LWIC: Kryptonian Cold War

Last Week In Comics:
A fresh take on 5 day-old comics.

The Amazing Spider-Man #624

The origin of the new mob connected Vulture continues, but that’s the boring stuff. LWIC (Last Week In Comics):

The new Vulture, a former mob hitman now mutated monster, was told that J. Jonah Jameson is the person to blame for his creation.
J. J. did have a hand in creating the super-villain the Scorpion, but this newest accusation is false, and Spidey knows it.
After the Vulture attacks Jameson, Peter photoshops a photo to prove that the Mayor is not connected to the creation of New York’s newest winged wacko.
Jameson thanks Peter for clearing his name by outing Parker to the public and admitting that the picture that proved his innocence was fake.

Pete has always been the “Woe is Me” hero, so much that sometimes he has been characterized as the whiny hero. For the first time in a while I really feel for Pete and the “Parker Luck” that has landed him jobless and publicly embarrassed.

Action Comics #887

In the last issue we learned the origin of the Nightwing and Flamebird. Here is a quick excerpt from last month’s review to get you caught up:

The story explains how Rao created three beings: Vohc-The-Builder, Flamebird, and Nightwing.
Vohc-The-Builder was created by Rao to build everything on Krypton, including life.
Flamebird was created by Rao as the destructive part of the “renewal and rebirth” process clearing the slate of Vohc’s old or tarnished creations.
There was a third player in the “renewal and rebirth” process, he was a shadow creature who just watched and was equivalent to Rao’s eyes – the Nightwing.
Flamebird fell in love with Nightwing.
Vohc also loved the Flamebird and built the Phantom Zone. Then out of jealousy he trapped Nightwing inside, hoping that Flamebird would renounce her love for him.
Flamebird refused to renounce her love, and this drove Vohc-The-Builder over the edge and he became Vohc-The-Breaker.

LWIC:

Vohc the Breaker recreates Rao, a better Rao in his eyes, one that will not betray him.
Flamebird tries to do what she was created to do – destroy Vohc’s creations, but cannot.
To ensure that his plan is fulfilled, Vohc destroys Nightwing who was betrayed by Vohc in disguise when he was ill.
Meanwhile, Lois Lane is reporting via the internet the truth behind the impending “Cold War” between New Krypton and Earth exposing both Zod and her father.

Action Comics is one of the books I have been reading for a while, mainly because of Superman. I was disappointed when he was replaced by his “adopted” son, Nightwing. Unlike many comics where the main character is replaced by a second tier hero, this comic has taken a life of its own with a unique storyline not directly related to Superman. This comic is a refreshing read in the sea of comics with “replacement” characters with a fresh fantasy take reminiscent of the great Greek and Roman god stories.

Batgirl #08 & Red Robin #10

First off I have to say that this Batgirl cover is goofy. The new vehicle that Batgirl is sporting, as silly as it is, should never be drawn at that angle. It looks as if Batgirl is floating in a bubble being chased by an older version of Red Robin.
The origin, the finding of their “true selves,” is over. Now these former sidekicks take action as partners, heroes, and a new dynamic duo.
LWIC:

Tim Wayne, or is it Drake, returned to Gotham with the League of Assassins hot on his trail.
Tim meets up with his ex-girlfriend who is a sanctioned member of the Bat-family and donning the title of Batgirl.
After a lover’s quarrel and power struggle, the two decide to work together to save their mutual friend, Dr. Leslie Thompson.
After the rescue, Batgirl finds out how Tim took over the League of Assassins and then took out their whole communication and computer network.
Wanting revenge, Ra’s al Ghul is trying to destroy everything and everyone Tim has ever cared about – including Stephanie.
Red Robin and Batgirl team up to save Gotham and Bruce Wayne’s legacy from the evil team up of Ra’s and Tommy Elliot (the villain who is posing as Bruce Wayne and was formerly known as Hush.)

Big blockbuster events seem to have been filling the Batman universe since R.I.P. and it looks to continue this summer with the Return of Bruce Wayne… good thing these two titles feel like the Batman books of the past. If you are looking for a fun read with great characterizations, filled with action and plenty of supporting characters reminiscent of the 70’s and 80’s Batman books, look no further than these two titles.

Batman And Robin #10

Ah a mystery. It seems as if just when Dick Grayson and Damian Wayne are reaching their full potential as Batman and Robin, Bruce Wayne will make his comeback. LWIC:

After learning that the dead body believed to be Bruce Wayne was counterfeit, Alfred wonders if Bruce was in fact displaced into time (via Darkseid’s Omega Beams)and if there would be clues left in the 200 year old Wayne Manor.
Alfred notices that the history of the Wayne family has always revolved around stories about Bats. From an ancestor disowned by the family for summoning a “bat demon” to clues left in the paintings of his ancestors that all look similar to Bruce Wayne, Alfred and Dick think Batman again has a contingency plan.
Meanwhile, while being healed from his last injury, Damian’s mother tries to cause distrust between him and his father’s replacement.

At first I was quite irate that DC was bringing Bruce back so soon, especially since the new Batman and Robin were finally the stars instead of stand-ins. But, something tells me that Grant Morrison has something else planned for the dynamic duo than just Bruce returning and wanting his “job” back. I’m excited to see how this story unfolds… but, I’m not excited that there will be more tie in comics I will have to pick-up to follow along.

Superman – Last Stand of New Krypton #1

All of the Superman books have been building up the prospect of a war between Earth led by General Sam Lane and New Krypton led by General Zod. So I was a little surprised that the “Last Stand of New Krypton” was against Braniac and not Earth. LWIC:

Braniac attacks New Krypton.
Fueled by the reminder that they were once captives of Braniac, the people of New Krypton fight feverishly to fend off the evil alien.
Zod uses the Kryptonain equivalent to a nuclear bomb to destroy Braniac’s ship, but it killed all of the Kryptonian soldiers instead.
Disgusted by the ease in which Zod sacrificed his soldiers, General El resigns from the Kryptonian army and resumes his former identity – Superman.
Superboy and the Legion of Superheroes meet with General Zod offering their assistance against Braniac as long as he helps them retrieve all of the bottled cities from his ship.
Instead of accepting their aid, Zod immediately arrests the Legion.
Superman smashes his way on board Braniac’s ship only to find out that this attack is more than just Brainiac vs Kryptonians, it also involves Lex Luthor.

If New Krypton’s last stand is against Braniac, how are they going to wage war against Earth? Hmm… the story is not that compelling, but my curiosity on how this ties into the Earth vs New Krypton war will keep me reading this mini-series.

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Posted by Fred on March 15, 2010 @ 8:11 PM Under: Last Week In Comics

LWIC: The Best Cover Ever!

Last week’s comics weren’t that bad either:

The Amazing Spider-Man #623

Another super-villain’s origin tied to J. Jonah Jameson? Yawn. I am not the biggest fan of this newest acid puking Vulture when he first appeared as a Red Lantern*.

