SpartanNerd Review...BCW Snap-It Comic Book Display System

A first-world problem.  I have so many comic books!  I have begun putting them into those boxes...the kind they use at the comic book stores!

But I have a few on display as well.  Some of my favorites!  One of the problems I have been having is that the shelf space that I use has a little "daylight" space behind it.  It is just a small crack, but it is big enough that my bagged and boarded comics that were on display kept falling down and behind the shelf.

I decided to invest in a more substantial display.  The BCW Snap-It display.  Here is my review!

I bought a 12 pack.  This is all they had at the store.  I didn't see any larger packs, or smaller.
They did have six comics on display in one of these setups, hanging on the front counter.  This package is un-sexy.  In fact, the stack of 12 stands are bent in the package.  And it appears that is was done this way on purpose.

Here is what you see when you open the packaging.  The displays are bent, seemingly permanently.  This was worrisome.  The other thing is a package of button snaps which make it work.

Here are the snaps.  One is male.  The other female.

here is my first assembly.  The edges of the displays have pre-punched holes, and you snap a male and female button through the hole of two of them.  the problem is, the pre-punched holes are often not punched through enough.  Some of them come right off.  The others, did not.  And so I resorted to the big guns!

Smith and Wesson Urban Camo Serrated Titanium Blade!

It took me about an hour to get five displays together.  Before putting them on display,
I decided to read this gem.  After that hard work, I deserved a break.  It was great!  (Scare glow was prominent in this issue.  Oddly, no shadow beasts!)

A panorama of my Masters of the Universe shelf.  You can see that the five comics are displayed nicely.  Also some limitations of the display are evident.

So, it was worth the $15.  There are some problems.  The hole punch thing is the biggest problem.  Next time, when I put together the other 7 pieces, I am going to use a hole puncher.  This shouldn't be necessary.  So I have to take a point off for that.  (I was afraid I would mutilate the display.)

Another limitation.  The way the panels of the display are built, it produces a pronounced line between comics.  And this is fine.  But if you notice my shelf has two on the end not in the display. These two are meant to make a scene when displayed together.  (These are DC Universe VS. Masters of the Universe #1, both covers)

Also notice, the second comic in the display is sealed...never opened.  This is the special cover of He-Man and the Masters of the Universe #1.  But the sealed packaging hangs out of the top of the display.  In fact, the comic can't go all the way down into the display panel.  Because I know I have at least one more sealed #1 to put on display, I am going to have to take another point off.

On the upside,  I can display my comics in a pleasant way for the most part, and they are evenly spaced, and they won't fall down into the daylight space behind the shelf.  Notice that comic on the end of the display.  That is an EARL NOREM!  (Earl Norem is my favorite He-Man artist.  EVER!)  I also have a Conan the Barbarian Earl Norem.  I wish they were signed!

So what is my rating?  3\5.  Do you agree?  Let me know!

SpartanNerd Sundays! Masters of the Universe...Spiritual things.

The current run of Masters of the Universe comics by DC have largely been regarded as bad by the fan community.  I disagree with "the fan community," though, and hope to see a ton more comics in this specific story.  I think it is being well grounded and the long game is being considered by the writers.  The stories are being developed by the truly masterful DC, and are even being woven into the New 52 a little.

In this article I would like to talk about some of the more spiritual ideas being presented in these comics.

ZOAR and the Sorceress

In the Masters of the Universe mini-series, (modern DC comics), Skeletor kills the Sorceress.  Issue 1 of the ongoing series begins with her funeral...and King Randor delivering her eulogy.  Prince Adam, Man-At-Arms and Teela are all discussing the Sorceress, and kind of overpowering and dismissing Randor's words as ceremonial drivel.  Randor uses Zoar's name, as we would use God's name.

Yes, the falcon form of the Sorceress.  This is the first time we have encountered this in the Master's universe.

The Sorceress is described as the "oracle," or vessel through which Zoar speaks.  We saw her appear to Adam and Teela while they were under Skeletor's spell.  The Sorceress was projecting her essence to them, doing so by denying herself food and refusing to speak with Skeletor.

Then we have issue 8, where Zoar is explored a little further.  Zoar is apparently also the Star Seed from Filmation, and also Serpos from MYP, as well as this "goddess" that the Eternians are worshipping.  Mount Zoar (an analogue of Mt. Sinai or similar) sits in the center of where the dark and light hemisphere's are divided...Clearly Zoar is a dualistic goddess.

King Randor has secret knowledge of Zoar...who is also the Star Seed.

At Mt. Zoar the survivors of Hordak's "board wipe" see ancient writing about Zoar.

