Category: Opinion

Batman is my favorite DC hero of all time and quite possibly my favorite superhero of all time because dammit he was the first I was introduced to and as much as I love Mr. J, I’m sick of almost every classic bat story involving if not totally revolving around him. Bane stands alongside Joker, Ras Al Ghul, and the Court of Owls as some of Batman’s greatest threats so what happens when he goes on a full fledged vendetta?

Batman has seen hope to win his war against crime through Gotham and Gotham Girl; he has amassed a family of allies and has harbored a love for Selina Kyle, Catwoman. Bane, the only enemy to have truly broken him, is on the warpath. Bruce warns his charges to go away, only to find surrogates hung in the Batcave in there costumes. Batman lures the brute into Arkham Asylum, arming some of his most dangerous foes to slow the behemoth down. Will Bane finally break the bat once and for all?

So, warning right now, I recommend reading the first 2 books in Rebirth before this (I Am Gotham and I Am Suicide) because I was pretty lost. Weirdly, Batman: The War of Jokes and Riddles( DC Rebirth) was way easier to follow and is the next book in the series. I love Bane who is a violent wrecking machine the whole book and kept me glued; while having issues with Batman here and there, I do love the comparisons done between the 2’s upbringing. There are other stories here as well including a prelude to Jokes and Riddles, a mini tale of Bruce warming up to a abused dog, and a little adventure of Bats and Swamp Thing tracking down the killer of Swampy’s father. The artwork is well done and truly grisly and badass at times. While Tom King isn’t my favorite writer, I can appreciate the effort made. In the end, its a solid book but I absolutely don’t starting with it, instead hitting the first 2 books beforehand. May the gaming gods bring you glory.

Before the Aquaman movie, my friend Autobot had me read a Aquaman comic, the first book of DC’s New 52. Like many, I saw Arthur Curry as a joke amongst a solid roster of heroes and demigods. Little did I know, there was a lot more to Aquaman than meets the eye.

Aquaman is the definition of a short-change hero; the surface mocks him despite his incredible powers and the people of Atlantis mostly revile him for his half human heritage. Even aligning himself with the likes of Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman in the Justice League, no one takes him seriously. But in Amnesty Bay, a threat is looming from the darkest part of the sea where even the king of the sea fears to tread. Ancient monstrous Atlanteans that dwell in the trenches leave in search of dwindling food and it’s up to Arthur and Mera to push them back alone.

While Aquaman (new 52, volume 5) sea of storms  and the few books that followed were good, this is the best I’ve seen from the New 52 line of Aquaman. The story is great and action packed, juggling mythos, horror, and a cool meta nature about the old reincarnations of the character. Aquaman is a complex hero and Mera is a epic badass. Geoff Johns, one of DC’s most talented writers gives Aquaman a hell of a new beginning. The artwork is beautiful and colorful. In the end, this book is pretty much everything I love about the characters of Aquaman and Mera and I highly recommend it if you thought Aquaman just talked to fish. May the gaming gods bring you glory.