300 (Seconds)!

(Tonight, we write in Hell!)

Today, it's 300 seconds of writing! Or, you know, the usual five minutes. Either way. Let's do it.

---

Batman sat quietly on the fire escape, not quite sure what he was seeing.

Two men had just arrived in the alley, quickly getting down to business. The first one to talk looked to be about 5'8", 150 lbs; a skinny guy with a rat face and some serious acne scars. The other was easily 6'5" at three bills. They both spoke in rapid, hushed tones before the big one nodded and reached into his pocket.

His hand emerged and he thrust it at his smaller cohort. When he opened his mitt, there was a small rectangular piece of cardboard, almost like a baseball card. Based on his friend's smile, this was what the little guy was looking for.

The Dark Knight used the advanced optics in his helmet to look closer. It was a Pikachu Illustrator card. He knew what it meant. It meant Pokemon had come to Gotham.

---

If You Want Word Sprints, You Got It!

(What's better than a five-minute word sprint?)

An interview I had prepped for is actually in another hour because I don't understand time zones, so I have some time to tear into a five-minute word sprint like a honey badger eating Pop Tarts.

Start that timer.

---

The Penguin stared at the clock, anger making his face even more a caricature than normal. The contact was supposed to be here by now. Oswald Cobblepot was many things. Rich. Successful. Short. But tolerant of tardiness was nowhere on that particular list.

He had discovered a street hood who could finally bring Batman to his armored knees. Armor. Penguin remembered when Batman was just some guy prowling rooftops, beating up muggers. The Gotham cops would use him to solve some cases because he worked for free and they were (are) too stupid to do the jobs themselves.

He took on the wacky costumed criminals that seemed to appear weekly, of which, Cobblepott was more than a little ashamed to say, he was one. The great thing about rising through the ranks of the criminal underworld to its apex is that anyone who remembered him in that ridiculous top hat and tails are either too smart or too dead to mention it in Penguin's presence.

Nowadays, though, Batman was like some armored comic book super hero with any and every device he could think of not only there, but instantly available for use.

---

Decided to go with a comic book motif, as I've been reading a bungload of them lately. There you have it. Five minutes of a Penguin story that didn't exist until now. You're welcome.

9 Batman Knock Offs That Utterly Miss the Point

Batman is Batman and true fans know exactly what I'm talking about. Accept no imitations...except there are several copy cats who just. Don't. Get it. Here are nine of them. And a couple who actually do it right. Except for the whole, "You're still not Batman" thing.

If You Think Feminists Are Ruining Comics, You Might Be Fucking Stupid

This picture was intended to be a variant cover for Batgirl No. 41. For anyone who has a passing acquaintance with comics or the Batman universe, they know this cover, penciled by the amazing Rafael Albuquerque, is an homage to The Killing Joke. TKJ (as the kids call it) was written by Alan Moore and was/is considered, with Frank Miller's The Dark Knight Returns, a turning point in the comic book industry. Comics were dark, edgy, intense. This cover was supposed to come out in June as a celebration of 75 years of the Joker.

Ain't happenin'.

In the latest OH NOES!!!!! catastrophe in Nerd Nation (where I rent a small apartment with my dog, Oliver, and my cat, Harley Quinn), it was announced by Alburquerque and DC Comics that, due to an outcry of offended readers and fans, the cover would be pulled. In addition, the current Batgirl creative team of Cameron Stewart and Brendan Fletcher (writers) and Babs Tarr (penciller) came forward and said they had not approved the cover and weren't happy with it as it goes against the new, lighter Batgirl they are putting out.

(#NoFilters)

 I love the "new" Batgirl. I think Babs Tarr's pencils are strong and bring an indie vibe to the book, appropriate since Barbara Gordon has returned to college and has moved to the trendy part of town with her fellow 20-somethings. I wrote a column about the new beginning at Comic Book Herald where I voiced my concerns on the book after a tremendous run by Gail Simone, who had her own issues with DC Comics regarding the book. Taking over a book as popular as Batgirl after the kind of stories Simone put down is rife with land mines but it's done and has been done on every single comic book in the history of ever.

Getting back to the variant cover (a cover that was only going to be on a limited number of comics available at mortar comics shops), my personal thought? I loved it. I thought it was beautifully drawn in a terrible, tragic, brutal way that shows the Joker for what he is--a monster. He's not the Clown Prince of Crime, he's monstrous and murderous, and he created a personal hell for Barbara Gordon when he shot her in TKJ, crippling her and putting her in a wheelchair for (according to canon) three years.

