Adventures in Advent: Advent 2024, Day 16

 It's Monday and that means Monday Night Football. Unless the schedule changes drastically, the Chicago Bears are expected to head to Minneapolis to play the Minnesota Vikings (I write my Advent posts a few days in advance. So if 2 different teams are now on the schedule to play instead of Bears/Vikings, I'm sorry.)

Since there's football today I thought I'd look at an Advent calendar devoted to the pigskin. The one I selected is the NFL Funko 24 Day Countdown Calendar. Each corresponding day you open up the correct door and unearth a miniature vinyl figure of the most popular players in the league. There's a Patrick Mahommes, a Lamar Jackson and a T.J. Watt among the players to be found in this Advent. 

While you don't know which player you will receive, you do know which team that they play for. That's because each door is designed to look like a Christmas ornament with 1 of 24 different teams logos on it. You might be wondering 'aren't there 32 teams currently in the NFL?', and you'd be right. If you are a fan of the Carolina Panthers, Washington Commanders or the New England Patriots, you are out of luck. Sorry, no Bears either.

You've got to really be a fan of the league to enjoy this set. What true Steelers fan is going to want a player from divisional rivals, the Cleveland Browns? 

Don't expect custom work either. While the D.K. Metcalf figure is black, there are no distinguished features among these Funko Pops unlike their regular sized counterparts who has a ton of tattoos on both arms. 

I Know What You Did Last Crisis #1

When is a Halloween special not a Halloween special? When it's this year's All Hallows Eve offering from DC Comics! Each October, for at least the past 7 or 8 years (maybe more), DC has presented fans with a horror themed annual of 8 stories. Generally 6 or 7 are set during Halloween or Dia De Los Muertos. I Know What You Did Last Crisis offers 8 tales, set during the various Crisis events that DC has published since the biggie way back in 1985. But to call most of these stories 'horror' are misnomers at best. They're more like thrillers and only 1 is set during Halloween.

The lone Halloween story occurs during Zero Hour when the Justice Society of America is attacked by an unknown foe who has the ability to rapidly age their enemies to the point of near death. It was okay. But had I already read Zero Hour, I'd probably like it and understand it better.

The cream of the crop includes CRISIS set story starring Batgirl who finds that as Earth-1 is about to die at the hands of the Anti-Monitor, Killer Croc has kidnapped the parents of a scared little girl. Black Canary rushes to save innocents from the Silver Banshee who is exhibiting powers unlike her during the events of 'The Final Night'. Kimiyo Hoshi, the Doctor Light of Japan, tries to save her STAR Labs co-workers from a malfunctioning Man hunter during the Millennium event of 1988. 

A couple of stories starring villains Lex Luthor and the Scarecrow were mid-level reads. They had great premises. But they remind me of how long ago it was when I read Final Crisis and Blackest Night that I've forgotten a lot of the less finer details. 

I really thought I was going to hate that Midnighter story. I'm just not a fan of the Wildstorm stuff and I'm so tired of DC trying to make the Authority a thing in this current melded timeline. However, this is not the Batman knockoff that looks like I imagine Wolverine smells. His story takes place during the alternate timeline events of Flashpoint and sees Midnighter playing a deadly game of cat and mouse with Professor Pyg. It was a pleasant surprise and one that I would be interested in reading a follow-up of!

The absolute worst story is a sort of Elseworlds twist on the ending of Infinite Crisis. In the original story, Dick Grayson was fated to die but Conner Kent sacrificed himself. Kinda a bad move because had Nightwing died, it would have issued in a new age of peace and prosperity for the DC Universe. Great for the superhero community. No so ideal for sales. Anyway, an alternate Conner goes rogue and kills all the Dick Grayson's in the multiverse to ensure that all timelines experience this golden age. 

In what would have been a great 'What If' type tale if it was done as a standalone special and not part of a supposed Halloween anthology, it's a jumbled mess. Not scary at all. And it's written by Dan DiDio, who just absolutely hates Dick Grayson with a passion and nearly destroyed the House that Superman Built. When can we stop making Dan DiDio a thing?

I can't really rate this book fairly based on that one tale. I need to average the quality of all 8 stories and then remove one more star for not being a Halloween special! And after making some calculations, I came out with an average of 6.5. So not quite worthy of consumption. But a decent read and for once, it doesn't try to push the envelope nor alienate established fans.

Rating: 6.5 out of 10 stars.

