The final arc of Amazing Spider-Man took a big risk at its beginning by (spoilers) switching out Peter's consciousness with Doc Ock's. This issue takes another by focusing more on Peter in Ock's body and not on Ock in Peter's body at all.
And it worked, actually. Peter's thoughts are the bigger concern and so I was glad that he got the focus and the story could develop.
I think the only real complaint in the storytelling Peter gives as he searches through Ock's consciousness is that we all had to bear witness to Ock banging Aunt May. Peter's reaction is hilarious, but the image in readers' heads must be horrifying.
Anyway, Peter unlocks the memory as to how the switch was made and uses Ock's resources before it is too late. There's an interesting dialogue with The Lizard, and I hope the next series dives into that more.
Also interesting is the thought of both Peter's and Ock's consciousnesses melding with each other. It could be a compelling storyline later on, should both survive.
The art here is serviceable, though it is still horrible to look at Ock's degenerated body. It's just a really excessive, gruesome image.
I doubt the changes that will be made after next issue are permanent, but I definitely want to see how this ends. I genuinely hope that after providing Peter with a montage of pain and misery for 700 issues, he can finally end in a happy place.
Some quick thoughts
Briefly, I do want to talk about Huntress' crossover with Robin in World's Finest #6-7.
In case you hadn't heard, New 52 Huntress is actually Helena Wayne, Batman's daughter and Robin on Earth-2. The main Earth's Robin is Damian Wayne, Batman's son.
As such, the fights and dialogue are really interesting, and I loved how Damian was written here. He really has come into his own as Robin and I hope this dynamic stays in place for a while.
Helena is more relaxed, most likely due to her mother's personality coming from Catwoman instead of Talia al'Ghul. Helena doesn't respect Damian's more extreme behavior and that leads to trouble between the two.
Overall, though, their mutual respect is seen by the end and the story is really fun. I wasn't big on the Power Girl stuff, though it is interesting to see how Kara's development in Supergirl will lead her to be different than Earth-2's Kara in this book.
Not really worth buying because Kara's storyline is joined in the middle and that half of the book is hard to follow, but definitely read over the Damian-Helena storyline in the store. It's the kind of fun I'd hope for from that type of crossover.
Now that Thanksgiving has gone by and the Catholic season of Advent now in full force, I can finally be comfortable in talking about the Christmas season.
For those who don't celebrate Christmas, don't worry. This isn't about the holiday. It's about a topic that everyone regardless of religious affiliation or lack thereof can talk about pretty easily: Christmas TV specials.
These suckers own network time everywhere for about a month, and anyone who claims they never run into them are... Amish. Or lack the means to own a TV/go near electronics stores/etc.
Everyone has their personal favorites that have gained some level of legendary status. My personal favorites include The Polar Express, How the Grinch Stole Christmas, Year Without a Santa Claus, and the first two legs of the Santa Clause trilogy. (I watch the third out of a feeling of obligation.)
The Rankin-Bass universe rules the roost for 25 days on ABC (formerly Fox) Family, and Disney as well as Nickelodeon have a slew of TV show-based holiday specials. Those range from beautiful and near-perfect (Hey Arnold! Arnold's Christmas and Rugrats: The Santa Experience) to freakishly/awesomely disturbing (Invader Zim's Christmas Special).
But while so many all-time greats are considered must-watch, I'd argue that there are another level of specials/movies that should be must-see but are generally forgotten or missed.
And there are reasons for that. Some were made-for-TV films that no one cared to watch and couldn't gain a true following. Some were based on material that isn't as mainstream as Rudolph or Frosty. And some were just insane to the point that people refuse to watch them despite their entertainment value and still-present charm.
As such I am listing my Top 5 Fun, but Forgotten Christmas Specials/Movies.
To be clear, being on this list doesn't make a special good or bad. (Read my explanations to know if they are or not.) These are just specials that deserve viewership and yet for some reason don't gain traction.
Also, these aren't "hipster answers" either. All these specials usually air. I just usually never hear of people knowing of them (or in some cases liking them).