But it wasn't just the shooting. In an effort to drive her father, Commissioner Jim Gordon, mad, Joker had Jim removed from the scene (he was there for the shooting) and proceeded to strip Barbara naked as she's bleeding out and began taking photos, graphic photos, some of which are shown later in the book. There is also the believe by many fans she was possibly raped based on comments by Moore.

When you look in her eyes in Albuquerque's cover, you see all that. You see the absolute blind, panicked terror. None of Batgirl's training is helping her. The skills she learned at the hands of Batman are gone. She's alone, she's a victim, and she's paralyzed (no pun intended) by fear.

And that is the reason many have come out against the cover. I don't agree with it, but I've never been sexually assaulted and I do not have the emotions that some have against TKJ and similar stories. I do, however, support the decision to pull the title solely because that is the wish of the creator of the piece and his publisher.

And that's when the shit fucking ignites.

Comic book and gamer fanboys have been painted as brutally misogynist in recent years. It's not a brush that covers every male fan, but it's one that that's pretty accurate in many cases. I'm not going to get into the flaming shit show that is Gamer Gate (I'd link you to the Wikipedia page, but since GG sympathizers run it, you're not going to get an objective definition. I recommend you follow Chris Kluwe on Twitter), but what I've seen in the comic book world is simply horrible.

There are supporters of the cover, like me, who see it for what it is and would have liked to have seen it on the book, but really aren't too sussed over it. There are other supporters who are upset and even angry, arguing it's censorship (which it isn't since the artist wanted it pulled himself), but are still reasonably civil. Then there's the "fuck you, you cunt" guys and those are the ones we're going to focus on. The ones who immediately pull out the victim card while simultaneously insulting, humiliating, and degrading any and every female who has the audacity to comment they felt uncomfortable with the cover.

The bigger picture here isn't the cover or the decision to pull it. The bigger picture is how fast a decision like this is decried as "PC" or DC Comics being afraid of those "fucking feminists." I spent a pretty good amount of time on Twitter last night debating the cover with the woman who runs the @DCWomenKickingAss account. I don't agree with every single post she makes, but I have a tremendous amount of respect for not only her opinion, but her ability to stick to her guns even when she's dealing with abuse and cyber-bullying assholes who seem to think she personally is ruining the comic book industry.

We didn't agree on the issue, but at no time were there harsh words between us. It was a civil discourse and we went our own Twitter-wandering ways. But while looking through other Tweets, I found terrible things. Gail Simone tweeted about another female creator named Valerie D'Orazio who has been part of several big-name titles over the years. Recently, someone in the industry who openly, publicly, and unabashedly bullied her has basically been rewarded for being a dickhole.

(Valerie D'Orazio Twitter feed)

She provided the full story on her website and I really recommend you read it. It shows what some women in the industry go through for no other reason than being female. Not being "feminist," not complaining about Power Girl's tits, not for being outspoken against sexualizing girls who are minors in comics, but just for being a woman. It's embarrassing, it's shameful, and it's wrong.

Being stupid, I'm drawn to the comments sections of stories and Facebook posts where the dregs of society tend to spew their honest (and usually homophobic, racist, and misogynist) opinions. What I've gathered is, these are people who hate change. In any form. One of the most recent jewels is from a young man bitching about the possibility that the new Spider-Man move may focus on Mile Morales instead of Peter Parker, meaning Spidey would be (looks around furtively) black.

The author said, "I'm sick and tired of these directors coming in and changing everything just to put their mark on the book. Just leave it the way it was and stick to the comics! I want the movies to be like the comics!*"

*I took the liberty of correcting all the spelling errors.

Then read the fucking comics, jackass.

Folks, things change. We all talk wistfully about the days of Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, but those tales do not translate well into the second decade of the 21st century. And a big part of change is being more accurate about our society as it's depicted in mediums such as comics. Believe it or not, it wasn't a woman who designed Wonder Woman's or Black Canary's uniforms. Those costumes are ridiculous at best, offensive at worst, and should probably be updated. But you do that, it's all "Those fucking feminists are bitching and DC/Marvel is just going to back down because they're spineless. I feel sorry for our country right now because we're nothing but a nation of pussies!"

No, Unfortunately-Not-An-Imaginery-Person, what we are is a nation of different people. I understand that it's better for you to read your comics with the heroic white guy who bangs the really hot super hero chick who wears next to nothing like her male counterparts do (sarcasm) and, hell, you can even deal with the odd colored fella or two. But the moment those cunts start bitching and you start seeing fags and trannies in the pages of your comic books, that's the moment Al Qaeda wins, isn't it?

