Mary Louise Eklund

Tag: Batman

Comic Comment – Returning to My Bat Roots

Maybe it’s easiest to explain my love of comics by telling you my first word was “Batman.” No really it was, just as my parents. Sure I grew out of DC and into Marvel but still the Bats has held a soft place in my heart. I didn’t jump on the New 52 bandwagon when DC did their whole redo. I just wasn’t certain what line I wanted of the Bats there were choices and I hadn’t a clue. Then on Free Comic Book Day 2011 I got a Batman. I liked it, I really liked it though I was learning the extended Bat family (the Robins have matured dead ones haven’t stayed dead etc.) So I jumped in mid arc. A big multi-title arc “Death Of The Family” Just like in the AvX Interruptus I didn’t chase the story about – I just took what crossed the ONE title I got. Which was Batman issues 13 – 17. Let me tell you I got a good ‘un.

The ever present US legal disclaimer: All images are the property of their owners I reproduce them here under the Fair Use Doctrine of the copyright law for commentary and critique. No more than three pages total from any one issue is reproduced.

Now credit to the creators: Written by Scott Snyder, Adam Glass, Kyle Higgins, John Layman, Scott Lobdell, Ann Nocenti, Gail Simone, Peter J. Tomasi, and James Tynion IV Issue 13 – Scott Snyder, Writer Issue 14-16, Illustrated by Greg Capullo, Eddy Barrows, Ed Benes, Brett Booth, Andy Clarke, Fernando Dagnion, Jason Fabok, Patrick Gleason, Jock, Timothy Green, Rafa Sadoval, Issue 13 – Greg Capullo, Penciler Issue 14 -16 – Jonathan Glapion, Inker Issue 14-16 – FCO Plascencia, Colorist Issue 14-16 – Richard Starkings & Comiccraft’s Jimmy Betancourt, Letterer Issue 14-16 – Greg Capullo & FCO Plascencia, Main & Variant covers Issue 13, 15, Greg Capullo & FCO Plascencia, Cover #14, 16 & 17, Trevor McCarthy, Variant Cover Issue 14, Alex Garner, Variant Cover Issue 16, Tony Daniel, Matt Banning & Tomeu Morey, Variant Issue 17- Katie Kubert, Asst. Editor- Mike Marts, Editor – Batman, created by Bob Kane.

At the end of each issue is a tie-in story featuring the Joker making plans for the finale. Issue 13 Story Knock, Knock Brought to you by Scott Snyder, Greg Capullo, Jonathan Glapion, FCO Plascencia, Richard Starkings and Comic Craft’s Jimmy Betancourt, Katie Kubert, Mike Marts, Cover by Capullo and Plascencia, Varient cover by Aaron Kuder and Nathan Fairbairn, Batman created by Bob Kane. Issue 14 Men of Worship Scott Snyder & James Tynion IV, Writers, Jock, Artwork, Dave Baron, Colors, Sal Cipriano, LEtters, Katie Kubert, Assistant Editor, Mike Marts, Editor. Issue 15 Red Light, Green Light Scott Snyder & James Tynion IV, Writers – Jock, Artwork – Dave Baron, Colors – Taylor Esposito, Letters – Katie Kubert, Assistant Editor – Mike Marts, Editor. Issue 16 Judgement Scott Snyder & James Tynion IV, Writers – Jock , Artwork – David Baron, Colors – Taylor Esposito, Letters – Kate Kubers, Assistant Editor – Mike Marts, Editor.

WHEW That’s some credits on who did what where!

I jumped in on the big return of Joker story-line. He looks different and through some research I learned why he looked different – he had his face cut off and now wears it as a mask. As a result he is more gruesome than ever adding to the creep factor in his “jokes.” The main story is between Joker and Batman – Joker starts leading Batman back to the places of their big battles. Except this time the Joker has the upper hand, finally in order to lure the Bats to the final finally he kidnaps a member of the Bat family. The final battle is at the Arkham Asylum where Joker was imprisoned after each caper.

I will say this is a fresh new take on the oft repeated battle between Bats and Joker. It is well written and pulls many emotional strings not just of Batman but the readers too along the way. There isn’t shying away from a large body count here of guilty as well as innocents making the stakes grow higher with each issue. In the end I felt Batman proved to be who we know him to be but instead we learned something very important about the Joker – his weakness. If DC keeps up with the power and tight writing of this story they have got fodder for many story lines to come. The Bat family has been deeply changed by the results, if not Batman himself. The Joker has shown he knows more than he lets on but his ultimate weakness kept him from using it. So I was left wanting to know – how will the Bat family be after such horrid experiences? will the Joker have the guts to use his knowledge when he returns from wounds? Because he’s gotta come back, right? I mean that’s what he DOES right?

There were more aspects to the story than the interactions between the main guys. Joker’s interactions with the various members of the Bat family appeared in their comics. The bonus story at the end of each Bat comic showed the Joker recruiting various villains to help him complete the final showdown in the asylum. It makes for an excellent two page splash piece in Issue 16 complete with Faux DC superheroes. I like the insight to each villain. I was reminded that a good villain is a hero in his own head – sure they see what they are doing as right and have to be coerced into going along with the Joker’s plan. Admittedly some needed more than others. It is interesting to see a story were both are villains. Here it leads you to wondering just what is Joker’s grand plan? When we see it, it’s chilling but follows a certain twisted logic. That’s good writing. That’s staying true to what makes the twisted mind of the Joker the best comic book villain ever. Cudos to the writers!

Now to the art – It was wonderful. I can say it supported the story didn’t make me wince or gawk, instead I saw the movie in my head. Isn’t that what comic books are supposed to do? Here the art and the story worked perfectly together. There were small touches I like – the flies increasing around Joker’s rotting skin mask. The slight touches of how Alfred puts his arms around the Robins when they are in danger. Images like that add to the story, increase the depth of the characters and make the comic experience complete.

To be my arc venturing back into the DC and Batman world I have to say this hit a home run for me. I only hope it can keep up these high standards.

Okay you know what comes next… scans from the comics

I’m gonna be spoilery

So if yo don’t want to be SPOILED

STOP

Scrolling

NOW! (more…)

June 5, 2013
Comic Comments – Batman Earth One Special Preview Edition

This was a freebie I got with my monthly shipment. It contains teasers from Batman Earth One, and Batman Vol.2 story arc entitled Court of Owls which was told in issues 1-6.

As I said I’ve not been into DC for years. I tried Wonder Woman about 4 years ago but didn’t like it. Before that it’d been oh… since 1976 that I’d bought a regular DC title (excluding their other imprints like Vertigo). Still of their lead characters Batman is my favorite. His being my first word and all. So when this became available for free I thought – sure why not. I mean it’s FREE. Since it is the stuff after the jump isn’t spoilery since there’s not a full story to spoil in a teaser.

Okay here’s the credits – I’ve got. The full credits for Batman Earth One weren’t listed but Geoff Johns was the writer and Gary Frank was the artist. Batman Volume 2 Court of Owls full credits were listed as follows: Scott Snyder, Writer; Greg Capullo, Penciller & Cover; Jonathan Glapion, Inker; FCO Plascencia, Colors; Richard Starkings & Comicraft’s Jimmy Betancourt, Letters; Katie Kubert, Assistant Editor; Janell Asselin, Associate Editor, Mike Marts, Editor; and Bob Kane, Creator of Batman.

All images are the property of their owners I reproduce them here under the Fair Use Doctrine of the copyright law for commentary and critique. No more than three pages total from any one issue is reproduced.
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August 23, 2012
Why Superman Isn’t My Hero

Giant Superman by J. Stephen Conn on Flickr. Image used under Creative Commons 2.0 Attribution Non-Commercial License.

I’ve never liked goody-goody heroes. I don’t find it interesting to see a perfect person do perfect things saving schmoes like me from the problems and troubles we find ourselves.

I prefer my heroes to be relatable. I want them to have dents, bangs and scratches from real life. I want them to be tempted to do what’s easy, to go for revenge, or to be self-serving. Sometimes I want a hero to act not necessarily from noble motivation but do what’s expedient. C’mon the rest of us do that would a hero at least be tempted? at least dismiss those thoughts?

I’m a fan of the reluctant hero. The one that rises to the occasion because there is no one else to do so. The one that doesn’t want to be there and if Superman or Captain America swooped in to take over my hero would gladly let them. Yet since the goody-goodies aren’t there and my hero is, they do the best they can to do the right thing even if they regret it the whole time. The old “why did I get involved” or in Die Hard John McClane’s “come to the west coast…” line.

I can relate to a hero like that. I can’t relate to a hero that doesn’t have a devil on their shoulder. One that isn’t always doing the right thing. I guess that’s why I loved Batman first. Yep my first word in this life was Batman. Tell me I wasn’t destined for the darker heroes and to read comics. I still like Bruce Wayne but I’ve fallen hard for James “Logan” Howlett aka Wolverine. Heck I like Josey Wales, ” I ain’t got nothin’ better to do.”

As a writer I know good characters aren’t one dimensional but multidimensional. I strive to make my villains be antagonists not purely evil but the one my lead character is struggling against. I want the reader to sympathize with both characters but their loyalties ultimately fall with my lead character, the hero, the protagonist. Now my lead won’t always do the right thing he’ll have flaws because those are challenges to his growth in the piece as is the confrontation with the antagonist. He has to deal with himself to deal with his opponent and that to me is not only interesting but more realistic. In the end neither my protagonist or antagonist are the same people they were at the beginning. If they were confronted with the same situation again they’d act differently because of the experiences in my story. To me those are good characters, they grow, they change. A story is getting a big change in their lives but if I read another story later down the timeline I can see they are changed from their experiences. That keeps me reading. Goody-goodies don’t change they just go about doing good for good sake.

Perfection bores me. I won’t read it very long. It’s predictable. It’s something I’ll never be. BUT I’d like to think if I was forced into the right situation despite my wishes to be rescued I’d do the right thing until someone more qualified or better at it came along. Then like John McClane I’d kiss their dalmatian for saving me. I can relate to having to rise to the circumstances, or doing what’s right despite the desire not to do it. I’m just human and that’s what I want my heroes to be at heart- human.

You are going to get tired of reading this but as always I’d love to chat with you. Tell me what you think and you are welcome to disagree (politely). You can comment here, it’ll show up when I get it. You can reach out to me on Google+, Flickr, or Twitter (@marylouiseklund). You can e-mail me at marylouiseelund @ (with two e’s unlike Twitter) gmail.com or yahoo.com.

Until next time!

January 27, 2012