Uncanny X-Men: Poptopia

The X-Men are back in London. No, the mutant superteam Excalibur hasn't reformed. Though an original member of the group is one of the heroes visiting England. Cerebro, the X-Men's mutant locating super computer has registered a large population of mutants underneath the streets of London. Nightcrawler, Ice Man, Archangel and Wolverine are on a mission to offer membership to their brethren. However, they'll need to offer sanctuary as an enhanced madman is on the hunt for these 'genetic freaks.'

The X-Men also have a secondary agenda: retrieve the AWOL member of Generation-X, Chamber. After a catastrophic encounter that lead this new generation of X-Men fractured, Chamber fled to London, hoping to find himself. Instead, he finds himself as the British tabloids latest subject when he catches the eye of pop superstar Sugar Kane. 

This volume is book-ended with 2 solo stories. Jean Grey and Wolverine must address their complicated relationship when they are transported into the fracturing mind of a brand new mutant who is enamored with the militant ways of Magneto. Then Warren Worthington, III learns that his family run mega-corporation has invested in a place called the X-Ranch. It's pretty much what you think. The X-Ranch is a sordid bordello where wealthy homo sapiens spend a ton of cash to get their kinky licks in the arms of a harem of seductive homo superiors. 

Published in 2001, this era of the X-Men occurs after Grant Morrison's revamp of the Children of the Atom. Those really cool black with yellow trim uniforms are still in service. Only now everyone looks like they're a cross between a model for American Eagle and a goth frequent shopper at Hot Topic. 

For the most part, the art is really good. Only the costume and character design is too cyberpunk. And there's one issue where the guest artists tried to emulate the fantastic Bill Sienkiewicz and just failed miserably. Joe Casey's plots are good. But the dialogue needs work. Who used the phrase 'What's your major malfunction?' back in 2001. It's an example of how the dialogue was about 20 years too late to appear in a Marvel comic book. 

I found this book at a thrift shop where I don't think I paid more than $2 for it. The UK Sun stylized cover really caught my eye and the price was nice, of course. 'Poptopia' was like riding a roller-coaster. Only it wasn't because of the level of action. Instead, there were extreme moments of superior quality dipping into depths of really bad comic book creating. I'm one to talk. I'm sure that Sean Phillips and Ashley Wood, among others, are much better artists than I will ever be. However, I also felt like a very good portion of this collection of X-Men comics wouldn't have met the standards of former editors Stan Lee or Jim Shooter 

Rating: 5 out of 10 stars.

Outsiders, Vol. 1: Looking For Trouble

After the events of 'Graduation Day', the Titans disbanded as did Young Justice. Cyborg decided to take the heartbroken sidekicks of Young Justice to San Francisco in order to reform the Teen Titans. Starfire and Beast Boy joined as mentors. As for the remaining now adult Titans members, those remainders have gone their own ways. 

If Nightwing has anything to say about it, they'll never reform. If Arsenal has anything to do about it, the team will live again. The former sidekick of Green Arrow has picked up corporate funding, secured a new secret NYC headquarters and added a number of cool vehicles and weapons to the coffers. He's even got a name: The Outsiders. The only thing Arsenal needs is a team. Hopefully, Nightwing, will step up to the role.

Traveling across the country, Arsenal recruits a number of superheroes for his new team. He's got a veteran in Metamorpho, strength in the form of Grace, a 7-foot tall former bouncer and Thunder, a second generation rookie hero. He's even recruited the aqua blue android whose malfunctions resulted in the death of two Titans. Now going by Indigo, her presence might be a deal breaker for Nightwing. Luckily for her, a major disaster is breaking out in New York City and the times calls for immediate action.

Gorillas have invaded the city! A suicide bomber destroyed Air Force One. An energy zapping force field has encapsulated the Big Apple and President Luthor's replacement helicopter is going down! It must be the doing of Gorilla Grodd! And that's just the first half of the book!

Judd Winick's Outsiders is a lot like Geoff Johns' simultaneous release of the Teen Titans. Only where Johns' series is a PG-13, Winick's Outsiders is rated R. Sure, this is a DC book from the mid-2000s, so it's tame compared to the stuff Vertigo was releasing at the time. But compared to most of what DC was churning out, the amount of sex, language and violence is on par with the Zalman King original series that would air on Showtime. 

Part 2 offers a look at Brother Blood's return to power- before he gets whacked by his son who kidnaps Raven to become his teen bride. So if you're keeping tabs, you need to read Teen Titans Volume 1 then this book and then Teen Titans, Volume 2.

Plus one of the Outsiders is revealed to be an impostor... with a twist!

A good book for comic book readers of an older age because of content, not nostalgia.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 8 out of 10 stars.