In all honesty, I sort of feel sorry for these socially-retarded monkeys because all they have is hate. And I get that. I have a lot of anger inside but I'm cursed with objective logic and the understanding that sometimes, I don't get my way. But for these people, the type who are pissed off even when their side wins because some compromising had to be done to earn the victory or those who don't understand that no, white people don't get to say "nigger" in public, hatred is constantly boiling under the surface and it's directed at anything and everything. The internet has given them the protection their brand of cowardice thrives in. They can say the things they've always wanted to say with no repercussions. Or, in the case of people like Chris Sims, they're backed by a throng of dickhead fanboys who hang on his every word and clap him on the back like he just saved a puppy from a burning building.

Actually, scratch that. I don't feel sorry for these mouth breathers. Fuck you. Fuck you and fuck your pathetic inability to interact with other human beings in a civil manner. I hope you're hit by a car, paralyzed from the neck down and the person caring for you is a black transvestite who reads Rachel Maddow out loud to you every morning while pointing out all the lies and inaccuracies told on FOX News.

Asshole.

 

Batgirl Enters a Brave New World

After a great run that did have a touch of controversy, Gail Simone is stepping away from one of my favorite titles, Batgirl. The new team will have big shoes to fill but they seem to be saying all the right things so far. I wrote a column about it at ComicBookHerald.com. That's something I do now. Go there to read other stuff, too.

The 10 Most Expensive Comics

So there's absolutely no surprise what book is No. 1, but there are some issues down the list that definitely raised my eyebrows. If you've got $10M or so, they can all be yours.

Great Movie Nods to their Comic Book Counterparts

If you're like me, you're in bed, nearly naked, and all the way drunk before Noon. Plus, you wet your geek drawers in The Dark Knight Rises when Bane broke Batman's back because HOLY SHIT KNIGHTFALL!!!1! Several other movies have thrown us a bone in that manner, but you may have missed them. Here they are.

My First Batman

(Photo Credit: DC Wikia)

When I was a lad, there existed a thing called a comic book digest. The most common use of this now (and then for that matter) was Archie Comics. But back in the day, DC Comics would put together five or six issues of random comics, put them in a digest, and sell them cheaply to promote their current titles.

A couple that I remember vividly are a villains origins digest featuring the origins of the Parasite (Superman), Red Dart (Green Arrow), etc. The other, though, was one of my greatest treasures as a child: a Batman digest featuring stories revolving around the five greatest members of his Rogue's Gallery. They were Joker, Penguin, Two-Face, Catwoman, and the Riddler, each story ending with a one-page origin of the villain.

The one story I remember vividly was the Two-Face story and thanks to the internet, I found the issue. It was Batman No. 234, written by Denny O'Neal and pencilled by Neal Adams, two of the faces on my Batman Mt. Rushmore (along with Bill Finger and Bruce Timm, because fuck Bob Kane). A piece of trivia for this issue: it's the Silver Age debut of Two-Face.

Back then, I thought it was gritty and hardcore and now, I'm amazed at how well it has stood the test of time. It's a true testament of just how good the duo of O'Neal/Adams really was.

With the success of the Christopher Nolan Dark Knight trilogy, the upcoming Batman vs. Superman movie, and this being the 75th anniversary of the Caped Crusader, I have found it fun and educational to go back and look at the older issues of Batman and Detective Comics. The first issues of the book hold up reasonably well, while the 50s and 60s are pretty campy. The 70s Batman was where I got my start, so they will always hold a place in my heart and with stories like this one and the legendary Batman No. 251, it's a great example of how quality will truly transcend its time.

2014: The Year of the Batman

This year is the 75th anniversary of Detective Comics No. 27, aka the first-ever appearance of one Batman. In fact, next week, the very well-timed Detective Comics No. 27 (New 52 edition) will provide a re-telling of the Batman origin. For the full rundown of everything Batfans can expect in 2014, click HERE.

Batman: The Deal

 

Found this amazing piece of Batman fanfic called "The Deal" during one of my StumbleUpon binges. I won't give anything away, but it focuses on one of Batman's longest relationships but in a very deep and very dark way. If you're a fan of The Bat, you really need to check this out.

LitStack.com: Favorite TV Show Based on a Book

The latest LitStack Staff Pick is Favorite TV Show Based on a Book. Mine's Little House on the Prairie. Read away.

I'm a terrible hypocrite

 

(I win the internets.)

