The twist wasn't Identity Crisis-level bad, but I still booed the reveal.

Don't let this put you off getting them, but the day I got my shots, I felt pretty good and had fun getting DVD's the rest of the day; then the next day was really muddled through work and had a brutal headache in the afternoon. Then I took a nap, read some comics, and am all better? Even if they weren't my favorite comics: from 2019, Event Leviathan #1-6, written by Brian Michael Bendis, art by Alex Maleev.

This feels mean to say, and might not be completely accurate, but it feels like Bendis is following the same path as Chris Claremont, and maybe even Jack Kirby: coming over from Marvel, they were seen as a big get for DC, then their DC stuff maybe didn't take off as expected. (Were the New Gods or the Demon big for DC at first? Sure, they made hay off of them over the years, but...) Event Leviathan was a spy/detective story, as the detectives try to figure out, what happened to all the spies? The big spy/clandestine organizations of the DC Universe--Argus, Spyral, the D.E.O., Cadmus, and probably Kobra on the bad guys side--are all seemingly wiped out; everyone that worked for them gone, even the buildings destroyed. Amanda Waller and Sam Lane are both attacked, with Waller disappearing and Lane hospitalized after a heart attack. Batgirl and Green Arrow are taken, with GA returned and Batgirl offered a spot in the new organization Leviathan was putting together. Several people are framed or set up as patsies, including Steve Trevor and the Red Hood. Even Lois is seen as a potential suspect, or a red herring, by some.

With Superman gone for part of this, Lois Lane teams up with Batman, and they put together a team of detectives to work the case: Plastic Man, the Kate Spencer Manhunter, GA, the Question, and Damian. Lois also sets up a group of mostly magic-types to work it as well: Zatanna, Constantine, Ralph Dibny, Harvey Bullock, Deathstroke. Damian maybe figures out the motive, telling a story Alfred had told him, about how being a spy largely blows: like so many jobs, it maybe isn't about what you actually accomplish, as much as it's about looking busy. Still, Leviathan seems to be going out of his (or her!) way, to avoid a big body count: it's implied that most of the missing spies joined him (or her!) in a mission to make the world for-real better, by revealing everyone's secrets, all at once. Still, I don't think Leviathan's reveal was fair play, even if you had been reading DC comics non-stop since the mid-80's or longer, but there are clues! Spoilers after the break! Batgirl was offered a job: Leviathan had worked with her as Oracle before, almost from the start. Bullock had been involved with Checkmate back in the day, which had a crossover with Suicide Squad and some other books. Manhunter realizes she's being set up as a suspect, and her tech is bugged with super-science. Leviathan tries to explain his goals to Superman, and reveals himself, as Mark Shaw, the 80's Manhunter! Making this like his second heel turn, after being used to kill some of the others that had used the name in Kate's book. Sam Lane had become aware of the discontent in the intelligence communities, with intelligent and good-intentioned people frustrated by never getting anything done: he had meant it as warning, Mark took it as a roadmap for action. He tries to turn Superman, revealing that Spyral had files for contingencies labeled--apparently literally--"things to do in case the Son of Superman hits puberty badly."

Actually, Mark probably had some heel-turns before I started reading him: he had been the Privateer and the Star-Tsar in old Justice League of America issues. I don't love the new mask at all though; either the full Leviathan one or the partial eyepatch like one, which maybe is a callback his Privateer days? Lois Lane writes an expose revealing Mark's new identity, but she didn't really have to do a lot of investigative work: he told Superman, who tells her, fairly straightforwardly. There's also a bit of Manhunter history, which New 52 either glosses over or outright cuts out Millennium: the Manhunters were basically the Green Lantern Corps before Green Lanterns, and had liberated multiple worlds...just not earth, which Shaw describes as "unfair," "total chaos," and "a circus." He's not wrong, but good luck bucking that status quo with Superman, Batman, etc. protecting it.

I can't quite tell if this is something anybody could've figured out: somebody had told me Manhunter was in this, but I assumed--rather, hoped--they just meant Kate Spencer. Plotwise I might not love it, but Bendis's real strength is dialogue, and there are some zingers here and there; although there's too many characters for anyone to get a lot. Read more!

Wouldn't zombie Bane just be Solomon Grundy?

From 2022, Task Force Z #2, "Let it Snow, Let it Snow, Let it Snow." Written by Matthew Rosenberg, pencils by Eddy Barrows, inks by Eber Ferreira. The cover has the more delightful, "Bane, Bane, go away!"