Moss Man's description of Subternia is similar to Hell in Dante's Inferno

I don't like it.

As a whole, I have enjoyed these books.  I guess what I don't like about this is the equating Zoar and Serpos.  Serpos was the Evil Snake god for the Snake Men, remember?  Also, the Star Seed was more interesting as a powerful artifact.  (Hey, what about Procrustus?  Maybe he'll show in the next few issues about Subternia)

I feel the writers have thrown away a couple of opportunities here.  They could have used the Star Seed and Serpos as story elements...Now they have just condensed them.  Furthermore, they are making Zoar have a duel nature...being good and evil.

HORDAK

Hordak isn't just an awesome general or emperor of the Horde.  He is called a "demigod".  (The greek demigods were the half-man, half-god heroes, like Hercules and Perseus.)  He acts all powerful, and demands devotion from his subjects.  It isn't like Skeletor, displaying anger by taking it out on his subjects...no it is more cruel, even killing or or threatening the lives of his subjects.

Uusually we see him as a sort of spirit, and this is explored in issues 5 and 6.  Apparently the story that King Grayskull killed him and banished him to Despondos is intact in this continuity.  (In the MYP show, we see Hordak's spirit live after his body dissolves, and then he fly's through King Grayskull, mortally wounding him.  This is what is apparently intact.)  As a spirit, Hordak has amassed huge power.

In Hordak's origin book, (One of my favorites!), Hordak and Zodac are at war with one another...Horde verses Guardians, and then Hordak uses the "Armegeddon" of this war to absorb the life essence of both armies to use as power.  This is why he is so powerful!

The Eternians don't believe in Hordak at first...They think he is an imaginary fairy tale vampire.  Well he is a vampire on a grand scale, absolutely!

We see Hordak as the equivalent of Satan for Keldor, as he succumbs to temptation to use his magic to transform into Skeletor.  He needs Skeletor to do his bidding...apparently with all of the power he has, he cannot set foot on Eternia!

And there's prophecy!  Hordak see's the prophecy as him fighting his brother, Zodac, and becoming the victor, but apparently he was wrong...the perfect warrior prophesied will apparently be He-Man.

I don't necessarily like the design of the way the artists draw Hordak with a kind of Hindu design.  It looks absurd, and takes away from the way I like to think about him.

So I mostly approve, but not entirely.  What about Horde Prime...admittedly I haven't watched that much She-Ra, but I was aware of HP before there was a MOTUC figure!  What about the more technologically grounded villain we saw in the old She-Ra cartoons?  Here we have the more mystical Hordak from MYP, who was very cool, but still lacking something vintage.  But I like the "force of evil" idea that he embodies.

I hope Skeletor can overthrow him.  That would be BOSS!

Grayskull

We see King Grayskull's spirit working alongside Adam in the Forge of Eternia, using Zoar's fire to create a new sword, and costume...I think there is a humanistic element here.  Maybe an element of re-incarnation or ancestor worship.  Adam has to OWN the power himself.  Not just be the power.  He can't just expect it all to be given to him for him to be the complete master of it.  I rather like this plot point.

The Horde "capture" (destroy?) Castle Grayskull in issue 6.  The idea is that their symbol of hope is lost.  Hordak even says so himself.  The Castle has become their banner, kind of their cross.  If Grayskull more or less sacrificed himself defeating Hordak, that would be a tremendous analogy.

I approve!  Maybe we can see He-Man develop himself for once.  Usually the Sorceress gives him new powers and such.  But I like the new take.  And I like the new costume...even the new sword!


?What's ahead?

I think maybe they are successful...They get to Zoar in a few issues, and use the power as a big RESET button.

Maybe it will be like the Horde never even came.  Maybe Skeletor will be back, with his jaw intact, and maybe even Orko will be a good guy again.

But I kind of hope not.  I want to see what they can do with what they have built.

Maybe they get to Zoar, and Teela becomes that new oracle in the Sorceress' place.

Or maybe I am completely off.  They get to Zoar, and Orko is already there, ready to throw the Star Seed at them like a super-ball!

We do know that the artists from the first six books will be back.  That is a good thing.  I think issues 7 and 8 are badly drawn.  A bunch of scribble in my opinion.  Earl Norem should write them a letter!

Pandora #1, #2, and #3 comics review

When I signed up at the Tangled Web to get most of the Justice League Trinity War crossover stories, I hesitated on a couple of titles....One was Pandora,  I'm glad I went ahead and ordered it

!



