Neither Patrick nor I anticipate our little fireside chat reviews to be a thing of any kind of regularity, but we had a lot of fun last week sharing the duties over Jem #6. It was sort of an unsaid agreement that we probably wouldn’t try this again unless it was something we both felt extremely passionate about and could tear into. Well, it didn’t take long for that to happen because we began reading Batman #44 around the same time this week and began emphatically texting one another.
Patrick & Myles: Batman #44
Myles: Batman #44 interrupts the “Superheavy” arc, touting the origin of the new villain Mr. Bloom. For this stand alone issue, Greg Capullo gets a well deserved break, bringing in frequent Snyder collaborator, Jock (Detective Comics, Wytches). I thought Jock’s art not only fit perfectly for this issue, but added a darkened flashback quality to it. You know what I mean?
Patrick: Yeah, the team-up of two of my favorite comic book authors on my favorite book is a dream come true here. This is why I think Batman is so many people’s favorite character, is that he could be written taking down ninjas, intergalatic alien dictators, or just gang violence and all those stories work. I think the Street level stuff, particularly when it comes to the nitty-gritty underbelly of Gotham are my favorite though.
Myles: Having Brian Azzarello join the fun here was a masterstroke. With his history of street level crime stories like 100 Bullets combined with his previous work on Batman, he and Snyder tell a very grounded, street level tale. We get to see a young Batman be the detective. Not just your “World’s Greatest Detective” who immediately knows everything. No. Here, Batman’s more akin to an old school crime noir detective. Kicking doors down, demanding answers, trying to puzzle out who this new player is.
Myles: What I love most about this issue comes is not just the excellent stand alone tale, but in Bruce himself. We’ve been told numerous times about Bruce’s mission against crime. It’s been dissected time and again. Batman is the Dark Knight. Grim and gritty. But most often forgotten is that spark of optimism it takes to do what Batman does. To make a difference. To do that right thing. To save his city because he’s the only one who truly can. We see that compulsion during the final turn in the story in a masterfully constructed splash page.
Patrick: Yeah, so like Myles said, there is really revealing bits here about Batman’d origin. There’s no perfect answer to solving the crime problem in Gotham, much like real life. In this comic we see an emerging Batman that is stepping outside of his role as the Dark Knight, outside of the avenger, and taking steps towards something more akin to a truth-seeker; a paragon of Justice. Social Justice is a term bandied out a lot these days, and I find that it is often used too loosely. Justice comes when we begin to dig deep into issues, like true detectives, and look at why crime exists, why it spreads, and how we can burn it at the roots before it begins to choke the life from our cities.
While this may come as a shock to some, I believe a lot of that optimism comes from Azzarello. This moment reminds me of a moment during his run on Batman a decade ago in issue #625, where, in the denouement, Bruce, as the narrator, says: “And as the sun, that had been too afraid to show its face in this city, started to turn the black into grey, I smiled. Not out of happiness. Be because I knew…that one day, I wouldn’t have to do this anymore. One day, I could stop fighting. Because one day, I would win. One day, there will be no pain, no loss, no crime. Because of me. Because I fight. For you. One day, I will win.”
The moment here is a touch different, but I feel the compulsion Snyder and Azzarello are getting at remains the same.
Patrick: I love this side of Batman, and I think that this is an idea that Snyder is exploring well in the super-arc surrounding this story. Bruce’s mind is altered in a way that prioritizes his tact differently, but the goal of helping the city is still there. This is an idea that Azzerello explored I feel like in turning Bruce’s father into the caped crusader in Flashpoint, whereas Snyder is turning Batman back into his father the philanthropist. This issue shows the dichotomy of those two aspects of the Bat really well.
Myles: By and large, this is one of the best single issues of Batman I’ve read in a long time. It’s easily the best stand alone issue of Snyder’s run. The art is amazing, the story extremely satisfactory, and it still perfectly ties into the “Superheavy” arc without invading it at all. Amazing, amazing work. Snyder and company continue to simply KILL it with Batman.
Patrick: I can’t agree more. There are a few bits I thought were heavy-handed, and I wished it was a little tighter in parts, but overall I don’t think I have been as affected after closing a comic book before. I sat there in silence for a bit and went through the ole’ mental rolodex of other Batman stories, trying to pull a better one and came up empty. This is an important comic, this is a perfectly crafted comic, and this is a comic that everyone can enjoy. This is the best of Batman and all superhero comics in my mind. ‘Nuff said! Batman #44 is out and you owe it to yourself to get it right now.