I am super-not-up on current DC continuity, and I thought this was going to be in the DC zombie DCeased continuity, since I know there were a bunch of spin-offs for it. Nope! This was in regular continuity, and was yet another Jason Todd/Red Hood title. I'm really curious about his sale numbers now, since I feel like he's popular enough he keeps getting new titles, but he's not quite popular enough to maintain them? Or, like Venom in the 90's, everything he gets is designed to be a limited series, so a creative crew can do their story then hand it off. This also appeared to be kind of like something the Amazing Spider-Man books did a bit ago with Clone Conspiracy, namely, bringing back a bunch of dead characters in one go. Here, several have returned to life via the "Lazarus resin," which seems quicker than trundling their corpses all the way to a pit in Tibet or whatever.

So far, Task Force Z hadn't hit the ground running, as Jason nearly gets frozen to death by Mr. Freeze and eaten by the Arkham Knight. (I haven't played that game, I have no idea who that was in continuity!) Bane and Man-Bat had been killed, again; and Jason is barely saved by Bloom. Still, this is just a minor setback, or so his handlers claim: as long as their heads were still intact, they could be revived. Jason tries to tactfully suggest, do they have to? Really? The Arkham Knight, Astrid Arkham, apologizes to Jason for trying to eat him, but explains she can't quit the Force either, as without the resin she'd die. (I think with a full dose or treatment, she might be okay, but the handlers might be stringing them along with partial medication.)

The Force's next mission is pitched to Jason as a meeting, but they find a gathering of the Kobra Kult in an abandoned theatre, which leads to a fight after Man-Bat Leeroy Jenkin's that one. I also don't know how long he's had these, but Jason appears to be using electrified crowbars as his weapon, which...feels like a bit much. Bane is doing pretty well, until he caves in the floor and falls, possibly out of the title; but the Arkham Knight turns out the lights to release another member, the vampire-like Sundowner. The mission's sort-of a win, except Jason gets shot, by the revived corpse of Deadshot! 

I'm not positive how I got this comic--possibly in a pack or something? But, still, it was better than I was anticipating. I like the idea of Jason, who's usually the loose cannon, forced to be the adult in the room with the corpses.

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What's this? A finicky face, not fooled by a faux pharaoh?

Ah, I can't do the William Dozier voice long! I had intended to blog this long before now, but seem to have kept misplacing it. Which of course lead to buying multiple copies...also misplaced. Eventually I'll open a cupboard or something and three of these will fall out...From 1986, Batman #398, "About Faces!" Written by Doug Moench, art by Tom Mandrake. 

We now join Batman's latest spat with Catwoman, already in progress: Catwoman felt like he didn't trust her, and she had a point, since I don't think he had revealed his secret identity to her or anything. More recently, he hadn't kept her in the loop on the "scam" he was running on Two-Face, with the help of Circe. This Circe may largely be forgotten now, supplanted by the Wonder Woman villain; but she was a former model (and possible murderer) scarred by her lover, Black Mask. Instead of answering the Bat-signal, Batman goes after Catwoman, to explain himself, and his plan, which he sheepishly calls "a sappy longshot." He's trying to bring back Harvey Dent, although he's still prepared to punch up Two-Face if it comes to that. While Catwoman seems to enjoy seeing the human side of Bats, she is hurt Gordon and Bullock know more about this scheme than she does, and she's worried she's driving a wedge between Batman and his 'son,' Jason Todd. 

The plan is, with Circe's help, Two-Face will 'steal' a fake Egyptian sarcophagus. That goes smoothly enough, although to win Two-Face's trust, she conks a guard over the head with her "magic scepter." The guard, a disguised Batman, notices she hit him fairly hard, which could be suspicious. Following them, Catwoman is mildly surprised Two-Face's hideout isn't in a two-story building; Bullock notes "it's 222 Second Avenue." Circe makes her pitch, about the faux pharaoh's goodness, enticing Two-Face to try it on, and to feel the long dormant spirit of Harvey Dent returning in him. Watching it, Bats and Cats deem it more of a longshot than ever, but Two-Face does seem pensive afterwards, and takes some time to think...and flip his coin. 

Two-Face emerges--with one face, as Harvey Dent! He's made his choice, despite a fake mask and fake pharaoh, Batman: look, if you're going to operate in Gotham City, you have to know stuff like that. "Harvey" tears off his face, to reveal an All-Face beneath, then snags Circe's mask off of her. Batman and Catwoman bust in, and seemingly have things handled until the starting arrival of--Robin? Who opens a door right into Catwoman's face, turning the tide and giving Two-Face a chance to pull a double-barrel shotgun. Batman tries to argue Two-Face is making the wrong choice, he could be Harvey again, but he's not buying it. 

