What Are You Reading?

[Dr. Ensatsu-ken]

It's even more odd when you take into account that Jason Todd is alive and well in the current continuity....

Of course, growing up with Tim Drake as my main Robin in the later BTAS episodes, you'd think that he'd be my favorite for that role, but honestly I've grown a bit more partial to Dick Grayson over the years. He just seems to have the perfect balance of chemistry with Batman as Robin (or hell, even as Nightwing). He's not quite as submissive and resigned to the role as Tim Drake, but also not nearly as hot-headed and arrogant as Jason Todd.

[Spark Of Spirit]

All the Robins have distinct personalities and legacies, but DC has spent a long time dumping on the character who has had the title the longest. And I like their distinct identities as Nightwing, Red Hood, and Red Robin. But yeesh, give Tim a break already. I like that he's more reserved and balanced than the others and more of a team player. He's always been my favorite, but DC really doesn't know what to do with him since Damian came around and it shows. I'm still a bit annoyed over him being cut from Under the Red Hood as it would have added a lot to that movie.

[Dr. Insomniac]

Alright, so just out of curiosity, where's the comic where Tim Drake dies? I've seen it referenced like five times between Batman and Nightwing Rebirth, and I can't even fathom how many more times it'll come up if I read Detective Comics, Batgirl, and other Batmen-related comics. You win DC. Now just tell me which fucking story that is and stop beating me over the head with it.

Detective Comics 943, but the death doesn't even stick. He's revealed to be still alive in some other comic I can't remember. Eitherway, DC's definitely sidelining him and Kon in favor of pushing Damian and Superman's kid. It's one thing to be killed off, but it's another to be sidelined and become a D-lister.

As for Dick, I'm wondering at what point in the comics did he go from getting pissed off at Bruce and becoming Nightwing to reconciling with him.

[Dr. Ensatsu-ken]

If I'm not mistaken, didn't he originally enter the Teen Titans as Robin, and then later become Nightwing with writers retconning in his dispute with Batman as the reason for his name and costume change? I'm not quite sure, but I recall learning somewhere that his debut as Nightwing was in Teen Titans.

As for reconciling with each other, I recall Bruce and Dick sort of confronting each other about the tension between them after Dick just met Jason Todd as Robin for the first time.

That said, the lopsided and utterly dense continuity of comic book superheroes makes me realize how fans of this genre who say that they can't get into any long-running manga or anime because they go on for too long are complete hypocrites. At least those series do actually end after a while.

[Dr. Insomniac]

If I'm not mistaken, didn't he originally enter the Teen Titans as Robin, and then later become Nightwing with writers retconning in his dispute with Batman as the reason for his name and costume change? I'm not quite sure, but I recall learning somewhere that his debut as Nightwing was in Teen Titans.

Yeah, that was the original story that Dick became Nightwing while at TT with no ill will toward Bruce, but then after the first Crisis, writers decided to make Dick and Bruce parting ways more dramatic by putting them at odds with each other. And that's where BTAS probably got it from, considering how they had Dick wanting little to nothing to do with Bruce by the end, and being a complete no-show during Batman Beyond.

[Dr. Ensatsu-ken]

I'm both impressed and perplexed that Batman could somehow get all of the villains in Arkham Asylum to put their lives on the line to stall Bane for him. You'd expect most of them to stay out of their feud. Where's the scene where he pulled that miracle off?

[Dr. Insomniac]

It doesn't make much sense, but I think it was supposed to be a thematic turnaround of what Bane did to Batman back in Knightfall. Where he sicked a bunch of Arkham villains at Batman to wear him down.

[Dr. Ensatsu-ken]

Well I certainly got the whole role reversal (of sorts) theme from Batman's recurring "I'm going to break your damn back" line from the second volume. I just found it kind of odd that it would extend this far with how he wears Bane down the exact same way that Bane did to him in Knightfall.

