Monday, 20 February 2012

Batman 6 review


The Batman is down and badly beaten just like how we left off in the last issue. We finally get a view of the court of owl's and they are damn right creepy! most of the dialogue is done by the court itself where batman showing no resistance to stay down as he is brutally attacked by the entire court! The images used in this issue are amazing showing batman's real dark side making him look like a wild animal or beast with fangs. there was a part in this issue where I thought batman would really cross that line that makes him different from the scum of Gotham City.

Scott Snyder has not outdone the last issue but it still a close contender to it with the way the story progresses and from what we find out about the court and who really runs the show. The artwork again first class the cover art being my favorite as it's insane and shows more just what is coming. The story progresses nicely and really keeps you entertained throughout. I think this is the first time in a long time that iv'e read a batman comic where he is afraid to come back to the villains hideout. The court has really taken its tole on batman showing not only his weak side but a side of fear in the dark knight detective.

Overall i'm still loving Scott Snyder's batman it the perfect view of what a batman comic should be about and the best story in the series. I cant stress enough that comic book readers should start to read this series! even if you are not a batman fan as I can see this going down as one of the best batman story arcs and I think its clear that we all welcome the court of owls as first class villains for batman. Like I said tho Snyder does not outdo himself with this issue but defiantly brings a great issue and follow up to to the perfect issue that came before it.

Sunday, 12 February 2012

Batgirl #6


Batgirl issue 6 kick starts where the last issue ended, with Bruce Wayne ready to attack Batgirl!. This issue I thought was stronger than some of the past issues especially with story and some of the art work. The weird thing about this is that the story arc that kicked off in the last issue ends in this issue sort of short but sweet and at first I thought this was bad but then I felt it would have got annoying for this story to drag on a few more issues and it nicely represents Barbra Gordon if she had no love in her life from her father and the bat family, she could have easily went off the rails the way the main antagonist did in this issue. It does go back into the killing joke story line and again I think a lot of fans will be quick to dismiss this and as much as I love the killing Joke it really does set a good follow up to Barbra becoming Batgirl once again (even though I really miss her as Oracle) and when batman says "Barbra you where men't to be Batgirl" you know it's true and i'm not one to argue with The Dark Knight of Gotham City.

The team have done a good job with this story and again gives us a good look at what Barbra could have become. The writing is solid and the artwork is great, always love those panels with Batman towering over someone it really brings a sense of fear in him. I never got bored reading it the issue but I must say there ae times where it really picks up then goes down again like a roller coaster. I think Gretel should have been the first villain the batgirl faced because it mirrors her more than mirror did, no pun intended, and we all can relate more to her as a character tan that of mirror.

Over all this series has got high points and low points, it will be interesting to see where it goes now this story arc is over with. We have more history to catch up on with Barbra's mum but I feel like this is a forgettable story line at least for now.hope the next issue starts with a bang and ends the same way, we need a little faith in Batgirl and stop thinking about the past as much as we love Oracle its time to move on unfortunately.

Thursday, 9 February 2012

Batwoman #6


Batwoman issue 6 is really a stop in story to shed light on what has been going on in the series so far and i'm all for this but this past while Batwoman has become one of the most own comic books over the past 6 months and this issue has let me down. The story does not really go anywhere but its good to get the emotions of some of the characters down but I couldn't help but get the feeling that if I wanted to know what was going on in past issues I would go and and read the other issues again. We get to know who was behind the weeping woman story to say that this is not over yet and we also see Batwoman's new Armour that makes her bulletproof, something that batman had but give up on it, and fights easy. not to say its a bad thing that the story stops in favor of and up to date on current events issue because it kind of lets us take in whats been going on but just doesn't feel as natural as it did in Scott Snyder's Batman comics. 


One of the main things that you will notice is that Williams III is not doing the art anymore, instead Amy Reeder steps in and don't get me wrong she does a great job with the comic but Williams did an amazing job. With Williams on the art every panel looked amazing with Amy only some of the book looks great where others just look OK but the cover art is up to par with past issues. The writing is great but nothing we haven't seen from past issues but then again not every issue can be perfect and this one is just a step back for the team and really hope they bring back their A game in the next Issue. 

