All-Star Batman 4

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Today, Michael and Spencer are discussing All-Star Batman 4, originally released November 9th, 2016. As always, this article contains SPOILERS.

Michael: One of the tenets of Batman story is perception: the difference of worldview between Batman, his allies, and his villains. There’s the more popular battling ideologies of vigilantism vs traditional legitimate law enforcement or Joker’s anarchy vs Batman’s order, but All-Star Batman’s battle of ideologies is based on the age-old question of “is man inherently good or inherently evil?” Continue reading

Marvel Round-Up: Comics Released 11/9/16

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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 Amazing Spider-Man: Renew Your Vows 1, Captain America Steve Rogers 7, Clone Conspiracy 2, Daredevil 13, Gwenpool 8, and Power Man and Iron Fist 10. We discussed Invincible Iron Man 1 on Thursday, so check that out. Also, we’re discussing Black Panther World of Wakanda 1 on Tuesday and Avengers 1.1 on Wednesdayso come back for those! As always, this article contains SPOILERS.

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DC Round-Up: Comics Released 11/2/16

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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 Green Arrow 10, Midnighter and Apollo 2, Nightwing 8, Shade the Changing Girl 2, and Superman 10. Also, we discussed Green Lanterns 10 on Thursday, and will be discussing Batman 10 on Tuesday, so come back for those! As always, this article containers SPOILERS.

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Green Lanterns 10

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Today, Michael and Patrick are discussing Green Lanterns 10, originally released November 2nd, 2016. As always, this article contains SPOILERS.

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Michael: Writing and critiquing works of fiction can be a tricky thing. Saying things like “I wish it would’ve ended like this” or “they should’ve done things this way” can lead to a whole different discussion than that of the work in front of you. I try not to make those kinds of statements too often when I write, but sometimes the story and the context clues provide what seems like an obvious answer to me that the creators might not have considered. Sometimes I feel like a character on The Sopranos saying “All due respect” before I criticize someone. Continue reading

Wonder Woman 9

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Today, Mark and Michael are discussing Wonder Woman 9, originally released October 26th, 2016. As always, this article containers SPOILERS.

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Mark: I find the romantic entanglements of superheroes to be deeply uninteresting territory. For every Lois Lane—in her best portrayals an ambitious, go-getting reporter for The Daily Planet— there’s a dozen Gwen Stacy-types, a character known primarily for two things: the color of her hair and her untimely death.

After the explosive climax of Wonder Woman 7, Greg Rucka and Liam Sharp take a breather with Wonder Woman 9. Focused more on the private life of Diana Prince, the issue features the most Steve Trevor we’ve seen in the run thus far and, not coincidentally, drags the most when he’s around. Continue reading

Captain America: Steve Rogers 6

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Today, Spencer and Michael are discussing Steve Rogers Captain America 6, originally released October 26th, 2016. As always, this article contains SPOILERS.

Spencer: Civil War II has killed the momentum of a lot of books, but its Steve Rogers Captain America tie-ins are an especially interesting case of this because the title never really had a chance to establish its momentum in the first place — writer Nick Spencer was still in expository mode, exploring how Steve’s new Hydra backstory changed him, when the title was dragged into a major event. Thankfully, Spencer and artist Javier Pina have been able to continue that exploration even throughout these event issues, but the moments tying directly into Civil War II feel unmoored in comparison. Continue reading

Weekly Round-Up: Comics Released 10/26/16

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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 Star Wars 24, Star Wars: Poe Dameron 7, Jughead 10, TMNT Universe 3, and Outcast 22. Also, we’ll be discussing Saga 39 on Tuesday and Descender 16 on Wednesday, so come back for those! As always, this article contains SPOILERS.

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Dark Knight III: The Master Race 6

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Today, Drew and Michael are discussing Dark Knight III: The Master Race 6, originally released October 19th, 2016. As always, this article contains SPOILERS.

Drew: What do you think of when you hear the word “sequel”? Do you imagine a story that deepens the themes established in the original (a la The Dark Knight or The Godfather Part II) or do you imagine a story that returns to the well more out of obligation than any artistic impetus (a la The Dark Knight Rises or The Godfather Part III)? Do you imagine a continuation of the original narrative, taking the characters in bold new directions, or do you imagine a barely disguised repetition of the original narrative, taking the characters in safe, predictable directions? While I try to keep an open mind, I’ve been around the block enough times to recognize that most sequels tend to rely heavily on nostalgia, carefully recreating situations to replicate the thrills of the original. Unfortunately, that phenomenon means even my disappointment in The Dark Knight III: The Master Race 6 all too familiar. Continue reading

DC Round-Up: Comics Released 10/19/16

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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 Batman 9, Cave Carson Has a Cybernetic Eye 1, Green Arrow 9, Nightwing 7 and Trinity 2 . Also, we discussed Green Lanterns 9 on Thursday, and we’ll be discussing Dark Knight III: The Master Race 6 on Tuesday and Superman 9 on Wednesday, so come back for those! As always, this article containers SPOILERS.

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Green Lanterns 9

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Today, Michael and Patrick are discussing Green Lanterns 9, originally released October 19th, 2016. As always, this article contains SPOILERS.

Michael: Is today gonna be the second day in a row I write about what makes a good supervillain? I think today’s gonna be the second day in a row I write about what makes a good supervillain. Green Lanterns 9 is true to its name in that it features multiple wielders of Willpower, but mainly it focuses on a man who is posed to be Simon Baz and Jessica Cruz’s new foe. Continue reading