A (Slightly Awkward) Tribute to Adam West

I have to admit that, in light of Adam West's passing, that I wasn't....always....the most faithful of fans. Oh, sure, I grew up with the 1960s Batman. Hell, I dressed up as Batman for Halloween. Several times.

But once I hit my twenties, something happened.

Maybe it was the Keaton movie...or the animated series...but for some reason, I found the 1960s Batman quite corny. Eye rolling.

In short, I was one of those "dark, gritty fanboys" that Bob Chip discusses in his Adam West tribute:


Perhaps I had gotten too "cool for school" - after all, I hadn't actually watched the show. (No markets in St. Louis carried the show, and YouTube hadn't been invented). But gradually, I realized something...

...it was supposed to be corny.

Read a 1960s-era Batman comic, and it's slightly goofy. Not as goofy as time-travelling, gimmicky Batman of the 1950s, but it goofy nonetheless. And the Batman television show reflected that goofiness.

However, Adam West actually took it somewhat more seriously....but giving it a slightly dry tone. In many ways, he was the Bruce Campbell of his time.

And quite honestly, if it weren't for his deadpan performance, the show would have not passed a single season.

Since moving back to Chicago, I've had the opportunity to catch reruns of Batman on MeTV. (In fact, MeTV is holding a day-long Adam West retrospective on June 17th). Although some of the humor is a bit cringe-worthy....the show still holds up, and Adam West never gives a bad performance.

Which is why I can say, without hipsterish irony, that Adam West will be missed.

Finally Saw BATMAN V SUPERMAN: DAWN OF JUSTICE on DVD....

You would think that a premise like this wouldn't be easy to mess up, but somehow, Batman V. Superman: Dawn of Justice is one of the messiest, most frustrating movies released this year.

Sad thing is, beneath it all, there are some underlying ideas that would make Batman V. Superman: Dawn of Justice a truly great movie. 

Note: I saw the "regular" version and not the Expanded 3 Hour Version. It's what the Chicago Public Library had available, and I wasn't going to complain. Plus, I argue that it's not the length, but the entire structure of the film that's flawed. 

Critics will point to Zack Snyder as being the main cause of the problem, but I'm going to delay finger pointing in that direction and turn my attention to the most basic element: the script, co-written by Chris Terrio and David Goyer.


It's easy to see why Terrio was brought in to collaborate with Goyer: Argo had a clever mixture of pop-culture knowingness with a smart take on the classic heist/caper formula. But Goyer....give his scripts a good director (like Blade, Batman Begins and The Dark Knight Returns, and you have films where visual inventiveness trumps some of the more overt plot holes. With a less talented and/or more tired director, you end up with Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance. Or The Dark Knight Rises (trust me, it's not as good as many people think).

And Batman V. Superman has a very bloated script, as if under executive order to include as much continuity as possible. Things the movie could - and should - have rethought (and I'm spoiling away):

• Removing the obligatory "origin" footage from the initial prelude - and inserting it closer to "that" scene - would give it more emotional resonance
• Second scene - most professional photographers use either digital or hybrid cameras. Just sayin'.
• Kevin Costner's cameo as Jonathan Kent - should have been a flashback, not a near-hallucination.
• Lois Lane should never be used as a plot device. She should be a person.
• I should not be surprised when I started thinking, "I've watched episodes of Smallville that were more plausible"
• That whole third act with Doomsday - get rid of Doomsday. Seriously? Must you indulge Snyder's comic fetish?

I'll say it before and I'll say it again - Zack Snyder is a poor director. He's good at creating small moments and action sequences (especially if they're direct riffs from comics, like Watchmen and 300), but his narrative abilities seem more like a ten-year-old bashing action figures together and filming it with his iPhone while downing bottles of Mountain Dew: Code Red. Rather than fill in the cracks, Snyder's lack of narrative ability make the script's flaws even more overt.

And there's a great idea within the script - the world's (self-perceived) smartest man tricks a human champion and an alien newcomer to battle. Light vs. dark, God vs. man, human vs. alien - there is so much that Batman V. Superman could have done well. But unfortunately, in a mad dash to be an intro to an entire cinematic universe, the filmmakers forgot the one key ingredient for box office success: a good story.