*note: That statement was just sarcasm. Just because he wears read and his main weapon is puking at his enemies does not make him a Red Lantern, just a rip-off of one.

Detective Comics #862

I like the fact that Detective Comics is featuring an investigation and suspense its like a super-powered and adrenaline enhanced episode of CSI. This series featuring Batwoman continues to impress.

First Wave #1

Not much to this issue but set-up. I can’t help get that epic feeling that I got when I read Darwyn Cooke’s “New Frontier.” And that is a good thing, lets hope this mini-series lives up to my newly formed expectations.

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Posted by Fred on March 8, 2010 @ 9:49 PM Under: Last Week In Comics

LWIC: The Dark Knight vs The Blackest Night

Last Week In Comics:
A fresh take on 5 day-old comics.

The Amazing Spider-Man #622

Spider-Man has been dealing with a gang war and a wave of attacks from his rouge gallery. Most recently with the help of the Black Cat, Spidey reclaimed a vial of his blood that was being weaponized against him. Last Week In Comics (LWIC):

The Black Cat admitted to selling Spider-Man’s blood to vampire wannabes who drink famous people’s blood to get their kicks.
Spider-Man goes to the club where his blood was sold only to find out that Morbius the “Living Vampire” was the buyer.
A female vampire hiding among the wannabes directs Spidey to Morbius’ hideout.
Upon arrival at Morbius’ place, Spider-Man starts to pummel the vampire.
The female vampire from the club convinces Spider-Man to invite her in and then she attacks Morbius.
Morbius and his ex-girlfriend fight. Morbius wins and explains to Spidey that he only wanted the blood to use to heal a friend.
Realizing that he was wrong to attain Spider-Man’s blood without asking, Morbius destroys the vial.
Feeling guilty, Spidey surrenders some of his blood willingly.

Spider-Man has been riding high as the Best Comic of the Week for a couple weeks in a row, but the emo-like Morbius and the non noticeable tie to the overall story weakened this issue.

Weekly Blackest Night:
Blackest Night #7

The prophecy of the “Blackest Night” predicts the removal of all life and emotion from the universe by a corps of lifeless lanterns – the Black Lanterns. To remove the emotion and life from the universe, the Black Lantern Corps’ members are all formerly deceased creatures/heroes throughout the universe that prey on those they were close to. By raising the emotions of their prey the Black Lanterns energized, or recharged, their Power Battery. With the Power Battery fully charged the lord of the Black Lanterns Nekron rose from the darkness.

Nekron revealed that he is the reason all of the heroes of the DCU were able to be resurrected in the past, he put himself between them and “everlasting death” so that he would have power over them whenever he decided to wage war against the Guardians of the Galaxy. The Guardian’s replicate one of each power ring and deputize new Lanterns to help the charge against Nekron: The Scarecrow (Yellow – fear), Wonder Woman (Violet – love), The Atom (Indigo – compassion), Barry Allen (Blue – hope), Mera (Red – rage), and Lex Luthor (Orange – greed). The only hope for the universe is a new alliance of multi-colored Lanterns working together to create the only thing that can destroy the Black Lanterns – pure white light. LWIC:

All of the “New Guardians” (the original leaders of the colored lantern corps) and the new deputies focus their attack on Nekron.
Dove, glowing bright with white light, notices someone or something inside the Black Lantern’s power battery.
Harnessing all of the lantern’s light along with the sacrifice of a Guardian of the Galaxy, Nekron releases “the Entity.”
The Entity is “the living light bestowed upon the universe that triggered existence itself.”
The Guardians admit that they are not the oldest creatures in the universe the Entity is.
The Entity was hidden in Earth, since that is where all live in the universe began.
Nekron knows that the only power that can stop the Blackest Night, is the white light of the Entity.
With all of the power from the emotion stirred up by the Black Lanterns, Nekron is powerful enough to destroy the Entity in it’s weakened, half asleep, and hostless state.
Sinestro, who still believes that his way of policing the universe is better than the Guardian’s, rushes in and volunteers his body to be the host for the Entity.
Sinestero becomes the first White Lantern and proclaims himself “The Greatest Lantern of Them All!”

It seems like forever since this story moved forward. Maybe it was because of all the “tie-in” comics published every month, or maybe because I have been waiting for something big to happen. In this issue, a couple big things happened. In my bullet points I said that Sinestro becomes the first White Lantern, but I think there is something about Dove that might give her that title. More important may be the fact that she noticed something inside the Black Lantern Power Battery.

The Guardians of the Galaxy have been known to hide powerful entities in power batteries such as Parallax and Ion. So I wonder if there is a powerful “Black Lantern” entity like Parallax and Ion hiding inside the Black Lantern’s battery. The Anit-Monitor maybe? I’m thinking that Nekron may not be as “all powerful master of death” that he proclaims, maybe he is instead just the leader of the Black Lanterns like Hal leads the Green Lanterns and Sinsestro leads the Sinestro Corps (or Yellow Lanterns.)

In the beginning I was fascinated with the idea of emotions being the most powerful forces in the universe and a war between armies wielding that power. Recently the story seemed to slow because of all the tie in titles, but with this issue I am amped up to read the finale.

and

THE BEST COMIC OF LAST WEEK:
BATMAN & ROBIN #9

Dick Grayson tried to revive Bruce Wayne by placing his remains into the last know Lazarus Pit located in England. Aided by Knight and Squire and Batwoman, they are successful at reviving the dead body that Superman identified as Batman during the Final Crisis. Once revived, Bruce Wayne attacked his healers and left them for dead in a cave-in before returning to Wayne Tower in Gotham. LWIC:

Batwoman was killed by the cave-in and is revived using the Lazarus Pit.
The revived Batman attacks Alfred and throws the recovering Damian from the roof of Wayne Tower.
Batman (Dick Grayson) arrives just in time to save Robin.
Speaking in the same manner as Morrison’s We3, we are shown how Darkseids’ army of Batman clones were flawed.*
Batwoman and Batman together take down the doppelganger, while Knight and Squire take out the crime boss in England that originally captured Batwoman.

I can’t express the joy from reading the last three issues of this series. I was not a huge fan of the first two arcs of this series, but this one was fun, exciting, and thought provoking. Not only was the story top-notch, the art was AWESOME! I am not a huge fan of Frank Quitely’s art on this book, but Cameron Stewart’s art I am a fan of – he hit it out the park. Add the story and the art together and its easy to see why this was the Best Comic of Last week, but if you look at the ramifications this story has on the whole DCU this may be the Most Important Comic of 2010. We all knew that Bruce Wayne was not dead, but this story explains it in a manner that peaks curiosity instead of fanboy rage.

Oh, and the fact that Dick Grayson was hitting on Batwoman was the perfect humorous ending to an action packed comic.

