Wednesday Review! Teen Titans #1 & Batman: The Dark Knight #1

So, guess what guys, it's Wednesday again! I actually remembered to do this, too...be proud! So, this week, I'm reviewing Teen Titans #1 and Batman: The Dark Knight #1. So, without further ado...Squa-de-la, we are off!

So, I've been interested in reading Teen Titans #1 since I saw the insert for The New 52, largely because Tim is the swan queen it looked interesting. It starts off well enough, with a Kid Flash that, I'm pretty sure is supposed to be Bart Allen, but looks strikingly like a young Wally West. He causes some trouble, which sets the stage for the introduction of Tim, putting his mad detective skills to work in front of multiple TV screens. (Actually, when I first saw Tim looking at all the different news feeds, I thought he was a new villain they were introducing XD) Tim meets some baddies and gains info that sets him off to find Cassie, she's rather defensive around him, but doesn't outright punch him out. Although, to be fair, if I were her and were approached by a teenage boy with retractable, mechanized wings(They actually do serve a purpose other than making him look ridiculous)....I'd be kinda wary myself. Superboy only gets a cameo on the last page and they aren't actually anything resembling a team yet, but they've introduced some plot devices that intrigue me enough to find out what happens next.

I actually hadn't planned on picking up Batman: The Dark Knight, but when I picked up Teen Titans I saw it there and thought it looked interesting enough, so I got it. The events leading up to the creation of Batman Incorporated have happened and Bruce is giving a speech on fear at some benefit, which is part of his internal dialogue throughout. He has a confrontation with a member of the GCPD, which may stir up an interesting conflict. Something malfunctions in the maximum security wing of Arkham and there is a new spin put on an old foe. The story ends with a question, and possibly an interesting brawl for Batman to kick of the next issue. All in all, it was a pretty decent story and I guess we'll just have to wait and see where it goes.

So, there you have it! Another week, another comic book review. I can hardly wait for next month to see what happens in all the lovely #2 issues of all these fabulous titles.

Wednesday Review! Nightwing #1 & Red Hood and the Outlaws #1 (Geek Rage!)

So, I've decided that every Wednesday after my weekly trip to buy comics, I'm going to post a review of what I've read. I'll try to keep it fairly free of spoilers, unless I've clearly marked it, but I might slip up...sorry in advance, if I do. The first Wednesday of the month will probably be me reviewing an old comic that I've really liked or disliked, because I'm not currently following any titles that come out at that time. Having said that I'm assuming that most people out there know that DC comics recently 'rebooted' their entire line. So there are 52 new #1 that all come out this month. So, I will be starting with this weeks new comics, Nightwing #1 and Red Hood and the Outlaws #1. Last weeks new comics, perhaps will be the subject of my first Weds of October blog.

Warning, the following blog may contain minor spoilers for Nightwing #1 and Red Hood and the Outlaws #1. That being said, continue at your leisure...

Ok, so I, on a weekly basis, make the 40 block trek from my university campus to the closest comic book store and back. This week I was all jazzed up about Nightwing, Red Hood and the Outlaws, and Teen Titans: Games. I was a little wary of the reboot titles at first, due to the massive amount of internet panic, but after reading Batman and Robin, and Green Arrow last week I was feeling more re-assured that nothing too drastic had changed. So, I get there shortly after my classes end for the day and go to the shelves where the new releases are. Right away I snatch up Nightwing and Red Hood and the Outlaws. I scan the shelves for the other, can't find it, talk to the cashier; find out it's sold out. Sure, whatever, that's understandable, I mean it's been anticipated for what, over 20 years, I should have expected this. He says they should be getting more in, so that's all good, right? That isn't where my rage is, I mean I totally get that, this was just a little prelude, and you'll actually have to suffer a little longer to find out where my rage lies. So, I walk back to campus and find a nice spot to curl up with my new comics, sit down, and grab them out of my bag.

I open up Nightwing #1 and it's great, Dick's being himself, hanging out, doing flips and such (I still prefer his blue costume with the fingerstripes, but it's not a deal-breaker). There's one rather violent-looking panel within the first few pages that confuses me, but other than that I loved it. Haly's circus is in town and he goes to catch up with some old friends. A new villain shows up, convinced that Dick Grayson is a murderer, but doesn't know that Dick is Nightwing. All in all, I thought it was a great read, it make me giggle at a few points, but I might be a little biased, seeing as there is a high chance if a story has Dick Grayson in it, I'll read it, because he's just such a fun character. My favourite part (Don't read this next part unless you want a spoiler, continue on to Red Hood and the Outlaws) was when the current acrobats convince Dick to go up on the trapeze and he is just generally spectacular, and really enjoys himself, but remembers that he can't make it look too good otherwise they might get suspicious...

So, then I move on to Red Hood and the Outlaws, which I had been not so secretly been calling Jason and the Ginger Squad, since they were all gingers (Jason only on occasion). I was in high spirits since I'd read an interview in the back of Nightwing that sounded really promising. So, I crack it open and grin, Jason was fabulous (and not a ginger), Roy was fabulous (and has new tattoos?), their banter was great, and then Kori....Kori was...highly disappointing. It seemed to me like she was basically only there to prance around practically naked and drag either of the boys off to the bedroom. (Spoilers for why. Turn away now if you want it to be a surprise) Apparently no one wants her on Earth and humans don't really register in her mind. So, she remembers none of the Titans, even Dick, who at the beginning of NTT, she was totally swooning over, I mean sure, nothing wrong with her getting over him (That's only half-true, I'm still a huge RobStar shipper XD) but to have humans not even register as important...that just seems stupid to me. She doesn't recognize any of the names Roy tells her, and then tells him she's bored and they should go have sex. Roy's reaction to this is to ask about Jason, he'd hinted earlier that the two of them were...intimate. She tells him that she's free to do what she wants, when she wants, with who she wants...I really hope they give her characteristics later on in the series that are at least somewhat redeeming...because seriously...if all she does is have sex with Jason and Roy, be a living weapon, and prance around wearing basically nothing, it's going to get old really quickly.

So, there you have it...that is my rage! Will I pick both of these up again next month, yeah, but I won't be rooting for Starfire...which makes me sad, because she was my fave character in Teen Titans (the cartoon). But yeah, if you want to hear more, or have opinions to share on these or other rebooted titles, leave a comment. I love chatting about comics ^_^