I am a terrible person. No, don't argue with me; it's true. I will take to Twitter on a regular basis and mock people who beg for RTs because it's their birthday or because some relative survived skin tag-removal surgery. The worst are the people who asked to be RTed due to a tragedy e.g. "Hey @BigTimeCeleb, please RT in memory of the heroes who were killed in the blah, blah, blah..."

If you've done that, you're a dick. Stop it.

Now, while I've never done that, I will say nice things about people I respect and I will use their Twitter names while doing it. They get their respective balls busted on the reg, they should see compliments, too.

I've been a fan of Kevin Smith since I saw Clerks on VHS in Guantanamo Bay in 1995. I own all his stuff (even Jersey Girl) and am particularly a fan of his comic book work, specifically Batman: Cacophony and Batman: Widening Gyre. His podcast Fatman on Batman is an absolute must-listen for anyone who loves comics, even if you're favorite character isn't Batman.

On a road trip to Chicago, I was listening to a recent edition featuring my all-time favorite artist, Jim Lee. For me, Neal Adams and John Byrne and George Perez are the masters and Jim Lee makes them all look like slow children scribbling with broken crayons (NOTE: Not an insult to the three; just my opinion on the greatness of Lee). The back and forth between the two was brilliant. They were talking about the books I grew up on and I found my self numerous times nodding my head and smiling and even talking along with them.

I felt the need gush about the experience on Twitter. Now, I'd be lying if I didn't hope a little bit that maybe one of the two would throw me a RT for my effort, but that wasn't the genesis of the tweet. I simply wanted them to know how great I thought the episode was. Kevin Smith did me one better, as you can see by the pic.

Yeah. I'm a pretty big deal.

LitStack.com: Favorite Literary BFFs

Again, no real shock based on the pic, but over at LitStack, we talked about our favorite literary BFFs. Go take a look. I promise it won't suck.

Andrew Asberry: The Gateway Gothamite

 

As a fan of the Dark Knight Detective, one of my favorite websites is Batman-News.com. Great stuff and excellent reviews. Having said that, I was more than a little surprised to find that one of the writers for the site, Andrew Asberry, is a fellow St. Louis native. As such, I tracked him down, had a chat with him, and wrote up a piece for Walrus Publishing. Click HERE for all the creamy goodness that is the story of another follower of the Goddamned Batman.

BOOK REVIEW: Patriot No. 1 by Bleeding Ink Productions

(Patriot issue No. 1 of 4.)

To paraphrase Bruce Wayne's praise of Harvey Dent in The Dark Knight, I believe in Jesse Grillo. I believe enough in the work I have seen from him and his comic book production company, Bleeding Ink Productions, that I helped fund Patriot, a four-issue miniseries he marketed on Kickstarter. Obviously, since I was funding a product that had not been completed, I was going on Grillo's past work and the premise of Patriot.

I was not disappointed with the results.

Patriot follows the story of the titular character after he discovers he has but weeks to live after being diagnosed with a brain tumor. He decides it is time to stop simply capturing and imprisoning his enemies only to see them escape and commit the same heinous crimes again and again. He decides it's time to put an end to their murderous activities...permanently. The plan does not go over well with his teen-aged son and is accepted with even less approval from his teammates in the Union of Superheroes.

The book overall is strong, especially from an independent with very little funding. Grillo handles the writing and does it capably. Jeff Slimmons' pencils and inks have a very pulpy feel to them (imagine some of the horror comics from the 40s and 50s) and Melissa Martin Ellis' colors complement the artwork perfectly. Together, it all has a very personal feel, not like many of today's comics, especially from Marvel, that feel as though they are generated by a computer graphics program.

The premise itself is interesting, especially with the "Death of the Family" story arc featuring the Joker currently taking place in the Batman titles. It has been said for years (decades) that Batman's strict adherence to his code of never taking a life has, in fact, cost hundreds if not thousands of lives. By allowing the Joker to live, Batman has indirectly caused the deaths of every victim who has been killed at the hands of the Clown Prince of Crime. The same can be said of Two-Face, the Penguin, et. al., but the Joker is easily the most diabolical and purely evil of Batman's Rogue's Gallery.

Patriot's bailiwick is unique in that his decision to turn to murder is a result of his own impending mortality. We've seen comics such as The Punisher that have been cut and dry from the very beginning: do evil and be killed, period. Patriot, based on the reactions of those around him when he reveals his plan, was very much in the mold of Superman -- a god-like being who chose to simply stop criminals and allow the proper authorities mete out justice. It is a familiar storyline with an added twist that provides the reader with a What Would I Do In That Situation? scenario.