Nightwing, Vol. 7: On The Razor's Edge

In Bludhaven, the head of its criminal element is the massively strong super villain Blockbuster. Thanks to some surgical enhancements, Blockbuster is a lot smarter than from his first appearances that pitted him against Batman. He's still as unstable as ever and even more ruthless and cruel. He's also at his wit's end. Since his arrival in town, Nightwing has taken an impressive bite out of Blockbuster's empire. To stop this, Blockbuster is testing out some new talent to pit against Nightwing: the assassin Shrike, who has some history with the hero from his days as the Boy Wonder. 

Meanwhile, Dick Grayson has finally made it to the ranks of the Bludhaven Police Department. It's long been Grayson's goal to clean up the BPD which rivals Gotham's police department as the most corrupt law agency in the country. Now if the rookie cop could only get an 'in' with the dirty cops on the force. Grayson thinks he might have that opportunity when his new partner, Officer Any Rohrbach, invites him to meet a special group of people. Only, this group of cops is unlike anything Dick Grayson was expecting. They're honest!

In the middle of all this is some pent up sexual tension. First, Nightwing encounters Catwoman in town to commit a heist against a very powerful crime lord. If there was ever a way that Dick Grayson could ever irrevocably betray Bruce Wayne, it would be hooking up with Selena Kyle. This story very well could be the flame that leads to a powerful explosive of passions. 

Then Oracle, with assistance of Black Canary, comes to Nightwing's rescue after escaping the clutches of Shrike. Babs Gordon and Dick Grayson have always been made for each other. This story proves just that. When will DC finally give the readers what they want and have Dick and Barbara get married?!

Chuck Dixon's writing on Nightwing is phenomenal as ever. I wish I could say the same about the art of Greg Land. Some pages, he's fantastic. In others, I feel like I'm watching scenes from the X-Man Beast's family reunion. It's so inconsistent! Especially in the action-packed scenes.

Another gem I inherited from my late, great best friend.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 8 out of 10 stars.

Nightwing: The Target

Some of you might not know this but after Dick Grayson went off to Blüdhaven to make his way as Nightwing, the former ward of Bruce Wayne attended the police academy and became a cop. It turns out that Blüdhaven's police department is more corrupt than Gotham's thin blue line has ever been. Fighting both petty and organized crime overlooked by dirty cops at night as Nightwing and pursuing justice during the day in uniform, Dick Grayson is on a mission to clean up his new home town. 

Dick's firm boundaries of right from wrong has put Officer Grayson in the crosshairs of the Blüdhaven brotherhood in blue. On his first night on solo patrol, Grayson assists in a pursuit of a pair of thugs with know gang ties. When Officer Grayson witnesses police brutality first hand against two wrongly accused suspects, he takes action. Only the numbers are way wrong and Dick is savagely forced to accept a beating, less someone suspect him of being stronger than he really is. 

Grayson awakens in a hospital room, handcuffed to the bed. His fellow boys in blue have seen to it that neither of those brutalized suspects will ever testify against their misconduct. Not only that, Dick Grayson has been accused as the perpetrator of the violent assaults. With Officer Grayson now under the microscope of Blüdhaven's Internal Affairs Unit, not only does Dick face the rest of his life behind bars, but the entire Batman family is at risk of being unmasked to the general public.

Shelving his Nightwing costume, Dick Grayson dons a new vigilante persona called the Target. Finally free to explore his playful side that came about as a former circus performer, as the Target, Dick Grayson is like a much safer, righteous version of the Joker and I love it! 

Over the span of Dick Grayson's 75 year plus career, he's taken on a number of secret identities. Not counting his time as Robin, the Target is my favorite of them all because of how loose and mischievous Dick becomes. He never crosses the line, but since the Target is an unknown player in Blüdhaven, Grayson is able to do things his own way instead of in the shadow of the Batman.

I'm rather disappointed to research that this prestige format comic book is the only time Dick Grayson becomes the Target. I would be all over a continuation of this persona. If it was an older storyline, I'd be adding those back issues to my wish list. If DC ever decided to rebrand Dick Grayson once more as the Target in an all-new series, I'd add it to my subscription pull over at my favorite LCS right now! 

A great era of Dick Grayson that was over way too soon and obviously all but forgotten. I'm adding this unsure keeper to my permanent collection. But I want more!

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 10 out of 10 stars.

Saved by the Belle Reve #1

Finally! After several over-sized duds, DC puts out a themed special that focuses on FUN- mostly! The past couple of years, the majority of DC's seasonal specials had shorts that were more political than enjoyable. There's nothing wrong with comic books being educational or topical. But if they're not entertaining then it's more like reading a text book than a comic. 

