The Life and Times of Tim Drake - Part 6

Robin II #1(of a 4-issue Limited Series)
“The Funniest Thing Happened...”
Creative Team:
Chuck Dixon – Writer
Tom Lyle- Penciller
Bob Smith – Inker

It was a no-brainer for DC Comics to follow-up their successful Robin miniseries. Considering the first one was a hit, they milked this cow for all its worth, in the form of variant covers, with holograms to boot. The quality of these so-called 'enhancements' leave a lot to be desired though, since the holographic image was processed from a 2-D drawing instead of a sculpted image. The result is a flat, boring image. The artists they chose to do the variants are also very hit-and-miss. However, the regular, un-enhanced covers are brilliantly done by Kevin Maguire, ably stepping in for Brian Bolland. Okay, enough marketing talk. What about the story? I gotta admit, the concept is very cool: Tim's first encounter with the Joker, who, remember, murdered Tim's predecessor Jason Todd. For the umpteenth time, the Joker escapes Arkham Asylum and kidnapped Osgood Pellinger, a computer genius, in order to plunge Gotham into a technological-induced Chaos. The story takes place during the “Idiot Root” storyline in which Batman went to South America. So, Robin's alone. This issue also introduced us to Ives and Hudson, Tim's nerdy high-school buddies, along with Karl Ranck, the residentjock. You can't tell from their appearance here, but all three would play a huge part in later stories. Anyway, Tim investigates Dr. Pellinger, and his first meeting with the Joker is unsettling indeed. The issue ends with Tim wondering what would happen if the Joker realize that Batman is not in Gotham...
A solid effort for a first issue. In fact, with an interesting premise and better production values, i'd say its better than the previous mini. Once again, it's always good to see Tim interacting with Batman's supporting cast, and remember, he was still a newbie, so Commisisoner Gordon's 'disappointment' to see Robin without his mentor is understandable, especially since there's a Grade-A wacko on the loose. Tim's banter with Alfred never fails to amuse. Tim's a reasonable enough fella to realize that he's not prepared to deal with a heavyweight like the Joker. (It's good, now and again, to see a hero readily admitting he's way over his head) And this is probably the first time we see a psychoanalysis of the Tim/Robin identity (which Dixon would explore more fully in the ongoing series) Yeah! The Dixon/Lyle/Smith team returns! Great story, great art. The only complaint I have is the shameless marketing strategy.

Classic Moments:






that Joker…. What a crazy guy

Classic Comic Moments : Nextwave - Agents of HATE

This one made me laugh out loud...



Definitely one of the funniest moments in comics EVER!

The Life and Times of Tim Drake - Part 5

Robin #5 (of a 5-issue Limited Series)
“The Dark”
Creative Team:
Chuck Dixon – Writer
Tom Lyle- Penciller
Bob Smith – Inker

King Snake's preparation for the germ is coming along, and Robin, Shiva and Clyde is ready to move. Clyde wants Robin out of this, but Shiva insist Robin can make his own decisions. Tim gets into the building from the sewers, though he got discovered by security only a few minutes later. Clyde's the first one to meet King Snake, though needless to say, his anger does not do much good against him. Robin makes sure the germ-weapon is safe, then gets to the penthouse, only to discover that Clyde is already dead. Once again Robin uses his whistling-staff for misdirection, and Sir Edmund winds up holding on to the building's scaffold (Did I make this sound easy? It's not though, and kudos to Tom Lyle for a terrific fight scene) . Shiva instructed Robin to kill King Snake, but he declined. We hear a scream. I guess Shiva killed him herself. After obtaining info that there's a money shipment to Gotham, Tim goes back home to prevent the money being received and fights Lynx, who now sports an eye-patch due to a punishment by King Snake because she failed to kill Robin. Batman shows up on the last two pages. Robin's education is just beginning.
This issue is a satisfying ending to a great miniseries. The demise of sir Edmund is left ambiguous (he'll return later in Batman #467-469, also done by Chuck Dixon and Tom Lyle). On the whole, what this mini established is Tim's strength as a character. We find out that, on his own, without Batman's supervision, he's still a strong, principled person with good, solid core values. He respects his elders, he's shown his creativity in defeating his opponents, and he gets along with other people quickly and easily (quite the opposite of his predecessor, who seemed to rub the worst way with everyone). While the mini was well-received, it seemed DC was reluctant to go the whole hog and give Tim his own book immediately (we have to wait until the events of Knightfall for that) In retrospect, I think this is a good move. This way DC took their time in making sure that the readers really love Tim for who he is. They do keep the fans' appetite sated by releasing some Robin annuals and a few miniseries later on. And considering this one was such a hit, they came across a gimmick to make sure the next mini will be even more profitable... but that's another story.

