Posts Tagged ‘Batman’

The Dark Knight and Lady Blackhawk team up in BATMAN CONFIDENTIAL #37

Wednesday, November 18th, 2009

A new arc titled “Blackhawk Down” from writer Royal McGraw and artist Marcos Marz begins with a bang as Wayne Industries collaborator Blackhawk Industries has valuable information stolen right under Batman’s nose. An investigation leads him to Poland and a giant robot, but The Dark Knight will have to enlist the help of Lady Blackhawk to solve the case.

BATMAN CONFIDENTIAL #37 hits today.

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Our hero faces some tough choices in AZRAEL #2

Wednesday, November 18th, 2009

By Alex Segura

Writer Fabian Nicieza and artist Ramon Bachs present the second issue of the new ongoing Azrael series, as the White Ghost presents a trial to the new Azrael: save an Angel or condemn a Devil. While it may sound like a simple choice, Azrael has to decide if the perceived saint is a sinner or if the sinner is an innocent man. And what if the architect of the experiment, Ra’s al Ghul, is secretly testing all those involved to see who can best serve as his ultimate Dark Knight?

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The Huntress and Man-Bat are in dire straits

Wednesday, November 18th, 2009

By Alex Segura

Writer Chris Yost continues his guest writing stint, as the Huntress and Man-Bat are held captive by a priest driven to the edge of insanity by Gotham itself. And, let’s just say the message Gotham is relaying to our dear, demented villain doesn’t bode well for our heroes. Check out a few pages below.

BATMAN: STREETS OF GOTHAM #6 hits today.

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J. Michael Straczynski on BRAVE AND THE BOLD #29

Tuesday, November 17th, 2009

By Alex Segura

A thing that lives… and fights for its soul. The shambling walking doll that is Brother Power, the Geek has been reborn in Gotham City without a home or purpose. Could destiny have something in store for this seemingly lost relic? And why does his appearance cut into Batman’s heart like none of Gotham’s strange monsters ever has before? Well, you’ll have to read the issue to find out. In the meantime, we have a very special guest post from Straczynski himself, and believe me when I say you’re all in for a treat. Take it away, Joe:

I can’t remember offhand where I was talking about it…could’ve been San Diego Comic Con, or MIT, or last night when I was having an imaginary dinner with my imaginary friend and he refused to pick up the imaginary check…not that it matters, I suppose, since the point is really what we’re driving at here, with said point being…I was talking someplaceorother and mentioned the lineup I had in mind for Brave and the Bold team-ups.

The list included Atom and the Joker, Aquaman and the Demon, the Legion of Superheroes and the Doom Patrol, the League of Substitute Heroes and the Inferior Five, Zatanna plus Batgirl plus Wonder Woman, Batman and Brother Power the Geek, Green Lantern and Dr. Fate, Adam Strange and Lois Lane…all pairings that alternately met with applause and laughter, generally for vastly different reasons.

Afterward, when talking to some of those in the room, the most common response was, “That was a great list, but you’re kidding about Brother Power the Geek, right?”

“You took seriously the Inferior Five but Brother Power the Geek you’re having a hard time with?”

“Well, it’s just, you can’t tell a good story around him. Nobody’s going to take it seriously. He’s camp, he’s sixties, he’s a refugee from a Love-In…they’re going to tear it, and you, apart.”

All valid concerns.

But see, I have this theory that as long as you treat a character seriously, no matter how ridiculous — even more so the more ridiculous they are — you can get something good out of it. On Babylon 5, everybody wrote off Londo Mollari for our first season: he was a buffoon, a drunk, and his hair was strictly comic relief. By season five, he was our most compelling, serious character. Again, it’s all in how you do it.

Besides, telling a good story around the Geek would be a real challenge.

So I paired up the Geek with Batman, one of the most somber, serious characters in the DC universe. And I gave Batman all of the reactions to the Geek described above, because those would be his natural, logical reactions. So it echoes the reader’s response. It’s the Zen thing of turning your opponent’s strength against him. Rather than run from a problem, if you take it head-on you can turn it to your advantage. If we can prove the character to Batman, we can prove it to the reader. That, at least, is the theory.

The result of that experiment hits the stands this week. Of the three issues of B&B published to date, this is my favorite, because it was the most challenging, and maybe for that reason, came out the best. It is, strangely enough, the one with the most heart.

When I set out to take on The Brave and the Bold, one of my goals, in addition to writing outside current continuity a bit, was to challenge myself and take risks by bringing together combinations no one had ever tried before, because the logic of the moment said this won’t work. I think it’s important to take chances, and risk failure, because nothing is ever accomplished by playing it safe. You don’t get points for doing things that are easy.

All of the pairings so far, and those to come, also have subtle little reasons for the pairing that underscore the thematic elements of the story. Fate/GL combines the Green and its fatal flaw, yellow, as well as putting the ideas of fate/destiny in conflict with will/free will. Aquaman and the Demon pair up fire and water, two primal elements. Other parallels will become clear in the telling.

For Batman and the Geek, there are also parallels…as well as to a third character refrenced in the book, the Frankenstein monster of literature. You might wonder what the heck those three have in common. Well, you’ll find out in this issue of B&B.

People tend to look at the progression from serious to ridiculous as a straight line, but it’s not. As the universe is curved, and eventually ends up where it began, so is that dynamic really a self-contained loop. You can start out serious, but the longer you go down that road, the more serious you become, sooner or later you end up at ridiculous. Similarly, if you go far enough down the road to ridiculous, eventually you come out at serious. That was my approach to the Geek.

And I’ll tell you this much: after this issue, nobody’s going to wonder why on earth I’d use the Geek in a story with Batman. And a lot of those who laughed at the notion, won’t be laughing by the end of the issue.

Count on it.

joe

BRAVE AND THE BOLD #29 hits 11/18.

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Take a look at DETECTIVE COMICS #862

Thursday, November 12th, 2009

By Alex Segura

There isn’t much I can say about this cover — aside from the fact that Batman and Batwoman are both on it — but who needs my commentary when you have art this lovely by Mr. J.H. Williams? Nobody, I say.

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It’s day one on the job for Batgirl — can she hack it?

Wednesday, November 11th, 2009

By Alex Segura

Next to the job interview, the next most-stressful thing when it comes to work is your first day. Am I right? Well, imagine if your gig didn’t involve sitting at a desk, but jumping around on the rooftops of Gotham’s seedier neighborhoods? Welcome to Stephanie Brown’s new role as Batgirl. And, as she’ll soon learn, it takes a lot more to wear the mantle of the Bat than she originally thought. From the regular team of writer Bryan Q. Miller and artist Lee Garbett comes a tale of learning the ropes and frat parties. I kid you not.

BATGIRL #4 hits today.

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Take a look at Tony Daniel’s cover to BATMAN #696

Wednesday, November 11th, 2009

By Alex Segura

Batman wearing that mask can’t be good, can it? And what is the Penguin up to? No more clues here, folks. But enjoy the lovely work of Mr. Daniel.

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Writer Chris Yost gives you the Top 10 Reasons to check out RED ROBIN #6 — with a preview

Tuesday, November 10th, 2009

By Alex Segura

The headline says it all. RED ROBIN writer Chris Yost was kind enough to pop by The Source and give us the reasons why you guys should save a spot for the latest issue of the series tomorrow. Take it away, Chris:

10. Superstar artist Marcus To joins the team with this issue!

9. Marcus To’s rendition of Red Robin leading a gang of ninjas into battle.

8. Marcus To’s rendition of ninjas dying horrible deaths at the hands of Recluse, a member of the Council of Spiders (the same people that are hunting the League of Assassins for sport).

7. Marcus To’s rendition of Vicki Vale, who’s got some questions for Bruce Wayne/Hush. Which is going to mean trouble for Tim Drake.

6. The flashbacks are almost over. But this issue’s flashback is particularly sexy. And drawn by Marcus To!

5. BLACKEST NIGHT CROSSOVER!! Well, kind of. Tim mentions his little adventure in BLACKEST NIGHT: BATMAN, but most importantly Marcus To draws him mentioning it.

4. Editor Mike Marts put a hundred dollar bill in one of the copies!

3. Marcus To’s rendition of Tam Fox, daughter of Wayne Enterprises’ CEO Lucius Fox, getting into even MORE trouble.

2. Marcus To’s rendition of Tim Drake being awesome in general as he takes charge of the League of Assassins.

1. The writing. PSYCH! It’s Marcus To. (But hopefully the writing’s okay)

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Writer/artist Tony Daniel unveils a new Arkham in BATMAN #693

Tuesday, November 10th, 2009

By Alex Segura

Pandemonium breaks out at the inaugural ceremony of the new Arkham Asylum. Will the combined forces of Oracle, Huntress and Catwoman be enough help for Batman? Plus, the debuts of both the Gotham Shield Committee and Black Mask’s Ministry of Death in writer/artist Tony Daniel’s second issue. What more do you want? How about some pages? We can accommodate that, sure.

BATMAN #693 hits 11/11.

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It’s here: Take a look at a few more pages from BATMAN/DOC SAVAGE

Tuesday, November 10th, 2009

By Alex Segura

This is it. Doc Savage makes his return to DC Comics, and crashes right into Gotham’s protector, The Batman. Noir mastermind Brian Azzarello teams with artist Phil Noto to present a gritty and shadowy version of the DCU, where thugs are at every corner, corruption runs deep and even the heroes reside in a gray area of morality.

Doc Savage has heard only bad things about The Batman, Gotham’s violent new vigilante, but what can he do to stop him? Check out some more pages from this issue, a vital prologue to the upcoming FIRST WAVE mini-series from Azzarello and artist Rags Morales.