High Ideas: Batman Incorporated #10 Review

Editor’s Note: Criminals are a cowardly, spoilered lot…

On my initial readthrough of Batman Incorporated #10, I was fully prepared to lower the boom on writer Grant Morrison. Here’s why.

Did you ever get really drunk or high and have an epiphany? One of those moments where, seriously under the influence of something, you realize something that is so seemingly obvious that you can’t believe nobody else ever came up with the idea, yet so seemingly transcendant and perfect that you firmly and totally believe, in your stupor, that your idea will change things deep down at their core? So you stumble around and you find a piece of paper and a pen and you write it down… and then you wake up in the morning, praying for relief and wondering if you should consider shaving your tongue, and you find the piece of paper… and it says something like “pizza beer.” Or maybe “Dorito-flavored rolling papers.” And you look at that piece of paper, and you think, “Yeah, that’s a pretty obvious idea… but it’s also really kind of obviously stupid,” and you chuck the piece of paper and you lurch into the sunlight, looking for greasy food.

In a bunch of ways, Batman Incorporated #10 lives and dies by that kind of late-night, shitfaced, obvious idea that never survives the harsh light of day… except Morrison missed that part where you sober up and realize that the whole concept is a little on-the-nose and kinda dumb.

Yeah, I was ready to do that. And on a lot of levels, I still am: the final reveal on the last page (not like it’s much of a reveal, given the book’s WTF gatefold cover that gives up the ghost before page one) simply stinks of a guy ripped to the tits on absinthe and psilocybin screeching, “Wait a second, wait a second and hear me out… what if Batman… actually was a bat? Stop laughing and gimme that one-hitter…” But with that said, there’s some decent imagery here, a tease that some characters we saw months ago might come back into play in an unexpected way, and a tease that Talia might be facing some trouble on all fronts.

But that ending really should’ve been held until someone sobered up, man.

Healing Factor: Boston Comic Con Rescheduled For August 3 and 4

The Boston Comic Con was originally scheduled to take place last weekend at the Hynes Convention Center on Boyston Street in Boston. Unfortunately, the event was abruptly postponed last Friday, due to the usual mundane and obvious reasons a convention gets put off: some douchenozzle blew up the street upon which the venue was scheduled, and then spent Friday, to paraphrase Stephen Colbert, trying to make a dazzling escape from law enforcement on a landlocked boat.

It might sound like a small thing to reschedule a relatively small city comic convention – Boston’s a big town, and the Boston Comic Con has become quite a little convention, but it’s still only about four years along from being an old school, buy-your-back-issues-and-get-out convention as advertised on late night UHF channels) – but you’d be surprised. In talking with the owner of my local comic store, where they know me by name and ask me to stop referring to myself as “The Comic Con,” I was told that the biggest problem with rescheduling was finding a venue. Apparently the Hynes Center is fully booked pretty much a year ahead of time, and there simply aren’t all that many venues in town of the right size to book a thing like this. In a lot of ways, you either have a hotel’s function room (which holds about 90 people), the TD Banknorth Garden (which holds about 15,000 people), or you just wait for the Hynes to have an open spot on the calendar.

So while I held onto my advance tickets (which the convention assured us would be accepted for any alternate dates) to show the people so desperately trying to give this town a decent convention that some of us were pulling for them, I was fully expecting to eventually hear that the convention was being cancelled until next April.

Yeah, I was wrong.

NEW DATE: August 3-4! NEW VENUE: Seaport World Trade Ctr! Details on the website! Tell your friends! bostoncomiccon.com #comicmarket

— Boston Comic Con (@BostonComicCon) April 27, 2013

Okay, so they’re having a convention. But that doesn’t mean that any of the originally-scheduled special guests or artists are gonna show up, right?

Oh, you’d be surprised.

Cowboy Up: Dark Horse Releasing New Chapter of Darrow’s Shaolin Cowboy

Artist Geoff Darrow is a personal favorite here at the Crisis On Infinite Midlives Home Office. We’ve got a first print copy of Hard Boiled with a sketch by Darrow in it from the Boston Comic Con a couple of years ago – I walked up and waited while he was talking to somebody else, and he grabbed the issue out of my hands and started sketching in the front cover to illustrate a point to the guy, without even having to be asked – and we also have a big inked sketch of Nixon from Hard Boiled, the Big Guy from Big Guy And Rusty The Boy Robot, and Shaolin Cowboy.

Sadly, Shaolin Cowboy was the big gap in my actual reading of Darrow’s books. We missed it when it was initially released by Burlyman Comics back in 2005 (only one store in the area carried that imprint in any numbers, and it wasn’t our local comic store, where they know me by name and ask me to stop begging the paying clientele to show me their Burlyman), and it has been pretty out of print for a while since.

However, that is now a thing of the past. Dark Horse Comics announced this week that they’ll be releasing a new installment of the story this coming October.

There aren’t a lot of details available at this point beyond that, but Dark Horse has release the first two variant covers to the series, which you can check out after the jump.