Cool Panel:

The Life and Times of Tim Drake - Part 4

Robin #4 (of a 5-issue Limited Series)
“Strange Company”
Creative Team:
Chuck Dixon – Writer
Tom Lyle- Penciller
Bob Smith – Inker

Robin, Shiva and Clyde intercept the arrival of the plane containing the plague. Robin's selfless motivation [he just want to stop the plague] is at odds with the others. Clyde wants revenge, while Lady Shiva is along mostly for sport [she's a homicidal maniac]. We feel Tim's loneliness in this situation. Once they arrive in Hong Kong, Lady Shiva took it upon herself to teach Robin. Once again, Tim chooses a non-violent weapon, a collapsible Bo staff (“It collapses to fit under my cape”). Shiva mocks him for being so naïve. Tim's still holding on to his ideals (“I'm not looking for lethal”) but got whupped good by Shiva. The way Shiva sees it, only a fool fights with anger (the opposite viewpoint of Clyde). I guess Robin is confused which opinion is the best. At this point, I really do become more interested in what makes Tim tick rather than the plot itself, which is basic action-thriller stuff. Anyway, Tim tricks King Snake's security advisor by phone to give him the details concerning his building (using a pinched nose and a British accent. Cool.) On another training session with Shiva, Robin managed a good hit by distracting her with a whistle built into his bo staff. “So, the little bird has found his song”, said Shiva. An applause is in order! Once again Tim demonstrates his thoroughness and problem-solving skills. Well done, that boy. To be concluded next issue!

Classic Moment:

The Life and Times of Tim Drake - Part 3

Robin #3 (of a 5-issue Limited Series)
“The Destroying Angel”
Creative Team:
Chuck Dixon – Writer
Tom Lyle- Penciller
Bob Smith – Inker

The plot thickens. Shiva has her own reason for chasing King Snake. Since he's frequently referred as the most dangerous man in the world, Shiva thinks it's fitting that he met his female equivalent. Tim put his computer skills to good use and discover an old fortress that he thinks is a front for a secret lab.
There, Tim discovers that Lynx is not the helpless little girl he thought she was. Clyde and Tim hijack a motorcycle with a sidecar and puts his sling to good use. We found out the lab is used to create a biological weapon. Another bad news: it's Bubonic Plague. Uh oh.

Great action scenes on this one. Other than that, it's a decent issue that moves the story along very well. Sir Edmund is a bad-ass villain, with his plans involving the plague and all. Another fantastic cover by Brian Bolland.

