Jump to content
DVDVR Message Board

DC Comics omnibus thread


odessasteps

Recommended Posts

Azzarello and Williams/Blackman having seemingly been given a decent amount of freedom to tell the stories they want. I would actually argue Lobdell may be getting too much freedom. The biggest problems to me really seem to be editorial with lower level books, the Superman line, the young justice line, and the Edge line. They seem to either not know enough about what they want or are backseat writing. This crap pretty much killed the young justice line.

 

As far as Bennett's Lobo story for villains month goes I'm choosing to wait and see. I liked her Batman Annual, but she is still too new for me to just read outright unless its on a series I'm already following.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Since the reboot, all I've read is Suicide Squad. I'm way behind. I love King Shark. The rest? Meh. I pine for the days of Jon Ostrander writing the Squad.

Fortunately, the previous 70+ years of DC are still there for everyone to read.
  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

 

Since the reboot, all I've read is Suicide Squad. I'm way behind. I love King Shark. The rest? Meh. I pine for the days of Jon Ostrander writing the Squad.

Fortunately, the previous 70+ years of DC are still there for everyone to read.

 

Perhaps I should clarify. Since the reboot of the DC Universe, the only New 52 title I've made a serious effort to read is Suicide Squad.

 

Does that clear things up? 8)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I was told this morning by a longtime creator that the story Bennett posted is a work.

She wrote a plot and not a script and it describes the new version.

And the artist took the gig and then found out about the redesign and was upset about it.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I read Batman #15 a monthly UK publication collecting Batman, Incorporated (Vol. 2) #10, Batman #19-20 and Young Romance – The New 52 Valentine’s Day Special #1. This issue brought two surprises, the first is four issues printed instead of the usual three and I’ll return to the second surprise once I’ve reviewed these titles.

 

In Batman, Incorporated (Vol. 2) #10, it’s seeing the measures Batman takes to go up against the head of Leviathan. This was a good issue.

 

The main story of Batman #19-20 sees Batman doing detective work after the death of a colleague which leads to an encounter with an old foe who has changed. I’d say this is Scott Snyder’s best story on the Batman title so far as Court of Owls, Night of the Owls and Death of the Family had issues I mostly liked but there were some I didn’t. This was a great two-part story from beginning to end with the detective work, the development with the villain, a welcome showing of a certain Batman suit and Bruce Wayne/Alfred’s moving interaction about Damian Wayne. I’d like to see smaller stories like this from Scott Snyder to go with his usual long ones.

 

The second story from Batman #19-20 sees Superman check in on Batman with what happened in Batman, Incorporated (Vol. 2) #8. Both find themselves dealing with a supernatural situation. Written by James Tynion IV, this was a good story.

 

Young Romance – The New 52 Valentine’s Day Special is about Catwoman recollecting her first meeting with Batman on this date years ago. It was okay.

 

The second surprise I mentioned, Zero Year starts in the next issue. I didn’t expect that to happen so soon. I look forward to that as I’m a big fan of comic book origin issues and comic book origin films.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Finished up Trinity War with JL/JLD #23 and Pandora #3. Honestly this reminded me a lot of Johns' Rise of the Third Army crossover from last year. It was far from anything bad, but there wasn't much happening until the last issue or two. It really did serve as nothing more than a build to Forever Evil with the final issue ending on cliffhanger that should be picked up on next month in the Forever Evil mini. I did like the last issue complaints aside. The big stuff happening was cool and I thought Johns managed to work in a good surprise or two. Batman/Superman #3 was good. I really like the interactions between the reality/time displace Batmen and Supermen. I also like how it builds into the stuff with Darkseid. That said, depending on how this arc ends it does raise some arguably minor problems with continuity. I'm really digging the Psi-War story in Superman #23. I like the idea of Clark truly being at a disadvantage against psychics, and the way the story has been building things including tying things back into the first Braniac story in Action Comics has been pretty nifty. It was odd that Lobdell seemingly didn't write this one, but Mike Johnson did a good job picking things up and moving forward. It reminds me that I really do wish DC would partner Lobdell with a normal writer to do the actual scripting while he plots. He is a good idea man, but his actual writing can go either way.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

On one hand, I like the reveal in Trinity War, I like where they are headed, etc.

 

On the other, man, that wasn't a big crossover event.  That wasn't even really a story.  It was a prelude to a story.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Pretty much. It was the same problem I had with Rise of the Third Army last year. I imagine its somewhat the fault of the New 52 as apparently Trinity War was something Johns had been working on before the reboot and had to be changed up quite often before they finally settled on what we got and tied it into Forever Evil.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Andy Kubert on Damian: Son of Batman which contains spoilers about what happened to Damian Wayne in Batman, Incorporated (Vol. 2):

 


Earlier this year, Bruce Wayne's flesh-and-blood and most recent character to hold the mantle of Robin, Damian Wayne, perished at the hands of his own mother, Talia al Ghul. Hated by some and a favorite Robin of others (including myself), Damian's time felt cut short despite bringing Grant Morrison's Batman epic full circle.

