Writen by Geoff Johns, Pencils by Gary Frank, Inks by Jon Sibal, Colour by Rob Liegh and letters by Rob Leigh

 

A lot has been said about problems with DC continuity and the Earth One series has shown what can be done when creative teams are not weighed down by continuity, I strongly recommend giving these book a read.

In Batman Earth One Bruce is still a billionaire orphan, he is still assisted by Alfred Pennyworth and the villains still come from the illustrious rouges gallery. If you were to flick through this novel you may think it a typical Bat book, action sequences are aplenty with batarangs and burning buildings, but it is a far more personal tale than most Bat titles.

The first volume focused on reasons for Bruce becoming Batman and saw him struggle to overcome the corrupt Mayor Cobblepot. Six months have passed and whilst Bruce has bulked up somewhat, he is still a fledgling Dark Knight, treading on evidence and smudging fingerprints. This volume broadens the Earth One universe with far more attention given to Harvey and Jessica Dent, along with a number of villains, my favourite of which is Killer Croc who is treated with great maturity by the writers.

As mentioned, more focus is given to Bruce Wayne, in particular his growing relationship with Alfred. In this universe Alfred is a blunt, bearded, ex-military butler, who was previously head of security for the Wayne estate, who keeps count of the number of villains Batman has pummelled. He has conflicting views on how Bruce should approach his role as the Dark Knight, grumpily reminding Bruce that he should carry a gun and armour in order to become the perfect weapon.

This is the focus of the book, it begins with Batman acting as a true vigilante, beating up bad guys and leaving the detective work to Gordon and the suffering Bullock. As the volume unfolds Bruce begins to mature, he still acts irrationally (he refuses to wear Kevlar as he needs no armour) and loses control of his temper but he begins to understand what is required to help rescue Gotham and become a true symbol of hope.

The writing is well paced with a number of surprises and moments of poignancy, with the book covering a range of topics from alcoholism to victimisation. The colour is delightful, as it really jumps off the page, while the art is at its most expressive in the facial details. The eyes in particular convey much emotion from surprise, fear, distrust and anger.

This fortnight I read a number of books including Amazing Spider-Man Volume 1:The Parker Luck and Amazing Spider-Man Spider Island but this was my favourite. I have really enjoyed this new take on Batman; the moments of action had added suspense, as I was always fearful he was about to make another mistake. The final acts of the book set the story up for an interesting third volume, which I look forward to reading.

 

Next time I will be reviewing Ody-C Volume 1.

We all knew this was coming. We all knew whoever played the Joker next would be judged harshly in comparison to his late predecessor Heath Ledger. It didn’t matter what direction they decided to take, this could not be avoided.

But I’m very positive about this new take and here are my reasons why you should also get excited.

Recurring villain

With references to the Joker in the Batman v Superman trailer and footage of the Joker in the Suicide Squad trailer it is pretty clear that we are getting the first recurring live-action Joker since Caesar Romero.

One of the biggest mistakes of the original Tim Burton Batman was killing off the Joker. Don’t get me wrong the Joker has died countless times, however, the Joker is far more interesting alive than dead. Joker is the living counter-argument to Batman’s non-killing code, every time Batman spares his life he is also causing the death of countless Joker victims. Joker has always pushed Batman to the brink of murder and this is what makes him Batman’s greatest nemesis.

Nolan and his crew understood this, and summed it up best with this unforgettable quote from the Joker.

“Oh, you. You just couldn’t let me go, could you? This is what happens when an unstoppable force meets an immovable object. You are truly incorruptible, aren’t you? Huh? You won’t kill me out of some misplaced sense of self-righteousness. And I won’t kill you because you’re just too much fun. I think you and I are destined to do this forever.”

Harley Quinn

The Joker having a romantic interest may sound like a horrible idea but it makes a lot of sense in execution. The Joker has a manipulative power over her in the same creepy vein as Charles Manson.

Harley Quinn made her first appearance in Paul Dini’s Batman the animated series and was such a fan favourite that she was swiftly introduced into the comics canon. Sadly their abusive relationship was never introduced into any of the previous movies, but thankfully it was announced that she would finally debut alongside Jared Leto’s Joker in Suicide Squad next year.

Jason Todd

Although not officially confirmed, this screenshot of Robins armour covered in graffiti from the Batman v Superman trailer makes it clear that the Joker must have had a run in with one of the Robins.

