Archive for the ‘Comic Books’ Category

As always, your weekly DC comic list.  Looks like we’ll start off September light on the wallet.

• BATMAN CONFIDENTIAL #48
• BATMAN: CACOPHONY
• BRIGHTEST DAY #9
• FREEDOM FIGHTERS #1
• JONAH HEX #59
• JSA ALL-STARS #10
• OUR ARMY AT WAR
• R.E.B.E.L.S. #20
• RED HOOD: LOST DAYS #4 (OF 6)
• SECRET SIX #25
• SUPERMAN/BATMAN: NIGHT AND DAY
• SUPERMAN: THE LAST FAMILY OF KRYPTON #2 (OF 3)
• TINY TITANS: THE FIRST RULE OF PET CLUB…

My definite picks for this week?  Red Hood#4 and Brightest Day#9.  And on the Dark horse tip; be sure to get your fix in the lapses between Hellboy and B.P.R.D., by continuing to follow Mike Mignola and Christopher Golden’s creation Baltimore: The Plague Ships.  It  features the fantastic art of Ben Stenbeck.  Also, make sure to pick up the third and final issue of Hellboy: The Storm.  This long awaited follow up to the arc Mignola and Fegredo started with Darkness Calls and The Wild Hunt will conclude with another 3 issue series entitled The Fury.

Baltimore: The Plague Ships #2

Hellboy: The Storm #3

—ExSleepyInk

Any fans of Joss Whedon’s emmy award winning webseries Dr.Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog–which featured Neil Patrick Harris, Nathan Fillion, and Felicia Day–should be trembling with anticipation for this collection of stories written by his brother Zack Whedon (Deadwood, Fringe). The book sets out to reveal the unaswered questions, such as: What made Dr. Horrible decide on becoming the worlds best criminal mastermind?  How do you, the faithful reader, become more like Captain Hammer?  Why is God’s name is Penny still single???  And how did Horrible’s friend Moist get so…well…moist?  Below is a glimpse into a brand new sixteen-page story that gets you a seat at the table with The Evil League Of Evil!  The trade (with art by Joelle Jones, Jim Rugg, Farel Dalrymple and Eric Canete) will be released by Dark Horse Comics on September 1st.  If it is as awesome and funny as the webseries was, you’re in for a treat!  Now we just need a sequel with a reanimated Franken-Penny..

(Joss Whedon is the creator and co-creator of such properties as Buffy The Vampire Slayer, Angel, FireFly and Dollhouse.  He was also an acclaimed writer on Astonishing X-Men and recently returned to the Marvel fold as the director of The Avengers movie) —ExSleepyInk

Marvel Studios has been hard at work bringing their commodities to film. Next we hope will be one of the powerful martial artists of the Marvel Universe. Danny Rand. The Iron Fist. Marvel has brought in Rich Wilkes (The XXX Series) to write the screenplay for Iron Fist. Let us hope he’s watched some of Donnie Yens latest films and Ninja Assassin.

Iron Fist was teamed up with Power Man Luke Cage. And has Been apart of the New Avengers for a few years. This is a list of his powers and abilities from Marvel.com

POWERS:

Through concentration, Iron Fist can harness his spiritual energy, or chi, to augment his physical and mental capabilities to peak human levels. By focusing his chi into his hand, he can tap the superhuman energy of Shou-Lao and temporarily render his fist superhumanly powerful, immune to pain and injury; however, this process is mentally draining, and he usually needs recovery time before he can repeat it. Iron Fist can heal himself of any injury or illness and project this power to heal others. He can sense mystic energy, particularly that which is related to K’un-Lun. He is capable of fusing his consciousness with that of another person, enabling each to perceive the other’s emotions and memories. He has unusually keen eyesight, but it is unclear if it extends to superhuman level. His entire body is oriented to combat, enabling him to adapt to any environment with minimal exposure. At times, he has absorbed energy directed at himself and channeled it to augment his own power. Under certain circumstances, he can even focus his chi to create nexus points between dimensions.

ABILITIES:

Iron Fist is an exceptional athlete, acrobat, and hand-to-hand combatant. He is a master of all of K’un-Lun’s martial arts and many of Earth’s, trained in the use of virtually all martial arts weapons. He has near-complete control over his nervous system, enabling him to deaden himself to pain.

