By Chris Fenn
I’m finding it quite difficult to think how to word this review. I love Tomasi’s work, and I think his work with Gleason has been consistently the best Batman book since the launch of the New 52. I also love the Fourth World and am instantly interested any time they become a focus in a book. The difficulty I have is that this issue has quite a few things I really dislike with it.
First of all I both love and hate the opening to this book. I love it because it gives a very clear and concise summary of the conception, life and death of Damian Wayne; which must be nice as a new reader and is also a good refresher to people already familiar with the story. What I truly hate about the introduction, though, is using pre-Flashpoint events as an origin to New 52 stories.
Now I am quite a large lover of canon and continuity; I love non-canon stories, Elseworlds and one-shots but I also really appreciate a set and established order of events, and my understanding of resetting a universe is that DC decide to start from scratch; the problem with starting from scratch is then relying on material that occurred before the reset. One huge glaring example in this book is showing Batman get hit with the Omega Sanction, an event which occurred in Final Crisis; and for anybody that hasn’t read Final Crisis [SPOLIER ALERT] this is the event where Darkseid dies in canon, yet this is used as a prequel to a story where Darkseid has only been fought by the Justice League once.
As to not dwell on that particular aspect of the comic I’m going to point out a few other parts of this book that I disliked, and they seem to hinge on the artwork more than anything. There is one particular sequence where Batman shoots, who I think is Glorious Godfrey, in the head with, what I think is, a grappling hook; now as you may tell from how I describe it, the image isn’t very clear and just feels cluttered.
The final thing I’m going to moan about is how Batman seems to act at times. Through the bulk of the book Batman and Ra’s are fighting parademons and Batman cuts both hands off of one and gouges the eye of another. Now I know parademons aren’t human, but that seems really overly brutal for Batman; does this mean he can inadvertently kill mutants, aliens and animals? I also really hated the way he clunkily said “Knowing Ra’s, probably not deep enough”, come on Tomasi; you’re better than that!
Now the things I really enjoyed about this issue basically boil down to two events; the first is when the Justice League arrive. Now it was obvious something was going to happen when Godfrey began to scream but I thought it would be Ra’s, not the amazing two page spread of the Justice League saving the day; this really epitomizes what I want to see from a superhero team.
I also love Batman’s loss of temper, particularly his outbursts against Luthor and Shazam. I feel that when he lashes out in these instances they are justified, considering he has travelled across the world to try and get his son back, only to lose him at the last second to a madman on another planet, I also love the assertive and committed speech he gives on the final page.
Despite my grumblings this is a good issue; it isn’t as good as Tomasi’s other work, and pretty much anything I haven’t mentioned is good. I think this upcoming arc will bring out the best in Batman, the Fourth World and Damian.
For more comic views and reviews follow Chris on Twitter at @fenneth1989
Posted on July 18th, 2014
Category: OUT OF THE LONG BOX, REVIEWS
Tags: Batman, Chris Fenn, Damian Wayne, Darkseid, DC Comics, Glorious Godfrey, Justice League, Peter J Tomasi, Ras Al Ghul, Robin Rises: Omega #1 Review
Reviewed by Dave Robinson
By Keith Giffen, J.M. DeMatteis, and Howard Porter.
The first issue of this book caught my interest enough to get me on board for the second, but the second issue alone wouldn’t be bringing me back for the third.
I liked Porter’s art. It’s angular and dense with detail, doing a good job of reflecting that these characters are not really the Justice League they were apparently created to be; at least not yet. I like the storytelling, too, but I’m not sure how much of that to credit to Porter and how much to Keith Giffen.
I haven’t been too concerned about DC’s much-discussed descent into darkness, not while Otto Octavius is wearing Peter Parker’s body like a new suit, but this is a dark setting, and a fairly grim book. There’s humor there, but most of it is the cutting sort, and the writing team has yet to really build a bond between this reader and the characters.
I had hopes for one character, but this issue dashed them fairly spectacularly.
Still, it’s the end of the second issue of the arc, so things are supposed to look dark, otherwise they’d have no challenge to overcome.
In the meantime, we’ve got a few more questions, and even fewer answers.
It’s a dark book, but not a bleak one, with enough humor to keep it from being entirely grim.
I give it 3 out of 5 stars.
