This Week in Gotham #120 (FINAL BLOG)

Tags

Batgirl #17, Batman, Batman #35, Batman Beyond #14, Batman Who Laughs #1, Batwoman #9, Detective Comics #969, Justice League #33, Nightwing #33, Super Sons #10

 This week we will have longest entry on this blog so far.  Last week I could not write the blog due to the fact that my scribe who is my Grandmother couldn’t get to my house because she didn’t have a car.  We have 9 books.  They are Batman Who Laughs #1, Justice League #33, Batman #35, Nightwing #33, Batwoman #9, Super Sons #10, Detective Comics #969, Batman Beyond #14 and Batgirl #17.  This will be the last blog for a while.  I have no idea when or if I will return.  I just want to focus on a different project. 

When Batman breaks his one rule to kill the Joker he ends up becoming the Joker himself in Batman Who Laughs #1.  First things first, this is an alternate time line so this doesn’t happen to the main Batman.  Second thing is a lot of people love this comic.  I however think it is just OK.  This is hard for me to say because it is my favourite author and I can’t figure out why I don’t love this story.  I should, but something in me refuses to like this story. 

Cyborg has to fight his own programming and free the Justice League in Justice League #33.  You had one job, Justice League #33 to end this part of this story in a unique way.  You failed it!  Most of this book could have been summed up in a few pages.  The only part I liked about this comic was the last two pages because it furthered the story.  Don’t tell me that Cyborg getting an upgrade furthers the plot because we have seen the same plot device used in a different story. 

Selina Kyle and Tallia Al Gul fight for the life of Selina’s friend in Batman #35.  This comic is amazing.  While there is a huge fight scene, the plot focuses around the conversation between the two women.  The dialogue in this issue is so well written that the other issues in this series pale in comparison.  There is also a scene with Damion Wayne that shows some great character growth.

Nightwing and Blockbuster have to survive the attacks from the monsters that Raptor unleashed in Nightwing #33.  Good news is that we don’t have any of those horrible drama scenes in this issue.  The bad news is this story feels like it should have been told in half the amount of pages it took.  While I am a fan of the author currently writing Nightwing, I can’t wait for the new author to come.

Batwoman must survive the Scarecrow’s illusions in Batwoman #9.  Continue on to the next paragraph if you don’t want spoilers.  This issue sets up a new character called Colony Prime, a one-dimensional character that is killed off in the same issue.  With how much set-up they gave this character, why did they kill him off?  I’m just hoping that the character being killed off was part of the illusion that Scarecrow made. 

Robin and Super Boy get their own secret base in Super Sons #10.  There is not much action in this issue, just a lot of people living their daily life.  I like it when a comic book shows the daily life of a hero.  This whole series is not supposed to be a big action adventure.  It is about two young men who can’t stand each other and in the next issue Robin has to go to public school.

Tim Drake reunites with his girlfriend Stephanie Brown in Detective Comics #969.  There is one scene in this comic I thought could have been written a lot better due to the fact that Stephanie Brown never questions Tim as to why he has returned.  As far as Stephanie knows Tim had been vaporized.  Other than this one scene this is a fantastic issue and it hints that Batman’s team could fall apart. 

Terry McGuiness and his brother Matt help old man Bruce Wayne settle back into Wayne Manor in Batman Beyond #14.  After last issue’s disastrous story telling this issue seems like a masterpiece.  I really like how the author is putting a lot of character development into Matt’s character.  My only worry is this character development is all for nothing because a group of fans, myself included, have been waiting for Matt to become Terry’s Robin since the early 2000’s and it hasn’t happened yet. 

Batgirl and Nightwing have their final battle against the Red Queen in Batgirl #17.  For once a Batgirl final chapter that is pretty good.  There not really much to complain about here if anything I should be complaining about how long it has taken to get a good ending to a Batgirl story.  With that being said I can’t talk about any plot details since it is a final chapter of a story but I can say it is good.

Good bye 60 weeks in Gotham.  I hope coming to this blog gave you a different perspective than the average critic.   And that is a “30”.

This Week in Gotham #119

Tags

Batgirl and the Birds of Prey #16, Batman, Batman Lost #1, Detective Comics #968, Hal Jordon and the Green Lantern Corpse #32, Red Hood and the Outlaws #16

We continue the Dark Nights Metal saga with Batman Lost #1.  We also have four other books to review which consist of Hal Jordon and the Green Lantern Corpse #32, Detective Comics #968, Batgirl and the Birds of Prey #16, and Red Hood and the Outlaws #16. 

