Hey all, X here to kick off what looks to be a pretty slim Best of the Rest post. Both JT and I had lighter than usual comic weeks, meaning we really don't have a load of books to look at. So yeah. But hey, JT(whose reviews will be in blue text) will probably grace us with more than the measly one review he gave us last week... Probably...
Nightwing #20: After some digging around, Nightwing manages to find the Prankster, who he suspects will be able to help him find Tony "The Man Who Killed Dick Grayson's Parents!" Zucco. However, the two get off on the wrong foot when Nightwing interrupts Prankster trying to kill a corrupt businessman. After a bit of a tussle, Nightwing ends up getting trapped in a glass box(really), with Prankster telling him the only way he'd escape was to remove his mask, thus revealing his identity. This comic was okay, I guess. I still think Prankster has some potential as a vigilante, even though he was coming dangerously close to becoming just another run of the mill villain. On the positive side, Tony "The Man Who Killed Dick Grayson's Parents!" Zucco only appeared on two pages, and that makes me happy. Score: 6 out of 10.
X-Factor #256: The team heads after Mephisto in an attempt to send him back to Hell. Meanwhile, Tier kills all the Hell-Lords Mephisto had locked up. Mephisto kills Shatterstar and Rictor before he is attacked by Tier. Before Tier can kill Mephisto, Guido kills Tier, which makes Guido the new king of Hell. Guido brings Monet back to life and then banishes her from his sight. So yeah, wow... This was a big miss for me... Guido as the devil? Tier, Shatterstar and Rictor dead? Mephisto unable to figure out to teleport away from Tier when he was attacked? Tier killing like 6 Hell-Lords in a small room? Yeah, bad, bad stuff here. Score: 4 out of 10.
FF #7: Wizard and his newest incarnation of the Frightful Four(himself, Blastaar, a brainwashed Medusa, and Bentley-23, who doesn't want to be there) attack the FF. Bentley-23 predictably betrays Wizard, which frees Medusa from Wizard's mind-control, leaving Wizard and Blastaar as the Not-So Terrible Two. After Wizard is defeated, Black Bolt takes him into custody for brainwashing his wife(AGAIN!) and decides to have words with him... Meh. The story didn't really do much for me, but dammit do I LOVE Mike Allred's artwork! Seriously, it's like the perfect art for a comic book, and you all know I don't usually care about art in a comic! So yeah, oddly enough, if not for the artwork, I'd probably have scored this comic lower. Score: 6 out of 10.
Thunderbolts #9: Hey, check it out, I'm still getting this comic! Weird... A mystery man is constructing gamma powered Crimson Dynamo units to be used in terrorist activities. The T-Bolts manage to take down a few of the units and are able to trace the units back to the man behind them, Elektra's brother. So yeah, I don't get why exactly I'm still collecting this series... I don't think I've given any issue a score over a 6! Methinks I'll be rectifying that when I get to the comic shop on Wednesday... Score: 5 out of 10.
Avengers: The Enemy Within #1: Yon-Rogg sends Captain Marvel and her teammates after various menaces to keep them distracted so he could steal the piece of the Psyche-Magnetron that CM had stored at her apartment. After saving her elderly neighbor from dinosaurs(way cooler than I just made it sound, actually), CM returns to her place with Spider-Woman and realizes that she had been burgled. Spider-Woman promises revenge. Finally, a good comic! Huzzah!!!!! Man this week has been brutal comic-wise for me... I enjoyed this one, and think it set-up the upcoming Avengers Assemble/Captain Marvel crossover nicely. This feels like an Avengers story should feel, which is a nice change of pace from Bendis and Age of Ultron... Score: 7 1/2 out of 10.
Iron Man #10: 451 tells Tony a story about how he first met Tony's father before Tony was born. Basically Tony's dad went searching for 451 after learning that he and his wife were unable to procreate. 451 then makes vague comments about Tony having more parents than he knew of... UGH!!! What the hell is happening here!? THIS is the story they think are going to grab movie-goers who just saw Iron Man 3?!? Really?! Come on, Marvel, this is a DC-esque bungle! You're better than this! Yeah, in case I haven't made it clear, I think this entire storyline is idiotic. Dumb, dumb, dumb. All I know is that we better discover that 451 was lying the whole time to be an ass or something. Anything else will be horrible. Score: 4 1/2 out of 10.
Or, maybe JT won't review anything at all... Huh, go figure! I'm sure he'd blame his lack of reviews on me taking Nova #4, but don't buy JT's lame excuses! He's a slacker!! Slacker!!! On the plus side, unless he somehow manages to do -1 reviews next week, he'll definitely have more reviews next week than he did this one. But enough about that guy. Check back tomorrow for a Throwback post by yours truly. Until then? X out.
Showing posts with label Nightwing. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Nightwing. Show all posts
Monday, May 20, 2013
Monday, April 22, 2013
Best of the Rest! April 17th edition.
Hey all, X back again with a new Best of the Rest post. Between myself and JT(whose reviews with be in a blue text), there should be plenty of comics to check out. So instead of talking about it, let's get to it!
Venom #34: Yes! This is exactly what I want from this series! This issue starts off with Toxin kicking Venom's ass, which leads to the mysterious cannibal showing up to join the fight. However, Toxin is all, "Who invited you, bitch?!" and proceeds to BITE the head off of the cannibal! That in turn leads to Venom biting off one of Toxin's arms! Excellent!! Toxin shrugs that off, grows a new arm and continues the ass-kickery. Venom finally halts the assault by injecting Toxin with the serum that keeps his own symbiote under control. Toxin rushes off since his symbiote was acting up, and Venom drags his battered ass to a rooftop to recuperate and prepare for round two. So yeah, Cullen Bunn just needs to keep doing this. Every single issue. Because this issue rocked. Score: 8 out of 10.
Iron Man #8: 451 manages to get Tony his armor before Tony is murdered by Death's Head. That leads to a massive brawl between Iron Man and DH, which 451 uses as a distraction to deactivate the cloaking device the Voldi had been using to hide from the Celestials. The Celestials arrive and obliterate the planet and everybody on it. Needless to say, Tony doesn't appreciate 451's actions and announces that he would have vengeance. This issue was a meh for me. It wasn't awful by any stretch, the fight between Tony and DH was cool, and I enjoyed 451's swerve, but I'm not going to remember this issue past tomorrow. Score: 6 1/2 out of 10.
Daredevil #25: Matt finally comes face-to-face with one of his tormentors, a guy wearing a facsimile of his original yellow attire named Ikari(which means 'Fury' in Japanese). Oh, and Ikari? He has all of DD's enhanced senses. The two have a spectacular battle across the rooftops of Manhattan, ending up in a sporting goods shop. DD manages to set off the sprinkler system, and hopes that his foe's inexperience with his hyper-senses will cause him to become totally disoriented by the noise and falling water. And it's a great plan. Except for one thing... Ikari isn't blind! Ikari beats the ever-loving hell out of a shocked Matt, who has no choice but to turn tail and run away, all while Ikari yells taunts after him. Yeah, this issue? Awesome. I NEVER saw the swerve with Ikari having his sight coming, and when Matt realized Ikari COULD see? Amazing! I wanted to scream FOR Matt! That's how perfect the reveal was. Amazing work by the incomparable Mark Waid. Score: 9 1/2 out of 10.
X-Factor #254: Hey, this "Hell" storyline is still going on... Okay... Tier decides he doesn't want to kill the Hell-Lords, which pisses Polaris off since Tier kind of has to or everybody is screwed. Meanwhile, Mephisto is unsurprisingly knocking off the other Hell-Lords, polishing off Hela right after she had killed Asmodeus. Jezebel, Possessed Madrox and Guido attack X-Factor since Jezebel needed Tier if she had any hope in defeating her father(Mephisto). That leads to a showdown between Monet and Guido. This issue was solid. Much like most of this storyline. It's okay. It's not great or anything, it's okay. To be honest, I'm to the point where I'm waiting for this storyline to just end already... Score: 7 out of 10.
Nightwing #19: So Dick Grayson is in Chicago now, as he's decided to track down and capture Tony Zucco, who, in case you were unaware, killed Dick's parents. The cops hate Nightwing because the cops in Chi-town hate costumed heroes, and Dick is broke because he won't ask Bruce for money. Because they're feuding again after Death of the Family and Damian's death. But honestly, do those two really need a reason to feud?! They're almost always pissed at each other for one reason or another! But I digress... So yeah, Dick has no money and has to take a roommate in his apartment... Because that's smart for a masked hero like Dick... Anyway, it seems Zucco, who was the person who murdered Dick's parents, is the mayor's chauffeur or something... The mayor is corrupt, it seems. On top of that, the Prankster is punishing criminals. So yeah, Dick's first issue in Chicago? Not perfect. But hey, it wasn't awful, so there's that! I have to say, even though he appeared on a grand total of one page, the Prankster seems extremely interesting. I liked the costume and I liked his brand of vigilantism. So I'll be looking forward to seeing more of Prankster and less of Tony Zucco, who was the man responsible for the deaths of Dick Grayson's parents. In case you hadn't heard... Score: 6 1/2 out of 10.
Dark Avengers #189: This is the penultimate issue of this series, and I have to admit, I won't really miss it... It started off with such promise, but man did it fall apart quickly... Basically Evil Dr. Strange dies when he randomly explodes. That frees Skaar from Evil Strange, so Skaar can finally attack Evil Thing. Ragnarok picks up that dimension's Thor's hammer(wait, how?!), which makes him turn into a guy who looks like the Executioner... And AIM is still up to something, but damned if I know what! Yeah, I don't have anything else to add to that issue... Score: 4 out of 10.
