and his sanity broken by how much the universe has changed and how his idol is responsible for it all. I don’t know if that’s true or not, but I can conceivably see it working, provided it ends with Wally regaining his sanity, possibly even becoming a good guy version of Reverse-Flash. Anyway, my favourite interpretations of Wally are from the Justice League cartoon and The Titans, AKA Linkara’s favourite comic series. lol

#6 – Rachel Roth, AKA Raven

Azarath Metrion ZINTHOS! Yeah, no big surprise here, but my favourite interpretation of Raven is from the Teen Titans cartoon. The version of her from The Titans where she was just a golden ghostly form was pretty awesome too, but c’mon, Raven was awesome there. She was dark, powerful, sarcastic, and honestly could be more fun than Beast Boy most times. And the excellent voice acting of Tara Strong only made her even more awesome.

 

#7 – Tim Drake, AKA Red Robin

Noticing a pattern here: Everyone here is either JLA, Titans, and/or Batman Incorporated. And in Tim Drake’s case, he could easily qualify all three someday. The only other hero besides Batman to have earned the title of ‘Detective’ from Ra’s al Ghul, Tim Drake is my favourite Robin (and no, I don’t care if his time as Robin is retconned or not, even as Red Robin, he still counts toward the group). I can’t really pick out an individual take on the character that I prefer most, but probably one the best stories to involve him is the aforementioned confrontation with Ra’s, especially the crossover stuff with Steph in Batgirl.

#8 – Kara Zor-El, AKA Supergirl

I’ve only recently gotten into Supergirl’s storylines, but honestly, I find her very interesting. I think I might just like her more than Superman. Her stories in the New 52 are higher quality than Supes’ (seriously, I’m at the point where I’m ready to BEG Scott Snyder to write the best damned Superman book he possibly can), her disguise is better than Clark’s, and she’s even potentially stronger than him since her body absorbs yellow sun energy faster.

#9 – Barbara Gordon, AKA Batgirl

Yeah, I brought up my personal favourite Batgirl, but this one deserves a spot in my 10 Favourite DC Heroes as well: Barbara Gordon. Be she the badass super-heroine, Batgirl, or the techno wizard who served as the eyes and ears of the entire Justice League, Oracle, Barbara is straight up awesome. My favourite takes on the character? Well, there’s Gail Simone’s writing, regardless of pre or post Flashpoint, and then her appearances in Bryan Q. Miller’s Batgirl, where she basically served as the old Bruce to Stephanie’s Terry McGinnis.

#10 – Shayera, AKA Hawkgirl

Ahhh, yet another badass woman in DC, Hawkgirl is among the highest ranking of her field. You get in her way, expect to wake up in a hospital bed the next day. And once again, my favourite interpretation of her is from the Justice League cartoon, though I also really like Kendra Saunders in Earth 2. What’s odd about that is that, really, they’re not all that alike at all, possibly the most different of the Earth 2 counterparts.

Anyway, that’s it for my 10 Favourite DC Superheroes. And if yer wondering why Green Lantern isn’t on here, it’s mostly because I couldn’t decide on which one to put on here, be it Alan Scott of Earth 2 or John Stewart from the Justice League cartoon. As such, just consider them tied for #11. Anyway, next time I will check out my 10 favourite heroes from Marvel. Ja né!

What I Bought Today – Talon #8, Batman Incorporated #11 (WARNING – SPOILERS)

So yeah, despite the fact that I stayed home from my class today, I managed to grab a couple of comics, so let’s take a look at…

Let’s not waste any time, and dig into Talon #8.

This one is unfortunately kinda depressing, but I knew it would be, so at least I was prepared going in. The Butcher forces Casey and Sarah to bring him to Calvin Rose, who has died from the attack by Bane. Having suffered major damage in the past year+ between the Night of the Owls and the operations by Calvin and Sebastian Clark, the Grandmaster has had enough and revives Calvin to tell him who Sebastian is working with. With this knowledge, it becomes clear that Clark is now operating out of the island of Santa Prisca. However, before they force Calvin to deal with Clark and Bane, they have another mission they plan to force Calvin to undergo, and that’s deal with another of their rogue Talons: Mary Turner. And if he doesn’t comply, they’ll kill Casey and Sarah. So yeah, if you haven’t figured it out, looks like Talon will be having a crossover with Birds of Prey…Oh joy. I’ll get more into why I’m less than thrilled about that and why I think this crossover is kind of a dumb idea, but at least I can expect the Talon side of it to be well-written.

