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What I Bought Yesterday – Batman and Robin #24, Supergirl #24 (WARNING – SPOILERS)
So yesterday, I went to Heroes’ Beacon, got a couple of comics, and now I’m here to talk about…
First off, I should explain that I didn’t forget to talk about these books yesterday, it was just a matter of a couple of plot points in each book that I wasn’t really sure how to approach them. But, I think I’ve got it straightened out now, so let’s start with Supergirl #24.
So, what did I say during my look at Supergirl #23? “No, Supergirl isn’t really dead. Well, in the sense that even if she IS dead, chances are she’s got a Get Out Of Death Free Card of some sort coming to her next issue”. AND I said “She’ll be brought back to life, and that’ll lead to a three-way fight of sorts between Supergirl, Cyborg Superman, and Cyborg Superman’s creator, who is confirmed to be Brainiac“. Well, that’s pretty much what happened here. Zor-El decides to restore Kara, the result being that he becomes Cyborg Superman and having his memory wiped again. Also, to anyone who thinks that this is just a copy of Supergirl, you are…Well…Take it, Lex Luthor.
Apparently, her body was vaporized, but her consciousness was stored away in the I’Noxian Collective, such to the point that she managed to create a new body for herself using their tech before Zor-El is able to restore her, all the while telling his buddy to lie to him and Kara about what really happened when they both come out of the procedure. Basically, Cyborg Superman is left to believe Brainiac ruined the procedure to restore him to his original self, and when he faces Brainiac and his forces head-on, Supergirl and the I’Noxian Collective are able to escape. The I’Noxians tell Supergirl she should try to find her own happiness now that she’s been cured of the Kryptonite poison following what happened to her. So, what are my issues with this book? Well, for starters, we DID still have to see Supergirl horrifically vaporized to set this up, although you could argue after this issue that all it really succeeded in doing was pissing her off…A LOT. Still, was HORRIBLE to see. The other thing is that I’m skipping next issue, since it’s a tie-in to a crossover event that I’m not reading…which is sad, because apparently it’ll be the last issue written by Michael Alan Nelson. Also, while I will probably be buying Supergirl again afterwards, I AM a bit concerned for the next arc, as it apparently involves the new and Twilight-looking Lobo. *shivers*
Batman and Robin #24, or Batman and Two-Face, involves mob bosses getting together and deciding it’s time to ‘cleanse Gotham of the freaks’. So a red-haired woman named Erin McKillen, who is one of them, is called upon to draw out Two-Face. Why? Well, in the retconned history that is the New 52, apparently McKillen is the one that created Two-Face, having tied down Harvey Dent, murdered his wife, and then poured acid on his face with the intent to kill him…Okay, I don’t really MIND this origin for Two-Face, but I’m not really sure why they felt the need to change it from the original, other than just for the sake of changing it. Not much else to say about this angle, other than he finds out Erin’s in town, she escapes the cops when they come for her, but Batman apprehends her. The OTHER major plot point to bring up is that Bruce has insisted that Damian and Talia’s graves stay open, after Ra’s al Ghul took their bodies for some evil plot. Why? He wants the reminder of what Ra’s has done, because as soon as he takes care of the current situation involving Two-Face and the mob bosses, he’s coming for Ra’s al Ghul…which is interesting, because I’ve read previews for upcoming issues of Birds of Prey and Red Hood and the Outlaws, and it seems that both of those groups have some SERIOUS issues with Ra’s al Ghul in the future, too. I smell a crossover coming!…Joy. -_- Oh, no Carrie Kelley this week, but apparently, she plays a HUGE role in next week’s issue. My guess is, since we never really established much about her parents in any continuity she’s been in, McKillen is her mother or something.
So, not really bad books this week, but ones that were a bit odd in places. Check in next week, though, as we see Talon possibly team up with Batman to take on the Court of Owls. Ja né!
