MONTHLY PUNCH-UP #10 (October, 2006)
GREEN ARROW versus THE BRICK
Crawling Through the Wreckage Part One: "New Sheriff In Town!"
Where: Green Arrow #60 When: May 2006
Why: Judd Winick How: Scott McDaniel

Quick Fix...
Judd Winick is a really peculiar case.
He seems to be one of those writers who has his hand in many pots, some considerably high amongst the annals of comics writing -- but he still evokes that of a mid-tier guy.

I probably stradle the fence somewhere between.
His work with Doug Mahnke on Batman went from a six issue step down from Jeph Loeb and Brian Azzarrello, to liquid brilliance.

Winick wrote Gotham in the kind of way I would want to.
A very editorialized style that's as much about the map of the city, as it is the pawns that are moving around the battlefield.
It was about motivation and agenda, and that's the kind of writing style I have a great interest in. Lots of moving cogs, all turning at different speeds and interacting accordingly.

This is something Ed Brubaker has probably taken considerably further with his earlier work on Daredevil. Stuff that's wound particularly tight as it operates within the confines of a single locale - a prison.
As for this fight:

It's one year later in Star City, and Oliver Queen has run for mayor, which presumably leaves him less time to patrol the streets as Green Arrow.

Thus, under circumstances unknown, Danny Brickwell has become a lethal guardian to the patrons of a city that has been decimated by disaster.

Whilst taking care of goons, Brickwell finds himself the victim of a sneak attack that encases much of his head in a sticky solidifying solution.

"Who's dumb enough to do this!?"

A second arrow makes the goo brittle, and attached is a note: Nice work but stop killing them.
The Brick is reminded exactly who's the bitch.

I've got to admit, something that bothers me about Winick's Green Arrow work is that it's kinda laced with cheats. Brickwell had the potential to be a fantastic villain in Star City, but was really forced into that spot without any kind of legitimate growth.

Now you have the ultimate cheat across the DCU, where writers and editors were free to unleash any amount of carnage and disaster on a city, with the luxury of skimming over it all to move one year later into the future.

The Brick's a great new character, but it's a shame he's been cheated into being a hero now, barely a heartbeat since being punked as crimeboss. [Green Arrow #45 - Mickey Blue Eyes]

The Fix: 4 The Issue: 3.5

The Monthly Top 5...
#1 Batman (-) (10) (DC Comics)
Well, after ten weeks I'm sure we're all very surprised by this.
If you've been paying attention, you'll notice Secret Earths has fallen into something of a Marvel slump. This isn't necessarily a reaction to Batman's dominance in our top five, but as you can see, it's not really changing much.

That recent bias, based purely on spontaneous interest, will probably offer up a slim chance that Batman will be knocked off, but if I should happen to get a hankering to try to balance things out... Batman's probably a safe bet to represent DC.

Don't hate the player, hate the game.

#2 Spider-man (-) (2) (Marvel Comics)
Spidey kinda swept into the top five without my even anticipating it, so it's probably a surprise to see him hold his spot, despite not appearing.

Spider-man 3 buzz isn't going to hurt his momentum, but one has to wonder if he can truly be the one to knock Batman off his perch.
Spidey, like previous front-runner Daredevil, has a well-known capacity for defeat, which makes him a strong, but outside chance.

#3 Iron Man (+1) (2) (Marvel Comics)
Despite only scraping in with a draw against Venom, Iron Man manages to continue his forward momentum on the chart.
You'd have to say this mirrors the character's franchise movement. Not only is he frontrunning the Civil War universe-wide crossover, he's also generating buzz with an upcoming feature film in 2008, and a direct-to-video animated film release coming up very soon.

Iron Man's always been a favourite of mine, but these things have helped pique my interest in the character, which means he could be the legit contender to topple the Batman.

#4 Daredevil (-1) (9) (Marvel Comics)
Well, the site favourite continues to slide downward. A bitter defeat at the hands of his arch-rival Bullseye facilitates the switch between he and Iron Man.

Previously the great white hope, it begins to seem unlikely that this urban ninja will have the legs to take what has become a race to beat Batman.
All it would really take is a couple of good wins, but with December looming, it might just be too much to ask.

#5 Hulk (-) (4) (Marvel Comics)
Hulk still live off glory of Hulk month in June! Hulk not mind!

There's nothing keeping the Hulk in the top five right now.
World War Hulk, whenever and whatever that may be, could definitely turn things around for the jolly green giant, but for now, it's blandsville. Planet Hulk has looked as green as they come.

Hulk go bye-bye, soon enough.