So let's begin!
Honorable Mention: Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer
I felt this was obligatory because it was requested by a fellow viewer of this thing. This is a special that airs no fewer than 10 times on Cartoon Network (among other channels) and yet it somehow still isn't in the public eye.
The special is based on the terrifyingly disturbing song of the same name. The premise is exactly what it says.
However, the difference between the evil song and this is that this special KNOWS it's going to look stupid and not only has fun with itself, but adds some nice dimensions to make it worthwhile.
What I really like is how the corporate transformation of Christmas is seen as a negative, but it's not outright demonized. The main CEO isn't the one who hates Christmas (the main character's sister and her lawyer are for that); in fact, he loves Santa and legitimately thinks he's giving back to his community. Nice change of pace.
The spin-off songs are as stupid as the main ones, and the thoughts of Santa having universal North Pole health care and/or Santa being sued for homicide are bouts of insanity that actually come across as kind of funny.
Everyone in this special is fun to watch and it's beautifully drawn. It's not truly being forgotten since it's EVERYWHERE, but deserves more credit than it gets for making a dumb premise entertaining.
Frosty Returns (1992)
Again, hard to make a point on a special that is on network TV twice a year (including tonight!), but no one really sticks around for this one it seems like.
And I'd be lying if I didn't know why: This thing is a BLATANT push for environmentalism. The whole story centers around a kid meeting Frosty and then the two have to team up with their nerdy friend to stop a villain from selling what basically amounts to "Global Warming in a Can."
Yeah, it's not subtle in any way. Heck, Ferngully had a more subtle environmental message than this. Seriously, "Don't pollute or you'll kill Frosty!" Wow.
So why is it getting mentioned? Well, to be honest, it's still a lot of fun. There are some actually funny moments and John Goodman does a nice job as Frosty. And the musical song breaks are much better (in my view) than the classic Frosty songs.
Maybe it's just me, but I'm not a big fan of the original Frosty special. It has one decent emotional moment and the rest of it is kind of lackluster. And maybe I'm more of a fan because Frosty Returns uses animators from the old "Peanuts" specials and the musicians who did the score for "Rugrats," but in any case, I look forward to this environmental thumping each year.
Regardless of if you believe in Global Warming, this is worth checking out. It has really no connection to Christmas, so it's the closest thing to a secular Christmas special you'll ever see, so I say everyone should see it.
5: Hey Arnold! Arnold's Christmas
This will only be touched on briefly, but this may be one of the five or 10 best holiday specials ever and it only airs once in a random Nicktoons Network timeslot AT BEST.
It's going to keep moving up over the years. The only reason it hasn't yet is because there's still a large base of people who watched Hey Arnold! and know of this special.
If you want a special that has humor and yet is mostly just beautiful emotion, this is the special.
Yes, the scene where Helga finds out about Arnold's dilemma is a little forced, but it's a Christmas special! Of course that's going to happen.
Ultimately, it's a story about a man who made a massive sacrifice for his daughter and the love of his American pseudo-family helping to bring them together. It's one of the few specials where I can't get through it without getting emotional. Heck, typing about it is bringing back emotion.
I need to get through this blog, though, so let's move on. (And on a final note, FIND THIS AND WATCH IT!)
4: The Story of Santa Claus
CBS shows this 1996... thing... like once every two years, and as weird as it is, it's a nice special that I make a point of seeing if and when it's on.
Santa going bankrupt: weird idea; elves being able to grant wishes: weird idea; Cosmic energy locking in a wish and forcing elves to work at the cost of their magic (and, I think, existence): bizarre idea. And yet all of it comes together in a way that doesn't make me hate it.
It's a strange special that introduces the idea that not all the elves were initially on board with Santa's somewhat nutso-crusade, but that they eventually come around to it.
I'm still not sure how a group of elves with the power to grant wishes and immortality (seriously, they make Santa and his wife immortal) couldn't just conjure toys out of nowhere, but again, that's what makes this fun to watch.
