I was more excited to see "Mystery in Space!" on the cover, than anybody else that's on there.

There's an Adam Strange cover that used "Misery in Space!" I'm a sucker for whenever DC uses this or a variant of it. From 1994, New Titans #111, "The Extra Mile!" Written by Marv Wolfman, pencils by Matt Thompson, inks by Rus Sever.

At first glance, I thought this was from the much later Dan Jurgens/Young Atom era of the Titans: nope! It's Arsenal, Changeling, Pantha and Kid Wildebeest on the cover; but none of them are the main focus inside. In South America, Dick Grayson has found Starfire, who has apparently been living with the natives, and doesn't seem to recognize Dick. But no time for love, as her adopted village is attacked from space, by a satellite controlled by the "Teraizer." Or Teraizers, that might have been the group's name: they were extortionists running under cover of being environmentalists. The other Titans were there in a LexCorp shuttle, and after Starfire takes a hit, Russian member Red Star risks flying out to save her.

Back on the ground, Dick shakes it off, and falls back on Batman's training to help rescue villagers. The Teraizer leader increases his demands to earth's governments, and one of his underlings worries that he's overplaying their hand, when the Titans bust in. The Teraizers are of course no match for the Titans, and Starfire refrains from killing them to make an example of them: she asks "green boy" to turn the cameras back on, to tell earth a story...At a glance, Starfire would regain her memory next month, then an issue of Dick working through his Bat-issues, just in time for a big line-up shake-up for Zero Hour. They also seem determined that Arsenal is a marquis name, and I don't see it. Read more!

"The End" Week: Guardians of the Galaxy #18 (180)!

I didn't write these all at once, but I would've had to space them out--so to speak. From 2021, Guardians of the Galaxy #18 (Legacy #180), "Then It's Us" Written by Al Ewing, art by Juan Frigeri. 

The cover event blurb is "The Last Annihilation," and this is the big finish: Dormammu has possessed Ego the Living Planet, and was now a colossal, galactic-level force of destruction. The Guardians are pulling out all the stops, working with both the mutants of Krakoa (they maybe hadn't colonized Mars/Arrako at that point) and Doctor Doom, who performs an elaborate ritual with Drax, Moondragon, Star-Lord, and Groot to drain energy from Dormammu. Doom then sends the heroes off to battle...

Meanwhile, Nova is getting ready for a suicide run, to punch the planet-sized Dormammu in the kisser: Gamora refuses to leave him alone, although she's not the type to say "I love you" but definitely the type to want to be there to say "I told you so." Their moment is interrupted by Rocket, who arrives with a big gun and a bullet of anti-magic mysterium from Krakoa. Star-Lord and Groot arrive, with Star-Lord and Nova powering the bullet, and Gamora taking the shot. She playfully accuses Rocket of being lazy, but he defers to the deadliest woman in the galaxy, who blows a massive hole through Dormammu/Ego; banishing Dormammu back to the Dark Dimension, and reducing Ego to an asteroid belt. (Oh, he'll be back, he's taken worse than that!)

Doom confers with his...not partner, certainly: ally? Pawn? Lackey? Sister Talionis now had rule over whatever was left of the Chitauri; and while Doom hadn't gotten everything he had wanted, he came out well ahead with a ton of mystic power, that may or may not have come into play the next time he was seen. At Gosnell's bar, the Guardians catch up, including members of their extended roster like Quasar, Hercules, and Noh-Varr. Peter, Rich, and Gamora are looking forward to a vacation, and look like a better throuple than Scott, Jean, and Logan.

I think I came to this title late in the game, because I saw Quasar was back; but I stuck around for the next series since writers Collin Kelly and Jackson Lanzing had done some Star Trek I just loved. They haven't wowed me since, though; and their run was only 10 issues and an annual to wrap up. Some of that could be MCU fatigue; or the fact that this would be what, like the third time the Guardians had built a deep bench of supporting characters, that would be either forgotten or benched in a new run to hew more closely to the MCU lineup; even if like Iron Man I don't know that the movies improved sales of the actual comics the least little bit. Just a matter of time until yet another relaunch, of course: I wouldn't mind a Rocket/Groot fronted book, with, um, let's see...Death's Head, Her/Kismet, maybe Lila Cheney...unless I could use Rom, then all bets are off.  

And I loaded the wrong scan here...twice. Ugh, skill issue.