*During Final Crisis Darkseid captured Batman and attempted to clone him. Cloning the DNA was easy, but the infusion of Batman’s thoughts and feelings that motivates him was too powerful for the clones and corrupted them. Darkseid ordered the destruction of all but one clone. At the end of Final Crisis Darkseid and Batman fight, ending with Batman being hit by Darkseid’s Omega Beams. Superman arrives to find the remains of Batman and declares him dead… but that body was not Bruce Wayne…

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Posted by Fred on March 1, 2010 @ 3:55 PM Under: Last Week In Comics

LWIC: Batman Plays the “Bad Cop”

Last Week In Comics:
A fresh take on 5 day-old comics.

Batman #696

During the events of Batman R.I.P. the Black Mask returned from the dead. With all of the dead rising in the DCU one would not be surprised, except this resurrected Black Mask is not a Black Lantern. Instead of destroying the universe like the Black Lanterns, the Black Mask wants to destroy Gotham. Last Week In Comics (LWIC):

The Black Mask controls his soldiers with the “false faces,” or masks, they wear and he has placed one on Batman.
The Penguin with the help of the Mad Hatter, reprogrammed Black Mask’s “false face” so that Batman would do their bidding.
Batman infiltrates the Black Mask’s hideout where the Black Mask thinks he is still in control of the Caped Crusader.
Under the control of the the Penguin and the Mad Hatter, Batman attacks the new Black Mask.
During the tussle the “false face” gas mask comes off and Batman regains control only to be shot and left for dead.
Rescued by Robin and cared for by Alfred and Oracle, Batman replays the scenes in his mind again and figures out who this new Black Mask really is.

After reading the last issue, I thought this story line was horrible and confusing and stated that “This is probably a comic that would be better read in one sitting once the trade comes out.” And I think I may be right. I hated the last issue, but after reading this one the story is beginning to make more sense. I originally thought that Edward Nigma, the Riddler, was the new Black Mask based on previously dropped hints, but the clues in this issue lead to him being Hush. Now I can’t wait for the next issue to see who the Black Mask really is and how Batman takes him and the Penguin down.

Batman Streets of Gotham #9

Batman was the first star of Detective Comics and Batman: Streets of Gotham was supposed to feature the supporting cast and their interaction with Batman… but what we had here was Batman being the Worlds Greatest Detective again. LWIC:

Working undercover, Dick Grayson figures out that the “escort” that connects all of the murders was setting up her “clients.”
After the interrogation, Batman and Gordon realize that the only crime Sophia and her accomplice is only blackmailing not killing.
After some more detective work, Batman and Gordon solve the mystery of the murders and catch the criminal.

The story may have been a “cookie-cutter” detective tale, but aren’t all the good ones? While the plot is quite simple, the exception of this issue gave it it’s charm. Not every story needs to be a “blockbuster event,” a simple well told tale does the job just as fine as it did in the 70’s and 80’s.

Weekly Blackest Night:

Green Lantern #51

Infused with Parallax, Hal Jordan separates the Spectre from it’s dead host’s Black Lantern ring.
The Spectre released from the grip of the Black Lantern’s reverts to his normal self – God’s spirit of vengeance.
Once the Spectre is released, Hal and Parallax are separated, and Parallax escapes into the emptiness of space.
The Spectre tries to judge and destroy Nekron, but since Nekron has no soul God’s spirit of vengeance is powerless.

Green Lantern Corps #45

In the last issue Guy Gardner became a hybrid Red and Green Lantern after he became full of rage when he thought Kyle Raner was dead.
Wielding both color of power rings, Guy was able to fight off the army of Black Lanterns giving Mogo time to finish them off.
A Red Lantern’s power comes from the ring’s ability to bond with it’s host’s blood – hence the reason they puke up blood to attack.
Guy Gardner is almost completely taken over by the rage for the red power ring, and this is where Mogo steps in to save the day again.
Mogo is the man… er, um planet – Since every living thing on his surface is part of him, he is able to send in leaches to purge Guy Gardern’s blood of the Red Lantern Ring’s contamination.

and

THE BEST COMIC OF LAST WEEK:
THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #621

Recently many of Spidey’s rouge gallery has showed up, caused some trouble, got beat down by Spidey, and then recruited for something bigger by Kraven The Hunter’s widow. LWIC us readers were given a little break from the pattern:

Mr. Negative, the new dominant crime boss currently causing Spider-Man trouble, has kept the hero at bay with his deadly Devil’s Breath gas – a gas that was created and coded to only effect the Wall-Crawler’s DNA.
Spidey enlists help from his friend, and former lover, the Black Cat in hopes of stealing the sample of his blood that Negative has been using to create his deadly gas concoction.
Spidey acts as a distraction to Mr. Negative and his seemingly immortal army of thugs, while the Black Cat does what she does best – steal.
Spidey get knocked around and then through a building and shows the signs of the battle as Peter Parker.
Carlie Cooper determines that the crooked cop posing as her dad is not one of Mysterio’s illusions and turns her father in.
After denying her father a second chance she decides to give the second chance to Peter… who she is becoming more aware of his constant bruises and injuries…
And the last page of the story featured one Dr. Connors a.k.a. The Lizard.

It was nice to see a one and done issue that ties easily into the continuity created over the last dozen issues. I like the character moments the best. Peter’s personality shines during the discussions with the Black Cat, while Carlie Cooper’s personality becomes clearer with the possible foreshadowing of her putting two-and-two together about Peter Parker.

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Posted by Fred on February 22, 2010 @ 8:00 PM Under: Last Week In Comics

LWIC: Sounds Like A Plan

Last Week In Comics:
A fresh take on 5 day-old comics.

Action Comics #866

Finally a real Nightwing and Flamebird story. Since the two newest incarnations of the Kryptonian legends arrived, they have been stuck in the middle of the battle between Earth and New Krypton. The two characters were never defined nor had a true origin story, until now. Last Week In Comics (LWIC):

Nightwing, who is as confused as the reader, wants an explanation as to his purpose. Flamebird shares with him the Book of Rao (Krypton’s Bible), and the story of creation is told:

The story explains how Rao created three beings: Vohc-The-Builder, Flamebird, and Nightwing.
Vohc-The-Builder was created by Rao to build everything on Krypton, including life.
Flamebird was created by Rao as the destructive part of the “renewal and rebirth” process clearing the slate of Vohc’s old or tarnished creations.
Flamebird and Vohc played the game of creation, destruction, and recreation.
There was a third player in the “renewal and rebirth” process, he was a shadow creature who just watched and was equivalent to Rao’s eyes – the Nightwing.
Vohc and the Nightwing were friends and one day Voch-The-Builder created a way for the Nightwing to come out from the shadows.
Upon seeing the previously hidden god, Flamebird fell in love with Nightwing.
Vohc also loved the Flamebird and created a creature that represented his love, but the Flamebird destroyed it.
Vohc-Then-Builder, who understood the symbiotic relationship between him and the Flamebird, was hurt when his “love” was destroyed and let his emotions blind him.
Instead of rebuilding a better version of his love, Vohc built the Phantom Zone and out of jealousy trapped Nightwing inside hoping that Flamebird would renounce her love for him.
Flamebird refused to renounce her love, and this drove Vohc-The-Builder over the edge and he became Vohc-The-Breaker.