It's so weird to see the ideas that came into play here, and yet the sincerity of it and the excellent voice acting actually sucks you into the story.
It's a good experience watching it, and an even better "Wait, did that just actually happen?" reaction about 10 minutes after viewing. If you can find it, check it out.
3: Three Days
This movie came out in 2001 for then-Fox Family and as most TV movies are, it was quickly thrown down the card of importance. Which is a shame because of the few reviews I could find, people agree with me that it's really well-done.
Many people compare its plot to an altered version of "It's a Wonderful Life,'' and I see the comparisons, but there are stark differences. Basically, an out-of-touch husband is really focused on business, and upon upsetting his wife, she leaves the apartment and is hit by a car.
This leads to an angel named Lionel coming in and giving him the last three days back to him, and if he can prove his devotion and love, then she won't die.
The ticking clock element definitely adds suspense, but it's downplayed. Pretty much anyone with a sense of story can probably guess how he has to prove his love, but the question as to whether there will be a death or not really does feel ambiguous until the final moments.
Kristin Davis absolutely kills in the role of the wife, and I really loved the interaction between everyone as more layers come into play. And I don't think knowing the story is that bad here. Everyone can pretty much guess how Miracle on 34th Street is going to end, but that doesn't mean the characters don't take you for a ride.
I will say that the movie probably would have lived up to its full potential with a tragic ending, as the comedic ending is where a lot of cliched dialogue comes into play. That said, it's a Christmas film and you really have to do it this way if you don't want to suck. (Looking at you, Christmas Shoes, and your evil, evil messages.)
This will probably be on once this year at best, so when ABC Family puts it in a slot, find a way to watch it.
2. Olive, the Other Reindeer
I originally had this at No. 1, but moved it down for reasons you'll see. This special, though, is beautiful.
Yes, the premise is stupid, but at least in the TV special it makes more sense than the book it's based off of. Basically, Olive wants to be a good dog for her owner, and thinks that she should try to become Blitzen's replacement when he's injured in order to prove her merit.
What I love about this is that in this special, Santa is pretty much a given. People go to the North Pole and report on the warm-up runs for the reindeer. This actually takes a lot of confusion out of the special, such as "If the adults don't believe in Santa, then how do they explain the toys they DIDN'T buy under the tree?" That always irked me.
Anyway, the characters are all really compelling and the mailman being the villain is actually kind of a funny development (especially when you hear his motivations).
Overall, this is a must-see special and I really hope this goes down as an all-time classic one day.
1. Year Without a Santa Claus
I didn't even consider this for the list until I heard that no one in my brother's school had heard of it.
How is that possible? This is one of Rankin-Bass' legendary ones. I thought everyone knew this special, and the fact that a new generation is missing out on it upsets me.
The iconic Heat and Snow Miser Brothers and the elves, Jingle and Jangle, must never be forgotten. Plus, the South Town, U.S.A. characters are the most likable southerners I've ever seen in Christmas specials.
There are so many great emotional moments in this special that you probably come close to crying multiple times when you're younger. Heck, even as an adult it triggers the feelings to a degree.
And the Miser Brother songs. OH, the Miser Brother songs. These are so iconic that "Batman and Robin" used them in what was one of the most confusing (and yet somehow entertaining) 30-second bits of the movie. (Seriously, it's the only time I really enjoyed its stupidity.)
And Heat Miser's:
This special is amazing and needs to live forever. I firmly expect you to find this show's airdate on ABC Family and view it.
Well, that's it for "Fun, but Forgotten," but I still have one more Christmas special to talk about. It's one that many reviewers I watch (specifically those on TGWTG) either hate or call a "guilty pleasure," implying it should be acknowledged as weak.
I intend to prove that it is, in fact, a good film and deserving of its love. This month, I defend the live-action "How the Grinch Stole Christmas."
Well, look at Detective Comics! It gets a blog all to itself!
Ok, so I was going to review Amazing Spider-Man #699 today as well, but it's not available in the store closest to me, so I have to wait until tomorrow when I can go to another store.
