ALLYSON'S ATTIC


/\ /\ /\ /\ Splash Page from Green Lantern #55 Pencils Doug Mahnke /\ /\ /\

Wednesday, September 29, 2010

ACTION COMICS #893 : The Black Ring Part 4



 RATING 3.3 out of 5

This issue is a lot better then last month's issue.  The art made the characters pop out and the story wasn't as blah, but ...this issue didn't  move the main plot about the Black Ring energy any further then  last month's issue.

ReView with SPoilers. 

Lex investigates another location for Black Ring energy in Uganda. It just so happens to be a base of operations for Gorilla Grodd, who is hungry for information, literally hungrey for information.  Grodd is popping brains in his mouth like they were pills. 

I don't remember Grodd ever doing this in the past, plus... I always thought Gorrilla's were herbivores, but I'm not a expert on Grodd, so I just shrugg and move past this and enjoy the issue.

 

Unfortunately for Grodd, Lex's noggin is a bit more solid and ...Lex has planned ahead (pun attended) for Grodd's appitite.  The lingering Black Ring energy is found inside Grodd's base, and once again, like when they sampled it in Issue #892, the energy changed. Despite Lex's ingenuity, Grodd get's in the final blow, which leads into next months guest appearance with Vertigo's female Death.
 
There are quite a few cute moments in the story and the art was able to make the intention of the writer to be funny... to come across funny, but also was able to convey the fierceness of Grodd.  This art team is so...much better then last months. The pages are similar to the art on the cover, which was done by David Finch, Joe Weems & Peter Steigerwald.

I'm looking forward to Death appearance next month but I hope the plot doesn't start sagging, because ...I also want to know more about the the black ring energy, and how Lex plans to use it.. 

Action Comics #893: The Black Ring Part 4
Writer:  Paul Cornell
Guest Penciller: Sean Chen
Guest Inker: Wayne Faucher
Colorist: Brad Anderson
Letterer: Rob Leigh
Cover: David Finch, Joe Weems & Peter Steigerwald
Publisher: DC Comics
November 2010

Friday, September 24, 2010

BATMAN: BRUCE WAYNE: The Road Home: Reading Order, & Reviews: Batman and Robin, Red Robin, Batgirl, Outsiders, Catwoman, Commissioner Gordon, Oracle, Ra's Al Ghul



These occur after Return of Bruce Wayne #6
 Nicieza was interviewed at Newsaroma[link]
Nicieza: If a reader wants to buy individual issues, they should feel free to do so, and hopefully enjoy a solid self-contained issue, but if they want to read all 8, then yes, there is definitely an order:
1) Batman & Robin
2) Red Robin
3) Outsiders
4) Batgirl
5) Catwoman
6) Gordon
7) Oracle
8) Ra's al Ghul
Batman and Robin #16,  and Batman: The Return- from the solicits seems to be After  The Road Home

REVIEWS of individual issues are below, they are in the reading order listed above.  
RATING  Over All : 3.5" out of 5
It's a decent storyline but some parts could have been left out completely.  It's important to note that they DON'T have any welcome home sentiment. For instance, Red Robin gives Bruce a hug for being back in Red Robin #17, not in any of these issues. They mostly have a, "Is that..who I think it is", none have the hugs and kisses stage in them.
 

 1.)Bruce Wayne - The Road Home: 
{All covers are by Shane Davis, they connect together}
BATMAN & ROBIN
Title: "Outside Looking In"  Writer: Fabian Nicieza Art of internal pages: Cliff Richards Covor Art: Ian Hannin Letters Dave Sharpe Editor: Mike Marts Asst. Editor Janelle Siegel

Rating 3.9 out of 5


A really great start to The Road Home storyline.  The writer, Fabian Nicieza, captured the banter between Dick Grayson(Batman) and Damian(Robin) perfectly, but the art seemed really lacking. It looked like you were looking through a unfocused camera lens, so that you can hide wrinkles.  Nicieza is a great writer so this didn't effect the enjoyment of the story.  This issue doesn't feel like a stand alone issue. You are left with a definite need to continue into the issue of The Road Home: Red Robin.

