Hello, all!
I am, unfortunately, not going to the San Diego ComiCon (due to lack of funds and time). But you can get great SDCC coverage, plus interviews at http://www.thebatmanuniverse.net/
Here's a list of the people they're interviewing and the projects those people will be talking about:
Jim Lee-DC Universe Online
Marv Wolfman-DC Universe Online
Development Team-DC Universe Online
Kevin Conroy-Superman/Batman: Public Enemies, Batman: Arkham Asylum
Clancy Brown-Superman/Batman: Public Enemies
Tim Daly- Superman/Batman: Public Enemies
Bruce Timm- Superman/Batman: Public Enemies
Andrea Romano- Superman/Batman: Public Enemies, Batman: The Brave and the Bold
Sam Liu- Superman/Batman: Public Enemies
Michael Goguen- Superman/Batman: Public Enemies
Stan Berkowitz- Superman/Batman: Public Enemies
Mark Hamill-Batman: Arkham Asylum
Paul Dini-Batman: Arkham Asylum
Sefton Hill-Batman: Arkham Asylum
Diedrich Bader- Batman: The Brave and the Bold
John DiMaggio- Batman: The Brave and the Bold
James Tucker- Batman: The Brave and the Bold
Michael Jelenic- Batman: The Brave and the Bold
There are some pretty big names up there. I'm most excited for The Superman/Batman:Public Enemies team. That sounds like its going to be a great video. I really liked the comics version. Plus, Kevin Conroy is doing the voice of Batman. How much better can you get?
I highly encourage you to subscribe to TBU's free podcasts (they have a general Batman one, a Bat-comics one, and a specials one where they do interviews/commentaries/etc. All are very good). Recently they did an interview with Adam Beechen (you know, the guy who made Cassandra Cain a villian?) that was excellent. It shed a lot of light on the series and Adam had some great insights.
Monday, July 27, 2009
Tuesday, July 21, 2009
Anatomy of a Terrific Comic Writer
Batfans have had a deluge of mediocre comics recently, from the insane RIP, to the godawful "All-Star Batman and Robin." We need a really, really good writer to come in.
Checklist of An Awesome Batman Writer:
-has read all the Bat comics from the past two years, and all the major storylines (Knightfall, War, the murder of Vesper Fairchild, Hush, The Last Laugh, Killing Joke, No Man's Land, Year One, etc). This includes JLA and Superman/Batman.
-grew up reading comics
-has seen the movies
-has no great need to "leave their mark", except for in the quality of their stories
-doesn't feel an urgency to reinvent, reimagine, or reconstruct the characters, but is able to have them evolve
-has at least a passing familarity with the toonverse Batman and other dimensional versions of Batman
-wants most of all to produce something that will make fans (not editors, not marketing boards) cheer/cry/write letters of praise.
-occasionally peruses and listens to comic forums and message boards, but is strong enough to follow their vision.
-has read at least two Batman fanfics
-identifys themself as a geek.
-has had the fantasy at least once of being Batman/Batgirl/Robin.
-won't do something completely insane just for the sake of being different.
And finally:
-knows the value of a good Batman story.
Checklist of An Awesome Batman Writer:
-has read all the Bat comics from the past two years, and all the major storylines (Knightfall, War, the murder of Vesper Fairchild, Hush, The Last Laugh, Killing Joke, No Man's Land, Year One, etc). This includes JLA and Superman/Batman.
-grew up reading comics
-has seen the movies
-has no great need to "leave their mark", except for in the quality of their stories
-doesn't feel an urgency to reinvent, reimagine, or reconstruct the characters, but is able to have them evolve
-has at least a passing familarity with the toonverse Batman and other dimensional versions of Batman
-wants most of all to produce something that will make fans (not editors, not marketing boards) cheer/cry/write letters of praise.
-occasionally peruses and listens to comic forums and message boards, but is strong enough to follow their vision.
-has read at least two Batman fanfics
-identifys themself as a geek.
-has had the fantasy at least once of being Batman/Batgirl/Robin.
-won't do something completely insane just for the sake of being different.
And finally:
-knows the value of a good Batman story.
Friday, July 17, 2009
Detective Comics #854
Detective Comics #854
By Greg Rucka
Art by J.H. Williams III
Overall: 6.5/10
For the first time in at least forty years, Detective comics features someone other than The Dark Knight--Batwoman.