The Lord of the Dark Multiverse tries to corrupt Batman’s mind in Batman Lost #1.  This entire comic is one big nightmare and it feels very much how a nightmare actually seems.  I love the fact that it seems awkward and it’s meant to be awkward.  Three authors wrote this one comic and while you can tell which author did what the three merged seamlessly together. 

Hal Jordan has to defend himself against Batman the Dawnbreaker in Hal Jordan and the Green Lantern Corpse #32.  We go from a great Dark Nights Metal story to a below average one.  It is a good story if you want a twenty page fight scene.  The story told in this comic could have been five pages.  I can’t believe how lazy this feels.  This is supposed to be the third part of the Bats Out of Hell storyline but adds nothing to the overall story and feels a bit pointless. 

Tim Drake and the Bat Family unite to defeat his evil self from the future in Detective Comics #968.  What a great way to end this story arc.  I won’t tell you much of the plot but I will say it’s another great story in the Detective Comics rebirth saga.   My only complaint is there are some moments where you have seen this type of storytelling over and over again.  That being said, the author handled it in a way that didn’t feel old.

The women of Gotham team up to find a cure for the virus that is killing men in Batgirl and the Birds of Prey #16.   The first ¾ of this story was great, however, in the last quarter in got too political too fast.  The story turns out to become a message against radical feminism.  This would be OK if it was a slower burn but it went from a 2 to a 10 in one page.  The Outlaws have to defend themselves from the Suicide Squad in Red Hood and the Outlaws #16.  I enjoyed this story but I thought this issue took itself a tiny bit too seriously.  There is one scene where Artemis fights Harley Quinn with ridiculously oversized weapons and the dialogue made it seems like no big deal.  When you have such a ridiculous concept like that, you have to have dialogue that fits the situation.

This Week in Gotham #118

Tags

Batman, Batman #34, Justice League #32, Nightwing #32, the Devastator #1

 This week is the start of my winter hibernation, cabin fever will set in.  We have four books today.  They are Batman, the Devastator #1, Justice League #32, Batman #34, and Nightwing #32. 

When Superman goes evil in another dimension, that is when Batman uses the Doomsday Virus on himself in Batman, the Devastator #1.  The sixth Dark Night origin story is an average comic with nothing really that stands out about it.  While the comic was just average, I am very happy that the author brought up the Doomsday Virus again.  This shows that DC is not forgetting that the new 52 happened.  I just wish there was more thought put into this origin story.

Members of the Justice League face off against their Dark Nights counterpart in Justice League #32.  This is a continuation of last week’s Flash comic.  While last week’s issue was a good story, this week is nothing but a 20 page fight scene.  The most interesting part of this story was the few pages with Cyborg.  Other than that, this comic felt a lot like filler.

Batman and Catwoman fight against Talia’al Gul’s forces in Batman #34.  Having to wait until the second half of this issue to find out why they are in the middle of a desert was very frustrating.  This is the second issue that they are in the desert and the last issue barely had any answers.  I wish that the author had made Batman’s purpose  from the get-go so that I did not feel that I was walking in the dark. 

Raptor and Nightwing have a conversation over a game of poker in Nightwing #32.  This conversation consisted of poking jabs at each other with the intent of intimidating each other.  This issue is one of my favourite chapters in this series so far.  The conversation was very well written and never became too outlandish. 

This Week in Gotham #117

Tags

Batgirl #16, Batman, Batman Beyond #13, Batman the Merciless #1, Detective Comics #967, The Flash #33

I have had a great week so far.  And yet I’m still going to bug the internet with this annoying blog.  You’re welcome.  We have five books this week.  They are Batman the Merciless #1, The Flash #33, Detective Comics #967, Batman Beyond #13, and Batgirl #16. 

In a world where Wonder Woman dies in Batman’s arms Batman becomes the new God of War in Batman the Merciless #1.  This comic is set in the Justice League animated universe in a time line that went incredibly dark.  For those who remember the Justice League animated series in the early 2000’s, you know that Batman and Wonder Woman had a romantic relationship.  This comic shows what Batman would do if he lost Wonder Woman.  I really like the subtle homage to that cartoon because it is one of the cartoons that I grew up with.

While Superman is searching for Batman the Flash has to take up the leadership of the Justice League in The Flash #33.  Like Gotham Resistance, The Flash #33 starts a crossover set in the Dark Night’s Metal story line.  I love seeing the Flash in a leadership role.  I think it is about time that DC allowed the Flash to grow in this way.  I can’t wait for the other three parts of this story.  The only thing that I am concerned about is that this story line may just be one giant battle and no real impact on the Dark Night’s Metal story.

