'Batman and Robin' #3 Review

YEAH. Look at that cover! My favorite one yet, the fluid motion of the capes is amazing. It's a very minor detail but I really like how the artist signed his name on the cover by making out out of Robin's bootlaces. Very clever and cool signature.

Plot Summary

So this issue opens with Damian and Alfred playing a game of chess with all these really cool chess metaphors for what's happening in the comic. Bruce is outside setting up perimeter defenses like a "knight protecting his castle". Alfred shows he's a complete badass by attaching a few homing devices on Damian as he's trying to leave. Alfred is a big character so far and I really like that, rather than just being the butler in the background that says "Yes, Master Bruce." Damian confronts some bad apples in an alley and kicks the shit out of them (he punches an iphone right into a guy's face). He goes a little crazy at the end and you see a little of bit of the beast inside. Morgan appears, gives a little speech and knocks Damian out. THEN Bruce appears and they throw hands! After a pretty brutal fight, Bruce is knocked into the road and hit by an oncoming car, blacking out. Later (how much later it doesn't say) Batman and Robin wake up in an old car sitting in an abandoned drive-in. A countdown on the large screen begins and the issue ends with Morgan's voice on an intercom. "Glad to see everyone's coming around. Make yourselves comfortable. Sit back, relax, and enjoy the show." GAHHH I WANT MORE. Seriously intense cliff hanger of an ending.

I caught up now, haven't read any more of the series. I'm excited to buy the next issue. What's gonna happen next?!! THE TENSION'S KILLIN' ME! This issue also has an ad for the new series Red Hood and the Outlaws. It looks SUPERB. I've never heard of this?? I'll definitely keep my eye out for that and do a review if I find it!

Batman and Robin #3 - 8.3/10

'Spider-Man Loves Mary Jane' Review

Take a look at this! Marvel attempting to make Shoujo. Wow. I've been seeing this thing at the library for months and finally decided to pick it up. It wasn't until I had it checked out that I realized it's actually volume 4 in the series, but it's not hard to follow. Degrassi meets Spider-Man. I can see where the idea of this could sound good. There are so many different characters Peter has had relations with throughout the history of Spider-Man and putting them all in a high school setting sounds interesting. I think this series is very much directed at a target audience and I am not in that audience. They even collect it into a volume like this to make it look like a shoujo series. I mean the color scheme even looks like Fruits Basket!!


Plot Summary

So Peter and MJ aren't together anymore. Now MJ is with Harry and I guess they've also been together in the past but they broke up previously. It seems like every character has dated every other character at some point. Everyone is a whore. Not really. Spider-Man starts hanging out with Firestar and that eventually turns into make out sessions. Liz is having problems with her boyfriend Flash. They actually made Flash out to be a pretty cool guy in this series rather that just the normal Flash Thompson who yells "PARKER!!". MJ and Harry don't want to get serious but they do anyway. This comic is just constantly jumping around between relationships very fast. Warning to all guys thinking about reading this - There is no action. At all. No violence. Nothing. There's one bad guy on one page. Iceman has a random appearance at the end. That's about as Marvel Comics as this thing gets. Felicia Hardy is in it. I don't think she's Black Cat yet? They don't mention it at all. She's just a random whore who wants to screw up everyone else's relationships. She has no heart and wants everyone else's love life to fail. That's what I got out of it. She also speaks in cat metaphors. "Are you feelin' lucky?!" Recurring words like 'catch' 'bad luck' 'thief' 'jinx' and so on. They really lay it on thick. Harry opens up his 'soul' to MJ and admits that he loves her but she still loves Peter deep down. They break up and the comic ends with MJ and Peter on a bench together.

I definitely wouldn't say this series is bad, it's just not that great either...Like a mentioned before, it's all about the target audience. I don't think I'll be reading any more of this series but I'm not horribly disappointed at all. Strangely enough, this was created by two guys. The art style reminds me very much of a female artist, but I suppose the artist might have just been trying to imitate shoujo as best he could. I really didn't like the fact that it's called SPIDERMAN LOVES MARY JANE. I mean, come on, they couldn't think of something better? How about WEB OF ROMANCE? Corny but better, I think. On the back cover it says it's a 'breath of fresh air' and I really can't argue with that. Marvel was definitely branching out and I have to respect that.