The other key ingredient - which Batman V. Superman sorely lacks - is strong acting. Calling Henry Cavill "wooden" would be a compliment, and unlike Man of Steel, Kevin Costner gives the movie the performance that it deserves. Unlike other comic fans, Ben Affleck is not my ideal Batman - too pouty, like the middle schooler who suddenly discovers their older sibling's Cure records. And I wonder if Jesse Eisenberg and Jared Leto decided to switch acting notes - although he has played the "I'm-aware-I'm-the-smartest-one-in-the-room" schemer, Eisenberg chooses to go manic (while Leto in Suicide Squad seems somewhat restrained in his performance).

OK, I'll admit - I enjoyed Gal Gadot's performance as Diana Prince/Wonder Woman, and really enjoyed the action sequence at the end. Unfortunately - and I know I'm in the minority - I felt like Snyder treated her more like a "hawt babe in leather" than "a character in her own right". She redeems the movie...but only after two hours and fifteen minutes of a great mess.

By now, you've probably already seen Batman V. Superman and have an opinion. However, given the current fan climate around movies - the idea that movies must be "made" specifically for our tastes; that not liking this version is somehow irrelevant; and that we have "ownership" of media properties - there is a distinct lack of critical thinking. In short, having an informed opinion seems less important than having "the feels."

Batman V. Superman gives me the "feels"...but mostly due to how this could have been a great movie...but ego, ineptitude, and a lack of clear vision messed it up.

Given the potential reaction to this point....don't be surprised if I never review the new Ghostbusters.

As NaBloPoMo Moves Forward, Please Remember.....

Batman Always Has Great Advice, So Always Listen to Batman

(Found Via Facebook)

We Are ALL Batman: LEGENDS OF THE KNIGHT

(Dedicated with great affection and admiration to Chuck Moore, Brant Fowler, and John Wilson)

As a blogger, I always receive press releases around products, movies, etc - many of which I either ignore or forward to others. So when I received an e-mail announcing that the Legends of the Knight would arrive on Hulu, I filed it away for July's Comic Related column. However, since the site's closing...I sure as heck wasn't going to let this opportunity pass me by, so consider this my final column.

Growing up, I played Batman incessantly .Yes, Poplar Street in Chicago's Bridgeport neighborhood was protected by a young, chubby boy wearing a DePaul Blue Demons t-shirt, hand-sewn cowl, and towel wrapped around my neck. (Insert "that explains a lot" reference here). Although I was crazy for superheroes....I loved Batman. He was, in a weird way, an aspirational character - I wasn't lucky enough to have been rocketed from another planet (trust me, I asked Mom. Multiple times), but I could, if I applied myself, aspire to become Batman.

That's the premise of Legends of the Knight, a 2013 documentary that is a must-watch.

As I'm writing this, San Diego ComicCon 2015 has come and gone, with a plethora of moments, trailers, and all sorts of talk. I've also been witness to a bit of a back-and-forth in another fandom, leading me to wonder what my place is in fandom. Thankfully, Legends of the Knight was a great wake-up call for me, reminding me that at its core, fandom is about sharing common values, as well as a great love for a character.

Make no mistake - I'm not being cynical or snarky when I tell you that this is the most heartwarming movie about Batman that you will ever watch. (And I've embedded the video so you can watch at your heart's content).

Many of the stories focus on how the character of Batman - most ironically - is one of the more compassionate characters in popular culture. Legends of the Knight focuses on many such stories: the man who dresses up like Batman and visits sick children; the writer who uses Batman as a role model for facing her own challenges; and even a prison chaplan who describes Batman as a powerful metaphor for a unique cultural experience.

(Even the talking head segments focus as much on psychological and emotional aspects to Batman than on the usual comic/pop cultural bits.)

But my favorite part of the movie - Petaluma Batman. An anonymous college student decided to dress up like Batman and bring a positive attitude to a small California community. Unlike the HBO documentary Superheroes, this isn't a case of a damaged person trying to bring order: just a regular person deciding to be a beacon of hope. (Sadly, he has since given up being Petaluma Batman...but this movie is a fine tribute to that spirit).