Reviewed by Dave Robinson
www.daverobinsonwrites.com
@dcrwrites on Twitter
Posted on January 15th, 2014
Category: REVIEWS, WORDS ON PICTURES
Tags: Batman, Dave Robinson, DC Comics, Flash, Howard Porter, J.M. DeMatteis, Justice League, Justice League 3000 #2 Review, Keith Giffen, Superman, Wonder Woman
Holy cow…
All Star Batman & Robin makes for an interesting read, but be prepared for a different kind of Batman; one that you might not like.
Written by Frank Miller, and with art by Jim Lee, All Star Batman & Robin, The Boy Wonder (Volume 1) is an out of continuity re-imaging of The Dark Knight’s early career and first encounter with The Boy Wonder. Collecting issues 1-9 of the never finished series, Volume 1 was released in 2008, to mixed reviews. Despite some awful lines, All Star Batman & Robin makes for an interesting read, but be prepared for a different kind of Batman; one that you might not like.
All Star Batman & Robin Vol. 1 examines Batman’s early career and quickly introduces a young, bereaved Dick Grayson.
All Star Batman & Robin Vol. 1 examines Batman’s early career and quickly introduces a young, bereaved Dick Grayson. After being seemingly kidnapped by Batman, Dick Grayson begins to learn about the Batman’s secrets, his war on crime, and how The Dark Knight plans to recruit him into this war. The story continues to follow Batman as he wages his war on Gotham’s criminals trying to discover who murdered Dick’s parents, whilst Dick is left in the cave to fend for himself and invent a costumed persona.
The story continues to follow Batman as he wages his war on Gotham’s criminals, whilst Dick is left in the cave to fend for himself and invent a costumed persona.
As the book progresses we see the introduction of Black Canary, learn that it was the Joker who was behind the murder of Dick’s parents, discover that a teenage Barbara Gordon spends her evenings as Batgirl, and find out that the Justice League feels the need to rally against Batman as they believe that he has finally taken things too far by kidnapping a young boy. This culminates in a fight between Batman and Green Lantern, where Robin nearly kills Hal, leading to a realisation for both Batman and Robin that there must be time to grieve in the war on crime.
The Justice League feels the need to rally against Batman as they believe that he has finally taken things too far by kidnapping a young boy.
Whilst the premise of the story is pretty good, it’s the actual writing and characterisation that will put a lot of people off. The Batman created by Miller here is one who is violent, psychotic, and enjoys what he does. But he enjoys it too much. The Batman portrayed here acts with a reckless abandon, and enjoys the violence with sadistic glee. He’s also incredibly tough on Dick, treating him like a soldier and forcing him through hardship immediately after the death of his parents. It’s not the usual sidekick relationship that readers are used to; not by a long way.
The Batman portrayed here acts with a reckless abandon, and enjoys the violence with sadistic glee. He’s also incredibly tough on Dick, treating him like a soldier and forcing him through hardship immediately after the death of his parents.
The Batman here is unlikeable and hard to reconcile with the Batman that we are used to reading about, or even Miller’s other incarnations of Batman in Year One, and The Dark Knight Returns. Even if you consider this as early in Batman’s career when he could afford to be more reckless and enjoy what he was doing, Miller takes Batman too far, abandoning the key morals and attributes that are the cornerstone of Batman’s character. Even when Batman is shown to be more introspective and questioning of his actions, it’s hard to shake the feeling that Miller has assassinated Batman’s character. For example, Batman shows no remorse for the fact he almost kills Alfred and Vicky Vale early in the book. Add to this some of the worst lines uttered in comic books ever, including the now infamous “What, are you dense? Are you retarded or something? Who the Hell do you think I am? I’m the Goddamn Batman” line, and it’s hard to find a whole lot to like about All Star’s Batman. Batman is no longer the Dark Knight, but instead just another psycho in a cape and cowl. This is something that many people have called Batman in various comics, but it’s never something Batman has actually been.
It’s hard to shake the feeling that Miller has assassinated Batman’s character. Add to this some of the worst lines uttered in comic books ever!