Outstanding panel: Tim's inner child shows through:

The Life and Times of Tim Drake - Part 2

Robin #2 (of a 5-issue Limited Series)
“The Shepardess”
Creative Team:
Chuck Dixon – Writer
Tom Lyle- Penciller
Bob Smith – Inker

We pick up exactly where we left off. Tim and Clyde are busting heads. The gang retreats (they took the girl), and Robin tried to go after them, but Clyde is in bad condition, so Tim stays. The gang meets up with what appears to be their boss: some Euro-trash blonde dude with glasses and ponytail. This is Sir Edmund Dorrance. He's bad news, folks. He's dealing heroin and , we're told, is one of the most feared men in Asia. He's also known as King Snake. Robin took Clyde to his hotel. When he woke up, we're told that he's a DEA agent. Shiva shows up, just in time, since the gang (known as The Ghost Dragons) is about to ambush them. After a cool getaway scene (as shown in the cover), Tim rented a farmhouse where Clyde can recuperate. We found out the reason for Clyde being there: His wife and kids were murdered by King Snake. He went AWOL to avenge them. Clyde then taught Tim some new moves, but Lady Shiva pops in again, to tell Tim that he needs some elegance in his tutelage. The Asian girl with the gang? She's Lynx, and she's no ingenue.

Another solid issue. There's nothing to complain, except maybe that Tom Lyle's depiction of Shiva and Lynx, aside from the height and hairstyle, is kinda hard to distinguish. Being a Robin solo book does not mean there's no room for a supporting cast though. With a few information bits, Clyde became a very interesting character, and it's hard not to sympathize with him. This series is the first time i've seen Lady Shiva, and Dixon evidently likes her a lot, since she will become an important presence in the Bat-titles later. I admit, the main strand of this plot brings to mind action movies starring Van Damme or Steven Seagal, but as always, it's Robin's personality and character that shines through, no matter what situation he's in. He's a decent, level headed fella.

Outstanding panel: Tim's other endearing trait: his honesty.

The Life and Times of Tim Drake - Part 1

Robin #1 (of a 5-issue Limited Series)
“Big Bad World”
Creative Team:
Chuck Dixon – Writer
Tom Lyle- Penciller
Bob Smith – Inker


This is it, folks. After more than a year of preparation, our boy Timothy Drake officialy becomes the new Robin. Wait, no. The first appearance of Tim in the new costume is actually on Batman #457, but that was only a single-page tease (definitely worth getting though, since it was part of the “Identity Crisis” storyline. Not the Brad Meltzer one!). The opening scene of this issue picks up exactly from Batman #457. Turns out Tim doesn't exactly have the utmost confidence in being Batman's sidekick yet, but Bruce assures him that he'll do okay, he just needs an edge. Scene change : we see the appearance of Madame Shiva in Tokyo. She'll be an important part in the series (and Robin's life) later on, so pay attention. Then we see that Tim is actually going to Paris to learn an ancient form of Tibetan martial arts. He says his goodbye to his father (still in a coma) and visits his mother's gravesite.
After arriving in yhe City of Love, Tim starts training under the Rahul Lama. Actually he starts training with the Lama's grandson Shen Chi., since the Lama is a rickety old man whose sole knowledge of English is “Have a Nice Day”. Aside from the punching and kicking stuff, he learns healing arts as well. When told to pick a weapon to be taught, Tim picks the sling. The reason? “It's clean” (Shen Chi's retort? “Just like a kid. What do you expect to hit with that?” “Oh, I might do all right”, said Tim. How cool is this guy?). After that they both go to a nightclub where they met an Asian girl, who is a member of a gang of some sort. He gets beaten up a bit then changes into Robin to investigate further. He encounters a beating by the same gang on a black dude named Clyde Rawlins. They both fight the gang, not realizing that Lady Shiva is watching on the background.

My thoughts : Okay, first of all, I never thought that DC would give Robin his own mini-series! Remember, this was the early Nineties, we dont have the internet back then, so the appearance of this issue on the comic shop was a fantastic surprise. And whoo, such an excellent read. Initially, when I read the credits, I was disappointed that it's not done by Alan Grant or Marv Wolfman (his creator). Who are these Dixon and Lyle dudes anyway? I need not have worried, though. Dixon is a very good writer, and his almost-100-issues tenure on the title proved that the fans embrace his take on the character very much. Tom Lyle did a decent job too. He immediately made his mark on Tim by giving him The Hair: the cool whacked out hairstyle that distinguishes him from the previous Robin's clean-cut 'dos. (Does anyone knows who actually came up with the idea though? I'm assuming it's Lyle because in the previous appearance Tim still has that ordinary style). We got an initial taste here of what will be the golden standard for issues to come: the building rapport between Tim and Bruce (and Alfred), Dixon's fast-paced, economical story-telling, and the moments of humor.
All this, plus a brilliant Brian Bolland cover and a neat Neal Adams poster.!

