Debut Edition of Ratings and Rantings

Hey hey hey everybody. JT here with the first edition of Ratings and Rantings which is exactly the same thing as Review a Few just with a less cheesy name :P So  I'll still review everything the same and still have the Line of The Issue and etc. For those curious as to why my article is so late, I actually had computer problems Wednesday, so bad I had to delete EVERYTHING off my computer. Falisha then came and got my laptop Thursday and took it to her father who is an ace computer repair guy and fixed my precious link to the outside world. So thanks to those two awesome people, now lets not hesitate any longer and get to some reviews.

Batman: Streets of Gotham  #10

Streets 10 picks up where #7 left off, I believe it was 7 as it's been a while since we read about Zsasz's exploits. Let me just say I LOVE the shots from Zsasz's point of view, it really show you how his sick mind works. Also the backstory with Abuse was amazing. Dini is wonderful for taking an event in Batman mythos I barely remembered and making a hero out of them. It makes so much sense too now that I know the whole story and they definitely helped the rating in my eyes. I also liked that he alluded to that female villain, The Carpenter or whatever her name is, from former stories, most recently Gotham City Sirens. I will say Damien must be a damn idiot. It's not obvious enough that you're ten and the same height and build as Robin but you're giving out info that only Batman, Robin and the cops know?! That's another example of Damian being an idiot in a comic. I mean... you basically give hints you're Robin, then you say your real name, which must be easy to find since you're BRUCE WAYNE'S SON!!! But then to do some flipping attacks while you're not in costume in front of people just screams stupidity. See, first comic you got more ranting than rating. Anyway I really liked the story, the Damien parts hurt it in my eyes but I'll give it a 7/10.

Jonesy: Gold Or Brass?

Abuse: Which would hurt more when slugged in the face?

Jonesy: Brass.

Abuse: Then Brass.

Deadpool #21

Deadpool 21 continues with our Mouthy Merc, our Murderous Monkey and our friend;y neighborhood Spider-Man. There's far too many things going on in this comic and I don't wanna spoil them. I loved Deadpool's plan although it took me a while to understand it, it was truly genius. Also the talk between Deadpool and Spidey at the end of the comic was fantastic. It seemed like a genuine true moment and definitely made me respect Deadpool for trying and respect Spider-Man for everything he's done as a hero. I loved the cops reaction to finding Spider-Man after the big showdown with Hit-Monkey as well, that one line was just awesome. Um... anything else? Oh yeah Deadpool and Spider-Man's exploits in Pete's apartment was great, but for some reason this issue didn't live up to my expectations which is sad after I gave the first two such good ratings. Once again I have to give a 7/10, here's hoping the trend doesn't continue.

Deadpool: Swanky Hotel huh? You could be rollin like this too if you let me hook you up with that Spider-Cave.

Justice League: The Rise and Fall of Arsenal #01

How is this under the Justice League banner? Is Roy apart of the JLA or what? Anyway... The cover was awesome, Dinah even looked real. I hate that Ollie looked like Rumplestiltskin but whatever, it's still an awesome cover. Starting this comic with Lian just tore at my heart... I mean her death was senseless and wrong, it contributed nothing and her being killed will forever be one moment that I will always stand against when it comes to comics. It's not enough that Roy was maimed for no good reason but killing his daughter ws just sick. Anyway the artwork in this comic is truly great, why Green Arrow's comic didn't have the same I have no idea but this art is amazing, especially the big page where Roy is waiting for an answer from Dinah about Lian's fate. Also, I know their making Roy out to be bitter and everything but what he said to Dinah, the woman who took him in and helped him when no one else would, made me sick. I seriously disliked Roy for a minute when I read that and that's not a good thing. Anyway, where their going with this comic, I have no Idea and I don't like it. The ending was horrible and if this is what their planning for Roy I'd rather he just stayed where he was and continued to have a bit part. This comic didn't impress me, I didn't like the story and I almost started to not like Roy and that's not a good way to start, hopefully Roy is redeemed but for now I gotta give this a 4/10.


