Long Box Thoughts: Batman and Robin, Cinderella, & More

So the X-Men: First Class trailer came out this week. I watched it. All I can say for sure is that it can’t be worse than X’s 1-2. I guess I’ll know more when it comes out.
 
So, inside the long box where I do my thinking, this week was a big one. Three books chewed away at my credit, including a “chancer”. I made up that word.

Hotwire: Deep Cut (Radical Publishing)

Before I get to those books, though, I have to shout out to Radical on the “Hotwire: Deep Cut” mini-series.
 
I reviewed #3 last week and remarked that I hadn’t read the rest of the story and, blam! They sent me the first two. I still feel that, if “Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within” hadn’t been made, this would be a shoo-in for a great movie. As a comic, it’s still amazing. The rest of the story reveals Alice Hotwire’s ghost boyfriend and layers in the complexities of a world overrun and living in fear of hostile, energy-based beings.
 
Overall, this book is breathtaking to look at. Every frame has something great going on, as a great movie would. The art is stupefying. I showed issue #2 to a comics art snob in the shop this week and he totally loved it – and bought it.
 
I look forward to tracking down the first series and further educating myself on the Hotwire world.
 
OK, back to my purchases from this week’s rack.
 

CINDERELLA: Fables are Forever #1 (DC/Vertigo)

I only recently became converted to the “Fables” world and am at that honeymoon stage where I would buy just about anything (except “Jack of Fables”) that had the Fables name on it.
 
Aside from the dippy title (Yeah, I get it.), this is a pretty good little side story with some potential to cause ripples in the “main” story of the Fables’ troubles with Mr. Dark.
 
Rather than review right off the bat, allow me to conjecture and not explain anything: Since the main story involves the witch Ozma, I’m going to assume that Bufkin’s recent return to Oz and Cinderella’s face-off with this particular adversary in her book will all interconnect at some point. How is that going to play out? I’m excited to find out.
 
“Fables” sometimes tries hard to be clever and other times, doesn’t have to try so hard. I want to assume that the reason they use the characters they do in “Cinderella” is to make the story interconnect with what’s going on in the main book. Otherwise, it really smacks of “let’s see what popular literary character we can put a ‘twist’ on this time!” – which is tiresome to me.
 
However, I’m still sweet on the thing and will pick up the next issue and hope to be blown away. At the very least, there are chicks in bikinis. That’s pretty OK with me. Yeah, I know they’re cartoons. I’m sad in lonely in the long box, all right?
 

B.P.R.D HELL ON EARTH: GODS #2 (DARK HORSE)

It’s a return to the crazy shitball of craziness once again for fans of BPRD and Abe Sapien and so on. I have to say that I am no comics art snob. I worked through that whole early 90s period of “Hellblazer” with no problem. The art in BPRD, though… I mean. Um. I mostly can’t stand it. It bugs me. It looks horrible when compared to the other books in the Mignola-verse. It makes EVERYONE unattractive and so I don’t know whom to hate.
 
The story is so awesome and complex that the weird and messy art is distracting. I mean… I’m saying… I don’t know. My sycophantic leanings forbid me from really trashing a Mignola book, so I will say that I did really enjoy and “LOL”’d at the entrance of Professor O’Donnell and Kate’s reaction of “Oh boy”. That dude looks straight bonkos. Then, happily, he breaks everything down so we get a handle on what’s going on.
 
I don’t know really what else to say about this issue. It’s heavy on exposition and maybe it’s good cos Abe and Devon straighten things out, but Abe’s still mad at Devon in the end. By the time the issue ends, we’ve caught up with the story started in #1.
 
I dunno. Maybe someday, there’ll be an art reboot and I can be less of an asshole. I know that other Geekscapers love this art. Whatevs.
 

BATMAN AND ROBIN #20 (DC)

This was the book I took a chance on this week (“chancer”). I really enjoyed the Black Mask storyline from before, but I didn’t care much for the whole “Return of Bruce Wayne” mess. I haven’t bought a Batman book since then. I have to admit that it was the cover by Gleason and Irwin that compelled me to pick it up. Sue me.
 
This is the first part of a three-part story and I like that too. The art by Gleason and Mick Gray is hell yeah. Little details crowd every frame and the tableau with the Wayne “Family” watching Zorro is really cool.
 
Before the issue is over, someone goes splat, Damian’s a brat and there are some glowing bats. Damian Wayne has to be my favorite character in this book. He’s the greatest Robin ever, that’s for sure. He’s obviously a force to be reckoned with, but never stops being what he really is: a ten-year old boy. He’s constantly playing with his video game or looking at his phone – and the bit where Gordon puts him in his place is classic.
 
I never thought I would pick up anything called Batman and Robin, but none of the issues I’ve picked up have ever disappointed me. I am almost ready to pick up issue #21 sight unseen… who knows?
 
So, what did I miss? Is there something I should be reading? Even a Marvel book? Let me know in the comments. I love comments.