There's a New Batman in Town

I'm sucker a big new publishing initiatives. Take DC You for example. Not only did I sample many of the new titles; but I gave older titles a try as well. Alas, I have not kept up with them much at all. Since DC decided to make September 26th, Batman Day, in addition to watching some episodes of the old Adam West show, I finally read Batman 41, Batman 42, and Detective Comics 41. Yeah, I am a tad late; but I have much better feel for the new Batman.


Jim Gordon as Batman appeals to me. Hope DC maintains the new status quo for a couple years at least. One thing that struck me after watching those old Adam West episodes of the old television series then following them with the initial issues of Gordon Batman is how much of mirror of the West-era Batman the new Batman is. Like Batman '66, the new Batman is a legalized deputy who works alongside the law and is a public figure. The enemies are big and colorful facing off against a Batman that is big and colorful in a manner of speaking. There's even a role reversal of which I'll spoil among the reviews below. Since all three issues came out two to three months ago, I am not as hesitant to include spoilers as I usually am.


Detective Comics 41
When I first saw the cover, it did not grab me at all. Upon closer inspection, I loved the faint detail of a map of Gotham in the background. Detective Comics 41 is a first issue of sorts albeit with one following forty previous issues. Harvey Bullock is the primary point-of-view character as a flashback tells the story of how Renee Montoya recruits him to join the Batman Task Force. In between the flashbacks, the story tells of a confrontation between Robo-Bat and a heavily-armed street gang. The issue ends on a pair of cliffhangers as the Task Force joins the fray and in the flashback Bullock finds out Gordon is new Batman, while we find out that his partner may very well not be on the side of the angels.
The Verdict: This is probably closest to a Gotham comic and a Gotham-starring an actual Batman that we'll get for the foreseeable future. I give this initial issue 3.5 out of 5 stars. A solid beginning.


Batman 41
Bigger Batman. Bigger villains. Batman 41 kicks off on a high note. Not only does the new Batman face his first major villain - someone whom can project an avatar composed of energy- but there's a flashback showing the process that led to Jim Gordon deciding to become the new Batman. Loved the fact that Gordon made the wisecrack of how the suit looks like a giant bunny. Cause it does. Capullo and Miki do a solid job on art. As I stated when I reviewed the FCBD comic, I loved their work on Spawn. They do not disappoint. The issue ends with twin revelations. One, there's actually two Bat-suits. One is the armor. Meanwhile the other suit is a more traditional Bat-suit. The second revelation is that Bruce Wayne is still alive. Okay, that's should not surprise anyone. However, I am glad DC is admitting that right away.
Verdict: I wish had actually placed this title on pull instead of buying it off the rack. Snyder/Capullo/Miki deserve all the hype. Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars.


Batman 42
Reading this issue reminds me how I sometimes miss the days when I did not read the monthly solicitations. The Mr. Bloom mystery/storyline officially starts here and being in the 'dark' would have been a treat. Should be interesting to discover how Mr. Bloom relates to Jim Gordon as the mystery as to who is bestowing powers (with a fatal fail-safe) upon Gordon's former collars. Gordon demonstrating is knowledge of both the city and its criminals based on his years of experience is a nice touch. We learn one of his new associates had prior experience with the old Batman. Since I have not read much of the current Batman comics, it ought to be interesting what that connection was. Batman 42 introduces one of many Batmobiles of which the one that makes its appearance is a Bat-Truck. More like Bat-Semi... Anyway Jim Gordon learns an important lesson that his perception of how he should be Batman and what it means to be Bat-man may differ as he confronts a super-powered individual who can manipulate anything containing silicate. Can we say Bat-Golem? Oh yeah, the issue ends with Gordon meeting with Bruce Wayne. Yep, this is the suspected role reversal that I mentioned earlier.
Verdict: Another excellent issue. Only a slight downgrade from the previous issue. Rating: 4 out of 5 stars.

My Thoughts on Marvel's Wave Two

For me writing is a curious thing. I have so many ideas except every time I try to write them they evaporate. Timing is another matter as more I delay the less likely I write. We are in the middle of September so you know what that means? September Previews orders will be due soon at one's local comics shop. So its now or never that I provide my thoughts on Marvel's September solicitations or what I refer to as Wave Two of its "All-New, All-Different" initiative.

