Category Patrick Ehlers

Patrick Ehlers, Co-Editor-In-Chief
patrick@retcon-punch.com

Location: Los Angeles

History With Comics: Patrick came late to the comics game. After enjoying adaptations of Batman, Superman and the Justice League, he was finally tricked into picking up a set of graphic novels after seeing Robert Rodriguez’ Sin City. Naturally, this lead to further exploration of Frank Miller’s work, specifically with Batman. But it was not until an unexplainable desire to read Blackest Night that Patrick began purchasing the trades of Geoff Johns’ run Green Lantern. With a convenient new entry point and a handful of friends to follow him into the madness, Patrick began reading monthlies with the New 52’s Justice League #1.

New 52 Favorites: The Flash, Swamp Thing, Batwoman

Other Favorite Comics: Usagi Yojimbo, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Saga

Jan 3 2014

Fables 136

fables 136

Today, Patrick and Drew are discussing Fables 136, originally released December 31st, 2013.

Patrick: I worked as a Residence Hall Director the year after I graduated from college. For me, the worst part of doing this job in a professional capacity was having to artificially take on a role that did suit me. I always believe that a Res Life staffer is only as good as they are authentic — college students have incredible bullshit detectors. A few weeks a month, I’d be in possession of the Duty Phone, which meant that I was going to have to act as back-up to campus security and bust parties at a moments’ notice. I used to hate it, and I’d stress out about my time with that damn phone all month. But as soon as the phone was in my hands, I took the duty seriously. It was the role I had to play at that time. As Rose Red’s new Camelot starts to take shape, the subject of roles comes up and makes everyone suitably uncomfortable. Continue reading →

Jan 2 2014

Dead Boy Detectives 1

dead boy detectives 1

Today, Patrick and Shelby are discussing the Dead Boy Detectives 1, originally released December 30th, 2013.

Patrick: The first issue of Dead Boy Detectives revolves around a young girl named Crystal Palace and a near-death experience that brings her — however temporarily — face to face with our titular detectives. The issue is pretty neatly divided into periods before and after the experience. The before-portion is an odd little mediation on art and artists and the relationship between the two, and that’s naturally what interests me most in this issue, so let’s pick that apart! Continue reading →

Dec 27 2013

Forever Evil 4

forever evil 4Today, Patrick and Spencer are discussing Forever Evil 4, originally released December 24th, 2013. 

villain div

Patrick: Did y’all see Crazy Heart? Part of that movie hinges on the fact that Jeff Bridges’ character quietly and gradually writes a song so good that he can retire on it. I love imagining the moment in the script where the screenwriter must have written: “Then he writes the best song ever” and then goes back to describing a bar bathroom or something. Luckily, the people tasked with actually demonstrating this skill were up to the task. Geoff Johns has a habit of writing himself into similar corners, but always leaves it to himself to bail himself out. The result is an oddly self-contradictory narrative, one that comes so very close to acknowledging its own absurdity before doubling down on it.

Continue reading →

Dec 26 2013

The Private Eye 5

private eye 5

Today, Drew and Patrick are discussing The Private Eye 5, originally released December 21st, 2013.

Drew: There’s a touch of irony that the greatest mystery in a detective story is the detective himself, but mysterious detectives are the best. The questions that surround their existence reflect and emphasize the mysteries they’re hired to solve. If that seems too tidy, bear in mind that the mysterious detective falls out of the format of a detective story: while he is busy grilling everyone else about their pasts, his stays conveniently in the dark. Some stories largely ignore this aspect of their detective, treating them as a force of nature designed to solve cases, but many more have mined rich emotional connections from their heroes’ mysterious pasts. In this way, Private Eye may bear more in common with Blade Runner than just its futuristic LA setting. Continue reading →

Dec 23 2013

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 29

Today, Taylor and Patrick are discussing the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 29, originally released December 18th, 2013.

Taylor: Despite its dubious reputation, the 1990 live action Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles film is actually a pretty good movie. While some see it simply as a cash cow (which, it also certainly was), it also has a good amount of heart and depth. Midway through the movie, the turtles get pretty beat up by the Foot Clan and Master Splinter is captured. The turtles retreat to April’s farmhouse and while there, they heal and experience a spiritual and meaningful growth. They learn to function better as a team and dig into the depths of their beings and find what it is that makes them special. This is the climax of the movie. These scenes are where the turtles come into their own and turn the corner and realize they must and can defeat Shredder. With this in mind, it’s exciting to see the TMNT series move its focus to April’s farm. In the wake of City Fall, what can the turtles learn? What must they learn in order to survive as a force for good and family? Continue reading →

Dec 23 2013

Wonder Woman 26

wonder woman 26

Today, Patrick and Drew are discussing Wonder Woman 26, originally released December 18th, 2013.