Batman:The Dark Knight#1 Written by David Finch

With a cover featuring Finch’s new Batman costume design, this new monthly book promises to delve into the supernatural incidents in Gotham City.  With it comes the promise of bringing everyone’s favorite vigilante back to his street level basics.  The first six-part arc will focus on the murder of one of Bruce’s childhood friends, and the effect it has on Batman’s life.  You might not be familiar with Finch’s writing yet, but anyone follwing Brightest Day is sure to recognize his art style from the beautiful covers. (On sale November 24)

Batman, INC. #1  Written by Grant Morrison, with art by Yanick Paquette

Morrison continues his saga with a new direction in the evolution of  The Dark Knight’s legacy.  After Bruce’s return, will he look to franchise his cape and cowl?  Maybe an army of allies is what he needs in light of recent earth-shaking events.  This series should feature no shortage of butt kicking guest stars! (On sale November 3)

Batwoman#0 Written by J.H. Williams III & W. Haden Blackman, with art by J.H. Williams III & Amy Reeder

The people at DC, and the readers for that matter, were so impressed by Williams’ work with Rucka on Detective Comics that they basically handed him the title.  I suppose he set a tone that they simply didn’t want to risk letting go of just yet.  The the first issue of the series will serve as an introduction to the character, as well as pick up where Elegy had left off.  (On sale November 24)

Knight & Squire #1  Written by Paul Cornell, with art by Jimmy Broxton

The British equivalent of The Dynamic Duo veture into there very own title.  Readers of Morrison’s Batman (and B&R) run will remember them.  Don’t know what else to say about it.  Not sure if it is a needed addition.  I suppose we will see. (Due in October)

Some things seem like they are following the natural progression, whereas other titles seem like they are just greedily reaching into our pockets.  Every time you think they are cutting back on books they hit you with several more.  Not only do I fear the thought of massive cross-overs, but overall I’d hate to have to give up other DC character’s titles (solely due to monetary reasons) to focus on Batman.  I’d like to hear your thoughts on the matter.—ExSleepInk

Just in case you forgot, this weeks Batman is the last of a two issue arc (by Morrison and Daniel) chronicling what happened to Batman between RIP and Final Crisis.  It is supposed to fill in the blanks while also giving some clues to Bruce’s return.  You won’t want to miss that.  Make sure you also check out Time Masters: Vanishing Point to see what progress Rip Hunter, Superman, Green Lantern and Booster Gold are making in searching for Bruce Wayne in the time-stream, before everything as we know it is negated from existence.  Green Arrow and Generation Lost have also been pretty good (as well as Brightest Day tie-ins).  The 75th issue of Superman/Batman fittingly commemorates DC’s 75th year in comics–and speaking of Superman, Secret Origin is finally back on the shelves with it’s last issue.  I’m guessing Johns gets a pass since he’s been super busy.  I’m surprised the guy isn’t in Arkham nursing a nervous breakdown after all the insane responsibility he’s been handed this past year or so (and in the forseeable future).  Lastly, I’d keep reading Straczynski’s run on Wonder Woman if you’re as eager as me to find out exactly what is going on.  I am somewhat a fan of Kramer, anyway; I enjoyed his work on detective a few years back.  Happy reading, friends!    

• ACTION COMICS #892
• BATMAN #702
• BATMAN: THE BAT AND THE BEAST
• BATMAN: THE BRAVE AND THE BOLD #20
• BILLY BATSON AND THE MAGIC OF SHAZAM! #19
• DC COMICS CLASSICS LIBRARY: THE BATMAN ANNUALS VOL. 2
• DETECTIVE COMICS #868
• GOTHAM CITY SIRENS #15
• GREEN ARROW #3
• JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #48
• JUSTICE LEAGUE: GENERATION LOST #8
• THE LEGION OF SUPER-HEROES #4
• THE MIGHTY VOL. 2
• THE OUTSIDERS #32
• SUPERMAN/BATMAN #75
• SUPERMAN: SECRET ORIGIN #6 (OF 6)
• TEEN TITANS #86
• TIME MASTERS: VANISHING POINT #2
• WONDER WOMAN #602

And for those unfortunate souls who haven’t checked The Goon out yet, Dark Horse is still doling out firsts for $1!  Give it a whirl.