Robin knocks the shotgun away with a Batarang, and Catwoman tosses Bats her whip: when a problem comes along...ah, you know. After beating him down, Batman gently removes the makeup, restoring at least half of his friend's face, but worrying his good side could be completely submerged now. Also, Circe had lit out, leaving the question of her motivations open. And Batman and Catwoman's relationship may have just taken a turn, with Selina telling him "...Robin's return through this door ranks very high on the omen scale."

The copy I'm scanning is a second-printing; I would've sworn there was an ad for Dark Knight Returns in there--the single issues! But, this is why, two issues later, when freed along with virtually all of Batman's foes in Batman #400, Two-Face is among those who opt out of facing him right then. So to speak. 

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Feels like an extra step in there.

Sometimes I might pick on a comic book that maybe needed another draft, which is a tad hypocritical, since I'm lucky if I knock out one draft around here. But the adaptation of this works so much better. From 2006, Batman Annual #26, "Daedalus and Icarus: the Return of Jason Todd" Written by Judd Winick, pencils by Shane Davis, inks by Mark Morales; featuring unused work from Jim Starlin, Jim Aparo, and Mike DeCarlo.

I don't think any of Jason Todd's return was necessarily planned out from the start: like a lot of Jim Lee's X-Men, Hush felt like him drawing whatever the heck he thought would be cool, then leaving it to the writer to try and backfill some sense into it. I could be wrong; but...Then, there was probably a mandate to use Infinite Crisis and Superboy-Prime punching reality out of whack--or into whack, it's argued here: Jason was never supposed to die. Which may just be to repurpose the unused Death in the Family art!

Brought back to life but buried alive, Jason manages to escape from his grave: the narration notes Batman had placed sensors in the coffin, but "they were designed to go off if someone broke in...not if someone broke out." Yeah, I don't think sensors work like that. He then lurches around like a zombie for a while, until he's hit by a car and taken to the hospital, where he would be comatose for a year. Since Batman and Robin would not be effective if identified, none of the Bat-family (at the time) had fingerprints on file anywhere, so Jason isn't ID'ed, and the cops didn't search far enough to find his grave, which was quietly filled back in by groundskeepers who do not want any of that jazz. Which also seems like it would've set off those sensors...

Jason eventually wakes up, at least a little, and spends a year homeless on the streets, until a chance encounter with a bully: a former mobster-turned-drunk recognizes Jason's technique as that of Robin, and sells his story. Which, after some more reselling, makes its way to Ra's al Ghul and Talia. Ra's is not overly impressed, considering Jason too brain-damaged to be useful, or even tell them what happened. After another year, Ra's has tired of Talia trying to rehabilitate him, which seems to push her to toss Jason into the Lazarus Pit. R'as throws a little fit about being betrayed, but Talia tells Jason she did what she thought was right, and that Jason remained unavenged. She leaves him with a kiss and a shove off a cliff, but with a motorcycle, passports, and cash waiting for him. And his death certificate.

The question this issue wants to leave open: was Jason somehow corrupted by the Lazarus Pit, or brain damaged, or did the disappointment that Batman didn't kill Joker for him turn him bad. Your answer may determine how redeemable you think Jason is. There are then a couple pages with the shell game from Hush: Jason approached Hush with an opportunity to "get in Batman's head," fought Batman, then traded off with Clayface to cover his tracks. Jason was back: there's no mistake. 

 The 2010 DC animated movie Batman: Under the Red Hood is one of my favorites, since it streamlines this process, and vastly improves it. The Superboy-punch and street year are removed, with the insert of R'as being involved earlier: he had needed a distraction, and hired the Joker, which led to Jason's 'death.' Feeling guilt over his purposeless demise, R'as arranged to steal the body before he was even buried, and the Pit revived Jason, as a scary lunatic, who kills some guards and tears off into the night. Despite some clunky expository dialog in the early stages (Batman and some goons tell a lot during the Amazo fight!) it's a favorite; and it's surprisingly good for not having the more traditional Kevin Conroy/Mark Hamill Batman/Joker. The voice of Bender, John DiMaggio, does a great Joker!  

I've mentioned the DVD before, and my DVD player didn't want to play it today! I hadda watch it on YouTube with ads like a goddamn savage; but I guess you can too! I suspect this link will rot out eventually...I also know I didn't buy this annual, or any other issues from Jason's return, new off the racks, yet I ended up with a lot of them over time!

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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."

