Been reading the new Batman: Europa 4-part mini-series. It's pretty decent, with a great concept (though it's clearly ripped off from Arkham City): Batman and the Joker are infected with a deadly virus and have to work together by traipsing around Europe to find the cure.

But the best thing about it is the art, with some of the best covers I've ever ****ing seen. Issue #3 is gonna be my next avatar whenever I get tired of my current one.





Oh, and looking forward to the Poison Ivy mini-series coming next month.

Comic Book Quote of the Day:

This is the coolest thing I've seen in a little while. The Arkham Sessions is a podcast where... some guy, Brian War, and a (hot) psychologist, Dr. Andrea Letamendi, psychologically analyze every single episode of Batman:The Animated Series. I've listened to their analysis of Batman's relationship with Robin via "Robin's Reckoning" and exploring Poison Ivy's character through the episodes "Pretty Poison" and "Home and Garden" (possibly the best Poison Ivy story along with Neil Gaiman's reimagining of her origin in "Secret Origins #36").

Their analyses are intelligent, interesting, deliciously nerdy, and illuminate aspects of the show and its characters in a way that surprises even me at times (though Brian Ward's hypothesis that, in this universe, Batman has killed Joe Chill, leaves me unmoved). There is a Youtube channel with a few of the episodes, but I suspect that most of them have been removed due to the series now being on iTunes. However, you can still listen to them all for free on Dr. Letamendi's site, Under the Mask, which also contains her analyses of other superheroes.

Highly recommend this series.

Hey Batlord, are you reading either Scarlet Witch or Doctor Strange? The latest issue of Scarlet Witch has some really gorgeous (and, at times, abstract) artwork, and Doctor Strange is a great mix of serious action and comedy. I especially liked how they added a good amount of depth to Strange by elaborating more on the price that he has to pay to sustain his powers, and the latest issue of his series had a great flashback to his time training with The Ancient One. Plus, the cover art is super chipper. :laughing:

http://comicbookrealm.com/cover-scan...ge-issue-4.jpg

I've been thinking about reading Dr. Strange, but haven't gotten around to it yet, and while I have read the first issue of Scarlet Witch, I skipped the second that came out this week since Steam and Starcraft have taken so much of my money (yes, I pay for much of my comics these days). I liked the first issue, especially the art, but it didn't quite grab me enough to make it a need-to-read. First issue of Spider-Man/Deadpool was pretty sweet though.

@ Suzy - Oh, and you should really, really, really check out the current and last Spider-Woman series (from issue #5 and on for the last one). She's quit the Avengers and is trying to make her way as a street-level superhero/private investigator. It's hilarious, the characters are adorably likable, the action and storylines are charmingly ridiculous, and it's made Jessica Drew one of my new fav superheroes.

She's actually pregnant in the new series, and currently fighting Skrulls who are besieging the maternity ward (or whatever you call where pregnant women go to get check ups) at in inter-galactic hospital. It's just as ludicrous as it sounds.

I've read the first issue, and verily, it's kick ass. I plan to catch up, so hopefully the future doth hold more Spider Woman for me.

You should also go back and check out issues 5-10 of the previous series, as it's the same thing, same characters, same creative team, and the new one picks up almost exactly where the last left off, with almost no real-time separation between the two series. Don't even know why they "rebooted" it.

Oh, I'll catch up one of these days. But the new Hellcat comes out soon, and I've been spending enough money lately as it is. :laughing:

Suit yourself, but Spider-Woman is the biz ATM. One of my top titles to look forward to every month. Doesn't quite fill the void left by the end of Harley Quinn and Power Girl, but nothing can.

So...

Old costume or new costume?

My preference? Totally new costume. I like the body condom fine, but the new one looks almost like something somebody would actually wear to fight crime, and the glasses are just epic. I also like that she isn't being sexualized to such a ridiculous extent. It suits her personality more.

Eh, you can't go too hard on her old costume. That was back when her pheromones were unchecked, meaning every guy that came into contact with her almost instantly became enthralled. In many ways, her old threads matched her powers and sultry personality perfectly.

But yeah, people change, and I agree that her new look fits her current style and persona. Still, I can't help but feel like all of these "hip" parkour clothes costumes are going to look just as dated as those ridiculous costumes from the '80s. :laughing:

And in terms of what someone who fights crime would actually wear, it could go either way. I think She Hulk put it best in her first graphic novel, when she hits the streets in a ****ing ridiculous outfit, shocking Wyatt Wingfoot who was like "The **** are you wearing?" She responds by basically saying that indestructible people who have seen the worst of humanity tend to have a hard time pretending to be normal and generally giving a **** what people think of their fashion sense, hence the weird costumes with surprisingly good freedom of movement when you think about it, and the flashiness helps them to stand out from other heroes. Considering that Samurai used to strap huge ass family crest banners on their backs, as well as decorate their armor and demon-face helmets/masks with bright fur and even antlers (like Honda Tadakatsu), she's kinda got a point.

