Animation Review: Superman Vs. The Elite

Action Comics #775, "What's So Funny About Truth, Justice, and the American Way?" is definitely one of the best Superman stories of the past fifteen years, and might be one of the most important stories about what it means to be a hero in comics. This was a story that came out right on the heals of the popularity of The Authority and other "take no prisoners" heroes, and made a point about heroism. I have always been a person who stands behind the Superman (and Batman to a degree) perspective that human life is scared and we are not above the law. Today an animated version of the story was released, Superman Vs. The Elite. The question is, can this story be translated into a different format, and does it's point still resonate. The answer, I am happy to say, is yes.

For those of you who haven't read the original story, in the comic (the cover of which is below this paragraph) Superman confronts a new team of heroes who call themselves the Elite: Manchester Black, their telepathic and telekinetic leader; The Hat, a hedonistic demon sorcerer;  Menagerie, the mistress of a collective of alien monsters; and Coldcast, a powerful energy manipulator. They are not so subtly veiled versions of the Authority, and they take the Authority model of heroism to the extreme, killing anyone who crosses their path. Superman's values are shaken as he sees people rooting for the Elite, and he wonders if he is no longer relevant. In the end, he fights the Elite and chooses to not sink to their level, and defeats them, but only after showing the world what a Superman acting like the Elite could do, and seeing the horror of a Superman without restraint reenforces how important it is for heroes to choose the higher, better ground.

The animated film was written by Joe Kelly, the writer of the comic, so it does a very good job sticking to the original plot. As opposed to many of the DC Animated projects, that attempt to squeeze a large number of comics into one hour and fifteen minute movie, this one has just the one comic to work with, and so it actually has some room to grow. Little bits are added, dealing with the origin of Manchester Black and his sister Vera, battles with the Superman villain Atomic Skull, and a subplot about a young man and his father that flesh out the plot. But beyond the tweaks, the philosophical debate that made this a great comment remain intact. This is really a story about the price of violence, and whether the idea that people are inherently good is an outmoded one. The comics industry has found a way to get even darker since the original story was published, and so I feel like the story resonates even stronger now. I heard a comment that the Authority no longer was popular because all super heroes had turned into the Authority. While I don't think that's true, I see the levels of violence and anguish in so many of today's comics and I think we need a reminder there is a better way to be.

One department that DC animated projects rarely have a problem with is the voice cast, and this one is no exception. George Newbern reprises his role as Superman from Justice League and he hasn't lost a step, filling the cape well. Pauley Perrette, best known for playing Abby on NCIS gives Lois that wonderful energy and attitude that all good Lois Lane's have, and the way she interacted with Clark made me realize just how much I miss a married (or at least together) Lois and Clark. Robin Atkin Downes voices Manchester Black, and does an excellent job giving the antagonist of the piece levels; an actor could have made him just sarcastic and villainous, but he has moments of real emotion that make him more approachable as a character.

The animation on this project was a different style from any of the other DC animated projects.It has a style somewhere in between traditional American animation and a more Anime style. It's reminiscent of the Jeff Matsuda designs from The Jackie Chan Adventures, with angular faces and hair that defies gravity. I admit it took me a little while to get used to this particular style, but I realize that each of the original DC Animated projects have a different style, and this one suited the action filled nature of the story. The monsters of Menagerie and the wounded Superman at the end are a couple of the best moments in the film, but the all of the battle sequences are stunning.

The special features on the DC Animated blu-rays are always worth a watch, and this one is no different. Joe Kelly narrates a feature about how he developed the Elite and their evolution as characters. There is also a documentary about Superman and morality, that evolves into a discussion of morality in warfare in a post 9/11 world. Heady stuff, but interesting. I haven't listened to the commentary yet, but it is Joe Kelly and Eddie Berganza, editor of Action #775, so I plan to get around to that soon. And the preview for the next DC Animated, the first of a two part adaptation of The Dark Knight Returns, has me very excited for that one.

I don't know if Superman Vs. The Elite is going to be for everyone. The animation might put some people off, and others might not see the point of the moral. But if you go in with an open mind to just enjoy the film, I think you'll have a great time.

