Convergence: Nightwing and Oracle #1

I’ll be honest. I’m not sure if I loved this comic so much because it was super-awesome, or if I was just so happy to see these characters acting like themselves again. Because let’s face it, those are both pretty good reasons to enjoy this comic.

Gail Simone wrote a definitive (if not THE definitive) take on Oracle back in the old DCU, so it is not surprising that she gets right back on the horse in this issue. The green-tinged narration boxes sound like the strong hero that we read about for years back in Birds of Prey. And Nightwing sounds like himself. He’s cocky, confident, and really enjoying this whole super-hero thing. As he should be. Again, that’s the character I know! While only Barbara Gordon gets an inner monologue, Simone uses Nightwing’s interactions with Starfire and Oracle to show how his personality is still intact too.

This isn’t all about looking backwards, though. As someone who doesn’t read many DC books these days, I have no understanding of the greater Convergence storyline. But it doesn’t matter. Gotham City is trapped in a dome on an alien world, but they are not alone. There are other cities trapped there too. Some weird robots (Brainiacs, I think?) are forcing the champions of these cities to battle it out to see who survives. I certainly hope that doesn’t mean that these remnants of good comics have to die, though. Even the fairly generic Hawkman and Hawkwoman of Flashpoint seem interesting when Simone is writing their dialogue.

This book packs in the DC history too. In addition to the Flashpoint Hawks, Nightwing, Oracle, and Starfire, we get cameos from Mr. Freeze and Poison Ivy. With a big conflict with the Hawks brewing, I’m very hopeful that Freeze, Ivy, and Starfire join up with Nightwing to fight for Gotham.

I also really enjoyed the way Simone addressed the dwindling resources of a “fishbowl” city. The split up families and broken lives would be a real factor too.

I’ve been a fan of Jan Duursema’s art for years, so it is no surprise that I really enjoyed the pencils on this book. Even the Flashpoint Hawks really drew me in (as a Hawkman fan, it wasn’t that tough). Nightwing’s suit looks updated, but retains the classic feel that is missing in the new 52 designs. Starfire and Oracle look fantastic, attractive without showing ridiculous skin. The backgrounds are well done too, establishing the dome as an ongoing, ominous threat.

I don’t mean to just praise this GOOD comic because it isn’t a new 52 book. And yet, there is no denying that the old continuity is still part of its charm. I’d like this comic in any DC continuity, but this is Simone writing the characters she was meant to write. Enjoy it while you can, folks!

Batman Inc. #9

So now I’ve reached a new point in my DC New 52 titles. I am still getting my mail-subscription issues of Batman and Green Lantern, but I’ve actually stopped reading them. They are starting to pile up as my interest level in those books drops. As those titles get more and more disconnected from the DC I know and love, I can’t make myself care.

That is not a problem for Grant Morrison’s Batman Inc.

Unlike the other titles, Morrison ignored the reboot and has been telling his long-form Batman story for years now. This is one masterpiece that stretches back years and years.

Damian Wayne died last issue, killed by his “brother” the unnamed (I believe) flunky of Leviathan/Talia Al Ghul. That guy has always given me a Bane vibe, and that is even stronger this issue when he threatens to break Batman’s back. It takes the combined skill of Batman, Nightwing, and Red Robin to just get away. Unfortunately, that leaves Wayne Tower in the hands of the baddies, and Gotham City in a general state of chaos.

Since this is called Batman Inc., we get to check in on the larger cast, too. After Knight’s death two issues ago, his sidekick steps up and takes his place, with the Squire becoming the new Knight. I’m pleased, it looks like she is going to be a part of the final battle, along with a few of the other more prominent Batmen. We also see Jason Todd’s predicament; it looks like he’s surrounded by Talia and other attractive ladies. I’m confident Jason can resist the temptation to turn sides.

Chris Burnham should be really proud of himself. He came in after Frank Quitely established the look and tone of Morrison’s run and he’s carried the torch. I’m enjoying his stuff at least as much as Quitely’s now, even though Burnham is clearly aping the other artist’s style. .The scenes with Batman marching through the rain carrying Damian’s torch are touching and ominous, and the scene where Bruce “suspends” Alfred is heartbreaking and raw. Great work.

