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

Dec 15 2016

Marvel Round-Up: Comics Released 12/14/16

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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 2, Daredevil 14, Gwenpool Holiday Special Merry-Mix Up, Jessica Jones 3, Old Man Logan 15, Power Man and Iron Fist 11 and Silk 15. Also, we’re discussing Unbeatable Squirrel Girl 15 on Friday, Ivx 1 on Monday, and Hawkeye 1 on Tuesday, so come back for those! As always, this article contains SPOILERS.

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Dec 15 2016

Supergirl 4

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Today, Patrick and Mark are discussing Supergirl 4, originally released December 14. As always, this article contains SPOILERS.

Patrick: Hey, why do we hate midichlorians so much? Y’know, the quantifiable micro organisms that live in bodies of Star Wars characters that help them communicate with the force. Do we hate it because it’s an explanation of something that was cool precisely because it was mysterious? Or is it that we hate the answer because it is inherently dumb? The answer is kind of a mix of both – I’m totally fine with unanswered questions if the wonder those questions inspire is fun all on its own. That quality — let’s just call it “wonder” — is something that I look for in Superman comics. I want to grin stupidly to myself and say “whoa, neat.” But that wonder is so fragile, and can be ruined with some inelegant attempt to explain the mysteries I’m letting into my heart. Unfortunately, Supergirl 4 is all answers for middling mysteries, going out of its way to over-explain even the most uninteresting questions.

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Dec 14 2016

Cannibal 3

Alternating Currents: Cannibal 3, Drew and Patrick

Today, Drew and Patrick are discussing Cannibal 3, originally released December 7th, 2016. As always, this article contains SPOILERS.

Drew: My wife loves the Scream movies. So much, in fact, that we winced through both overwritten seasons (and feature-length Halloween special) of the MTV series. From the start, the franchise has celebrated its formulaicness, forcing its heroine (and the audience) to suspect each character in kind before ultimately revealing the killer to be the one we least suspected. In stretching that formula to 10- and 14-episode seasons, we’re forced to confront the paradox of knowing the least-likely person is most likely the killer (therefore making them no longer the least-likely), such that the reveal is somehow still a surprise. It’s basic murder mystery stuff, but the series luxuriates in the time between the first murder and the ultimate unmasking of the killer. Cannibal‘s premise is ripe for a similar twist on the murder mystery formula, blowing it up to include the entire town of Willow, but with the added twist that we have absolutely no idea how many killers are out there. Continue reading →

Dec 14 2016

Nova 1

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Today, Patrick and Spencer are discussing Nova 1, originally released December 7, 2016. As always, this article contains SPOILERS.

Patrick: Marvel has been particularly bold with its legacy heroes lately. Iron Man isn’t Tony Stark, Hulk isn’t Bruce Banner, Thor isn’t… Thor… Even when the originators do carry the mantle, their proteges are filling the role at the same time (like Sam Wilson and Miles Morales). That’s a powerful transfer of status because those originals are so beloved and so iconic. But what happens when the hero being replaced doesn’t have decades of history to lean on? Hell, what happens when he’s being replaced by an even more senior member of his legacy-line? Jeff Loveness and Ramón Pérez aren’t quite ready to bring their titular Novas in contact with each other, probably because they’re too busy making the case for how great a character Sam Alexander is. Just as Richard Rider is coming back into the fold, Sam is at is high-flying, awkward-flirting, Avenger-defying best. Continue reading →

Dec 12 2016

Weekly Round-Up: Comics Released 12/7/16

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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 The Woods 28, Glitterbomb 4, The Wicked + The Divine 24, and Faith 6. Today we also discussed Star Wars: Doctor Aphra 1, so check that out, and we’ll be discussing Motor Crush 1 on Tuesday and Cannibal 3 on Wednesday, so come back for those! As always, this article contains SPOILERS.

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Dec 9 2016

Marvel Round-Up: Comics Released 12/7/16

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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 All-New Wolverine 15, Clone Conspiracy 3, Deadpool 23 and Unworthy Thor 2. We discussed Moon Knight 9 on Thursday, so check that out. Also, we’re discussing Nova 1 on Wednesday, so come back for that! As always, this article contains SPOILERS.

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Dec 9 2016

Batman 12

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Today, Michael and Patrick are discussing Batman 12, originally released December 7th, 2016. As always, this article contains SPOILERS.

Michael: The murders of Thomas and Martha Wayne: imagery that has probably become as iconic as the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. We’ve seen these two lovely rich folk get shot up so many times in various Batman stories that they have negative lives racked up. How many times can we go back to that well and find something of value? Batman 12 doesn’t replay those deaths yet again but it does try to draw new perspective from them — but does it work? Continue reading →

Dec 8 2016

DC Round-Up: Comics Released 12/7/16

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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 12, Green Lanterns 12, Nightwing 10, Shade the Changing Girl 3 and Superman 12.  Also, we’ll be discussing Batman 12 tomorrow, and Midnighter and Apollo 3 on Tuesday, so come back for those! As always, this article containers SPOILERS!

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Dec 6 2016

Saga 40

Today, Ryan and Patrick are discussing Saga 40, originally released November 30th, 2016.

Ryan: When I was a child, my least favorite sentence was “Life’s not fair.” As a hyper-verbal kid who was encouraged to talk out her frustrations, things boiled down to those three words far too often. It got to a point where my mother would only have to intake her breath to start to say it and I would finish the sentence, feeling a sense of injustice that the world cannot be bent to fit the ideals of fairness of my ten-year-old mind. It felt glib then, but I understand a bit more now. Fairness is an ideal and is easy to enforce in a tennis match or on tax forms, but when the stakes become more personal, there is no way to find a quantifiable balance. Saga 40 is made up of scenes of characters behaving unfairly to one another and Brian K. Vaughan and Fiona Staples use thematic elements to hold together an otherwise scattered issue.

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Dec 5 2016

Weekly Round-Up: Comics Released 11/30/16

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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 Jughead 11 and TMNT Universe 4. We’ll be discussing Saga 40 on Tuesday and Star Wars Annual 2 on Wednesday, so come back for those! As always, this article contains SPOILERS.

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