Posts tagged batman

Today’s Wednesday, so that means new comics are in stores across the world! I’ve been doing some reviews for the Silver Snail, one of Toronto’s highly-regarded comic shops; they’ve been kind enough to let me post them on their site. Below you’ll find my reviews, and a short excerpt. Click through for the whole shebang!

• Skullkickers #14 (Image) [link]: Pictured above, Skullkickers gives us a great shakeup to the current story with both a setting and character change. This book brings the funny.
• Invincible #91 (Image) [link]: I’m really getting tired of this book, as I feel like it’s been just coasting since the Viltrumite War ended. It’s supposed to be one of those “break between arcs” stories, but it just. won’t. end.
• Batman #9 (DC) [link]: One of the best books this week. If you’ve been following the Night of the Owls crossover, this will be a pretty cool issue. However, there’s some problems with a little too much, too fast.
• PICK OF THE WEEK: Mega Man #11 (Archie Comics) [link]: Easily my pick of the week because it somehow manages to bring a robotics ethics debate into a children’s comic. On top of that, they managed to make it entertaining, well-plotted and simple enough that a reader will get something new every time they read it. Props.

Thanks for reading, everyone! Got any requests for books you want me to read/review? Send me an ask!

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I’m become increasingly concerned about the new 52, and after reading some of the new Batman/Detective Comics, I thought I’d point out how stupid Bats’ costume looks. I remember when Jim Lee was showing off concept art for All Star Batman & Robin in an old issue of Wizard, and the suit looked quite like this; Lee even made a joke about it: “ribbed, for her pleasure.”

I’m neither an artist, nor am I fashion designer. I’m also not the stereotypical anti-change comics fan; I can appreciate when improvements are made, or when things are taken in a logical direction. But this?

This really just reeks of over-design, impracticality and a step in the direction of the 90’s. I’m surprised there isn’t a bandolier of pouches going from shoulder to hip.

In my review of Mister Terrific #1 this week, I noted that my main complaint is that DC writers seem to be concentrating on flash coming out of the gate, but not a lot of substance. I see the same problems I had with Terrific in Batman & Robin, Detective Comics, Batgirl and Static Shock: there has been little focus on the people the heroes actually are.

Instead, we’re given eye candy, and a lot of it. While this might bring new readers in (or excite older ones), it’s not a good formula for the long-term success of a book. Hell, candy gets old if you’ve been eating it for a long time.

What I want is to feel a connection with the characters I’m reading about. I want Mister Terrific to be more than a DC version of Mister Fantastic. I want Static to be a teenage I can identify with, instead of a surreal super-geek who doesn’t seem to have many problems. I want Barbara Gordon to have some spunk, instead of being valley-girl flippant one minute and uber-serious the next.

The common excuse is that “it’s the first issue. Give it time,” but the problem is that this isn’t the impression that DC needs to be making. I’m afraid that if they get drunk on the massive numbers they’re pulling, these trends will continue until it fails.

And comics without substance is never a good thing.

Just wrote a new column for ComicVine, building off of my post last week about the characteristics that make up a good team book. This week, I take a look at teen superheroes and the shared qualities that make certain titles stand out. Excerpt after the “Read More”!

Read more …