Tag: Joker

DC Comics Most Anticipated 2013

Superman by Jim Lee courtesy DC Comics

My Most Anticipated DC Comics of 2013:

Death of the Family Conclusion! Who will live? Who will die? Will the Joker succeed at his plan to sever Batman from his friends and allies? Gotham City and the Batman family may look and feel frighteningly different after February! I have this feeling that Batman or one of his allies will be pushed too far by the Joker’s games and kill.

Trinity War Superman and Wonder Woman are the new power couple of DC Comics. Only Batman knows about their secret romance…that we know of! How will DC’s biggest three icons factor in the 2013 event. How will the Steve Trevor-led Justice League of America play into the conflict?

 Multiversity Grant Morrison teams up with an all-star art team to bring back the Multiverse in a new 8-part maxi-series set in 6 different universes. Prepare to have your mind blown and senses shattered!

Batman Incorporated #12 Morrison is leaving monthly superhero books for now. I can only imagine how Morrison and Chris Burnham will chronicle the final battle in the war between the forces of Batman Inc and Leviathan! How will Morrison execute the final showdown of Bruce Wayne versus Talia Al Ghul? Could the Batman Inc and Death of the Family finales mean the end of Damian?

Superman To celebrate the Man of Steel film and 75th Anniversary DC recruited two of their biggest creative guns for a brand new series. Scott Snyder (Batman) and Jim Lee (Justice League) will create a new series for DC’s biggest icon. Snyder redefinied Batman and Gotham City with a brand new enemy (Court of Owls) and the comeback of a classic rogue (Joker.) How will Snyder take the Man of Steel of new heights?

 By Editor

Best of 2012 DC Comics

 

Batman #11 courtesy DC Comics
Batman #11 courtesy DC Comics

Best New Series: Talon the killer who got away from the Court of Owls is back for vengeance.

Best Continuing Series: Batman by Scott Snyder and Greg Capullo! How do follow up the Court of Owls? Bring back the Joker and make him more horrific and twisted then ever1

Best Artist: Greg Capullo Batman

Best Writer: Scott Snyder Batman, American Vampire, Swamp Thing

Best Single Issue: Batman #5 Here’s my review when this came out back in January.

Best Comeback: Joker

Best Surprise: Superman kisses Wonder Woman in Justice League #12

Best New Talent: James Tynion IV (Batman backup stories, Talon)

By Editor

Comic Book Picks for 12/19/12

All-New X-Men #4 courtesy Marvel
All-New X-Men #4 courtesy Marvel

All-New X-Men #4 This is the confrontation we’ve been waiting for since Brian Michael Bendis revealed he was bringing the original X-Men from the past into the Marvel Now! The original Scott, Jean, Bobby, Warren and Hank confront Cyclops, Emma, Magneto and Magik! Will it be Cyclops vs. Cyclops?

Red Hood and the Outlaws #15 Jason Todd may have more reason to hate the Joker than any of his victims. In this Death of the Family tie-in Red Hood and Red Robin team up to take on the Joker! Could this teaming turn into a clash between the Teen Titans and the Outlaws?

Saga #8 Alana is a former warrior turned new mom. She and her husband have dodge alien monsters, armies and assassins. Will she survive meeting her in-laws/

Star Trek: The Next Generation/Doctor Who: Assimiliation2 #8 The final chapter in the epic crossover starring to huge science fiction franchises! The Time Lord and Enterprise crew launch an assault behind enemy lines to stop the threat of the Cyberborgs!

Uncanny X-Force #35 Rick Remender’s final issue! The last chapter of The Final Execution! Wolverine’s covert team (Psylocke, Deadpool, Archangel, Fantomex) has been to hell (The Age of Apocalypse, Otherworld) and back with a bloody, brutal connection to the child who could become Apocalypse. There’s been death, rebirth, betrayals and shocking developments no one could predict. How will Remender end his epic run? This may be the issue of the year!

By Editor

The Joker Strikes Titans and Outlaws

The Joker in Teen Titans #15 courtesy DC Comics
The Joker in Teen Titans #15 courtesy DC Comics

  The Joker’s plot against the Batman family creeps into this week’s Teen Titans #15 and Red Hood and the Outlaws #15. Batman’s closest friends and allies are sentenced to die in Death of the Family. The Teen Titans rush to save a kidnapped Tim Drake. Jason Todd (aka Red Hood) may have a surprise for the Clown Prince of Crime.

  “I think that the readers are going to be as surprised as the Joker is, to discover that his usual bag of psychological tricks that in the past that he has played on Jason no longer work they way he wants them to,” writer Scott Lobdell tells MTV Geek.

“The Jason that the Joker faces off against here isn’t the same angry young man who was lashing out over issues related to Bruce and Joker. And part of that is because he’s actually developed these strong relationships with the two outlaws who have been close friends and confidants since they’ve started hanging out together. Unfortunately what that means is that the Joker has to dig even deeper into his bag of psychological tricks — and what he comes up with will shake Jason to his core!”

Could this mean the Death of the Outlaws?

Who will survive the Joker’s rampage?

By Editor

The Joker Understands Batman

courtesy DC Comics
courtesy DC Comics

Will Batman be stripped of his friends and allies by the time Death of the Family is over?

 

 

Warning!

Spoilers Ahead:

 

 

    In this week’s Batman #15 Bruce was confronted by Barbara, Tim, Dick, Jason and Damian. The Joker claims to know the identities of Gotham City’s crime fighting “family” and that Batman will be responsible for killing all of his friends and allies within hours. Scott Snyder and Greg Capullo have redefined the Joker. The Clown Prince of Crime is more horrific, sadistic and creepy than ever. The creative team is redefining Batman and the heroes of Gotham City. We will soon know what the story title means. I wanted to share this part of Snyder’s interview with Comics Newsarama about how Bruce’s conflict in Death of the Family about being Batman and head of this family.

Batman #15 courtesy DC Comics
Batman #15 courtesy DC Comics

  “What The Joker is saying, essentially, is “you don’t want them around for that reason.” And “deep down, you wish you weren’t responsible for them. You want to just be Batman. You don’t want the father figure role that is more of a Bruce Wayne role.”

  “Well, the thing the Joker does, that I think makes him the greatest villain of all time, is he sees the things you’re afraid are true about yourself, and then brings them to life.

  So they don’t necessarily have to be true….. Having young children, I was thinking about Bruce’s position as someone who’s responsible for all these younger allies and how much he is a father to them, and how in some ways, that would make him — especially coming off of the Court of Owls where he was so reliant on them — both proud of them and incredibly attached to him, but also make him worried. Not just for them, but also worried that he does rely on them in ways that he didn’t before.

  The Joker, as his villain, hears that. You know what I mean? Not in a supernatural way, but in a kind of metaphorical way. He hears it and says, “I know what you’re feeling. I know you well enough, darling, to know that you just said you want the family dead, and you want to go back to being me and you.”

  And Batman is saying, “No, I didn’t say that. I never said that.”

  But Joker is like, “Sure you did. When you said you wanted to stop worrying about them, that’s what you meant. You’re not willing to say it, but deep down, that’s what you’re thinking.”

  The Batman Family of books could be radically changed by the time this is over. Would you want to see a Batman completely on his own in a war on crime? No Robins. No allies. Batman a complete lone wolf?

Death of the Family rolls into Nightwing #15 and Red Hood and the Outlaws #15 next week. Batman #16 is Bruce’s showdown in Arkham Asylum.

By Editor

Batman #15 Review

 

Batman #15 courtesy DC Comics

Imagine Hannibal Lecter as a member of the family from The Texas Chainsaw Massacre? That’s just a starting point to describe how Scott Snyder and Greg Capullo have made the ultimate comic book villain even more sadistic and sinister.

