Catching up! Contains comics and Doctor Who.

[usuallyhats]

Oh, DC, what are you doing? I mean, I pretty much gave up on them after all the Batgirls disappeared/got de-aged and de-powered, but everything they're doing at the moment seems like it's CALCULATED to put me off. The Steph-(not)-in-Smallville débacle only confirmed my resolve not to buy any ongoings from them, because I just don't trust them. Instead I am reading back issues and following Saga, which is really good (the art is so beautiful!), but also currently on a break.

Feeling a bit swamped atm, what with one thing and another, but I was off sick yesterday so I have actually caught up with Doctor Who, woo! I had some issues with "Asylum of the Daleks", but I liked "Dinosaurs on a Spaceship" and "A Town Called Mercy". The former was just a joy (a few quibbles aside), and the only bit I didn't like from the latter was the "I can tell you're a mother" bit, which made me roll my eyes. Mothers: not actually quantitatively different from women who are not mothers! ANYWAY. I did really like the Doctor handing Jex over. I've probably mentioned this before, but I love the idea that the Doctor isn't a good man because that's what comes naturally to him, but because that's how he chooses to be. The fact that he chooses to be compassionate and merciful, and to always try and find another way, means more to me if he sometimes almost doesn't. It also fitted with how EVERYTHING in the episode was morally complex. Good times. The trailer for next week's looks cool too! I am cautiously optimistic again. Hurray!

Comments

[persiflage-1.livejournal.com]

Seeing JLC playing Oswin makes me feel more relaxed about her role as Eleven's companion.

(Why don't I have an Oswin icon yet? Bad Pers!)

[usuallyhats]

She was great, wasn't she? ♥ Oswin ♥

[persiflage-1.livejournal.com]

She was indeed!

[ladymercury-10.livejournal.com]

I started reading Steph Brown's run as you suggested and I got totally hooked. I finished it this weekend, and I love Steph and Barbara and between guest appearances and other things I made detours to read have developed fannish affection for Damian and Dick and Beryl Hutchinson (Squire is so cool!) as well.

And now you can add me to the "Why does DC hate me and not want my money?" boat, because everything they've done and their response to their fans is just so, so confusing.

*sigh* *goes back to library back issues*

Also, yay Doctor Who!

[usuallyhats]

YAY! And also sorry. ;D Yeah, the Batgirl guest cast is fabulous, isn't it? I love Dick and Damian as Batman and Robin, and Squire is so great - I'm glad she still exists! I found this post a while ago, which recommends other comics to read for Steph, in case you're interested. I haven't read much of it yet, but I've really liked what I have read, especially the Cass!Batgirl issues. Most of her time as Robin is in Batman: War Drums (Robin #126-128 and Detective Comics #796): it's good, but also really sad and enraging, knowing what happens next. :/

I just don't understand. They know people want to read about Steph (and Cass), and I can think of at least three writers who've said they want to use one or both of them, and yet... nothing. :(

Doctor Who, whee! *clings to my Doctor Who squee and hopes it stays*

[ladymercury-10.livejournal.com]

Oh, thank you! That post looks quite interesting. Yeah, from what I've heard, Steph being Robin sounds like it starts out fantastic and goes to horrible quite quickly, so I don't know how I feel about that. The next comics on my to-read list are the first trade from Cass' Batgirl run (so if I get far enough into that, more Steph eventually!) and the second trade from Dick and Damian's Batman and Robin run. I didn't like their first trade that much--too gory for me--but I can't really resist the promise of Dick and Damian AND Beryl AND Kate Kane all in the same book, so I put it on hold at the library. :P

I think the higher-ups must just really hate the characters or something, from the things they've said. I don't know. I keep hearing people on Tumblr say someone called them "toxic," which makes no sense, because Steph is pretty much the most positive character you could ask for, and I'm given to understand Cass is not too different, when DC doesn't actively turn her character arc upside-down.

I was pretty disappointed with the character arcs on Doctor Who last season, but my hopes are high again after all the squee they have provided thus far. Perhaps they will be able to resolve things after all. *preemptively starts missing Amy and Rory*

[usuallyhats]

Love your icon!

