Game Ender: Friendship

Well that was creepy. 

So today I am going to be taking a look at Batman Annual #3 which also happens to be a tie-in to the current story arc, End Game. And man, does this story get really dark. We have plenty of themes here with friendship, obsession and haunting on a massive scale. But like the title implies, what is the end game to it all? Are we going to get any closer to understanding the Joker in this universe of Batman. A character who is very much close to the concepts of chaos and disorder, we see here is haunting a reporter consistently through out his life, crime after crime, the Joker pays his "friend" a visit. I am curious to see how this will all play out in the big story at the end, but I have the feeling it might just be a cool dark side story that takes place here. And as any one off story should, this one holds up really well on it's own. The Joker has been crafted and transformed into a sick and twisted monster, a monster that can't be explained, which for us is probably the scariest thing in the world. We are a culture of questions and answers, when we can't find or explain the question, well, we panic. So much for The Riddler though, Joker is truly the question without an answer. 

A great tie in story is able to fall seamlessly with the main story, even with different heads at the creative steering wheel of each book. The writer and artist on this issue I am unfamiliar with their past works, but I would be inclined to look around and see what upcoming projects they have, because they do a damn good job on this book. And while being a Batman book, it feels more like a psychological horror film, with our main character being unable to escape this beast. The writer, James Tynion IV, does an excellent job here with introducing the safety and confidence of the journalist and takes us along the fall of his own sanity and reality, one could almost call it a Stockholm syndrome kind of ending. Helps with the overall creepy tone. And the artist, Roge Antonio complements the story as well along the way with some very amazing art, I loved the way he used the shadows to make the Joker look more and more like some kind of demon from the depths of hell. The pages with the "faceless" Joker are absolutely incredible looking, although I am huge fan of the look and concept of the deranged faceless freak. I almost wish he kept that look sometimes. Although not with the art itself, I would have liked to have seen more evolution with the different outfits and styles for the Joker, this is a story that takes place through different years and months, it would have been really cool to have seen that play out in the art as well. I also found it weird he never had the red lips in any of his looks. That aside though, these guys do some great work here.

Seeing as I am not sure how much impact this story will have overall, I am curious about a few things here. The journalist, Thomas Blackcrow, gets haunted for a few years in this book and I have to wonder, could he have signed up for witness protection or something? Why did he never try to get in touch with Batman? How come Batman never contacted this guy or even knew about him? Seems a bit strange, but this is me looking to deep into it, trying to find answers to all my questions. This still doesn't stop the issue from being a great and solid read, if you like your Batman books really dark with a side of horror, this is your cup of tea. I got to say, I highly recommend this one for everyone following the End Game story right now and if you get into it later, be sure to give it a read. It will also likely be included with the collection when it comes out later in the year. A haunting good time.

I wasn't sure if I was going to review this book first or issue 37, and by this time issue 38 should be out as well. It's been a blast reading this story so far, and I can't wait to see where Scott Snyder will takes us. As far as DC Comics go, this is the story to be reading right now. What do you guys think? Did you get a chance to read Annual #3 and if so, what did you think? Leave a comment below, tell you friends and be sure to follow this page for more and more comic book reviews and even little updates on my own projects. Thanks again as always, until then, keep chasing the storm! 

Game Ender: Super Kumite

Thanks Loot Crate for the exclusive variant!

Hey there storm readers, so just a quick heads up before I start this review off, this is a look at Batman #36 and part 2 of the Endgame storyline. I just wanted to give a heads up that there might be a few spoilers here and there, so if you haven't read this one by now, go out and get going on this run of Batman. A lot of surprises are coming to the Dark Knight and you don't want to miss it! Also, I took a look at the first part of Endgame, you can read that review right here. But come back and see my take on everything that went down in this issue.

That said, round 2, fight!

So after the cliff hanger ending in issue 35, we start off this issue with another round in the Batman vs Superman chronicle of fighting. And I am guessing that maybe a few, not everyone, but a few fans of comics could be sick of this idea by now. Don't get me wrong, but this scene was done and done brilliantly in the classic Frank Millers The Dark Knight Returns. You see a Batman that won't go down without a fight, we see Superman get his pretty perfect face turned to pulp and an overall classic fight that is part of comic book history as we know it. And it really did capture the hearts and imagination of many, people arguing this fight up and down. Not to mention DC Comics trying to find new and different ways to have these two, really good friends, go at it time and time again. Why can't they just be friends? Well not here, we have the Justice Buster ready Batman against an unhinged killer Superman. A lot of great things displayed here in this quick fight between the dark knight and the man of tomorrow, the idea that under the influence of someone as twisted as Joker, Superman is not going to care much about city damage and body count. This isn't Man of Steel Superman here, the Superman most of us knows to take the fight outside or to space, he is always aware of the little people. So that idea of making him a pure unstoppable killing machine, yeah that is something to worry about. But the best point and maybe the most important is a line Batman says as he and Superman fall down from the sky after using some hidden kryptonite; who wins in a fight between Batman and Superman...? No one does. And when you think about it, yeah, it's true. Regardless who wins, you have one really important hero out of the picture. You have a hollow victory over a friend, and an opportunity for all your real foes to come and pick off the bones. These guys make a way better team then they do as enemies. 