With the Flamebird and Nightwing currently residing within two Kryptonians hunting down General Zod’s sleeper cells on Earth, it is only fitting that their current foe just happens to be the current incarnation of Vohc-The-Breaker – the evil Kryptonian scientist Jax-Ur.

I don’t know if I love this particular issue because it adds substance to the characters of Nightwing and Flamebird, or because I love mythology. The story of Rao, like many religions current and past, is compelling and tied deep into emotions and the philosophical question of “free will.” Whatever the reason, I think this issue was the best issue of Action Comics since Superman left.

Amazing Spider-Man #620

The gathering of Spider-Man villains continue by featuring each one in an individual story, and this issue is the conclusion to Mysterio’s tale. Mysterio was hired by the mob to make it look like their leaders were never killed to prevent the incompetent “heir” to the “family” from putting the mob six-feet under. Mysterio, never satisfied with playing a supporting role, double crossed his employer and took over control of the mob. While in control Mysterio started a war with Mr. Negative’s china town gang. LWIC:

Carlie Cooper (Spidey’s friend, one time love interest, and NYPD’s forensic scientist) plants a spider-tracer on her newly “resurrected” father not believing that it is really him and just one of Mysterio’s illusions instead.
Mysterio plays the two gangs against each other collecting a large sum of money from each.
After collecting the money, Mysterio sets each gang up to meet and destroy each other.
Spidey tags along with the mob and arrives at the scene and tries to take down Mysterio.
Mysterio escapes and levels the theater the war was taking place in killing all of the Maggia family, leaving the seemingly immortal Mr. Negative and his crew to escape.
The comic ends with Mysterio being recruited by the Chameleon to join the merry band of super-villains lead by Kraven the Hunter’s widow.

I have to admit that I never expect anything too deep from my Spider-Man comics. Usually witty dialog, proper characterization of the cast, and at least one punch to the face is all I require. So you won’t hear me complain when a great story that happens to be deeper than a witty punch in the face comes along, especially when it stands alone and yet is still part of a bigger plot.

Batman and Robin #8

This series, and all of the Batman stuff that Grant Morrison has written recently, has been deep rooted starting in Batman RIP and directly tied to Final Crisis. In this issue flashbacks from Final Crisis shed some light on the fate of Bruce Wayne and create doubt in the character’s minds about his death… if they had any time to think while Batman was fighting an enhanced clone of Batman. LWIC:

It is reviled why Batwoman was found in a coffin in England at the last known Lazarus Pit – The Cult of Crime was again trying to sacrifice her to fulfill the prophecy in the Crime Bible.
There is also a flashback to Final Crisis where all of the enhanced Batman replicas had to be killed and disposed of since they became insane and uncontrollable with the pain and heartbreak of Bruce Wayne’s memories.
Darkseid orders all but one of the dead Batman to be disposed of. And if you go back to Final Crisis this scene, minus the “keep one” dialog, took place right before Batman tried to take down Darkseid and got hit with the villain’s Omega Beams supposedly killing him.
It looks as if the dead body found by Superman was not that of Bruce Wayne seeing how when resurrected in the Lazarus Pit he was super-strong, non verbal, and possibly insane.
Batman fights Batman in what I would say is the best six page fight scene ever!
Neither man wins, instead the cave collapses on both Batmen, Knight, Squire, and Batwoman.
Batwoman dies in Dick’s arms and the insane Batman flies the batjet back to Gotham where Alfred and a wheelchair restricted Robin wait.

Like the recent Spider-Man run, this comic is broken up into smaller complete stories that tie into a bigger plot. These are the types of stories I love. I love continuity. I am not a stricter for continuity and won’t get mad if one little thing from the past is messed with in a current story, but I am a guy who knows that every action was molded by the past and can have repercussions in the future. The awesomeness of this series is a testament to great writing that balances continuity from the past, with the continuity of the future, and adds a perfect amount of mystery and action. Plus, I’m glad that at least one book in the DCU recognizes the fact that Final Crisis happened.

and

THE MOST FUN COMIC OF LAST WEEK:
BATGIRL #7

Fun! That is what the Batgirl comic is all about. Batman’s solo title is dark and mysterious, “Batman and Robin” is deeply rooted in a complex and deep story, “Red Robin” is just like the “Batman” comics of the 80’s, and Batgirl… its just a fun character driven teamwork comic. LWIC:

Steph (Batgirl) and Damian (Robin) team-up to rescue Batman from being killed on camera.
Damian continues his stereotypical “girls are gross” and incompetent rant like any 10 year-old would and Steph is trying to be the more mature 18 year-old… notice I said “more” mature.
After spitting up, Damian takes out the immediate threat to Batman by hitting him with his motorcycle.
Steph takes out the the pending threat by launching herself out of her new vehicle the “Ricochet.”
With Batman injured the team-up of Batgirl and Robin takes out the last villain – Riot.
The whole Batfamily regroup at the Batcave after taking down the orchestrator of the “bet on who will kill the Batman” scene.
Dick gives Babs his blessing to train Steph, while Steph and Damian have a civil conversation. The End.

I don’t think words can express how much fun the characterization, action, and dialog in this comic was. So instead of trying to explain, I’ll let some panels from the issue show you why this was the BEST COMIC of last week.

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Posted by Fred on February 15, 2010 @ 9:09 PM Under: Last Week In Comics

LWIC: Hugs!

Last Week In Comics:
A fresh take on 5 day-old comics.

Red Robin #9

Tim Drake-Wayne is back in Gotham and back into the Bat-Continuity after taking down the League of Assassins. Last Week In Comics (LWIC):

Tim is back in Gotham and happy, but the happiness seems to have thrown Tim off his game.
Red Robin takes down Killer Moth, but doesn’t seem to notice the villain is fleeing someone he fears. Tim doesn’t seem to care to investigate why the villain is adamant on leaving Gotham.
Superboy visits and notices that happiness has replaced the standard “dark and grim” personality Tim adopted as Red Robin.
Tim is ecstatic that his once dead friends, Superboy and Bart Allen, are alive and this gives him more hope on finding the real Bruce Wayne.
Tim’s happiness quickly dissipates after a phone call from Ra’s al Ghul.
Revenge is the reason for Ra’s phone call. Tim took out the League of Assassins which is Ra’s legacy, so Ra’s plans on making sure that the Batman has no legacy…
Tim rushes to the Batcave to get help from the Bat-Family only to find a surprise member – his ex girlfriend wearing Batgirl’s costume.

I hope this new “dark knight detective” persona Tim created as Red Robin is not overshadowed by Batman’s current drama. Tim being out of Gotham working on his own worked to build his character, he could be an individual outside of Gotham instead of a sidekick.

That being said, this was a good issue even though it was mostly set up. The issue set up: confrontation between Steph and Tim, a huge battle with Ra’s al Ghul, a possible love triangle/partnership with Tam Fox, and lastly a small detail that may play a huge role – Tim will be distracted from his search for Bruce Wayne.