Regardless, it doesn't really bother me all that much (I've given a pass to much bigger plot conveniences than this) but it was just so absurd that I couldn't resist pointing it out. Oddly enough it kind of reminds me of a similar sort of set-up in One Piece of all things, where Luffy teams up with former enemies in a high security prison, though in this case it's to break out of it so it does make sense that they'd work together for that reason, despite past grudges.

[Dr. Ensatsu-ken]

So, I'm still mostly a novice in Western comic books, but out of everything that I've read so far my personal favorite still remains The New Frontier by Darwyn Cooke, which I read a few years back and just recently dug out of my collection to re-read.

Can anyone recommend me any comics with a similar tone and style? Those bright and hopeful stories are what resonate with me the most.

[Dr. Insomniac]

Astro City by Kurt Busiek. A hundred issues and counting of Busiek's tribute to Silver Age heroes, with a huge cast and in-universe history, but with enough flexibility that most arcs can be read in any order.

[Dr. Ensatsu-ken]

Sorry, I missed this post for some reason. I looked it up and Astro City definitely looks up my alley. Since it's not something my local BAM carries, though, I will either have to wait until I get a private mailing address and order it online, or check to see if it's on Comixology if that's cheaper.

I also noticed that apparently Alex Ross does the cover art, which is a really nice touch.

[Dr. Insomniac]

Yeah, it's on Comixology.

Anyway, there's another recent comic I think more people here should read. New Super-Man by Gene Luen Yang. It does everything Marvel should be doing with legacy characters. The main character isn't shilled, given rewards for existing, or propped up to be one of the best people in the world (Clark doesn't even know about his existence until well in the run), he's just an asshole kid with powers who slowly grows and learns to fit the Superman ideal. There's even a Chinese Justice League, where Chinese Batman is just some fat guy. It re-introduces and re-analyzes many of DC's other Asian characters like the Great Ten, Wonder Woman's kung fu teacher back in the 70s, and a familiar face from the very first Detective Comics. There's a lot of heart to this run, and it really won me back to GLY's comics after how bad those Avatar ones where.

But on the subject of Marvel legacy characters, one specific example that I find funny is the new Wasp, Nadia Pym. She's meant to be Hank's never before seen daughter who went through the Red Room training that Natasha did, is the 10th smartest person in the Marvel universe, starts her own gang of other quirky geniuses, and has a girlfriend who also happens to be a ninja. I'm sad her comic ended before Marvel could reveal she invented her own version of the super soldier serum, and is worthy of picking up Thor's hammer.

[Avaitor]

I think that I mentioned a while ago that I got all 3 of JJBA Part One volumes for a good price. So far, it's not too different from the anime, but I really do like seeing Araki's art. The anime looks cool as well, but reading the manga makes it feel like I'm closer to his original vision. I like the use of genre in Phantom Blood, but I don't think that it's spectacularly written, so I can get through it without really being in love.

When I get the chance, I'll order the first volume of Part Two, which is available for a good price on Amazon.

[Dr. Ensatsu-ken]

There's a certain distinct quality to Araki's art that simply just can't be completely captured by anyone else and that you won't find in the anime, no matter how well made it is (that said, I do feel that his earlier stuff is rather awkward to look at in retrospect).

I tend to feel the same way about artwork from people like Toriyama, Inoue, Fujita, Chiba, and Miura, though, among a select few others. It doesn't even really have to do with the quality of their art itself, either, but rather the specific personality of it.

Like, Takeshi Obata is one of my favorite artists, but I do feel like his art can be replicated in a way that translates well into anime without losing anything significant. With some artists it feels like their work only really shines through at 100% in manga form, and trying to make it work in another medium inevitably means having to lose some of that unique charm.

[Avaitor]

I definitely feel that way about some mangaka. Not so much with Togashi, for instance. He can make some really clever designs, but from a lot of what I've scanned, his laziness often shows up, to the point that I'm not really dying to collect YYH or HXH.