Nova #3: In this issue of Nova, we see our protagonist run into The Watcher. He eventually is able to see through the Watcher's eyes that there are a ton of ships in the distance, but since he doesn't know what to do with that knowledge, he heads back to Earth. On Earth, Sam's mom hints she may know about Sam using his dad's helmet and says he can talk to her about anything. After that, Sam is approached by Gamora and Rocket Raccoon, who tell him he's the last of the Nova Corps and they start training Sam. In the midst of training, the Guardians mention the army that's on the way to attack Earth, and Sam tells them he saw it, thanks to the man on the moon, so they send Sam on recon since his Nova helmet can see the cloaked ships. The issue ends with Nova getting blasted in space by the ships, so I guess they can see him. Oops. I enjoyed this issue, it was nothing spectacular but it was a solid read. Score: 6.5/10
Captain Marvel #12: This issue focuses on Cap Marvel and Deathbird's aerial fight with Cap confined to her flying bike. After a long, tough battle, Cap finally defeats Deathbird, but has to fly at the end to due so, which weakens Cap due to the lesion on her brain. Throughout the issue we see her doctor talking to another doctor, the new one having dealt with a case like this before. It turns out his patient was Captain Marvel's friend, Helen Cobb, although she supposedly died in a fire. The doctors meet Cap at home to give her some news that we aren't privy to until the next issue. The issue ends with the mysterious man in the park revealing himself to be Yon-Rogg, now fully powered due to Captain Marvel's fights with Deathbird powering him. This was another solid issue, I enjoyed the fight with Deathbird but all the Doctor mumbo jumbo kinda slowed things down for me. I'm not familiar with Yon-Rogg but after looking him up and seeing he's the one that kidnapped Carol which led to her getting her powers, I'm excited to see where this goes. Score: 7/10
Justice League #19: This issue opened with Jason Todd and Alfred talking, so yeah, that's a free point from me. The two are attacked as some mysterious man who makes his way through the scan and past Batman's retinal scanner somehow to Bats' contingency room, as he has a case with a plan to beat each member of the League. The mystery man steals Superman's case, which has Kryptonite. Batman eventually returns and Jason is beating himself up for not hearing the intruder sneak up on them but Bruce says she's just glad Jason and Alfred are okay. After some help from Aquaman and Cyborg, they aren't able to figure out how this person got in or what they were after, Batman seems to know but plays dumb. Meanwhile, Superman and Wonder Woman fight some terrorists in Kahndaq, but Americans aren't allowed there, so Kahndaq is contemplating waging war on America. Batman meets with Supes and Wondy and they discuss how they went about things when he reveals he knows their dating, and also that someone came to the Batcave and took something to hurt Superman. The issue ends with Firestorm and the Atom, two of the newest Leaguers being attacked in the Watchtower by none other than Despero, wearing a Kryptonite ring. I enjoyed this issue surprisingly. I definitely didn't expect for this review to be so long. I enjoyed seeing Jason and Alfred, so... do more of that, Geoff Johns. I also enjoyed seeing Supes and Wondy fighting crime, and the odd way they influence one another, kinda reminds me their relationship in of Injustice: Gods Among Us. Lastly, this mystery man that knows Bruce could be interesting if done the right way, I'm curious to see who he is and why he'd help Despero, since I don't think it's him. Oh, and I like the new Atom, she rocks. Score: 8/10
Alright gang, that's it for me and mi amigo. Tomorrow, expect a new type of review from X, which he'll explain then, but until now, on behalf of buddy X, this is JT, signing off!
Venom #34: Yes! This is exactly what I want from this series! This issue starts off with Toxin kicking Venom's ass, which leads to the mysterious cannibal showing up to join the fight. However, Toxin is all, "Who invited you, bitch?!" and proceeds to BITE the head off of the cannibal! That in turn leads to Venom biting off one of Toxin's arms! Excellent!! Toxin shrugs that off, grows a new arm and continues the ass-kickery. Venom finally halts the assault by injecting Toxin with the serum that keeps his own symbiote under control. Toxin rushes off since his symbiote was acting up, and Venom drags his battered ass to a rooftop to recuperate and prepare for round two. So yeah, Cullen Bunn just needs to keep doing this. Every single issue. Because this issue rocked. Score: 8 out of 10.
Iron Man #8: 451 manages to get Tony his armor before Tony is murdered by Death's Head. That leads to a massive brawl between Iron Man and DH, which 451 uses as a distraction to deactivate the cloaking device the Voldi had been using to hide from the Celestials. The Celestials arrive and obliterate the planet and everybody on it. Needless to say, Tony doesn't appreciate 451's actions and announces that he would have vengeance. This issue was a meh for me. It wasn't awful by any stretch, the fight between Tony and DH was cool, and I enjoyed 451's swerve, but I'm not going to remember this issue past tomorrow. Score: 6 1/2 out of 10.
Daredevil #25: Matt finally comes face-to-face with one of his tormentors, a guy wearing a facsimile of his original yellow attire named Ikari(which means 'Fury' in Japanese). Oh, and Ikari? He has all of DD's enhanced senses. The two have a spectacular battle across the rooftops of Manhattan, ending up in a sporting goods shop. DD manages to set off the sprinkler system, and hopes that his foe's inexperience with his hyper-senses will cause him to become totally disoriented by the noise and falling water. And it's a great plan. Except for one thing... Ikari isn't blind! Ikari beats the ever-loving hell out of a shocked Matt, who has no choice but to turn tail and run away, all while Ikari yells taunts after him. Yeah, this issue? Awesome. I NEVER saw the swerve with Ikari having his sight coming, and when Matt realized Ikari COULD see? Amazing! I wanted to scream FOR Matt! That's how perfect the reveal was. Amazing work by the incomparable Mark Waid. Score: 9 1/2 out of 10.
X-Factor #254: Hey, this "Hell" storyline is still going on... Okay... Tier decides he doesn't want to kill the Hell-Lords, which pisses Polaris off since Tier kind of has to or everybody is screwed. Meanwhile, Mephisto is unsurprisingly knocking off the other Hell-Lords, polishing off Hela right after she had killed Asmodeus. Jezebel, Possessed Madrox and Guido attack X-Factor since Jezebel needed Tier if she had any hope in defeating her father(Mephisto). That leads to a showdown between Monet and Guido. This issue was solid. Much like most of this storyline. It's okay. It's not great or anything, it's okay. To be honest, I'm to the point where I'm waiting for this storyline to just end already... Score: 7 out of 10.
Nightwing #19: So Dick Grayson is in Chicago now, as he's decided to track down and capture Tony Zucco, who, in case you were unaware, killed Dick's parents. The cops hate Nightwing because the cops in Chi-town hate costumed heroes, and Dick is broke because he won't ask Bruce for money. Because they're feuding again after Death of the Family and Damian's death. But honestly, do those two really need a reason to feud?! They're almost always pissed at each other for one reason or another! But I digress... So yeah, Dick has no money and has to take a roommate in his apartment... Because that's smart for a masked hero like Dick... Anyway, it seems Zucco, who was the person who murdered Dick's parents, is the mayor's chauffeur or something... The mayor is corrupt, it seems. On top of that, the Prankster is punishing criminals. So yeah, Dick's first issue in Chicago? Not perfect. But hey, it wasn't awful, so there's that! I have to say, even though he appeared on a grand total of one page, the Prankster seems extremely interesting. I liked the costume and I liked his brand of vigilantism. So I'll be looking forward to seeing more of Prankster and less of Tony Zucco, who was the man responsible for the deaths of Dick Grayson's parents. In case you hadn't heard... Score: 6 1/2 out of 10.
Dark Avengers #189: This is the penultimate issue of this series, and I have to admit, I won't really miss it... It started off with such promise, but man did it fall apart quickly... Basically Evil Dr. Strange dies when he randomly explodes. That frees Skaar from Evil Strange, so Skaar can finally attack Evil Thing. Ragnarok picks up that dimension's Thor's hammer(wait, how?!), which makes him turn into a guy who looks like the Executioner... And AIM is still up to something, but damned if I know what! Yeah, I don't have anything else to add to that issue... Score: 4 out of 10.
Nova #3: In this issue of Nova, we see our protagonist run into The Watcher. He eventually is able to see through the Watcher's eyes that there are a ton of ships in the distance, but since he doesn't know what to do with that knowledge, he heads back to Earth. On Earth, Sam's mom hints she may know about Sam using his dad's helmet and says he can talk to her about anything. After that, Sam is approached by Gamora and Rocket Raccoon, who tell him he's the last of the Nova Corps and they start training Sam. In the midst of training, the Guardians mention the army that's on the way to attack Earth, and Sam tells them he saw it, thanks to the man on the moon, so they send Sam on recon since his Nova helmet can see the cloaked ships. The issue ends with Nova getting blasted in space by the ships, so I guess they can see him. Oops. I enjoyed this issue, it was nothing spectacular but it was a solid read. Score: 6.5/10
Captain Marvel #12: This issue focuses on Cap Marvel and Deathbird's aerial fight with Cap confined to her flying bike. After a long, tough battle, Cap finally defeats Deathbird, but has to fly at the end to due so, which weakens Cap due to the lesion on her brain. Throughout the issue we see her doctor talking to another doctor, the new one having dealt with a case like this before. It turns out his patient was Captain Marvel's friend, Helen Cobb, although she supposedly died in a fire. The doctors meet Cap at home to give her some news that we aren't privy to until the next issue. The issue ends with the mysterious man in the park revealing himself to be Yon-Rogg, now fully powered due to Captain Marvel's fights with Deathbird powering him. This was another solid issue, I enjoyed the fight with Deathbird but all the Doctor mumbo jumbo kinda slowed things down for me. I'm not familiar with Yon-Rogg but after looking him up and seeing he's the one that kidnapped Carol which led to her getting her powers, I'm excited to see where this goes. Score: 7/10
Justice League #19: This issue opened with Jason Todd and Alfred talking, so yeah, that's a free point from me. The two are attacked as some mysterious man who makes his way through the scan and past Batman's retinal scanner somehow to Bats' contingency room, as he has a case with a plan to beat each member of the League. The mystery man steals Superman's case, which has Kryptonite. Batman eventually returns and Jason is beating himself up for not hearing the intruder sneak up on them but Bruce says she's just glad Jason and Alfred are okay. After some help from Aquaman and Cyborg, they aren't able to figure out how this person got in or what they were after, Batman seems to know but plays dumb. Meanwhile, Superman and Wonder Woman fight some terrorists in Kahndaq, but Americans aren't allowed there, so Kahndaq is contemplating waging war on America. Batman meets with Supes and Wondy and they discuss how they went about things when he reveals he knows their dating, and also that someone came to the Batcave and took something to hurt Superman. The issue ends with Firestorm and the Atom, two of the newest Leaguers being attacked in the Watchtower by none other than Despero, wearing a Kryptonite ring. I enjoyed this issue surprisingly. I definitely didn't expect for this review to be so long. I enjoyed seeing Jason and Alfred, so... do more of that, Geoff Johns. I also enjoyed seeing Supes and Wondy fighting crime, and the odd way they influence one another, kinda reminds me their relationship in of Injustice: Gods Among Us. Lastly, this mystery man that knows Bruce could be interesting if done the right way, I'm curious to see who he is and why he'd help Despero, since I don't think it's him. Oh, and I like the new Atom, she rocks. Score: 8/10
Alright gang, that's it for me and mi amigo. Tomorrow, expect a new type of review from X, which he'll explain then, but until now, on behalf of buddy X, this is JT, signing off!
Saturday, March 23, 2013
Nightwing #18
Hey all, X here with a Saturday night review. Tonight I'll be tackling the Requiem issue of Nightwing. Now, going in to this one you should know that I HATE the fact that Damian was killed off, mainly because it adds nothing to the Bat-stories. If anything, it detracts from them. We've already SEEN how Bruce reacts to the death of a Robin. Same with Dick. Yes, Damian was Bruce's son, but Jason was his adopted son! So basically we've lost Damian and are getting stories that were already told back in the late 80's... Yay. I guess...