Outstanding panel:
The conversation between Alfred and Tim was good, but this one made me chuckle:

When Super-Villain Trash Talk Goes Horribly Wrong

More bitch-slap? Okay…


Bonus: a display of why Superboy-Prime is the super-villain you love to hate

Classic Comic Moments : Legion of 3 Worlds

How Everyone Can Learn A Thing Or Two About Selflessness From Cosmic Boy:







Thumbs Up to Rokk Krinn of the planet Braal!

Classic Comic Moments : Astro City

No comments necessary.

" Sounds like the Beatles ?!?!?!? "

I’m so tired of people when decribing a new band’s sound, they say that “it sounds like the Beatles”. Never mind that the Beatles influenced ALL forms of music from the sixties onwards, but when someone say “sounds like the Beatles”, I want to say ‘”which Beatles sound do you mean?”

The genius of the Beatles is that, in a meagre six years, they managed a revolution in sound. Each album shows remarkable progress in songwriting and production that it’s truly a wonder that this body of work is actually done by the same people in less than a decade. Think about it: the crude, garage-y sounds of ‘Please Please Me’ is a world away from the smooth, intricate arrangements of “Sgt. Pepper’s’. The cohesion and seamlessness of ‘Rubber Soul’ is the polar opposite of ‘The White Album’’s fractured brilliance. The immaculate beat-pop workouts of ‘A Hard Day’s Night’ is an entirely different experience than the genre car-crashes of ‘Revolver’ ( Don’t you still have a chill when the psych-funk of ‘Taxman’ gave way to the string-drenched splendor of ‘Eleanor Rigby’, only to make another turn to the Indian-flavored ‘Love You To’?)

Nowadays, each strand of the Beatles’ music has its own acolytes. If you like ‘Please Please Me’, there are new bands that supply the same direct ‘live’ sound (The Bishops comes to mind). If you want ‘Rubber Soul’’s mix of melody and ornate arrangements, there’s The Red Button and The Merry Makers. If you want ‘Magical Mystery Tour’-type blend of insanity and psychedelia, there’s Super Furry Animals and latter-day Oasis.

Some of them are truly good, some not so much, but they do provide quick fixes of certain sounds once supplied by The Beatles, although not, regretfully, the innovation.

Cool Comics Characters : Billy The Butcher

The Boys, written by Garth Ennis and drawn by Darick Robertson, is the most disgusting, puerile comic book being published today.
However, it’s also one of the most fun.
And if you dig deeper beneath the nudity, the feces and other bodily fluids, it’s not totally morally bankrupt.
Like a lot of Ennis’ previous work, it places a lot of emphasis on loyalty and camaraderie.
It also has 2 strong protagonists, in the shape of Wee Hughie and Billy the Butcher.
Wee Hughie (physically modelled after Simon Pegg) is a regular guy from Scotland. He’s perfectly happy with his new girlfriend, who has just declared to Hughie that she loves him. A few seconds after that, though, the girl was killed by a super-hero called A-Train, an innocent bystander-turned-casualty when the super-hero was trying to capture a super-villain. In the world of The Boys, the ‘Supes’, as they’re called, are not the upstanding moral citizens we read and love. They’re awful, stuck-up guys, who care more about themselves and the money they make than the actual lives they’re saving. A heart-broken Hughie was forced to sign a letter saying that he will not press charges against A-Train.
Along comes Billy the Butcher offering Hughie a job, to keep these ‘Supes’ in line.
While Wee Hughie is the only true innocent in the cast, Billy the Butcher is the most intriguing of them all. His principle can be summed up succintly in the words of his team-mate Mother's Milk:

