Batman Li'l Gotham #3!

Batman Li’l Gotham #3 was the Valentine’s Day issue.  The first story was cute and if not for the watercolor style artwork it would have been much better.  The story highlight was seeing how many DC heroes could make guest appearances – both good guys and bad.  The joker was the star being chased by Harley Quinn.  The second story was a Robin (Bruce Wayne’s son Robin, the dead one who is currently still dead) and Katana but not the new52 Katana this was the teenage kid version.  This story was also entertaining.

Batman #19

Batman #19 was a horrible story.  I am not even sure where to start because we the readers did not get the full story and the issue ended on a cliff hanger.  There was a second story with Superman but otherwise I’m disappointed.  The Superman Batman team up was interesting and could be cool.  But I would have much rather had the main story finished.  Even having Clayface and Robin flashbacks could not save the main story that felt much more like a Requiem story than anything.

Batman Li'L Gotham #1

Batman Li’L Gotham #1 was obviously meant to be a kiddy comic I only bought a copy because I was told it was a serious comic.  I am not sure the watercolor style art work would appeal to anyone but adults.  The first story is a Halloween story with lots of costumes on the street both real and imposters.  The ending was smart and entertaining but so unrealistic.  The second story is a Thanksgiving Day story and just stupid.  Seriously if you are doing a kiddy comic at least make it a good one do not make it such a mess.

Ame-Comi Girls #2

Ame-Comi Girls #2 was disappointing.  Compared to the very interesting previous issues in this comic series this issue was a very bad turn.  Not only did the artwork change from good to a quality so bad the Cartoon Network would reject the art, the story as boring.  Suddenly the heroines win and the story devolves into fights about who will be the leader of the group and discussion on the legal procedures to make what the ladies do legal.  We then get treated to watching Batgirl and Robin being grounded – yawn.  While a decrease in the crotch and boob shots makes the comic see more serious, this was not the stories promised.

Batman Incorporated #8 Requiem

Batman Incorporated #8 Requiem was really bad.  Considering this was the first story after Robin (Damian) died I was hoping for something better.  Instead we see Gotham City cave to terrorists’ demands, failing to bring in any of the other super groups or heroes to help defend the city.  They do not even consider bringing in the National Guard or the Army.  They do not ask for help from any of the super groups under government control and none of those groups show up.  Gotham City just gives up to terrorists and not just terrorists but an unknown group with only one act of terror to their name.  Not just that but instead of fighting back Batman and Batman Incorporated stop doing anything they take time for a funeral.  Really? In the middle of a war - a massive terrorist attack they all stop fighting and in some cases go home to other countries and have time to come back to Gotham that is how much time they waste.  Just recently there was another story called Death of the Family and during the multi-day terror inflicted by the Joker not one character took time off.  They all kept fighting the good fight until the Joker was gone.  Not just kept up the good fight but brought in other supers to help out.  The only redeeming bit to the story is we get to see how the surviving heroes escape the building – well except for Batman’s exit from the building.  There was one last insult to the reader hidden in this story and spoiler! there are still active Lazarus Pits around ready for use – I believe that counts for a “I told you so” meaning Robin might be back even faster than I originally thought.

Batman Inc #7!

Batman Incorporated #7 was interesting but considering how badly done the previous issues one good issue does not make up for the crap.  It makes no sense that Batman would fall for bad dreams or Talia’s plots.  It is not just Batman being bad but bad writing – making changes to characters and personalities so they do not match what is cannon for the character.  What happens is everyone is just stupid and does stupid things, while the villainess plot goes off perfectly and without one hitch.  I am also not believing how the membership of Batman Inc are suddenly idiotically stupid, Batman did not recruit idiots he recruited people like himself.  I fear the writer and creative team thought they were writing something epic but instead it is something terribly bad – especially considering what happens in the next issue.

Teen Titans #18 Requiem

Teen Titans #18 Requiem was a good story.  Red Robin had some issues to work through with imaginary dead Robin (Damian Wayne) this was a good little story with a nice pep talk from Alfred.  But then we move onto the main Teen Titan story or as I call it “Let’s see how many supers we can cram onto a page.” Seriously Superboy flies to the Titan yacht and by the pool are Bunker, Kid Flash, Solstice, Wonder Girl and Red Robin.  Then Red Robin takes the team on a mission to save a young lady from evil.  This entails attacking Belle Reve Prison home of the Suicide Squad Harley Quinn, Deadshot, Killer Shark commanded by Amanda Waller.  There ensues a quick fight with some clever dialog, but all this is just a distraction so that Red Robin can cut a deal with Waller which is kept a secret for the moment from both the reader and the two super teams.  We then cut to New York and Trigon!  I might have to hunt down the next issue afterall.