With it being the start of a new school year, I took a chance on plopping down a ten-spot on this. I know it's not a holiday comic. But it's close enough for me.

There are 8 short stories in this special. Let's take a brief look at them all:

• The Suicide Squad are tasked with protecting the son of a generalissimo who is friendly to American interests. To do this, the Squad must pose as teachers. But as hordes of demon soldiers keep attacking the school on a daily basis, Task Force X must get creative. That means Killer Shark is now teaching English and Weasel is the new lunch lady!
• In a story from the past, Oliver Queen learns an important lesson in parenthood. While Speedy's grades aren't up to snuff, Ollie becomes a tyrant. Now things with Roy Harper are worse than ever before and the Emerald Archer must learn a balance between being an inspiration to an eager sidekick and a caring guardian to a lonely young boy.
• In a surprise return, the students of Gotham Academy return! School is about to return to session but some of the students will not. With Olive Silverlock still missing from something that happened at the end of Sophomore year, Maps is putting her classmates things away in storage. However, when it's discovered that Olive's journal is also missing, Maps and her classmates will go on one last mission to find it.
• Also returning in this issue- the Tiny Titans! Thanks to Art Baltazar and Franco, the pint-sized heroes take a literal wrong turn at Albuquerque and pop up in Belle Reve prison!
• Jonathan Kent and Damian Wayne, the Super Sons, join forces to help the new kid in school deal with a pair of bullies- in their own super ways.
• Barbara Gordon and Dick Grayson run afoul of Mister Freeze on the way to their Senior Prom. 
• John Paul Valley is led by his Azrael personality to the very school that trained him to become a trained killer for God. While at the abandoned institution, Valley's memories of the Brotherhood of the Order of St. Dumas come to the surface. 
• Finally, get it straight from the source, Jefferson Pierce, as to just why did Black Lightning decided to become a part of President Lex Luthor's cabinet. The answer itself probably won't surprise you. But it's nice to finally get a concrete answer to one of DC's most enduring mysteries of the past 2 decades.

The Suicide Squad story was the best. It was 100% insane! And I loved it. With the inclusion of Weasel and Peacemaker, you can tell that 2021's The Suicide Squad movie and director James Gunn was a direct influence on this story. Tim Seeley was the writer and the artist was Scott Kolins. I did a quick search online and it doesn't seem that this team is the crew behind the current Suicide Squad title. But if DC was to do a run with the two of them at the helm, I'd subscribe to it at my LCS! (BTW- Seeley and Kolins were behind a King Shark mini so I'll be adding that to my wish list!)

I loved having the Tiny Titans back. I miss their hi-jinks and you can't go wrong with Baltazar and Franco! The classic style Green Arrow story and the return to Gotham Academy were also really good reads. I liked the Azrael story. But the level of abuse that poor kid had to endure and how those supposed 'men of God' turn young Valley into a ruthless killer is just really disturbing. 

I had a little bit of trouble with the Barbara Gordon/Dick Grayson story. For one thing, Dick is in high school. Yet, in this story, he's also Nightwing. And Barbara is Batgirl. Now, I think I remember somewhere that they retconned that part for Barbara. But wasn't that part of the New 52? Plus, the end was so ambiguous and I hate ambiguous endings!

The remaining two stories were the least entertaining but at least one of them was inspiring. I had long been wondering why did Jefferson Pierce decide to accept Lex Luthor's appointment to the Secretary of Education. I had also wondered why in the pages of Superman/Batman that Black Lightning went toe-to-toe with the World's Finest when clearly Lex Luthor was going insane with power. Well, I got my first question answered with this special. Having lived through January 6th, I still don't have my answer to that last one.

And then there's the Super Sons story. It starts off as a fun little read in which 2 secretly powered pre-teens help a bullied new classmate to tap into his own special powers. But that last panel got really preachy and I don't think it was necessary to the story. Peter J. Tomasi's (Nightwing) story had written an amazing story about acceptance. But for one brief moment, DC decided it hadn't done enough to anger some fans. The panel didn't anger me. But it did ruin what was an otherwise fine 'Afterschool Special' type story.

I had a Lit professor who talked about some theory. I don't remember the name of the philosophy. But I do remember that he talked about how there are moments in works where things go in a different direction than what has been built up in the mind of the consumer and it ruins the enjoyability of the work. I had just finished up the Suicide Squad story before going on next to the Super Sons tale. With the Suicide Squad being completely off-the-wall, I was expecting the rest of this special to be just as wacky. The Super Sons story started off kinda silly with Damian taking a Sikorsky to his first day of school. So I wasn't expecting things to take such a dramatic turn. But I think if it wasn't for the ending of the Super Sons story, I probably wouldn't have been on guard for that tragic Azrael story.