• All-New, All-Different Avengers #1 & 2: Hmm, still haven't written a review of its FCBD offering. Thank goodness there's still time between now and November. I like the line-up. I like the creative team. However, if ANADA ships twice a month sometimes, I don't know I'll collect the pamphlet. I don't keep up with my monthlies. Haven't even read many of the first issues of DC You yet...
• Nova #1: A father-son dynamic in the hero business strikes my fancy. Collected the first twelve or was it eighteen (?) issues of Batman and Robin for that very reason. With that in mind, much of my interest stemmed from the assumption that Richard Ryder was back - as out-of-whack as that may seem. He's not. Pass.
• All-New X-men #1 &2: I am a fan of the original X-men. This isn't that. Don't get me wrong. Four out of five isn't bad. Would be neat seeing Kid Apocalypse, X-23 er All-New Wolverine, and Oya (?) among that mix. Seeing a bunch of mutant teenagers dealing with rabid anti-mutant hysteria could be refreshing. Can't believe I just wrote that. That said, I have no idea what Marvel plans on doing with the series; and a twice-a-month does not appeal. Pass.
• Spider-Woman #1: Spider-Woman is pregnant and engaging in super-heroics. I am not the target audience for this book.
• Web Warriors #1: A collection of spider-heroes from across the Spider-Verse united as team? Spider-Gwen, Spider-Man Noir, Spider-Man India, Spider-UK, and Spider-Ham comprise the team Electro is the big bad? I am intrigued. May buy off the rack.
• Star-Lord #1: Haven't read any of Star-Lord's early stories so I do not if there ever was an origin story. So I don't know if this will be a modern origin story if its actually more significant as the first time his origin was ever told. Since I already buy practically every GotG title I'll probably buy this.
• Venom: Space Knight #1: Even if this wasn't another GotG title, the idea of Flash Thompson engaging swashbuckling action across the space-ways as Venom is too much for me to resist. Probably the closest I'd come to picking up a Flash Gordon title...
• Drax #1: As C.M. Punk's first on-going title, I was going to buy this regardless.
• Illuminati #1: The Hood's group of villains trying to survive in a world of heroes. Titania, Mad Thinker, Thunderball, Black Ant, and Enchantress round out the cast. Its a maybe.
• Deadpool #1&2: I like Deadpool. I just don't read Deadpool comics.
• Hercules #1: Marvel placed a far more informative teaser on its website, which does a far better job than any solicitation. A mythic hero - dubbed the first super-hero- in a modern hero. Written by Dan Abnett. Yes, please.
• All-New, All-Different Wolverine #1 &2: I loathe this idea. No.
• Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur #1: Kirby's Devil Dinosaur is back. A girl and her dinosaur is a quirky idea that appeals to me. Maybe if my comic shop has it on the rack.
• Carnage #1&2: Okay, this title is more along the lines of a horror movie where the monster is the titular character. Gerry Conway writing, Eddie Brock/Toxin and John Jameson are in the book, and the FBI are actually armed for the threat. The action takes place in an abandoned coal mine. Cue spooky music. Screams mini-series. Maybe trade.
• Silk#1: I have no idea who this is. So the character coming across as a villain isn't as much of a hook for me. I buy enough titles.
• Ms Marvel, Vision, All-New Hawkeye, and The Mighty Thor #1's: I am including these titles just to create awareness. If buy any of them it'll be as trades.
• Black Knight #1: Dane Whitman in an on-going title? The Ebony Blade where rear its ugly head in Stormbringer fashion? The Black Knight is in Weirdworld, which is sword-and-sorcery setting? Yes!
• The Ultimates #1: Black Panther, Captain Marvel, Ms America Chavez, Spectrum, and Blue Marvel uniting to eliminate Galactus. Intriguing. Impulse buy.
• Howard The Duck #1: I absolutely love the sarcasm dripping in the solicitation because this is restart of book that started six months. Since it was on my pull list, I believe I should be getting this already...

That's it. Many more 'absolutes' among this months crop. Many more 'I may impulse buy'. So a much, much better wave. However, that's regardless of solicitation quality. Marvel's awfully lucky that its Marvel cause there solicitations are not much at all.

Finally, finally, I have played D&D 5E!

Its been a long, long time since I have any table-top rpgs at all. Not quite long ago as my last D&D-related post but at least a couple years. Those missing years are the subject of another blog post. Well, once I get around to writing it. I have more blog ideas than time warrants! But, as one comic book writer is noted for stating, I digress. Recently, my years-long role-playing drought ended. As the subject line states, and to paraphrase a famous actor/wrestler, finally, finally, I have D&D 5E!


