Category Archives: DC
Review: Teen Titans #4
In a previous decade, the content of Teen Titans #4 would have made me ecstatic. It’s an issue about Tim Drake using his brains and his skills to defeat an infinitely more powerful foe. It should be a testament to just how damn cool Robin can be. But this is Teen Titans in the New 52, so don’t anybody get their hopes up.
What Teen Titans #4 is instead is a showcase for writer Will Pfeifer’s S.T.A.R. Labs plot and his apparent love of Manchester Black. So simmer down, Tim Drake fans; despite his starring role in the issue, he has zero personal impact on the story.
Comic Rating: 5/10 – Alright.
Is it really so hard to write a comic that’s actually about the Teen Titans? I’m not sure if the previous writer, Scott Lobdell, ever managed to do it in 30+ issues. Lobdell only ever wrote about his plots or the bad guys; rarely did his stories ever actually grow from the Titans themselves. Even when he wrote about the characters’ origins, it was never about them. Wonder Girl’s origin story was all about her ex-boyfriend the super-villain, and Kid Flash’s origin story was all about this big space civil war and his role in that.
Pfeifer is a little better, but he’s relegated all of the stories about the Titans themselves to merely sub-plots. The main plot, the one about the villainous Algorithm and her attacks on S.T.A.R., is all about Algorithm and her villainous boss, Manchester Black. Teen Titans #4, especially, is all about Black and his drama. Tim Drake just happens to be caught up in that drama. But for all Tim actually does to drive or impact Black’s story, he could be swapped for any other Titan or any other superhero, for that matter.
And Teen Titans #4 also features one of the most baffling endings I have ever read in this comic. The only reasonable explanation for this ending is that Pfeifer is just toying with us and it’s totally fake. Otherwise, Teen Titans is just never going to get any better.
Join me after the jump for the full synopsis and more review!
The Graysons Will Appear on Gotham!
I come to you with exciting news today, Robin fans! Gotham showrunner Bruno Heller has promised a “prenatal Robin” in an upcoming episode of the FOX show! All joking aside, Heller promised a future episode in the first season will feature Richard and Mary Grayson, and will even show how they got together in this pre-Batman world!
Before it all comes crashing down…
This was, of course, No. 1 on my list of the 6 Things I Want to See on Gotham!
And there is no better way to earn my love and adoration than references to Robin – and you know the episode will be full of so many references to robins, birds, red breasts and whatever else! As much as I’m enjoying Gotham, it has no idea how to be subtle. Harvey Dent made his first appearance on this week’s episode, and the VERY FIRST THING they had him do was flip his trademark coin! Come on!
Still, this is the kind of news that will keep me watching Gotham! So good work there, Bruno Heller, you’re keeping at least one fan.
———-
Hench-Sized Comic Book Reviews – 11/15/14
You know what I love on vacation? A big stack of great comics! And this week delivered with flying colors! The Internet loves the new issue of Batman, though I’m not as big of a fan. But who needs Batman when we’ve got She-Hulk, Thor and Captain Marvel? All three deliver solidly fun comics starring women, and that’s as much fun as it sounds. But what am I getting at, you ask? Where am I going with this?
Well, what happens when you mix Batman, flying colors and female protagonists?
Comic Book of the Week goes to Batgirl #36. It’s only the second issue of this new relaunch, and already I’m beyond loving this series. It’s just so, so good!
Also, feel free to check out my review of All-New Captain America #1 over at Word of the Nerd. I think Falcon is going to make a pretty good Cap.
Comic Reviews: Batgirl #36, Batman #36, Batman Eternal #32, Captain Marvel #9, She-Hulk #10, Superior Iron Man #1 and Thor #2.
Behold a Delicious Gotham Parody
Granted, there’s really only one joke to a solid Gotham parody, but the fine folks at The Warp Zone nail it with aplomb. My thoughts on Gotham have dropped off since the first episode. Sometimes it’s good, sometimes it’s dumb. But overall it hasn’t really reached any sort of quality. Gotham so far lacks depth and consistency, and that’s not good. But hey, it’s got a whole season, so maybe it’ll go somewhere…
Hench-Sized Comic Book Reviews – 11/8/14
Welcome to my vacation, hencharinos! I get two weeks off a year, and right now I’m at the start of my second, luxuriating at home with zero responsibilities and 100 relaxation points. It’s great! I’m going to kick up my feet, read some good comics, play some video games and hopefully see Big Hero Six before too long. I hear it’s great!
Comics were a little light this week for some reason, and very DC heavy. We’ve got new issues of Gotham Academy and Axis, the latter of which is getting a little better. And Grayson is great and wins Comic Book of the Week!
Dick Grayson: Comics’ Mancake
You can also check out my review of Amazing Spider-Man #9 over at Word of the Nerd. It’s an excellent start to Spider-Verse proper, and I’m really looking forward to that story now.
Comic Reviews: Axis #4, Batman Eternal #31, Gotham Academy #2, and Grayson #4.
Henchman-4-Hire 