Catwoman #18 Requiem

Catwoman #18 Requiem deals with Batman mourning for Robin yet that part of the story feels crammed into the main story line.  So Batman and Catwoman have a chase and then they fight.  Catwoman then goes to try and find her fence that had been taken in by the police.  But the friend it turns out did not need her help and was out of the police station before Catwoman could help.  Then Catwoman robs the guy whom paid her to steal some artwork that she then returns to the Gotham Museum.  This comic was crammed with all kinds of stuff but felt a bit flat because so much information presented that nothing really gets done.  Oh well DC got to slap Requiem on another comic to make money off the death of Robin.

Nightwing #18 Requiem

Nightwing #18 Requiem was good as far as the Death of Robin stories go.  Nightwing mourns the death of his friend and sort of bonds a bit with Batman.  Nightwing then using information from Batman, Nightwing goes after a villain the Dealer who is a guy whom sells items associated with supers.  The Dealer is selling a costume that was once worn by Dick Grayson’s father and used by the Joker in the Death of the Family story.  There is a short fight and we move on to the other story that could be interested.  The guy who killed Grayson’s parents is still alive! Either that or someone is going to be sorry for picking that old alias as a cover once Nightwing gets to him.

Batman!! #18

Batman #18!!!  Was slow but still managed to be interesting.  This is another Requiem issue with the aftermath of the death of Robin (Damian Wayne).  We get the return of Harper and Cullen Row with Harper trying to help Batman get over the death or at least get some sleep before some punk manages to kill Batman.  It is all kinds of wordy yet interesting.  I liked this issue.

Batman and Robin #18

Batman and Robin #18 Requiem was interesting as it lacked typed or spoken dialog of any type.  The story was told entirely in the graphic form that is possible with comic books. While I am tempted to be flippant and say this was simply a writer being lazy and a big company deciding not to pay a letterer.  I have to say the art work was excellent with several very worthy frames.  There is little to else to say since there is not much development beyond that which was displayed.  I liked this issue.

Batgirl #18 Requiem / Death of the Family

Batgirl #18 Requiem was horrible.  First off the story really has nothing to do with the death of Robin beyond Batgirl getting a phone call.  This issue is really a continuation of the Death of the Family Story line where Barbra Gordon is fighting against her brother.  But the story is told in a bad noir style from the evil brother’s point of view.  It has bad stilted writing as show in blocky block text that might be trying to be dramatic.  But in reality it is bad crappy writing pretending to put a woman in an imaginary abusive situation of some kind of “I hate all women” fantasy.  You the reader and I should get better for our money but when Spider-Man beats his wife/girlfriend and is still considered a hero there is not much hope for the art form since abuse is abuse weather it is in a comic book or real life.

World's Finest #10 !!!

World’s Finest Huntress and Power Girl #10 was actually three separate stories.  None of these stories were very satisfying.  First we have some fist pounding destruction of property in revenge for the attack on Power Girl’s island base.  Then there is a quick homage to the passing of Robin which also gives the comic a chance to have Batman make an appearance.  While not a bad issue it could have been better if one or two of the stories had been given more time to develop.  Which leaves me to my biggest complaint of DC comics the last month – there have been this stupid channel 52 two page story cutting into my comics and now there is a many page story in the back of every DC comic which is an advertisement for a new comic book DC will be putting out soon.  I really do not appreciate paying good money only to be shorted pages for advertisement for comics or items I am not interested in buying.  Now that those advertisement have reduced my enjoyment of many comic books I will make a point to not buy what has been advertise.  If these advertisements had lowered the cost of a comic book I would have been fine with losing story, but these comics are the regular price.

Batman Inc #8 R.I.P.