Spider-Man Loves Mary Jane volume 4 - 5.5/10

'Batman and Robin' #2 Review

Time for issue number DOS. Right off the bat (GEDDIT) this issue opens with a 2 page spread showing events throughout Damian's life. His intense training that the League of Shadows put him through since birth. They're really trying to get across that Damian is a monster and Bruce has nurture him back to humanity. Unfortunately Bruce has no idea how to be a dad and that's part of what makes this series so damn interesting! *spoilers* Damian doesn't want to disappoint his father so halfway through the issue they're taking care of some thugs doing a weapons deal and Damian shows restraint when taking them down. Bruce notes this as "commendable". They tie up the thugs and leave them hanging from a light post when suddenly our mysterious villain shows up. He sneaks down right on top of the guys and slits their throats but they even know he's there. There's a page showing him standing under the thugs, a shower of blood flowing all around him. It was gruesome and disturbing and FANTASTIC. This comic book doesn't play games, there is some intense violence in this series. In the last scene with Damian, he's walking back to his room from his exercise session when he catches a bat in mid air and crushes it in his hand. Alfred notices as he tosses it away casually. This kid has problems.

The issue ends with Bruce purchasing a great dane and being confronted by a man named Morgan. It's revealed that this guy is a our stealthy killer. Morgan detonates a little explosive nearby to show he's one step ahead of the game and disappears. The tension is building, I'm eager to read more!! The atmosphere of this comic is so dark and it's complimented nicely at the end outside scene with it's bright colors. I'm always happy to discover new artists I like and the penciller Patrick Gleason is really skilled. I'd really like to post some more pictures from this comic but since it's so new I'm having trouble finding any! Just go to your local bookstore and buy an issue of this, you will enjoy it. I hope. You better. I have issue #3 and I'll review that soon!

Batman and Robin #2 - 8.2/10

'Batman and Robin' #1 Review

Where do I start? It's been a year since I posted anything on here. I've moved around with computers a lot recently and actually forgot my account information on here but I finally got it all sorted out and I'm back.....I don't think anyone missed me. The blog seems to be exactly how I left it..but that's okay! I've been reading a lot of comics lately and I'd like to get some of this out there again. So instead of reviewing random manga from the library, I'm going to review something actually relevent!! If you're a fan of DC comics then you probably (or should) know about DC's new 52 that's happening right now. Fifty two DC titles all rebooting at once! Pretty exciting. I was a little doubtful when I first heard about it but now that I've read quite a few current issues, I'm pretty pleased! I'm going to review my favorite that I've read so far: Batman and Robin!

So Bruce is back. Damian Wayne is now Robin. I picked up issue one because I thought the relationship between father and son would be very interesting for Batman and Robin. And I was right! Normally you've got a brooding Batman and a cheerful Robin. With 2009's Batman and Robin series, you had positive Dick Grayson as Batman and a brooding Robin. Well NOW we've got a brooding Batman and a brooding Robin! DOUBLE BROOD. I thought this might be too much brood for one comic but Alfred balances it out with his awesome self.

This comic is dark. Very dark. My favorite thing about it is probably the atmosphere of it all. Dark colors everywhere. The art is just fantastic and the writing is great. I REALLY like Frank Quitely's art on the previous Batman and Robin but this new guy (Patrick Gleason) is great too. The villain introduced seems really interesting and also quite disturbed. There's some pretty intense violence in this comic, this definitely isn't The Brave and The Bold. A lot happens in this first issue and the end leaves you wanting more! I think if you're new to Batman comics or DC in general, this is a great start. If you're very familiar with Batman, you're gonna love this series. I'm eager to read more!

Batman and Robin #1 - 8.5/10