 

However, way back in Batman #666 (and in Batman Incorporated Vol. 2 #5 more recently) we caught a glimpse of a future dystopian Gotham City where Damian is still alive and has taken up the mantle of the Bat.

 

In October, writer/artist Andy Kubert will be exploring how Damian Wayne reached that point with the all-new mini-series Damian: Son of Batman. We caught up with Kubert to talk about the book, including its genesis way back in the early days of Morrison's run.

 

IGN Comics: I’m so happy to see Damian returning in some form. Can you tell us what the time frame for this story is? Is this the Batman #666-era Damian, or is it set before that?

 

Andy Kubert: It`s basically a story of circumstances of how Damian grows into that Batman #666 role.

 

IGN: So what appeals to you most about Damian Wayne, both as Damian and as Robin/Batman? What traits make him stand out in terms of being a superhero?

 

Kubert: I enjoyed the character when I had first started working on him with Grant [Morrison] way back in issue #655, even though he only had a slight appearance in that issue. Even though I had only drawn him in a handful of issues, Damian was really starting to grow on me. By the time I had finished drawing issue #666, which was the last issue of my run, I had such a great time drawing that issue that I wanted to do something with Damian Batman again.

 

Maybe it was the violence and the great cartoony "Dick Tracy" characters that Grant peppered throughout the issue, but man, it was a blast to draw! When I suggested that I`d like to do something with that Batman to editor Mike Marts, it was he that suggested since I loved the character so much that maybe I should write something for him along with drawing it since I had talked about wanting to write, anyway.

 

By the way, I really wish I could have stayed on drawing the regular Batman title back then for a longer run. Regretfully, I had to take myself off the book. With all my prior commitments, teaching and working at my father`s school being a major commitment, the deadlines were creeping up on me and I had no other choice but to leave. But I so loved working on it!

 

IGN: Would you consider this a continuation of what would’ve happened had Damian not died? Is this an Elseworlds sort of tale?

 

Kubert: Actually, I started writing the series when Damian`s character was only a few issues old and I had just gotten done with #666! I had to put down the series when I started working with Neil Gaiman on the issues of Batman and Detective that we had done and hadn`t been able to pick it up again until this past spring. There were no other considerations when I had started to plan out the story.

 

IGN: Were there any discussions with Grant about what you’d be doing with the character?

 

Kubert: No, people can blame this one entirely on me!

 

Posted Image

 

IGN: This is also the first project you’re both writing and drawing.

 

Kubert: Yes, this is the first story that I`ve written and drawn. Like I said before, Damian was only a few issues old when I pitched this story. Since then, he has grown into a fan favorite. I`m not sure if any of us saw that coming. It would be a tough thing to calculate. But the story does fit in nicely with the Batman #666 issue.

 

IGN: Have you noticed any pros/cons drawing from your own script as opposed to another writer’s?

 

Kubert: I wrote myself a full script meaning that each page is broken down and each panel in the page is numbered and described. I even did the dialogue in the script. I approached the script the same way I would any other. When I read through the pages, I`m not married to what is written down. If I see a different way, a more effective way of telling the story, I will go with that.

 

It`s the way I approach things, and the way I tell my students that I teach in the school how to approach a script. Writing things down, then visually telling that story, are two different things in my opinion.

 

IGN: Would you like to do more writing in the future, either for DC or creator-owned?

 

Kubert: Sure, I would love to do both! I`ve written the Joker Villians one-shot for September that Andy Clarke has drawn. By the way, Andy has knocked that issue out of the park with his art! It`s stunning to look at! But besides that, time is such a factor with me these days since I`m so wrapped working at the school and drawing for DC. But I will find the time in the future.

 

Posted Image

 

IGN: Could this open the gateway for more Damian-as-Batman stories in the future?

 

Kubert: I hope so! The character is just too great not to have something done with him.

 

IGN: Anything you want to add?

 

Kubert: Being that this is my first writing assignment, I can`t stress enough of how much fun it is working on it especially with Mike Marts who's been a great mentor throughout the whole process. Along with my niece, Associate Editor Katie Kubert, it`s been and still is an awesome collaboration.

 

I also can`t stress enough the work that color artist Brad Anderson is doing on the series. He`s upped his game tenfold and is making me look good!

 

Credit: ign.com

 

I'm interested in this as I really like Damian Wayne, Damian Wayne as Robin and Damian as Batman. Batman #666, Batman & Robin #1-16, Batman and Robin #0 and Batman and Robin Annual #1 are Damian Wayne's highlights.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

This month’s Batman #16, a monthly UK publication collects Batman, Incorporated (Vol. 2) #11, Batman #21 and Batman and Red Hood #20. Batman, Incorporated (Vol. 2) #11 name of the story is Interlude:  A Bird in the Hand and it’s a fitting name taking a break from that main story to return to Batman of Japan. This wasn’t written by Grant Morrison but by the regular artist on this volume of the title, Chris Burnham. A decent story but I’d much rather have had the story carry on where the last issue left off.

