Review: Teen Titans #9
After a long break thanks to Convergence, we’re finally back to regular coverage of Teen Titans. And unfortunately, that old adage of ‘good things come to those who wait’ bears little to no meaning on this poor comic book. Unlike the rest of DC Comics’ line in June, Teen Titans is not getting a makeover or a new creative team. We’re jumping right back in to where we left off with the stuffy writing of Will Pfeifer and the uncomfortable art of Kenneth Rocafort. You’re all better off reading We Are Robin. I’ve got a feeling that’s going to star far more interesting teenagers.
Teen Titans #9
Teen Titans #9 is just an uncomfortable, unwelcoming comic book. It’s not bad, I suppose, but it’s not somewhere I want to be.
Comic Review: 5/10 – Alright.
Teen Titans was just kicking off a brand new storyline when Convergence came along and slammed on the brakes. Superboy has returned, and he’s wanted for killing a bunch of people in suburbia. But those people were really Durlans, the shapeshifting aliens of DC, and he probably didn’t kill them after all. Red Robin and several Titans have gone into hiding to help Superboy uncover the truth, while Wonder Girl and the new Power Girl have joined STAR Labs in hunting down the Boy of Steel. Manchester Black, Pfeifer’s favorite character, has even given the Girls a new team of Titans to help them out — a team that somehow includes a returned Kid Flash.
There’s just something uninviting about Teen Titans #9. The art is all sharp angles, slender characters and muted colors. It’s Rocafort’s usual style, but I think I’m zeroing in on what I don’t like about him on Teen Titans. The pages feel cramped and glum. The characters are never having any fun. The story itself is alright, I suppose. The characters are all largely on point. But Pfeifer never really makes this story about the characters, it’s always about his plot. Here we’ve got a perfect opportunity to follow the Titans on the run or meet the new STAR Labs Titans, but we don’t really do either. Pfeifer writes a nice scene with Beast Boy and Bunker, but those are the only characters who seem to ever get any personality.
We don’t spend any real time with Superboy, despite the weight of the world being on his shoulders. And we spend even less time with the new Titans, including Kid Flash — who is a returned Bart Allen, for reasons that are never explained! It’s just tossed off that this is Bart, back from both time and space, and randomly back to being Kid Flash for STAR freakin’ Labs!
Join me after the jump for a fully synopsis and more review!
6 Things I’m Doing While Being Unable to Play Batman: Arkham Knight
Welp, it can’t be helped. I am not playing Batman: Arkham Knight today. The game hit stores and Steam only yesterday, and surely millions of you fair readers are playing right now. But not me. Not Sean Ian Mills. Not the Henchman-4-Hire. I…I have no excuse! Unless you count money as an excuse. That counts, right?
This should be me right now!
I love the Arkham games. When Arkham City was released while I was on vacation, I bought it while still on vacation and played it at my friend’s house! The List of Six I wrote on Easter Eggs in Arkham City almost single-handedly kept this blog afloat with page views through the early years! But now I’ve got nothing. I don’t own a Playstation 4, I don’t own an X-Box One, and I wasn’t able to afford all of the expensive computer upgrades in time.
I’m not playing Batman: Arkham Knight this week. So you might be asking, what the heck else could I possibly be doing? Join me after the jump to find out!
New Spider-Man Cast! On This Totally Random Tuesday!
Our new Marvel Cinematic Universe Spider-Man is going to be Tom Holland! I’ve never heard of him, but apparently he’s appeared in The Impossible and Wolf Hall, which I assume are movies!
Still would have preferred Miles Morales
The next Spider-Man movie is also going to be directed by a guy named Jon Watts, who has worked on almost nothing! He’s got a movie, Cop Car, coming out soon. Maybe Marvel saw a preview and liked it? Or maybe they saw his credits working on The Onion News Network? I don’t know.
I just find it very curious that this casting was announced today, a random Tuesday at the end of June.
It’s not like anything else important was happening today…possibly involving Marvel’s biggest competitor…
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Enjoy This Batman: Arkham Knight Launch Trailer While I Cry Salty Tears
I just…I just couldn’t do it. Upgrading my PC to handle Arkham Knight would have cost way too much money. I…oh God…I won’t be playing Batman: Arkham Knight today.
Oh man. That’s beautiful. The narration, the action, the characters, the Robin, the music. It’s…it’s gonna be a great game.
OK Sean, no more crying! You’re gonna save money! You’re gonna put a little aside each week! You’re gonna look for sales! You’re gonna do this! Yeah!
Though I’m seeing a lot of negative reviews in the Steam store. Apparently the PC version is bugging as all heck!
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Marvel Starts Rolling Out Their New Comics!
Secret Wars is going to come to an end eventually, and then Marvel Comics will have a whole new, refreshed universe to play with! We don’t yet know all the details — though we’ve seen hints — but because of early solicitations, Marvel has started letting us know what our comics books will be like this fall.
We already know about the new Invincible Iron Man. Over the weekend, we heard that Brian Michael Bendis and Sarah Pichelli are going to write Miles Morales in adjectiveless Spider-Man. And Kelly Sue DeConnick is leaving Captain Marvel.
Today we found out that Jason Aaron and Chris Bachalo are going to launch a new Doctor Strange comic!
Thank god he’s bringing along that battle ax!
No big surprise there, considering the Doctor Strange movie coming up. It was only a matter of time before Marvel gave the good doctor his own book. And I’m beyond excited that Jason Aaron has the job. He’s one of my favorite writers at Marvel! His Thor comics have been amazing, so I’m confident he can really handle Doctor Strange.
In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, Aaron said:
We wanted a Doctor Strange who was always having to work for what he gets, and to show that when he shows up and uses his powers, it’s not like Captain America throwing his shield or Thor throwing his hammer. Strange has to worry about repercussions that those other heroes don’t have to worry about, because he’s a Sorcerer Supreme. We’re talking about the forces of magic. So whatever he does has repressions.
Sounds like a neat take on Doctor Strange. I only hope Bachalo’s art does’t get so weird that we can’t make anything out. These preview pics look great, but we all know that Bachalo can get pretty wild.
Looking stylish!
Still, consider me on board this fall!
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Henchman-4-Hire 