Here are today's Guest Reviews by
Jeremy Sims from
Batwatch for DC's; Catwoman #23, Talon #11, and Teen Titans #23. I have also added my rating after each review. If you have any questions about my rating or want to discuss anything just leave me a comment.
Catwoman #23 - No Blood, No Foul
Beneath Gotham City, Catwoman fights for her life! Plus, this issue will make you ask the question “Who is The Joker’s Daughter?”
Preview
Seriously, Why Does Nocenti Still Have a Job?
Catwoman, you suck so hard. I do find myself with an almost giddy sort of pleasure at the prospect of seeing what depths you reach next, both metaphorically and literally in this instance considering your adventures in the Underground, but man, you've been bad! I mean really, really bad.
There's nothing worth analyzing here, so let me catch you up quickly for those who are not up to date. Catwoman is in the Underground running and errand for Dr. Phosphorous and trying to rescue her "friend" Rat-Tail. Now, let's get to it.
Is Catwoman #23 incredibly awful or stupendously awful?
In this issue, Catwoman and Tinderbox meet the Warhogs.
Honestly, I'm kind of ticked at DC. Throughout Nocenti's (former writer for Daredevil and current writer for Catwoman and Katana) run I've either finished an issue and thought, "Well, that wasn't too bad," "That was hilariously bad," or "My head hurts," but this time, I'm genuinely ticked. It's not because of the story; this issue is no worse than the last, but how can DC allow Nocenti to write this when it's so clearly dog crap? The thing about it is that somebody somewhere in the organization is making a really bad call, and it's hard for me to believe anybody could believe in Nocenti's writing which means there is some political bull crap shafting fans of Selina Kyle. I realize I'm reading a lot into the situation and I could easily be wrong, but that's the only thing that makes sense to me, and I'm angry at DC for allowing this series to continue this way.
To talk about the substance of the issue, this one was not as far out as the last in respect to the amount of crazy stuff that was added into the mix. However, all the crazy stuff from last issue is still in place, so I don't know if I could actually claim it's better.
Read the rest of Jeremy Sims' review on Batwatch
My Rating
Cover & Solicit - 4/5
Art, Colors & Inking - 5/5
Layout & Flow - 3/5
Story - 2/5
Verdict - 3.3 - (Buy Catwoman #23) SAVE 20%
Talon #11 - True Strength
The clash between Talon and Bane’s forces comes to an epic finale on Santa Prisca as Casey Washington desperately seeks Batman to help him eliminate the Court of Owls once and for all.
Preview
Back on Track
Talon #10 is probably the worst issue of the series, but even so, it was still a solid story, so that's actually quite a compliment for the amazing integrity displayed by the newest series in the Bat Family. Still, I do hope this issue avoids the pitfalls of the last. The story of last issue lingered on one long fight scene which ended up feeling like inconsequential filler. The latter part of the book had the Calvary arrive to help Talon escape Bane's forces, but even so, it wasn't the most compelling of tales. On the other hand, Casey Washington managed a daring escape that required her to flee into the arms of police custody which is a risky position since the Court of Owls have contact everywhere. Now, both our heroes have to escape, and while Casey will seek solace in the cape of the Bat, Talon will have to use his new found strength to tear an opening through Bane's men and make it to safety.
Does Talon #11 provide a satisfying second round between Talon and Bane or is this young series already running out of ideas?
In this issue, Casey Washington's rogues take on Bane's generals, Talon faces the Breaker of the Bat and Casey Washington gets an assist from Batman when face to face with the Butcher.
I'll admit that I was a little bit nervous after the last issue. It wasn't bad, but it was a step down from Talon's regular quality, and I've been so disappointed in James Tynion IV's work on RHATO that I was beginning to worry about this series as well. Thankfully, Tynion reminded me that he still has what it takes to produce good adventures stories.
This issue is almost all action, but it has a nice mix of dialogue to go along with it. The balance between the two is about right, but I did feel that some of the dialogue was a bit too wordy. I know that heroes and villains have a tendency to smart off to each other before a battle, but some of these conversation went on for a page or more, and that's a bit excessive. There were many moments ripe for a line like, "Are we going to fight or are you just going to talk me to death?" but despite this, it was still pretty fun. Another minor quibble is that we see a lot of Casey Washington's crew but it has been so long since we've seen them that I can hardly remember their abilities or personalities. It's hard to know how to take comments and actions from heroes who are mostly unknown. Still, it's as good a time as any to get to know these characters, and I enjoyed their scenes even as I struggled to remember who they were.
Read the rest of Jeremy Sims' review on Batwatch
My Rating
Cover & Solicit - 4/5
Art, Colors & Inking - 3/5
Layout & Flow - 4/5
Story - 4/5
Verdict - 3.7 - (Buy Talon #11) SAVE 10%
Teen Titans #23 - Hello, I Must Be Going
Kid Flash finds himself on the run from his past as a growing rift between Red Robin and Superboy boils over and could tear the Teen Titans apart, just as their speedster teammate needs them most.
Preview
Be Careful What You Wish For...
I always review comics in order of how well they sell, so it's a sad moment when I get down to Teen Titans. Not only is this series consistently disappointing, but then I have to finish it up with a slog through Catwoman which is downright painful most of time. Still, I will burn an S crest upon my heart and continue to hope that one day Teen Titans will not be so meh. (Catwoman is pretty much a lost cause until it gets a new writer)
Supposedly, we have Teen Titans who will be lost to the whims of space/time in the this issue as Bart gets taken to the future to stand trial for murder. Also, Red Robin and Superboy are supposed to come to blows which seems like a conflict long since overdue. It's not that the series has really set that up for a long time; it's just that I have really wanted to see the DCNU Red Robin die a slow, painful death for a long time, and if Superboy is available to due the happy deed, so be it.
Does Red Robin finally die choking on his own bloated ego and a lungful of blood or will he live and continue to torture my memories of good old Tim Drake for many days to come?
In this issue, the Teen Titans rescue Bart from his judgment and Bunker gets some good news about his boyfriend.
I said I was excited about the prospect of reading a Teen Titans issue actually focusing on the characters rather than the latest threat, but it really was not any better than usual. The problem is that Lobdell (former writer of Uncanny X-Men and current writer of Teen Titans and Action Comics) has gone so long without giving these character much background or interaction that it seems forced when they do start interacting and sharing their information from their past. Bunker has gone twenty issues without mentioning that he has a boyfriend, but in this issue, he opens up and shares this information with the newest member of the team. Why? I guess we are supposed to presume that these characters have become best buds off panel, but I'm not willing to make that concession. These character have scrambled from one giant conflict to the next for forever without letting readers see who they are beyond the flashy suits. The only real way that I see to fix this lack of character development is to have Red Robin realize that he's been trying to build a team without building friendships, and in a group of teenagers, that's not going to work. We need to see these guys hanging out and getting to know each other in a non-combative environment, but though the majority of this issue might be free from super villains, all the characters are still going through emotional crisis and conflicts, and it just seems forced for all the characters to suddenly turn to the others as if they have some preexisting friendships we've never truly seen.
Read the rest of Jeremy Sims' review on Batwatch
My Rating
Cover & Solicit - 2/5
Art, Colors & Inking - 3/5
Layout & Flow - 3/5
Story - 3/5
Verdict - 2.9 - (Buy Teen Titans #23) SAVE 10%
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