Comic Book Conversations

The Dark Knight Rises  is almost here and I feel obligated to help prepare others for his appearance in director Christopher Nolan's final Batman film.  There's a lot of misconceptions surrounding the character (he's just a muscle head or he's insanely strong), so I'm here to set all of the facts straight and point you in the right direction before The Dark Knight Rises  comes out on July 20.   Today, I have a look at Bane's must read stories.  I'll tell you what they're about and how you can get your hands on a copy to read.  These are barely scratching the surface of Bane's history in the DC Universe, too. In my opinion these are his critical stories, but if you're interested in reading more with Bane, leave a comment and I'll gladly list all of his other appearances that are worth reading (and there are plenty ). Batman versus Bane (trade paperback) This new release collects Batman: Vengeance of Bane and the four issue run

Marvel's The Avengers Review Marvel's The Avengers  is a movie we've been anxiously waiting to see for years now.  If you're a comic book fan, the dream of watching this A-list team together on the big screen could be over a decade old.  What really hit home was when Nick Fury came out of nowhere and blew our minds with that post-credits scene in Iron Man  back in 2008. It was the collective fanboy jaw-drop heard around the world.   The Avengers  was a reality that was continually teased in the other Marvel Studios movies, and now, it's finally here.  Does it live up to the Galactus-sized hype or fail harder than the Red Skull's attempt at world domination?  I'm beyond thrilled to say it not only meets the expectations, but also completely smashes them.  Marvel Studios has managed to create a ridiculously fun superhero movie that'll make both fanboys and casual fans want to see it over and over again. The story here is absolutely big enough to ju

Moon Knight - Where Do We Go Now? Moon Knight can't seem to catch a break.  Marvel's street level anti-hero has always had a decent fanbase, but Marc Spector apparently can't hold his ground with Marvel.  Over the past few years, The Fist of Khonshu has had no luck with keeping a strong ongoing. The fantastic 2006 series brought the hero back in an extremely dark and powerful way.  He was at the bottom and readers religiously followed the stories of Marc's increasingly difficult life.  This bleak period in his life spawned 30 issues (plus a special and an annual) before coming to an end with the entertaining stories "The Death of Marc Spector" and "Down South." Marc would return with his own title in 2009, Vengeance of Moon Knight .  This had a promising start, sporting a heavily armored Marc with a renewed sense of justice.  He came back to New York in the Dark Reign infested world and was looking to make a difference.  But, a man can

He's the best there is at what he does, and what he does is very, very bloody. James Howlett/Logan/Wolverine has appeared in thousands of comics, and in the pages of those books, we've been treated to countless impressive fights involving the X-Man. Wolverine's decades of dedicated training under some of the best combatants has turned him into one of the most dangerous street level characters in the Marvel 616 universe. Having claws that can cut through almost everything and a virtually unbreakable skeleton doesn't hurt his odds, either. His rogues gallery (Sabretooth, Cyber, Lady Deathstrike, etc.) consists of plenty of characters that can give ole' James a fight worth watching, but Logan's A-list status means the Canadian also gets to go toe-to-toe with dozens of familiar faces in the Marvel Universe. Wolverine has been in hundreds of throw downs, but here's a collection of my favorite one-on-one battles with him.  Did your favorite not make the list? If

Writing a review for The Raid: Redemption  is an incredibly difficult task. It's not a complicated movie and I don't need to dance around spoilers, but it's just that no amount of praise will really do this film proper justice. People have been calling it the best action movie in awhile, and I can confidently say that those people are absolutely right. The Raid  not only lives up to the hype, but it surpasses it with a roundhouse kick square in the face. You're going to have a ridiculous amount of fun watching this movie from start to finish.  It's simply an experience that all action fans need to check out at least  once. It's brutal, relentless, jaw-dropping, and one of the most entertaining movies I have ever watched. I imagine I'll see it at least once more in theaters and get the Blu-ray right when it hits. If you've watched the trailer, then you're pretty much up to date with the plot. A criminal kingpin is lurking in a tenement tower that&

It was recently announced that Constantine Drakon (played by Darren Shahlavi) would appear in the upcoming Green Arrow pilot on CW called Arrow . But who is Drakon and why should you care? Let me tell you why he's a villain worth reading and, soon enough, watching. Being among the best in the world with a bow and arrow doesn't mean squat when your enemy can effortlessly catch every projectile sent his way. Meet Constantine Drakon, one of the most dangerous men Green Arrow has ever faced. This Greek assassin is quite a short fellow, but for what he lacks in height, he makes up for in speed and talent. This obscure enemy of the Emerald Archer was created by writer Judd Winick and artist Phil Hester, and first showed his face in Green Arrow  #27 (volume 3). The killer discovered at a young age that he excels in harming others. And if you're good at something, you might as well make money doing it, right? The deadly villain once made the claim that he has killed more peo

The man who broke the Bat will face-off with Bruce Wayne on the big screen this July, and now is the perfect time to do your homework by exploring the villain's extensive comic book history. Bane's dark and brilliant mind will make Batman's life a nightmare in director Christopher Nolan's final Batman film, but it's his sheer strength and skill that will prove to be Wayne's ultimate obstacle. Bane is infamous for duking it out with the Dark Knight, but Batman is hardly the only man to get slugged in the face a few times by the villain. Grab some popcorn and enjoy the brawling as I review Bane's best battles. VS Batman,   Detective Comics  #701 Allied with the legendary Ra's al Ghul, Bane returns to Gotham City and has an unforgettable fight with Batman on the docks. The two narrowly escape an explosion and have a contest of skill along the water, countering and blocking the powerful strikes that fly back and forth. Bane's able to final