Tim Drake returns to Gotham only to bring an unwelcome guest in Detective Comics #967.  We have been waiting a year for Tim Drake to reunite with the Bat Family.  While this issue is a great read, there is one part of this story that irks me.  The character of Mr. Oz was a vital component to Tim Drake’s disappearance and besides a small appearance in the first chapter of this story line, Mr. Oz is completely absent.  I understand Mr. Oz had been the main bad guy in the current Action Comics story line but I would have hoped that he would play a slightly bigger role in this story. 

Batman Beyond #13 tries to tell three stories at once.  This is the point where I want to strangle the author like Homer Simpson does to Bart.  The story is good.  The way it’s told is more confusing than entering a movie half way through.  Here we have three sets of panels and three separate stories per page!  How does anyone think this is a good idea? 

Batgirl and Nightwing continue their search for the villain, the Red Queen, in Batgirl #16.  We move from a confusing story to an average story.  There is nothing that stands out and I just want this story line to end so that we have a chance to get a better story.

This Week in Gotham #116

Tags

Batman #33, Batman the Drowned, Batwoman #8, Nightwing #31, Super Sons #9

Finally after two weeks I have the correct comic in the blog.  For the last two weeks I have been telling you guys that Batman the Drowned was next week.  Well it is finally next week and here we are.  With Batman the Drowned we have four other books.  They are Batman #33, Nightwing #31, Batwoman #8, and Super Sons #9. 

Earth 11 is a parallel universe where genders are swapped and men are women and women are men.  Batman the Drowned explores the concept of a female Batman who is lost her true love to the Alantians.  This is the craziest issue of the Dark Nights saga so far.  The Batman the Drowned is supposed to be a fusion of Batman and Aquaman.  This comic handles the origin really well and I think it is one of the best of the one shot in this saga.

Batman and Catwoman head to the desert in the search of something in Batman #33.  This is one of those stories where you don’t have a clue as to what’s going on until the very last page and then it all makes sense.  If you have trouble reading this because you don’t know what is going I beg you to keep reading until the very end.  It is well worth it.  There is no easy way to write a story like this without shutting some readers away but Batman #33 does a pretty good job of it.

Nightwing is under attack and his new girlfriend dumps him already in Nightwing #31.  Mr. Tim Seeley , could you please stop using drama scenes that belong in a teen soap opera?  The action scenes in this comic were great as usual.  My only issue was when Nightwing was being dumped by his new girlfriend it was so corny I could have cried. 

Batwoman has to fight against her nightmares in a cell in Batwoman #8.  This is a good comic however the best parts of this comic would be spoilers so I can’t talk about them.  What I can say is readers of this comic are in for a trip.  The nightmares feel like nightmares which in a comic is hard to accomplish because most of the time just feel weird for the sake of being weird. 

Robin and Super Boy have their last stand on the Planet of the Capes in Super Sons #9.   The only problem for this story is the bad guy is so forgettable I don’t even remember the dude’s name.  Other than that it is a perfectly good story.  I can’t wait for the start of the next story. 

This Week in Gotham #115

Tags

Batgirl and the Birds of Prey #15, Batman, Dark Night’s Metal #3, Detective Comics #966, Red Hood and the Outlaws #15

Last week I said I would be reviewing Batman the Drowned.  I got my dates mixed up.  I apologise for that.  Batman the Drowned will be next week and if I still have it wrong I will be providing tortures and pitch forks for free.  This week we have four books.  They are Dark Night’s Metal #3, Detective Comics #966, Batgirl and the Birds of Prey #15, and Red Hood and the Outlaws #15.

Superman and Wonderwoman find out they are still alive but trapped in a pocket dimension with other heroes in Dark Night’s Metal #3.  This is my favourite issue of the whole Dark Night’s Metal event so far.  There is a twist at the end that we have seen so many times but it works so well this time.  The reason why it works is you don’t see it coming at all.  At this point I have no idea how the author is going to end the whole story and I can’t wait.

Tim Drake escapes his prison with the help of his future self in Detective Comics #966.  I’m interested in where this story is heading however this chapter made me question the author’s intent.  The problem is Tim Drake’s future self is him as a Batman who kills.  To me, Tim Drake is the one Robin who is least likely to go this road.  I’m hoping the next issue gives a clear explanation as to how he could go this way. 

The Birds of Prey encounter a virus that only affects men in Batgirl and the Birds of Prey #15.  While we have seen this plot line before we see it so rarely that I’m glad someone new is taking a chance on making a good story with it.  The one thing I have to complain about is the fact that Green Arrow seems to be immune.  This doesn’t make sense.  If you are going to have a virus that only affect men, have all men be affected otherwise what is the point. 