Jason Todd was the second Robin after Dick Grayson (the first Robin) left and joined the Teen Titans. Unlike Grayson, Jason wasn’t popular with the fans and eventually died because of them. DC Comics gave the fans the chance to decide his fate with a vote, surprisingly more fans voted for his death. His brutal murder happened at the hands of the Joker who tortured him with a crowbar, followed by being locked in a exploding building. It is one of the Joker’s most iconic moments, it is also one of the most tragic moments in the comics. It’s hard not to get emotional seeing batman cradling his lifeless body, knowing he is overwhelmed with sorrow and guilt.

The closest we’ve come to this in the movies is the death of Rachel Dawes in The Dark Knight, which also has a very similar death scene involving an exploding building.

Right actor

Batman movies have had their fair share of controversy when it comes to casting decisions. Some of the most iconic performances in Batman movies were thanks to these unsafe choices. Believe it or not, both Michael Keaton and Heath Ledger were once considered bad choices. I’d be lying if I said Warner Bros wasn’t guilty of some horrific miscasting in the past (What killed the dinosaurs? The ice age!), but I really do believe that for the most part Warner Bros. knows what they are doing, especially when it comes to adapting The Joker.

Plus, Jared Leto’s casting announcement hasn’t stirred any controversy, in fact it was met with approval by fans.

Joker with a history

With the announcement that Ben Affleck would be playing an ageing Batman, it seems safe to assume that he must have had a few run ins with the Joker. This will be a first for the movies as both Heath Ledger’s Joker and Jack Nicholson’s Joker dealt with Batman’s first encounter with the Joker.

Right look

I know what your thinking. How is this a good look with those tattoos, the Joker never had tattoo’s. Well I have two points to make against this argument.
1.) The Joker has had tatoo’s, most famously in Frank Miller’s All Star Batman. Although admittedly not the best example.

2.) Most of the tattoos wont be visible when he’s wearing his classic purple suit.

I admit the tattoo’s don’t really add anything, but I honestly think it’s something we’ll get used to. If we can get used to Heath Ledger’s design which was a large departure from the classic Joker look (cut smile, long hair, face paint) then I think we can get past the tattoo’s. Personally, I honestly wasn’t distracted by the tattoo’s at all in the trailer, while admittedly I found Heath Ledger’s appearance far more jarring to look at.

There are a lot more positives than negatives to this Joker’s look. For starters, Jared Leto is the right body type for the Joker who should be slim but not entirely out of shape. Also the hair is more fitting for the Joker as well as the right shade of green. Jared Leto also has very striking and expressive eyes, very similar to the classic Joker from the killing Joke. It’s also refreshing to see the red lips without extra lines on the side which all of the previous live action Jokers had. His teeth was another thing that bothered the fans but this is the best part of the design, its evidence of the beatings he has taken from Batman.

I really do believe that the more footage we are given the more people will warm up to the design.

A new take

How can you not get excited about seeing a new live-action Joker? It feels like a big event especially when you look at the time gaps between Jokers.

• There is nearly a 20 year gap between Romero’s Joker and Jack Nicholson’s Joker
• There is nearly a 20 year gap between Jack Nicholson’s Joker and Heath Ledger’s Joker

Admittedly this is the quickest we’ve ever had a new Joker, but by the time Suicide Squad comes out it would have already been 8 years since Heath’s performance.

It is too early to say what Jared Leto’s performance will be like and the few seconds of footage is not enough to gain a feel for his take. Although it is clear that Leto will bring something new to the table.

Bring on 2016.
 

So the big Marvel summer event that had so many of us intrigued, worried, excited and slightly dubious is preparing to wrap up and October will see Marvel usher in a new era; ‘All-New, All-Different Marvel’. Several teasers have already been dropped as to what to expect once October hits, one of them being the identity of the new ‘Star Lord’ (or in this case, ‘Star Lady’) in The Guardians of the Galaxy franchise.

Unsurprisingly, this reveal shows Kitty Pryde, original X-Men member to be taking over the role of the Star Lord (hence referred to as Star Lady) in place of Peter Quill who has taken off to become the new emperor of Spartax.

So is it finally time for Kitty Pryde to get the recognition she deserves? She has certainly been one of the most popular, and some would say understated, female character in the comic book world. Making her first appearance in Uncanny X-Men #129 in January 1980 she was originally portrayed as a 14 year old girl, shy and nervous about her powers and very much seen as a younger sister to the X-Men at the time. However, as the years have gone by we have seen Kitty evolve physically and emotionally into a strong female character, one which many people can relate to and one who has well and truly earnt her superhero stripes.