Unlike the previous two editions, I approached the latest edition of Dungeons & Dragons with some trepidation. Table-top gaming had become nothing more than a memory. Furthermore, I had grown weary of yet another new edition of the most famous role-playing game. The concept of freely available Basic Rules intrigued me and acted as an olive branch. I liked what I saw. However, the quality of the Basic Rules were not enough to overcome my skepticism. While I have bought a copy of the Player's Handbook, my purchase was an impulse buy and have yet purchase any further books. What little I have read of fifth edition, I like. In hindsight, its everything I wished fourth edition to be. Now if I have learned over the years is that its best to judge a game after several sessions. To refer back to subject line, I finally played my first session of Dungeons & Dragons 5E!


I am not going to bore you with the details. Long story short, it was a rousing success! D&D 5E felt like Dungeons & Dragons. Despite my passing familiarity with the new rules, those that pertained to the situations that arose, were simple to grasp. While combat was slow at times, it was no where near as slow as 4E crawl. Swingy-ness was back. Characters, albeit those at the table, felt different. There was no number creep. I admit there was a bit of panic as my first-level PC almost died! If it wasn't for the fact that he was a Dragonborn with Gold Dragon heritage, Ser Rhogar would surely have perished from the one-two combo of a Cloudkill-Fireball. Yes, Fireball and Cloudkill. Fortunately, the DM rolled low for damage. Not to mention a cleric used a healing spell while my PC was making death saves...


Still my first 5E session was enough to foster my excitement. Enough to stir my imagination. Enough that I eagerly await the next time that I can game again. Enough that I perused my copy of the Player's Handbook more than the entire time that I owned. From my first session, I acquired a greater understanding of the system than I had before. Most important, after years of not playing table-top rpg, I felt (much like the aforementioned actor/wrestler and a certain hobbit returning from his long journey) that I had come back to my (gamer) home.

Oh look, Marvel's October MU #1's!

The August - October 2015 edition of Marvel Previews is out. Know what that means? October marks the first month of its sixty first issues initiative. I question the wisdom of doing so when Secret Wars approaches its conclusion and mini-What If? event; but I am not Marvel so I have no idea what they are thinking. In any case, here's my thoughts on each solicitation. Only will cover Marvel Universe titles so no Star Wars or non-continuity titles.

