Super Wonder Bread...

So it's been some good time since this series has been out and about, and it being February and all, figured why not take a look at Superman/Wonder Woman from DC Comics. Was actually looking through my comics for "love" themed books and this one came up, it was this or Batman/Superman. See what I did there. Anyway, back to are two on hand here, Superman and Wonder Woman. Probably one of the bigger moves that DC Comics took with these two was to make them a pair. I don't remember this being something many writers explored too much, what with Lois Lane being the main crush for the man of steel for a long time. I even remember Wonder Woman and Batman being kind of a couple on the Justice League cartoon, it was pretty sweet in a way, having Diana remind Bruce to smile so more and enjoy things for a bit. But it seems Batman and Catwoman are all the rage now, so it makes sense to have these two together. The cool thing here, is that this power couple could take over the world if they wanted to, but they do a heck of a job keeping it safe. In this book we get to see them work as team, all the while working through all the kinks of being in a relationship and what not. And what is mine is yours, especially when it comes to foes and enemies, so expect plenty of super powered aliens and angry Gods coming in to make sure these two get a honeymoon trip to hell. Just another day for the power couple.

One of the most exciting things about this book is the power team making it, we got both Charles Soule and Tony S. Daniel on this one. Charles Soule, who did some fantastic work over at Marvel with She-Hulk and did a number of Swamp Things book as well with DC is writing this duo together. If you haven't had a chance, you should check out some of his past work as well as the new Wolverines series that was just released. As for Tony S. Daniel, he just started on the new Deathstroke series, as well as doing some fantastic work over on the Batman Detective Comic series. A really power team as well to make sure these two legendary heroes get the right kind of treatment. And I think these guys deliver. You get plenty of action off the bat, with Superman and Wonder Woman teaming up to save a massive cargo ship that has been attacked and you get flashbacks to both these characters making sense of their current relationship. Having things go from action to dialouge sequences works really well, you are able to follow along and stay for the long ride, a hard balance but one that is done right here. The art hits all the right notes as well, plenty of big scenes here with a lot of detail, not to mention a beautiful three page fold out cover here with all the friends and foes of the Superman and Wonder Woman world. Take a moment before you go in and just take it all in, a sight to see for sure. 

I thought I would be rolling my eyes at this book, but you know what, it was fine. They have dialogue and romantic moments, but none of it seemed George Lucas, if you know what I mean. If you haven't seen Star Wars Episode 2: Attack of the Clones, be ready for some brutal "romance" scenes. But they got Jango Fett, that's pretty cool. Back to our comic, I feel like nothing here was too much or over the top. I did wonder what the deal was about the world finding out that Superman and Wonder Woman were together, and why that would be bad, they are heroes after all. I mean wouldn't Gordon finding strange that Batman makes out with Catwoman, Talia, Poison Ivy and even sometimes Harley Quinn. But as a stand alone issue and as the kickoff point of the series, you can't go wrong. Unless you hate these two together or alone, well you probably can skip this series all together. But if you are ready for a series that combines the best and the evil of both worlds, check this out if you haven't already. I also highly suggest fans of Batman/Superman to check it out as well, the book has a similar feel but a completely new take on the team-up comic.

So there you have it guys, the first Valentine sort of kind of theme book of the week. To be honest, it is not easy to find books that fit well to the theme and are actually pretty good, so this was kind of a blessing. I've got plenty in store for the week, a few good ones and maybe a bad one for your entertainment, maybe. I take no joy in reading bad comics, but it needs to be done. So let me know what you guys think about this power couple comic, are you reading this series? What's another great couple in the world of comics? Let me know in the comments below. Be sure to follow the page, tell your friends and all that good stuff! Until then keep chasing the storm! 

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! 

Bright and Scary Future...