Red Arrow: Nice try whoever you are. but I felt a gloved hand against the back of my head. You're not Freddy. (This line showed how awesome Red Arrow is)

Green Lantern #52

Here we are, after months and months this is the final pit-stop before the end of The Blackest Night. Let's get to it. Seeing the beings that represent each Color Corp was pretty damn awesome, even if it did look like a high school video on nature while we got their back story's. I kept waiting for Ben Stein to pop up. Anyway I'd be lying if I said I enjoyed this. It was basically filler to Blackest Night 8. This comic was pretty much useless and nothing changed from the beginning to the end. If I had skipped this and picked up BN 8 next week, I wouldn't even have noticed this comic existed. Oh well. Long story short this was 20 pages of uselessness and I'm very disappointed as I was expecting to end this review with a big bang, instead it's ending with a measly 2/10. That's all I'll give it for wasting my time. Oh well, the finale is next week and I couldn't be happier.

Sinestro: You have no idea the power I possess Nekron. I am one with every living thing in this universe. From the bacteria in the air to the guardians themselves. I am the center of it all!

So there you have it. This was not a good week for me, crappy comics, my laptop broke and um the best reviewed comic was a 7/10. Here's hoping next week makes up for it. I'll be reviewing the long awaited Blackest Night 8, Gotham City Sirens 10, JLA 43 and Teen Titans 81. Also it looks like everyone want's Mr. Freeze as he won this weeks poll. Expect a new poll up tomorrow as well. The results are below for anyone interested. Until next time, you've just been Gobsmacked!

- Jason Todd

55.6% Mr. Freeze

22.2% Hush

0.0% Solomon Grundy

22.2%

Review A Few a.k.a. Ratings and Rantings

Hey guys and gals, Jason Todd here again for another installment of Review a Few. The best Multi-comic reviewing post since X-Man75 got to busy to do "The Best of the Rest." I'm thinking of changing the title to Ratings and Rantings so let me know what you guys think. So as you guys know I pushed this weeks installment back to the weekend because I was busy, annoyed and my eyes kinda hurt on Wednesday. So today I'll review the comics I picked up Wednesday. Also, anyone who hasn't already, feel free to scroll down and check out my review for Deadpool: Suicide Kings. Okay, enough shilling of my own stuff, let's jump into it.

Green Lantern Corps #46

This is our third to last stop on the end of the Blackest Night road. Back in the summer when Blackest Night started I didn't even read Green Lantern Corps but now it's a staple of my DC pull list. Anyway, this issue features our various Color Corps in space trying to halt the outrageously huge number of Black Lanterns heading towards our blue and green planet of Earth. Hm... no wonder the Blue Lanterns get their power from being near Green Lanterns... anyway their holding off the onslaught of Lanterns when we find out our buddy Guy Gardner is a Star Trek enthusiast. He uses an idea from "Season three, episode 64." They make a huge web/weave to hold back the Black Lanterns. Let me just say there's some damn good art in this comic, I mean the inker and colorist and everyone else brought their "A" game. But nothing comes close to how amazing of a visual it is to see the Color Corps make a huge web with their rings. It's freaking breath taking. Okay, moving on. The story also was great, I felt genuine emotions when reading about Guy and Kyle. After seeing so many Black Lantern stories it's easy to get desensitized when the dead come back but the way these were handled was amazing. I wish in hindsight they'd brought Kyle's mother after she played such a big part in helping him get loose from Parallax in the past. First I did hate how Dove's appearance seemed too cliche' just so they could tie up some loose ends and that hurt the story in my eyes but then I was swerved and surprised greatly. But with only two more stops left, GLC damn sure did their job in getting me ready for the conclusion. I give GLC #46 a 10/10.

Guy: I think we're gonna need a bigger net.

Kyle: How many?

Guy: I don't know. Give or take... A HUNDRED THOUSAND!

Titans #23

Titans #23 aka The End of an Era. This is supposedly the last issue of Titans, in terms of focusing on the original team. With Beast Boy and Raven gone, Starfire, Cyborg, Donna and Dick joining the JLA, Wally playing second string to Barry and Red Arrow/Arsenal in a coma and missing a limb, I can't say I'm surprised. This issue features Wally, Dick and Donna pretty much taking a trip down memory lane recounting memories of their time as the Teen Titans, as well as memories of Roy Harper. That's basically it. I can't really review any more of it without giving you a play by play or the comic so I'll just say, I was introduced to Roy when he was already Arsenal then became Red Arrow. I've read things about his past, his heroin abuse, and how he was helped by Dinah Lance and pushed aside by Oliver Queen. I've read about his past with Donna, and Cheshire and I know about his daughter. I've been a fan of Roy since I knew he existed and it was nice to see him and his problems in this issue as well as his reforming. With the Rise and Fall of Arsenal mini coming up I don't know what to expect but this was a nice way to end Titans, with only 23 issues in the can and a great tribute to Roy Harper. So this one's for you Speedy/Arsenal/Red Arrow. My final rating for Titans #23 is an 8/10.