Good

Batman #13

Wow. I’ll tell you one job I would not want: police officer in Gotham City. I mean, the opportunities for bribery seem to be really high, but the Joker kills a lot of cops every time he starts a new storyline. Heck, most of the villains get to do that!

I’m a little puzzled by the murder spree that opens this comic. The Joker has always been threatening, but I never figured he was the multiple neck-snapping type. Scott Snyder writes Joker as an extremely capable physical opponent. I suppose that will make him a bigger challenge for Bats, but seems like a pretty dramatic power upgrade for the character.

Snyder does a nice job establishing the “family” that is in danger for this arc. Nightwing, Red Robin, Damian, and Batgirl are all targets for Mr. J, so it makes sense that they are given some panel time. The focus remains squarely on Batman, since this is his solo title, but the stage is set. There is one more family member in a bit more danger at the close of the issue; we’ll see how that works out.

I didn’t find the back-up story to be necessary at all. That’s been the continuing trend since DC upped the price and added the feature. The main story has been good all along, but those second stories are the definition of page-fillers.

Greg Capullo is clearly having fun with the Clown Prince of Crime. That last page cliff-hanger is awful. I also like that on pages with the power cutting out, Capullo still draws a lot of the action for Gordon. It would be mighty easy to just layer some dialogue over black panels!

This is the big coming-out party for the Joker in the new 52, and this is the second line-wide crossover inspired by Scott Snyder’s Batman title. This is clearly the biggest mover and shaker in the DCnU line, and DC is wisely putting the focus on this title. I’ve got a lot of problems with the DC line as a whole these days, but I can’t find much fault with this book.

Good

Batman Inc. #3

Man! I’m so happy that Grant Morrison gets to ignore the new 52 reboot. I’d heard this was the “new 52 introduction of Matches Malone” but it really isn’t. The old Matches stories still happened; this is just the next chapter in Morrison’s Batman epic. Heck, if it wasn’t clear enough in the dialogue, the enormous web of Leviathan’s operatives makes it clear this book is just continuing along as it always has. Yee-haw!

This thing is so full of ideas; new villains, the Bat Cow, new super-heroic IDs, wonderful guest stars, wonderful cameos. I mean, this book is packed with value for your $2.99. Lumina Lux certainly has the look and the name to be a recurring interest for Batman, so I’m hoping she can sit around. And is that El Gaucho doing a Bueno Excelente impression from Hitman?

And it wouldn’t be a Grant Morrison comic without some insane villains doing some crazy things. We’ve got the Hangman, Goatboy, and some Punch-like Judge showing up by the end; who knows what’s next? Morrison’s wonderful conspiracy at the open of the book is great too. Leviathan has infested Gotham!

Chris Burnham’s work is a revelation. His use of sound effects on panel (“Scram” and “Clang” come to mind) is so much fun, it’s Steranko-ish. And as for Redbird, the design is great; it’s not easy to make Damian look so young AND so dangerous, but Burnham does it perfectly.

If DC is curious why their Batman books sell so well, the answer is simple; it’s not because of a rebooted continuity, it’s because of fantastic creative teams.

Excellent

Batman & Robin #12

I appreciate that after all that buildup, all those plans, and underlings, and complicated plots, Terminus just walks out in a suit of armor and fights Batman. I mean, re-branding the Bat and scaring the city, trying to psyche out the cops, that’s all well and good. But when it comes down to it, someone got to punch Batman in the face, and Terminus is willing to do the dirty work himself.

The big selling point on this issue is the bat-armor. I love the whole sequence where Batman decides it’s time to armor-up. He slides into some crazy chute under the Batmobile, and pops out the other side wearing a nice update of his Predator-fighting armor. (I know Batman wears armor for lots of things, but to me, I always go back to that sweet battle against the Predators in the 90’s.) It’s just a street fight after that.

The Damian vs. the Robins sub-plot gets wrapped up sort of quickly. Nightwing opts out, and just tosses Damian one of his battle staves, so there is no need for Damian to go get a trophy. It doesn’t seem like that should work on a psycho like Damian, but maybe it will. It’s also weird seeing Red Hood, Red Robin, Damian, and Nightwing all teaming up again. They reference it on-page, too, but these guys just teamed up a month ago to take on the Talons. I mean, they’re practically Gotham’s super-team at this point!