So I guess y'all wondering why I am doing one of the DC Comics "Futures End" issues, now in December and all. Well if you don't know, I review any book at any time, that's never a problem for me, I mean I generally pick up my books every two weeks, so half of those would be brand new. Also it has come to my concern, maybe, that I might have too many bats on my brain. I've got five series and they all deal with Batman in some way or form, so practically all my reviews for DC books would be Batman based, and I don't know, part of me feels like that would get a bit boring. Another thing I wanted to mention before I get started on the review, I was thinking about blasting Batgirl #37, but I don't think I am the guy to do it. I am really upset with that issue, considering everything that series has done in taking progressive steps forward, this feels like a massive fall. But the writers did apologizes and I hope it is legit, because I did enjoy the first two issues of this new team. However any time anyone or any group is shamed or portrayed in poor taste, you can't sit by and accept it. The Trans community is doing everything it can to break into society, to become an integrated and important piece to the evolution of the human race, to educate many who have no idea on what it means to be a transgender individual. I have a few friends who are trans, including my best friend, these are people I love dearly and for them I won't stop in educating and spreading the word on these issues, because they matter. If you want to read a good review, click the link here and check it out, you will get a better understanding on how this issue came off as an insult and more importantly as a disappointment. And if you need to educate yourself more, and I highly suggest you do, go here and learn more on this topic.

Okay, comic book review time. 

So today I wanted to review Futures End: Sinestro, which gives us a story that takes place in a possible future of the current ongoing Sinestro series. All of the Futures End stories in all the different books shows us a possibility that is yet to come, events that take place based on moves made in the past. Of all the ones I have, I really enjoyed this one though. Sinestro has always had a Magneto feel to me, while cruel and cold blooded, I don't think the character is by any means a true villain. I will say this, both characters have done some terrible and horrible things, but these guys won't deny that or try to sugar coat things. Too often I feel we try to find excuses and reasons on why we may have hurt others or did something wrong, Sinestro knows why he did it and would do it again if given the chance. Needless to say after reading Geoff Johns run on Green Lantern, it was hard not to fall in love with this bad guy. Not to mention his main power stems from "fear" and he has teamed up with my all time favourite DC Comics bad guy, the Scarecrow. Those two need to team up again soon. 

The story begins in a future with Sinestro caught and locked up in a prison for the worst of the worst in the galaxy, down but not out we find out Sinestro has got a plan. And while his main power source has always been the yellow light of fear, we get to see him tap into another source of power. And always trust in this guy when he says that he has a plan, as you see as the story progresses, everything needed to happen and everything needed to be in the right place. The pay off is the end, and man, it's a good one.  I highly suggest all Green Lantern fans check this one out, an excellent read for a great and classic character. And considering this is a one shot issue, the narrative is really good in telling us a story on this possible future. It ends and begins, a well structured story of redemption and revenge. And while he is no Ivan Reis, Igor Lima should be given plenty of credit for bringing the story to life, a lot of great details and plenty of action on the pages, great presentation for this book. And while I could complain on how everything eventually works out for our main character, it's nice to see the bad guy win every now and then. 

As a stand alone book, it's worth a look at the very least. But if you are collecting GL books, if this isn't in your collection, pick it up and get started on the Sinestro series in general. In a world of thousand different Lantern characters of all the different colour spectrum, it is easy to see why Sinestro stands out as the greatest of them all...according to him of course.

Well there you have it, DC Tuesdays has come and gone, but remember we will be seeing more and more Batman content, but I will see if I could start something, not so Batman-ish. It will be hard, but I can't make any promises. But I asks you guys, which of the Futures End books did you like the most? I've got a few more as well, so I can do another next week as well if you guys want. Also anything good from DC Comics that isn't tied to the six degrees of Batman? Let me know in the comments below or hit me up on Twitter or Tumblr. Bonus points for messenger pigeons. That's all the time I've got for now, 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! 

Desu DC Comics!

Comics are so cool! Wow! Sparkles!

...that's me trying to be an anime character. Or the stereotypical anime character I guess.

So not sure if you know or not, but DC Comics a few years back released a few really cool anime style statues and mini statues as well. All the classic female heroes and villains that we have known over the years got redesigns that in my opinion looked really good, especially Poison Ivy and Catwoman. These became very popular, practically every DC girl had one made and even Christmas variants were made, so the next logical step would be a comic book right? That's right, and enter Ame-Comi Girls!

