Batwoman #24 – Review

By: J.H. Williams III & W. Haden Blackman (story), Trevor McCarthy (art), Sandu Florea & Derek Fridolfs (finishes), Guy Major (colors)

The Story: If you’re gonna go after Batman, you might as well make it worth his time.

The Review: I’m afraid we can’t get down to business until we discuss to some extent the circumstances leading to Williams-Blackman’s impending departure.  After sorting through all the various accounts of what happened, the whole controversy boils down to this: frustrated by regular, oft-times sudden editorial interference and a mandate that Kate Kane cannot marry, Williams-Blackman chose not to continue a story that was increasingly no longer their own.

Since I don’t know the specifics behind the other editorial mandates reported of, I won’t comment on those.  At any rate, editor-creator tensions are old hat for mainstream comics, and by and large, it’s often impossible to tell exactly when and how they affect any given series.  Only on these rare occasions when a writer airs his grievances publicly do we get real evidence of how an intended storyline gets thrown off course or stonewalled by a decree from above.

Batman #23.4: Bane – Review

By: Peter J. Tomasi (story), Graham Nolan (art), John Kalisz (colors)

The Story: It’s leaders like Bane that make you think twice before criticizing our president.

The Review: With DC producing scads of new characters each year, it’s not surprising that only a few manage to rise to the top.  One of the best floaters of recent years (by which I mean since I was born, some—gah!—twenty-seven years ago) is Bane, one of the only Bat-villain to have truly felled the Dark Knight.  His combination of steroid brawn and razor-sharp mind is what sets him apart, as does his status as a political icon within the DCU.

I’m sure others have done great things with Bane, but the one I always think of is the strangely Byronic man who graced the pages of Gail Simone’s Secret Six.  I’d even say that Simone’s Bane is the gold standard by which all others should be measured.  She not only delivered the perfect balance of Bane’s aforementioned qualities, she gave him a compelling voice and perspective that made him more than the sum of abilities.  You’d think a master character writer like Tomasi would get you similar results, but surprisingly, he falls quite short of the mark.

Batman: Li’l Gotham #5 – Review

By: Dustin Nguyen (story & art), Derek Fridolfs (story)

The Story: Figures that the day Gotham turns nice, it freezes over.

The Review: Not that I expect Li’l Gotham to aspire to Alan Moore-esque heights of literary depth, but I always think that the series deserves to be more than just a load of cuteness.  The holiday hijinks have been sweet and entertaining in their elementary way, but without much in the way of mental stimulation.  The plots are often times so thin and underdeveloped that you can enjoy them even if you’re practically brain-dead.

However, it’s not lost on me that this series is supposed to be full of fluff.  I just don’t see why that has to be mutually exclusive from building plots and characters that grown-ups can enjoy, too.  Anyway, I’m not here to argue that Nguyen-Fridolfs should change up their style or mess with a formula that works for them.  But if the stories on Li’l Gotham don’t take on some new dimensions soon, I’ll quickly run out of things to say about it besides its sheer adorableness.

Batwoman #22 – Review

By: J.H. Williams III & W. Haden Blackman (story), Trevor McCarthy (art), Guy Major (colors)

The Story: Batwoman and Co. do some major cramming for the big Batman test.

The Review: Batwoman is not the first person to attempt the takedown of Batman, but she is the first hero to do so.  This means a very different kind of approach to the task than that you typically get from his villains.  Their plans are usually born out of years of direct experience with the Bat, meticulously plotted and conspired, with the intent to kill.  Batwoman has the uglier task of taking in Batman alive without ever having fought him face-to-face.

With that in mind, if she’s actually going through with this, then she and her team will require a lot of prep-time to defeat the absolute master of it.  No better way to start than by cornering his enemies first, which is a challenge in itself—or, at least, it should be.  Honestly, you expect far more resistance from Bane than what you see here, even if he’s cut off from Venom on an island and facing two well-equipped* opponents.  But given how much ground Williams-Blackman have to cover in this issue, maybe they can’t afford as much of a Bane-fest as they’d like.

Detective Comics #19 – Review

By: Too many to list—check out the review.

The Story: Gotham’s always had a bat problem, but now they have a bat problem.

The Review: In the grand scheme of things, the number of issues a series has under its belt isn’t really important—quality over quantity and all that—but it does quantify a title’s longevity, which sort of says something about the title’s popularity.  Obviously, reaching 900 issues is a pretty big achievement, and you know the most painful thing DC had to accept when they relaunched their entire line was resetting Detective Comics’ numbering back to square one.

