#MODERN AGE COMICS

[damadisangue]

Selina had known Bruce through his skin and his mouth, words sometimes shouted, sometimes unsaid. They had met in the shadow of Gotham and under it they had grown and loved each other - bites that always asked for more and scratches that sanctioned an absolute and unquestionable possession. They had overcome a thousand ages and none together, forever crystallized in two symbols that would never fall - but they did; Bruce Wayne and Selina Kyle did, because they were only flesh and muscle. They had fought and bled and cried and devoured each other in a never-ending cycle. They had done too many things to be remembered all, but Selina would have been able to tell them one by one, until her last breath. Selina gritted her teeth, bowing her head; what a shitty holiday Valentine's Day is.

Art from Jim Lee, from the comic "Hush"

[momachan]

The DC Encyclopedia, New Edition 2021 [Newly Revised Edition]: This New Edition Of DC's most Comprehensive A-to-Z.

[cinder-no]

Captain Marvel Vol. 1 #34 (1974) and Captain Marvel: Dark Tempest Vol. 1 #2 (2023) variant cover by Ron Lim. Dark Tempest Vol. 1 #2 made its release on August 9th with 8 variant covers- including this homage to Nitro's first appearance issue cover, only 49 years, 1 month, and 22 days apart!

[laysean87]

Comic Books I've Read Recently

Here are a few comics I've been reading recently that I've rented from hoopla digital app. Update: Well, last month, actually.

Marvel Masterworks - Uncanny X-Men (Volume 6)

By now, I've read the first 5 volumes of the Uncanny-X-Men Masterworks - to brush up on the Chris Claremont/John Byrne era of X-Men stories, from the Giant Size X-Men all the way through to the Dark Phoenix Saga. Now I'm getting into reading (or re-reading when it comes to some like God Loves, Man Kills and Wolverine - both in 1982) some of the memorable stories from the early '80's I've heard about, some of which I think were adapted in the X-Men: TAS (Ms. Marvel vs. Rogue, the addition of Rogue to the X-Men, Storm and the Morlocks story, for example)

I wish I could go into further detail into my favorite 'new' characters they had introduced to the team (like Wolverine and Storm) or the various stories Let's just say I've enjoyed them all and then some, and leave it at that.

Teen Titans - The Judas Contract (1984)

The Judas Contract - the famous TT storyline centered around Terra being a spy for Deathstroke sent to infiltrate the Teen Titans. It was the adaptation for the 2003 cartoon series Teen Titans that got me to change my initial thoughts for that show when I was a teen. In turn, the show's popularity was what ultimately lead me to read the various TPB's almost a decade later for the Marv Wolfman/George Perez run in the late 80's. By my last count, I read the first 5 volumes for this run, and I might consider looking into the Silver Age Omnibus, as well.

As for the story itself? I found it intriguing when I first read it, and I find it no less intriguing when I revisited it. Both Wolfman and Perez's work in writing and illustration speaks for itself and I won't go too deep into analysis there. Besides, this list is not really meant to be a deep analytical dive.

The main reason I've decided to read it again is to brush up on Deathstroke (Slade Wilson): his backstory, his personality, his family (his wife Adeline, his two sons Grant and Joseph (I know he ends up having a daughter Rose later on)), the whole nine.

Deathstroke The Terminator (1991-1996)

Look above - brushing up on Deathstroke the Terminator.

Just finished reading the first volume (issues #1-9 and the New Titans #70). The two story arcs (the first - "Full Circle" - a four-part story arc, and the second - "City of Assassins" - a story involving him, Batman, and a female police detective who looks to clear her name when they suspect her being dodgy with them) are the highlight of the first volume surrounding Slade Wilson. Especially the fight scene in issue #7, where Deathstroke owned Batman.

Nightwing - Vol. 1 (1996-2009 run)

How to sum up what I've read so far: it's Nightwing. It's Dick Grayson. It's solo run after he had stepped out of Bruce Wayne's shadow - more or less - and being the protector of his own city: Bludhaven. I'll leave it at that for now. Just finished reading the first volume, loved it. Moving on to Vol. 2!

Injustice: Gods Among Us: Year One

I'd played the video game series, and I liked it (though, personally, I can't help but imagine if the gameplay had been like the Arkham series rather than a Mortal Kombat fighting game, I would've liked it even better). I've seen the 2021 animated movie, and admit that while there were certain parts that I liked better than what I've seen so far in the comics (ex: Wonder Woman was so... eager to be Superman's sloppy seconds and his enabler), the opposite is true as well. (Like how Wonder Woman was able to see how just off the deep end Superman had gone near the end of the movie). I only wished that the movie could've been done as the first installment of like, 5 or 6 stories, just to show how Superman had truly fallen as a hero and become that which he fought against.

As for this tie-in comic series, I've already rented this earlier this year, and I am in the middle of revisiting it. IIRC, my favorite involved this scene in the Batcave at the very end of Year One, specifically the part with Alfred and Superman:

I won't say I took pleasure in seeing Superman getting beat up by Bruce's butler, but... given what happened earlier in the tie-in comic... not to mention in the game - when Superman basically killed Billy Batson when he stood up to him - I'll just say that there was some form of catharsis, when it came to this universe's Superman.