Dick Grayson: We could have degenerated into thugs. Probably why Bruce was so against me being apart of the team. Kids, super-powered ones, left without any real supervision... man thinking of that now scares the hell out of me.

Booster Gold #30

This is the conclusion to the current arc in Booster Gold. As time winds down, Coast City's attack is minutes away as Cyborg-Superman and Mongol push their heinous crimes into action. See, I could SO be one of those guys who hype stuff on movies and commercials... Anyway this picks up with our boy Booster having to make the decision to keep the time stream the way it is or try to save the people of Coast City. We've seen Booster go against the time stream before (Barbara Gordon and Ted Kord come to mind) and it's never worked out well. So while our hero faces these choices we also see Michelle, Booster's sister trying to get her boyfriend out of the city. This issue was very well written. It showed how much of a strain is on Booster to sit back and let things happen and have innocent people die when the true hero in him wants nothing more to save them. The ending was a surprise and I definitely didn't see it coming. Now I'm wondering what's next for our Golden boy. But this was a great way to wrap up the arc, nothing special but a fun read. I'll give it a 8/10.

Mongul's henchman: We have identified the attacker as Booster Gold, Lord Mongul.

Mongul: Puny whelp. Too bad Doomsday didn't kill him when he had the chance.

Green Arrow #31

So, this takes place after the events of Cry for Justice and JLA: Rise and Fall or whatever the title of that was. Firstly I just wanna say damn this art was horrendous. This would be SO much better if the art was by the Booster Gold team or the guys from GLC or something, but this was just horrible. Some of it looks like it was done by kids... everyone looks blotchy and whatnot. Anyway, I loved the fact that Barry told Ollie he didn't like him like that would hurt his feelings. Anyone think this as the start of the Barry Allen, Hal Jordan, Oliver Queen love triangle? The conversation between Ollie and Conner was very powerful and well written, as was most of the comic so props go to JT Krul. I don't wanna sound like a jerk but the art REALLY hurt this comic in my eyes. If the art was good I'd give this a 9 or something but it brought it down in my eyes. I was all set to give this a 7 until I saw the last page. It freaking BLEW ME AWAY! Raised my rating a whole number grade. I'm sure some people will agree or disagree but I gotta give this a 8/10.

Green Arrow: Super speed is kind of useless if I know EXACTLY where you are going, Barry.

Batman #697

And now, THE MAIN EVENT! The thing you have all been waiting for, Batman 697 aka Jason Todd's amazing Rant...Of... HATRED!!!! Woooo! So we all know Tony Daniel has been writing Batman lately. And we also know a certain Black Mask has recently returned to take Gotham by storm. But who could this evil do-er be? We found out and needless to say i was not surprised. Why? Because there's a good chance most people had figured it out a while ago. I can say that X-Man75 and I figured it out a month ago if not longer. Anyway we're greeted to this comic with some stupid too often done conversation between the mask and the mask wearer. Now he suddenly feels regret even though a year ago he was talking to the mask during BFTC and seemed downright giddy to jump right into causing trouble. What consisted was the stupidest waste of time ever as we saw Batman chase him for the WHOLE comic. I mean you've already announced what's going to happen by saying he'll be unmasked on the cover of the comic. Why make me wait over twenty pages just to find out who it is, then that's it. No explanation of WHY he's Black Mask. No remorse, no master plan. Just because apparently?  Really Tony Daniel? Really? Is that the BEST you can do? Then just when things I think to myself "Things can't get any dumber.", Tony Daniel says, "You bet your ass I can make things dumber!" So then Kitrina Falcone who has no background other than the tiny amount we know since she was just created like eight issues is apparently going to be Catgirl. I'm truly sorry if I spoiled that but she's been wearing Cat ears since November and you can almost spell Kitty in her name so If you didn't see THAT coming I don't know what to say. Man this comic pissed me off SO much. The ONLY good thing about it is the splash page with the Network. 1/10...are you really surprised? Maybe I'm just mean or my standards are too high but I HATED this.

