A lot of reviews

Batman: Gotham Noir          

                I've always been a fan of Batman and I have also always liked stories about Jim Gordon. I was very excited to see a comic that would bring the superhero world back to its roots. Away from the modern superhero and homicidal maniac back into the gangs and the mob. Batman has had that with the Falcones which has been good, but this is what Batman started out as and it was good to see Batman during his prime, just even creepier. Even though I was excited to see Batman in this state I was also pumped to see Jim Gordon during this exciting time period. Everything was done right, this was an excellent comic. The story was enticing, the writing was great, and the art was fantastic. It brought the character back to its roots. I expected this to be a boring alternate reality story thing, but this wasn't like that at all. If you have not bought this comic yet I recommend you do it immediately, it was great. Nothing I say can really do this comic justice. It was thoroughly enjoyable. I will let out that there was an appearance of the Joker in this comic and that it was very different from any Joker I've ever seen. This one went crazy and still did the same kind of crazy things the normal Joker does, but in this case Ed Brubaker found a way to make the Joker as creepy as usual without using the gimmicks like the obsession with Batman, the crow bar, or even laughing gas. It was great writing, story telling, and character development. I also forgot to mention that the way Brubaker wrote this comic and the way Phillips drew it made Gordon't emotions fly off the page, and made you empathize with him. They also made this comic feel like a classic mystery novel, and with that comes a need to see the ending. I recommend this comic highly, I loved everything about it.

Grade: 10/10



Deadpool #40

              I have always found Deadpool amusing and I read it whenever I don't have a comic that I really want to read and I often think it's great. If one is looking for a serious comic then I wouldn't recommend this series. This is a series that I would recommend if you want to have a quick fun read, and that's exactly what this issue was. The main attraction to this and most if not all Deadpool comics, is not the story its self (funny though they may be) but it's the character. He's so funny and different from most other things out their today, unless you count the few appearances Batmite or Ambush Bug make, and reading about him is a great break from the endless arcs that get tied into a bunch of different series. The comics themselves though lack a great quality which is disappointing. This story for example made little sense, even for Deadpool and the art was not up to par. But since it's Deadpool my expectations were set a good deal lower and I still enjoyed this comic. I should also mention that the writing did make me laugh, and that this slap stick humor is boosting the grade of the comic very much.

Grade: 7/10




         

Superman/Batman #86

         This series is constantly on and off. Sometimes it's great, and sometimes it's lousy. I wasn't a fan of the last arc until after I finished it. I'm still not a fan of it, just in my mind it went from being terrible to being okay. The reason I keep coming back to it is because it's one of the few series now a days that still has a classic feel. Granted most of this is probably because Bruce Wayne is Batman, but I enjoy new stories every arc opposed to one story broken up into many little arcs.
        In this issue Batman is looking for the man that killed the reporter that was doing the story on Batman's secret identity. He goes to Martin Mayne, the editor in chief of the Gotham Gazette to get answers. Mayne goes through the "who elected you" schtick but eventually gave the name of a bar that the reporter went to a lot. Meanwhile Superman, as Clark Kent, goes to Wayne tech to get answers from Mr. Fox and continue the story. Fox says that things were stolen but due to the fact that Bruce Wayne did something else, they lost no money at all. Later on Bruce Wayne goes to the bar as Matches Malone and gets someone to talk about who killed the reporter. Someone named "The Box." Kent goes to Mayne and tells him that he will continue the story, Batman goes to the Box and finds out that the Box is the Joker, and in the mail box of the Joker's hide out is a tip from Mayne saying that Kent is continuing the story. The comic ends with the Joker trying to kill Kent with a hammer.
      Especially after the disappointment with Detective Comics issue 880, and the lack of the Joker's involvement, this was most enjoyable. This comic had a ver classic feel, but with a modern twist. Opposed to many other Batman stories that are being published, this one really felt like Batman a detective and not just a superhero, which was also really good. The only real problem I had with this comic had nothing to do with the comic. I really don't like Mayne. For starters his name is the same as Wayne just the first letter is flipped, and also he looks and acts to much like Perry White. Besides that one character though I loved this comic. I've always been interested in the Jokers fascination with Batman and how he doesn't want to know his secret identity. This has taken that to the next level. When I first heard this plot I assumed it was either going to be someone in the Bat family, or someone trying to do the right thing because they were saved by Batman. I never suspected the Joker. I would pick this comic up in a heart beat if I hadn't already.




Grade: 9/10
Buy at: www.mycomicshop.com

Detective Comics #880

         I have been so out of modern comics. I have been reading some more Marvel which has been fun, but I love DC and since none of the stories really matter anymore (well... until next month) I have just been ordering old comics and enjoying them thoroughly. Next month might have fewer posts then usual because I will be reading mainly old comics. Also all of my subscriptions are ending because of DC's relaunch but I was still excited to find this comic in the mail, mainly because of it's cover.
        In this issue the Joker escapes from Arkham and Jim Gordon panics because the Joker often attacks his family. He warns his wife but it was too late. When Gordon got to her she had already been attacked. Gordon brings her to Dick Grayson for medical care and she starts to recover slowly. Oracle goes back to her office to await the Joker, and Batman goes looking for him. He finds him in a crypt. They start to battle and the Joker says he wants his old Batman back and not this "little bird." Eventually Batman controls him and the Joker says it wasn't him. Then we see Oracle's brother attacking her.
       I was looking forward to a real Joker story which is not what I got. There have been just random mentions of this villain throughout multiple comics in the past couple months and I think it's finally going to be done next month, right before Bruce Wayne get's his old title back. I did like the portrayal of the Joker here. While I do love the insane (and somewhat lovable) Joker, it is always good to see a Joker like the one in Grant Morrison's Arkham Asylum, and a renewed obsession with the old Batman. So the story was enjoyable not great and probably not something that I am going to remember for a long time, except for the part that actually had the Joker, that was incredible and I would buy the comic just for that.. I'm not a huge fan of Jock's work, it's good, but not great, so for me the comic even suffered there. Although the cover was one of the best cover's I've ever seen, and is definitely poster worthy.






Grade: 7/10
Buy at: www.mycomicshop.com

Amazing Spiderman #665

        I also picked up this comic because of my rereading of Marvel comics. Due to a mix up my subscription for Amazing Spiderman ended after Big Time Spiderman which was one of the best arcs that I have ever read. So because of that this was a natural choice if I wanted to pick up Marvel Comics again.
        This issue started off by describing the Movie Night situation involving Peter Parker and Betty Brant. But then when Betty Brant wanted to see a certain movie Peter never had the time, between being Spiderman and his job he never was free. Finally after both Peter and Flash say "no" to her during its last week in theaters Betty goes to see the movie in the last theater that's playing it. The problem is, is that the theater is in a bad neighborhood. Betty get's attacked by a thug named Harlan Finch. Upon hearing this news, instead of running to the hospital, Peter as Spiderman went on a man hunt for Harlan Finch. After tearing through New York, Spiderman finds Betty's locket and then when he is really close to finding Finch he get's a call from Aunt May telling him to "Get to the hospital" and how she was never as disappointed in him as the day Uncle Ben died, because instead of comforting Aunt May he ran after the killer which hurt Aunt May. So Peter turned away and went to the hospital. It was movie night so he sat and watched a movie with Betty Brant.
        I loved this issue. This issue was absolutely jam packed with emotion. Dan Slott took something as simple as movie night and brought it to a whole new level. I have said many times that the appeal of Spiderman is Peter Parker's life. This was no exception. I also loved how powerful Spiderman looked when he was looking for Harlan Finch. That definitely looked like a lead up to Spider Island. If  Spiderman can look like that in just one issue, then in the event he is going to be beyond powerful. So the story was definitely a 10 out of 10. I especially liked how Aunt May told Peter off about the day Uncle Ben died. In that part I could practically feel the sadness that both Aunt May and Peter were feeling. So I recommend this comic to anyone, even people who aren't die hard Spiderman fans will enjoy this.




Grade: 10/10
Buy at: www.mycomicshop.com

Uncanny X-Force

          While I clame to be impartial towards the rivalry of DC and Marvel I must admit that I have, for around a year, liked DC much more. I do not really know why, just some where back I decided to read more Superman and Batman than X-Men and Spiderman. Now with the DC relaunch and none of the stories really mattering anymore I decided to give Marvel a chance and I remembered really liking this series when it first came out so I decided to start my re-reading of Marvel with Uncanny X-Force.
          In this issue the X-Men continue to work with Dark Beast to try and help Angel get rid of Archangel. To stop this new heir of Apocalypse, Dark Beast needs something called the Life Seed, but that means he and the X-Force have to go back into his own dimension.The X-Force go to Dark Beast's old lab to retrieve the Life Seed, but they are stopped by Nightcrawler, Sabertooth and Sunfire (the ones from the dark reality). After much fighting Shiro destroys the Life Seed and Dark Beast runs away into the original dimension, stranding the X-Force. Then relizing that the X-Force weren't clones made by Dark Beast, Nightcrawler, Sabertooth and Sunfire take the X-Force to their hide out (Atlantis) where they meet up with Professor X and Jean Grey.
         I have said I don't like alternate reality stories before, (because I find them unoriginal) and this was an Alternate reality story. However it wasn't just about the alternate reality it was mainly about Apocalypse. As I wrote that I noticed many similarities between this comic and every single other alternate reality story. They went to go retrieve something/someone, there was a complication, they get stranded, and then they meet up with other people that resemble people from their own universe. So I was planning to write this and say that the comic wasn't what you would expect and it was different from other alternate reality stories, but I was wrong, it is very typical. The only real differences were that the X-Force already knew this universe existed, and the other one (which was actually much better) was meeting up with different versions of dead friends with them. The attachment that the X-Force felt toward Nightcrawler was well done and the shock Wolverine and Jean felt when they saw each other was captured perfectly in just one panel where you couldn't even see Wolverine's face. So this was not a great story by Rick Remender, but Mark Brooks did an amazing job on pencils. He really made this comic much better.



Grade: 7.5/10
Buy at: www.mycomicshop.com

Doctor Who #5

         I am a huge, huge fan of the new Doctor Who series, and Matt Smith being the Doctor. I also think that Amy Pond is one of, if not the best companion that any Doctor has ever had, so when I finally found an issue with Matt Smith as the Doctor and Amy Pond as the companion I had to pick it up. I did like the classic Doctor Who series, but I do like the new Doctor Who series better than the old one, so I thought that the comics would go the same way.
         In this issue the Tardus winds up on earth, just a thousand years ago. The Doctor was attempting to go to a soccer game. He winds up in the middle of a Viking/Saxon conflict. Finally peace arrangements come along between the Viking king and the Saxon King, but the Viking king's son wants war so he kills his father, blames it on the Saxons and kidnaps Amy. The Doctor and Rory challenge the Vikings to a soccer match, and through many cheap moves, the Doctor and Rory win. The Viking king then dishonors himself by trying to kill the Doctor and Rory, but Rory fights back and the Vikings turn on their king. The Saxon king and Amy are released from Jail, and then the trio go to the soccer match.
      I liked the classic issue better. This story was a little too "cutesy" for my taste. I was fine up to when the Doctor challenges the Vikings to soccer. I did enjoy the entire issue, but it wasn't very good. I expected the comic to be near the quality of the show, which has turned into a very serious and thoughtful science fiction show, but instead I got this. I have mentioned that I love fun reads some times, and that is what this was (just lower quality than the DC/Marvel fun reads) so if someone just wants something to pass the time then I would recommend this, just be warned, that this is not like the TV show.




Grade: 6/10
Buy at: www.mycomicshop.com

Flashpoint #2

         I am not crazy about the idea of Flashpoint, it is just a massive alternate reality story. Although since it does lead up to the re launch I can bear it. I do like alternate reality stories, but Flashpoint is getting more hype than the idea deserves, but again, since it leads up to the relaunch then it's okay. The first issue of the series was decent, but the most shocking thing that happened is it, is that we found out that Barry Allen didn't have his power which has been done before, but if you just take the comic alone then it was okay.
       In this issue Deathstroke was sailing with a bunch of other comic characters, but their boat gets stopped by Aquaman and Ocean Master, and they kill them all. Then the Thomas Wayne Batman is interrogating Barry Allen. During this interrogation Barry Allen finds out that Professor Zoom is behind this, and explains to Wayne that in his world Bruce lives and he dies. So Thomas Wayne decides to help him. Meanwhile Steve Trevor goes looking for Lois Lane and the Amazons catch him and he tells them all about his mission to find Lois. After that Thomas Wayne and Barry Allen try to recreate the accident that made Barry the Flash, but it just ends up severely burning him.
      I was not a fan of the interrogation scene with Barry Allen and Thomas Wayne, it seemed the entire point of it was to explain things that I assume most people had figured out already, I understand it for people just hearing about the whole idea of Flashpoint, but if you already know what is happening then the entire section is very dull. I did enjoy the rest of the comic, I found a lot of it was just "hey look at what we are doing to all of these characters" and DC just showing how a bunch of different characters ended up, but when you have an alternate reality story you need some of that. The best part of the comic was the very end. I thought that Barry Allen was going to get his powers back and that would be that, but the burn was most surprising. I honestly don't know where the Flash/Batman part of the series will go after this. I have no predictions besides Barry is in the hospital for the rest, but I know that can't be true. I am beyond excited for the next issue, and this issue definitely made me feel better about Flashpoint. It really wasn't the story, more just the last pages, but it definitely made me feel better.




