100 Days of Batman, Day 5. July 31st. 2016

I'm back home from visiting friends and have just finished reading Batman & The Monster Men issue 1 by Matt Wagner. It is a six issue series that tells the story of Batman's first confrontation with the paranormal or super-powered villains. Up until this point in his career as the caped crusader Batman has only faced organized criminal thugs, normal people that exist in the real world. It appears to take  place two or three years into his career. He has made enough progress against the organized crime in Gothem City to believe he is on the verge of eridicating the criminal underworld and even has a girlfriend. Now it's no spoiler to say anyone who knows Batman knows he is far from ending crime and even further away from ever having a stable relationship with a woman. Despite knowing how the book will likely end in regards to his relationship the basic premise sounds interesting and fun to see how a young Batman will deal with his first super-powered villains. 

Issue one is all set up for the next five issues. This of course is no real surprise, first issues need to establish a motive and a plot. It does a good job of introducing all the characters of the story and establishes a clear motive for Batman. My main issue with the book is I feel it is going to be far too predictable. Now I don't know if this could be considered a spoiler or not but I think it is pretty clear the story will ultimately be about a damsel (Batmans girlfriend) in distress,  with a knight, being Batman, who will ultimately have to be saved from a monster, in this case Hugo Strange, and ultimately forcing Batman to give up  on romantic relationships in order to protect those he cares for now and in the future. Now there is nothing wrong with this type of story but it shouldn't be quite this predictable. Perhaps I will be wrong and it will totally go another direction. How do I rate Batman & The Monster Men issue one? It is COMPELLING. I'm not entirely sure if it will be worth your time or a must read but it is possible my rating may change after reading the next five issues. Come back tomorrow to find out how I feel about issue 2. 

N. S. 

P. S. Images coming soon, I'm having technical difficulties uploading from my iPad. 

100 Days of Batman. Day 4 July 30th. 2016.

Again I will have to apologize for a poorly edited post as I'm still in Boston visiting friends. That being said I have finished issue 4 of Batman Year 100 by Paul Pope. It is hard to really go into any detail as I feel the only way to do it will spoil the first 3 issues and likely most of this issue in order for it to make sense. So let's just get into how I feel abou it then also how I feel about the story over all now that I've finished it. Batman Year 100  issue 4 is most definitely A MUST READ. It ties up the story nicely and answers all the questions you have about the overarching plot, but it did leave me with a single question that I don't believe it clearly answers. Perhaps I'm wrong and I just missed it. I won't talk about that question here as it could be seen as a spoiler. Well I feel the final issue is a must read I honestly didn't enjoy it nearly as much as I did the first three. Don't take that as a bad thing or that the story ends in a lackluster way because it truly ends well and is very fitting. It just didn't end how I wanted it to.

Now let's talk a little bit about the story as a whole. I think it is pretty obvious as to how I am going to rate the completed story. It is of course A MUST READ. Now I should clarify that a little, it's a must read for Batman fans who have a understanding of the character and the world he lives in. In my opinion it will resonate more with them than someone who has no idea who Batman is. There are a lot of things the author assumes you know about the character when you go into this story that can easily be lost on those who are not familiar with him. To get the most out of the story I think it's best to have read at least some of the more popular Batman stories before diving into Batman Year 100. If you are a Batman fan and have never read this great story definitely do yourself a favor and pick it up. It's worth it. I will be deciding between Batman & The Monster Men and Batman: The Black Mirror for my next story arc. Let me know in the comments which you think I should read next and also give some feedback on ways you think I can improve the blog and writing. It definitely needs some work to make it look a little more comic book themed.

N. S.

100 Days of Batman, Day 3 July 29th. 2016

All right so I apologize for the grammatical errors I'm sure this post will contain and also for how short it will likely be. I just finished reading issue 3 of Batman Year 100 after a very long day of work and driving to Boston to see a couple of very good friends but I didn't want to slack off and skip a day as it would defeat the purpose of this blog. So here we go. In this issue the action really heated up with some good fun sequences. The author also has moved the plot along well and progressed the story at a steady pace so that I don't think the last issue will become bogged down trying to wrap up lots of loose threads. I won't know for sure until tomorrow when I read the last issue but I have been very impressed with just how much the author has been able to convey within just a few issues. He has done an excellent job at immersing me into a world that I am familiar with while also providing all the necessary information to make me believe that it is a Gothem 100 years in the future.

Batman Year 100 continues to be a MUST READ. I would love to go into more detail but I am starting to fall asleep as I type. So thank you for reading and I will be back tomorrow with issue 4, the final issue in this arc as well as a better proofread post. Thanks for reading and I hope you will continue to follow along with me on my 100 Days of Batman.