1 for $1: The Goon

–ExSleepyInk

I recently picked up the new DC/Vertigo graphic novel Revolver and polished it off in about an hour or so.  Matt Kindt (who is previously known for Super Spy and Pistolwhip) wove a pretty in depth tale about a man named Sam who fell asleep at 11:11 one night after returning from the bar, only to wake up to chaos on the streets the next morning.  The surreal nature of every incident and interaction he is thrust into in the course of that day leads him to question whether it was only a dream, when he wakes up the next morning to his previously humdrum life (complete with a job he hates, a mean boss, and a materialistic girlfriend).  That is, until the next time he closes his eyes and wakes back into the same place he had left off in the crumbling world.  Soon he discovers things in the ‘real world’ he couldn’t possibly know if not for the clues he picked up in the last.  The two paralleling realities are strikingly similar, but for the fact that a dirty bomb has destroyed Seattle, Avian flu has swept the nation, and it seems someone is attacking us.  There is also the fact that a motivational speaker named Verve (from Sam’s comfortable universe) is sought out as a terrorist in this new altered distopian domain.  Throughout his shifts between the two dimensions, Sam not only finds himself working with people he would have never imagined towards uncovering the truth of recent events, and their collective survival, but in the other realm he begins to question his sanity and resent his banal existence and girlfriends trivial interests.  Throughout all of this, he seems to be the only one that has knowledge of another reality, so he seeks help from a psychiatrist.  But, amidst being diagnosed with a rare mental  illness (stemming from the choices Sam has made and the life he never lead) the doctor inadvertantly leads him to the possibility that he might not be alone.   Even more important; the other person might hold the key to everything!  In the end, which life will he choose? 

Ok.  This is my simplified summarization.  Saying anymore would give too much away–even giving my personal thoughts, for the most part.  Kindt’s use of a streaming news ticker on the bottom of each page (cleverly incorporating the page’s number) was a nice touch; especially how the tone of the news changed from upbeat, commercial and bordering pointless in his original boring life, to dire and dark in his other.  This breathed life and depth into the story.  Use of  blue and brown tones of water color lent it a simplistic, straight forward style that let you focus on the narrative.  I really enjoyed it.  It covered a lot of my own personal thoughts and theories on the mysteries of the world.  However, it did bare a striking similarity to some of the themes that Fox‘s amazing show Fringe touches on, just not as in depth (I guess that can be an endorsement if you’re already a fan of the series).  I wonder which one was the chicken and which was the egg.  What I think Kindt really wanted to convey was the age old search for a greater purpose and personal meaning.  Isn’t that what all the best reads should focus on?  All this being said, it’s definitely worth checking out.

—ExSleepyInk

–ExSleepyInk

Yes, you heard me right…a trailer…for a commercial…directed by Frank Miller (writer of The Dark Knight Returns, Sin City, Ronin, 300 and, sadly, director of  **cough*cough** The Spirit).  It features Evan Rachel Wood and Chris Evans.  Miller’s “Gucci Guilty” ad is set to premiere during September 12′s MTV Video Music Awards.  Click on the link below to check it out.

—ExSleepyInk

After the last game ended warden Quincy Sharp not only took credit for Batman’s victory in stopping the Joker’s plans and taking back control of Arkham, but he used his deception to win the votes of the people, becoming Mayor of Gotham.  One of his first orders of business was shutting down the asylum and Blackgate, declaring them not suitable for housing criminals.  He then buys and walls off a large area of Gotham’s slums, placing professionally trained armed mercs (from an organization called Tyger) around it’s perimeter.  All recently displaced prisoners are transported and herded into this newly dubbed “Arkham City”.  Inside the walls of the facility it is virtually lawless, but for one rule; do not attempt to escape.  This is punishable by death.  Being that no policing of any sort takes place beyond the “city’s” borders, criminals and super villains alike have free reign in their hellish new surroundings.  To top it off, Sharp has made a mysterious move in placing relatively unknown psychiatrist Hugo Strange at the helm of the new Arkham.  Seemingly reclusive, rumors flutter around the streets like discarded newspapers, that the doctor is taking part in horrible things.  All those who have tried to do a background check of Strange have disappeared.  Needless to say, nothing has been proven.  This is where Batman comes in.  He knows the terrible plan will come to a breaking point sooner or later, and has been monitoring the prison city for months, aching for the slightest reason to break inside.  Upon arrival, Harvey “Two-face” Dent knows he’ll be eaten alive if he doesn’t do something bold to earn respect and manpower through fear.  He decides to publically hold a trial for Catwoman.  Although he wants to see justice served fairly, his not-so-better-half would like to see the proceedings cut straight to the execution.  Taking out his half marred coin, he finds a simple solution that can suit the both of his personalities…chance.  Now, Batman has the excuse he needs to bust into Arkham City.  Using everything he has in his utility belt (and, I’m speculating, whatever technological goodies he has stashed around the city) the Dark Knight Detective will fight and sift through anything he must to find the truth.