Super Stock...
1. Batman (-) (DC)
3. Iron Man (+1) (M)
4. Daredevil (-1) (M)
8. Captain America (-) (M)
9. Thor (+6) (M)
10. Green Arrow (+4) (DC)
13. Mr. Fantastic (+13) (M)
17. Venom Symbiote (+2) (M)
22. Invisible Woman (+64) (M)
24. War Machine (+20) (M)
25. Human Torch (new) (M)
44. Civil War Thor (+1) (M)
45. Thing (+54) (M)
46. She-Hulk (-) (M)
51. Thundra (-11) (M)
55. Bullseye (+104) (M)
56. Venom (+3) (M)
105. Luke Cage (+41) (M)
161. Super-Skrull (new) (M)
162. Sub-Mariner (-4) (M)
165. The Brick (-52) (DC)

The hammer...
Well, here we are! The beginning of October, and today is actually December 17.
Still, three posts yesterday. You've got to admit, that's pretty damned good!

The interesting point to note is apparently that we've been getting more hits this month that was without updates, so many thanks to everyone checking out the site.

Obviously December will retain the regular Friday schedule, rather than the additional posts I had hoped to make. By abandoning the schedule and posting spontaneously, hopefully we'll get more comic booky goodness up here.

Speaking of comic booky goodness, I did mention I had been busy working on my own projects. It seems things are actually finally wrapping up on what will be my first venture in self-publishing comics. We're also working simultaneously on the follow-up issue, where I've begun dabbling in lettering.
Not only does this speed things up, it makes me happier as a writer/editor. I can format more specifically, and make edits as I please.

That said, penciller/inker extrodinaire, Pedro Cruz, has done a fantastic job lettering the first issue.
It's a bit of a weird issue, and has undergone so many rewrites I sometimes forget which version it is, but I think as the story unfolds in following issues, it's going to be a great read.

Since it's what I'm working on now, I'll chuck up a page from issue #2, but let's just keep it between us. We don't want everybody getting spoiled prematurely! Wink wink, nudge nudge.
Not that it's too spoilery. I decided to go with an action scene, that really shows off Pedro's pencils more than my script. It's also one of my favourite scenes, and it only gets better from this page!

If you dangle the mouse of the pic (before you click to enlarge), you'll be informed that this page features intrepid hero The White Ghost, besieged by Anthony Romano and his armed goons in the parking lot. How will he get out of this one?!
You'll have to hold your breath, and pick the book up when it's out in order to find out!

Anyway, I better get to updating again!
Thanks for all the support guys, and if I don't see you before then, happy holidays and a sweet Christmas to you all!

Also, a quick gracious shoutout to Any Eventuality! A comics blog that's linked Secret Earths among other prominent comics blogoverses. Cheers!

NEXT: No schedule! Just comics!!!
September Hit Count: 2028* (+307)

* Hit count was recorded October 1. Hits for September posts may be reflected in November and December count.

TALLY MAN versus KGBEAST
Face the Face: Part 1 of 8 (DC comics)
Where: Detective Comics #817 When: May, 2006
Why: James Robinson How: Leonard Kirk & Andy Clarke

The story so far...
It's been one year since Blüdhaven was destroyed by Chemo, and Batman battled a living Jason Todd.

In an effort to rebuild a better Batman, Bruce Wayne and wards, Tim Drake and Dick Grayson, go on a year long journey following the original path of the Batman, retracing the steps of his origin.

In his absence, Batman leaves Harvey Dent, whom he has trained sufficiently to ensure crime does not capitalize on the Batman's absence from Gotham.
Having undergone facial reconstruction surgery, Harvey Dent appears to be purged of the Two-Face persona, but appearances can be deceiving...

Recommended reading:
Batman #615-#619: Harvey Dent is 'cured' during his arc in the maxi-series - Hush.
Batman #649: Blüdhaven is destroyed during confrontation with Jason Todd.
The Dark Knight Returns #1: Alternate outcome to Harvey Dent's cure.

Tale of the tape...
Strength: KGBeast 3 (Trained Athlete)
Intelligence: KGBeast 4 (Tactician)
Speed: KGBeast 3 (Trained Athlete)
Stamina: KGBeast 3 (Strong Willed)
Agility: KGBeast 3 (Acrobat)
Fighting Ability: KGBeast 5 (Martial Artist)
Energy Powers: KGBeast 4 (Arsenal)

Alright, straight away we have to acknowledge an unusual situation.
I would immediately submit a distinct lack of familiarity with the character, KGBeast. While vaguely aware of the character, I cannot ensure these ratings are at all accurate. Anyone with cases for different ratings should definitely scroll to the comments section, and clue me in.

The second curiosity in this situation is Tally Man, who, for all intents and purposes is a brand new character, not to be confused with the grinning character featured in Shadow of the Bat in the early nineties.
Thus, it's quite difficult to draw any definitive conclusion of this character's abilities. He's clearly quite proficient at sneaking around and sniping characters, but beyond that, I cannot be quite sure.

Actually, to be entirely honest, this was one of those spur of the moment inclusions. While not thrilled with the 'new' approach to Batman, this opening scene to the Face the Face storyline was just too interesting to pass up.
Plus, it also fulfilled the opener/DC quota for this month.