Her powers have also grown with her over the years, and when it was revealed that the most recent X-Men film, Days of Future Past, would include a character who had the ability to transport people’s consciousness’s backwards and forwards through time, I was ecstatic; who else could it be but Rachel Summers sending Kitty Pryde back to help the others? Finally, a more than worthy character would get her chance on the big screen to cement herself among the likes of Wolverine and Storm and claim her rightful place as one of the strongest and most lovable mutants to have come out of the Marvel Universe. To say I was angry when I heard it would instead be Wolverine who was sent back in time by Kitty (not even Rachel Summers!) would be an understatement.

This wasn’t just the chance for Kitty Pryde to make her name with cinematic audiences as well as comic book fans; this was a chance for a real, female led superhero movie to finally dominate the big screen. Simon Kinberg, producer of Days of Future Past, told Empire magazine that X-Men Kitty Pryde just wouldn’t have been old enough in this portrayal for the time travel thing to make sense (although when have comics ever cared about making sense?), and also acknowledged that having Wolverine as the lead would bring more ratings in.

The release of the Guardians of the Galaxy movie in 2014, starring Chris Pratt as the Star Lord was a box office smash being nominated for and winning several awards in the process. The popularity of the franchise did not go unnoticed, and people are already gearing up for the sequel. Kitty Pryde featuring in GOTG#2 is practically an impossibility, but with X-Men: Age of Apocalypse in the making as well as her soon to be taking over what is now a much-loved role by comic book readers and movie goers alike, could we one day finally see Kitty Pryde get the recognition she deserves?

I sure hope so. For a character who has stayed strong since the 80’s and fought demons, aliens, mutants and everything in between, who almost completely dissipated due to her powers, had a brief stint as a S.H.I.E.L.D agent and thought permanently fused to a bullet and dead among many other escapades, it’s about time.

Written by Scott Snyder, pencils by Greg Capullo, ink by Danny Miki, colours by Fco Plascencia and letters by Steve Wanos.

This is the second issue in the much maligned Superheavy arc, where James Gordon has become the GCPD authorized mechanical 10-foot Bat and it thankfully goes someway to justifying why Gordon is Batman.

The last issue established the new order in Gotham where the city, post End Game, is recovering from the Joker’s attack on the city. The disappearance of Bruce Wayne has resulted in Powers international selecting Jim as the right, rather than best, man for the so called “robobat-bunny” mantle.

The issue begins with two children comparing the old and the new Batman, stating as many a Bat supporter has been, he can’t be the new Batman without a batmobile. We find Jim at the Batarang range (it looks like he’s going to need a lot of practice) and discover how with the aid of Bat-patches he is giving up smoking. A Bat-app has been developed which allows the people of Gotham to let others know when they are in danger, allowing the citizens to help themselves and keep Batman ahead of the Police. Jim is seen to be staring out over Gotham, with his inner monologue reminding us of his fears and doubts, as he falls, or should I say swoops down, he is affronted with a previously captured crime boss who has somehow obtained powers. Comissioner Sawyer and Bats discover that he is not the first, there appears to be a new super-villain but Gordon will not be given the chance to confront this mysterious Mr Bloom. The first issue hinted at Batman being authorized and accounted for and in this issue that comes to a head, although we do find out that not all things have changed.

As you would expect with Capullo there is much use of silhouettes and there is a variety of colourful fights and dark shadowy conversational scenes. It is in these one on one scene that Snyder’s writing works best and we begin to understand that Batman is a vehicle for Gordon to help his city, a task he has always tried to do but now he has a big blue robotic advantage. There is a particular moment where he cradles a vanquished foe and it shows a care that is not accustomed with the unregulated Bruce. The only problem I have with the story and the arc is the Batman suit, I prefer scenes when Gordon is out of the mechanical suit and we get to see the slender detective. The final few pages offer a surprise and as of yet I am uncertain on how I feel about it, but I look forward to seeing where it all leads.

All in all, if you are a fan of Batman I would encourage you to try the arc no matter the misgivings you may have. If you have an understanding of James Gordon then this story should speak to you. It is a very enjoyable read with moments of action, interrogation and compassion, furthermore Gordon is becoming a very funny character, even without the moustache.