During the Comic Book Shop's 23rd anniversary sale, I picked up a nice pile of 80-pagers on the cheap, so we'll take this next month or so to look one every Thursday. Today, it's Batman 80-Page Giant 2010! Instead of one big story, or a unifying theme or event, this one is seven unrelated tales.
First, in Arkham, a popular psychologist tries to determine if the Joker is sane enough to stand trial...and fry for his crimes on pay-per-view. The Joker almost straight-out tells the doctor what's going to happen to him; so it's not that surprising. He does seem to be going for fourth-wall breaking ala Deadpool, but isn't quite there. Next, the Riddler faces blackmail over his old crimes, and is forced to try and steal a statue...that he had stolen once before. Going relatively straight may have taken him out of practice, though.
Next, back in Arkham again, Calendar Man explains how "Every Day Counts." And a reality TV crew goes searching for an urban legend under the sewers of Gotham in "The Crocodile Hunter." Again, you can kinda guess how that's gonna turn out. In "Threshold," the Scarecrow tries to get to the heart of Batman's fear, creating a nightmare scenario where Bruce Wayne gets the electric chair for murdering his parents.
Batman writers: you probably shouldn't call a story "Two-Face" without having Two-Face in it. But, Two-Face shows up in the next one, along with the Joker again, and Humpty-Dumpty of all people. In "Within the Walls of Dis," the Joker brings Humpty a little birthday present: a bound-up Two-Face, to finish up the job on his face. One way or the other. But, as Harvey Dent, he had been the D.A. in Humpty's trial for his abusive grandmother's murder. Two-Face talks Humpty into releasing him, but that was the Joker's plan: he did it without consulting his coin, which proves to the Joker that Harvey's been in charge of his crimes all along. Storywise, I liked the last one the best.
This one actally lookes pretty good!
ReplyDeleteOn an unrelated topic, have you seen/read Noisy's review of the CSA DCUC 5-pk? I still can't get over the $75 price tag, as I planned on asking for that set for christmas like I received the GL 5-pk for christmas last year. But IDK now. That's very steep, but I do really love those characters so I guess I'll still ask for it. Although for $75, you'd think Mattel would include a shit load of accessories to go w/ those figures.
I believe if I get this set, and maybe if my local stores get wave's 17, 18, 19, and 20 in, and I cherry pick through them, I'm going to official retire form the action figure buying business. They're too much money, and I can't afford/justify spending that amount of money on them. I turned 30 this year, so I guess that means I really have to start growing up, and leave my plastic friends behind.
You planning on getting the CSA 5-pk? if so, I'd love to see sketch's about them!
Have a nice and save Labor Day!
Little secret? I'm 40! And about as grown up as I'm gonna get...
ReplyDeleteIt's All True had a nice CSA post the other day; and the Wal-Mart by my work has two...that I sincerely doubt will sell before hitting clearance. ('Course, I was hoping to get a couple more GL's than I did, too!)
Cherry-picking plus clearance are my one-two punch for toys: drop the cash on the figures you absolutely have to have (for me lately, Kyle and Catman are the only two I paid full price for the last three or four months!) and nickel-and-dime the dregs!
Which is nice in theory as long as you're able to run across these figures on sale or cheaper, which I've yet to do myself.
ReplyDeleteAlso availability's a big issue. case in point, this previous Saturday I went to my almost local(45 min drive) Target. They usually don't have shit for selection, but for some reason just when I absolutely don't havce or can afford an action figure, Traget re-stalks their shelves; they have every figure for Wave 17, plus 2 Creepers and and Mercury. They also have the Batman Legacy line w/Joker and the new painted Mr.Freeze! WTF!?
So I was forced to walk away in sadness and anger, since I simply could not afford them since I'm saving for a big Thanksgiving Trip instead.
I mean, I already guilted my wife into buying Catman 2 weeks ago, which got looks of surprise and befuddlement from both my wife and the cashier. "Who's a Catman?"
Life is just cruel sometimes you know?