Patrick Gleason does a great job on that armor. I love the glowing effects, and the actual punching with Terminus looks wonderful. The backgrounds are routinely full of Robins beating up Peter Tomasi’s new rogues’ gallery, so there is a lot to look at. I did have a hard time discerning what was happening when the whole crowd got tased (I thought it was foam or something), but that’s a small complaint. In fact, the panel where Bats pops all the armor off is almost as good as the sequence where he puts it on.

Good

Batman & Robin #10

Peter Tomasi has to re-set the deck after an issue spent on Night of the Owls. He lost a bit of momentum there with that focus on Damian, so not a lot happens in this issue.

Bruce Wayne has commissioned a painting of his family, with Jason Todd notably absent. It’s too bad, with Damian hanging around and acting so badly, I have a hard time figuring what Jason did that means he can’t come back to the fold. That said, I always like it when Tomasi writes Nightwing, and he’s just as deft with the other Robins. Dick Grayson, Tim Drake, and Damian make for a heck of a family for Bruce. I find Tim Drake to be a bit whinier than I remember seeing him, which is a bit of a bummer. And I have absolutely no idea what’s going on in Teen Titans, so that reference was lost on me.

I do like the idea of Terminus’ gang of thugs. I think most of these guys are Tomasi creations, but I only remember a few of them for sure.

Patrick Gleason has a rough road here. Getting a bunch of black-haired, blue eyed guys to look different is tough, especially when the new 52 has them all within a few years of each other. I mean, can anyone pick out the difference between Red Robin and Damian? I sure can’t. Nightwing’s costume helps, but still. I do like the way Gleason integrates each villain’s origin with a close-up of his or her face. It’s a nice recap/introduction to obscure or new characters.

Fair

Batman Annual #1

It does bother me, seeing that #1 up in the left-hand corner of the newest Batman Annual. But I suppose it goes with the territory these days, huh?

This book may be labeled as part of the Night of the Owls crossover, but that’s only because some of the characters mention that such a thing exists. Instead, Scott Snyder and co-writer James Tynon IV deliver one of my favorite types of Batman stories: the villain feature.

Mr. Freeze gets a little bit of a retcon here, but for the most part, this is Victor Fries as we know and love him. He’s got the cold gun and the burning love for a frozen woman; he just gets some additional childhood trauma on the side. I don’t really have a problem with the update to Fries’ romantic life; I don’t think it harms the character in any way to redefine his most important relationship.

I enjoy seeing Nightwing and Robin show up too. Their presence makes this feel even more like an “annual-worthy” event, it isn’t just a normal Batman vs. villain deal. I was surprised that Mr. Freeze beat the two of them so easily, but again, it did serve a greater story purpose. After all, would we have been suitably impressed by Batman’s bad-ass, heating-coil gloves if everyone had them?

I don’t recognize Jason Fabok’s art, but he has a style similar to Michael Janin’s over on JL Dark. Fabok is really good, delivering subtle shading and emotions when necessary, but able to crank up the action when called for too. The panel where Batman busts loose from the ice prison was fantastic. I would love to get my hands on an original page from this issue.

Good

Batman #7

Now this is Batman. Suspect your best friend of being mind-controlled? Time to slug the fella in the face to knock out a specific tooth! Awesome!

It’s pretty neat, that opening scene with the Owl taking out Batman’s inspirational bat. The best part is that this doesn’t necessarily need to be canon. Bats is in a pretty bad place at the start of the issue, with his heart getting a jump-start from a friendly Gothamite. (Did I miss an issue or just forget who this person was? I don’t remember her!)

Scott Snyder goes on to lay out more of the history of the Talons. They are super-powered assassins put into suspended animation by the Court of Owls. It’s a neat concept, especially because it is an instant recipe for a variety of Talons. I worried they’d all be the same, and the “ninja” rule would take effect (the more there are, the weaker they are). But instead, I think thought and design went into each Talon, they look different and seem to hail from different eras. Neat idea!