In the live demonstration of the game for Game Informer, several familiar favorites were featured in some way or another; Two-Face, Catwoman, Harley Quinn, Joker, Zsasz, the Riddler, and Alfred.  That’s only the beginning.  You can be sure to see a lot more as the story progresses.  The game’s director Sefton Hill stated that, “We want to top everything we did in the last game.  We didn’t want to do [an Arkham] 1.5.  We want to make the same jump we made from nothing to Arkham.  We want to make that same jump again for Arkham City–the same level of ambition.”  He remarked how the North London based Rocksteady Studios plans on giving you a good deal of the gadgets you earned in the first game right off the bat (pun intended), they will just be much more upgradable.  You’ll also be able to tap into different transmission frequencies with something called a ‘broadcast analyzer’, as well as toggle your vision to use a crime database (in this way you will be able to see which gang faction, or what super villain a baddie works for by the color he emanates).  All of these developments make for a more diverse detective experience as you search for clues.

Since Szasz and Riddler have returned, there is also a promise of deeper side missions.  “We have a number of these stories, which are linked to key characters and their stories within Arkham City,” Hill says.  “You obviously have the main story that runs through, but you have these parallel side stories.  If you want to jump in and find out about those, they’re optional but they’re all really worthwhile.”  There is also a new thug  interrogation system that offers a broader experience than the Riddler maps from the first game that marked the trophy locations.  “We’re definitely adding more depth to Riddler’s experience,” Hill says.  “The trophies around the world are not going to be as easy to get as they were last time.  There are going to be little puzzles to get to them.”  Traps were briefly mentioned as well.  Always something to sidetrack you on your mission.

As seen in the trailer, Joker is very ill this time around.  What we dont know is whether it is from his venom overdose or something else.  But just because he’s weak does not mean he’s helpless.  As Batman says to Catwoman,“He’s even more dangerous when backed in to a corner.”  Harley will be sporting a slightly different look (and a Joker tattoo on her hip).  Sexy Selina Kyle looks like a mix between Jim Lee’s artwork in Hush and Adam Hughes’s gorgeous cover work.  And, it looks like Batman might have traded in his black for blue and grey.

There is talk about possible multiplayer down the line (cooperative we hope).  Maybe that will further explain bringing in Catwoman and her heated (complicated, to say the least) relationship with the Caped Crusader.  Although most people would probably rather have fought along side Dick Grayson or Tim Drake (the latter to get into those oh-so-hard-to-fit places), I’m sure the developers will find a way to swing it to our liking; especially if the last is any indication.  We also have high hopes of a bat-vehicle of any sort.

With the placement of a cancelled ’Flying Graysons’ poster, would that mean that we can expect to only be seeing a young Richard introduced?  I know the Arkham-verse appears to be slightly different from the comic continuity at this point, but Barbara Gordon was already Oracle in the first game.  That being said, aren’t her and Nightwing fairly close in age?  There also appears to be a nod to No Man’s Land.  Not only is part of the city lawless and in ruins, but Two-Face’s hideout is that of an old courtroom, half burned and half immaculate (for you fanboys and girls who remember the scenes between Harvey, Renee, Gordon, and the Tally Man during Gotham’s darkest time).  My biggest question is, with the introduction of Hugo Strange, will the severely unhinged doctor display his deranged and unhealthy obsession with Batman and uncovering his identity(even moreso, wanting to become him)?

Since the fighting system was so fine tuned and worked as well as it did, the team decided to keep it basically the same; they just built on it a  little bit.  The crime scenes are also promised to be a little more complicated.  You need to rely on forensics more to solve the puzzles.  The thugs were also made to look a lot more diverse (if you can recall wave after wave of clones in the first).  Excited, aren’t you?  Well, in that case, I will leave you with a few encouraging words from the director followed by some new pictures for you to drool over.  “What we wanted to do was glide through the Gotham streets and fight crime, but we wanted to do it in a way that feels concentrated,” Hill says.  “What we wanted to do in building Arkham City was to create a place with the same attention to detail that we built with Arkham Island–to create something where there’s a story around every corner.  It’s not a big, empty, expansive world.  We wanted something with a real richness to it.  We’re trying to create the most detailed and rich city that has ever been realized in a video game.”   I don’t know about you…but I’m sold!  The game is due for release in 2011. {Be sure to click on the pictures below to view them in their entirety}

Quotes courtesy of Game Informer.–ExSleepyInk

Thank you, Kevin, for bringing this to my attention!  This is what looks to be White Lantern Batman.  Judging from the belt buckle and gauntlets alone I’d say it’s Bruce rather than Dick, but what does it mean?

Feel free to discuss!—ExSleepyInk