And ultimately, that's what makes this movie a must-watch: one of the biggest items from San Diego was the Batman Vs. Superman trailer, which put superheroes in almost god-like positions. One of the great arguments that Legends of the Knight makes is that Batman - perhaps more than any other hero - reminds us that we have our own challenges. As we face and overcome those challenges, we find something deeper, even more heroic than we could expect....and in those small moments of heroism, we find the strands of humanity that connect us all.

As the movie puts it very succinctly, "We are Batman" 

Your Friday Batman Moment of Zen

Your Easter Viewing Moment of Zen

While I'm heading to Mom's to enjoy an Easter feast, here's some videos to help you pass the time.

First, the latest Batman video (by Bruce Timm) that you may have seen floating around the Internet:




Next, a BBC documentary about Machiavelli that basks in several layers of pop culture television goodness:




Your Cab Calloway/Betty Boop crossover moment of zen:




And finally, one of my favorite episodes of Leverage - see if you can guess why? (And yes, I've posted this before).



Happy Easter, everyone!

The Ben Affleck As Batman Brouhaha

Somewhere, Adam West is laughing
at fandom's expense

This past weekend, the collective internet lost its sanity as possibly the greatest crime against superhero cinema ever perceived was committed....and Ben Affleck was cast as Batman for the upcoming Batman vs. Superman film.

As always (and as I summarized on Chicago Now), many on the Internet took to social media to advocate against this, to provide mobilization around such a noble cause, and to prevent this crime against humanity. As you can tell by the slightly sarcastic tone of this post, I am....well, to quote a great philosopher when it comes to this,I can't see the point, but I see the attraction. (That one's for the Comic Treadmill guys.)

To serve as a point of rationality and calmness (much to the chagrin of the collective interwebs), let me point out a few things:

• Hollywood executives make their decisions solely around funding and income, not necessarily creativity - you might want to pick up Michael Jay Epstein's The Hollywood Economist (or check out Audible for the audio version and help support the Zone 4 podcast) for more details, but to summarize: getting movies funded - no matter what size - is a Herculean effort. Although Batman Vs. Superman seems a no-brainer, executives probably thought, Who can we get who is currently "hot"...but affordable?...I know, Ben Affleck!. It has nothing to do with insulting the movie goer's intelligence, or a creative misstep. Whic leads to...
• Did you really expect wisdom from Hollywood executives? - After all, this is the same industry that thought that a comedy version of a long-standing character, featuring Johnny Depp with a crow on his head, was a good idea, and would make money. (Personally, I'm not an Affleck fan, but I'm also not going to judge the guy prematurely, because...
• We have a director, and two actors, but no script - We know two actors and a director, but there's no script - not even loose leaf pages scribbled in red crayon. Just a reminder: you need some kind of story planning - what people in the film biz call a 'script' - in order to determine what the actors do. Now, if Affleck writes the script, you have a basis for comparison. Otherwise, posting petitions and calls for him to be removed are pointless because...
• Filmmakers don't really make films based on social media - the whole Ben Affleck brouhaha smacks of "slacktivism" (believing that minor interactions online have major impact - for more details, please check out my recent Chicago Now post), and quite frankly, the ultimate vote any one of us has is the purchase of a ticket. We are free to judge a movie based on any preliminary footage, as well as paying to see the completed product. Download it illegally, and you're claiming moral superiority without taking a legitimate risk. When you pay your money, and you're dissatisfied, that's the point to register your. Or in other words, make sure the parrot's dead before heading to the pet shop

So in short, my opinion is....I'll wait and see. Affleck may be the best Batman ever....or he may be the most mediocre Batman. Or all of this could end up like online conversation about Heath Ledger as the Joker.

So please, fandom...take a long, deep breath. Maybe take a short nap. Things will get better. I promise.

Guest Post: New York Film Academy on BEWARE THE BATMAN

What We Know – And What We Can Expect – From This Year’s Beware the Batman
- by New York Film Academy

It’s been a long year since the Cartoon Network first announced that it would be adding Beware the Batman to its 2013 roster as a successor to The Brave and the Bold. In that time, we've had a handful of details of what to expect as well as a deluge of wild speculation.

With the spring premiere hitting screens within the next couple of months (an exact date is still something we’re waiting on), let’s take a look at what we know for definite and what we can expect from CN’s upcoming romp through Gotham.