To be honest, I didn't know this even existed! So I was really surprised to find a few issues at a discount price available. I liked the designs on the characters, so there was enough curiosity for me to take a crack at this series and see what it's all about. be honest, I didn't know this even existed! So I was really surprised to find a few issues at a discount price available. I liked the designs on the characters, so there was enough curiosity for me to take a crack at this series and see what it's all about.

Before I start I should point out that this particular issue of Ame-Comi Girls is part two of a four part storyline. And since I am missing that issue, no doubt there are things I may not have picked up on or missed out some key elements. So we start this issue with Power Girl fighting Star Sapphire for the heart of Jimmy Olsen. I really wish I was making this up. That's right, two of the sexiest women in the DC comic universe are fighting over the Krusty Burger teen of Metropolis. What?! As a comic book geek, I have read a lot crazy stuff over the years, I've seen Batman spray his blood over Gotham as a cure for a fear toxin, I've seen Colossus murder Psylocke with a car and I've read Ultimatum. And even after all that, this still takes the wedding cake. In the comics defence, they made Jimmy look like a handsome man and not some dorky part timer kid. But still! I mean the very idea that this taking place is really jumping the shark for me! But it's only the first four pages, let's see where we go next. 

Okay so Sapphire tosses Power Girl out in space, and Power Girl starts to lose oxygen...wait what? Is this a thing? I thought she was Kryptonian. Google break.  So yeah, apparently some writers make note that she has to take a deep breath before flying through space. And now we know. But luckily for Power Girl she is rescued by Green Lantern, more specifically Jade! Who equipped with alert hearing headphones which alerted her to Power Girls danger. Huh? This universe though, right? So anyway, they go back down to Earth, save Jimmy and take the power source of Star Sapphire. End of comic, go home and rejoice? Nope, here comes Atom! Power Girl brings here in to help Supergirl, who has been infected by black kryptonite. And that black kryptonite takes form of Brainiac, in the insides of Supergirl. So with fighting going on inside and outside, Atom manages to shrink the kryptonite out of her system. After that takes place we get a lengthy back story to the main villain in this arc, Sinestra! And this makes this book even more of a head scratcher, we see the black power ring taking over Sinestra as she attacks different plants before being stopped and arrested by the Green Lantern Corps, only to escape years later with the yellow power ring. And now she has taken control of both fear and death power rings and is out for revenge. Again, what?

See this my main problem with this book here, the identity is extremely unclear. Are you a fun read, something like A+X or are you an epic tale like Batman or something. Why waste time on a massive plot but try to pass as a light read. What are you? And yeah maybe this is supposed to be either an advertisement or fan service of both, but that doesn't mean skip a trip to the editors office. I just don't know who to recommend this book to, but if you are a big fan of the designs, well the art should help get through, it is cool seeing these designs in action. But to everyone else, save up and get the figures, this book is not worth your change.

I didn't want that to come off harshly, but sometimes you got to lay the smack-down, even on cute looking super heroes. But maybe I am not seeing something here or maybe I am right, regardless leave a comment below and join the conversation. I got to get going though, be back tomorrow for another comic book review here at Storm Watch, 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! 

And Here We Go...

The weekend comes and the weekend goes. Welcome everyone, back from the first big show of the season at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre and feeling great and ready for a new year of excitement and adventure and all that good stuff in between. First and foremost a big thank you to everyone who came to the Artist Alley and stopped by at the Spent Pencils table, I appreciate every moment and everyone who stopped by and showed their support, it means the world to me. And a big thank you to all the artist as well who spent the weekend working away as well, a lot and I mean a lot of amazing and creative talents on display this weekend. From new art groups like Breaking Lead, Legion of Beards and From a Hat, this is the power of the GTA art community, glad to have you guys at the shows! And of course a thank you to all my crew and to my friends in the Artist Alley, I can't wait to keep evolving and growing with all of you.