"He don't hate anyone if there aint no point to it"

If you don’t do anything wrong, he has no reason to knock you down. If you’re bad, however, you’re screwed.
It’s simple, but it provides a sound ethic in a book that’s filled with all kinds of corruption.
And though he puts up a tough front, we found out the reason and motivation:

(PANELS SLIGHTLY REARRANGED FOR EMPHASIS. APOLOGIES TO THE ARTISTS)

The Boys’ stories have a default setting of ‘Too Much and Too Far’. They take the dirtiest thing we can think of as a starting point then take off from there. Where else can you find a Batman/Ironman amalgam dry-humping a meteorite the size of Texas? Or a chain-smoking Wonder Woman analog telling an aspiring hero to “F%*k off”?
It’s not for the squeamish, but for those who can stomach the filth, It’s a great read, and truly one of a kind.

Cool Comics Characters : dr. Faiza Hussain

She’s good at her job…

She’s calm in tough situations…

She LOVES super-heroes…

Kudos to scribe Paul Cornell who gave us a great Muslim female character in mainstream comics!

Read dr. Hussain’s adventures in Captain Britain and Mi:13, published by Marvel Comics.

X-Men Origins : Wolverine - My Review

Hey, people! ‘X-Men Origins: Wolverine’ is actually not bad!
Ignore the buzz! Don’t let taste-makers and snobs form your opinion about this movie! Because, despite the low critical ratings and hardcore fanboy’s disappointment, the movie is still an entertaining, exciting film.
Granted, even the casual movie-goers can find many things wrong with it, and to think about it too hard will simply make you mad. But as a summer movie, it delivers.
What’s the story? Well, we learned that Wolverine was born in the 19th Century, took part in all the major wars (first with his brother Victor and later with a team lead by Danny Huston that include Ryan Reynolds, will.i.am and a couple of former LOST-ies, namely Kevin Durand and Dominic Monaghan) until his humanity and disgust with the violent nature of his work forced him to quit and lead a quiet life in the Canadian mountains with a cute babe named Kayla, played by Lynn Collins. Okay, so far it make sense, right? EVERY dude would rather spend his life with a cute babe than with Ryan Reynolds and that annoying dude out of Black Eyed Peas . But then the Plot Machine kicks in. The girl is killed, and for revenge Wolverine accepts an offer to have his skeleton augmented with adamantium. (Fanboy note #1: according to the credits, the female scientist responsible is Heather Hudson of Alpha Flight fame. Too bad she didn’t don the Vindicator suit though. That wouldve been AWESOME). The experiment, and his later escape, provide Wolverine with the Obligatory Action-Movie Star Butt-Shot, which must be done by all non-American actors who wants to take a place in the Hollywood Action-Star Elite (see also Arnold Schwarzenegger in Terminator, Sylvester Stallone in The Specialist and Jean Claude Van Damme in Time Cop). After that, it’s a quiet, low-key tale of a lonely soul searching for answers in an uncaring world. Oh hell, no way. It’s fight scene after fight scene, each one in different locales to make it seem that the story is moving. Then Wolverine goes to the island where experiments are being done, and fights the Ultimate Mutant Bad Guy. Well, that’s about it. Structure-wise and plot-wise, Paul Thomas Anderson and The Coens have nothing to worry about.
On to the nitpicks. I still do not understand why the filmmakers had to make references to the comic books that are not only unimportant, but inaccurate as well. Why shoe-horn Cyclops in it? Especially since the first movie make it seem that Cyclops have only met Wolverine for the first time. Why make Emma Frost the sister of Kayla? And why, if the Emma Frost shown is not the lingerie-wearing telepathic dominatrix as shown in the comics would you bother to name her Emma? Why not just make her a totally new character? (Fanboy note #2: I know that Grant Morrison did change Emma’s powers to the one shown in the movie, but still…)
So, It’s far from flawless, but it delivers in the way that Watchmen didn’t: It moves in a quick pace. It’s funny in places. And importantly, it’s fun.