I want so bad to say that this book is my favorite monthly comic, but to be honest there are too many Batman related books that they seem to drown each other out… No matter how much I like one book there is always another one that comes out the next week with a different storyline to replace it.

Superman: World of New Krypton #12

When the bottled city of Kandor was saved from Braniac, the Kryptonians created a New Krypton. Wanting to learn more about his people, and to keep a closer eye on his enemy Zod, Superman left Earth to live with his people and serve in their military. While living there the two worlds have been preparing for a war with General Sam Lane defending Earth and General Zod defending New Krypton. LWIC:

Superman solves the mystery behind the illnesses and assassination attempts – General Lane.
BRANIAC RETURNS!

Twelve issues of set-up that could have been done within one issue, or maybe even six pages. I expected, after reading about Superwoman and the framing of Nightwing and Flamebird, that General Lane was working behind the scenes to fuel the war and I never doubted that Zod was doing the same from New Krypton. Therefore, the conclusion of this series did nothing to move the story forward. The most exciting thing that happened this issue was on the last page when Braniac arrived to battle the residents of New Krypton in the next issue of Superman. The last page is proof that this series was filler, the most exciting battle featured in this comic will take place in another book.

and

THE BEST COMIC OF LAST WEEK:
THE QUESTION #37

So why is The Question 37 the best comic of last week?

Because Vic Sage, the original Question returns from the dead? No.
Because it is a tie in to the Blackest Night? No.
Because with this issue I own a complete run of “The Question?” No.
Because Shiva, Renee, and Tot figured out how to become invisible to the Black Lanterns? No.
Because Dennis O’neil and Denys Cowan together again on working on my favorite “non spandex” comic of all time? YES!!!

So, if you haven’t yet indulged in the intriguing stories and awesome art that is collected in The Quesiton 1-36 you need to NOW! And if you have partaken in the pleasure found on those pages, read them again! Seriously folks any comic that features Vic Sage as the Question that is written by O’neil and drawn by Cowan will always be the best on my list.

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Posted by Fred on February 8, 2010 @ 8:37 PM Under: Last Week In Comics

LWIC: Batman Will Drop You!

Last Week In Comics:
A fresh take on 5 day-old comics.

Batman and Robin #7

Dick Grayson has finally finished his “can I really be Batman” phase and is filling his mentor’s shoes quite nicely. Last Week In Comics (LWIC):

Batman is in England trying to locate “the last working” Lazarus pit.
With help from Squire, since Robin is currently out of commission, Batman tracks down the location of the pit and dispatches Knight there.
By the time Batman and Squire arrive, Knight has already placed the remains believed to be Bruce Wayne into the pit.
Also, the heroes find Batwoman who was again captured by the Cult of Crime. She deduces that the Cult has some connection to this Lazarus pit.
Batwoman pleads with Dick not to place Bruce’s remains into the pit because she thinks that the placing of “Batman” into the Lazarus pit is “playing right into their (the criminal’s) hands.”

This may not seem like a lot of plot, but the art and action that fills the pages in this comic is quite beautiful. Cameron Stewart’s rendition of Batman’s acrobatic action is phenomenal and a welcome replacement for words. This by far has been my favorite issue of this series, partly because of the art and partly because we know that the body placed in the Lazarus pit isn’t Bruce’s since he is lost in the time stream… Finally a real story and a real mystery.

Detective Comics #861

The flagship of DC Comics is going back to it’s roots with a mystery that only a disciple of the World’s Greatest Detective can solve. LWIC:

Three young ladies are kidnapped from Gotham University.
Two of the ladies showed back up with severe injuries: one was missing her hands and the other was missing her lower jaw.
The criminal responsible has been nicknamed the “Cutter.”
Batman and Batwoman both track down clues and interrogate people to find more out about Gotham’s newest criminal.
Batwoman, Kate Kain, visits her cousin who is a student at Gotham U… this could be foreshadowing.
After following a couple leads, Batwoman finds the Cutter first.
Batwoman saves the third victim before the Cutter could remove her eyes.
During the rescue the villain escapes.

Ahh a good mystery. As much as I loved the origin arc in the last couple issues it seemed that the only mysteries and crime solving going on was in the Question’s second feature. Speaking of the second feature, it still remains one of my favorites. There is just enough humor, violence, and mystery to make it a perfect comic. I hope both stories continue to feature mysteries and deep crime solving worthy of the book’s title.

Justice League of America #41

I haven’t read JLA in a while, but with a new team of “B listers” joining it, I am having hopes of Giffen and Dematteis’ Justice League all over again. LWIC:

The previous incarnation of the JLA was defeated by Prometheus. Not just defeated but they also let him walk away.
After Prometheus’ attack many of the members of the JLA were injured and the rest quit th team, leaving Dr. Light as the lone member of the league
Donna Troy is convinced by Wonder Woman to rebuild the JLA.
Meanwhile, there is a flashback to an alien artifact found during the revolutionary war that has been hiding in a back room at the Smithsonian since the 1800s.
Donna talks Dr. Light into staying with the JLA (and possibly leading it) along with it’s new members: Batman (Dick Grayson), Green Arrow, Cyborg, Starfire, and Mon-El.

Not reading “Cry for Justice” doesn’t help at the start of this story since it seems to stem from it’s aftermath, but the rebuilding and plot set up for the next issue is intriguing. It looks like JLA will be a monthly read for me again.

Superman #696

The set-up for a war between Earth and New Krypton continues in Superman 696. LWIC:

Nightwing, Chris Kent, and Flamebird turned themselves in to the Guardian. They were wanted for the destruction of Metropolis’ sewers and because they are Kryptonian.
The two Kryponians were framed. Mon-El and Lois Lane convince the Guardian that they were framed by General Lane.
General Lane arrives to take the prisoners just as the Science Police Headquarters explodes.
Nightwing and Flamebird flee after being convinced my Mon-El and Lois that it is for the best.
General Lane places the blame of the explosion on the two Kryptonians. Mon-El knows better and helps them escape.

First of all the art in this issue was fantastic. Bernard Chang’s pencils (and inks) is action incarnate and more realistic than any red and blue 3D glasses can. As for the story… it still feels like filler and set-up that is taking too long. I am looking forward to this summer’s big event that is being set-up by this storyline, but I am tired of stories that drag on for months that could easily be told in one issue.

Weekly Blackest Night:

Green Lantern #50

Nekron has risen and plans on overthrowing the Guardians as the most powerful beings in the universe. The seven leaders of each Lantern Corp and their newly appointed deputies have a run in with a powerful Black Lantern on their way to battle Nekron. LWIC:

The Lanterns and their new deputies easily disposing of any Black Lantern that stands in their way, until the Spectre shows up wielding a Black Lantern ring.
Indvidualy and as a team the Lantern’s and their deputies fail in destroying the Spectre.
Because of who (or what) the Spectre was in life, he is even more powerful as a Black Lantern… too powerful for the combined light of the Lantern’s rings alone.
Hal Jordan was the host of the parasite Parallax while he was the Spectre and remembered the fear the Spectre had of Parallax.
With no other plan to defeat the Spectre as a Black Lantern, Hal releases Parallax from his prison inside the green power battery and lets the demonic parasite of fear take over his body again.