Here, they make an attempt to have their cake and eat it too by incorporating the 900 number into the story, which John Layman faithfully does.  Unfortunately, the number has no real value or purpose in context other than as an ominous reference, and the story itself is just yet another variation on the virulent transformation premises that have been infecting the DCU lately: Rise of the Third Army, Rotworld, Demon Knights (not to mention I, Vampire, in which you literally have murderous creatures spreading across Gotham’s citizenry).

The Dark Knight Rises – Movie Review

By: You know the drill—IMDB it.

The Story: Batman trades in one God-forsaken hellhole for another.

The Review: To use a handy legal term of art, I join with Ramon in his overall opinion about this much-anticipated film, but I’d like to clarify what makes The Dark Knight Rises both satisfying and disappointing at the same time.  Ultimately, the movie successfully closes out director Christopher Nolan’s Batman trilogy on a high note, but not quite as high as the dizzying peak that was The Dark Knight.  What this film suffers from is mostly a case of bad timing.

Without giving anything away, plot-wise, Rises at its core is a story about how much one man can accomplish if he has the right drive.  There really isn’t much difference between the Batman who starts the film and the one who finishes it; what the initial Batman lacks, and what leads to his downfall, is his strength of spirit.  Kudos to Christian Bale for getting this across through sheer presence, because you can clearly sense Bruce in the first act of the film, despite his drive and ferocity, going through the motions.  If he manages to turn things around by the final act, it’s from understanding the value of his life anew, not from his affinity with death.

The Dark Knight Rises

By: Christopher Nolan (director), Christian Bale, Michael Kane, Morgan Freeman, Gary Oldman, Anne Hathaway, Marion Cottilard, Jospeh Gordon-Levitt, Tom Hardy (stars)

The Story: Batman has been out of commission for 8 years, but when some other bloke in a mask tries to take over Gotham, Bruce Wayne puts his back on.

The Review: The Dark Knight was better. Let’s just get that out of the way so that we don’t have to question “which of Nolan’s Batman films was the best.” In fact, in many ways Batman Begins is better too. However, this does not mean, in any way, that Dark Knight Rises was a bad film. It survived the Curse of Three! Now the question is how to review the damn thing without giving anything away. The first problem is quite simply that there was no way it could live up to its predecessor. I actually went to the Trilogy Event hosted by AMC and watched all 3 in a row–great for being able to see all those connections big and small….but it also makes Rises have to live up to both films immediately instead of in retrospect. The Dark Knight is just so damn good that when Dark Knight Rises starts, your anticipations and expectations are staggering. Some of them are fulfilled…but enough aren’t.

Secret Six #33 – Review

by Gail Simone (script), J. Calafiore (art), John Kalisz (colors), and Travis Lanham (letters)

The Story: The Six fight for their (after)lives against Prince Ragdoll and his legion of demons.

The Review: Secret Six has been on absolute fire lately, and the conclusion of this latest, and very strong, arc comes to a rousing conclusion without any letdowns whatsoever.  Quite honestly, this is one of those issues where there’s just so much to rave about.

Perhaps the first and most crucial thing to touch upon, however, is how Simone once again taps not just the awesome team dynamic of the seeks, but the emotional ties that bind them together.  Scandal’s decision between Knockout and her team as well as Ragdoll’s recognition of his having a new family are definite highlights that really hit home.  It never ceases to amaze just how emotionally powerful Secret Six can really be.

Each character also has their moment.  Catman, for instance, meets his mother again and it’s one of the best scenes of the series.  Confronted with a grotesque and bloodthirsty torturer for a parent, the resulting scene is both repulsive and touching.  It feels so, so wrong for this to be a feel-good moment for Catman and this comic, but that’s what it is, and the disturbing paradox is testament to Simone’s skill.

Or what about Deadshot?  Once again, badassery looms in his whole-hearted dedication to almost anarchic violence.  Simone again uses Deadshot’s complete ambivalence to matters of life and death as a means of showing that, at his heart, he does actually care about his team.  Much like with Catman, it’s another paradox that works so, so well.

Secret Six #31 – Review

by Gail Simone (writer), J. Calafiore (art), John Kalisz (colors), and  Travis Lanham (letters)

The Story: Scandal finally decides to use the Get Out of Hell Free card on Knockout, but discovers that to be easier said than done, while Liana finds herself in hot water.