Batman Inc #8 where I seemed to have missed issue #7 and considering what happened in this issue it might be hard to find a copy.  The story starts out mid something riot like possibly related to the events in Death of the Family.  Robin and Nightwing are working to help Batman out of a jam.  There is a long and eventful fight with some banter between Robin and Nighwing I am not really sure why Robin took off the battle suit helmet but oh well.  I figure that since the end of the comic made the news this is not really a spoiler but just in case: Spoiler! Alert!  But for some plot based reason Robin dies he is killed by someone claiming to be his brother but that Robin called Father.  Considering that children trained as the Robin’s replacement have died and come back to life in the past the death of Robin (Damian Wayne Al ghul) is bound to be short lived.  At the very least Robins’ death is valid until the next plot point and a handy Lazarus Pit.  Do not get my sarcasm wrong this was a good climatic story.

Red Hood and the Outlaws! #17

Red Hood and the Outlaws #17 was more Death of the Family aftermath.  It was a very interesting recap and review of the Red Hoods life.  It was interesting to the interaction of the different characters, Arsenal, Starfire, Robin (ah Ghul), Alfred, Nightwing and Batman.  I was kind of surprised at the ending I did not expect a cliffhanger.  This makes me grateful I was not paying attention to the list of Death of the Family comics coming out next or the plot summaries.  This is first time in a number of issues of this mega story that I have been surprised.  Good comic.

Ame-Comi Girls #5

Ame-Comi Girls #5 Featuring Supergirl.  Was kind of disappointing, while we see some of Supergirl’s backstory it is not complete and nowhere near the detail given to Superman’s backstory.   The writers seemed much more interesting in placing the female characters into positions the reveal their crotches and breasts than advancing a story.  At least this is the issue where yes Brainiac reveals her plan to destroy the world and she has been preparing to fight Supergirl.  I gather there is some backstory as to how or why Braniac knew there were Kryptonians on Earth but as the story is told it is a weak story.  At least we now have all the main and some of the second string supers assembled for the big old invade Earth fight.  Oh well. 

Batman!!

Batman #17 Death of the Family and the big climax which to this old reviewer  is just another letdown as there was nothing really new in the end.  While the characters might or might not change really this Super Mega Story was just another piece of good publicity.  The story could have been grand and it would have been amazing if the Family had actually been harmed.  I thought maybe Batman’s solution to the Joker problem was going to work.  But it was a bluff at least when we see the aftermath.  This was the chance for the New52 the Batman writers to do something new and special and instead they just reset the story which is just a typical copout that chased me away from comic books in the first place.  I am very disappointed in this story, very disappointed. 

Batman & Robin Annual!

Batman and Robin Annual #1 – A New Dark Knight Rises!  Well that was an interesting story where Damain leads Bruce Wayne on a scavenger hunt across Europe.  The story starts out typical Batman fighting someone who was not really a bad guy despite a bit of Gotham City being set on fire.  Then Bruce heads out of country and Damian takes over the family business on his own so to speak.  The little Batman manages to solve the crime and save the day from a crazy man in fiery armor.  The adventure of Bruce Wayne finding his parents past was really well done.  I was impressed with the short little stories being so well done.  It was downright cute.   This issue also managed to show how much alike the two Wayne men have turned out. 

Teen Titans - Death of the Family!

Teen Titans #16 Death of the Family!  Yeah this was another issue of blah blah blah filler.  At the very least I was hoping for something interesting.  But instead we hear the self monolog while the two Robins fight.  Then oh surprise they were just trying to trick the Joker.   Only to be foiled in the end by the Joker.  I’m not even sure why the flash back to the other Titans or Raven.  I’m just glad to know this will be over soon once I am caught up

Red Hood The Lost Days!

I just finished reading the Red Hood: the Lost Days compilation of the six issue mini-series. This is the story of the dead Robin - Jason Todd who dug his way out of his grave, was a fighting zombie for a while and then was actually brought back to life by Talia Al Ghul.  She helps Jason recover and train all the while stalling and hoping he would not actually try and kill Batman.  Jason’s training is often done by very bad men and woman.  People he eventually turns on in a non-Batman like way.  There are a number of very well written adventures and all the while Jason is slowly becoming less angry with being dead.  The final confrontation with the Joker was very interesting.  In the end the Jason settles for punishing Batman for not avenging his death.  The last scene shows his discovery of the Red Hood. This was a really good read.

It is a shame that with the new 52 reboot the Red Hood character was not allowed to keep the good parts of this story.  Red Hood and the Outlaws was just such a disappointment.