Pandora was first introduced to us back in the first few issues of Justice League as their backup stories.  I spent my time scratching my head....Who was this, and why did I care?  Remember, I was new to DC, pretty much.  Then things got worse with Justice League, showcasing Cheezeball Shazam each month.

It's a good thing I have been reading the JLA stories as well....There are a lot of tie-ins.

The puzzle of Pandora is why I hesitated....But she has turned out to be a really cool character.  She is an immortal, an idea that I did not know about, but apparently there are more immortals out there in the DC universe.

So Pandora feels she needs to open the box.  In this story, Pandora's Box appears to be an alien skull, covered in gold and bearing a third eye in the middle of its head.

The box seems to possess people who touch it, and they turn evil, but it wears off after they drop the box.  People as "good" as Superman and Wonder Woman.  On the other hand, it makes Vandal Savage (another immortal) remorseful....to the point of crying.

Without giving away too many plot points, Pandora is on a quest to kill the seven deadly sins, who are spirits guiding humanity in evil throughout history.  For thousands of years, she's not been able to slay them.  Not even hurt them.  And they call her mother, which has to be bad.

One cool thing she is doing is having a weapons maker inscribe runes and stuff on her guns.  I GUESS the idea is to enchant the weapons so they can kill the spirits.  It seems to be pointless though....another example of her failure.

So she released the sins, (who killed her tribe), became cursed and immortal, and flounders in trying to stop the sins, then trains to try and fight them or even kill them....Her whole life seems to be a failure.

Which is why I think I am rooting for her.

What do you think?  Comment people...I have some stuff to give away!

Aqua...zzzzz.... Follow Up

I guess I might have to eat my words.  AquaMan #22 was a very entertaining read!

This guy helped make it.

Urn, Atlantean Warden

Check out the spikes on Urn!  Maybe I just like old man warriors.  But Urn means business in this book.  I can't wait to see how he deals with The Scavenger.  I also like his attitude.

Other than this, the Dead King story also just got a lot better.  And next month will be a big fight! So bring on AquaMan #23!

Aqua zzzzzz Snore zzzzzzzz

About a year ago, I was getting ill at "The Justice League" title.  Every book had a backup story about Shazam.  Someone who I never gave a sniff to.  And the more they printed, the less I appreciated it.  All the while I was reading AquaMan, and enjoying it quite a bit.  So when it came time to renew, what did I do?  Subscribe to AquaMan.

I'm getting mad just looking at this cheese cheeseball

AquaMan has been a read that I knew little about before I jumped on the New 52 wagon, but I knew enough about him to get me going from the old "SuperFriends" cartoon.  I had seen a few images of the more wizened version, who was King of Atlantis, and looked the part, with a hook hand and all.  The new AquaMan grabbed me as a throwback to the past, with strong character emphasis.

And character is one of the reasons I read comics.  And character is one of the reasons why I hate Shazam.

There has also been a great side-story about "The Others," AquaMan's other team.  These guys are cool.  Maybe they'll become their own series.

I have stuck with Aquaman through the "Trench," "Black Manta," and "Throne of Atlantis" storylines. The Trench grabbed me.  Black Manta intrigued me. He's a great villain.  And "Throne of Atlantis" was gripping, but it ended a little flat.

And that flatness has followed into the next storyline about the zombie dead king, for about five issues.

If things don't improve, I will likely find something else to subscribe to.  YOU HEARD ME DC!

"Not fair.  They changed the outcome by measuring!"

FIRST EVER GIVE AWAY!

OK.  News this big deserves my first ever GIVE AWAY!!!!

DC NEW 52 and MOTU Crossover!!!

If you subscribe to my blog, and comment on this post by Thursday, May 16, 11:59PM Eastern Time, you will be in the running for a prize!  A sealed copy of AQUAMAN #19, plus a little bit more, comics related, not decided yet!  I will ship internationally!  Be sure you leave a way for me to contact you.

Good Luck!  I HAVE THE POWER!!!!!

Best News EVER!!!!

MOTU+DC New 52!!!!  (click to link to the story)

HE-MAN AND THE MASTERS OF THE UNIVERSE FIT RIGHT IN WITH THE NEW52 LOOK!

Do I even need to say more?

Have you been reading this blog?  If so, then you know that I am into both properties BIG TIME!

I'm going to celebrate by playing MTG tonight.  A new AZORIUS strategy!

Groovy Dork List (issue II)

Groovy Dork List II

Groovy  I got an extra Aquaman comic in the Mail!  Looks like I might have a give-away soon!

Dork  What's up with the news about a "red clear colored" Hordak figure?  So we can't have filmation colors, but we can have this weird variant, which is being offered as a rare "legendary" type figure?