Related articles
- Supergirl #24 (comicvine.com)
- Action Comics #23.1: Cyborg Superman – Review (weeklycomicbookreview.com)
- Review: Red Hood and the Outlaws 24 (comicbooked.com)
- DC Comics Solicitations for January 2014 – “Gothtopia” Arrives (comicbookresources.com)
- NYCC: DC’s New 52 Panel (comicbookresources.com)
- Comic Book Day: Pull List for October 16, 2013 (nerdist.com)
- DC Comic’s Presents Villains Month – A Comic Event Review (reviewslikeachamp.wordpress.com)
- EDITORIAL: Tower of Babel Is The Best Comic To Adapt For JUSTICE LEAGUE (comicbookmovie.com)
- Batman and Robin #23.3: Ra’s al Ghul and the League of Assassins – Review (weeklycomicbookreview.com)
- COMICS: The Caped Crusader Mourns Damian In BATMAN AND TWO-FACE #24 Preview (comicbookmovie.com)
What I Bought Today – Action Comics #23.1, Batman and Robin #23.1 (WARNING – SPOILERS)
Yep, ’tis Wednesday, and it’s time to talk about…
Unfortunately, they kinda under-sent issues of Batman: The Dark Knight #23.1, so I couldn’t see the book detailing the origins of the new Ventriloquist. I’ve heard it’s apparently not all THAT great, but that fans of the character and Gail Simone‘s creepy ass writing will still like it, so I’m picking it up next week. In the meantime, let’s talk Cyborg Superman with Action Comics #23.1!
So I kinda left something important out about Supergirl last month, mainly because I thought it was a red herring. At the very end, Cyborg Superman has the genetic material he got from Supergirl imprinted onto himself, and we see that he’s Zor-El, Kara’s father. Now, I naturally assumed that between her genetic material, the fact that they were messing with her memories, and the tech that could create anything in her mind simply meant that Cyborg Superman had been turned into a duplicate of Zor-El. NOT SO. In fact, as it turns out, Brainiac transformed Zor-El into Cyborg Superman, replacing much of his organic components with cybernetics, then making him look like Jor-El, the superior sibling in the eyes of Brainiac…So, Zor-El has been made a villain who has murdered his own daughter (albeit it’s not entirely his fault, and I expect him to find a way to bring her back), and in this issue, we see that he’s a jerk that refused to listen to his brother, and an idiot who decided to experiment with Brainiac tech, the result of which got a bunch of survivors of Krypton killed…Michael Alan Nelson, I like you. I like you a lot. You made Power Girl AWESOME again. But between this and Supergirl getting brutally vaporised last issue, I REALLY hope you’ve got something amazing planned. Then again, next up is supposed to be Cyborg Superman and Brainiac beating the crap outta each other, and I guess that’s kinda awesome. The only other thing I can really point out is that, like Ventriloquist’s story being in Batman: The Dark Knight #23.1, I’m a little confused why Cyborg Superman’s story is in Action Comics #23.1.
Batman and Robin #23.1 was pretty good. Anyone that didn’t like it…well, it was Two-Face being Two-Face. If you didn’t want that, you shouldn’t have bought it. And it made sense that it was in this book, since Two-Face is gonna be the villain for the next arc. Now, it’s Two-Face taking a bunch of criminals, cops, and civilians whatnot into a court and administering his own brand of ‘justice’, which I KNOW I’ve seen him do at least a couple of times before, but it works alright. We also see that the Secret Society wanted him to join, which he did, but on the condition that the results of his coin flips are final. They decide to screw with that, so the deal’s off in a rather violent manner. Again, for Two-Face, this worked just fine, and I actually really liked Guillem March’s work in this issue. Kudos.
So that’s it for this week. Next week’s gonna be an expensive one, although the good news is that I won’t have much to buy this month after that. It’s like they know or something. lol Ja né!
Related articles
- Action Comics #23.1 (comicvine.com)
- Greg Pak has Super-Plans for Superman (comicbookresources.com)
- Batman #23.1 by Andy Kubert (Comics Review) (sonsofcorax.wordpress.com)
- Villain Month Guide: Part 2 – Superman and Earth-2 (retcon-punch.com)
- Speculator Pick: Batman Family #6, 1st JOKER’S DAUGHTER! (comicsheatingup.net)
- Comic Releases for September 4, 2013 (comicbooked.com)
- Stripped: Grant Morrison – Dope, Chips, and Skewed Moralities (comicsbeat.com)
- Batman and Robin #23.1 (comicvine.com)
- The New 52 and me, then and now (comicdomwrecks.wordpress.com)
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What I Bought Yesterday – Supergirl #23, X-Men #4, Batman and Robin #23 (WARNING – SPOILERS)
…
Yeah, I know! I finally remembered to do it on time yesterday, and then I forgot to cover three of the four books I got because I got caught up in other stuff. At this point, I don’t even know why I bother calling my comic recaps What I Bought Today…well, other than because Morgan was awesome enough to make the logos for me, and it’d be a huge waste to not use them. Y’know, I just thought of the What I Bought Today Drinking Game: Every time I fail to release it on the day I bought whatever I’m talking about, take a shot. But before you do that, let’s talk Supergirl #23.
