Category Archives: Comics
Hench-Sized Comic Book Reviews – 12/23/17
This was not a great week to be a comic book fan! Don’t get me wrong, there were a lot of good comics this week, but there was a flood of cancellations are Marvel. Both Iceman and Hawkeye, two of my favorite Marvel comics, are getting the ax by March! That’s disappointing. But I’m used to good comics getting cancelled these days. It’s the nature of the business.
Fortunately, we’ve got some solid, non-cancelled comics this week! Ms. Marvel is back, and if we ignore the renumbering, we’re apparently at the 44th issue! That’s practically a record for a new comic in this day and age! And it’s still a great series! But Comic Book of the Week goes to an absolutely fabulous issue of Tom King’s Batman, with a focus on his friendship with Superman!
Batman, a short story
This week also saw the release of the latest issue of DC’s big Metal event. I can’t say as how I’m a fan. It’s a big, crazy mess of insanity, with a scope that I don’t think the book is handling well. Batman and Superman literally visit the forge of all creation in this issue. It’s nuts! Maybe this story would feel stronger if continuity mattered anymore, but Metal seems to be rewriting DC continuity on the fly to fit its story.
Comic Reviews: Batman #37, Harley Quinn #33, Marvel Two-in-One #1, Mighty Morphin Power Rangers #22, Mighty Thor #702, Ms. Marvel #25 and Nightwing #35.
Wonder Twins Are Canon Now
To be entirely honest, I don’t really consider DC Comics to have a solid continuity anymore. After muddying up the main continuity with the New 52, and then rejecting parts of their New 52 continuity with Rebirth, I think DC has settled into just telling general stories about their superheroes with the occasional crossover. The less said about how far they bent over backwards to give us our current Superman the better.
But whatever continuity DC is peddling these days, we can at least know that the Wonder Twins exist!
Is that really the best place to be making out with Plastic Man right now?
That is a panel from Batman #37 out this week. Batman, Superman, Catwoman and Lois Lane are on a double date to a local county fair. But it’s superhero night and everybody in attendance has to go in superhero costume.
And the two people in this panel have chosen to go as the Wonder Twins!
So even though we haven’t seen the Wonder Twins in person since at least the New 52 relaunch, they clearly exist in this world. And they are prominent enough that somebody made costumes about them.
As I’m sure you’re aware, the Wonder Twins did officially exist in the Pre-52 continuity. They debuted in the Extreme Justice series in the 90s, complete with new backstories and everything. Those incarnations haven’t been seen much since, but I think the main Batman comic is a pretty solid benchmark for what is and what isn’t in continuity, amiright?
So yeah, the Wonder Twins are a thing. Just felt like pointing that out.
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Hench-Sized Comic Book Reviews – 12/16/17
Happy Star Wars weekend, everybody! Have you seen The Last Jedi yet? That seems to be the big how-do-you-do around here. I saw it a couple nights ago and enjoyed it, though I have plenty of reservations and nitpicks. I’ll share everything on Wednesday!
For now, how about some enjoyable comics? A lot of my favorites came out this week, from Detective Comics to Unbeatable Squirrel Girl! But, and kind of against my better judgement, I’m going to give Comic Book of the Week to Mister Miracle #5. This comic is such a mind-blower! But damn if it doesn’t get me thinking and enjoying good comics.
Decisions, decisions
I missed reviews last week because I was out-of-state on an awesome vacation. And it’s a real shame, because there were some excellent issues of some of my favorite comics! Both Hawkeye and Iceman were great, as usual, but holy cow, I missed a great issue of Batman! I thought the last few issues starring Catwoman were already amazing, but Tom King’s take on Batman and Superman was mind-blowingly amazing! The issue would have been a perfect 10/10 it was just so much fun to read!
Comic Reviews: Detective Comics #970, Mister Miracle #5, Runaways #4 and Unbeatable Squirrel Girl #27.
Gabby Just Got the Best Codename Possible!
I really like All-New Wolverine by Tom Taylor, despite never having had much interest in X-23 as a character. It’s a fun book, with strong comedy and even stronger character writing. I’ve fallen a bit behind in my readings, but it’s still good comics.
The breakout character of the series is Gabby, a little kid clone of X-23. She’s a clone of a clone. But she’s absolutely delightful as a fun, energetic kid getting mixed up in superhero hijinks.
Since debuting at the start of the series, Gabby has been known as simply “Gabby”. But this week’s new issue — All-New Wolverine #28 — finally gives Gabby her own superhero codename! And it’s pretty much perfect!
Join me after the jump for her new name!
6 LGBTQ Superheroes Who Can (And Should) Star in Their Own Movie
The Black Panther movie in February will mark the first major superhero release starring a black superhero. And Wonder Woman this past Spring was the first major superhero release starring a female superhero. Both of these are and were late in coming for minority representation, considering the current superhero boom is nearly 20-years-old at this point. But progress is being made, and that’s going to have to be good enough.
I am eagerly looking forward to the first major superhero release with an LGBTQ hero in the lead role. But the problem is…which superhero is that even going to be?
Could it be these two guys? I don’t think so
There simply aren’t that many prominent LGBTQ superheroes at either Marvel or DC. And those that are prominent are in no condition to have a feature film made about them as a solo superhero. Feel free to disagree with me, but as awesome as Batwoman is, there’s no way a Warner Bros. studio executive is going to make a Batwoman movie when they could just make another Batman movie. Same goes for the likes of Catman. And while Catwoman is bisexual in the comics, she’s about as bi as Wonder Woman. And two of Marvel’s most prominent gay characters — Iceman and Northstar — are second and third-string X-Men, respectively. So not only are they not going to get solo films, but straight Iceman already had a good run with the X-Men franchise, and Northstar is too much like movie Quicksilver to get any sort of starring role.
A lot of existing LGBTQ characters work great for comics, but the current Marvel and DC movie franchise landscapes don’t really have room for them, I’m afraid. DC can’t really make a Midnighter and Apollo movie because they’re clearly just knock-offs of Batman and Superman, and that’s already a lot to throw at movie audiences.
But all hope is not lost! Looking over all the LGBTQ superheroes and villains out there, I think I’ve found six who could actually support a solo superhero film in today’s Hollywood, considering all of the conditions in place! Join me after the jump to see my ideas! And I’d love to hear your own thoughts in the comments!
Henchman-4-Hire 