Oh! I loved the title of this special! What a great throwback pun to a 1990s classic kids show!

Please DC, PLEASE! Put Seeley and Brendan Kolins behind the helm of the Suicide Squad! And bring Tiny Titans back!

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 8 out of 10 stars.

DC's Crimes of Passion #1

You gotta love DC Comics. They might take 3 years to complete a 12 issue miniseries or cancel a title before it even goes to print. But the House That Superman Built never forgets a holiday. Crimes of Passion is DC's Valentine's Day offering for 2020 and it was a wild ride.

Featuring 10 stories starring the good, the bad, and the ugly of the DC Universe, Crimes of Passion is an 80-paged mixed bag. There's some really good stories here. There are a couple of stinkers. Plus, you've got some stories that are 'meh.' Thankfully, the majority of this special was very well done. 

My favorite story involves the lesser known character of Slam Bradley. Though he did not create the character, the late Darwyn Cooke is who I most link to Slam Bradley. A grizzled private detective, Slam is tasked to find a cat burglar stalking the rich of Gotham. For once, it's not Catwoman and it was a beautiful tale that made me miss Darwyn even more!

Speaking of Catwoman, she pits a feuding husband and wife against each other for a special heirloom. In other words, the trinket is worth a lot of money and both ex-lovers want it! As the couple are both estranged leaders of a Russian mob and passionate haters of each other, this story was quite humorous. 

I was also a fan of the Batman story. It had elements of Batman Year One and Batman: The Animated Series that made for a very noir romance story. I really liked Bruce's love interest and would really like to see her again. 

The Nightwing and Batgirl story was okay. I still haven't figured out where Barbara Gordon fits into the post-Rebirth era. There also seemed to be a page or two missing from this story as some things just didn't gel right with the plot. 

The Pied Piper story was another story that I was alright with. The ending was great. But the journey to get to that twisty last panel was long and tiresome. 

The story starring what I am assuming is the Vic Sage Question and Plastic Man were just plan awful. If there were other stories in this special that I neglected to mention, it was because they were forgettable. Now that I think about it, that Wildcat story rocked!

One thing that was quite unusual was the lack of heavy hitters. Batman does appear in 2 tales. But where's Superman? Wonder Woman? Aquaman? And no Harley Quinn? She's like the darling of DC Comics. It was really odd not having her appear in a DC special about love and romance. 

Overall, I enjoyed DC's Crimes of Passion. It was a good read to get in the mood for Cupid. You don't even have to have a Valentine to enjoy it. 

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 7 out of 10 stars.

Batman and Harley Quinn

Ty Templeton and Rick Burchett were who you wanted to be in charge of writing and art duties when the newest issue of Batman Adventures dropped. Both talents return to the Batman: The Animated Series universe in this pair of stories starring the Dark Knight and Harley Quinn!

The Joker has belittled his girlfriend for the last time! Feeling completely ignored, Harley Quinn betrays the Clown Prince of Crime to Batman, only to find that The Joker is too pre-occupied with defeating the Caped Crusader! Thus, once 'rehabilitated' by the staff at Arkham Asylum once again, Harley plans on going on her way and she winds up with her supposed BFF Poison Ivy. Sadly, this time around, Harley's role is to become the villainess' lackey! 

Enough is enough for Harley Quinn and she decides to go straight and alone. But with Poison Ivy and The Joker seeking revenge for previous double-crossing, it will take the combine efforts of Batman and Nightwing to keep the Maid of Mischief on the path of righteousness. 

The two stories reprinted in this volume are both a prequel and sequel to 2017's direct-to-DVD animated feature Batman and Harley Quinn. If you've not seen the film, you're okay as the first half of this book is a prequel. But as quite a bit of the movie is referenced in the sequel half of this book, if you haven't seen the film, YOU WILL GET LOST!

Both tales were originally published as web comics on DCComics.com. The first act is 7 chapters long and the artwork is really good up until chapter 5. At that point, the cleanliness of the art drops and everything looks like the very rough computer generated stuff of 2000's Gotham Girls. I really wonder why Burchett's work suffered. Was it due to having to rush to meet deadlines?

A team of artists and writers tackle the production of the second story. Jeff Parker and Amanda Deibert pen an awesome tale that explains some of Harley Quinn's earliest meetings with Task Force X. The art is split among some great Batman talent including Sandy Jarrell and Dario Brizuela. 

