On Deck! 5/21/13
/
Hey Bat Fans,
Another comic book day is right around the corner, and that means a host of Batman goodness is nearly ready for consumption. Whether you are pinching your pennies trying to figure out which comics are worth buying or you just want a rundown on what's on the market in case you missed something, BatWatch is here to help as we run down the list of Bat Family comics coming out today. The market is not as flooded with Bat titles as usual, but the good news is that there does not appear to be a bad issue in the bunch.
Real quick though, let me remind you about the News Page. It's updated every day, and it's really hopping. In the past week, I've added thirty-eight news articles. Everything from Kevin Keller beating down Batwoman to Brett Booth abandoning Nightwing can be found with just a simple click of the mouse.
In addition, I did some quick reviews of Legends of the Dark Knight #48 and Li'l Gotham #10. Also, I've caught up on comments, so if you've been waiting on me to get back to you on BatWatch, I should have given you a response.
Regular Issues

Teen Titans was moderately better than usual last month. Tim's still a douche and the writing is not what I would call tight, but Lobdell managed to make a giant monster ripping through New York City oddly compelling. Perhaps it was partially because Trigon's motivation seemed to be more geared towards undermining the effectiveness of the team than outright destroying them. Psimon is still around in this issue making trouble. Raven, who seems to have become immediately chummy with the Teen Titans, is also on board, and Heaven only knows what's happening with Beast Boy. As I've said before, if you could describe Lobdell's writing in a single word, that word would not be “subtle,” but I have to admit that I'm interested in seeing how this plays out. The only questions is if the story will stay cohesive enough and the characters stay likable enough to sustain my interest until the end of the arc.
Talon #8
Have you been reading Talon? If not, why not? It's freaking great!
To my disappointment, the introduction of Bane as the villain in the last issue did not bring in a big groundswell of new readers. The title is still in the lower third of DC's sales, but it is not so low as to be in danger of cancellation.
Still, it is a darn shame because Tynion (current writer of Talon, Red Hood and the Outlaws and Batman) has made this one heck of a ride thus far. The last issue ended with quite a cliffhanger as Bane snapped Calvin's neck like a twig, killing him. Most of the time, this would be a certain fake out, but given that Talon is a new hero without much of a baseline, it's not too crazy to think Calvin might be killed in his own series. On the other hand, The Court of Owls can revive the dead, yet those talons who come back to life seem like something not quite human. Would Tynion zombify this fantastic new character, and if so, how would it change the book? I'm still not convinced there is not an excuse for this. I can think of a couple plausible ways for Talon to live through this the most probable being that Bane faked it so he could use Talon for his own purpose, but however things shake out, I'm going to be there to enjoy it.
First Time to Print Titles

Batman Beyond Unlimited #16
Batman Beyond Unlimited, soon to be called Batman Beyond Universe, is out this week. The Batman Beyond story in this one is very good as usual though I cannot speak for Superman Beyond or Justice League Beyond. 9/10
Li'l Gotham #2
Dustin Nguyen's version of Gotham finds its way into print once more. This collection contains some stories which were not quite as good as the last, but it is still a definite purchase for anyone who enjoys the concept of chibi Gothamites. 8/10
Trades
Nothing in trades this week.
Guest Appearances
Justice League #20
There appear to be no crossovers for the Bat Clan this week, but Bruce plays his regular role in Justice League. According to the solicit, something about Batman might lead to the break up of Superman and Wonder Woman in this issue? Someone drop me a line and let me know what's up with that.
That's all for today!
