Wednesday, 8 February 2012

Batwoman #2


What can I say about Batwoman Issue 2? well the one thing that this comic has other than its great story is the artwork. This book has some of the best and most beautiful artwork that is being done in this age of comics where most of the art in other books are top notch this series really takes it to a compete different level. If you read comic books you better read these because to me the Batwoman series is right up there with Scott Snyder's Batman comics. When the new 52 came out i took it upon myself to read all of the bat family books (being a big batman fan) and I will be honest I didn't think I would enjoy batwoman as much as I have. It is a series that I am becoming to love and one that I now I am going to be looking forward to each month.
This issue deals with Batwoman aka Kate Kane training her new sidekick, the former flamebird, tracking down the mysterious weeping woman and trying to decide if she should join up with batman Inc. the story is solid with the weeping woman the artwork when it comes to this character is Gothic and at the same time beautiful. It is one of the more creepy aspects of the book which near borderlines this with the horror genre with the weeping woman kidnapping children and its up to batwoman to find out why.
The book is more of a detective book than it is action and something that i'm happy with that carries the bat name.

The Good:
Well I ave said enough about the artwork so will just say, yes J. H. Williams III is a god! but what really drives this comic is the mystery behind it all. Kate is a very mysterious woman and her motives are not always clear but its that which drives the character and keeps us reading on to find out what is going to happen. There are more sub plots going on in this than the actual plot but this is a good thing as it all fits in later and keeps character development strong and we never get bored of reading it.

The Bad:
While the story is good some readers might get a little mixed up or confused about what is going on with the main plot especially because of the sub plots that are going on so some people may not like the idea of having to give it a re-read at points to figure out some things but its really a minor bad point and not something that should be frowned at because this is a sold issue into the series.

Batman #5


Batman issue 5 really starts to show Batman becoming insane just like the criminals that he fights to keep locked away from the world in Arkham Asylum. The comic starts with Gordon and Bullock talking about weather or not they should shut off the bat signal as its burning 24/7 waiting on some sign that batman is still alive and doing his job. The rest of the Bat Family are worried about the current status of the Dark Knight himself. We then find out what has happened to Batman. He is in a massive maze trapped and going mad, hiding in the dark corners and this is one of the few times we see batman afraid of what he has to face.

The Good: Again this is another amazing issue from Scott Snyder and I think everyone will agree that it shows batman decent to madness perfectly. As you read the book you will ave to turn it on its side then upside down and read the book back to front and really draws the reader into what batman is going through. The artwork is first class yet again with batman being in the maze for weeks his costume is badly worn you can see he is weakened and my favorite is when is mask is starting to wear away you can see Bruce's bloodshot eye which is frighting to say the least like batman is becoming some sort of wild animal almost to the point of insanity. Story is amazing batman is being pushed to the limit much like Grant Morrison did a few years ago with Batman RIP.

The Bad: Another issue and I still have no bad comments on this series it's the perfect tone for a batman comic again I will say if anyone has any issues id be happy to know what you thought.

The Verdict: Stop reading this if you haven't started this series and go out and get your hands on it you will not be disappointed!

Batman #4


After the cliffhanger we got in Batman issue 3 I could not wait to get my hands on issue 4. This issue starts straight where the last issue ended in an explosion in old Wayne Tower with batman right in the middle of it and in the middle of finding out more about the court of owls. As you know batman survived and went back to the batcave to stitch up and continue his investigation. Just when you thought this series cant get any better it brings you into batman/Bruce's past and we find out that he has always suspected the court of owls where behind murders in Gotham even to go as far as to think they where involved in his parents deaths. We cut to a flash back of Bruce as a young boy, as he puts it, going on his first investigation trying to find out who or what the court of owls is. This leads him to becoming trapped for days before being rescued thus giving him his first taste of survival skills.

The Good: This issue sacrifice's action for story and this is a damn good choice, by the end of the issue it leaves you wanting to now more and you know how batman feels at this stage as its not about fighting the villain its about finding out who they are and their motive and to learn more about Bruce Wayne's past is always a welcome in the series. Again the artwork and writing are the best out of the DC reboot, Scott Snyder seams to be bringing his A game with each issue.