SPOILERS:If you don't want to be spoiled, skip  down to next review in blue.

This storyline started with controversy before it even came out.  The DC Blog site had released some preview panels of the art inside Batman and Robin. Then was surprised that it contained the F-Bomb. They quickly removed the imaged from their site, and a little later the release date for the book was pushed back a week. They made changes pretty quickly.  My cynical side makes me think they did it intentionally to get publicity, BUT... they already had the publicity from the delay of the Morrison's books, Return of Bruce Wayne #6 and Batman & Robin #16, which weren't released till after The Road home.

Whats wrong with that? Well.... Morrison's books has the actual return of Bruce Wayne to the present time line... Yet... he was already in Gotham for The Road Home. It caused quite a ruckus on many many forums and blogs.

Having the stories out of sync is a little irritating, but I got over it, because it was Fabian Nicieza in charge of The Road Home, and he IS a great story teller.  There have been reassurances by him that having Bruce in Gotham won't ruin the Morrison's storyline. So... I felt pretty confident and read these stories, and I can assure you, at least at this point, they don't seem to touch what Morrison is doing.

Getting past the controversy...we are rewarded with ...a sorta... new player in Gotham, if you don't know who it is by now, I don't want to spoil it for you. The suit he wears is fantastic and there is buzz on the forums, such as: where did the mystery man get this suit? Where did he get the powers? Why  hasn't he used it before? and ...Will he continue to use it?
There is also the ongoing story line of Viki Vale uncovering the secrets identities of the Bat-family, it continues to some degree in all the issues of The Road Home.

As I've mentioned above, the storyline doesn't seem to be a stand alone issue, you'll feel like wanting to get the next issue in this  storyline The Road Home: Red Robin.



REVIEW
2.)Bruce Wayne - The Road Home: 
RED ROBIN
Title: "The Insider"  Writer: Fabian Nicieza Pencils of internal pages: Ramon Bachs Inks: John Lucas Colors: Guy Major Letters Dave Sharpe Editor: Mike Marts Asst. Editor Sean Ryan 
 Rating 3.9 out of 5



This issue is also great, with spot on characterization. Even though it says at the end that it is continued in Outsiders, after I read Outsiders,  Outsiders felt really unneeded to any storyline.  You could probably skip from this issue to the Ra's Al Ghul issue and not miss any real major story line, you would only miss the reunions with the characters in the title.
The art in this issue is somewhat better then the Batman and Robin issue. It is more... expressive, but the suit looked better in the previous issue.  There has been some buzz on the forums that Tim didn't seem to express any emotions toward Bruce being back and the writer, Fabian Nicieza had this to say:

Quote from Fabian Nicieza from a post on CBR(link) :
 Just a note for those misreading this issue as "Bruce's return seeming anticlimactic or unemotional," please be aware that the events of The Road Home ALL take place AFTER ROBW#6.
Every issue in the Road Home storyline were written with the expectation they'd be on sale after ROBW#6, and were taking into account that certain reunions -- specifically Tim and Bruce -- would have been handled in that issue as we were told.

What you see as a "lack of emotion" is actually the two characters having had days to have come to terms with Bruce's return, and only the unfortunate shipping schedule has made that a confusing message.

But just in case there's not enough emotion to cover the Tim/Bruce reunion in ROBW#6, check out RED ROBIN #17 in November for a nice moment between the two...
- fabian

Some readers opinion of the issue seemed to hurt, just a little, from not having Morrison's storyline being told.  I personally wasn't effected by it, because I figured it was told somewhere else. 

SPOILERS:If you don't want to be spoiled, skip down to next review in blue. 

In this issue the mystery man, codenamed Insider,  infiltrates The Council of Spiders. They kill people just for sport. The first target they give him is Red Robin.  Pru shows up in this issue and is more of a distraction then a help.  She seems to be holding secrets that will be reveal in the Ra's al Ghul issue.