Patrick: On Brian Azzarello’s Mount Olympus, the gods and demigods all serve very specific purposes. When he shows up out of nowhere at the end of the issue, Dio identifies himself as the god of “the truffle harvest, tragedies, luxuries, parks and galleries.” That’s a weird concept, but one we always embrace when discussing mythological creatures: sure, I get why we need a god of the hunt (or wine or sword making or whatever). But, like, it’s a nonsense conceit, made all the more explicit by Zola asking “what’s a truffle?” Beyond being avatars of various nouns, the gods are also a family, and the roles they play within that family are just as indicative of the parts they play in this on-going drama. They are victims and bullies, martyrs and defenders, cousins, long-lost-sisters and little brothers. The mix of the divine and the human is sublime, making every turn of this series as surprising as it is inevitable. Continue reading →

Dec 20 2013

FF 15

FF 15

Today, Ethan Patrick and Drew are discussing FF 15, originally released December 18th, 2013.

Ethan Patrick: I guess it’s appropriate that I’m stepping up to bat for Ethan for this issue of FF. There are an awful lot of substitutes and avatars in play for the invasion of Latveria. The good guys are all either trying to be something they’re not or asserting something else as themselves. In some cases, the characters are two or three steps removed from the version of themselves that’s actually doing the action. Interestingly, Doom never falls victim to this same delusion — in fact, even though everyone expects him to either a) port his consciousness over to another body or b) merge with another body. We know it can’t last, but Doom wins a victory here by being the only one refusing to be anything but himself. Maybe the kids still have one more thing to learn before the Fantastic Four comes back to town.

Continue reading →

Dec 19 2013

Daredevil 34

Alternating Currents: Daredevil 34, Drew and PatrickToday, Drew and Patrick are discussing Daredevil 34, originally released December 18th, 2013. 

Drew: We tend to associate soapbox speeches with masturbatory lectures important only to the speaker — it’s an annoyance when someone gets on their soapbox — but at one time, soapbox speeches were actually considered a form of entertainment. I’m not entirely sure if the audiences tended to agree with the speeches, or if there was more of a morbid curiosity factor in play (the same type that might keep you up late watching youtube clips of The O’Rielly Factor), but the point is: there was a time when somebody would literally be on a soapbox, and people’s reaction wasn’t to just tell them to get of of their damn soapbox. I was reminded of this as I read Kirsten McDuffie’s soaring call for levelheadedness in Daredevil 34. Continue reading →

Dec 18 2013

Weekly Round-Up: DC Comics Released 12/11/13

round upLook, 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, Drew, Patrick, and Spencer discuss Batman Black and White 4, Green Lantern Corps 26, Justice League 3000 1, Justice League 25, Nightwing 26, Li’l Gotham 9, and Forever Evil: Arkham War 3.

slim-banner4Drew: We tend to talk a lot about auteurism around here — it’s a fascinating subject as far as working with company-owned characters goes — but anyone who still needs convincing on the power a given creative team can have over a character need look no further than Batman Black and White 4. DC has once again put together a stellar (and eclectic) lineup of creators, all seemingly defined by their distinctive styles. The result is a very diverse collection of Batman stories, touching on everything from the nature of heroism to the routine of fighting crime every single night. Continue reading →

Dec 18 2013

Weekly Round-Up: Amazing Spider-Man 700.1-700.3

round upLook, 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, Patrick and Drew are discussing Amazing Spider-Man 700.1-700.3

slim-banner4

HE’S DEAD!

Dan Slott, writer of Amazing Spider-Man, Superior Spider-Man

Patrick: I loves me some Superior Spider-Man. For my money, it’s the most dangerous and courageous thing Marvel could do with their most popular franchise. It’s un-fucking-precedented and it explores amazingly complex themes and concepts. Morality, immorality and amorality, and the relativism of all three, are forefront without making the audience feel like they’re somehow culpable for some heinous crimes. We are allowed a certain distance from Otto because he’s Otto, but we’re also invited to empathize with him because he’s Spider-Man. I know that balance has caused a lot of people to tap out, and others to demand Peter Parker’s return. With no Parker in the Ultimate Universe either, Marvel’s trotting out these Amazing Spider-Man 700.whatever issues, as if to say “you want your Peter Parker stories? Here are your fucking Peter Parker stories.” Continue reading →