Frank Miller has lost his mind

"I'm the Goddamn Batman!!"

-Batman
All-Star Batman and Robin The Boy Wonder

I don't think that I ever foresaw reading a line like that in an all ages Batman book in the 16 years that I have been reading comics. Now with the recent recall of the latest issue of All-Star Batman and Robin due to the swear words not being blocked out properly, I am left to wonder if publishers and creators have gone over the deep end in terms of trying to be so edgy that characters and comics in general are sacrificing quality storytelling and character development for the sake of shocking fans and trying to be unique to the point of ridicule.

Frank Miller is undoubtedly an icon within the world of comics. His run on Batman and Daredevil in the 1980's was nothing short of brilliant. And his work on Sin City and 300 has captured the essence of pop culture by making an ever so successful transition to film. However, his latest comic work, beginning with the Dark Knight Returns sequel, has been described at best as controversial, and at worst as a desperate play for a huge payday. Miller's return to comics in general seems to be less about crafting stories that stand the test of time and more about trying to gain modern relevance in comics through controversy and dark story telling bordering on desperation. The fact that Miller has the Batman character having sex with Black Canary on a dock and calling a 12 year old Robin a "retard" should be enough to ask why this sort of book is being published as an all ages read. In my opinion, his interpretation should be scrapped altogether purely for the fact that it is so off base and completely misrepresents what the character of Batman really is and should be.

I can't afford it all!

$2.99 a book. The price of comics have gotten to the point that I am busting the piggy bank to maintain my collection.I get about 20-30 books a month. Meaning I am dropping about 90 - 120 dollars a month on comics, not counting trades or annuals or mini series that come out which cost way more. WTF?! Now there is talk that comics could go up to 3.25 per issue. At that point, I cannot afford to keep my pull list as high as it is. I know people who get 60 comics a month. How do you keep up with it? It is astonishing that a 22 page comic can cost half of what a 322 page novel costs. I understand artists need to get paid as well as writers, but trying to keep up with the cost each week is starting to get old, fast. Any thoughts?

-R

Brand New Day......Same Old Way

What the frak is Marvel thinking? Spiderman is their signature character and they have polarized fans to the point of combustion. I have been reading Spiderman on and off for almost 2 decades, and this Brand New Day thing is another revamp I've seen in the long list of revamps Marvel has done with the character in it's 40 plus year existence. Another pointless revamp. What does Marvel not understand about people not enjoying a crap idea. Spidey and MJ never got married. Peter chose his senior citizen aunt over his wife? He chose his past over his future? What?!!

I think Peter choosing his past over his future is an accurate metaphor for Marvel choosing Spiderman's past over his future. Instead of living up to the moniker of the "House of Ideas," Quesada and his Marvelites have become the "House of Old Ideas." All they've done is brought back Spiderman from 1977. Which I don't get at all. What audience are they trying to attract? The primary demographic that reads comic are males 18-34, people in that age range all grew up with Spiderman being married. I never new the "groovy" single Spiderman. Why is Marvel not catering to the readers who have known and followed Spiderman over the last 20 years? They are instead going after readers who are in their 40's and 50's who new Spiderman as a single hard on his luck guy.

I suppose if the stories are good, I'll keep reading, but so far they are on shaky ground. Marvel has done this before, where they make a mistake and then just take it all back anyway, which is just stupid. The really idiotic thing is, they did this story 10 years ago after the whole clone fiasco ended, they "killed off" MJ and made Peter single again. Only to "resurrect her a year later and then get them back together again . I can already see it coming, but the fact that it is even necessary for them to fix things again is just plain dumb. If the writer (i.e. Strazynscki) is so appalled by the direction a book is going that he does not even want his name on the work, you probably had a pretty bad idea that should never have seen the light of day. Maybe that is what they'll call it when Peter and MJ are together again, "Light of Day."

-R

Turner: RIP Dude

When Mike Turner passed, the world lost a true artist and warrior. I say warrior because Mike had been fighting cancer for the better part of a decade. He fought and fought, unwilling to accept the he may not survive the illness. He finally lost his war with the disease on June 27th, 2008, but I'd like to think he kicked cancer's ass on the way out. I've always been a fan of Turner's, ever since Witchblade #1. I was a fan then, a fan now, and for the rest of my life. Michael Turner, thanks for the memories and amazing artwork. You are someplace better now, so your fans can, in the very least, find solace in that.

Peace,

-R

I would like to give my sincere condolences to Michael Turner's family and wish them the best in their time of grief.