Where All Star Batman & Robin succeeds is in the characterisation of Dick Grayson. All Star’s Boy Wonder is smart, skilled, introspective and quick to question both Batman’s and his own methods and actions. Another area in which All Star Batman & Robin succeeds is in the artwork by Jim Lee. There’s not much to say other than Jim Lee nails the look of the characters Miller introduces; you might not like these characters, but you can’t argue with the artwork. Likewise the writing isn’t always bad; there’s an interesting story underneath all the bad dialogue, and the relationship introduced is intriguingly different to the normal hero/sidekick dynamic. It’s just unfortunate that the majority of the dialogue turns these good factors into farce. Dig a bit deeper, and there are hints that Batman is trying to find himself, and that he may even realise that he’s taking things too far. Unfortunately this is never explored in detail, meaning it’s impossible to see Batman as anything more than a demented psychopath. One thing I really did like, though, was Miller’s juxtaposed portrayal of Batman and the Joker. By having Batman laughing continuously as he fights Gotham’s criminals and a Joker that doesn’t laugh at all, but instead seems deadly serious, Miller creates a clever paradox with the usual portrayal of these two characters.
One thing I really did like, though, was Miller’s juxtaposed portrayal of Batman and the Joker.
In truth, I did enjoy reading All Star Batman & Robin, but not for the reasons I usually enjoy reading a comic book/graphic novel. I’m not a fan of this version of Miller’s Batman at all, and I’m surprised at the quality of writing on display in places, particularly given how good Year One and The Dark Knight Returns were. Some of the lines (such as the infamous “Goddamn Batman” sequence) have no place in any type of book/comic/graphic novel no matter what the writer is trying to achieve; in this book they lower the tone to the point of absurdity and seem only to have been included for shock value, cheapening the writing as a whole. However, there’s no denying that All Star Batman & Robin is a unique and interesting portrayal of the Batman/Robin relationship dynamic, and a completely new take on Batman’s attitude towards his war on crime. This alone makes it worth a read. Just don’t expect to like the book. Don’t expect to find the Batman you recognise here. And don’t expect many answers as All Star Batman & Robin was never finished. This means that the significance of Batgirl and Catwoman’s appearances are never expanded upon, and the Joker’s motive and endgame is never revealed. Without these points ever expanded on, it makes Miller’s writing appear lazy and lacking depth; All Star Batman & Robin might come across very differently if the story it was trying to tell was ever finished.
There’s no denying that All Star Batman & Robin is a unique and interesting portrayal of the Batman/Robin relationship dynamic, and a completely new take on Batman’s attitude towards his war on crime.
All Star Batman & Robin never lives up to Miller’s other work, in particular Year One or The Dark Knight Returns. The characters are hard to like and the writing is at times terrible and cringe-worthy. The artwork is a high-point and Miller’s treatment of Dick Grayson is much better than that of Bruce Wayne, or the other DC characters that make brief appearances throughout this volume. Nonetheless it’s one of the more interesting interpretations of Batman available, and whether you love it or hate it, it’s worth reading purely for the fact there’s never been a version of Batman quite like this before, or since.
Thanks for reading. Written by Chris Orr, an Inter-Comics contributor. You can follow me on Twitter (@Orr_Man), Tumblr (www.dresslikethehulk.tumblr.com), and check out my back-catalogue of articles at www.dresslikethehulk.com.
Posted on January 25th, 2013
Category: PROJECT COMICS, REVIEWS
Tags: All Star Batman & Robin, All Star Batman and Robin Volume 1 review, Bruce Wayne, Chris Orr, Comic Reviews, DC Comics, Dick Grayson, Frank Millar, Jim Lee, Joker, Justice League, Project Comics, Superman
By Sean Favager
Welcome back to Inter-Comics Comic Asylum. Once again I would like to thank all those who took the time to read and contact me on twitter. Your comments and reviews make my day. I even somehow made ReadComicBooks Daily so I can now die a happy man ha. I wasn’t planning to do #002 this week but since I’m stuck in a hotel room drinking the cheapest vodka and red bull (Black energy drink, tastes like rotten shit) and I’m in London the capital of this fine country I thought why not. So this week the Comic Asylum is coming at you from Laaaandon Town. Before I start I went out to the local Asda to get the cheapest vodka and energy drink wearing my Liverpool top, doing so might have not been my brightest idea. Ooooo I stuck out like a Jedi at a Star Trek convention! Anyway enough about me pissing off the locals let’s get started with #002 of the Comic Asylum.
I love you guys...yer me best friggin mates..."buuurp"
“A Conversation Between Friends!”
