It can be hard to keep up with all the comics you love. But it’s damn near impossible to keep up with all the comics you’re interested in.
Retcon Punch got you covered.
Gail Simone’s excellent Batgirl series will be crossing through the Night of the Owls on Wednesday. If you missed Barbara Gordon struggling against Mirror, Gretel, Grotesque and her mother, you can check out our video recap.
Today, Shelby and Patrick are discussing Swamp Thing 9, originally released May 2nd, 2012.
Shelby: I love non-traditional stories. While there is definitely comfort to be found in stories that go exactly as you imagine, it’s those twists that can turn a story on its ass that make things really interesting. And when those twists give the finger to time-honored and traditional story-telling tropes, that’s when I sit up and take notice. Swamp Thing is an awesome embodiment of the non-traditional. Our hero is a monster (unless you compare him to the villain), and in this issue after he rescues the damsel, she turns right around and rescues him back.
It can be hard to keep up with all the comics you love. But it’s damn near impossible to keep up with all the comics you’re interested in.
Retcon Punch got you covered.
The story of Batman and Robin coming to terms with Damian’s darkness is more heartbreaking than any title featuring Robin has any right to be. This one is one of the good Batman titles, but if you missed out on it, dig our video recap.
Today, Drew and Peter are discussing Worlds’ Finest 1, originally released May 2nd, 2012.
Drew: Superhero comics are well-known for their entertainment value. We turn to them for wild plotting or impossible feats or insane action. When handled well, they can also be home to themes that resonate even with their non-powered readers. Our favorite titles home in on the themes that resonate most with their characters, offering pointed, deliberate examinations of the human condition. With World’s Finest 1, writer Paul Levitz offers a compelling case for counting it among those titles, as it explores how two very different characters cope with moving on from the loss of their very way of life. Continue reading
The Retcon Punchers spend an awful lot of time looking for ways to celebrate our nerdy obsessions. This means a lot of time sunk into scouring Etsy, Deviant Art, Think Geek or whatever. Sometimes we see things so great we just have to share them… and then clutch them fiercely to our collective chest. Throw it in The Vault.
Website: ThinkGeek.com
Who Would Love This: People who are afraid of the dark, small children, Commissioner Gordon
Price: $9.99
While this may seem slightly juvenile, this is really kinda cool. And yes, I totally had one that was similar as a child. I cannot think of any other item that could possibly make you feel safe at night than this night light. The guys over at ThinkGeek are always pretty funny, and they even include this light’s ability to summon Batman in the item description. This light can help you combat the Scarecrow and his fear toxin as you drift off the sleep. I would not be surprised if somewhere you can get other character night lights, but really, this is the only one that you will ever need or want. Never be afraid of the dark again.
Today, Patrick and Drew are discussing Detective Comics 9, originally released May 2nd, 2012. This issue is part of the Night of the Owls crossover event. Click here for complete NotO coverage. Not caught up on Detective Comics? No problem! Get up to speed with our video Cram Session.
Patrick: If I had to put my finger on the one thing that made me like Detective Comics less than the rest of the Batman series, I’d say it’s the pointless darkness. In other titles, dark themes and images reflect the twisted nature of Bruce’s obsession with justice or the strained relationship between Bruce and Damian. But every time DetCon reaches for that same darkness, it comes off like precocious child that has borrowed his dad’s power tools. It has all the pieces of something I love – including unlimited access to Batman’s rogues gallery – but cobbles them together into a largely incompetent whole. You almost get the sense that with a little guidance from someone who knows better, Tony Daniel would be able to wield these tools more effectively. With the guiding light of Scott Snyder’s Night of the Owls cross-over, this sense is proven only marginally true.
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Today, Patrick and Peter are discussing Dial H, originally released May 2nd, 2012.
Patrick: The first issue of any series has an awful lot of work to do. When Drew and I started these things, we covered the first 3 issues of a series. This was partially because it was November before we got our asses in gear, but there’s also the legitimate benefit of having something to evaluate. Set-up can be tricky, but most of the New 52 titles circumvented the laborious expository process by relying on known entities: Flash, Batman, Green Lantern, whatever. Even those titles that were super new to me – like Batwoman, Batwing and Captain Atom – still had their roots in time-tested franchises. Dial H has to build its world, its premise and its main character from the ground, up.
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Today, Shelby and Drew are discussing Animal Man 9, originally released May 2nd, 2012.
Shelby: We’re all getting pretty wrapped up in the Night of the Owls. We’ve got a lot of really talented writers and artists working on it, and with Scott Snyder at the helm, well, it’s easy to get wrapped up in it. One could almost forgive me for forgetting about some of these other story arcs DC has going on right now. I say ‘almost’ because there’s obviously no way to forgive not thinking about The Red, The Green, and The Rot. This month’s Animal Man reminds me of why that is; the title page features Buddy, traveling through the Red after dying at the hands of the Rot and literally unraveling. Organ by organ, muscle separating from bone, bone separating from other bones.
God damn, I love this title.
Continue reading
Today, Peter and Shelby are discussing Earth-2 1, originally released May 2nd, 2012.
Peter: We have officially reached the Second Wave of the New 52. With it, we see the reintroduction of the DC Multiverse, and thus alternate versions of some of our favorite super heroes. We begin here with Earth-2 #1, which will then lead us into the rest of this brave new world.
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Today, Drew and Patrick are discussing Batwing 9, originally released May 2nd, 2012. This issue is part of the Night of the Owls crossover event. Click here for complete NotO coverage. Not caught up on Batwing? No problem! Get up to speed with our video Cram Session.
Drew: Last month, we took Batwing to task for its bat-family cameos; when the hero is still winning over an audience, placing him alongside one of comicbookdom’s biggest draws will necessarily divert our interest. As I looked ahead to reading this issue, I wondered how removing Batman from the equation would work. Batwing is still in Batman’s city, and is now fighting one of Batman’s villains, but without Batman’s presence, would the issue feel lacking? Continue reading
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