I read a series of webcomics called XDragoon. Alien dragons, teenage girl, anime style, muscular battles where people shout their attack names and look vaguely like Vector the Crocodile. No joke. The author's a total Sonic fan.

Despite all that, the webcomic gets really cool after the second chapter, evolving its story and putting in some cool twists. A lot of character, too.

Does anyone here understand the appeal of Homestuck? A few of people I know are really into it, but from what I've tried to read it's just incredibly stupid.

Be on your guard. The hedgie hegemony are an unpredictable lot.

*shrug*

Oh, believe me. You don't have to tell me twice.

Does anyone know of the game, "what horrible Sonic OC are you?" Google your first name and "the hedgehog" into Google images, and find the first Deviantart result. That's you.

Having said all of that, XDragoon is Sonic at minimal level. Only thing Sonic about it are some appearances and a magic gem, and a red-colored hothead. But that should come as no surprise, since Raphael's movie personality was around before Knuckles, and we also have Giroro from the amazing show, Sgt. Frog, where the man who plays Natsu plays a bumbling alien frog sergeant with an obsession for vacuums and gundams! Giroro's voice is Zoro (One Piece) and Tamama is Chopper. In other words, yet another Funimation wonder.

Just picked up issue #1 of Hellcat, due to Suzy's recommendation. Love me some tongue-in-cheek comics. Have yet to read it, but as Harley Quinn #24 also just came out it's gonna be a humor-comic day.

Hellcat is the shit. She's the only hero so far that's fucked with Dormammu by calling him shit like "Dormat" and "Dormouse" before kicking his ass, and then defeated his son with the power of soap operas, all while making it snow in Mephisto's hell dimension. :laughing:

Her new series is super light-hearted, though. It's clever and fun, but a part of me wishes it had more action.

Yeah, someone made a thread about it awhile back. :laughing:

http://www.musicbanter.com/games-lis...character.html

I have no problem with comics that are light on the action. When it's a comic-parody thing then a lack of action can actually be a good thing, since there's more time to concentrate on mocking the character aspects of superheroes. It's one of the things I love about Spider-Woman. If I want action-oriented lampooning then there's always Deadpool.

Oh, and I almost forgot about the perfect comic for you: The Superior Foes of Spider-Man. It's got light-hearted comedy, tongue-in-cheek action, great characters, and focuses on characters nobody on Earth has ever heard of.

Ahahaha, fuckin' Shocker and Speed Demon! Honestly, I keep getting Superior Foes and also Spider-Gwen recommended to me. They're right up there with Spider Woman in terms of comics that I'll spider-buy when this spider-snow storm finally spider-fucks off.

And yeah, for the most part I agree that comics don't need to have constant action. Variety is good. There all kinds of comics for all kinds of people, with changing moods and tastes. And I love comedy mags, but it's no secret that I also love a good fight. Right now, I'm getting my action fix from a big book of '70s Defenders comics that I picked up awhile back for super cheap. So much random shit keeps happening to them. Valkyrie just inadvertantly started a prison riot, while Nebulon is keeping the others busy by trying to brainwash the world into putting on clown masks, and Ruby Thursday is running for president.

I read the first few issues of the first Spider-Gwen series, and thought it was pretty darn good, but just never followed up on it. I need to get back into it. It was vastly superior to the current Amazing Spider-Man series at least. Dan Slott can eat dick.

And I love how "Spider-Gwen" was just a joke name for the series, until fan momentum got so intense that Marvel just kind of went with it. Kinda like Snakes on a Plane.

Finally read the second issue!

http://getcomics.info/share/uploads/...-Hellcat-2.jpg

Laughs, mayhem, and burgers. Fuck yeah! I was afraid that Hellcat would have trouble standing out from other comedy series, but the unique artwork and the style of humor are really growing on me, and I fucking love it. This is a series that knows exactly what it wants to be, and just fucking goes for it with a fervency that you can't help but admire.

Can't wait till the next issue. With Hedy around, something crazy is bound to happen soon. I mean, the last time Patsy and Hedy hung out, they got attacked by a bunch of douchebags that worshiped a giant snake, and then got caught up in one of Dormammu's harebrained schemes.

Oh ****, Kate Bishop on the left. Gotta read anything with her in it.