REVIEW
3.)Bruce Wayne - The Road Home: 
{All covers are by Shane Davis, they connect together}
The OUTSIDERS
Title: "Inside Interference"  Writer: Mike W. Barr Penciller: Javier Saltares Inkers: Rebecca Buchman & Walden Wong Colorist: Pete Pantazis  Letters Dave Sharpe Batman group Editor: Mike Marts Editor Harvey Richards
RATING 2.5 out of 5 

I really felt nothing for this issue. It wasn't much of a issue. It didn't make me want to check out the series.  Maybe I just didn't know enough background on the characters to care about them. It can be considered a stand alone issue, but I think it's not needed to pull The Road Home storyline forward and you could skip it. 

SPOILERS:If you don't want to be spoiled, skip  down to next review in blue.

This issue has a couple of pages of Vicki Vale in it but she doesn't do anything that really moves her storyline along either.

 The part in the book where the mysterious stranger from the other The Road Home issues, uses his suit and was able to take down each of The Outsiders was cool, but not cool enough to buy the book.

As FHIZ, a poster on CBR commented (link)
...the entry in the white casebook was like "The Outsiders seem to have lost their way." Then the end of the Outsider's book is basically "Yep, still lost, screw'em"
One poster said it would have some bearing on the Batman Inc storyline by showing how Batman may choose who should, or should not, be branded with the Batman logo.

REVIEW
4.)Bruce Wayne - The Road Home: 
{All covers are by Shane Davis, they connect together}
BATGIRL
No Title  Writer: Bryan Q. Miller Artist : Pere Perez Colorist: Pete Pantazis  Letters Dave Sharpe Batman group Editor: Mike Marts Editor Sean Ryan
RATING 4.5 out of 5

This was the best issue, so far.  Bryan Q Miller is a awesome storyteller. He really knows this character and her relationship to Bruce. This is tied into The Road Home story line, but it is kinda adjacent to the other stories being told.  At the end it says "to be continued to" The Road Home: Catwoman, but that issue doesn't connect to this issue anymore then any of the others. You don't have to read Batman & Robin, or Red Robin, for this issue, or visa-versa, so it is the closest issue to being a stand alone story.


However, I really love Stephenie's character when it is in Bryan Q Miller's hands and this was a joy to read, don't miss it.

 SPOILERS: If you don't want to be spoiled, skip to down next review in blue.

This issue has the Mystery man that is in the other issues, but it also has Stephanie's and Bruce's first meeting since Bruce came back from the Dead {or not really being dead}. Which really makes it worth the cover price just to see it.
Oracle confronts Vicki Vale in this issue and I have a feeling it will be expanded on in The Road Home: Oracle issue.
I don't want to spoil too much but Bruce mentions Cassandra Cain...the previous Batgirl, and says, "Cassandra followed orders, did precisely what I asked her to do in the event of my death or disappearance."

I'm enjoying this storyline and I'm looking forward to the next installment with Catwoman. After reading these issues... I'm starting to feel better about The Batman Inc series coming up, which I've had my misgivings about it.

REVIEW


5.)Bruce Wayne - The Road Home: 
{All covers are by Shane Davis, they connect together} 
CATWOMAN

Title :Lifting the Vale Writer: Derek Fridolfs Artist : Peter Nguyen 
Colorist: John Kalisz Letters: Dave Sharpe Batman group Editor:Mike Marts Asst Editor: Janelle Siegel 
Rating 3 out of 5
It was kinda disappointing...Meh issue.  It can be a stand alone issue and can be passed over, it doesn't really move the story line in Red Robin. 
SPOILERS: If you don't want to be spoiled, skip down to next review in blue.  

It was mostly about the Sirens stealing information from Vicki on what she knows. Selina is concerned that Vicki will attract the wrong element.