Just one more blog...just one more blog!
What you will notice throughout my blogs is alcohol is my main inspiration whilst writing (I’m Inter-Comics Tony Stark, ha Ari gave me that I’ll run with it). It gets my creative juices flowing but this issue was a question I asked my good friend @Pete_the_Red. “Is this era of comic book / superheroes being cool here to stay or is this just a fad?” Just a simple conversation starter between two friends and then I got his reply; “I think it’s a fad. Not for fanboys like us but everyone else. They did Batman and Superman in the 80s only to ruin it and it will be the same this time around”. Now this really got me thinking. Now you leave the house and within five minutes I bet you a comic book (I’m 100% serious with this bet) you WILL see someone wearing a superhero t-shirt. Be it the Bat or Supes, hell I’ve even seen a girl rocking a Flash t-shirt before. Now I bet 75% of these people have never picked up a comic book or really understand the characters background but its cool to wear a comic tee at this present time. I’m not complaining at all, the more love for these characters I read and watch the better. Now I was originally going to write about the comic book being a fad to non-comic fans but what got me really thinking was the last part to Pete’s answer “They ruined Batman and Superman before, they will do it again!”. Warner Brothers have not shied away from saying they are going to reboot the Bat after Nolan completes what is hopefully his masterpiece. They have also after witnessing Marvel’s Avengers do so well come forward and said they want to really go for a Justice League film. So is this where we come full circle. Can and do we want to see another vision of someone’s Batman on the big screen so close to what Nolan has done for the Bat verse?
Are Justice League fans in for the biggest disappointment since Fox thought sowing Deadpool's mouth closed seemed like a good idea?
To that question I personally would like to wait a good few years before I see Bruce Wayne don the cowl on the big screen. At least till the hype behind Nolan’s trilogy dies down. I wouldn’t argue with a Nolan and Bale fourth by any means but if Warner are to hand the mantle to someone else I can and would rather wait (unless Snyder had a script handy I would take back this blog). I’m going to go outlandish here and admit I enjoyed the Green Lantern film. Could it have been better yeah but if you were to watch it for what it is, it is not such a bad film. Plus I’m in the boat that says we are yet to see a good Superman film. I loved Smallville but the big blue boy scout hasn’t impressed me on the big screen. Can a flash work? Plus Wonder Woman tried and didn’t get past a pilot episode. So are Justice League fans ready for the biggest disappointment since Fox thought sowing Deadpool’s mouth closed seemed like a good idea? Has Marvel just struck gold by accident?
Yeah i said it, I enjoyed the Green Lantern film, who's with me....anyone?
@Pete_the_Red has finally got me stumped. I have no response to his answer at all but more questions. I would love just like you all for every comic film to strike gold but I understand they all can’t. Most of the time it is our fault because we expect soooooo much not realising the film studios are just out to make a quick million. But sometimes a director comes along (hey Whedon, what up Nolan) with passion and transforms the pages of our favourite books into an art form on the silver screen. I’ve learnt it’s give and take being a comic fan but still it’s hard not to get excited when a project you have read and spent money every month collecting gets announced to be a feature film. Maybe this genre has peaked at the right time or maybe we are in for another 10+ years of groundbreaking comic book films. Either way I will still get excited and spend hours talking about or surfing the net for any information I can find. So I cannot really argue with Pete’s statement yet really think to myself and maybe just expect the expected I guess. This kind of superhero movement we have going with the big screen will one day die down. But until that day if it does come I will happily sit up with a glass of vodka and enjoy the quality they are putting out now. Maybe in twenty years down the line I’ll be saying to my children “there’s only one Batman and that’s Christian Bale!”.
That’s it for #002 of the Comic Asylum, sorry if it feels abit rushed. I was trying to save #002 as a Spider-Man review but it’s crazy how a simple conversation can get me thinking. So for now i’m getting back to my drink and hitting the floor in a few hours. Take care you beautiful bunch of geeks and geekets!
You can follow Sean on twitter at @seanfav1
Posted on June 29th, 2012
Category: NEWS & VIEWS, THE COMIC ASYLUM
Tags: avengers, Batman, Comic Review, DC Comics, Flash, Green lantern, Justice League, marvel comics, Review, Sean Favager, Superman, Wonder Woman
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