 

Batman #21 starts Zero Year, Batman’s origin. The first story from Batman #21 has Bruce Wayne return to Gotham City from his travels to work on the mission while his Uncle, Philip Kane wants him at Wayne Enterprises which has merged with Kane Chemical. This was a good story. The second story from Batman #21 by Scott Snyder and James Tynion IV drawn by one of my favourite comic book artists, Rafael Albuquerque was mostly good showing how Bruce Wayne leant the driving skills he uses as Batman.

 

In Batman and Red Hood #20, Batman requests Red Hood to go with him on a revenge mission and takes him on a detour afterward. The story explores the second stage of grief: rage and it was another good story. I preferred it to the last issue.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Batman, Incorporated (Vol. 2) #11 name of the story is Interlude:  A Bird in the Hand and it’s a fitting name taking a break from that main story to return to Batman of Japan. This wasn’t written by Grant Morrison but by the regular artist on this volume of the title, Chris Burnham. A decent story but I’d much rather have had the story carry on where the last issue left off.

 

yeah, the story was decent enough but i also would've rather had the story continue, even if the issue was a month or so late.

but this reminds me that i need to read the Batman Inc. Special that came out last week.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

In yet another case of editorial interference, JH Williams III & W. Haden Blackman are off Batwoman. 

 

 

From the moment DC asked us to write Batwoman — a dream project for both of us — we were committed to the unofficial tagline “No Status Quo.” We felt that the series and characters should always be moving forward, to keep changing and evolving. In order to live up to our mantra and ensure that each arc took Batwoman in new directions, we carefully planned plotlines and story beats for at least the first five arcs well before we ever wrote a single issue. We’ve been executing on that plan ever since, making changes whenever we’ve come up with a better idea, but in general remaining consistent to our core vision.

 

Unfortunately, in recent months, DC has asked us to alter or completely discard many long-standing storylines in ways that we feel compromise the character and the series. We were told to ditch plans for Killer Croc’s origins; forced to drastically alter the original ending of our current arc, which would have defined Batwoman’s heroic future in bold new ways; and, most crushingly, prohibited from ever showing Kate and Maggie actually getting married. All of these editorial decisions came at the last minute, and always after a year or more of planning and plotting on our end.

 

We’ve always understood that, as much as we love the character, Batwoman ultimately belongs to DC. However, the eleventh-hour nature of these changes left us frustrated and angry — because they prevent us from telling the best stories we can. So, after a lot of soul-searching, we’ve decided to leave the book after Issue 26.

 

We’re both heartbroken over leaving, but we feel strongly that you all deserve stories that push the character and the series forward. We can’t reliably do our best work if our plans are scrapped at the last minute, so we’re stepping aside. We are committed to bringing our run to a satisfying conclusion and we think that Issue 26 will leave a lasting impression.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Fuck this is disappointing news. Williams and Blackman have done a fantastic job continuing to flesh out Kate and her general world. I knew about the Killer Croc deal, but was so hoping it didn't go any further. Not sure I will continue to read Batwoman after #26. I just can't see any of DC current writers getting that level of regular quality if DC editorial is coming down this hard on book that is generally away from the DCU at large. Makes me worry about Azzarello's WW now.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

90 - BATWOMAN07/2012: Batwoman #11 -- 38,980 (- 5.0%)08/2012: Batwoman #12 -- 38,064 (- 2.4%)09/2012: Batwoman #0 -- 41,684 (+ 9.5%)10/2012: Batwoman #13 -- 37,315 (-10.5%)11/2012: Batwoman #14 -- 36,395 (- 2.5%)12/2012: Batwoman #15 -- 34,964 (- 3.9%)01/2013: Batwoman #16 -- 34,103 (- 2.5%)02/2013: Batwoman #17 -- 32,041 (- 6.1%)03/2013: Batwoman #18 -- 31,381 (- 2.1%)04/2013: Batwoman #19 -- 31,538 (+ 0.5%)05/2013: Batwoman #20 -- 29,698 (- 5.8%)06/2013: Batwoman #21 -- 28,173 (- 5.1%)07/2013: Batwoman #22 -- 27,400 (- 2.7%)

 

 

 

They weren't exactly setting the sales charts on fire. 

 

That thing read like a shoot interview diatribe where a writer complains about how his carefully planned six month feud between Primo/Epico vs. The Wyatts was ruined by Vince just one day announing that the Colons would be turned into Los Matadores.

 

Williams' wikipedia page shows he only ever did one job for Marvel, a Wolverine Annual in 1995.  I hope he and Blackman are able to hold their tongues going forward, seeing as how they'll be constantly told by Marvel editorial to make whichever comic they land over their to be "more like the movie version that's coming out next month."

 

 

Makes me worry about Azzarello's WW now.

 

 

Hopefully we'll get a new artist.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Well the Batwoman news is most disappointing. Batwoman: Elegy by Greg Rucka and JH Williams II is terrific and I read Batwoman #1-5 which was great via Batman, the monthly UK magazine printing recent Batman stories. A shame no Batwoman stories have made it since. What are the trades like?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Guest
This topic is now closed to further replies.
×
×
  • Create New...