I sold a lot of different prints this weekend and a few sketch covers, so I should let you guys know I sold both the Thunderbolts and the X-Men sketch covers. But I will be doing an X-Men/Adventure Time cross up prints, have those ready for the next shows as well. That being said, let me know what kind of prints you would like to see from me and I can have that done for you. Also got some more blank covers, so give me ideas on those as well. Aside from that I was giving out a few free sketches and some postcards as well, which I will be making more in the near future. And I was lucky enough to get a lot of cool swag this weekend as well, from Apocalypse 4 tee and print, original books and some prints as well. I will be reading a lot of these in the near future and I will let you know what I think, but I highly recommend that you all get Black Hole Hunters Club, Teuton, Omega Zone and Two Mistakes Two Many. Look these books up, these are all original books and you need to give these guys plenty of love and support. 

So I've got to get going now, plenty to clean up and I've got to work later on tonight. But again, thank you all for all the support and keep it coming, follow me on Twitter and Instagram under @ChileanStorm and be sure to follow this blog for all the updates and news and reviews that I can give you. Until then, keep chasing the storm. 

Also, check this blog and video out, a certain lil storm makes an appearance. 

Spent for YouTube

Put this in your tube and watch it! 

You want some content? We got content right here! In efforts to connect with you, yes you, we've been hitting up YouTube with a lot of different videos and I got some of the updates and links right here for you, but I implore you to subscribe to our channels, give a like and leave a comment, the feedback is super important to us, so please do some interacting! I swear we don't bite. So as you may or may not know, the main channel to get a lot of sweet artist and comic book content is the MaddSketch channel, so click and enjoy the various different shows, like Doodle Tuesdays and The Sequentials. You can also watch yours truly on Time Well Spent, if you haven't seen it yet we got 4 episode up, so watch and see what you think. I will be posting up the video down here as well. You can also watch both me and Tiffany on our own YouTube channels; Tea Em will be vlog-ing and will also looking through more comics that have a personal connection, not to mention doing video gaming as well, so check her out for sure! On the ChileanStorm, I will be doing just vlogs and updates, I have thought of going through my collection of games and comics and share them with all you. So you want more TWS awesomeness, subscribe to our channels and love us more then that goldfish you got last year at the Ex.

As promised earlier here it is, episode 4 of Time Well Spent! It does end a bit early on us, but we wanted to encourage more interaction with the channel, so if you are reading this, please a like and a comment, it won't kill you right? And tell your friends! 

And here is the brand new episode of Sequentials! This was done during the 100th episode of Unboxing Wednesdays, and has a great collection of amazing and creative talent, so give it a watch!

And here is my own quick video vlog I did on Wednesday at Silver Snail, for July Well Spent. I could have made it longer, but it happens. And I will post one by the end of the day as well, so stay tuned for that. 

So there you go, plenty to watch here and on all of our channels, we are not stopping with giving you as much content as we can and all three of us have comics in the works and online as well, be sure to check out Tiffany's Tales of Lost, which up right now and updated every week. So be sure to subscribe to that page as well. Alright everyone, that's all the time I got for now, and I got to get ready for all the events this weekend! So stay tuned, and keep watching 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.

The Superior Superman

Hype in comics is a funny thing, it usually involves taking the best writer, someone known for writing a book that brought characters to life and made you read as fast as you could to solve the plot. And then teaming him up with an artist who's style is known worldwide, who has inspired thousand of others and can keep your eyes glued to the pages for hours on end. You take these two elements and combine them with a hero or a team who have a legendary status in the world of comics, and you got yourself quite the anticipated book on hand. Fast forward to a few weeks from the highly anticipated summer blockbuster, Man of Steel, and DC comics releases the dynamic team of Scott Snyder and legendary comic artist, Jim Lee to take on the tasks of brining Superman Unchained to life! But with great hype comes great pressure to deliver, some books have risen to the occasion and others have crumbled on that weight. But how exactly did Unchained go, well I will break it down to you what I thought of the new man of steel adventures. 

As with a lot of these reviews be aware of potential spoilers. 

So the story begins with a scene that takes place in Japan during the war, a bomb is seen drop from an American plane. The bomb is then revealed to be something else, or someone else. I loved the classic lines being used to describe what was in the air, a twist on the lines especially considering its a sign of doom, as opposed to hope. Tip of the hat to that. The story then zoom out to space, with Superman coming back to the planet, but not before crashing through a falling space craft to save the crew inside. This of course is the pullout page, which is an interesting take on the layout, a huge shot of Superman going through and on the back an up and close shot of him rip through all the steel. Call it a gimmick if you want, but I thought it was a really neat idea, not to mention seeing the pencils of this large shot is something to stare in awe and wonder. This is the power of Jim Lee, giving everyone a reminder of his pencil power. And to that degree, I am not complaining, this is what I love to see in comics. As soon as he makes sure everyone is fine, Superman goes to confront Lex Luthor, who is seen to be possibly attempting to escape with other inmates. Although you couldn't tell cause he is seen to be reading and not paying any attention to the chaos around him. Lex is accused to be behind bringing down the space station but denies any involvement, saying he only wants to do good for Metropolis and the world. I loved seeing how calm and cool Lex is, especially when talking with Superman, his life long enemy. After sending Lex back to the authorities, Clark Kent is working away on writing about the rescue, we get to see the classic characters of the Superman world; Lois Lane, Jimmy Olsen and Perry White. The characters play well with Clark, especially the interaction between Lois and Clark, the classic back and forth. From his news report, he then realizes something missing from the days event, another space station that collapsed in orbit was placed down on Earth, but not by him. When looking for the answers, he is at the ocean floor when he is attacked by an American submarine. We find out, the military is trying to keep something a secret. What that secret is an alien life form, who is said to be capable of defeating the man of steel. But what and who is it?

So of course it goes without saying, the art was absolutely incredible. Jim Lee has the power to work on any book and make it absolutely eye popping, so it's a no brainer he is able to bring to life Superman with no trouble. That being said, I wished we had a few more large page spanning panels, but a story needs to be told, so we may have to wait for some of the later issues. As for the story, I liked the fact that this felt like a Superman story we know, but adding new elements as well. You have a collection of characters from the past like Lois and Lex, and you have a new and unknown threat as well just over the horizon. The characters we know, including Superman, stay very true to the stories we know and love, which is a good thing. No one seemed darker or edgier for the sake of being darker and edgier. As the first issue, Superman Unchained was really good in my opinion, I was never too big on Superman, so this book felt like a good spot to start following the stories and adventures. And honestly, if you wanted a good book to start collecting Superman comics, this would be the place to be. And the team behind this book is as talented as they are devoted to bringing you the best Superman book that they can, so I can't wait to see what exactly they have in store for the next issues. 

So there you have it fans of the big blue and red, if you haven't picked this book up yet, I highly suggest you to make it part of your collection. They released a series of alternative covers for this one as well, which I am sure many collectors have gotten there hands on, the covers each done by various different artist shows Superman through different iconic moments in 75 year history. If I had the money and the chance, I would totally get the Bruce Timm cover, love his work from all the DC animated series. But these are limited to a few numbers to each store, so if you can by all means pick one up.

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. 

The Real Steel

Going to do something for those who want the point and case of things, cause I do tend to ramble and go deep into these kind of things; Man of Steel, was a great summer blockbuster movie and a great action flick. If action is your cup of tea, go see it. If you're a comic book fan, go see it.  If you simply like strong beautiful men in blue tights, well, yeah go see it. In fact, as a stand alone movie, there's no reason not to see Man of Steel. Okay so with that out of the way, pull your pants up high and get your pen protectors, it's about to get geeky. 

It goes without saying, spoilers might be spilled, so if you have yet to see the film, you may want to hold off...

The Man of Steel was a great way to start the DC Comics movie universe, the team brought on to make the film seemed to be the kind of team that would have been poised to create something larger then one movie, something that could expand to other movies, TV and comics. Instead we get a Superman movie. That's it. No mention or acknowledgement of a bigger picture. Do they owe us that, I guess not, but who wouldn't want to make billions of dollars. And besides, I find it hard to convince movie goers to see an Aquaman movie or even another Green Lantern movie for that matter. I am taking a shot in the dark here, but I have to imagine some movie goers had a little more interest in seeing Thor and Captain America, knowing that it would have all connected to a bigger picture. I know the comic book fans don't need anyone twisting there arms to see any super hero movie, that goes without saying. But to the curious type, I am sure finding out how all the pieces connect is a fun viewing treat. Why DC Comics and Warner Bros. are still being stubborn on this is beyond me. And I totally realize this is coming from the dark corners of my geeky soul, but I can't help it, it needs to be said and it needs to be done. Do this make the movie better or worst, absolutely not, I am not going to let that make or break my opnion on the movie entirelly, but it sucks not to see this go further. But with that out of the way, more about the movie itself, which many described as being too much action.