With the Justice League and Superman now out of the fight and healing up, Batman is now desperately trying to find Joker. Taking over all his friends and team mates, Joker has displayed that no one is out of his reach of influence and corruption, that Gotham will be taken over in a snap if Batman can't stop him. So on the hunt for the clown prince of crime, we see Batman back in the old Arkham Asylum at the old cell of his nemesis, looking for any hints or clues. And in comes Eric Border. A pretty recent new character, a medical staff of the new Arkham Asylum, always seemed like a pretty tame character, he would always say that everyone can be saved and such. Jokes on you...

Well played Joker. And well played Mr.Snyder. 

And God damn it, I hate to say it, but this a really awesome intro and design for Joker. I feel like this character gets enough air in his tires, but holy crap was this really great. Batman falls into the Jokers trap and we get a very creepy explanation to his latest plan and his reasoning, if we can even call it that, this guy is a psychopath after all. The best part of it all, this is only the beginning. The devil is here and is going to turn this city into his own kingdom of hell. Get hyped people, get hyped.

We also get more of the back story going on as well with the Arkham patients who have been looking for Joker, each with their own disturbing story in which the Joker has appeared before them as something more then human, a powerful influence of evil. But Joker is just a crazy guy...right? How much do we know about this guy anyway? Maybe that is the biggest joke of them all. There is more backstory as well in Batman Annual issue 3, so be sure to check that out and see how this all plays out in the Endgame. 

Okay so needless to say I am really looking forward to this storyline and see how it all plays out. While issue 35 gave us a big fight with heroes turned crazy, the reveal of Joker was really well played and makes me really excited to see what is going to happen next. The absolute landmark title for DC Comics right now, Batman is the series you want to be following issue per issue. As far as the mainstream big hero goes, you can't go wrong here. And you know I will be looking at all the rest of these issues as well, so come back and join in the conversation, what do you think about issue 36 of Batman? What do you think is really going with the Joker? Leave a comment below and let's talk about this. And be sure to check out all the other comic book related blogs and reviews coming up and already posted, until then keep chasing the storm! 

Game Ender...

I think everyone has their own version of a devil and an angel on their shoulders, appearing in times of making a big decision, when you have to do the right thing or something to that degree. Whenever I sit down and decide to do a comic book review, I generally go to my Marvel collection and try to find a book that I want to share with everyone. But then I hear it, the little voice of DC Comics. A small whimper, a plea that says, I've got great comics to you know. You do? Sure. Really? Batman. You can't go wrong with the Batman. It actually surprises me a bit on how incredibly successful the Batman franchise alone is, that series and all the characters to come out of that world are an absolute gold mine. I love the Detective Comics series, I enjoyed the Dark Knight series, the new Batgirl is shaping up and a lot of the different Batman comics just kick ass. So I decided I would do some Batman today, and we are going to be taking a look at the next big event for this flagship series from Scott Snyder and Greg Capullo, End Game. 

First off though, I want to make something perfectly clear here, there will be massive man boob spoilers here. But I think at this point everyone knows what's up.

It's issue 35 for this run of Batman and so far we have seen Batman go through the Court of Owl and the Year Zero event. Not to mention the big event that was, Death to the Family. And I wanted to address my feelings on that event in particular before I talk about this issue. While the story was an interesting idea, looked great and had some pretty kick ass moments, the sum of it all was...not much. Maybe I missed something here, but after all the issues and the crossover issues as well, he gets everyone together for a dinner and makes it seem like they all got defaced permanently. And the only "death" happen after the whole event. Joker came, Joker went. I was just wondering what was the point of it all. 

