Category Contributors

Oct 9 2012

Detective Comics 13

Today, Scott and Patrick are discussing Detective Comics 13, originally released October 3rd, 2012.

Scott: My former boss created a “Law and Order” cheat-sheet, a minute by minute breakdown of every plot point, twist and reveal that occurs over the course of an episode. Each episode follows this same format, almost down to the second. Even more impressive though, is that the show still manages to captivate, and even surprise the audience. Even though the format is totally predictable, they withhold just enough information that we still feel like we’re solving the crime along with the detectives, and revelations that we might have known were coming are completely satisfying. Withholding that information is key, and it’s also where Detective Comics 13 falters; what could have been an interesting mystery ultimately lacks intrigue because it gives away too much at the start.
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Oct 8 2012

Earth-2 5

 

Today, Shelby and Jack are discussing Earth-2 5, originally released October 3rd, 2012.

Shelby: Reintroducing old heroes to old audiences is not easy. The whole New 52 relaunch has been about juggling continuity and fresh stories to keep both new and old readers satisfied.  I’ve seen it as a great opportunity to learn more about characters new to me. I don’t feel so attached to old continuity, and instead like to discuss the differences between the old and the new, and what they mean for the story as a whole. I don’t know how I’m supposed to have a meaningful discussion, however, when I’m distracted by poor writing and cluttered art.
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Oct 8 2012

G.I. Combat 5

Today, Patrick and Shelby are discussing G.I. Combat 5, originally released October 3rd, 2012.

Patrick: True story: when we were deciding what series Retcon Punch was going to cover after zero month, we sorta hemmed and hawed about G.I. Combat. We’re generally fans of Jimmy Palmiotti and Justin Gray’s writing, and I (for one) am drawn to stories that explore the relationship between identity and military service. But on the flip-side, some of the previous stories have been trite, and the art wasn’t always hitting home. Plus, the major selling point (i.e. DINOSAURS) was going away. But when Drew and Shelby and I checked out the solicit to see whether or not we should continue to pick this series up, we saw the title “The Haunted Tank.” That’s just silly enough to work. Let’s explore The Haunted Tank and Unknown Soldier one-at-a-time. Continue reading →

Oct 5 2012

Green Lantern 13

Today, Drew and Shelby are discussing the Green Lantern 13, originally released October 3rd, 2012. This issue is part of the Rise of the Third Army crossover event. Click here for complete Third Army coverage. 

Drew: Who does a fugitive turn to for help? It’s a question we’ve seen a million times, as characters keep getting wrongly accused and keep needing just one chance to clear their names. It’s a compelling story, but it isn’t exactly the most relatable reason to have a character reach out to someone. With Green Lantern 13, Geoff Johns avoids this issue by recasting the question as the much more relatable “who do you tell when something big happens in your life?” The result is a story that keeps the focus tight on Simon Baz, even as the action continues to balloon. Continue reading →

Oct 5 2012

Before Watchmen – Rorschach 2

Today, Patrick and Drew are discussing Rorschach 2, originally released October 3rd, 2012. Rorschach is part of DC’s Before Watchmen prequel series. Click here for complete Before Watchmen coverage (including release dates).

Patrick: Rorschach’s a hypocrite. I don’t know how clear that is in the original series. When you consider the costumed hero type, there’s a little bit of hypocrisy built right into the concept of “the law doesn’t apply to me.” One of the first things we see Rorschach do under Alan Moore’s pen is break a man’s fingers for essentially no reason. But Rorschach also distrusts humanity because he sees people as inherently self-interested and unwilling to help their fellow man. Moore makes this point explicit in issue #6, as Rorschach relays the story of Kitty Genovese to Dr. Long:

Kitty Genovese. Raped. Tortured. Killed. Here. In New York. Outside her own apartment building. Almost forty neighbors heard screams. Nobody did anything. Nobody called cops. Some of them even watched. Do you understand? Some of them even watched. I knew what people were then, behind all the evasions, all the self-deception. Ashamed for humanity, I went home.

But Brian Azzarello adds another layer of self-deception, this time to Rorschach himself.

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Oct 4 2012

Swamp Thing 13

Today, Shelby and Patrick are discussing Swamp Thing 13, originally released October 3rd, 2012. This issue is part of the RotWorld crossover event. Click here for complete RotWorld coverage. 