Steph was really good as Robin, I thought, and whenever Batman isn't being ridiculously judgemental they make a great team. But she has so few issues before he fires her, and then War Games happens (which I'm not planning to read!)... :(

YAY CASS! I really hope you like her - she's my second favourite character after Steph. ♥

I didn't like their first trade that much--too gory for me
IIRC, the second Batman and Robin trade was better on that front (and, like you say, Beryl! Kate! :D), but the third one was worse - I really wasn't keen on that one.

I think the higher-ups must just really hate the characters or something
That's all I can think, too. You'd think that given they claimed to be going for a more diverse DCU they'd want to find room for their most successful Asian character, but apparently not...

Me too! I really hope the Ponds get a good departure.

[ladymercury-10.livejournal.com]

Thank you! wittystairs made it. :)

I hope I like Cass, too! I've heard such good things about her!

Yeah, it looked like the third book was more of the doll-people pig-circus, which really creeped me out the first time around. Plus Damian beating bad guys with a crow bar, which could really go either way, I guess. Poor kid.

I hope the Ponds get a good departure, too! I can't believe they're really leaving. I know they've been on a long time, but it still feels too soon!

[usuallyhats]

More, and on a bigger scale, as I remember, plus Bruce's return from the dead/being lost in time. And I really wasn't a fan of most of the art, so I'd definitely call it skippable. I think it was just the Joker Damian beat up with a crow bar? He crows about it to Jason later, but I'm pretty sure I've only seen scans of that panel rather than actually reading it in context...

*crosses everything for the Ponds!*

[ladymercury-10.livejournal.com]

Oh joy, even more pig-doll-circus drama. And I haven't actually read any of the comics involving Bruce's actual lost in time thing, just the comics surrounding it, but is it as ridiculous as it sounds?

*also crosses everything*

[usuallyhats]

It is SO ridiculous. To be fair, the build up to "Batman RIP" (which I haven't read yet) was pretty good, though not completely to my taste, but "The Return of Bruce Wayne"... oh dear. It was basically just "Amnesiac Bruce Wayne's tour of historical macho stereotypes" (including MAN OF BATS). It was hilarious, but I'm not sure if it was supposed to be...

[ladymercury-10.livejournal.com]

THAT MADE ME HYENA LAUGH OUT LOUD. And I really doubt that it was meant to. :P

In general, when comic books try to do Doctor Who, it makes me roll my eyes a bit. Although after Steph and Beryl saved the Greenwich Mean, I am now convinced that the reason she has been retconned out of the New 52 is that the universe got cracked and she, like Amy, is the only one who remembers her old life, and it is very sad for her to have been sent back to high school and know that Babs and Damian and all don't remember her and not really know where Cass has got to. It is a very depressing headcanon, but the New 52 is a very depressing thing, so.

As for other unintentionally hilarious things, someone I ran into at the comic shop told me about Batman: Odyssey, and I have been reading this review (http://www.comicsalliance.com/2011/03/08/batman-odyssey-neal-adams-insane/) of it, slowly because it's quite long, and because it is so, so funny that it makes my stomach hurt from laughing SO VERY HARD.

[usuallyhats]

Later on, he meets the descendent of one of those cave-people, who call themselves the Bat-people and worship a god called Barbatos. And later still, someone tries to sacrifice him to Barbatos. OH DEAR.

Oh Steph :((( She will find Cass and fix everything, yes?

Ahaha, Batman: Odyssey! That review sort of almost makes me want to read it, just to find out if it's really that bad... And there's a third review now, I haven't read that one!

[ladymercury-10.livejournal.com]

Oh dear goodness, is this real life? Did somebody actually write this in actual bat-canon? :P

One hopes! And then by the sheer force of their amazingness and combined memory powers, they will force the universe to be fixed, and the retcon will be retconned and we can forget any of this ever happened.

I know, right? I really kind of want to read it now, just for the insanity of it all.

[usuallyhats]

The esteemed Grant Morrison, no less! I don't know what happened. And I think it's still canon post-reboot, as well...

YES. Save us, Cass and Steph!

[ladymercury-10.livejournal.com]

Grant Morrison did that? Dear goodness. Is there, like, temporary insanity powder just floating around at DC HQ?

[usuallyhats]

That WOULD explain a lot!