So because I just know people probably are already aware of how this issue ends, I’m gonna get right to it: No, Supergirl isn’t really dead. Well, in the sense that even if she IS dead, chances are she’s got a Get Out Of Death Free Card of some sort coming to her next issue. So why do I know that people are likely talking about this? Well, because this issue shows a female character getting axed off, and ever since DC decided to shove Kyle Rayner’s girlfriend in a fridge a long while back, every time a woman is shown to be killed or even possibly killed, DC’s female fanbase (and yes DC, whether you want to believe it or not, you do have a LARGE female fanbase) sets pitchforks on fire and hunt for the head of DC’s head. Now, don’t misunderstand, a lot of times they’re completely right to do so. All I’m saying is that if anyone thinks what happens in this book is gonna be long-lasting, please think again. She’ll be brought back to life, and that’ll lead to a three-way fight of sorts between Supergirl, Cyborg Superman, and Cyborg Superman’s creator, who is confirmed to be Brainiac when he arrives at the end of this issue because Cyborg Superman apparently screwed him over somehow. Other than that, the book is alright, except that Supergirl gets INSANELY angry at the recreations of the people in her memories, but that could just be because of the fact that she was kinda dying at the time.
X-Men #4 was…eh, alright. They got a new artist for this done-in-one story where the X-Men take the Blackbird to save a jet full of people, and the art isn’t that great. Plus, a lot more of the focus is on Rachel Grey and Storm having personal issues, while Jubilee takes Shogo to hang out with Wolverine in Jubilee’s old neighbourhood. But hey, there’re some genuinely awesome and funny moments out of Psylocke, Rogue, and Kitty as they try to save the plane, and the stuff with Jubilee and Wolverine is heartwarming enough. Plus, this is really just an interlude before Battle of the Atom begins, so it’s not like I expect this to be the quality they’ve been at or will stick with.
Batman and Robin #23, AKA Batman and Nightwing, AKA Acceptance. If you didn’t have tissues when you read this issue, you were frakked. Basic premise: Bruce has been running a simulation nonstop for four days of the night where Damian died, trying again and again to save him, because he can’t accept that there was nothing he could do to save him. Alfred brings Nightwing to help, and I can’t help but notice he’s in the costume he wore before moving to Chicago. However, Dick instead joins Batman in the simulation, and between the two of them, they actually do manage to save Damian, and Batman, Nightwing, and Robin are able to take down The Heretic, ending the simulation. Later on, we see Alfred do his own simulation where he manages to stop Robin from leaving the cave, which Bruce catches. Bruce realizes that he’s been alienating the people around him by making the grief all about him and failing to see that he wasn’t the only one to lose someone, and he and Alfred decide to turn off the simulation, finally beginning to move on. Overall, great way to end this particular arc, and a fond farewell to Damian as we see him be badass alongside his father and partner one more time.
So, that’s all for this week. Next week, hopefully on time, we take a look at how Talon’s dealing with the forces of Bane, and we check in on Batman Incorporated, quite possibly for the last time. Ja né!
Related articles
- Supergirl #23 (comicvine.com)
- Review: Batman and Robin #18 – 23 (Five Stages of Grief Arc) (residinginthefifthdimension.wordpress.com)
- The New 52 Cyborg Superman is Very Different From the Old {SPOILERS} (haveageekasm.com)
- Supergirl’s New Look (novelninja.wordpress.com)
- Why Supergirl needs her own damn movie! (thecomicbookgeekette.com)
- DC’s New 52: How we got there (thereforeigeek.com)
- Comic Releases for August 21, 2013 (comicbooked.com)
- The Killing Joke ending revealed? (comicsbeat.com)
- This Week’s Essential Comics: 07/29/13 (comicvine.com)
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What I Bought Today – Batman and Robin #22, Supergirl #22, Red Sonja #1(WARNING – SPOILERS AHEAD)
Well, I’ve chilled out a bit. Think I’m hitting burn-out with my stories. Plus, bothered by their lack of success, trying too hard to make them be successful instead of having fun with them, and I’m just baffled by my posters doing better when I put less effort into them…Also, kinda confused as to why I seem to get the most responses from people when I’m having my freak-out moments. lol But regardless, I calmed a bit, hung out with N. Harmonik, and went to the nearby comic book store, which I’m guessing is why you’re REALLY reading, to find out all about…
…That was a really shitty segway. lol Anyway, let’s start with Batman and Robin #22, AKA Batman and Catwoman.