Yeah, she's in it. Cameos abound. :laughing:

Anybody read Gepetto? I'm not sure if I already pointed that out, but Gepetto's an awesome manhwa. Cyberpunk. Cyborgs. Mysteries about the dead. Action. Explosions. Plot twists. Usopp.

This is hilarious:

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Background: Comic Book Urban Legends Revealed #138 | Comics Should Be Good @ CBR

It's about time for some more COMICS!

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With a movie-featured Avenger as the main star, I thought that this series was going to be a bit on the pandering side. You know, safe. I was dead fucking wrong. It hits hard like a fist to the face. Right from the start, it grabs you by the balls and beats you down mercilessly, assaulting you with pages filled with perfectly captured action. And the artwork is just so damn stylish that you won't even mind getting the shit kicked out of you.

http://x.annihil.us/u/prod/marvel/i/...3d4/detail.jpg

Odd, but interesting. It promises a sort of non-linear story, showing a series of medical check-ups that Mockingbird has to undergo while leaving out the context for each visit until elaborated on in later issues. Is Mockingbird's sanity slipping away from her, or is S.H.I.E.L.D. just fucking with her? Who knows. But it looks like there's going to be plenty of action and comedy along the way as Mockingbird figures this shit out.

Anyway, I like it. It's got a lot going for it so far. Solid artwork, good writing, and loads of jokes and cameos in the background. Plus, that amazing fucking cover.

http://x.annihil.us/u/prod/marvel/i/...96e/detail.jpg

I don't know the exact moment when I realized that I fucking loved this issue. It might have been when the legendarily foul-mouthed Jessica Jones made Luke Cage give up swearing. Or maybe it was the box marked "Shaw Brothers" in Iron Fist's closet. Either way, this shit is great. Some comedy, some action, and an art style that you either love or hate. Luke and Danny are back in action, just like the good ole' days.

http://x.annihil.us/u/prod/marvel/i/...a53/detail.jpg

Issue two! It's fucking immense. The word is out that Luke and Danny are back on the streets (despite the fact that Luke has no interest in reviving the Heroes for Hire, and is basically being dragged along for the ride), and they've already made some enemies. Of course, with all of these villains gunning for them, the action is bound to draw the attention of fellow heroes as well. Although, at least in the case of Spider Woman and Spider Gwen, they're more interested in watching Luke's shirt get ripped off then they are in actually helping out.

Cameos abound, including two villains from the ass-end of Marvel villainy, Doctor Nagan and Ruby Thursday. Hilarity always ensues when The Headmen rear their heads.

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If you haven't been keeping up with Doctor Strange's latest series, shame on you! Now is as good a time as any to pick up some back issues, so get on that shit! With very solid artwork that occasionally calls back to the Sorcerer Supreme's colorful and psychedelic adventures in the '60s, as well as excellent writing that does a fantastic job of fleshing out a character that many overlook, this series really is one of the best of Marvel's latest offerings.

Oh, and Chondu's head is the bartender at a joint that serves magic users from across the Marvel universe. Don't know why The Headmen keep popping up lately, but I ain't complaining. :laughing:

Anyway, in this issue, the world is officially under siege. Drained and injured, Doctor Strange is just barely hanging on as the Marvel universe is forcibly stripped of magic by the Empirikul. As of now, things are looking pretty grim, but all hope isn't lost. There are a few magic users who haven't been taken out yet, namely Scarlet Witch and Brother Voodoo, so it's still anyone's game.

http://i.annihil.us/u/prod/marvel/i/...47c/detail.jpg

With both of her forms in a constant struggle to stay alive, Thor is doing everything she can to keep both of her homes from falling apart. Every time she picks up Mjolnir, she becomes a target, and yet when she sets the hammer down, her body is once again ravaged by the cancer that plagues Jane.

She knows that she can't keep this up forever, and not just because she's dying. During her confrontation with Loki, he tells her that she's basically just a temporary Thor, filling in until the real one comes back. And, in a way, he's right. The creators of the series have already pretty much said that Odinson will eventually reclaim Mjolnir, and Jane herself seems to be aware of that fact. But, despite all of that, she's determined to go down fighting.

This series has wonderful writing, but the real highlight is the coloring. Every page is packed with bright ink that just seem to glow off of the page, intertwined with rich dark backgrounds that create a fantastic contrast.

http://i.annihil.us/u/prod/marvel/i/...003/detail.jpg

Fuck yeah! As funny and stylish as ever, Patsy takes on the most menacing foes imaginable... evil bedbugs!

I've been looking for some new comics to get into, so I picked this up last week due to some good reviews, and it was definitely good ****: the action was visceral; the lack of exposition was refreshing, allowing it to avoid the first-issue mediocrity that many series begin with; and as you said, the artwork was fantastic.

