Batman Incorporated #9 - "Damian Wayne, my son, struck our lives like a bolt of lightning."
This month's issue of Batman, Inc reads like the eye of some terrible storm, a few relatively calm moments following the horrible events of last month's issue and what appear to be certain bad times ahead. The opening pages juxtapose the events that happen directly after the Heretic's fatal blow to Damian "Robin" Wayne last issue with the Boy Wonder's funeral in the graveyard behind Wayne Manor. Needless to say, it's an emotional book. The immediate, gut-wrenching reactions of Bruce, Dick, Alfred and even Talia Al Ghul (not at the funeral, of course) are finally revealed.
The future indeed looks grim for Batman and his allies, as Leviathan still holds Wayne Tower hostage and Gotham City is helpless in Talia's grip! So much so that the Mayor is capitulating to Leviathan's demands! The top one being that Batman, Inc and all things related to the Dark Knight are heretofore BANNED! Bruce Wayne is a wanted man and "Batman is no longer welcome in Gotham City!"
Superman, Aquaman, Talon and more after the JUMP!
Superman #18 - "It's just somewhere I go to try and escape the noise of the rest of the world."
In the aftermath of the planetary disaster that was "H'El on Earth", the United States government has become aware that there exists, near the North Pole, a fortified alien bunker known as the Fortress of Solitude! Suddenly, the Man of Steel is an unstoppable alien with something to hide! The government wants Superman to allow them entry to the Fortress, where they will catalogue and confiscate anything they deem threatening. While Clark can certainly empathize with people's apprehensions, that's obviously NOT going to happen!
In other news, Lois Lane has suddenly retired from the producer's chair at Global Broadcasting and returned to her first love, reporting! Is this simply a change of heart, or is there more to her decision? And speaking of employment, fashion mogul Cat Grant (who quit the Daily Planet in solidarity with Clark Kent after questioning the current management regime) has started a new blog for both hard hitting news and fashion! It's called ClarkCatropolis and only needs one thing...Clark Kent's participation! Of course, Clark is somehow always a little...preoccupied...in this case by a large group of people seemingly spontaneously deciding to throw themselves off of a tall building!!
Heh www.clarkcatropolis.com redirects to the Superman section of DC Comics' website. Cute!
Talon #6 - "Have a little faith in him...I can't imagine he's in over his head already."
Calvin "Talon" Rose is trapped on Securitas Island...the nearly impenetrable fortress owned and operated by the Court of Owls and where, rumour has it, their current Grandmaster is located! Calvin, so far, has made it only into the drainage pipes of the island where he has already managed to trigger a booby trap and draw the attention of a trio of Talons. Luckily, his greatest skill is his ability to escape any trap! Might come in handy...
Meanwhile, the gigantic, seeming unstoppable Talon known as Felix (aka the Gotham Butcher) is also stalking Calvin and his allies...or he was until a bigger prize caught his attention...a prize called BATMAN! The Dark Knight is investigating all this activity in Gotham and may find more than he bargained for!
Finally, Calvin's girlfriend Casey has been doing some digging of her own and is growing suspicious that their mysterious benefactor, Sebastian Clark, is not all that he appears! The plot thickens!!!
Teen Titans #18 - "What is this--the Fortress of Attitude?"
Tim "Red Robin" Drake has been acting out of character since his run in with the Joker during the "Death of the Family" event that ended recently. Compound whatever trauma the Clown Prince caused with the mixed emotions Tim is feeling in the aftermath of the death of his "replacement", Damian "Robin" Wayne, and ALSO some possible demonic interference or even mind control! It's really unclear just how responsible Red Robin is for his own actions right at the moment. Thus, when he takes the Teen Titans into a confrontation with the Suicide Squad and Amanda Waller under false pretenses, we are left to wonder why? Just who is running things in Tim's mind?? What is he trying to accomplish? And how soon until Superboy, Wonder Girl, Kid Flash, Bunker and Solstice catch on that something's wrong?
Aquaman #18 - "We have lived our lives believing that the surface world was a threat to Atlantis. But today we learned that they are a greater threat to themselves."
Arthur is facing nothing but trouble as he attempts to be the king to the underwater realm of Atlantis. He's got his soldiers out on the sevens seas, searching for Atlantean technology that has fallen into human hands and reclaiming it. In a decision that is proving rather unpopular, he is NOT allowing the Atlanteans to kill the humans who have taken said tech! This does not go over well with a population that is already angry that their previous king and Arthur's brother, the Ocean Master, Orm is still being held by the surface dwellers and may face execution! Particularly angry are Orm's half-sister Tula (no relation to Arthur) and a general in his army, a towering Atlantean known as Murk. This friction threatens to start a NEW war on the heels of the last!
Meanwhile, on dry land, things are going badly for Mera as well. She's got trouble with the cops for causing too much property damage while trying to save someone...while it's a simple misunderstanding, these things tend to get out of hand...
The Flash #18- "Ask anyone! The Trickster ain't no murderer!"
The Flash is put in the rather awkward position of trying to HELP the Trickster this month! The little funny guy's been arrested for robbery and murder! The only thing is...the Rogues (even ex-rogues like Trickster) have a no-killing code! They are thieves and generally mischief-makers but murder? No way.
To complicate matters, 2 of the folks who were rescued from the Speed Force dimension last issue have returned home with superpowers! They decide to try and become superheros like the Flash! Only problem is, they have NO IDEA what they are doing!! Great....
Oh did I also mention that the Trickster, having been kicked out of the Rogues, has some new friends? They're calling themselves Outlander Nation, they're responsible for Trickster's new cybernetic arm, and they're threatening to storm the prison and free Trickster by force!
And that's it for me this week, but as always, tomorrow's another New Comic Book day! Action Comics (with a new creative team!), Detective Comics, Green Arrow, Green Lantern and more coming our way!
Just repeating Grant Morrison's weird little theory on the nature of reality over at Stryder's Dementia this week. Take a look, if you're so inclined...
Ok have a great week! Peace!
No comments:
Post a Comment