Reviews of Comics from Wednesday 6/6

Before Watchen: Minutemen #1
Story & Art: Darwyn Cooke

So, here it is: the first issue of Before Watchmen. I went in with some trepidation, I admit. As much as I love Darwyn Cooke's work, and I LOVE Darwyn Cooke's work, this project has raised more dander than pretty much anything that I've seen among comic fans, and all the vitriol is a major reason why I wanted to create this snark free zone. And now having read the first issue, I have to say... I'm glad I did. There is something of a case of what I like to call "first-issue-itis" here. There's a lot of information, a lot of set-up, and not a ton happens to forward what I assume will be the plot of the rest of the mini. But it was done so darn well, and the art was so beautiful, that I barely noticed.  Basically, this issue felt like a really well done handbook, giving you profiles and background on who each of the Minutemen are. If you haven't read Watchmen in a few years, which I hadn't, it was a nice way to remind you who each of these characters are, especially since none of them are from the main cast of the original. Being that it's set in the 30s and 40s, it speaks to Cooke's artistic sensibilities. I'm sure Cooke can do stuff set in the present and the future, he was after all a designer on Batman Beyond, but between DC: The New Frontier and his Parker work, Cooke's style makes me think of a bygone era. I am looking forward to the rest of this series, and to the other Before Watchmen minis. I hope they can all live up to this opening.

Creator-Owned Heroes #1
Story: Steve Niles / Jimmy Palmiotti & Justin Gray
Art: Kevin Mellon / Phil Noto

The same week that Before Watchmen, which has caused one of the most polarizing debates one creators rights in comics history, came out, we also get the first issue of this, Creator-Owned Heroes, which is, like it says, a book that spotlights work that is, well, creator owned. I picked this up partially because I like to support creator owned books no matter what, partially because I found it appropriate to buy it because of when it was released, and partially because I happen to really like the work of Palmiotti & Gray. Toss in a story by Steve Niles, master of modern horror comics, and an interview with Neil Gaiman, and I was sold. The book lives up to the sum of its parts; a comics anthology that also features interviews and articles, all of which are interesting and fun. We get the first chapters of two serials, both of which have me curious.  American Muscle, the Niles story, with art by Kevin Mellon, is a group of people wandering a ruined and dystophic future story. Nothing new there, but Niles has always been good with character, which shines through, and there seems to be a twist coming in what caused this particular collapse of society that is hinted at here. Trigger Girl 6, by Palmiotti and Gray, is a spy/action/thriller. Again, this is just a short chapter, but it sets up an interesting premise, and makes me want to know the origin of the Trigger Girls. Phil Noto's art is dynamic and the aerial battle scene, that I don't want to talk about too much so as not to spoil it, it really a thing of beauty. Aside from the interview with Gaiman, there are also various articles about the origin of this project, an interview with cosplayers who have crafted a real world Trigger Girl costume, and some convention photos. This is a great package, where you get a lot of bang for your $3.99, and is well worth picking up.

Earth 2 #2
Story: James Robinson
Art: Nicola Scott

This issue marks the real beginning of the new Earth 2. Last issues was a solid comic, but it was really the last stand of the Trinity and didn't do a lot to introduce us to the main cast of the book. This issue, though, is a vast improvement. I really like the new Jay Garrick. I know a lot of people were making slacker speedster jokes after the last issue, but it looks like he's less a slacker and more just a twenty-something who isn't sure what he's going to do with his life. I do miss the old costumer with the Mercury helmet, but seeing this costume drawn by Nicola Scott on the internals made me like it a bit more. And the idea of a speedster who uses his speed in conjunction with parkour (the French art of roof running) is a very cool idea and a striking visual. Seeing Michael Holt, Mr. Terrific of Earth 1 arrive and be confronted by his Earth 2 counterpart was cool, and the seeming villainy of Terry Sloane, the original Mr. Terrific, leaves a lot of questions to be answered in a good way. No point in revealing everything right off the bat. And now for the elephant in the room: Alan Scott. This seems to be the week of books that raised a hoopla somewhere, even though most comic people really didn't react too much to the whole, "Alan Scott is gay," thing. Frankly, I really liked his portrayal. He and his significant other are together for most of their pages, and nowhere does anyone say any word meaning homosexual or acknowledge that they are anything other than a couple. The dialogue was natural, and I found the scenes between them charming. I hope Robinson can keep that up in future issues.