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"The End" Week: Guardians 3000 #8!

For a couple years there, Marvel seemed to be flooding the racks with series, most of which lasted four or five issues, tops. Were they just limited series that weren't marketed as such? Would they have continued if the sales numbers had been there? I don't know if that's any way to run a railroad, since a creative team might not hang around waiting to hear if they should work on more issues or not. So, I wonder if this was intended to go on, or if it was written with this end in mind: from 2015, Guardians 3000 #8, "World Enough and Time" Written by Dan Abnett, art by Nico Leon, color art by Edgar Delgado and Antonio Fabela. Cover by Gerardo Sandoval and Edgar Delgado. (Just uploaded that to the GCD! Hopefully it doesn't have my big ol' thumbprint on it.)

With the reality of the 31st century collapsing, the future Guardians of the Galaxy have travelled back to 2015, and worked with the present Guardians team on the problem. Time was collapsing, with the problem centered on an unassuming home in Forest Hills, NY; and this issue, Yondu and young Geena Drake enter the home...of Michael Korvac. Geena was a new addition, a refugee with the "ability to sense time structure," and she was named after the team's original creators, Arnold Drake and Gene Colan. (Her middle name's probably Roy, since somehow Roy Thomas also has creator credit!) While both Guardians teams and the Avengers were stuck outside fighting the "A-Sentience" robots (possibly related to the Stark, from early on in the 90's series!) Korvac explains how he's creating a new order, even if it looks like he's destroying realities. He describes Geena as a singular point, that there was only one of her in the multiverse, which makes her a stable reference point...and right about there, Yondu puts an arrow in Korvac's head.

This stops the fight outside, just before Rocket hacked the A-Sentience! The present Guardians and the Avengers disappear, and time continues glitching, as the future Guardians keep changing looks. The damaged Korvac explains, this wasn't his doing, but something else, something from outside. Geena implores him, to do what he had planned, to save some reality; but that just throws her through multiple changes, including a quick stop in Avengers #177! Finally, she finds herself, with the five original Guardians, in their earliest looks; and Starhawk tells her Korvac had failed to stop the incursion, but the reality failure has been localized to...the entire multiverse. Still, maybe if Geena holds on...as everything fades to black, she screams, what did that mean? Secret Wars #1, that's what! Which was kind of a hard stop to a number of series.

I'm not sure the classic Guardians have appeared since, although it's been almost 10 years, so they could have. Korvac's appeared since, after all. Read more!

Team work makes the--no, no. Stop it.

We saw the previous issue some time back, and it sucked; but I'm hitting this one now to remind me I have read it! From 2015, Convergence #6, "Team Work" Written by Jeff King and Scott Lobdell, pencils by Ed Benes and Eduardo Pansica; inks by Ed Benes, Trevor Scott, Scott Hanna, and Wayne Faucher.

Last month, Deimos seemingly killed Travis Morgan, and was rallying several alternate reality versions of heroes and villains to his banner, claiming to be the only their only chance at survival. He also has the Yolanda Montez/Wildcat to talk to; although she doesn't seem Hispanic here, and I'm also not sure if Deimos thinks he can turn her, or just likes having a pretty girl around. While Dick Grayson (from Earth-2? Ah, whatever) gathers up guys for the good side; Deimos seems to have the Extremists, and multiple characters from Kingdom Come and Flashpoint, including both Flashpoint-Aquaman and Wonder Woman; and they were the primary characters on either side of that conflict: that would be like getting Hitler and Stalin on the same page! Either Deimos is a remarkable negotiator, or narrative convenience wins out here.

(Please excuse the horrible photo, that wouldn't fit in the scanner for the double-page spread.) I'm trying to think of another crossover with such a swing in quality from the spin-offs to the main storyline; because I think some of the individual Convergence mini-series might have been way more readable than this. Or, it's entirely possible I'm still mad from the previous issue, but so what if I am? I know Deimos gets replaced as the series' big-bad before the end; but he maybe made it an issue further than I thought. Read more!

Geez, Norrin, Homer Simpson has to go back to his old job less often than you.

Reading this one, I swear I could hear a cartoon bear mom imploring everyone to "roll it back!" But, some changes from this series maybe stuck? From 2018, Infinity Countdown #4, written by Gerry Duggan, pencils by Aaron Kuder and Mike Hawthorne, inks by Aaron Kuder, Terry Pallot, and Jose Marzan Jr.