We don't know much about Kate Kane. The major story line she was involved in was about a bizarre religion of crime. She was kidnapped by this cult, who attempted to sacrifice her because of her name, Kane, like Cain. Kate was stabbed through the heart, only to to be saved by Renee Montoya, aka The Question. This storyline picks up where that one left off, with Kate trying to discover the identity of the religion of crime's new leader.
The book opens with Kate interrogating a low-level criminal. Batman appears (Dick Grayson, we assume) and they have a few pages of conversation about how their are such-and-such number of crime covens, how this is a serious fight, etc. Kate, in the morning, goes to have breakfast with her girlfriend, Anna. Anna, believing that Kate's sleep-deprived appearance stems from Kate cheating on her, says that she needs a stable relationship and this isn't it.
Kate returns to her home, where she talks with her father about her mission. Then she enters her own miniature batcave, and receives from her father an experimental military gun, saying she knows "exactly who to use it on". She sets off on her batcycle to track down the religion's new leader. When she finds a coven of the religion's followers, she attacks them, demanding the leader's identity. Suddenly, a pale girl flanked by almost zombie-like guards appears. She calls herself Alice, and says "I can't explain myself, I'm afraid, because I'm not myself, you see." She is obviously the new leader. The comic ends with Batwoman pointing the gun she received at Alice.
Well, this is certainly one of the more different storylines this month. It has a lot of potential, but this first issue feels like mostly filler, and contrived, trying-too-hard scenes between Kate and the people she cares about. The character of Anna especially seems out of place. She only appears for three pages, long enough to break up with Kate and leave.
The whole conversation with her father as well just doesn't sit right. She goes from talking about the Batman to working out and being reminded of her injury to the batcave in a whirlwind of dialogue. The book really picks up with the entrance of Alice (the most interesting character in this whole book), but unfortunately it is three pages from the end.
The other problem is the art. When Kate has the costume on, it's done in a noir, almost painting style (ala Alex Ross). When she's Kate, it's a very comic style, except for one panel that looks like it's done in water colors. It's very disconcerting. You can't just read the comic, you have to constantly readjust to the art. And I don't know whose idea it was to have Kate look like a goth teen in the "breakfast with Anna" scenes, but its there.
There is a Question second feature (maybe I'm mistaken but weren't Renee and Kate into each other at the end of 52?) which is about ten time better than the cover story. If your a big Renee Montoya fan, I'd pick up the book for that, but otherwise this is one to skip.
By Greg Rucka
Art by J.H. Williams III
Overall: 6.5/10
For the first time in at least forty years, Detective comics features someone other than The Dark Knight--Batwoman.
We don't know much about Kate Kane. The major story line she was involved in was about a bizarre religion of crime. She was kidnapped by this cult, who attempted to sacrifice her because of her name, Kane, like Cain. Kate was stabbed through the heart, only to to be saved by Renee Montoya, aka The Question. This storyline picks up where that one left off, with Kate trying to discover the identity of the religion of crime's new leader.
The book opens with Kate interrogating a low-level criminal. Batman appears (Dick Grayson, we assume) and they have a few pages of conversation about how their are such-and-such number of crime covens, how this is a serious fight, etc. Kate, in the morning, goes to have breakfast with her girlfriend, Anna. Anna, believing that Kate's sleep-deprived appearance stems from Kate cheating on her, says that she needs a stable relationship and this isn't it.
Kate returns to her home, where she talks with her father about her mission. Then she enters her own miniature batcave, and receives from her father an experimental military gun, saying she knows "exactly who to use it on". She sets off on her batcycle to track down the religion's new leader. When she finds a coven of the religion's followers, she attacks them, demanding the leader's identity. Suddenly, a pale girl flanked by almost zombie-like guards appears. She calls herself Alice, and says "I can't explain myself, I'm afraid, because I'm not myself, you see." She is obviously the new leader. The comic ends with Batwoman pointing the gun she received at Alice.
Well, this is certainly one of the more different storylines this month. It has a lot of potential, but this first issue feels like mostly filler, and contrived, trying-too-hard scenes between Kate and the people she cares about. The character of Anna especially seems out of place. She only appears for three pages, long enough to break up with Kate and leave.