Nightwing #18:
Summary: So yeah, Damian randomly died in a comic that most of us weren't even aware was in continuity Dick isn't taking the death very well, sine he had a special bond with Damian from when he was Batman. Having lost his circus(which is a weird thing to ever type) and his little brother, Dick is mad at the world, and tries to push people away. People like Sonia Zucco, who, in case you are unaware, is the daughter of Tony Zucco. Tony was behind the deaths of Dick's parents. And Dick takes every opportunity to scream that at Sonia. Seriously, every time Sonia appears Dick screams it at her! I wouldn't even have noticed had JT not pointed it out to me... But now I always see it! Anyway, after Dick is finished ranting at Sonia, Batman comes by to swing around the city with Dick for a while, saying nothing for a good half an hour. Eventually Bats tells Dick that the Dealer was in Gotham and he was auctioning off Dick's father's Flying Grayson costume. After unleashing some snark at Bats, Dick heads off to bust some heads. Dick drops in and beats up the Dealer's goons, but the Dealer manages to set the auction house ablaze(ain't nobody got time for that!), trapping the sickos who were bidding on Dick's father's costume inside. Dick decides to save the lowlifes, which allows the Dealer to get away and lets his dad's costume burn. From there, Dick heads back to Damian's grave and tells Damian that he was going to take Damian's advice from last issue and would start trusting people again. Sadly, this issue doesn't end there, because if it did, I'd only have praise for it... Instead, the scene shifts to Sonia'a apartment, and Sonia reveals to Dick that her father(who was behind the deaths of Dick's folks, in case you didn't know), was actually alive, and operating out of Chicago...
Thoughts: Yeah... So if you take away those last three pages, this comic was an easy 8 1/2 to a 9 for me. Kyle Higgins had Dick down perfectly here. He brooded for a while, he bitched at people, but in the end, he was still Dick Grayson. Sure, this story was done before, you know, back when Jason died, but still, I enjoyed reading this. And then we got the Tony Zucco reveal... Ugh... It doesn't even make sense if you really think about it! So basically, Zucco faked his death and went to Chi-town, where he became a high-ranking mobster... And, Batman? Didn't realize that Zucco was alive? Being the world's greatest detective and all, I have to doubt that. Which means he DID know, but for whatever reason a) didn't tell Dick, and b) allowed Zucco, the man who killed Dick's folks, to have free reign in Chicago... It makes no sense!! Besides that, why wouldn't Babs know? Or Dick? Or hell, Damian, or anybody! It's not like the members of the Bat-clan are dumb, and it's not like Zucco was hiding out in a smokey warehouse .. He was standing right in public, bossing his goons around! So yeah, like I said, ugh... Basically, read this comic, but skip the final three pages. You'll be way happier that way...
Score: 7 1/2 out of 10.
Huh, I'm gonna miss Damian...
Nightwing #18:
Summary: So yeah, Damian randomly died in a comic that most of us weren't even aware was in continuity Dick isn't taking the death very well, sine he had a special bond with Damian from when he was Batman. Having lost his circus(which is a weird thing to ever type) and his little brother, Dick is mad at the world, and tries to push people away. People like Sonia Zucco, who, in case you are unaware, is the daughter of Tony Zucco. Tony was behind the deaths of Dick's parents. And Dick takes every opportunity to scream that at Sonia. Seriously, every time Sonia appears Dick screams it at her! I wouldn't even have noticed had JT not pointed it out to me... But now I always see it! Anyway, after Dick is finished ranting at Sonia, Batman comes by to swing around the city with Dick for a while, saying nothing for a good half an hour. Eventually Bats tells Dick that the Dealer was in Gotham and he was auctioning off Dick's father's Flying Grayson costume. After unleashing some snark at Bats, Dick heads off to bust some heads. Dick drops in and beats up the Dealer's goons, but the Dealer manages to set the auction house ablaze(ain't nobody got time for that!), trapping the sickos who were bidding on Dick's father's costume inside. Dick decides to save the lowlifes, which allows the Dealer to get away and lets his dad's costume burn. From there, Dick heads back to Damian's grave and tells Damian that he was going to take Damian's advice from last issue and would start trusting people again. Sadly, this issue doesn't end there, because if it did, I'd only have praise for it... Instead, the scene shifts to Sonia'a apartment, and Sonia reveals to Dick that her father(who was behind the deaths of Dick's folks, in case you didn't know), was actually alive, and operating out of Chicago...
Thoughts: Yeah... So if you take away those last three pages, this comic was an easy 8 1/2 to a 9 for me. Kyle Higgins had Dick down perfectly here. He brooded for a while, he bitched at people, but in the end, he was still Dick Grayson. Sure, this story was done before, you know, back when Jason died, but still, I enjoyed reading this. And then we got the Tony Zucco reveal... Ugh... It doesn't even make sense if you really think about it! So basically, Zucco faked his death and went to Chi-town, where he became a high-ranking mobster... And, Batman? Didn't realize that Zucco was alive? Being the world's greatest detective and all, I have to doubt that. Which means he DID know, but for whatever reason a) didn't tell Dick, and b) allowed Zucco, the man who killed Dick's folks, to have free reign in Chicago... It makes no sense!! Besides that, why wouldn't Babs know? Or Dick? Or hell, Damian, or anybody! It's not like the members of the Bat-clan are dumb, and it's not like Zucco was hiding out in a smokey warehouse .. He was standing right in public, bossing his goons around! So yeah, like I said, ugh... Basically, read this comic, but skip the final three pages. You'll be way happier that way...
Score: 7 1/2 out of 10.
Huh, I'm gonna miss Damian...
Tuesday, February 26, 2013
Nightwing #17
Hey comic fans(they prefer "X-Maniacs", buddy...), the last review of the comic week is Nightwing #17, reviewed by yours truly, JT(hey, don't forget me! It's me, X! And I'll be backseat driving this review!). After the events of Death of the Family and pretty much losing his money and circus(♫sad trombone♫), Dick may have finally lost it all. Let's see how the first Boy Wonder copes with his world crashing around him(damn you're dramatic, JT!).
Summary: Nightwing, still reeling with the aftermath of Joker's attacks on not only the Bat-Family but Dick's personal life as well, has to begin to pick up the pieces in this issue. He starts off being told by Alfred that if he needs to talk, he's there for him, but Dick says he's fine, as Damian watches on in the shadows. From there we see Nightwing recover Raya's body and inform Gordon about her, and Gordon asks how he's handling everything but Nightwing maintains that he's fine, and once again Robin is watching him from afar(you're getting a bit creepy, Damian...). Dick then heads to the hospital to check on the Big Top performers, and some resent him, as one guy says that Dick should stay away from them, and after the funeral they all quit. Who elected you leader, you ass(hey, maybe they had a secret election while laying in their hospital beds and the jerk won!). Anyway, a little girl(or midget...) that was there comforts Dick and asks how he's dealing with things, and Dick once again says he's fine(jeez, he said he's fine, people! Back off!). Dick also says he's fine(seriously!? Stop asking how Dick is doing!!!) to Lucius as he finds out that Amusement Mile is burning to the ground due to Joker's chemicals, and also finds out he's basically broke now, as all of his money was tied up in the circus. At the funerals for Raya and Jimmy..wait...only TWO people died? Joker is slacking(he used his magic non-killing Joker toxin, JT! Why does he have a non-killing Joker toxin, you ask? Um.... I'll get back to you on that...). Anyway, Sonia Branch/Zucco pays for the funerals since Dick is basically poor now, and Babs also talks to Dick after Sonia leaves, she tells him to ignore whatever Joker said about people making him weak, but he thinks Joker let people live so they could leave him when it was all said and done. That makes sense I guess(yeah, that MUST be why he has a magic non-killing Joker toxin... I guess...). Of course, Dick tells Babs he's okay(HE'S FINE!!!!!) as Damian watches on behind a tree... yep. When some guys eventually head back to Amusement Mile to recover whatever they can, Nightwing springs into action and beats them senseless until Damian stops him. The two free run around the city, doing hardcore parkour cause that's what Robin's do baby(much like JT and I would do)! Damian tells Dick that others are inept but he isn't and he knows Dick isn't fine(but he's said he's fine. Like 100 times!), as he's followed him all week. Dick says he's supposed to be the rock (Finally!!!) and bounce back, but Damian says he got burned by people he trusts, it happens, and he shouldn't let that change him. Dick agrees with Damian and they decide to hang out more often, and play video games, because Dick's basically a giant kid and Damian is basically a tiny man. The issue comes to a close with an old man known as The Dealer (remember him from the Black Mirror story?)(I do, thanks for asking!) and he's given something the thugs from earlier found, as he pulls out Dick's old Flying Grayson costume with a Joker face drawn on it.
Thoughts: This issue.... was SO weird. It wasn't a bad story but it's weird because nothing happened...and everything happened(yeah, that makes sense, Shakespeare...). Dick lost his circus, amusement mile, his money, and The Dealer may know who he is now... yet, the whole issue could be summed up with "Dick said he was okay, Damian said he wasn't, they talked and now Dick is fine."(um, why didn't you just say that in the first place?!) Also, Damian followed Dick for like a week, and Dick was unaware, which makes him a REALLY shitty detective. I mean I know he was out of it from losing everything but come on.... he was BATMAN. At least show him looking over his shoulder in a panel or two, or even have him say something like, I knew you were there Damian but I didn't confront you because blah blah blah, the point is, it just made Dick look like a really bad detective since he doesn't even know when he's being followed for a week, by a kid nonetheless(thank you! That bugged me so much!). That aside, I didn't dislike this issue, and it set up a few storylines but I still felt like the issue was just slow and really not that memorable.(agreed all the way around.)
Score: 5/10.
Nightwing: You're pretty smart for a kid, you know that?
Robin: "For a kid"?
Nightwing #17
Thoughts: This issue.... was SO weird. It wasn't a bad story but it's weird because nothing happened...and everything happened(yeah, that makes sense, Shakespeare...). Dick lost his circus, amusement mile, his money, and The Dealer may know who he is now... yet, the whole issue could be summed up with "Dick said he was okay, Damian said he wasn't, they talked and now Dick is fine."(um, why didn't you just say that in the first place?!) Also, Damian followed Dick for like a week, and Dick was unaware, which makes him a REALLY shitty detective. I mean I know he was out of it from losing everything but come on.... he was BATMAN. At least show him looking over his shoulder in a panel or two, or even have him say something like, I knew you were there Damian but I didn't confront you because blah blah blah, the point is, it just made Dick look like a really bad detective since he doesn't even know when he's being followed for a week, by a kid nonetheless(thank you! That bugged me so much!). That aside, I didn't dislike this issue, and it set up a few storylines but I still felt like the issue was just slow and really not that memorable.(agreed all the way around.)
Score: 5/10.
Nightwing: You're pretty smart for a kid, you know that?
Robin: "For a kid"?
Sunday, January 27, 2013
Nightwing #16
Tonight's review? Nightwing's Death of the Family tie-in. I've been pretty down on the tie-ins to this storyline, while I've enjoyed the main story going on in Batman... So here's hoping this issue is better than the other tie-ins I've read thus far.
Nightwing #16
Summary: Nightwing heads to Amusement Mile to check on Haly's Circus, and finds that Joker has already been there. Joker, via the PA system, leads Dick to the big top, where Dick finds... Well, literally dozens of corpses... And I'm not even overstating things, there are literally dozens of corpses there! Where does Joker find the time... So yeah, Joker tells Dick that the corpses were former members of Haly's Circus(Really?!), before Joker detonates the corpses, filling the tent with Joker toxin. Dick manages to get his rebreather in, but not before he's knocked a little loopy from the gas. Dick is then thrown from the tent as it explodes(Overkill much, Mistah J?!). As he picks himself up from the ground, Joker strolls over and pushes a button that destroys the entire circus, as well as most of Amusement Mile, knocking Dick in the process. When Dick returns to consciousness, he is confronted by that dead clown, Jimmy, as well as Raya. The two taunt him, but Dick manages to shake off the hallucinations and attacks Joker, beating the hell out of him. However, Dick is stopped in his tracks when he sees every member of Haly's Circus walk over in a Joker-ized state. Dick tries to reason with the now crazed circus folk, but ends up getting beaten back into unconsciousness. Dick wakes up in a cave(I think) where he sees Joker standing above him with the now familiar silver platter and dome.
Thoughts: This comic wasn't bad... If you read it in a vacuum .. If you haven't been reading all of the other Death of the Family books(or even if you were only reading this and Batman), then this was a pretty good comic book. However, this issue really falls apart if you try to fit it into the rest of the Death storyline... I mean really, Joker had the time to dig up DOZENS of graves, bring the bodies TO Amusement Mile, and then set them up in the big top? Even with a mess of help, that's GOT to take a few days, at the least! And then, on top of that, he managed to track down all of the people who were working at the circus(presumably before Dick sent them out of town), drug them with his toxin, have them hide around Amusement Mile, where they attack Dick(who saw none of them as he walked through the Mile), after the circus exploded?! Like I said, if Joker wasn't doing anything else? Then sure, I could see him doing all of that... Maybe... But on top of ALL the other things he's been doing in this story!? It would take somebody with Superman's powerset to do everything Joker has been responsible for! So for me, while this wasn't a bad issue, it was actually hurt by the greater Death storyline, because everything that happened here is just too unbelievable.
Score: 6 out of 10.
That's a pretty awesome Joker pic...
Nightwing #16
Summary: Nightwing heads to Amusement Mile to check on Haly's Circus, and finds that Joker has already been there. Joker, via the PA system, leads Dick to the big top, where Dick finds... Well, literally dozens of corpses... And I'm not even overstating things, there are literally dozens of corpses there! Where does Joker find the time... So yeah, Joker tells Dick that the corpses were former members of Haly's Circus(Really?!), before Joker detonates the corpses, filling the tent with Joker toxin. Dick manages to get his rebreather in, but not before he's knocked a little loopy from the gas. Dick is then thrown from the tent as it explodes(Overkill much, Mistah J?!). As he picks himself up from the ground, Joker strolls over and pushes a button that destroys the entire circus, as well as most of Amusement Mile, knocking Dick in the process. When Dick returns to consciousness, he is confronted by that dead clown, Jimmy, as well as Raya. The two taunt him, but Dick manages to shake off the hallucinations and attacks Joker, beating the hell out of him. However, Dick is stopped in his tracks when he sees every member of Haly's Circus walk over in a Joker-ized state. Dick tries to reason with the now crazed circus folk, but ends up getting beaten back into unconsciousness. Dick wakes up in a cave(I think) where he sees Joker standing above him with the now familiar silver platter and dome.
Thoughts: This comic wasn't bad... If you read it in a vacuum .. If you haven't been reading all of the other Death of the Family books(or even if you were only reading this and Batman), then this was a pretty good comic book. However, this issue really falls apart if you try to fit it into the rest of the Death storyline... I mean really, Joker had the time to dig up DOZENS of graves, bring the bodies TO Amusement Mile, and then set them up in the big top? Even with a mess of help, that's GOT to take a few days, at the least! And then, on top of that, he managed to track down all of the people who were working at the circus(presumably before Dick sent them out of town), drug them with his toxin, have them hide around Amusement Mile, where they attack Dick(who saw none of them as he walked through the Mile), after the circus exploded?! Like I said, if Joker wasn't doing anything else? Then sure, I could see him doing all of that... Maybe... But on top of ALL the other things he's been doing in this story!? It would take somebody with Superman's powerset to do everything Joker has been responsible for! So for me, while this wasn't a bad issue, it was actually hurt by the greater Death storyline, because everything that happened here is just too unbelievable.
Score: 6 out of 10.
That's a pretty awesome Joker pic...
Saturday, September 22, 2012
Nightwing #0
Okay, I'm just going to come right out and say it, I haven't REALLY enjoyed a single #0 issue from DC yet. I mean some of them have been okay, but I don't see why we're getting them... Why interrupt the flow of what ever story is going on for an origin? Why not just do an annual? Wouldn't an annual be the ideal way to handle origins in the New 52 DCU? Plus you could jack up the price and add a few extra pages... Well, that's my thoughts on the zero issues thus far, now I get to review one. Yay...
Nightwing #0
Summary: So this story takes place a vague, "Few Years Ago..." So it's not five years ago, in case anybody was wondering. We meet Dick Grayson fooling around in a train yard with Raymond(who becomes Saiko, I think?), which leads to a security guard almost getting flattened by the train. Dick saves the guard, but ends up being grounded by his parents for his train yard shenanigans. After Dick's grounding, we learn that it's his mother's birthday, and Dick gives her a bracelet with robins on it because she loves robins... Ugh... Anyway, later on that evening, the Flying Graysons get killed in the trapeze accident, and Dick ends up with Bruce Wayne, who offers to take Dick in since he was a material witness to Tony Zucco threatening old man Haly(which actually works for me). Dick begins sneaking out of Wayne Manor at night to fight crime(because, why not?) and comes across the Batman, who he immediately recognizes as Bruce... Now THAT doesn't work for me... Dick doesn't say anything to Bruce, and while Bruce suspects that Dick knows, he doesn't say anything to Dick. After meeting up a few more times on the streets, Batman takes Dick to the Batcave and Dick calls him "Mr. Wayne," ending the weird game the two were playing. From there, Bats allows Dick to train with him and follow his exploits on the computer, but doesn't let him go out to fight crime with him. At least until Lady Shiva comes to town. Shiva and Bats fight, and Bats ends up poisoned, so Dick dons the Robin outfit he had secretly cobbled together from Batman's scraps(he's the world's greatest detective, ladies and gentlemen!!!), and rushes out to help. In actuality, he gets beaten up by Shiva as well, but she decides to spare the two of them since she liked the way Dick fought or something. After getting up, Bruce isn't pleased with Dick putting himself in harm's way, and the two return to the cave.
Thoughts: Eh. This was a bastardized version of Dick's origin as Robin... What's there to really say here? Personally, I liked the original telling of Dick's origin more, because Bats looked way more competent. In this telling, Dick discovers Bruce is Batman, Bruce doesn't tell him. Dick designs his own costume, and he names himself. AND he goes out on his first mission when he wants, not when Bruce decides he's ready... Bats really had little to no role in any of this. I guess Bats was pretty inexperienced at the whole super-hero thing himself back then, but he didn't come across particularly well here. However, I did like the way Dick ended up with Bruce Wayne. So there's that. Oh yeah, and Dick's Robin outfit was horrible.
Score: 6 1/2 out of 10.
Okay, what is up with that costume!? I mean where do the pants end and the shirt begin? Or is it just one piece? And if so, how do you put it on?! Besides that, what's with those weird little knee pad things and the arrow pointing at Dick's crotch?!?
Nightwing #0
Summary: So this story takes place a vague, "Few Years Ago..." So it's not five years ago, in case anybody was wondering. We meet Dick Grayson fooling around in a train yard with Raymond(who becomes Saiko, I think?), which leads to a security guard almost getting flattened by the train. Dick saves the guard, but ends up being grounded by his parents for his train yard shenanigans. After Dick's grounding, we learn that it's his mother's birthday, and Dick gives her a bracelet with robins on it because she loves robins... Ugh... Anyway, later on that evening, the Flying Graysons get killed in the trapeze accident, and Dick ends up with Bruce Wayne, who offers to take Dick in since he was a material witness to Tony Zucco threatening old man Haly(which actually works for me). Dick begins sneaking out of Wayne Manor at night to fight crime(because, why not?) and comes across the Batman, who he immediately recognizes as Bruce... Now THAT doesn't work for me... Dick doesn't say anything to Bruce, and while Bruce suspects that Dick knows, he doesn't say anything to Dick. After meeting up a few more times on the streets, Batman takes Dick to the Batcave and Dick calls him "Mr. Wayne," ending the weird game the two were playing. From there, Bats allows Dick to train with him and follow his exploits on the computer, but doesn't let him go out to fight crime with him. At least until Lady Shiva comes to town. Shiva and Bats fight, and Bats ends up poisoned, so Dick dons the Robin outfit he had secretly cobbled together from Batman's scraps(he's the world's greatest detective, ladies and gentlemen!!!), and rushes out to help. In actuality, he gets beaten up by Shiva as well, but she decides to spare the two of them since she liked the way Dick fought or something. After getting up, Bruce isn't pleased with Dick putting himself in harm's way, and the two return to the cave.
Thoughts: Eh. This was a bastardized version of Dick's origin as Robin... What's there to really say here? Personally, I liked the original telling of Dick's origin more, because Bats looked way more competent. In this telling, Dick discovers Bruce is Batman, Bruce doesn't tell him. Dick designs his own costume, and he names himself. AND he goes out on his first mission when he wants, not when Bruce decides he's ready... Bats really had little to no role in any of this. I guess Bats was pretty inexperienced at the whole super-hero thing himself back then, but he didn't come across particularly well here. However, I did like the way Dick ended up with Bruce Wayne. So there's that. Oh yeah, and Dick's Robin outfit was horrible.
Score: 6 1/2 out of 10.
Okay, what is up with that costume!? I mean where do the pants end and the shirt begin? Or is it just one piece? And if so, how do you put it on?! Besides that, what's with those weird little knee pad things and the arrow pointing at Dick's crotch?!?
Monday, May 21, 2012
Nightwing #9
Oh boy, it's time to take a trip to the DCU... Let's see if the Night of the Owls stuff can continue giving us strong issues from this series.
Nightwing #9:
Story Points:
-Nightwing gets the pleasure of battling against the Talon that was his ancestor.
-We know this because the Talon continues to tell Dick that he was ashamed of him.
-The Talon(who's rather chatty) tells Dick his secret origin and explains how he became the “strongest” of the Talons.
-Dick manages to save the mayor and outsmart and defeat the Talon... Probably while the Talon was talking...
Thoughts: Well, this issue WAS better than the issues of Nightwing from before the Night of Owls stuff. But it wasn't great or anything. It was, pretty much, a one and done issue that did a number on Dick's origin... From the way this issue tells it, Dick's ancestors were born into money, but his evil Talon ancestor took a baby Grayson from his cushy home and gave him to circus folk... Or something like that. Meh. I'll just ignore all that and say this was an okay issue.
Score: 6 1/2 out of 10.
Nightwing #9:
Story Points:
-Nightwing gets the pleasure of battling against the Talon that was his ancestor.
-We know this because the Talon continues to tell Dick that he was ashamed of him.
-The Talon(who's rather chatty) tells Dick his secret origin and explains how he became the “strongest” of the Talons.
-Dick manages to save the mayor and outsmart and defeat the Talon... Probably while the Talon was talking...
Thoughts: Well, this issue WAS better than the issues of Nightwing from before the Night of Owls stuff. But it wasn't great or anything. It was, pretty much, a one and done issue that did a number on Dick's origin... From the way this issue tells it, Dick's ancestors were born into money, but his evil Talon ancestor took a baby Grayson from his cushy home and gave him to circus folk... Or something like that. Meh. I'll just ignore all that and say this was an okay issue.
Score: 6 1/2 out of 10.
Monday, April 23, 2012
Nightwing #8
First of the three reviews on tap for tonight? Nightwing. Much like Red Hood and the Outlaws, this is a series I REALLY want to like... Sadly, that hasn't happened yet... Will the Night of the Owls give this series a good storyline to follow, something that has been missing from it since it's beginning? I don't know... But let's find out!
Nightwing #8:
Summary: While investigating some crime that occurred in Gotham with one of his own escrima sticks, Nightwing gets the call from Alfred(which happened in Batman #8) to assist the city's movers and shakers since they had all been targeted for death by the Court of Owls. Nightwing, being near the mayor's mansion, heads there, just in time to prevent one of the Talons from killing the mayor. However, another Talon takes the fallen one's place, and this Talon is? An angry ancestor of Dick Grayson, embarrassed by what his descendant has become.
Thoughts: There we go, a nice, short review! With how many hours I've been putting in at work, I really needed a comic like this! Anyway, this was a good read. It was a lot like Red Hood and the Outlaws in some ways... The main character(in this case, Nightwing) got away from the bad main storyline that's been plaguing the series(same as Red Hood), and as a result the comic was a much better read(for me anyway). Maybe ALL of the Bat-writers should just follow whatever Scott Snyder is doing in Batman, because following his plot is working big time.
Score: 7 1/2 out of 10.
Yeah, that's not going to help those “Nightwing is a murderer” rumors go away...
Nightwing #8:
Summary: While investigating some crime that occurred in Gotham with one of his own escrima sticks, Nightwing gets the call from Alfred(which happened in Batman #8) to assist the city's movers and shakers since they had all been targeted for death by the Court of Owls. Nightwing, being near the mayor's mansion, heads there, just in time to prevent one of the Talons from killing the mayor. However, another Talon takes the fallen one's place, and this Talon is? An angry ancestor of Dick Grayson, embarrassed by what his descendant has become.
Thoughts: There we go, a nice, short review! With how many hours I've been putting in at work, I really needed a comic like this! Anyway, this was a good read. It was a lot like Red Hood and the Outlaws in some ways... The main character(in this case, Nightwing) got away from the bad main storyline that's been plaguing the series(same as Red Hood), and as a result the comic was a much better read(for me anyway). Maybe ALL of the Bat-writers should just follow whatever Scott Snyder is doing in Batman, because following his plot is working big time.
Score: 7 1/2 out of 10.
Yeah, that's not going to help those “Nightwing is a murderer” rumors go away...
Wednesday, March 28, 2012
New Comic Day! March 28th edition
Hey all, it's Wednesday, which means two things lately... The first is that I'm currently at work... The second, and WAAAAY more important thing? It's New Comic Day! Huzzah!! So yeah, as I just said, I'm actually slaving away at work at the moment, and haven't actually gone to the comic shop yet. But I will, and when I do, here are the books I'm expecting to pick up... American Vampire #25, I, Vampire #7, Justice League Dark #7, Teen Titans #7, Voodoo #7, Morning Glories #17, Avengers #24.1, Avengers vs X-Men #0, Captain America and Bucky #628, Daken: Dark Wolverine #23, Daredevil #10, Mighty Thor #12, Secret Avengers #24, Uncanny X-Force #23, X-Men Legacy #264. Huh, so that's a total of 15 books... That's not a terrible number, although I have a feeling that number is going to increase since there are some other comics I'm interested in getting that aren't on my pull list(namely Superman #7)... Anyway, this week's Pick of the Litter shouldn't come as a great shock, it has to be Avengers vs X-Men #0... It's the start of the yearly Marvel MEGA-EVENT!!! and all, so this issue should give us some idea of what to expect in the upcoming months. This week's Runt of the Litter? Um... Let's go with Captain America and Bucky #628... I just haven't been able to get into the storyline in this series, which is the only reason this comic is the Runt. Honestly, there's not one comic out of this bunch that I'm openly dreading... Sure, an issue of Avengers drops this week, but I'm hopeful that Bendis will give us a decent story now that the Norman Osborn Saga has finally come to an end. And that'll do it. Later on tonight(probably much later) I'll have reviews for Avengers vs X-Men #0 and probably Daken up. Until then, X out.
The (not so) Random Scan of the Week!
Hmm, this all seems so very familiar...
The (not so) Random Scan of the Week!
Hmm, this all seems so very familiar...
Tuesday, March 27, 2012
Nightwing #7
One more comic to go and I've successfully completed another week's worth of reviews... And I have to say, this week was somewhat disappointing... There were a lot of books that dropped last Wednesday that I was REALLY looking forward to that were just good or very good... Nothing I'd call great. Ah well, let's hope this week ends with at least a 5, which is about as much as I can hope for out of this thus far WAY sub-par series...
Nightwing #7:
Summary: This issue opens with Saiko and Nightwing battling it out high above the burning big top. Saiko tells Nightwing his super-villain origin story©(which is something about the Court of Owls kidnapping Saiko as a youth since Dick was unavailable) while Dick tried to stay alive and figure out a way to save the people trapped below. Eventually Raya unseals the exits to the big top, allowing the people to trapped inside to escape. With the people safe, Dick is able to concentrate on Saiko, who ends up falling to his death(even through Dick tried to save him). From there, Raya is taken into police custody, and we get a direct copy of the scene between Dick and Batman from Batman #7(really?). Finally, Alfred hands Dick a file about some murders that were committed with escrima sticks, leading to Dick setting out on his next case.
Thoughts: Well, this was WAY better than I expected it to be. Sure, it was REALLY predictable at points(who DIDN'T see Raya betraying Saiko?), but overall it was much better than I had been expecting. That's not to say it was great or anything, because it wasn't, but it WAS a perfectly average comic, and for THIS series? That's a major step in the right direction. Oh, before I forget, I will say that I was a bit miffed about the scene in the Batcave here... Did we really need that scene replayed here almost word for word? You'd think most readers of Nightwing already read Batman, thus making the Batcave scene unnecessary filler...
Score: 7 out of 10.
Sweet! This gives me a chance to right my wrong from the Batman #7 review!! *ahem* “I'm the Goddamn Batman!!!”
Nightwing #7:
Summary: This issue opens with Saiko and Nightwing battling it out high above the burning big top. Saiko tells Nightwing his super-villain origin story©(which is something about the Court of Owls kidnapping Saiko as a youth since Dick was unavailable) while Dick tried to stay alive and figure out a way to save the people trapped below. Eventually Raya unseals the exits to the big top, allowing the people to trapped inside to escape. With the people safe, Dick is able to concentrate on Saiko, who ends up falling to his death(even through Dick tried to save him). From there, Raya is taken into police custody, and we get a direct copy of the scene between Dick and Batman from Batman #7(really?). Finally, Alfred hands Dick a file about some murders that were committed with escrima sticks, leading to Dick setting out on his next case.
Thoughts: Well, this was WAY better than I expected it to be. Sure, it was REALLY predictable at points(who DIDN'T see Raya betraying Saiko?), but overall it was much better than I had been expecting. That's not to say it was great or anything, because it wasn't, but it WAS a perfectly average comic, and for THIS series? That's a major step in the right direction. Oh, before I forget, I will say that I was a bit miffed about the scene in the Batcave here... Did we really need that scene replayed here almost word for word? You'd think most readers of Nightwing already read Batman, thus making the Batcave scene unnecessary filler...
Score: 7 out of 10.
Sweet! This gives me a chance to right my wrong from the Batman #7 review!! *ahem* “I'm the Goddamn Batman!!!”
Tuesday, February 21, 2012
Nightwing #6
Ugh... It's one of my least favorite comic books, starring one of my favorite comic book characters... Yes, it's once again for me to read Nightwing, this week's Runt of the Litter. Now, I usually write these introductions BEFORE I read the comic book, but in this case I read the comic first since I wasn't sure if I'd be using Brightest Day Rules here. As it is, after reading this one, I decided to go with a regular review... For this month at least...
Nightwing #6:
What Happened: We find out the Saiko, Raya and Mr. Haly's son Bryan were all plotting to eliminate Dick Grayson because Saiko blamed Dick for his death, Bryan was jealous of how close Dick was to his father, and Raya... Well, she really has no reason to go along with this nefarious plot, other than the fact that she seems to be mindlessly following Saiko. To kill Dick in the most flamboyant way possible, the trio plans a Grayson family tribute show to be held in Gotham City the very week the Flying Graysons were murdered. Not being able to come up with a good enough reason to call off the tribute show(besides the fact that Dick is the owner...), the tribute show goes on as planned, and Dick is pushed out to center stage to give an impromptu speech. While Dick is pontificating, Saiko sneaks into the building and sets off some silent alarms Dick had placed there. Dick rushes backstage and changes to his Nightwing attire and faces off with Saiko. For no reason at all, Saiko unmasks to Dick during the battle, revealing that he was the thought to be dead Raymond(who is... um, I've got nothin'...). While Dick is shocked by this revelation(and is probably trying to remember who the hell “Raymond” was), Saiko sets off a bomb under the big top
Thoughts: The best thing I can say about this comic was that it moved along quickly enough. There is just SO much wrong with this story... First and foremost is Saiko... Yeah, I know he's named Raymond, and I think he was involved with Haly's Circus in some way before his “death”, but that's it! I even googled “Saiko Nightwing” and STILL couldn't find out more info on Saiko! That's on Kyle Higgins, who, as the writer of this mess, should have done more to show WHY Raymond was important in the grand scheme of things... Besides that is Raya... Now, I get why Saiko is acting villainously here(he blames Dick Grayson for his “death”) and I get why Bryan Haly has sided with Saiko(he wants what Dick has, namely the Circus), but why the HELL is Raya working with those two?! She had nothing but good things to say about the Graysons! All I can piece together is that she felt somehow abandoned by Dick as a child... Which doesn't make any sense at all considering Dick was a minor when his folks died, and as such had to go wherever the courts put him(with Bats)... I'd say that maybe she was jealous of Dick and Batgirl's relationship, but she was already working with Saiko before she ever saw Dick and Batgirl together, so that shoots down that theory... So yeah, I'm totally blanking on why Raya would want to screw Dick over and allow dozens/hundreds of people to die at the tribute show... I guess I'll just chalk it up to bad storytelling and move on.
Score: 6 out of 10.
Yeah sure, why not reveal your identity to Nightwing for no good reason... Makes as much sense as anything else going on in this series.
Nightwing #6:
What Happened: We find out the Saiko, Raya and Mr. Haly's son Bryan were all plotting to eliminate Dick Grayson because Saiko blamed Dick for his death, Bryan was jealous of how close Dick was to his father, and Raya... Well, she really has no reason to go along with this nefarious plot, other than the fact that she seems to be mindlessly following Saiko. To kill Dick in the most flamboyant way possible, the trio plans a Grayson family tribute show to be held in Gotham City the very week the Flying Graysons were murdered. Not being able to come up with a good enough reason to call off the tribute show(besides the fact that Dick is the owner...), the tribute show goes on as planned, and Dick is pushed out to center stage to give an impromptu speech. While Dick is pontificating, Saiko sneaks into the building and sets off some silent alarms Dick had placed there. Dick rushes backstage and changes to his Nightwing attire and faces off with Saiko. For no reason at all, Saiko unmasks to Dick during the battle, revealing that he was the thought to be dead Raymond(who is... um, I've got nothin'...). While Dick is shocked by this revelation(and is probably trying to remember who the hell “Raymond” was), Saiko sets off a bomb under the big top
Thoughts: The best thing I can say about this comic was that it moved along quickly enough. There is just SO much wrong with this story... First and foremost is Saiko... Yeah, I know he's named Raymond, and I think he was involved with Haly's Circus in some way before his “death”, but that's it! I even googled “Saiko Nightwing” and STILL couldn't find out more info on Saiko! That's on Kyle Higgins, who, as the writer of this mess, should have done more to show WHY Raymond was important in the grand scheme of things... Besides that is Raya... Now, I get why Saiko is acting villainously here(he blames Dick Grayson for his “death”) and I get why Bryan Haly has sided with Saiko(he wants what Dick has, namely the Circus), but why the HELL is Raya working with those two?! She had nothing but good things to say about the Graysons! All I can piece together is that she felt somehow abandoned by Dick as a child... Which doesn't make any sense at all considering Dick was a minor when his folks died, and as such had to go wherever the courts put him(with Bats)... I'd say that maybe she was jealous of Dick and Batgirl's relationship, but she was already working with Saiko before she ever saw Dick and Batgirl together, so that shoots down that theory... So yeah, I'm totally blanking on why Raya would want to screw Dick over and allow dozens/hundreds of people to die at the tribute show... I guess I'll just chalk it up to bad storytelling and move on.
Score: 6 out of 10.
Yeah sure, why not reveal your identity to Nightwing for no good reason... Makes as much sense as anything else going on in this series.
Friday, January 20, 2012
A Quick Look At... Nightwing #5
Here's another rebooted DC series that SHOULD be way better than it is. I mean it's Nightwing... This should be a slam dunk to write! And yet we get Dick Grayson traveling cross-country with a circus...
Nightwing #5:
What Happened: A voodoo priestess summons a demon to force a clown that she loved to marry her... Yes, really... Trust me, I couldn't make something that stupid up to save my life! The demon abducts the clown, but Nightwing spots what was happening and follows the rampaging demon back to the graveyard the priestess was operating out of. Nightwing manages to trick the demon into going back to Hell(or wherever it came from) and cuffs the priestess, thus saving the clown. Meanwhile, Raya is in cahoots with Saiko.
Thoughts: Gah! What the hell was this all about?!? A clown and a voodoo priestess? Plus a rampaging demon?!? I just don't understand... Would it be THAT difficult to take Dick Grayson, put him in Gotham City(or New York, Philadelphia or any other major city) and have him deal with street-level threats?! Why the hell is Nightwing fighting demons?!? Ugh... This series has been such a disappointment...
Score: 5 out of 10.
Yeah sure, Nightwing versus a demon... Why not.
Nightwing #5:
What Happened: A voodoo priestess summons a demon to force a clown that she loved to marry her... Yes, really... Trust me, I couldn't make something that stupid up to save my life! The demon abducts the clown, but Nightwing spots what was happening and follows the rampaging demon back to the graveyard the priestess was operating out of. Nightwing manages to trick the demon into going back to Hell(or wherever it came from) and cuffs the priestess, thus saving the clown. Meanwhile, Raya is in cahoots with Saiko.
Thoughts: Gah! What the hell was this all about?!? A clown and a voodoo priestess? Plus a rampaging demon?!? I just don't understand... Would it be THAT difficult to take Dick Grayson, put him in Gotham City(or New York, Philadelphia or any other major city) and have him deal with street-level threats?! Why the hell is Nightwing fighting demons?!? Ugh... This series has been such a disappointment...
Score: 5 out of 10.
Yeah sure, Nightwing versus a demon... Why not.
Thursday, December 22, 2011
Nightwing #4
Next comic on the agenda is the first DC book in my new comic pile, Nightwing... I was thisclose to reviewing this comic with Brightest Day Rules, mainly because of that damned Barbara Gordon appearing in this one... I hate her with a passion that is bordering on scary, so expect A LOT of hate for a character who was, at one time, amongst my favorite female DC characters...
Nightwing #4:
What Happened: Alright, I'm going to be straight with you guys here... I didn't read this comic. Like at all. I basically looked at the pictures. Seriously, that goddamn Batgirl was on nearly EVERY PAGE!!! So to save myself from a massive brain hemorrhage, I skipped this one. All I can tell you is that in the end, after that usurpering hag finally left this issue, Dick found a hidden book with his name in it. Do I know why he went looking for the book? Nope. Do I care? Right now? Nope.
The Good: Um, Dick is still having sex with Raya... I guess that's good for him, right?
The Bad: This was basically an issue of Batgirl, which stars a character I refuse to read about...
The Verdict: Um, yeah, sorry about the lack of a review, but as I said, I refuse to read anything with this version of Batgirl in it, and this issue was no exception. Maybe if she wasn't on practically every page, I could have given this issue at least a semi-read. But as it is, I couldn't read a damn thing. If Kyle Higgins wants to write Barbara Gordon so bad, maybe he shouldn't be writing Nightwing. 'nuff said.
Score: 0 out of 10. Here's hoping this is the final imperfect score of the year...
Hey look, it's one of the ONLY pages WITHOUT Batgirl on it!
Nightwing #4:
What Happened: Alright, I'm going to be straight with you guys here... I didn't read this comic. Like at all. I basically looked at the pictures. Seriously, that goddamn Batgirl was on nearly EVERY PAGE!!! So to save myself from a massive brain hemorrhage, I skipped this one. All I can tell you is that in the end, after that usurpering hag finally left this issue, Dick found a hidden book with his name in it. Do I know why he went looking for the book? Nope. Do I care? Right now? Nope.
The Good: Um, Dick is still having sex with Raya... I guess that's good for him, right?
The Bad: This was basically an issue of Batgirl, which stars a character I refuse to read about...
The Verdict: Um, yeah, sorry about the lack of a review, but as I said, I refuse to read anything with this version of Batgirl in it, and this issue was no exception. Maybe if she wasn't on practically every page, I could have given this issue at least a semi-read. But as it is, I couldn't read a damn thing. If Kyle Higgins wants to write Barbara Gordon so bad, maybe he shouldn't be writing Nightwing. 'nuff said.
Score: 0 out of 10. Here's hoping this is the final imperfect score of the year...
Hey look, it's one of the ONLY pages WITHOUT Batgirl on it!
Friday, November 18, 2011
Nightwing #3
Next book on the agenda? The third issue of Nightwing. So far this series(sadly, like many of the new DC books I decided to pick up) hasn't reached the levels I'd hoped it would. But, I am an optimist, and as such I'm hoping this series picks up starting here.
Nightwing #3:
What Happened: Dick Grayson is confronted by Haly's son at Haly's funeral, where Haly's distraught son rants about Dick stealing from him and such. Everybody chalks it up to grief and Dick ends up talking to Raya, who tells Dick a former friend of theirs(Zane) had become a crime booking agent based out of Chicago. Dick(as Nightwing) confronts Zane, and after a battle learns that Zane didn't set up Haly's death. From there Dick heads back to Raya and sleeps with her(what, he IS Dick Grayson!), but not before telling her he was going to stick with Haly's Circus. This one ends with Haly's son talking to Saiko to make sure Saiko was still planning on killing Dick.
The Good: This issue was fast paced and a quick read. The fight between Dick and Zane was fun and energetic. The art was strong. Zane DIDN'T figure out Dick's identity, thus making him the DUMBEST person in the known universe! Dick traveling with the circus gets him away from Gotham and Batman's shadow, which can't hurt.
The Bad: This issue didn't really DO anything... Nothing of any major importance happened, with the exception of Zane getting crossed off the suspect list(which we didn't even know he was on until THIS issue!) and Saiko coming back(which we knew was going to happen). Next issue has that damn Batgirl in it, which has me SERIOUSLY considering not picking it up... So Dick is going to be traveling with the circus, which means Nightwing will probably be constantly appearing around the circus... See the problem there?
The Verdict: To be 100% honest with you, after I put this comic down the first thought that came to mind was simply, “Meh.” This issue didn't accomplish anything. The villain we all knew wasn't dead came back, and the guy we never suspected was involved with Haly's death was cleared of any potential foul play. Was this issue awful? No. Will I remember this issue 3 minutes from now? No. It was the very definition of a forgettable comic book.
Score: 6 out of 10.
So Zane could have simply shot Nightwing in the back of the head, but instead elected to beat him with the gun instead... Oooookay then...
Nightwing #3:
What Happened: Dick Grayson is confronted by Haly's son at Haly's funeral, where Haly's distraught son rants about Dick stealing from him and such. Everybody chalks it up to grief and Dick ends up talking to Raya, who tells Dick a former friend of theirs(Zane) had become a crime booking agent based out of Chicago. Dick(as Nightwing) confronts Zane, and after a battle learns that Zane didn't set up Haly's death. From there Dick heads back to Raya and sleeps with her(what, he IS Dick Grayson!), but not before telling her he was going to stick with Haly's Circus. This one ends with Haly's son talking to Saiko to make sure Saiko was still planning on killing Dick.
The Good: This issue was fast paced and a quick read. The fight between Dick and Zane was fun and energetic. The art was strong. Zane DIDN'T figure out Dick's identity, thus making him the DUMBEST person in the known universe! Dick traveling with the circus gets him away from Gotham and Batman's shadow, which can't hurt.
The Bad: This issue didn't really DO anything... Nothing of any major importance happened, with the exception of Zane getting crossed off the suspect list(which we didn't even know he was on until THIS issue!) and Saiko coming back(which we knew was going to happen). Next issue has that damn Batgirl in it, which has me SERIOUSLY considering not picking it up... So Dick is going to be traveling with the circus, which means Nightwing will probably be constantly appearing around the circus... See the problem there?
The Verdict: To be 100% honest with you, after I put this comic down the first thought that came to mind was simply, “Meh.” This issue didn't accomplish anything. The villain we all knew wasn't dead came back, and the guy we never suspected was involved with Haly's death was cleared of any potential foul play. Was this issue awful? No. Will I remember this issue 3 minutes from now? No. It was the very definition of a forgettable comic book.
Score: 6 out of 10.
So Zane could have simply shot Nightwing in the back of the head, but instead elected to beat him with the gun instead... Oooookay then...
Tuesday, October 25, 2011
500 for 2011!
Hey, this is my 500th post for the year! Huzzah! At the rate I'm going, 600 for the year is definitely possible, and I'd say that I have a SLIGHT shot at hitting the magic 700 number. I can't imagine I'll be able to match my all-time high post number, which I set in 2009(755), but this year will definitely mark my second highest blog posting total. All in all, things have never been better here at the blog as the month of October has been my best when it comes to visitors, so thanks to all of you guys who stop by to read my madness, because let's face it, if nobody was coming here I'd have closed up shop long ago. And just so this post isn't a complete waste of your time, here are a few comic scans!
YEAH!!! You show that newspaper who's boss, Zemo!!!
What bargain is Bats talking about... The way he's standing over Jason gives me a REALLY bad feeling...
“Damn you!! Damn you all to hell!!!!!”
YEAH!!! You show that newspaper who's boss, Zemo!!!
What bargain is Bats talking about... The way he's standing over Jason gives me a REALLY bad feeling...
“Damn you!! Damn you all to hell!!!!!”
Friday, October 21, 2011
Nightwing #2
Here's another title that is safely on my pull list forevermore. Not that I expect to be tempted into dropping this series any time soon... At least for as long as it keeps pumping out quality stories like it did last issue.
Nightwing #2:
What Happened: Nightwing and the villain he was jumped by last issue(Saiko) battle to a no contest when Saiko escapes while Dick saves some bystanders. The female acrobat from last issue tells Dick that it was urgent that they went to see Mr. Haly in Atlantic City, so the two hop a jet and go. Dick learns that Haly was dying, that Haly always knew Dick was Nightwing and wanted Dick to take ownership of Haly's Circus upon his death. Dick hops back on the jet and naturally joins the Mile High Club because he's Dick Grayson. Dick is then called by Saiko, who tells him he had tortured Haly into telling him that Dick was Nightwing. Dick goes back to Haly's warehouse, fights Saiko again, and the warehouse explodes. Dick manages to escape with Haly, but there's no sign of Saiko. Haly dies in Dick's arms spouting cryptic gibberish.
The Good: Dick joining the Mile High Club made me chuckle... I mean once you saw that the female acrobat had red hair you KNEW it was going to happen eventually! Dick as the owner of the Circus has some potential going forward. Saiko has a pretty cool look. Haly knowing Dick's secret identity DID make sense.
The Bad: Are secret identities completely frowned upon in the new DCU?! Jeez... The story wasn't the most interesting thing I've ever read. Why did Saiko decide to torture Haly? Did he suspect Dick and Nightwing were one and the same or was it just a happy coincidence?
The Verdict: Okay, first things first... The three former Robins have three separate series'... Dick Grayson stars in Nightwing, Jason Todd stars in Red Hood and the Outlaws, and Tim Drake stars in Teen Titans. Those 3 series have put out a grand total of 5 issues thus far. There are already a multitude of characters, from only FIVE issues, who know the secret identities of those three characters! Tim was hunted down by villains AS Tim, seemingly EVERYBODY knows Jason Todd is the Red Hood, from friends to enemies, and in this issue Saiko discovered that Dick was Nightwing... Hell, in Batman and Robin a villain there knew Bruce and Bats were one and the same! There used to be a time when the identities of the Bat-family members was a stringently held secret... Now EVERYBODY knows who's who it seems! Back to this comic though. It was okay. Not great, but not terrible. But yeah, Saiko suddenly knowing Dick's identity really bothered me a lot and hurt my enjoyment of this one...
Score: 7 out of 10.
I guess I'd have been more surprised if Saiko DIDN'T know Dick was Nightwing...
Nightwing #2:
What Happened: Nightwing and the villain he was jumped by last issue(Saiko) battle to a no contest when Saiko escapes while Dick saves some bystanders. The female acrobat from last issue tells Dick that it was urgent that they went to see Mr. Haly in Atlantic City, so the two hop a jet and go. Dick learns that Haly was dying, that Haly always knew Dick was Nightwing and wanted Dick to take ownership of Haly's Circus upon his death. Dick hops back on the jet and naturally joins the Mile High Club because he's Dick Grayson. Dick is then called by Saiko, who tells him he had tortured Haly into telling him that Dick was Nightwing. Dick goes back to Haly's warehouse, fights Saiko again, and the warehouse explodes. Dick manages to escape with Haly, but there's no sign of Saiko. Haly dies in Dick's arms spouting cryptic gibberish.
The Good: Dick joining the Mile High Club made me chuckle... I mean once you saw that the female acrobat had red hair you KNEW it was going to happen eventually! Dick as the owner of the Circus has some potential going forward. Saiko has a pretty cool look. Haly knowing Dick's secret identity DID make sense.
The Bad: Are secret identities completely frowned upon in the new DCU?! Jeez... The story wasn't the most interesting thing I've ever read. Why did Saiko decide to torture Haly? Did he suspect Dick and Nightwing were one and the same or was it just a happy coincidence?
The Verdict: Okay, first things first... The three former Robins have three separate series'... Dick Grayson stars in Nightwing, Jason Todd stars in Red Hood and the Outlaws, and Tim Drake stars in Teen Titans. Those 3 series have put out a grand total of 5 issues thus far. There are already a multitude of characters, from only FIVE issues, who know the secret identities of those three characters! Tim was hunted down by villains AS Tim, seemingly EVERYBODY knows Jason Todd is the Red Hood, from friends to enemies, and in this issue Saiko discovered that Dick was Nightwing... Hell, in Batman and Robin a villain there knew Bruce and Bats were one and the same! There used to be a time when the identities of the Bat-family members was a stringently held secret... Now EVERYBODY knows who's who it seems! Back to this comic though. It was okay. Not great, but not terrible. But yeah, Saiko suddenly knowing Dick's identity really bothered me a lot and hurt my enjoyment of this one...
Score: 7 out of 10.
I guess I'd have been more surprised if Saiko DIDN'T know Dick was Nightwing...
Tuesday, October 11, 2011
Nightwing #1 (Oct. 1996)
Seeing that I just reviewed the latest Nightwing #1 from DC a few weeks back, now is as good a time as any to review the first issue of Nightwing's first ongoing series. Nightwing is one of my favorite DC characters, so this SHOULD be good... Hopefully...
Nightwing #1:
Summary: This issue gets started with Batman bringing Nightwing into a morgue in Gotham City. Bats tells Nightwing that over 20 mobster's bodies had floated up the river from Bludhaven and that somebody had to take a look into it. Able to take the hint, Nightwing heads to Bludhaven and tries to figure out who had the most to gain by killing off rival mobsters. To that end he heads to the home of reputed mob boss Freddy Minh where he finds Minh's men shooting it out with members of Black Mask's gang. Black Mask's goons steal a refrigerator and load it up on a truck, which leaves Freddy's wife sobbing about her babies. Mask's men take off and Nightwing follows after them since he wasn't about to let Mask kidnap Freddy's wife's babies. Anyway, Nightwing makes it onto the truck and manages to beat up most of Mask's men, at least until the refrigerator begins to slide off of the truck. Nightwing grabs the refrigerator and pulls it back onto the truck, opening it to reveal a suitcase(?!). Distracted by that turn of events, Nightwing is knocked out by Mask's men. A bit later Nightwing wakes up and finds himself handcuffed to the refrigerator with Mask's men surrounding him. The leader of Mask's goons opens the suitcase and reveals that it contained eggs from Freddy's wife... Yes, THOSE kind of eggs! It seems that Freddy's wife intended to create children from the eggs with in vitro fertilization some day... Man, that's kind of weird... Anyway, Dick manages to kick the suitcase out of the goon's hands, at which time it falls into the river. The goons angrily toss Dick and the refrigerator into the water as well, figuring he'd drown. Dick manages to use a magnesium flare to cut through the cuffs, at which time he grabs the suitcase and swims to the surface, discovering that Mask's men had left. From there we head to the headquarters of the Bludhaven police department and meet Chief Redhorn, who was complaining about the prospects of a masked vigilante(Nightwing) operating in Bludhaven to one of his inspectors. While the two men were discussing ways to rid themselves of Nightwing, Nightwing walks into Redhorn's office to hand over the Minh eggs. Redhorn takes the suitcase and grabs Nightwing's hand, cuffing him, while the inspector draws his gun and aims for Nightwing's head.
Thoughts: I'm just going to come right out and say it... It was odd that this entire issue revolved around Nightwing saving Freddy Minh's wife's eggs... Granted, this was still a good comic with a great cliffhanger, but yeah, that was weird... Chuck Dixon did a really good job of setting the scene here, with Nightwing describing Bludhaven as a place even worse than Gotham, which is kind of tough for any Bat-fan to buy, but whatever. On top of that, you could see that Nightwing wouldn't be leaving Bludhaven anytime soon, seeing as that he still has to deal with the mob troubles, and as the cliffhanger here showed us, a dirty police department. So all in all this was a really good first issue set-up wise, it was just the main part of the story weirded me out a bit...
Score: 7 1/2 out of 10.
The best thing about this issue? Dick finally loses that horrible ponytail...
Nightwing #1:
Summary: This issue gets started with Batman bringing Nightwing into a morgue in Gotham City. Bats tells Nightwing that over 20 mobster's bodies had floated up the river from Bludhaven and that somebody had to take a look into it. Able to take the hint, Nightwing heads to Bludhaven and tries to figure out who had the most to gain by killing off rival mobsters. To that end he heads to the home of reputed mob boss Freddy Minh where he finds Minh's men shooting it out with members of Black Mask's gang. Black Mask's goons steal a refrigerator and load it up on a truck, which leaves Freddy's wife sobbing about her babies. Mask's men take off and Nightwing follows after them since he wasn't about to let Mask kidnap Freddy's wife's babies. Anyway, Nightwing makes it onto the truck and manages to beat up most of Mask's men, at least until the refrigerator begins to slide off of the truck. Nightwing grabs the refrigerator and pulls it back onto the truck, opening it to reveal a suitcase(?!). Distracted by that turn of events, Nightwing is knocked out by Mask's men. A bit later Nightwing wakes up and finds himself handcuffed to the refrigerator with Mask's men surrounding him. The leader of Mask's goons opens the suitcase and reveals that it contained eggs from Freddy's wife... Yes, THOSE kind of eggs! It seems that Freddy's wife intended to create children from the eggs with in vitro fertilization some day... Man, that's kind of weird... Anyway, Dick manages to kick the suitcase out of the goon's hands, at which time it falls into the river. The goons angrily toss Dick and the refrigerator into the water as well, figuring he'd drown. Dick manages to use a magnesium flare to cut through the cuffs, at which time he grabs the suitcase and swims to the surface, discovering that Mask's men had left. From there we head to the headquarters of the Bludhaven police department and meet Chief Redhorn, who was complaining about the prospects of a masked vigilante(Nightwing) operating in Bludhaven to one of his inspectors. While the two men were discussing ways to rid themselves of Nightwing, Nightwing walks into Redhorn's office to hand over the Minh eggs. Redhorn takes the suitcase and grabs Nightwing's hand, cuffing him, while the inspector draws his gun and aims for Nightwing's head.
Thoughts: I'm just going to come right out and say it... It was odd that this entire issue revolved around Nightwing saving Freddy Minh's wife's eggs... Granted, this was still a good comic with a great cliffhanger, but yeah, that was weird... Chuck Dixon did a really good job of setting the scene here, with Nightwing describing Bludhaven as a place even worse than Gotham, which is kind of tough for any Bat-fan to buy, but whatever. On top of that, you could see that Nightwing wouldn't be leaving Bludhaven anytime soon, seeing as that he still has to deal with the mob troubles, and as the cliffhanger here showed us, a dirty police department. So all in all this was a really good first issue set-up wise, it was just the main part of the story weirded me out a bit...
Score: 7 1/2 out of 10.
The best thing about this issue? Dick finally loses that horrible ponytail...
Wednesday, September 21, 2011
Nightwing #1
And now I get to take a look at my favorite former sidekick, Dick Grayson! Well, it's actually a tie between Dick and Bucky Barnes, but since this is a DC post, I'll let that comment stand. Dick has been Robin, he was Nightwing, he became Batman BRIEFLY in the 90's, went back to being Nightwing, became Batman for a rather extended run these past couple of years, and is now Nightwing again. I'll be the first to admit, I am sad to see that Dick's run as Batman is over, but here's hoping Kyle Higgins can make Dick as Nightwing as awesome as Dick as Batman was.
Nightwing #1:
What Happened: After a year of being Batman while Bruce Wayne was away, Dick Grayson has moved back into the more comfortable role of Nightwing. While Dick is getting his new/old life back in order, Haly's Circus has returned to Gotham City for the first time since the deaths of Dick's parents. Dick heads over to visit his old circus buddies after some trepidation and finds himself having a great time. Eventually Dick heads back home when he's jumped in the street by some costumed villain packing a fierce set of claws. Dick manages to sneak away when some hapless cops get sliced up by the villain and switches into his Nightwing duds. Unfortunately, the villain winds up getting the upper-hand on Dick and is moving in for the kill as this issue ends.
The Good: Dick Grayson was the star of this series. The story was strong and easy to follow. The art was good. The cliffhanger was good. The villain of this piece has a grudge against Dick Grayson for some reason, adding some meat to the villain's character. No other members of the Bat-family popped up here, allowing Dick to have this issue completely to himself.
The Bad: There really wasn't any bad here... If I had to nitpick, I'd say that I'd prefer it if Dick operated outside of Gotham, since there are enough costumed vigilantes already running around Gotham.
The Verdict: So far two of my favorite rebooted DC titles have been written by Kyle Higgins. That's good because DC REALLY needs to get themselves some fresh, new, talented writers to keep up with Marvel's strong foundation of writers. Hopefully DC was smart enough to lock Higgins up to an exclusive contract. The bottom line here? This series is DEFINITELY a keeper.
Score: 9 out of 10.
Don't you just hate it when the super-villain you were fighting flips away like that?
Nightwing #1:
What Happened: After a year of being Batman while Bruce Wayne was away, Dick Grayson has moved back into the more comfortable role of Nightwing. While Dick is getting his new/old life back in order, Haly's Circus has returned to Gotham City for the first time since the deaths of Dick's parents. Dick heads over to visit his old circus buddies after some trepidation and finds himself having a great time. Eventually Dick heads back home when he's jumped in the street by some costumed villain packing a fierce set of claws. Dick manages to sneak away when some hapless cops get sliced up by the villain and switches into his Nightwing duds. Unfortunately, the villain winds up getting the upper-hand on Dick and is moving in for the kill as this issue ends.
The Good: Dick Grayson was the star of this series. The story was strong and easy to follow. The art was good. The cliffhanger was good. The villain of this piece has a grudge against Dick Grayson for some reason, adding some meat to the villain's character. No other members of the Bat-family popped up here, allowing Dick to have this issue completely to himself.
The Bad: There really wasn't any bad here... If I had to nitpick, I'd say that I'd prefer it if Dick operated outside of Gotham, since there are enough costumed vigilantes already running around Gotham.
The Verdict: So far two of my favorite rebooted DC titles have been written by Kyle Higgins. That's good because DC REALLY needs to get themselves some fresh, new, talented writers to keep up with Marvel's strong foundation of writers. Hopefully DC was smart enough to lock Higgins up to an exclusive contract. The bottom line here? This series is DEFINITELY a keeper.
Score: 9 out of 10.
Don't you just hate it when the super-villain you were fighting flips away like that?
Tuesday, September 6, 2011
A little something for everyone!
Hey there X-Maniacs, I figured I'd check in with a quick little post since I skipped yesterday. I've already finished typing up most of tomorrow's New Comic Day post, I should be getting between 13 and 14 comics depending on how much money I feel like spending. The opening paragraph is completely done, I just have to finish up th second paragraph when I get my books tomorrow. So that's what's on tap for tomorrow. As for today, I figure I'd post 4 scans featuring four Internet favorite characters. As you can see, when in doubt as to what to post, I always go back to the old standby of posting scans... You'd think with logic like that my scan blog with be flourishing, but alas, that's not the case. So anyway, here are those previously mentioned scans. Enjoy! Or don't. As for me, it's X out time, at least until tomorrow afternoon.
Daken: Dark Wolverine
That Daken is a smooth one...
Nightwing and Starfire
So wait, if I'm reading this correctly, Dick could get some threesome action going here if he played his cards right?
Steve Rogers: Super-Soldier
See, even a super-soldier can have a bad day.
Daken: Dark Wolverine
That Daken is a smooth one...Nightwing and Starfire
So wait, if I'm reading this correctly, Dick could get some threesome action going here if he played his cards right?Steve Rogers: Super-Soldier
See, even a super-soldier can have a bad day.
Sunday, September 4, 2011
Some of my favorite comic characters!
Here's a post that needs no introduction, some random comic scans of some of my favorite comic book characters! Ten of my favorite characters to be exact, five from DC and five from Marvel. And no, this isn't the definitive list of favorite characters for me, these are just 10 characters who came to mind for me the fastest. There are a few big omissions, but what do you want from me, I only spent like 20 minutes on this post! So without further ado, here they are in no particular order.
Arsenal.
Now that DC has despicably eliminated Lian from even existing, I'll have to rely on back issues to see what an awesome father Roy was.
Captain America.
Cap's not above bitch-smacking a teammate who isn't listening.
Batman(Dick Grayson).
You tell him, Dick!
Ultron.
Not many villains would take the time to ignore THOR to insult somebody. That's what makes Ultron extra special!
Jason Todd.
Yep, Jason rules.
Hawkeye.
That's right, Hawkeye once defeated a cosmic being and saved the universe by cheating at a game of chance!
Impulse.
That is the most badass Impulse picture ever!
Bucky Barnes.
Bucky took down IRON MAN! Think about THAT!
Robin(Tim Drake).
And people think Jason was the high-strung Robin!
Nate Grey.
X-Man: 1, Professor Xavier: 0.
You had to know I was going to close out this post with an X-Man scan! So yeah, there were a lot of omissions(Wally West, Kyle Rayner, Stephanie Brown, Daken, Hardball, Marvel Boy, and the list goes on and on), but like I said, this was just a quickie post. Given more time to think, I'm sure I'd have come up with a few different choices. But hey, that means I can do another post like this down the road! Anyway, that'll do it for me tonight, until next time, X out.
Arsenal.
Now that DC has despicably eliminated Lian from even existing, I'll have to rely on back issues to see what an awesome father Roy was.
Captain America.
Cap's not above bitch-smacking a teammate who isn't listening.
Batman(Dick Grayson).
You tell him, Dick!
Ultron.
Not many villains would take the time to ignore THOR to insult somebody. That's what makes Ultron extra special!
Jason Todd.
Yep, Jason rules.
Hawkeye.
That's right, Hawkeye once defeated a cosmic being and saved the universe by cheating at a game of chance!
Impulse.
That is the most badass Impulse picture ever!
Bucky Barnes.
Bucky took down IRON MAN! Think about THAT!
Robin(Tim Drake).
And people think Jason was the high-strung Robin!
Nate Grey.
X-Man: 1, Professor Xavier: 0.
You had to know I was going to close out this post with an X-Man scan! So yeah, there were a lot of omissions(Wally West, Kyle Rayner, Stephanie Brown, Daken, Hardball, Marvel Boy, and the list goes on and on), but like I said, this was just a quickie post. Given more time to think, I'm sure I'd have come up with a few different choices. But hey, that means I can do another post like this down the road! Anyway, that'll do it for me tonight, until next time, X out.
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