Welcome back to Bat Chat with Matt (and Will!). Batman is on the run from The Magistrate, Duke Thomas makes a speech and the Arkham Knight makes a statement in Future State: The Next Batman #3 with: “The Next Batman,” written by John Ridley, drawn by Laura Braga with breakdowns by Nick Derington, colored by…
Warner Animation’s direct-to-home release animated features have been a mixed bag since their inception 13 years ago. And the recent ending of a yearslong New 52-inspired animated universe has returned the line to more stand-alone films, to its benefit. While the first film in the new era, Superman: Man of Tomorrow, was a solid, if…
Loyal Content Consumer, we made it through another week. Together. 10. Batman: Dreamland. Writer: Alan Grant, Artists: Norm Breyfogle and Noelle C. Giddings, Publisher: DC “Batman: The Abduction” was at least charming in its weirdness: Was Batman really taken by little green men to be poked and prodded? Did he travel the cosmos via astral…
This is a week for catching up, for getting to a few of those books I’ve “been meaning to” for “an inordinate amount of time” which is now apparently “leading to an abuse of sarcastic quotes.” To the books, Geoffrey! 10. Batman: The Abduction. Writer: Alan Grant, Artist: Norm Breyfogle, Inker: James A. Hodgkins, Colorist:…
It’s a big week here at Bat Chat with Matt (and Will!). We’re back in the future Gotham with the new Batman doing some detecting, Cass Cain and Stephanie Brown are in the Magistrate’s jail, while Catwoman and Ivy make a new friend and have a night on the town in Future State: The Next…
Saladin Ahmed had a good 2020. Well, relatively anyway; I don’t know that anyone had a good 2020. His first Kickstarter, Dragon, was an unequivocal success. He’s continued his runs on Magnificent Ms. Marvel and Miles Morales: Spider-Man. And now he’s kicking off 2021 with Abbott: 1973, the sequel to his excellent creator-owned Abbott from…
Years and years ago, in the days when I still lived at home and was fraught with teen mopiness, I had a blue overstuffed recliner in my room, a worn out hand-me-down that I loved until it literally fell apart. (If memory serves, I think the left arm gave out.) But in those days, I’d…
Welcome back to Bat Chat with Matt (and Will!). In the police state of Gotham City, Bruce Wayne is dead. Or so the Magistrate thinks. With nothing but the tattered costume on his back, Batman must fight to save his city. Elsewhere, Grifter plays some cards and breaks some heads. We see these two new…
Friends, I got too excited last week. I wanted to share this bright and shiny new toy of ours, and I don’t think I properly explained what we (That’s you, Loyal Content Consumer, and me) are doing here. [Grote’s note: I tried to tell him, folks.] Each week, I’m going to run down 10 comics…
I have experimented with different columns and different formats over the five or so years I’ve been writing about comics, but you, Loyal Content Consumer, don’t necessarily care about that; no, you care about the comics, and I want to care about the comics with you. When I’m curled up in my big ratty office…
Batman and Robin (?) swing in to save the rest of the Bat family from Hush, a new mayor of Gotham is elected and Bruce says goodbye to Wayne Manor in Detective Comics #1,033 from Peter J. Tomasi, Brad Walker, Andrew Hennesy, Dave McCaig and Rob Leigh. Meanwhile, Harley, Duke Thomas and FBI profiler Hector…
Each week, Xavier Files staff offer their recommendations for what to read. New DC comics come out Tuesdays, everything else Wednesdays. Chris’ Pick X-Men #16: When the mutant nation of Krakoa was formed, the X-Men were disbanded as a concept both to keep power on the island balanced among the Quiet Council and to move…
Welcome back to Bat Chat with Matt (and Will!). This week we’re back to just one book with the conclusion of the Ghost-Maker story, as Batman faces off with his foe and Harley has a heart-to-heart with Clownhunter in Batman #105 by James Tynion IV, Carlo Pagulayan & Danny Miki, Alvaro Martinez & Christian Duce…
Each week, Xavier Files staff offer their recommendations for what to read. New DC comics come out Tuesdays, everything else Wednesdays. Forrest’s Pick S.W.O.R.D. #1: Mutants! In! Spaaaaaaaaace! Krakoa gets its own Space Force in once and future SWORD Director Abigail Brand, frequent space-dwelling mutant leader Magneto, former Acolytes Fabian Cortez and Frenzy, current Galadorian…
Will Nevin: This is a heckuva week, but for mostly the wrong reasons — because while Bat/Cat #1 (I can’t believe Tom King resisted his urge to go there again) was overwhelmingly fine, Batman #104 is — and I say this with as little hyperbole as possible — an embarrassing look at when a comic…