I've found that I enjoy female solo series more than male and team books. Women in general don't sell books as well -- even if their series are higher quality than their male counterpart books -- so I guess the writers are given more freedom and less editorial demands, allowing for more creativity in character depictions and story variety. Kind of like when a big-name male character's series is floundering, and the company goes for broke by hiring a new writer to do whatever he can to revitalize the book.

I am encouraged that this will be the case with Black Widow. I've also been meaning to go back and check out her previous title, as I've heard that it was excellent.

I am mildly intrigued. I don't remember seeing it at my LCS, but I'll give the first issue a try. Again, I like female solo series, especially when the character isn't A-list, since editors don't seem to care as much about backseat writing. Sounds like an off-kilter character study at least, and I'm a sucker for those.

Been toying with the idea of picking this up. After reading parts of Alias and New Avengers (which featured Luke Cage), I've been somewhat interested in this little corner of the Marvel universe. Was holding back though, until I checked out any reviews. Will give it a shot.

I've been collecting this series, but am saving reading it until I catch up on the last series. Despite so many reactionary nerds bitching about a girl Thor, I trust Jason Aaron to keep knocking it out of the park after the brilliance of Thor: God of Thunder.

I've read the first two issues, and found them delightful. Light-hearted series, high on comedy and heart, are a weakness of mine, and this has been minor gold so far. I've got issue #3 sitting on my nightstand, just waiting for me to get around to it.


And you still need to check out Spider-Woman. It's still amazing and would be right up your alley. The new Captain Marvel series is also shaping up to be pretty good, with some quality sci-fi space adventuring.

I'm glad you liked Black Widow #1 too. It really was an excellent fucking way to kick things off.

I've read a little bit of Spider Woman, though I'm ashamed to admit that I'm still not completely caught up. But I did finally pick up some Spider Gwen a few days ago. Good stuff. :yeah:

Next on my list is Superior Foes of Spider Man. You rec'd it to me awhile back, and someone else that I know praised it pretty highly. And thus begins the hunt for back issues. :laughing:

When I say you should read Spider-Woman, you should start with issue #5 of her last series. 1-4 were just boring Spider-Verse tie-ins that had nothing to do with where the series went, the tone, or the depictions of the characters. Pretty sure the creative team was different as well.

And I just picked up Mockingbird about twenty minutes ago, along with issue #1 of A-Force (cause She-Hulk).

Oddly enough, the fifth issue actually was my introduction to the series. A few months back, they released a $1 reprint of it. Figured I had nothing to lose, and dove in. :laughing:

Good? Been out drinking, so I haven't dove into anything yet.

Yeah. Honestly, I've liked pretty much every comic I've read recently. Except the All-New Inhumans. :laughing:

I don't really understand why they're trying to push the Inhumans so much these days. They're just the poor man's X-Men.

Read Mockingbird #1 yesterday, and I loved it way more than I thought I would. It was funny, bizarre, confusing, and just delightful. I love how as the issue progressed, Mockingbird admitted to drinking more and more with every medical report (from two glasses of Chardonay a week, to three glasses per day, and finally to 2 bottles per day... we're like kindred spirits or some ****.) The artwork is also pretty dang sweet, and made me totally swoon over Mockingbird, even if she did just kinda look like a blonde. I think this might become my new most-awaited series each month, after Spider-Woman of course. I am very curious to see how the series balances dark and tongue-in-cheek.

My thoughts exactly. I read the first issue of their All-New series, and they immediately came off as bargain bin X-Men. Not the worst I've ever read, but still really fucking disappointing.

I'm glad you liked it! :yeah:

And current X-Men is already bargain bin X-Men, so who needs yard sale X-Men?

And I'm about to get into the old Hawkeye and Mockingbird series, along with finally reading the new Amazing Spider-Man, since she's now a main character in it. I'm quite curious if Mockingbird is a character I'd care about outside of one possibly good solo series. I was pleasantly surprised by just how much I liked Spider-Woman in her other appearances (New Avengers and Spider-Woman: Agent of SWORD to be specific).

TFW you discover two new comic download sites that are just amazing. I've lost a few sites over the last year, and was worried that my pool of piracy was dwindling, but it has just been rejuvenated. Even if I buy most of my comics these days, it's always nice to be able to steal anything and everything, just in case legal channels fail me, or I don't want to risk wasting $4 on an issue of a new series that sucks when I can safely test it out before shelling out my moolah.

:laughing:

I've got no clue how cool she is in older comics. Only other thing I've read with her in it was when the Thunderbolts rescued Hellcat from Mephisto's realm. The only reason they saved Hellcat was because they thought she was Mockingbird. :laughing:

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