Gotham Episode 2 "Selina Kyle" Review

by Snow Drift

  On this episode, Patti (Lili Taylor) and Doug (Frank Whaley), a strange duo, of snatchers, work together to capture homeless children from the streets of Gotham to take them to their boss, the mysterious Dollmaker. When given this case, Detectives James Gordon (Ben McKenzie) and Harvey Bullock (Donal Logue) have to work together to save these children, if with several problems along the way.

  Plot-wise, the episode began to gather momentum as the snatchers captured the children and were eventually discovered by Gordon and Bullock. However, the episode ended anti-climatically. Selina Kyle (Camren Bicondova), or Cat, simply slipped away from their clutches and was saved by a deux ex machina-like arrival of Gordon. There was no tension if Gordon would have arrived on time to save the children; he was just suddenly there, right on time, with no explanation as to how he got inside a building that had armed guards around. The viewer is told to believe that the police were just that good in the nick of time. 

  Besides that, I liked the rest of the subplots. The power struggle between Fish Mooney (Jada Pinkett Smith), Carmine Falcone (John Doman) and even Oswald Cobblepot (Robin Lord Taylor), with his viciousness and cruelty, makes for an interesting dynamic and view of the criminal underworld. The corruption and lack of care from the mayor and most of the police department in regards to the well-being of the homeless and delinquent children help to readily show an environment of hopelessness and selfishness, all of which help portray Gotham as having a darkness that goes beyond mere physical violence and murder. 

  In a way, this episode felt more like a prelude to another than anything else. The importance of the snatchers was based more on giving information on a potentially new future villain and Selina Kyle’s presence in this episode seemed more to be about showing her skills, ruthlessness, cunning, and significance as to the identification of the Wayne’s killer than anything else. However, Kyle’s actions do help to establish the kind of person she is and how that might develop in future episodes.

  Bruce Wayne’s (David Mazouz) character development seems fascinating, for he, although already succumbing to the determination, and possible obsession, of his future self, still acts like the child he is. He does not know much of how the world works, nor how he must move on from the tragedy. He wishes for an answer and a way to help the innocent, but is still too young to understand how to reach the conclusions to those. 

  Alfred Pennyworth’s (Sean Pertwee) attitude on this episode was disconcerting, to be honest. His way of treating Bruce is a bit too harsh for his character, even at this stage of his life. One thing is being disciplinarian and attempting to stop Bruce from going too far with his antics, but it is entirely another to be constantly harsh to him at nearly every moment. However, he does show compassion towards him, but it would be nicer for the sake of his character for his attitude to be a bit more humbling.

In terms of acting, I’m still not entirely convinced by McKenzie’s and Logue’s; its seems as if Logue is trying to be as outwardly corrupt in attitude as possible to the point of it being a bit exaggerated, while McKenzie just seems to still need to get into his character. The acting of the snatchers, although successfully unnerving at times, felt a bit forced during others, as if the actors were trying a bit too hard to sound and look creepy. The rest were relatively good for the portrayal of their respective characters, Bicondova especially portraying her character as young but used to the horrors of Gotham, to an extent.  

Overall, the episode was decent, although it could have had a better-handled ending. The possible mafia war and the existence of Dollmaker do help establish the possibility of much more to come throughout the series.

TEEN TITANS #1 (2014)

Publisher: DC Comics

Classification: Teen

Language: English

Writer(s): Will Pfeifer 

Penciller: Kenneth Rocafort

Coloring: Dan Brown

Cover Price: $2.99

Page Count:  32

by Samurai Millo

Synopsis:

The following is a description of the comic taken from the official website of DC Comics:

“Red Robin, Wonder Girl, Raven, Bunker and Beast Boy step out of the shadows of the adult heroes of the DC Universe to offer bold, exciting and sometime dangerous ideas on how to protect a world full of super powered teenagers – any one of whom could be the next heroic figure or major villain!”

Review:

This is the second #1 issue of this title since the reboot of the DC Universe in 2011. Whatever motivated the editorial minds to do such a thing is unknown to me and frankly I don’t care. What matters to me is to find to out if whether or not this new first issue meets the expectations of a first issue. In other words, is this a good entry point for new readers? Let’s see.

On the positive side this story makes no reference whatsoever to plot points or any event from the previous series, which is good for that fresh start feeling that every first issue deserves. All the main characters are addressed by their superhero names at least once, which is important so the new readers can identify (code-name wise) who’s who more easily. On the negative, this story doesn’t give us any basic backstory on the team members and what their powers are. Back to the positive side, the main story is fast paced and entertaining. It succeeds in showing the Teen Titans as a very well trained and coordinated superhero team, except at the end when one of the members makes a very stupid public relations boo-boo.

Speaking of well-coordinated teams the writer/penciller duo of Will Pfeifer and Kenneth Rocafort made a very positive first impression on me with this issue. The plot didn’t drag on and the dialogue was very enjoyable. Rocafort’s art was its usual brand of awesome. His penciling has been evolving through the years and his recent work in Superman and now in Teen Titans show a pleasing improvement. Curiously I found his style of panel distribution reminiscent of Todd McFarlane’s technique during his days at “Infinity Inc.” during the 1980’s. And between Red Hood and the Outlaws #1 and Teen Titans #1 Rocafort has two first issues under his belt.

