Ep. 47: Who Wears Short Shorts

[Mr.Shaw]

Our intrepid heroes try to understand the "Seed Force." The Casefile: Batman 283-4, Detective Comics 468-9, Batman Family 10. Current books: Batgirl 20, Batman & Robin 22, Birds of Prey 11, Red Robin 22, Batman 709, Gotham City Sirens 22, Batman Inc 5, Detective Comics 876. Suggested topics for conversation: Ultimate Batman, alternate footwear, complaint letters, and independent comics.

The Band o' the Week is Linkin Park, with their album "Minutes to Midnight."

[Arkholt]

Batman and Robin 22: Borrow. Wow, quite a disappointing ending to a story that I was liking in the first two issues. I give it a borrow simply for the Arkham inmates reactions to the glow goo flood. Joker trying to remain seated while drowning gets me every time.

Batman 709: Joke. The whole thing was not well thought out, and at points incredibly melodramatic and preachy. That said...

Red Robin 22: Borrow, because as Rob said, there's some very good Tim stuff here. I wouldn't buy it because it's connected to the other ridiculousness, but it's a good enough read that it's worth the time. Of course, I've been liking Red Robin since the beginning despite the hate given to it from the Bat-Radians (can I call you that?) mainly because I can't get enough of Tim. Best Robin ever.

Batman Inc 5: Borrow, because... well, I guess I would just feel a need to read it if I hadn't. Much like Batman Inc 3, it took me a while to get myself to read this one. I really don't remember any of it. I really liked Batman Inc 6, though, I think because it actually gets back to the original concept (you know, Batman Inc), and isn't about some type of wild scorpion chase.

Detective Comics 876: Buy, definitely, but I still find it highly irritating that there's something terrible that James Jr. did that they all know about that Snyder wants to keep secret from us. It's bad writing, but too many good writers seem to think it's a good thing. He's already done a great job of establishing that he's creepy and mixed up in the head, why does he have to annoyingly hint at this "mystery" that's only a mystery to us?

As for your comments on the current Flash series, I've enjoyed it, and from what I've heard it was actually getting really good sales numbers. I was really surprised when they said it was getting cancelled. I can understand why some of Johns' stuff is not quite as good recently, since he's writing so many books and just became somebody important and busy at DC that might have to wear a suit and go to meetings. Too bad I don't remember his title.

As far as "indie" books go, I got some interesting ones on Free Comic Book Day that I think I'll look into getting more of. "Spontaneous" was intriguing, and had some amazing artwork. "Baltimore" from Mike Mignola was phenomenal. I wanted to get a copy of the new Elric series, which looks very awesome, but my comic shop didn't have that one. I should look for it though. Smaller publishers are nice and give away digital first issues lots of times. I also got a copy of "Super Dinosaur" from image, which was good. Don't know if I'd read it now, but it looks like something I'd love when I was a kid.

EDIT: Oh, and I guess I better practice being more divisive on the Band o' the Week. So, to Linkin Park I say NO! DO NOT LIKE!! YOU PASSED UP SINATRA FOR THIS??!?!!? I CAN'T BELIEVE YOU PEOPLE!!!!

How's that?

[DarkKnightJared]

"I hope they're doing [the costumes] for fun, and not for any fetishes they have." You're assuming, of course, that it's impossible that it can be both.

On the Dark Knight fill-ins--I'm fairly certain it starts on #4, actually.

That whole "Seed Force" issue sounds so batshit insane it reverts back to awesome.

Yeah, I've given up figuring out the exact ages of these characters a LONG time ago--going too deep into that only leads to madness and tears.

I'm actually looking forward to that new Ultimate line--bringing in Hickman and Spencer is a great idea, and I'll at least give the first issue of each on-going a shot.

As for your Ultimate Batman ideas...some of them I'm a bit iffy on (I like the idea that Batman has all these different love interests, each of them he loves in a different way, but circumstances, including his own flaws, keep him from settling down with one forever), but they would all be interesting for an Ultimate (or Earth One, if Johns/Frank ever get the fucking thing done) take on the character.

The Batman Beyond mask I've always looked at as basically being this future full-mask that conforms to the shape of the face and creates lips to move when he moves them.

Yeah, Judgement in Gotham wasn't the best stuff I've read--Red Robin was a solid one-shot story, but the rest I really could have lived without.

"Freddie Williams was the first one that didn't draw Tim to be a linebacker or 25." You REALLY need to be reading Red Robin again, guys. Marcus To does AMAZING artwork, and actually draws Tim like a regular, but athletic 17-18 year-old.

Batman Inc #5 -- Buy. Really fun super-spy story (I was able to figure it out well enough), with gorgeous art.

If you guys were that confused about what went on in the story, I think could help, but all that, if it wasn't said in the issue, was said in the past two issues of this arc that started in #3.

Yeah, the fact that you guys reversed your ratings for this is FREAKY.

BTW, you look at it deep enough, Leviathan has been mentioned in little ways in every issue. They're the reason why Lord Death Man can literally come back from the dead instead of using his yoga technique to fake it, for example.

Batman & Robin #22 -- Buy. Great ending to the whole White Knight stuff, very action-packed, exciting and fun.

I don't think I buy the reasoning that it wasn't as good because you expected Batman to catch the bad guy. That's the ending of at least 90% of all Batman stories since they've been published.

Birds of Prey #11 -- Buy. It wasn't exactly like I thought it was going to be (I thought it was going to be a legit date), but it was still an interesting, well done exploration of both Huntress and Catman.

"No one really likes Catman." As a "person," no, not really. But, as a character to read about? He's definitely one of the more interesting aspects of Secret Six, which, I feel, is in the top five of the best books the DCU is publishing.