[sabertoothwalrus]

accidentally drew tallmen au again

[hood-ex]

Reading older comics like I love this, this is so dumb 😭 and reading modern comics like I hate this, this is so dumb 😒.

[onlylonelylatino]

The Wonder Woman family by George Pérez

[sisaloofafump]

I know that possession is ranked third most likely canon superbat kiss but it is first in my heart… solely because of Lois’s hypothetical reaction.

[manic-maddie]

Just how long have you been wanting to do that?

Longer than I'd care to admit

[superman-the-secret-third-thing]

I think I'd kill my dad for this.

[loopyarts]

I sometimes think about and ponder on how Bruce is such an overprotective yet mostly well meaning parent towards Dick. Yet Bruce is also the type of parent who fails to realise that their kid has grown up and can look after themselves and doesn’t need them for protection and guidance anymore. 

Dick and Bruce are both control freaks but for different reasons. Bruce is a control freak because he thinks that as long as he is in control of the situation that means he can protect the ones he loves from harm or losing them altogether. Because when his parents died he had no control over that. He felt powerless that he couldn’t do nothing to prevent it. Even though he was just a helpless little 8-9 year old boy who could do nothing but stand there watching helplessly as it played out before his very eyes.

While Dick is a control freak for the opposite reasons to Bruce. He needs to stay in control of himself and not let others tell him what to do and values his freedom his independence if that makes sense. All his life even with his own parents he was excepted to do as he was told, like how most children do. He wasn’t listened to in his own mind he felt responsible for his own parents death depending on the version it was because he didn’t tell them about stranger threatening Mr Haly or in some tellings he wasn’t listen to by his parents. He had no one to turn to really and much like Bruce he was just a powerless little boy. Who nobody truly heard, Dick Grayson to the world was just a child and therefore had no voice.

The only person who truly heard Dick’s voice was Bruce Wayne who saw himself in the young boy and knew the only way to save this boy from becoming like him was to get him his justice and put Dick Grayson parents killer behind bars. He became like a second father towards the young lad, family, the dynamic duo crime fighters of Gotham. Which is why Dick was able to heal and move on mostly from the loss of his parents because unlike Bruce. He had someone to fill the void that was lost when his parents died. Bruce Wayne the Batman because like a father to him a second father, in a way he was Dick light shining hope in the darkest part of his life. It’s so important to Dick development as a character and without it he wouldn’t be the same person he is today and it’s also so important that Dick time as Robin was a pretty happy one as well.

Both Bruce and Dick saved each other just by becoming each other new family. Bruce didn’t need anything from Dick all he needs from him is to just exist to remind him why he does what he does.

So imagine the hurt Dick must feel as a young adult. That his second father who heard his voice and listen to him all those years ago. Is now not listening to his voice really anymore or respecting his decisions as a young adult a man in his own right. While it comes from a place of good intentions. Dick cannot help but feel he is still seen and viewed as just a little boy by him and the crushing feeling of never truly living up to his expectations and the shadow that the Bat casts onto him. When will he ever be good enough to finally be taken seriously by him as his own man. Dick coming of age story is about finding one self in the world and crafting out his own legacy and what being a superhero means to him and him alone.

While it wasn’t Bruce intention, he did in fact put pressure onto Dick even though he doesn’t want him grow up to be like him. He values him so highly and he is glad that he grew up to be a much better man than he will ever be. He loves his surrogate son so much but with that comes fear. Like any parent he cannot help but worry for Dick future and the decisions that he makes as an adult and he will state his opinion on what he thinks of said decisions Dick makes in his life. He didn’t approve of Dick dropping out of college which caused some tension between the two of them for a good bit.

I always found Batman #330 original released in September 11th 1980 really interesting because of how Lucius fox and his son Tim Jace fox comes into play in that story Bruce compares himself to Lucius while Tim to Dick and how he cannot understand why would in he in Bruce’s eyes be throwing away his future. So when Bruce is talking all this nonsense to Tim he wasn’t actually speaking to Tim rather it’s the things he wanted to say to Dick.

Dick probably understood at that point that this was never about Tim or the thugs rather it was about Bruce who took out his own frustrations with Dick by projecting them onto Tim and the thug members. The themes and parallels to a father that being Lucius and his son Tim to Bruce and Dick within that comic book story makes it so painfully clear to me. It was about a Father who was upset with his son life choices for his future and only wants what is best for him even if he isn’t going about it in the best way possible.

The biggest hurdle for Dick and Bruce relationship as surrogate father and son is miscommunication and how the other isn’t willing to listen to the other. Bruce is the parent who always think he knows what is best which is not always the case which leads to him fighting with Dick all the time because he is blinded by the idea that his adult son might know better then him and stubbornly refuses to budge on that for a stupidly long time.

