In this week's comics...

[buggery]

No real spoilers, but I'm going to cut anyway.



Detective Comics #802

I'm enjoying the hell out of "The Barker," the current back-up storyline; it's everything a back-up should be, and more.

Part two of David Lapham's "City of Crime," though... Okay, I'm not even going to touch how similar this feels to a storyline that ran just a few months ago, or (seriously) suggest that Women in Refrigerators needs a special pregnant-teenagers section. Nope. Not touching that.

What I do feel like I *have* to say something about is... well, let me put it like this. On page one, which actually has the title and creative team on it -- a nice change -- there's a little shiny Bat-logo noting that it's "A Pre-Wargames [sic] Batman Tale." (That this notation is on a specially designed logo makes me cringe, but it also gives me hope that we will continue to get occasional stories of Batman with his now-former partners -- Cass, or Babs; Tim, as here; maybe even Steph. I'm not holding my breath for Orpheus, though I'm not quite ready to start a Brothers in Refrigerators site either.)

Well, it's pre-War Games, all right... in fact, it appears to be set during The New Batman Adventures. Who is that boy in the Robin suit, Mr Lapham? He's cute, but he's not the Tim Drake who's meant to be in this title.

Also, by all that's batly, trim some of that narration. It is not supposed to have double the word count of the dialogue. Honest.

All that said, I didn't hate this issue. I won't say I'm not looking forward to the storyline being over, though.





The Flash #217

Oh, yeah. Now this is why I read comics.

The art is beautiful. Geoff Johns's writing may never have been better. I could wish that I recognised more of the Rogue's Gallery (or that there were captions indicating their names), but I continue to enjoy watching them pull together around Owen. (Mmm, Owen. Definitely one of my favourite new characters of 2004.) I love the Linda part -- the Linda made me BWEE, even though I still don't really feel like I know who she is after reading this title for less than a year.

Amd then Wally gets a little visit from out of town. And I'm hot for the visitor on the first page, and even hotter for Wally on the second page, and on the third page I'm so hot for Geoff Johns himself, it ceases to matter that I've no idea what he looks like. Just, just ::HEART:: Mr Johns, you can write the characters near and dear to my heart ANY TIME.

Plus the various dangling plot threads continue to be woven in in a way that's not overly difficult or frustrating to follow, though Hartley noooes! Okay, I'm all right. Whoo. Love this issue a lot, despite how skeeved I was by the final page.



I highly recommend that people keep a copy of FLASH #217 on hand to read immediately after reading DetC #802. It was just the balm *I* needed...


Nota bene: Both Flash #217 and Wizard #159 contain order coupons for the forthcoming exclusive FLASH 1/2 issue. If you want one, you'll need to get one of these and send it in ASAP.

Comments

[errantimpulses.livejournal.com]

even though I still don't really feel like I know who she is after reading this title for less than a year.

Have you been reading back issues? I've been reading this title for nearly a decade, and in the last year (or two) Linda's gotten almost a complete upheaval regarding her career, personality, and feelings for Wally, so I think even long-time readers aren't really sure who she is at this point. But overall, I think she rocks. :-)

[buggery.livejournal.com]

I've read some back issues, but not in anything like a systematic way.

I have to appreciate that there's been a recent reboot of sorts of Linda's personality -- despite the way it bugs me when they do it to Gotham characters -- both because it means I don't need to go back as far to catch up, and because what I have seen of her prior characterisation (mainly to do with Magenta showing up) did nothing for me.

[errantimpulses.livejournal.com]

Hahah, now I have to ask which arc of Magneta coming back are you thinking of? I can think of three different instances off the top of my head, and I recall Linda being a positive delight and breath of realistic fresh air in one. I actually have met very few people who don't like the old Linda - she's a regular kick-ass female character, and while she's a supporting character of Wally's, which is understandbale as it's his book, she's never a fawning character who only defines herself through her boyfriend. At least not until recently. hee...I'm gonna go in my corner and hug my imaginary Linda. :-D

[thete1.livejournal.com]

I'm not holding my breath for Orpheus, though I'm not quite ready to start a Brothers in Refrigerators site either.)

No, I need to repeat that in your lj, TOO. *SNORT*

But yes, as you can see? I'm right with you on all counts.

JEEZ yeah.

[buggery.livejournal.com]

Well, maybe if there were more non-white characters in the DCU, more of them would get killed off in pointless and degrading ways...