Sn4tcH

I wrote a pretty long reply, but it was mostly a bunch of analogies and stuff. As I finished it up, I kind of realized it's one of those "our opinions are just REALLY different" situations. I just totally disagree with the idea of "hand holding", but I realize if someone doesn't like something simply because they didn't like it... then they didn't like it. I just feel like if I'm reading a comic, and it's obvious that I'm not going to get it because I haven't read a previous storyline, I read the previous story. But that's me. I'm the guy who bought the Knightsend Batman trade, not realizing that Knightfall happened first, but being poor and young I was unable to pick up Knightfall for months. So Knightsend collected dust until I could read Knightfall... Of course, had I known Knightfall/Knightsend sucked before hand, I wouldn't have read it at all.

Totally! Yes. Asking to be hand held into RIP is kind of like walking into the last ten minutes of the Sixth Sense and then complaining because the story made no sense. But this is about Buffy! I recently watch all 7 seasons of Buffy (and all 5 of Angel) for the first time just so I could read Season 8. So, perhaps I go above and beyond the call of duty? Most people would just read the Wiki entry to get caught up, not me though, I want the experience.

I feel the same way about their review of Buffy as I did about their Batman RIP review. I disagree with Mike's "hand holding" thing. You can't expect to start watching your first episode of Lost in season 5 and expect to know what's going on. And you can't walk into the middle of a story and expect someone to hold your hand. If you want to know what's going on, read the whole story. Don't come out and tell me Two Towers confused you when never read Fellowship, or how Return of the Jedi made no sense because you didn't watch Empire. I know a good writer can bring a new reader into the middle of a story softly. I think Geoff Johns is good at this. But I also think stories like Buffy Season 8 and Batman RIP were SO MUCH MORE rewarding because I had been reading since the beginning. The stories are going full steam, there's no way to slow down, and you just have to get out of the way.

Harley Quinn Smith was named AFTER the character. Not only is Smith a friend of Dini, but one his favorite comics was Mad Love. He enjoyed the character so much, that when choosing a name for their child, he made his wife read the trade for Mad Love. She also fell in love with the character, and agreed on her name.

I had a feeling... I've got a sixth sense about that sort of thing.

In No Mans Land, Bruce tried to show Gordon his face, but Gordon turned away saying something like "If I wanted to know, I already would."

It almost makes me angry when people try to argue whether or not Gordon has known who Batman was since year one. OF COURSE HE DOES. Another storyline to point at to further push the point, Blind Justice. In that one Gordon seeks out Bruce and to tell him his opinion that if Batman ever wanted to retire, that he had earned it. Now why in the world would Jim Gordon seek out Bruce Wayne, just to tell him his opinion like that? Also, Gordons response to the story about the Waynes in R.I.P. He was FURIOUS! But why would Gordon be so upset about some story about a couple dead billionaires, unless he had a close personal friend that might be effected by the story? I also believe the Joker knows who Batman is, but doesn't care. He has no interest in Bruce Wayne, but Batman... that's another story.

That's true. I guess I'm one of the few people that can peak at what I'm getting for Christmas and still be excited when I open it.

I know there wasn't really any issues with this episode as far as spoilers go, but for future episodes of waiting for the trade, I would really like it if you guys spoil the hell out of the books. Hear me out, when I read something in issues, that's when I don't want to be spoiled. But for me personally, knowing the spoilers in a trade doesn't bug me that much, in fact it can make the difference between me picking a trade up or not. I'm not sure if anyone else feels this way, and would rather have the guys leave their reviews spoiler free.

My Choices for Harl... Britney Murphy Jamie Presley Alyson Hannigan I also REALLY like the idea of Anna Faris If you wanted to do Harl like she was in the "Joker" trade, I think Ricci would be fine, but I'm not sure she'd be willing to play a completely silent role.

KnightWing is my new favorite person.

Mike, all I can say is... BRAVO! Just throw in the fact that Twilight is a lonely woman's allegory for abstinence, and it would have been perfect. With that said, I love Muse, and it makes me a sad panda to know they inspired this crap. And New Born in High Tension was the best part of that god awful movie.

RIP is victim of circumstances really. It was overly hyped, even by me. Despite the fact that there are multiple interviews out there with Didio and Morrison basically telling you, "Calm down, nothing's going to happen to Batman until Final Crisis" even I was expecting something huge to happen. Though I must admit, Bruces repressed memory basically changes the character forever.