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Although lately I'm more likely just to buy the whole wave at once if I want the Build-a-Figure, sometimes I have the bright idea of holding out for sales or clearance. The trick then is to get any figures that might sell out before that point, which is why I sprung for Mr. Sinister now. (Using some points and whatnot, he was under nine bucks!) He does look pretty happy with his evil, I have to admit. I don't have all the Wendigo parts yet, but I really figure a couple will be dirt cheap down the line. (COUGH! Cannonball! COUGH!)

I bought Silver Samurai a couple weeks ago, but hadn't opened him until today. I thought he would be the tough one to find, but I hadn't seen Storm until now; and I didn't think I could count on seeing her later. I paid full price for Dazzler earlier and I also suspect she'll be discounted later; probably the Iceman as well.

Other recent purchases: DC Multiverse figures! Remember them? Depending on your area, you may or may not see these on the pegs; and Amazon thinks they'll be out mid-October. So far in this Batman/Killer Croc series, I've picked up KGBeast, Red Robin, Red Hood, and Alfred.

Alfred is the money figure: he comes with a drink and a tray--and four heads! Starting with a comic-based likeness. He also has a better neck joint than most Mattel DC figures, and can look up! (That joint is ugly as homemade sin from some angles, though.)

There's a Michael Gough likeness; he played Alfred in the movies from 1989 to 1997. Perfect for letting just about anyone into the Batcave! Interestingly, Gough was actually close friends with his predecessor:

Batman '66 Alfred, Alan Napier! I had thought the fourth head was the ancient Alfred from the Dark Knight Returns, but Dale corrected me, it's Alfred as the Outsider! Or Riff Raff from Rocky Horror Picture Show. (I didn't even like that movie, but that's what it reminded me of!) Mattel has a Michael Caine Alfred head; and I wonder if they lost the likeness rights or if the neck peg didn't match these others. We've seen the Diamond Select Gotham Alfred as well. I wonder if that Pennyworth will get a figure eventually.

Ah, I did find Batman and Katana before posting this! Katana is...pretty blah, honestly. The Batman is Dick Grayson, and comes with an unmasked head and loose cowl accessory. I don't know if I love the unmasked, but it's not bad.

Killer Croc may be a bit oversized, depending on your tastes; but he doesn't look like a scary villain, he looks like a cheerful yokel that maybe lives three manholes down from the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Maybe we'll see him more later.

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"The End" Week: Red Hood/Arsenal #13!

One of the problems I had with the Suicide Squad movie...and a lot of fiction this year...and most of Twitter in real life...is that I have a hard time becoming invested, when everyone's a dick. But at least one may have hidden depths, in today's book! From 2016, Red Hood/Arsenal #13, "Later" Written by Scott Lobdell, pencils by Joe Bennett, inks by Belardino Brabo and Juan Albarran.

There's a bit to unpack here, but here goes: between being Speedy and becoming Arsenal, Roy Harper did some mercenary work with a squad that would become known as the Iron Rule. The narrating Jason Todd points out while Roy did it to feel useful, the Rule weren't as public-minded, and have now become nuclear-powered monsters. With the Joker's Daughter, they've captured Arsenal, and plan on murdering him live on the internet, once enough people vote him down. (Shades of a Saw movie or Black Mirror, although they're bad guys and wouldn't be above swiping there!)

Jason, the Red Hood, goes to murdertown on the Iron Rule, using Arsenal's anti-nuclear meltdown arrows...presumably, cadmium arrows, a little gimmicky, but admittedly the sort of thing that would come in handy. Most of the Rule explode grotesquely, although Arsenal knocks out the female member, knowing the Hood wouldn't shoot an unconscious woman. In a standoff with the Hood, the Joker's Daughter wants it to end badly: "Our Dad would've wanted it this way." (EDIT: I'm not sure if JD was still wearing the Joker's old face here, or a somewhat more conventional mask, but there are some crazy eyebrows going there. And coming from me, that's saying something.) Arsenal mangages to tase her, but is a little dismayed how he and Jason might have come across to the viewing public. Jason doesn't care, or at least pretends not to, since he knows his friend Roy is going to stay a hero, even if he doesn't. "You have too much faith in people. I don't have any."

Also this issue: a flashback tale, "A Friendship Born!" Featuring the hero's first meeting as Robin and Speedy, in a charming retro style that's still Joe Bennett? Not bad.

Roy and Jason had only thirteen issues this time, coming after forty with Starfire as Red Hood and the Outlaws; and it's Red Hood and the Outlaws again now, with Bizarro and Artemis.

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