Double-Dose of Turtle Trouble!
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows debuts this weekend, and I’ll get around to seeing it eventually. I enjoyed the first movie, for what it was, and I’m hoping this sequel has the same level of energy and general fun. At the very least, it’s brought out the usual assortment of Ninja Turtles Internet videos.
Thank you, Cinema Sins and Screen Junkies, for your continued entertainment value. Secret of the Ooze was my jam when I was a kid! Not sure about that other thing though…
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6 Thoughts on the Latest Seasons of Arrow and The Flash
Superheroes shows on The CW network are growing by leaps and bounds! Arrow is four seasons deep, The Flash was back for a second, and now they’ve doubled in size, with Legends of Tomorrow and Supergirl joining the fray. Who could have guessed that this is where we would be?
And I never could have guessed how disinterested I would be…
Whoda thunkit?
Harsh words, I know. As recently as last year, I was still totally plugged into the Arrowverse and everything this whole enterprise had to offer. But something has happened in the past year. Something has changed. I used to do annual reviews of each show individually, but I’ve decided to cram my takes on Arrow and The Flash together into one List because that’s all I need. Because these seasons…I dunno. Something has most definitely changed…
Join me after the jump for my thoughts on the Arrowverse these days.
I Hate This Double-R Thing So Much!
Red Robin is due to get a costume change in DC Rebirth. I’m cool with that. His New 52 costume is fine, I suppose. It’s neat, though it’s overly complicated. Well now it looks like they’re going to give him a more classic, Robin-esque costume.
But he’s going to insist on having a Double-R on the chest! Here’s an up close look, courtesy of Comic Book Resources.
Ugh. Robin is one of my favorite comic book characters of all time, and Tim Drake is my favorite Robin. It grinds my gears that DC insists he’s only ever been ‘Red Robin’ in the DC Universe now. That’s such a ridiculous idea. Everybody just calls him ‘Robin’. And the Double-R looks so dumb!
Plus, he’s not even wearing predominantly red this time. Argh, whatever. I love this costume design for Tim and I’m still totally gonna read Detective Comics.
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Hench-Sized Comic Book Reviews – 5/28/16
I’m a little late to the party, but I had a busy week and couldn’t get up a quick anything about all the comic book controversy. What have they done to Captain America?! What the heck have they done now to the DC Universe? Read on to get my reviews!
Part of me was just planning to review the big two controversial issues and leave it at that. But this week also saw the release of some of my favorite comics, and quite honestly, each issue kind of serves as the anti-thesis of DC: Rebirth and the new Cap twist.
So in an unprecedented move, Comic Book of the Week goes to three of my favorite comics, all of which released perfectly pleasing issues in this crazy week: Ms. Marvel, Unbeatable Squirrel Girl and Patsy Walker a.k.a. Hellcat.
Good advice
This week’s Hench-Sized Reviews is about as big a statement on comics as I may ever be able to make. I’m quite pleased with myself, and really enjoyed some of these reads.
Comic Reviews: Captain America – Steve Rogers #1, DC Universe – Rebirth #1, Ms. Marvel #7, Patsy Walker a.k.a. Hellcat #6 and Unbeatable Squirrel Girl #8.
Review: Teen Titans #20
Writer Tony Bedard should not take up a side job writing Internet memes. As a long time reader of the Internet, I consider myself fairly well versed with the world of memes. I think I know what I’m talking about. Bedard dazzles us with a few in this new issue, as the Teen Titans take on this instantly dated phenomenon. I’m not even sure why they bothered.
Teen Titans is a lame duck comic book. With a complete revamp on the way in Rebirth, I’m not really sure why Teen Titans is still shambling along like it is.
Comic Rating: 4/10 – Pretty Bad.
Maybe if we were looking at a Scott Snyder/Greg Capullo-style climax, or if we had any sort of ongoing story to tell, or even if the comic was still using its original numbering and DC Comics wanted to get to the magic 52nd issue, then maybe I would understand why Teen Titans is still putting out new issues ahead of Rebirth. But there’s nothing here. Heck, this is Bedard’s first issue on the series. He’s clearly some kind of pinch-hitter brought on to keep the series on life support before the switch.
Why?
Is it sales? Does Teen Titans sell enough to justify scraping together a few more crummy issues over the next few months? Maybe if they were using these issues to build up to the Rebirth changes, I would understand. But that’s not happening either. This issue could be any regular issue of Teen Titans. There’s an awkward training sequence followed by the aforementioned memes plot, and the arrival of a sudden, random villain. Nothing in this issue signifies the end. Nothing in this issue signifies a new beginning or a new direction.
Nothing indicates the ‘Fall of the Titans’ that the cover implies…unless the Teen Titans are going to be undone because somebody is making crappy Internet memes about them…
Teen Titans #20 is weak filler. And it’s filled with some weird storytelling choices.