Swamp Thing #10
Story: Scott Snyder
Art: Francesco Francavilla

Swamp Thing has been a title with a slow build since it's return as part of the New 52. It took nearly six full issues before Swamp Thing showed his mossy hide. This isn't a complaint, as a lot happened in those six issues, but just a statement of fact. This issue, though, even with Swamp Thing back, is not even narrated by him. This issue is narrated by Swamp Thing's arch nemesis, Anton Arcane. There are some fairly major tweaks to Arcane's backstory here, but he's still pretty much the same creepy demon guy he was in his previous incarnations. The story begins with Arcane talking to an unseen person, and as the story continues, it winds up looping around to reveal who that is, in a great little storytelling twist. What makes this issue really pop is the artwork from Francesco Francavilla, an artists whose work on Black Panther and especially his run with Swamp Thing writer Scott Snyder on Detective Comics made him one of the breakout talents of 2011. His art has a wonderfully creepy feel in this issue, and the opening pages of Arcane talking sent a shiver up my spine. The fact that Francavilla colors his own work is impressive, and is clearly part of his overall style, which works to great affect throughout this issue. I hope that he does some more work on this title, or one maybe one of the Bat titles soon. As we get closer to the big Animal Man/Swamp Thing crossover, the stakes in both the books get higher, and this issue does a great job of ratcheting up the tension.

X-Factor #237
Story: Peter David
Art: Neil Edwards

X-Factor is one of the oddest super hero comics on the market, and possibly has been since it came back a few years back under Peter David's pen. It feels at times like the home for mutants and characters that no one else knows what to do with. It has an expansive cast, a continuing story that has last nearly one hundred issues, and that strange sense of humor that Peter David does so well. I've been with the book since the beginning of Peter David's first, early 90s, run on X-Factor, and so am very fond of a lot of these characters. This issue is one of those issues that Peter David is known for: a small character piece that tackles "issues" without turning into a very special episode of Blossom. Over the course of this series and her time away in X-Force, Wolfsbane has been put through the ringer in a way few comic book characters have; she has killed people, been brainwashed, killed and eaten her own father, impregnated by an Asgardian wolf god, given birth to his feral child, and then rejected it. And this issue she's forced to confront that. It's harrowing to read, seeing all that raw emotion dragged to the surface. The issue even plays a similar trick as the one in Swamp Thing, with a scene from the end of the story inserted at the beginning to really sock you in the gut and get you immediately into the story. Another plus for long time X-Factor readers is the return of Rev. John Maddox, the wayward Madrox dupe who has become a minister. Maddox has often been used by Peter David to discuss thorny issues, usually theological, but often personal and psychological, and is a favorite supporting character of mine. And not to have an issue go by that's all doom, gloom, and theology, David still gets to work in the funniest Thelma and Louise gag I've ever seen during the road trip to Rev. Maddox. All this happens, plus a set up for a future arc. More happens in one issue of X-Factor than most arcs of other comics, and I don't think I (or other fans) would have it any other way

Sunday on the Links: Blogs & Webcomics I Love

As I think about trying to expand my readership here and spread the word of good comics, I was thinking about the blogs and webcomics I read religiously, and I thought I might list some here, spread the love and hope some of it comes back my way. Like I said originally, my chief goal with this blog was to have a haven against snark and negativity, and so I'm mostly going to be listing blogs and webcomics I feel are positive to the comics blogosphere. If you like what I'm doing on The Matt Signal, check some of these out too.

The Lost Issues - The title of this blog has gone from Brave and the Bold, to Marvel Two-In-One, and now to Super-Team-Family. It features comic covers featuring two, usually cross-company, characters created from existing covers. It shows a real love of all these comics, and the amount of effort put into making the covers seamless is awesome.

Our Valued Customers - OK, so this one is a tad snarky. Our Valued Customers is a collection of comments made by people at the comic shop where the cartoonist works, accompanied by one panel illustrations of the speaker. While a lot of them are what you'd expect from stereotypical comic shop patrons, there are some like this one that reenforce my belief that children are our future.

Hey Oscar Wilde! - A collection of art by comic artists and creators featuring their favorite literary characters and authors. I dare you to not get sucked into looking at all of them.

DC Women Kicking Ass - An uncompromising look at female characters and creators, and their use (and misuse) in the modern comics industry, focusing mostly on DC Comics. This can be a painful blog to read at times, not because it's poorly written, but mostly because it's well written and so often right. But still, it's clear the blogger loves DC Comics, and just wants things to be better, so I keep going back for more.