Greg Capullo doesn’t draw a lot of backgrounds, but he draws a nice harried Batman. Nightwing still looks too dang young, but Grayson needs to be a bit vulnerable, here. It is his father-figure upending his life, after all.

Good

Batman #2

Is it just me, or do these new 52 titles feel really short? It just seems like very little happens every month, and each of these titles takes less than 5 minutes to read. I didn't think I'd be veering back towards trades so soon, but I may have to; I just can't justify these 20 page comics!

I actually like Scott Snyder's second issue, it's got a lot of fun Bat-moments mixed up in his greater plot. The book opens with a great helicopter chase where Bats is in pursuit on some elevated train tracks. This is great high-concept stuff, this whole sequence belongs in a movie. Greg Capullo knocks it out of the park, too, especially the moment where Batman yanks one of the crooks out through the chopper window.

All of Capullo's faces seem a bit too young. It makes the scene on Gotham Tower a bit strange, because I'm not sure how old Bruce Wayne is supposed to be in relation to the not-at-all suspicious Lincoln March. I'm sure Lincoln is just a nice, trustworthy addition to Gotham high society, not a new villain at all (wink wink). I mean, these guys look like clones of each other!

The brutal fist-fight is neat. Snyder fills the narration boxes with details about Batman's fighting style, pointing out that he has to fight as Bruce Wayne and make his hits look lucky. It's a great detail in an issue full of them. The other highlight is, of course, the whole deal with Nightwing's alibi for last issue's murder.

If you like Batman, you can't go wrong with this comic.

Good

Justice League of America #60

James Robinson at least gets to turn off the lights on his run of the JLA. This era never connected with me. Robinson fills this issue with another "almost" storylines, including rampaging robots, a Thanagarian invasion (and team-up with Jemm, Son of Saturn), and some magic hoodoo with Amethyst. None of these ideas seem like they would have riveted me, but there are some decent ideas there.

I guess Robinson would have had the Atom and Saint Walker join the team, and having the Atom would have done a little bit to make this feel more like a real Justice League. The closing lines of the book address that very issue, when Donna Troy wonders if anyone will remember this era of the JLA and what they accomplished. NightBats says it doesn't matter, but I think he's saying that because he knows no one will care. I think this is going to go down as a Detroit-era run of the JLA, when the team was filled with also-rans and fill-ins who kept the big table warm for the return of the top dogs.

Another poignant moment hits when Donna Troy wonders if anyone will remember her. With the reboot coming, and no sign of Donna in those solicits, I think there is a good chance she's getting wiped out along with Wally West, the JSA, and Ted Kord. (So much for Jesse Quick's pregnancy, a neat idea we'll never see develop.)

Daniel Sampere brings an appropriate sense of grandeur to the closing of the book. I wasn't blown away by his art, but everything is clear and actually draws a fair amount of backgrounds.

And now it's time for the marquee team. Bring on the new 52.

Fair

DC Relaunch part 3! Bat-stragglers, Vertigo, and Teens!

Wow. DC has been loving this, I’m sure. I don’t think I’ve EVER spent so much time thinking about DC comics before this last week. They’ve got me tweaking my sublist on a daily basis!

So we’ve covered the Justice books, Green Lantern, and Batman. Let’s see what else they’ve got for us!

First, a few bat-stragglers.

Nightwing – Kyle Higgins and Eddy Barrows – they sure made us wait for this, didn’t they? You know they were loving the internet frenzy over Dick Grayson. I don’t know Kyle Higgins’ work at all, but Eddy Barrows is serviceable. I’m tempted. Not sold yet.

Red Hood & the Outlaws – Judd Winick and Kenneth Rocafort - hahahaahah! Oh man, look at Arsenal’s ball cap! He’s so hip! I wish Starfire wasn’t in this book so I could totally ignore it, but I do like her. I wonder who else will round out the team. Winick loves these types of books, but I got bored by Outsiders, so I can’t imagine I’ll love this. I don’t love Rocafort’s work either. No thanks.

Batwing – Judd Winick and Ben Oliver – I loved this guy’s visual in Batman Inc. I’m thrilled to see that Batman Inc. is continuing, it really seems like the Batbooks are not getting rebooted. I’ll check out the first issue.

Then we have the returning Vertigo characters.