The Uncle Ben Incident: Ultimate Comics Spider-Man #22 Review

Editor’s Note: Bitten by a stolen, genetically-altered spoiler that have him incredible, arachnid-like powers… to irritate people.

Finally, we’re getting somewhere.

Between the slow and decompressed start of Ultimate Comics Spider-Man back in late 2011 and the leisurely dealing with Miles’s uncle the douchebag cat burglar and the unfortunate and misguided intervention of the whole United We Stand crossover across the entire Ultimate Comics line, it has felt like there has been something missing from Miles’s story. That thing being a real and clear motivation for his being Spider-Man.

Sure, we got the ephemeral sense that Miles understands that his power arose from his uncle’s bad acts, and that he feels a responsibility and sense of awe toward the legacy and reputation of Peter Parker… plus that, you know, he gets a kick out of being Spider-Man. But there has never been a simple, bright-line-in-the-sand motivation for him to actually be Spider-Man in the way that other superheroes have. You know, Parents Killed In Front Of Him, or On A Mission Of Peace From Themyscira. Or, you know, Let The Man Who Killed His Uncle Go Free.

Well, 19 months in, we finally have a moment that fits the bill. Ultimate Comics Spider-Man #22 closes out with a gutpunch of a moment that meets all the emotional criteria for someone to, beyond all reason, pull on a pair of spandex pants and not only go out in public wearing them, but wear them battling criminals and monsters. It is emotional, it is effective… and it is a credit to writer Brian Michael Bendis that the moment is not a simple, “Now I shall become a $ANIMAL!” point of departure for a standard, if well belated, origin story.

Big Wheel Keep On Turning

Last week was one of those weeks that moves a litle faster than most. And while it was a week with some decent comic books, it was hard to focus on them when Amanda and I knew that there was a mad (if not particularly talented) bomber somewhere in a ten-beer pissing range.

But that madness is all over now, and it is not only New Comics Night, but it is New Comics Night on one of those odd weeks when there are a legitimate shit-ton of new issues of not only old favorites, but a bunch of actual new and interesting comics as well.

All of which is an roundabout way of saying that the Boston-based D-List supervillain team of The Dzhokhar and The Speedbump are no longer an issue, the new comic books are out, and therefore this…

…means the end of our broadcast day.

But there are a ton of new issues of some very decent regular series here. We’ve got one of the last issues of Joshua Hale Fialkov’s generally good I, Vampire, new issues of Jonathan Hickman’s Avengers and New Avengers (plus a new issue of Uncanny Avengers by Rick Remender), new issues of DC’s Flash, Justice League Dark and All-Star Western, plus Jupiter’s Legacy, the new book by Mark Millar and Frank Quitely, plus a bunch of other good-looking stuff!

But before we really talk about any of them, we need some time to review them. So until then…

…see you tomorrow, suckers!

Intellectual Property Expansion: Marvel Studios News Roundup

It has been a big couple of days for news out of Marvel Studios – or at least potential news out of Marvel Studios.

First of all, it has been announced that Lee Pace has been hired to play the antagonist in James Gunn’s Guardians of The Galaxy, to which I think I speak for many of us when I utter a resounding: “Who?” And before you start: yeah, yeah; I know Pace played Thranduil in Peter Jackson’s The Hobbit, but I’m gonna go on record as not having seen it. We all know full well that Jackson will release a nine-hour extended version of the flick on Blu-Ray, and I’m holding out for that version. Anyway, it has not yet been announced exactly who the bad guy in Guardians of The Galaxy is going to be yet. With the reveal of Thanos during the credits of The Avengers, it doesn’t seem like Marvel Studios would shoot that wad just yet, but the Chituari are probably still floating around somewhere, as are the Kree (and what better way to introduce, say, Captain Marvel for Marvel Studios’ Phase Four?)… and considering Pace read for the Star Lord part, maybe we’re looking at Mar-Vell here. Or considering the presence of Rocket Raccoon, possibly a snap-on trash can lid.

Second: Marvel Studios’ President of Production Kevin Feige has confirmed that they have reclaimed the movie rights to Daredevil from Fox. Fox released the 2003 Ben Affleck version of Daredevil (and I still maintain that the director’s cut DVD version of that flick is at least a little underrated), and the terms of that deal stated that Fox had ten years to put a sequel or a reboot into production or lose the whole shooting match. And they came close – last year, director Joe Carnahan pitched a grindhousey version to be set in 1973 with a pretty damn cool-looking sizzle reel… that he then released online after Fox spiked the deal.

Keeping The Demon In The Bottle: Why Iron Man 3 Isn’t About Stark’s Drinking

Remember how the very first time we saw Tony Stark in Iron Man, he was holding a glass of scotch? And how he brought a portable bar to the weapons test? And how, in Iron Man 2, Tony got drunk, pissed in his own suit in front of God and everybody, and then blew up his own party? And remember how, as a comic book fan (which I presume you are if you came across this Web site), you were excited about all this groundwork being laid to seemingly eventually bring us a movie adaptation of the classic David Michelinie and Bob Layton arc from Iron Man, Demon In A Bottle, from back in 1979?

