Category Archives: DC
Review: Teen Titans Annual #2
According to the infinite wisdom of DC Comics, the Superboy we’ve been getting to know all along in the New 52 is going to die. Though I don’t know for sure, because I’m not reading the Superboy series or any of the Superman comics, for that matter. And because I don’t read those, Scott Lobdell hates me. At least that’s the impression I get reading Teen Titans Annual #2. Almost everything that happens in this issue ties closely to the events of Superboy and whatever strange concoction of clones and time travel Lobdell and DC have been building over there.
Teen Titans Annual #2
Not that it really matters, in the end, because Teen Titans Superboy is barely a character in the first place. Just like Teen Titans is barely readable.
Comic Rating: 3/10 – Bad.
I have always felt that the decision-making in the New 52 is haphazard at best. DC changes directions on characters and series at the drop of a hat. If something isn’t working, they will go to extreme lengths to try something else and just kind of hope it all works out in the end. No thought is being given to the bigger picture or the long run, and nowhere is that clearer than in the fate of Superboy. Lobdell said at a recent comic convention that Superboy is going to die. I’m pretty sure he wasn’t joking. Instead, DC are going to forge ahead with someone named Jon Kent, the future son of Superman and Lois Lane. It seems the Superboy we’ve been reading about in Teen Titans is a clone of this Jon Kent fella. Again, I think this is all covered in the Superboy series, but I understand that comic is generally unreadable, so I haven’t bothered.
But it’s apparently required reading if you want to try and understand Teen Titans. I would complain more, but then Teen Titans has always been a dumping ground for tenuous connections to other comics. Multiple storylines and characters from Teen Titans have been shuffled off to other comics for no explicable reason; just another example of why Teen Titans is a terrible comic book.
Teen Titans Annual #2 is the issue where Jon Kent replaces Superboy on the Teen Titans. The switch involves time travel, an editor’s note to read Action Comics Annual, and the Teen Titans being played for chumps. So all-in-all, it’s your typical issue of Teen Titans in the New 52. It’s bland, the characters are wafer thin and more effort is put into exposition and clunky dialogue than actual character building.
I would say that it’s sad to see Superboy go, but it’s really not. The character has been as dull as a brick since Teen Titans began, and his recent hook-up with Wonder Girl was the exact opposite direction I wanted the story to go. So see you later, Superboy! You existed, and that’s probably all that can ever be said about you.
Join me after the jump for a full synopsis and more review.
Happy Halloween from Supergirl and Batgirl!
If artist Mike Maihack spends the rest of his days drawing adorable, holiday-themed Supergirl and Batgirl comics, it will be a life well spent. Comics need more adorableness in their pages in this day and age.
Justice League: War Trailer Has Me Legitimately Excited for a DC Animated Movie Again
Justice League: War is the next animated movie from DC, and the first trailer has blown me away. It’s based on the opening story for the New 52 Justice League, which I thought was pretty terrible. But it looks like that story might make for a good animated movie.
I’ve been pretty lukewarm about the DC animated movies for awhile now. They’ve all been pretty shallow, by-the-numbers adaptations. I’ve really felt like the people working on them could be put to better use, because their skill in animation is second to none. But nope, they keep popping these out to medium amounts of fanfare. Well now the movies have entered the New 52, which I feel is long overdue. DC needs this kind of synergy, and I hope this movie pays off.
Better for DC to animate their New 52 comics than spend a good chunk of their efforts glorifying the old, pre-reboot stories.
The 6 Best Easter Eggs in Batman: Arkham Origins
A new Batman: Arkham video game is upon us, and once again, it is filled to the brim with action, punching, maniacal giggles and, of course, Easter Eggs! The game developers know that geeks like us love a good reference, and the Arkham games have been famous for all manner of hidden secrets and winks to the fans from Batman lore. Batman: Arkham Origins is no different. Along with hours upon hours of gameplay, the developers have hidden throughout the game small, easy-to-miss hints to the larger Batman world. These are Easter Eggs, and I spent my first weekend with Batman: Arkham Origins finding the best ones!
In the first two games in the series, Arkham Asylum and Arkham City, the developers included big scavenger hunts based around heroes and villains from DC Comics. They wanted you to find the Easter Eggs, which unlocked character bios, trophies and more. Those character-based scavenger hunts are gone from Arkham Origins, replaced with a hunt for famous Gotham City buildings and landmarks called ‘Gotham Intel’. But the developers still added some character-based Eggs, which are now harder – and more rewarding – to find.
So join me after the jump to see the best DC Universe Easter Eggs in Batman: Arkham Origins.
Of course, there will be some SPOILERS for the game, but I’ll try not to give away any of the plot or twists. And if you know of any Easter Eggs I missed, let me know in the comments! Read the rest of this entry
Hench-Sized Comic Book Reviews – 10/26/13
If you’re reading this, I’m probably neck-deep in Batman: Arkham Origins by this point. I’ll try to have a review and some lists up eventually, but right now, I’m knocking criminal heads together and hopefully kicking Penguin in the crotch! Fortunately, I still found the time to read some comics this week, and most of them are a hoot!
Both Battle of the Atom and Lights Out delivered solid issues this week, and a Justice League tie-in to Forever Evil was equally as strong. I’m pretty much enjoying all of these Big Event comics, though Battle of the Atom is still coming out on top. To try something new, I picked up Velvet #1 from the creative team of Ed Brubaker and Steve Epting. I was…not impressed, but it’s still a fine comic from Image.
Winner of Comic Book of the Week, however, goes to Aquaman! Writer Geoff Johns delivers an origin for the Lost City of Atlantis, and it’s just as good as the rest of his Aquaman series. Go Aquaman!
Though if we’re talking Moment of the Week, that definitely goes to Jason Aaron’s latest chapter of Battle of the Atom. He’s almost as good as Bendis when it comes to writing these merry mutants.
Cyclops’ face is priceless!
Comic Reviews: Aquaman #24, FF #13, Justice League #24, Red Lanterns #24, Velvet #1 and Wolverine and the X-Men #37.
Henchman-4-Hire 