Welcome back to Upcoming Comics!
Forgive any technical issues over the next couple of weeks – I’m actually in my home town for a close friend’s wedding! This will be the first major wedding I attend, and as a bridesman, it’s a super big deal for me. I’m hoping it all goes well for them, and I’m excited to be a small part of the day!
A few days before I left the state, I got the second-biggest parcel I’ve ever recieved in the mail. Inside it was Todd McFarlane’s latest Spawn figure: a Kickstarter-backed project from last year that made over 3 million dollars. The figure had a disassembled arm, so it took half an hour to reattach that – but other than that, it’s a phenomenal figure that creates a very impressive presence on my shelf. Did anyone else get this? Will you get his next Kickstarter project?
Anyway! Here’s our gallery for the week:
Gallery
Discussion
As you know, the staff at Batman News aren’t the most fervent supporters of James Tynion IV’s Batman run. I myself reviewed one of his earlier issues, not having particularly loved it – but I know that the comic certainly has its fans! Speaking to a writer I really respect, they helped me to put things in a little more perspective.
When you’ve been publishing Batman comics for over eighty years, a lot of ideas begin to feel a little stale. You start to cover the same territory, discuss the same subject matters, and it becomes harder and harder to tread new ground with the same material. Tynion’s decision to focus on new characters is one of several ways to mitigate this: when you decide to sprinkle your comics with new designs and ideas, you give other writers content to springboard off of, as well as incite constant discussion about your comic. It doesn’t matter if the content is shallow at first: future authors and illustrators can grow the characters from these roots, while the mainline comic draws attention to the creator and their independent work.
Batman, right now, is essentially a rotating showcase of new concepts and ideas within the world of Gotham City. Viewed from that lens, I understand a little more about why some people might like Tynion’s comic! What do you guys think? Do you agree with the assessment?
I also wanted to take a moment to shout out Man-Bat, which has been surprising pretty much everyone in how consistently good it’s been! The reviewer, Cam, has been a friend of mine since before he started working here, so it’s been an absolute treat to see him sink his teeth into a new and interesting comic. Check his stuff out! Do you think DC should publish more miniseries comics about smaller characters within the DCU?
Ratings
Most Excited: The Next Batman: Second Son #2. The first issue really surprised me with its quality, along with its attempt to intertwine with the mainline Batman comics. I’ll save my longer thoughts for the reviews I still plan on doing, but definitely give this book a chance!
Least Excited: Suicide Squad #3. I was a big fan of Taylor and Redondo’s Suicide Squad, so I’m a little disappointed we’re not getting more of that. Nothing against this new team, mind you! It’s just that the characters in this latest roster haven’t particulary grabbed me.
Wild Card: Batman #108. Fuck it, why didn’t we have a villain called Miracle Molly before now? That’s just a relatable character for people of my generation.
Poll
See you in the reviews!
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Author’s Twitter: @ObnoxiousFinch
