Monthly archives: February, 2009

I only bought four issues this week, and, yet, I’m still torn over what to pick for the worst issue and what to pick for the best. That’s right, it’s an even split. Two issues that stunk so bad I could barely stand to finish them and two that left me pretty well satisfied.

When I was in the comic shop today, I debated over whether or not to try out some new stuff, since I’ve basically lost track of what’s been going on with the X-Men lately, and I haven’t read an Avengers issue since the dumbass ending to Secret Invasion. Inevitably, I decided against trying out either one, but it really struck me how many different X-Men books there are these days. Same goes for the Avengers. You’ve got First Class, Young, Legacy, Uncanny, Astonishing, New, Classic, Initiative, Mighty, Dark – – I mean, come on! How many different books do they have out right now to tell the same crappy stories with slightly different rosters?

Anyway, I’m making a pledge right here, right now. If the day ever comes where there is one book on the shelf titled, simply, “The Avengers,” then I’ll pick it up. And, likewise, if there’s ever just, “The X-Men,” I’ll buy that, too. I’ll even settle for it being Uncanny, since that’s been around a lot longer.

Say what you will about DC, but at least they’re not dicking us for all our money with twenty versions of the Teen Titans. Oh, wait. Or the JSA? Aha! That one actually works. Anyway, on with the reviews.

Worst: Robin #183

The basic premise of this final issue of Robin is that Robin’s sent a death threat by Lady Shiva, and he spends the rest of the issue assuming that he’s going to be dead by dawn. Instead, he beats her up and hops off into the sky, promising that, soon, “It’ll be time to meet the NEW ROBIN!”

While Nightwing tried to give us some sense of closure to the long-running series, Robin just gives us a throwaway “adventure” with the promise at the issue’s close that this is, “Only the beginning…”

Now, that’s not a terribly bad idea for an issue, but, boy, does this sucker stink. For instance, there’s a line of dialogue where Detective Harper asks Robin about the death note, asking, “You know what it means?” He responds, “Means you should order the worst dessert on the menu.” To which she replies, “Which would make it the best.” And that’s the end of the conversation.

Now, bear in mind that the death threat note didn’t make any mention of dessert. The only logical explanation is that Harper is dressed in an evening gown, because she “hopefully” has a date later. So she asks him about the death note, and he instead tells her to order something bad on her date. So how does she derive that doing that would make the bad thing on the menu turn into the best? Stuff like that gets me stuck when I’m reading through a comic, so I naturally had a hard time getting through this clunker. This doesn’t make sense in the way Final Crisis didn’t make sense; this doesn’t make sense in the way that it’s complete nonsensical word salad. I know the words, and the sentence structures technically fit, but I don’t get what they’re in aid of. What is their purpose?

Oh, plus, thanks to the fact that this is written by the King of Pop-Culture References, Mr. Fabian Nicieza, we get throwaway lines about Wii Fit, Dr. Phil, and a line from the song, “12 Days of Christmas.” Wait, what? (more…)

In this episode: Action Comics #874 | Nightwing #153 | Incognito #2 | Madman Atomic Comics #13 | Batman #686

Speaking of Batman #686, this was the first of the two-part “Whatever Happened to the Caped Crusader” story by Neil Gaiman and Andy Kubert. I can’t quite put my finger on why I loved this, but I loved it.

I would like to make quite clear that I don’t really know what’s going on. In lesser hands, I would assume this to be nothing more than just a two-issue way to make a bunch of inside Batman jokes, like naming a bridge after Jim Aparo and drawing the Joker like he appeared in the animated series. But these are Neil Gaiman’s greater hands, for one thing, and the narrating dialogue lets us know that the strangeness of it is a mystery that will be solved. It was an unnecessary, but appreciated touch, although it’s something that the underwhelmed Chris at the ISB seems to think is a problem.

There’s just something so delightful about the little skits that unfold, like we’re watching a doomed variety show or something. I loved the introduction of the villains by way of the hapless and hopeless alleyway valet, from Catwoman to Two Face to the Joker. I mentioned before the apprehension about this just being a bunch of Batman in-jokes, but it seemed more like an eerie celebration of 70 years with the combinations of characters, disguises and Matchbox-esque cars. Again, in lesser hands, it could have been quite lame. As it was, there was a fantastic uncomfortableness about it.
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