The Bad: Honestly there is nothing bad I can say about this issue it is the best in the series so far and if there is something that you felt was out of place please comment on it.

The Verdict: Amazing! this is one of the best stories around and not just in the batman comics but of all of DC's New 52 i strongly recommend this to anyone who loves batman or hell anyone who loves comics and a good story in general!.

Batman #1



“when you have a bad day remember, tomorrow is only a dream away.”
- Thomas Wayne

My thoughts on the first Issue of batman #1
First off lets just say Bruce Wayne is building the City of tomorrow today! best way to try and make Gotham i mean look how well it works for Metropolis. and what a good way to start of the series with the question “Gotham is…” along with some farmiliar faces and a damn good setting and an end that gives you the shock fator.

I really enjoyed this Issue and to me one of the best so far from the DC new 52 line-up in saying this is definatly somthing that every fan of the Bat-Man should get. there are a few things that do stick out ut its only minor and does not really get in the way. I only hope we see some of these New villains as well as the classics.

The style is really rell used in this issue that deals more with bruce wayne than batman himself giving a light tone on the side of bruce wayne and the classic dark tone on batman somthing I think will work well is more of bruce wayne and will be happy to see what plans he has for the city of tomorrow.

Batman #2


Batman #2 opens with gorgeous artwork featuring the sun setting on the City we know as Gotham, and wen the sun goes down in Gotham the Batman goes to work! that is until you turn to page two that has Bruce Wayne being thrown through the window at the top of Wayne Tower. A great opening to the issue and the rest of the issue deals with how Bruce got himself into this state. Scott Snyder shows his love for the City of Gotham with the way this issue is laid out showing a lot of architecture of the City. Issue cuts to Gordon who is trying to find out who murdered a man whom batman using his detective skills finds out that its a organisation known as the court of owls, which in fact is just a legend and not said to exist.

The Good: Near enough everything in this issue is perfect for a batman comic, it has a solid plot, great cliffhangers, we get to know more about batman  and Bruce Wayne. there is not a moment you are bored or confused with what is going on. simply put this issue is solid. Scott Snyder really has a love for Batman and sows with the way he is handling this series the artwork is gorgeous and the writing is first class.

The Bad: Now as we all know, no matter how good something is it always has its flaws. the artwork is great yes but there are a few parts where peoples faces seamed a bit off i know this is nit picking but I had to find something and this is really the only thing that came to mind when I was reading it but not enough to drw you out of the story or the issue itself.

The Verdict: Scott Snyder's Batman Is an amazing read and i suggest that if you are a comic fan o get this series because it is shaping up to be a classic Batman story line.

Batgirl #1



OK so i want to get this out of the way… Batgil was great! I dont care what people say or think about her back story the comic was great. now onto the comic…

I know some people are saying that this comic shouldnt be or that it takes away the character deveoplment with Barbra Gorden but i think its a great way to start Batgirl off. Ok so maybe its not as good as Detective Comics or Action Comics but its story told well. *spoilers* We meet batgirl taking on some of Gothams bad guys wanting to make a point by killing two people and the batgirl shows up. She kiscks ass but she i starting to feel a little rusty after what happend.

Now comes character development. When not batgirl shes just Barbra and the daughter of Jim Gorden as everyone knows but for a long time we have known Barbra, not as batgirl, but as Oracle who was put in a wheel chair by our good friend the Joker. this all happend in the Killing Joke of course and what happend then is still haunting her, she has nightmares of the joker shooting her. We start to get images of te Villian called Mirror in this issue, who had a mirror on his chest to show people who they are before he kills them.

The idea of batgirl battling her inner deamons as well as the scum of Gotham really keeps you gripped and as much as people liked er as Oracle its a good way to bring her ack into the spotlight. I dont want to give away the end but its definatly worth the read if you want to kno more about what goes on in Gotham City

Batwoman #1



Batwomen, like batman, is dark and full of anger in this isue and a real good read. loved the art style. it does a good job in the opening to establish the characters and the story and the story goses like this. there is an urban legend that a vengeful spirt kidnaps children and kills them in a blinding rage and its up to Batwomen to solve the crime because in the DC universe real detectives are useless for some bizzare reason.