Okay, I know this is going to shock people to their cores, but believe it or not, Catwoman is actually accurately presented here, this book references JLA, AND it makes up for a really dumb moment that occurred recently in Catwoman. But best of all, Bruce isn’t a COMPLETE asshole in this book. Now, he’s kind of a dick to Carrie Kelley, but you can kinda understand it a bit, and he at least is willing to deal with her. Hell, him and Catwoman save a little girl from some baddies and Batman comes off as kinda nice to both of them. If I had to pick on anything, it’s that the teaser to the upcoming Two Face arc seems EXTREMELY tacked on, and…well, you know how this arc in Batman and Robin is supposed to reference the five stages of grief? This one is supposed to be depression, and…honestly, while I get a little bit of depression from Bruce, he already feels like he’s closing in on the acceptance stage. It’s like we skipped some stuff or something. Otherwise, though, WAY better than the past couple of issues, and if you wanna see Catwoman done right in the New 52, this is one comic to look to, so kudos to Peter Tomasi for bringing back the one true Catwoman in this book, and without pulling her zipper down too.
So I may have been making a mistake the past few issues of Supergirl, as Mike Johnson actually tagged out for Michael Alan Nelson. My bad, though I will admit to being amazed at how I didn’t notice AT ALL. Clearly Mike #3 was watching what Mikes 1 & 2 were doing with Supergirl prior…Yes, every person to write Supergirl in the reboot was named Mike or Michael. I’m not kidding. But anyway, Supergirl #22 was good, but I have two sort-of complaints about it. The first is that Cyborg Superman‘s actual plans for Supergirl are revealed pretty quick, but considering we already knew he was evil and he only lets it slip because someone’s threatening to mess with said plans (spoilers, it’s Brainiac), it’s not too big a deal. The other complaint is that…well, Supergirl pwns Cyborg Superman pretty easily here. Now, don’t get me wrong, it’s great to see Supergirl kick serious ass, but I was under the impression that Cyborg Superman was kinda supposed to be a big deal in the Superman books, and he gets pretty convincingly beaten by Supergirl, who I must remind is currently dying from Kryptonite poisoning. Unless he gets some kind of upgrade in the near future, his threat level is pretty low after this. But otherwise, still a good comic.
Red Sonja #1 was definitely a different experience. It was fun, no doubt, but I was lost at times concerning the cast of characters. Still, enough back-story is given that you have at least a general idea of who these people are, specifically that Red Sonja is the female barbarian badass to end all female barbarian badasses. ^_^ Also, clearly Dynamite is letting Gail Simone do whatever she wants, which actually works REALLY well here. Best line in the book, one of the two women sent to summon her to a castle refers to her as “She of the Excellent Cleavage”. XD Great read. Also, love the various covers for the book. I personally got the Stephanie Buscema cover, although I’m not sure how that happened since the back page suggests it was supposed to be a subscription exclusive cover.
Anyway, that’s all for this week. Next week, we see if Talon can possibly succeed in his mission to assassinate Bane and Sebastian Clark. Ja né!
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What I Bought Today…And Last Week, lol – Batman #21, Batgirl #21, Batman and Robin #21, Nightwing #21, Li’l Gotham #3, Supergirl #21, Superman Unchained #1 (WARNING – SPOILERS)
What’s that? It’s Wednesday? Then I guess I better take a look at…
…and last week, since I kinda got caught up doing other stuff and didn’t talk about it. lol My bad. Anyway, let’s start with Batman #21, the beginning of Zero Year.
How many people thought Zero Year was gonna suck? C’mon, be honest, a lot of people thought this was gonna suck. And honestly, I don’t know why. Is it because we already had Year One and this was just a retelling of Batman’s origins while sweeping Year One away? Well, the thing is, even if that were true, which I’m not sure it is, that’s not really Scott Snyder‘s fault. The universe was rebooted, and I get why that sucks, but all Snyder wants to do is tell Batman’s origins within this rebooted universe. In other words, judge it based on its own merits. If you still wanna say that Year One was better, go ahead. That doesn’t mean this sucks by default. And frankly, I really liked this book…with the exception of Bruce telling Alfred to shut up in one scene, but otherwise, it works.
Batgirl #21…Okay, I’m gonna repeat what I said to Gail Simone after reading this book: If I didn’t already have a nightmare about gigantic mutated dinosaurs coming to life in my town, this book would’ve scared the shit outta me! O.O The new Ventriloquist is frakking terrifying. And no, we don’t get an explanation for how she controls the puppet, or her dead parents for that matter (oh, did I skip that part?) when they engage Batgirl in a VERY bloody ordeal, but frankly, I like it better that way. It adds to the horror element that there’s this terrifying force we can’t understand or reason with. So if you like being scared, by all means, feel free to pick this up. My only complaint? Commissioner Gordon continues to be an idiot. Sadly, I don’t think that’s gonna end any time soon.