 I thought Oracle got all the information from Vicki in The Road Home: Batgirl. Since I've read that one too, this one seems like over kill.

I was expecting the Bruce and Selina reunion, but after reading this, I see that Morrison has the dibs on that one, because  this issue didn't have much of a between Bruce and Selina.  I guess I expect more fire from these two, and it felt meh...
She finds out its him, they touch, he leaves...Meh...
 
 REVIEW


6) Bruce Wayne - The Road Home: 
{All covers are by Shane Davis, they connect together} COMMISSIONER GORDON
 Title  Gotham's Finest  Storytellers:  Adam Beechen and Szymon Kudranski Colorist: John Kalisz  Letters Dave Sharpe Batman group Editor: Mike Marts Asst.Editor:  Janelle Siegel.
RATING 3.9 out of 5

This was really good. Very moody art, which was great,  and Beechen made Gordon shine.  I hate to say it is a stand alone issue, because I'm not sure of its relevance in the next set of issues. It has a lot of Vicki Vale in it and this may have some relevance in the next issue.



SPOILERS: If you don't want to be spoiled, skip down to next review in blue.  

The criminal element in Gotham has found out that Vicki Vale has the goods on Batman and the rest of the Bat-family.  The criminal element WANTS that information. 
Commissioner Gorden has Vicki under protective custody and he plans to keep her that way. Did I say this was a really good issue?  It is. 


There is a section where it shows that Bruce couldn't pull the wool over Barbara's eyes, which is great, but I wonder what the heck they are going to cover in The Road Home:Oracle issue, since she already knows.

This also kinda brings home the... "Does Gordon know Bruce is Batman?"  A question that is bandied about on the threads. In this issue you are left with "Does Gordon know that the Insider is Batman?"
It's not really answered, you think he does, but ...does he?



 REVIEW


7) Bruce Wayne - The Road Home:  
{All covers are by Shane Davis, they connect together}  
ORACLE
Writer: Marc Andreyko, Artist: Agustin Padilla, Color Art: Brian Buccellato, Letters: Dave Sharpe, Editor: Janelle Seigel, Batman Group Editor: Mike Marts

RATING 2.9 
I would skip it unless you had extra money.  The previous one with Commissioner Gordon shines in comparison. It also has a speed bump when it came to Oracle knowing the Insiders identity. It has choppy dialogue. It has a cliffhanger ending which would make you want the next issue, but this issue is not necessary for the whole of the story. 

SPOILERS: If you don't want to be spoiled, skip down to next review in blue.  
Oracle helps The Insider  in protecting Vicki Vale from The Seven Men of Death by sending The Birds of Prey as a decoy.  Well...Ah sorta...she actually sends The Reserve Birds of Prey.  I ...didn't know ...that Ragman and ManBat were part of the 'Birds of Prey' and  I was... hoping that Batgirl would make it to the team but this is a sloppy way of adding her.  This team includes Manhunter, ManBat, Ragman, Batgirl, Hawk, and Dove.  The fight scenes are sloppy, and sometimes I can't tell whose fighting who, and how they are fighting or how they are taking the bad guys out.
What's the Speed Bump?  One of Oracle's Caption says, "...and what about "the Insider," huh? Wow, he feels familiar." Next Caption says, "I mean, he's Bruce, right? But how is that possible? Bruce is dead, Then again so were Superman, Green arrow,...."
SOO....Oracle didn't know ...that Bruce was ALIVE. {see my eye twitch}
Despite the fact that the JLA is heavily trying to look for him...AND ...she is information gal for  the hero world.
Dick and Damian know he is a live.  It's NOT a secret in the Hero world. Dick even told Gordon in one of the Batman and Robin books that he was only filling in the shoes until the original is back.  
I can understand not knowing Bruce is back in the right time, but for Oracle to not know he is Alive means that the writer didn't do his research.  
REVIEW

 
8) Bruce Wayne - The Road Home:  
{All covers are by Shane Davis, they connect together}  
RA'S AL GHUL

Writer: Fabian Nicieza, Penciller: Scott McDaniel, Inker: Andy Owens, Color Art:Guy Major, Letters: Dave Sharpe, Asst Editor: Janelle Seigel and Harvey Richards, Batman Group Editor: Mike Marts

RATING 3.6
Kind of a disappointing ending. It was well written, but I guess I just wanted more from ol' Ra's.  This issue would definitively be needed for the whole story of Vicki Val's investigation. The story is wrapped up in this issue, but I think that is the reason I didn't like it. It was too pat of a ending. 