The Review: The solicitations call this the most requested Secret Six storyline yet, and in my case at least, they don’t lie.  I’ve been dying for this strand to be picked up and honestly, just getting the Secret Six back in their own comic after a couple of crossovers is certainly appreciated.

There’s quite a bit to like here, mostly because this issue shows what makes Gail Simone’s so special, that being its blend of twisted humour with dark, dramatic, violent ugliness.  It’s the kind of issue that will, at different points, make both laugh and wince.  Best of all, that wincing isn’t due to gruesome imagery or gore.  Rather, it’s due to the emotional wringer that Simone puts her characters through.

Part of that wringer is the revival of Scandal’s guilt over Knockout’s being in hell.  I’ve always rather liked Scandal Savage, in all her inner turmoil and social awkwardness, and as such, this is a very good issue for the character.  She’s a sympathetic character, but whose flaws, both in herself and her claim to the card and its uses, are blatantly obvious.  Simone successfully writes Scandal’s emotions, making her position visceral and gut-wrenching.

There’s also a big betrayal on the team over the card, and it comes for a direction that was a complete and utter shock.  In pro wrestling terms, Simone has one of the team members make a “heel turn” that is a total surprise, but also completely fair.  The argument he/she makes over Scandal’s possession of the card is entirely valid, yet seeing the character’s dialogue become so suddenly monstrous is a shocking turn for the character.  It’s a big twist and I absolutely loved it.  Scandal’s subsequent fight with the character is incredibly well illustrated.  It’s a battle of blades and words that are equally cutting and it’s emotionally and physically brutal stuff.  Calafiore’s subtle shift in how he draws the now bad guy/girl’s face is also pretty damned scary.

Doom Patrol #19 – Review

By: Keith Giffen (writer), Matthew Clark & Ron Randall (pencillers), Art Thibert & Sean Parsons (inkers), Guy Major (colorist)

The Story: A mercenary group of ne’er-do-wells facing off a team of super-freaks on the beautiful shores of Oolong Island as a volcano explodes?  Can someone say reality show?

The Review: Given the outcast nature of the Doom Patrol, it’s no wonder team-ups are a rarity for them.  On one side, they’re pretty much outmatched in number and power by almost every other team in the DCU—even the Outsiders.  On the other side, their specific dynamic doesn’t mesh well with conventional superheroes.  The Patrol serves best when left to their own devices, and not mixed up with characters that call attention to the small scale of their doings.

The one exception may be the Secret Six, who are nearly as weird and antisocial as their Oolong opponents in this issue.  Besides creator of the Secret Six, Gail Simone, one of the few writers capable of delivering the special chemistry of the Six is probably Giffen.  He doesn’t have the subtlety of Simone, being broader and leaning more toward slapstick, but he gets in a pretty good joke here and there (upon being beset by the Science Squad, Scandal remarks, “I think we’re about to be attacked by the chess club.”).

Still, despite having few dull moments between the two teams’ battle royale, some noticeable flaws keep the story from achieving the quality it should have, given the promising premise.  Being a crossover plot, if you happen to not be a Secret Six reader (though, on that note, why wouldn’t you be—it’s only totally awesome), you’d be hard-pressed to get exactly what’s happening here.

And if you did read the first part of the story, you’ll notice how truncated that story seems in this issue.  After all, S.M.A.S.H., the Six’s current employers, basically come to annex Oolong Island as their own, then end up fleeing with their tails between their legs in the course of four pages.  It just feels like the story never gets to build up before it winds down.  There’s little hope the next issue of Secret Six will continue the story, as the Six aren’t likely to work again with people who abandon them to the mercy of their enemies.

Young Justice Episode 4 – Review

By: Andrew R. Robinson (writer)

The Story: Batman said observe the illegal toxin-producing factory, not blow it up!  Who’s leading this team anyway?

The Review: There are two major things people expect from the superhero genre: loads of action and compelling characters.  As much fun as explosions and fisticuffs can be, the characters involved need some kind of depth to make it more worthwhile to see them do their stuff.  They may put their lives on the line, but unless you know something about what motivates them or who they are beneath the heroics, you won’t care all that much.

Young Justice is beginning to address some of that.  Andrew R. Robinson’s script tackles the all-mighty leadership question in a very refreshing way.  Even though it serves as an important tension for the team during their first mission, it doesn’t take the whole focus of the episode, nor does it portray the characters as petty or immature—for the most part (Kid Flash: “Yeah?  You don’t even have superpowers!”  Robin: “Neither does Batman!”  Kid Flash: “Tchuh—you’re not Batman!”).  And it’s a relief to get that predictable plotline out of the way so future stories can focus on some real personal conflicts among the characters.