Lady Sabre & The Pirates Of The Ineffable Aether - Greg Rucka & Rick Burchett's awesome steampunk pirate comic. If the creators and the high concept don't sell you, I don't know what will. This is so awesome it might make it's way to a recommended reading at some point. And even better for those who haven't tried it, they're between chapters right now, so there's some time to catch up before the next chapter starts.

Darths and Droids - So this one isn't really a comic book related blog, but I've been following it for years and I think it appeals to the same sensibilities. In a world where Star Wars doesn't exist as a big budget movie franchise but as a table-top RPG, follow the adventures of the characters we know as if they were player characters in an RPG. Hilarious at most times, it plays off all the tropes of RPG players, so many of which I know from my own years playing. if you read it from the start you watch the characters who are playing the great heroes and villains of the galaxy grow up too. Well worth going back and starting from the beginning.

Let's Be Friends Again  - You might know these guys from their "Comics, Everybody!" strips on Comics Alliance, but their own strips are equally funny. As much self-deprecating humor as comic book commentary, the strip is just a ton of fun.

And of course, when talking about comic blogs, I can't forget to mention Comic Book Resources' Comics Should be Good!, home of some excellent commentary and phenomenal weekly columns. Now, what are you waiting for? Go check them out and be back here tomorrow for Monday reviews.

Recommended Reading for 6/8: Batman: Death By Design

Legendary graphic designer Chip Kidd is one of the world's foremost Batman fans. His works of non-fiction include Bat-Manga!, the story of the 60s Batman comics of Japan, and Batman Animated with Paul Dini, the definitive history of the best superhero cartoon ever created, Batman: The Animated Series. When I saw Mr. Kidd speak in Princeton a couple years ago, he mentioned he had been working on a Batman graphic novel, news which was greeted with excitement by the assembled crowd. That book, Batman: Death By Design, was released last Wednesday, and I am happy to say it does not disappoint.

Death By Design is a book that, a few years ago, probably would have been bannered as Elseworlds, DC's branding for titles that take their familiar characters and set them in unusual times or situations. In this case, the story takes place in the late 1930s, the time when Batman was introduced. It revolves around the demolition of the old Wayne Central Station and the building of the new one.

As this is a Batman story, there is a mystery involved, one that has to do with Gotham's trademark political corruption the disappearance of a legendary architect, an appearance by a certain white faced archcriminal, and a mysterious flying vigilante, but anyone with a basic knowledge of mysteries, or a basic knowledge of Batman stories, can pretty easily put the pieces together. The crimes are a mcguffin, to move forward the plot and to set up discussions about architecture and design. It's sad more time wasn't spent with the crime, since the corrupt union boss and his dealings with the construction of the original station were a part of the story I enjoyed that seemed wrapped up a little too quickly.

Kidd clearly loves Batman, and has a good understanding of who he is and how he operates. His Batman and Bruce Wayne ring true, as does his Alfred, and his Joker has a sinister quality that I enjoy. A lot of the characters who are dreated for the story, including a socialite who wants to save the old Wayne Central Station and the son of the architect who designed it, seem to exist for nothing more than forwarding the plot and don't really stand out as anything else.

I know this is a weekly recommended reading, and I seem to be more harsh than I've been in previous weeks, but I just want to point out the parts of the book I wasn't in love with as well as the stuff I did. Kidd does provide a very strong basic Batman story, and he knows how to write to set up some excellent action pieces that play to Batman's strengths as a character, both as a detective and an action hero. I did enjoy the thoughtful looks at urban change, and the questions it raises about the way we think about cities and their ever evolving presence.

More than anything else, though, this book is a tour de force for artist Dave Taylor. I remember enjoying  Taylor's work in Batman: Shadow of the Bat, but here he takes his game to a whole new level. As this is a new book and I'm not exactly at the point I can get exclusive art previews sent to me for the blog, I was left to search the internet for art samples, and I found a couple pages that are good examples of what I'm talking about.