Grade: 7/10 (This is the grade for the entire issue)
Buy at: www.mycomicshop.com

The Relaunch

                  This post is not the usual review of a comic book. In this post I will talk about the need for DC' relaunch, what I expect, what I'm looking forward too, and also what I'm dreading. I do not think that many fans of DC will disagree with me when I say that this relaunch is long overdue. I love DC but one of the things that DC and Marvel do is they get too rapped up in there own stories and stray too far from the character's original origin. The two top examples of that are Green Arrow and Batman. While I do understand that Green Arrow and Robin Hood share many of the same attributes (the bow, the hat, green etc.) They were far from the same character until J.T Krul moved him into the forrest with a man who carries a sword. He even through in a couple of scenes where Green Arrow stole from the rich and gave to the poor. I am very hopeful that in this relaunch Green Arrow will go back to his roots as the voice of liberal America. What I am expecting is that Green Arrow will go from being like a character from folk lore (like he is right now) and then turn back into a political figure, and have each comic book have a meaning, because if he is not like that, then he is just another boring character with a bow. Batman's problem is easier to see. Batman is Bruce Wayne. When someone else is wearing the same costume there is no more Batman. What I am expecting and hoping will happen is that the Batman series will be turned into more of Batman the Dark Knight and Dick Grayson will do well as Nightwing. (I recently read a couple of old Nightwing Comics and loved them, I really hope they will return to that quality)  I am still a little worried because Batman Inc. is on the list of series to be relaunched, but I still have hope that Batman inc. will be kept very separate from the rest of the Batman series. I am very much looking forward to some B-list characters getting a series devoted to them. I'm especially looking forward to Captain Atom and Deadman, although I am a little worried that too many B-lists are getting series, for instance I don't know if Mr. Terrific needs a series, but I'm not to worried about that. I am worried about series that really shouldn't exist. I don't think New Guardians or Red Lanterns should exist. I thought with the relaunch that it would go back to just Green and Yellow lanterns, I don't object too highly that the other lanterns still exist but I don't think the entire Red Lantern Corps should get a comic series. The main series I'm excited for is Aquaman. The series will have Aquaman and Geoff Johns, I really don't see how it could go wrong. The series I plan on following are: Deadman, Captain Atom, Green Lantern, Green Lantern Corps, most of the Batman series, JLA and JLI, The Flash and finally Blue Beetle. I might not get around to all of those, it will most likely all depend on which series are offered as subscriptions, but I'm very excited for the series. I almost wish that Marvel would do the same thing. The pictures that are seen around are some of the covers that are going to be in the relaunch

Superman/Batman #85

         This series is never consistent. It is never consistently good, but it is consistently bad. This also means the story types are never consistent. That last part I like a lot. While I didn't like the arc where Superman goes to the magic run future, it was much different than the story with a battle between the two. I didn't see a series called Batman/Superman in the relaunch but I'm sure these two will team up again after September.
        In this issue a reporter who supposedly found out Batman's secret identity is found dead, people suspect Batman. Superman goes to help him but Batman doesn't want his help. Batman goes to the apartment where the reporter lived and burns all the evidence that leads toward Batman being Bruce Wayne. Now the cops are even surer he killed the reporter. Batman discovers the reporter had an old baterang, but one where one of the components in it still had the patent number on it, which links Batman and Bruce Wayne.
      This was a really cool, and a really fun story. It does bring Batman back to where he originally was with his dark "I work alone" attitude. I also liked that the reporter had hard evidence, usually when these things are attempted by comic writers, the person just seems to take a wile guess and has limited amounts of evidence to back it up, but this was different and I give the writer, Joshua Fialkov, credit for that. I'm not really sure how this is going to be dragged out into three issues. I could understand two, one is this, and the second is Batman finding the actual killer, but I really don't know how three can work, or how Superman can get involved. But in terms of this comic, the writing was well done, the story was interesting, and the art work was jaw dropping . Although it is missing something so I can't quite give it a 10/10 but I can give it something really close, and I do recommend this comic to all comic book readers.




Grade: 9.5/10
Buy at: www.mycomicshop.com

Birds of Prey #13

            This arc is definitely better than the previous ones. It is a shame that this series is going to be re launched, because while I couldn't say any more bad things about it in the beginning this arc is incredible, and what is being done with the Question, The Huntress, and Oracle is outstanding. Gail Simone really came back with these past couple issues.
            In this issue Huntress and the Question go run off to help Black Canary while she's fighting Junior. Dove gets stabbed and is out of the fight. Hawk and Lady Black Hawk both get attacked by other people in the building, but they both fight back. Oracle calls Catman to find out Junior's weakness which is exposure. Eventually the Birds get out, and when they are back in the headquarters Oracle makes Huntress the new field commander. Then Oracle declares they are going back to find and get Junior,
          I loved this issue. There was a lot of fighting at the beginning which i didn't mind too much because even though i don't like comics that are completely fighting, these are superheroes so there is going to be a lot. Also because the person the Birds were fighting was so scary the fight was not just a normal superhero brawl, I actually thought that maybe one of the members of the Birds of Prey might die. I am also thrilled that Huntress is the new field commander, because it is no secret that I am not a big fan of Black Canary, but I am a huge fan of the Huntress. Judging mainly off of the cover for the relaunch of Birds of Prey I'm not sure who all the members will be, but I don't think I saw Huntress in there. I am a little worried it's going to turn into something a little close to Gotham City Sirens so this relaunch could go either way and I'm really excited for it. However I am upset that Gail Simone is gone.
But this issue and this arc was fantastic, I hope the arc ends as strong as it has been.





Grade: 9/10
Buy at: www.mycomicshop.com

Booster Gold #45

          I only picked up this series recently (one issue ago) but I really enjoyed that issue and decided to keep going with it. This is the only thing about Flash Point that I'm reading, mainly because I always forget to pick up other things when I'm in the comic store. As I've said before: I am not a fan of the Flash Point idea (although I don't know if that's going to lead up to the relaunch which I am a big fan of. I'm probably going to make a post just on that in a little bit.)
       In this issue Booster is still wondering what happened to Rip Hunter and now he is in the middle of a battle with Doomsday, just this Doomsday is being controlled by Captain Atom. (because this is an alternate reality Captain Atom isn't Captain Atom, he's just Nate Adam. The American government think Booster is an Atlantian, and Atlantis is at war with the surface. This war has flooded Europe. Booster meets someone named Alexandra Gianopoulos who is royalty of the now flooded Greece. With her Booster figures out that this is all the work of professor Zoom. Then Alexandra flies away after Booster does. (Booster has no idea this woman has superpowers) Then Doomsday, still being controlled by Captain Atom, attacks Booster, but then Doomsday breaks free of Atom's control and now is just trying to kill Booster.
      I was slightly confused about the whole thing with Alexandra Gianopoulos and her superpowers, but other than that this was an excellent issue. Before I even talk about the story I have to point out that the art was stunning. It was absolutely stunning. This probably wasn't the best time to jump onto the series because I'm biassed against Flash Point and I would much rather be reading a more classic Booster Gold Story, but this one was still incredibly enjoyable.  The war with Atlantis is interesting but it's not the most original idea, and it was kind of cool to see Captain Atom, and I know these two characters are linked, but i wasn't a huge fan of Jurgens just throwing in a reference for no reason. Really anyone could have been controlling Doomsday, but that wasn't even a at the bottom of the scale for complaints. It was really insignificant. I am really excited to see how the thing with Alexandra Gianopoulos turns out, and I am very excited to continue with this series.





Grade: 8/10
Buy at: www.mycomicshop.com

A lot of reviews

          I've been busy this month so unfortunately I haven't had much to for reviews. So instead of doing a lot of reviews with synopsis, I'm doing many reviews in one post, and cutting out most if not all of the synopsis and spoilers that I put in my usual reviews.

Booster Gold #44

This is a character and a series that I haven't really had much experience with. The series always looked good, and the character always looked interesting. With Flashpoint on the way I decided to finally check out the time traveling Superhero, thinking that this would be a good jumping on point. I was correct. I loved this issue. For anyone who wants to jump on to Booster Gold this is the issue to do it. It even has one or two pages devoted to recapping Booster Gold's origin.  While I do see how that could be annoying to a long time fan, this was very good for someone who is jumping on. It was a little confusing when it started in on Flashpoint, but frankly I think that is just because the whole idea of Flashpoint is complicated. I'm not a big fan of this idea, I think the new Flash series is too young for a big event like this, but it worked well for this issue

Grade: 9/10

Green Lantern Emerald Warriors #9

I know that I'm slightly behind on War of the Green Lanterns, but this issue was still amazing. The entire story of War of the Green Lanterns has been thrilling. The way people like Tomasi have been able to create a story that really had kind of already been done before (Hal turning Yellow, and Guy turning Red) but still make it very exciting is remarkable. When it comes to comic books being powerful or emotional this comic, story line, and not really even series fit the qualifications. But all of the Green Lantern stories, especially War of the Green Lanterns are just fun reads. This particular issue was nothing great, although it was cool to see Guy Gardner with Krona's Gauntlet, and also to see the Guardian entities again, but next issue when the Guardian entities attack will really be something fun to read.

Grade: 8/10

Doctor Who Classics #3

I've always been a huge fan of Doctor Who especially the old doctors (although Matt Smith is one of the more amazing Doctors I've ever seen. He might actually be my favorite.) So this series really excited me. A whole series about just classic Doctors, what's not to love? I really enjoyed how this issue started and finished a story. I was happy not to see a long drawn out arc, but instead it was done just like an episode of Doctor Who. It was incredibly well done. The writing and art were nothing spectacular, the real appeal for this comic is the feel of it, the fact that you feel like you are reading a Sci-Fi story. Doctor Who and Classic Sci-Fi fans alike should definitely pick this issue up.

Grade: 8/10

Batman #710

         I went to the comic store recently and picked up a good number of comics. But four or five of the ones that I picked up were out standing. This is one of those. I picked this one up mainly because I was excited to see Two Face. He's always been a cool and interesting character, and I was very excited to see a comic with a classic villain in it.
        In this issue Two Face is interrogating/killing people trying to find where his coin is. The GCPD finds the bodies and calls in Batman. While they are investigating a congressman comes out and says this should not be handled by vigilantes, and Batman leaves. The scene goes to the Falcones and Mario is angry Two Face is back. Batman then goes to Katrina Falcone and again tries to convince her to go away to boarding school, this time even Catwoman backs him up, but Katrina refuses. Two Face is then gets kidnapped by the Falcones and a woman who I assume is Harvey Dent's ex wife (who is working with the Falcones and the Falcones have the coin) shoots him. Meanwhile Batman breaks into a club to try to interrogate people.
       I thoroughly enjoyed this issue. I am a huge fan of classic comic books, with the classic heroes. While this is not Bruce Wayne, Two Face is definitely a classic villain. Not only were classic characters used, but the comic had a very classic feel. It felt much like Batman: A Long Halloween. That might be because of the Falcones but it still had the feeling of the comic. The only thing that I was "miffed" about was the fact that Two Face died. That stayed with me for a couple of minutes until I came to the realization that DC would never actually kill off Two Face. He's too interesting. He has his whole thing with being good and evil, but every time he flips his coin I can't take my eye off the page. Batman's thing is that all of the characters in his stories are dark and have their own psychological problem. The two with the coolest are Two Face and the Joker. One who sees the joke in life, and the other one who's crime are completely based of chance. This was still a really good issue, but if Two Face is actually dead I'll drop the entire series.




Grade: 9/10
Buy at: www.mycomicshop.com

Detective Comics #876

            Sorry for my lack of posts, but recently I've gone through a phase of reading the old comics so I haven't really kept up with the new issues and haven't had anything to review. I do have a couple that I will be reviewing over the next couple of days. Detective Comics is one of my favorite series, each arc is just so different from the previous one. I am a little upset that Snyder is taking a break from the arc with Commissioner Gordon, but it will be good to see how Jim Gordon acts through out this arc.
          In this issue a killer whale was found on the floor of one of the biggest banks in Gotham.  Gordon and Grayson investigate and find a woman in its stomach. Although while they are dissecting the whale Commissioner Gordon tells Dick Grayson that the head of the bank is the daughter of the man who killed his parents. Gordon also tells Grayson about his son being back in town and asks Grayson to meat with him, because his eyes aren't contaminated. Batman goes to check out the owner of the bank. (The woman found in the stomach of the whale was her assistant) Sonia Branch, the owner of the bank and daughter of the murderer who killed Batman's parents, didn't want to talk and told Batman to leave. But then she calls someone and says she will do what ever they want. Batman heard this with a listening device. Batman races off to where the call was made but starts getting attacked.
         Scott Snyder missed the mark with this issue. He was trying to make it creepier then it turned out to be. It had all of the elements:  woman showing up inside of a whale, Gordon's son, daughter of the man who killed Grayson's parents, and a death trap. Mainly the problem was the art. While Jock is a good artist, and there was nothing wrong with the art, I just don't think he has the right style for this arc. Anyone with a darker approach to Batman would have been better. The story on the other hand was somewhere between okay and good. I really do like creepy Batman stories, but again the story wasn't quite creepy enough. I predict that the level of creepiness will rise as the arc goes on, based off of the short descriptions DC offers about up coming comics. (I don't want to give those away incase people don't want to see them, but they are on DC's website if you want to see them) So over all this was an okay comic, but I do think it will improve as the arc goes on.




Grade: 6.5/10
Buy at: www.mycomicshop.com

Batman #709

          Batman is like Detective Comics in one way. The story quality varies from one arc to another. So far this has been a good arc. I don't really know much about Azrael, but it was still cool to see him appear in the arc. I didn't read the spin offs in Red Robin, or in Gotham City Sirens, so I was a tiny bit lost, and I might go back and read those later, but I was pretty much in the loop, and I still thought that it was a good arc.
       In this issue Batman goes to face Azrael since both Red Robin and Catwoman had failed. (That's the only part I was a little lost on. I didn't know how they failed, but it doesn't really interfere with the story) Batman meets Azrael, the Crusader and Fireball on top of a roof. Azrael brings the Prodigy forward. He explains that he was the best solo trapeze artist in the western hemisphere. But some guys didn't like him so they beat him up bad. Then Batman remembers. When he was little he didn't like the Prodigy either, and while people were beating up the Prodigy, Grayson just watched.  Azrael finds him guilty. But Catwoman and Red Robin bring Jenny and her kids to the roof hoping that this would persuade Azrael not to blow up the city. Jenny calls Azrael a monster , but the Crusader promises to protect Jenny. Then Batman convinces Azrael to use the sword of sin on himself. He does so and then no longer wishes to destroy the city. So when Fireball explodes the Crusader puts a force field around him, so that the city is safe.
     This was disappointing. I would have rather Batman defeated the Crusader, Azrael and Fireball then what happened. I'm all for happy endings when they are logical, but this seems like a sloppy ending for this arc. I've seen the villain seeing the error of his ways too many times now to enjoy this comic. This is the ending I had in mind, but it was too predictable. That's really all I have to say about the comic. Except that Dick Grayson was different because he wasn't as dark as Bruce and I liked that. But this arc and this issue made Grayson darker, and I don't want to see him  become Bruce Wayne. I like both characters, but Grayson should be Grayson and Wayne should be Wayne. So over all this ending ruined the arc making it predictable and also Hine did a bad job keeping Grayson from becoming Wayne. But since the quality in the arcs of Batman vary, I hope the next one will be better.





Grade: 6/10
Buy at: www.mycomicshop.com

The Flash #10

           This is a series that I said started in the middle, which is something I really don't like. Time travel stories are cool, but for the first arc of a story, I'm really just looking for a fist fight between the main character and his/her arch enemy, then you can do whatever you want. Then you can do time travel stories or  do something shocking that will change the series. After I got through the first arc, I thought okay now maybe I'll get a good Flash series. No, now I have an event that will change the series: Flash Point. If you knew that you were about to have a time travel/parallel reality story as your second arc, why would you make your first arc the same thing? I know the first arc wasn't really a parallel reality story, but it with out a doubt had time traveling, and it had different versions of popular characters, so it has the same essentials. I'm a huge fan of Geoff Johns, especially his work with Wally West, but scheduling these two arcs back to back was just a bad idea, and frankly it ruins the time traveling and parallel reality stories for a little while.
         In this issue the alternate Barry Allen (AKA: Hot Pursuit) tells Barry Allen (The Flash) all about him, the Multiverse, and all of the bad things that are going to happen. Bart Allen then comes and tells the Flash not to believe Hot Pursuit. Hot Pursuit then insists he's telling the truth and rides off. Barry runs after him, but Hot Pursuit gets away. Bart Allen wants to help Barry with this, but Barry want's to do it alone. Bart gets upset and runs away. Barry goes back to the lab to scan a piece of hair he snagged from Hot Pursuit, and it comes up as a mach for Barry Allen. Then Patty walks in. She explains how she is now working in Blue Valley, because things are slower there. Then Barry gets a call from Singh. He goes and brings Patty. A thirty year old man died in the exact same way Elongated Kid died. Then they find a witness hiding nearby.
       This was beyond disappointing. Again, I think Geoff Johns is great, but this was the worst comic he has ever written. Again this arc is redundant when matched with the previous arc, so already the comic and I got off on the wrong foot. But then when Hot Pursuit explained the Multiverse I was shocked. The Multiverse has been explained a hundred times but for some reason Geoff Johns felt the need to explain it again. That probably only bothered me as much as it did, because of the repetition of time travel, but both are pretty bad. Also I had no idea why both Barry Allens felt the need to do what they were doing alone, is it just so they could be upset? Or to make Bart upset? Johns made Barry tougher than he usually is, and then didn't offer an explanation for it. I do understand what Johns was trying to do when he had Betty move because she wanted her life to slow down, but this has been done a million times before. It's like calling Superman a weapon or saying Batman brings the villains to Gotham. Writers bring it up a lot, but every time they do it's supposed to be shocking. Overall this was not a good issue, and really ruins the series for me. The only hope Flash Point has now, is the spin offs and alternate reality stories that are coming, and those have only a medium sized chance at success.




Grade: 2.5/10
Buy at: www.mycomicshop.com

Birds of Prey #11

          As I've said many times before: This series started off great, but went down hill fast. It could be that I'm just not a fan of Black Canary and that is who Gail Simone likes to work with the most. The first six or seven issues of the book were devoted to Black Canary, and that just really got me off to a bad start with the series. The Death of Oracle arc was good, it was nothing special, and not something that I'm going to remember in many year, but it did improve my view of this series, although, it's still not even in my top 15 series that I'm reading, or go in and out of.
        In this issue Huntress is chasing down someone who stole some jewels. She starts fighting him, when Catman comes and stops it. He picks up the jewel thief and holds him off of the edge of the building asking who else was in the heist. He gave the name Rickie Lowlife. Huntress and Catman then go over some of their relationship history and problems. Then they go to find Rickie. They find him, interrogate him, and then he gives the name of his cousin Markie who has a hostage. They go and find him. Catman goes over to the hostage, but she gets scared for a second, thinking that he was one of the criminals. Huntress takes down Markie and then pulls her crossbow on Catman. The woman thought Catman was one of the criminals because he was. She recognized his green eyes. Catman then apologises profusely, and explains he has a son who was kidnapped, and also that he (Catman) is trying to reform and asks for Huntress's help. Huntress turns him down, and feels bad about it.
       I liked this issue a lot more than I thought I would. Again, it wasn't fantastic, and is not one of the best comics I've ever read, but it was pretty good. I even found the relationship between Huntress and Catman enjoyable. This was one of those fun read comics, its story was not complicated, or thoughtful, but it had some good fight scenes, some good banter, and great art, so it was still enjoyable. I'm debating with myself whether or not to renew my subscription to this comic, I'm leaning towards no, but I really did like this comic. It could just be that I'm surrounded by long story arcs, and every so often I just have a really good time with simple comics, but I don't know.
I recommend this comic as a fun read, if you are looking for a series or arc that you can really get into, this is not the right comic for you. But if you are looking for just a good story, than this is the perfect comic for you.





Grade: 7.5/10
Buy at: www.mycomicshop.com

Green Lantern #65

         In an earlier review I said I was tired of Green Lantern events, and that is true. But so far War of the Green Lanterns has been outstanding, granted I have only read three issues and there is time for it to all go down hill. But parts one through three were extremely good, and even though I have already recommended them, I will recommend them again.
       Part four starts out with Kilowog being tortured and finally being taken over by Parallax. Meanwhile Guy and Hal find the Green House and use the ship that was in it to go rescue Kyle, John, and Ganthet. As soon as they get to OA they are attacked by Green Lanterns and have to get out in an escape pod. Guy and Hal find Kyle and John under ground in a series of tunnels. Hal says to defeat the Corps they need to wear different rings. Guy picks the Red Ring, Hal picks the Yellow ring, Kyle picks the blue one, and finally John tries to pick the orange one, but Hal insists that he gets indigo.
      I really like this issue, I especially like when Hal was flying away in the ship and he was happy as a small kid. He is a pilot and it's fun to see him have a great time flying. I got excited to see Kilowog again, I was hoping maybe he will come back into the event, but unfortunately the got rid of him, again. That is a disappointment. He is one of my favorite B-list lanterns, and I was excited to read about him, but now he's gone. It doesn't ruin the arc, but it doesn't help.
     As anyone would be I was incredibly excited to hear about the lanterns of sector 2814 putting on different rings. Guy and Hal picking red and yellow was predictable, I can't give DC grief for that, because it was just logical. Kyle picked blue which kind of made sense, but then John picking indigo, I did not like that. Orange wouldn't have been better, really John should have picked violet, it makes more sense for him. Indigo just seems like they didn't know what to give him.
     Despite a few minor set backs, this was still an incredibly good issue, I recommend this issue, and the entire War of the Green Lanterns.
(sorry about the cover, it's the only picture I could find without the headings)






Grade: 8.5/10
Buy at: www.mycomicshop.com

Detective Comics #875

         Detective Comics is a unique series. Some are very classic Batman, others are dark Batman, and some have nothing to do with Batman at all. Each arc is very different from its predecessor which is different for a series, it has short entertaining arc opposed to long and over complicated and frankly boring series like Green Arrow.
         This particular issue is about James Gordon. He is remembering when he was lieutenant, he got a call from Barbara (when she was his ex-wife) who called to express concerns about James. (James Gordon's son) She says that he has nothing medically wrong with him, but she's taking him for more tests. He remembers all the creepy things that his son did, like killing a bird, and dressing up as the Joker for Halloween. But especially this time when Barbara and her friend were over, and the friend brought a science kit. The friend was mean to James, and then the friend goes missing, and James has the science kit. James Gordon Sr. started accusing the boy. Then everything comes back into the present. The entire flash back had been simultaneously occurring with James Gordon getting a criminal. Batman comes and gets him, and then Jim Gordon leaves while thinking about his son.
         This was a weird, strange and twisted comic book. It was very enjoyable. The story that was going on with the criminal that was running away from James Gordon was really just a space filler and a reason to throw Batman into the mix, so that whole section of the book was kind of boring, but it didn't interfere with the flash back which is really what was going on in the comic. The boy was something out of an Edgar Allan Poe, it wasn't just the thing with the bird, which was creepy, but it was him dressing up as the Joker that really made the character. That has been done by so many people in past Halloweens, but he's a fictional character, not really killing, and tormenting people. The cartoony art enhanced the creepiness of the story. It's hard to describe how, but if you read this issue you'll understand what I'm saying.
Over all this was a pretty good issue, I wouldn't call it a must read, but if you like Edgar Allan Poe, or other things that creepy, than this would be a good issue to pick up.





Grade: 8/10
Buy at: www.mycomicshop.com

Green Lantern Emerald Warriors #8

           I have no idea why I didn't pick up this series when it came out. Recently I have been going through a Green Lantern phase, and this has Guy Gardner and Kilowog two of my favorite B-list Green Lanterns. It's one of those series that I want to buy when I walk into the comic store, but then forget that I wanted it. So I finally remembered to get it, and here it is.
          In this issue Gardner, Kilowog, and Arisia are flying back to OA talking about recent events. Then Arisia gets taken over by Parallax and flies away. Guy Gardner finds out that this has happened to most of the Green Lanterns. Then a ton of taken over Green Lanterns come and take Kilowog. Gardner arranges to meet up with Hal Jordan at the Green House. Gardner and Jordan get angry at each other, because   Gardner said that Jordan was weak, so they start to fight. They fight for a while, but their power rings run out, and then they decide to put aside their differences to attempt to save the corps.
        I loved this issue. The War of the Green Lanterns is a stunt, and quite frankly I'm a little sick of Green Lantern events. But this was a good issue. The story was incredibly entertaining, and I know that I have said that I hate long fight scenes, but for one: the fight scene wasn't all that long, and two it was somewhat necessary to show the power rings losing power, I know that it could have been done by the rings losing power while they're flying, but when you have a character with a temper, like Guy Gardner, you need to use him. I don't know if I would have gotten rid of Kilowog so fast. Arisia was taken away in the first two pages, and then Kilowog in the first seven. I like Gardner, but it would be cool to see Kilowog in this arc as well. But that is my one and only complaint with the story. The story was terrific, but I would even pick up this issue for the art. Color is one of the things that keeps brining me back to the Green Lantern family of books. You can't have a Green Lantern series with out solid colors, which is something that I like. This issue had the same thing, but beyond that the penciling was great, and the cover was outstanding.
      This was a fantastic issue, and a great point to pick up War of the Green Lanterns. I recommend it highly.




Grade: 9/10
Buy at: www.mycomicshop.com