SPOILERS:
 It's a good story and well written but for me it was too pat of a ending for a storyline that has been underlining the Red Robin and Streets of Gotham issues for over a year.  It felt like the story had only just begun and now "Voila" it's over. (yes..Choppa that was for you).
 Ra's Al Ghul is the one who hired the Men of Death. Not because he wants the information that Vicki Vale has attained, but because he wants to shut her up. Bruce Wayne is Ra's to kill and no one else's.  As Ra's people track and chase Vicki, Ra's reflects on another worthy opponent from centuries ago, but he can't remember his name.


Major spoilers:
Also I was wanting more of a fight between Bruce and Ra's, there was hardly a confrontation. Ra's just basically shrugged and walked off saying "Until the Next Time we Duel, Detective...".  
Vale finally gets confirmation that Bruce is Batman and realizes that she was only doing this because she felt "neglected." 
Also... it didn't tell anything about the suit, where it came from, or if it will be used in the future. 

Saturday, September 18, 2010

BRAVE and The BOLD : TEAM UPS Vol 1 TPB #27 #28 #29 #30 #31 #32 #33 Review

Rating 3.5 out of 5

A wonderful collection of stories written by J. Michael Straczynski.  The Brave and the Bold series is known for team-ups of DC heroes, but this set of stories allow us to visit old friends, or old hero's, from the past, and teams them again with our current day hero's.  These stories are more story driven morality tale, then action driven tale.  Each issue is a separate fully contained story unto itself.  Be warned they could cause the reader to cry.

I've put them in order from my favorite issue to my least favorite:


Issue #33: Ladies' Night
Zantana teams up with Wonder Woman to take Barbara Gordan on a night out from crime fighting.
 A very sentimental story with a high cry factor.(Rate 4)

Issue #30: The Green & the Gold
Green Lantern/Hal Jordan teams up with Dr. Fate/Kent Nelson. 
Hal gets help from a friend from the past and warns his friend of his future. (Rate 4)


Issue #32 : Night Gods
Aquaman teams up with The Demon Etrigan.
This was written before Aquaman's resurrection so it was a treat to see him in action again. They team up to stop a unworldly creature that tries to cross into our world .(Rate 4)

 Issue #27 : Death of a H.E.R.O 
Batman/Bruce teams with Dial H for H.E.R.O
The Dial gets into the hands of a unlikely hero.(Rate 4) 

Issue #28 : Firing Line
Flash goes back in time and teams with the Blackhawks.
A tribute to war veterans, as he helps to fight WW II.( Rate 3)



Issue #29 : Lost Stories of YEsterday, Today. and Tomorrow
Batman/Bruce teams with Brother Power the Geek
A look back at the 60's in comparison to today's Gotham. (Rate 3)

Issue #31 : Small Problems
The Atom teams up with .....
I didn't care for Small Problems, it wasn't a real team-up. It was about the Joker manipulating Atom who had gone into Joker's brain to save him, so I didn't care for it in the Brave and Bold title. It may have been okay in a different series.(Rate 2.5)





The Team Ups of The  BRAVE and The BOLD Vol 1
Includes The BRAVE and The BOLD issues 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33

Writter: J. Micheal Straczynski
Pencillers: Jesus Saiz, Chad Hardin and Justiniano
Inkers: Jesus Saiz, Wane Faucher and Walden Wong
Letterer Rob Leigh
Colorist: Trish Mulvihill, Brian Miller
 