When I first saw the cover to this issue I thought to myself “Parallax again!” Since the concept of the Parallax as a parasitic demon of fear was created in 2006, he (or it) has played a major role in almost every “big” Green Lantern story since then. I thought it would be overkill, but the explanation and the fact that it tied directly into his (its) first appearance I was cool with it. I am glad that I didn’t let the return of Parallax influence my opinion of this story, because as much as it doesn’t relate to the overall Blackest Night storyline I am looking forward to a HUGE battle next month… and sometimes that is all I need from a comic book to enjoy it. So bring on the battle!

and

THE BEST COMIC OF LAST WEEK:
Amazing Spider-Man #619

Last week the Maggia crime family was almost ruined by it’s current leader’s incompetence. Just as Mr. Negative’s crime family was about to overthrow the Maggia, the families fallen leaders show up alive and kicking… kicking butt. It turns out that the Maggia’s former leaders were never dead, their deaths were staged by the special effects artists and super-villain Mysterio. LWIC:

Silvermane and the other once deceased Maggia leaders are battling Mr. Negative’s crew to a stand still.
When Spidey and the cops arrive, the Maggia flee.
Before fleeing, one of the Maggia attack Spidey. Spidey defends himself with a KO punch that does more than knocks out the thug, instead it kills him.
Distraught, Spidey leaves the scene only to be attacked by another gang from his past.
Spidey finds himself fighting a once “thought to be deceased” foe to the brink of death.
Spidey is confused by his inability to control his strength and then is more confused when it is revealed that he just took down his exgirlfriends dead father – Captain George Stacy.
Spidey puts two and two together and realizes that all of these people are in fact dead. They have not been resurrected or in hiding after faking their death, instead it’s all an illusion cast by Mysterio.
Spidey is right, Mysterio has been hired by the Maggia’s second in command Carmine Karnelli to create the illusion of the Dons return so that he can be in control instead of the idiot who is currently running the crime family.
With only Carmine Karnelli knowing that the family is an illusion, Mysterio removes him from the equation permanently leaving Mysterio, via his illusion, in control of the Maggia crime family.

This is a well written comic with many subplots and questions that leaves the reader at the edge of their seat waiting for the next issue. I want to know how Mysterio is creating all of his “illusions?” Are they reanimated dead bodies like this issue hinted at, or are they something else? What is the purpose for Carlie’s dad’s resurrection, or is his story the only real one?

I’m not quite sure how well I summarized this issue, but no matter if it makes sense or not you need to pick up this issue and read it if you have not already. You won’t be disappointed.

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Posted by Fred on February 1, 2010 @ 10:32 PM Under: Last Week In Comics

LWIC: DC and Marvel Both Resurrect the Dead

Last Week In Comics:
A fresh take on 5 day-old comics.

Batman Streets of Gotham #8

Since Dick Grayson took over as Batman I have been impressed with the different identities, or distinct character traits, that the writers have created to featured in each of the Bat-Books. In Batman Streets of Gotham, the dark, dirty underbelly of Gotham is featured as Batman’s main nemesis and this issue stays on course with a guest writer at the helm. Last Week In Comics (LWIC):

Unrelated mobsters keep showing up dead in Gotham… surprise huh?
Gordon thinks that there may be someone else playing vigilante and thinks that he is doing Gotham a favor by killing crimials.
Batman makes an interesting remark that maybe the killing is helping… a point he makes twice in this issue.
After some detective work, Batman links the murdered mobsters to a secret and high profile brothel and one female in particular – Qetesh the Egyptian goddess of beauty and sex.
Shedding his cape and cowl, Dick Grayson goes undercover and enters the super secret “club” and manages to get a “date” with Qetesh.

Sometimes I hate reading other peoples reviews before writing my own, and in this comic’s case before I read it. People have been bashing this comic because of Batman seeming “OK” with the killing of criminals, as if he condones the killings. At first I thought that maybe Damian (Robin) was rubbing off on him with his opinion that the only way to stop crime is to stop it permanently. The more I read of this the more that I think that Batman is not condoning the killings, but instead it is a driving factor to understanding the criminals. I think the writer may be trying to get the readers emotionally involved by ticking them off only to have Batman stick with his “no killing” mantra in the end. I guess we will just have to wait until next month to see if I am right, or if Mr. Mike Benson ruins the character of Batman with poor characterization and writing. Until the end is relieved in the next issue, I am just going to remember that this particular series focuses on the darkness that falls over Gotham and Batman and enjoy the darker non “super-hero” aspect of Batman.

Blackest Night:

Back in the day when Abin Sur passed away and his Green Lantern ring and responsibilities were passed to Hal Jordan, he did so because of his findings about the prophecy of the “Blackest Night.” In the present, many different colors of Lantern Corps have formed, or have been found in the universe. Each color of Lantern Corps receives it’s power from emotion and each emotion is represented by a different color. The prophecy of the “Blackest Night” predicts the removal of all life and emotion from the universe by a corps of lifeless lanterns – the Black Lanterns. To remove the emotion and life from the universe, the Black Lantern Corps’ members are all formerly deceased creatures/heroes throughout the universe that prey on those they were close to. By raising the emotions of their prey the Black Lanterns energized, or recharged, their Power Battery. With the Power Battery fully charged the lord of the Black Lanterns Nekron rose from the darkness. Nekron reveals that he is the reason all of the heroes of the DCU were able to be resurrected in the past, he put himself between them and “everlasting death” so that he would have power over them whenever he decided to wage war against the Guardians of the Galaxy. The Guardian’s replicate one of each power ring and deputize new Lanterns to help the charge against Nekron: The Scarecrow (Yellow – fear), Wonder Woman (Violet – love), The Atom (Indigo – compassion), Barry Allen (Blue – hope), Mera (Red – rage), and Lex Luthor (Orange – greed). The only hope for the universe is a new alliance of multi-colored Lanterns working together to create the only thing that can destroy the Black Lanterns – pure white light.

