Tag Archives: Greg Rucka

May 12 2014

Veil 3

veil 3

Today, Greg and Shelby are discussing Veil 3, originally released May 7th, 2014.

Greg: Think about someone you adore spending time with. Someone who adds a unique spark to life, who brings out the best in you, who seems to possess complementary qualities to your flaws. Have you ever spent time with this person only to find that they’re in a funk? That their spark is gone, their energy depleted, their pizzazz evaporated? It’s a dreary social situation that can really take a lot out of you. This person is supposed to be your fuel; how are you gonna get anywhere if they don’t have the gas? Reading this issue of Veil is a little like that; because I’ve loved this comic immensely thus far, watching it narratively sputter and momentarily declaw its main figure of intrigue was an unfortunately deflating experience.

Continue reading →

May 8 2014

Cyclops 1

Alternating Currents: Cyclops 1, Drew and PatrickToday, Drew and Patrick are discussing Cyclops 1, originally released May 7th, 2014.

Drew: Leaders are often defined by their circumstances than any personal characteristics. Abraham Lincoln may be remembered as a persuasive orator, but that reputation takes a back seat to his role in the Civil War. That tendency can flatten out historical leaders, but absolutely steamrolls fictional ones, turning “leadership” into a character trait at the expense of any others. Raphael may be “cool, but rude,” and Michelangelo may be “a party dude,” but “Leonardo leads.” I’ve long had this association with Scott Summers, who I know is the de facto leader of the X-Men, but that’s kind of it. Oh, and he shoots lasers from his eyes. Complicating his circumstances (transporting him in time, taking him to outer space) have multiplied the potential for elucidating his personality, but I was still unconvinced that there was enough to him to support his own title. Fortunately, writer Greg Rucka manages to find an incredibly relatable handhold — Scott’s relationship to his father — delivering a confident statement of purpose in Cyclops 1.

Continue reading →

Apr 30 2014

Lazarus 8

lazarus 8Today, Shelby and Spencer are discussing Lazarus 8, originally released April 23rd, 2014.

The squeaky wheel gets the oil.

Traditional

The nail which sticks out gets hammered down.

Japanese Proverb

Shelby: Two opposing ideas: one, that speaking up about problems is the only way to call attention to them and get them fixed, the other, that maybe standing out from the crowd and speaking out is more dangerous than it’s worth. I am firmly in the former camp; I believe dissent is the first, important step to affect change. After all, if no one knows there’s a problem, how’s it going to get solved? But maybe I only feel that way because I’ve had the luxury of never being in a situation where that would be the more dangerous approach.

Continue reading →

Apr 8 2014

Veil 2

veil 2Today, Greg and Patrick are discussing Veil 2, originally released April 2nd, 2014.

Greg: I see a therapist regularly, and while it may be unhealthy to view therapy in a win/lose sports binary, I feel like I scored a big “victory” at my last session. She told me I seemed to be good at “living in the present,” that all-encompassing mantra that, to me, means the healthiest choice is to let go of what you can’t control in the “then,” and instead, find peace in the “now.” It’s something I’ve struggled with my whole life, which might explain why I responded so positively to the newest issue of Veil.

Basically what I’m saying is, if Dante needs to talk to someone, I can give him a number to call.  

Continue reading →

Mar 11 2014

Veil 1

Alternating Currents: Veil 1, Drew and GregToday, Drew and Greg are discussing Veil 1, originally released March 5th, 2014.

Drew: What is an identity? Is it a name you call yourself? Is it a series of values that dictate your actions? I think we often tend to think of our identity as some kind of immutable part of our being, but I personally believe that it changes with the context. Sometimes we’re outgoing, other times we’re shy. Sometimes we’re funny, other times we’re humorless. I tend to think that context-dependence means that we define ourselves — at least in part — by the way others treat us. I tend to be a pretty mature guy, but as soon as I go home to visit my parents, I’m a little bit seventeen again. I often find myself rising (or falling, as the case may be) to those expectations, but Veil 1 introduces a character who refuses to be defined by the way she’s perceived. Continue reading →

Feb 12 2014

By Cupid’s pistols, it’s Valentine’s Day!

For Valentine’s Day last year, you may recall, we here at Retcon Punch showed you our love with corny, superhero valentines. Obviously, we had to do it again. So, Internet, this is our way of saying Be Mine; please enjoy these free, awesome valentines! Print them, share them, just keep our name on them; more after the break!

superman wonder woman valentine

Continue reading →

Feb 10 2014

Lazarus 6

lazarus 6

Today, Patrick and Drew are discussing Lazarus 6, originally released February 4th, 2014.

Patrick: Matt Groening had been writing and drawing his comic strip, Life In Hell, for five years before The Los Angeles Way of Death caught the attention of James L. Brooks. Brooks had received a framed copy on the strip and the simple message of the piece eventually lead him to mentor Groening, ultimately developing The Simpsons together. That’s a Cliff Notes version of their history, but that specific Life In Hell strip is notorious for all the right reasons — a quick, clear series of images that expressed the existential slog of living and working in LA, but without being beholden to any narrative, save that which the reader projected onto it. There are clever observations throughout — like that “Gun” and “Cop” are basically the same drawing, or that “Sea” and “Air” are both true and elemental (come to think of it, Fire and Earthquake would also fit) — but the most poignant panels are the last two: “Failure” and “Success.” Both are prisons in their own right, and the uber class system at play in Lazarus makes the similarity between these apparent opposites explicit. Continue reading →

Dec 12 2013

Lazarus 5

lazarus 5

Today, Shelby and Drew are discussing Lazarus 5, originally released December 11th, 2013.

Shelby: With family dramas like Lazarus, it seems to always come down to loyalty. With family, a certain amount of loyalty is assumed; they’re your family, you have to be loyal to that. Greg Rucka really tests that with the Carlyles; the first issues are rife with schemes and betrayal. Poor Forever is stuck with the task of not only remaining loyal to the back-stabbingest family, but also not really having a choice as the family’s Lazarus. Despite her unwavering facade, there’s that tiny seed of doubt planted by the anonymous message that she’s not actually a part of the family. If blood ties are the driving force behind her loyalty, what’s she to do if those ties don’t even exist?
Continue reading →

Oct 8 2013

Lazarus 4

Alternating Currents: Lazarus 4, Drew and Shelby

Today, Drew and Shelby are discussing Lazarus 4, originally released October 2nd, 2013.

Drew: Ah, feudalism. Its simple, incestuous power dynamics make for some fascinating drama. Sure, there can be warring families, but the real dangers are those from within, as family members pit their love for one another against their thirst for power. It completely upends our notions of who we can trust, leaving each member of the ruling class open to betrayal and manipulation. As an effectively immortal killing-machine, Forever Carlyle was always above that kind of base power-grubbing, but Lazarus 4 finds her pulled into the fray with an anonymous tip about her family. Continue reading →

Sep 9 2013

Chat Cave: Williams and Blackman leave Batwoman

Last week, Haden Blackman announced that he and J.H. Williams III will be leaving Batwoman after issue 26, citing editorial interference. Williams has been instrumental in creating the unique, haunting look of the series, and together with Blackman, has crafted a smart, thoughtful, intimate story unlike anything else in in the New 52 — so what gives? Welcome to the Chat Cave.
Continue reading →