Another unique aspect of the book is the lack of thought balloons and the third-party narrative the vast majority of comics employ. Not using thought balloons is becoming a topic amongst comic creators and fans on social media such as Twitter and while many believe the tried-and-true use of internal monologues should continue, not using them provides a more in-the-moment experience. It provides the reader an opportunity to consider for themselves what the characters could be thinking and what their motivation could be rather than having it spoon-fed to them.

As with any new comic, hero and villain names can be clunky and hard to process and Patriot is guilty of this in certain instances. However, if you take the names of heroes that have been around for decades such as Wonder Woman, Aqua Man, Spider Man, Mr. Fantastic, and the like, the names of the new heroes don't sound as awkward.

The other thing to consider is that Grillo is working mostly alone with a shoestring budget. The bigger the budget, the bigger the staff and the more people to assist with editing and to bounce ideas off of. Considering that Grillo has little name recognition among mainstream comics fans and the aforementioned next-to-nothing budget, Patriot, along with his other titles, should stand out as a triumph of David versus the Goliath of the Disney-owned Marvel and Warner Bros.-owned DC Comics. Grillo has talent and a strong portfolio; brands like Dark Horse, Radical, Vertigo, and others would be well-advised to grab him while his price is still low.

For more information on Bleeding Ink Productions or to check out its line of comics, visit them at their official website.

DC Comics Stays Classy; Fires Gail Simone Via E-Mail

(Concentrated red-haired awesome, Gail Simone. Photo by Luigi Novi)

In a world filled with assholes, douchebags, and scoundrels, DC Comics decided to make a solid run for Dick of the Week by firing Gail Simone. If you don't know who Simone is, run, don't walk, fucking run, to your nearest comic book store and grab any issue of Batgirl produced during the New 52 era. I personally recommend the recently-released Batgirl Annual #1. Got it? Awesome, isn't it? Well-written, well-plotted with characters you really care for and empathize with, right?

Yeah, DC decided to shit-can her. From one of the more popular titles out right now. Via e-mail.

Unless Santa Claus gives an orphan the finger while kicking a puppy, DC could have that Dick of the Week title wrapped up. I'm writing this as a fan and not as a comics insider because 1) I'm a fan, and 2) I'm not a comics insider and as a fan, I think what DC did was bullshit.

(Yeah, she responded to a compliment I gave her, so we're pretty much besties.)

Simone has been at the helm for some of the best, and underrated, comics in recent years for DC, including Birds of Prey, Wonder Woman, and Fury of Firestorm. Her work on Marvel's Deadpool is, in my opinion, the catalyst for making that title one of the most popular in the Marvel Universe. Wade Wilson went from a meh character with corny one-liners to an anti-hero spewing laugh-out-loud comments that were cringe-worthy in their darkness and inappropriateness.

On the flip side of that was Batgirl, a book that has all the bang-pow superhero stuff you could ask for, but also provides a back story worthy of one of the most interesting characters in the DC Universe. Something of a fringe character in the past, Alan Moore's The Killing Joke put her in the limelight when the Joker put a bullet in her spine and paralyzed her. No longer able to be Batgirl, Barbara Gordon became Oracle, the eye in the sky for Batman and the Bat Family as well as the leader of the Birds of Prey, a female group consisting of such super heroines as Black Canary, the Huntress, Lady Blackhawke, and others.

(Don't. Just don't. Be a grown up. Photo by ComicVine.com)

Simone's run on Birds of Prey was very notable in that since it was a comic about women written by a woman, it would be, well, all girly and shit. They would talk about boys and, er, women stuff, and it would be unreadable. Nope. Not even close. In fact, it was reading some of the trade paperbacks of BoP at my local library that convinced me I should give Batgirl a shot when the New 52 kicked off. I already had all the Bat titles plus Justice League in my pull file at my local shop, but after reading Batgirl #1, I was hooked.

So. We have cred with the fanboys in a male-dominated field, a book that is popular in aforementioned field, and a legion of fans who went absolutely batshit (pun intended) on Twitter Sunday when Simone confirmed she had been given her walking papers. Via. Fucking. E-mail.

Sports fans will remember this. Remember when Jimmy Johnson, formerly a championship coach, now an analyst and spokesman for big-dick pills, won his second-straight Super Bowl with the Dallas Cowboys and Jerry Jones, prior to his permanent impersonation of the creepy preacher from Poltergeist 2, fired his ass? This is kinda like that, but different.

