Category Spencer Irwin

Jul 1 2014

The Flash 32

flash 32Today, Spencer and Drew are discussing The Flash 32, originally released June 25th, 2014.

Spencer: Speedsters aren’t generally known for their patience. Before the reboot, one of Wally West’s best known qualities was his impatience, and Impulse was the ADHD poster-child; over at Marvel, Quicksilver’s attitude problem canonically comes from the frustration he deals with daily when he’s forced to interact with people who move so much slower than him. My point is, Barry Allen’s methodical, patient lifestyle is the complete antithesis to most speedsters — to use a comparison this issue makes itself, Wally is a basketball fan while Barry’s a baseball fan. The more I read this issue, the more I realize that Barry is the kind of guy who genuinely enjoys slowing down because it means he gets to spend time with the people he loves. It’s what grants him more patience than other speedsters, but it’s also aggravating his greatest flaw; Barry cares so much that he’s trying to be everywhere at once, help everybody at once. It’s an impossible task even for the fastest man alive, and in the process Barry may just be driving away the people who make it worthwhile to slow down in the first place.

Oh, and he may also be tearing apart the space-time continuum. Oops. Continue reading →

Jun 30 2014

Batman 32

batman 32

Today, Shelby and Spencer are discussing Batman 32, originally released June 25th, 2014.

Shelby: I prefer playing games where everyone knows the rules. Sure, there are some PC games out there where you’re just dumped in the game universe and have to figure out what to do and how to do it (Myst, I’m looking at you), but that’s different. That’s more me trying to solve a puzzle than not knowing the rules. If I’m going to play a game with other people, I want everyone to know the rules; what’s the fun in beating someone at a game they don’t know how to play? In Zero Year, Scott Snyder has had a very young Batman pitted against the Riddler in a game our hero has consistently lost. Personally, I think there are two big reasons Batman has been losing this fight: he assumes he knows the rules of the game, and he assumes the bad guy will actually abide by them.

Continue reading →

Jun 27 2014

Batman Eternal 12

batman eternal 12Today, Spencer leads a discussion on Batman Eternal 12, originally released June 25th, 2014.

Spencer: Batman Eternal is a loaded title. In our world, Batman is already 75 years old, and it’s easy to see this character, with his endless reinterpretations, existing on in perpetuity. Yet, within the narrative, Batman is very much fallible, and has already died once, with Dick Grayson taking up the mantle in his absence. Bruce Wayne may not be eternal, but the legacy he leaves behind will be, be it the good he does for the city or the crimefighters he raises, trains, and/or inspires. Of course, Batman’s not the only one in this title with a legacy.

Continue reading →

Jun 25 2014

The Wicked + The Divine 1

wicked and divine 1Today, Spencer and Patrick are discussing The Wicked + The Divine 1, originally released June 18th, 2014.

Spencer: There’s a reason they call pop stars “idols.” I’ve been to concerts that were essentially religious experiences to many in the crowd; whether it’s their larger than life style or the way they can connect with their listeners, pop stars (as well as many other musicians and celebrities) have, unintentionally or not, set themselves up as a new pantheon of modern-day deities. Kieron Gillen and Jamie McKelvie have hit plot beats similar to this before with Phonogram — where music is magic — but in The Wicked + The Divine 1, they literally turn gods into pop stars, complete with concerts-as-masses and a snazzy 1-2-3-4 whenever they display their gifts. It seems to be a pretty apt look into modern-day spirituality. Continue reading →

Jun 25 2014

Batman and Ra’s al Ghul 32

batman ras al ghul 32

Today, Patrick and Spencer are discussing Batman and Ra’s al Ghul 32, originally released June 18th, 2014.

Patrick: No one’s got a deeper bench than Batman. A lot has been made of the integrity of his relationships lately — it’s almost the most important piece of Batman’s mythology in the New 52. Check it out: Batman Eternal is all about Batman struggling with his relationship with the city, and even pulls Gordon out of rotation. This comes on the heels of The Death of the Family and the Leviathan killing Damian, which all just compounds the stress put upon those relationships. Nightwing, Batgirl, Red Robin, Red Hood, they all have reason to distrust the man who’s a superhero first, and a human being second. But Batman’s not just the biggest superhero in Gotham, he’s the biggest superhero in the DC Universe, so there’s no end to the relationships we can explore to learn something just a little bit more about Bruce Wayne. Continue reading →

Jun 23 2014

Wizard World Philadelphia 2014 Day 4

comic con punch-wwpSpencer: Throughout the course of this weekend I’ve been helping my friend run his booth on Artist’s Alley, but at the end of Saturday, he told me he thought he was catching a cold (the dreaded Con Crud got him) and was simply too exhausted to go on. A weird, meloncholy feeling overwhelmed me; I was pretty exhausted myself and would’ve loved to stay home and sleep all day, but I also didn’t feel finished with Wizard World just yet. So I broke out a notebook and wrote down everything I wanted to accomplish on the final day of Wizard World, to see if it was worth attending. As you can see, I decided it was, and the renewed sense of focus led to a productive, fun day and the sense that I got everything I possibly could have out of this Con. Continue reading →

Jun 22 2014

Wizard World Philadelphia 2014 Day 3

comic con punch-wwpSpencer: Nothing could have prepared me for day three of Wizard World. Since it was Saturday, it was the busiest day of the con, and since it was the busiest day of the con, it was the day all the big name celebrities were there. I’ve spent the last two days mostly concerned with comic books, but today I tried something new, and the combination of literally suffocating crowds, my own ignorance, and Wizard World’s poor explanation of their policies as well as their outrageous prices derailed my entire morning. Fortunately, today’s session was so long that it felt like two days, and the afternoon proved to be much more successful.

Continue reading →

Jun 21 2014

Wizard World Philadelphia 2014 Day 2

comic con punch-wwpSpencer: My whole con experience is colored by the fact that I’m spending a portion of each day working at Artist’s Alley. There are some downsides — both of us can’t be away from the table at the same time, none of us like to be left alone for too long, etc. — but I feel like the upsides more than make up for it. Beyond saving a bundle on food so far, I also enjoy having a home base I can return to to sort out the increasingly growing contents of my backpack, but the greatest advantage of all is having access to the floor an hour before it opens. By the time guests started rolling in, I was already talking to the first artist I wanted to meet, and I ended up meeting all four of the creators on my wish list before lines could even form. It was an auspicious start to a fantastic day at Wizard World. Continue reading →

Jun 20 2014

Wizard World Philadelphia 2014 Day 1

comic con punch-wwpSpencer: Thursday was a weird day at Philadelphia Comic Con. It was really only a half day — open from 3-8 — and none of the celebrities and hardly any of the more recognizable creators were there yet. While there was a fair amount of people in attendance, it was a far cry from the jam-packed crowds I’m used to seeing in pictures. A part of me almost wonders what the point of having a four-day con is at all, but as a first-time convention goer, I was grateful for the chance to acclimate. When things get busy tomorrow, I’ll be prepared.

Continue reading →

Jun 19 2014

Wizard World Philadelphia 2014 Coverage

comic con punch-wwp

Spencer: Hey, all! I’m going to be attending Wizard World Comic-Con in Philadelphia from Thursday, June 19 (that’s today!) through Sunday, June 22nd. There’s a lot of exciting celebrity guests and comic creators and it’s also my first official Comic-Con, so I’m super psyched to be there, and I’m here to pass that excitement down to you! Continue reading →