Category Mark Mitchell

Sep 30 2016

Wonder Woman 7

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Today, Patrick and Mark are discussing Wonder Woman 7, originally released September 28th, 2016. As always, this article containers SPOILERS.

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Patrick: When the odd-numbered issues of Greg Rucka’s Wonder Woman kicked off a story arc called “The Lies,” we all thought we had figured out what the titular lies were. Presumably, these are lies about Wonder Woman’s origins – a kind of meta-reading of the dozen or so conflicting origin stories that have been put forth for Diana of Themyscria. Is she the God of War? A champion of submission? The Justice League secretary? Diana’s voice over in issue #1 supports this read, but as we move throughout the series, it becomes more clear that the lies Rucka is exploring have more to do with the roles women play and less to do with the roles Wonder Woman plays. Continue reading →

Sep 29 2016

DC Round-Up: Comics Released 9/28/16

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How many Batman books is too many Batman books? Depending on who you ask there ain’t no such thing! We try to stay up on what’s going on at DC, but we can’t always dig deep into every issue. The solution? Our weekly round-up of titles coming out of DC Comics. Today, we’re discussing Action Comics 964, Batgirl 3, Detective Comics 941, The Flash 7 and Hellblazer 2. Also, we’ll be discussing Wonder Woman 7 on Friday and Hal Jordan and the Green Lantern Corps 5 on Wednesday so come back for those! As always, this article containers SPOILERS.

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Sep 27 2016

Karnak 5

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Today, Mark and Taylor are discussing Karnak 5, originally released September 21st, 2016. As always, this article contains SPOILERS.

Mark: Given the opportunity, would you go back in time to correct the mistakes of your past? At first blush, it’s an appealing prospect; we all have moments of regret in our past — a situation we wish we would have handled differently, a choice we want to unmake, words we want to take back. But people are an accumulation of their choices, and taking back one would necessarily lead somewhere new. Whether our changed self would be truly appealing comes down to how happy we are with current selves.

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Sep 20 2016

Doom Patrol 1

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Today, Michael and Mark are discussing Doom Patrol 1, originally released September 14th, 2016. As always, this article contains SPOILERS.

Michael: When it comes to science fiction and fantasy, I’m shocked at how shocked characters are in their supernatural circumstances. Haven’t they seen movies before? I like my characters to be a little more well-versed in the genre that they are a part of – in 2016 I think that any encounter with an alien, wizard or monster should lend comparisons to similar stories from pop culture. In a way Doom Patrol 1 fulfilled that wish of mine. The characters within had little to no shock when it came to robots, exploding gyros and roommates popping like piñatas. Continue reading →

Sep 15 2016

DC Round-Up: Comics Released 9/14/16

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How many Batman books is too many Batman books? Depending on who you ask there ain’t no such thing! We try to stay up on what’s going on at DC, but we can’t always dig deep into every issue. The solution? Our weekly round-up of titles coming out of DC Comics. Today, we’re discussing Action Comics 963, All-Star Batman 2, Detective Comics 940, The Flash 6, New Super-Man 3 and Wonder Woman 6. Also, we’ll be discussing Gotham Academy Second Semester 1 on Friday and Superwoman 2 on Monday, so come back for those! As always, this article containers SPOILERS.

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Sep 12 2016

Weekly Round-Up: Comics Released 9/7/16

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Look, there are a lot of comics out there. Too many. We can never hope to have in-depth conversations about all of them. But, we sure can round up some of the more noteworthy titles we didn’t get around to from the week. Today, we discuss Barrier 2, Jughead 9, The Woods 25, Kill or Be Killed 2, and Star Wars: Poe Dameron 6. Also, come back on Tuesday for our discussion of Alters 1 and on Wednesday for our discussions of Glitterbomb 1 and Paper Girls 9! As always, this article contains SPOILERS.

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Sep 8 2016

Supergirl 1

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Today, Patrick and Mark are discussing Supergirl 1 originally released September 7, 2016. As always, this article containers SPOILERS.

“It’s like you feel homesick for a place that doesn’t even exist. Maybe it’s like this rite of passage, you know. You won’t ever have this feeling again until you create a new idea of home for yourself, you know, for your kids, for the family you start, it’s like a cycle or something. I don’t know, but I miss the idea of it, you know. Maybe that’s all family really is. A group of people that miss the same imaginary place.”

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Patrick: I know, I know, I know – Garden State is a flick that’s ultimately too twee for it’s own good. But underneath all the cloying “you have to listen to The Shins!” moments and hackneyed beats of artificial quirk, there is a compelling universal truth. Concepts like “home” and “family” are so easy for the young to grasp, but they are nearly impossible for adults to hold on to. That’s because they’re both inextricably linked to our own personal origin stories, and you only get one of those in a life time. A superhero — especially one with as oft a rebooted history as Supergirl — runs the risk of trivializing the potency of that transition from origin to adult life, but ace writer Steve Orlando trots out countless examples of a better life on Krypton to genuinely sell Kara’s newfound loneliness and frustration. Couple that with Brian Ching’s Marvel-esque design work, and you’ve got one of the most sympathetic new series in DC’s stable. Continue reading →

Sep 6 2016

Gotham Academy Annual 1

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Today, Spencer and Mark are discussing Gotham Academy Annual 1, originally released August 31st, 2016. As always, this article contains SPOILERS.

Spencer: The first few arcs of Gotham Academy were very clearly telling a story about Olive Silverlocke. That’s not to say that the rest of the cast (especially Maps) didn’t have personality or important roles, just that they were very much supporting characters to Olive’s story. That’s what made the transition to the “Yearbook” storyline so jarring to me; without warning, what had been one long story focused on Olive suddenly shifted to a series of short stories starring an ensemble cast. I love Gotham Academy‘s cast and enjoyed quite a few of “Yearbook’s” tales, but for my money, Gotham Academy Annual 1 is the first time the supporting characters have felt like they could support a story on their own. Brenden Fletcher and returning co-writer/creator Becky Cloonan achieve this by first highlighting how the Detective Club falls apart without Olive’s leadership, and then by bringing them together to achieve victory on their own. Continue reading →

Aug 30 2016

Aloha, Hawaiian Dick 5

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Today, Patrick and Mark are discussing Aloha, Hawaiian Dick 5, originally released August 24th, 2016. As always, this article contains SPOILERS.

Patrick: Back when Mark and I wrote about the first issue of Aloha, Hawaii Dick, Mark had a problem with the bait-and-switch nature of the issue. What purported to be a first issue was actually another entry in a series dating back to 2002. And while the summary page at the beginning of the issue promised Hawaiian spirits and other elements lifted from tiki mythology, the first volume is grounded-as-fuck, and takes place entirely on the mainland. Even fans of the series might be thrown to see the series’ regular protagonist replaced by his little brother Mike. Through the course of its five issues, Aloha, Hawaiian Dick has become a mini-series about the dissonance between the story you expect and the story you actually witness. Writer B. Clay Moore leans in to every unanswered question and ultimately rests on the most satisfying mysteries of all: the everyday mystery of “what happens next?” Continue reading →

Aug 29 2016

Weekly Round-Up: Comics Released 8/24/16

roundup25Look, there are a lot of comics out there. Too many. We can never hope to have in-depth conversations about all of them. But, we sure can round up some of the more noteworthy titles we didn’t get around to from the week. Today, we discuss Star Wars 22, Godzilla Rages Across Time 1, Lake of Fire 1, Snotgirl 2, and Faith 2 — and come back on Tuesday for our discussion of Aloha, Hawaiian Dick 5 and Wednesday for our discussion of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 61! As always, SPOILERS after the cut. Continue reading →