Overall, this was an enjoyable read for fans of Harley Quinn and Batman: TAS. But it really helps to have watched the Batman and Harley Quinn movie in order to get the full effect.

Worth Consuming but not without it's flaws!

Rating: 7 out of 10 stars.

Dark Nights: Metal: The Resistance

In general, when a publisher has a major crossover event, the tie-in issues offer very little to the completion of the story. That's not the case here. In fact, after reading these tie-ins from Teen Titans, Nightwing, Suicide Squad, Green Arrow, Justice League of America, The Flash and Green Lantern Corps, I actually understand the wildly popular Dark Nights: Metal even more!

From just reading Dark Nights: Metal only, I didn't understand how the evil Batmen had managed to capture so many heroes and villains. I also didn't understand Dick Grayson's supposed draw to the mysterious metals. Those elements are cleared up thanks to these issues. Plus, if you are a fan of Harley Quinn, she's done to perfection here!

This volume was a great teaming of the talents of Joshua Williamson, Jeff Lemire, Ethan Van Sciver, Liam Sharp and Tyler Kirkham. I am a big fan of their work on their individual titles. It's Scott Snyder, Geoff Johns and Bendis who are getting the chance to create the all-encompassing stories. But I would like the earlier group, who worked on this volume, to get a chance to tackle a multi-title crossover event. I think that they'd be amazing at it. This collection is proof they've got the chops!

One tends to over look the tie-in issues in a company wide event. That would be the wrong way to go with this awesome volume!

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.

Nightwing, Volume 6: Big Guns

After the events of the 'Hunt for Oracle', which concluded in the pages of Birds of Prey, Bludhaven is in a power vacuum. Blockbuster is recovering from his heart transplant. The ultra-corrupt chief of police is MIA. And Intergang has come to set up a hub of operations, led by an utter lunatic. 

You take the Birds of Prey out of the storyline and Nightwing actually gets better! Grayson is finally on the Bludhaven Police Force. But he's going to have to prove that he's a good cop because his employment came at the hands of a real slime ball on the force. 

Then there's two new villains. One is a vision cloaked in a red experimental cloth that takes on a life of it's own. The other is targeting former cops on the Bludhaven Police Force. Both are interesting additions to the DC Universe. But they both must be limited to Nightwing's corner of the world as I have never encountered either of these characters before. 

One thing I have appreciated of the Chuck Dixon penned collections is the two-page 'what has happened prior' refreshers. But there was one factoid that didn't make a lot of sense. 

The summary had claimed that the position of police commissioner was abolished in Bludhaven in 1971. Yet, in the story, it's revealed that there hasn't been a commissioner for 10 years. The issues in this volume were published in 1999-2000. So either somebody goofed on the summary timetable. Or somebody misspoke about how long since the commissioner was ousted. OR Nightwing takes place in 1981. So which is it?

A very good group of Nightwing comics that unfortunately is marred by one irksome continuity conflict.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.

Nightwing, Volume 5: The Hunt for Oracle

Trying to make some room in my vast collection of 10,000 plus comic books and graphic novel, I was determine to choose between the 1990-2000s run of Robin or the 1990-2000s run of Nightwing to cut. My Robin read by Bill Willingham (Fables) blew me away. So, I was more than willing to say farewell to Nightwing after I read some of my trades. Blast if The 'Nam's Chuck Dixon didn't do an insanely good job on the post-Batman adventures of Dick Grayson!

In this trade, reprinting issues 41-46 of Nightwing and a pair of issues of Birds of Prey (1999-2009), Dick Grayson is set to become a cop having graduated from the academy. But because the police force of Bludhaven is so corrupt, nobody is willing to take on such a boy scout as Dick in their precincts.

This gives Grayson plenty of time to be Nightwing. However, the hero is finding the city to be a little crowded as he meets a loose-canon vigilante going by the name 'Nite-Wing.' Seeing potential in the lad (and hopes that he'll change his name), Nightwing decides to train this up-and-comer. 

Meanwhile, Oracle has run afoul of Bludhaven's major-domo, Blockbuster. Using her computer prowess to cull funds from the villain's coffers one too many times has resulted Blockbuster putting a bounty on Oracle's head. With her Birds of Prey indisposed, Oracle will have to rely on Nightwing to save her neck. But he's got his hands full with Blockbuster's new partner, a gorilla named Grodd!