Patrick: Star Wars: Shattered Empire #1
From Marvel Comics this week my pick is Greg Rucka and Marco Checchetto’s “Star Wars: Shattered Empire” #1. I have been holding back on a lot of the new Star Wars books from Marvel despite stellar (titter) reviews and recommendations because I don’t want to hype myself TOO much before the film “The Force Awakens” comes out, as I am prone to hyper-focus when it comes to Star Wars. I couldn’t wait though for this story as it is one of the first looks at the currently undefined period between episodes 6 and 7 of the film series. I am glad I didn’t wait as this issue was great, and well worth your time to pick up this week. Warning, there are SPOILERS contained below for those looking for a blank slate before the movie drops.
So plot wise we see the tail end of the battle above Endor and one thing that I feel makes the movies really intense: space dogfights. So many of the pilots we met in this series of films dies in brutal space fights, and it really nails home here in this comic how frightening and chaotic war really is. We see this after the Death Star is destroyed, when everyone should be celebrating our POV character Shara is worrying about fallen comrades and finding one person in particular in the hubbub following the battle. So much of Star Wars is based on WW2, the skull-adorned shock troops, the Dam Busting air raids, the evil Empire ruled by a maniacal madman, and here to we see a galaxy still in chaos even after ‘Germany’ and the Nazi Regime are conquered. I am excited to get into stories of this post-war era, as while the Empire is shattered, I highly doubt that they are going to lay down their inaccurate blaster rifles just yet.
What drew me immediately in was the incredibly cinematic and beautiful artwork of Checchetto as he gives a very fresh coat of paint to the Star Wars Universe. I grew up on the Dark Horse expanded universe comic books, and this blows away even the best of the art in those books. I really like his original characters introduced here in this book, Shara and L’ulo look and feel at home in the SW universe. Returning classic characters Luke, Leia and Han all are magically de-aged 30 years and look great too. Chewbacca is resplendent here, as ever (insert wookie growl here).
Rucka has done a great job introducing new characters here that are sure to become fan favorites as this run continues. In a very short order they have been given enough personality to grow to care about them a lot. The plot that the end of this issue promises has me excited, as my favorite books in the Expanded Universe came on the heels of the Death Star 2.0’s destruction, and this series has already set up awesome battle scenes, beautiful art and more Star Wars action than I could hope for. Read this and join me aboard the 3 month Hype Train as we travel towards the next movie. Shattered Empire is on stands now.
Myles: Injection #5
Injection has been a slow burn of ideas and characters. It’s wonderful. I’m a huge fan of treating comics like a serialized novel or an ongoing season of television that holds a less constraining episode structure. Many people I’ve talked to coming from reading solely superhero books (though it happens there too) have trouble reading their comics as true pulp or serialized fiction, but I love it.
I saw this because Warren Ellis works with ideas, with characters, with the future. Toying with all three together takes time when dealing with something new. The stew that is Ellis and artist Declan Shalvey’s creator owned Injection is finally starting to simmer.
For those new to the series: “Once upon a time, there were five crazy people, and they poisoned the 21st Century.” These five people were geniuses as well. They created the Injection in an effort to make sure humanity’s progress never stagnated and the future remained interesting. In that, the succeeded. But interesting doesn’t always equal good.
The intrigue of getting to know the ensemble cast, years after the Injection event, and the mystery of what the Injection precisely is, has been the enjoyable of the first four issues. Scientist Maria Kilbride has more or less been our central protagonist as she’s the one called into dealing with Injection event directly. Issue 5 fully moves the story from the expositional phase square into the Now, where we see Maria dealing with manifestations of English fae folklore.
Yes. Fae folklore. This book is a weird science tale, as only Warren Ellis can tell it. The characters are bold and interesting, the ideas are wild and strange, and this promises to be one interesting journey that’s truly kicking off here. Shavley’s art is very precise, grounding everything in realism, which translates Ellis’ ideas perfectly.
Though not the easiest science fiction pill to swallow, Injection is sure to win you over. The first 4 issues are $4.99, with this week’s #5 only being $2.99. A low price entry point to try out this new series by one of comics’ greatest minds!