Comics! Batman and Robin #3

Batman & Robin #3

Peter J. Tomasi: writer

Patrick Gleason: penciller

Mick Gray: inker

I'm liking the focus on Damian. Think of him as Jason Todd as Robin done right. Smug, arrogant. But can still be outwitted by Alfred. Which is good, because it means that he has room to grow as a character.

Damian is given the task of naming the dog that Bruce got him last issue. He doesn't want to. Him and Alfred play a chess match. Damian loses, and is a sore loser at that. And then Damian gets told he won't patrol with Bruce. That angers him more. After Bruce leaves the cave, Damian decides that he is going out anyway and leaves with Alfred getting another one over on him by planting a tracker on him.

Damian then stops a mugging and totally kicks the crap out of the two muggers. Then Morgan, the big bad enemy in this Batbook, drops in on Damian and tells Damian that the plows he just delivered to one mugger has made him brain dead and that Damian should finish him. Damian doesn't and Morgan does it for him. Morgan touches Damian on the forehead and gets put in some sort of paralysis. Then Batman comes in for the big fight.

I like the focus on Damian in this series for a couple of reasons. You see that he is holding back and is trying to put value to human life. Last issue with him killing the bat was a surprising and scary moment, but then he has this moment after beating the mugger where he realizes that he went a little too far. It was told perfectly in the words and in the art.

I'm glad that Damian isn't being overexposed as a character. You see all the development that he has done since he was introduced a few years ago. He isn't being used in other books the way how Batman appears everywhere. It allows for little character moments like the ones in this series. I wasn't too much of a fan of the character when he was introduced, but he has grown on me. I honestly didn't think that when Bruce would return as Batman that him and Damian would get along well. You can see the moments where Bruce is trying to be a good parent, but he is given a difficult task with this kid.

Now I have the urge to reread everything that I have with Damian in it. This will make for a relaxing afternoon.

The art is great, but the cover could use some work. I liked how it told you what was going on in the issue as opposed to just being a cover that could be used as a generic poster on some one's wall. The figures just seem really awkward about fighting each other.

Words: 10/10

Pictures: 9/10

Recommend: For new and old readers. You definitely discover more about Damian where you didn't need to read anything else that he has been in.

Buy Next Issue: Just give me a better cover next time and we are good.

Comics! Three Issue Trial: Action Comics

Action Comics #1-3

Review of Action Comics #1

Review of Action Comics #2

Review of Action Comics #3

I read through all the issues again, and thankfully it does make sense when you read them all together. BUT- and this is a big one, in installments this just falls apart. I don't know if its the fact that the first issue had more pages to develop it's story and the second two issues was shrunk to just 20, but you can tell things just fall short on an individual basis.

So for the most part, this is just a wait for the trade type of story. Its ok, this is typical of Grant Morrison and his writing. I've enjoyed reading his New X-Men comic run again, and the overall story is better. These monthly installments just slow things down.

I think I may be influenced by just having recently read All Star Superman by Morrison, which is Superman done right. It is so weird to go from that to Morrison telling an origin style story for Superman.

The art just goes downhill. It started off much better than the last issue, and its from reading them all together that brings that out. I don't like it when crossed lines is used as a form of shading in a comic. It either reflects a bad inker, and inker who wasn't given enough time to do their job, or an artist who just rushed things and told the inker to back off a little.

This book has the feel that they are just letting Morrison do what he wants. He's sold enough comics for the company, I'm sure he gets the leeway to do that. And he can tell a story, i just don't think that monthly is his way to go. And he needs an artist to keep up, and I don't see that happening with this one.

Words: 6/10

Pictures: 6.7/10

Overall Grade issues 1-3: Individually - 5/10, as a whole - 7/10

Wait for the trade, you will get more out of it.

Comics! Green Lantern #3

Green Lantern #3

Writer: Geoff Johns

Pencils: Doug Mahnke

Inks: Christian Alamy, Keith Champagne, Mark Irwin, & Tom Nguyen

Twice the numbers of inkers as last issue and the art still looks like it always had - great. But this is how it was before the reboot. Speaking of things happening before the reboot, please don't pick up this title if you are a new reader. Not unless you want to buy all the trades written by Geoff Johns. Trust me though, you will enjoy it! Well worth the price of admission.