How Will it Look?

Awesome, it seems. A teaser trailer was released a while back and while it doesn't give away anything substantial, it does show of the CGI technology they’ll be implementing in the new series which rivals anything coming out of the best animation schools. In essence, it seems stylistically similar to Batman Beyond’s characterization but rendered with the CGI tech of the Green Lantern Animated Series, and that sounds like a fantastic mix.

Who’s Voicing Batman?

Sadly, Kevin Conroy will not be reprising his role as the voice behind the cowl. Instead we've got Anthony Ruivivar stepping into some pretty gigantic shoes; this has been met with a lot of eyebrow-raising from the community, and understandably so. That said, he is a capable actor in his own right the single line he speaks in the teaser trailer sounds nice and bass-y, so we should probably withhold judgment until the series starts.

The rest of the confirmed cast look very well-placed, and we’re particularly interested in how voice veteran J. B. Blanc handles Alfred.

Who’s the Sidekick?

In a concerted effort to shake things up for this series, writers Mitch Watson and Mark Banker have chosen a member of the Outsiders. Enter the rather curious choice of Katana (Tatsu Yamashiro) who’ll join the dark knight as “someone who has lost her way and needs guidance to find the right path”. It’s a neat choice of sidekick and we can imagine Tatsu and Bruce complimenting (and challenging) each other extremely well.

We do, however, have to question the creative choices behind the proposed incarnation of Alfred. I mean, look at him:

The promotional poster for the series drew a slurry of criticism as it featured Alfred toting dual pistols. The powers that be instantly leapt to defensive mode – claiming that the art was not intended for public release, and as an action pose it isn't representative of Alfred’s character. We sincerely hope that’s the case, or at the very least they've taken the backlash to heart, but given the above image and the pushing of his secret service background it remains to be seen.

Who’s the Opposition?

As with Katana, the team behind Beware the Batman has gone out of their way to bring new characters to the small screen. This sucks for those expecting some Joker and Bane action, but we feel that it’s right to give them a break following Nolan’s global dominance of the mainstream characters.

The main villain will be Anarky, who hasn’t really seen the light of day since the late 90s. In lieu of the Joker, we think Anarky is a fine choice given his multi-dimensional nature and a heightened skill set being worthy Batman adversary. It would be interesting to see if they use the character to make any political commentary, but bearing in mind it’s a kid’s series, this is unlikely.

The fact that it’s a kid’s series makes the other choice of villain – Professor Pyg – a very odd one given how brutally gruesome he is. Rather than being a vaguely Josef Mengele character however, the writers have hinted that he’ll be more like a mob boss… hopefully in the rewrite, he won’t lose what makes him a compelling villain.

Also on the line-up (alongside Ra’s al Ghul and Tobias Whale) will be the fearsome… 

…. Mr. Toad.

Hmmmm.

How Dark Will it Be?

This is where we’re getting mixed messages. On the one hand CN have insisted the series will have a heavy amount of realism, but he characters are heavily cartoonish. They've also mentioned that it’ll focus more on Batman’s detective abilities than his fighting prowess, so perhaps it’ll have some kind of cool film noir-esque feel to it, but Alfred might be a gun-slinging weapons expert. It’ll have a more “serious tone”, but they’re quick to remind people it’s a kid’s cartoon.

Lastly, the Internet was aflame with commentary when it was announced that the amount of guns would be toned down and their depiction “less realistic” following the Aurora shooting tragedy last year. That would explain why Alfred’s weapon of choice in the image above is listed as a ‘pulse rifle’. Ugh.

Whether this decision is right or wrong in a moral sense is subject to an entirely different discussion, but it has certainly thrown the cat amongst the pigeons as to whether or not it’ll be a jarring flaw in Beware the Batman.

The Reboot That Never Was: A Review of BATMAN EARTH TWO

DC Comics - as a company - seems to enjoy revamping and rebooting its characters. After all, the most recent news seems to be the spate of "zero issues" that is being released that promise to tell "the truth" behind the events of the new 52.

In addition, there are numerous reports of how Batman continuity has been a bit...well, since old 52 stories are now considered "canon", there's a bit of a brouhaha about continuity.

