Category Archives: DC
Review: Teen Titans Annual #1
Hey everybody, Superboy is back! Remember when he died? Or was…replaced by an evil impostor…who I think also died? Does anybody remember what happened to Superboy? All I remember is that it was really really dumb, and really really confusing, and that the Teen Titans were completely out of the loop. I don’t think they ever knew about the impostor. But regardless of whatever insanity happened a year or so ago, Superboy is back in Teen Titans Annual #1, and he brings with him some much needed team drama!
Teen Titans Annual #1
Unfortunately, the Annual issue is hampered by some pretty terrible art. So I finally get what I want, the Teen Titans are the actual star of their own comic, but I still can’t appreciate it because this is one ugly comic.
Comic Rating: 5/10 – Alright.
Despite this being an Annual issue, the Teen Titans story continues from right where it left off, only now with extra pages and a new co-writer in tow. Tom King pays a visit from his successful Grayson comic to lend regular writer Will Pfeifer a hand with Teen Titans Annual #1. The two are paired as co-scripters, according to the credits, with the actual plot courtesy of King. Is this a sign that he might be taking over? I have no idea.
But King brings with him a much-needed focus on the Teen Titans themselves. Pfeifer has been a pretty poor presence on the franchise, and my biggest complaint with him so far is that none of his stories really focus on the Teen Titans themselves. Pfiefer has been too obsessed with either pet characters, like Manchester Black, or whatever new super-villain plot he’s brought to the table. All of that changes, for the most part, with this Annual issue, and I’m very happy with that. But the art by the alternating team of Alisson Borges and Wes St. Claire just can’t keep up.
Superboy is back in the Teen Titans’ lives, and he’s brought a lot of baggage with him. News reports claim that he’s responsible for murdering 21 people in cold blood. Obviously, there’s a lot more to that story than what the news media is reporting, but for now, it’s got the individual Titans at each others’ throats over whether they need to help their old friend or turn him over to the authorities.
That makes for good team drama, so at the very least, Teen Titans Annual #1 is a step in the right direction. I may come to regret this later on, but I think I’m going to get my hopes up, if only just a little bit.
Join me after the jump for a full synopsis and more review!
The 6 Biggest Problems of Batman Eternal
The final issue of Batman Eternal came out today, and I am not proud to say I have read all 52 issues. I am disappointed in myself for going through with it. I wish I had allowed myself to quit reading a long time ago. But for some insane reason, I just kept buying, just kept reading, and documented my thoughts in my weekly Hench-Sized Reviews every Saturday. I would say this was a Herculean effort, but it’s probably more like Sisyphus.
Gear up, everybody. This is gonna be a big one.
Still, I read the entire series, and I’m more than ready to plow through the final issue. But a feat of this magnitude deserves a little something extra. I have hated Batman Eternal since the beginning — but plenty of other reviewers around the web have loved the comic. So I’ve decided to do my best to explain why I hated Batman Eternal so much. This was a popular comic, and DC is already planning Year Two. A lot of people loved it, but why did I hate it so so much?
Join me after the jump to find out!
Somebody Thinks Rip Hunter is Better Than Booster Gold
In a case that can only be described as sheer madness, someone out there in TV land has decided that Rip Hunter is a better character than Booster Gold. It makes no sense. But they’ve gone and cast Arthur Darvill as Rip Hunter in that upcoming Justice League-esque TV show. This comes soon on the heels of a casting announcement for Hawkgirl.
I wouldn’t mind being type-cast as a time traveller
Rip Hunter is a generic time traveller who debuted in comics in 1959 and had a short-lived comic book series in the early 60s. He’s a handsome, somewhat dashing action hero type who basically just travels around time having adventures. Darvill, of course, was Rory Williams on Doctor Who, so he is no stranger to time travel.
Now, we knew a time traveller was coming to the show because of casting announcements. But like any sane people, we all thought it was going to be Booster Gold, the far far more interesting comic book time traveller. Booster Gold is a washed up football player from the future who steals a time machine and some futuristic technology and comes back in time to be a modern day superhero, using the future tech to make it look like he has super powers. That is a damn good character premise, and Booster Gold has an awesome gold costume.
Rip Hunter is just a dude who maybe wears a jumpsuit from time to time. In no epoch is Rip Hunter a better, more interesting character than Booster Gold. Yet this is the epoch we live in, apparently.
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Lex Luthor is a Jerk to California
A genius known only as Nick Acosta spliced together footage from the original Superman movie with the trailer for the upcoming San Andreas movie. They go together flawlessly – at least if you hold this video to the standards of 1978 special effects. I think I actually liked this trailer more than I liked all of Man of Steel.
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Hawkgirl is Going to Be a Real Thing in that Justice League Show!
Holy wowzers, this is cool news! Remember that live action Justice League-esque show that’s going to spin off from The Flash and Arrow? Well apparently The CW has gone ahead and cast Hawkgirl, of all characters! Hawkgirl is going to exist in the Arrow-verse!
According to Deadline, she’s going to be played by up-and-coming actress Ciara Renee.
She looks like Hawkgirls oughta look
I’ve never heard of her, but Deadline has good things to say. Her character will be Kendra Saunders, and they’re going with the origin that she has been reincarnated several times, and now has wings! She’ll be joining the Atom and Firestorm on this new team show. I say she’s a solid addition. Hawkgirl has always had a lot of momentum behind her since the cartoon days, and seeing her in live action could be pretty cool. The world has definitely figured out how to make big, angel wings look awesome on TV. Just look at Constantine.
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Henchman-4-Hire 