Groovy  SoundGarden!  Man, I can't get enough of them it seems lately.

Dork  Too bad I can't go to the Carolina Rebellion this weekend and see them.



Groovy  I picked up some recent comics for a quarter a piece at the Edge of the World Public Library!

Dork  I haven't mentioned Free Comic Book Day yet.  Because I didn't get anything good.  They were wiped out at both the Tangled Web and Mad Max's Comics on Saturday by the time I got there.



Groovy  Rumor has it that the MOTUC subscription may be a bit cheaper this time.  I hope so.  Maybe I can subscribe and get in on some of the best stuff in MOTU.  Still to come are "Two Bad" and associated characters "Tuvarr" and "Badra," "Modulok/Multibot/Megabeast," 200x Evil Lynn, "Tongue Lasher," "Blade," "Saurod," and more, which I really want.

Dork  I don't care much for POP.  Not that I don't like it.  But that is not what I am interested in collecting.  But it appears that next year is going to have a ton of POP characters.  I personally think they should offer POP as a separate subscription.  Kind of like the Filmation Sub and the 30th anniversary sub.  And keep it MOTU vintage in the main line.  We already got our She-Ra and Cat-ra. And Bo.  Leave those other guys for the POP fans to buy.  Don't force them on those who don't want them.  Which is part of the reason I've been a cherry picker thus far.



Groovy  Baja Limon chips are SOOO GOOOD.  I picked mine up where all the cheapskates shop.  Big Lots!

Dork  The schools are encouraging Meatless Monday now.  These kids are pasty enough as it is.  Most of them are already iron deficient.  And your going to take away their meat now?  Unwise, people.  Unwise.  AND it would be different if they offered a healthy meatless choice.  Instead….Nacho Cheese?  I thought we were trying to COMBAT CHILDHOOD OBESITY!


"How can you have puddin' if ya don't eat yer meat!"

Game Review! Injustice: Gods Among Us (IOS version)

What do you get when you cross Mortal Kombat, Shadow Era, and Infinity Blade?

Injustice: Gods Among Us.      This is DC Comics newest video game release.  Since I don't have a PS#, Xbox 360, or Nintendo Wii U, I'll just give you my IOS assessment.

So I bought this game last night....and it took so long to download to my iPad Mini I waited to play it until in the morning!  However, the game was free......(We all know the catch here!  In App Purchases)

I just ignored the chance to purchase stuff at first, which is my general practice anyways, and dug into the game.  The game started me with three complimentary characters, Nightwing, The Flash, and Green Lantern (Hal Jordan).  After I won a few battles, I unlocked Catwoman.

It's been awhile since a game got me.  "It got me!" (said in Sweet Brown's voice.)

I played this game for well over an hour.  It is pretty simple.  You just tap and swipe on the screen, in a fighting style similar to Infinity Blade, but not nearly as in depth.

When you unlock characters and things, they go into your collection as "cards."  Like Shadow Era or Magic The Gathering trading cards.  Really.  And they get exhausted over time...  This keeps you recharging them with energy cards, or swapping them out with new cards that are not exhausted.  I have not run out of these energy cards yet, but I think I know where that's going.  They will eventually, and if I want to play, I will have to fork over the dough.  I have had a lot of fun for free, so far, but I liked the game enough to go ahead and buy their $4.99 special booster pack.  This got me Harley Quinn's card, Green Arrow's card, and another Flash card, this time the "regime" version.  This was the first time I noticed that there are different versions of each character.  This is a cool touch!  Regime Flash is much bigger and has a fancier costume.

I have nearly leveled my Catwoman all the way up.  I also had a tough time with the first boss, which was Hal Jordan.  But after I beat him, my characters each got a big boost in levels.

All of this is cool, except that some of the in-app purchases are very expensive.  You can unlock 1,900,000 game currency for a whopping $99.  You see, I hate this.  It makes me think I will never be able to achieve the perfect game without paying WAY TOO MUCH.  I vow not to spend any more money on this game.  I will grind my way to the top if I ever get there.  $5.00 is one thing, but $99 is just about enough to go and buy a newer console system.  I could buy the whole "Dragon Maze" Magic The Gathering set for around that price, and probably have a wealth of cards I could trade in at the comics store.  And I would have REAL CARDS.  Not digital goods only.