• Invincible Iron-Man #1 & 2: New purpose? That could be intriguing. New supporting cast? Sounds good. Who are  his biological parents? On second thought, this is a pass for me. I hate the revelation that his parents aren't his actual parents. Actual colored interior pages are included and they do look purdy. Madame Masque being back is rather cool.
• All-New, All-Different Marvel Point One #1: One of those titles that leads me to question Marvel's publishing wisdom. Why publish this title when the new initiative has begun? Why not before? Short stories are provided for six titles, two of which are 'classified'. Impulse buy.
• Avengers #0: See previous rant. New stories for all six Avengers titles plus what seems to the beginning to next Avengers meta-plot. Probably a must-read for Avengers fans.
• Amazing Spider-man #1 & 2: The first issue is a double issue for double the price! I like the 'Tony Stark'-ified Peter. The Zodiac is a fun group of villains. Its a direction that we have never seen before. First issue also provides stories for the rest of the Spider-line. If it wasn't for the implied twice a month publishing, I would buy this. I dropped Amazing because I could not keep up with the two or three times a month schedule. Impulse buy.
• Angela: Queen of Hel #1: Angela (of Spawn fame) is now in Asgard's Hel because her companion is there. She is now its queen. Al Simmons and her should compare notes.
• Blade #1: A female Blade! That's all Marvel provided. Pass!
• Astonishing Ant-Man #1: If you saw the free Marvel previews magazine that Marvel provided, there's nothing new here. A maybe.
• Contest of Champions #1: Appears to be bridging series between Secret Wars and the ANAD Marvel U. Maestro, Gamora, Devil Dinosaur. An extra dollar for an extra 8 to 18 pages. Would have been nice if Marvel listed how long the title will last...
• Doctor Strange #1: Apparently Doctor Strange will be paying price for each act of magic. Probably explains why he wields a battle axe now. Wonder if the title will touch upon the nerve damage in his hand or whether the Vishanti are upset with him. Has possibilities. As an aside, it does provide fodder for a character concept for 5E D&D. Hmm, future blog post.
• Exraordinary X-Men #1& 2 - Guess, Storm is leading this team. Yep, do you like the roster?
• Guardians of the Galaxy #1 - I have been collecting GotG so... the solicitation has not changed my mind... Ben Grimm & Kitty Pryde (Star-Lady ?!)
• Howling Commandos of S.H.I.E.L.D. #1: Marvel actually included interior art from the issue that not only do I appreciate that they did but I appreciate the art. The solicitation says that the division S.T.A.K.E. (very pun-y) comprises of aliens, mythical beasts, and extra-normal entities. My kind of title. So I give it 12 to 24 issues. Sadly...
• Karnak #1: Warren Ellis's new book about the inhuman Karnak. Turns out it sees the flaws in everything. So Karnak might be more philosophical than at first glance. Plus an Agent Caulson appearance! Could be good although with Ellis's current track record either he or the book will last 6 or 12 issues.
• New Avengers #1 &2: Oh that's Sunspot in the lead. Sunspot's a cool character. Except I don't see how he fits the idea of Avengers Idea Mechanics. I'm not sure how any of the characters on the first issue's cover fits that idea. Pass.
• Captain America: Sam Wilson#1 & 2: Nothing new revealed. At least the title is no longer call 'All-New...' anymore and could easily be changed...
• Spider-Gwen #1: The spider-powered Gwen Stacy has her very own title. Not going to lie this development arose after I dropped Amazing so I do not have much to go on. So solicitation it is. The Lizard is involved. Plus apparently Marvel's multiverse is back too.
• Spider-Man 2099 #1 &2: Peter David writes it.
• The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl: Unless she's on the GLA written by Dan Slott, pass.
• Uncanny Avengers #1: Another title where the roster will make the difference. Deadpool is Avenger seems the major selling point.
• Uncanny Inhumans #1: Hey lists the full team of Medusa, Black Bolt, Triton, Reader, Human Torch, and Beast! Surprisingly, its a first... sadly. Whoa, they are taking on Kang the Conqueror! Marvel provided a sample in this year's FCBD of which I mean to comment on but they may actually have sold me on it based on the solicitation.

There you have it. Marvel's October launch. Five dollar comics concern me especially if they are followed by another issue that month. Such a flooding of the market does not help any retailer or reader choose which titles to read. The opaque solicitations and lack of samples does not help the matter. Of the twenty titles or one-shots debuting in October, only ten stir any interest whatsoever. If the rest of the roll out follows suit, there's not much to bring this former Marvel zombie back into the fold. Maybe the actual content will change my mind but $4 and $5 dollar comics act as a barrier.

All-New, All-Different (Free) Marvel Previews Thoughts

Much like DC, Marvel will soon start a new publishing initiative in which it releases sixty new issue ones to serve as jumping on points for its entire line. Whereas DC offered eight-page stories highlighting the new directions and creative teams, Marvel chose to release a magazine that mirrors a solicitation but contains less information. Such an information void is frustrating to say the least. Hopefully, the release's solicitations are more revealing. I'm going to provide stream-of-conscious commentary on many of the titles. If I don't comment on a given title its because either I have nothing nice to say or whatever snippet that Marvel provided offered nothing.

 