What’s really impressive about the show is how it doesn’t undermine how capable and smart these young heroes are.  They try their best to uphold Batman’s strict instructions; when events spiral out of their control, they handle it with a lot of finesse; and they don’t blow Robin’s presumptions about being their leader out of proportion—they even offer some sensible sympathy.  By the end of their mission, you’re really rooting for these kids who are trying their best to show what they’re made of.

Secret Six #24 – Review

by Gail Simone (writer), J. Calafiore (art), Jason Wright (colors), and Travis Lanham (letters)

The Story: Secret Six becomes a western as Sheriff Scandal and her crew fight to protect a small mining town.

What’s Good: This month, Simone decides to place the Six in the Wild West.  It’s totally out of continuity and most of them don’t know each other.  It’s a wacky idea that I can’t help but wonder how Simone arrived at, but it works if only for its nuttiness.  After all, the Six is a dysfunctional comic as is; why not make it more off-kilter by randomly switching its genre while retaining its characters?  The comic ends up feeling like a kooky dream sequence or fantasy; I myself kept imagining, that somewhere, Ragdoll was passed out, drooling, in front of a TV playing late-night Western movies, a tray of bad sushi in his lap.

Part of the joy of this comic comes from seeing where our characters end up, how they act, and what roles they occupy in this Wild West world.  Scandal as Sheriff is a great choice, Deadshot having a glowing “dead eye” was a nice touch, and Ragdoll as the town fool was simply wonderful.  I adored Ragdoll’s Punch and Judy puppet shows, which were brilliantly, and manically, written.

Secret Six #23 – Review

by John Ostrander (writer), RB Silva (pencils), Alexandre Palamaro (inks), Jason Wright (colors), and Travis Lanham (letters)

The Story: The Secret Six are lured to a game preserve where they are the prey.

What’s Good: Once you get past the fact that this issue is out of continuity, which in fairness, it’s pretty open about, this is a solid issue from returning guest writer John Ostrander, even if it’s a concept that’s been done many times before.  If anything, this questionable originality is in itself done with a wink and nod: the issue is titled “Predators,” perhaps a reference to the movie coming out this weekend, which looks to have a similar plot.  So really, this is Ostrander plugging the Six into a Predator movie, which is guaranteed fun on concept alone.

The hunters are written in amusing fashion as well; Ostrander seems intent on having them sound like gamers.  While it’s never over-bearing, there’s something in their tone and vernacular that reminds me strongly of the Mountain Dew drinking, profane crowd one often finds playing the newest shooter online.  That Ostrander applies video game lingo to a deadly game of murder is a nice touch of black humour.

I also must mention that while Ostrander does well with all of the characters, Ragdoll is absolute comedy gold.  Every single line he utters is genuinely funny.  It’s that perfect mixture of the bizarre, the depraved, and the innocence that defines the character.  Best of all, though, are when Ostrander inserts pop culture references into Radoll’s raving, which makes it all the funnier.  I never thought I’d hear Ragdoll make a Lost joke.

Overall, this issue is a celebration of the Secret Six.  It’s not a complex plot, but it’s wholly dedicated to making the Secret Six look like absolutely unstoppable badasses, which is refreshing given their low name value and relatively low power level.  It’s clear quite quickly that the hunters are in over their heads and when the Six decide to get even, things get very, very brutal.  As in, Bane ripping off limbs and beating people to death.

Though a mixed bag at some point, Silva’s art generally does the job.  The island looks good and the characters, when in costume, are vibrant and “characterful.”  Ragdoll’s face is also really, really well-done and it’s clear that Silva had the most fun with him.

Suicide Squad #67 – Review

by Gail Simone & John Ostrander (writers), J. Calafiore (art), Jason Wright (colors), and Swands (letters)

The Story: It’s Suicide Squad vs. Secret Six as Amanda Waller decides she wants Deadshot back and won’t take no for an answer.

What’s Good: As an issue of Secret Six, this really is a lot of fun.  There’s a scene that brings the bizarre Bane/Scandal relationship to new heights, as Bane interrogates Scandal’s date and essentially acts like the girlfriend father from hell.  Meanwhile, Ragdoll of all people finds himself in the hilariously awkward position of being the voice of reason.  The entire scene is absolute gold, largely because of how deadpan Bane is through it all.

