Trinity Mothers by Yasmin Liang
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Tag Archives: Batman
Poll: Too Much Batman?
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Batman by Andrei Bressan
“Another Batman book?” — an annoyed Facebook friend
I love Batman. He’s a fascinating hero who is ripe for psychoanalysis and, thanks to many talented creative teams and the loving care of his corporate keepers, has had some of the best stories in comics history. I’m also a Grant Morrison fan, so I’ve already added the relaunched Batman, Inc., which returns to the lineup in May, to my pull list.
But seriously, how much Batman does the world need? Continue reading
Gotham Get Down
Last night I was bagging and boarding my comics. I often put on a movie I’ve seen before just to have some background buzz, and I chose the Wonder Woman animated film. The offspring joined me, not to bag and board, but for the movie. Inevitably, she has questions. She is a curious spirit and I have henceforth dubbed her “The Questionator” (it is her super power). As she is watching the movie, she is curious why Diana isn’t sustaining any broken bones while fighting Ares. I explained Wonder Woman’s super powers, and how she’s pretty much impervious. Then she suggests that a fight between her and Batman would be a good one. I laughed. Clearly, she overrates Batman (just like everyone else); thus, I countered her versus suggestion with Black Canary. She thought about it and concurred. So there we have it, folks. Dinah versus Bruce. Set aside your boyhood bias and remember they both have been trained by Lady Shiva. They are both stellar hand-to-hand combatants. One is a genius and the other is a Meta. AND … just to keep it extra funky-fresh … Gail’s Canary circa Sensei & Student, Morrison’s Bat from, say, Batman & Son. Go.
WTF? Wednesday: Punishing Diana
In the world of many superheroes, killing a villain is verboten. Theoretically, doing so would undermine their moral authority and blur the line between angels and demons — even if the target is a cold-blooded murderer with no remorse and a high recidivism rate. Better to break a few of the bad guy’s bones and ship him or her off to the nearest prison or high-security facility for sociopaths. Right? Not always. Sometimes a character does something so heinous and/or is such a threat to society that a hero is justified in choosing the nuclear option. Continue reading
You Are Cordially Invited
Oblivious to our torches and pitchforks, DC is (apparently) pairing Wonder Woman and Aquaman for the upcoming Flashpoint event. Their union will save the world! Whatever. Our investment in BatWondy remains strong and, as should now be obvious, constant.
A while back, I stumbled across illustrator Luckico‘s DeviantArt page and adored many of her pieces. Like all the artists we’ve encountered along the way, she was very nice and genuinely flattered that we enjoyed her work. We corresponded a bit, and the subject of Batman and Wonder Woman came up … leading to the beautiful image above.
I’m a sucker for understated elegance, and Lukico’s interpretation of a Diana-Bruce wedding certainly qualifies. The bride looks radiant and appropriately regal, free of claptrap. No need to gild the Themysciran lily. She’s instantly recognizable (the bracelets), and when I showed the illustration to a friend who doesn’t read comics regularly, he knew exactly who the groom was. “Of course it’s Batman. Look at those shoulders.” It’s enough to send a gal into a fanfic frenzy. Many thanks to the talented Lukico for indulging me.
Catwoman Illustration: Is It Offensive?
In case it’s not already clear, we like sexy art and well-done cheesecake. Superheroes (and antiheroes) are hot, and in the DCU, Catwoman is definitely in the top five — the dangerous curves, the skin-tight black suit, the purring. Selina owns her sexuality, and when she’s near Batman, the panels practically crackle with tension.
However, Greg Horn’s BatCat illustration recently set off a debate about when art goes from provocative to offensive. I’m the first to admit that there’s a fine line, and that tastes are very personal. (Our shirtless Batman/Catman poll illustration drew some criticism, for example.) Plus, few kids are reading comics anymore, so the chances of Junior seeing this are slim. In general, I’d rather an artist go over the top than play it safe. Horn has done some lovely work. However, the crouched, ass-in-the-air shot in front of Batman (complete with licking!) disgusted both of us. Catwoman doesn’t have to go there to set off fire alarms. Can you imagine the roles being reversed? I can’t.