• Invincible Iron Man - The only title that includes actual interior artwork.
• A-Force - The all-female Avengers title from Secret Wars makes the line-up. A decent roster of characters.
• All-New, All-Different Avengers - Should also state 'All-Diverse' as well. If there was any title that demonstrates Marvel's push for diversity its this one. Its also the only title that Marvel has actually provided a sample for as it was the publisher's FCBD offering this year. I'll provide further commentary in a separate post but short answer is I'd buy it.
• Uncanny Avengers - I like the roster! With characters such as elderly Steve Rogers, Spider-Man, Rogue, Brother Vodoo, Quicksilver, and Deadpool this should be a fun book.
• New Avengers - Avengers Idea Mechanics. The quirky Avengers title.
• Ultimates - Is Galactus on the team? 'Nuff said!
• Doctor Strange - Doctor Strange with an axe? Not sure if do or do not want to buy the title to find out why. I was a fan of Bachalo's art on Generation X. Not so much on some his later work. Should be a good fit for Strange though.
• Captain Marvel - The fleet of ships behind her caught my eye. Maybe she'll be the leader of an Earth Defense Force?
• Sam Wilson, Captain America - Like how they are distinguishing this title from previous volumes with putting 'Sam Wilson' in the title. The rift between Steve and Sam is interesting.
• The Mighty Thor - looks like the 'new' Thor's other identity will be explored now.
• Illuminati - An all-villain book. Marvel's answer to Suicide Squad?
• Ant-Man - Seems like a cross between Ant-Man and Superior Foes of Spider-Man (with the new Beetle as the only returning character). Betting its a heist book.
• Amazing Spider-Man - Probably has the best cover and tagline combination that explains the new volume perfectly. A globe-trotting Peter Parker replete with fancy gizmos? Yes, please! Now if it wasn't a twice-a-month book...
• Carnage - I'm glad Gerry Conway is writing for Marvel. I'm surprised that he's writing Carnage.
• Web Warriors - A team of various Spider-Men plus Spider-Gwen and the second Spider-Woman should be a rather quirky team book.
• Daredevil - Hey another Daredevil restart! At least this time DD has a new creative team, costume, and direction (as evidenced by an apprentice).
• Guardians of the Galaxy - New line-up! Rocket Raccoon leading the team should lead to plenty of hijinks. The Thing and Kitty Pryde (in Star-Lord outfit) bring a new dynamic to the team.
• Drax - CM Punk's first ongoing title! Love how the tagline says 'Best in the Galaxy'.
• Howard The Duck - most humorous entry as it satirizes the fact that the title is being restarted after only five issues.
• Nova - Father/Son dynamic. Potentially the return of Richard Ryder. I may actually check this title out!
• Venom: Spaceknight - Venom as a cosmic space hero is such an outlandish concept it may just work.
• Howling Commandos of S.H.I.E.L.D. - Speaking of outlandish concepts... A S.H.I.E.L.D. team that includes monster characters such as Werewolf by Night and Man-Thing sounds awesome.
• Karnak - Warren Ellis.
• Angela: Asgard's Assassin - Angela as the new Hel?
• Squadron Supreme - Love how the various characters from different realities make up the roster. I'll keep an out for this title.
• Extraordinary X-Men - My interest stems from the inclusion of Storm, Colossus, and Nightcrawler on the roster.
• Uncanny X-Men - Magneto, Mystique, and Sabertooth on an X-Men team. Expect a high body-count.
• Deadpool - yep, didn't believe that the 'Death of Deadpool' story would stick.

 More commentary will follow once the solicitations start appearing in Previews.

Of Zim and Waid

Recently, I picked up three shiny new #1s from three "independent" publishers. Mark Waid was creator involved in two of the titles, Archie and Strange Fruit. The third title was the return of Invader Zim written by his creator Jhonen Vasquez. All in all, I enjoyed all three of them.


Archie #1
Creators: Mark Waid and Fiona Staples
After seventy-some years, Archie comics has decided to revamp its flagship titles and characters. While I am not an avid Archie reader, I do have a nostalgic fondness for the character and the house style that has defined the character for decades. So when I found out that they were revamping the character and radically changing the design, it raised my fanboy hackles. That said, I decided to give the revamp a try. As an all-ages teenage humor comic, Archie has always had a cartoonish look. Staples's work is a more modern, realistic approach. At first, the art was far radical but as I read the issue the stylistic changes stopped distracting. In fact, its quite good and captures "modern" teenagers fairly well. As for the writing Waid does a stellar job. These are the same familiar Archie characters maintaining the all-ages nature of the material but modernized. Archie, himself, is the issue's narrator as frequently breaks the fourth wall to inform the reader as to what-is-what. The story concerns the school gossiping about the break-up of Archie and Betty, while some conspire to bring the two back together. As an added bonus, the 6-page story that introduced Archie in Pep Comics #22 is included along with introduction to that story from Mark Waid. If there's one major quibble that I have the main story is that I read it almost as fast as I read Archie's first appearance.


Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars. The revamp starts out strong. I may very well sample the second issue. However, I have not decided if I am onboard it yet.


Strange Fruit #1 (of 4)
Creators: J.G. Jones (story/art) and Mark Waid (story)
Warning: due to the nature of the comic book industry this story probably was completed well before the Confederate battle flag controversy erupted. This story takes a strong stance for one side.