After nearly being taken over by Ultron, the Silver Surfer seemingly ditched Adam Warlock mid-fight, as Ultron was about to launch rockets (which seems so old-school!) at the entire universe, spreading himself like an infection. The Surfer wasn't chickening out, though, as much as running to get his old boss to eat Ultron's planet: Galactus turns him down flat, since he was currently the fresh-maker er, "Life-bringer," and eating a planet...would be bad? Like him falling off the wagon?

Meanwhile, on Xandar, the Nova Corps is both surprised and mildly annoyed that Richard Rider and the Guardians of the Galaxy both survived the Chitauri and had the no-longer-planet-sized Power Stone. They may have lost Ant-Man, though...I'm pretty sure he turns up later, but couldn't tell you how: "But the important thing is, we're okay," says Rocket. Gamora wants to put together a new Infinity Watch, and Rich gives it a second, to see if maybe they did it and could go back in time and confirm...? No? All right. Rich has to take off, since his younger brother was now part of the Darkhawk-related Fraternity of Raptors. They briefly seem like they're going to pass the Power Stone like the Beastie Boys pass the mike: Gamora suggests maybe not taking it back into enemy territory, so Rich leaves the Stone with Star-Lord, although Gamora then firmly asks for it, followed by the Nova Corps claiming it was their property. With a saxophone blast, Drax takes the Stone, pissed at all of them. Then, Star-Lord is asked to consult for the Collector and Grandmaster, who have acquired the Reality Stone. Or rather, a Reality Stone: Phyla-Vell and Moondragon from a neighboring reality show up for it, explaining each universe's Reality Stone was hidden in the figurative next universe over. It didn't work here, so Star-Lord gives it to them; and they leave with a cryptic remark about "who Requiem is." (You'll be able to guess when they show; and it's not a secret for long.)

Warlock was unable to stop all of Ultron's rockets: he was rocking the half-Hank Pym face there; it's very Cyborg-Superman. I think elsewhere in the series Hank gets really got, like pretty definitively killed? His soul eaten, maybe? They briefly kind of tried to play up the metaphorical connection between Warlock and Ultron, as "sons of man." The Surfer arrives with Galactus, which Ultron laughs off; thinking it was a scam, since it was now well known that the Guardians had a fake-Galactus mech; but this was the real deal, who changes from gold to his traditional purple as he eats the planet. The rockets are destroyed, and Warlock shoots the Soul Gem out of Ultron's hand...by shooting his hand off; although the robot presumably still escapes. But while that disaster had been averted, was the price too high? Galactus now again hungered, and the Surfer was again forced into service as his herald. Which seems to happen a lot, when the Surfer doesn't have his own series? Well, like I keep saying, it's work, man. Gotta keep workin' it. Read more!

I'd say Magilla Gorilla was pretty far down the depth chart, but there's a heel-turn from like a sixth banana...

This was a mostly fun little one-shot, with a couple surprisingly affecting beats, that probably couldn't have been told "straight" in the mainstream DCU: from 2018, Nightwing/Magilla Gorilla #1, "A Shrewdness of Apes" Written by Heath Corson, pencils by Tom Grummett and Tom Derenick, inks by Cam Smith and Andy Owens.

Dick Grayson leaves the gloom of Gotham and Bludhaven behind today, for a trip to sunny Malibu, since agent Mel Peebles had been calling and calling to set up a meeting with his boss, one of the major actors of our time, none other than...Magilla Gorilla? Was he an actor in his cartoon? I can hear "Magilla, Gorilla, gorilla for sale" in my head; and that's all I've got. Dick is a fan, and likewise: Magilla has set up a circus tent, emblazoned with "the Flying Graysons," since he wanted to write, direct, and star in a Flying Graysons movie, as Dick's father John. Still, despite the promise of a producer's credit and back-end profits, Dick declines, saying he wasn't ready to see his family's story as a movie. Although he had seemed suave and refined, after Dick leaves he can hear Magilla lose his temper with Peebles...and later that night, news breaks that Peebles had been murdered, with Magilla Gorilla as the prime suspect! Nightwing has to work the case, which involves the usual Hollywood dirt like a sister with a drug habit, a visit to Madame Xanadu, and the realization that Magilla wasn't the only gorilla in Hollywood: there was also young upstart Grape Ape!

