Comic Review Bites

Saga Volume 3

The last volume ended with a stand-off that seemed to spell certain doom for our protagonists. I expected to step into the aftermath of this, but instead, Vaughan went backward, giving us the little human moments that make this little dysfunctional family so wonderfully endearing. From playing board games to arguments to questionable coping mechanisms, I adore the way Vaughan makes these out of this world creatures exactly like you and I. It’s impossible not to empathize with someone or some thing in this book, and it’s easy to get caught up in those moments—only to remember that certain doom is most likely heading their way. As future baby Hazel continues to narrate the story of her parents’ forbidden love, the dark reminder that this story will have a bittersweet ending still hovers quietly over every moment.

Alternate review: OH MY FEEEEEELS!!!

Extinction Parade

Max Brooks has given us a new spin on the zombie apocalypse with World War Z (the book, not the movie, which didn’t give us much of a new spin at all). In this comic, he does so again. Unlike WWZ, the “subdead” are front and centre in very gory detail, but there is something notably missing: the humans. That is, the humans as the main characters, whose adventures we usually follow as they try to survive. Instead, we have a very interesting twist: a pair of female vampires. Apex predators who have lived through decades, watching humanity grow and change and feeding on us all the while. Now that this plague has taken over, they are no longer bound to many of the rules they once were. But as the pair revel in this new world order, they are blissfully unaware of one simple fact: their food supply is dwindling.

With thanks to NetGalley and Image Comics for the opportunity to read an advanced copy of this graphic novel in exchange for an honest review.

Pretty Deadly Volume 1

This is a dark, western fairy tale of sorts about a love triangle gone wrong—as is to be expected when a beautiful woman has Death’s love child and that love child becomes a deadly assassin intent on hunting down the man who caused all the pain in the first place, who is busy trying to protect a little girl who…. Um… Let’s go back a bit. The first part of the story builds an ethereal mystery surrounding this love triangle and a little girl in a vulture mask, her companion, Fox, and the deadly women who are hunting them. There are a few other characters who become involved, and at about half way, when the major twist is revealed in a stunning moment, I really started to like this book. With that revelation, the pacing of the story picked up significantly, with all the mystery more or less solved as everyone rushes toward Death. This rush made the ending falter, with little time taken for the reader to get used to new direction, or time for the characters to make anything of themselves. Perhaps this will come in further issues, but for the moment, I felt the second half of the story was a let down simply because it moved too quickly.

With thanks to NetGalley and Image Comics for the opportunity to read an advanced copy of this graphic novel in exchange for an honest review.

X-Men: Days of Future Past

There are a few major storylines from the ‘80s X-Men that I missed out on. With the movie now in theatres, it was time to catch up on one of the more iconic ones. I was disappointed to discover that this collection is not entirely focused on the Days of Future Past storyline. Instead, it opens with Jean Grey’s funeral (the very first one!), with Scott basically going through flashbacks of the X-Men and his love for Jean. The Days of Future Past story does not take place until the second or third issue in the collection, and is surprisingly not very long. But the important thing is that it establishes where human hate of mutants can and will lead if the X-Men don’t do their job well. It’s an interesting storyline, but I think the impact is lost for me because of the brevity. While I knew all the characters, there wasn’t enough time to appreciate them within this timeline and therefore mourn their losses when I knew the events would be remedied a few panels later. That said, sentinels and the anti-mutant sentiment certainly did become a major issue for the X-Men after this, so the impact of the theme made it worth the read.