The whole conversation with her father as well just doesn't sit right. She goes from talking about the Batman to working out and being reminded of her injury to the batcave in a whirlwind of dialogue. The book really picks up with the entrance of Alice (the most interesting character in this whole book), but unfortunately it is three pages from the end.
The other problem is the art. When Kate has the costume on, it's done in a noir, almost painting style (ala Alex Ross). When she's Kate, it's a very comic style, except for one panel that looks like it's done in water colors. It's very disconcerting. You can't just read the comic, you have to constantly readjust to the art. And I don't know whose idea it was to have Kate look like a goth teen in the "breakfast with Anna" scenes, but its there.
There is a Question second feature (maybe I'm mistaken but weren't Renee and Kate into each other at the end of 52?) which is about ten time better than the cover story. If your a big Renee Montoya fan, I'd pick up the book for that, but otherwise this is one to skip.
Tuesday, July 14, 2009
Batman #687
Batman #687
By Judd Winick
Art by Ed Benes
Overall: 9.5/10
The one thing that Bruce Wayne could never fully give was humanity. There were a few touching moments, true, but he cared little for emotion. This made him a legend. This gave him the power to walk into a room full of superpowered beings and have all conversation stop. It also alienated him from everyone he cared about, even after the Crisis and his year of soul-searching.
Dick Grayson is a new kind of Batman. He doesn't manipulate people like Bruce did, and he's much more human. This gives the potential for so many new stories, and real, thoughtful interaction in the batfamily without all the infighting and trust issues Bruce caused. Don't get me wrong--I loved Bruce Wayne. But I'm looking forward to the possibilities.
In many ways, Batman #687 defines this change. It begins with Dick taking down a group of thugs from inside the Batmobile--he still isn't comfortable wearing Bruce's costume. Then there's a visit from Superman and Wonder Woman, a talk with Alfred (more on this later), and moving into the new headquarters (more on this, too).
The Superman and Wonder Woman scenes were executed beautifully. They handed over Bruce's costume, talked a little about what Bruce had had planned for the event of his death, and left. Mostly, their brief appearance served to open up the discussion about what will happen, now that Bruce is dead, and Dick's reaction to his surrogate father's death, something we didn't get to see in Battle for the cowl. Ultimately, Dick decides not to let the JLA run the funeral, but instead to let Bruce go quietly, without the parade, like he wanted, and to let the legend of the Batman live on.
The talk between Alfred and Dick is near perfect. There's one bit that encompasses, I think, everything that Bruce's family is dealing with from his death:
DICK: "You prepare yourself for this day...well, prepare is the wrong word. Do you prepare yourself for the sun to rise, for water to flow from a tap? No. These are knowables. These are eventualities. I knew I would never see him as an old man. No, he'd leave us in a box, with jet black hair, and the only lines on his face would be ones brought by injury.
You knew it wouldn't end well. Despite all the training, all the brilliance, all the strength...under it all there was just flesh, blood, and bone. And a man who never feared death. You know as well as do he was frightened of a great many things, but his own mortality barely made the top hundred list with him. I just....
....I just wasn't ready to lose him."
ALFRED: "I know. I know. I wasn't "ready" either."
^That is spectacular.
On the subject of moving headquarters, however, the narrative falters. I want to make it clear that I blame the editor and not the writer, though. This scene appeared in Batman and Robin #1, which came out a week earlier, and the two scenes are very, very similar, though I like #687's rendition a little better. It just doesn't sit well. There's no need to have this explained twice.
The art: Frankly, its just okay. Ed Benes is pretty good, but he's no Jim Lee. No one has a chin as pointy as the one Dick sported in the funeral scenes. In the early robbery panels there are too many fire spurts and crashes to really get a full idea of what is going on. But Benes' style is clean, and coherent. Mid line.
This is one you definitely must get.
By Judd Winick
Art by Ed Benes
Overall: 9.5/10
The one thing that Bruce Wayne could never fully give was humanity. There were a few touching moments, true, but he cared little for emotion. This made him a legend. This gave him the power to walk into a room full of superpowered beings and have all conversation stop. It also alienated him from everyone he cared about, even after the Crisis and his year of soul-searching.