Dick sees a lot of himself in Magilla, mainly in his relationship with his adopted father Peebles and his mentorship of Grape Ape; while Magilla also can tell Dick was Nightwing just by scent. Also this issue: part three of a J.M. DeMatteis/Tom Mandrake Secret Squirrel serial, that would wrap up in Superman/Top Cat #1. Read more!

"Uniform."

I was in Montana last week, and managed to get most of the most recent Guardians wave half off, including Groot. I can't resist that, but I'm also far too soft-hearted to leave Cosmo missing any legs! Adam Warlock really should've come with Blurp, though. I might take the Youngest to go see Guardians 3 this weekend, but I'm definitely seeing the new Indiana Jones! Have a good weekend. Read more!

Deathstroke always reminds me of that Michael Jordan meme...something about kids?

His own kids and others! Not only is Deathstroke a terrible parent, but no matter how much character development or growth he's given, he still goes back to Elmer Fudd anytime he's faced with more than three Titans. Like today's book! From 2017, Teen Titans: The Lazarus Contract Special #1, "The Lazarus Contract Conclusion" Plot by Christopher Priest, Benjamin Percy and Dan Abnett; script by Christopher Priest, pencils by Paul Pelletier, inks by Andrew Hennessy. 

Twelve Titans between two teams on this one...about half of any actually do anything here...as Deathstroke has stolen Kid Flash's powers (the Wallace West one!) in order to travel back in time and save his son Grant, who was molded by HIVE into Ravager then died fighting the Titans. I'm not a huge Titan fan, despite repeatedly buying cheap comics like this one, but I vaguely recall this from the first couple issues of Wolfman/Perez's New Teen Titans. I'm not sure it went down the exact same way in the New 52, but close enough? In "Take Three," Deathstroke tries physically removing Ravager from that fight, running him to a safe house in Vermont at super-speed: Grant is momentarily annoyed, but is a Deathstroke fanboy...until he unmasks as his dad. Deathstroke punches him out, noting "the kid's got a cement block for a brain," and opts to try again further down the timeline.

Elsewhere, the Titans are in disarray: the elder members were led by Nightwing, while the youngsters were under the firm hand of Damian, but both teams seem like herding cats. There's a bit of discussion on whether or not to call the Justice League, like the party's out of hand and time to call the parents. Also, when the heroes leave, Damian leaves the powerless Wallace behind, like he'd done enough for one day; as well as forgetting Jackson (Aqualad) Hyde! With Jericho, the other Kid Flash brings the Titans back in time, to just before the originals were about to go after Ravager. (And here you'll notice a timeline change: no Cyborg! And Dick's Robin costume has pants, Garth's costume is very Aquaman, Arsenal has a hat, and Lilith was there since Raven would've been a later addition.) Damian has a novel method of protecting the timeline: stopping Kid Flash's heart! The idea is, if 'dead' for a few seconds, that would break Deathstroke's connection, and it does, forcing him to watch Grant die while the timestream resets.

Wallace and Jackson catch a ride to the fight, with Deathstroke's "...friend..." Wintergreen: he seems to say it in a really loaded fashion, but I thought he was like Deathstroke's Alfred. Past Robin saves Past Kid Flash, and they return to their place in time, Wallace's powers return, and a furious Deathstroke--with some lightning bolt highlights on his costume!--threatens the Titans for taking his son away again. Although Jericho tries to talk him out of it--you still have one son, dad...dad?--Deathstroke blazes into the Speed Force and disappears. Wally thinks that's it for him, forever; which does get a solid cheer from the Titans; but Wallace points out a man just died, not cool, guys. Wallace goes into the Speed Force, and Wally knows he won't be able to get out unless he goes after him, and Nightwing has Lilith link the Titans up telepathically like a rope to bring them back. Damian abstains: in his eyes, Deathstroke was a murderer that hung himself. Yes, but...Nightwing argues, the team should stick together...even though one member seems to have made the call to risk them all...

In the Speed Force, Raven freaks out, because Wally freaks out: he had been afraid of Deathstroke, and that fear was now feeding through all of them. Jackson helps Damian put it together, and the little grouch grudgingly comforts Raven, to bring everyone back. Deathstroke had seen god knows what in the Speed Force, and while he seemed to be losing that knowledge, he still felt everyone there should die...including him. He unmasks and walks away...to his own book. In San Francisco, Damian confronts Wallace: both felt they had been right, but Damian fires him from the team, in Teen Titans #9. (How many #9's has Teen Titans had? And just as "Teen Titans," and not "New" or anything else?) And in Titans #12, Wally may owe Damian a kick in the ass, since his timeline had changed and he now had a pacemaker for his damaged heart, and had had it for years. And going on as Flash could kill him, which seems like a callback to his status around Crisis on Infinite Earths. 

