Category DC

Jun 21 2016

Batman 1

batman 1

Today, Michael and Mark are discussing Batman 1, originally released June 15, 2016.

Michael: I keep saying this lately, but there is something so powerfully elemental about Batman. Not all Batman stories are exactly the same, but there is a certain amount of thematic carryover from one story to the other. I remember that, at the start of The New 52, I noticed a lot of similarities between Scott Snyder’s Batman and Grant Morrison’s that preceded it. Now I find myself doing the same thing with Tom King’s Batman and the Scott Snyder run that preceded it. Judging by the name of King’s first arc (“I am Gotham”) and the heroes Gotham and Gotham Girl, King is going to explore Gotham City as a character; a hallmark of Snyder’s run. Continue reading →

Jun 16 2016

Wonder Woman: Rebirth 1

wonder woman rebirth 1

Today, Mark and Taylor are discussing Wonder Woman: Rebirth 1, originally released June 8th, 2016.

Mark: Who is Wonder Woman? What defines her?

Of DC’s key Trinity, Wonder Woman is the character most in need of a Rebirth. The New 52 Batman was able to essentially cruise along same as he ever was (which, of course he did – he’s Batman), and while some of us yearned for New 52 Superman to be more like his pre-Flashpoint counterpart there’s no argument either icon suffered as hard or as long at the hands of ineffectual creative decisions as Wonder Woman. This isn’t dismissing Brian Azzarello and Cliff Chiang’s run on the book, but Meredith and David Finch’s Wonder Woman was, frankly, awful – almost immediately and so poisoned the water that DC needed to dig a whole new well. Like so many New 52 books, Wonder Woman went out of this world with a sad, wet fart. Continue reading →

Jun 15 2016

The Flash Rebirth 1

flash rebirth 1

Today, Spencer and Michael are discussing The Flash Rebirth 1, originally released June 8th, 2015.

Spencer: What, exactly, is the purpose of these “Rebirth” one-shot issues? The most successful installments have managed to successfully introduce new status quos while also launching head-first into the series’ first stories, but other one-shots have been a bit too preoccupied with untangling complicated knots of continuity to do much else. Interestingly enough, The Flash Rebirth 1 falls squarely into the middle of that spectrum. While the issue does give us a good look at Joshua Williamson and Carmine Di Giandomenico’s take on Barry Allen, it also spends a lot of time dealing with other stories that may or may not be related to upcoming issues of The Flash. Continue reading →

Jun 9 2016

DC Rebirth Round-Up Comics Released 6/8/16


dc roundup41REBIRTH: Everything old is new and everything new is old! (Which confusingly makes everything simultaneously new and old… look, the relationship between neophobia and neophelia is complicated.) We’ll be digging deep into Wonder Woman Rebirth 1 on Tuesday and The Flash Rebirth 1 on Wednesday, but today, we’re discussing Action Comics 957, Aquaman Rebirth 1 and Detective Comics 934.

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Jun 3 2016

DC Round-Up Comics Released 6/1/16

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We here at Retcon Punch are a naturally curious bunch, and there are few things more curious than DC’s Rebirth publishing initiative. In this Round-Up, we’re discussing Green Arrow Rebirth 1 and Green Lanterns Rebirth 1. For our thoughts on Batman Rebirth 1, check out our in-depth discussion here. And come back on Wednesday, June 8, for our thoughts on Superman Rebirth 1.

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May 27 2016

DC Universe Rebirth 1

dcu rebirth 1

Today, Spencer and Michael are discussing DC Universe Rebirth 1, originally released May 25th, 2016.

Spencer: To me, one of the most interesting things about the mythology surrounding DC’s “Rebirth” initiative is that, despite its being touted as DC “canonically admitting that they screwed up the New 52,” DC didn’t take this opportunity to reboot or return to their old continuity. Instead, writer/creative director/all-around DC miracle worker Geoff Johns is using Rebirth to course correct their fledgling universe, making a concerted effort to turn away from the darkness that largely came to define the New 52 and instead embrace the ideas of love, hope, and legacy that DC was once famous for.

It’s an effort that warms my heart. I’ll admit to feeling maybe just the slightest, tiniest bit cynical (the upcoming “war” leaves a back-door open to restore the pre-Flashpoint continuity should Rebirth falter as well), but that barely matters. My favorite character in all of comics is back, and thus, I couldn’t be happier. Continue reading →

May 20 2016

Future Quest 1

future quest 1

Today, Patrick and Spencer are discussing Future Quest 1, originally released May 17th, 2016.

Patrick: If you’re going to see Yngwie Malmsteen perform, you want to see a man just shred the ever-loving fuck out of the guitar. If he played a bunch of layered, subtle ballads with no ripping guitar solos, you’d be pretty disappointed. On the flip side, if you went to an Enya concert and she did a rollicking, virtuosic 13 minute guitar solo over the of “Only Time,” you’d be disappointed. I mean, you’ve have a story to tell, for sure, but “must have killer solo” isn’t one of your criteria for enjoying an Enya performance. We have different metrics for success depending on the art, is the point I’m driving at here. Yngwie’s got the fastest fingers in the world, Enya’s got evocative soundscapes, and Future Quest has a nostalgia-tickling cast. Continue reading →

May 4 2016

Dark Knight III: The Master Race 4

Alternating Currents: Dark Knight III 4, Drew and Michael

Today, Drew and Michael are discussing Dark Knight III: The Master Race 4, originally released April 27th, 2016.

Drew: As much as I enjoy The Dark Knight Returns, I have to admit that it’s a pretty shaggy story — Batman takes on an entirely new foe in every issue (Two-Face, the Mutants, Joker, and the Government, respectively), and most of the conclusions people draw about the book’s maturity comes from parsing only one or another of those battles. How does your neocon reading of part 4 jibe with Bruce Wayne getting his groove back in part 1? How does your psychosexual reading of his relationship with the Joker fit in with the rest of the series (which continues well after the Joker dies)? For all the glib distillations of DKR, none of them actually capture the angularity of what I would argue is a decidedly episodic story. Those terse critics should rejoice, then, over DKIII, which offers a through-line so clear, even literary critics should be able to find it. Continue reading →

Mar 23 2016

Weekly Round-Up: Comics Released 3/16/16

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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 Batman and Robin Eternal 24, Black Canary 9, Robin: Son of Batman 10, and Lumberjanes 24.
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