So after a year long event in Zero Year, we come back to find Bruce Wayne looking for his long lost foe, The Joker. The last time he saw him was in the Batcave, when he fell down the waterfall, so he could be anywhere at this point. But be careful what you ask for, you might just get it or something much worse, like the entire Justice League in your city and ready to skin you alive. The first one into the action is Wonder Woman, smashing through the glass and forcing Batman into a Hulkbuster kind of suit, will call it Superbuster...? (Note: Superman called it "Justice Buster" that is a better name now that I think about it) You figure it's made to deal with the Man of Steel, so might as well call it something to that degree. But apparently he has something for everyone of the league members, and we get to see it play out against Wonder Woman, Flash and Aquaman. Then Superman arrives, and the picture becomes very clear, the Joker has infiltrated the mind of Batman's friends. Well shit.

So in general, how do I feel about this issue overall? Well, I got to say Greg Capullo has been extremely consistent in delivering amazing looking issues time and time again. Great designs on all the characters, weapons vehicles and the world in general. And he has done a lot of different theme so far with each story, and it works. He can captured the creepiness when he needs to and show the kick ass moments of being Batman. When judging this book and this story, we need to look over to Scott Snyder. My beef with this story so far, is the way Batman deals with his friends turned enemies. A rope of lies to trick Wonder Woman, okay makes sense to a degree, except the whole when did get his hands on such a legendary weapon. He brings Aquaman back to being a laughing stock by covering him in bubble gum. Legit. That's all it takes. King of Atlantis everyone. But then we get to the Flash and I am not quite sure what rules apply to him now in the New 52, because last I remember, this was a guy who can turn people into dust with one touch. He must be de-powered now, which would explain how a batarang caught up with him and took him out. I need to figure this out. But I don't get it, why nurf Flash but keep Superman as a walking God. Maybe this why I am not getting paid to write comics, I don't know. And don't get me wrong, this is a great set up and a great build up in general, I just really hope this will lead up to something. An end, a conclusive answer to the fight between Joker and Batman, something. Here's hoping though. And also it goes without saying, this is the premier Batman book on shelves, this is the series you follow. 

So there you have it, I will be doing every issue of the End Game plot, so be sure to come back and check often. I really hope for this to be a modern day classic. But hey, what do you think? Are you enjoying this story so far? Also, any comments or book suggestions, let me know, I love to hear back from you guys. I will be back as soon as possible and do the best I can to keep this engine running. Until then, keep chasing the storm! 

Remember Your Calendar...

Every now in then it is nice to get a pleasant surprise with a comic book. Especially when that book happens to be another Annual issue and isn't being handled by the current writer/artist duo that is working on the main series. I will admit, I've been picking up Batman Detective Comics recently for the incredible artwork by Francis Manapul. By far one of the best looking Batman series in a long time, and with an actual mystery to solve through the issues, it's a welcomed change from the last "Gothtopia" story arc and even the Arkham War arc. So I was a little disappointed when I saw that the current Annual for Batman Detective Comics was not going to be handled by Manapul. But you know what, regardless, I have got to say that this book was handled properly, by giving us an interesting origin story for a classic Batman villain and by adding more depth to the current Icarus story arc. It's a packed house of creators on this book, and I will let you know why it's worth a read...

This book feels like either a good starting point for readers who have yet to read the current run of Batman Detective Comics or as added bonus that gives more backing to the current readers. A great balance done perfectly well here, with a series that is currently competing other Batman titles and the big guns like Superman and Justice League titles, Detective Comics feels like a breath of fresh air from the current super heroes tittles. This book is written by Brian Buccellato and hosting three different artist; Werther Dell'Edera, Jorge Fornes and Scott Hepburn. And while this is a new team to the book, the pace and feel to this world stays in the same pace, the book feels like a lost chapter instead of a new book in general. The art is used to change through the different ongoing stories, but each artist does an incredible job of making sure each page is looks greats and each panel carries the story along. And seeing how they have to live up to the incredible pages from Manapul, these guys do a great job in taking care of the artwork responsibilities. We get more of what we wanted from the pages of Icarus and more, we follow Batman as he is tracking down a drug deal going on in Gotham, we see the danger of this new drug product and we also get to see the origin of a potential and deadly foe for the Dark Knight. It's a really cool surprise, sort of, you can kind of call it already just by the cover and by the title of this blog, which now that I think about it, I am sorry about that, was the best name I could come up with. But it is really cool how we see him become that character, and that I will not spoil. But a very clever process and a great story overall. 