Last Deathstroke post I mentioned we might look at something, and this wasn't it! But maybe eventually we'll get to another, with him and Damian for good measure. I've read a couple of his Teen Titans book, and my god, it's like the worst aspects of 90's Batman running the show: bossy, short, emotionally distant, manipulative. I think the idea is to show him learning and changing, but it's slow-going. Real slow. If you've ever been frustrated with Impulse's impulse control or Superboy's hormones; both of them seemed to grow out of it way faster than Damian is from his worst aspects.

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"The End" Week: Robin #183!

Another book that I had been looking for, for quite some time: it had been on my old bingo cards for the comic shows. And yet I'm tearing into it before I even open it up: from 2009, Robin #183, featuring "Robin Dies at Dawn!" and "Origins & Omens" Both written by Fabian Nicieza, art by Freddie E. Williams II. 

OK, maybe I'm not getting it: I had thought the purpose of a crossover event, was to try and bring new readers to a title. People weren't maybe reading Book X, but if they want to see all of this storyline they'll have to check it out, and maybe they'll like what they see. This issue has the tags for both "Origins & Omens" and "Last Rites," and it's the last issue! This year, and over the course of "The End" week, we've seen a bunch of last issues where DC has done the exact same thing, and it just seems...wasteful? Pointless? Maybe they need to shore up the numbers at the end; it probably has made some of these easier to find, but still. 

Anyway, while I knew some of what happens this issue from Twitter, let me hold it up to my head Carnac-style and make some predictions: I'm gonna go out on a limb and say Robin visits some supporting characters he, and the readers, are never gonna see again. Let's see: in a fancy hotel room, while she accepts the complimentary chocolates, Lady Shiva tells the maid no need to turn down the bed, she won't be sleeping, as she sends a note for Detective Harper to pass on to Robin, with the title on it, "Robin Dies at Dawn!" That's a little melodramatic for Shiva. There's also a caption about her recent time with the Birds of Prey, but Nicieza, and possibly Tim, don't seem to see her as anything but a hired killer. 

Robin's plate was already full, however: Batman was missing from Final Crisis and presumed dead, although I don't think Tim believed it (later, he may have at the time) and he had a new Anarky to deal with. He had also benched his long-time on-again-off-again girlfriend, Stephanie, from going into action as Spoiler. (I feel like Spoiler's treatment, through the entire run of the title, was kind of an issue, or at least conflicted? She was never, or rarely, treated as Tim's partner or equal; more like a problem for him to take care of.) And Jason Todd makes an appearance, to hear Bruce's last message for him. Tim doesn't care to hear what that message was, he knows Jason doesn't listen...

Tim breaks up with Zoanne, his current girlfriend, over the phone: this may be supposed to indicate he thought Shiva was going to kill him, but may have been because he felt he couldn't make the time for her that she deserved. He calls his pal Ives, and tries to call Stephanie, who doesn't answer: Tim had previously sworn he'd never be as cold and detached as Batman, but was there another way? Maybe: he meets Shiva for their showdown, and immediately gets three ribs broken--and knocks Shiva out? He tells the downed Shiva, he had to fight smarter: he had known she was coming, and poisoned the chocolates with a "heart-rate activated paralytic." It's kind of a cop out; and out of character for Shiva as well: she in no way resembles my preferred version, from the classic the Question appearances. Feh. 

Nightwing had been there in case things had escalated, and tells Tim they're going to be okay. Tim agrees, since he figures somebody would be wearing the Bat-cowl soon enough. The closing narration makes it seem like he was going to continue for some time to come, but not so fast: with Damien taking the Robin role, Tim would be shifted over to Red Robin later. He's never had the same level of success, though; but at least naming him 'Drake' didn't stick.

