3. ARKHAM CITY by Paul Dini and Carlos D'Anda

As the official prequel of  the hit video game of the same name, this graphic novel by Paul Dini and Carlos D'Anda bridges the gap between Batman: Arkham Asylum and its sequel, Batman: Arkham City. With the riot in Arkham Asylum over, Quincy Sharp takes the long-coveted position of Mayor and decides to wall off one section of Gotham City and turn it into a Arkham City, where the criminal and evil-doers can build their own society. The Caped Crusader, realizing that there is someone pulling Sharp's strings, decides to intervene. 

The plot of this graphic novel is quite well-written, though any major action is deferred so as to not preempt the game. As a lead-in, the graphic novel succeeds in three things: (1) bridging the storylines of Arkham Asylum and Arkham City, (2) exciting those who have not played the game yet or shedding light on certain aspects of the game's plot for those who have played the game, and (3) provide Batman-styled action and intrigue. 

The artwork was very good. Balancing the use of darkness and light, the comic panels were dark and gritty enough to capture the essence of a Batman comic yet bright enough to be eye-catching and exciting. 

While this graphic novel was not the best Batman graphic novel I've read, it is a great read for all the fans of the Caped Crusader and the video games. 

Until always,

Lemonjuicesodapop

BATMAN: UNDER THE RED HOOD by Judd Winick

Hi, everyone! I am so sorry for being a no-show for the past two weeks. With academic work being what it is, posting on time has become quite difficult. My class hours today, however, were cut short by the university because of a faculty awarding ceremony scheduled later this afternoon. Also, there is no homework due tomorrow, so I'm free for the rest of the day!

Batman: Under the Red Hood by Judd Winick
Art by Doug Mahnke, Shane Davis, Eric Battle, and Paul Lee

Last week, I read Batman: Under the Red Hood, the story about how a new masked figure, using the name "Red Hood", appears in Gotham City. A one-man army, he takes on the criminal empire of the Black Mask, who is the city's crime lord. Of course, his actions catch the attention of Batman, who senses that there is something more underneath the red helmet.

I love how this story arc portrays the emotional struggle of Batman. Sometimes, I feel that people, both the writers and the audience, forget that the psychological and emotional struggles are what make Batman the kind of superhero that he is. Of course, there is a lot of the exciting, action-packed fight sequences with the stunning acrobatics, martial arts, and gadgets that Batman has at hand.

The art was done in the usual style of Batman comics: gritty and dark yet eye-catching. The fight sequences, which always take the cake in a graphic novel, were riveting and dynamic.

I know that in terms of comic continuity, I am very late in reading this graphic novel. It is a very important story arc for the story of Batman and the Bat Family. So, if you are a Batman fan and you haven't read this graphic novel yet, I suggest that you pick up a copy soon. 

Until always,

Lemonjuicesodapop

BATGIRL, VOLUME ONE: THE DARKEST REFLECTION by Gail Simone, Adrian Syaf, and Vicente Ciffuentes

Barbara Gordon was always my favorite DC character. Her transformation from Batgirl to the Oracle was nothing short of inspiring, but as much as I loved her as the Oracle, she is, in my mind, forever Batgirl. Yes, her successors, Cassandra and Stephanie, were impressive as well, but Barbara really takes the cake as DC's number one girl. In my opinion, at least.

Gail Simone's tale of her return as Gotham's female Knight was extremely well-written, albeit flawed. Barbara's fight with the first villain, Mirror, showcased her intelligence, perseverance, and her determination. Her struggles to heal emotionally and psychologically after her physical recovery was well portrayed. The second story, however, was hastily done and less exciting than the first. In fact, the second story was a bit disappointing.

The art was spectacular. The fight panels were engaging and dynamic, while the stunt panels were absolutely stunning. Some of the illustrations just seemed to leap off the page.

Overall, I give this graphic novel a 3 out of 5 stars. Of course, this is only the first volume. I bet it'll get better from here. 

Until always,

Lemonjuicesodapop

SUPERMAN: RED SON by Mark Millar

The fantastic illustrators and inkers of this graphic novel: Dave Johnson, Kilian
Plunkett, Andrew Robinson, and Walden Wong

In 2003, comic book writer Mark Millar presented the ultimate what-if scenario in DC Comics. Millar, along with his fabulous artistic team, redirects the rocket ship that carries baby Kal-El to Earth, veering it away from Jonathan and Martha Kent's homey farm in Smallville for the fields of Ukraine while it is under the Soviet Union. In Superman: Red Son, the Hero of the American Dream and the All-American Icon becomes the Comrade of Steel and the poster boy of the U.S.S.R.

Comic book companies seem to be very fond of what-if scenarios, which can be very risky. If not done correctly, these alternate universes can turn out to be just well-funded, badly-written fan fictions. Millar, however, proves his writing prowess by masterly manipulating Superman's back story. Not only does he successfully paint a picture of a communist Superman, he also provides a gripping and creative story with multiple ingenious plot twists (especially the ending), exciting action, amusing name-dropping, and dynamic characters. 

Millar's characters develop very well throughout the graphic novel. One of the things I find wonderful about Millar's work is the fact that he did not simply move the DC characters to the Soviet Union, give them the Russian versions of their names, and make them do the same things they do in the mainstream universe. In Red Son, Millar really changes everything to make it a more compelling and more believable what-if story, though there were some changes made which I didn't understand how Superman's not being raised in America could have affected it.

To be honest, I am not a fan of the Man of Steel. I find him to be irritatingly self-righteous, naively big-headed, and too much of a boy scout in tights to be likable. His only saving grace is that he fights for the common good without any reluctance. In Red Son, Superman is every bit as self-righteous, big-headed, naive, and boy scout-y as he is in the mainstream continuity, but he stands for the ideals of communism instead of democracy. In Red Son, he also fights for what he believes is right, but he enforces his ideas of right and wrong differently. But it's not all nobility and goodness in this title. As Superman continues his fight for communism, he slowly becomes his own version of a dictator. 

Red Son features other key players in the DC Universe. There is Lex Luthor's portrayal in this graphic novel, which is nothing short of amazing. At one point in the graphic novel, I found myself rooting for Lex Luthor instead of the man in tights. Lois is present, of course, though h her interaction with the Comrade of Steel is quite minimal. James "Jimmy" Olsen is there as well, though he is much cooler here than in the mainstream continuity. Other members of Superman's rogues gallery like Brainiac (still as awesomely dangerous as ever), Bizarro, and Metallo make appearances as well.

Other DC heroes leave their mark on the story as well. The most prominent among them is Wonder Woman, which irritated me because she is the DC hero that I hate after Superman. Batman is as amazing as ever. Still fueled by his parents's murder, he aims to take down the soviet government. The Green Lantern Corp. (always a pleasure to read about) makes a small but exciting appearance as well. 

When it comes to the plot and the characters, my comment is "MORE". I wanted more action with Batman, the Green Lanterns, and even Bizarro. There could have been more in terms of relationship exploration between the different characters. There could have been more about the Warsaw Pact and the Cold War. Generally, the graphic novel could have afforded to have more going on. Don't get me wrong: Millar's work is undeniably excellent, but it leaves much to be desired. 

As important as the plot and the characters is the theme, something which Millar never fails to present very well. Red Son, like many of Millar's stellar works, carries multiple themes. These themes includes democracy versus communism, the fine line between benign dictatorship and despotism, and the difference between what is right and what is ideal.

Let's not forget about the art (which I am guilty of doing from time to time). The art, in my opinion, was fantastic. The art in Red Son is engaging and attractive. Many of the panels can leap off the page. This is the kind of art that I think most, and I emphasize the word, superhero comics should have.

Overall, I give Superman: Red Son four out of five stars. It is one of the better Superman titles that I have read and is one of the best alternate universe story arcs that I have encountered from both DC and Marvel. I definitely look forward to reading more from Millar, a comic book genius, and seeing more art by Red Son's four talented artists. 

WATCHMEN by Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons

When it comes to superhero comic books and graphic novels, I’m more used to the save-the-city-from-the-Joker and the stop-Doctor-Doom’s-evil-schemes set up, so Alan Moore’s Watchmen is a pretty unique read for me.

At first glance, one may think that Watchmen is simply about costumed heroes in New York. Looking deeper, however, one will see that it is much more than that. Alan Moore’s tale presents to the readers the violent and dirty world of vigilantism, the askew morality of society, the fine line between right and wrong, and the light and darkness of human character.

           

The line-up of characters is very diverse. Present in the story are idealists, cynics, reluctant heroes, antiheroes, fighters, cowards, phonies, and super-humans. The superheroes in the graphic novel aren’t all like the gung-ho, morally upright costumed vigilantes seen in the pages of DC and Marvel Comics. To use the most obvious examples, characters like the first Nite Owl and Captain Metropolis reflect the classic boy-scout superheroes, while characters like Rorschach and the Comedian represent the darker, grittier, and more violent side of the field of vigilantism. Even the smaller civilian characters represent aspects of the human psyche and of society.

            

Vigilantism and crime isn’t the only theme of the story. Watchmen becomes very philosophical and critical, discussing right versus wrong, the value of human existence, the end justifying the means, what makes someone a “hero”, and even the definition of sanity (one has to admit, the purportedly insane Rorschach saw the world with unnerving clarity).

            

Considering that it was published in the 1980s, Watchmen is a landmark graphic novel. Alan Moore intrepidly tackled things which weren't discussed in the field of comic books and superheroes at that time, something which I greatly appreciate and admire about him. I also like how Moore used minute and tiny details to either imply or foreshadow (this subtlety suited the story quite well) and how nothing (plot device and character) presented in the graphic novel was pointless.

Yes, it opened up the darker side of superheroes and had a hand in the emergence of the heavier and more serious tone that comic books carry nowadays, but it was not the perfect graphic novel. While I enjoyed it immensely, both plot and art, I cannot say that it was the greatest graphic novel ever, given that it had its rough spots here and there.

            

Overall, a great read. I definitely recommend it to anyone who is interested in comic books and superheroes.

Here are some quotes in the graphic novel which I thought were worth sharing:

"We gaze continually at the world and it grows dull in our perceptions. Yet seen from another's vantage point, as if new, it may still take the breath away."

"No. Not even in the face of Armageddon. Never compromise."

Until always,

Lemonjuicesodapop