I will say this though, the book is only 50% really if you haven't been reading the current story of Batman Detective Comics, you will be more then a bit confused and all. But even that being said, I think it holds up really well as a stand alone issue. The extra dollar on the price tag feels justified given the size of the comic, and the overall product is definitely worth your money. So if you want to get started on a Batman book that feels like a classic Batman book, with mystery and crime solving and character, then I highly recommend this book to you. With Scott Snyder dominating as far as current Batman goes, it is nice to see some healthy competition. And if DC Comics can keep this kind of consistency with all their titles, we are in for a great era in comics.

Thank you guys for taking the time to read this little review, I would love to hear from you guys though, what did you think about this issue? Are you reading the current run of Detective Comics Batman? And what books would you recommend. Leave a comment below or shoot me a twit over at my Twitter account, @ChileanStorm and on Instagram and all those good pages. Got some long nights ahead of me, but I am going to my best to keep the comic book reviews coming in. Much love and I will see you guys later, keep chasing the storm.

Theory of Bats

Doing my best Miller Batman face.

A big happy birthday to one of the greatest characters and series in comic book history, if you didn't know Batman is celebrating 75 years in the business. That being said, who doesn't love Batman? I mean seriously, he has some of the best characters, best villains, best moments, best stories, best cartoons and best movies. And sure he had one of the worst movies to his title as well, but does anyone really give a crap now in days about the disaster that was the Batman & Robin film? I know for me, I grew up on Batman. I would watch the cartoon religiously, I would watch and be so intrigued by the colourful cast from Gotham and Arkham. And in the later years I would pick up all the different books, I read as Batman would be broken in two by the ruthless Bane, seeing Joker get beaten to a pulp but being able to live another day, the mystery that was Hush, the battles with Two-Face and Penguin, the hallucinations of fear from the Scarecrow. I loved this world and the many different stories that we have seen in all these years. And something that was always in the back of my mind, was the concept on how all the villains in Batman truly define him. How you ask, well check this list out and see if I am on to something here...

The Joker (Chaos): Let's get this guy out of the way first. The Joker is the polar opposite of Batman, pretty much in any way possible. Granted with have seen as many Jokers as we have Batsuits, but the general idea has always been chaos, disorder and murder. Joker loves to shoot people, Batman doesn't use guns (except in special moments, Final Crisis). Joker will kill anyone, Batman will save anyone. The bond they have has been a great part of Joker's obsession with the dark knight. When does it end? When Batman succumbs to Jokers way and puts the clown out of his misery for good. But Batman is better then that, and thus will continue to always stop the Joker, no matter what without death in the cards. 

Scarecrow (Fear): Another one that is very obvious in the way of connecting with his foe, both Batman and the Scarecrow are masters of fear in Gotham. But while Batman uses his abilities to stop and prevent crime, Dr.Crane has an obsession with seeing and feeling fear in every single way possible. He wants to see what fears are in the minds of others, he wants to fall asleep to the screams and cries of everyone in Gotham. The Scarecrow has become one of the most dangerous foes in Arkham by finding more and more ways to control and scare others, he has the ability to scare others into taking their own lives. And while Scarecrow over the years has tasted his own fear toxic, it made him more sick and more frantic, becoming almost fearless, with the exception being Batman. And in a twisted way, Scarecrow wouldn't have it any other way.

Bane (Pain): Practically every other villain before Bane had tested Bane more mentally then physically, with the obvious exceptions being Killer Croc and Clayface, but for the most part there was no one who could really deliver a beating to Batman. Until Bane. But it wasn't just because of his venom increased strength, it was the timing and strategy, waiting for Batman after a long night trying to put all the inmates back into Arkham Asylum and finally putting the bat out of his misery. Up to that point, you could say Batman was untouchable in Gotham, it was Bane who really brought the beating and the pain to Batman physically like no enemy since. Bane is still a foe to be weary of, with a sharp mind and ungodly strength, the dark knight is no longer free of pain. 

Catwoman (Love): With the amount of times these two have seen each other, teamed up, revealed secrets, I would say this is the best example of true love in the crime fighting life of Batman. Now that is not to say Selena Kyle is a good girl, by no means, but Batman has a lot of respect and trust for her, even if she tends to walk the thin line of good and bad methods or choices. In a lot of ways, she can do no wrong, no matter what happens Batman will always be there for her. I get the feeling he would love to have her quit being Catwoman, but that is never going to happen, she is still needed in many ways in Gotham. Even if that means taking a little bit from those on the top. Hey, a girl has got to have hobbies. 