Also this issue: creepy former Guardian of the Universe Scar reads a Robin story from the Book of the Black--kind of an analog to the Book of Oa framing device that used to be used to tell Tales of the Green Lantern Corps. Robin goes after the Obeah Man, who murdered his mother back in Detective #621. Obeah had "greased some palms" to get out of prison; when Robin goes after him he gets the traditional visions of his fallen parents (he had lost the other one since then) but since this was a six-pager, shrugs his tricks off pretty quickly, to have him put back into jail for ever. Does Scar get something out of that? We see a brief glimpse of what may be to come, with Ra's al Ghul, Anarky, and a fully-masked gun-toting Batman.

Well, I may have been partially correct: that was it for Zoanne, but Ives would appear at least one more time in Tim's Red Robin book. Detective Harper got traded over to the Superman books and may have been in the New Krypton/Mon-El storylines before disappearing. I think Stephanie is in the current Batgirls book, but I'm not sure Tim is in anything? Was Young Justice still going? Kinda feel like he's been pushed aside, squeezed on both sides, by Jason as the gunslinging antihero, and Damien as the cute one. Maybe it's tougher to write Tim: he's always been a bit more cerebral, trying to use his head as much as his fists, if not more. Even Dick goes off halfcocked more than he does; so it's probably harder to put him in fixes. Still, there's "working smarter" and then there's "cheating in a completely anticlimactic fashion."

Read more!

I should've scheduled this issue for Festivus; get those grievances out.

I had to look up the issue where the Titans previously beat today's foe, and wasn't expecting such a good cover for a villain like this. From 2000, the Titans #16, "Survival, 2 of 2: Limbo" Written by Devin Grayson, pencils by Mark Buckingham, inks by Marlo Alquiza and Richard Bonk.

In a rematch with the demonic Gargoyle, the Titans are trapped in idyllized verisons of their childhoods. Or somewhat idyllized: it's interesting to see Dick Grayson's circus life may not have been as perfect as it seemed, and that he may have been becoming restless with it. Wally's visits with Aunt Iris and Uncle Barry were pretty good, but he catches a punch from his dad immediately afterwards for "dreaming." And Roy has started to poke holes in his fantasy: while he knew his father had died in a forest fire, he really didn't have enough recollections to be stuck in, since he didn't remember a mom at all. He's the first Titan to arrive at the center, Haley's Circus, and Dick; with the others soon following suit. Donna arrives last, but because she had wanted to catch a glimpse of Dick's real dad--"so much more like you than Bru--"

After a scuffle with Gargoyle, Dick is able to knock him out with a Batarang, which is of course a trick: Dick realized he was making the team's rifts stronger, to feed on the negativity. (You know, I've never liked that kind of trope: if the thing eats the negativity, what would be left? If it can live on your pain and not hurt you otherwise, why not let it?) The Titans are forced to own up to each other about their respective gripes, like Dick being uncomfortable with an "other" Flash...off the top of my head, I'm not sure what that refers to; I'm guessing the Flash from hereabouts. Roy and Garth bury the hatchet, not really mad at each other; while Donna's situation is more complicated: she had been brought back to life (or continuity...) via Wally's memories, so she wondered if she was "real," or just an idealized version of Donna Troy. She had been trying to prove there was a side to her they didn't know; Wally says she doesn't have to, they accept that.

But Roy is the one to complete the puzzle, figuring that Gargoyle's Limbo was about stagnation, always doing the same things: Roy had needed his friends not to just love him unconditionally, but to give him a much-needed kick in the ass and be a better person. The Titans are freed, but may call the weekend early and go home. Read more!

You know what we're talking about here, but I keep things more PG on the blog. Follow me on Twitter for swears and whatnot!

There was so much discussion last week on Twitter, over things Batman could or would not do (ahem!) and without getting into it, that's what headcanon is for, people. I don't think the corporate explanation was worded right, and it wasn't supposed to be "Batman doesn't" or "heroes don't," they just didn't want the inevitable kids watching the Harley Quinn cartoon to have a weird discussion with the parents regarding a character primarily used to sell merchandise. Although, at least a few people argued of course Batman does, because he's trained in everything, right? And what he doesn't know, Nightwing does, right--wait, we're talking about something else here! From 2000, Batman: Gotham Adventures #28, "Notes" Written by Scott Peterson, pencils by Tim Levins, inks by Terry Beatty.

