Flashback Friday: Batgirl #53

I will be getting this one in just under the wire for Friday according to Eastern Standard Time.  I made up my mind at about 10:38 PM to do a Flashback Friday post, but my computer is not behaving well.  I think that Microsoft did an update to screw with Windows XP.  That is just a conspiracy theory, but why would I still get updates when they said I would no longer receive them?  Anyway, we have a tale of Batgirl (Cassandra Cain) and Robin (Stephanie Brown).  They will face off against the Penguin in this story.  

It is really just a nice action story that has much fighting and major damage.  They make the most of the martial arts and the ability of Robin to make an entrance.  The light-hearted aspect is balanced by a chilling twist that will place one little girl in the middle of the Gotham underworld.  It hits close to home for both heroines, Stephanie especially.

It is cool to see Stephanie and Barbara Gordon together and think of how one day there will be a Batgirl title for Steph and Oracle will be guiding her.  The plot is good and this is an issue that one can own and not need to have the preceding or following issues to understand things.  It stands alone.

BDS

Flashback Fridays: Robin #35 (The Final Night)

Today we go back to the DCU crossover event called The Final Night.  I have the collected version of this in a single form.  It had the series and a related Green Lantern issue collected in a cardboard framed holder.  One of the thing about this era of DC Comics is that if something major happened in the Universe of the DCU, it was reflected by all the lines.  Each book dealt with the effects the eradication of Earth's Sun was having on the planet.  How were the heroes responding to what appeared to be the end of the world.

 

Robin was in his thermal underwear and patrolling Gotham.  He ends up with Stephanie Brown, The Spoiler, tagging along.  This is a early version of Stephanie and really shows her carefree attitude.  She also loves teasing and flirting with Robin, even when the world is freezing to death.  Robin continues to move forward and to teach Steph as he goes.  They soon find so criminals and take them on.

The action leads to some exciting and life threatening stuff.  Stephanie is not happy as Robin tries to save one of the criminals they had been fighting.  She soon learns a lesson about being a hero as events take a turn the reader is not expecting.  Soon there is a big lesson given and Stephanie has a piece of the puzzle that will one day make her the best Batgirl Gotham has seen.

 

Like many of the DCU events of the day The Final Night is a good set of comics to get when you find them in discount boxes.  Issues like this one were mainly stand alone stories dealing with the end of days and can be enjoyed without having the main series or the entire collection of The Final Night crossover books.

BDS

Batgirl #24 You will be missed Stephanie Brown.

Batgirl #24

It all ends here, for now.  Someday Stephanie Brown will return as Batgirl I believe.  Like her I have hope.  The cancellation of this Batgirl is a sad event.  This has been a bright spot in the DC Comics line of books.  I fell in love with this title because of the humor and light-hearted banter that was so well done in the book.  It was funny without losing the action and excellent story-telling I want in my reading.

The history of Stephanie is and always will be part of the ongoing struggle between DC (and the comicbook industry as a whole) and the segment of our group of readers known as Fangirls.  The issue of why she didn't have a memorial case in the Batcave after her death made heads ache at DC.  The character was the first in a long line of Batman's sidekicks to be a female.  She lead a long character life as Tim Drake's love interest as the Spoiler.  Then Bryan Q. Miller brought us Stephanie Brown, Batgirl.


DCnU is eliminating all this of course.  But, what Miller did here was some of the best story-telling from any comicbook producer in years.  He took years of Bat-history and boiled it down to one lone girl and her journey to become the hero she was destined to be all along.  We have a character that we can see grow and struggle with her past as she stepped into a future of helping others.  He allowed us to fall in love with her as we watched her make friends across the DCU.  Her older sister vibe with Damien was brought to a nice close here in a simple act on the annoying boy wonder's part.  We had a slumber party with Supergirl that ended up being a monster movie night.  Klarion the Witch Boy was even overcome by the magical personality.