Line of The Issue: The End.

Alrighty, so I'm done ranting. I almost didn't review Batman but hopefully some one took some joy in my ranting. Anyway I enjoyed my comics for the most part this week and I'll be back with some more reviews after more comics drop this week. I'll probably read and review Green Lantern Rebirth/ Can you believe I've not read that yet? Yeah neither can I but I got it over the weekend so expect that later this week, after the review a few. JTCS Spoiler alert, I'll be reviewing Deadpool 21, Streets of Gotham 10, Rise of Arsenal 1/4, and Green Lantern 52. Also don't forget the new weekly poll on the right-hand side. Until next time, you've been gobsmacked!

- Jason Todd

Edit: For those curious of the results of the last poll.

Which former Teen Titan would you like to see get their own comic?

57.1% Bart "Kid Flash" Allen

28.6% Rose "Ravager" Wilson

0.0% Roy "Arsenal" Harper

14.3% Vic "Cyborg" Stone

Deadpool: Suicide Kings Review

Hey hey heyyyy, Jason Todd here with the first of my weekend reviews. In honor of the upcoming Deadpool Suicide Kings TPB that's being released this Wednesday I decided I'd review it since a lot of people apparently never even heard of it. It's compiled of the five issues that were released last year for the mini-series. I actually read all five issues last weekend when I was on my Deadpool kick. So without any further stalling let's jump right into it.

Deadpool is known as many things, The Crimson Comedian, The Regenerating Degenerate, and The Merc with the Mouth. But when Deadpool see's an ad in the newspaper for "The Mercenary of The Year" contest he decides to enter. And why wouldn't he? First prize is a year's subscription to Black Ops Magazine and $200,000 in cash and prizes. And as Deadpool says, "Two hundred K can buy a helluva lot a' Top Ramen." So Deadpool embarks on what he believes is a contest and couldn't be more wrong. Long story short he ends up being blamed for a crime he didn't commit, and being hunted by The Punisher. Deadpool tries to prove he's innocent for once, and encounters many other Marvel Heroes on the way including The Amazing Spider-man, Daredevil, and Wade's buxom buddy Outlaw.

So the premise sounds simple enough but nothing worth going our of your way right? Wrong. What ensued was one of the funniest and surprisingly best written comics I've read in a while. Having primarily read Daniel Way's Deadpool I was a bit apprehensive but boy was I mistaken. This is everything that makes Deadpool great. Being obscene, watching a building blow up, wracking his brain for answers then settling on going to a Hooter's rip-off known as Knockers. And don't even get me started on him singing "Mind Playing Tricks on Me" by The Geto Boys. It's not all Deadpool though, some of the dialogue by guys like Punisher, Spidey and Daredevil while staying true to their characters still come off great. And the artwork by Carlo Barberi, Sandu Florea and Marte Gracia is fantastic. One scene especially consisting of a Headshot was so great I don't even have words for it.

Long story short, you take a character like Deadpool, add Punisher, Spidey, Daredevil, and a big evil villain who I won't ruin for you. Add in some comedy, some action, drama and a little of Emma Frost and Outlaw's cleavage and you have a truly great comic book. As someone who's primarily a DC guy that speaks volumes for how much I enjoyed this and I'd recommend it to anyone who just wants a good, fun read. I can't think of anything I disliked about this comic, if anything it made me like Deadpool more as well as The Punisher. I highly recommend any Deadpool fan check this out when the TPB drops this Wednesday or grab the five issues. That being said I give Deadpool: Suicide Kings a solid 10/10. Yeah... It surprised me too.

That being said, Marvel you know where to send my check. But nah really I hope you guys enjoyed this and hopefully I convinced you to atleast look into it. I'll have my Review A Few up tomorrow as well as a new weekly poll for you guys to vote on. Looks like readers of JTCS are lobbying for a "Kid Flash" Comic series, so make it happen DC! You guys ALSO know where to send my check. Until next time, you've just been gobsmacked!