Wealso find out a little bit of history about what drives batwomen as she teams up with her cousand to save the children. The story has you asking question about werather the urban legend i real or just some nut jobs sick joke but is gripping none the less. a great start for batwomen and an apreance of The batman himself wat more could you ask for?

The Dark Knight #1



Ok if you follow my blog you know how much of a fan I am of Batman and I see why they kept this for the last, Its just not as good as Detective Comic or Batman not to say its not good because it is just feels like it lacks originality for a reboot.

Ok story goes that there is a mass break out of… Guess where? thats right Arkham Asylum, I swear they really are going to put the Villains somewere else because if theres one think we have learnd over the years its that Arkham Asylum is the most unsecure place in the DC universe, but we love it.
So there is a mass break out and batman goes in to find Two-Face. along the way we get a glimpse of what Bruce Wayne is up to he is rasing money for charity and become the Dark Knight at the same time as he is late for his speech.

Not to say this is bad but the Arkham outbeak annoyed me a little as its been done a million times before and to be honest it has been done better but worth the read and just hope the series picks up more in a few issues

To those who want only one batman story to follow from the DC new 52 i recommend Batman at this point, aslo check out Detective comics and of course Batgirl.

Superman #1



OK first off i loved Action Comics #1 it went back to showing who superman is and what he can do (for now). With Superman #1 however we don’t gt a reboot but a new view on Metroplis and this time its all about the Daly Planet. The comic has brought itself into modern territoy with the use of Facebook and Twitter being the main sourse for news these days it has an effect on a printed paper so the comic starts off with the Daly Planet building being demolished and a brand new one (globe and all) being rebuilt. more high tec and focused on news and the web. I thought this was a great way to go to show how the use of Twitter and the internet is effecting the news business.

There is also an enemy that is made of fire to fight superman, not his best fight but the whole thing is made so as the New Daly Planet can show off what way it can capure the news with Lois Lane as its leader. Clark shows that he is not happy with the change but we mostly see him as superman.

It says that superman has not been around for a while which also might have effected the Daly Planets downfall and the need for change. and Superman being ‘camera shy’ does not help the situation. The book does not have that cliffhanger moment that the other books in the New 52 have but enough to keep you interested in the next Issue. By the end it started to get more into Clarks personality and would like to see more of this in furure issues. Have to say i loved this issue from the get go and a great read for superman fans

Batman #3



Finally getting back to my reviews! and best to start with is Batman #3. I think this story is quickly becoming my favourite of all the batman comics. I enjoy detective comics but i feel like i’m reading detective comics with batman and not sure if this is a good thing or not. Batman is still hunting down the owls that are trying to kill Bruce Wane and not so much Batman. This makes the villain a lot more personal to Batman. You cant help but think of Nightowl from the watchmen series but more in shape and trying to kill and not save, but the story makes up a lot for this.

Like I said it reminds me of Detective comics because in this issue you get to see batman doing what he is all about first off when we see him he interrogating a man in a train tunnel before he gets jumped by a few gang members and ten gets away. That is the only action that appears in the comic and something that I am happy about. I like to see batman doing detective work because being a detective is what batman is all about. Most of the comics sees batman sitting in the bat cave because e cant find this guy sort of like how the batman could not find the joker in the dark knight, and the more we learn about the villain the more it goes into Bruce’s past and as usual ends in an awesome cliffhanger.

The art is beautiful in this comics like the previous two shows Gotham City as a dark Gothic city and batman is shown as a scary character and how dark he can be. The dialogue has some of the best from the batman series at the minute in the DC universe. This is a series that if you haven’t started reading its definitely worth your attention and cant wait to see where this story goes.

Hellbalzer #287



Its time for John to visit hell… again!. After john gets his coat back he is pushed into going back to hell to find his sister after his niece is driving him crazy. this is the start of a story line that i’m looking forward to hear more from as it is starting to go deep into Constantine’s past and all the wrong that he has done and all the people that he has let go to hell.