Gotham Central Volume 1: In the Line of Duty

Gary Oldman ordered Ben McKenzie to do his homework when he was cast as Jim Gordon in the upcoming Gotham tv series, so it’s only fair that I do my homework too. While Gotham is considered to be losely based on this graphic novel series, the show will take place at the beginning of Gordon’s career, with Bruce Wayne and many other villains as children—meaning, there will be no Batman. Gotham Central takes place after Jim’s retirement and focuses on the various cops in the precinct and how they handle crime fighting under the shadow of a man they can’t admit exists. Some of them aren’t particularly happy that he does exist, and I love the balance between their animosity and their realization that, considering the utter crazy of their opponents, at times Batman is a necessary evil. The story does not rely on Batman’s existence, though, and he appears only briefly. There are many other crimes that don’t necessarily involve mentally deranged costumed freaks. There is a level of crime procedural drama involved, and, while the particular cases might not be all that inspired, it’s the GCPD themselves that make this story really work.

The Harlem Hellfighters

You’ve probably heard this story before: Coloured men who want to fight for their country, for their freedom, who are treated as less than garbage, but persevere to become the best of the best. We’ve seen this story told many times, in many different forms, from the Tuskegee Airmen, to the The United States Colored Troops. But that doesn’t mean the that the story of men who fought and died for the freedom of a country that hated them is any less important.

I loved the choice of black and white artwork. There are some brutal scenes, typical of horrific events during a war, but the stark contrast of black and white makes the scenes more powerful and vivid than full colour.

Graphic Novel Review: Catwoman vol.2: No Easy Way Down by Ed Brubaker

Catwoman Vol. 2: No Easy Way Down by Ed Brubaker

Publisher: DC Comics

Publication Date: June 2013

 Wendy's Rating: 4 of 5 stars

As much as I enjoyed the New 52 Catwoman, despite the controversy surrounding her angry sex with Batman, I was intrigued by the overwhelming feeling I got from fans of her previous incarnations that felt this new version of Selina Kyle was not the “lady” they had known and loved. Consequently, I’ve been slowly working my way through some of the older Catwoman stories, and as a result, have come to understand the loss of this lady.

This particular book was recommended to me recently and I grabbed it on one of my monthly trips to the not-so-local comic store. It was described to me as the definitive Catwoman, and with this quote alone, I can see why:

"She’s a creature of instinct and planning, of rigid desire and unpredictable contingencies, shifting between them the way the rest of us breathe.”

It is a character based noir story that gives us a lot of details about Selina’s past. Her origins have changed over the years, depending on the era and who is writing her, but the consensus seems to involve a tough life on the streets, fighting to survive by whatever means necessary. No Easy Way Down takes Catwoman back to Alleytown, the home of Gotham’s underprivileged and forgotten. But Brubaker makes it clear that Selina does not forget her roots or her friends as she performs some Robin Hood-esque feats to take care of them. Even Bruce recognizes the good she does and turns a blind eye to the source of some of her funding.

But in the process of trying to do good, her enemies attack her where she is most vulnerable: her friends and family – and it breaks her. She goes on a self-destructive spiral that, I believe, the New 52 Catwoman books tries to emulate, though the new Selina lacks the level of class and sense of responsibility that the original Catwoman has. Brubaker’s Catwoman falls and Batman intervenes, but he knows that she doesn’t need him to pick her up. Catwoman is and always has been a strong, fiercely independent woman and, when she’s laid low, the only person who can bring her back is herself.

This is truly Catwoman at her finest, which is to say, at her most flawed and therefore her most perfect. She was created to be Batman’s foil as much as a love interest. A villain, yes, but one who toes the line as much as Batman does. Eventually, she earns her title of “anti-hero” and teeters on the edge of Batman’s trust, though she will always have his love. And mine.

Graphic Novel Reviews: Joker and Lex Luthor: Man of Steel by Brian Azzarello and Lee Bermejo

Joker by Brian Azzarello and Lee Bermejo

One of my major reasons for wanting to read Brian Azzarello’s Joker is that I’m a fan of Harley Quinn. A friend described the portrayal of the usually bouncy and obnoxious character and I was immediately intrigued. She doesn’t appear often, and when she does, she is utterly silent and not at all bouncy, but every appearance is powerful and solidifies her place at Joker’s side. Not as his crazy, obsessed girlfriend who tolerates his abuse because she is crazy and obsessed, but as his partner. Where she was once the needy one in an cruel relationship, this depiction makes her Joker’s equal, with one moment implying just how much he needs her in his life.