The Outlaws have to defend their new base from the Batmen in Red Hood and the Outlaws #15.  Why does this chapter exist?  This is the best example of a terrible filler issue.  Nothing gets resolved, there is zero character development, and it is just one big fight scene.  I hope the next issue is a lot better than this because I know the author can write a lot better story than this one.

This Week in Gotham #114

Tags

All*Star Batman #14, Batman, Batman #32, Green Arrow #32, Nightwing #30, the Dawnbreaker #1

Another week, another evil Batman as we continue the Dark Night: Metal One-Shots with Batman, the Dawnbreaker #1.  The other four books we have are Green Arrow #32, Batman #32, All*Star Batman #14, and Nightwing #30. 

What happens when Bruce Wayne gets a Green Lantern ring right after his parents die?  The answer to this question is in Batman, the Dawnbreaker #1.  I’m so glad that the author did not use the same formula as the other two One-Shots did.  I enjoyed reading this book and it introduced a concept to the Green Lantern lore that I really would like to see explored.  The Green Lantern rings are given to people with the ability to show will-power at the darkest moments in their life.  This comic asks if there is any point where too much will-power is a bad thing.  I hope one day the Green Lantern comics can touch on this because this One-Shot is just the tip of the iceberg.

Oliver Queen and the rest of the Gotham Resistance fights against the Batman who laughs in Green Arrow #32.  While this is a final chapter to a story line you are not going to get a conclusion.  This story was meant to fill the gap between Dark Nights: Metal #2 and Dark Nights: Metal #3.  With that being said, the final chapter of this story was excellent.  I think it is the best written chapter of the four-part story.  Next week we’ll be looking at Batman: the Drowned #1 as we continue our journey through the Dark Nights: Metal story line. 

Bruce Wayne confesses to Selina Kyle about the worst thing he has ever done in Batman #32.  This is the final chapter of the war of jokes and riddles story line.  For a mediocre story line the ending was fantastic.  I honestly thought that this story I would forget as soon as I moved on to the next Batman story but the ending was so well written that it genuinely shocked me. 

In the final issue of All*Star Batman (#14), Batman has to defeat the Monster, Alfred’s former boss created.  This whole issue is like a final battle in a James Bond movie.  This series had its high points and its low points but I think I can safely say it ended on the highest point.  To be honest, if you are going to read this series, get the trade paper backs which means they are collections of the story in one book.

Nightwing’s former mentor, Raptor, goes on a revenge spree in Bloodhaven in Nightwing #30.  Unlike the first four books I reviewed this week, I don’t know where I stand on this one.  The issue feels like there is so0mething off.  I am not a hundred percent what but I hope that the next issue will clear some things up. 

This Week in Gotham #113

Tags

Batgirl #15, Batman, Batman Beyond #12, Batman: The Murder Machine #1, Detective Comics #965, Suicide Squad #26

This is week 2 of the tie-ins to Dark Night Metal.  This week we have five books.  We have Batman: The Murder Machine #1, Suicide Squad #26, Detective Comics #965, Batman Beyond #12, and Batgirl #15.  Let’s get started.

Batman of Earth (insert #) tricks Cyborg into fusing with him in Batman: The Murder Machine #1.  Unlike Batman: The Red Death, Batman: The Murder Machine is confusing to me.  There is a lot of flashback but not really any indicator of when the flashback happens.  The other problem is it is a very similar story to the Red Death story from last week.  I hope the other oneshots get better because I would hate to have seven different books with a similar story.

The Suicide Squad helps Nightwing and Robin in defeating Poison Ivy in Suicide Squad #26.  This comic could have been fantastic.  However, it is just all right.  We have the typical friend trying to save a friend story line that has been done to death and adds nothing new to the formula.  On a positive note, if you liked the Mad Max movies, you are going to love some of the panel because they are taken straight from the Mad Max films in the best way possible.

Tim Drake tried to escape from the clutches of Mr. Oz in Detective Comics #965.  After a year and a bit of Tim Drake being missing, we finally get the start of a resolution for his story.  If you read Action Comics then this is a bit of a tie-in due to the fact that the reveals in this story first happened in that book.  I can’t wait for the next chapter of this story.  I knew Detective Comics was going to be an important comic to the DC Universe but I never imagined that it would fit seamlessly with a story from another comic.

In Batman Beyond #12 we meet Batwoman Beyond for the first time.  I would love to say that this is a great comic but I can’t.  We are introduced to a brand new character and it just feels completely unnatural.  I enjoy the Beyond universe and to have this character be introduced in such a lame way is such a disappointment. 