The best thing about this game has got to be the BEAUTIFUL GRAPHICS.  Never have the DC heroes and villains looked so realistic.  Never have they had such high resolution.  Never have they been so awesome.  This is why it is a good thing the Mortal Kombat people are on it.  They did it right!
You can see strands of hair, scales of chain mail, screws and nuts and bolts and wires.  Feathers on arrows.  This game is made by the graphics.  In fact, it makes up for a weak fighter with all of the awesome images and the cool stuff.  Isn't this kind of what makes Mortal Kombat successful?  Compared to other fighting games, MK is weak on the mechanics, etc.  But makes up for it with its coolness.  Ed Boon is bringing that same magic to this game.

Incidentally, the oldest SpartanSmurf in this house thinks this game is AWESOME!

So I am going to grade this game 8\10.  It looses a mark for being expensive.  (But paying out IS optional, it will just slow you down big time if you don't.)  And it loses a point for lack of depth as a fighting game.  Everything else is solid.  Especially the graphics.

So what is your rating?

Back to my fully restored NES!

Follow up, Follow Up! Follow Up!! to Robin Laid an Egg!

My issue came and I finally got to read it!  This issue does feature Carrie in the Robin costume, and it also features other partying friends dressed as Wonder Woman, Superman, Batman, Aquaman, (Basically a Justice League costume party).  If you have been reading this story, then you probably read the "Batman and Robin Annual."  In that book, Bruce tells Damian that he needs to work on his "Green Screen" skills.  And we see Damian trying to trick Batman into thinking he is in different locations with a Green Screen.  So this indicates that Damian either went and hired Carrie to teach him those skills, or he was already taking classes from her.  Filmography must have been an ambition of Damian's.  Damian was 10.  This girl was driving, and seems to be at least 17 years old.  So he wasn't "dating" her.  (I guess that should read "she wasn't "dating" him!)

Other details about the book....I won't spoil those, but lets just say this one went somewhere I totally didn't expect it to go!  Batman has gone nuts!

Death of the Family review

DC Comics did it right when they began the New 52 with the Joker having his face cut off......and then keeping us in suspense for a year!

Along the way, Gotham policemen pranked each other with it, Harley Quinn tried to steal the face, and had a twisted moment with it and her new boyfriend, Deadshot.

And then the Joker returned, and he didn't disappoint!  Right away he kills an entire station of Gotham policemen.  When we see him, he has his face horrifically strapped to his head, and stretched into a gruesome smile.  He spends no time catching up with Batman, and having some famous dialogue about how his "bat-family" makes him weaker.

This was also a cool trip through the New 52 origin of the Joker, (and Harley Quinn, too.)  DC portrayed the Joker as remixing his original crimes.  All of this echoed stuff from the old DC universes. Now it seems there is a solid origin story.  Batman knocked The Red Hood into a vat of chemicals, and it made him into the Joker.  That whole bit about him being a chemist also still seems to be true.

The Joker slowly picks off each Bat-Family member.  He does the biggest number on Batgirl, capturing her mom, removing her finger, and using it to propose to BatGirl.  Of course, she has to play along, or her mom will get blown up!  NightWing has his circus scared away because one of the clowns was killed for resembling the Joker.  Red Hood, Red Robin, and Robin (Damian) all get captured and thrown together in a cell.  (Damian's book was really gruesome.)  Also, Alfred was attacked and Joker Gassed.  Every Bat Family member's story ends with a suspenseful panel of the Joker holding a giant dinner platter about to open the lid....

The Bat Family is disenfranchised because apparently Bruce knew that the Joker might have figured out his identity, and thus was able to figure out everyone else's.  It is never clear exactly how he figured out all of the personal details of how to get at the family members.  But Bruce seems to think that the Joker doesn't want to know, and also blinds himself to what must be obvious to someone as brilliant as him with his insanity.   This detail is reinforced a couple of times if you think back.  In "Red Hood and the Outlaws #0" the Joker quickly cuts off someone who is trying to point out Batman's identity, etc.

I suppose that the Joker really does need Batman and Family to keep him busy.  Otherwise he could have easily killed them all off in the end.  Instead he "plays a joke" on Batman by presenting their severed faces on a platter.  (not their real faces)

How is he defeated?  Of course Batman had no trouble saving the family members.  Then when he chases down the Joker and threatens him that he has figured out his identity, Joker won't hear of it and throws himself down into the sewer, dropping his face in the process.

So far, the Bat Family members are rather irked at Bruce.  It is a wonder they won't answer his calls and stuff....Damian was just killed.  They are not helping their mentor mourn.  They are THAT MAD.

Where will this go?  I wonder about the Joker's face.  Is he going to appear as someone else, with a healthy face next?  The future is wide open on the part of the Joker.  He kind of always comes and goes, and now this won't be much different.  I wonder if a whole "Joker in disguise" storyline might be coming up.  Or maybe he will grow his face back?  Or something else?  Anyone else out there have any theories?

