BATMAN VS. ROBIN Review

I am not a fan of Damien Wayne. The character has been nothing short of an unlikable brat and basically just there to be an edgier Robin. He wasn't the only reason why Son of Batman was more on the average side however. That film, while of course entertaining, is definitely one of the weakest animated Batman films due to mediocre story progression. There was some hype for the sequel because it would be, partially anyway, adapting the famous Court of Owls arc from the comics. For some odd reason however they decided to title this one "Batman vs. Robin." The title didn't make sense then, and it still doesn't make sense now. Nonetheless, VS. is a far superior watch to its predecessor.

The shadows of Gotham City are no place for a child, but Damian Wayne is no ordinary child. Now bearing the mantle of Robin, he blazes a headstrong and sometimes reckless trail alongside his father, the Batman. While investigating a crime scene, Robin encounters a mysterious figure, Talon, who leads him on a life-altering course through the depths of Gotham's secret society known as the Court of Owls. It's a dangerous journey that will force Batman and Robin to face their most dangerous adversaries... each other!

Naturally, the film starts out with Damien going against Batman's orders. It's extremely hard to find this character likable since every time he's on screen he's either a) going against Bruce or b) hurling insults. The story does an okay job developing him as a character however, which deserves praise. Sadly, the short run time of 74 minutes is sometimes felt. For example, Damien almost right away following Talon came off as unrealistically fast. Perhaps the most glaring thing is when Samantha is revealed to be the grand-master of the Court. Bruce is never made aware and that entire romantic subplot feels wasted and forgotten.

It seemed like based on interviews the writing was really trying to make aware that this was not a "Court of Owls" adaption, rather it uses elements from the arc. Interestingly, the final product is quite the opposite. It's actually an adaption while forcing Damien into the story. I for one was thrilled to see it go down like this. But it should be noted that the title doesn't make sense. It really should have been called "Batman - Robin: Court of Owls." The two do of course fight, and it's well choreographed, but it doesn't justify the title. (Though, perhaps the purpose was to lure in people whom might not know what the Court is. After all, who wouldn't pick up a film called "Batman vs. Robin?")

The story begins with a rather creepy intro, which is appropriate since the Doll Maker is quite a surreal character. I must give props to "Weird Al" Yankovic for delivering a fantastic voice portrayal of the villain. Talon was a highlight, as he was in the original comic. We're treated to some intriguing backstory establishing who he was. The dialogue he has with Damien throughout is interesting to listen to. The climax with him in the cave was intense, though his actions seemed a bit out of whack. With the Court destroyed he went to finish off Batman. I suppose one could make an argument that he still wanted to take out Batman so he could be the crime fighter in Gotham. Nonetheless, his actions seemed rather moot without the Court in the background.

Nightwing, like in the previous film, was a welcome addition. His brief scenes just further shows that a story centering around him and Batman would be far more engaging than a Damien team-up. (How Damien managed get the upper hand on Nightwing the world may never know.) Alfred is given a fantastic role, reminding Bruce that sometimes we just need to have a little faith. The fight scenes, as usual, are very well-done. From Batman's fight against the un-dead Owls to Damien's battle with Talon in the climax, they offered some impressive visuals. Not knowing how much of an adaption the film would be to the comic, I was surprised and thrilled to see the infamous hallucination sequence adapted. We rarely get to take a look inside Batman's head and see his fears, so like in the comic it was interesting. The soundtrack is definitely solid; there's a certain level of theatrical quality the themes bring to the table.

Overall, BATMAN VS. ROBIN is far superior film to its previous installment. The story is better, the pacing is better, the fights are better, everything is better. As a partial Court of Owls adaption it succeeds. It even somehow manages to Incorporate Damien's story into the arc. It is however not perfect, and nowhere near the quality of greats such as Under the Hood and The Dark Knight Returns, but is still a very entertaining watch. As long as you refrain from attacking the screen due to Damien's infuriating character, you will be engaged from beginning to end.

Justice League: Gods and Monsters Review

When GODS AND MONSTERS was first announced, it garnered a considerable amount of hype when compared to recent DC animated features. The reason for this was that Brice Timm would be involved. (He was the creator of the classic DC Animated Universe after all.) Justice League to this day is regarded as one of the greatest cartoons in history, and for good reason. So to see Timm taking the reign of a JL project after all these years was definitely exciting. Some of that excitement became divided when it was also announced it would basically be an Elseworlds title.

There was some disappointment because the thought of seeing a traditional JL story with Timm was a dream. Still, many were curious to see a new take on the classic team. (Plus it would be a nice break from The New 52.) GODS AND MONSTERS is a very interesting watch from beginning to end. It is definitely a unique tale worth checking out. Plus with Timm, the writing is triple a plus with one of the most unexpected plot twists in recent history.

In an alternate universe, the Justice League uses brutal force to maintain order on Earth. When scientists begin dying, the world's governments challenge the League's dominance.

The main draw obviously is the new take on Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman. With just 72 minutes to tell a story, there isn't much time for long-term character development. The film nonetheless manages to give each individual character unique backstories. Superman as the son of Zod was certainly most interesting, though Wonder Woman hailing from New Genesis was great too. Batman's was of course the most down to earth, though is so diverse you could have swapped him out for another character.

When the team first appeared I was worried with them mercilessly killing bad guys that the film would just be about making a gritty version of the League just for the sake of edge. If this wasn't Bruce Timm, it might have gone that route. The story moves at a solid pace, making sure the plot is at the front while the viewer is also treated to different versions of these iconic characters. Throughout we see their relationship to the government and even Superman's Zod genes of wanting to take over. Since we're not used to these new takes, the dialogue is extra engaging.