Batgirl and Nightwing continue to fight an enemy from the past in Batgirl #15.  Yet another issue where I don’t care about the story.  The previous book was very interesting and then they made this boring story.  I don’t know if this supposed to be filler or a real attempt at a good story.  Let’s hope that the next issue is better.

 

This Week in Gotham #112

Tags

Batman, Batman #31, Batman: The Red Death, Batwoman #7, Nightwing #29, Super Sons #8

Today we are starting the Dark Night Medal One Shot.  This week we will begin with Batman: The Red Death.  After that we have the usual stuff to look at, such as, Batman #31, Nightwing #29, Batwoman #7, and Super Sons #8.

When Batman of Earth 50 goes insane and tries to steal the Flash’s power, you get Batman: The Red Death.  Unfortunately I don’t know much about Earth 50 other than what is said in this comic.  With that being said, this is a great and twisted origins story for a different kind of super villain.  I just hope that the other one-shots don’t follow the same formula otherwise it will get boring very quickly. 

Batman and the Riddle team up to stop the Joker in Batman #31.  This comic is twice as long as it needed to be.  While there was not much filler in this comic, the scenes tend to drag on more than they should but when you finally get to a new scene it is very exciting for the first half of the scene.  What I mean to say is that every scene needed to be shorter. 

Nightwing leads a group to take back Gotham in Nightwing #29.  This is the second part of the Gotham Resistance story that started in last week’s Teen Titans.  I love this second chapter because the book isn’t afraid to do some crazy stuff.  When I say crazy, I mean fighting ice-demons with swords style crazy.  My only complaint is the inclusion of Mr. Freeze felt more like an after-thought than part of the story.  The next chapter in this story is going to be an issue of the series Suicide Squad.

Batwoman is stranded in the desert hunting for clues in Batwoman #7.  If you are looking for a Scarecrow story you may want to be aware that this issues only introduces the Scarecrow on the final page even though the cover picture would imply that the main villain is the Scarecrow. 

Robin and Super Boy are trapped on another planet with no way to get home in Super Sons #8.  This duo’s crazy adventures continue in another great issue of this series.  I can’t complain about much at all.  We had a lot of character growth for both Robin and Super Boy.  I am always excited when the new Super Sons comic comes out and I hope that never changes.

    

 

This Week in Gotham #111

Tags

Batgirl and the Birds of Prey #14, Batman, Dark Night’s Metal #2, Detective Comics #964, Red Hood and the Outlaws #14, Teen Titans #12

Welcome to another week where my share my useless opinions with you.  We have five books today because one book is a tie-in to another.  We have Dark Night’s Metal #2, Teen Titans #12, Detective Comics #964, Batgirl and the Birds of Prey #14, and Red Hood and the Outlaws #14.

Batman tries everything in his power to stop being the conduit to the Dark Multiverse in Dark Night’s Metal #2.  This is an amazing second chapter to the Dark Night’s Metal series.  It clears everything up from the previous issue and the two prologue issues.  It is hard for me to pick out any faults in this story because I like it so much.  I plan to cover every part of the Dark Night’s Metal saga, even the tie-ins which brings me to my next book.

The Teen Titans have to protect Gotham City from the apocalypse in Teen Titans #12.  Like I said in the last paragraph, this is a tie-in to Dark Night’s Metal.  Is it as good as the main story?  So far it is.  My favourite part of this issue is when Robin has to fight a mechanical Minotar controlled by the Riddler.  This is the first chapter of the storyline Gotham Resistance.  I believe the next chapter will be in the next Nightwing comic but I am not sure.

Clayface and Spoiler realize their lives are going to change in Detective Comics #964.  This is the case of where they added the Clayface story to pad out the Spoiler story.  The Clayface story is nothing that we haven’t seen before.  Even though this is written by my favourite author in comic books, I have to be fair, this issue could have been written much better. 

Black Canary and Huntress volunteer at an historical site in Batgirl and the Birds of Prey #14.  While this issue is completely filler, it’s a fun issue to read.  I did not find this issue to frustrate me like most filler issues do.  I don’t think, however, that anything in this issue will be brought up again anytime soon.

Bizarro’s intellect goes from negative 12 to positive 200 in Red Hood and the Outlaws #14.  This is a continuation from the last issue in which we find out the aftermath of Bizarro’s surgery.  I enjoyed this issue a lot.  It brought comedy to spots where I never thought you could put comedy.  It also balanced the comedy with serious drama very well.  I can’t wait for issue #15.