Catwoman #10: Standoff with Dollhouse

THANK THE GODDESS. Catwoman has finally returned to a good storyline. I had readied myself for a disappointment and was happily wrong. Issue #10 leaves the Court of Owls and continues to unravel Catwoman's new foe, Dollhouse. This storyline is particulary interesting to me because it comes very close to Selina's own background. She's better at stealing than detective work but at least she tries giving it her all.

For Catwoman to try to turn over a new leaf, even for a short while, there's definitely got to be a trigger. She's a woman who has had to stick up for herself most of her life and she understands how vulnerable these people are. Repeatedly, she's had to see people she cared about murdered or hurt because they didn't have protection. And until she got mad enough to become Catwoman, neither did she. Selina's been there down on those streets. She has a sensitive spot for the victims that's born from her own memories.

As I said, I wasn't looking forward to this issue. One of the reason was the new romance with Sparky. I haven't liked Sparky from the beginning because I didn't see where he fit. This aggravated me and ruined his character. Once I actually got to the kissing scene, I was reasonably calm. I actually had come to terms with their relationship and was quite happy to continue reading it. And then I got to the end and, well, I hated Sparky again but almost did backflips out of happiness. Finally, finally, FINALLY, the story adds up. It is complete, I am complete.

 

Dollhouse is proving to be quite a disturbing but intriguing character. You have villians that try to justify their actions by claiming that by killing these victims, they're releasing them from their pain. Profits are to be made from organs on the black market. Both have been said and done. But building a (dead)human dollhouse? Perhaps not a brand-new concept, but untouched for the most part. However sick you may think I am, I'm really excited to figure his motives for his creation. Those stares seriously creep me out....

 

Lastly, I think Selina's legs in this issue demand a recongiton. Whether kicking, training,crawling, or even sitting, they manage to look beautiful and badass all at the same time. Hot damn.

8/10

Batwoman #10

Batwoman’s storyline is still moving in baby-steps. I was okay with moving through between flashbacks and the current time but I think enough is enough. While the story remains interesting, by the end of the comic, you’re still pretty much where you started, with just a wee bit more of backstory.

There isn’t a whole lot of battling scene but there’s murder, blood drinking,and melting faces to make up for it. What really intrigues me is how Williams creates parallels between legends/myths with actual people from Gotham City. All they need is a bit of tweaking. Time is taken to spotlight more of how Croc became mutanted-err-more mutanted than he was by Medusa. Again, it’s through some supernatural ritual that requires the blood of virgins and then eating a bunch of women. Fun.

There’s also a heart-shattering scene at the bedside of Bette Kane as Kate’s father recalls memories of his two daughters. At first it seems he’s reflecting on his respect for Kate, a true solider as a child to an adult, facing tragedies with a straight face and marching on. Instead he reveals his favor was for Beth and her kindred spirit. He has equipped Kate with the tools necessary to be Batwoman , to become a solider fighting for Gotham City. Their relationships is anything but peachy-keen but Kate did try to follow in his footsteps. Perhaps the problem between Kate and her father is they are too much alike and Beth fulfilled both of them by being their opposite. Speaking of kids, there is also a conversation between Maggie Sawyer and Jim Gordon. She still wishes to pursue the case of the missing children, driven by her love for her own child. I wonder how Kate would react to having a step child.

Just like with the last issue, we end on a scene between Batwoman and Sune. Kate rejected Sune’s advances, which was followed with some really creepy remark by Sune. And then she kills Falchion while Batwoman tells her to stop repeatedly, just like any other good Bat would do. But he’s dead. Really dead. When you think a cat fight is about to bust out between the two, since Sune hasn’t been the good hostage-ally she was supposed to be. Well, actually, she’s not anything she was supposed to be.

Batwoman is still great. Covers, artwork, characters, element are all wonderful. I just wish they’d go back to a more traditional story flow. I feel as though if they reverted to this form, the story would progress more than just a few steps in the same room.  I really want to see more than I do each month.

7/10

A Guide to Reading Batman: Part 2, More Batman Classics

Welcome to part 2 of my guide for new readers to get into Batman comics.    

