Reviews

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Batman Eternal #24 Review

 

Spoiler makes jumps, Cluemaster’s a chump, and Batman’s in a slump in this thrilling twenty-fourth installment of DC’s weekly Batman tale. Behind the scenes of Hush’s master plan we see the rest of the C-listers work their magic to escalate the disaster, but one plucky purple pubescent stuns her super bad dad as well as me in her efforts to derail his part in the greater scheme at work. Am I really reading a comic with Stephanie Brown in it and actually enjoying her in it? Wha? How is that a thing? read more

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Batman Eternal #23 Review

What’s new, pussy cat? Woah, woah, wh–oh, you’re dead.

 

Selina’s feeling shitty, failed to save a kitty, born to rule the city, and things aren’t looking pretty, all in this twenty second entry in DC’s weekly Bat-epic, which sees The Architect’s inadvertent (?) victory, Jason Bard making his next move, and Selina crawling through a quarter mile of poo-smelling foulness I can’t even imagine. (Maybe I just don’t want to.) Nguyen is full-on Nguyen with his uniquely stylized art and it’s almost like I’m reading Heart of Hush again. Well, actually I have been rereading that recently, coincidentally. read more

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Batman Eternal #22 Review

 

Gotham’s pickin’ up bad vibrations, buildings are getting excitations, Julia has a shocked sensation, and Hush is feeling such elation in this twenty-second installment of DC’s weekly Batman yarn. The crazed suited terror, The Architect is back to his old "Got to destroy Gotham landmarks for my dishonored family’s honor!" using what is essentially the Patlabor: The Movie scheme. Julia is shocked and dismayed that Bruce Wayne is, in fact, the vigilante called The Bat-Man, and Hush does another "stepping out of the shadows" thing that makes me think he’s just desperate to ape Batman’s style at this point. What’s next, the Hush Signal? read more

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Batman Eternal #21 Review

The issue is just as much awesome as this cover, a rarity in comics.

The court adjourned, a long time villain returned, information was learned, and the plot took a huge turn in the alcohol-aged installment of DC’s weekly Batman hubbub. Continuity probably took one on the noggin, given that some of the events the villains present here happened with characters either no longer present in the DC universe (as in, never existed according to new continuity) or are much different. Are we all sure Batman’s only been around for six years? Ah, hand wave it, because this is the best issue in a long time, and it might be the best issue ever. read more

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Batman Eternal #20 Review

Welcome to the jungle, we’ll have… ehhh, one pretty good scene.

 

The mystic crap feels tired, Falsario’s retired, a Lion is required, and Stephanie’s inspired in this twentieth issue of DC’s weekly Batman yarn, pack full of terrible art and story padding, but with at least a couple of really choice scenes that spare this thing from the trash heap. Frankly, though, I’m looking forward to some of these storylines consolidating, because most of them aren’t that interesting on their own. It’s starting to look like a weekly Bat book was a mistake because they’re simply not holding my attention very well. Why do you think every review comes a week late? read more

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Batman Eternal #19 Review

I wish this was the interior art.

Jace and Babs hug, Harper works out bugs, and Gordon knocks out thugs, all in this nineteenth installment in DC’s weekly Batman shindig. The artwork is all over the place, the "hypnotized ally you have to convince you’re not who they think you are" cliche is eye-rolling, as is Jason’s Babs wank, and honestly I want them to get rid of this supernatural element, too, even if it means even less Batman in the book, because unlike Bats, I don’t care about Croc’s missing cult followers. But hey, Jimmy kicked some ass in Blackgate, and that was the highlight of this entire story arc so far, even if it was just one page. Still, I preferred Scott Snyder and Gerry Duggan’s
Batman #34. By a lot. read more

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Batman Eternal #18 Review

 

The sewers are creepy, Jason is cheeky, and a toy shop is freaky in the eighteenth entry in DC’s weekly Batman series. Jason talks Babs up as she falls into a trap, things get tense in Blackgate, we find out what happened to Killer Croc after Arkham War, and Batman is actually a character in this book again! What a week. Too bad the art is kind of… ehhh. Middling. It varies from page to page.

 

Vampire Hero hasn’t been the same since the New 52 reboot.
 

We see that Killer Croc’s life has been rough ever since his defeat at the hands of Bane during Arkham War. Apparently his friends in the underground have been disappearing or turning up dead (it likely has to do with the Deacon Blackfire cult) and of course the police and public in general are quick to blame him, Jason Bard included. As well-meaning as Bard might be, he’s not used to handling guys like Croc, and though he’s a longtime enemy, Batman at least somewhat sympathizes with his general situation. The question is, what the hell is that thing in the shadows following Batman, Bard, and Croc? It looks like the stuff of scream yourself awake nightmares. At least if the group runs into something that requires a lot of brute force to resolve, they have Croc on their team. I think. read more

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Dragon Ball Z: Battle Of Gods Theater Experience

"Great Flaming Dragon Balls! A Theatrical Experience!! Penguin Truth Enjoys A DBZ Dub!!!"

Last night, yours truly made a truly momentous decision. One that affected both his head and heart. Or really, my wallet, because my decision was to spend $10.50 to watch a movie I’d already seen, plus the bullshit price of impulse buy concessions, because like any American, I can’t even go an hour and a half without stuffing my face with butter and salt and washing it down with sugar water. The next time the person at the concession stand tells you that for fifty more cents you can get the large popcorn, you spit in their face and karate chop them in the throat, folks. An ocean of popcorn will just make you never want to see that snack ever again. There’s not enough napkins in the world to wipe that butter from your hands, it’s like digging into a fresh corpse and soaking yourself in a gaping bloody wound of… read more

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Batman Eternal #17 Review

Neither will be appearing in this issue!

 

Corrigan is trapped, a monkey is zapped, and Batman’s old scrap in week 17 of DC’s weekly Batman book, Batman Eternal. Even the combined efforts of Jim Corrigan and Batwing are no match for Deacon Blackfire and The Spectre doesn’t seem to want to appear, while in Japan, Tim Drake and Harper Row try intimidating one of Batman’s old teachers, and the only time we see the titular character is in a flashback to a storyline from decades before the New 52. Really, there’s not a lot actually going on here, but let’s see if I can dig something out, anyway! read more

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