Category Drew Baumgartner

Drew Baumgartner, Co-Editor-In-Chief
drew@retcon-punch.com

Location: Milwaukee

History With Comics: Drew grew up with Superman pajamas. His best days were when he never had to change out of them. He fell in love with Batman the Animated Series when he was 5. He had never read a comic in his life, but started reading Batman trades when he was in high school. He continued to pick up trades and one-offs throughout the 00’s, but never got into the monthly swing. After almost a decade of being an outsider looking in, Drew seized upon DC’s relaunch to start picking up monthlies.

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 20 2012

Nightwing 5-6

Today, Patrick and Drew are discussing Nightwing 5-6, originally released January 18th, 2012, and February 15th, 2012.

Patrick: I realize that I know a lot about Dick Grayson, but I don’t know all that much about Nightwing. I’m comfortable with him in the Robin role – that’s the Batman I was raised on, after all. And Dick wearing the Batman cowl is a compelling enough story that even with my limited exposure to that arc, I feel like I get it. But I don’t have a solid grasp on how Nightwing operates, what he stands for or what the world’s perception of him is. I don’t know who his rogues are (unless he’s borrowing from Batman’s incredibly deep bench), and I don’t really know where he usually fights crime (venturing a guess: Gotham and Blüdhaven? Wait, which one is Blüdhaven?). Relying only on this series, I’m not totally convinced I know what tone the Nightwing character is supposed to strike. Continue reading →

Feb 17 2012

Wonder Woman 6


Today, Shelby and Drew are discussing Wonder Woman 6, originally published February 15th, 2012.

Shelby: Let me explain: I have loved Greek mythology since I was just a young lass. I picked up a copy of Jason and the Argonauts from my middle school library many, many years ago, and I’ve been hooked ever since. I think what is most appealing to me about the Greek gods and goddesses is their human failings. They toe the line between being the source of human characteristics, to just being overly emphasized caricatures. They’re silly, stupid, petty, jealous, vain: they fall for the same tricks and make the same mistakes as all us regular folk. In this way, the gods of Greece are the great lessons for what to do and what not to do; their “nobody’s perfect” depiction makes them relatable. Wonder Woman continues in this vein, much to my delight. 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 13 2012

Batwoman 6


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

Patrick: Batwoman #6 opens close on the Bat symbol on Kate Kane’s chest. Subtitles indicate that we are reading “Batwoman’s Story. Now.” Setting and protagonist are stated up-front in writing because we won’t be with this person, or in this time, for very long. The rest of the 22-page issue touches on the story of 5 other characters as related to the kidnapping and murder of children by members of Medusa and the origin of the La Llorona  myth. It is a dizzying exercise in perspective and chronology that skips wildly between characters and locales. Some of the stories offer new perspective on events that unfolded in the five issues that proceeded it, while others (those presented as “Now”) seem to have skipped ahead in time to a climactic battle for the safety of the kidnapped children. 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 6 2012

Animal Man 5-6

Today, Patrick and Drew are discussing Animal Man 5-6, originally released January 4th, 2012, and February 1st, 2012.
Patrick: Animal Man 5 and 6 serve absolutely opposite-end-of the-spectrum purposes for Animal Man, so the fact that we’re discussing them together is unfortunate. But hey, schedules get busy, bloggers get lazy and we’re not exactly clairvoyant. So, the fact of the matter is that we are looking at one issue that carries on in the very strict serialization of the four issues that came previously and then one issue that nests a story within a story to deliver keen character insights, but essentially ignores the on-going war against The Rot. As we’ve been writing a lot about Swamp Thing and his travails with The Rot, I’m gonna breeze through issue 5. Drew, if you want to spend more time with it, be my guest.   Continue reading →

Feb 5 2012

Chat Cave: Before Watchmen

This summer, DC Comics is going to offer seven mini-series featuring characters from Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons’s Watchmen.  The announcement has the comic book community up-in-arms.  As part of that community, the Retcon Punch staff has weighed in with their opinions. Welcome to the Chat Cave.

Patrick: I understand that the prospect of “More Watchmen” is getting everyone’s ire up. Don’t we all wish we had a machine that let was travel back in time to get the Simpsons cancelled in 1999? Don’t we wish George Lucas stopped producing movies after Last Crusade? Legacies tarnish so easily, why subject the idealized form of graphic novel to that same treatment?

Continue reading →