Today’s part will be shorter than the last, but we will be ending the section of the classics.

(These tales aren’t exactly that old, but it’s the more popular and older titles of our modern batman.)

If you haven’t read part one please go back and read part one of my guide.

Remember, this is my opinion and you do not have to follow this guide step by step, but it’s better if you do. (In my opinion.)  

Hope you enjoy.

                 

A Reading Guide To Batman: Part One,Batman Classics

Are you a fan of The Batman Movies? Have you ever wanted to read Batman in comics, but didn’t know where to start? Well you’re In Luck! Here’s A Guide.

This guide is my opinion of good starting points and major events for new readers to know in order to fully enjoy Batman in comics. This guide is also how I got into understanding and fully appreciating Batman. I will not list every single Batman story, but I will list what I believe is necessary for new fans to jump aboard reading comics. It’s a great time to jump aboard Batman at the moment especially right before The Dark Knight Rises.

This guide will be separated into different parts.

Part 1- Batman Classics

Part 2- More Batman Classics

Part 3- Pre Batman RIP

Part 4- Post Batman RIP to New 52 Batman

*the different parts aren’t exact yet, but that’s a summary of what i’ll cover

Comic Series you will be able to jump aboard After Following All Parts Of The Guide: 

• Batman by Scott Snyder (New 52)
• Batman And Robin by Peter J. Tomasi (New 52)
• Batman Incorporated by Grant Morrison (New 52)

*DC’s New 52 is accessible for new readers, but I believe you get better enjoyment by following this guide than simply starting at issue #1 of The New 52.

Hope You Read And Enjoy

Part 1: The Batman Classics:

Batman Arkham Asylum by Grant Morrison

  

• I list this at #1 because this is the first Batman title I had ever read. I thoroughly love this book. This one shot story gives you a glance at how serious and crazy the villains in Batman’s world can be. This book also gives you some history of Arkham Asylum and why Arkham Asylum was built. 

• I would suggest saving this book for later though until you read some more light hearted batman stories just due to the amount of creepiness this story contains. This is not your average Batman. There are not a lot of words, but the terrifying art guides the story.                                                           .

Batman: Year One by Frank Miller

• I won’t say much about this book because everyone will recommend this book to you, but this is basically the beginning of the “dark knight batman” we commonly see now. Batman: Year One introduces us to Commissioner Gordon, Catwoman, and the corruption in Gotham City.  

• 

3. The Killing Joke By Alan Moore

• There are multiple origin stories of The Joker, but The Killing Joke is my    favorite. This book helps you get to know one of Batman’s biggest villains. The Killing Joke also shows that Batman characters have actually meaning to them other than just punching and fighting. 
  I’m a psychology major and I love the psychology behind Batman and his enemies. The story isn’t long, but it’s definitely worth reading especially since Alan Moore is the writer. The Killing Joke is not only my favorite Joker origin story, but it’s also my favorite out of all the classic Batman.   
  

To Be Continued in Part 2 (More Batman Classic Novels)

X-Men #30

I was going to type up a review for my last comic of the week, X-Men #30,

but this is my first X-Men comic. I was breaking my Marvel cherry. I was really excited to read it because Storm is one of my favorite mutants and I love seeing her lead a team. I just don’t know how to do justice to a Marvel review! I’d rather not mess it up. It’s really a good read though. I have wanted to get into the X-Men line-up since Niklynn started reading them but could never find a gateway. X-Men switched authors, so there’s a new story and starting point.

If you know a bit about the X-Men and would like to delve more into the team like I did, defintiley pick this up! The plot and the new enemies are extremely insteresting and I can’t wait to see where it goes. I really think what made me want to pick this comic up even more was the cover and flipping through the art; it’s stunning. A total win!

9/10

The Massive Part 1: Landfall

I picked up on The Massive, a three part story,to switch things up from my usual superhero-centered line up. As a vegetarian interested in social issues, I thought the environmental focus of the serieswould be both enlightening and enjoyably. I was Massive-ly disappointed. I’m not saying that this is a bad comic; Brian Wood seems to be esteemed writer and is also the new writer of X-Men, which I also read. It just wasn’t what I thought it would be.