- Jason Todd

A Change of Plans

Hey everyone. Jason here, after dropping the news yesterday that my namesake was getting a six issue story written by Judd Winick (who's also taking over the Power Girl series at issue 13) I figured I'd be back with my weekly review a few right? Wrong because I only bought four comics, well five new releases yesterday. Batman 697, Green Lantern Corps 47, Booster Gold 30, Green Arrow 31 and Titans 23. I was gonna blog about them but Batman sucked SO bad I'd rather not discuss it. I did like Titans and GLC but I never got around to reading Green Arrow and Booster yet. So instead I'll review those this weekend, probably Sunday or so, and Saturday in honor of the upcoming TPB I'll review Deadpool: Suicide Kings. So be sure to be on the look out for those.

Also that poll over there ------>

Ends on Saturday so expect a new one on Sunday, although I don't know about what yet but I'll come up with something. But that's all from me for today, just wanted to keep you guys updated. Thanks for reading.

- Jason Todd

This Made My Day....

via. http://dcu.blog.dccomics.com/

The Red Hood’s very presence haunts the Dark Knight’s every waking hour.

But how did the Red Hood come to be? What trials did he go through before donning the gleaming red helmet, during those formative years before he crossed paths with Batman?

Writer Judd Winick and artist Pablo Raimondi hope to answer that question in June, with the debut of RED HOOD: THE LOST DAYS, a six-issue mini-series revealing the untold story of the man behind the Red Hood. It’s the tale of an angry young man’s transformation into a deadly villain.

What else is there to say? We went straight to, well, the source on this one - writer Judd Winick. Take it away, Judd:

“I’m thrilled to return to this character, and it’s both a joy and challenge to tackle this new story. LOST DAYS tracks the time from the Red Hood’s rebirth to his return to Gotham. In it, we get to understand this anti-hero in a new way. I think it explains both how he’s sympathetic, and an unrepentant monster. He’s a wonderfully complex character, and I hope this adds some even greater depth to his mythology.”

The series will ship its first two issues in anticipation of the arrival of BATMAN: UNDER THE RED HOOD DVD arriving in stores. The DVD, the next entry in the popular ongoing series of DC UNIVERSE Animated Original PG-13 Movies, hits this summer from Warner Premiere, DC Entertainment and Warner Bros. Animation and showcases Batman confronting new enemies, old foes and painful memories as a powerful vigilante with a penchant for violence comes to Gotham to stake his claim on the city.

And hey, Judd’s got a few things to say about the DVD, too:
“I can barely describe the fun and terror that went into adapting two years worth of story into one film, but the results will be something that will knock everyone on their cans. I couldn’t be prouder, and I’m itching for everyone to get a look.”

Jason's Take

I could not be happier by this news. Everyone knows I'm a huge Jason Todd fan. and Winick. writer of Under The Hood is an excellent writer for this. I won't get my hopes up because I'm used to how DC treats the second Robin, but hopefully this leads to other things. Also I found out that the Batman Beyond comic series will also return, and I was a fan of the show so that's also great. More Jason Todd, Birds of Prey and Batman Beyond? Yes please, lol.

Oh and btw, I added a weekly poll that I'll change um... weekly. So, feel free to vote on that, it's not an ad or anything that'll take you away from the site or open another window. Feel free to mention who you voted for and why, I'd love to hear your reasoning. Or if you have a poll question feel free to submit it as well.

J. Todd

Superman/Batman: Public Enemies Review

Good News everyone. Okay, not really, but I've been watching Futurama a lot as I got all four seasons for 27 dollars and I really felt like saying that. If you don't like Futurama then you are one odd individual... Anyway, I decided I'd post something today and it was either a comic I read or an animated movie so I decided to go with last year's release, Superman/Batman: Public Enemies.

Public Enemies is based on the first six issue arc of the ongoing Superman/Batman comic series. Basically it consists of President Luthor declaring that a meteor made of Kryptonite the size of a small country is hurdling towards Earth. President Lex convinces everyone that Superman is growing increasingly insane and violent as the meteor nears so he begins a bounty for our favorite Caped Kryptonian, who in turn his helped by The Dark Knight. So of course this leads to numerous Villains and Heroes (who were drafted by Luthor) to going after Superman and Batman. This story also marks the debut of the Superman/Batman composite robot as well as the new "Toyman" Hiro Okamura.

