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sdelmonteA good time to be a Batfan; not such a good time to be a Buffy fan.
Batman and Robin 2 was an improvement over the first issue as Morrison gets a better grasp on the character of Dick Grayson and his struggle to be the new Batman, and as we get some idea as to why Dick feels obligated to take Damian under his wing. There is also a lot of action, and it's done well by Grant and Frank Quietly. The core of the book, though, is Dick talking to Alfred about fills such large shoes. This is pretty much what I want from a Grant Morrison comic about a new Batman.
Buffy 26 was written by Jane Espenson, and it becomes increasingly clear that as great a screenwriter as she is, she has no idea how to write a comic book. Things happen willy nilly, and it feels like she's waiting for the actors and the cameraman to fill in the rather large gaps in our knowledge. We join scenes in the middle, and it even feels like we are in the second part of the story rather than the first. At least, unlike her last effort here, there is some very good character play (although a lot of it ignores things that came before, and in the case of Andrew and Warren, it mixes up Warren with the First pretending to be Warren, which is just sloppy). Overall, this series, with its poorly handled "Slayers outed to the world and everyone hates them" plot and a slew of writers who seem as ill-suited to writing comics as Espenson, is a chore. Only moments like that "Huh" on the last page make it even a little fun.
I know I said I wasn't going to buy the first issue of Red Robin, but having seen about half of it online, I broke down. I am glad I did. While it's quite clear why Tim Drake...sorry, Tim Wayne...is in Europe, or why he needs to be badass, Chris Yost does a very good job in sending Tim on his quest to prove Bruce Wayne isn't dead. (After all, Tim is right.) He gets Tim's character, and also tells a really well paced and entertaining story that is not the usual Bat-fare. That Tim is confused and a bit lost works - I feel for this poor kid who has now lost two fathers. So does the appearance of a familiar archenemy on the last page. This is a comic that shows more promise than either of the Dini-written Batbooks. I think I will pass on both of those and follow Tim through Europe instead.
Batman and Robin 2 was an improvement over the first issue as Morrison gets a better grasp on the character of Dick Grayson and his struggle to be the new Batman, and as we get some idea as to why Dick feels obligated to take Damian under his wing. There is also a lot of action, and it's done well by Grant and Frank Quietly. The core of the book, though, is Dick talking to Alfred about fills such large shoes. This is pretty much what I want from a Grant Morrison comic about a new Batman.
Buffy 26 was written by Jane Espenson, and it becomes increasingly clear that as great a screenwriter as she is, she has no idea how to write a comic book. Things happen willy nilly, and it feels like she's waiting for the actors and the cameraman to fill in the rather large gaps in our knowledge. We join scenes in the middle, and it even feels like we are in the second part of the story rather than the first. At least, unlike her last effort here, there is some very good character play (although a lot of it ignores things that came before, and in the case of Andrew and Warren, it mixes up Warren with the First pretending to be Warren, which is just sloppy). Overall, this series, with its poorly handled "Slayers outed to the world and everyone hates them" plot and a slew of writers who seem as ill-suited to writing comics as Espenson, is a chore. Only moments like that "Huh" on the last page make it even a little fun.
I know I said I wasn't going to buy the first issue of Red Robin, but having seen about half of it online, I broke down. I am glad I did. While it's quite clear why Tim Drake...sorry, Tim Wayne...is in Europe, or why he needs to be badass, Chris Yost does a very good job in sending Tim on his quest to prove Bruce Wayne isn't dead. (After all, Tim is right.) He gets Tim's character, and also tells a really well paced and entertaining story that is not the usual Bat-fare. That Tim is confused and a bit lost works - I feel for this poor kid who has now lost two fathers. So does the appearance of a familiar archenemy on the last page. This is a comic that shows more promise than either of the Dini-written Batbooks. I think I will pass on both of those and follow Tim through Europe instead.