Ultimately, from the stats we can draw the conclusion that KGBeast would comprehensively beat this character into bloody submission. While not at all the A-leaguer he once was, KGBeast is still competent enough to battle what appears to be a normal, average, everyday human being.

What went down...
One year since the Batman left Gotham, KGBeast sits perched atop one of the many buildings of the city, with his target in sight. Just a crosshair from his objective.

Suddenly, without warning, gun fire rings out into the night, cutting through the barrel of the assassin's weapon.
Under heavy fire, the Russian leaps from his post and flees for the window - crashing to a rooftop below, pursued by a very fast, silhouetted assailant.

The KGBeast fires off a round from the wrist mounted cybernetics that replace his left hand, and unsuccesfully attempts to reload in mid-air.

Tackled by his attacker, the two struggle, with bullets flying from the KGBeast's cybernetic weaponry.
The mystery man gets in a good right hook, and ducks further fire to grapple with the weaponized arm. He pulls it tight behind the KGBeast's back, pulling until he hears a crack.

Only able to ponder who his murderer is, KGBeast is tossed backward from the roof, as the shadowed man declares himself - Gotham's protector.

The hammer...
The winner, and new kid on the block: Tallyman!

If you've been visiting the website for a while now, you know a few things. You know we're running devestatingly behind, and you know that there generally isn't a lot of regard giving to spoilers. With any luck regular readers have gotten used to scrolling no further than the title, and issue cover, so as to know where to brisk past, and were not to.

Incidentally, both issues converge with this entry. Being massively behind [writing this mid-August], it means we can identify the silhouetted character correctly, which was not possible when I first selected the issue.
Of course, this also means we've dropped a pretty big spoiler if you're a few months behind on your reading (I know I am!). Sorry about that.

As for the issue itself.
Well, it wasn't a bad read, but Batman 1 Year Later disappointed this reader.
At the risk of fulfilling the obsessive, stubborn fanboy stereotype - the problem immediately is the decision to make change.

While quite disatisfied with some of the more recent crossovers to interfere with the Bat-books (chiefly War Games and War Crimes), I actually thought Batman was just about at his definitive best. The book I most looked forward to reading from about the seven-fifties, through the eight hundreds was Detective Comics.
It had an appealing blend of influences ranging from the successful animated series, to certain Milleresque traits, and other broader strokes. It was just a really fantastic package, and with stories like Hush and Broken City running alongside, it was a fun time to be reading Batman.

The interpretation in Face the Face visually seems to draw on the influence of Brian Bolland's work on The Killing Joke. Dark colours peppered with burnt highlights, and flat blacks make up a fairly distinctive interpretation of the Batman universe.

For me, it's just not something I can appreciate. Particularly when the grey, tempered look of the Detective Comics issues already mentioned, was so in key with the kind of Batman I want to see. This, to me, was a distinct step backward, rather than an homage to that which worked.

Thematically, I'd say similar steps backward were taken.
Interviews and reports seemed to suggest 1 Year Later would be about softening, and lightening Batman up, which personally, wasn't something I was interested in either, pointing again to those favoured issues of Detective.

A fairly cartoony, and dull appearance in the follow-up issue by Poison Ivy immediately highlighted an approach almost reminiscent of the sixties television series, if a little wiser and contemporary.

Among the atmospheric problems, I'm also disappointed to see another character rising from the dead. Poison Ivy, who died during the Hush hangover in Gotham Knights, returns alive, and perhaps more powerful than ever - another disapointment.
Not only have her powers bloomed to Swamp Thing proportions, removing her somewhat from the typical Batman street-level nemesis, but she has also returned to her hollow, afterschool special crusade against pollutants and other environmental threats.

All of that said -- what an opening scene!
The only thing disappointing about the opening of this new storyline is that the KGBeast had to be among the Tallyman's victims!

While not exactly an A-list villain these days, this was a character with all the potential in the world. Straight off the bat the redesigned costume was a treat, and was even complimented by the flat blacks of the art direction!

Assassins are the characters I feel that are the most regularly mistreated characters in comics. Many a-time I've come up with treatment for various characters in both the Marvel and DC universes, and the common trait is to have on-going agendas and interaction amongst the assassin community. They are, after all, supposed to be regularly working.

In a time when Batman, under Judd Winick, had been operating in an agenda-filled Gotham, and in a time when villains were united, it's a shame to lose a worthy addition. Likewise, it is a shame to lose this versimilitude that was injected into the Batman title, in favour of more traditional superheroics.

I'm yet to see Grant Morrison's efforts, but maybe we can put Face the Face down to filler, rather than new editorial mandate. Either way, Judd Winick, surprisingly-so, will be sorely missed on the title. As will Dough Mahnke, and the tremendous colouring and inking team.

The Fight: 2.5 The Issue: 3

NEXT: Hulk smash puny villains in disguise! The Thunderbolts tackle the green goliath, as Hulk month continues!