Animal Man – Jeff Lemiere – I don’t know enough about Lemiere’s work either. How weird is this going to be? Another one I’m not sure about.

Swamp Thing – Scott Snyder and Yanick Paquette – this is a darn solid creative team. I can’t imagine a world where I care about a vegetable man on a monthly basis, but this team might be able to do it. This is another wait-and-see.

Justice League Dark – Peter Milligan – Peter Milligan, Zatanna, and Shade the Changing Man? I have to at least give this a try!

Demon Knights – Paul Cornell – described as medieval super-heroes, Cornell says this book is targeted for folks who like Dragon Age and Game of Thrones. I hate that I’m so easily identified as the target audience. But I guess that means I better buy it!

Frankenstein: Agent of SHADE – Jeff Lemiere – Frank was my favorite from the Seven Soldiers, so I at least need to sample this. It looks like it may be a sort of Creature Commandos type situation, and I want in on that.

Resurrection Man – Dan Abnett & Andy Lanning and Fernando Dagnino – never in a million years would I have predicted this book making a return. I loved the original, I’m back for the encore, even if it only lasts a few issues.

Voodoo – Ron Marz and Sami Basri – interesting, this is our first ex-Wildstorm title. I loved Marz’s work back in the day, and I hear good things about Witchblade under his pen, so maybe I’ll try an issue?

I, Vampire – I don’t care who the creative team is, I don’t need romantic, beautiful vampire comics. NO.

Today we got the teen titles. Some surprises in here!

Teen Titans – Scott Lobdell and Bret Booth – This has got to be one of the worst re-designs of the whole DCnU. Those folks look TERRIBLE. My daughter wanted to buy this comic, but I’m not sure I can let her. NO.

Static Shock – John Rozum and Scott McDaniel – I loved Rozum’s work on Xombi, and McDaniel’s art has a kinetic energy that I’ve always enjoyed. Plus I adore Static as a character. Sold!

Legion of Super-Heroes – Paul Levitz and Francis Portella – I’m afraid I fell away from the Legion when they did the whole “Supergirl &” relaunch and I’ve never come back. Too bad, it looks like this book is picking up without another reboot
(thank goodness!)

Legion Lost – Fabian Nicieza and Pete Woods – that’s a crackerjack creative team, and I still remember Fabian’s New Warriors fondly. I’m sure I’ll give this an issue, depending on the regular cast. At a glance I only really know Wildfire, Dawnstar, and Timber Wolf.

Hawk & Dove – Sterling Gates and Rob Liefeld – unlike a lot of folks, I don’t have a problem with Liefeld’s art, but I have no interest in the characters. Pass.

Overall, I think my DC pull list is going to go up with this reboot!

My main concerns at this point is the lack of JSA, Martian Manhunter, Blue Beetle, and Wally West announcements.

Superman/Batman Annual #5

It's interesting that the Doomsday storyline trickled over to this title, a book I haven't bought in years. I guess this technically qualifies as a Super/Bat team-up, since Supergirl and NightBats feature quite prominently in it, but still, it's an odd choice.

James Robinson writes the Cyborg Superman really well. The guy's defining characteristic is a deathwish, but it's hard to write about someone who really sticks to it. I loved seeing Cyborg Supes actually trying to beat Doomsday, even if it was just to prove that he's superior to Superman.

The bulk of the issue has Supergirl trying to diagnose why she's gone "dark" again, wearing black togs and being all "bratty." It turns out that she's got survivor's guilt after the destruction of New Krypton, and she just has to forgive herself. It's trite and simple, but I'll take it if it restores Supergirl to the type of character she's supposed to be. Robinson presents the story in an interesting way, having Supergirl diagnosed and treated by holograms of Dr. Mid-Nite and Dr. Fate. NightBats does have some consistent words of encouragement too.

In the end, Doomsday runs off again, this time after "cyborging" himself. Are there are a slew of Doomsdays? One uber-Doomsday? Where does this story actually go after next week's Superboy?

Miguel Sepulveda is a Marvel-style artist, but his work looks good here. His Batman is bulky and clearly wearing body armor, which makes sense considering who he's fighting. Cyborg Superman looked fantastic, as did Supergirl. Sepulveda's Saint Walker is a bit odd looking, but then, that's an odd character.