I love this book for Harley alone, but, as per the title, this is about the Joker first and foremost. It begins with Azzarello confirming Arkham Asylum’s questionable revolving door policy by releasing Joker with absolutely no explanation. Joker’s first priority as he gets into the car with Jonny Frost is to take back control of his assets from all those who had divvied up his turf and funds during his incarceration. Jonny has a few problems of his own, but catering to the Joker’s whims, unsurprisingly, takes priority. The result is a brutal, mayhem-filled romp through Gotham as the Joker hunts down his prey.

But the beauty of this book is that Azzarello does not give us a giggling, insane Joker. “I’m not crazy anymore, just mad,” he explains to Jonny, who spends the book trying to understand the man. I am not a fan of writers who simply excuse antagonists as “evil” and “crazy.” Given the amount of research in and awareness of mental health problems these days, I consider it lazy writing. Even if something is not working quite right in their heads, villains are still people and I love stories that give us their humanity, even if what we see is still deplorable. Azzarello’s Joker even goes so far as to meticulously pick apart the mental states of his adversaries, including wonderful scenes of his dealings with Harvey Dent. Plural.

Right down to the scarred face, this is definitely Heath Ledger’s Joker, though where the movie failed to firmly connect the Joker with Batman, Azzarello makes it clear in just a few panels why the one cannot exist without the other and why the sick, twisted city of Gotham needs them both.

Lex Luthor: Man of Steel by Brian Azzarello and Lee Bermejo

Upon finishing Joker, I learned that Azzarello and Bermejo had teamed up again on Lex Luthor: Man of Steel, another captivating character in the DC universe that is often poorly represented as simply a mad genius.

Where Joker is violent and unpredictable, Lex Luthor: Man of Steel reflects its main character’s cold, calculating subtlety. It lays out Luthor’s purpose right from the start, painting the undeniable picture of Superman as an alien. A monster with no understanding of humanity. Luthor despises the hero that Metropolis worships, but he is the only one who seems aware of how easily such a being could snap. In other words, that Man of Steel movie with the questionably violent Superman wreaking havoc and murdering bad guys in cold blood? That’s the Superman Luthor fears and wants to protect his city from. But Luthor is also intent on showing the world what Superman’s existence takes away from humanity. If Superman is there to do everything for us, what need is there for self-improvement?

These aspects of Superman are touched on in my other favourite Superman story, Superman: Red Son. The latter focuses on Superman himself, while Luthor is on the other side of the world thinking up bigger and better ways to defy Superman’s reign of perfection. The only problem I have with Red Son’s Luthor is that he is too cold and inhuman. Azzarello ensures that you never forget Luthor’s humanity as he works toward his ideal, which takes the form of a manufactured superhero Luthor aptly names, “Hope.” Luthor’s story culminates in his ultimate success and his ultimate failure in the most perfectly atypical way.

When I initially glanced at the issues of this series, I joked about Batman’s involvement since Bruce Wayne seems incapable of staying out of other people’s books. Yet it was when Luthor meets with Bruce Wayne to negotiate a business arrangement that this book went from five stars to simply delicious for me. Because if there is anyone who would appreciate Luthor’s hatred of Superman, it’s Bruce Wayne. The interactions between them are so intricate and delectable as they speak to each other in an intimate dance of words that reveals just how brilliant these two men are.

PANELS: Batman: Heart of Hush

Bruce's confessions.

Batman: Heart of Hush

Graphic Novel Review: Batman: Hush/Heart of Hush

Batman: Hush by Jeph Loeb and Jim Lee

Batman: Heart of Hush by Paul Dini and Derek Fridolfs

Wendy's Rating: 3 of 5 stars

These books are squeaking through a three star review almost entirely because they indulge my OTP of Batman and Catwoman, but only because I have let my imagination take that relationship where my imagination needs to take that relationship. Otherwise, I was very disappointed with that and with the story in general.

