DC

So, yeah. A week late with this. As you might've noticed, I had a week's worth of rage building up inside of me for that previous entry. Forgiveness, please.

I can't imagine why I didn't jump right on the review for this issue. It opens by highlighting a long-time supporting character for the Batman franchise that hasn't been seen or heard from in a very long time. The anticipation for this character's return was staggering, and I waited with baited breath to see them in the pages of this weekly series.

I'm talking, of course, about Lock-Up.

I know this blog of mine is mostly for reviewing Japanese animation, and frankly I don't even review Japanese comics much, but we all know how much I love Batman (don't we?), and I figured I'd start giving reviewing some comics a chance. I bided time until I could review something Batman-related from the beginning of a story arc or a new book, but with Snyder's Batman still on "Zero Year" and Tomasi's book doing something I want to wait to see pan out, I was a little concerned when I would have a chance.

I'm glad they're finally doing a Flash storyline for one of these animated movies, even if it's the one that gave us the confusing New 52 status quo (seriously, how was Damian Wayne ten if Bruce Wayne has only been Batman for six years?). Kevin Conroy is Batman (just, uh... not the one in this trailer), Dana Delany is Lois Lane, Nathan Fillion is Hal Jordan, and Tim Daly's son Sam is Superman (you'll understand when you see). Oooh, and Ron Perlman is Slade/Deathstroke! Cary Elwes is Aquaman! Oh, and Cyborg's in it (who gives a fuck about Cyborg?). 

Batman: Year One
 

****SPOILERS*****

Synopsis: Billionare Bruce Wayne returns to Gotham City after being gone for years. Meanwhile, Jim Gordon arrives in Gotham, becoming a police lieutenant in the corrupt force. Wayne trains himself to fight crime, donning a bat suit to strike fear in criminals. When Gordon is blackmailed for having an affair, he has to admit it to his wife. Mobsters and policemen alike try to take down the Batman, but he avails, and Wayne even saves Gordon's son. Batman forms a bond with Gordon.
 

A few thoughts on the Watchmen movie (having just seen it today):

- The movie basically got the main players right. My only issue with their depictions are the Ozymandias comes off as being much more villianous than he should be and Rorschach more heroic and noble, even despite the brutality displayed.

- On the same note, much like Ozy, the movie misses out on some of the ambiguity of the novel. Things which are supposed or thought are shown to be blatently true. It's sort of like any adaption of Lolita, because your narrator is unreliable, and for a large space of the comic, your narrator is a paranoid sociopath.

- There are little bits here and there that were fan favorites that were altered or weren't there, almost as if to show the fans it was different. It irritated the hell out of me, but I understood. At least Rorschach got that bit in about the Pagliacci joke.