Here's the thing, I want to defend the choice to make this movie a lot more action based. Does anyone actually remember Superman Returns? This movie practically killed Brandon Routh movie career. This movie was supposed to be the definitive Superman movie, you had Bryan Singer drop the X-Men franchise for it, so it must be the must see super hero movie of the ages. It wasn't. Actually it was no where close. And see here's the thing, the biggest thing about this movie to me, was that it wasn't exactly awful or bad in any sense, the acting was fine (maybe Kevin Spacey was having too much fun as Lex, but whatever) and the effects were fine as well, classic score, no big deal. This movie's sin was boredom. It was really boring, think long highway drive with the family kind of boring with no entertainment but your Aunt's hilarious vacation stories...that you're hearing for the third time kind of boring. I didn't get it, how could a super hero movie be boring? Even the really bad ones are at least laughable, and if anything they got car crash syndrome; no fun when it's happening to you, but hell of a show to watch. Superman Returns is a lesson to future comic book related in films in what not to do as far as storytelling goes. This is Superman we are talking about, at what point in the film do you get the sense that this guy is a God among men? So it was nice to feel that kind of power with Man of Steel. You see what he can do, and basically know that any normal human being isn't going to be able to withstand a punch from this guy. And I thought it was great to see that balance with Clark holding back many times, knowing his power is to great to unleash when he's faced with a small time problem. And when is able to be "unchained", you know this guy means buisness. This is the Superman that we all imagine in our heads, the guy who can blow away a galaxy (this actually happened) or pull the planet on his back (sh*t you not, this also happened). And really after five films, it's about time you get to see this on the big screen. So too much action maybe some form of Superman venting over the years of holding back in Hollywood. You want a character study, wait until the fall for Oscar movie season, the summer is all about the action, and action you will get.

And it's not like you don't get to see Clark Kent grow as a man and as a hero for the planet. The interesting piece was seeing Clark doing the right thing and being a good person without using his powers, being the better man at times. It's something to consider cause this is something that makes Superman stand out above and beyond, the fact that we can all be a Superman in these regards, to help out and stand up for what is right and to a bigger man in situations. I loved seeing the influence his foster parents had on him, the contrast of his raising with that of General Zod, a character who was bred to destroy. Going back to Jor-El's theory on the flaw of having babies bred into different categories, and using free will as proof of the potential in each one of us. As a villain, I felt that General Zod was decent. Not the best, but nice to see someone who can go toe to toe with Superman on screen. His purpose and plan is laid out a lot during the film, reminding us, that this guy had a mission and he's going to see it to the end, he fights for his people and his lost home. The fact is he never had any other choice but to be the ruthless general that we see, he just wants to save his people, not matter what. Again, not the best villain to date, but I want to see what they will do in the next film, will we see a new Lex Luthor and team him up with Brainiac, Bizzaro or Doomsday? This geek here would love to see Bizzaro...but that's a pipe dream at best. Prove me wrong Hollywood.

Anyways, compared to the many comic book films that are out, Man of Steel does stand on it's own. It's a great action movie and really it does Superman justice, I mean let's call a spade a spade, this isn't the Green Lantern movie. Everything from the Superman universe is held properly together, with a few elements such as Luthor and Jimmy Olsen missing, but overall it's an awesome time at the movies. Yes I would have liked to seen a big movie universe start from here, but the fact that I didn't doesn't make this movie any less awesome. For what was done, a big thumbs up on my part. But what about you? What did you think, cause honestly for all my opnions on this film I could be wrong and I could have missed somethings, so let me know for sure, love a good movie talk. Looking forward to hearing what y'all think.

I will be back tomorrow, so stay tuned and subscribed to this blog and enjoy the ride.