A glaring negative is in the climax. When trying to break the League's building shield, Superman makes a mini-speech, flies into space, then dives back into Earth in dramatic fashion. But back on Earth Batman is able to deactivate the shield and then Superman magically appears in the building, completely negating his scene from before. It's bizarre and as if the editing and writing departments weren't working together here. Also, while Luthor is a great character in this take, his arc is rather rushed at the end and comes out of left field. The soundtrack in particular is a highlight. In fact, it's one of the strongest soundtracks from any DC animated film yet. (Right from the epic intro theme the viewer knows he/she is in for a treat.)

Overall, GODS AND MONSTERS is a intriguing take on DC's greatest heroes. There's no denying it would have been nice to see Bruce Timm do a more traditional story, but there's something engaging about this particular new take of the characters. By the end, the viewer is ready for more. The fight scenes are great and the plot twist added a whole new dimension to how you look at the story. Put any skepticism aside and check out this movie.

4.5/5

Batman: A Death in the Family Review

Every major comic book hero has been subject to something supremely emotional. Spider-Man's first true love died by his own webbing, Superman was tricked into killing his own wife, etc. These things however are more emotional than stuff just simply happening, because the hero in effect was involved and blames himself for what happened. A Death in the Family is perhaps the most devastating event to happen to the Dark Knight since witnessing his parents' death. This 4-part arc is legendary for quite a few reasons. Infamously, one of those reasons is the fact that DC gave readers the option to vote to either have Robin (Jason Todd) to be given to his death, or not. It was an interesting concept, and I wonder how fans would react if it was used today. By now you know the story simply as this: Joker kills Robin and Batman mourns. There are a few things however that people may not know about, such as Superman having a role and Joker becoming the ambassador of Iran.(!) These things make it definitely an entertaining read whilst being a very emotional story. "Death" remains a must-read for Batman fans, for it pushes the Dark Knight over the edge and shows in just a few panels how merciless the Joker truly is.

Something I did not realize prior to reading was that "The Killing Joke" actually predates this story, since Batman mentions, "Everyone's going to want a piece of the Joker, after what he did to Barbara." To me, I see a bit of an interesting writing inconsistently. The Joker in "The Killing Joke" was written more like a modern incarnation, less mentally insane and more collected. Yet here he's written and drawn more like his classic wacky silver age persona. This doesn't affect the story, just an intriguing observation. Jim Starlin now of Thanos fame crafts an engaging story. Jason Todd is easily unlikable, but not to the point where readers should want him to be brutally murdered. The way the plot unveils the backstory about his parents and Batman quickly training him to be Robin gives him some credibility. The writing is far different than Starlin's work at Marvel. His Batman is a perfect combination of the ultra serious one we're used to seeing today and the more cheerful, "punny" one of the silver age.

This being a major Batman/Joker story, it's interesting to see how things were then and how they relate to today. At this point in time Batman doesn't seem to think Joker is in full control of his actions, since Bats dubs him legitimately "mentally insane." Nowadays, he just considers him a calculating monster. This story seems to be a bridge to that point, as Batman realizes that the Joker is insane, but fully aware and enjoys doing what he does. The infamous scene where he bashes Robin with a crowbar still sends chills today, no matter how bright the art by Jim Aparo looks. The artist perfectly captures the glee the Joker has as he uses the crowbar, which is easily one of the most defining Joker moments in history.

Starlin delivers some fantastic Batman/Joker moments.When they finally meet for the first time in the arc, Joker says,"What are you going to do about it...let your assistant handle it!?" (which was after he had bloodied the Boy Wonder) which is some fantastic writing for the Clown Prince of Crime. Not only that, but it appeared Joker had some idea who Batman was. It's subtle and gives the reader something to think about as he looks at Bruce Wayne, then walks away laughing, fantastic moment. Superman's arrival was a surprise, but welcome. Interestingly, it seems the story borrowed the fact that the government is using him from Frank Miller's The Dark Knight Returns. There's some intriguing political commentary present throughout the story. As Batman travels through the Middle East, he runs into Lady Shiva, (well-drawn fight scene) whom he can't arrest because "it is legal to train terrorists in this country." Not only that, but Iran's leader gives Joker a position in office. It's a pretty wacky concept amidst such a serious story, but it's handled well and delivers some fun entertainment and lines. ("Now isn't this touching! My old pals Superham and Batpest, have come to congratulate me!")

With the story having Batman and Robin traveling to the Middle East in the first three issues, there are quite a few unique settings. Gotham City actually rarely appears. The climax instead takes place in New York, which is rare in DC Comics. Batman's narration throughout, from the beginning to the climax is great as we see him become angry after the death of his sidekick. The final showdown in the helicopter could have been longer, but was well-done nonetheless. Batman shouting to Superman, "Find his body! Find his body!!" and then in the final pieces of narration saying, "That's the way things always end with the Joker and me. Unresolved" was a great finisher and echoes just about every single Joker story to come up until Endgame.

The death of Jason Todd remains a pivotal point in the Dark Knight's long comic career, despite the fact the former was brought back nineteen years later in a retcon. Part of the arc was adapted in the animated movie, Batman: Under the Red Hood. (Perhaps the best animated Batman film.) The original 4-part story however still stands the test of time. It gives Batman a whole new outlook on the Joker from this point forward. The crowbar scene might just be one of the most brutal scenes in comic history. (I'm willing to bet some fans while reading regretted having Todd die such a painful death.) Much like in Seinfeld where Kramer somehow gets into all these strange gigs such as working for a big company and becoming a fireman, the Joker somehow becomes Iran's ambassador. It's crazy, but somehow it works and is just another reason every Batman fan -and comic fan in general- should read "A Death in the Family."