The writers have done a good job establishing each character and gives a good reason to see John go back to hell. I also enjoy ho dark and Gothic the art is in this book so if you are a fan of horror comics you will not be disappointed. I never got bored of this series even after the trench coat business that went on this past few months and the art style is reminiscent of the suicide bridge annual that came out last month. This is the start of a new story line for John Constantine so if you are interested in horror and the supernatural you will not be disappointed and i recommend you pick up this issue.

Tuesday, 7 February 2012

Detective Comics #6 Review



This issue kicks off where the last issue ends with Jill Hampton and Jack Houston or better known as Chase and Snakeskin discussing their plans to get into the new hotel casino run by the penguin and blow it out of Gotham City. Batman is busy tracking down a criminal who we find out has been killed by Chase while also trying to keep his new love interest happy who comes in the form of Charlotte, a Lois Lane type reporter who goes deep into danger to get a story but also has a more personal interest which i will not spoil.

The Good: After Detective Comics #5 I thought this story line would start to go down hill but this issue brought it right back up again for me as there was no time I was bored or even let down by what was happening. Tony Danial again doing a great job with the series and his writing skills are first class when it comes to this issue. Before reading this issue I had a look at the IGN review and they said they had trouble following what was happening but I thought it was easy right amount of action, dialogue and monologue. Tony Danial and the team has done a great job with the art in this issue I didn’t see a part in the book that looked off or out of place so lots of credit for that.

The Bad: I cant help but feel that the Penguin, for now at least, does not feel like much of a threat and this issue does not help to big the penguin up for a good fight. This might be because of how good the dollmaker was as a villain. The cover is a little off putting to because we see batman fighting the penguin where as the issue does not have any conflict with the two. I think they could have made a cool cover with Snakeskin and Chase.

The Verdict: I enjoyed this issue but again its best to read the past issue again just as a refresh of whats going on but I was not disappointed like I was with the last issue and for “DC comics flagship title” it’s still not on par with Scott Snyder’s Batman Comics or the currant run of Batwoman but still enjoyable. Has a great end to make me want the next issue and can tell that the series will get better and for anyone that read my Dark Knight issue 5 review can tell i’m a big fan of the scarecrow and looking forward to his appearance in the next few months.

Action Comics #6 review





Anyone who reads Grant Morrison knows what to expect by now, he likes to tease and confuse the fans and Action Comics is shaping up to be just that but at the same time entertaining as hell! I love the way Morrison has taken Superman’s origin story that we all know and love but made more out of it by bringing in the league of superheros and time travel. The issue opens with a group of villains plotting the downfall of earths strongest superhero, Superman, using the different kinds of kryptonite. It then sifts to superman and the league of superheros in a space station trying to repair the pod that superman arrived in back when he was just little baby Kal-El and this is where the action starts. The issue may not sound like a origin story but te league of superheros need to dive into superman’s memories and look at his past and that is how the origin is told.


The Good: First off I have to say, Grant Morrison, love him or hate him he is doing a great job with Action Comics and always keeps me interested and on edge with what is going on in the story be it the main plot or the back story. The art team bring their A game with this issue yet again as the comic comes to live with the use of colors and every character looks great this series is beautiful to look at. pacing seams just right as I never got bored reading it, unlike superman comics where there is a few times that i want it to hurry up, and have to say I love the extra little story at the end that just brings us more familiar with Clark’s life growing up in Smallville with the likes of John, Martha and Lana.


The Bad: The only bad thing i can say is that it does at times get a little confusing but not really a bad thing but something that a lot of people might get put off by this, there is also a lot of science talk in it and this can get a little jarring at times but not enough to put anyone off just make them think “o.k I can deal with that” but gives them reason for what they are doing. Sometimes the alien language can become annoying too.


The Verdict: All in all this is a great series to keep reading and the number 1 superman comic and, like I said, Grant Morrison is doing his best with the series and if you are a fan of his work you will not be disappointed definitely go pick up this book and get into the Superman series!


On a side not I just want to say this is also perfect for fans that got into superman by watching the TV show Smallville this is a good opportunity to see the real superman and how it should be done with parts of Clark’s life in Smallville so if you want to learn more about Superman and expand on the Superman universe get these issues!