 
Covers: Jesus Saiz
Publisher: DC Comics
2009 Nov Dec 2010 Jan Feb Mar Apr May

Monday, September 13, 2010

BATMAN: ALIENS Part 1-2 TPB Review

Rating 4 out of 5

This was a pretty descent story.  I can see it fitting in the Batman mythology. Batman was strong and intelligent, and full of courage against great odds. The writer was able to show that Batman/Bruce was also afraid but didn't let fear control him.  I've heard other reviewers have problems with the art, but I didn't, so the art did not detracted from the story. The story is nicely contained and complete in two TPB, but... is out of print and you will have to hunt for it.


Review/Synopsis

Batman parachutes into the amazon jungle, the reason is unknown until later in the book. He runs into a US Special Ops team, the reason for them being there isn't clear till the second book.  I'm not gonna spoil the reasons,  finding out is part of the enjoyment of the books.






At first they don't get along. Batman, being a hardass, wanting the Ops team to leave and go home, and vice versa, the Ops team wants Batman to leave, BUT...they decide to pull their resources and travel to their destination together. As the Aliens take their toil on the team, it becomes more a comrade in arms type situation.  Batman is, of course, the smart one in the group.

Batman finds himself in more then one frightful .. face-off... with the Aliens. The Aliens are the same Aliens as from the movie: eggs, face hugger like implantation into host, acid saliva, etc...

I enjoyed the story.
The complaints I saw about art were people who were expecting more from Bernie Wrightson, because they had seen his work before. 
If I've seen his work before I don't remember it, so had no expectations.

BATMAN: ALIENS part 1 & part 2
Writer:Ron Marz
Art: Bernie Wrightson
Colorist: Gregory Wright
Letterer: Sean Konot
Editors:  Bob Schereck & Dennies O'Neil

Publisher: Dark Horse/DC Comics
1997

Saturday, September 11, 2010

BATGIRL #14 Terror in the 3rd Dimension Review



Rating 4.5 out of 5

Pure FUN.  Nothing cerebral about it...but who cares. It's so Great... just to have a FUN comic.  Bryan Q Miller is a master at telling Stephenie's story.  I hope he NEVER leaves this series.  I had tears in my eyes from laughing so hard.  It was good laughter...I was laughing with my heroes NOT at my heroes.   This story was wrapped up in one issue, so if you don't have any of the Batgirl/Stephanie issues, you could pick this one up for a fun ride and not invest in another....but I bet you will.




Review WITH Spoilers

VAMPIRES...I love a good Vampire story...but lately you can't swing a stick without hitting one.  They've become a staple of TV.  There's Vampire Dairies, True Blood, Being Human, and the newest show, "The Gates."

THAT's just the shows that are currently produced.

In reruns, you have Buffy, Angel, Moonlight, Forever Knight, Kindred, and one that I wish to see again but haven't in a long long time, Dark Shadows.

OH... and let's not get started with what's in the Movie Theaters.
  
They seem to be just as prevalent in comics.

NOT that this is a bad thing.

BUT HOW...Oh how.... CAN you have a NEW take on the same OLD OLD OLD Story.
Whatever it is...it's been done.  Hasn't it?

NOPE....and Bryan Q Miller actually came up with something different and FUN.

You see...there's this scientist (refreshingly not crazy), who had a lab overload with his experiment. He was working on a way to generate "Hard Light" (force fields) to create a three dimensional construct that could hold an image that was projected onto it. This is not that hard of a concept for sci-fi fans. We've seen it before, on Star Trek: Voyager, with the EMH Doctor.

The lab happened to be right next door to the campus theater, where Stephanie Brown(Batgirl) and Lana Lang(Supergirl) are watching a old black and white horror film with Dracula which had been redone in 3D. The blast from the lab only lasted a second, but since film runs at 24 frames per second, this releases 24 black and white "Draculas"...Blah blah blah...who run "Amuk Amuk Amuk" in Gotham City.