The first page is uncolored, but gives you a clear look at not only Taylor's tremendous line work, and his Joker, which is one of the better ones I've seen in recent years. Taylor's work has a sense of motion that draws the eye from panel to panel during the action sequences. His sense of page layout and design are tremendous, and appropriate in a book written by America's leading designer of books. His cityscapes are breathtaking, and the amount of detail leaves you just wanting to stare at the pages for hours. The design of Batman's gadgets is also very clever; they feel like something out of a Buck Rogers serial, which makes sense if you were designing high tech gadgets in the period. I loved the little details like that, things that helped pull me into the Gotham of the 30s.
The colored pages, an example you see in the second page above, are soft and give the world the tones of old photographs at times, and those soft blues at others, giving it a very distinct look. DC Comics' Source blog had a week of pages from the sketchbook section at the back of the book (which is almost worth the price of the book itself), so I would encourage curious readers to head over their and check it out. Here is a link to one of the entries for those of you who want to check it out.

In the end, Batman: Death By Design is a fun Batman story. It's a love letter to Batman and to an age gone by. And to be frank, knowing how Kidd feels about Batman, I couldn't help but smile while reading the book. After all, he's living the dream that I've had since I was nine years old: being the fan who gets to write Batman. And to that I say, good for you, Mr. Kidd. I look forward to seeing what you'll do if you ever get to play in Gotham again.

What Batman Means to Me

Back in March, on CBR's excellent Comics Should Be Good blog, a piece was put up about the murder of Batman's parents, and the shifting identity of the killer (check it out here). Reading some of the responses got me to thinking about exactly how I view Batman, my favorite super hero (and possibly even literary figure) of all time. So, I wanted to dive in here for my first post in serious Batmanology. Because personally I feel like Batman having captured Joe Chill, the man who shot Thomas and Martha Wayne, is important for who the character should be.

I have seen many many interpretations of Batman as a character over the years, some from creators and even more from fellow readers and fans. But I think in the long run, it comes down to a couple of touchstones. Do you think Batman is truly mentally unbalanced, or just driven and more than a little obsessed is one of them. But I think, at it's most fundamental, the question is, do you think Batman is driven by Vengeance or Justice? And for me, I'll answer justice every time. And here's why, both from an emotional and personal stand point, and from evidence in comics.

I have always been uncomfortable with the Millerian concept of a Batman who desires nothing but vengeance. I feel a character with those motivations is more an object of pity than someone to be aspired to. Now I don't think Batman is meant to be Superman, this glowing bastion that everyone looks up to, but he's a hero, not an anti-hero. he does good. I feel the thing that drives Batman more than anything else is the desire to make sure that no one else has to go through what he did. He will not take a life, even the lives of criminals, because he views all life as sacred.

A good example of point/counterpoint here is setting Batman against the Punisher. The Punisher is a character who is entirely about vengeance. He lost his family and what he wants to do is right there in his name: he wants to punish bad guys. And with startlingly few examples over the years, Punisher really isn't known for being a guy who takes in orphans, say, or who tries to help out the victims of crime. He has a goal, and that is to make those who do wrong in his eyes pay. And for that character, that's fine. That is what the Punisher's calling is. But I don't see that in Batman.

Why I believe Batman should catch Joe Chill is this: if all that drives Batman is revenge against the person who killed his parents, then one of two things happen once he has: either he just gives up being Batman or he blows his own brains out because his life has no meaning. But a Batman who continues to fight crime after Joe Chill has been imprisoned or died is a Batman who is looking for more than just revenge: he is trying to make the world a better place, even if it's by his own dark means. I will not deny that part of what drove a young Bruce Wayne to take up the mantle of the Bat is vengeance, and not seeing his parents' killer brought to justice was a major contributing factor to that, and I think he knows it. But the difference between what drives a teenager to take up this quest, and what keeps an adult on this crusade, are two very different things.

The idea has been put forth that Batman's great nemesis isn't the Joker, or Ra's al Ghul, or Joe Chill, but crime itself, an abstract concept. And I agree with that. And again I view it as a positive thing. You can't get revenge on CRIME, and if you think you can, then you are definitely not right in the head. You can only fight back it's tide. And I think Batman knows this. He knows that what he is doing is never going to bring about the end of crime in Gotham, and he's OK with that. Because every person he saves from Gotham's criminal element is one more person who can do good and make a difference.