Green Lantern Corps #44

During this whole Blackest Night fiasco Oa’s (home of the Guardians and the Green Lantern Corps) central battery has been under attack by the Black Lanterns. The central battery on Oa gives all of the Green Lanterns their power, so by taking out that battery, the folks over in the pages of “Blackest Night” will never be able to defeat Nekron. During the battle to protect the central battery, Kyle Rayner was thought to be dead and this sent his best friend Guy Gardner over the edge. The full of rage Guy became a Red Lantern wielding both a red and green power ring. LWIC:

Harnessing the power from two emotional spectrums, Guy Gardner is able to sever the Black Lantern’s connection with their rings… this means he can rekill them.
Even with Guy’s ability to kill the already dead lanterns, the sheer number of Black Lanterns easily overpowers the heroes and the Green Power Battery falls.
Mogo, the living planet Green Lantern, shows up to Oa and increases his gravitational pull sucking all living creatures from Oa to his surface.
Once on Mogo’s surface, all of the Black Lanterns are pulled through his layers into his core where they will be heated to a temperature that they can never reform again.
The issue ends with Oa saved and Guy Gardner still full of rage…

I like how Mogo was used to “purge” all life from Oa and I especially like the way in which the Black Lanterns were destroyed upon arriving on the living planet. Normally I would feel cheated and disappointed by the speed in which this major battle was ended, but the logic was sound enough to for me to believe that in that fictional universe this was a realistic next step in the story. As for the Guy Gardner Red Lantern vs Kyle Rayner Green Lantern battle for next month… I will withhold judgement until I read it.

and

THE BEST COMIC OF LAST WEEK:

Amazing Spider-Man #618

DC’s Blackest Night does not hold a monopoly on people returning from the dead, AMS #618 features nine previously dead gangsters and one police officer among the living again. LWIC:

Flashbacks show how nine members of the Maggia family were gunned down and murdered by Mr. Negative’s crew.
With the leader of the Maggia, Silvermane, dead, his most loyal goon, Hammerhead, changed sides and became Mr. Negative’s right hand man.
Mr. Negative tries to take out the remaining members of the Maggia crime family, but Spidey steps in just in time to prevent his takeover of NY’s largest crime family.
Unhappy with his goons ability to take control of the Maggia and not stop Spidey, Mr. Negative punishes one of his goons.
The murder of a faceless goon is usually not important enough to write about in a review, but this murder was witnessed by May Parker-Jamison.
May works for Mr. Negative’s alter ego, and because he likes May, he does not kill her, but instead he does something with her mind that causes her to forget the murder and go off on her nephew and new husband.
The issue ends with ten people coming back from the dead, the nine former bosses of the Maggia family and Carlie Cooper’s dad.
The former crime bosses were never really dead. It is relieved that Mysterio, the master of special effects, staged all of their deaths so they could rule from behind the scenes. And now they are ready to make their encore appearance to thwart Mr. Negative’s power play.

For over a month, the Spider-Man book has had a different villain featured along with “The Gauntlet” tagline and this month is no different. The comic reintroduces Mysterio as a major player in the Mafia storyline, but I am still trying to figure out how all of these stories tie together, other than they feature a prominent member of Spidey’s rouge gallery. I keep waiting for something of the magnitude of a ramped up Sinister Six, but until then, I guess I’ll just sit back and enjoy each individual storyline.

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Posted by Fred on January 25, 2010 @ 10:15 PM Under: Last Week In Comics

LWIC: Pirate Talk

Last Week In Comics:
A fresh take on 5 day-old comics.

Action Comics #885

The ongoing adventures of the mythical Kryptonians Nightwing and Flamebird (a.k.a. Chris Kent, Superman’s adopted son and Thara Ak-Var, Supergirl’s best friend) continue as they hunt down General Zod’s hidden spies on Earth. Last Week In Comics (LWIC):

After being healed for his “Phantom Zone” the Guardian and the Science Police show up to arrest the Kryptonians.
The illegal aliens plead their case and even pulls the “we work with Superman” card, but the Guardian still arrests them.
General Lane shows up to take the Kryptonians from the Science Police.
Mon El convinces the Guardian that Lane is evil and they let the Kryptonians go.
One of Zod’s sleeper agents is hiding as a SP officer, but saves General Lane when she tries to blow up the SP building to take out Nightwing and Flamebird.

This story is dragging, but finding out that a rouge Kryptonian working for Zod is also working with General Lane is just interesting enough to keep me coming back each month.

Adventure Comic #6

I have always found it interesting that Lex Luthor had proclaimed himself the savior of all humankind… or at least he would be if not for Superman. I love the Superman vs Lex stories. I love the fact that Lex is evil only because he believes that Superman is holding humans back. With Superman there to always save the world and solve Earth’s problems, Lex thinks that the human race will never evolve further and this is why he has focused on destroying Superman. Lex truly believes that if he destroys Superman he will be better serving his people than focusing on something like curing cancer. Since Geoff Johns started writing the Teen Titans, he made it perfectly clear that Superboy is not a clone of Superman, instead he is a clone of both Superman and Lex Luthor. Lex created Superboy as a way to destroy Superman… and ever since Superboy found out that he is part Lex he has been trying to be more like Kal-El than Lex, including living in Smallvile. LWIC:

In Smallvile, Superboy’s first friend just happens to be Lex Luthor’s niece.
While visiting her, Lex shows up with Kryptonite in hand.
Lex was searching for Superboy, but before he gets to the reason he was looking for Conner he gets distracted.
Superboy distracts Lex from his original goal by challenging Lex’s scientific ability and intelligence to heal his sister.
Lex who loves to put salt in the wounds of his victims decides to gather the “salt” before fully capturing his victim and sends Superboy off to find ingredients to heal his sister.
Superboy gathers the ingredients and Lex does exactly what he promised and heals his sister, but…
He also takes away his cure, promising Superboy only to help others once Superman is destroyed.

This is classic Lex vs Superman… too bad Superman is off world playing “General” on New Krypton. With the Legion of Super-Heroes again absent from this title and Johns leaving, I don’t know what to expect next month, especially since this issue has now set the bar for the series.

Amazing Spider-Man #617

As the wife and daughter of Kraven, the Hunter gathers villains from Spidey’s rouge gallery, Spider-Man keeps meeting up with each one-on-one not realizing that something bigger may be brewing. LWIC:

Peter Parker is at a casino shooting photos for work when he runs into his old enemy the Rhino.
Unlike past meetings the Rhino is not wearing his costume and robbing the place, instead he is protecting the place out of costume hired as a legitimate security guard.
Peter not believing that the criminal has changed his way is quickly convinced after a new Robo-Rhino attacks the original.
Fully understanding his responsibility to his new job, the former criminal protects the people in the casino before declining a duel with the new Robo-Rhino.
Pete changes into his costume and convinces the new villain to leave.
Spidey talks with the Rhino and asks him to continue to live his new life because that would be a “win” for both of them.
The new Rhino is shown talking to Kraven’s family demanding that he can not truly be the Rhino until he takes down the original…

Most of the time I hate when one of Spidey’s villains gets replace by a new “hip and modern” version… but this time I can dig it. I like the fact that the former villain still has substance and a story, meaning that he is not pushed out of the spotlight and us readers are expected to forget about him. I hope his story (the Rhino) continues and is not tarnished as this storyline continues, because this was one of the most heartfelt comics I read in a while and I don’t want it ruined.

