Laid Back Comics: Batman #17

Death of the Family has been played along these past few months bleeding outwards into the other Bat family books, but all that came back to head in to the latest and finale issue of the story in the Batman proper. And….Holy S&*%! Sorry that is a bit of an unprofessional way to examine a comic. But really, this was just a story that had amazing journey to it and to get to the end of it, you just wanted to sigh and fall down in the chair you were reading it in and take it all in. And in some sick and twisted fashion this story was not just a Batman vs the Joker, it was a love story between them.

A jaded lover that wanted nothing more than to see his 'King' returned to the glory that he knew. To remove the weakness of him, to be the only real member of his family.

Synder has been teasing the readers with each different step of the story and hinting at certain items. Where is Alfred? What is Jokers plan in all of this? Does he truly know everyone behind the mask? What is under those tray covers! And in a rare time for me as a reader I couldn't guess and point it all out. That shows the writing put together there. And with each little page turn and reveal left me with sighing in relief or back to the edge of my seat. For fans of Alfred everything is well with our favorite butler, there was a time I thought he would not make it out of this alive or in great condition. Then you have to think though with a title of story being ‘Death of the Family’ and here it stands with no one actually dead what seemed to be the point of it all.

Well, in some way Joker has if only a short amount of time killed the idea of the family aspect of Batman. His family was taken to the edge and some learned many things about one another, this has left them separate from one another, a metaphoric death in them working so close together if even for a small amount of time. And speaking of metaphors about the relationship between Joker and Batman is getting titled to one side in this, the idea of why Batman just doesn't kill the clown is brought up and examined from Jokers eyes as well as forcing Batman to admit that simple idea that killing him means the Joker wins. But, that is laughed off and added that there is maybe even a fear behind killing the Joker. That keeping him alive is the safer route than killing him and something worse come after him.

It sounds like something discussed before by fans and creators alike, and this isn't to say this is the right version, but with how the story unfolded it makes sense for Batman to have these thoughts and the Joker to challenge him on it. And the reveal towards the end that Joker is it this for the long game, he doesn't truly care about who Batman really is or who is family are. He just wants Batman.

And never before have had I really seen art work put together like this book. Greg Capullo has taken scenes that would scare even the most harden people and having us yell. HOLY S&*$%! Dang I did it again. But when you see Joker finally reveal what was on the trays and you see the eyes of the Bat family around them finally having the idea they were victims in all of this Or Jokerfied Alfred coming on to the scene. If really there is only one item I may not like about Capullo’s is his Bruce Wayne, he tends to give him this odd sleepy eyed look to him, but even then that could be a another mask he wears during the day.

Synder and Capullo have made Batman theirs, each time it seems like we might know where things are going or things might be the same old same old. They throw you into a brand new direction like this one and floor it all the way. It is cliché to consider how great Batman is now, but with stories like this, you can see why we say it.

OVERALL: 9.5 out of 10

Bryan "BAC" Clendening is a comic reviewer and sometimes video producer, you can follow him on Twitter by clicking Here

Comic News: Gail Simone BACK on BATGIRL!

Yes. You read that right. Just mere days ago, we reported of Gail Simone being fired. And that her contract with DC was up.  After that, Gail had announced on her twitter that she was doing something ... for DC ... after considerable fan out cry, social media mobbing and more. Gail had been offered to do stuff with other companies but stayed with DC.

  After that announcement, fans began to speculate what Gail was going to do. It was rumored when she left Firestorm that she was going to do a teen team book . ... which got fans thinking that she would be doing the upcoming spin-off title featuring Raven, Blue Beetle and more. Well, our answer came yesterday int ea form of a twitter.

Here’s a thing. Gail Simone is the new Batgirl writer.

Also. NOT A HOAX.

   Gail Simone could now be considered the Queen of Comics. She got a successful Kickstarter with former Secret Six artist Jim Califiore. She was a driving force as to why people flock to read the new Batgirl series, even after the backlash of it not being Stephanie Brown.  Let's face it. Most fans cannot see anyone else write Batgirl than her. And fans  won. Dc over turned the editors decision and have Ray Fawkes only do 2 fill in issues. Gail returns with issue #19. So, for all the fans of the internet ... here is what we think of Gail simone back on Batgirl:

Comic News: Gail Simone is OFF Batgirl

Confirmation of this came from multiple sources, including Gail's own twitter & The Bleeding Cool. According to what was said, new Batgirl editor Brian Cunningham dismissed Gail Simone as writer for Batgirl. No reasons why considering the book did better than most fans anticipated. Many  have commented that that is squarely because of Gail being on the book.

Meanwhile, Gail said her goodbyes on twitter:

I want to give huge, huge thanks to the other creators in the
bat-offices, and editors Bobbie Chase and @yourpallsmitty, champions
all.

And the biggest thank you of all to you guys for supporting this book
so hugely and making it a commercial and critical success.

I honestly don’t have the words right now to thank you all. I’m pretty
choked up and it’s all gratitude, not bitterness.

With that being said,   people question the future of the title. Particular of Barbara Gordon as well. Could this signal her return to being Oracle. Could this also signal the end of Barbara Gordon? And what will happen to Gail, now that it seems that she is no longer writing for DC ... unless she is  writing something in secret? Time can only tell.

   

Batgirl Gets Spoiled Series (1ST Episode Within)

  Over in CBR & Robot 6, they hinted that a new fan made webseries called Batgirl:Spoiled was gonna be released. Now, it has hit the net. Batgirl: Spoiled features the adventures of fan favorite and long demanded character Stephanie Brown as Batgirl (the Batgirl before the new 52 happened). Batgirl:Spoiled will follow her adventures.

 Starring Marisha Ray (and co created by  her & Sax Carr), the series focuses on Stephanie being a hero and whether or not she wants to stay one while juggling her life. Here is the first episode with a slew of guest stars:

Joker Returns & Goes For Broke In "Death of the Family"

Creepy Ad for "Death of the Family"

 

   Just shortly after the end of the recent Night of Owls storyline and the Court of Owls epic in Synder's Batman, he drives readers right back into the fire with the upcoming "Death of the Family" storyline in his book. Yet, like Night of Owls before it, the story will spill into other books while following the same structure as Night of Owls, making them connect to the main storyline but still stand alone if need be.

The main storyline will be in Batman, starting in issue # 13 and running to it's double-sized conclusion in Batman # 17. Meanwhile, the books along for the ride with tie-ins are as follows: Nightwing, Batgirl, Catwoman, Batman & Robin, Red Hood and the Outlaws, Teen Titans & Suicide Squad.

  Synder has not hide his love for the longtime enemy of Batman, stating that "Death of the Family" is his love letter to the Joker while opening so many things for other members of the Bat-Family.

Synder commented to Newsrama the following about how Joker looks after the villain had his face cut off at the end of Detective Comics # 1:

   "He really is going to, obviously, have a new look. At the same time, we want it to echo his iconic look. So it's Joker in a much more horror movie fashion.

But, without giving too much away, you will see the iconic face and the grin, and he might look a little bit different and scarier. But you'll find that he's still himself at his core. And he's really here in his blood-stained clothes going to work."

So, a new, horrific look for the Joker but what else does this story line have? There will be personal effects to many in the Bat-Family; particularly Barbara Gordon aka Batgirl, who will have her first face to face with the Joker since being able to walk again. Batgirl writer Gail Simone hinted to Newsrama about the encounter and Batgirl's state of mind will be:

"There's definitely a feeling out there regarding this stuff that someone is fixed or not fixed, like an on/off switch. It's not that binary, but she is facing this stuff head on. And I am pretty sure a Joker/Batgirl story is inevitable, but I can't say more than that. Think of two trains on the same track facing towards each other...there's nowhere for either of them to go but towards collision. 

It is the once-and-for-all confrontation between the Batgirl and the man who shot and paralyzed her. It does not go as he expected.

This story starts in issue #14, and I have to say, it's pretty shocking. That's all I'll say right now, however."

  And Harley Quinn, Robin and all the other members of the Bat-Family will get affected by Joker's return. Synder commented to Newsrama again on Joker's plan for revenge during "Death of the Family":

 ". . .this is the Joker having been away for a year planning all of this stuff, like planting traps and seeds and all kinds of stuff that are going to come to fruition in this thing.

A year ago, Joker decided, I'm going to walk away from Gotham, I'm going to plan my revenge, and I'm going to come back in a year and bring it all back. So this is what he's been planning to do for a long time. And all of those things are set in motion.

 . . .But because the story is so big, and because Joker is attacking all those members of the Bat-family, essentially, to prove this point that he's come back to Gotham to prove and to expose this secret that he has, you will see Joker attack Nightwing in Nightwing. And you'll see him come after Batgirl in Batgirl. And you'll see him go after Damian in Batman and Robin. And Tim, even, in Teen Titans. And Jason in Red Hood [and the Outlaws].

So there will be issues of those books that feature the Joker coming after him in ways that will be part of the moving parts of the bigger story. But they will all be self-contained, so you don't need to read other books to follow the series that you love.  . .

But this story is much darker and much more personal.

Joker is coming after the Bat-family in ways where, it really is almost like when you think about it.... he hasn't faced off with those characters, essentially, or directly, before.

People will say, "Oh, well, he came after Batgirl in The Killing Joke," but he was really going after Commissioner Gordon. So when Batgirl realizes that here, too, it's almost like the Joker is staring at her saying, "I'm coming after you this time. I'll kill everyone and burn down everything in your life to do what I did to your father, but to you." You know?

So in that way, he's saying that to every member of the Bat-family. To Nightwing and everyone, saying, "You've never faced me before. I've never actually targeted you. I've only used you as pawns to get at Batman. So welcome to your worst nightmare." "

With all this, This might be the Joker's greatest caper yet.  Who will live? Who will die? How will the Bat-Family will be changed by this? And how will Bruce face his greatest enemy when he comes for everyone he loves?

"Death of the Family" starts in Batman # 13 this October, written by Scott Synder with art by Greg Capullo, for $3.99.

THE BEGINNING & THE END: A REVIEW OF SEASON 1's FINALE & SEASON 2's OPENING of YOUNG JUSTICE

Hello, my name is Jeff Williams, you might know me better as the co-host of the Ikaricast, the podcast that also features fellow J1 Writer, Jeremias de Leon and the gaming podcast, Next-Gen podcast.

"The Beginning and the End : A review of Season 1's Finale and Season 2's Opening"

Reviewer: Jeff Williams

Editor: Jeremias de Leon

 

For my debut for Comic Book Clash, it will be a recap of a season finale and review of a season premiere. What show am I talking about? Well, it's none other than DC/WB's Young Justice animated series, created by Greg Weisman (of The Spectacular Spider-Man and Disney's Gargoyles fame) and Brandon Vetti (Director/Producer of various DC animated DTV movies) for Cartoon Network's DC Nation block.

First let's start off this article, by taking a look at last week's season finale titled "Auld Acquaintance".

Aired: Sat. April 21st, 2012

The Season 1 finale of the show, was directed by Michael Chang ("Superman vs. The Elite") and Lauren Montgomery (Wonder Woman, Justice League: Doom) and was written by the aforementioned creator, Greg Weisman.

It starts off where the previous episode, "Usual Suspects" ended. In which we find out that, not only the big baddie of "The Light", is none other than Vandal Savage. But throughout the whole season, the writers, Weisman and Vetti have been hinting that a mole was in the ranks of the fledging team, and that mole was none other than Red Arrow. As this past week's finale progressed in plot, we learned a lot that made this season finale, a great epilogue to the season.

Highlights:

- The Speedy "Red Arrow", we've been knowing throughout this whole season, was not the real Roy Harper, but another clone created by Cadmus.

- The way Vandal Savage and The Light were controlling the Justice League, was through Starro (which in this Universe, he's represented as biotech, instead of an alien parasite)

- There were romances that were confirmed/created, and that's all I'm going to say, cause in all honesty, does it really matter?

- Ending this season with Superman finally acknowledging and accepting his "son" Conner, was nice, and it was a long time coming. Plus, the cliffhanger ending in which, we were left to wonder what the main Justice League members were doing during that 16-hour long control that Savage had them under.

- Also, not only it was confirmed that the Real Roy Harper was still alive, but the overall appearance of his debut, ironically mirrored his mainstream counter-part, pre-NDCU.

Overall, season 1's finale of Young Justice was a great segue to hopefully, a superior second season.

Speaking of, here's my review on the season 2 premiere of Young Justice titled "New Year's Eve".

The episode was directed by Tim Divar (former Storyboard artist for Batman: Brave and the Bold, Hulk Vs., Next Avengers: Heroes of Tomorrow & episode 2/season 5 of Teen Titans "Homecoming, pt. II") and was written by Greg Weisman, the creator of Young Justice (animated series).

Eve starts at where last season's finale ended. In which Robin and company were consulting with Batman, trying to figure out what happened during those 16-hours when they were under Vandal Savage's control.

-cut to-

The Sewers of Gotham City and we see a fight starting to place with both Conner and Clayface. It look as if Karlo "Clayface" had the upper hand, until Miss Martian came to his rescue. But that's were we start to see things unfold….

We not only find out that this season pulled a time-skip (5 years later to be exact), but we also are introduced to new members of the team and those team members are…..

- Robin (Tim Drake)

- Blue Beetle "Jaime Reyes" (MY BOI!)

- Lagoon Boy

- Beast Boy

- Wonder Girl "Cassandra Sandsmark"

- Batgirl "Barbara Gordon"

- Bumblebee (no relation to the Autobot of the same name)

 

- Vox "Malcom Duncan"

With these new additions to the team, we do "somewhat" learn throughout this episode, of what became of the original members of Young Jusitce.

- Former Robin "Dick Grayson" has become Nightwing and has the passed the mantle of the mentor of Robin to young Tim Drake.

- Zatana and Rocket are now members of the Justice League.

- Miss Martian and Conner are no longer a couple. Again, don't care just mentioning it for plot's sake.

- So far, we're left in the dark on the whereabouts of Red Arrow, nor any explanations of what happened to Artemis, Aqulalad "Kaldur" or Kid Flash "Wally West"

So, since I explained what the premise is (basically "new team, same CRAZY antics!"), what did I think of this season premiere?

For a season premiere, it was fun times to be had.

As with other shows (animated/live-action) pulling a time-skip and failing, I personally feel that Young Justice won't suffer the same fate.

The plot is still there, The wit/humor of the show (which I think is one of the show's strong suits) is there, The character development, while some being lost (for now…) is still there. In others words, if you were a fan of this show since Summer of 2010, then you'll feel right at home…

For newer fans of the show, as this season's plot progresses, would like the newer team, while being introduced to the "older" members. The new viewers won't feel like they're forced to like the newer and bigger roster.

Now, what is my final say on this season debut? I'm with the fans that were introduced to this show, 2 years ago.  I love it!

Rating: 4.5/5

The only complaint that I can give this episode was, that it had a slow start. Therefore, I was worried that I would have lost interest in the episode. But thankfully, after the opening it really does pick up.

VALENTINE'S DAY REVIEW SPECIAL # 1 - BATGIRL # 18

Batgirl #18

Written by Bryan Q. Miller

Art by Dustin Nguyen

DC Comics

Review by Darryll Carter (aka Yusuke T. Centre) 

You have to give credit where credit is due and I assure you, Bryan Q. Miller’s credit is due. Miller wrote all twenty four issues of the previous Batgirl ongoing series. He turned a spoiled brat into a wisecracking, mature (sort of), confident and respected heroine, affectively transforming Stephanie Brown into my favorite Batgirl. That’s why Batgirl #18 (Apr ‘11) is my Valentine. Here’s the review.

For those that don’t/didn’t know, Stephanie Brown, formerly known as Spoiler and one time Robin inherited the title of Batgirl from her predecessor, Cassandra Cain. She is then trained by Barbra Gordon, Oracle, also formerly Batgirl, but also currently… (Blame DCfolks.)

This issue was an interlude timed correctly with Valentine’s Day, but unfortunately thrown in the middle of an ongoing story arc. Placement aside, Batgirl #18 functions much like a one shot or an episode of Batman the Animated Series.

The readers are thrown right into the story where, a were-cat is going around ripping out persons’ hearts on Valentine’s Day evening. As it turns out this were-cat was not always a were-cat, but the familiar of one Klarion the Witch-Boy. In a mild bit of irony, pointed out by Stephanie, the cat is rampaging around ripping out hearts because Klarion denied him (the cat) a chance at love. Stephanie for most part takes the side of the audience and the phrase “are you fricking serious” comes to mind. After being trapped in a miniature globe and a few witty exchanges later; Stephanie and Klarion decide to form an “alliance” and track down the cat.

Once the duo reaches the cat, Teekl, they trap him in a globe and take him to Limbo Town, home of the Witches and find him a mate. The story closes with Klarion touring Gotham U campus with Stephanie and a short but, humorous run in with the campus “witch (euphemized)”, Jordana, being turned into a frog.

The story was great for what it was, a seasonal piece. It captured the spirit of the holiday and at the same time didn’t get too deep into it to turn someone off. The best part of the story was waiting to see what Klarion and Stephanie had to say next. The two characters really played well off of each other.

The artist for this issue is Dustin Nguyen (Batman: Streets of Gotham).  Nguyen produced 9 covers for the series and performed as penciller for a number of the issues. His art style is unique and there really isn’t anything quite like it. It stands out. When you see his art you can stop and say, “hey that’s Dustin Nguyen”. He does a great job at capturing facial expressions and just adds a sort of ‘fine art’ feel to the medium.  Just look at the painted sequences he did for yourself. Two words; gorgeous and elegant.

In all Batgirl #18, while an untimely detour from the ongoing arc, was still a delightful treat and beautiful Valentine’s day gift from Dc and the creative team. If you want a light read with a fair share of laughs instead of the usual gooeyness of Valentine’s day, this comic is for you.

The Hype factor this time around consists mostly of artwork and whimsical banter. Enjoy and…

CoW (COVER OF THE WEEK) # 1

Cover of Week

by Darryll "YTC" Carter

Cover by Adam Hughes

(Week of January 25th, 2012)

This weeks cover is  from Batgirl #5. The lure of this cover for me was the contrast between Batgirl and her background. The picture really captures the cold of a blizzard really well. The way the storm fades out the background architecture to near silhouettes, establishes a sense of isolation. It's just Batgirl all alone and this unseen assailant, who seemingly has already gotten a peace of her. The red from the blood and Barbara's hair are the most attractive things in the picture. The white scenery really helps the red pop.

THIS WEEK IN AWESOME # 2

And now, we got what we found awesome this week in comics.


CBC's Darryl "YTC" Carter: 

Darryll “YTC” Carter here and my epic moment for this week comes from the pages of Gail Simone, Ardian Syaf and Vicente Cifuentes’ Batgirl #3.  867-5309 Jenny was playing on the radio and then I read this in the comic book… “For a good time call the Red Hood.” That had me rolling on the floor for at least an hour.

CBC's Hector Ramirez: 

My awesome moment this week comes from Batman Superman Vengeance when the Batmen and Supermen of the Multiverse combine into one entity to defeat the Maximum Maximum an entity created by combining a rip off Avengers team into one entity with the mind of their sorry excuse for Thor to see the combined cunning of many Batmen with the might of several Supermen and put that into battle with the powers of imitations of Hulk Captain America Spiderman and Thor with the Thor’s mindset it makes for a great battle. 

And Finally, EIC Frankie Rodriguez: 

 And from me this week, comes from the first issue of Christo Gage's X-Men Legacy run, #260.1. As we all know, Gambit had been hung up on Rogue for years and vice versa. But many things have changed. First, Rogue getting together with Magneto . . . for real this time in the 616 universe. Gambit told Rogue that he is her true love and her star or some such,  Heart of the Card.  Wait. I put that in the wrong place again. *sigh*  Well, All I have to say is . . .

DAMN!

And that is all for this week. See you next week Clashers! 

THE REPLACEMENTS # 1

The Replacements!

by Darryl "YTC" Carter

Birds of Prey Edition

Hey there Clashers! Here’s something we hope you’ll really like. A few days ago, the lot of us over here at CBC began thinking. (Startling, I know.) What if the members of a comic book team were decommissioned (due to any reason imaginable) and forced to recruit from other continuums and continuities?

You get the Replacements! This is our new segment where we take an existing comic book team and replace its members with suitable counterparts from other mediums. This week we are starting things off with Birds of Prey and substituting them with video game characters.

The following is the cast of Birds of Prey pre-New 52. We will get to the NEW 52 Birds of  Prey eventually.

Oracle First Appearance: Detective Comics #359	Cortana Halo Series
Barbara Gordon, leader of the Birds, is a tech wizard, adept strategist and high level martial artist. Her guidance and intelligence are the cogs and gears of the teams operations. Once an active member in the field, since her paralysis Barbara issues commands and provides support through her tech and planning.	Cortana is a viable replacement for Oracle. She posses the technology and skills to assist the Birds in their daily operations. She can simultaneous manage several programs and cyber operations and processes at a speed no human can muster. She lacks Barbara’s fighting knowledge and strategic ability, but being an AI gives her the capacity to learn at an accelerated pace. With the ability to hack and decipher ancient alien technology to boot, Cortana may be overflowing Barbara’s shoes.
Black Canary First Appearance: Justice League of America #220 (Nov ’83)	Tifa Lockhart Final Fantasy VII Series
Dinah Laurel Lance is a master martial artist equipped with an earsplitting sonic scream. She has fought the best fighter on the planet, Lady Shiva and lived. Capable of snapping a man’s bones in multiple locations in seconds, Dinah is a formidable opponent.	Tifa Lockhart is the substitute for Black Canary.  Tifa is an adept fighter. She jumps off walls and does somersault kicks for breakfast. Tifa lacks Dinah’s technical fighting ability, but makes up for it with raw force and an unlimited arsenal of materia to choose from. Who needs a sonic scream when you can wield every element at your fingertips? Psshaw… Just call on Knights of the Round.
Huntress First Appearance: Huntress #1 (Apr ’89)	Nina Williams Tekken Series
Helena Bertinelli is cold blooded. She will kill you if she has to and she has the martial training to do it. She’s trained in various weapons, but often favors the crossbow. Helena has been known to cross the line 9 out of 10 times, but she is bound to her friends and will do anything to get them home safe and accomplish her goals.	Nina Williams is a trained assassin and adept martial artist. She’s ruthless and goal oriented just like Huntress. Nina is a systematic, skeletal dissector in combat, trained with her hands and firearms. If Nina’s put a target on your back, watch out. Frankly, I think she’s the best match on our list.
Lady Blackhawk First Appearance: Blackhawk #133 (Feb ’59)	Jill Valentine Resident Evil Series
Zinda Blake is feisty, beautiful and great in a bar fight. She is a member of the legendary Blackhawks, an expert pilot and adept marksman. Zinda finds her place as the Birds’ wheelman.	Jill Valentine is stepping in for Zinda. Jill is a top level operative, hardened by mankind’s war on Umbrella Corp. and biological weapons. She lacks Zinda’s zesty personality and piloting ability, but Jill’s tenacity and determination make her more than applicable. Her connections in the BSAA can provide vehicles and adept drivers.  Besides, not every non metahuman can take out a Tyrant with a Beretta and a combat knife.
Hawk & Dove Hank’s First Appearance: Showcase #75 (June ’68) Dawn’s First Appearance: Hawk and Dove Vol. 2 #1 (Oct ’88)	Ryu and Chun Li Street Fighter Series
Hank Hall and Dawn Granger are the current faces of Hawk and Dove. Hank is an anger and testosterone driven powerhouse, while Dawn is gracefully agile and a voice of reason. Essentially, these two are War and Peace.	Ryu is by no means a Hawk doppelganger. He is calm, cool and collective. Ryu relies on his training and peace of mind to defeat his foes. In fact, Ryu could just as easily be Dove. But for color (red, white) and gender parallels we cast him as Hawk’s replacement. It’s a definite improvement if you ask me. Chun Li is the perfect mesh of power and grace. Like Dawn, Chun Li would rather find the peaceful solution to a dispute rather than resort to her more than capable kicks. With the power of the Hadoken and Kikoken at their wrist, this duo outshines the first string.

REFLECTIONS OF 2011 # 1 - WHAT YOU THOUGHT OF THE BOOKS OF 2011

 Finally, we have some fans and fellow comic book readers give their own opinions of the good and bad of this past year. Here is the first in a series of reflections:


From Caleb the TimeTraveler:

What were the worst comics and/or storylines of 2011? (feel free to put as many as you like; you got time to say why, go ahead)

Honestly, I wouldn't say there were too many bad ones, just a lot of really bland, or average ones. For all that was said of The Outlaws, and of Hawk And Dove and Savage Hawkman, they really were just run-of-the-mil books compared to what I've seen in the past. Nothing really stood out as atrocious. 

-What were the best comics and/or storylines of 2011? 

Joe the Barbarian had most of it's run in 2010, but since it had a few in 2011, I'd say it stood out as one of the top books this year.
Animal Man and Swamp Thing were the unexpected hits of the New 52, being some of the best comics I've ever seen. 
Batman Inc and Detective Comics by Snyder were the pinnacle of Batman comics this year.
Reed Gunther is a hell of a lot of fun.
Comic Book Comics was also a great ride, and the sort of comic I'd give to someone just to know the history of one of my favourite mediums. 
But I think what was my favourite book this year was Cobra, and the whole Cobra Civil War storyline by IDW. Best GI Joe series to date. 
(If Parker the Outfit was in 2011 though, it'd be a whole 'nother tale, and though it came out, I still haven't read the Martini Edition yet, so I can't count that...)

-What were the top 3 best #1s of 2011 (since there were sooooo many)?

Animal Man, Swamp Thing, and Cobra. 

-and Finally, What was the unexpected surprise (good or bad) in comics during 2011? 

Cobra Civil War. I only found out about it just a few weeks ago. Someone dropped it on my lap, and I was expecting the typical 'Yo Joe' treatment. Instead, I got spy fiction and realistic secret military drama, and I'm so happy. Larry Hamma'd be proud.
Also, as a DC Native, the new Joe books are the only books that I've ever read that got DC right. No Sky Scrappers, the National Mall doesn't have the White House in it, and the Capital Building and the Washington Monument are appropriately apart from each other. Not to mention they call it the Metro, and the Metro looks like the Metro, not some city subway, and best of all, they knew that DC loves the Nationals, and it's not often you see Wizards and Redskins logos everywhere. 
And they actually knew of the Nationals!




From Dante Franklin:

What were the worst comics and/or storylines of 2011? 

- Red Hood and the Outlaws #1- First time I ever actually threw a comic away after reading it lol As a big Starfire fan, I was totally turned off by the sex toy with a pulse portrayal. Sorry to not follow the series as I love Kori and enjoyed Lobdell's work on the Marvel X-books. But this was a huge dud for me. 

- Wonder Woman "The Odyssey" - Phil Hester tried to save it but I just never warmed to the storyline. Things started with an unnecessary costume change and a storyline that could have easily been short an issue or two. Perhaps, it was sidelined by the changes of DC's new 52 or not but it left many wondering "what was the point"?


What were the best comics and/or storylines of 2011? 

Witchblade- Ron Marz continued the end of his run with solid supernatural, cop stories. 

X-Factor- Peter David continues to put out the most consistently entertaining of the X-books. This year saw some interesting storylines involving Rahne Sinclair's baby and the death and resurrection of Strong Guy. Things look to be even more interesting as Havok and Polaris join the team in 2012.

Batwoman- I'd been eagerly anticipating this series since her run in Detective and it hasn't disappointed. Kate Kane is proving herself a capable and interesting protagonist and the art is absolutely gorgeous. The addition of Chase has also been very welcome.

What were the top 3 best #1s of 2011 (since there were sooooo many)?

Batwoman #1- Just stellar work from J.H. Williams and J. Michael Straczynski.

Birds of Prey #1- I was a fan of the original Birds of Prey series and was skeptical about the re-start. But Duane Swierczynski and Jesus Saiz hit the ground running with an intriguing storyline and the year's best new character (Starling). As much as I loved Gail Simone's work, they have proven worthy successors.

Batgirl #1- Speaking of Gail, I was a huge fan of Batgirl #1. I loved all of the various characters who have been Batgirl but none more than Barbara Gordon. Gail had a tough job though as bringing Barbara back as Batgirl was a controversial move. But I think she handled it well, giving us a character who is struggling to adjust to her changes and find herself again. Plus, I really enjoyed her first villain, The Mirror, who is the perfect foil for Batgirl in more ways than one.

and Finally, What was the unexpected surprise (good or bad) in comics during 2011? 

- Have been loving the work of Dan Abnett and Andy Lanning on New Mutants. Very cool follow-up to Zeb Wells.

- Brian Azzarello and Cliff Chiang have been doing wonders (no pun intended) on Wonder Woman. I've had some mixed feelings on the change in origin but can't deny that the book is well written and intriguing. 

- I also think Judd Winick and Guillem March have been great on Catwoman. Beautiful to look at and fun to read. Selina’s sexy without being a bimbo.



That is all for this week. Next week, we'll have some more reflections of the last year. Look forward to it. 

DCnU SPECIAL #2 - What we thought of WEEK 2 Comics?

Last week was considered week one.  This is week two with 13 titles had come out and we've got a LOT of opinions from different people on it. 

Here we go:

ACTION COMICS

Jake Estrada of Estrada Media in Melbourne, FL

Now this comic showed us a very young Superman that was out to take on the world in general. If you are bad, fat and out right rotten Superman is for the people here. He doesn’t take any crap, and he has the moves. I did love Rags Morales artwork, it was fresh, lavish and it gave us this boyish man that the people loved. Now we were also introduced to a Lex Luthor that worked for the government and had a clear disdain for Superman, and was willing to do anything to get his mark.

Wilson Sam of London, UK

With Action comics I was expecting great things with Grant Morrison,one of my favourite writers.And he did not disappoint.The first issue was a great solid read.This Superman was fun,young,righteous and cool.A cape,a T shirt,blue jeans and an attitude is what I got and I'm craving for more.It was a easy quick read but full of,well,action and Grant Morrisons witty banter.The train sequence was awesome.Rags Morales was on fire.Loved every panel,especially pages 4 and 5 where Superman is on top of the building.Mr Morales should have been a superstar.After this,he will be.Grant Morrison is having fun with Superman and so am i. More please.

ANIMAL MAN

Jake Estrada of Melbourne, FL

The opening of the issue was very engaging as it opened to a newspaper article giving you a brief of synopsis of Animal Man and what he has done. The artwork by Trevor Foreman was very powerful and engaging and it fit with the title well. It gave us an interesting take on a great character that was once written by Grant Morrison. Lemire has taken a page from Grant Morrison, and appears to be forging a very intriguing road here with Animal Man

G. Williams of Hamstead, NY

 I liked it but it has the feel of a Vertigo title than a DC title. This book hit the ground running with a great first issue and I look forward to the next one

BATGIRL

Derrick Jones of Brooklyn, NY

Probably the book that inspired the most upset ,outrage, and out and out fan emotion, Batgirl was always going to be a hard sell. Taking a beloved character a like Barbara Gordon and canceling out the history that turned her into the fan favorite techno goddess “Oracle” was a risky move bring her back to her Batgirl roots, but leave it to the talents of Gail Simone to turn lemons into lemonade, and what a sweet sweet flavor of lemonade it is.

Gail has written a story that is as kinetic as the Adrian Syaf’s artwork. She manages to fit in the main story, a introduction of our main character and some of her history. The art simply flows from page to page and I can’t stress enough that the panels have backgrounds. When you read these stories from a view of reviewing them it is amazing the things you see or rather what you don’t see. Batgirl is also one of the few NU52 that manages to feel that the story it’s told is a complete chapter to a story and that the story didn’t just stop because the writer ran out of pages.

Honestly this is in my opinion the best NU52 book that has come out so far and I plan on

sticking around to see how all this turns out.

Jake Estrada of Melbourne,FL

Now Batgirl was a great title. My initial things on the character was very low, but what made this interesting was that they kept the part where the Joker shot Barbara as canon and it made the story much more powerful. It gave us a brief explanation that she had gotten better, and that she was not back in action as Batgirl. It was fast and engaging and it kept me glued to the pages til the very end.

BATWING

CBC's Frankie Rodriguez of Vineland, NJ

  Batwing was one of those titles that was mocked out. " look at his purple and green (blue) armor. Who is gonna want to pick that up," said a member of the J1 crew. Well, they changed the color of the armor (thank fully) and introduced us to a taste of David Zavimbe's world . . . and it's gore, dark . . . and cool. I want to know more about the Republic of Congo, David's life as a police office for Tinsha and more about Tinsha, Batwing's city, itself. And Ben Oliver is drawing the book of his career here. The realism to some of his picks are absolutely stunning. 

Louis Laughton of Chicago, IL

Winick’s writing for this issue suffers a little from being too quick to get all the pieces into play. This issue moves fast issue. We’re briefly introduced to two supporting cast members, get two dust-ups, two piles of corpses, and even a taste of Africa’s superhero history. Massacre is built up as a very convincing threat.  Even with some of the villains introduced, Massacre has more than lived up to his name within this first issue alone. But all this doesn’t leave much time for learning about David Zavimbe himself. He’s an officer in the local police, he has a suit of Batarmor, a Batcave and a Batfriend; but who is he beyond all that? Ben Oliver’s art is very slick, and pairs well with Brian Reber’s colors. The layout is edgy and nontraditional, matching the energetic pace of the story. As he makes abundantly clear from the backup interview, Oliver is extremely jazzed about illustrating Batwing’s armor. This is particularly important in light of Batwing’s wafer-thin introduction back in the old DCU. He’s the ‘African Batman’ , but what does that mean?

DETECTIVE COMICS

Jake Estrada of Melbourne, FL

 The artwork was beautiful and it gave us the introduction of Batman and Joker at it again. Now the story felt kind of flat, but the art did help make the story move and kept my attention glued to the story the entire time to see what happened next. I will say this though there was very little detective here, just pure Batman fisticuffs’.

GREEN ARROW

D. Jones of Brooklyn, NY

Nu52 Green Arrow looks a lot like Smallville Green Arrow to me. Gone is the hippie feel of Oliver Queen, he feels a lot more like a “Dot.Com” millionaire. J.T.Krul manages a decent introduction of who this new Green Arrow is but it comes off a little contrived to me. Most of the story seems to be one big fight. It really left me kind of blah.

The art however is a different story, Dan Jurgens is not a “superstar” artist he is just great as his job. His characters have distinct looks and if everyone ran around the book naked you would still be able to tell them apart. Normally people mention the artist and ignore the inker but it is impossible to ignore George Perez’s inks backing up Dan Jurgens pencils, there like one of those great music duo’s from the 80’s.

While the art is good this was another one of those books that felt like the pacing was off and the writer felt that since the story would run over several books he could leave the writer in story free fall. The art will bring me back but the story is questionable.

G. Williams of Hamstead, NY

I've read Green Arrow. I didn't like it. I feel it is a major detraction from before. While I understand the original Green Arrow was similar to Batman. A millionaire using his money to fund his costumed adventures but now I felt like I was reading about Bruce and Oracle not Ollie and his new crew.

HAWK & DOVE

D. Jones of Brooklyn, NY

It is almost impossible to review this book without bringing your own feelings about Rob

Liefield into the equation, this being Liefield’s return to a monthly book in many years. I will begin with the story, Sterling Gates writes a story that in itself is simplistic but that is not  necessarily a bad thing with it being a first issue and a jumping on point to the “NU52”. Gates throws in the history of the characters and gives us a couple of mysteries to keep us coming back. I guess one of the most confusing things about the NU52 universe is that some things that came before in the old DC universe still exist but others don’t, so I guess we will have to wait and see what parts they kept.

Now back to the Rob Liefield and the art. I asked a couple of non-comic readers who don’t know the history of Mr. Liefield’s work. The words “cheesy”, “bland” and “boring”. To anyone familiar with the history you will be happy to know that Rob has learned to do hands and feet a lot better, but that is the about the best I can say. Body proportions are still off, Dove looks like a female body builder, and backgrounds are almost non-existent.

All in all this book is very reminiscent of the opening days of Image Comics where all the new books hit the stand like throwing paint up against the wall and seeing what stuck. For me the book had no distinct voice or brought anything new or exciting to the mix. Maybe that will change when the new creative team takes over (if his past is any indication the book will be late and then he will drop from it all together by issue 7). I say come back then for the real relaunch.

JUSTICE LEAGUE INTERNATIONAL

CBC's Frankie Rodriguez of Vineland, NJ

 I was a huge fan of the JLI when they first came to be and bought the entire original run from the late 80s and 90s. After a great series in JL: Generation Lost, I was wondering how this JLI would stack up. And GOD . . . it did such a great job. Jurgens comes back to some characters he knew very well but adds some new tweeks, letting Booster Gold be the leader that we saw back in JL: Generation Lost but even more confident.  The cast had great voices that gave the team flavor and really gave it's international feel. Although, I ALREADY DO NOT LIKE GODIVA. I want to slap her. That  . . . is good writing. The team got to together, several subplots were put into play and I loved Aaron Lopresti's pencils on the book.

  Truly, JLI seems to start off on the right foot and look forward to more. 

Randall Grayson of Toronto, Canada

JLI, for me, ended up being a big disappointment.  Seeing a team of heroes learn to work with one another on the fly could have been intriguing but writer Dan Jurgens presents a storyline without heart or wonder. You’d expect this part of a companywide relaunch to do something special with its cast of mostly D-list heroes. Aaron Lopresti’s art is at its best when the characters are in close-ups. The detailed, emotive facial expressions are vital to the dialogue-heavy storyline that’s filled with bickering. What you get is a shred of potential and a lot of disappointment. Unfortunate stereotypes abound with non-Americans speaking broken English and lots of ethnocentrism. Justice League International is an insipid comic with filled with uninspiring heroes with nothing worthwhile to offer, except assurance that its many forgettable superheroes are certain to remain forgettable.

MEN OF WAR

Jake Estrada of Melbourne, FL

This was a two for the price of one storyline. For 3.99 it packed a punch and it gave us a modern day Sgt. Rock, it showed us how everyday men are dealing with the superhuman around them and what they would do in this setting. It gave us a true human side to this brave new world that DC has unveiled.

Mike Jentry of San Diego, CA

I will say that Men of War surprised me. It was two well developed stories that seemed to give us a look at how real solders would deal with Writer Ivan Brandon keeps the super heroics to a minimum with just the one (or two shadows) while focusing on this new cast of characters . . . which includes a new version of Sgt. Rock. Not usually into war books but I have to admit that over all with both artists, this was a decent read.  

O.M.A.C.

Candy Warren of Las Vegas, NV

   OMAC was just a bit too weird. I have a lot of respect as a fan of Jack Kirby but this just seemed weird. The main character is nothing more than a puppet. And while the story seemed okay . . . I am not so sure about it. Still . ..  I am intrigued enough to want to know what will happen next but not sure if I am gonna buy it next month. The art was okay but it's Keith Giffen and I am used to his old stuff on Legion of Super Heroes.

Joseph Lester of Memphis, TN

OMAC #1 is awesome and manly. It’s a crazy, over the top, fight-filled story with Keith Giffen giving serious props to the work of Jack Kirby; who created OMAC back in  the 70s. OMAC is a huge blue bruiser with a big mohawk. In this comic, OMAC breaks into the Cadmus Project and bashes his way a mile underground to a secret lab run by science fiction monsters. He punches them a lot.

 By the end of the first issue readers are introduced to a whole ton of weird looking creatures and characters, learn that OMAC is a regular guy . . . a manly guy mind you . . . who gets hijacked by a force outside of his control, and met Brother Eye, a strange space-dwelling thing that seems to know just about everything in the world. It’s a potent mix of madness from back in the Silver Age.

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STATIC SHOCK

CBC's Hector Ramirez of Philadelphia, PA

So read Static Shock #1 last week, loved it. They have Hardware as his mentor he set Virgil up with his own secret HQ an internship with Star Labs and a background story to protect his secret identity. I’ve been a fan of Static since the cartoon on Kids WB and the changes they made aren’t so major that they make him unfamiliar if anything they make the character more interesting I’m definitely looking forward to following this series.

Wilson Sam of London, UK

I was a huge Milestone fan back in the day .I collected all the titles.With the untimely death of the late,great Dwayne McDuffie I was worried about the future of the Milestone characters.I was a bit sceptical with this 'Static Shock'.Well....it was a good read.Almost reminded me of the Static comics in the past.Virgil is a smart-alec genius who uses his brains to get out of trouble.His family is also an important factor of his life.I love the family interplay,especially with his sister.(sisters,bah).John Rozum is a Milestone writer from way back.For Milestone he wrote Xombi and Kobalt I guess Static is in good hands.The art,hmmm,was a bit too cartoony for my taste.Scott McDaniel can do better but if this is his new style hopefully I'll get use to it.A good read.Bring on issue 2.

STORMWATCH

Jake Estrada of Melbourne, FL

Now I loved the old Stormwatch and when it became the Authority in the original Wildstorm line. This series takes the old name, but uses the old Authority characters in this new world setting. The series threw a lot of plot lines at us, it showed us an angry moon that was willing to kill people and I loved it. I thought the pace was brisk and it had the action that made me what was going to happen next.

CBC's Frankie Rodriguez of Vineland, NJ

 As a fan of both Stormwatch & the Authority, this was a joy when it was announced. Once I got this first issue . . . I was amazed. The characters fit seemlessly into the DC Universe. They established a major threat. Had introduced all the characters giving aspects of powers and personalities. Miguel Sepulvada's art was gorgeous, dark and filled with cinematic flair that grabs you and never lets go. Paul Cornell's script and characterizations were interesting, flavored and wonderful to read. I read this first issue TWICE in a row then another 3 times since I bought it. It is THAT good!

SWAMP THING

Jake Estrada of Melbourne, FL

Now Swamp Thing had amazing art, it had an interesting storyline and it felt like a horror story where a man was at odds with his past, and was trying to forget who he was and what he could do. Of course the world did not forget him and it was crawling at him at every inch. The ending which was shocking and engrossing in the end will certainly have me racing back to the comic book shop for the second issue. Very powerful issue to say the least.

Louis Laughton of Chicago, IL

Despite Swamp Thing’s illustrious career, we really do know oh so very little about its human originator, botanist Alec Holland. We all know Swamp Thing had a lot of heart, but does the one inside the monster beat at the same pace as the one inside the man? We may never really know the answer to that. His memories have been colored with years of memories from his dubious existence as a vegetative avatar, with experiences that apparently still linger in his resurrected brain.  All this makes him and us question which thoughts belong to him, and which are residue of the creature he can’t seem to leave behind. People have a conflicted reaction towards the unknown.  The more foreign and unrecognizable something is, the more it plays upon our fears, but the more it also draws our curiosity.  

Snyder works both emotions expertly, consistently offering ideas and scenes that disrupt the sense of familiarity we need for peace of mind.  In other words, he’s getting very good at disturbing you, which may not be the most pleasant feeling in the world, but rather addictive all the same.Can we just straight out classify Paquette as a rising star among DC’s ranks of artists?  The depth of his work gives such life to the characters that instead of seeming “drawn” or “cartoony” and therefore impervious to pain, they take on a sense of fragility.  These characters can be damaged, and so you instantly feel tension for them.  But beyond that, Paquette provides simply some of the most eerily beautiful imagery I’ve seen, pulsing from Fairbairn’s colors.

And those are all the opinions we have on the comics from September 7th. More books come out today (September 14th) and if you want to give your opinion to us, feel free to email us at either j1studio1@gmail.com or francisco.k.rodriguez@gmail.com . . . just have the title of which ever book you are reviewing from today or the next couple weeks in your email. If you do more than one title, feel free to mark it  DCnU # 1 reviews.  That is all for now. See you guys & gals next week with more on this historic event.