I think maybe DC was trying to create some space around Batman.  Give him more room.  Isn't this kind of process always going on?  Now he doesn't even have an official Robin.  Batman is working alone for the most part.  It won't be long though before the family is close again, so.....

So what do you think, Hub City Geeks?  Comment!  Join the show!  Make my little blog grow!  Increase the traffic flow!  Come on nerds Disco! (DISCO, DISCO DUCK!)

Robin Laid an Egg follow-up.......

A friend recklessly spoiled who the new Robin is to me....before I got my book in the mail.  And my guesses were entirely wrong.

I should have seen this coming, though.  Didn't they recently release "The Dark Knight Returns" on video?  I haven't seen it.

So welcome to the New 52, Carrie Kelly.  I suppose that wasn't too much of a spoiler for anyone.  It is Thursday, after-all.  Maybe if ANYONE OUT THERE EVER READS THIS, I might receive a comment, even a complaint!

 Follow up to the follow up, I read some more news.....It seems that Carrie actually MIGHT NOT be Robin after all.    I guess we gotta keep reading.  I can't wait until my issue comes in the mail!

Groovy Dork list

So I am going to create a new feature....The Groovy Dork list!  You'll see how it works.  Also, I'm experimenting with pictures!


GROOVY  Detective Comics #19 is 80 pages!  Because I am a subscriber, that is a 600% value!

DORK    Anyone heard the song "Icky Thump" by the White Stripes?  I know it isn't a new song, but I listened to it in its entirety yesterday when it played on 93.3 The Planet a few days ago.  This is seriously the worst song I think I have ever heard.  And I have a degree in music!  I am a lover of nearly all things RAWK.  But this is just wrong.  Give my my noise rock, death metal, Ben Folds FIve, Weezer, oldies, classic, whatever.  But not this.  My ears are infected now after hearing that.

GROOVY    Batman #19 came with a special cover for subscribers, and included a free digital copy!

DORK     Alysia?  Really?  Maybe she was being sarcastic?  I am referring to Batgirl #19.  Was this really necessary?  Now I have to keep this away from my children until they are older.  It's a good story, though.

GROOVY    The Russell Stover's S'more cookie is over the top!  I got one from the Dollar General Market here at the edge of the world.

DORK    I have lost lots of Magic The Gathering matches.....I probably don't have a good shot tomorrow either, with my four color humans and angels deck.  But I am a slave to my habit.  So I'll eat my candy with my pork and beans, and drive myself over to Mad Max's tomorrow night.  Maybe I can post this as GROOVY sometime.

Robin Laid an Egg.....

So who is the new Robin going to be?  We know that there WILL BE a new Robin.....after all, they haven't announced a cancelation of the Batman and Robin title.  Lots of speculation flying around.  Here are the leading theories, in no ranking order, but starred for clarity.  Pro's and cons after each one.

*     Tim Drake.  Lots of fans love Tim!  He was Robin for like, 20 years!

Pro.  Lots of fans like Tim.  Pro.  The current Teen Titan's is a crappy title.  Keep Tim around.  reassign the others.

Con.  Same ol'  Same ol'.


*     Stephanie Brown.

Pro.  The writers have pretended to forget Stephanie.  It's like she hasn't happened in the New 52.

Con.  I don't see a con to this one.  A blond girl Robin.....I LOVE IT!


*      Harper Row

Pro.  She's "current...."

Con.  Is she really a "fan favorite?"  Or is that a load of hype?


*     Harper Row's brother  (Andy?  Don't have the book handy for reference)

Pro.  Once again, he's "Current"

Con.  I see no appeal so far.  He hasn't done anything except be a victim.


*     Damien Wayne

Pro.  I miss him already.  So do other people.

Con.  Can the story grow?  How soon?  Will the rest of Batman and Robin for the next year be devoted to his resurrection?  That would be fitting for Damien.

Con.  The writers say they don't have current plans to bring him back.


*     Jason Todd/ Red Hood

Pro.  This would be interesting.  It would be a way for Batman and Jason to BOTH get one over on the Joker.

Con.  Would we lose the Red Hood?


My thoughts.