The English major in me is hearing years of teacher's calling out, "Where's your textual evidence?" So, here it is. Detective Comics #439 features one of the greatest Batman stories ever told, "Night of the Stalker" by Steve Englehart and Sal Amendola.

This is the story of a completely silent Batman tracking down a gang of bank robbers who left a boy orphaned while trying to make their escape. In the end, Batman does catch them all, but he knows that it will not change what happened to their victim earlier. And, so, in the end, he is left alone with nothing but his own memories and tears

I've known at least one person who has commented  that they feel like this is out of character, that Batman does not cry. I would generally agree with this. Batman is emotionally closed off, and thus is not known for tearing up at every sappy movie he's ever seen. But this is different. He has seen someone suffer his pain. and he feels for them. He has made an empathetic connection to another human being. A man who is a machine of vengeance doesn't do that. But one who sees the pain of others, the injustice of the world, can look at it and feel for others.

I think most tellingly, though, is the relationship between Batman and the Robins, specifically Dick Grayson. When Batman saw the Flying Graysons die, and saw their son watch them fall to their deaths, he realizes that what he has here is the makings of another him. A Batman entirely driven by nothing but his own sense of revenge would take that boy and he would hone him like a weapon, make him into the heir of his own rage to continue on in the endless war on crime.

What Batman does instead, though, is to hep Dick find the man who killed his parents, and to make peace with the event. In the episode of Young Justice, "Agendas," this is said baldly during a discussion between Batman and Wonder Woman:

Batman: Robin needed to help bring the man who murdered his family to justice.
Wonder Woman: So he could turn out like you?
Batman: So that he wouldn't.

Batman truly cares about Robin. He wants a better life for him. That doesn't sound like a man who views him as just another soldier.

The biggest piece of textual evidence is also not text in the strictest sense of the word, since it comes from non-comics media, but from an episode of a cartoon, specifically what I feel is the strongest outing from the wonderful Batman: The Brave and the Bold, "Chill of the Night"

Written by Paul Dini, one of the seminal Batman writers of the past 20 years, I loved watching "Chill of the Night" because it put into the character's mouth exactly what I had been thinking about Batman and his relationship with Joe Chill, and with vengeance and justice. The episode follows Batman as he finally is able to track down Joe Chill, and he nearly gives into his rage. But the whole sequence of events has been set into motion by the Phantom Stranger and the Spectre to test Batman and see where his loyalties truly lie: with vengeance, represented by the Spectre, or justice, championed by the Stranger. And in the end, Batman chooses to not kill Chill, and to bring him to justice. It could be argued that this is non-canon, which it isn't, and that B:TB&TB is a cartoon that skews younger in its viewership, which it does. But this episode is dark! It could have easily been a script for the high watermark of all superhero cartoons, Batman: The Animated Series.

I accept freely that this is an opinion piece. Everyone has their own view of Batman, and I respect that. But for me, Batman is a Dark Knight, one who champions the cause of justice and hope that he can do something to aid those in need even more than he can harm those who would do wrong. That's what, to me, makes him a hero.

Reviews of Comics from Wednesday 5/30

Angel & Faith #10
Writer: Christos Gage
Art: Chris Samnee

OK, I'm going to say it, just in case: SPOILERS if you haven't read all the way through Buffy Season 8 yet. I know it's a year+ old at this point, but I figured it better to say it up front.

Now that that's out of the way... I have thoroughly been enjoying Angel & Faith, even more than it's parent title, Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Season 9. Not to slight Buffy; it's a very good comic too. But Angel & Faith has been a very strong title, with Christos Gage at the top of his game, and Rebekah Isaacs turning in some excellent art. This issue stands out for a couple reasons though. First is guest artist Chris Samnee. Samnee is one a small group of artists whose work I will follow anywhere (the others being Darwyn Cooke, Amanda Conner, Guy Davis, and Michael Lark). I'm mostly a story and character guy, but there's something in Samnee's art that has really grabbed me and made me want to watch him grow in the craft. This issue spotlights his talent, shifting into a couple time periods, showing some really well-designed creatures, and mixing in some great character moments. The main story is great. It introduces us to former Buffy mainstay Rupert Giles's two aunts, who happen to be powerful witches who have used their power to keep them young for years. They have made various demonic deals along the way to help that, and now the demon's have come to collect, and the aunts have arrived at Angel and Faith's London flat hoping for help. This leads to some great combat and some amusing situations. But the scene that gets me is a flashback to Giles as a young boy in his first confrontation with the supernatural. Angel & Faith has shown various scenes flashing back to Giles's past since so much of the series is about Angel seeking redemption for his murder of Giles at the end of Season 8, but this shows something we've never really seen: an innocent Giles before the supernatural really invaded his life. As someone to whom Giles meant a lot (he was my favorite of the original Buffy characters, and one of my favorite Whedon characters of all time), this glimpse of his past was worth the price of admission.