Batman Incorporated #11 is a bit different. This one kinda takes a break from what’s going on in Gotham as usual illustrator Chris Burnham instead tells a story involving the Batman of Japan, formerly Mr. Unknown, in his…what, third or fourth costume thus far? Anyway, I’m just gonna say this right now, so there is no mistaking my opinion on this book…I LOVE THIS BOOK! It takes Batman-esque storytelling and mixes it with lots of anime and tokusatsu elements, throws it all in a blender, and it comes out GLORIOUS. Jiro’s partner/girlfriend is Shy Crazy Lolita Canary for the Super Young Team, who is a TON of fun, the bad guys look like Power Ranger rip-offs, the way they beat the villain is clever, I just love the whole thing. I’m telling you, when Grant Morrison‘s Batman Incorporated finishes its run, Chris Burnham needs to give Jiro his own book, because this was awesome, and a welcome break from the horrible events going on with Batman in Gotham City.

Well that’s it for today, but check in later this week as I hope to give some glimpses at a couple of books I didn’t buy today. Also, be back in a week from today when hopefully we learn more about the new Batman of Earth 2. Ja né!

Related articles

• Interview: Chris Burnham Talks Japan Batman in BATMAN INCORPORATED #11 (comicvine.com)

What I’d Do With The New 52 – Part 06: My First 52 Titles (27 – 39)

Well, here I am again, talking about what I’d do with the New 52. I’ve already gone through the first half of the books I’d have made, though I would like to make the additional note with Catwoman to restore her knowledge of Batman’s identity as Bruce Wayne. Also, I feel the need to remind that while I obviously don’t buy every book in the New 52, I have done my homework on a lot of the books and the back-stories for the characters featured in them, mostly out of curiosity. That outta the way, let’s go over the second half, and here is probably where things get interesting…

Seriously, why in the hell isn’t there a Blue Lantern Corps book? Oh sure, we do get plenty of moments of Saint Walker being a badass, but I don’t really consider that a big enough presence. Also, something that’s been bugging me about the Corps for some time now: Why is it that the Corps with the ring that can negate the effects of the Red, Yellow, and Orange rings only has like a handful of members, not one of which are from Earth (unless you count Kyle Rayner)? I’m just saying, there are plenty of characters they could introduce as members of the Corps, or pre-existing characters who could become Blue Lanterns. Heck, I was actually thinking the other day that if Simon Baz feels repetitive to fans as a Green Lantern (possessing a lot of the same traits as the other Earth-born Lanterns), why not change it up and have him join the Blue Lantern Corps after Wrath of the First Lantern is over? As for what I’d bump out for it, probably I, Vampire. Sorry to fans of that book, but I had to pick something.

And speaking of blue, Blue Beetle…Ugh, where do I start with this thing? I don’t like what they did with Jaime’s not knowing his identity in the relaunch. I don’t like that the Scarab is constantly trying to control him instead of them being equal partners, and is constantly trying to kill people. And frankly, I HATE that scene where Jaime hits Brenda and then aims his cannon at her as a way to trick the enemy. It’s no frigging wonder this book was cancelled with all that said. Also, since he’s a teen, I’d probably occasionally have him cross paths with the Titans, and possibly this next guy…or guys, rather…

First off for Fury of Firestorm (dammit, I love alliteration, lol), I’d take out the obvious racial overtones that appeared in the early issues between Ronnie and Jay, instead going the route of comedic hi-jinx for their lack of getting along. Also, I’d probably go the route of them needing to merge into the singular Firestorm from the get-go…I get the feeling these choices are influenced by my love of Kamen Rider W. lol Oh, and I’d also make the villains a bit less Die Hard rejects in how unnecessarily violent they make the book.

Yep, I’d bring back New Gods. Who would I have star in it? Why, Mister Miracle and Big fucking Barda, fighting the forces of Darkseid from behind enemy lines while keeping contact with the Justice League. I’d probably get Orion involved on occasion, too, though obviously better written than he’s gotten as of late in Wonder Woman, and would later have a crossover with Earth 2 for when they show up there. I’d probably cancel Men of War, since it kinda got lost in the shuffle of things, and I just think a Mister Miracle/Big Barda book would be too awesome to leave out is all.

Not much I would change with Green Lantern: New Guardians, except putting even more emphasis on the varying characters who appear. Also, since the book is called New Guardians, I likely would not be able to resist putting Snowflame in an issue. Likely the very first one, where it would show him in battle with Kyle Rayner on Earth or instead of the scene with the crane.

Same thing with Green Lantern Corps, can’t say as I’d change anything.

Hawk and Dove, how many different ways can I say “NO ROB LIEFELD!!!”? Also, I’d probably make Hawk a little less of a psycho, and eventually added as agents of the Birds of Prey.

Even IF I wanted to change something with Demon Knights, I still wouldn’t. Why? Well, it’s very simple: It’s because Linkara would hunt me down and put a magic gun bolt in my skull. lol

One thing I’ve realised is a major contributor to the problems with Batman Incorporated was that the new volume for the New 52 started in May of 2012, a full 8 months after the relaunch occurred. If the book had those 8 months, they could’ve done so much more. They could’ve shown more of Knight and Squire, so that Cyril’s eventual death has more impact than just a shock death to show the Fatherless was ‘fo serious, yo’, and to elevate Beryl. We could’ve seen some of the changes occurring within the group, like Dick Grayson’s decision to become Nightwing again, or David Zavimbe’s changing role in the group (since I elected to have the stuff with Luke Fox in Batwing from the beginning), and what he did otherwise. We could’ve seen stuff with Black Bat, the Outsiders, Renée Montoya, and so many others. Hell, they could’ve shown more of Ra’s al Ghul, since he initially disappeared in #2 and didn’t show up again until recently. And yes, I know that apparently Chris Burnham and a few others are going to be doing up a special for Batman Incorporated after it’s done to show more of what the characters were doing and will be doing, but it still feels like we could’ve had more. Oh, and above all else, I’d want to make sure there was more FRAKKING CONSISTENCY between this book and the other books featuring the characters in it. As for what I’d knock off to make room, I’m gonna go with Grifter and instead have that character appear in Secret Six.

Meh, can’t say as I’d change much with Red Lanterns, except that I’d probably call the book Red Lantern Corps. And now for the last three of this group of books…

…I hate the Phantom Stranger’s book so much in its current state. And frankly, I don’t understand why it started a full year after the relaunch, and why Pandora’s book is only starting next month. And frankly, there’s a lot that could be done with a trinity of books for the Trinity of Sin (as opposed to two and leaving The Question out in the cold) being released at the beginning. What specifically? Well, here’s an idea: TELL US HOW THE ALTERATION TO HISTORY WORKED! How did Pandora do it, what was changed as a result, what stayed the same, how did some things stay the same when other things changed, all these questions that people have asked since the reboot was first announced that we’re still waiting on answers for. And who better to help us discover these things than The Question? Plus, we could see and learn more about the Trinity of Sin, what they did to deserve their punishments, how they’re coping, what they’re doing to try and atone for their misdeeds. And hell, it would’ve served as much better build up toward the eventual Trinity War than we’ve gotten so far. As for what I’d cancel, I’d have to go with O.M.A.C., Captain Atom, and Static Shock, instead moving the first two to Justice League International and Static Shock to Teen Titans.

…So yeah, 39 books down, 13 to go. Check out next time when I FINALLY put the lid on this sucker. Ja né!

What’s New With Batwing?

So as you’ve probably noticed by now, I’ve been talkin’ a lot about Batwing lately. I haven’t bought the 20th issue yet, but I imagine I will if I find myself with a slight bit of extra pocket change when I’m near the comic shop. Mostly, I’m waiting until I’ve dropped a couple other books, which I mentioned I’d be doing, but I’m also waiting to see if these changes and better writing will stay consistent as time goes by.

So what is it about the new Batwing that I really like? Well, I think it’s mainly on account of Luke Fox pretty much being Terry McGinnis. No, really, he’s essentially African-American Terry, not just in how the new Batwing suit is very similar to the Batman Beyond costume, but in the way he acts, how Bruce is monitoring him while he’s in the field, and the witty chemistry between the two.

I love how that one panel to the left pretty much summed up how a lot of people originally thought of the scenario. lol

And frankly, anything a person could do to remind me of Batman Beyond is a good thing, which is part of the reason I REALLY liked Bryan Q. Miller‘s run on Batgirl, but with this, if I wasn’t trying to be smart with my money and how many comics I buy a week, this would be on my pull list in a snap. And I don’t know if Jimmy Palmiotti and Justin Gray are both just big fans of Batman Beyond, or if they actually did work with the show, but either way, not complaining with what we’ve got.

In addition to all that, I do like how they’ve staged this, that Luke is doing this behind his dad’s back and that Lucius Fox is not happy with his son’s choices in life. It creates an interesting situation, and you’re left wondering how long he can possibly work for Batman Incorporated and not have his father find out. Plus, the idea that Luke is a highly intelligent mixed martial artist gives him cred as someone you’d want as a solo operative.

Anyway, that’s my two cents on the subject. If the writing continues to be good on it, expect me to start picking it up soon. Ja né!

Related articles

• Batwing #20 (comicvine.com)
• BATWING #20 Review (analogaddiction.org)
• Interview: Justin Gray and Jimmy Palmiotti On A Whole New ‘Batwing’ (geek-news.mtv.com)