Of the above, I hope the whole Harper Row and her brother thing becomes it's own separate story arc.  But neither of these seem to be Robin worthy.  I hate Harper's design.  I don't care for the Bull Nose Ring she has adorning her boogers.  Hey, I had pink hair once.  But her purple hair (his too) just detracts from the character.  It is distracting.  An even worse move would be to make her brother into Robin.  This would SURELY grab headlines.  A gay Robin.  Oh yeah.  This is EXACTLY what I am afraid they are going to do though, for shock value, and publicity.  They are going to hurt Harper, or kill her, and Andy will step up and avenge her by becoming Robin.  He has been a victim so far, so they have plenty of room to develop him.  Think I am being unfair?  Just look at what happened with Miles Morales.  They chose an "ethnic" Spider-Man for the headlines.  But the Gay angle might not even work out as well.  We already have a gay Green Lantern in Earth 2, and a Batwoman. (Look how well these two are loved...they aren't) Harper has a real Lesbian vibe, this hasn't been explored, but so far the brother has been confirmed homosexual.  I like their two stories.  I even like their characters.  I just don't want to see either one of them fill the hole that is left behind after the great job Damien did.

Most of all, I hope they bring Jason Todd back as Robin.  Again, this would be a great joke on the Joker!  Maybe he wouldn't even have to stop being the Red Hood.  He has already put on a "Wingman" costume, apparently in Batman Inc.  He would slide right into the role, with demons to fight similar to Damien's.  He would be edgy as well.  Batman would try and reign him in, and probably be successful.  Did anyone else read "Red Hood and the Outlaws" #18?  I read that thing three times.  Bruce's fatherly embrace of his adopted son was heart wrenching.  Here we have two family members torn apart by tragedy, being brought back together by more tragedy.  And Bruce was showing real love here.  He could have only learned that by raising Damien.  He could only show this in the context of losing Damien and having a severely wounded Jason.  This would be a true continuation of Jason Todd's story.  And maybe many people who were so torn up about this back in the early 1990's would come back and listen.  We could see a Batman who has grown from losing two Robins, both of them his sons.  But he gets a second chance with one.  For real.

What about the others?  I don't know why the writers are so allergic to Stephanie Brown.  I fear it is because she is the "anti-Harper," if Harper is to become the next girl Robin.  This could be a chance to bring her up to date, though.  They could have retconned her existence for a reason...They wanted a re-do.  Like all of the other heroes pretty much got.  She's cuter than Harper.  She doesn't have an innocent background, though, with the whole "teenage pregnancy" scandal.

And what about Tim.  I just don't see it happening.  I see Tim becoming like Dick.  He will be his own hero.  Sort of like he has been as Red Robin.  I think some people would like it.  I liked Tim as Robin, in the few books I had of Robin back in the 1990's.  I also liked him in the cartoons.

Hey, it could be somebody else.  Who knows.  Maybe more flashpoint timewarps will happen, and Dick will be it.  Maybe all the other Bat Family will disappear into a fog.  I don't want to see this.  But hey, it's comics.

So in order, my favorite to least favorite picks for a new Robin

1.  Damien Wayne
2.  Jason Todd
3.  Stephanie Brown
4.  Tim Drake
5.  Harper Row
6.  "Brother" Row
7.  A combination of the twin Rows, both as Robins.  (Didn't mention this above.  It could happen.)

So we begin,,,,at an ending

I figure I will start with thoughts about Requiem, the current Bat story arc.  This is still ongoing, and I will cover it as more is revealed.  When I have nothing to say, I will cover back issues and such.

I have followed Damien and Batman for 18 issues....That is a year and a half.  And have grown sort of attached to the little guy.  At first I was like, "Hmmm......This new Robin is Batman's son."  At first I thought this was a New 52 change, but learned later that what changed was not Robin, but Batman, back into Bruce Wayne.  Prior to Flashpoint, Dick Greyson was Batman in the "old 52."

Anyway, I like seeing Robin act darker than Batman.  This was a twist!  And I followed them and looked forward to this book even more than the other Bat books.....next closest good story on the shelf was the TMNT reboot.

And we saw Damien grow more docile.  He gained more control.  He acted...less...bratty.  He still disobeyed and left the house constantly....Isn't that what Jason and Tim did too?  (and Stephanie Brown....OOPS, I said the "S" word!.  DC's gonna shut down this blog!)

Kidding aside, After I read Batman Inc. #8 in digital form... (I mentioned earlier that I missed the issue. Go back and read lazies......)   After seeing the manner in which they killed him off, it was way too easy.  Robin deserved a few issues worth of a death scene.  Didn't Jason get that?  And a fan vote?  Even Stephanie's death was over one issue.  They give Damien a few panels, a death scene with a psycho crying mom and Batman dad both in tears.  And that's it.  BAM.  Batman is in a rage in the other issues we read.  There is a very small funeral.

