DC Comics And Beyond: Comics Reviews
Written by Wayne Hall on December 17, 2009 – 12:00 pm -Where did 2009 go, anyway? Well, whatever holiday or holidays you celebrate, may you have a festive season of fun and fulfillment. Just be sure to come back in January of 2010! Now, to my last column of the year:
1. Batman: Streets Of Gotham #7. With all the changes in the Batman titles, it can be tough to keep up with the new comics. But Streets Of Gotham has consistently been a good book, so I thought I’d talk about it before the year ends.
If it weren’t for how great a writer I feel Geoff Johns is, I’d probably be bragging on Paul Dini a lot more than I do. Of course, Dini was an important part of the Bruce Timm-verse on the telly, and his ability to tell excellent stories and to surprise me makes him one of my favorite writers.
Streets Of Gotham is kind of a team book in that anyone of the Batman family can appear. This time, it is back to basics as the new Batman and Robin fight Santa Claus on Christmas Eve in Gotham City. (No, it isn’t the same one from the DC Holiday Special I reviewed last week.)
Of course, Santa is a baddie (I won’t reveal who) dressing up as The Big Guy to make up for past transgressions. What startles the new Dynamic Duo is when they find out that this Santa has been gathering gifts for the children whose bodies he’s found. When our heroes are convinced Santa isn’t behind the loss of life, they begin to track down the real culprit, someone that we’ve been watching come to power in the book in previous issues. (I won’t reveal who this time, either.)
Batman and Robin are in for a shock – the villain is making kids fight to the death – and on Christmas Eve, too. How evil can a bad guy get, anyway?
One of the things I enjoyed was finally seeing Robin react to a situation in a way besides condescension. You’ll have to read the book to find out what I’m talking about.
The art by Dustin Nguyen fits the dark and somber Christmas Eve setting.
My one gripe about the book is that it ends with the three words hated by anyone who watches television, “To Be Continued.” AUUUUUGH. It’ll be long after the holidays when the next issue comes out, so I hope the conclusion will be worth the wait. Hey, this is Paul Dini’s writing, after all, so I’m sure it will be. I just hate to wait when the good stuff is going on.
2. Incorruptible #1. I wanted to end 2009 on a good note, and I can’t think of a better way to do it than to highlight the companion book to Boom! Studio’s Irredeemable, one of my top picks of the year.
If it weren’t for how great a writer I feel Geoff Johns is, I’d probably be bragging on Mark Waid a lot more than I do. Waid has been one of the very best comics scribes for years, and his knowledge of comic history has made him one of the people I follow just because he’s working on the book. I was always partial to Boom!, but when Waid took over as editor, I knew I was going to enjoy just about anything that company put out. And I was right.
Here’s the company’s description of the premise: “Last April Boom! Studios showed the world that ‘Mark Waid Is Evil’ with the smash-hit series Irredeemable. This December, Boom! shows the world that Mark Waid is now… Incorruptible! Super-villain Max Damage had an epiphany the day The Plutonian destroyed Sky City. When The Plutonian turned his back on humanity, Max Damage decided to step up. Now Max Damage has changed his name to Max Daring and turned from his formerly selfish ways to become… Incorruptible.”
Quick catch-up on Irredeemable: What would the world be like if Superman went bad? A lot of really, really bad things would happen. But also some good, as this new comic points out.
The book opens with Max Damage’s gang going out on their own to steal some extra money (in time for the holidays?) along with Max’s side-wench, the appropriately named Jailbait. In mid-escape, the gang comes face to face with their own leader, who leaves them to be taken in by the cops.
We find out that Max has switched sides. He now wants to balance the scales that were tipped by the transformation of the Plutonian by becoming a good guy.
I liked the art by Jean Diaz, and have high hopes for this comic. Of course, somewhere down the road, we have to have the Plutonian take on Max Daring, maybe in a well-publicized crossover comic event! Anyway, that could be something to look forward to in the New Year.
Also out this week from DC Comics are Batman #694, Batman Confidential #39, Batman 80-Page Giant #1, Power Girl #7 and Supergirl #48; Doctor Who Ongoing #6 from IDW; Farscape #2 and The Unknown: The Devil Made Flesh #3 (written by the aforementioned Mr. Waid) from Boom!; The Marvelous Land Of Oz #2 and Kookaburra K #2 from Marvel; and Project Superpowers: Chapter Two #5 from Dynamite.
For the last time in 2009, here’s my weekly Blackest Night update: Again, four books tied into the event are now available – Green Lantern Corps #43, Justice League Of America #40, Outsiders #25, and Superman Batman #67. I particularly enjoyed the battle of the two Doctor Lights in Justice League, but that doesn’t mean I didn’t enjoy the rest a lot!
Don’t miss this Sunday’s SciFiPulse Radio on blogtalkradio.com. It’ll be the last broadcast of 2009 with host Ian Cullen and guest William Katt from The Greatest American Hero. You won’t want to miss it!
While I’m on the subject, I wanted to thank Grand Poobah Ian Cullen for the opportunity to write and help out in other ways with the SciFiPulse.net website and program this year! Thanks a lot, Ian, and I’m looking forward to 2010!
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Tags: Batman, Blackest Night, Boom! Studios, Geoff Johns, Mark Waid, Paul Dini, Robin, Streets Of Gotham
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