It's ok, though, because we have DC's flagship brand in the middle of an exciting arc, all while simultaneously serving as a Death of the Family tie-in. So let's talk about it!
Most who have been reading this blog know that before John Layman started writing this book, it was pretty inconsistent. Under Tony S. Daniel, the arcs went from solid, to promising but unsatisfying, to lackluster and incredibly incoherent.
Layman has changed all that, and although the Penguin has been getting A LOT of play lately, this is actually a really compelling piece. Penguin has just ordered his right-hand man, Ogilvy, to bury Poison Ivy alive; however, that comes at the same time that Joker needs Penguin for something he's planning.
This leads to Penguin leaving the empire to Ogilvy temporarily, and it would seem that Ogilvy, now calling himself Emperor Penguin, is looking to use this chance to seize control.
Meanwhile, Batman and Clayface are fighting, as Clayface explains that he's now married to Ivy. This raises a red flag in Batman's head, and he immediately gets away and goes to work trying to figure out whether this marriage is real and how he should handle the situation.
This book has actual logic, detective work and the Joker angle is subtle. It's a tie-in, but it's showing more of a ripple effect that Joker is having - and not just forcing the Joker into any and all situations.
I was very impressed with what I saw, and the back-up story does a nice job of showing how Clayface and Ivy came into their situation, as well as teasing the next appearance of either character in order to get a follow-up.
The art is really strong and the panels were easy to follow. My only issue is that the die-cast cover is exactly the same as the one Batman #13 had. It felt kind of redundant and I kind of wish it had been Cobblepot's face (or the teased cover above). Oh well.
All in all, it was a really good issue and if you haven't been following Layman's work on Detective, now is definitely a good time.
The past two weekends combined to be one of the few situations where a person could reasonably say "Out of chaos, there came order."
Sorry, SEC fans. My boys get top billing!
Two weeks ago, the Bowl Championship Series National Championship Game looked like a chaotic montage of horror. Three teams sat with undefeated records and a serious claim to a title shot. What's more, the SEC had none of them, which meant that the statistically strongest conference in the BCS era could only get in via total B.S. move.
And then Baylor decided to take pride in their team and blew out No. 1 Kansas State. Minutes later, No. 2 Oregon fell at home in overtime to Stanford.
Finally, despite a big-time scare in Los Angeles, Notre Dame – No. 3 two weeks ago, No. 1 since – took down Southern California in a rivalry game to be the only eligible undefeated team in line for a title shot.
Meanwhile, now-No. 2 Alabama shut out rival Auburn in the Iron Bowl to clinch a spot in the SEC title game, and now-No. 3 Georgia completed an 11-1 regular season by crushing rival Georgia Tech.
I do love the classics.
This sets up an SEC title game between 'Bama and Georgia with the winner very clearly getting the title shot against Notre Dame. While people on this blog know I have no respect for the BCS, surely we can all agree that this is the absolute top 2, right?
I thought so, but the answer actually is: Wrong. Fans of Kansas State (now No.6), Oregon (No. 5) and No. 4 Florida are now beating their chests that they should have the shot.
Oh, and Ohio State, who sits at No. 4 in the Associated Press' poll and is the only other undefeated remaining, thinks they should be considered best in the country.
Let me get my lesser thoughts out of the way before tackling the main issue. Yes, I am an Irish Catholic who loves Notre Dame football. Yes, I'm thrilled they went undefeated. I've said many times that teams who go undefeated should take precedence in this system REGARDLESS OF CONFERENCE AFFILIATION OR LACK THEREOF, so I'm all for this.
Ohio State certainly can make that claim, but because of their bowl ban, not only can't they play for the title, they aren't even allowed in the Big Ten title game to prove they are the best in their conference. They're grade will always be incomplete, and given that what they've accomplished so far looks like a cruise through Easy Mode, I can't say that they have had a truly perfect season or are a champion of any kind. So goes their punishment, I suppose.