Fair

Justice League of America #52

I can only imagine how much I'd be enjoying James Robinson's JLA if he had a lineup I cared about. This is a pretty entertaining story even with that consideration.

I love all these off-hand references to Darkseid not being dead. Of course not, the biggest bad guy in the DCU is just about impossible to kill at this point; if Orion couldn't do it, I don't believe Batman could, even with a god-gun.

The Dark Supergirl aspect of the story is pretty silly, but I suppose it makes sense to put Ultraman and Supergirl on Omega's team to tip the deck. Even with the JLA and CSA teaming up, things look grim for the protagonists. I also find it interesting that Power Ring and Johnny Quick are already dead; what was the point of morphing around their identities to match up with the DCU last issue if they were just going to get pasted this fast?

I'm going to miss Mark Bagley's classic stylings on this title. His Blue Jay is a tad too Hawkman-ish, but that's a small complaint, especially since he still looks cool.

Good

Justice League of America #51

When James Robinson sticks to straight-up super-heroics, he's pretty darn good. This issue opens with a ton of DCU heroes (both actually appearing and mentioned) trying to get into a sealed-off Washington D.C. It seems that the weird energy that was destroying the Crime Syndicate's alternate Earth started leaking into the main DCU, and the JLA had to stop it. Some of the heroes are concerned that only a new, relatively inexperienced Justice League is inside the bubble to stop the villains, but Superman is pretty confident. (It's funny, this is actually kind of close to the opening story arc in Shadowpact.)

The new League is coming together nicely. NightBats is a natural fit, he's been here before. I've stated before how much I love Donna Troy's new two-fisted Amazon attitude. Jesse Quick hasn't had a chance to make her mark yet, but clearly Robinson likes her. Congorilla and Mikaal Starman didn't make it to DC, so they don't have much to do here. Supergirl is doing well as the team powerhouse, although this "Dark Supergirl" development is worrying. I don't think Supergirl will stay bad, though, this is more of a chance to show her mental strength in addition to her physical powers. Jade is Robinson's current pet, and while I haven't warmed up to her yet, I don't mind what he's doing with her.

I absolutely love what Robinson is doing with Blue Jay. Not only did he not die like I thought a few issues ago, he actually lays a great smackdown on Owlman. I think Blue Jay would be a fantastic addition to the regular lineup, a sort of combo of the Atom and Hawkman.

Mark Bagley was born to draw super-comics. While Omega's design is a bit reminiscent of Onslaught, there is no doubt he's an A-level bad guy. The CSA and JLA both look great too.

Good

Batman & Superman vs. Vampires & Werewolves

Guys, I'm not going to give you a hard sell on this book. Let's face it, this is the type of comic that you've got some sort of opinion in mind as soon as you read the title. You either think "this could be glorious" or "what a stupid idea." Let me tell you where I fit in.

Kevin VanHook isn't a fantastic writer, he doesn't do anything wonderful or new with the medium, but he writes one hell of a fun story. Superman, Batman, Green Arrow, Nightwing, Wonder Woman, and the Demon all get a chance to face down some pretty disgusting mosters. There are vampires, werewolves, and Lovecraftian beasties galore. I did like seeing that Batman's "no-kill" rule doesn't extend to the undead.

VanHook has some plot to give all this a purpose, but it is all just window dressing to give the villain (Dr. Coombs) a nice origin and motivation. Really, that's his name. I think VanHook knows his audience.

Tom Mandrake is one of the best horror artists in the business, but people forget how good he is at drawing heroes. He does a fantastic job on both in this.

Good

Comics on the Bubble: Devin Grayson's Titans (1999)

Wow. Talk about a rough era of comics.


Beast Boy isn't on the team. Flash is constantly talking about the better team he's on (the JLA), and Cyborg is a gold alien robot. What? This barely feels like the Titans. I can appreciate Devin Grayson wanting to honor all previous eras of the book by including characters like Argent and Damage, but man, there is too much drama in this. Donna Troy has some wacked-out situation where she never really existed, so she was re-formed by Wally West's memories? I know that most of these problems don't stem from Grayson's writing, but she doesn't help by continually dredging up this silly drama. The choice of villains is kind of weird too.