Dick Grayson is a new kind of Batman. He doesn't manipulate people like Bruce did, and he's much more human. This gives the potential for so many new stories, and real, thoughtful interaction in the batfamily without all the infighting and trust issues Bruce caused. Don't get me wrong--I loved Bruce Wayne. But I'm looking forward to the possibilities.
In many ways, Batman #687 defines this change. It begins with Dick taking down a group of thugs from inside the Batmobile--he still isn't comfortable wearing Bruce's costume. Then there's a visit from Superman and Wonder Woman, a talk with Alfred (more on this later), and moving into the new headquarters (more on this, too).
The Superman and Wonder Woman scenes were executed beautifully. They handed over Bruce's costume, talked a little about what Bruce had had planned for the event of his death, and left. Mostly, their brief appearance served to open up the discussion about what will happen, now that Bruce is dead, and Dick's reaction to his surrogate father's death, something we didn't get to see in Battle for the cowl. Ultimately, Dick decides not to let the JLA run the funeral, but instead to let Bruce go quietly, without the parade, like he wanted, and to let the legend of the Batman live on.
The talk between Alfred and Dick is near perfect. There's one bit that encompasses, I think, everything that Bruce's family is dealing with from his death:
DICK: "You prepare yourself for this day...well, prepare is the wrong word. Do you prepare yourself for the sun to rise, for water to flow from a tap? No. These are knowables. These are eventualities. I knew I would never see him as an old man. No, he'd leave us in a box, with jet black hair, and the only lines on his face would be ones brought by injury.
You knew it wouldn't end well. Despite all the training, all the brilliance, all the strength...under it all there was just flesh, blood, and bone. And a man who never feared death. You know as well as do he was frightened of a great many things, but his own mortality barely made the top hundred list with him. I just....
....I just wasn't ready to lose him."
ALFRED: "I know. I know. I wasn't "ready" either."
^That is spectacular.
On the subject of moving headquarters, however, the narrative falters. I want to make it clear that I blame the editor and not the writer, though. This scene appeared in Batman and Robin #1, which came out a week earlier, and the two scenes are very, very similar, though I like #687's rendition a little better. It just doesn't sit well. There's no need to have this explained twice.
The art: Frankly, its just okay. Ed Benes is pretty good, but he's no Jim Lee. No one has a chin as pointy as the one Dick sported in the funeral scenes. In the early robbery panels there are too many fire spurts and crashes to really get a full idea of what is going on. But Benes' style is clean, and coherent. Mid line.
This is one you definitely must get.
Monday, July 13, 2009
Who Is Batgirl?
The one real mystery to come from "Battle for the Cowl" is Batgirl's identity. I mean come on, we all knew Dick was going to take up the mantel of the Bat, and that Tim was going to become Red Robin. Batgirl is the only secret DC has truly succeeded in keeping.
As for who could be under the mask, there are four contenders:
Cassandra Cain: Okay, so they've basically said that it won't be her. But I think that she's still in the running. This wouldn't be the first time DC's done something like this and said "Gotcha!" after the whole comic industry had gotten worked up over it. Plus, Cass hasn't been Batgirl for that long. She still has a lot of stories to tell. It was only recently that she learned to speak, and the fact that Shiva is her mother came even later.
Barbra Gordon (Oracle): Don't be convinced by the "Oracle: The Cure" postings up all over the internet. Nothing in that miniseries stated that Barbra had regained the use of her legs, or even remotely considered taking up the Batgirl costume again. More than likely, she will be involved with the "Batgirl" series as a mentor to whoever is in the costume. She did it for Cassandra, and Misfit. She also may take on a protege, the newly-awakened Wendy. But Batgirl? She's beyond that now.
Charlotte "Charlie" Gage-Radcliffe (Misfit): A distant maybe, Charlie qualifies as a possibility because she was under Oracle's tutelage, and she also was a sort-of member of the Birds of Prey. In her first apperance, she dressed up in a variation of Barbra Gordon's Batgirl costume. There are a few things keeping her from the role, however. The first is her status as a wild card, both in personality, and in the fact that we haven't really seen enough of her. True, Cassandra showed up out of nowhere, but that's better than a girl who's made a few apperances, had a couple lines each time, and really hasn't settled in yet. Plus, she has superpowers, which sort of defeats the whole "anti-superpowered batfamily" thing. at this point, it would be much better for her to expand her own persona.