[damadisangue]

"We let them both down." The Bat is silent, he studies Victor out of the corner of his eye. "The women we love, I mean." he points out, and puts his thumb and forefinger together, pacing the cell. "We've never saved them from anything, not even ourselves." It dances a ballerina in the silence of a bubble of water and snow, behind her Nora's smile, her skin warm and alive with her - a memory so warm under her hands that it kills him every time. "They suffered for us, with us."

[comic-covers]

(1986)

[zarla-s]

Hanging out in 2fort with alltalk on

[patreon]

[laysean87]

Comics I've Read So Far in 2024

Okay, here are some of the TPBs and collections I've read so far this year from both DC and Marvel.

First for Marvel:

Iron Man: Extremis TPB

Avengers Disassembled - Thor [I have yet to read the other side stories involving Spider-Man and Captain America]

Avengers Disassembled TPB (I've yet to read House of M storyline that follows this.)

Black Widow Epic Collection Vol. 1 - Beware The Black Widow

Amazing Spider-Man Epic Collection Vol. 4 - The Goblin Lives

And as for DC:

Birds of Prey (1999-2009) Vol. 1 TPB

Gotham Central (2003-2006) Book One: In The Line of Duty (#1-10)

[thecomicsnexus]

TMNT: 40TH ANNIVERSARY COMICS CELEBRATION

July 2024

By Kevin Eastman, Edgar Alan Poe, Jim Lawson, Tristan Jones, Gary Carlson, Chris Allan, Erik Burnham, Lloyd Goldfine, Ciro Nieli, Andy Suriano, Tom Waltz, Ronda Pattison , Tom Napolitano, Steve Lavigne, Paul Harmon, Frank Fosco, Adam Guzowski, Sarah Myer, Luis Antonio Delgado, Shawn Lee, Khary Randolph, Emilio Lopez, Michael Dialynas, Pablo Tunica, Freddie E. Williams II, David Petersen, Ken Mitchroney, Aaron Hazouri, Dan Duncan, Sophie Campbell, Jodi Nishijima, Stan Sakai, and Emi Fujii.

Come and enjoy stories that will remind you of the 40 years of turtle history.

SCORE: 10 *

* Assuming you are familiar with these iterations.

This is a strange read, and curiously, there are three or four highlights for me, and they are not exactly the ones you would imagine.

Spoilers after the break...

The first story by Kevin Eastman is in the Mirage section of the book but... well... I'll leave at that... I wouldn't call it the Mirage we knew.

There is a story by Lawson and Lavigne with the Rat King that... it's fun. But, you know... I wouldn't even try to fit it in canon... the amount of continuity physics you need to bend to place this story is not worth the time. Just enjoy as a new story by these two iconic Mirage artists.

This other story by Tristan H. Jones and Paul Harmon requires more analysis. I'll revisit it on my gang wars video and try to give it more context... but unfortunately... it's just too vague. All I can say for sure is that it happens in the future of that incomplete saga, but the narrator just takes too many artistic choices to be taken at face value.

Also... I believe this is the first official (frontal) appearance of Agent Bishop (unless I got the character wrong, but Jones already tried to introduce him in this saga). I think he is still holding on to it, and I really hope he gets to tell his story. I wouldn't mind a mini-series... just saying!

The Volume 3 story was... not for me. The dialogue alone felt tired.

The Archie adventure was short, eventful, and funny... and it looks amazing too!

In just four pages a new character was introduced and... a new love story was implied! And it's not just a gratuitous cameo... this is a funny sequence.

The Saturday Morning Adventures (the de facto 87 story) looks amazing as usual, but I didn't find the story that interesting. However, it started a theme that would run across most of the stories in this special after this one: Master Splinter.

The 2003 story is a... loose canon?

Hun is Slash, and Shredder is back... so make of that what you want. All I'm going to say is that this felt a lot like watching the beginning of a 2003 episode, with the narration setting the tone.

The 2012 story was one of the least interesting in the previews, but I have to say... it was probably one of the best. It brought back a villain and it technically serves as an excuse to continue the series?

But to me the best thing about the story is the art. I am surprised Ciro Nieli didn't do more comic book work for the Turtles all these years. In fact, if they somehow decided to continue the 2012 universe in 2D in this style... I'm all in. Well, who am I kidding... I would be in anyway... but this looks amazing.

Andy Suriano did probably the most interesting story in the book. Now, I am not sure if his style doesn't translate well to static panels or what the problem is with the comic format... but it doesn't matter... this small story brought in a lot of things that ended on the editing floor after the show's second season was reduced to a few more episodes. There was a rumor about a female turtle, and not only it is here in all its glory, but there is also a brother?

And come on... it's so Lou Jitsu to die with a cliffhanger.

There are two IDW stories. One is another Splinter story, but the other one is perhaps one of the best in this book.

The Ronda Pattison story takes place just before the Armageddon game, and it shows the five turtles in full sibling dynamic (even Jennika). It was refreshing to see these turtles having fun for a change.

There are no stories by the new team, but... well... that's just starting.