Batman#695

This was the most intriguing comic of last week. Since Dick Grayson took over for the deceased Bruce Wayne, he has been fighting new criminals and not doing too much other than busting heads. Upon the first read I thought that this and the last issue of Batman was just that – busting of heads. But after reading this issue again, I began to think that Tony Daniel is trying to pull his best “Jeph Loeb” and create a mystery where every possible Bat-Villain could be impersonating the Black Mask. LWIC:

Yeah… lots of stuff happened and if I tried to list it all I would probably miss something important…

This is probably a comic that would be better read in one sitting once the trade comes out.

and

THE BEST COMIC OF LAST WEEK:

Batgirl #6

Last month I praised Batgirl for being a return “to traditional take on super-hero comics.” This month’s issue continues this now “new” trend of traditional super-hero storytelling and then 1-ups the last issue by returning to the “buddy” style comic that Batman made famous back in the day. Batgirl has been taken under the wing of Oracle, similar to the relationship between Batman and Robin with a little “Birds of Prey” twist, and they have been butting heads with the dynamic duo. Robin and Batgirl’s interaction last issue was classic and the beginning of an awesome relationship that continues in this issue. Hot on the trail of the kidnappers of a Mob Boss’ son, the two Bat-families have to work together. LWIC:

Steph (Batgirl) wakes up after being grazed by a stray bullet before she arrives at the hospital her mother works at.
After returning to her costume, she meets up with Batman and Robin to share what she knows about the kidnapping… Robin gives her grief.
Steph and Damian exchange words and fists in a humorous fashion, until Batman steps in.
Dick and Barbra reminisce on how they used act similar to these two new sidekicks back in the day.
Batgirl and Robin meet with the kidnapped kid’s girlfriend while Batman searches for clues.
The girlfriend reveals that the kid’s dad had gambling problems and that they may have to do with the kidnapping.
While searching for clues, Batman is ambushed by three villains.
The girlfriend continues to reveal that the gambling problems may have been settled by the kidnapping since it set up betting on which villain will kill Batman.

The return to the “seemingly inescapable deathtrap” is a perfect example of how this comic continues to remind us what a fun super-hero comic used to be and still should be. If you haven’t read Step’s adventures as Batgirl, you need to.

No Comments

Posted by Fred on January 18, 2010 @ 11:39 PM Under: Last Week In Comics

LWIC: Red Robin a.k.a. The New Dark Knight

Last Week In Comics:
A fresh take on the only comic I got last week.

Red Robin #8

Tim Drake believes that Bruce Wayne is alive and has left his role as Robin to search for his adopted father. Taking on the identity of Red Robin, Tim is neither Batman or Robin instead a mixture of what made both characters successful. Not afraid to cross the line, Red Robin is working with Ra’s Al Ghul and his league of assigns to take down the Council of Spiders who is trying to assassinate the League of Assassins. Last Week In Comics:

After sizing up each assassin Tim focuses on their strengths and weaknesses along with all the lessons his former teachers taught him to save his live and that of Tam Fox:

He moves effortlessly like Dick Grayson,
Fights like Shiva and Ducard, and
Knows how to win the next fight and the one that follows before the fights being as Bruce taught him.
Tim takes the last lesson from Bruce one step farther and immediately takes out the League of Assassins computer network around the world after taking down the Council of Spiders.
By taking out the computer network, Tim also takes out all of the League’s power generators around the globe leaving the League powerless.
Tim knows that the power and network outage will not slow the League down too much, but it is a win against evil… unfortunately he now has two sets of assassins looking to meet him in Gotham upon his return.

I like this new direction for Tim. Back when his run as Robin was winding down I thought he was acting more like a “Dark Detective” than Batman was, and I loved it. Eight issues into his new identity and Tim is again proving he is more than any other Robin or Batman, he is a culmination of both. Don’t take my word for it:

If you have not been reading Red Robin I recommend that you do. Don’t get me wrong I wouldn’t consider it “Must Read,” but it is a fun and a well conceived super-hero comic. This series uses the “Batman” template making it easy for new readers to jump on board and features enough continuity to make us veteran Bat-Readers smile.

4 Comments

Posted by Fred on January 11, 2010 @ 9:07 PM Under: Last Week In Comics

Next Page »

Last Week In Comics: A fresh take on 5 day-old comics.

The Amazing Spider-Man #624

Action Comics #887

Batgirl #08 & Red Robin #10

Batman And Robin #10

Superman – Last Stand of New Krypton #1

The Amazing Spider-Man #623

Detective Comics #862

First Wave #1

Last Week In Comics: A fresh take on 5 day-old comics.

The Amazing Spider-Man #622

Weekly Blackest Night: Blackest Night #7

and

THE BEST COMIC OF LAST WEEK: BATMAN & ROBIN #9

Last Week In Comics: A fresh take on 5 day-old comics.

Batman #696

Batman Streets of Gotham #9

Weekly Blackest Night:

Green Lantern #51

Green Lantern Corps #45

and

THE BEST COMIC OF LAST WEEK: THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #621

Last Week In Comics: A fresh take on 5 day-old comics.

Action Comics #866

Amazing Spider-Man #620

Batman and Robin #8

and

THE MOST FUN COMIC OF LAST WEEK: BATGIRL #7

Last Week In Comics: A fresh take on 5 day-old comics.

Red Robin #9

Superman: World of New Krypton #12

and

THE BEST COMIC OF LAST WEEK: THE QUESTION #37

Last Week In Comics: A fresh take on 5 day-old comics.

Batman and Robin #7

Detective Comics #861

Justice League of America #41

Superman #696

Weekly Blackest Night:

Green Lantern #50

and

THE BEST COMIC OF LAST WEEK: Amazing Spider-Man #619

Last Week In Comics: A fresh take on 5 day-old comics.

Batman Streets of Gotham #8

Blackest Night:

Green Lantern Corps #44

and

THE BEST COMIC OF LAST WEEK:

Amazing Spider-Man #618

Last Week In Comics: A fresh take on 5 day-old comics.

Action Comics #885

Adventure Comic #6

Amazing Spider-Man #617

Batman#695

and

THE BEST COMIC OF LAST WEEK:

Batgirl #6

Last Week In Comics: A fresh take on the only comic I got last week.

Red Robin #8

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Last Week In Comics:
A fresh take on 5 day-old comics.

Last Week In Comics:
A fresh take on 5 day-old comics.

Weekly Blackest Night:
Blackest Night #7

THE BEST COMIC OF LAST WEEK:
BATMAN & ROBIN #9

Last Week In Comics:
A fresh take on 5 day-old comics.

THE BEST COMIC OF LAST WEEK:
THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #621

Last Week In Comics:
A fresh take on 5 day-old comics.

THE MOST FUN COMIC OF LAST WEEK:
BATGIRL #7

Last Week In Comics:
A fresh take on 5 day-old comics.

THE BEST COMIC OF LAST WEEK:
THE QUESTION #37

Last Week In Comics:
A fresh take on 5 day-old comics.

THE BEST COMIC OF LAST WEEK:
Amazing Spider-Man #619

Last Week In Comics:
A fresh take on 5 day-old comics.

Last Week In Comics:
A fresh take on 5 day-old comics.

Last Week In Comics:
A fresh take on the only comic I got last week.