B.P.R.D. Hell on Earth: The Transformation of J.H. O'Donnell
Writers: Mike Mignola & Scott Allie
Art: Max Fiumara

Hellboy's back! Well, in flashback anyway. This story is the origin of Prof. J.H. O'Donnell, the crazy researcher who pops up occasionally in the background of various B.P.R.D. comics, rambling insanely and occasionally giving out some key piece of information. It's one of those excellent Mignola creepy one shots, with an old house full of mystical books, scary fly monsters, a flaming beast, and little bits of background on the history of modern magicians. There are some great moments, especially one in which the agent telling the story of what happened to O'Donnell and Hellboy basically says, "Oh, and so Hellboy fought a monster and burned the house down," as if it's what's to be expected, which, if you've ever read a Hellboy comic, it pretty much is. Max Fiumara, best known for Joe Kelly's awesome dragon-fighting-ring-in-the-great-depression comic Four Eyes, comes on board for this one shot, and he deserves his place among the artists of the Mignolaverse, with a style that's just off kilter enough to really make a shiver run up your spine as Prof. O'Donnell walks down the secret steps and sees what's waiting for him. The ending is bitterweet, as most stories set around Hellboy are, and even more so since Hell on Earth began. It fits the world Mignola has crafted well. If you like Hellboy and haven't tried the spinoffs yet, or haven't in a while, give this one shot a try. You won't be disappointed.

Roger Langridge's Snarked #8
Story & Art: Roger Langridge

I feel like I'm going to be reviewing Snarked every month until I feel like the book is getting the attention it deserves. Having discovered Roger Langridge during his incredible run on The Muppet Show Comic Book (which will be returning for one final arc as a mini-series from Marvel next month), I followed him to his creator-owned Snarked, a mish-mash of various characters form the works of Lewis Carroll. The Walrus (Wilberforce J. Walrus)  and the Carpenter (Clyde McDunk) and a young Red Queen and her baby brother (Scarlett and Rusty respectively) are our leads, and they run across characters from The Hunting of the Snark and The Jabberwocky, along with a couple from Wonderland, although that name, and that of Carroll's most famous protagonist, are never mentioned. This issue wraps up the second arc, where our heroes continue to sail with the Bellman and his crew towards Snark Island to find the missing Red King, but the Gryphon, who has been hunting them since they escaped the kingdom, has finally caught up to them, with the frumious Bandersnatch in tow. Snarked is worth reading to watch a cartoonist at the height of his craft. It moves effortlessly from high adventure, to comedy, to some truly touching little character bits; the book never rests on just being a humor or kids comic, but does so much more. And Langridge, being the main creative force as both writer and artist, really uses his art to set up all the things he'll be playing with later in the issue through hints, and never skimps on the details. The action really pops in this issue, as the Bandersnatch attacks the ship, and the solution to the issue's events play well off of the established character traits of the leads, Queen Scarlett's imperious nature and the Walrus's constant scheming, but this arc has shown both characters, especially the seemingly cowardly and conniving Walrus, grow. I'm a sucker for comics playing with literary convention and character (The Sandman, Kill Shakespeare,  the first couple League of Extraordinary Gentlemen volumes come to mind), and Snarked is a worthy addition to those ranks.

Recommended Reading for 6/1: Tiny Titans

I really enjoy a good all ages comic, and I feel like appealing to multiple age groups is something that the comic market does better (if not as often as it should) than most other medias. As a matter of fact, I have a whole post about this coming down the pike. But today, I'm here to talk about one particular all ages comic: Tiny Titans.

Tiny Titans was the brain child of Art Baltazar and Franco Aureliani. I've been following their careers since their earlier creator-owned project, Patrick the Wolf Boy, the story of a cute little werewolf and his wacky adventures, which was a ton of fun, and when Tiny Titans was announced, I was thrilled to hear that these guys would be working for DC, and only hoped that their new book would be as fun as Patrick. And I was not disappointed.

