August 2010

Batgirl #13

batgirl-13-coverThis Batgirl is reminding more and more of classic Peter Parker stories, always getting into more trouble than she can handle, but jumping in anyway with a positive attitude and snappy comeback for each situation. We’ve even got the insightful but self-deprecating narration.

This single-issue storyline puts our heroine up against Clayface (who is used very well here) and his attempt to rob a Gotham bank, but not for what you might expect.

Throw in the seamless addition of Proxy (who just might be an okay replacement for Oracle), the early scenes of Batgirl at college, and Stephanie’s conversations with Detective McHandsome (great nickname), and you’ve got yourself a really good read. Definitely worth a look.

[DC $2.99]

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Green Lantern: Emerald Warriors #1

green-lantern-emerald-warriors-1-coverUmmm… Don’t get me wrong, I’m all for a Green Lantern title featuring Guy Gardner. Especially one where I mercifully don’t have to put up with Kyle Rayner. But does it have to be this comic? More Blackest Night/Brightest Day nonsense? Can’t we just move on, already?

As first issues go there’s nothing remarkable here other than to set up the main story which will involve Guy’s pact with Ganthet and Atrocitus and involve the Unknown Sector (oooh, spooky) of space.

And, surprise surprise, it seems the Red Lantern isn’t to be trusted. Really? Wow, thanks Peter J. Tomasi for spelling that out for me in multiple panels! Yes, it does give you plenty of Guy Gardner in all his glory but the rest…meh. Hit-and-Miss.

[DC $3.99]

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The Other Guys

  • Title: The Other Guys
  • IMDB: link

In case you weren’t aware, Step Brothers is the greatest achievement ever in cinema ever.

Okay, it’s not. But at the rate that I, a film dork, think back to the Comedy Extroardinaire from Will Ferrell and frequent collaborator writer / director Adam McKay, it certainly would seem to own a spot on AFI’s top hundred. Following up solid laughers Anchorman and Talladega Nights, the McKay / Ferrell team has proved maybe the most bankable in Hollywood when it comes to laughs. If you’ve gone the past six years without someone quoting a Ron Burgundy line to you, it’s because you haven’t talked to anyone the past six years.

And, as a fan of the divisive Step Brothers, I, more than most, was totally excited for McKay and Ferrell’s newest film, The Other Guys. Maybe it’s because of these high expectations, but this fourth film from the duo appears to be the first hiccup, and unfortunately not a small one.

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Red Robin #15

red-robin-15-coverTim Drake‘s been shot! Or has he? Plenty of twists and turns have been packed into “The Assassination of Tim Drake.” Although I like the idea of showcasing how far Drake will go to protect his legacy I do take some issue with a storyline that has him pretending to be severely injured by a gunshot in an issue that mentions, but doesn’t include, Barbara Gordon. It’s just a little…unseemly.

I’m assuming Babs will weigh-in on this elaborate plan to throw Vicki Vale off the scent of the Bat-family, and I’m hopeful that the moment will be given the time and weight it deserves. At the same time, if he had weighed the effect of such a plan on one of his closest allies and went forward anyway, it does help push Red Robin further into a morally ambiguous gray area which should give plenty of opportunities for new stories. Hit-and-Miss.

[DC $2.99]

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