Likes

The Story: Now, from what I've read on other sites like IGN, some people didn't care for the plot. I loved the comic and I loved the animated film. It's a simple plot but very enjoyable. I loved that so many things in the comic were carried over and things weren't changed much. Some things were different like the fact the comic included Kal-L (Earth 2 Superman), Nightwing, Robin, Supergirl, Superboy and Krypto and the film didn't. The film did mark the animated debut of Power Girl though. Some things are better explained in the comic for obvious reasons, like the satisfaction Bruce gets for knocking out Shiva with one punch while recounting the beating she gave Catwoman. But the stories were very similar for the most part, one of my favorite exchanges from the comic was carried over into the film. I've posted it below.

The Voice Acting: If I've said it once I've said it a billion times. Kevin Conroy is Batman. As far as I'm concerned no one else holds a candle to Kevin as Batman. Not Christopher Bale, not Val Kilmer, not Adam West, Michael Keaton or George Clooney. *shudders* Throw in Tim Daly as Superman and the always entertaining Clancy Brown as Lex Luthor reprising their Superman The Animated Series roles and you have a recipe for a wonderful cast. Other surprises like Allison Mack a.k.a. Chloe Sullivan from Smallville as Power Girl, and one of my favorite actors, John C. McGinley as Metallo just makes it even better. The voice acting was perfect and everyone played their character with just the right tone. Some seemed more animated than others like Captain Marvel, but for the most part everyone was done justice.

The Artwork: The art in this movie is like they just made the comics into a moving scrapbook. Everything from Superman's flight, to the explosives Batman throws and the hard hitting action of Superhero vs. Superhero fighting is portrayed with such great intensity and precision the only term I can use to describe it is amazing. Plus being one of the few DC Animated films to use blood I commend them on knowing when and where to add it in. As a wrestling fan I believe when used right blood enhances a story and I think it was used perfectly.

The Appearances: This film has so many characters it's insane. Some are featured heavily, some are on screen for a few seconds at most but the fact that their shown is just awesome. These are just a few of the characters that appear in this film. Power Girl, Amanda Waller, Captain Atom, Major Force, Captain Marvel, Hawkman, Starfire, Black Lightning, Katana, Silver Banshee, Captain Cold, Mr. Freeze, Icicle, Killer Frost, Mongul, Solomon Grundy, Lady Shiva, Alfred Pennyworth, Giganta, Lois Lane, Bane, Black Manta, Catman, Cheetah, Deadshot, Captain Boonmerang, Parasite and SO many more people it doesn't even make sense. I mean look at that list and tell me you don't want to see at least one of those people.

The Comedy: Too often things are forced in comics, movies, television and they don't come off funny. I don't know if it's just the dynamic between Superman and Batman, or if Kevin and Tim work well together but the jokes between the two work very well. Things that were funny in the comic come off even more funny with these two guys voicing them. Another exchange I loved was the one where Superman and Batman are in the graveyard.

Batman: I don't know If I can get the bullet out fast enough before the wound closes...

Superman: Where's the Flash when you need him?

Batman: Do me a favor Clark, lose the sense of humor.

Superman: Do us both a favor, Bruce. Buy a sense of humor.

Dislikes

Um...: Surprisingly there wasn't anything I disliked about this film. I mean there's the fact that Batman looks a little weak and all he does is throw Batarangs and smoke bombs for a lot of fights but what do you expect? He's Human and he's going up against guys like Major Force and other super powered people. That's probably my only gripe and that's easily explained, so I really have no complaints.

Final Rating: It's safe to say I really liked this film. Everything was done right, even the changes from the comic book made it an exciting story that someone who read the comic would enjoy. The voice cast was excellent, the art was great and everything about it upheld the classic mystique that is the Superman/Batman team up. At either moment one guy looked strong and the other looked strong, there was never a time where Superman really outshines Batman and that's good considering Batman should always look like he's one of the top guys because he is. I recommend this to anyone who's a fan of Superman, Batman, their old Animated Series or just want to have an enjoyable DC Animated film to watch. With rumors of a sequel I for one can't wait. I give Superman/Batman Public Enemies a 10/10. 