The second Waid collaboration is a much more literary story compared Archie. Strange Fruit #1 is the beginning of a period piece set in the Deep South during 1927 in the time segregation and which that entails. Jones provides fully-painted art that's both beautiful and realistic. Likewise, the writing is evocative and captures the time period faithfully. The first issue concerns the racial tension of the time along environmental threat of the levees threatening to burst from the flooding of the Mississippi River. The issue ends with African-American being chased a posse only to rescued by the surprise appearance of a visitor from an another world... who just happens to look African-American. The last page is sure to cause quite the controversy and kick the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund into overdrive within the Deep South.


Rating: 4/5 stars (0/5 stars if one holds the Confederate battle flag in reverence) - easily the most literary comic I have read all year. Probably one of the more controversial comics too in light of recent events. I'll probably pick up the next issue.


Invader Zim #1
Creators: Jhonen Vasquez and Aaron Alexovich


I am Zim! Finally, finally, Invader Zim has returned... to comics? That's right, an old(?) Nick favorite, Invader Zim, has come back except instead of animation to comics. Ushering Zim into his first foray into comics with his shiny first issue is his creator Jhonen Vasquez. Joining him is Aaron Alexovich, whom despite a lack of involvement in the original animated series, provides art that captures the animated look perfectly and does an excellent job telling the story. Only had one quibble with one sole panel. Fortunately, I was able decipher said panel utilizing what fragments of Invader Zim lore that I retained. What's that? You are unfamiliar with Invader Zim or your memory is hazy? Fear not. The first issue opens with a two-page primer of Zim and his world. Invader Zim #1 easily makes the transition from a twenty minute episode to a twenty page comic. Jhonen Vasquez retains his superhuman grasp of all-ages wit and bizarre creativity. We learn what happened to Zim. We learn what happened to Dib. Eww! We learn what cunningly, evil Zim has planned. Well, sort of. The issue ends with Zim and Gir heading out into space with Dib ready to pursue.


Rating 4.5/5 stars - only because I reserve the right to give a future issue/story a 5/5. Invader Zim is off to superb start. I look forward to the next issue.

Review: iZombie Season Finale (Spoilers)

The CW’s iZombie wrapped up its first season in a satisfactory manner. I greatly enjoyed iZombie’s freshman season. Even though I missed a couple episodes, the show was still accessible. I am not all that familiar with Vertigo series so I do not know how faithful the show was to the comic. In any case, here’s my review of the season finale. Beware spoilers at your own peril.

 Blaine’s brain delivery service plot came to an end as Major had his vengeance in glorious action movie fashion. Well, Liv helped. In doing so, Major’s two major arcs of being in the dark about Liv and the zombies and his quest to help the missing children came to an end.  Of all the characters on iZombie, Major undergoes the most character development over the course the series. He goes from unknowing ex-fiance helpless to help those around him to knowing about zombies, gaining independence from Liv, and being the catalyst for Blaine’s downfall.  Meanwhile, Blaine escapes apparently ‘cured’.

In addition to ending Blaine’s stint as the Big Bad of the show, the first season ends with several subplots and major plotlines on the horizon.  What will Blaine do next? Major most likely will be a person of interest as far as police are concerned. What will Max Rager do next and is it safe to say that company will be next season’s Big Bad? There’s the status of the cure and how it will affect those cured. What will happen to Liv’s brother? Oh, let us not forget all zombies out there that Blaine’s little enterprise was helping to keep under control. Will show still be a quirky supernatural police procedural with a touch of Dollhouse thrown.

All in all, iZombie’s first season ended on a high-note. If you have not seen the show, I heartily recommend it.

Review: FCBD Divergence

In advance of DC’s June publishing initiative, DC released original 8-page stories highlighting what they have in store for readers. Among those stories was this year’s Free Comic Book Day offering, Divergence. Divergence contains stories from the creative teams of Batman, Superman, and Justice League.  So what follows is not only a review but also whether the 8-page story fulfilled its intended purpose to convince to read/buy that title. Note: I currently do not read Batman, Superman, and Justice League.

I have not read a single issue of the acclaimed run of Scott Snyder, Greg Capullo, and Danny Miki on Batman. So the story ‘The Rookie’ was a pleasant treat. The art was detailed and told the story well while bringing back memories of the pair’s work on Spawn years ago. The Rookie debuts the new Batman and the set-up reminds me of the original Robocop in tone except instead of a cyborg the new Batman wears a suit of armor reminiscent of Iron Man. While I enjoyed the story, I am still on the fence on whether or not I would add Batman to my list of titles. I am weary of what seems to be a recent trend of replacing Bruce in the cowl. Furthermore, the new Batman goes beyond Azrael’s version in my eyes. Maybe I’ll pick up the trades.