Stephanie Brown (Spoiler): Recently returned to Gotham, Stephanie is the perfect candidate to take up the mask. Most believe her dead, her current persona has a lot of baggage attached, like pretending to be Penguin's lackey in "Gotham Underground" and the fact that her identity was publicly revealed back in "War Crimes". Also, she's been trained by Batman, Cassandra, and Barbra, not to mention the fact that she was Robin for 71 days. With the mask of Batgirl she gets a fresh start, and that is, after all, why she came back.
The Batgirl identity has always been the one bat-name that Batman could never fully control ever since Barbra sewed the first constume herself, and fought crime unsanctioned. The new Batgilr will doubtlessly be a delicious surprise.
Sunday, July 12, 2009
Comic Review: Batman and Robin #1
Batman and Robin #1
By Grant Morrison
Art by Frank Quietly
Overall: 8/10
Thank god that we got the "All-Star Superman" Morrison on this book and not the one that wrote the incomprehensible "Batman RIP". Just for that fact, this comic rates high.
The basic summary is that Batman--Dick Grayson, in case you haven't heard--apprehends a frog-looking man who calls himself Mr. Toad. Mr. Toad is somehow connected to another villian by the name of Pigg. We see Pigg in another part of the city, toturing a mobster and his teen daughter. He is burning new faces onto their's--odd, clown-like faces. The storyline is called "Circus of Strange" so you can see where this is headed.
We also get a few pages of commentary between Alfred, Dick, and Damian (the new Robin). There are a few gems of dialouge in these sections, but nothing nearly as good as what's found in Batman #687. Mostly it consists of Dick feeling like he's in over his head while simultaneously trying to control Damian.
My opinion:
This was a good start to the series. I would have liked to see some more talk between the batfamily, and not just this stock "I am Batman now" "I must control the city" and Damian's usual bratty attitude, which fills most of the pages where Morrison could have taken the opportunity to show Dick truly grieving. As for Damian, it doesn't seem like he cares, save for a few panels where he says that he has vowed to finish what his father began.
The Circus of Strange seems, well, a little strange. I wonder if its some of the RIP Morrison showing through. This first issue doesn't say much about the plot to come, however, other than that there are drugs involved, as well as sadistic madmen. It is quite different from other plots, though, and that may be a good thing--or prove this book's demise.
All in all, I got the sense that the creative team was a little unsure of themselves in this first issue, reverting back to old standbys for the batfamily dynamics and trying a pinch too hard on the circus aspect. The art, however, was wonderful, and the page of "things to come" shows some promising bits.
By Grant Morrison
Art by Frank Quietly
Overall: 8/10
Thank god that we got the "All-Star Superman" Morrison on this book and not the one that wrote the incomprehensible "Batman RIP". Just for that fact, this comic rates high.
The basic summary is that Batman--Dick Grayson, in case you haven't heard--apprehends a frog-looking man who calls himself Mr. Toad. Mr. Toad is somehow connected to another villian by the name of Pigg. We see Pigg in another part of the city, toturing a mobster and his teen daughter. He is burning new faces onto their's--odd, clown-like faces. The storyline is called "Circus of Strange" so you can see where this is headed.
We also get a few pages of commentary between Alfred, Dick, and Damian (the new Robin). There are a few gems of dialouge in these sections, but nothing nearly as good as what's found in Batman #687. Mostly it consists of Dick feeling like he's in over his head while simultaneously trying to control Damian.
My opinion:
This was a good start to the series. I would have liked to see some more talk between the batfamily, and not just this stock "I am Batman now" "I must control the city" and Damian's usual bratty attitude, which fills most of the pages where Morrison could have taken the opportunity to show Dick truly grieving. As for Damian, it doesn't seem like he cares, save for a few panels where he says that he has vowed to finish what his father began.
The Circus of Strange seems, well, a little strange. I wonder if its some of the RIP Morrison showing through. This first issue doesn't say much about the plot to come, however, other than that there are drugs involved, as well as sadistic madmen. It is quite different from other plots, though, and that may be a good thing--or prove this book's demise.
All in all, I got the sense that the creative team was a little unsure of themselves in this first issue, reverting back to old standbys for the batfamily dynamics and trying a pinch too hard on the circus aspect. The art, however, was wonderful, and the page of "things to come" shows some promising bits.