Also, since this is my blog, I'm gonna shill to music videos I edited using this film because I was such a big fan of it when it first came out. While they start off the same, the first video is more Storyline heavy with emphasis on Lex Luthor, the second is more of a compilation of the fights with Superman & Batman andvarious heroes and villains. As always comments are appreciated. I hope you guys liked the review as well and until next time, you've just been gobsmacked!

- Jason Todd

A Marvel-ous Best of The Rest + More

Man it seems like forever since I did one of these. I swear I'm gonna start blogging more than once a week for my loyal readers, especially since X makes me look bad by posting every night. What a jerk :P But today's review is special because for the FIRST time ever at JTCS I will review Marvel Comics as well. JT says what?! That's right guys, Deadpool #19 & #20 featuring our favorite Merc with a Mouth and a team up with our Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man! Also the crossover between Batgirl and Red Robin starts and I'll be reviewing that, along with a few others so lets get into it. 

Batgirl #08

For those that haven't read it yet, this story actually started in Red Robin #09, basically he went to the Batcave to find Dick Grayson and saw Steph in the Batgirl suit. The true arc starts here in Batgirl #08 and continues in Red Robin #10 just so no one reads them out of order. First I wanna commend Bryan Q. Miller on a job well done. He handled Tim well for someone who to my knowledge hasn't written for him a lot, and wrote the the former lovers just as you'd expect them to act. Plus Steph saying "Pwned" and Tim calling her out for it was pretty cool. All in all you add Batgirl, Red Robin and a bunch of assassins and you get a good comic. It was solid, nothing unbelievable or anything mind blowing but a nice start to the arc. Hopefully it continues the stead pace. So I'll give Batgirl #08 a solid 8/10 rating, hopefully it stays good in the next issue.

Red Robin: So you're still playing "Dress-Up" then?

Batgirl: Let's not throw stones, "Boy Wonder." I'm not the one dressed like Dr. Mid-nite.

Red Robin #10

Hopefully Chris Yost's part of the story will be good considering he's not one of my favorite writers. The obvious answer would be to say he pretty much ruined Tim Drake for me in less than ten issues but yeah... lets hope he can keep up with Bryan Miller. Anyway this continues from the aforementioned Batgirl #08. So... This was unbelievably good. I liked this more than Batgirl believe it or not. Nice Humor with the Batgirl/Prudence interaction, the past with Tim and Steph was brought up, and I loved the cliffhanger. I gotta say Yost pleasantly surprised me with how good this is, and I'd recommend this to anyone who hadn't read his work because this was a damn good comic, especially for Yost. I'm going to give this an 8.5/10, it wasn't much better than Batgirl but just the fact that it was solid and funny was enough to shock me considering how I feel about Yost's work. If he keeps it up i may have to keep reading Red Robin.

Vicki Vale: Oh I'm not here to see Bruce, I'm here to see Tim Drake.

Alfred: Master Timothy... is FAR too young for you.

Deadpool #19

So, I've been a Deadpool fan for a while. I've been a Spidey fan as long as I can remember, so when i heard the two were in a three issue crossover, I had to get them. So since issue three drops later this month I grabbed the first two and decided who better to be the first ever Marvel entries in JTCS. Plus with the upcoming Deadpool Corps, now's a good time to put the spotlight on a certain Wade Wilson. In this issue Deadpool has decided he wants to become a hero, so he travels to the Big Apple to learn from the one and only Spider-Man. What can I say about this issue? A lot of people don't care for Deadpool and think his comedy is hit or miss. Well it was knocked outta the park in this issue. I loved the comedy between those two, Spidey playing the straight-man to Deadpool's antics works so well it's amazing. Deadpool looking for Spidey and taking out an add in the newspaper that said "Yo Spidey, Holla Atcha Boy" had me laughing so hard. This isn't just jokes as the story was solid too, the villain left me kinda perplexed but hey, I've seen worse. Deadpool issue #19 gets a solid 8/10 from me and left me wanting more.

Deadpool: Spidey! What's up, baby boy? Haven't seen you since Amazing Spider-Man #611!