What do you think? Is this a silly tempest in a teapot or another disturbing example of blatant sexism in comics? (If nothing else, the image prompted a very funny response from artist Phil Noto.)
You Complete Me!
Illustration by Coran Stone
Author’s Note: If fan sentimentality of any kind repulses you, please avoid the following essay.
The relationship between Batman and Superman has fascinated me since I was a kid. Equal parts bickering couple, friends, and teammates, they are quite a combo. Their surface differences are interesting enough — Clark’s pastoral and idyllic upbringing (minus that whole exploding planet thing) vs. Bruce’s youth as the orphaned Prince of Gotham. But when a really good writer brings them together, you get a sense of their mutual respect and understanding, in spite of the way they often grate on one another. Continue reading
Squee! of the Week: Martin Koza’s Gallery
Digital artist Martin Koza does the kind of deceptively simple work that grabs you without a lot of bells and whistles. His work ranges from painterly to cartoony, but everything in his DeviantArt gallery is a pleasure to behold. The first image that hooked me was his Amanda Waller, below. Continue reading
Squee! of the Week: Ann U.’s Sketchbook
Ann U.’s illustrations caught my eye the instant I spotted them on DeviantArt, and it led me to even more of her striking art posted on her Live Journal. I cannot resist the work of an artist with a gift for facial expressions and body language, and Ann’s drawings radiate personality. Continue reading
WTF? Wednesday: Three’s Company
If a picture says a thousand words, the World’s Finest covers of yore are entire novels. Faulkner novels. As in, engrossing and deeply troubling. While this storied title was innocent, action-packed fun for generations of comic book-loving kids, things look very different when viewed from an adult perspective. It’s like when you look at H.R. Pufnstuf clips on YouTube and realize that it’s one big LSD endorsement. Continue reading
Poll Retrospective: Here’s How You Voted
Over the past year, we’ve asked for your opinion on everything from Wonder Woman’s drawers to whether you gave a rat’s ass about the upcoming Green Lantern movie. The results were always entertaining, and frequently surprising. Without further ado, here are the results from polls past:
1. Which version of Dian’s knickers do you prefer?
Given a choice of Nicola Scott’s taut medium, Jim Lee’s warrior skirt, Ed Benes’ quasi G-string and Aaron Lopresti’s granny britches, the clear winner was …
… Nicola Scott’s version, with 44% of the vote! Jim Lee’s skirt came up a short second, at 34%. A cheeky 15% preferred the thong.
2. Does the Green Lantern Footage Thrill You?
Um, sorta? After seeing the first available clip from the Green Lantern flick, 60% said parts of it looked cool, but the jury was still out. Another 29% said they were all about it on opening weekend, while 11% said they’d rather watch green paint dry.
3. Who Would Win: Batman vs. Catman
Yay, shirtless heroes! This was one of our spicier polls, and emerging victorious was …
Batman, by 64%. Sorry Catman. You’re still hot to death, though.
4. Which Character should V. Cosplay?
As we contemplated cosplay for our next con, V. was torn between Black Canary and alterna-girl Aphrodite IV. By a landslide, you chose …
Black Canary, with 71% of the vote. No word yet on whether V. will rock more than one look, but we’ll keep you posted.
5. Under Straczynkski’s pen, how do you see the future of Wonder Woman?
Though we were cautiously hopeful, we wound up giving JMS the serious side-eye for that preposterous WW reboot. But before Diana donned Janet Jackson’s “Miss You Much” attire, most of you were unsure (56%), while the rest were evenly split (22% each) on whether the book’s future looked bleak or bright.