Meanwhile, I loved the new direction and creative team of Superman. John Romita Jr’s art shines. While I have never read Gene Luan Yang’s work before there’s promise. The story itself, Exposed,  does a great job of exploring in mere eight pages Superman’s new status quo. I’m a big fan of Golden Age Superman so Supes operating at that power level will be a treat.  A depowered Superman whose identity is public knowledge and is on the run in the world of social media, which Exposed illustrates wonderfully, makes for exciting comics.  That said, solicitations state that Superman titles will kick off with the ‘Truth’ arc. I don’t want to follow every Superman title so whether or not I buy the title Superman depends on how independent the individual titles are. The trades are a definite.

Geoff Johns and Jason Fabok’s Justice League story, The Darkseid War Prologue Two: The Other Amazon is an origin story full of myth and prophecy while building towards the comics equivalent of summer blockbuster in the Darkseid War. While I felt the art was a tad muddled at times, The Other Amazon serves as an example of how to do an eight-pager right.  Yep, eight-page stories do not get better than this! The Darkseid War should be an epic for the ages. When John’s Justice League came out I decided that I would read it in trade paperback form.  Whether or not I change my mind depends on whether any copies of the single issue are available at my local comics shop.

DC's New 52 #1's: Stormwatch, Swamp Thing

DC has relaunched is main line with 52 new issue ones that serve as a jumping on point. Some titles are fresh starts where one doesn't need to have read any previous stories since they are remakes so to speak. Other titles retain elements of previous continuity. Honestly, its very headache inducing if one worries about it too much. It actually helps not to be familiar at all with previous DC continuity...

Anyway, today I picked up my selection from this week's shipment. Now, there were titles that came out this week that I was interested in but didn't get because 52 titles are a bit too much. Rather I'll sample them either digitally or in trade form. This week's selection is Stormwatch and Swamp Thing. Now I am only vaguely familiar with both concepts so for both titles I am that 'new reader' DC hopes to attract. Interestingly enough I wouldn't call either title a 'superhero book'.

Swamp Thing

Swamp Thing #1 reads like a Vertigo title which is a good thing. How much previous continuity does it retain? I don't know. Brightest Day Aftermath: Search for Swamp Thing for sure (with exception of continuity ripples) but its not necessary. This is mostly just set up for the series and is quite new reader friendly. Alec Holland is a rather interesting character and his interaction with the titular character equally so once we actually see it. As an aside I do wonder if Death of Superman is still in-continuity but I digress... Read it if you're fan of weird fiction, Swamp Thing, or what I would call 'early or pre-Vertigo'. As for me, I am definately getting next issue.

Stormwatch

Another set up issue that quickly introduces the reader to protagonists, the 'antagonist', and the concept of the book and does so marvelously. Apparently Stormwatch has operated on the fringes of the new DC universe for centuries and no superhero with the exception of the Martian Manhunter has noticed them until now. Guess it sort of works since the new history is 5 years old. Anyway, Paul Cornell did a bang up job getting me to like a book where with exception of MM I had no familiarity with either the characters or the concept. In addition to the writing, the art team did a decent job as well. Read this if you like Doctor Who, Torchwood, Heroes, Alphas, and any modern/furistic anime. Yep, I am getting the next issue.

So in conclusion, DC won with this first week. Stormwatch and Swamp Thing remain on my pull list.

D&D 4E: "Wizards in +20 Godplate..."

Way, way, way back when the latest edition of Dungeons and Dragons debuted many criticisms were leveled. One criticism that I partially shared was the notions of Wizards wearing plate armor. Granted, when the criticism was leveled it was along the lines of wearing Godplate armor. Hence, the title of this post.

As a relatively long-term Dungeons and Dragons player, the notion of Wizards wearing plate armor was a little taboo. However, that particular setting aspect could be ignored for the coolness factor. The major concern was balance. After all, Why wouldn't a Wizard wear plate armor?

Being an early champion of Fourth Edition, I had answers. Since Wizards weren't proficient they'd have to purchase the feat proficiencies. Which if the player wants to play a decent Wizard the character is unlikely to qualify for the feats. Counter-argument: wear the armor unproficient. The penalty isn't all that bad. With little play experience under my belt, I couldn't provide a valid counter.

