Catching up...

Well, this one has been a long time coming. I got busy over the last few weeks and never got a chance to post on a number of things, so I'm gonna knock 'em all out with this one.

• Frank Miller's Batman: The Dark Knight Returns is considered by many to be the greatest Batman story ever. I disagree strongly. While this tale of a grizzled 60 year old Batman coming out of retirement is a great read, I'd put at least two other Batman tales ahead of it. Both The Long Halloween and...
• Batman:Year One, another Frank Miller penned beauty. This baby shows a young Batman's stumbles out of the gate as he tries to clean up Gotham's streets, and turns Jim Gordan into one of the best supporting players in all of comics. It's far and away my favorite Batman story.
• The Affliction: Banned pay per view event was fan-frickin'-tastic. Some of the early fights were uneventful, but once the Heavyweights took over, it was all good. Andre Arlovski looked better than I've ever seen him while beating Ben Rothwell down, and Josh Barnett's knockout of Pedro Rizzo was actually overshadowed by his interview after the fight. And of course, Fedor is the greatest Heavyweight in the world and proved it.
• The UFC event that aired the same night as Affliction: Banned was kinda lame, even for a hastily assembled free TV card. Anderson Silva did provide us with another impressive KO victory, though.

Batman: The Long Halloween

Written by: Jeph Loeb
Art by: Tim Sale

Minor spoilers ahead...

This semi-sequel to Batman: Year One follows Batman's attempt to capture the serial killer Holiday, named for his/her method of committing murders each month on a holiday. The murders seem to be connected as all the victims are in some way associated with the Falcone crime family. While the primary plot focus is on the hunt for the killer, there is a lot going on in this 13-part epic. Early on the young Batman relies on his relationship with Police Captain Jim Gordon and DA Harvey Dent, as the three of them vow to each other to bring down "The Roman" Carmine Falcone. Even as he works with Dent, eventually Bats comes to see Dent as a very likely suspect in the Holiday murders, and the relationship begins to fracture. Dent's role becomes bigger as the story unfolds, and the birth of Two-Face is a huge turning point of the story, as Dent's turn from driven law enforcer to scarred madman signal's a changing of the guard in Gotham's criminal element. The days of the mob are numbered and the freaks (Joker, Scarecrow, Solomon Grundy) are taking over. As with the other classic Loeb Batman story, HUSH, the reveal of the primary antagonists identity is somewhat underwhelming, but it's forgivable considering the the strength of the story overall, especially when you take into account the fact that the search for Holiday is only a small part of the story being told. I'm not a huge fan of Tim Sale's art, to be honest, but his style fits Batman's world pretty well, and I think this is the best work he's ever done.

Batman: Hush

Written by: Jeph Loeb
Penciled by: Jim Lee
Inked by: Scott Williams

Minor spoilers ahead...

Jeph Loeb's story is like a fanboy's wet dream. He includes just about every relevant character in Batman's world (even Huntress, ugh), and really plays to Jim Lee's strengths, giving him plenty of pretty lady's to draw, and lots of larger-than-life action. The primary antagonist, HUSH, is playing Batman's longtime enemies against him. Everyone, from Poison Ivy to The Scarecrow to The Riddler, gets in on the act. But it's not just the usual baddies Batman has to deal with. He even gets to throwdown with Superman again (and no matter how many times it happens, I always get a kick out of it, when it's done well). While HUSH throws Batman's life into chaos, Catwoman becomes even more of an ally, and Batman finally is forced to figure out exactly how much he trusts her. This romantic sub-plot plays out much better than I would've thought, and for the first time up to that point, I saw Selina Kyle as more than a sexy, leather-clad jewel thief. Anyway, it's not just the Batman/Catwoman show, as many of the longtime Bat-family get to shine, with appearances from Nightwing, Jim Gordon, Amanda Waller, and of course, Batman's go to hacker, Oracle. The ultimate reveal of HUSH's identity is neither shocking, nor satisfying, but once it's clear that there is yet another villain behind all of HUSH's machinations, things fall into place nicely. This one has everything you want in a Batman tale set in the larger DC Universe, dynamic action sequences, multiple villains and guest stars, shocking twists (Jason Todd? NOOOOO!), and a clever mystery for Bats to solve.

Batman vs. Predator

Written by Dave Gibbons
Penciled by Andy Kubert
Inked by Adam Kubert


Minor spoilers ahead...

Don't dismiss this bad boy as a cheap crossover gimmick. I know it might be easy to roll your eyes and ignore this story , but I've always found it to be classic Batman. I could try to convince you of this crossover's credibility myself, but I think longtime Batman writer and editor Denny O'Neil did a better job then I ever could in the trade paper back's introduction...


"The only test I've ever found for judging the artistic credibility of using a character from one fictional universe in another such universe is this: If the character were presented fresh, as a new creation, would he be acceptable? So: If a writer suggested an extra-terrestrial with advanced weaponry and a hunter-killer ethos as the villain of a Batman series, would I buy it? Well... yes."