Huntress and Catman kinda had a flirty thing going on in Birds of Prey, shortly before Gail left the book, where they were basically exchanging numbers while their respective super-teams were fighting.

As for why Huntress is fawning over Catman? I think I can think of a reason why:



If you want to know why Catman considers himself irredeemable, I would recommend reading the trade Secret Six: Cats in the Cradle. It's basically one of the more twisted, fucked-up revenge stories that I've ever read in the DCU, and just an amazing story overall.

Batgirl #20: Buy. It kinda has a "middle-issue" feel, but I liked the story overall, and I really liked how Steph figured out how to beet Slipstream.

Detective Comics #876: Buy--like you guys said, it was a really creepy lead-in with the killer whale in the bank with the dead body, and that's exactly what I like seeing Batman do, and that's solve creepy, but strange and extreme cases that the police can't solve themselves. I like the new Sonia Zucco character, and the Jock art is AMAZING.

At this point, Dick's proven himself to be a valid Batman, IMO.

I got the eighth trade of Walking Dead--I think I'm going to take a break on those for a while. Not because it was bad, but the ending to that one was just so heartbreaking to see. I'll probably pick it back up once news of the second season starts coming up.

I'm about the exact opposite with John about Amazing Spider-Man right now--I could give less of a fuck about Carlie Cooper, and right now I vastly prefer seeing Spidey team-up with the FF than any of his legit supporting characters right now.

Generation Lost was pretty good, overall. I'd recommend reading it--especially if you have the whole thing on your iPad already. It would almost be a crime not to!

I've liked what I've read of the Giffen/DeMatteis run--by the end it got so jokey that I couldn't take it seriously, but at the beginning, when it had more of a balance of action and comedy, it was a really fun book.

I've actually liked that there's a lot of bickering and stuff in War of the Green Lanterns--one of the things I've had a problem with a lot of Johns' work is that his dialogue is absolutely terrible and is just character motivations spoken aloud. Here, though, there's actually bits of character coming out--hell, for the first time in half a fucking decade Hal Jordan has something that kinda-sorta resembles a personality! I thought that would NEVER happen!

Flash actually has been pretty fun--though I think the art had a bit more to do with it.

Flashpoint #1 was cool--and it's DEFINITELY doing some interesting stuff with Batman.

Good episode, guys.

[carolina]

DKJ provides all the fill in you need about Huntress/Catman. Only thing I'd add is that one of the running themes of BoP is that Huntress' guy-radar is messed up. She's ALL about falling for the goof or the geek or the bad dude. Mr. Right would be just too normal for her. I hope this means BoP has bounced back from hitting rock bottom in No. 10.

Thanks for following up on suggestion to let us know the other stories in the Bat Family. And that Aquaman Hostess ad was a CLASSIC!

Case File: See, I loved the old Calculator. I thought you guys hit on the reason why: It's like Batman vs. Green Lantern. (And, as we've seen, Bats would win, always). As for Calculator's costume, well, it was the mid-1970s. (there were a lot worse out there). But I loved the attitude of the old Calculator.

As for the subplot in that Det. issue. Think back. Can you remember any subplots before. I think the writers are laying the groundwork for the whole Rupert Throne thing to come, conditioning the readers to accept a secondary plotline. I think it was also done so they could eventually establish "Bruce" as a separate character and his pending relationship to Silver St. Cloud as a separate story from "Batman."

Ultimate Batman! Oh, I loved the concept. The whole drama surrounding the support characters of "Wayne Manor" and Alfred as the original masked vigilante, then schooling a young Bruce Wayne (ala "Mask of Zoro) would be very, very cool. I love this re-imagining (except for the Batman Beyond costume. C'mon. Really?) I would buy this book. Most Definitely.

[nacho]

Well, at least we all agree that Detective rocked!

I never read the other BoP series, so my Catman knowledge is fairly limited to an issue or two of Batman and "Villains United". It's a shame that the current DCU can't take a page from the JLU series and get Huntress hooked up with Vic. That was a duo made for each other.

I'm surprised that you guys are so high on Flash. Most of the buzz I hear is quite negative. I just couldn't take another bad flash series after the ill-fated Bart series and the snoozer known as Flash Rebirth. I just decided that maybe I don't like Flash much. It clearly has influenced my complete indifference toward Flashpoint.

DKJ, that was me (Rob) that didn't like the current Spidey issues. I find him to be beyond boring hanging out with Reed and Ben. I really found myself skimming, as I cared so little that I didn't even want to actually read the book. I only did so out of guilt because I'd purchased it. If ASM continues to be the FF companion book (a colossal demotion IMO), I might have to put my 37 year run on hiatus........... sorry, I got sleepy just thinking about FF Fortunately, nothing in comics lasts long. If I can ride out the morrison run on batman, I can ride out the Spidey Future Foundation era too. It's all about selective continuity in your brain. Enjoy what you like, and try like hell to forget or ignore the parts you don't!

Lest anyone think that I'm being overly negative lately, I'm really enjoying Bendis' New Avengers, both Uncanny x-books, all the GIJoe series from IDW, and I can't wait to read Incredible Change-bots II sitting on my desk!

[carolina]

Oh yeah, pass on Sinatra for Linkin Park? I mean, I'm good with Linkin Park as a selection. But never as a choice over Ol Blue Eyes. Now you must give us Frank next time.

[DarkKnightJared]

[Crazy Clees]

The game you referred to with the tiny pellets was Crossfire.

And soccer rules. 'Merica needs to embrace it. Get rid of the cowboy boots for all occasions. Join the beautiful game!

[Mr.Shaw]