The Massive begins on the ship, Kapital, which is headed by Callum Israel. Currently the crew of the Kapital is searching for its companion ship, The Massive; both are part of a conservation group called the Ninth Wave. These were the parts I found pretty boring. The crew is unable to locate The Massive nearby but does find that their ship is about to fall under attack. The captain’s girlfriend, Mary, heads a boat out to take them down before they can reach the ship. On ship, Cal tells another crew member, Mag, that they are trying to remain pacifist. Mary, on the other hand, doesn’t mind killing the pirates coming their way. I did like her line about how living in a ruined world wasn’t going to “afford [them] the luxury of a personal moral code.”

The parts I did kind of enjoy were the parts that told how the world began to crumble. The comic recounts events that began to alter aquatic communities, in and out of water.  There are also panels mimicking reports from the Kapital, as well as a United States document branding Ninth Wave, The Kapital, and Cal as threats to security. The only panel that really stood out to me is when they find a group of dead killer whales, whose eardrums were ruptured by the resound shockwaves coming from nearby destruction. Really, this was the only instance where I saw the environmentalist part of the story that was promised. Whales communicate, travel, and with sonar waves, so of course a colony of whales would be unable to survive if their hearing was lost. The larger impact of the destruction is seen here.

I thought The Massive was going to describe a world largely where nature had been wiped out and feature a man who had spent his life trying to prevent that. That’s pretty much what the first product description I saw said. I thought this Cal character would have to do some soul searching and be very, very angry at the world. But instead there are ships, guns, and the obliteration of human structures. My sourness with this comic is mostly personal. I wanted to see a world where humans finally realize how badly they need nature but have destroyed it. And this main character would have nothing to save now and trying to build a new future.  I don’t dig the whole sailor scene that much. I wish we knew something about the characters.

I’m still going to pick up the next issue because I feel(or rather, hope) many of my digressions with The Massive #1 will be cleared up as the story progresses. Again, not a bad comic, just one the failed my expectations.

6/10

Review Of Lost At Sea by Bryan Lee O’Malley

Many of you guys have heard of Scott Pilgrim, but have you ever wondered what O’Malley did before Scott Pilgrim? Well this is it. Lost At Sea is O’Malley’s first original work.

Here’s my review.

Arkham Unhinged #3

I’ve picked up on this series only after it became printed, obviously. I’m glad it was printed because otherwise I’d be missing out on a hell of a comic. This series is so good because it not only gives images to the stories told in the files of Arkham City, but also adds to that content. You aren’t just re-reading the video game’s text but getting an expansion on the material and that is very apparent in #3. Through Riddler’s challenge, a back-story of the Joker vs. Penguin war is told but in game you jump right into the middle of it. But with so much else going on in Arkham City, the head-butting of two crime kings isn’t much to fuss over. Arkham Unhinged #3 makes that story more appealing and much funnier.

Arkham Unhinged hashes out panels to illustrate the back-story and also marks the beginning of their war within the walls of Arkham City. Joker crashes Penguin’s first appearance at the Iceberg Lounge, using his trademark acid flower and then spinning off the scene with the classic “We all scream for ice-scream!” line. Yes, I actually found that joke to be genuinely hilarious) I thought it was interesting how Joker showed up without his white-face (still debating if Arkham City’s Joker wears makeup or actually has white skin). I would say he cares about public appearance but, as usual, I think he was making a mockery of the high class scene.

Snap back to Arkham City; Joker’s taken Penguin’s supplies and fled the scene so Batman can beat the crap out of his men. Ooooh, double burn.  Then, Joker sets up a parade complete with a float, a band, entertainers, and “Miss Arkhamy,” headed straight to Penguin’s hideout. Joker’s henchmen are always a great source of comic relief. They’re innocent clown faces don’t seem to fit their idiotic tendencies. There’s some fire and violence but mostly Joker just manages to humiliate Penguin and rub his pointy nose in it. Again.  After Penguin’s rug gets destroyed and his idea of a dessert is shown, one almost mourns the lost friendship. But who am I kidding. It’s more fun when they hate each other.