Poison Ivy (Lust): Attraction and lust are things that are part of all of us, some of use choose to be wild about it and others can keep it in check. But as stone cold as Batman can be at times, even he can't resist Poison Ivy. And can you blame him? I love Ivy, she is always made as the most gorgeous siren in all of Gotham and hell even in the entire DC universe of comics. Sorry about that Wonder Woman. But I wonder, does Batman let himself go wild because of her, the constant fighting and fighting must take a toll on him and maybe that weariness makes him easily seduced. Who wouldn't want to be taken by Poison Ivy? Could you resist? 

Harley Quinn (Obsession): Harley is many things; insane, cute, crazy, dangerous and mostly obsessed. Her love and affection for The Joker turned her into one of the most difficult foes for Batman. Even when fighting her, Batman sees a girl who is in love and unaware that for the most part, she is being used and manipulated. That kind of dedication and obsession is similar to Batman in the way he never stops fighting for Gotham, fighting to save others of a tragedy that happened to him many years ago. With Harley now far and away from The Joker, Batman has one less worry. But old flames don't go out easily. 

Riddler (Knowledge): The world's greatest detective for a reason, with a foe like The Riddler, you need to be. Whenever you need proof on the smarts and brain power behind Batman, look no further then The Riddler. He battles with the mind of Batman constantly, it seems like a game they both enjoy to take part in, however Nigma has been raising the stakes always higher and higher. But to this day, he hasn't found a puzzle that could stump Batman, and thus continues to challenge him to more and more games of wits and knowledge. 

Penguin (Greed): For everything that the Penguin has, Batman has probably twice if not much more then our bird looking foe. But with Bruce Wayne you see him constantly giving and using his money to help others through his company and as Batman. The Penguin wants it all, the city and everything in the skies and sea. With the wealth of the Cobblepot family, he could give up the life of crime, but why quit when you can have more. In another world, Bruce Wayne could have turned out like the greedy old Penguin. 

Two-Face (Justice): One of the tragedies in the career of Batman, in a very twisted way Two-Face still seeks to dish out Justice. While Batman chooses to stop crime, Two-Face does so swiftly and through murder. They both want the same thing, just very different ways of delivering justice to the lowlifes in Gotham. And while Dent will never be the same physically and mentally, Batman still has some respect left for the man who was known as the White Knight of Gotham. 

Hush (Identity): One of the famous quotes of Batman is of course, "I am Batman". But if you ever want Batman to doubt himself or his identity, well then you get Hush. A man who is part mystery, part ghost of the past and at times an identity thief. I always enjoyed that in Batman: Hush, you never really had a clear idea about who was who at anytime, Hush could have been anyone. Every now and then we always need to remember who we are, or be lost in the world.

So I know that there are tons and tons of other villains, but I need to sleep to you know, I am no night bat. Although that would be something wouldn't, even to be on a ride along with Batman, how cool would that be? But I am really happy to do a little something to celebrate Batman, and I know we only got tons and tons of great stories to be told, and I can't wait. So a big cheers, and to the next 75 years of darkness, insanity and justice! Keep chasing the storm! 

The Super Bat

Does it always work when you take the best of both worlds and add them together? I am not sure, I haven't tried a bacon sundae yet. But when it comes to comics, taking two awesome things can have mixed results; exhibit A, AVX was an awesomely fun crossover event that tie up a lot that was going on in both the Avengers and the X-Men stories, it changed everything after. But then you get Marvel vs DC, and that was quite a mess of a story, if any at all. But then again it was the 90's, proper storytelling was a gem back then. But it's a new age and new run has begun on everyone favourite buddy cop (or super hero to be exact) duo, Batman/Superman! Talk about the best of both worlds, these two are comic book icons known through out the world and the ages, teaming up yet again to save the day...and get the girls? Maybe. Why not, its Batman and Superman, how can they not get the girls? These two have teamed up in the past several times, in cartoons and comics, still waiting for that big screen team up but in time. But everyone is familiar with these two and the way they work, good cop who can crush into pieces, bad cop who can and probably will torture you in ways you can't even imagine. Night and day, black and white. These two are as different as they come, but they do fight on the side of angels, and regardless of their differences at the end of the day, they get the job done. It's been a while since we last got to see these two in action together in the comics, and I mean without the rest of the Justice League. And now finally we get our favourite DC tag team back in action, but has it been worth the wait?
 