Control rods can destabilize their photon matrices when done at high impact. This is Miller's .. Wah Lah ...for stake through the heart.

Now LET the 'Buffy' in all of us out and just sit back and ENJOY.

There is a two page spread of the girls staking black and white Dracula's that is pricelessly funny. One 'Dracula' had tried to get away on a Segway.

This was the best Girls night out I've read in a long time.

Because the next issues are going to have more grittier stories, Miller will be teamed up with Dustin Nguyen on pencils.  I'm looking forward to this storyline... but I hope Batgirl doesn't become too toughen.. too soon, I'm enjoying the current character


BATGIRL: Terror in the 3rd Dimension!
Writer: Bryan Q Miller
Penciller: Lee Garbett
Inker: Trevor Scott
Colorist: Guy Major
Letterer:Travis Lanham
Cover: Stanley "Artgerm" Lau

Publisher: DC Comics
Nov 2010

Friday, September 10, 2010

BATMAN: ODYSSEY Part 3 Review


Rating 3 out of 5

I know... I'm alone in a world of malcontent, but I'm still enjoying the series.  It's not the same old dreary Batman, not the usual Batman/Bruce, but I like him.  Although... I may be the only one left reading the series.
Review/spoilers

More then one poster on more than one forum can't get past the unusual dialogue that Neal Adams has given Bruce Wayne.  Too chatty... too repetitive...

Even Neal has Alfred commenting on it by saying , "Never improves by the repetition." ... And Alfred says this while he is preparing a syringe of something to inject in Bruce. Bruce already has his wounds bandaged... so what is that about?

Is Neal doing this on purpose?

Never in my wildest dream would I think that Bruce would call Alfred a, "Jerk". Who would write a Batman that would call Alfred... "JERK!"?
I can't help but think this is intentional and not just bad dialogue.


Bruce seems to still be talking to the mystery person and ....retelling the story, of when he retold a story to Alfred. What's up with all this retelling? In the second issue he had finished the retelling of the retold story of the Train/guns. Phew..



The story told to Alfred, in this issue, is how Bruce and Dick foiled the Riddler's plans at the warehouse on the pier.
NO matter how you feel about Neal's dialogue, he is a master at drawing action. There is a wonderful action portion to this book that lasted for 10 pages. TEN PAGES... of straight action.   Oh YEAH!!!

AND ...THEN...THERE'S...TALIA

Neal has given her the "Poor little rich girl" characteristic.
And..She gives, Valley Girl, a bad name. 

Oh yes...he went there...

 If you think about it, that's not far from the true character of Talia, and I can't wait to see what Neal does with it.







Come on...this story is NOT  in continuity.  Quit reading it like it is...and maybe relax and enjoy it.
Ten more issues...WHAT will happen next? 
 
It's a little campy...all the Characters are a different take from the original.
Neal is injecting a little humor and giving us a different take on a all too serious Batman.

BATMAN: ODYSSEY  Part 3
Story and Art: Neal Adams
Color : Ken Lopez
Assistant Editor: Janelle Siegel & Rachel Gluckstern
Editors: Marts & Carlin

Thursday, September 2, 2010

ACTION COMICS #892 The Black Ring: part 3 Review

Rating 2.5 out of 5
This rating is on the story by Paul Cornell not on the co-feature in the back of the issue.

Meh...really Meh... Not bad ... not good... Meh..
The action seemed clunky...like two old men fighting.  This issue is part of a ongoing storyline and... I did like the previous two issues and ....I'm looking forward to the 'Death' issue, so I'll  still buy into future issues.
But if you haven't started the story yet don't start it on this Issue. 

Review with SPOILERS 


I was trying to cough out my lungs last week because I had come down with whatever is new at the kids school, so I thought maybe it was my Meh... mood when I first read it , but even today as I re-read it, I could care less about this story.

