Liberty Comics # 2

Writers: Various

Artists: Various

Publisher: Image Comics

Published: October 2009

This is a comic dedicated to promoting and supporting the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund. The CBLDF is dedicated to ensuring that free speech in comics is protected. I'm all for this.

This particular issue has a number of standout tales from some of comics top talent. I won't go into all the individual stories, but some standouts are Paul Popes Loverman, Chynna Clugston Flores "I Beg Your Pardon" and well, all of them actually. The art is top notch and the stories thrill, titillate, and tickle your senses. And isn't thrilling, titillating, and tickling worth protecting?

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Patsy Walker

The Uncanny X-Men # 268

Writer: Chris Claremont
Artist/Inker/Colorist: Jim Lee/Scott Williams/Glynis Oliver
Publisher: Marvel
Published: September 1990

This is Claremont and Lee at the top of their game - 90's style! Lee's art is busy action packed, with each panel looking just awesome. Added to that is Claremont's heavy dialogue, which makes this comic an actual read and not just a series of one liners over drawings (ie. anything produced these days). This is one of the comics where the $1.25 I paid was worth every cent.

The story is set in Madripoor and cuts between 1941 and 1990. In 1941 Cap and Logan are handing out some punishment to the Hand. In 1990, the same deal is underway, but now it's Wolverine, Jubilee, Psylocke, and the Black Widow handing out the just desserts.

Without going into too much detail, the two narratives overlap, and because it's a Claremont tale, you really need to read it to get just how great this comic is. They just don't make 'em like this anymore. Well, that being said, they didn't make a lot of them like this back then as well. Anyhoo, check some scans.


BAM! CAP 'N WOLVIE HAVE AT THE HAND!


Wolvies Angels - KICKIN' HAND ASS!


POW! TAKE THAT NAZI SCUM!


Stare into the Wolverine, the Wolverine will stare into you.


Potential Sidekick.




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All Star Batman & Robin The Boy Wonder # 10

Writer: Frank Miller
Artist: Jim Lee
Publisher: DC
Published: August 2008

"Holy Shit Batman!"

After a spectacular issue # 9, Miller and Lee follow up with a voyage into Swearville. The story was decent, with Batman rescuing a beat up Catwoman, Batgirl being arrested, Black Canary blowing up a child porn base, and Jim Gordon's wife Barbara in the hospital after drinking and driving. Beyond that, the only element of note was the excessive amount of swearing. Now I can see why DC 'accidentally' published this issue without the swears being entirely blacked out, because with them blacked out I have to spend half my time figuring out what swear works best in the sentence. Are they saying "fuck", "shit" or what? I don't like having to guess what swear works best. Call it my lazy comic book nature, but the reason I buy comics is because the pictures are already created for me and I don't have to "imagine" the visuals. Hiding the words just further complicates my lazy nature, 'cause if I don't even want to imagine the visuals, who the shit Goddamn fuck motherfucking asswipe dickwad fucker' would think that I want to imagine the words!

Show me the muthfuckin' money bitch!

Swearing is wrong. But if Batman can get away with calling Catwoman "Baby " while Miller romanticizes their "sweaty, dirty, glorious mess..." then I guess swearing is the least of concerns.

All Star Batman & Robin # 1

Writer: Frank Miller
Artist: Jim Lee
Colorist/Inker: Alex Sinclair/Scott Williams
Publisher: DC
Published: July 2005

It's hard to believe that only 11 issues have been released since July 2005. It has been said that the comic book industry is the only industry that allows such poor timely releases. In the case of All Star Batman & Robin, this is all the more interesting. Here's a comic series by Miller and Lee that is both hated and praised in equal measures. Arguments have been posted that this series is the worst take on Batman, yet the sales are still great. How can something so hated and despised, and consistently late, still be a top seller?

Well it helps that it is about Batman, the singular greatest comic character ever created (yeah I'm biased), and also that it's got Miller at the helm. Miller is the writer that is not afraid to purposely twist a character to the point of no return, no matter how much slack is thrown at him. He has a vision, and he doesn't care if you like it or not. And it's this strength/flaw in Miller's character that makes All Star Batman such a great read. Miller is pushing Batman to the extreme and asking...no forcing us Bat-fans to dig deeper into the bat cave. Miller doesn't want to write about the Batman of yesteryear, he wants to explore the belligerent, borderline psycho, sadist Batman. And honestly folks, it's not that far of a stretch...

Now that that is said, lets step back a minute. Batman after all has been around over 60 years now, if anything Batman can stand the test of time, no matter what is tossed his way. Also, it is only one series in a sea of Bat titles, and Miller has always garnered a love/hate relationship with his readers. I for one can't stomach certain works of his, but Batman & Robin is one that I can, since it is just so damn ridiculous and fun. I mean how many times can you hear "I'm the god damn Batman" and not have to suppress a giggle. Ultimately, if anyone is going to bastardize the Dark Knight, it might as well be Miller. He's pretty good at bastardizing.

Oh, and not to forget Lee. His artwork on this series is top-notch. If you like Lee's work, than you'll love this.

All Star Batman & Robin # 1 introduces Dick Grayson into the Bat universe. During a circus performance with his parents, Graysons world is destroyed by two bullets. Much like Bruce Wayne, Grayson is forced to watch as both his parents are murdered beside him. Next thing Grayson knows he is being escorted by Gotham cops to the Gulch, where he is to be dispensed with. Batman intervenes, rescues the boy, and the comic ends with Batman ordering Grayson onto his feet and stating: "You've just been drafted. Into a war." And so begins All Star Batman & Robin, the Boy wonder.