Batman and Robin #21, or rather Batman and Batgirl as it’s called this issue, is the bargaining phase. However, Batman isn’t the only one bargaining here, as we see him try to convince a group of criminals to take him hostage as opposed to the civilians…which is a far more noble endeavor than we’ve seen outta him the past few issues of this book, but we then see Batgirl trying to reason with him in his current state of mind. She even tells him that if he needs a Robin with him so badly that he can’t function right without one, all he needs to do is say the word and she’ll don the costume in a heartbeat…Um, Babs? I get the sentiment and all, but I think you’re a little old and established for that. I mean, I know I said once that Huntress could do it, but looking back, I was wrong about that. Anyway, this is a better book than the last few, as Batman’s a bit nobler in the field, and even when he freaks out at Babs, it’s not really a physical confrontation and is a bit more understandable. My only complaint? No Carrie Kelly. Not necessarily a big problem, but they could definitely serve to bring in more development for her if I’m right about her role in this story in the future.
Nightwing #21 might be the best book I got last week, even including Zero Year. Why? Because dammit, I love seeing Dick Grayson be a snarky bastard. lol Seriously, there’s a scene where he’s got Prankster up on a roof, who is just waking up after he knocked him out, and Nightwing’s just sitting there with a cup of coffee and a box of donuts just chillin’. It’s hilariously awesome. Unfortunately, this was Brett Booth‘s last issue drawing Nightwing, and I know a lot of female fans will miss the beefcake. I keep hearing this rumor that a certain arch-nemesis of mine (Dan Didio) wants to kill off Dick Grayson, and that he’s actually been wanting to kill him off for years now. I hope it’s not true, because at this point, even the editors would tell him that’s stupid.
Li’l Gotham #3 continues to be hilarious, albeit I’m on the fence if I liked the Robin/Katana section simply because Damian says and does a lot of stuff he wouldn’t be caught dead saying…Y’know, when he was alive………..I’m gonna get it for this. I do think that’s one of my favourite parts of the book, that Damian is still very much active in this book. And let’s face it, plenty of people still miss the little bastard (don’t look at me like that, his parents aren’t married).
Supergirl #21 was pretty neat, as we see that Kara, who is dying from Kryptonite poisoning, comes across a planet full of people under attack by a renegade monstrosity made from their tech, which apparently allows them to craft their buildings however they see fit and auto-repair them. In fact, they even like to rebuild their city and planet and their culture into that of destroyed worlds, so Kara gets the idea to ask them to do so for Krypton. Unfortunately, not all is as it seems, as someone is actually dangling this idea to use Supergirl for their own schemes. Who is this individual?
…Nah, I’m kidding, although that’d be funny considering her pre-Flashpoint origins. No, it’s Cyborg Superman!
And I gotta admit, he actually DOES look awesome now. Hopefully, his involvement in the Supergirl stories doesn’t require me to buy the other Superman family titles, ‘cuz I ain’t doin’ it. lol
And finally, that brings me to the book I skipped out on so I could grab it this week, Superman Unchained #1. Now, on the plus side, this is a LOT better than the other Superman titles out there, one in particular. Superman feels like Superman. His first appearance is flying in and saving the day using his wits and incredible powers. We see him at his new blogging job and having genuinely friendly conversations with Lois Lane and Jimmy Olsen, who I actually don’t feel like killing for once in this book. We see Lex Luthor being the marvelous piss stain on humanity that he is and reveling in every second of it. However, I do have two gripes with this book. First off, as awesome as it looks and will look on my wall, the four-page spread is NOT NECESSARY. It just ups the price by a buck for no reason other than to be pretty. Also, while I don’t necessarily mind that the government has a super-powered individual hidden underground, the idea that this person has been working for them since World War II and was what they actually bombed Japan with…Yeah, even ignoring the possibility of someone being offended by that, which is highly likely, it’s still silly at best. But otherwise, feels like a book I might wanna stick with…which is actually a problem, and I’ll get to that some other time.
Anyway, that’s it for this week…and last week. Check in next week when I check out what’s new with the recently undead Calvin Rose, the recently Man-Bat Batman, and the recently AWESOME X-Men. Ja né!
Related articles
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