Which is a shame, because the recent release of Batman: Earth One by Geoff Johns and Gary Frank could have easily served as a "new 52" reboot of Batman.

First and foremost, keep in mind - this is a really good, honest take on Batman. Unlike Superman: Earth One, the "more naive version of hero" approach works. It seems less like "emo Twilight Superman" and more "reality-based Batman". Johns uses some touchstones of Batman's mythology and...well, there are some great twists and turns that could have easily led into the Court of Owls storyline. In addition, there's a great moodiness and noir quality to the art that makes this a great read.

It's also a shame because this approach could have easily been folded into the new 52 continuity, which is surprising given that it's one of DC's "attempts" to lure new readers. Yes, it's a more "vulnerable, unsure" Batman, but quite honestly, it has a similar tone to many of DC's reboots/revamps. It's strong enough to stand on its own, and at the end....I actually found myself looking forward to the inevitable sequel.

Reading Batman: Earth One was surprising in many ways - not just because it's a really strong tale that deserved to be told, but that it seemingly reads as a blueprint for a reboot that was never to be.

Your Mind-Blowing Mashup Moment of Zen

About the Aurora Shootings....

There's really not much I can say.....I debated whether or not I should blog about this; however, the only commentary I can provide I had written early this morning on Facebook. Consider this my only statement, since I'm still reeling from the news:

Unfortunately, the Aurora shootings bring back sad, powerful memories for me - I lived in Eugene with my then-fiance and her kids when school shootings occurred in 1998. The community lived through a time of confusion, of grief, sorrow, and disconnectedness. Thankfully, they (and we) were able to move through by simply acknowledging our hurts....and being good to one another. May I humbly ask that we refrain from name calling, finger pointing, and quite honestly, divisiveness and snark during this time? Because what the people of Aurora really need....is our support and kindness. Not our anger and sarcasm.

Stuff Like This is Why I Read "Screen Rant"

A very special pre-New Year Treat via one of my favorite show biz blogs. Enjoy!



[Via: Screen Rant]

Meta Mites and Fandom: A Look at "Mitefall"

I made this with VLC and Gimp - impressed by my open source mojo? 

In all honesty, I never really followed Batman: The Brave and the Bold on Cartoon Network. It wasn't that I hated it (in fact, one episode has inspired this oft-reposted editorial); just that (for me, at least), it's Silver Age-inspired tone went a long way. It was a great extension of spirit of the Adam West television series of the 1960s, and was best enjoyed in small, infrequent doses.

Although I suspected that the series was heading off the air (thanks to the new "gritty" series with a gun-toting Alfred), I was surprised to see it end so suddenly. However, the series finale Mitefall (written by Paul Dini) is one of the most pointed, satirical, flat out funny half hours of television ever made.

(In fact, this episode had more solid jokes than your average episode of Big Bang Theory, and was slightly less pandering).

Plot in a nutshell - Bat-Mite wants to collect more Batman memorabilia, and realizes that his beloved show is...well, in a decline. So he decides to do what most fifth dimensional imps would do - drive the franchise into the ground through creative intervention. But thankfully, Ambush Bug is able to come in and save the day.

 And yes, I did type that out loud.

Part of the joy of Dini's script is the almost savage glee he takes in integrating in-jokes, meta-humor, and quite honestly, just plain silliness into his script. Although Batman: The Brave and the Bold seemed aimed at children, a largely older fan base appreciated it as a "gateway drug" to nostalgia, a way to revisit their youth under the slightly more ironic guise.

But the jokes are fast and furious - everything from a more toyetic Batman to not one, but two surprise cameos; several twists that might seem obvious when written down, but actually felt like surprises; and an ending that will have you holding back tears....even if (like me) you barely, if ever, watched this series.

In a way, it's the kind of meta-commentary and satire that comics fandom desperately needs. I just finished recording a piece for Zone 4 (more on that endeavor later in the week) about fandom's near obsession with continuity, and their insistence that everything follow in a strict continuum. Mitefall gleefully bites the hand that feeds it because, to paraphrase Elvis Costello, it wants to bite that hand so badly. There are some subtle (and not-so-subtle) references that will pass over the heads of the oblivious....but that are so devastatingly on-target that this is one of those series finales that is well worth watching, even if you haven't followed the series.