So the story goes the same as last issue. Sinestro tells Jordan how wrong he is, how little trained he is, and how Jordan doesn't think outside of the box really. That's half the issue down. A new subplot appeared about the Guardians wanting to create a third army that will replace all the Green Lanterns. Advance subplot of Ms. Ferris interested in what is going on with Hal. Advance main plot of Hal and Sinestro heading to Korugar to free the people. Sinestro then takes on the Sinestro Corps while Hal flies into the Yellow Power Battery (which is supposed to shut down the Sinestro Corps) and we end the issue with what looks like Hal being destroyed by the Yellow Power Battery.

Its routine, its good, its what you expect from Johns. There is consistency from issue to issue, but its not for new readers. Johns deals with the history of the character, and I see where he repeats himself enough from issue to issue so that new readers can play catch up, but I think there is more enjoyment taken if you know what is going on. This issue is like a midway point where the next couple of issues will play out some of the main themes before advancing to the next story.

But this is to be expected. And I'm enjoying it.

Words: 8/10

Pictures: 8/10

Recommended: Consistency is highly recommended.

Buy Next Issue: Sold!

Comics! Three Issue Trial: Detective Comics

Detective Comics #1-3

Review of Issue #1

Review of Issue #2

Review of Issue #3

This is just bad writing. Seriously.

Tony Daniel has the artistic chops, and since he is the writer/artist, he finds ways to show off his artwork.

But its all just a flash in the pan. Don't think too much into the story, because the "twists" just keep on coming. Daniel needs a stronger writing influence in his stories. Plain and simple.

What do I think after three issues? There is a lot to be desired for this book. Especially with "Detective" in the name of the book. Very, very little spotlight on the detective work.

That's about all I can really say for the book. Will I continue to buy it? Yes, but only because I collect Batman books. I will probably save time and only review issues that upgrade from month to month, but I'm not going to focus on reviewing every issue of this series if it stays like this. I don't like to trash books, but when I'm big into the story and the only good thing about this book is the art, then I don't want to beat a dead horse every month.

The book was consistent each month. Decent art, ok-ish story.

Grade Averages:

Words: 5.3/10

Pictures: 6.7/10

Overall Grade issues 1-3: 6/10 - Not too recommended.

Comics! Action Comics #3

Action Comics #3

Grant Morrison: writer

Rags Morales and Gene Ha: pencillers

Rick Bryant and Gene Ha: inkers

My goodness, this issue just gets messy. The art mostly does, the story seems a bit out of place, and overall it just doesn't feel like it is worth the bang for the buck.

We start off with Superman dreaming of his time on Krypton when he was a child and he saw the destruction of Krypton. He looks to be a year old, if that. Apparently Krypton was now destroyed by Brainiac, or at least that is the way it is being shown as for this issue.

Also in this issue, lots of hate for Superman. Anything from the fact that he is an alien to how much property damage comes from him rescuing people, it just keeps coming. And then there are the insults thrown at Clark himself.

Then at the end of the issue we get the cliffhanger of Brainiac stating that he wants Superman, and that it is Lex Luthor who is responsible for him being there. So it looks like they will be going with the Lex Luthor who wants to take over the world character in this new DC universe. Which isn't bad, but I've read a lot of good characterizations of Lex where he is philosophically opposed to Superman and how Superman dehumanizes people by trying to be human himself. It might not make sense in that sentence, but try to check out Brian Azzarello's and Lee Bernajo's Lex Luthor: Man of Steel miniseries. That is the type of Lex that I could go for, not a cartoony villain that resembles the 1970's Superman movie character.

But looking at what we are given, and how the story sorta forces itself along with these big moments that I wanted to see more of and drawn out moments that I wanted to see less of, I am getting the impression that this series just isn't for me. Especially with the $3.99 price tag. We only got 20 pages of stories with a bunch of backup material that gives minor impressions of the behind the scenes to all of the Superman books that got relaunched. Granted, if you are already reading some of those titles then the information you are reading in the back of this comic is information you already know. So it is basically an ad.

The great character change for Superman in this new universe seems to be to make him an arrogant, cocky, self assured, asshole of a character. And the only purpose of doing that is to show how much his character changed to the "modern" timeline that the Superman book is following right now (that's the 5 years thing that DC is making into a timeline to make certain books make sense and... just wiki it).