While I am on the Nightwing wagon more than ever before, this book didn't really win me over to giving Birds of Prey a try. I like Barbara Gordon/Oracle and I'm okay with Huntress. But Black Canary has irked me for the longest time. For one, there's the extremely confusing origins that DC has given the character. First she's a golden age hero. Then Black Canary is a founding member of the Justice League of America. Then it's her mom who did all this. Then it's not.  Plus, I can't figure out how to correctly pronounce her real name, Dinah. And I think that's the part that aggravates me the most about the character!

Anyways, this volumes ends on a cliffhanger. Normally, I would be upset at not having the issues to complete that run. But 'The Hunt for Oracle' is completed in Birds of Prey, Volume 3 and I don't really care to know how that transpires. Yes- that's how much I despise Dinah Lance!

Chuck Dixon hit a home run with this issue. Plus there's the great art by Bruce Guice, Patrick Zircher and Greg Land. There's so much action and adventure in this collection. But what convinced me that I had found a winner was how the writer and artists made me nervous and concerned for the squirrel pet of one of the villains. If it had died at the hands of Blockbuster, I was going to be so pissed!

If a team of talent can make me care so much about a fake forest rat, then imagine how much they've made me care for Nightwing and his allies?

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 8 out of 10 stars.

Batman '66 Meets Wonder Woman '77

A decades spanning epic starring the cast of Batman '66, Wonder Woman '77 and Ra's al Ghul!

Jeff Parker does a masterful job starting the story in the 1940s in which the first season of the Lynda Carter Wonder Woman series was set. Then we jump to the 1966 era Batman and finally we end up in 1977 where we meet an aged and retired Batman, a grown-up Robin now Nightwing and a new Commissioner Gordon.

To me, there was one BIG continuity error as the first act had the Eartha Kitt Catwoman. But in the second two-thirds of the story, she's white. Jeff Parker claimed that he did this in order to honor all three actresses who played Catwoman during the run of the Batman TV show. However, in previous issues of Batman '66, it was established that both the Eartha Kitt and Lee Meriwether  Catwomen were 'copy-cat' thieves taking advantage of the Julie Newmar's Catwoman being incarcerated in Arkham. So while the tribute is great and all that, it contradicts canon that Jeff Parker himself had established in this franchise of Batman '66 titles.

Regardless of the mistake, this was a really good story. I only hope that this isn't the end of the Batman '66 tales. I really would like to see Batman '66 meet Superman '78 and Flash '90. That last one might be a little too far in the future to really happen. Though the Flash does have the ability to time travel. But maybe we'll see those Legends of Superheroes characters one day. 

Hey, a comic book collector can dream...

Featuring some great covers by two of my personal favorites Alex Ross and Michael Allred!

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 8 out of 10 stars.

The New Teen Titans: The Judas Contract

 
   With the animated version of the Judas Contract recently coming out on DVD, I wanted to read the original source material before I gave the film a view. I just happened to be sitting on a vintage copy of the complete story and so I gave it a read (Note: my review of The New Teen Titans: Terra Incognito comes before this volume.)
     The Titans have recently added a new member to their ranks for the first time since reforming. But it's their downfall, as newcomer Terra, is actually in league with their arch-enemy, the deadly Deathstroke the Terminator. But before the teens can come to blows with the combined forces of Deathstroke, Terra, and HIVE, they must taken on the equally lethal Brother Blood who just happens to have brainwashed one of the Titans into becoming his newest follower.
      An exciting collection that introduces the character Jericho to the mix along with revealing Dick Grayson's metamorphosis from Robin into Nightwing, and the secret origin of Slade Wilson. Plus, more hints about the forthcoming Crisis on Infinite Earths are contained within. Masterful stories by Marv Wolfman with just as equally amazing artwork by George Perez.
       A true classic that is a must have for fans of Crisis, the Teen Titans, or just darn fine comic books.

    Worth Consuming!

    Rating: 10 out of 10 stars.

Batman: War Games, Act 1: Outbreak

   A mysterious player calls the heads of all the major gangs of Gotham together. The purpose of the meeting is unsure. But in the end, several leaders and their hired muscle are dead. Now Gotham is in chaos as the surviving gang members seek vengeance for their fallen leaders.
     With the emergency services, fire fighters, and police of Gotham City taxed beyond their means, it's up to Batman and his allies to clean up this mess and restore order. It's the Batman's hope that he can end the hostilities by apprehending the mystery man who light the flame to this holocaust. In the ultimate twist of fate and irony, the principle instigator in this gang war may very well be the Dark Knight himself! 
      A great opening act that is so very well written. There's a ton of characters, twists, and turns that will leave you both guessing and on the edge of your seat.
   
      Worth Consuming!

       Rating: 10 out of 10 stars.

Gotham Underground #

   In the 80s, there was a short-lived comic called Vigilante. A district attorney named Adrian Chase, whose family was killed by mobsters, found that doing things the legal way took far too long and sometimes it didn't do enough with loopholes and corrupt cops letting crooks run free. Donning a fancy biker's suit and an arsenal of elaborate guns and ammo, the Vigilante was essentially a poor man's Punisher.    

   Over time, Chase would give up the mantle but other troubled lawmakers bear the helmet and take aim on the Big Apple's criminal syndicate. At the time of this 2008 miniseries, the latest Vigilante was named Dorian Chase, a long lost brother of Adrian's.

   Dorian also operated out of New York like brother Adrian but upon seeing the lawless situation in Gotham, he's decided to pick up where a seemingly absent Batman left off. Unfortunately, for Nightwing, under the guise of one of the Penguin's goons, he's the latest target. It's a good thing Dick Grayson decided to rely on the Riddler for assistance, right?
 
   I enjoy the twist of the placing the Vigilante within the story. I've only read a couple of stories about him but the ones I did were fantastic. There's one tale in particular by Alan Moore in which the Vigilante protects a woman from an abusive husband. Yeah, this isn't the same anti-hero but he adds a new dynamic to this already thrilling story.

  Worth Consuming

   Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.

Gotham Underground #3

  

   This miniseries has been a who's who of Batman characters. But one heavy hitter has been noticeably absent until now- the clown prince of crime: The Joker! With criminals disappearing left and right by refusing alliance with Tobias Whale, the Joker sees the writing on the wall and has punched his ticket out of Gotham. But before he leaves, he decides to enjoy one last meal at Penguin's Iceberg Lounge.

    While the Joker dines, another ally of Batman's has gone undercover. This time, Nightwing has donned a suit and enlisted as one of Penguin's goons. But the Riddler has seen through this disguise and threatens to unmask him, unless Nightwing teams up with him to solve the mystery of the missing villains.

    Lots is going on in this issue along with Batman in disguise as Matches Malone fighting for his life against Mr. Zsasz in Blackgate Penitentiary. All three issues have been excellent, but this one just has so much action, great dialogue, and villains, villains, and more villains that it's my favorite thus far.
   Worth Consuming.
 
   Rating: 10 out of 10 stars.

Legends of the DC Universe #6

I kinda feel like I’ve read this story before. In this issue we see the first time Robin meet Superman. When the Dark Knight is away on a mission, it’s up to Robin to defend Gotham. When a bunch of Metropolis thugs come looking to make Batman’s city their new turf, Superman teams up with the Boy Wonder to take them down.

Now, Legends is supposed to be a series in which never before told tales of your favorite DC heroes is revealed. But I know I’ve read this story before. In Nightwing: Year One, Dick Grayson reflects on his past history that led to him becoming his own man. He used the name Nightwing after a Kryptonian legend Superman told him about as a child. I’m more than certain that Superman mentions this during their first ever meeting. Now mind you, in that story Batman was present. But still, this is not an ‘untold legend.’

So, the ever intrepid (and aspiring) comic book historian, I did a little research. Despite the fact that I read Nightwing: Year One years before this issue, LOTDCU #6 was published 6 years before the Year One mini-series. Thus, this series inspired the retelling of Nightwing’s origin!

This issue and that mini were fantastic reads. If you love the Man of Steel or are a member of the Batman family, I highly recommend both. The stories are expertly crafted. There are lots of great ‘easter egg’ moments. The art is superb although, I am not a fan of this issue’s cover. Robin looks like he’s wearing a thong. That’s an image I don’t want burned into my brain.

Worth Consuming regardless

Rating: 8 out of 10 stars.

Batman: Night of the Owls (The New 52)

Taking flight from Batman Volume 1: The Court of Owls, the Owl’s henchmen, the Talons have their orders and the rich and powerful of Gotham City are targeted for death. In this collection of issues from the Batman Family, Robin, Nightwing, Robin Red, Red Hood, Catwoman, Batgirl, and the Birds of Prey join Batman and Alfred to defeat this avian army of the undead.

Awesome cohesive plot threading a distress call from Alfred throughout a half-dozen books related to the Dark Knight. There’s still a lot of mystery behind the Owls and their beef with the Wayne family and Gotham. But, this was a fantastic collection of their massive assault on Gotham.

WORTH CONSUMING!

Rating: 10 out 10 stars.