6. Huntress or Hit-Girl: Who Would Win?
Maybe it wasn’t fair to pit a 12-year-old against a Bird of Prey, but Hit-Girl is a tough gal. The winner was …
Huntress aka Iron Owl, with 57%. However, Hit-Girl had a respectable 43% — not bad for a kid.
Speaking of kids …
7. Sin vs. Damian: Who Would Win?
If you guys had your druthers, Sin, who took nearly 56% of the vote would kick Damian’s ass across the playground and back. My very favorite comment came from Nona Mills: “I hate the arrogant little sod and reckon Sin will have him for lunch.” Watch your back, Damian!
8. To Care or Not To Care: Teen Titans
Just before their debut of the new creative team, J.T. Krul and Nicola Scott, we asked whether the announcement was enough to get you reading this beleaguered book again. The results?
Most of you, 44%, were not feeling it, saying the book was broken and in need of a wholesale reboot. Another 32% said you were wary, but willing to give it a try. 24% had already added it to their pull lists. (Listen to the 24%, because Krul and Scott’s first two issues have been mighty good!)
Thanks for voting, and more poll goodness is on the way in 2011.
Exclusive BatWondy by Celina Hernandez
Wonder Woman and Batman by Celina Hernandez
Connecting with writers and artists we admire is something V. and I have enjoyed immensely since starting this blog. They often turn out to be as gracious as they are talented, and artist Celina Hernandez is no exception. Among other things, Celina does the delightful art for Brian Andersen’s Reignbow and Dee-Va, and So Super Duper — two comics you should definitely check out. Just for Girls Gone Geek, she illustrated this BatWondy image, which is just plain beautiful. What I love about this piece is its powerful simplicity. Bruce is practically enveloping Diana with love, and (squeal!) she’s caressing his face. I’d barely recovered from our 12 Days of BatWondy series, and this has sent me right back to Swoon Island. In any case, we’re very happy to share this lovely, romantic moment with the world. Thank you, Celina!
2010 Memorable Moment: Bruce Hugs Tim
Bruce and Tim hug it out.
A new year is upon us, and V. and I are excited about all the comics goodness that awaits in 2011. Over the next few days, however, we’ll be taking a look back at the moments — the good and the bad — that got us talking in 2010.
Though they’re in no particular order, I gotta say that the panel above, from Red Robin #17, is somewhere in my top three. Tenderness is not one of Bruce Wayne’s strong suits, which is precisely why Marcus To’s illustration packed such a wallop. Following the events of Final Crisis, many Red Robin stories focused on Tim’s belief that Bruce was still alive, and his resulting angst. That made the payoff extra sweet, and one gets the feeling that being lost in time has a way of making someone — even Batman – a little more appreciative of the ones they love. Simple and effective. And no, I’m not (sniffle) crying.
On the Fourth Day of BatWondy …
… V. is still thinking about Diana and Bruce kissing. I must have been swayed by all the BatWondy tabloid propaganda. Don’t judge me!
With the tonnage of being super-heroes weighing on their respective shoulders, this moment of whimsy is adorable to the tenth power. I love how Wonder Woman demurely floats in to lock lips with her man. Bruce still has his stoic swag fully intact, aside from the cape gripping, of course. Hints of passion like that happen to be all kinds of sexy. Me thinks he likes it … maybe he even loves it.
P.S. This makes me miss the classic Wonder Woman costume SO MUCH!
Twelve Days of BatWondy!
As part of our ongoing campaign for DC to make Wonder Woman and Batman a proper supercouple, V. and I are launching the Girls Gone Geek Twelve Days of BatWondy. We’re of the opinion that these two are perfect for one another, and after so many moments of innuendo and imagined make-out sessions, it’s time to close the deal. There is only so much teasing a fangirl can stand.
This first wordless image, by Amilcar Pinna, is one of my favorites. It conveys their personalities (Bruce stoic; Diana regal) and their heroism while implying togetherness. I can imagine Diana saying, “Sorry I’m late, dearest. Cheetah. Your plane or mine?” Gorgeous.
