Monthly Archives: April 2016

Apr 7 2016

Justice League: The Darkseid War Special 1

darkseid war special 1

Today, Michael and Patrick are discussing Justice League: The Darkseid War Special 1, originally released April 4, 2016.

Michael: Damn, in a few weeks “The Darkseid War” will have been going on for an entire year — roughly the same amount of time that Jim Gordon was the Caped Crusader in the pages of Batman. Whereas Gordon’s tenure as Batman felt like it was cut short, “The Darkseid War” almost feels like it has been going on for eternity. Though Justice League is still full of powerful superhero smash-em-ups and the League has seen its fair share of changes, “Darkseid War” has been crawling at a snail’s pace. Unfortunately for us all, Justice League: The Darkseid War Special 1 is more of the same. Continue reading →

Apr 6 2016

Saga 35

saga 35

Today, Shelby and Spencer are discussing Saga 35, originally released March 30th, 2016.

Shelby: One of the changes I’ve been trying to make for myself these last few years is in improving my communication. So many problems in both the real world and in fiction can be solved with just some simple communication. Every time two big-name superheroes meet for the first time, there’s always an issue devoted to them punching each other; if they just took two seconds to communicate a bit first, we’d be spared those boringly inevitable stories. The real problem, though, comes in when characters cannot communicate and have to act anyway. Characters who choose to act first, I got no sympathy for; it’s the ones that couldn’t even if they wanted to that I find the most intriguing and the most sympathetic. If you’re at all familiar with Brian K. Vaughan’s Saga, you’ll understand this sentiment completely. Continue reading →

Apr 6 2016

Marvel Round-Up: Comics Released 3/30/16

marvel roundup24

We try to stay up on what’s going on at Marvel, but we can’t always dig deep into every issue. The solution? Our weekly round-up of titles coming out of Marvel Comics. Today, we’re discussing Daredevil 5, Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur 5, and Unbeatable Squirrel Girl 6.

slim-banner4 Continue reading →

Apr 5 2016

X-Men ’92 1

xmen 92 1

Today, Taylor and Michael are discussing X-men ’92 1, originally released March 30, 2016.

Taylor: For many Generation Y-ers, or Millennials, or basically anyone born in the ’80s, the introduction to the world of comics came from one of two sources. The first, of course, is Batman: The Animated Series, which solidified the Dark Knight in this generation’s hearts forever. The second is the well-known, if not quite so beloved, X-Men animated series. While both shows are fantastic in their own way, I remember frequently being frustrated by the X-Men series as a kid. Like a true comic book, this series told long stories over the course of several episodes which made watching the show in order essential, but during the age of syndication, nearly impossible. Still, I have fond memories of the show and to this day I can still sing its guitar solo theme song from memory. X-Men ’92 is cut from the cloth of this show and in doing so, the creators have made a comic that is both timely and nostalgic at the same time. Continue reading →

Apr 5 2016

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Deviations 1

tmnt deviations

Today, Patrick and Taylor Drew are discussing Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Deviations 1, originally released March 30th, 2015.

Patrick: Iterating on mythology is common practice for the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles team. You could even argue that iteration and exploration of the franchise’s mythology is not only something that IDW does incredibly, but is the whole point of the series. There are so many fan favorite characters, stories, locations and details taken from decades of comics, TV shows, movies, video games and action figures, all melded into one gracefully grotesque whole. So what happens when the team iterates on itself, looping back to re-examine a pivotal moment in their own history through a “what if” lens? The result is an insightful look at our heroes, but perhaps more importantly, it shows us just how delicately balanced all that mythology has been over the past five years. Continue reading →

Apr 4 2016

Godzilla: Oblivion 1

godzilla oblivion 1

Today, Mark and Drew are discussing Godzilla: Oblivion 1, originally released March 30th, 2016.

Mark: Godzilla In Hell was one of last year’s major surprises (we loved Godzilla In Hell 5 so much it landed on our year-end “Best Issues” list), so I couldn’t have been more pumped for the start of IDW’s new series Godzilla: Oblivion. Sure, the solicitation blurb sounds like standard sci-fi stuff:

A scientist has created a portal to another dimension—one where monsters rule supreme! A terrifying expedition begins into a world where hope has died and Godzilla is the unrivaled King of the Monsters. But what happens when a baby kaiju hitches a ride back to the original, monster-less dimension?

But, still, I had high hopes.

Unfortunately, Godzilla: Oblivion 1 follows up the bonkers genius of Godzilla In Hell in the most pedestrian way possible. Writer Joshua Fialkov and artist Brian Churilla, deliver a perfectly serviceable, if thin, Godzilla tale, with plenty of room for ample action and requisite wackiness in future issues. Continue reading →

Apr 1 2016

Batman & Robin Eternal 26

batman and robin eternal 26

Today, Michael and Spencer are discussing Batman & Robin Eternal 26, originally released March 30th, 2016.

Michael: It wasn’t that long ago when Retcon Punch decided to pit me and Spencer against one another, reviewing Batman Eternal 52 with very different opinions. Now they’ve done it again as we go head-to-head on the finale of the semi-sequel, Batman & Robin Eternal 26. As we transition back to the status quo, does this particular Batman-less Batman tale add anything to the mythos overall? Continue reading →