"We generally put the planet-hopping variety of science fiction off-limits to Batman scripters; Batman's roots are in dark myths- vampires, demons, were-creatures, ogres, all the shadow beings that creep from the nether side of the human psyche. Rocket ships and Batman are not a good mix: our Caped Crusader may use technology, but he is not of technology; it has nothing to do with what he is. And it has nothing to do with what the Predator is, either. Take a look at him and then search your memory for predecessors. Shiva, Satan, Grendel, the Fenris Wolf- the fiends, the devils, the devourers, the enemies of mercy and humanity- those are the Predator's kinfolk. Do we really care that he arrived by spacecraft instead of being belched up from a fiery pit? Not unless we're very picky indeed."


Anyway...
Things start out with The Predator in Gotham City and on the hunt. He begins with the city's Heavyweight boxing champ, and soon after the gruesome scene is discovered, Batman is on the case. As the body count rises The Predator realizes that Batman is the biggest game the city has to offer. However, it's The World's Greatest Detective who soon discovers the aliens makeshift lair... only to get his ass handed to him in their first encounter. Quick thinking (and the Batmobile) get him away with his life, but while Bats is on the mend it's open season for The Predator. Going after mobsters and politicians alike, the creature eventually eyes Commissioner Gordon, just as Batman is ready to get back into action. Of course, now that he's already faced the monster once, and learned its capabilities, Batman is prepared for the rematch. And as all comic fans know, a prepared Batman is damn near unbeatable.

Dave Gibbons 3-issue story-arc reads like a big budget action flick and the early Kubert brothers art fits perfectly.

JLA: Tower of Babel

Written by: Mark Waid
Penciled by: Howard Porter


One last JLA story before I delve into the solo Batman stuff.

Spoilers ahead...

The JLA is being systematically dismantled. A mystery villain has keyed in on each members weaknesses and brought them to their knees. Eventually it is discovered that the plans used were actually Batman's fail safes in case any member of the JLA went rogue. Even if he can repair the damage done, his teammates might never trust him again

JLA: New World Order

Written by: Grant Morrison
Penciled by: Howard Porter


Minor spoilers ahead...


Here's a JLA story that show how an "ordinary" Batman can be relevant in a DC Universe filled with guys who can bend steel and break the sound barrier.





A new super-team, calling themselves The Hyperclan, shows up out of the blue with promises to save the world. While using their considerable powers to do things like growing a rain forest in the desert, they use the media to undermine the JLA. While all the heroes think something is off with these new guys, it's Batman who discovers their secret and almost single handedly brings them down.

Countdown to THE DARK KNIGHT

I'm gonna spotlight some of my favorite Batman comics as I not-so-patiently wait for the premier of THE DARK KNIGHT later this week. BATMAN BEGINS is undoubtedly the best super-hero movie DC has ever had, and I'd say it's trailing only SPIDER-MAN 2, and the first two X-MEN flicks as the best comic book movie of all time. I actually think the sequel will be superior to the original, but I'm trying to keep my hopes down.

Happy 4th!

'Nuff said.

WANTED

I never got through the Wanted comic series. Something about having a protagonist who brags about raping celebrities and getting away with it kept me from getting into it. So, I wasn't ecstatic when I heard a film adaptation was in the works. Of course, I should have known Hollywood wouldn't put the rape and the random sniping of innocent people in the film, or use the "super-villain" angle at all, for that matter. While the movie starts out with a pretty faithful interpretation of "hero" Wesley's mundane existence, once the movie kicks into high gear it's a guild of assassin's, not super-powered villains, who recruit Wesley and give him something to live for. And boy does this flick deliver on the high octane action (leave all disbelief at the door if you want to fully enjoy this one). This has got to be the most visually entertaining action flick since the Matrix trilogy ended. I loved the cast, and while sometimes the tone seemed to veer too far into humorous territory, overall it sucked me into the world and kept me wide-eyed and jaw-dropped.

4/5 stars

Fantastic Four: World's Greatest

Well, I've been able to catch up on some comics, and here's what I thought of the first storyarc from Mark Millar and Bryan Hitch's Fantastic Four run. A four-parter titled "World's Greatest".

Many spoilers lie ahead...

Millar and Hitch set the bar awfully high with their 20+ issue Ultimates run, and it's going to be hard for them to match it with Fantastic Four. Millar has stated before that there should be no rules for Fantastic Four. ANYTHING is possible. And boy he unleashed a doozy of a plot for this one. A group of scientists (The Earth Trust) have concluded that the earth has less than a decade of life remaining. Where is humanity to go once the world dies? Don't worry they got it covered. Step through a portal (an interdemensional one, I assume) and you're in NU-WORLD. An exact copy of earth right down to the graffiti on the walls. Reed's old flame Alyssa Moy is a member of The Earth Trust and has asked Reed to leave the FF and help them finish construction. (Why the world's greatest scientist wasn't involved from the beginning is never touched on, annoyingly.) To keep things on NU-WORLD safe for everyone, they have C.A.P. (Conserve And Protect). A giant robot painted to resemble the dearly departed Captain America. The dictators... er, I mean scientists, have decided that there will be no armies or guns on NU-WORLD, and CAP is going to be their enforcer... um, that is, their "patrolman". In a slightly cheesy turn of event's, CAP goes rogue when it realizes there are soldiers in the real world and hops through the portal looking to identify and destroy all potential threats. Some super-heroes, including Ben, Sue, and Johnny, show up to put the stomp on CAP and pretty much get ass-handled, leaving Reed to save the day. I won't go into anymore details, but in terms of action, the book delivered, fo sho. While the arc mostly focused on Reed, the rest of the cast was well represented, with some great moments featuring Ben, and a nice subplot is developing with Johnny dating a C-list super-villian, while also trying to start a rock band. Also, Millar shows that Reed really can be a pimp, albeit a super nerdy one. For their anniversary Reed has two gifts for Sue, a ring which contains (in Reed's words) "A micro-galaxy. Seventy-Four inhabited worlds and over forty trillion couples in total... All loving each other like I love you." and dinner at a restaurant in view of the first time Reed and Sue bumped into each other as adults... thirteen years in the past.
Like Millar has always said, there is nothing too fantastic for the Fantastic Four. Overall, this was great start, and the last page makes me thing the next arc is going to be even better.

