Category Archives: Uncategorized

COMICS/PRINT, Uncategorized

Wanted: American Superhero Symbol – Aquaman, Put Your Hand Down…*sigh*

Leave a comment

Let’s face it: Being American is awesome. You get to flaunt freedom, complain about anything, and start chants of “U-S-A!” without anyone knowing a particular reason. It’s pretty awesome.

Of course the other side of being the dominant world power is the opinions of citizens and outsiders are not exactly at an all-time high. Some media explore the American way in both the positive and negative light and that’s their freedom to do so, that’s why this is a great country to live in.

I may not like Kronner’s opinion about how Deuces Wild was better than Spiderman (true story), but he has every right to voice that. But it’s always fun to see comics take on the politics of being American.

We just saw it with Captain America and his Nomad storyline and of course, Action Comics #900 has Superman renouncing his American citizenship. Say what now? The guy who’s as American as apple pie? Yep, that guy.

The story was written by David S. Goyer, and illustrated by Miguel Sepulveda, and it explores Superman going to Iran to support the protesters (without violence of course) and the President’s national security advisor doesn’t take this well. About as well as the Iranian regime who looks at this as an act of war. So through his frustration of trying to do the right thing, Supes feels that he cannot operate as a superhero on a global scale if he is an American citizen so he shall go to the United Nations to renounce his citizenship for the good of the world.

Sooo yeah. The fart noise you just made was the same reaction the rest of America had because they decided to go back to the old status quo. In Superman #711, after taking down Livewire (I seriously read that is LimeWire and thought good, it’s been the worst illegal downloading tool for awhile now) Supes decides to monologue about how America is awesome and he just needed to give it a second chance.

FOR FULL PATRIOTIC POWER – Click to Enlarge

Because that’s what America does, it bails people out of their mistakes so they can live in their shame until the next error comes along.

Some good reactions come via Gamma Squad for the panels of renouncing and re-embracing the country that celebrates the number 22nd best soccer team in the world. Bleeding Cool has a great article about it too.

As with the title, I just want to see the applications for next DC symbol of America. I want them to bring Vibe back. Spanish-American break dancer from Detroit?

 That’s soooo apple pie. Apple Pie that can get down with a phat beat!

COMICS/PRINT, Uncategorized

A How-To Guide on Killing Wolverine

15 Comments

These days, Wolverine seems to be pretty much invincible. In a world where almost any superhero can die, Wolverine is one of the select few who still hasn’t. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying they should ever kill him off just because he’s one who hasn’t died, it’s just odd, that’s all.

My colleague Dr. Kronner and I were just talking the other day about how he seems to have gotten a little too invincible, and hasn’t been really owned since X-Men #25, during the Fatal Attractions storyline when Magneto ripped the metal off his skeleton. Back in the ’80s Wolverine would lose fights all the time and always get back up, but his healing factor took some time. There was more mystery surrounding the character. Now, he heals so quickly that he could be likened to a T-1000 from Terminator 2. You can’t really stop him, just slow him down. Over the years he has just become much more powerful, which to be honest makes him less interesting, but allows Marvel to stick him into every book out there without any down time.

Continue reading A How-To Guide on Killing Wolverine →

COMICS/PRINT, Uncategorized

Bat-Comics: Harvey Dent, Jason Todd, and the History of Gotham

1 Comment

A lot has happened since my Gratuitous Batman Update from a while back, so I thought I’d try to get you caught up a little on the source material – the comic books.

Let’s start with something I didn’t cover last time around, the new series from David Finch and Scott Williams…

– Batman: The Dark Knight #1-2

This new book looks at Bruce Wayne while Dick, Tim, and Damian are off on their own. These first 2 issues have Bruce looking for a kidnapped girl, and his search leads him to Killer Croc. Croc is strung out on a low-street grade of ‘venom’, the drug that Bane uses to bulk up. Bats learns that Croc is working as muscle for The Penguin, but not until after Batman tortures Cobblepot, breaking several of his limbs. The 2nd issue ends with Batman captured by Croc and ready to be tortured.

I like the art, I love the story, both issues were enjoyable and I look forward to the 3rd.

 

– Batman #710

Issues 708 and 709 (Which were reviewed Here) closed up the ‘Judgement on Gotham’ arc, so we now look to #710, we do so at the start of a new story; Two-Face Returns!

Harvey Dent is back in town and missing his lucky coin, so he’s killing his way through Gotham looking for it. Well, Dent seems now forever tied to the Falcone Crime Family, and when Mario Falcone hears about his return he sets a trap. Mario is accompanied by a mysterious woman, and it’s not till the last page we find out who she is – Gilda Dent. The book ends with Gilda putting several bullets into Harvey’s chest…


– Detective Comics #875-876

Most of 875 focuses on flashbacks of Jim Gordon’s, and what lead him to believe his own son is a killer. Batman doesn’t actually show up till the end of the book, but we’re lead to believe that Jim Jr. killed one of Barbara’s friends as a child and the Commissioner is convinced his son hasn’t changed. This seems to be building to something bigger to come. In 876 we get back to Bats and his investigation into the appearance of a giant killer whale in the lobby of a bank. This leads Dick to a custom car lot in which is about to be crushed to death when the story stops.