The new team on this book is a very interesting one to say the least, the current writer being Greg Pak is teamed up with two fantastic artist on this project, Jae Lee and Ben Oliver The idea two have two different worlds is there for sure, actually it may be a little bit too much when it comes to that. The dark look to Gotham City looks fantastic though, Jae Lee absolutely kills it in giving the city it's own personality and look. The city itself looks like an extension of the Dark Knight, with towers high in the dark grey sky. I was actually a little bummed that they want to use two artist for this book, no offense to Oliver it's just that Lee's art is so fantastic I would almost recommend this book on the art alone. His style works extremely well for Batman, and he even makes Superman look scary, although not everyone is a fan of a scary man of steel. The next part of story sends both heroes all the way out to Smallville, this were the artist change as well, the art is really good as well, the contrast here being the setting is a very sunny and bright location in comparison to Gotham. And while it is a cool idea no doubt, it thorough me off a little bit here. I wasn't sure if I was reading the same story or a new one all together. And I am sure I wasn't the only guy scratching his head when this happened, I know what they were trying for here, but they could have kept it to one artist to tell both parts of the story. It's not a make or break kind of deal, but I am curious to see how they will approach this in the later issues. The story seemed pretty straight forward at first, but we find out there's something or someone trying to pull the strings and trying to get Batman and Superman to fight one and other. Although this does seem to be heading into a world cross over story, the likes of Injustice: Gods Among Us. But again, this being the first story and all, I could be wrong. I say this, cause out of all the story we read, the one I really don't like going back to is the multiverse story, it's been done so much by both the big two companies. And it's not like you can't write a good multiverse story, but as a launch story goes why start off like this. I remember the first Batman/Superman story arc from the Jeph Loeb and Ed McGuinness run, it was a great unique story that took place and tied both worlds together, it's even in animated format, so by all means it can be done. I also feel like it's a bit too early for this kind of story, even in the entire 52 universe, I thought the whole idea of making this connected universe was to keep everything in one world. But I stand to be proven wrong, and if they can make a good story out this, by all means prove me wrong. But as it stands it is still pretty good, a great way of seeing through the minds of these heroes who are so opposite but both fighting for the right cause. The writing so far is fine, just the story I am a little worried about, but nothing abysmal or out of place.
 

But is this worth your time and shelf space in your collection? That depends on you, on Jae Lee's art alone I would say give it a read and pick it up. It's something to see for sure, if you are a fan of style kind of art, then you don't want to miss out on this. But if you really can't afford a new series, then don't worry too much about missing this series. After all, if the story does get really good then by all means you could pick up the graphic novel, otherwise you can wait and see how it goes.
That's all the time I got right now, thanks for reading and remember to subscribe to this blog to follow all kinds of comics news and reviews and inside look at the world of comic books. Also be sure to follow me on Twitter and Instagram, by following @ChileanStorm. I am also on YouTube, doing Time Well Spent on the Maddsketch channel and also doing my own Storm VLOG videos. And be sure to like the Spent Pencils page on Facebook, one like goes a long way. I am ChileanStorm, and remember to embrace the storm and keep running forward.

One for my Dad...

Happy Father's Day!

A big shout out to all daddy, dads, grand dad, and of course, baby daddy's and sugar daddy's. Those count as well...I think. Anyways, I wanted to do a little something special here for my old man. Who is my old man? Good question. My old man is none other then Jose Maria Cruz Fernandez AKA Pepe, as most friends and family calls him. My dad is the youngest of 8 siblings, that's right 5 older sisters and 2 older brothers, the runt of the litter. At a young age my dad was always fascinated with building and crafting things, he also enjoyed drawing out blue prints for future homes and houses. My dad is a pretty jolly guy, though he likes to be seen as a tough and strong man, but deep down and big softy. I was always taught to be strong, hide any kind of weakness. He wanted me to be someone who would go down fighting, instead of someone who runs away in fear. My dad actually spent most of his life in Canada, working hard to support the family, which meant I didn't get to see him as often as I would have liked, and after the divorce, well it was even less. I wish sometimes, that we could have all kept it together, that I could've had both mom and dad at home, but I can't be thinking of what could have been. Growing up, my dad would see things like video games and comics as silly little things that would disappear in time, something with no money or future in them. I am not going to lie, I love reminding him how wrong he is; the take over of Hollywood from comic book sources or the crazy success of video games and how it has evolved from the old Sega and Nintendo days. The best thing is though, is hearing him say he had that one wrong. I love my dad, maybe a lot more cause I just wished he was there more often, but my life gave me a different hand and I just had to play with what I was dealt. It's never been the most normal kind of relationship between us, I am the blackest sheep of the three, not being daddy's girl or dad's proud athlete. But I've always seemed to surprise him, the fact that I am very headstrong with what I want to do and I am going to do it, no matter what. And I am pretty sure I got that from him.

