Podcast - Episode 58: Robin Year One / Batgirl Year One

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Hooray! This week we are talking about some of my favourite comics EVER! Robin: Year One and Batgirl: Year One!!! I love those kids!

I feel like I don't have much to actually write about in the blog this week. I mean, obviously you're gonna want to see that video of Chris Evans doing push-ups with his adorable dog, so here you go:

Bless you, sir. Now someone please nominate Sebastian Stan. Mackie? Where you at?

Oh.

Someone please tell that man how hashtags work.

Right, so anyway. Not much to report on. I do want to give you an idea of what we were talking about with Alfred's VERY HARD TO READ "handwritten" narration:

Whatever you say, Alfie!

Here's that heartbreaking panel of Batman cradling Robin's broken body:

Sob!

These books are both amazing and you should read them.

Next week we are talking about Mark Waid and Ron Garney's Captain America: Man Without a Country. We are actually reading this book, which collects both Man Without a Country AND Operation: Rebirth (and some other stuff):

I already have so many thoughts. About this story. About Steve Rogers in general. About Sharon Carter. About everyone being all 90s jacked. Love it.

See you next week!

What if Batman was Bruce Wayne and vice versa?

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I love nothing more than that moment where I am reading an old comic and something tips me off that this issue is going to be amazing.

Batman #303 definitely has one of those moments. In this comic, Batman gets knocked on the head and gets all confused. He thinks that Bruce Wayne is the crimefighter and Batman is the billionaire playboy! Awesome, right?

Check it out. It all starts in a museum after a fight with a villain who gets away.

Awwww...poor Batman. So confused. So sad. But he gets his confidence back soon when he sees the Bat-signal.

That panel is rad.

Now watch as Bruce Wayne baffles Commissioner Gordon:

Sooo confusing. Bruce Wayne seems to understand that Batman is the mysterious masked vigilante identity, yet he still thinks that Bruce is the one who fights crime. Anyway, who cares? The important thing is that we get panels like this one:

I love that Gordon just thinks that Batman is disguised at Bruce Wayne for some reason. Gordon is a tired, tired man. At this point he's just like "Whatever."

No time to linger there, though! Bruce Wayne has to beat up Raveen!

Watch as Bruce hands out the most suggestive trash talk EVER:

He'll have to blow your brains out without a gun? But how will he do...ohhhhhhhh.

Bruce also punches a dude's hair off during this fight:

So obviously it's a problem that all these people are seeing Bruce Wayne beat up a room of people, Batman-style. But don't worry. Bruce uses some quick thinking here to cover up an onlooker's accusation:

That should put an end to any further questions.

Alfred notices that something is amiss!

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The next morning, things get even weirder:

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Skipping ahead, Alfred is unable to keep Batman from leaving the house in the Batman costume in broad daylight. This causes some confusion with the Gotham public:

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So Batman, feeling like an outcast, seeks refuge. This allows for the writers to make a SICK HIPPIE BURN!!!

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Let no one say that 1978 is too late to be making hippie jokes!

No matter where Batman goes, people laugh at him or threaten him. It's sad. And it prompts this outburst:

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"Good grief!" says Batman!

I always thought Batman already had "one of those days."

What I am trying to say, in a long-winded way, is that Batman #303 is awesome.

Twelve Days of Christmas Special Review Series, Part Eleven, By Johnathan

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Two of the many things that I'm a sucker for: a well-executed wordless comic story and Christmas sentiment.




This series of posts is basically turning into a guidebook on how to tug at my heartstrings, isn't it? Look at that! Bruce cares but he's too much of a (Bat)manly (Bat)man to tell Alfred to his face! Alfred is surprised and touched! I might have to go hug a puppy here!

JOHN APPROVED, Batman!

This is from the DC Universe Holiday Bash. It and the Infinite Holiday Special are heartily recommended Christmas reading - the latter contains possibly the greatest Elseworlds yarn ever. I haven't gotten a chance to pick up this years holiday special yet (there was one, right?) but given DC's prior track record with anthology comics it should be great (tangent: and how great was it that there was a Tales From the Beanworld comic on the shelf this year? I've had Volume 1 sitting on my shelf for about a decade. Hearing that they're going t be reprinting these things was one of my many Christmas miracles this year).

"two Turtle Boys,"