It also manages to make Ambush bug rather cool - so much so that Keith Giffen must be jealous.

I don't know if Cartoon Network will be repeating Mitefall, but this is one where I would strongly recommend you use whatever means you deem appropriate to view this episode. (Whether you honor copyright laws is your own business; I won't ask and won't tell). But if every animated superhero series were this subversive, we would live in a better place.

As it stands, Mitefall serves as much as a series finale to Batman: The Brave & the Bold as it does a nice, sharply drawn piece of satire.

Watch this. Now.

Dark Knight Vs. Gaslight

This morning, while perusing the feeds on my Google Reader account, I came across an item on the Baker Street Blog, which is the best blog about Sherlock Holmes on the planet.

(Seriously - it does for Holmes what Mike Sterling does for Swamp Thing)

But this item caught my attention because it discusses the comparison of Sherlock Holmes to Batman. Driven by a comic movie-based website poll comparing the two characters, the author was amazed that Holmes was...well, losing to Batman.

And I share that blogger's concern.

On the one hand, it would be tempting to counter that poll with snark - it's comparing the recent movie versions of both characters, and I've stated my dislike of the Robert Downey Jr. Holmes movie publicly. However, it does speak to something I had alluded to in talking about Holmes on my other blog - a tendency towards a lack of critical thinking, and that because someone doesn't like something, that it somehow makes it less valid.

Despite Downey's interpretation, the character of Holmes has greater staying power. Both Batman and Sherlock Holmes are about the ultimate "super power" of rationality and intelligence. Holmes has a greater edge in that...well, he came first. If it was not for him, Batman would just be an interestingly clad gentleman with a multitude of cool gadgets.

But even in a fannish discussion of prowess? I would have to say Holmes. Simply put, Holmes did not (seemingly) have the benefit of wealth, power, or a childhood trauma. For those who would argue in favor of the Downey version of Holmes, might I suggest first reading the original "canon", as it were - then, you might get a sense of how Downey could do better.

(And if you wanted to head to comicbookmovie.com's poll and flood it with Holmes answers, I won't stop you)

But for me, given recent events, a more accurate poll would be....Batman Vs. Brigadier Alastair Gordon Lethbridge-Stewart. Who is the tougher character?

Now that is worth discussing.

Somewhere, Chris Sims is Doing a Happy Dance

Via: CarInsurance.org

(Original link via screenrant)

Rebuilding Bruce Wayne

One of the many reasons I'm extremely grateful for Grant Morrison's work on Batman is that, within four issues (Batman: The Return of Bruce Wayne # 6, Batman & Robin # 16, Batman: The Return and Batman Incorporated # 1), he's managed to do something I've never thought anyone would be able to do.

Actually, two things - move the character beyond the Frank Miller pastiches of the last twenty-some years, but also really begin to rebuild the character of  Bruce Wayne.

It's one of those so-obvious-it's-easy-to-miss approaches: simply put, Batman is more than just a person who fights crime: he's also a master businessman (after all, he's got to pay for his wonderful toys somehow). It was an approach that Morrison hinted at earlier in his Batman & Robin run, when Jason Todd (as the Red Hood) talked about "rebranding" his crime fighting career.

Granted, transitioning from time traveling Batman (with some extra Kirby-esque pondering) to global crimefighting franchise might not have been easy...but in the space of four issues, Morrison manages to do it effortlessly.

This has been a long time coming, but now may be the time to get on board with Batman - at the very least, Morrison is taking the character in a direction that is creative, unique...and very sorely needed.

Loving Batgirl

How can you not like Steph as Batgirl? Do you have stone in your heart and ice in your veins?

It's statements like the one above that continue to convince me that fellow comics fan/Twitter maven Rich is my long lost cousin from England.

Much like our mutual love for Veronica Mars and our appreciation of the thespian talents of BRIAN BLESSED, we both share a great deal of joy from reading DC's latest Batgirl series.

It's also a book that you should be reading as well - in fact, it's one of the more under-rated Bat-books...and probably the better Bat-books written by someone without the words "Grant" or "Morrison" in their name.

