Author Archives: Drew

Feb 22 2012

All-Star Western 1-3

Today, Peter and Drew are discussing All-Star Western 1-3, originally released September 28th,  October 26th, and November 23rd, 2011.

Peter: DC took a couple of major leaps with the New 52 in terms of character development and took a few chances as well. Those chances were, of course giving several lesser used and known characters their own books; Mr. Terrific, Hawk and Dove, Static Shock, etc. All-Star Western is probably the most ambitious of these books, and I firmly believe this book is a ‘high-risk, high-reward’ book for DC. Continue reading →

Feb 16 2012

Batman 6

Batman 6

Today, Drew and Patrick are discussing Batman 6, originally released February 15th, 2012.

Drew: I have a bit of a tradition on the third Wednesday of the month: I pick up the new Batman, thinking “there’s no way they can top last month,” and put it down thinking, “okay, but there’s really no way they can top this next month.” It’s a credit to Scott Snyder and Greg Capullo that my expectations keep getting blown out of the water. After last month’s mind-bending issue, I suspected that the final image of Batman being stabbed by the Talon might just be in Bruce’s head. Of course, my expectations were proven wrong once again, as Snyder and Capullo deliver an issue that is simultaneously more action-packed and subtler than its predecessor. Continue reading →

Feb 15 2012

Chat Cave: Digital Comics vs. Real Comics

Chat Cave

Among all of the continuity changes of the New 52, one of the biggest changes to DC was their new same day digital release plan. With digital comics coming out the same day as physical copies, readers can choose their favorite media without worrying about being behind the curve. Now the only question is: which do you prefer? The Retcon Punch staff weighs in. Welcome to the Chat Cave

Drew: I officially exorcised any lingering “real books are better than e-readers” feelings when I moved cross-country this past summer. Real books are bulky and heavy, and when it comes down to it, what I really value about them is the info they contain, not that they’re handsomely bound or that they smell nice or that they’re comforting (though I agree that those things are all nice). I take no pride in having a large library on display, so would gladly trade-in every book I own for an e-reader if it meant I never had to pack and move another box of books. That is, unless we’re talking about comic books. Continue reading →

Feb 14 2012

Batman and Robin 4-6

Today, Peter and Drew are discussing Batman and Robin 4-6, originally released December 14th, 2011,  January 11th, and February 8th, 2012.

Peter: Prior to the reboot, for me, Batman was in a little bit of a limbo. I enjoyed post-Final Crisis arcs enough, but I wasn’t completely drawn in by them. They just did not feel exciting to me. The Return of Bruce Wayne felt forced. I actually dropped all Batman books from my personal pull except for Batman, Inc. when it was released. With the advent of the New 52, Batman and Robin has quickly risen to become one of my favorite books.  Peter Tomasi’s writing, and Patrick Gleason’s art, have revitalized these characters, and most importantly, the ever evolving relationship between them. Continue reading →

Feb 9 2012

Batgirl 6

Batgirl 6Today, Drew and Patrick are discussing Batgirl 6, originally released February 8th, 2012.

Drew: When Gretel was introduced last month, she came with a number of mysteries, some large and important, others seemingly insignificant. These are all more or less solved this issue, wrapping up Gretel’s story with a little bow that feels a little too pat for what I’ve come to expect of this title. Gail Simone has done so well imbuing Barbara Gordon’s social life with complications (both small and large), that the conclusiveness of Gretel’s resolution feels out-of-place. Continue reading →

Feb 3 2012

Aquaman 5

Today, Peter and Shelby are discussing Aquaman 5, originally released January 25th, 2012.

Peter: As someone who read all 52 issues of The New 52, I had high hopes for some characters that I felt, in my opinion had been neglected in the past. Aquaman was one of these. From his recent revival in Blackest Night, and Brightest Day, also penned by author Geoff Johns and drawn by Ivan Reis, from his portrayal as a Black Lantern zombie, to the Water Elemental guardian as chosen by the The Entity, Arthur has gone through some fairly drastic changes in both physical appearance and mental status in the recent past. Coming into the New 52, I was especially excited because Johns wasn’t doing a full remake of Aquaman, like many other characters in the New 52. Johns instead decided to use the character momentum that he had started to develop in previous storylines, and continue on with it, and that is what Johns, Reis, and company are doing here. Continue reading →

Feb 2 2012

Swamp Thing 6

Today, Drew and Patrick are discussing Swamp Thing 6, originally released February 1st, 2012.
Drew: Patrick and I try to avoid talking about comics outside of these write-ups in order to keep the conversation on the blog and open to everyone, but when he was catching up on Swamp Thing for our initial, epic write-up on it, he sent me a message betraying how good he thought Scott Snyder’s writing was. This break of form is entirely justifiable, given that Snyder’s awesomeness on Batman and Swamp Thing aren’t so much opinions as hard fact, but it also reveals just how flashy Snyder’s writing is. It isn’t just good: it’s remarkably  good. Continue reading →