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)

What I’d Do With New 52 – Part 03: The Current Characters

Okay, these are just touching on a few characters already present in The New 52 that need some tweaking. And since I’ve already gone to great lengths talking about what’s wrong or what I’d change about them, no Red Hood, Starfire, Power Girl, or Superman here. So let’s begin with a character that has had some serious downs as of late, Wonder Woman.

Wonder Woman

Problem: Okay, as I mentioned before, I like how Wonder Woman’s new incarnation worked in Justice League: Origin. It’s not the greatest interpretation of Wonder Woman ever by far, I personally would suggest that honour goes to Gail Simone‘s. However, I should note that I don’t read her solo title, where her origins have been retconned so that she’s actually Zeus‘ bastard and the Amazons were made into pirates and rapists. I honestly didn’t think anything could ruin Diana‘s mythos anymore than Amazons Attack, but there ya go. Also, since Origin, Wonder Woman has gotten into a relationship with Superman. And honestly, I wouldn’t mind that so much, if not for the fact that they way they’re writing her now has her being just Superman’s girlfriend, and that is WRONG.

Solution: Well first off, I wouldn’t make the changes to Wonder Woman’s or the Amazons’ backstories. It just raises too many questions. However, even with the changes in place, one thing I’d do is that I’d put Gail Simone back on as writer for Wonder Woman, or at least co-writer. As for the relationship with Superman, I’m just gonna say this: They have to be EQUALS for this to work. And I’m sorry, you can make whatever argument you want, but they have not been written as equals in this relationship since it started.

Lincoln March

Problem: Okay, admittedly this isn’t so much a problem as it is me saying what needs to happen with Lincoln March for whenever he comes back…

Solution: Keep it ambiguous as to whether Lincoln March is really Bruce’s brother or not. Don’t answer the question. It works a lot better as a mystery, and plus it makes the antagonistic relationship between him and Batman all the more unique.

The Teen Titans (and The Ravagers)

Problem: The Titans of the New 52 just seem too dark and gritty. And maybe my opinion is coloured by having my first exposure to the group being the animated series, but I have have read Titans comics since, and I gotta say, this seems a bit too big of a change. I don’t so much mind the new members, but can we have some of the fun back please? Also, this bares repeating, while I haven’t read the Ravagers and might be way off here, every image I’ve seen of Beast Boy since the Ravagers started has depicted him as being really angry. Again, I prefer him as being green, but at least having him be red due to his powers coming from The Red makes sense. But the angry thing really needs to go.

Solution: Okay, I’ve mentioned this before, but the Titans and the Ravagers need to be made into a single group, or two sub-groups of the same faction with some members changed up. That way they can have a more upbeat and positive group of Titans and the dark and gritty group of Titans  that DC seems obsessed with having. Also, I’d have Beast Boy go back to being a bit more happy. Maybe through a series of events he finds himself being able to be more laid back. Oh, and one other thing, I’D BRING BACK TITANS TOWER!

Alfred Pennyworth

Problem: It looks like they’re gonna kill Alfred. If I had all day, I still wouldn’t be able to list the number of reasons that’s a bad idea.

Solution: Don’t kill Alfred…Either that, or have him return as a hologram in the Batcave. Because as silly as that would be, it would also be admittedly awesome. ^_^

Harper Row

Problem: Okay, this is kinda weird, since I actually like Harper Row as a character a lot, but I do have a single problem with what they’re doing with her, and that’s that the seem to be planning to make her Oracle.

Solution: Don’t make Harper Row Oracle. Oracle-like works, in fact it works a lot. But don’t make her Oracle.

Arsenal

Problem: Hey, I only said I wouldn’t talk about Red Hood or Starfire, I didn’t say anything about the other third of their group, and really, I haven’t talked much about Arsenal in the past, so I guess here’s my chance to. Put bluntly, Roy Harper is a character that has lost a LOT since even before the reboot. While I don’t necessarily mind the current version too much, minus that stupid fucking hat he wears, I feel that he has a lot more uniqueness as a character when he was someone who had conquered drug addictions and was caring for a child he’d fathered with a villainess, all the while being one of the Titans and later even the Justice League’s best. Cry For Justice and then Rise of Arsenal took that away from him, and now the reboot has made it so they never happened at all. Nowadays, he’s more the comic relief guy on the Outlaws that never shuts up, and while I don’t necessarily mind him all that much, it’s possible that’s just because Jason Todd and Kori being present make him seem not quite as bad as he should.

Solution: Obviously, because Roy apparently never had sex with Cheshire (in fact, I’m uncertain as to whether she even exists in the New 52), bringing back Lian would be problematic at best. However, I did think of a way to have the character appear for a short time: The Multiverse. Basically, do a storyline where Roy encounters a version of himself that’s loosely based on pre-Cry For Justice Red Arrow and have him interacting with him and Lian and change into a more positive character as a result, maybe even becoming Red Arrow. Also, lose the fucking hat, Roy. You look like a twit.

And those are my thoughts on the characters currently in the New 52, which I’m pretty sure covers all I had in mind for what I’d do so far, but if I come up with anything more, I’ll blog about it. Ja né!