So in closing, I advise you to check out Teen Titans #1.

Batman Eternal #1 (2014)

By. Samurai Millo

Publisher: DC Comics

Classification: Teen

Language: English

Writer(s): Scott Snyder & James Tynion IV

Penciller: Jason Fabok

Coloring: Brad Anderson

Cover Price: $2.99

Page Count:  32

Synopsis:

  The following is a description of the comic taken from the official website of DC Comics:

“A massive cast of Gotham City’s best (and worst) examines the relationship between Batman, his allies and his city. In this debut issue, Commissioner James Gordon is caught on the wrong side of the law!”

Review:

 

  It’s been a while since I’ve read a first issue of a Batman-related comic. This series has the particular distinction of being the first Batman related series that will be coming out on a weekly frequency for 52 weeks starting on April 9^th, 2014. Weekly comics are a different kind of animal, because they are put together for a very specific subset of fans, the ones that go to the store every week, almost religiously, barring perhaps natural disasters of the highest magnitude. Therefore, the stories in weekly comics, like Batman Eternal, are tailored taking into consideration that their reader base is comprised mostly of Batman fans that are very into the Caped Crusader’s mythology. The final product is a series that has all the things Batman fans crave for, while also being accessible to new readers.

  What sets this series apart, asides its weekly schedule, is that there will be different story arcs over the next 52 weeks written by different writers. These arcs will interconnect successively, one after another, and each will focus on different characters from Batman universe.

  So far, the first arc focuses on two characters. In the first issue, Jason Bard is introduced. Bard, Gotham City Police’s latest rookie cop, is a promising new recruit from Detroit who is destined to cross paths with the other main character of this story arc, Jim Gordon, who’ll need all the help that he can get to survive a very bad situation, courtesy of Professor Pyg.

  The storytelling in this first issue is articulated and brisk, which is what expected from its writers, Scott Snyder and James Tynion IV. The art, by Jason Fabok, is full details and sequentially impeccable from one panel to the other. Big props go to Brad Anderson for an outstanding coloring job that captures the grittiness of Gotham City.

Final Verdict:

  Batman Eternal #1 is a great start with a lot of promise. If you are new to Batman, this is a good place to start. If you’re a long time Batman enthusiast, this title is a must in your collection. Big changes are coming to Batmen’s world, and they’ll start in this comic.

Batman: Death of the Family (# 13 - #17)

 By. Samurai Millo

Publishing House: DC Comics

Rating: Teen

Language: English

Written by: Scott Snyder

Artist: Greg Capullo

Colors: FCO PLASCENCIA

Cover Price: $ 3.99

Number of pages: 40

  Synopsis: The Joker is back and wants two things: to retrieve his face and take away Batman’s family. The first one is easy, but the second one will require a meticulous and perverse plan that will put Batman and all that he holds dear to the test. 

  These days it takes a lot for a comic book or a comic book event to get my attention and Batman: Death of the Family was the kind of event that succeeded in doing so, with frightening ease. On October 10, 2012 (my birthday no less) Batman # 13 hit the shelves and that gave me another reason to continue reading DC Comics. Issue #13 marks the beginning of a twisted villainous saga told in 24 parts through key titles within the Bat-universe. It illustrates the most recent and explosive clash to date between Batman and the Joker.

The Joker is the most formidable villain the Caped Crusader ever had. He shares with Batman an epic rivalry that expands from its first appearance in 1940 in Batman # 1 (Vol. 1, 1940) to the present. As the decades passed, the sophistication and intensity of these stories has varied according to the demands of the times. From its beginnings as an eccentric master criminal to its present incarnation as a sadistic / psychopathic lover of chaos, the Joker is Batman’s most formidable enemy. The Death of the Family storyline is probably among the most vicious and decisive battles in the history of both characters.

The script by Scott Snyder is simple, direct, and crisp as an Export Soda cracker, freshly taken out of its tin can. The suspense starts to build up and grab you from page one. Little by little the pieces fall into place showing Mr. Snyder’s master craftsmanship. The characterization among the main players of this adventure is rich in depth and with the nuances that we have come to expect. Lovers of the good, old-fashioned Bat-stuff will find that the classic exchanges between Batman and Commissioner Gordon and between Batman and Alfred are still there. Snyder’s characterization of the Joker is a delightfully sordid and carefully controlled portrait of a madman. This villain has a master plan and that final page on issue #13 was hair rising. Issues #13 to #16 include a second story each that recounts the meetings the Joker has with his fellow colleagues Harley Queen, The Penguin, The Riddler, and Two Face at specific points during the main story. 

Greg Capullo's penciling is excellent. His figures have a mixture of caricature and detail that made me remember his days in the Spawn comic book. Nobody draws a rainy night in Gotham as Greg Capullo. Nobody puts that delicious attention to the smallest details that Greg puts in each panel. FCO Placencia is to be commended for doing a superb coloring through the story.

In short, Batman: Death of the Family has my highest recommendation.