Saturday, August 2, 2025

TOP TEN COMICS OF ALL TIME




1 - Animal Man

  • Written by Grant Morrison
  • Art by Chaz Truog et al.

2 - Watchmen

  • Written by Alan Moore
  • Art by Dave Gibbons

3 - New Gods

  • By Jack Kirby

4 - DC: The New Frontier

  • By Darwyn Cooke

5 - The Dark Knight Returns

  • By Frank Miller (& Klaus Janson)

6 - Justice League of America

  • Written by Gardner Fox
  • Art by Mike Sekowsky

7 - Identity Crisis

  • Written by Brad Meltzer
  • Art by Rags Morales

8 - Jack Kirby: The Epic Life of the King of Comics

  • By Tom Scioli

9 - Green Lantern: Rebirth

  • Written by Geoff Johns
  • Art by Ethan Van Sciver

10 - Superman & Batman: World's Funnest

  • Written by Evan Dorkin
  • Art by Dave Gibbons et al.

NOTE: I limited my selections to one per writer, or else the entire list would be Grant Morrison and Alan Moore comics.

 

Sunday, July 7, 2024

HOURMAN by Tom Peyer Reading Order

[BOOK I]
  • Tomorrow Woman #1 - "Tomorrow Never Knows"
  • #1 - "Through the Hourglass"
  • #2 - "Romancing the Tombstone"
  • #3 - "Timepoint"
  • #4 - "Hourmen"
  • #5 - "The Death of Hourman"
  • #6 - "JLAndroids"
  • #7 - "The Human League"
  • Secret Origins of Super-Villains 80pg Giant #1 - "Amazo: Original Sin"
[BOOK II]
  • #8 - "A Week With No Hourman"
  • #9 - "Where Does The Time Go?"
  • #10 - "Bride of the Gombezi"
  • #11 - Hourman One Million, Part I : "Or Else"
  • #12 - Hourman One Million, Part II : "Metron's Brain"
  • #13 - Hourman One Million, Part III : "The Perfect Crime"
  • #14 - "Secrets & Lies"
  • #15 - "Friend of the Devil"
  • #16 - "Snapper Carr, Super-Traitor!"
[BOOK III]
  • #17 - "One Hundred Years of Solitude"
  • #18 - "High Society"
  • #19 - "The Thief of Time"
  • #20 - "My So-Called Afterlife"
  • #21 - "Maybe I'm Amazo"
  • #22 - "The Chrono-Bums"
  • #23 - "The Unbelievable Truth"
  • #24 - "Minutes To Go"
  • #25 - "...But You'll Never See The End of the Road If You're Traveling With Me"

Sunday, June 16, 2024

PREACHER READING ORDER

[BOOK ONE - Gone To Texas]
  • Preacher #1 - "The Time Of The Preacher"
  • Preacher #2 - "And Hell Followed With Him"
  • Preacher #3 - "And The Horse You Rode In On"
  • Preacher #4 - "Standing Tall"
  • Preacher #5 - Naked City, Part I : "Say A Prayer For Seven Bullets"
  • Preacher #6 Naked City, Part II : "New York's Finest"
  • Preacher #7 Naked City, Part III : "NYPD Blue"
  • Preacher #8 - "All In The Family"
  • Preacher #9 - "When The Story Began"
  • Preacher #10 - "How I Learned To Love The Lord"
  • Preacher #11 - "Pardners"
  • Preacher #12 - "Until The End Of The World"
[BOOK TWO - Proud Americans]
  • Preacher #13 - Hunters, Part I : "Came A Pale Rider"
  • Preacher #14 Hunters, Part II : "Boys Will Be Boys"
  • Preacher #15 Hunters, Part III : "Crashing The Party"
  • Preacher #16 Hunters, Part IV : "Judgement Night"
  • Preacher #17 Hunters, Epilogue : "Miracle Man"
  • Preacher #18 - "Texas & The Spaceman"
  • