Category Archives: Robin
Hench-Sized Comic Book Reviews – 8/29/15
I don’t know why this happens, but it always seems like my favorite comics all come out in the same week. It’s a nightmare for the wallet but a celebration for reading! This week, we’ve got new issues of Ant-Man, Spider-Woman, Lumberjanes, Grayson, We Are Robin, Harley Quinn and more! It’s great!
Comic Book of the Week goes to Batgirl #43 for another nearly perfect issue. Batgirl is everything I could possibly want from a superhero comic these days, and the creative team pulls it off so effortlessly.
Batgirl vs. a tiger!!
I hope DC keeps this team and this direction around for a long time to come.
Comic Reviews: Last Days of Ant-Man #1, Batgirl #43, Cyborg #2, Grayson #11, Harley Quinn #19, Justice League of America #3, Lumberjanes #17, Ninjak #6, Spider-Woman #10 and We Are Robin #3.
Review: Teen Titans #11
Okay, I’m calm now. As you may recall, I thought the last issue of Teen Titans was an utter abomination. It was full of random, pointless character moments, crummy art and a general sense of terrible pacing and storytelling. It was a monster. But time heals all wounds, and I’m back to see if Teen Titans #11 is any better. Good news, it is! But only because all that prior insanity is behind us. I’m OK with the fact that Wonder Girl’s team is randomly called ‘The Elite’. I’m OK that Trinity exists in the face of all logic. I’m OK that Chimera is now a full member of the Teen Titans with little to no fanfare. I’m OK with the fact that Kid Flash is back for no particular reason.
Teen Titans #11
I think I’ve fallen too far down the rabbit hole of suckitude to ever ‘enjoy’ an issue of Teen Titans again, but the new issue is serviceable. The story is straight forward, so that helps. And writer Will Pfeifer keeps most of his worst characters in check.
Comic Rating: 4/10 – Pretty Bad.
If any comic was in need of ‘Batgirling’ in the wake of Convergence, it was Teen Titans. The book has been terrible since the launch of the New 52. There is zero focus on the main characters, some of whom have never even been seen out of costume. Teen Titans is all about what random villain the characters can be thrown at next, it’s never about the characters themselves, which has become a cornerstone of good comics this year. Batgirl is popular because it focuses on Barbara Gordon, among many other good reasons. Same with Hawkeye or Harley Quinn or Ms. Marvel. But Teen Titans remains the silly action figure comic it has been since the start of the New 52.
And it boggles the mind even further to remember that Teen Titans got a relaunch and a new #1 issue last year! Why the heck did that happen?! Pfeifer hasn’t done anything differently than previous writer Scott Lobdell.
But I’m rambling. Teen Titans #11 sees one half of the team try to break into a supermax prison, and that focus helps to keep the book from flailing painfully out of control. There’s another new artist, who’s both good and bad. Basically, Teen Titans continues to be a pretty terrible comic overall, but this issue softens the blow.
Hench-Sized Comic Book Reviews – 8/22/15
What a lovely day! This week, we released the first two issues of Gamer Girl & Vixen into the wild! If you backed my Kickstarter, you’ve been sent your digital copies! People are reading and loving our little comic, and I’m on Cloud 9! Hopefully I’ll be able to share some good reviews coming up.
If you missed the Kickstarter and would still like to read the comic, stay tuned! We’re working to either get it up on Comixology or sell it ourselves!
As for regular comics, we’ve got a pretty OK pile this week. None of my favorites came out, but we’ve still got some good options from DC, Marvel and beyond. Comic Book of the Week goes to Star Wars #8 for the phenomenal introduction of Stuart Immonen on art.
Lightsabers will never be not cool
Over at Word of the Nerd, I picked up the first issue of the House of M tie-in to Secret Wars, and I’m pretty sure I’ve lost all reason to care about these tie-ins anymore. This feels like it’s going on forever. The issue itself was pretty standard nothingness. Competently made, but utterly worth less than nothing. Oh well.
Comic Reviews: Black Canary #3, Power Up #2, Robin: Son of Batman #3, Secret Six #5, Silk #6 and Star Wars #8.
This Joker/Jason Todd Theory is Hogwash, I Tells Ya!
A big theory about the Joker in the upcoming DC Cinematic Universe movies has been making its way around the Interwebz, and I figured I might throw my 2 cents onto the pile. Why else have a comic book-based blog if I’m not going to throw two pennies at all the comic booky things?
The theory is that the Joker in the upcoming movies will be a former Robin, driven insane. The biggest piece of evidence found so far to support this theory is a seemingly matching set of wounds on the teaser image of the Joker from Suicide Squad and the tattered Robin costume in the latest trailer for Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice.
I’m still torn up about the dead Robin thing…
I believe some folks on Reddit discovered this, to give credit where it’s due.
There are other bits and pieces of so-called evidence around the web. Mr. Sunday Movies has a pretty solid recap of everything on Youtube, or if you can’t watch a video, check out this article at Den of Geek. The theory gains further traction from the fact that, in the Dark Knight Returns universe in the comics, Dick Grayson does indeed go mad and turn into a new version of the Joker. But this happens in that comic’s sequel, The Dark Knight Strikes Again, which everybody hates.
Simply put, I think this whole theory is hogwash for one simple reason: DC and Warner Bros. are not going to re-invent the Joker.
They are on the verge of launching this whole DC Cinematic Universe thing, with rumors circulating of a new Ben Affleck-driven Batman trilogy, which will likely involve the Joker. He’s one of their big draws, a major player in the fandom. The big wigs would love nothing more than to recreate the fan reaction of Heath Ledger’s Joker.
So I just don’t see anybody signing off on this kind of alteration to the Joker. It’s creative, sure, but it might be a little too creative for comfort. I’m sure everyone wants the normal, old Joker, without any weird twists or surprises. Keep it simple, stupid.
Also, for my money, that tattered Robin costume is from Dick Grayson. Just because Jason Todd is the Robin who died in the comics does not mean they’ll carry that over to the movies as well. That’s another of my two cents.
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What do you henchies think? Are you buying this theory at all? Or do you agree that it’s all just some crazy fan speculation? Let me know in the comments!
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Hench-Sized Comic Book Reviews – 7/25/15
Only one week until Boston Comic-Con! That’s my first comic-con of the season, where I’ll be shaking hands and kissing babies in the name of Gamer Girl & Vixen! Anybody else going? I could buy you a hot dog!
As for comics this week, we’ve got some good ones! Cyborg #1 makes its big debut at DC comics, though it’s about four years late. Still, it looks like a good start, though I would have liked more. I also checked out the first issue of Kate Leth’s Power Up and was equally wishing she’d gone just a bit further in her debut issue. Alas.
As for really good comics, we’ve got new issues of Spider-Woman and We Are Robin, both of which are sizzling. And the new issue of Uncanny X-Men is a Goldballs spotlight issue! I’m beside myself with glee.
Comic Book of the Week, however, goes to Grayson #10 for its downright gorgeous artwork and fun style!
Why do we all not live there?
Artist Mikel Janin is going place! Heck, I’m not even sure why DC is keeping him on Grayson when he could be drawing Wonder Woman, Superman or anything else!
Comic Reviews: Cyborg #1, Grayson #10, Power Up #1, Prez #2, Spider-Woman #9, Uncanny X-Men #35 and We Are Robin #2.
Henchman-4-Hire 