And do you remember how empowering it was to think that finally the general public would see a superhero that spoke to you – a stumbling, reckless drunk who is able to overcome being unable to perform basic motor tasks while packing a powerful repulsor… and by “repulsor,” I, of course, mean “personal odor”? You remember that feeling? Just me? Hello, is this thing on?

Anyway, whether you were hoping for a reproduction of a classic comic book storyline, or for a kids’ adventure movie that might lead to children pointing at you as you leave a bar and screech, “Iron Man!” rather than “Stranger Danger!”, you ain’t getting it in Iron Man 3, Apparently the corporate overlords at Disney were somewhat uncomfortable with the idea of a superhero movie where the most demanded tie-in action figure was the variant with “Action Vomit!”

Blindly Following A Old Trope… In A Good Way: Daredevil #25 Review

Editor’s Note: Amateur. You carry your spoilers like a blind man. Leaves you vulnerable in seven ways.

Mark Waid’s run on Daredevil has been pretty universally solid, with a few missteps along the way – whether we needed another “drive Matt Murdock insane” story like we got a few months ago is an open question, and that whole “throw Foggy out a high window… as a faint to have some schmo with a scalpel kill him in front of witnesses” plan probably could have used an extra day or two on the drawing board. But in general, those moments are outnumbered by good, and sometimes great, moments and stories.

But then there are times when Waid just fucking outdoes himself. I’m not sure how into this whole greater Unknown Mastermind With A Master Plan To Break Matt Murdock greater storyline I am – again, it’s something that’s been done by at least three Daredevil writers I can think of off the top of my head – but the particular story of Daredevil #25, with this particular antagonist, has a progression and an arc and a final twist reveal that is simply magnificent.

Don’t get me wrong, the antagonist himself is only okay – every writer of superhero comics ever has at least toyed with the idea of a villain who is the evil version of the hero (Bizarro / Owl-Man / Kaine / Sinestro / Faith anyone?) – but that final twist reveal? Man, that’s enough to forgive going to that villain well.

Loki Walks Into A Bar And Throws Three Nails On The Desk: Tom Hiddleston Up To Play The Crow

It was a long night in Boston last night; between the cops putting the arm on the surviving Boston Massacre bomber right around the time they lifted the lockdown, and the cancellation of the Boston Comic Con (meaning we suddenly didn’t need to get up early this morning), well, much liquor was consumed.

So our energy levels are low today – and I swear, this will be the last time that we use the weirdness of the past six days to plead for anemic levels of content here (although we might come up with something else) – but we found this interesting item that is either really promising news for the movie, or a wretched and ill-advised portent of doom for the actor: apparently Tom Hiddleston, the guy who played Loki in Thor and The Avengers, is going out for a role in another superhero movie.

Problem is, that role is of The Crow, in the remake of the 1994 Brandon Lee movie of the same name.

Hoo, boy.

Return of The Dzhokhar

Update, 4:10 p.m.: Boston Comic Con just announced that this weekend’s convention has been cancelled:

ATTENTION: Boston Comic Con has been cancelled. We will try to reschedule for a later date. Thank you for your support & understanding.

— Boston Comic Con (@BostonComicCon) April 19, 2013

The full message from Boston Comic Con, including details on rescheduling and refunds:

Due to the unfortunate events that have transpired here in Boston, a city wide lock down has been put into effect until further notice causing The Hynes Convention Center to suspend all events until further notice. As such, The Boston Comic Con has been posponed [sic] and will be rescheduled to a date sometime in 2013.

All people who purchased advanced tickets on line will have their tickets honored at the rescheduled show. We will notify you of that date. If for some reason, you can not come to the show on that date, we will refund your ticket.

Please, we ask for your patience, understanding, and cooperation.

We appreciate your loyalty, and continued support for The Boston Comic Con. Unfortunately, this situation is beyond our control.

We stand with all Bostonians and hope that current events are resolved quickly and a degree of normalcy can be returned to our city.

Thanks a lot, you cowardly, mad-bombing, cop-killing douchecanoe.

————-

Yes, the Crisis On Infinite Midlives Home Office is in the lockdown area because of the manhunt for the missing Boston Marathon bomber, roughly walking distance from where last night’s shootout with the prick occurred. As such, we are a bit distracted from normal comics news today (but not so distracted that we didn’t notice that “Dzhokhar” is uncomfortably close to being pronounced, “Joker”).

However, we are still anticipating that a single 19-year-old untrained dipshit will either be found dead or rounded up by the cops in time to allow tomorrow’s Boston Comic Con to proceed as scheduled – and as of this writing, it is still scheduled.

We are still continuing with this weekend’s convention under the assumption today’s situation is temporary. Apologies for any inconvenience.

— Boston Comic Con (@BostonComicCon) April 19, 2013

We are still preparing to attend and cover both days of the convention, so watch this space for that coverage… or for news of whether the status of the convention changes.