A relatively short issue, though we are given a preview to Arkham City #1 in the back…

– Batman: Arkham City #1 – CLICK HERE

– Batman & Robin #22-23

In issue 22 we wrap up the ‘White Knight’ arc and are given another respectable addition to the Rouges Gallery. This one isn’t as strong as the last chapter, but we do see him head to Arkham in an attempt to wipe out the scum that reside there once and for all. In the end we learn that the White Knight’s father was a guard at Arkham before being killed in a riot by Dr. Phosphorous. Before the Knight (aka Lewis Bayard) can return the favor his is put down by out new Dynamic Duo. It’s nice to see Dick and Damian starting to build their own Rouge’s Gallery to add to Bruce’s. In addition to the White Knight, you could also credit them with Prof. Pyg, The Flamingo, and The Dealer. Not too shabby a crew.

Issue 23 brings us not only a new arc, but a new creative team as well. Tomasi, Gleason, and Gray are replaced by Winick, March, and Bresson. And the new team kicked things off with a bang, going back to where the book began, dealing with Jason Todd. Todd is demanding to be transferred out of Arkham and into a regular prison as he is crazy, only psychotic. Once transferred he starts killing other inmates at a prodigious rate and is ultimately sent back to Arkham, only this time the transport doesn’t make it. A new team of apparent ThunderCat rejects attack the convoy and free Jason. Their motives are not made clear, but the appear to be headed on the road to being jobbers more so than respectable villains.

– Batman: Gates of Gotham #1 of 5

This is the start of a 5 Issue Mini-Series examining the some of the most prominent families in Gotham. The book starts out in the 1881 as we see the start of planing for the great City to be. Present at the meeting are men belonging to the families of Wayne, Cobblepot, and Elliot.

Present day we see Bruce and Tim tracking down a shipment of explosives that have entered Gotham, and we see the 3 oldest bridges in Gotham blown up. It’s only then that they begin to see the look into the connection between the Penguin, Hush, and the Waynes. The end of the issue teases the reveal of the fourth ‘Family of Gotham’, but we’ll have to wait to find out who that is…

For some more cover art on upcoming issues, you can CLICK HERE….

COMICS/PRINT, Uncategorized

Flashpoint: Map of the Time Shattered DC Universe

1 Comment

I always love alternate universe/timeline stories in comic books. You get to see characters die that you normally wouldn’t and characters are alive that have been dead for ages. Sometimes you get role reversals where certain heroes are scum ridden pieces of trash and occasionally the villains may be a hero or someone not as bad as their real universe counterpart. Then you also get to see how the world map is drawn differently, such as in the Age of Apocalypse in the Marvel Universe. The evil mutant Apocalypse is ruler of all the United States in that universe, dividing up the country to his Four Horsemen.

Things are no different in DC’s Flash-centric Flashpoint storyline where things are completely ass backwards. Wonder Woman and Aquaman are at war with one another, resulting in the death of millions, because in this timeline they are not the superheroes we know and love. Check out the map below: (thanks IGN)

The Black Adam protectorate? I hate that guy! And it would appear that Brazil is currently… Nazi controlled? What the hell. At least the Aussies were able to sit this one out, but one can only wonder when some super hero turned genocidal villain will set their sights on them! If you haven’t checked out Flashpoint yet, then go pick up the first issue! I promise you won’t be disappointed!

COMICS/PRINT, Uncategorized

The Urban 30 Weekly Update! Season 5, Week 9

Leave a comment

Welcome back to the Urban 30 Weekly Update! If you’re looking to catch up on Season 5, you can check out last week’s update here. This week, the team all encounter the same strange creature, in a slugfest we like to call Freak of the Week, Part 2! Part 1 was in Season 3.

So this week be sure to read the posts in order as the story moves throughout each heroes individual posts. Generally I would summarize each individual post but as this week the story moves through all of them I don’t want to spoil anything, so your just going to have to read it to see what happens!

Here’s the weekly rundown:

Continue reading The Urban 30 Weekly Update! Season 5, Week 9 →

COMICS/PRINT, Uncategorized

DC Comic Review: Batman – Arkham City #1

1 Comment

Well thank God there’s something here to hold us over until October when Batman: Arkham City is finally released. Part of a five issue run, Arkham City is written by the legendary Paul Dini, and so far is a nice filler for the story between Arkham Asylum and the new game. I wasn’t too crazy about the art, but it was still above average to me.

Continue reading DC Comic Review: Batman – Arkham City #1 →