Category Archives: Batman
Review: Teen Titans #0
Well, that was disappointing. Tim Drake, my all-time favorite DC superhero, has a completely new origin. I thought writer Scott Lobdell was only changing his name, but it turns out Lobdell decided to change almost everything. Tim Drake is not even Tim ‘Drake’ anymore. All of his clever origin quirks from the original continuity have been altered for no good reason. Seriously, there was no reason to change Tim’s origin. His old origin fit in just fine with what’s been happening in the New 52 so far. These changes are completely superfluous, and because of that, they’re more disappointing than actually anger-inducing. It’s not like he did anything drastic that would warrant or justify the changes.
Teen Titans #0
DC has made me care less about my favorite character. I don’t think that’s what they want to accomplish in selling their comics.
Comic rating: 3/5: Alright.
If I’m being fair, this issue of Teen Titans is alright. It’s not a bad issue. If I’m being extremely generous and unbiased, it’s mediocre. The origin and its changes aren’t all that exciting, but it doesn’t defy logic – for the most part – or take a crap on the English language. There are a lot of stupid changes, which I’ll mention in the full synopsis. Overall, the issue is OK. But I wouldn’t recommend it to anybody. I wouldn’t tell a person that they’ve got to read about this really cool guy named Red Robin. None of these changes alter Tim Drake as a person or a character. He’s still pretty much the same guy. So that just means these changes are pointless. I can’t imagine anyone being excited by the new changes.
But I can definitely picture a lot of disappointed and even angry Tim Drake fans. I realize that comic book companies just want to get a rise out of their fans. But couldn’t they have been a little more creative this time? Couldn’t they have tried to do something original?
Just look at what they did to Jason Todd’s origin. Same writer even, with Scott Lobdell penning Jason’s altered origin. So why did he drop the ball in rewriting Tim’s origin? Join me after the jump for more.
What Do I Think About the Tim Drake/Red Robin Controversy?
When Teen Titans #0 comes out next week, we’re going to learn that Tim Drake never took on the mantle of Robin. Instead, from the moment he became Batman’s sidekick, he called himself ‘Red Robin’, a name that he still uses today as leader of the Teen Titans. We’ve known this retcon since San Diego Comic-Con, where Teen Titans writer Scott Lobdell let the cat out of the bag. This is a big change to Tim Drake’s continuity in the wake of the New 52 reboot, and considering I’m both a huge Robin fan and a huge Tim Drake fan, my reaction might surprise you.
The change actually doesn’t bother me in the least. It’s so incredibly minor and stupid that it’s rolled off my back like water on a duck.
Tim Drake will always be the best Robin, whether DC wants to retroactively add a silly adjective in front of his name or not.
The real problem is whether or not the Joker is going to kill Tim in the upcoming “Death of the Family” storyline. But more on that later.
Join me after the jump as I explain the change and tell you why I think it’s so stupid that it should just be ignored. Then we can all move on with our lives.
Robin’s Pixie Boots Are No More!
Today’s Nightwing #0 retells the origin of original Robin, Dick Grayson, and it reveals that the old, classic Robin costume of pixie boots, bare legs and green short shorts is not part of the New 52 rebooted universe! This is awesome news! Granted, it’s not going to suddenly change public perception of Robin, but it’s a strong step towards finally putting that embarrassing costume away for good.
Behold, the new original Robin costume!
Superhero artists love to add arrows that point to the crotch
Personally, I think it’s a little too futuristic. Batman is still wearing a pretty standard costume, design-wise, so why Robin suddenly has to have all these curves and rounded edges is beyond me. But I still like it. I like it loads more than the original Robin costume.
There are a few other new wrinkles to Dick Grayson’s origin, but I’ll consider them spoilers and put them after the jump.
Abandon All Reason and Bear Witness to the Justice League of Animals
It’s good to know that insanity still exists in the world of cartoons.
That was just…there are so few words. A toilet joke? Aquaman as a baboon? Lex Luthor as a liger? That is just brilliant. And I know a certain someone who is going to love Wonder Wombat.
This isn’t going to be a full series, but instead just another bunch of cartoon shorts aired alongside the DC Nation cartoon block. Like those Super Best Friends Forever cartoons that were so good. I definitely like where DC’s head is at with all these cartoon shorts.
Joker as a fish? You guys crack me up
Henchman-4-Hire 