From start to finish, I freaking love the art in this issue. The cover is amazing; the characters are drawn to key, the color scheme is striking, and the concept of Joker hovering over the esteemed Iceberg Lounge fits the story perfectly. As with all of this series, you begin with a cover that looks like it’s been painted and then delve into beautiful comic-style art. Sometimes the amount of detail put into faces come off a bit freaky looking, such as the close up of Harley. I can forgive this mistake though because at least Harley doesn’t look like a clown whore as the Suicide Squad crew would have it.

Speaking of Harley, the main thing that makes me love this issue is seeing another side of the Joker/Harley relationship. We see Harley and Joker in two different scenes, two different times. Even if just for a short while, Harley and Joker are shown as a criminal pair, working together instead of Harley being portrayed as a nuisance. Think about it. Joker has no problems with killing off henchmen, associates, and a good number of people who have promised to help him. Harley is the most dedicated out of all them but has made Joker angry more than once. Despite that, she’s still alive and his number one gal for almost everything. Perhaps I’m just a romantic but I’d like to think Joker has some sort of affection for “Harls” buried deep within that cold, clown heart. After all, he did crown her the Queen of Arkham City.

8/10

Batman and Robin #10: War of The Robins

Ah, let me count the ways in which Damian Wayne has captured my heart. Too many. “War of the Robins” first appears to be an attempt to dole out some fan-service to all Batman fans, both the old and naïve. However, it’s so much more. As the cover would make you believe, the Robins have a set idea on who was the best Robin. But as Bruce puts it, and as most hardcore Bat-fans would agree, there’s no “Robin” that was the best. They may have worn the same suit but they honored the costume in different ways.  And different doesn’t mean any one of them was the best. Of course, boys will be boys and they’ll still argue it to the death anyways. Except for Nightwing, who doesn’t really care because at least he can say he was the best Batman out of all the former Robins.

 

Although all the boy Robins are present, even the snarky Jason Todd, the story still focuses on the current Robin, little Master Wayne.  It’s not about Damian single-handedly kicking the crap out of all the Robins and taking place as winner of the day but rather he’s still struggling to even to be recognized as Robin. Damian may come off as extremely arrogant at times (I think we all know he has good reason to) but he’s still a boy. One would think being the actual son of the Batman would make scoring a Robin suit an easy catch. It isn’t. Damian still feels the need to prove himself not only to his dad but also his “big brothers.” While Dick has a large amount of patience for Damian, the other two are skeptical. Tim seems to straight-up hate Damian. My point is, when Damian threatens to “attack” each of them in a task, I don’t really think he wants to “win.” In a little boy’s mind, if you can beat someone at something, they’ll feel weak and respect you. He doesn’t want to be the best Robin. He just wants them to acknowledge he’s Robin now and love him. Aww. Breaking my heart.

Batman and Robin#10 was not what I was expecting from a first glance. It exceeded my expectations. While an actual war would have been an interesting read, I find Damian’s little exploits even better. I love watching him grow as a character. Especially one that I hated when he was first introduced and now I want to pinch his little cheeks. Someone pointed out that for a family picture, Cassandra, Barbara, and Stephanie weren’t present.  Cassandra and Stephanie haven’t showed up since Flashpoint. And Barbara was probably off somewhere swinging from roofs after being magically, freakishly healed busy. Batgirl is an important part of the Bat-Family but she isn’t part of the adoptive family the boys have built. Bruce is a father to those 3 Robins, adoptive or natural. Alfred is a father to Bruce and second father to the boys. Babs has her own, real family. It only makes sense for that for a Wayne family portrait, it’d be those 5(6, counting Titus). Hell, I think Jason should have showed up just to make it a party.

I’m looking forward to the new Terminus storyline (so tired of owls) and any tricks Damian has for the other boys. The only downside I can think of is not being more clued into what’s about to happen but that’s why we have a running series right?

9/10!