Apr 16 2012

The Vault – Peronsalized Superhero Action Figures

The Retcon Punchers spend an awful lot of time looking for ways to celebrate our nerdy obsessions. This means a lot of time sunk into scouring Etsy, Deviant Art, Think Geek or whatever. Sometimes we see things so great we just have to share them… and then clutch them fiercely to our collective chest. Throw it in The Vault.

Website: Firebox

Who Would Love This: Narcissists, people who want to pretend to be superheroes but lack imagination, the homely dude they used to model this product

Price: $127.39

Let me be clear, I’m not advocating purchase of this product. First of all, the price tag is astronomical (and oddly specific), but it also suggests that someone wants to pretend that they are a superhero, but can’t do that unless the hero literally has their face. As a kid, I used to hate that my Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves action figures didn’t look like the real characters, I can only imagine how I would have reacted to a Batman figure that looked like me. Oh, and the website makes a special note that the personalized action figures are not toys. Nothing says fun like “for display purposes only.”

Apr 16 2012

Deathstroke 8

Today, Shelby and Peter are discussing Deathstroke 8, originally released April 11th 2012.

Shelby: Of all the titles of the New 52 I’m reading, I think the one that surprised me the most was Deathstroke. I started reading it at the recommendation of my comic shop; all I expected was a story with some hardcore, kickass action. What I got was an introduction to a character I like a lot, not only for his total badassedness, but also for the depth Kyle Higgins brought to the character. Peter and I had the distinct pleasure of meeting Kyle at C2E2 this weekend, and we all shed a single tear at his leaving Deathstroke.

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Apr 13 2012

Batwoman 8

Today, Patrick and Drew are discussing Batwoman 8, originally released April 11th 2012.

Patrick: Every time I pick up an issue from this arc of Batwoman, I have to retrain my brain on how to read this thing. The defining characteristic of this story has been a fractured chronology that essentially demands to be re-read over and over again until the pieces fit. Whenever I assemble the pieces and take a step back, more connections become apparent and the complexity of the narrative grows.
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Apr 12 2012

Batman and Robin 8

Today, Peter and Patrick are discussing Batman and Robin 8, originally released April 11th 2012.

Peter: I recently went back and re-read the first sixteen issues of Grant Morrison’s run of Batman and Robin. This picks up right after the conclusion of Battle for the Cowl, with Dick taking over as Batman and Damian first appearance as Robin. Go read it right now, because it contributed to personal re-revaluation of Damian’s character. Combined with what we have seen so far in Tomasi’s run with Batman and Robin, Damian is proving to be an incredibly compelling and dynamic character. Baseline verdict: confused 10 year old ninja.

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Apr 12 2012

Green Lantern 8

Today, Drew and Shelby are discussing Green Lantern 7, originally released March 14, 2012.

Drew: Saying that Geoff Johns has a command over modern Green Lantern mythology goes without saying; the events (and many of the characters) that have shaped the Green Lantern universe over the past several years are his babies. It was his skill with not just the architecture, but the execution of these stories that had us so excited about all things Geoff Johns in the New 52. One might consider that excitement was misplaced, given the hit-or-miss nature of Justice League and Aquaman’s perennial status as our Retcon Punch-ing bag (until Detective Comics rightfully unseated it), but Green Lantern reveals Johns to be as commanding as ever of both the large- and small-scale details of his stories. Continue reading →

Apr 11 2012

The Vault – Vintage Tattoo-Style Wonder Woman

The Retcon Punchers spend an awful lot of time looking for ways to celebrate our nerdy obsessions. This means a lot of time sunk into scouring Etsy, Deviant Art, Think Geek or whatever. Sometimes we see things so great we just have to share them… and then clutch them fiercely to our collective chest. Throw it in The Vault.

Website: Etsy

Who Would Love This: Wonder Woman fans, old-school tattoo fans, rockabillies, and pin-up girls

Price: $25.00

You may not know this, but I love tattoos. I have a couple myself, and can’t wait to get more. This is a perfect marriage of all the things I like: comic books, vintage tattoo design, and secret nerd art. This 18×24 print could, to the untrained eye, just be a cool vintage piece of art, but SURPRISE! It’s a portrait of Wonder Woman! I love the design of her hair, and the roses, and…ok, basically I love everything about this. Is anyone at all remotely surprised by that fact? This practically has my name written all over it.

Apr 11 2012

Chat Cave: Monthlies vs. Trades

In May, DC will begin releasing the first (and in some cases, only) arcs of each of the New 52 titles compiled as graphic novels. Trade paperback collections have a short but venerable history, and often act as gateways for curious newcomers. Monthlies have a much longer and equally venerable history, and the cost of entry is in most cases only $2.99. Fans have their own (occasionally adamant) opinions on the “Monthlies vs. Trades” debate, but how do the Retcon Punchers feel? Welcome to the Chat Cave.

Drew: I must admit, part of what got me thinking about this was a recent piece I read by the AV Club’s Todd VanDerWerff decrying the habit of watching entire seasons of TV in marathon viewing sessions. His main argument centers on allowing yourself time to savor episodes on their own, a philosophy that is easily  applied to this topic. This idea has been resonating with me, as I’ve burned through Brian K Vaughan’s Y: the Last Man at a clip of about two trades a week. That series is particularly good at ending with teasing cliffhangers, which makes demonstrating self-control particularly difficult. Continue reading →

Apr 10 2012

The Vault – Flash and Green Lantern Prints

The Retcon Punchers spend an awful lot of time looking for ways to celebrate our nerdy obsessions. This means a lot of time sunk into scouring Etsy, Deviant Art, Think Geek or whatever. Sometimes we see things so great we just have to share them… and then clutch them fiercely to our collective chest. Throw it in The Vault.

Website: Etsy

Who Would Love This: Green Lantern fans, Flash fans, cuteness fans, all human life

Price: $10.00

One of my favorite artistic choices of the re-launch has been Francis Manapul’s take on The Flash. There’s something about a vaguely cartoonish depiction of Barry Allen that really works for me. These 8.5 x 8.5 prints take that concept to their logical extreme and deliver the cutest possible versions of Hal and Barry. Or Wally… it’s hard to tell who exactly is under that mask… Plus, squares are awesome – you could mount these things on the wall anyway you want: vertically, horizontally… I guess those are really the only two ways.

Apr 10 2012

Detective Comics 8


Today, Peter and Drew are discussing Detective Comics 8, originally released April 4th, 2012.

Peter:  If there is one thing I can’t do it’s throw in the towel. I’m a bit of a completionist. Sometimes, it’s really easy for me to finish something because it’s really good. Sometimes it’s really easy for me to finish something because despite it being impossibly hard, I enjoy doing it, and at the end, I feel extremely satisfied, even if completing it was stupidly hard and I probably will never be able to do it again. (Battletoads, I’m looking at you!) But I will say that continuing to read Detective Comics is putting me to the test.
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Apr 9 2012

Batwing 8


Today, Patrick and Drew are discussing Batwing 8, originally released April 4th, 2012.

Patrick: At its outset, Batwing was something incredibly new for the DC Universe. David Zavimbe is the first to open a Batman Inc. franchise and his is the first series to take place in Africa. The early issues explored dark dark dark themes, toeing the line of exploitation, but this gave these early issues a relevant, almost dangerous feel to them. With two whole issues in Gotham and in the presence of Batman, Nightwing, Robin and Batgirl, Batwing loses its identity, becoming a bland, by-the-numbers comic book adventure. Continue reading →