Today I gave my dad a call to Chile, to wish him a happy Father's Day and all, but I also decided to see how much comic book related knowledge I could get from him. I gave him the heads up that I was going to blog about this, so he knew in advanced, although I don't think he even knows what a blog is in the first place. So this is my comic book questions to my old man...

1.What's your favourite super hero?

Growing up in the old days, my dad was a big fan of Superman and Batman, the classic heroes of the golden age of comics. And this was back in the day when you could get a comic for 100 pessos, which isn't a lot but I am guessing back then it was a lot more. My dad would read these and trade with friends other stories, back in the simple days of comics. Also my dad was really into the Batman TV show, yup the Adam West one of course. He told me that kids would get together and all watch it at the one house with a TV. It would inspire all the kids as they played out episodes at school and in the playgrounds.

2. What's your favourite villain?

The Joker. Yeah, I didn't see that one coming. But keep in mind my dad never read or saw the sadistic murdering psychopath that we all know as The Joker. The last Joker my dad saw was in the Tim Burton Batman movie, although I thought as a kid he was pretty creepy. My dad thought he was still a little silly, I can see that a little bit. He was also a fan of Cesar Romero as The Joker. This was the sillier kind of Joker though, one that was more clown then psychopath. And my dad has yet to see The Dark Knight, I wonder what he would think of Ledger's take on the clown prince of crime.

3. One super power?

Super sight, my dad hates having to wear glasses. He said he would love to have Superman's kind of vision, to be able to see far and through walls. I asked if he wanted to have the heat rays as well, he said he wouldn't mind but it's more just to see better in general. I joke to him, saying that at least with glasses on, he looks trendy and smart.

4. Do you know how big my comic book collection is?

Maybe 5 books or something.

Oh dad, if you only knew. It's more like 5 boxes full of books. And I started small back in high school, I was going through a bunch of dollar bins of comics and finding a bunch of old classics and strange finds, it's what got me going. It wasn't until much later that I decided to start following a few series and now in days I want to keep track on all the series that I am following.

5. How would he feel about being in a comic?

He isn't in one already?! Ha ha, yes my dad is very cool with being in a comic book. So I am going to have to throw him into one of my books one of these days. So I am looking forward to sending him my work and show him how far I've come.

I am really happy my dad took the time to talk comics with me, I didn't think he would, so it was a real treat writing this out. I miss the old man, yes, but I am really focused right now on what I need to do to get things done and get my life going. I am not sure if I am ever going to be a father myself, but I am an SP uncle already, and that's a lot of fun and it's a learning experience as well. Cause it's one thing being raised by a father, it's a completely different story waking up every morning and rise to be the best father you can be. I think maybe one day I would like to be a dad, but I am not sure when, most definitely not anytime soon, that's for sure. But a big salute to all dad's today, it's the toughest and most rewarding job.

Thanks again for reading tonight, I know this one got a little more personal, but I love sharing with everyone. A big week ahead as far as work goes, I got a lot to catch up on and improve upon. And also be on the look out this Thursday, for the next episode of Time Well Spent. And you can catch the first episode on the Maddsketch channel on YouTube, and be sure to subscribe as well, a lot of content coming up, so stay tuned. And also, I will be back tomorrow with another blog or two, so I leave you guys for now.

Sadcrow

So today I have a comic book review of sorts, but I will be talking about a few issues, the story arc if you will. I guess also to keep in mind, this blog will contain tons and tons of story spoilers, so please if you haven't read the story yet or were waiting for the graphic novel collection, then be warned now. Although come back and read this so you can see if you agree with me on any of these points. So this is the spoils warning and so you have been warned. Also Thai counts for both my blog post this weekend, cause I want to have a Marvel and DC comic book review. Lets get things started.

My first review will be for Batman: The Dark Knight by writer Greg Hurwitz and by artist David Finch, and the issues are from to.