This month also marks the first time we see Black Alice in action as a full member of the team, and sure enough, she fits quite nicely, bringing a brash, utterly unsubtle element to the team.  Simone and Ostrander also bring back her diary narration, which is just as fun as last month.  Her perceptions of her new teammates are all really enjoyable, particularly her summary of Jeanette.

Secret Six #16 – Review

by Gail Simone (writer), Peter Nguyen (pencils), Doug Hazlewood & Mark McKenna (inks),  Jason Wright (colors), and Travis Lanham (letters)

The Story: Floyd and Thomas aid a grieving father while Black Alice petitions for a spot on the team.

What’s Good: While I did find the last big Secret Six arc to drag a little at times, it’s clear that the series is back in form.  Simone’s one-shots and shorter arcs have often been strongest, and so it’s only fitting that we get a few of these to recalibrate the series.  It’s watching these demented characters operate on a day-to-day level that has always proved fascinating, especially insofar as how they approach an average day on the job or how they interact with each other under “normal” circumstances.

And make no mistake, Simone shows once again that she knows her way around “demented.”  The serial killer introduced at the start of the comic is a prime example.  That Simone is able to breathe so much life into a new, background character  is really remarkable.  In just a few pages, she manages to give this guy such a distinct voice, one that’s all kinds of creepy and twisted and will have you once again wondering how Simone gets away with what she does given Secret Six’s place in the DCU proper.

New additions to a team are always rightfully to be viewed with scrutiny, and Simone effectively proves this issue that Black Alice is not only a character who fits the Secret Six absolutely perfectly in tone and character, but she also convinces me that I’d want to see Alice on a monthly basis.  She’s esoteric, nutty, and odd coherent.  She fits so well and brings such vitality, that I’m surprised we’ve not seen her sooner in Secret Six.  It’s clear that she belongs here, and she already shows this month that she carries very interesting, and mostly hilarious, dynamics with every person on the team.  Her comments to Ragdoll and Jeanette are highlights.

In the end, Secret Six this month is everything the series should be: twisted from cover to cover, yet bringing the laughs throughout.  It’s the perfect balance of dark badassery and black humour, it adds a wonderful new character, and we even get a Deadshot/Catman team-up, a dynamic that has always proved fruitful for Simone.

Secret Six #13 – Review

By Gail Simone (writer), Nicola Scott with Carlos Rodriguez (pencillers), Doug Hazlewood with Rodney Ramos & Carlos Rodriguez (inkers)

The Story: Half the team (Bane, Scandal and Jeannette) are on the run on the lunatic island prison with Artemis, who is looking to save other Amazons. The other half of the team (Deadshot, Catman and Ragdoll) are watching Wonder Woman being prepped to be the supper for some gruesome monster. And, they’re being sent to track down and kill their rebellious colleagues. Simone even fits in a romantic look at Liana K. struggling with her feelings for Scandal.Random  note: Being a Canadian sci-fi guy, I actually met Liana K. in real life.

What’s Good: The art was great. There are so many names on the art team this month that I couldn’t tell you who did what, but whatever twister game they used to decide who would draw what panel, the end product is great. I would even say that the art in this issue beats the solid art in the last. There are a few faces that look a little forced, but there are many others that are expressive, clear, and beautiful.

There’s a lot of tension and immediacy in the danger the Secret Six is in right now. But somehow, without breaking the pacing or relieving the tension, Simone showed us Scandal’s childhood, some vulnerability in Bane and Jeannette, more funny weirdness in Ragdoll, and some moral compass in Catman and Deadshot.

Simone is also a deft hand at handling issues that others would find difficult to balance. She managed to fit extraordinary rendition, a modern-day run-around of human rights, into the story without making it look preachy or clunky. She depicted a lesbian romance without being titillating or crass. And while almost all her characters kill at some point, she spent a moment in this issue humanizing the victims of the Secret Six. Well done, Ms. Simone!

What’s Not So Good: Having Wonder Woman unconscious in front of the monster who will eat her, but then deciding with no explanation to tie her up nearby was weak villainy and Simone could have done better. She’s a solid writer and plotter who didn’t need to fall back on this clichéd (and creaky) plot device. In the end, despite the danger, neither the monster, nor the Secret Six’ employer come off quite as scary as all that. The former is a bit too cartoony, and the latter is a sociopathic Mr. Rourke with a different kind of island.

Conclusion: Gail Simone continues to hit doubles, triples and home runs. If you like your heroes weird, anti-social, filled with a healthy dose of lethal vigilantism, you should be reading this book.

Grade: B-

-DS Arsenault