Deadpool #20

The series so nice I reviewed it twice... in a row. Or something, anyway this issue picks up where #19 left off. Now that our Amazing Arachnid and the Regenerating Degenerate know who their facing, the super dangerous gun toting simian known as Hit-Monkey. Who thinks of this?! This is so stupid yet genius enough to be a Deadpool villain. Hell who wouldn't fear a trained monkey with guns?!  Anyway the comedy continues in this issue and we even get to see our cute and furry and deadly Hit-Monkey in action. Also for those of you that are into it, we see Deadpool in a dress so... um, yeah. Anyway I really liked this issue and can't wait to read the third issue. If Spidey and Deadpool had a comic series I'm confident I'd get every issue but until then a guy can dream can't he? Once again this gets a solid 9/10 from me. I really liked this issue and I can't find anything wrong with it, so bring on issue 21 asap.

Spider-Man: You know it just occured to me that... he can't really kill you, can he?

Deadpool: Well, No. Not... permanently...

Spider-Man: Then why are you so freaked out?

Deadpool: Uhh... because getting shot hurts?!

Batman: The Widening Gyre #05

So far I've loved Widening Gyre so to say I've been waiting for issue #05 to drop is an understatement. I'm a big fan of Kevin Smith's work and the story of Bruce Wayne/Batman, his use of guys like Grayson and Drake and people like Baphomet and Silver Sable has been a breath of fresh air. This issue didn't stand as well as the others. The ending was anti-climactic and with so many stories built from  the last issue like Bruce's love Triangle, what's gonna happen with the newest Vigilante in Gotham and Joker's easy dismissal I can't say I enjoyed this as much as I want to. Kevin's really put all his eggs in one basket and I don't know if this last issue will wrap up everything nicely considering there's only one issue left. That's the main problem I had with this issue, it was solid but nothing was really resolved. That's why I give this issue a 6.5/10. Kevin really needs to step it up in this last issue because I'd hate for something that started so promising to end in such a lame way.

Tim Drake: He's relentless. He won't quit. He's like John McClane.

Bruce Wayne: Who?

Tim Drake: You've gotta crack open a DVD every once in a while, Bruce.

Justice League: The Rise and Fall Special

This takes place after JLA: Cry For Justice. I just want to say some moments of this comic were really deep. The talk between Wally and Dick wondering if what happened to Roy could have happened to them was really good to bring up, because they were all Titans together. That could have easily been Donna, Dick, Wally or anyone else. The stuff with Green Arrow was really dark and I don't know if I like it or not but as a man who's lost everything at the hands of Prometheus I can't really blame the guy. The line he said to Barry, which I won't mention for spoiler reasons was awesome, and Barry was quick to defend himself which made for great tension. The newspaper at the end was an excellent touch and I can say that for the first time since hearing out about Roy I think this may lead to a good storyline so I'm definitely captivated. Great start to hopefully a great story. This gets a 9/10 from me, here's hoping the streak continues.

Dick Grayson: He's missing a limb and you and I are still going.

Wally West: We're no better than Roy.

Dick Grayson: I know, so have we simply been luckier? And if so, for how long?

So, that's all from me. Six comics, for the most part very good ones I'd recommend. Definitely looking forward to the Deadpool/Spidey conclusion, the continuation of Batgirl & Red Robin and more of the Rise and Fall of Green Arrow/Arsenal. Before I get outta here I just want to wish myself a happy 20th Birthday. Why? Because I'm awesome and this is how I remind you guys :) But thanks for reading, hope to hear from you in the comments. Until next time, you've just been gobsmacked!

- Jason Todd

Happy Birthday Falisha

Hey guys, it's comic day but nothing I read drops so I decided to dedicate this post to my girlfriend of three years, on her 23rd birthday! So on behalf of myself, my readers, (all 6 of you guys) :P I wanna wish Falisha a Happy Birthday. Feel free to wish her one yourself in the comments or stop over at her blog, CreativeFiasco's Corner. I'm sure she appreciates it. Thanks in advance.

Also while I have you guys, A lot of you expressed interest in reading my Spec Script on The Office, I finished it over the weekend and if anyone would like to check it out they can download it at the link below. I'm taking constructive criticism. Just to set the scene it takes place in season three, Jan is still the boss, Ryan's a temp, Jim is dating Karen and so on. So, feel free to let me know what you think. Thanks in advance for taking the time to read it. I present to you.

The Office - The Bonus

Thanks again to everyone and once again Happy Birthday to my Wonder Woman, Falisha Ann.