Shelby:  Zero month gave us a little reprise from the events of Rotworld. Sure, we learned more about Anton Arcane’s horrifying history, making him that much more of a serious threat. But it was easy to forget that the last time we saw Alec, he was in a completely dead world, one which he assumed was an alternate version of the reality he knew. I’ll be honest, I assumed it was an alternate reality as well; the single panel reveal at the end of 12 didn’t really sink in. But now, we are fully immersed in Rotworld, and let me tell you: things are way worse than we thought. 

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Oct 4 2012

Animal Man 13

Alternating Currents: Animal Man 13, Drew and Patrick ROTToday, Drew and Patrick are discussing Animal Man 13, originally released October 3rd, 2012. This issue is part of the RotWorld crossover event. Click here for complete RotWorld coverage. 

Drew: Jeff Lemire and Scott Snyder are confident that they can surprise readers. They have every right to be — Swamp Thing 12 (which they co-wrote) saw the shocking reveal that Rotworld is not a place but a time — and that confidence lends their writing an assured sense of purpose. Their ability to surprise has made both Animal Man and Swamp Thing thrilling reads in their first year, and has leant the crossover a sense that anything could happen. Sure enough, Animal Man 13 is rich in surprises, but it also paints Lemire into a difficult narrative corner — to such a degree that I can’t help but see it as a cocksure statement that he can write his way out of anything. It would be annoying if I didn’t have every bit of confidence that he can. Continue reading →

Oct 3 2012

Voodoo 0

Alternating Currents: Voodoo 0, Drew and ShelbyToday, Drew and Shelby are discussing Voodoo 0, originally released September 26th, 2012. Voodoo 0 is part of the line-wide Zero Month.

Drew: September marks the one year anniversary of the launch of the New 52, and, by extension, the anniversary of when I first decided to get into monthly comic books. My initial pull list was seven titles, and while this month has been exceptional, a typical month sees me following about 40 titles. Suffice it to say, I’m no longer daunted by the cost of admission to comics. A year ago, even a small crossover might have put me off for the time and money involved, but now my reaction to the likes of the Rise of the Third Army, Rotworld, and Death of the Family is one of excitement. And yet, this month has revealed that there are corners of DC’s universe that I still find daunting. The thought that there are titles that are bonding over Daemonites or secret government agencies in the same way titles I like are bonding over Owls or Rot makes me hesitant to step into those worlds. I know noting about those elements, and the fear of wanting to know all about them is pretty effective at keeping me away. Or is it that those elements just don’t interest me? Whatever the reason, Voodoo 0, fits right in that pocket, yet somehow manages to transcend the space opera trappings to deliver an intriguing origin that may just find a way of living on beyond the series. Continue reading →

Oct 3 2012

Superman 0

Today, Shelby and (guest writer) Pete Peterson are discussing Superman 0, originally released September 27th, 2012. Superman 0 is part of the line-wide Zero Month.

Shelby: What more is there to know about the origin of Superman? Krypton blows up, baby Kal-El is loaded into an escape pod, crashes to Earth as the only survivor of Krypton (except for his cousin Supergirl, but that’s a different story), and becomes Superman because science. I have never stopped to think more about Superman’s story; turns out, there are a lot of details I’ve been glossing over. For example, what exactly caused an entire planet to blow up in the first place? Scott Lobdell gives us a clue to the destruction of Krypton, and decides the best place to start the origin of Superman is with his father.

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Oct 3 2012

Talon 0

Today, Patrick and (special guest writer) Pete Pfarr are discussing Talon 0, originally released September 19, 2012. Talon 0 is part of the line-wide Zero Month.

Patrick: I like the feeling of being in on the ground floor. Every fall, I make a list of new TV shows that I’m going to start watching from the pilot. That list always starts out slim but gets increasingly generous as we get closer and closer to shows returning to TV. I realize that most shows will fail within their first year, and many of those that last will not be very good (show biz, man: simultaneously fickle and not conducive to making a quality product). But it’s worth the risk if it means you can be a vocal supporter of something new. DC launched four “new” series this month — one a retread of Amethyst, another reviving an old Wildstorm team, and another re-introducing one of the weirder characters from DC’s past. Hardly new. But then there’s Talon…  Continue reading →