I will say, this run has the best take on Arsenal that I think I've read. I mean, I hate the guy, but he's almost likeable here. Almost. Tempest is pretty fun here too. I think I actually thought he was cool at this point.

I can't complain about the art, it is generally pretty decent. Mark Buckingham handles the bulk, and like his "realistic" take on the heroes. Tempest in particular seems like a nice, normal dude when drawn like this. He doesn't draw Starfire quite as... endowed as I'm used to, though. I've been spoiled by REBELS!

The run holds up a lot stronger than I thought it would!

• Issue 1: Most of the issue has the team talking in a seafood restaurant. SELL


• Issue 2: The Titans need to show Superman they are all grown up as they fight the HIVE. Not bad, actually. KEEP


• Issue 3: The team takes on Marilyn Manson... sorry, Goth! The issue is complete with awful lyrics and acting out teenagers. SELL


• Issue 4: More Goth. SELL


• Issue 5: Character focus on Tempest, Damage, and Argent. They take on a cool new mermaid villainess, Siren. KEEP


• Issue 6: Guest-starring the best GL ever, Kyle Rayner. KEEP


• Issue 7&8: Weird little speed villain story. Fairly generic. SELL


• Issue 9: Unnecessary crossover with Day of Judgement. Not good. SELL


• Issue 10-12: Strongest arc of the run. The Titans face off against Vandal Savage's Tartarus, made up of some of the best Titans villains and guest-starring Deathstroke. KEEP


• Issue 13: Aftermath issue. Beautiful art by Patrick Zircher. KEEP


• Issue 14: Brian Vaughn helps on the writing and solid art from Cully Hamner. The team actually seems more competent once it slims down. KEEP


• Issue 15-16: This issue plays into Grayson's worst tendencies. She focuses on the old Teen Titans and they spend a long time wallowing in their interpersonal issues. It's sort of a chore to get through. I hate most of the team. SELL

Summary: SELL 1, 3, 4, 7, 8, 9, 15, 16.
KEEP 2, 5, 6, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14,

Nightwing: The Great Leap TPB

Man, I do like Peter Tomasi's writing, but he does write some gore. There is an issue in this trade that is just filled with Nightwing fantasizing about killing Batman's rogues gallery. It's crazy gory, and while it is all a Scarecrow-induced fantasy, I think it clearly makes it into "Hey kids, comics!" territory. I can't imagine letting my 5-year-old see this thing.

The title of the trade is more than a bit odd. I see where it fits in, because we do see the "great leap" towards the end of the trade, but I would think that a Two-Face related title might have been more appropriate.

The bulk of the trade deals with Nightwing's relationship with Two-Face. There are a ton of references to a baseball bat-beating that I don't think I ever read. Was it in Robin: Year One? The conflict is that Harvey Dent wants Nightwing to save an old flame of his, while Two-Face wants her dead. I like the set-up, and the payoff is pretty good. I will say the story veers dangerously close to having Nightwing be incompetent. A LOT of bystanders and cops get hurt and killed in the little showdown between Nightwing and Harvey. Another thing, seeing this trade reminds me how much I like Nightwing. Tomasi takes time to show him enjoying his real (non-superhero) life. He goes to work, goes out to dinner, makes milkshakes and popcorn, and best of all watches movies with Alfred and Tim Drake. Nightwing really is the hero you'd want to hang out with in the DCU.

The art is really inconsistent, the only good part is that the many artists are all good. Rags Morales, Don Kramer, Doug Mahnke, that is about as great a stable as you could hope for to draw a book. I just wish one guy could have done more of the issues.

Fair

Batman & Robin #8

It is amazing what Grant Morrison can accomplish with a great artist. After meeting up with Batwoman last issue, we get to see just how she was captured by some evil chimney sweeps and taken to be sacrificed. I love how Morrison writes about the Crime Bible. He's the best at making it seem like an evil religion, there's something about the crazy way he delivers back-story about it that just makes it seem so perfect for comics.