It's like that because there's an obvious analogy to be made between the two instances and different because I love what Simone has done with Batgirl and abso-fucking-lutely hate the Dallas Cowboys. I taught my son when he was four years old that the Cowboys set fire to kitten rescues on Christmas Eve. Truth hurts sometimes. I bring up the Jones/Johnson situation because of this: Rumor has it, there was some friction between Simone and her editor. Obviously, I don't know for sure but if the internet says it...

Anyway, the point I'm laboring to make is, if you're successful, you bust your ass to get along. It doesn't matter if you literally fucking hate that person to the point you wish their grandparents would come back to life so you could kill them all over again, you make an effort to get along. Batgirl is a magical title and it's because of the combination of Simone and Ardian Syaf (pencils) making it thus. I'm not saying you should suffer assholes gladly, but if I'm Simone's former editor and she walked by my desk, knocking my coffee cup off my desk daily and giving me wet willies in front of my kids, I'd suck it up a little because you're part of a profitable team and, in the end, that reflects on you. Plus, I'd teabag the shit out of her laptop when she wasn't looking. But I'm passive-aggressive that way.

Monday's news from Simone was much more positive as some of the biggest names in comics, such as Neil Gaiman and Batman's Scott Snyder, coming to her defense on Twitter. The lady herself made several comments, basically saying she's receiving a ton of offers that are actually more lucrative than her gig on Batgirl. She also said she's spoken with the heads of DC and they have told her they are sorry things ended the way they did and there was some miscommunication between the firer and the firee i.e. they shit-canned her without getting their ducks in a row first.

I'd like to say I'm not going to read Batgirl or any DC Comics titles anymore. Based on things I've read, they probably deserve it. While I enjoy the New 52, it was done (allegedly) against the wishes of most of the creative staff and according to a panel I attended with Denny O'Neil, comics are a brutal business no matter where you are with constant power plays between the creative teams, the editors, and the publishers where the biggest losers tend to be the fans. Kind of like this situation, for example.

I'm still going to read DC Comics. And Batgirl. At least for awhile. Simone's final issue is #16 at the end of the "Death of the Family" arc with the Joker and the other Bat titles. Batgirl was special because it was believable. Suspension of disbelief is hard to achieve sometimes, but Simone made it easy. You liked Barbara. You pulled for her. You felt her pain, her confusion, her fears of being put back in that damned chair. Prior to this, the closest I've felt to a character was Kitty Pryde in the X-Men of the 80s when Peter Rasputin told her he didn't love her anymore because of his feelings for Zsaji, the healer he met on Battleworld during the Secret Wars arc. Chris Claremont handled that amazingly and it left a lasting impression on me, both as a comics fan and as a writer. That is what Simone has done with Batgirl.

So Gail, I'm still going to read Batgirl. And other DC Comics. But I'll be thinking of you. Anyone that comes along, no matter how good, will just be a silver medal.

I am the Walrus! Or At Least Published at Walrus

(All four variant covers of issue No. 1 of Legends of the Dark Knight, autographed by Denny O'Neil. Yeah. Dig me.)

So I've been talking for almost a month about how I was going to write up my experience with legendary Batman writer Denny O'Neil (I know, he did other stuff, shut up) from his appearance at Project: Comic Con here in St. Louis June 9. I was honestly going to blog it and then I became involved in a relationship with locally-owned and operated Walrus Publishing, a group by and for St. Louis-area writers. It happened in STL, Denny's an STL native, so I waited so I could have the story published on their site. Everybody's happy.

To read the awesomeness that was Denny O'Neil, click HERE. I'm going to write some other stuff for Walrus as well, such as book reviews and literary event coverage. I'll post some info here, but be sure to check out the Walrus Publishing website by clicking on the link over to the right on this page. You won't regret it.

Batman's New 52 Rogue's Gallery

One of the most famous aspects of Batman is his Rogue's Gallery, the collection of bad guys and evildoers he has faced with regularity during his time as the Dark Knight. Fans grew used to all the quirks and eccentricities of each character and they, in some ways, grew to define Batman.

With the creation of the New 52 last summer, many, if not all, of Batman's adversaries changed dramatically. The folks at Batman-News.com put together a pretty extensive list running down the Gallery, who they were, and who they are now. It was so good, I felt the need to share it here. Great stuff and mostly right on the nose.

VIDEO: Hitler & His Thoughts on Tim Drake Being Gay

Batman vs. Darth Vader

No way this isn't the most awesome thing you've seen today.