Why I Love Legion of Super-Heroes #1

Presenting the chick with the cyanotic pallor that (almost) makes severe asphyxia look beautiful: Tamia Mallor from the planet Talok VIII aka SHADOW LASS



Big hair, blue skin, black bikini … can you say Sexiest Costume EVER ?

The Watchmen Movie

‘WATCHMEN’ is a movie that I would defend until death, although to be honest, I don’t think it was a very good movie.

If you’re confused, let me explain.

I first read the graphic novel around 1996 or so, re-read it at least twice a year, and each time I still found new details and nuances. It’s deep, it’s emotional, it really deserves its place as one of the great literary works of all time.

But here’s the thing: it’s also exhausting. Because to devour the whole thing in one sitting is really hard. Every panel, every page is swamped with references and sundry things that makes more sense if you put the book down for a moment and digest for a while.

It simply does not work if you tell that story in a single movie, even one with a 3-hour running time.

The result of the attempt to do so is a cramped, claustrophobic film that explains so much but lack any emotional climax. It’s violent, but lacks any dread. It’s action-packed, but lacks ‘punch’. It’s dense without being deep.

But then, i remember in an interview somewhere that Zak Snyder was trying his best not to offend the book’s scribe, Alan Moore. I think Snyder’s reverence for the source material needs to be applauded, because most parts of Watchmen are really the comics pages in moving form. The other parts are just cosmetic differences (you just know Snyder has to include the obligatory slo-mo and fast-forward sequences)
But you know, I’m not an expert or anything, but you really have to make a choice between not offending Alan Moore and simply making a good movie.

The saddest thing is, the disappointment really works both ways. Everyone not familiar with the work will be confused, while the faithful will find the film jarring when the story ‘beats’ didn’t come when expected.

So, as a movie, not very good then. But as fan-service: not bad. Snyder needs to be applauded for his effort, for his faithfulness to the comics, for the fact that he gives a damn. He wants to make us satisfied. The fact that he (heroically) failed should not diminish the fact that he obviously CARES.

Some things about the movie I need to get off my chest:

-Jon Osterman’s transition to dr. Manhattan is too abrupt. In the comics, the amount of clothes he wore decreased gradually (full-body jumpsuit to tank-top and undies to being completely naked). I think this is important to show Jon’s transformation from nerdy scientist to super-being is not an overnight thing. This also would make the sudden appearance of a big blue penis seem less distracting.

-Damn, Patrick Wilson is really too handsome to play Nite-Owl. Where’s the flab? The belly? Daniel Dreiberg came off more sympathetic than simply pathetic.

-Jeffrey Dean Morgan as the Comedian: I don’t know it’s a praise or a slam for Morgan, but the way he played him, I kind of felt sorry for the guy. Are we supposed to feel that way for a would-be rapist and cold-blooded killer?

-Jackie Earle Haley is perfect in many ways but one: the overtly-husky voice, which he seem to pick up from Christian Bale’s Batman. Ugh.

-Of all the women, how come Snyder picks Janey Slater to be the best-looking one? The actress playing her got that Carly Pope/pale skin-black hair-combo thing goin’ on. Malin Akerman, on the other hand, is on the running for Hollywood’s bitchiest visage. Ali Larter, watch your back.

-*SPOILER-IF YOU HAVENT WATCHED THE MOVIE, SKIP THIS!!!* Dude, the ending just does not make any sense! Wouldn’t the other countries just, like, blame America for letting dr. Manhattan did this?? After all, they’ve spent the movie saying that dr. Manhattan is AMERICA’s weapon…