Since that time, I have played a Wizard quite a bit in Living Forgotten Realms. With all that experience, I have come to a conclusion. It matters. Keeping track of bonuses and penalties is a pain. Even with the accounting, every penalty adds up especially when a characer does't have that many bonuses to begin with. So why not wear godplate? You can but the character won't be as effective.

Sporadic Gaming

Once again, long time and no post. I have procrastinated on making a declaration because I hoped it would only be a temporary situation. Alas, that is not to be. Unfortunately, I am no longer a Tuesday Night Gaming regular. Scheduling conflicts prevent from gaming Tuesday nights with no end in sight. Which is a same as I was looking forward to Mikel's new Rifts campaign this summer.

What does this mean? Well, for starters I don't have a regular game nor game group. That has led to drought of gaming material to discuss on this blog. While I still have gaming topics to discuss, I decided to post my gamer status quo change before discussing those. In a nutshell, whatever gaming I do won't be regular and has to be open to a less than reliable attendee. Right now the game that has filled that void is D&D 4E LFR. Furthermore, once again I'm considering getting into Magic the Gathering.

So with that out of the way, posting should resume to its usual odd pace.

Won't get to partake in FCBD on FCBD

Saturday, May 1st is Free Comic Book Day 2010. Alas, this year I decided not to attend my LCS for the event. One, other priorities preclude my attendance. Two, unlike last year there is no PointCon this year so one less reason to have the weekend clear. Three, the LCS said that it would pull one or more of the offerings for me. So even though I won't be able to attend the actual event, I'll get to enjoy some of the free comics at least.

Perhaps in another entry I'll discuss the pros and cons of FCBD at my LCS.

RIP Carl Macek

As a kid, I remember watching Robotech cartoons. In many ways, shows such as Robotech are the reason why I'm a fan of anime as well as english dubbed and edited anime today. Recently, the man who created Robotech, Carl Macek, passed away. This blog post is my tribute to Carl Macek.

Two more blogs added to blog roll

Within the last couple weeks I added two more blogs to my blog roll.

James Mishler's new blog, James Games, since its his replacement for his now defunct Adventures in Gaming blog.

Jim & Ruth Keegan's Two-Gun Blog - Even though I haven't read or purchased Dark Horse rendition of Conan, Kull, and Solomon Kan in quite some time, I was always a fan of the Adventures of Two-Gun Bob strip.

RIP Dick Giordano

Comics professional Dick Giordano passed away recently. In honor of his contributions to the comics medium, I just want to pay my respects via my blog.

Previews (aka Diamond) and Cancellations

One feature I liked about the Previews Costumer Order Form was the list of cancellations in the back. I appreciated knowing whether or not a particular item was late or cancelled. Now there were times when such an item would show up, which made gauging the list's accuracy difficult. Furthermore, reading the cancellation list could be tedious at times cause not every product would concern me.

Then one catalog came and the list was gone. I understand the need for space so I accepted the change. Since I have had cancelled items in the past, I went to the Previews site as suggested by the order form. To my frustration, there was not section that conveniently listed cancellations. Modifications, yes. Cancellations, resolicitations, lateness were not readily apparent. In other words, if I want to know the status of a particular item I have to ask the retailer.

Incredibly frustrating.

A ton of Anime currently on Hulu

Just want to mention that right now, Hulu has added many new anime shows within the last couple of weeks. Honestly, there's more anime on that site than I have seen before which is one reason why I'm mentioning it. Another reason is that as a not-quite casual, not-quite otaku I am excited that at the moment many anime shows are readily available. Its also good news for anyone on a budget. So some anime reviews/thoughts will come.

GM's Day Sale at OBS sites

Sometime between March 3rd and 8th is GM's Day. To celebrate many companies are offering discounts on select PDFs. Over at OneBookShelf sites such as RPGNow and DriveThruRPG the discount is generally 25%. I believe Your Games Now or whatever the site is called has the same discount.

Why am I mentioning this? One, I do not benefit from plugging these sales whatsoever. Its a conversational point for me. If I do purchase some PDFs due to the sale, its now a conversation point having mentioned the sale prior. Second, I am thankful when companies discount their products. Such a gamble does not always pay off and may hurt sales in the long-term.