I'm just not into the book. The art has gotten worse over the three issues, which is a sad fall from the first issue being so great. DC has made a strict schedule that the creators must adhere to in order to stay on the books, and the rushed work is noticeable here. This is even with a guest artist coming in to help you out.

Maybe reading the first three issues in a row will help me stay on for another month, but more than likely it will not.

For those keeping track, this is the second Superman title that I am dropping, and the third book overall. Unless I see something upon re-reading it.

Words: 5/10

Pictures: 4/10

Recommend: I say no.

Buy Next Issue: Probably not.

Comics! Red Lanterns #3

Red Lanterns #3

Writer: Peter Milligan

Penciller: Ed Benes

Inker: Rob Hunter

It's the Bleez origin issue/rebirth special!

Atrocious throws Bleez into the blood pits and she regains her intelligence and personality that she had before she was a Red Lantern. It helps to know that once you become a Red Lantern, you essentially turn into a blood spewing Rage-a-holic that does whatever Atrocious tells you to do. Atrocious has decided that he needs someone other than himself to help lead the Red Lanterns and he chooses Bleez.

Essentially Bleez was the fairest one in her home planet. She was a part of a race that thought they were above other races. Then one day, a Yellow Lantern of the Sinestro Corps came along and killed her mother and tore off Bleez's wings, thus giving her the bony wings that we see and know.

Apparently it was a couple of guys who tipped off the Sinestro Corps member and they were the reason he came to find Bleez. After making short work of one guy, Bleez decides that she will let the other one live, never knowing when she will strike. Step in Atrocious, who say that this is not the Red Lantern way, and strikes the guy dead. In doing this, we essentially get a small division in the Red Lanterns that mirrors the debate that Atrocious has had with himself in the past two issues. This will obviously cause some problems in the future for the control freak nature that Atrocious has.

I'm loving this book. It has depth and background that you could find in the main Green Lantern title that Atrocious first appeared in, but there is something about this story that gives the characters more focus. I ended the book with the feeling that there is an overall story going on, but this focusing on moments or on a singular character is the way to go with this "team" book. I say "team" book because there isn't much of one here even though the Lanterns in the title has an "s." This book has one main character that controls the whole team - Atrocious. Now, we are building a team.

The art does get a little bit cheesecake here and there, but mixed with the story that it is telling, it fits in perfectly. Hell, we got muscle bound goodness form Atrocious in previous issues, now the story focusing on showing the female side of it. Not too much, but just enough in the right places.

Words: 10/10 - perfectly told origin type of story.

Pictures: 10/10

Recommend: If you are only getting two Green Lantern books, get Green Lantern and then get this one. Its what I would do.

Buy Next Issue: See above recommendation.

Comics! Batwing #3

Batwing #3

Written by Judd Winick

Art & Cover by Ben Oliver

Talk about a title that grows on you. I was doubtful at first, really thinking that not much could be done with this book. I didn't have much faith in Judd Winick. The art was blah. But it is growing on me.

We get a little bit of an origin story, and I think that it is set up well. It gives me a feeling that I know who the person under the Massacre mask really is: the brother of Batwing.

We get a big fight in this issue between Batwing and Massacre. Thunder Fall, a member of the Kingdom - Africa's first superhero team, helps out a bit before needing to be saved. Batwing takes him to the hospital where things don't look so good.

Overall this is a very well done book. It has proper pacing, let's the art shine a bit, and brings you along for the ride. The characters all seem familiar (and being Batman type knock offs, this is how you should feel it), yet you can tell that this is different.

This isn't a book that I was willing to say was spectacular awesomeness that everyone needed to read when I first picked it up, but now I would say that. Get this book. Out of all the Bat-books, this is one I would definitely recommend for new readers. This is a book I would recommend for old readers too. This might end up being one of the lower selling Bat-books, but I think it is better done than Nightwing or Batgirl, and those will see more readers than this book. Winick has stepped up his game, and Oliver has won me over as well.

Words: 7/10

Pictures: 7/10

Recommend: Definitely. Get it. Everyone.

Buy Next Issue: As long as it keeps growing on me, I will. It is one of the books I am looking forward to reading.