In this week’s Batman #15 Snyder opens and closes with a monologue inside Bruce’s mind that makes the Joker creepier and sicker. Taking us inside Bruce’s mind is a perfect parallel with Bruce trying to get in the Joker’s twisted head. Snyder writes one word that gave me that same chilling ick when Hannibal Lecter touched Clarice Starling in The Silence of the Lambs.

The Joker claims he knows the true identities of Batman and his costumed allies. He declares when Batman’s friends will be dead by Batman’s hand. Just when you think the madman will be caught he turns the tables and plunges Batman into a new nightmare leading a meeting of the family.

Batman is confronted by Dick, Damian, Jason, Tim and Barbara in the Batcave forcing him to share an old secret. We can only guess what Death of the Family really means but in these scenes we are witnessing the fragile family’s trust being torn apart.

In the backup story by Snyder, James Tynion IV and Jock we see that no one – not even Gotham’s other villains – are safe from the Joker’s endgame. The Joker recruits Riddler and even names his role on the twisted plan to salute the King Batman.

What is the Joker’s final punchline? I have my guesses. Is DC letting the creators go there? Snyder and Capullo are creating a terrifying psychological thriller like masters of horror filmmaking. Inside your head you’re preparing for the shock of what you’ll find but you can’t stop yourself.

By Editor

Top 5 Comic Book Picks for 12/12/12

 

Avengers Arena #1 courtesy Marvel

Avengers Arena #1 Sixteen superpowered teens (including members of Runaways, Avengers Academy) wake up on an island with an ultimatum: fight or die! One of the biggest surprises of Marvel Now kicks off this week by Dennis Hopeless and Kev Walker. Imagine X-23 in Battle Royale and The Hunger Games and that gives you an idea!

Batman #15 The Joker holds all the cards. He knows Batman’s biggest secret. He’s predicted when all Batman’s allies and friends will be dead. The Riddler finds out the hard way that not even other villains are safe from the Joker’s mad final scheme.

Cable and X-Force #1 The son of Cyclops is back with a brand new team. Why have these mutant heroes been branded terrorists?

Fantastic Four #2 Marvel’s First Family blasts off across time and space. Can Reed keep the real motivation for this family vacation hidden from Susan? What new threats are waiting for them?

Space 1999: Aftershock and Awe A disaster blasts the moon out of orbit and across space. The crew of Moonbase Alpha will face outrageous aliens as they try to find a way home. I was a huge fan of this classic sci-fi series from the swinging 70’s but I didn’t know there was a comic book series. This trade paperback collects new stories of the crew of Moonbase Alpha.

By Editor

Aftermath of Death of the Batman Family

Batman #18 courtesy DC Comics

  Batman and is allies (if they survive) will face the fallout of the Joker’s manipulations in the Death of the Family. DC Comics shared previews and covers from Batman family books coming in March 2013.

  In Batman #18 Bruce must deal with what DC is calling it an “unspeakable tragedy” and Bruce is “in danger of losing his humanity.” Harper Row returns. The fan favorite character may be the only hope of bringing Bruce back from the edge. Andy Kubert is the guest artist of Batman #18.

  In Batgirl #18 Barbara faces her twisted brother – who sold her out ot the Joker. Ray Fawkes is the guest writer for the next two issues.

  The femme fatale must survive the Joker’s madness because in Catwoman #18 Selina and Bruce fight it out in a museum!?

  Will one of the “Robins” suffer the most at the hands of the Joker?

  Nightwing #18 it appears Dick has lost hope until a chance for revenge presents itself. Will this hero be pushed to shatter his moral code for vegeance?

Red Hood and the Outlaws #18 courtesy DC Comics

  Red Hood and the Outlaws #18 If anybody has a right to wipe out the Joker it’s Jason Todd. What happens to Jason in Death of the Family that makes him change the mission of his Outlaws?

By Editor

(Please note: DC Comics stated these are not the final covers)