Hush introduces a new villain for Batman; someone who knows him extremely well and is able to manipulate his enemies into attacking him where it hurts most. The villain parade seems to be a thing for Jeph Loeb, culminating in a brand new villain that Batman must defeat. Hush is so clumsily and obviously shoehorned into Batman's life that the outcome became quite obvious early on in Hush. Heart of Hush tries to give the character more depth and reason for his obsessive hatred for Batman as he goes after Batman's "heart" : Catwoman, but ultimately fails because of the amount of exposition involved.

Like I said, I am a big fan of Catwoman and Batman's romance, but the introduction of their relationship felt too much like an immature fanservice plot device, shoehorned in just like Hush and Bruce's new bestfriend, Tommy Elliot.

I admit that I have not read much in the Bat-universe beyond the major story lines like this, so I don't know how much has been established between the two characters prior to Jeph and Jim shoving them together, but I think they did a poor job of making their relationship clear within the context of Hush alone. For comparison, the nature of the new52 Batman/Catwoman relationship is evident from the start - and no, it's not that they are merely ****buddies. Perhaps the key factor in the latter is that Catwoman actually gets to have a personality, whereas in Hush, she's a plot device in a catsuit.

Both Hush stories also did a lot more show than tell, which is pretty disappointing in a comic. And what they showed was so fractured and filled with gratuitous splash pages that it all grew very tedious. I realized that my love affair with Jim Lee was long over. His art has not changed or matured over the years and his characters continue to look the same. Derek Fridolfs' art was new to me, and I enjoyed it, but I would have preferred if Dustin Nguyen got to do more than just the covers of Heart of Hush.

Panels: Batman / Superman #1

 Bruce Wayne and Clark Kent meet for the first time in

Batman / Superman #1

Graphic Novel Review: Catwoman Volume 1: The Game by Judd Winick and Guillem March

Catwoman, Vol. 1: The Game by Judd Winick and Guillem March

Series: Collects Catwoman #1-5
Publisher: DC Comics
Publication Date: May 22, 2012

This isn't exactly the Catwoman I wanted to learn about, but I do like her and I can see her learning to become the woman Batman loves and respects, once she figures out the baggage she's hanging on to.

4 of 5 stars

A lot of controversy surrounded Catwoman's reboot as part of DC's New 52. Along with Starfire's questionable outfits, sexuality and posing, Catwoman's raunchy, angry sex with Batman, culminating in this splash page, DC successfully offended many of their established readers.

I have always liked Catwoman (and totally ship her with Batman,) though I'd never followed her titles. The New 52 gave me an opportunity to finally get to know her properly, though I understand in reading it, why former fans of the character would be offended. Selina Kyle is no longer the lady whom Batman both loved and respected. Now she's a reckless 22-year-old who keeps walking the edge that will get her, or worse, someone she cares about, killed. Batman is determined to stop her - to save her from herself - if only she weren't so damn enticing.

Catwoman is also very angry and very violent in this incarnation. It was the violence of the story that caught my attention more than the (gratuitous) sex splash page. In fact, that angry Bat/Cat sex is all part of this new, angrier Selina persona. This isn't exactly the Catwoman I wanted to learn about, but I do like her and I can see her learning to become the woman Batman loves and respects, once she figures out the baggage she's hanging on to.

I'm happy with the way she handles Batman. He's a strong influence in her life and I assume he'll continue to show up from time to time (well, it's Batman and if there's one thing common to just about every book in the New 52, it's that Batman needs to stick his pointy ears in every one of them), but it becomes clear that she's not one of the many problems that the great detective can solve, no matter how much he wants to.

The art is slick, perfectly capturing the agility and expressions of the character. I loved the use of reflection in many scenes, allowing the focus to remain on Catwoman and her reactions.

Without getting into spoilers, I was somewhat disappointed with the treatment of a certain character who was very important to Selina. It upset me enough not to want to actively pursue the series. However, I recognize the purpose of the particular plot device and appreciate where things ended up at the end, implying that maybe Catwoman will begin to learn the lesson Batman is trying to get through her head.

Comic Review: Flashpoint: The World of Flashpoint Featuring Batman by Brian Azzarello

Flashpoint: The World of Flashpoint Featuring Batman by Brian Azzarello

This book is a series of mini-arcs giving a glimpse of a world where Bruce Wayne’s Batman doesn’t exist. It asks: “What kind of ripples would’ve been made in the world if Bruce had been the one to die in that alley and not his parents?” Initially, I read “Batman: Knight of Vengeance,” and that was it. That's all I wanted to read, I said vehemently. However, I finally decided to dive into the rest of the story and see what Bruce’s death changed beyond his parents lives.

In “Batman: Knight of Vengeance,” Thomas Wayne has taken on the mantle of the bat, and he is far more brutal, unforgiving, and decisive than Bruce. While Thomas subscribes to hyper-vigilantism and toes the line of being crime boss, Martha’s response to Bruce’s death is far more extreme than Thomas’. This story was heartbreaking in so many ways. From the Waynes to Selina to Commissioner Gordon, it was so poignant and painful to read. I have to say that this is my favorite story in the book.

“Deadman and the Flying Graysons” answers the questions of what happens to Robin (Dick Grayson) if there is no Batman. Dick’s parents live and they continue to tour with the circus. However, Aquaman and Wonder Woman war violently with each other, and the circus travels through war-ravished Europe, eventually finding itself on the receiving end of Wonder Woman’s fury. This was an okay story. Loved the basis for it with Wonder Woman and Aquaman’s war, but it wasn’t fully realized, in my opinion.

“Deathstroke and the Curse of the Ravager” follows the dread pirate Deathstroke who plans to profit off the turmoil that Wonder Woman and Aquaman have created, but first, he has to rescue his daughter, Rose, from his rival. To do any of this, though, they have to sail to Aquaman’s angry seas. What could go wrong there? I liked this more than I thought I would to be honest. It made Deathstroke very likable.

These two cause so much trouble in this book.

The last story “Secret Seven”… was maybe a little beyond my frame of reference. All I know is that a team is being formed to deal with the chaos on earth. I don’t want to call it a terrible story because it wasn’t… I don’t think. I just don’t have much experience with the character(s). It was a little offbeat, which I definitely don’t mind, but because I don’t have any real point to fix these characters, too, it was just… I’m not really sure how to describe it to be honest. I had way too many questions after reading this one, and I blame this on my ignorance of the characters.

Some would argue that these stories have no real connection and deal so little with Batman, but I disagree. They show that Batman, Bruce’s Batman, is both a blessing and a curse to the villains and heroes of the DC universe. It shows how his existence/non-existence shapes that world in broad terms. For instance, many of the villains lead drastically different lives. Some of them are already dead by Thomas’ hand. Some of the heroes are hardly what you’d call heroes at all. I do think that there needed to be more meat to this. The idea of what the world would be like without Bruce Wayne is a very fascinating question that this series only half-answered. However, I still mostly enjoyed this book.

Final Verdict:

3.5 of 5 stars

Comic Review Bites: The Great Comixology Raid

I hopped on Comixology to pick up this month's read for my ladies comic book club and ended up finding a few other gems.

LAZARUS: Greg Rucka’s creator-owned title is being heavily pumped by Image and for good reason. Well, Rucka is good enough reason for me, actually.

Money is power and those without it are Waste. The Families are the ones with power and Forever Carlyle is a Lazarus, a Family member trained and augmented to serve and protect the family’s needs. As the codename implies, there is a lot of death involved in her life, but we quickly learn that, because of how much she understands physical death, there are a lot of unresolved emotions connected to killing that Forever should not be having. For now, she does her job to protect the Family, but her increasing empathy is probably going to be problematic.

The cold-hearted killer with a warming heart is not an unusual, nor is the powerful few lording over the poor. But I’m confident that Rucka will bring in the heavy emotional content that will make everything worthwhile.

PETER PANZERFAUST: This is a unique retelling of the Peter Pan legend that transposes the story into World War II. Peter is an American soldier who seems to just appear to a bunch of French orphans one day and drags them along on his quest to find the missing and mysterious Belle. Peter is the same confident boy we know, but without the magic – only, the story and art does a great job of making you wonder if there is a bit of magic going on, or is it really just Peter’s exuberance and utter belief that he can and will achieve anything he sets out to do?

X-MEN #2: I am collecting this on the principal that comic companies need to have more females and PoCs front and centre and this book truly fills that need.

Unfortunately, the story is falling flat. It’s a typical bigger bad than the last time story, with the twist being that she’s stolen the body of a former teammate who may or may not be dead. There’s no issue with the characters because I know and love them all and love seeing them. Last issue had them interacting more and it was a great insight into their personalities and friendships, but this issue, they really aren’t doing anything.

There are some very small moments of intrigue, such as the continued existence of the mysterious baby. But otherwise, I’m not blown away yet.

CYBERFORCE: I read the original Cyberforce during Image Comics’ Shiny Age and have been very curious about this reboot, available free thanks to a Kickstarter. This is a much grittier story where the heroes aren’t as obvious, nor is their fate. The “team” is still comprised of genetically altered former Cyber Data shock troopers, but I really like the emphasis on the different models of augmentations. Some are weaker, obsolete models and all require Serum to prevent their bodies from rejecting the technological grafts.

There is a big political plot going on involving Carin Taylor, whose parents are both political powers and are hunting her down after she runs away. She has learned of the great big apocalypse plot that also fuels the story and requires the aid of the missing and presumed dead Morgan Stryker.

Other than a few cringe moments of dialogue trying a bit too hard to be trendy and/or crude, I definitely approve of the new, more mature Cyberforce.

BATMAN & SUPERMAN: I’m a big fan of Jae Lee’s art. I love the sharp edges he uses and I love the way those edges are muted and the colours flow like they are being brushed by the wind in this particular book. I also like Greg Pak, after reading his Phoenix: Endsong that finally let Jean Grey rest in peace. But this book is about, obviously, Batman and Superman. Their relationship has always been an interesting blend of loyalty and contempt for each other because of their completely differing views and upbringings, but ultimately similar goals. I don’t much care for Superman as a character, and I think I would have written him off completely if not for having a counterpoint in Batman and Lex Luthor. Here, the story quickly grabbed me during the opening scene where Clark and Bruce first meet. Their personalities and the conflicts of their relationship are spelled out in pithy perfection through their reactions to a brawl between some kids, and again when they meet as Batman and Superman.

I’m not entirely certain about the plot, though. Or rather, the time difference aspect of it. I’m fine with the strange creature possession, but I got a bit lost when first-time-meeting Superman and Batman suddenly turned into well-established-relationship Batman and Superman. I guess that just means I’ll have to read on to find out more!

GIRLS: The first issue of this was free and the covers for the series caught my eye and the mystery within has definitely gotten my interest.  The main character, a young man in a small town, ends up meeting and eventually calling out and offending every possible female stereotype that appears in the book – from brow beating wife to cocktease.

Then this naked girl from the cover shows up in front of him on the road…

DEMETER: This is the third and final book in a trilogy by Becky Cloonan. A self-published labour of love that depicts three different stories that share the similar themes of love and loss.

Black and white comics can be so haunting and Cloonan uses the art and minimal words well to shape her stories. I can see the influence of familiar fairy tales woven into each tale, but the stories are still unique, emotional, beautiful, painful and memorable all on their own.

Comic Review: Batman: Red Hood - The Lost Days by Judd Winick

Batman: Red Hood - The Lost Days by Judd Winick
Before watching Under the Red Hood, I knew very little about Jason Todd. I knew there was a Robin that had died, but being as I was never a big DC fan growing up, I never read about his death or even had much insight on the character. I enjoyed the movie Under the Red Hood, and it prompted me to read more about the history of the character and find out about his return.

I'm not a fan of comics bringing back characters whose deaths have such a strong impact on the other characters involved. To me, that cheapens a character's death and the changes that he/she brought about in this fictional world. But I'm going on a whole different tangent.

This comic chronicles the years leading up to Jason Todd's return to Gotham. He's found barely alive by Talia al Ghul who has an unhealthy obsession with Batman and at first sees Jason as a means to getting to Batman. After being put in a pit by Talia to be made whole (an overall bad decision), Jason spends the rest of his years training for his return and his revenge, acquiring new skills that he hadn't learned during his time as Robin, funded by Talia.

Jason is an interesting character. I don't think he can be called a true villain. He does things that go against the "good" standard, but in his own twisted way, he is trying to do what Batman taught him. However, unlike Batman, he feels that a hero has to serve the same cruel punishment as the scum they fight, that doing the things they do doesn't make him any less "heroic." He believes it makes him "realistic."

Jason can't be called a true hero either because of his actions that go beyond that "good" standard. He's also not afraid to take out anyone who stands in the way of his goals of wiping out the criminal element. For him, it's less about protecting the people who need protecting and more about getting rid of the criminals using their own tactics. It's better to sacrifice a few to the greater cause than allow these criminals to hurt the masses.

I'm still not sure how I feel about Jason coming back, but the stories that are written about him show a character who obviously still wants to impress Batman and still has strong familial ties to the Bat Family and vice versa. He annoys them, but they still care about him and treat him like the wayward son that needs saving.

Final Verdict:

3 of 5 stars

Comic Review: Batman/Huntress: A Cry for Blood by Greg Rucka

Note: This is an older review. I reread this book recently, and this still pretty much stands event though I do know more about the character and have read some of No Man's Land and the events before and after it.

Born into a mob family, Helena Bertinelli lost her family at a very young, becoming the sole survivor with the Bertinelli last name due to a systematic assassination on her entire family. Years later, after being trained by a family of assassins who took her in while she was hiding in Sicily, Helena is inspired by Batman to become the face of fear, cutting down mob members, people who she’d thought of as her “family.”

At the start of this arc, she’s already taken down the men who killed her family, including the man who ordered the hit. However, she still has more questions than answers, and her unmethodical, vigilante ways have steered her down a path of anger and brutal violence, acts that have put her at odds with the Bat family. Now, someone is framing her for the murders of mob members, putting her in a direct collision course with Batman.

This was another recommendation from a friend. Greg Rucka is quickly becoming one of my favorite writers. This story was amazing and left me feeling much more satisfied with where it went and how it was resolved than The Hiketeia. Rucka has a way of getting to the heart of the character and making them seem so very real, so very human. He knows how to pace his action and character-building without sacrificing the of the enjoyment of the story by droning on and on.

You might as well call me a Huntress novice. Even though I knew of the character, I knew very little about her history—mainly because she seems to have many back stories. She was just never a DC character that I heard much about in my very little dealings with the DC universe. Rucka has taken this character, though, and given her a cohesive, complex story that really shapes her as a character. I came out of this arc with a new respect for Huntress and a newfound favorite DC heroine.

I hadn’t read any of No Man’s Land when I finished this and knew very little about the events that happened during that massive arc (just finished Batman: Cataclysm, as of this writing), but there was mention of how out of control she was during that, and it was shown in this story, too, but not nearly as brutal. She’s really at odds with herself here. She maintains her innocence, but doesn’t make it much of a secret that she’s glad these men are being killed. The mob has made her who she is, and she finds herself tasked with the duty of bringing down the “family” that destroyed her and took care of her while continuing to interact with them.