Although I enjoyed the series when it came out, it is a completely run read. It's so much fun, in fact, that Chris Sims just needs to come out and admit that it's not "thigh pouches" that are scaring him off....he just doesn't want to read a fun comic involving a Bat-character, despite involving vampires and a Kryptonian punching things.

Seriously, though, despite the controversial nature of the character, this is a book that deserves to be read. It's breezy, entertaining, and quite frankly, deserves your attention.

Or to reiterate Rich's last point, "I mean, really, why aren’t you reading this?"

On Wings of Bronze

To be honest...I've never really liked Doc Savage in comics.

I'll grant you, the Milennium Comics run hit the right spot, but pulp characters are often hard to translate into comics. Sometimes, you just have to plop them into their own world (much like Tim Truman did with The Spider and give them enough juice to make it through.

Fortunately, Brian Azzarello has taken Doc, mixed him and Batman (one of his "sons", pop culturally speaking), plopped them down in an inspired, non-powered world...and in DC's Batman/Doc Savage special, has given us a nice, pulp-influenced comic tale that really raises the stakes - and builds interest - in DC's First Wave series.

If you're expecting another 100 Bullets-type noir drama, well...Azzarello's writing doesn't go that dark. By balancing some more fantastic aspects (like dirgibles) amongst the more mundane, it has a nice, noir-esque feel. Some might argue that Doc belongs in the 1930s rather than this "timeless" present period...but for me, it works. I think Phil Noto's art helps capture that, giving this a really strong present-day feel but with a nice coloring of vintage era atmosphere. (It helps that at least one character looks as if he's modeled on Lee Marvin...I think Noto must have been watching Point Blank while drawing this book, and that's not a bad thing.

As far as Batman goes...there seems to be a little Chaykin charm in this version of Batman. Young, aggressive, even personable, Azzarello doesn't opt for the moody, Travis Bickle-style Batman from Broken City - if anything, this is a more "likable" Batman than we've seen in awhile.

(Granted, this is a Batman who carries a pair of .45s...but there's something about this version that feels much more accessible than we've seen in awhile).

I'm liking this book - it's not the second coming of Doc Savage, but somehow, for DC's newest "First Line"....it's a pretty awesome start.

And actually reminds me...I have some Nostalgia Venture Doc reprints to read.....

Comics I'm Reading - And Liking

You know, it's actually been awhile since I've written about my current favorite funnybooks - oh, sure, there's been the occasional mention of Guardians of the Galaxy/Nova/etc (Marvel doing big, loud space opera); my love of Tony Lee's work on IDW's Doctor Who (he's managing to write himself out of the continuity porn corner), The Mighty A (DC's stealth book), and Blackest Night (or "DC Zombies will mess with your head"). But there are some other books that are really hitting my comics loving sweet spot.

First is Ed Brubaker and Steve Epting's The Marvels Project, which takes Marvel's Golden Age characters and gives them that nice, Tom Clancy-esque sheen (like they did with Captain America). In a way, it's Marvel's attempt to mix the politically charged realism of their distinguished competition's JSA: The Golden Age with the you-are-there spirit of New Frontier . Although it's not an instant classic like either of its precedents, The Marvels Project is looking rather promising.

Speaking of DC, I am really enjoying many of the revamped Batman books (with the exception of Red Robin, which left me cold with the first issue). My unexpected favorite is the new Batgirl series. Without spoiling (and unlike many on the Internet, I don't believe that you should avoid the Internet if you don't want to read spoilers), the book is a really good take on the reluctant hero...or more accurately, when others are reluctant to allow one to be a hero. (Besides, DC can spoil its own books - it doesn't really need my help, now, does it?). At a time when Batman is being redefined, even a second-level book like Batgirl is providing some interesting reading.


(And yes, I do enjoy Rucka and Williams' Batwoman in Detective Comics. It's a great variation on a theme).

Finally, even though I'm not really a big horror comics fan, the clerk at my local comic shop recommended I give Wildstorm's North 40 a chance. It's a unique premise - if I were to give it a high concept pitch, it would be "Lovecraft Meets Jim Thompson", but it's much more than that. It's a supernatural book with great writing, good art, and which three issues in, keeps moving the story forward. It's a nice little book with a creepy vibe. It may not keep you awake at night, but it will keep you reading it again...and again...and again, like a good comic should.