The use of the Mercy Flower to give Stephanie and us a glimpse of what might have been was a nice way to end the series.  It also allowed Pere Perez to have seven pages to give us some wonderful images through his art telling a decades worth of Batgirl stories.  It is a nice farewell.  I have lost many a title to cancellation or company implosion (CrossGen) and I can say that even though I am sad, I am satisfied with the good-bye the creative team gave me.

So long for now Purple Gal.  I will miss your bright and shining stories in a dark and grim world of comicbooks.

BDS

Girl Power: Birds of Prey #12, Power Girl #24, Supergirl #64, and Zatanna #13

            I guess this could be a Girl Power collection of comments.  I just want to give some opinion on this books that I read.

Birds of Prey #12 – Oracle is dead, long live Oracle.  Barbara has let the world believe Oracle is gone and now Gail Simone is free to just return to her set of stories for a bit.  This is a neat covert ops story.  It has a very twisted ending as well.  It is neat seeing Lady Blackhawk do more than drive a car or fly a plane.  Since Gail returned she has really brought this character to the forefront of the group.  Most reviewers I read commented on the Question being in the story.  Everyone is speculating that She will join.  I am not sure she needs to be a regular.  The team is a bit crowded as it is right now.  Great book as always.

Power Girl#24 – Had DC not announced the reboot of some characters and the new number 1's I was on my way to dropping PG.  I love the character and supporting cast, but like normal Judd Winick just does nothing for me as a reader.  I have nothing against the guy.  I gave him a chance.  I just do not find his storytelling all that fascinating.  I have this sense/fear that many of the DC titles I read will disappear when this reboot that is not a reboot happens.  So I am basically on until August.  Either I am wrong and the fact that Winick remains writer has me drop the book, or I get to try a new creator out on the book.  If I am correct and it is canceled, then I have no decision to make.

Supergirl #64 – The current story concludes.  It is a nice little team up tale of how Supergirl is capable of defending Metropolis while Big Blue is wandering the country.  Has two of my favorite newer characters, Blue Beetle and Miss Martian and the little boy we are to love to hate, Robin.  Just a nice tale that respects the fact that Supergirl is a great heroine.  Plus I still love the new look.  All women do not keep long hair.  Her current hairstyle fits what many women I see and know have as there personal cut.

Zatanna #13 – I use to use the term “bridge story” when I was reviewing comics at PBR.  It was how I describe a story that was a connector to the things that had come before and the new action about to happen.  It is a way to catch your breath as a reader.  This issue is one of those.  It has some humor with the weird fortune telling cat.  The Spectre is a foreshadowing of future plot development.  What is of most importance is that Detective Colton finds out something very important about himself.  Brother Night escapes and finds out as well.  It will lead us into a neat place for the story of Zatanna I think.

            So there is a bit of my thoughts on some of the books I read.  No time for full reviews, but I wanted to comment.

BDS

Heroes Convention Pictures from Saturday June 4th, 2011

Batgirl #17

            I love this comicbook.  It is now the one book I can not do without.  Do you have that title?  You know, the if I have to give up all comics I purchase except one, then which one would it be?  Mine is Batgirl.  I even have a best quote from this book.  “I swear to crap, if that thing comes back out with blood on it...”  This has been and continues to be one of the most fun reads month in and month out.  Many have criticized the choice of Stephanie Brown as Batgirl.  Still, I believe those that have read the title have been won over by her personality and the action of the book.  It strikes a balance of humor, action, and good plot.  We have a good supporting cast that is growing stronger.  Just enough ties have been made to Batman and to Oracle without drowning the story in their collective drama.  Stephanie provides a spot of sunshine in the normally dark world of Gotham.

            This issue has a character I really dislike.  He is a brat.  He is arrogant.  Yet, he is so much fun to read.  I have a hate/love relationship with Robin.  Damien is just a character that is so fun to watch interact with others.  Supergirl, Batgirl, and I hope just to one day see the trifecta of blondness, Wonder Girl just seem perfect foils for this little jerk.  This is the second time Stephanie has encounter the overbearing short knight.  She is starting to feel like a mentor to him.  It is cute.  Plus she never really knows if he will not kill her.  Still, this is a team up that works so well.