Batman and Robin think they have Riddler's latest clues figured out, except there's music in the background neither can quite put their finger on. Tim suggests Nightwing maybe could identify it, and he comes in for the next round of riddles, after Batman has to escape a somewhat pedestrian deathtrap. Dick recognizes the music as the work of Jack West, reclusive singer for the Substitutes, but with unusual notes that could be clues. At the Riddler's next clue drop, he had announced an appearance by West, bringing a mob of fans to the scene, and Batman has to swipe the clue on CD from a young fan. That's the secret origin of somebody that goes on to steal a lot of music, he'll probably grow up to be Kid Napster or something.

Nightwing hits a wall in trying to puzzle out the incongruous portions of West's melody; but Batman encourages him, thinking he was on the right track. Working out the German notation of the musical notes, Nightwing believes Riddler is hiding out in Little Italy. On the way there as he explains, Nightwing assumed Batman had figured it all out already, but for a change, Bats had not. Riddler was hiding out at one of the Joker's old hideouts, which surprises Batman that the Joker would just let the Riddler use it. Well, Riddler's sure he would, if he knew about it...Riddler's thugs are not thrilled to hear about that, and surrender, rather than possibly face the Joker's wrath later. Riddler is furious, but then dumbstruck when Batman tells him they ignored his clues, following West's more inventive ones instead.

West is rescued by Nightwing, although he tells him he just wants to finish this bit first: he seemed to enjoy the challenge, and Nightwing may have to admit, he did too. Read more!

It's a clever blurb, that might not apply to either Damian or Dick.

It's subtle, but well done. Also this issue: Damian's colossal nut sack! Some blind-box toys I would want! And a title that could have different meanings as well: from 2017, Nightwing #16, "Nightwing Must Die! Part One" Written by Tim Seeley, art by Javier Fernandez.

Everything's coming up Nightwing, as he has a new girlfriend, former villain Shawn Tsang; and he's still Twitter's Chirper's favorite Robin! Much to the chagrin of new Teen Titans' honcho Damian, who is dismayed by the opinion that Nightwing might go on to become Batman, since he's been gunning for that job for years. Fuming, Damian sets aside his massive bag of peanuts and races across country to Bludhaven, arriving as Dick finishes up a horse-masked gang and relishes living in the moment and not having to devote a lot of thought to thoughts about tomorrow, or legacy. You would think Batman would have impressed upon him the importance of never enjoying anything, because that's how you immediately get it taken away.

While Damian angrily confronts Dick, Dick checks a missed call from Shawn, who's late. You know. Late. No longer having time to put up with a "Robin meltdown," Dick hightails it home, after a stop at the drugstore, also getting Shawn some blind-boxed Lost World of the Warlord toys--are those Walgreens exclusives or something, I want some! Dick is nervous, but it's worse than that, Shawn is missing! And someone spray-painted "daddy" on her painting. Damian also shows up, expecting an apology from Dick for his "terseness," as well as suspecting Shawn was a dramatic type. Still, when he notices the pregnancy test in Dick's bag, Damian realizes why Dick's bent out of shape, and volunteers his assistance: "You'll surely get yourself killed without someone as focused and infallible as me watching your back." As an added inducement, Damian has a stolen Batmobile, so...

Meanwhile, the horse-themed gang is dead, as well as their arresting officers, killed by Deathwing. But is this related to Shawn's disappearance? Or a red herring? Is Deathwing the true heir? Or Dick, or Damian, or Dick's unborn child? I grabbed this just based on the cover, but it looks like the first part of a longer story than I would've thought.

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One of the few pieces of dad-advice I've given my kids, is never, ever, ever get rid of a video-game console. Even if you've played it to death and are bored to tears by it, I guarantee if you do pawn it off, in five or ten years you'll be kicking yourself. I miss my old Sega, for example, and today's book got me remembering a beloved...actually, at best it was an also-ran, but still. Anyway, from 2013, Injustice: Gods Among Us #6, "Part Six" Written by Tom Taylor, pencils by Mike S. Miller, David Yardin, and Jheremy Raapack; inks by Miller, Yardin, Raapack, Le Beau Underwood, and Jonas Trindade.

Above the title on the cover reads "From the creators of Mortal Kombat," but this made me think of the 1995 fighting game Justice League Task Force, which was pretty mediocre in comparison to other fighting games available at the time...like Mortal Kombat, actually. I preferred Eternal Champions, but we're getting off-topic...JLTF gave about three seconds of lip-service to the why of "let's you and him fight," in that your opponents were actually android duplicates. Which does explain how Green Arrow could beat...anyone. Tom Taylor would get a lot of issues out of setting up the grudge matches for Injustice: Gods Among Us and its sequel. This issue opens mid-riot at Arkham--actually, I'm assuming it's Arkham, it's not named until much later. Solomon Grundy has Robin by the face and knocks Wonder Woman through a wall, but Nightwing takes a moment to egg Superman on: Grundy is dead, you can do whatever to him. And he does, lasering off the zombie's hand then flying through his chest.