And as to Florida, I do respect that their schedule shames Alabama and Georgia's. I respect that their loss was far more respectable than the other two. But the fact is, they lost to Georgia head-to-head and did not win their division. I only recognize conference champions or undefeateds as having a claim to a title shot when only two spots are open. I didn't buy Alabama's title claims a year ago, and I don't buy yours now.
Oregon: Please insert your loss and name into the last three sentences and reread if you would like to keep moaning.
For some reason, the angle of this K-State cheer shot really jumped out at me...
Lastly, I come to Kansas State, and this is the point of this blog. The Wildcats could actually have a real claim.
K-State took out every team in front of them, and their schedule to this point has been more impressive than Alabama's, which was two tough games, nine pushovers and whatever the hell you consider Michigan to be. (I say legitimate team well below a contender's standards.)
By contrast, K-State has wins over TCU in Fort Worth, Miami (yes, they aren't that good, but they're at least Michigan quality) and both Oklahoma schools. And their blowout loss is as lopsided as Georgia's.
But ultimately, Alabama/Georgia will have a win over the other, and the SEC has earned a benefit of the doubt regarding its teams.
Don't think so? Let's look at the stats. Below in the left column are the BCS champions since its 1998 inception. In the right are my personal champions because I didn't recognize the title game for some reason:
Year
BCS
Sean
1998
Tennessee (SEC)
Tennessee (SEC)
1999
Florida State (ACC)
Florida State (ACC)
2000
Oklahoma (Big 12)
Oklahoma (Big 12)
2001
Miami (Big East)
Miami (Big East)
2002
Ohio State (Big Ten)
Ohio State (Big Ten)
2003
LSU (SEC)
LSU (SEC)
2004
USC (Pac-10)
Auburn (SEC)
2005
Texas (Big 12)
Texas (Big 12)
2006
Florida (SEC)
Boise State (WAC)
2007
LSU (SEC)
LSU (SEC)
2008
Florida (SEC)
Florida (SEC)
2009
Alabama (SEC)
Alabama (SEC)
2010
Auburn (SEC)
Auburn (SEC)
2011
Alabama (SEC)
LSU (SEC)
Told you I don't recognize non-champions if a viable champion is available, and I don't recognize non-undefeateds if an undefeated is available. Also, USC was heavily overvalued in 2003.
Bottom line, however, is that in 14 seasons, the SEC has produced more than half of the champions. One more would guarantee that the non-playoff BCS era would have more SEC national champions than non-SEC national champions.
It's not a fluke. It's not a conspiracy. The SEC, for years now, has had more elite competition at the top of its conference than any other conference. Most of the time, it was even strong in its weak links.
This year is not one of those times. Arkansas, Auburn, Kentucky and Tennessee epitomize the back-end of Division 1-A football this year, only comparing favorably with bottom-feeders in the Big East, Big Ten, ACC and non-AQ conferences. Missouri, Mississippi State and Ole Miss are OK but are not near high-caliber competition, and while Vanderbilt is good, they're not a huge threat to a title contender.
That's one reason I give K-State's claim some credence. The Big 12 is deeper. Except for Kansas, who could compete with UNLV for some grand award of basketball-to-football transitional failure, every other team in the conference has skills.
West Virginia has the disadvantage of being the kind of team Big 12 systems devour, and they still reached the middle of the standings. Baylor is eighth- or ninth-best and took out a title contender on their home field, a feat similar to Vandy beating a top SEC school this year, in my opinion.
If all but one team in your conference is average or better in another conference, they look pretty good. Heck, I've used K-State's argument before to justify TCU over Oregon in 2010. The Mountain West's teams compared favorably in most match-ups with their counterparts in the then-Pac-10 standings.
But here's the difference: TCU and Oregon could only be compared on conference strength and non-conference schedule strength (which TCU also won. Seriously, TWO 1-AA opponents, Ducks?). They had no losses to compare against. These teams do.
If Kansas State pointed to signature wins, they'd have Oklahoma and maybe Oklahoma State. TCU, (possibly) Texas and Miami are their next three best wins and no matter how those are sliced, they lose luster when taken with a blowout loss to a decisively inferior opponent.