            Here they have to stop children of middle class parents from being kidnapped.  Damien has to go undercover as a regular kid in a museum.  This is a hilarious turn of events that leads Steph to realize something about Robin.  She rectifies that as the story ends.  It really is a cute and nice story that continues to mark the style of the comic.  More like this title please!

BDS

Superman/Batman #77

            I admit that the cover drew me in.  When I saw Kara with a mushed Jack O’ Lantern on her head beside the smug Damien (Robin) I knew I had to read the book.  I really dislike the character of Damien, not as a character, as a person in the DC Universe.  He is an arrogant little jerk that has serious problems with his demeanor.  I can see him being a sociopath one day.  That said, when he interacts with other characters it provides a wonderful story and some awesome quips.  Batgirl’s run in with him was just great.  So how did the Maiden of Might fair?

            I agree with Dick, he has a crush on her.  Still, he called her alien and used her as a tool to investigate the deaths she was concerned about.  It was Supergirl who needed a detective and she sought out Batman, but Dick was with the JLA.  Next she asked about Red Robin, but Tim was apparently out as well.  She relents and tells Robin to find his own way to Metropolis and he can help.  The set up was very well conceived.  It also had a bit of an introduction of Robin by showing him facing off with Killer Croc.

            The two end up at a Halloween party in costumes no less.  They find the killer and the resulting attack places Supergirl against Robin in an interesting way.  The story is very well written and just a wonderful team up of these two DCU characters.  I also like the hood Damien has added to his Robin costume.  It makes it his style while adding something different to a classic look.  Kara is still in the midriff baring top and short skirt.  No wonder Damien has a crush.  This was a great read.

BDS

Flashback Friday: Robin + Impulse #1

Yes, I at long last got this one up.  I know it is short, but really didn't want to ruin the story.  After all, these should be just a peek at some great reads that are in back issue and discount boxes, right?  I hope to get some of the stack of books I bought Tuesday reviewed today.  There were some good reads in that pile, Wonder Woman being one of them.

            I enjoy picking up these DC Comics one shot and Fifth week books.  One I found sometime along my journey in the Comicbook Rescue Project (what I call my back issue buying) was the Robin plus Impulse story.  It begins with Robin investigating a theft from the Gotham telephone Company’s storage warehouse.  He gets punked after finding out the stolen tech was way outdated.  We then flash forward to an arranged ski trip that Tim and his classmates are treated to as a cover for Robin to do a bit of recon for Batman.  Bart Allen just happens to be there as well.  As usual Bart is impatient and we find he dislikes snow.  It is a cool bit of lighthearted fare missing in so many books today.

            Mark Waid is good at balancing lightheartedness and serious comicbook action.  Here he kicks it into high gear as Robin gets shot at while snooping.  Impulse shows up and the fun begins.  The two team up to discover a large army of baddies and the babe who punked Robin at the warehouse.  Things are fast paced which fits Impulse.  The humor is never lost as laser fire and explosions happen all around our two young heroes.

            I will say little else because I do not want to spoil the ending.  It has some mystery as well as an awesome Impulse nail biting ending.  These are cool books to seek out and why I chose to use this title as a Flashback Friday offering.

BDS

Bat Family History, Stephanie Brown Style

 This was posted on the DCU Blog the other day and I wanted to post it to make sure it was seen.  I was lazy until Rich Lovatt saved me the time in gathering it up easily.  I really think this is a funny retelling of the Bat Family history.  Stephanie Brown has been my one bright spot in my buying and reading this year.  Issue #15 is probably a good jumping on point if you want to see what all the fuss is about.  This history is a follow up to Stephanie feeling Wendy needs to know the background on what she is stepping into as Proxy.  Wonderful tease here in these panels.

BDS