I guess it could be a matter of tastes. I mean I'm the guy who quit reading X-men when I realized they were going to retcon Morrisons ending to New X-men. I love Morrison, I love his writing, and I love watching him experiment. I'll fully admit it's confusing, but I've never had so much fun talking about a comic in my life. I think I understand everything that's happened, but I've also been reading all of his run and Final Crisis, and most of the answers are there. I'll also admit that the artist was totally wrong for this story. Now I'm not shocked that Mike didn't like this one, because I think I disagree with him about comics 95% of the time. We have different tastes, I totally get that, it's why I love listening to Earth-2 because it boils my blood, but gives me a different POV. In the end, I really can't explain why I love RIP and Morrisons most recent dealings with the DCU. Maybe it's a frame of mind you have to be in. Maybe it's because you're watching someone do something different. You won't get people to agree either way. I'll never think it's bad, and Mike and Dan will never think it's good. It's like a work of art, someone might see it as a work of genius, while another sees it as a lump of clay or paint smudged on a surface. Personally, I think it's a work of art.

Note: AF Comics (Amazing Fantasy) stopped selling school books a couple years ago. I guess it was no longer financially ideal for them to do so. With that said though, they still sell normal sci-fi and fantasy books, along with classic literature.

mmmm... Laughing Fish

That IIWY was heart breaking. Needless to say everything that Des says is right.

I know is the popular opinion, but let's not forget the even more obvious answer. Especially considering Morrison also said that who ever the Black Glove was that the colors red and black would be important.

Now I disagree with Mikes views on comics and such from time to time, but man oh man... All the good will from that Batman '89 podcast was thrown out the window. But seriously, I have liked just about everything Morrison has ever written. I've never had any problem keeping up with anything he's written, it never goes over my head. And even when it does, I can sleep soundly knowing, "It'll be okay when he's done". As for this story so far, a friend of mine summed it up very nicely: "I think I see what Morrison is trying to do with the Joker and Batman now. See Batman has been boiled down to his base elements. His tech is gone, his family is gone, his mind is gone. When you peel back the layers, all you are left with is a man who will never, ever quit. A man who will not stop fighting for the soul of a city he has sworn to protect. That is the core of Batman, even without Bruce Wayne to give Batman a purpose. The Joker is undergoing the same thing. Take away the pomp and circumstance, take away the gags and the jokes, what are you left with? A man who wants to murder the world. More than that, he would find it funny and expects everyone else to. The two of them are exact opposites of each other. Black and White. Good and Evil. Dour and Serious Light and Laughing. Order and Chaos. The latest issue had the Joker talking about how even with everything that has happened to him, how he is dressed in a purple outfit and talking to a crazy Bat-mite, how he insists that everything has to make sense, that there is an answer. This is us, the audience. Throughout RIP we have stated "This is crazy, I don't understand." And we, like the Bat, demand that there has to be an answer, that deep down there is logic to it. We look for it, we analyze the issues for clues, we see things in the checkerboard pattern, because we have to. The Joker, he's telling Batman and by extension us, that we are wrong. Things do not have to make sense, that they can never actually make sense. We see evidence in the patterns because we want to, we need to, not because they are actually really there. There isn't some hidden message in the text, no symbolism in the Joker who splits his tongue (the devil with the forked tongue) or the Jezebel with red hair. The Joker wants Batman and us to give up trying to make sense of it. "DO YOU GET IT NOW?" He wants us to let go, to stop. He wants Batman to realize that he can't rationalize this, to drop his belief of order and logic and just get the damn joke. And Batman, even without a mind and dressed in purple, because of who he is, cannot do this." As for the art, it's great. I love how this arc started out with very simple art and layouts, as the story has progressed it's gotten a lot harder to keep up with the action, it's become more frantic, and even the layouts are almost hard to discern what order to read in. Also, I've been re-reading this run, and WOW there are lots of stuff from the beginning of Morrisons run that make sense now. They almost need to make an Omnibus of the Morrison Batman run, just so you can see this work of art for what it really is. I wish Morrison could stay on Batman forever.

Okay, Gaiman and Kevin Smiths stories are pre-Final Crisis. Morrison has said Final Crisis is Bruces last time as Batman. If you've seen the picture for the storyline "battle for the cowl" or whatever it's called it has the following on the cover: Hush Catwoman Jason Todd Nightwing Robin My opinion, Hush and Catwoman are just no. Nightwing has been Batman before (See Batman: Prodigal) and didn't like it. Robin has said many many times he never wants to be Batman. But Jason Todd has recently become very heroic lately, and becoming very likable, IMO.

It's the golden touch of Jason Aaron. Just let it sink in... That's feels good, no?

I just feel dirty watching it. Like a big messy mess. "You're getting your anime all over my DCAU!" "No! YOU are getting your DCAU all over MY anime!" It was the art style. Just like the art in a comic can make a person not want to read it, no matter how good the story; the same can be said of my feelings towards Teen Titans. I just could never take it seriously even at its most serious moments... Didn't stop me from watching it though.... And Slade does rock.

I can't find it now, but I swear I heard him say it was over with. Maybe it was on Smodcast even...

Wow, look at the fire I started. First off, sarcasm is hard to pull off on the internet. I wouldn't argue whether or not TT is in continuity, because in my mind it simply doesn't exist, just like Zeta and Static.

But you're reviewing Teen Titans, and that's not in continuity... Oh yeah, I went there. :devil: