Recommendation: Batman and Robin #17
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Recommendation: Batman and Robin #17

Batman and Robin #17
by Paul Cornell, Scott McDaniel, Rob Hunter, Alex Sinclair and Patrick Brosseau

Synopsis: Batman and Robin go to a chapel. Are they going to get married?

01. Although I do enjoy the writing of Peter Tomasi, I have to admit, I squealed with glee when I discovered that due to scheduling troubles, Paul Cornell would be stepping in as writer for three issues of Batman and Robin. Both are quite accomplished, but I think that Cornell is the ideal buffer between the two, a halfway point between the more straight-forward super-heroics that Tomasi is known for, and the psychedelic romps that Grant Morrison wrote for this book.

02. This issue was pretty rad. Crafted under what I can only assume was quite a tight deadline, Cornell keeps the fast paces spirit of the book alive, while simultaneously creating a new, crazy Batman and Robin villain called “The Absence”. It’s hard to tell exactly what this person’s deal is right at the moment, but what we’ve seen so far is intriguing.

03. Some customers are excited about the art change in this issue. While I personally enjoyed the art of Frazer Irving, it definitely doesn’t match the superhero “house style” that a lot of people have a tough time breaking from. Which, you know, is absolutely fine. Not only does Scott McDaniel bring a more traditional look to the book, he must have done so in record time, what with his other run on Detective just wrapping up, and this schedule substitution made quite late in the game. A great job by this man.

04. Light spoilers for those who have not read the issue (and shame on you): Una Nemo? Roughly translated means “a nobody”, or a singular nobody. Which is just delightful. Don’t know what I’m talking about? Whelp, you should probably just up and read this book then, shouldn’t you?

Batman and Robin #17 was released on November 24th, 2010.

Review: Firebreather – Holmgang #1
Posted on by Brandon Schatz Posted in Comics, Recommendations
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Review: Firebreather – Holmgang #1

Firebreather: Holmgang #1
by Phil Hester, Andy Kuhn and Bill Crabtree

Synopsis: Fresh from a battle with alien robot hunters, Duncan returns home and gets a bit grounded. Also, there’s girl troubles, because high school, amirite?

01. This is the second book we’ve read this week that mentions prom. That’s just fun.

02. Firebreather is one of those books that do two things very well. It captures all the ennui of being a teenager with crystal clarity, and hits you hard with earth shattering battles with giant crazy monsters. The pair of story styles don’t usually blend so well together, usually co-existing in a movie where the regular teenage drama is just a way to ease the audience into the fantastic battles that take place later. Here, they manage to blend together into something new and refreshing - the story of a boy dealing with life as both a regular teenager and an extra regular monster. The best part has to be the fact that Phil Hester has created a situation in which one part of his life can not function without the other. In his everyday life as a teenager, Duncan can get away from his fate as the son of the king of the monsters, while in his extra-curricular life, he can deal with the pains of being a teenager by punching giant ass monsters. Both lives carry with them their pros and cons, but come together to make a life. A hard thing to pull of, but here it is done without effort.

03. It has been quite a while since the last arc of Firebreather was on the stands - but that’s okay. While the book has always been great, it’s also always been pretty late. Unfortunately, up until this point the book hadn’t really paid all that well, and necessitated breaks in the story so that the creators could go off and make some money before coming back to Duncan and his worlds. With this third volume, Phil Hester and Andy Kuhn are hitting the ground running with a feature film under their belt - in fact, this issue and the movie were released for the first time today - and so the book stands more of a chance of coming out more often, with the momentum the book is experiencing.

04. When I first started reading Firebreather, I have to admit, I was not a big fan of Andy Kuhn’s art. I’m willing to admit that my opinions at the time were wrong - Andy has a phenomenal sense of character design, and the way he stages both fights and the everyday are full of energy and kinetic motion. At the time, though, I was just dipping my toe into the realm of indie comics, and was used to more of the regular house style of Marvel and DC. I like to keep this in mind when I’m attempting to sell the book to people in the store (usually using my line of, “It’s like Saved By The Bell meets giant monster fights”) when they tell me that the art is not their cup of tea - in that it probably won’t be, until you’re a little bit deeper into the book. The art works, and it’s great, and without it, the series would definitely not be the same.

05. Like all things we talk about on this site, we love Firebreather. We believe you’ll love it too. There are two trades available right now, if you would like to try the series out. If your local comic store is out of copies, ask them to order it in. If they won’t, get a better comic book shop or order it from Amazon.

Firebreather: Holmgang #1 was released on November 24th, 2010.

Review: Detective Comics #871
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Review: Detective Comics #871

Detective Comics #871
by Scott Snyder, Jock, Francesco Francavilla, David Baron and Jared K. Fletcher

Synopsis: Batman talks about going to prom and also begins solving a mystery.

01. In a month filled with exciting new Bat-book releases, writer Scott Snyder distinguished himself from the pack by dropping some interesting science.

“…the run will also be about the dark and mysterious relationship the city has with Bat. Because for Bruce, Gotham has produced the Joker, Two-Face and all the great villains we know and love as dark and twisted reflections of Bruce himself. And now, with Dick in the cowl, the city seems to be changing, becoming meaner, more vicious. Which makes him wonder – what if being Batman in Gotham means having to face your worst childhood fears come to life, in the flesh? What if Gotham is like a black funhouse mirror to whoever wears the cowl?”

He thought about Batman so hard he found a characterization set for Gotham City. That’s just rad.

02. The book lives up to the promise of the quote. Snyder lays down some great character moments, while showing that he’s thought about the entire canvas he’s painting on, and not just the painting’s main subject. While the mystery at the story’s core is given the proper gravitas it needs, he’s not afraid to remind the reader that they are reading comics – dropping a humourous reference to the Anti-Monitor and Dick’s old fly-ass Nightwing booties. It’s a dangerous move, but one that pays off quite well, keeping the comic enjoyable and as things take a turn for the somewhat grotesque.

03. Commissioner Gorden comes off quite well in both stories – first in a chat with Dick about going to the prom with his daughter (as well as the details of the crime in question) and then in the back-up story, in which something else returns to haunt him. You can really feel the weight the man carries on his shoulders, but you get the sense that he’s not going to let that weight drag him down. At least, not for long.

04. The art by both Jock and Francesco Francavilla is amazing. Jock’s pages are more sparse and carry a modern sheen, with a cinematic overlay, whereas Francavilla’s are seeped in the juices of old pulp, using shadows and tilted camera angles to great effect. Very different, but both perfect for what they were meant to convey. In the midst of a lot of strong new books, this is one of the strongest, and I can not wait for the next issue.