Category Archives: DC
Why Robin Matters
Robin the Boy Wonder is the most maligned superhero in the world of comics. He gets no respect. His mentor, Batman, is one of the most beloved and iconic heroes in the entire world! But poor little Robin gets picked on and teased to no end. It’s a travesty. And it’s going to change.
I’m here to tell you folks that Robin is one of the best superheroes in comics and he doesn’t deserve all the hate. Forget the 1960s Batman TV show, push all of the gay jokes out of your mind, and let’s just pretend that 1997’s Batman and Robin never happened. Because if all you’re going to do is focus on the worst interpretations of the character then you’ll never see the whole picture.
And Robin is a deeper and far more interesting character than anyone gives him credit for. Until now. It’s time to give Robin all the credit.
Robin’s importance to the Batman mythos can be summed up in four key points that we’re going to explore in this article. The first idea is my own, the second I got from noted Batmanologist Chris Sims from Comics Alliance. The third idea comes from artist Tim Sale. The fourth is just kind of obvious.
1.) Robin represents approval of Batman’s costumed crimefighting. Characters like Commissioner Gordon and Alfred will only ever accept that Batman exists, but Robin is not only someone who approves of the life, but has flourished in it.
2.) Robin is a reflection of Batman, in that this is what happens to a child who loses his parents when there is a Batmanaround to help him.
3.) Robin is visually and psychologically the opposite of Batman, creating an inventive and appealing juxtaposition and balance between the two characters.
4.) Robin can change; Batman can’t.
Join me after the jump and we can get started!
Robin Theme Week Announced!
Next week I’ll be doing a Robin Theme Week here at Henchman-4-Hire!
As my regular readers will know, Robin is one of my all-time favorite comic book characters. The Boy Wonder is one of the coolest, most underrated superheroes in comics, and he deserves some attention. The week will be in honor of current Robin Damian Wayne, who may or may not die in next Wednesday’s issue of Batman Incorporated.
The week will feature a tribute to Damian on that day, as well as other Robin goodies throughout the week, including a Robin-themed List of Six Wednesday morning. And come back bright and early tomorrow morning for the opening post: Why Robin Matters.
I hope you all enjoy the week!
Hench-Sized Comic Book Reviews – 2/23/13
It’s weeks like this that make me regret ever starting this Hench-Sized review column! Oy vey! Somehow, the Marvel and DC scheduling system is perfectly tailored to my reading habits so that the books I actually buy and read all come out on the same darn week! Last week I only had four comics in the Hench-Sized reviews. This week there’s more than a dozen! And it doesn’t help that I’m broke…
But enough whining, let’s get to some comics! This has proven to be an absolutely stellar week of books! I enjoyed all of the comics I bought this week, with more than a few of them rising to perfect scores. And you want to talk gender equality? How about the fact that the two best comics this week both star female leads. It’s an absolute shame that more people aren’t buying Captain Marvel. That book is absolutely amazing! But it’s surpassed just a little by Batwoman, which wins Comic Book of the Week for its fantastic climactic issue and surprise romantic ending!
Though Captain Marvel’s sheer adorableness was hard to beat.
Comic Reviews: Avengers #6, Batwoman #17, Captain Marvel #10, Green Lantern #17, Green Lantern: New Guardians #17, Indestructible Hulk #4, Justice League #17, Justice League of America #1, Nightwing #17, Nova #1, Red Hood and the Outlaws #17, Superior Spider-Man #4, Thor: God of Thunder #5, Vibe #1, Wonder Woman #17.
Larfleeze to Get His Own Series By Writer I Don’t Want Writing Larfleeze
DC Comics announced today the new creative teams that would be taking over the Green Lantern franchise in June. It seems that Geoff Johns is finally handing over the reigns of the franchise he single-handedly raised to A-list level, and he’s taking all of his fellow writers and artists with him. This is too bad for a series like Green Lantern, where Johns only just introduced Simon Baz, but it’s great news for a series like Red Lanterns, which has been terrible under writer Pete Milligan.
You can read all of the new creative lineups at Mtv Geek, because apparently for some insane reason, DC is turning to Mtv to announce things like this. Does any self-respecting comic book geek actually watch Mtv?
Anyway, the new teams are nobody I’ve ever heard of before. Good for them, but it’s nothing to get excited about. You can also check out Mtv Geek for interviews with the teams.
But tucked away within this announcement is the revelation that Larfleeze the Orange Lantern will get his own ongoing series! This is great news, because I’m a huge Larfleeze fan, and I think he’s one of the coolest new characters in the past 10 years!
Agent Orange, if you’re nasty
The horrible news is that the series will be written by Keith Giffen, the writer behind the current Threshold series, which has Larfleeze back-up features. Words cannot express how much I have absolutely hated Keith Giffen’s recent Green Lantern work, or the first issue of Threshold. His Larfleeze is absolutely terrible. Giffen turns Larfleeze into a one-note joke who is more annoying than entertaining. Jeez, I just…this is really frustrating.
But I suppose the problem is probably me. I have this picture in my mind for what kind of character Larfleeze could be…but nobody actually writing the character wants him to be like that. They all want Larfleeze to be a one-dimensional Looney Tune who rants and raves and cries a lot. Personally, I don’t think Larfleeze should have his own series. He should be a character in the Green Lantern stable, a wildcard who shows up now and again when you least suspect him.
But that’s just me. And clearly I just don’t get the character.
I’m also still looking for a Larfleeze action figure if anybody knows a guy. And he’s going to appear in an upcoming episode of Green Lantern: The Animated Series. I really need to watch that show.
Sweet Jeebus, Robin Might Be In Injustice: Gods Among Us After All!
Thank you to nationarticulation for the tip. We finally have the first hints that Robin will be a playable character in the upcoming DC superhero fighting game Injustice: Gods Among Us!
It’s not an official announcement or screenshot, though, so we don’t know for sure. But here is the cover of the May issue of the Injustice tie-in comic book! I can’t believe I missed this!
I’m a blind fool
That’s Damian Wayne up there in a cool new Robin costume. It definitely looks like one of the upgraded, more badass Injustice costume designs. As far as I know, the tie-in comic is supposed to be canon. DC is definitely working with NetherRealm to get this whole shebang put together. So Robin definitely exists in the Injustice universe. But could he be in the actual game?
Here’s the synopsis of that issue:
Based on the upcoming DC fighting game from NetherRealm Studios, creators of Mortal Kombat! Batman has two allies: Damian and Dick Grayson. One is with him, while the other has joined Superman’s cause. The conflict between The Dark Knight and The Man of Steel is about to turn very personal. Plus: The Flash travels to Australia and ponders his own allegiances.
So it looks like, based on that cover, Damian is joining Superman’s side in the whole conflict. At least Nightwing is sticking with Batman. Plus this would add further fuel to the idea that a Batman vs. Robin fight would be the highlight of this game! Putting them on opposite sides of the conflict would lead into that exact kind of match up! Brilliant! I’m glad to hear that NetherRealm think like me.
Not convinced about Robin joining the game based on that comic book? What about the game’s Collector’s Edition? Personally, I wouldn’t be caught dead buying one of these things. All that money for just a bunch of promotional material? No thank you! But as you can see in this picture of the Collector’s Edition, the Robin logo appears in a book of stickers!
Seriously, stickers?
Anyway, this was another clue I missed months ago. But still! A Robin sticker would seem to indicate that Robin is in the game! Why else even include such a sticker?
Oh man, I’m definitely excited now. I will stay with this story all night if I have to!
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