The Tiny Titans is a collection of pretty much everyone who has ever been a Titan, and pretty much any other DC sidekick you can imagine. While the mian cast is probably Dick Grayson, Cyborg, Beast Boy, Raven, Kid Flash, and Starfire, a lot of other characters have gotten spotlights. Both Wonder Girls, Superboy, all the Batgirls, and Aqualad have all had their own spotlight issues, and the Terra has always been around as Beast Boy's love interest, although she tends to just throw rocks at him. The adult cast is mostly the teachers at Sidekick Elementary: Principal Slade, Mr. Trigon, Dr. Light the science teacher, Lobo the gym coach, and Darkseid, who I'll get to in a bit. Alfred also has a recurring role, as the kids spend a lot of time in and around Wayne Manor, and in their Treehouse clubhouse. Most other grown-ups are shown Peanuts-style, from the waist down, but the Titans' famous mentors are all pretty easily identifiable.

Tiny Titans is one of those comics that I have sat down and read with my seven year old neice, and we have both found things to enjoy. Her favorite character was Beast Boy, or as she called him, "the silly green boy." One of the many joys of the title is how it can be full of action and adventure, but not violence. There are stakes, even if they are the stakes for a group of little kids: Robin let a group of penguins into the Batcave and the Titans have to find a way to help him get them out; Bumblebee has to babysit the Baby Titans, and find them when they run off in Metropolis. They are fun little adventure stories that anyone can enjoy.

The joy that I find as a more established and older reader of comics is how Art and Franco find ways to make me laugh by using those expectations and that knowledge.Who in the world ever imagined seeing Darkseid, ruler of Apokolips and God of Evil like this?

Yes, Principal Slade and Mr. Trigon are talking to Lunchlady Darkseid. And never ones to shy away from what's going on in the main DCU, Tiny Titans had it's own unofficial Blackest Night tie-in...

and an appearance by the mysterious Pandora when she appeared at the beginning of the New 52.

Last week's issue of Batman Incorporated, which I reviewed on Monday, takes things the other way, and actively brings a bit of Tiny Titans continuity into the DC Universe, with the first mainstream appearance of Batcow, a recurring character in the title.

Another odd but amusing supporting character is Kroc, a sort of version of Killer Croc, who just tends to wander around and cause mischief. I never thought I would view a character who appears in the DCU chewing on people as adorable, but, well, I kinda do here.

I do have to mention my favorite single issue of Tiny Titans, which is issue #33, the All Robins Issue (I know, me loving a comic centered around Bat characters, shocking).

Over the course of the issue, not only do we spend time with Dick Grayson, but Tim Drake and Jason Toddler (yeah, you heard the pun) show up, as well as Carrie Kelly, Stephanie Brown, and even Batgirls Barbara Gordon and Cassandra Cain.  The Baby Titans even get in on the act.

By the end, a very frustrated Dick changes his name and costume to Nightwing (although it doesn't really stick after this issue).

It's adorable fun, and at the very end, a new surprise bundle of joy pops up:

Tiny Titans Damien's overbite never ceases to make me giggle.

On a personal note, I just have to also add the Art and Franco are just two of the nicest creators I have ever had the pleasure to meet. At NYCC a couple years ago, I was able to chat with them both a little, and they were wonderfully gracious with me and excellent with their little fans. I was even able get a couple of sketches, an Alfred from Franco, and from Art, what is one of the favorite sketches I have ever received, the three main Robins hanging out with a wolfed-out Patrick the Wolf Boy dressed in a Robin costume. I plan to include that sketch in an upcoming post about my quest to complete my Batman-themed sketchbook.

While Tiny Titans ended a few months ago after a solid 50 issue run, Art and Franco's new DC All-Ages title, Superman Family Adventures, debuted this week. There are currently six Tiny Titans trades available, with a seventh coming out in late June, and I'm sure an eighth to finish out the series. There is also a three issue spin-off mini teaming the Titans up with the Little Archies, and two picture books, Tiny Titans Go Camping! and Tiny Titans and the Science Fair! So, with that, we close out this week's recommended reading, with the rallying cry of the Tiny Titans, "Aw Yeah, Titans!"