But this is a story about self-discovery and personal peace for Huntress as much as it is a story about her proving her innocence to Batman. I loved how her history, her background, was taken to make this such a complex history. She explains how things worked in her circle, how injustices are dealt with where she comes from. You see her hardness, her pain, juxtaposed against a woman who teaches high school in her day-life. So many layers were added to Huntress.

There was not one thing that was out of place in this story for me. There were no needless words or actions. Everything that was said and everything that was done helped the story progress and would’ve lacked if anything had changed in the story in the slightest. And just as with The Hiketeia and Wonder Woman, this provides a great basis for learning about Huntress and her struggle with everything that’s happened to her, and I came out of this story completely satisfied. It didn’t feel as if it could’ve gone in any other direction.

Final Verdict:

4.5 of 5 stars

Graphic Novel Review: Batman R.I.P. by Grant Morrison

Batman R.I.P. by Grant Morrison

 I’m not even sure how to sum this one up, but don’t take that as a bad omen for this story. I enjoyed it very much, but there’s so much going on here that it’s not easy to try to sum it up in a few words. However, I’ll try. Basically, this chronicles Batman’s descent into madness and his “death.” Batman has always led a troubled existence where he’s sometimes struggled with whether his actions as the caped crusader really do more harm than good.

Those feelings seemed to have come to a head in this arc where we read about his quest to understand madness. Batman becomes obsessed with a wealthy crime organization known as The Black Glove led by Dr. Hurt—who unbeknownst to Batman implanted a trigger word deep into his subconscious that would turn him into a madman. When the trigger word is finally used against him, Batman withdraws from life, living on the streets in a seemingly mad state, leaving Gotham prey to a crime spree orchestrated by The Black Glove.

I wouldn’t recommend this for the casual reader. You need to have a little knowledge of Batman and his world before diving into this. I read a few stories leading up to this arc, and I still had to feel my way around with the story a little bit. However, even though I still have some questions about the events leading up to this arc, I enjoyed this.

I’m a sucker for this kind of psychological mind trip, and it was fascinating to watch Batman go through this madness while still trying to be Batman. And the funny thing was that Dr. Hurt kept saying that Batman was done, that with his sanity gone he was just a shell of a nightmare. However, Batman said that sanity, which he equates with his “Bruce” personality, was the only thing keeping Batman in check.

The story also centered partly on Robin and Spoiler (in a tie-in Robin #175 and Robin #176) with some supporting scenes from Nightwing and faces familiar from Batman Inc. Robin realizes that something is wrong, that Bruce has been brainwashed in some way, and he sets out on a personal journey to find out the extent of the damage in order to know what his next move should be. We learn about Batman’s 49 days of solitude leading up to these events through Robin’s story. Spoiler helps and hinders him in some ways, which she reveals her reasons for at the end, and the tension between Robin and her is palpable due to her not revealing that she was alive all the time Robin thought she was dead.

The Joker was a break out performance for me. I have to say this is one of the creepiest ways he’s ever been depicted. He reminds me of Jack Torrance from The Shining as he appeared in the picture at the end. He also seemed to be channeling Pyramid Head in some ways with his body apron and knives. In his own sick, twisted way, he seems to be Batman’s biggest adversary and his greatest advocate. He’s chillingly disturbing here, maybe even more so than he was in Batman: Arkham Asylum.

Of course, the arc ends with Batman being aware of everything that has happened to him. Part of my beef with Batman was how he just seems to know everything. I know he has to stay one step ahead of the game, especially since he’s a non-powered hero, but there was little mystery left after you realize that Batman has played the game better than The Black Glove. However, it was spun in such a way that it didn’t come off forced or silly, just typical of Batman. The arc also ends on an ambiguous note. Did Batman really die or didn’t he? We all know the answer to that question, but it still makes for an interesting read.

Final Verdict:

3.5 of 5 stars