Will the Tide Roll for 3 times in 4 years?
If Alabama won next week, they'd have wins over LSU and Georgia, and their next three best wins over Missouri, Michigan and one of the Mississippi schools compared to a five-point loss to a top-10 elite: Texas A&M.
If Georgia won next week, their blowout loss to top-10 elite South Carolina (who was at full health at the time) would have to compare with the Bulldogs' wins over Florida, Alabama and their next best three: Missouri, Ole Miss and Vanderbilt.
Losing to elites in the SEC is almost expected nowadays. And while the Big 12 has more good teams, the SEC does have more elite teams ('Bama, Georgia, Florida, South Carolina, LSU and Texas A&M) than they do (K-State, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State if reaching).
This is the same reason Oregon has no claim. Even if you discount the fact that they can only finish third in their conference at best, I can't pinpoint one single solitary win that looks elite. Oregon State comes closest, and it's overshadowed by a home loss against Stanford, the only absolute elite on their schedule.
Or will a 6th SEC team have a shot at The Big One?
And if a conference as dominant historically as the SEC maintains this well at the top, they've earned a smidge of Benefit of the Doubt that the middle schedule is better than we gave it credit for. Heck, last week, the SEC blew the barn doors off of four ACC squads, two of which will face off for the conference's title. That tells me there's still something there.
I get people don't like the SEC and think it is overrated, but until they have fewer than six elites in one year, or another conference starts proving themselves, it's hard to argue against it.
If I was going by whose resume (regardless of titles) was most impressive, Florida would get the shot.
If I was going by who has played the best football from start to finish, Texas A&M would get the shot.
And if I was going by the system I've seen, where the season is supposed to be a playoff, and only champions and undefeateds should EVER be considered, the Alabama-Georgia winner would get the shot.
No matter how you slice it, the game next January will be the right one.
(He said before he realized the lower-ranked team could win and not jump the higher one.)
So in my earlier blog today, I mentioned that I felt I read two pretty good books, and two utterly annoying books. Well, I reviewed the good ones, and now, here are the others.
Catwoman #14
While reading this, I could only think one thing:
Every few pages, I needed to review what I had read in order to figure out what the hell was going on. And you know what, I still couldn't figure it out completely!
So what I could understand was that Joker put a bomb on a kid, and Catwoman agrees to go "to hell" with him so the kid can go free.
And then he takes her and the kid... and THEN lets him go! Why would a Joker this psychotic take that course of action? I mean, Joker's actions can be random, but this just didn't seem to fit right.
And then he binds Catwoman to a machine and leaves her in an homage to EVERY VILLAIN EVER. She, of course, gets free, but passes out only to have Joker making out with her.
The main point of this is clearly that Joker wants Catwoman to go back to being a pure villain against Batman (something I've been rooting for!), but she doesn't seem very receptive to the idea.
Possibly the dumbest thing this book tries to theorize is that Joker is in a sado-masochistic relationship with Batman and he wants to be his Bat-b****. Why is this even in the crossover. This is just moronic.
I can honestly say I have no desire to ever pick up a Catwoman book again after this. There were some nice Joker techniques in here (like the spray in Catwoman's suit that triggers temporary rigor mortis), but they are wasted here in beyond stupid plot.
If you're not collecting all the DOTF issues, avoid this thing like the plague!
Amazing Spider-Man #698
OK, so most of my readers know I don't often read or review Marvel. My issue is simple: While I like the heroes, I find that their efforts to make readers relate to their heroes wind up making them come off as whiny and unlikable.
Their focus on events and crossovers don't help either. Civil War made Iron Man seem like a douche. AVX made Cyclops seem like a douche. And then there's Spider-Man.
I will acknowledge that I love Spidey and he is my favorite Marvel character. His first movie revitalized the comic movie industry. The sequel set the new standard for comic films (until the Dark Knight Trilogy topped it). And his cartoon series was truly amazing.