Nightwing frees Robin from Grundy's dead mitt, and while Robin tries to play it off like he had it under control, Nightwing doubts it but still covers for him with Batman. Batman then blows the head off the still-moving Grundy. While fighting other prisoners, Robin starts in with the excessive force, claiming Superman was right and they didn't deserve protection. When Nightwing criticizes him, a petulant Robin sidearms his stick at Dick--catching him in the side of the head, and he breaks his neck in the fall! Isn't that how Million Dollar Baby ended?

Superman tries to comfort Robin, partly because it was an accident, but also because I think he was on Supe's side there. Batman, of course, is devastated at the loss of his son. There's what seems like a jarring transition then, to Catwoman, as she robs from the one percent and gives to the poor; maybe keeping a bit of the shinier stuff for herself. Superman shows up mid-robbery, and Catwoman has to take off, but has planned ahead: she heads for the sewers, armed with sonic bafflers and an earring with a sliver of Kryptonite! Not enough Kryptonite, though, as Superman is able to take it out with heat vision. He's not there to stop or kill her, though: he wants her to help Batman through his grief, since he couldn't. Look, it's a fighting game, not a talking game, alright? Selina agrees, although she also suggests that Superman consider "some wrath for the evil people who truly rule the world."

After taking care of Alfred and Bruce for two pages, Selina accompanies Batman to the Bat-Signal, lit not by Commissioner Gordon, but by the president. Superman and his side (Wonder Woman, Green Lantern, and Shazam, among others) have begun dictating peace across the world, stopping multiple global conflicts by force. Batman knows that doesn't help the underlying problems, but to enforce the peace Superman might have to take over completely. The president wants Batman to stop him; in return Catwoman wants him to be a better president. They begin gathering their player characters--I mean, team.

Although killed here, I know Nightwing is a playable character in the game: maybe Taylor brings him back elsewhere. This is a little grimdark for my tastes, but a perfectly fine random comic to read.
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I don't know if I'd call it motivational, exactly.

Whenever I find a whole run of a series, limited or otherwise, in the quarter bins I feel almost obligated to scoop it up. Which doesn't explain how I have so many limited that are missing one issue! I know I'm short the next issue here: from 2003, Batman: Family #7, "Chapter Seven: Precipice" Written by John Francis Moore, art by Steve Lieber and Stefano Gaudiano.

Unlike the classic 70's anthology book, this has a colon in it. Oh, all right: it was an eight issue mini-series; and the "Family" in the title has a double meaning. It's Batman and his extended squad--Huntress and Spoiler appear early on, and one issue has Orpheus and Black Canary--versus a crime family; and I think every issue introduced a new villain. The cover here proclaims "Mulligan of Death!" for the intro of Mr. Fun, who just whomps on Nightwing with a nine iron. Mr. Fun's panels are all filled with cheerful, business platitudes like "Make a good impression on the people that you meet" as he clubs Nightwing; but the effect is lessened whenever Fun has dialog. He does completely own Nightwing and to a lesser extent Batgirl; partially because it's implied he's had serious assassin training, but also because this was the point in the story where a snitch needed to be shut up.

Mr. Fun also plays into this issue's flashbacks, as Batman gets the dirt on Celia Kazantkakis from a wiseguy dying of cancer in jail. No longer fearing retribution, he's more than willing to spill his guts, including the fact he had dated Martha Kane, Bruce's mom! He had broken it off when it got too serious, but not before going after her friend Celia, who strung him along just long enough to blackmail him for embezzlement and torch his club before she left town! Charming. Later Celia would return to further crush the wiseguy, with a young "collegiate psychopath" able to beat to death a hardened thug who outweighed by a hundred pounds, the nascent Mr. Fun.

Fun seems like an update on Sportsmaster, perhaps with a stronger work ethic. I've never seen the last issue of this one, though; and I suspect Kazantkakis and her whole crew went down hard. Of course, even if I find it I wonder where the other six got to...
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