N. S.

100 Days of Batman Day Two, July 28th. 2016.

Onto day two and issue two of Batman Year 100 by Paul Pope. All right so I just finished issue two about ten minitues ago so everything is still fresh in my mind, and I have to say it was just as good as the first. That being said I'll give you the spoiler free description of what happens in this issue. It picks up about 12 hours after the ending of issue one with a injured batman waking up after having some medical work done. I believe that it was the G.C.P.D. (Gothem City Police Department) Coroner who patched him up.  Meanwhile the Grandson of former Commissioner Gordon is trying to dig up any and all inform that has been collected  over the years on the legend of the Batman. The Feds are determined to bring Batman in for the murder of one of their own, but they are not making much head way as information is scarce on the "mask" as they are  referring to him at this time. I don't want to say much more than that because I really think you should read the book own your own.

It's pretty obvious, I think, that I really enjoyed Batman Year 100  issue 2. It's a fun futuristic, yet familiar Batman tale that any fan of Batman should definitely pick up and read. The story is capturing and the art fits perfectly with the tone of Gothem city. So my rating of Batman Year 100 issue 2: A MUST READ. Do your self a favor and experience this comic for yourself and please leave comments on your thoughts and opinions on the comic as well as suggestions on ways I can improve my writing. Tomorrow I'll be back with my impressions of Batman Year 100 issue 3. I have a feeling it will be just as good as the first two issues.

N. S.

100 Days of Batman Day One, July 27th. 2016.

All right so for the first day of my 100 days of Batman I chose to read Batman Year 100 issue 1 of 4 by Paul Pope and it was published in 2006. Before I get to my thoughts on the book i want to let you know my plan for reviewing as of right now is subject to change. I will be rating all the books I read as both individual issues as well as story arcs. I have not quit figured out the system I will be using as a review score but it will not be based on a number value, but most likely as "a must read, good, not worth your time, etc....." Now that we have the little bit of house keeping done let's talk Batman.

For those of you not familiar with the basic premise of the story arc: It takes place about one hundred years after Bruce Wayne first put on the cowl and his deed have essentially become nothing more then legend. But then a new "bat-man" emerges. This new "bat-man" becomes injured and most go on the run because he is wanted for the murder of a Federal Agent. As a result the Feds and police have a mystery on their hands with the prime suspect being a legend from one hundred years prior. Pretty basic description I know, however that is essentially all I really know having just finished the issue and not wanting spoiling anything.

Before I talk about my impression of the book you should know I had avoided reading it for years despite being told how great it was. The reason I avoided it? One, the art on the first issue was so ugly to me that it turned me off to it. Two, I though it was about a 100 year old Bruce Wayne. These are two very poor reason to not read a book, in this case a comic. So did I like it? Yes, I did, I thought it was great and fits the tone of what I want from a Batman story. It had the elements of almost being a year one story where we do not know much about the hero and we are following him at he very beginning of his journey. That being said this could turn out to be just that, but with a new hero taking up the cape and cowl and using an old legend to his advantage in crime fighting. I know the story is about ten years old now but I don't want to spoil anything for those that may have never read it. So my final verdict on Batman Year 100 issue One is: A MUST READ. Don't let the art stop you it's actually really well done once you get past the cover. Those of you have read it it, do you agree it is A MUST READ?  Come back tomorrow to hear my thoughts on Batman Year 100 issue 2.

Day 0, July 26th. 2016

Hello,

   Welcome to 100 days of comics! I have started this blog in an effort to read more comics as well as become a more proficient writer. It was largely inspired by the 100 days of gaming I have heard about people doing as a way of earning money for Extra Life, a wonderful charity that raises money for sick children and their local children's hospitals.  I would love to be able to incorporate it into Extra Life at some point but I am unsure as how to do so at this time. I hope to eventually figure out how.
  Anyways, as stated above the main reason for this blog is to force myself to read more comics. I have always loved comics but have often let the monotony of everyday life keep me from reading them on a regular if not a daily bases. I am a huge fan of stories and art which is why I was drawn toward comics in the first place. Comics like other forms of media help us to escape from the real world if only for a moment. They can make us laugh, cry, angry, sad, but usually they make us happy. I am excited to begin this journey into the world of comics and for my first 100 day run I will be reading all things Batman. I will be looking for suggestions of which story arcs to read next as I progress. I am also looking for constructive criticism on my writing, as I am trying to improve my writing ability. I hope you all enjoy following me on this rather nerdy journey into the world of Batman.

N. S.