4 STARS (out of five)

Guys I Don't Like: Justin Timberlake

Remember when Rob Thomas re-invented himself as a poor man's Justin Timberlake? Well guess what, I miss Matchbox Twenty. Speaking of Justin Timberlake, I simply don't like the guy. Why? C'mon, I shouldn't really have to explain it, should I? This dude was supposed to fade into obscurity with the rest of N'Sync. And when did it become OK for a heterosexual male to be a JT fan? Not cool, sirs. Not cool at all.

(Although Timberlake on SNL is gold.)

Just Because...

Haven't been reading comics lately, but I felt like giving the industry some love. This is the best I could do...

Tell me...

... this won't give you nightmares. I dare you.

WTF?

I just found this on a message board and laughed out loud. That doesn't happen very often when I'm alone, so I felt I had to share it. Immature? Maybe, but I never claimed maturity was one of my qualities.

Best Of 2007 (Comics)

Although I enjoy indie-type comics like Ice Haven and Box Office Poison, and I LOVE non-superhero books like Y: The Last Man, Criminal, Fables, and Ex Machina, it's clear by my list below that Marvel and DC superhero comics are what I was raised on, and continue to follow.

Best Comic Book Series:

Astonishing X-Men
Joss Whedon's crafted the most consistently entertaining X-Men run since, well, maybe ever. And certainly the best one since I've been reading comics (roughly 1990). Not only are the action sequences perfect, the characterizations are dead on. Wolverine has been stripped down to what he should be (at least in an X-Men book), a rough neck brawler with little respect for authority. Kitty Pryde is worth reading about. And most importantly, Whedon makes readers understand why Cyclops, despite his flaws, is the man in charge of this team. Great writing and John Cassady on art chores. It's kind of a no-brainer.

*The Walking Dead

*Green Lantern

*Criminal

*Action Comics

Best Single Issue:

Astonishing X-Men #22

Great action, great twists (like Lockheed working for S.W.O.R.D.), and great art. Business as usual for this book, but what separates it from every other issue of the series, and every other comic of the year, is the way the (apparent) death of Cyclops is handled. Regardless of how inconsequential death is in comics, it's still a powerful moment and noble sacrifice. Kudos to Whedon and Cassady (again).

*Batman #666

*Sinestro Corps Special #1

*Captain America #25

*The Ultimates 2 #13

Best Writer:
Geoff Johns (52, Action Comics, Green Lantern, Justice Society of America)

I know what your thinking. I just heaped boatloads of praise on Joss Whedon, but he doesn't even crack the top 5 writers list. Well, in the world of comics, it's not just how good your work is, but how much quality work you produce. At least that's my opinion. Whedon is a Hollywood big shot, so he has other stuff to do besides write comics full time. Outside of Astonishing X-Men, he wrote a run on Runaways (which I haven't got around to reading yet) and Buffy (which I'll never read). Now take, Geoff Johns. He was part of the writing team on 52, he masterminded the epic Sinestro Corps storyline in Green Lantern, and revitalized JSA. Not to mention a stalled, but vastly entertaining run on Action Comics that he co-wrote with Richard Donnar (although, I'm pretty sure it was mostly Johns). There were also a few, well, mediocre issues of Teen Titans this year. They weren't great, but they weren't weak enough to take away from his overall body of work.
*Robert Kirkman (Invincible, Ultimate X-Men, The Walking Dead)
*Grant Morrison (52, All-Star Superman, Batman)
*Brian K. Vaughn (Runaways, Y: The Last Man)
*Ed Brubaker (Criminal, Daredevil, Uncanny X-Men)


Best Artist:
John Cassady (Astonishing X-Men, Fallen Son: Iron Man)
This one isn't even close. As much as I love the other guys on this list (and guys like Mark Bagley, Mike McKone, and the Kubert brothers), no one can match Cassady (I just wish he would finish up Planetary). Below are some examples of what makes him the best.
*John Romita Jr. (World War Hulk)
*Olivier Coipel (Thor)
*Carlos Pacheco (Superman)
*Frank Quietly (All-Star Superman)