So this one has Scarecrow as the main antagonist to Batman, and if you know me you'll know how much I love the fear king of Gotham. I find he's one the greatest characters ever created in the DC universe, but a character that has barely been taped as far as story potential, so you can see why I'd be excited to start reading a new Batman story with the Scarecrow, anything could happen. So essential the story gets going when Batman falls prey to Dr.Crane after hunting him down, looking for a kidnapped child that Scarecrow is using to complete a new and stronger fear toxin, using the fear of this child as the driving source behind it. I can see why that makes sense, kids by nature have a greater imagination, things are amplfyed more in their minds. So if you can use that sense of wonder and awe on horror and nightmares, it could crush the human mind for good, great Scott, so far so good. We then see Batman in a James Bond kind of scenario, you know the one, strapped down and ready to be killed, but instead being lectured by Scarecrow and having new fear toxins used on him. Let's make one thing clear here, Crane is insane, I don't think killing Batman would give him as much joy as seeing him live out his darkest dreams for the rest of his eternity, so I am not mad at the fact that he didn't just off the bat, by all means that should be a Joker thing...but knowing Joker he'd make meat dolls out Batmans flesh and play with it while he slowly kills him or something like that. So we go deep into Bruce's mind and see that deep down inside he's got an attraction to the dark, to all the crazies and the monster of society, he never wanted to be accepted by the light. All the while Batman is dealing with this new fear toxin, Scarecrow is trying to perfect his toxin using the kidnapped child, however you get see the past origin of Dr.Crane, the fact that his father was the creator of the fear toxin and he was the original subject, he was being used in the same experiment that he doing now. Through the course of the story, the little girl starts to see similarities between her and Scarecrow, apparently he has a speech impediment just like the little girl and she even makes him a little drawing as well,  so you get to see that maybe there's more to him than being a fear driven monster. A really interesting idea to throw in the mix, but it's one that unfortunately never sees any light. And by the time Scarecrow is bored and readensues y to off Batman, with a sick bone scythe by the way, the Batman regains his belt and escapes, a fight ensues, a very bloody good fight ensues. Batman ends with the blade in his shoulder and Scarecrow get the bat hook shot right through his mouth, yeah, its as painful as it sounds. So Batman still intoxicated with the fear toxin and bleeding from his shoulder and is picked up by Damien, while Scarecrow with a hook still through his mouth goes to the Penguin to order up a machine of sorts...a zeppelin. This where things start going south, real fast.

So I guess after getting hooked through the mouth, Scarecrow gets pissed off and decides to take it out on Gotham with a f*cking zeppelin. Now here's my beef with this scenario. Scarecrow is a creature of fear, something that lurks within the shadows, the idea that he crashes a holiday street festival with a zeppelin to infect everyone is a little, I don't know, not subtle. He's poisioned the water system, air vents, infected toys, but never something like this. It's a very direct way about going through things. But this is all just a lead to a terrible downward spiral in the last issue. It begins with Batman waking up to Gotham being infected by the Scarecrow's aerial attack, so injured and all he goes out to save the city, he realizes quick that he needs a cure and he needs a cure fast, oh man, this is where it gets wacky. He realizes that the cure is his blood cause he's been infected already and cured himself when gets back to the bat cave. So Batman needs to drain himself out on the city and cure everyone...with his blood. Sigh. So Batman is dying slow but manages to get back home. Of course the most ironic scene in the comic comes where Bruce and Damian are eating dinner after a near death situation with Batman's blood cure thing, Alfred being pissed at Bruce's inability to give a shit about almost killing himself, drops a cup of coffee on him, funny, cause I felt about doing the same thing to this issue by the end of things. So the cops and Batman go and track down Scarecrow at one of his hideouts. Let me play for you, this is all in one page. Batman walks in, Scarecrow looks at him, still bleeding from an attack that was days ago, falls down, end scene. What. The. F*ck! Just an issue ago these two were having an epic bloody battle and then this!? And why was he still bleeding from the bat hook, the guy is covered in stitches and he couldn't just sow himself up, really? That's it. No epic showdown, no nothing. I know the good guy is supposed to win all the time, I get that, but it's the conflict and the fight that makes things interesting. Oh and it gets better, as Scarecrow is being locked up in Arkham Asylum, he is plotting his escape and he reveals he's got a toxin hidden in his pants, of course as soon as he is thrown in his cell the toxin explodes and he ends up self intoxicated. But at this point in time, we all know he is immune to his own toxins! Oh wait...new 52!

I feel like this story had so much potential and it looked amazing as well, but I think due the time frame and the change of artist for the next arc, they may have rushed this one out a little too quickly. And that's the thing, you can't rush a good story. So to the next story, and regardless the character, don't rush it guys. But I suggest check this one out, cause David Finch's art alone makes the trip worth it, regardless on the lackluster run. I find the Dark Knight comic has a more adventure by adventure feel, where as the Batman title as great as it is as well, has a more continued one storyline going on, but by all means check out the court of owls and the current death of the family story going on as well. I am going to continue reading this series, but if there any good recommendations by all means let me know. My next review is coming soon, so stay tuned. Later slackers!