Unfortunately, the comics have been a weak point for a while. Although I keep up with the storylines, I have struggled to even somewhat desire picking up a book since "One More Day" hit the series like an electroshock to the 'nads.
All of that said, today started the final arc before Amazing Spider-Man #700/the final Amazing Spider-Man/the end of Peter Parker's tenure as Spider-Man. As such, I felt it was time to give the books a once-over.
And I can already tell I'm going to be pissed off.
Spidey narrates his portion in a near-verbatim rip-off of "Spider-Man 3." Turns out Doc Ock is about to die and is asking for Peter, and Peter is busy stopping a fake supervillain.
Some of his dialogue is the traditional Spider-Man wit, but a lot of it is also total arrogance and he actually starts to come off as an ass.
Then he comes by Mary Jane Watson's club, and the two tease that OMD might get broken somehow. (But as the end will show, Mephisto/Marvel Creative ain't letting that happen!) Oh and Aunt May is found to be recovering from yet ANOTHER ailment, as her ability to walk is returning.
The final part of this book is Spidey going in to see Ock and this scene... this scene is upsetting. Don't get me wrong: It's interesting and I want to see where it goes. But I have no faith in Marvel's creative team to do something good with this. I don't expect an explanation to whatever the hell just happened. I don't expect Peter to survive this. I don't even expect that death to stick for more than a year or two AT MOST.
I would buy this, but be very wary that this arc could very well turn out to be either an all-time great storyline that gets alienated Marvel fans back into the books - OR it could be an utter failure of catastrophic proportions that makes it hard to take Marvel seriously. They are taking THAT BIG a risk with this plot twist.
It all hangs on you now, Marvel. You've got my attention. Don't f*** this up.
You know, it's kind of weird. The third Wednesday of the month had been my favorite day for new comics, but now that Batman is on the second Wednesday, it's been kind of a disappointing follow-up.
Not that I haven't liked Nightwing and Red Hood's ventures, but when something so emotionally deep like Death of the Family is going on in Batman and Batgirl's main books, it's hard to compete.
But this month, while they're not perfect, I bought four books today, and two were really fun rides. (And two were complete B.S., but I'll get to those in my next post.)
So let's get to the reviews!
Nightwing #14
As I expected, Lady Shiva had her storyline finished up before the issue was over. This is my main complaint with the book, though it's alleviated somewhat by the fact that Shiva will clearly be a player in this book (or at the very least, another member of the Bat-family's book) at some point in the future.
The other major complaint I have is that Dick's insistence that she answer if she's working for Joker felt like they were forcing the connection in. Granted, in this case, it turned out that Shiva was working for someone else, so I didn't have a moment of total irritation like I did in Batman and Robin 14.
Other than those issues, though, this was a pretty nice read. A villain from a few months back was mentioned to connect back to the DOTF storyline, and it felt like a nice way to round out the story.
Dick's detective work and connection to his fellow circus folk was a nice touch, and a nice job has been done in making me care about Sonia as both a competent worker and a possible love interest.
Overall, it's not a high-priority buy, but if you're a fan of Nightwing, you'll definitely want to grab it. It's a nice chance to see Dick Grayson at his most awesome.
Red Hood and the Outlaws #14
The trio's return to Earth and its interruption by Superman served as an interesting piece of filler before connection to DOTF. And that's really what this was: filler.
The first third of the book is all three of the title characters being arrogant and militant against Superman, and he basically just brushes them off. I get that Superman is really impressive and all, but Starfire is a war commander and Jason has fought with Batman - this group should have been able to launch a better strategy than charging Superman while he basically behaves like he said "Come at me, bro!"
The fight scene is pretty awesome, though, and Superman didn't come off as completely above their depth, so I'm not knocking it too hard.
It ends when Isabel points out that they are, in fact, all being insane, and we get the second act of the book: utter pointlessness. Ok, I'm exaggerating in that this will probably turn into a Superman-RHATO crossover later, but it felt like Superman just introduced his storyline into this book for a few pages, so it really felt more like a teaser for the next Superman book than anything else.
Until we get to the third act, which served as a teaser for DOTF. The possible death shown here actually has me nervous because I'll be genuinely upset if it turns out to be legit.
I also want to compliment the little fan service Scott Lobdell worked in by giving a 1989 Batman "Jack Napier" reference. I give you credit, good sir.
Overall, the comic has everything: humor, action and actual fear/sadness. What weakens it is that it's basically a teaser for one book and possibly two crossovers. That said, it's executed really well and it's worth a look, if not a buy.
Now stay tuned to this blog, where I will go off on some stupid, stupid decisions in other books, specifically in this week's DOTF crossover book.
Death of the Family has been absorbing my comic focus, but there were some other stories that I checked out... and still somehow they tied back into the thing!
Well, let's get down to business (to defeat *smash**swish* the Huns!)
Batman and Robin #14
What do zombies have to do with the Joker? Absolutely nothing! And yet somehow, the Joker is responsible for a zombie invasion... Anyone else see a problem with this premise?
I really am not that much of a fan of the zombie invasion genre. There are plenty that I do enjoy, but they do need to be something special. And this felt, well, generic.
Nothing is more irksome in a comic than a line repeated ad nauseum, and having to read "Eat to live" that many times was really annoying.
The initial reveal of who was doing this stuff wasn't bad but certainly wasn't good, and when they gave a second reveal of who was behind the first reveal, it got nonsensical and insane.
How you manage to tie this thing back into Death of the Family is truly a feat of mental gymanstics that shouldn't have been attempted. Peter Tomasi is better than this, and he needs to get back to doing his own thing after this crossover ends.
The only real positives were the art, which Pat Gleason is clearly enjoying doing given all the detail he puts into this; Damian's underground railroad, as this planning and care for innocents really showed why I like Damian as Robin; and the last few pages with Bruce and Damian. That was some of the best authentic emotion I've seen in a Bat-book this whole month, and that's impressive with what's out there.
I wouldn't advise this book to buy, but skim it since it will be part of the DOTF crossover next month and knowing Tomasi he's going to try to play up this bizarre storyline somehow.
Batgirl Annual #1
There should still be copies of this in most comic stores, which is a shame because it is a good story.
I get why. The $4.99 price tag is a lot to ask, especially for a Bat-family member whose book has been inconsistent recently. But I'll say this: It's really worth checking out.
Three storylines collide here, as Batgirl, Catwoman and Mary, the mute Talon from Batgirl #9, all have really nice pieces that combine to form a really fun narrative.
Batgirl is seen saving innocents from a burning building being set off by homeless people, and seeing a pattern of arson, she goes to the carjacker she rescued in the last arc for information. After covering for him by making out for him (one of the funnier moments in the book thanks to Barbara's commentary), she's off to face the man responsible.
Meanwhile, Catwoman has been hired by the same man to break Mary out of Arkham Asylum. Jim Gordon is played really well here, not tolerating any commentary from the guard that disabilities make someone less human or less intelligent, a nice callback to Barb's situation.
From what I could gather, most Talons (they think all) were caught by Gotham PD and are under cryogenic freezing. Mary was the exception – I assume because Batgirl recommended that she could be of help or productive.
Catwoman gets her out and actually strikes up a friendship with her when she learns of Mary's history. I really liked how Gail Simone wrote Selina in this book. If you've been disappointed by Catwoman's portrayal in her book (I'm sure you are.) this is the best you'll see of her for a while.
The only real flaw here is that the art is inconsistent. I'm not sure who did the fire scene, but that was brilliant, and I really wish one artist could have been contracted for this.
I won't spoil the reveal, but it should be clear who (or what) is responsible for all this. I'm cool with it. I liked the story and although I don't want a full-fledged arc anytime soon, this tied a loose end nicely.
I don't like that they tease to Birds of Prey to finish Mary's story, but since she's already being revealed for that team, I guess I know what's coming.
A book this price is hard to recommend, but it's an all-around fun read that should at least be looked over in the store.
See you for more DOTF coverage next week along with my usual Nightwing and Red Hood reviews!