Here's what irks me.  TO NO END.

We had that HUGELY ANTICIPATED "Death of the Family" story.  A years worth of suspense concerning the Joker.  A huge crossover event.  A game changer!  Highly publicized.  Highly advertised.  Highly effective.  Highly emotional.  Epic story.  Epic ending.

No mention of a Death of Robin.  No "A Death in the Family," like Jason had.  No gang war like Stephanie had.  Just a big guy with a sword.  Stab.  That's it.  RIP Robin.  This is wrong. wrong in the worst way.  And the art in that book TOTALLY STANK.  (One of the reasons I wasn't reading Batman Inc.)

It reminds me of the hollow ending of Spawn #100, all those years ago, when Spawn beheads Malebolgia.  You had 100 issues of this all powerful bad guy.  And Spawn steals an angel's (Angela's if I remember correctly)  weapon and does the deed in like, one page.  The end.  Thanks for your business.

It reminds me of....Almost nothing else!  It was horrible treatment of a great character.  Which deserved a lot more grandiose of a send off.  Or NOT!  Why not keep him?  We still have Tim!  He never died!

And how many more Robins are they gonna kill off?  Isn't this getting old?

So Damien could come back to life.  That isn't the current plan.  We already Lazarus Pitted Jason Todd.  (I am warming up to this....I was pretty resistant at first, but the character of Red Hood has grown on me.)  Something else freaky could bring him back...This is comics after all.  But I think something else is going to happen entirely, and I am not going to like it.  So I am following this post with another post about conjecture for what is going to happen next....Since I am on a roll, I will go ahead and do that today!  Thanks readers, and Reeders!

SpartanNerd

How I see comics......

          The SpartanNerd is a bit of a cheapskate.  So his comics come by the old fashioned snail-mail.....(I save a little money that way.)  Such is the way of a breeder.  What does this mean for a blog about comics?  Well, it means that after ComicVine, Pop Culture Network, and whoever else has already reviewed them, I will have my two cents to add....Literally two cents.  On a RARE occasion, I will get a book on the Wednesday that it comes out.  Sometimes, I get them over two weeks late.  This sucks pretty bad....

          So what books am I subscribed too?  I jumped on DC Comics The New 52 wagon when all that news dropped.  I began buying the digital books.  This was OK, but I missed the nostalgia of owning the actual paper books I stockpiled as a kid, thus the subscriptions.  I started here because 1) Marvel messes around too much with Spider-Man, who I love just as he was in the 1990's pre-clone          Todd MacFarlane era, 2. Big Iconic characters that used to be too intimidating with a 50 year back-story...such as Batman and Superman, would now be more accessible.  3.  It seemed like a good place to start with stuff I wasn't SOOO familiar with in the first place.  So I subscribed to five titles that I read the most.  Detective Comics, Batman, Batman and Robin, Action Comics, and Justice League.  I have since dropped Justice League (too much Shazam) and picked up Aquaman.  Why no Batman: The Dark Knight?  I didn't care for the art, but I have picked up a couple of the books.

           It also turns out that here at the edge of the world there are a couple of fine establishments that sell comics, closest to me is Mad Max's Comics and Games, but also on the west side of Sparkle City there is the highly regarded and established Tangled Web.  I STILL find myself darkening comic store doors on Wednesdays and weekends.  What books do I pick up?  Believe it or not, Batgirl!  I started reading Justice League of America.  I bought Ninja Turtles for awhile.  I picked up every Masters of the Universe comic I could.  I also bought a major haul of books from a Tangled Web recently in a doorbuster sale.  I grabbed almost every associated title that went with "The Court of the Owls," and "Death of The Family" when those stories were hot.  I also began reading the new Thor book, which has been pretty cool so far.

           Part of my thinking in this was of course that I would not miss any important details.  So How did I miss THE DEATH OF DAMIAN WAYNE/ROBIN?  DC really ticked me off on this one.  Here I am a near hardcore fan of Batman, loving the whole New 52 take on Robin....And they kill him off in the one book I haven't been reading.....Batman Inc.  AND I find out by reading Batgirl...which I picked up at the store thinking it would be spoiler free (even though it said "Requiem" on the cover?  That was cold, DC Comics.)

          In the next few posts over the next few days, I will try to bring anyone who cares.... (anyone out there?)......up to date on what I have thought about each of my regular titles.  I might just distill the Bat books down into their story elements of Court of the Owls, Death of the Family, and Requiem.  I'll address Justice League, Superman, and some of the other books I have picked up as well.  Stay tuned, Hub City Geeks!

SpartanNerd