bullet day, i will giant you

drive-by readings

Batman #702 (DC) "Part Two: Batman's Last Case" Grant Morrison Tony Daniel Ian Hannin Travis Lanham

what we learned: the missing details of how Batman disappeared over Final Crisis/Batman R.I.P. and got stranded in time. the smartest man in the universe figures it all out as he gets Omega Sanction-ed. Darkseid makes it the trap for the ages and something you can't get out of, but Bats inadvertently creates a hole in it by killing Darkseid with his magic bullet.
oh shit moment: Scott Free, i think you should give up your title as the Universe's best escape artist.
what's next: do you know what my next cologne is? its Essence of Bullet.


Batman lost braincells on his trip backwards in time, he couldn't even spell his name.

snaps: Batman #700

... where Grant Morrison and a bunch of artists craft a time-tossed tale that's not the Return of Bruce Wayne. whodathunk? anyhoo, anything related to time and history is Morrison's bailiwick so i end up going whoa several times during the read. and he certainly puts it out there that Damian IS going to be the Batman soon (wait, how does Terry McGinnis figure into that when Bruce is still alive in McGinnis' time?). ok, maybe in some alternate branch of reality. or Bruce is just reaaaally old. whatever. added bonus: various pinups by major talent (love Shane Davis' and Juan Doe's), and a Batcave tour courtesy of Freddie Williams II.

you know the implication, right? Joker's CHOKING THE CHICKEN.


weren't those his staves during his time as Nightwing?


like they needed any more rumors about their relationship


I, blogging.


McGinnis? Terry McGinnis? is that you??


but who's watching your teef?

not something you'd look into on a Monday

drive-by readings: Batman & Robin #3

Batman and Robin #3 (DC) "The Circus of Strange" Grant Morrison Frank Quitely Alex Sinclair Pat Brosseau Tony Daniel (variant cover)

if Christopher Nolan was somehow unavailable to make the next Batman movie, can we go back in time, pluck the '90s Quentin Tarantino (with '90s Robert Rodriguez) and get them to helm the thing based on Batman & Robin? because this is how the book plays out. the two leads cut a glorious figure, Gotham's protectors reborn to save them from the crazies. what makes Damian, the new Robin, both annoying and fun to read, is that he has balls 3x the size of his dad's. wonder what happens when Bruce finally comes back from his unintentional exile. as for Dick Grayson, how long before he breaks out laughing in front of Commissioner Gordon and reveals his identity? i mean, its bound to happen, right? right??

i'll bite: who's this presumably, new Red Hood? who's watching Alfred? will that girl survivor of Pyg's experiments haunt Damian for not saving her? are we gonna see the Joker anytime soon? when did the Batmobile suddenly become a right-hand drive vehicle?

the universal accolades are flowing in, and Batman R.I.P. is quickly disappearing over the horizon. suddenly, i don't long for Bruce Wayne coming back at all. and that's probably the highest compliment i can give Grant Morrison.

that's it?

Dick is Bats? somehow the journey to get to this point now leaves a bad taste in my mouth.



so the Battle for the Cowl was just one big brawl between the former Robins. what was Jason Todd's point? will Robin still be Tim or Damian? Gotham City is like a cross between 2004-2006 Baghdad and 1990s Mogadishu - they should just relocate the people and wipe it off the map (didn't they try once to boot it out of the US during that earthquake crossover?). what the hell. why. what.

i'm blabbering like an idiot. Bruce, heelllllp!!!!


/somewhere out there, Bruce scrawls on a cave wall: "can't help you. busy hunting food."

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Battle for the Cowl #3

the jux

Tony Daniel (c. 1995, 2007)


Batman's right leg's a bit off, but overall for his recent (interior) work ... not bad.

totally batass

witness how totally prepared Batman is. we're awaiting T'Challa's next move.



if you still don't get it, the dude had a backup personality just in case someone destroys his main one. i mean, how crazy is that?

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Batman #679
Grant Morrison/Tony Daniel/Sandu Florea/Guy Major/Randy Gentile

shiske-bat

i'll let you chew on this for a few minutes ...





actually, just go read the ongoing Resurrection of Ra's Al Ghul storyline in the Bat- books.

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Batman #671
Grant Morrison/Tony Daniel/Jonathan Glapion

like lightning

first of all, here's a solemn sendoff to Bart Allen, the newest Flash, who wears the mantle and holds the title of the fastest man alive for 13 issues. and since there can be only one official Flash in any given era, i'm sorry to spoil your day because Bart just bit the dust (heh) ...

Impulse/Kid Flash/Flash, 1994-2007

Bart, as Flash, loses the Speed Force (the thing that powers all Flashes, except Jay Garrick), and proceeded to get a royal beating courtesy of his Rogues' Gallery. but he went out like a hero, buying enough time (with some help from his grandma Iris, wife of the greatest Flash, Barry Allen) for his love Valerie Perez to prevent a Speed Force backlash that would destroy the West Coast (there goes the Oden/Durant sweepstakes - wait, so that's why Kobe was trying to get traded!).

child abuse! child abuse!

geez, being beaten to death by your best villains ... that's kinda humiliating. but i am looking forward to this guy exacting payback within the next six months ...

you know what this means ... yes, another Flash relaunch!

as it turns out, with the conclusion of "The Lightning Saga" in Justice League of America #10, the entity the Legionnaires wanted to bring back with their lightning wands was none other than ... Wally West! (missing since Infinite Crisis and the second-greatest Flash ever)

wooohooooooooooooooo! now the world is right again! Black Canary wastes no time in making Wally a JLA member ASAP.

is it just me, or does Ed Benes draw everyone too muscled? in the scene below, its like hugging industrial-sized throw pillows. or huge cement blocks.

of course, a sad/happy ending in a comic universe would not be complete without dangling plot lines. why is Legionnaire Karate Kid (not that wimp Ralph Macchio - wait, not that Marvel guy either) still stuck in the present? what does Starman mean that worlds will die again now that Wally is back? hint, hint, two words ... Countdown and Monitors. and since the Legion can do this stunt, can they bring back anybody else who "died" or is missing? (yeah, if Geoff Johns decrees it).

and who did the Legionnaires get in exchange for Wally? is that Bart?

i think i read JLA first before the Flash issue, but then it doesn't really spoil the whole thing. although one can't do without the other.

i'm out like Bartholemew!
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Flash #13
Justice League of America #10