Lex is still looking for answers about the left over energy of the Black Rings.  He is in the Antarctic with his crew and hired bodyguard Deathstroke. They come upon a dome of blackness which Lex believes is "...a different kind of spacetime. An allotrope of normal space."

The dome starts messing with Deathstroke's emotions and he starts making a path toward Lex...killing anyone in his way.  I think the biggest problem is that Deathstroke didn't look fierce, he looked like a old man in a winter coatMaybe if he wore his mask it would have been better.

 Lex gets in his portable green Power suit and the two face off, but... it felt...like two old men fighting.  

FOR Example....--> 


Of course I added a few touches to help with the picture but it's close. 

Am I wrong?...

Maybe ...

BUT I'm close....ain't I..?

Maybe...

Am I feeling better...?

Possibly...[grin]


ACTION COMICS #892
Writer:  Paul Cornell
Artists: Pete woods with Pere Perez
colorist: Brad Anderson
Letterer: Rob Leigh
Cover: David Finch, Joe Weems & Peter Steigerwald
Publisher: DC Comics
Oct 2010


Wednesday, September 1, 2010

BATMAN: UNSEEN #1 #2 #3 #4 #5 TPB Review

RATING 3.3 out of 5

Kelly Jones was born to be the artist on this story, and unlike Gotham After Midnight, he has a decent writer, Doug Moench.  The ending ... makes my right eye twitch... but over all... it was a good read. The story is complete in these 5 issues. I doubt if it will be considered part of the continuity of the regular Batman(Bruce Wayne) mythology.


 
I'm not particularly... a Kelly Jones fan, but I did love gazing at his art in this story.  He has a flare for drawing a dramatic and moody Batman that I doubt any other artist can match.

The writer, Doug Moench seems to understand Jones' style and is able to write for it.  The two have been teamed up many times before on various Batman projects.  What I find interesting with Moench, at least to me, is that Moench style of writing has matured since the publication of Batman: Book of the Dead (1993), and I like the flow a whole lot better.  He kept me wanting more and looking forward to the next issue, where the older story was a little meh...to read.






STORY SPOILERS and the ending that makes my eye twitch don't go past this point if you don't want to know:

Black Mask finds one of the scientist, Dr Nigel Glass, that has been fired by Wayne Industries, and funds his research of Invisibility.  Dr Nigel uses himself as a ginea pig.  The panels with only his skin invisible which his organs and bones showing, I found cool, but the syrum is driving him crazy mad.  When he finally succeeds with full invisibility...he goes on a rampage, killing all the people who did him wrong.  Batman needs to track him down and stop him. I found all this stuff cool..., until Issue 5.  As you can see from the cover...Bruce (rolleyes) drinks the syrum to turn invisible so that he can have a even chance with Dr Niger....
SAY WHAT?...
The highly intellegent...highly trained ...can fight in the dark while blind folded....Batman (Bruce Wayne) needs invisibility to beat this mad scientist.  I have trouble seeing Bruce have any trouble with this guy what-so-ever...the guy has to take his clothes off to be truely be invisible....
WHY not use...
Smoke to make him visible...
Infrarade googles to see the heat from his body....
HELL... just throw some paint on the guy.

NOT only does Batman turn himself invisible with this dangerious syrum that is driving the scientest insane...
BUT he wears his cowl and gloves... while...invisible.

My son...who is 7 years old...went "Why does he wear his gloves and cape if he wants to be invisible?"

If you like Kelly Jones art you'll enjoy the story but if asked ...I wouldn't recommend it as a great Batman story because it turned too ....stupid.

Just think about it...
To be invisible, you have to be naked..and so

<--this is a naked Bruce with only a Cowl and Gloves.







BATMAN: Unseen  #1 #2 #3 #4 #5  TPB
Writer: Doug Moench
Artist: Kelly Jones
Colorist: Michelle madsen
Letterer: Pat Brosseau

Publisher: DC Comics
Nov Dec 2009 Jan Feb 2010