There are still some conflicts between the London crime factions, but the bulk of the issue has an insane, resurrected Batman taking on NightBats, Batwoman, Knight, and Squire. It is interesting that Morrison gave us the nugget that Darkseid wanted one of Simyan and Mokkari's clones from Final Crisis as a body double for the banished Bruce Wayne. That's kind of a huge bit of plot to pull from a year-old event comic. I'd think people who hadn't checked out Final Crisis might feel a tad cheated. I enjoyed the fight, especially how easily the insane Batman dealt with the heroic crew. Only NightBats held his own for any length of time, though the matching costumes made it difficult to tell who was who. Having Batwoman sustain such serious injuries is interesting too, I'm sure she's going to need to be resurrected in the Lazarus Pit. I don't think that will change her long term, although she may come back infected (right LOST fans?)

Cameron Stewart has a great mix of cartoon and Quitely in his pencils. The war of the Batmen looked fantastic and I liked the shadowed Darkseid silhouette too. I am starting to wonder if this would read better in trade though, this did go by awfully fast.

Good

Batman & Robin #5

Grant Morrison is a weird dude. In a good way. My favorite bit of oddness this issue is that Red Hood is reading a book on marketing. Convinced that Batman is nothing more than a successful logo, Jason Todd is out to become even more popular with his hardcore ways. He's out to prove that crime doesn't pay, and he's willing to kill to do it. What makes this version of Jason Todd so interesting to me is that he thinks he's being a hero even as he continues to be the callous jerk he's always been. His new sidekick Scarlet occasionally starts to think of her past life, and Jason Todd is just brutal in his dealing with her. She starts to talk about her father and Todd just reminds her that she killed him. Tough. It's also a curious choice to have Todd reveal that Bruce Wayne had Todd dye his hair to look more like Dick Grayson. That's got to do some psychological damage to a kid like Jason Todd. Plus it makes Bats seem a little... weird doesn't it?

Dick Grayson/Batwing and Damian are still a good team. They are nowhere near as effective as Bruce Wayne and any of his sidekicks, on a couple occasions this issue the Red Hood gets the better of them. I like that type of vulnerability, it adds to the sense of danger for the leads. The big threat here is Flamingo, the mob enforcer brought in to take on the Red Hood. He's appropriately horrific, but again, I can't believe some of the stuff in a mainstream comic these days. Flamingo cuts off and eats the faces of the people who rode his plane into Gotham. Cut off their faces. Ate those faces. In a comic. We truly live in a horrific world where this type of material is needed to establish the street cred of a new bad guy. Once again I have to argue, people this crazy need to be KILLED. Bring in the Punisher.

Phillip Tan's art just can't compete with Frank Quitely. Characters like Penguin, Jason Todd, and even Batwing and Damian look off-model. The dramatic debut of Flamingo is somewhat ruined by the muddled look of his face. It's like Tan uses too many pencil lines and smudges up the faces of the people he draws.

Fair

Red Robin #4

I'm having a real disconnection with most of the Bat-world these days. I just don't buy Tim Drake as Red Robin, he's too angsty and surly, far different from the character I've liked for so long. I suppose having him team up with Ra's Al Ghul to try and discover what happened to Batman is interesting, but I don't like the alliance. Drake should know better than to team up with a nutbar like Ra's Al Ghul. Of course, perhaps my apathy for the Resurrection of Ra's Al Ghul crossover is leaking over into this title. Chris Yost does a nice job of delivering on the fight promised on the cover (Dick Grayson vs. Tim Drake) without really compromising either character. Neither of these guys goes crazy, and it is clear they still care about each other. Their brotherly relationship is one of the better aspects of the issue.

Drake heads off to the Middle East and discovers a cave painting of the bat symbol, clear evidence that Bruce was sent back in time rather than being killed (or so it seems to Drake, I'm not sure how he can be certain Bats didn't do that some other time he had to skip around in time). Having Drake start to appreciate having a posse, even if they are killers, then taking them away was a nice touch. I'm hoping The Widower is some kind of anti-hero, but since he reports to a group called the Council of Spiders, I'm pretty sure he'll end up being a bad guy.

Ramon Bachs' art is ok, but sometimes things seem out of focus, almost like he drew everything at a smaller size and had his pencils enlarged electronically. Perhaps that's a result of the coloring?

Average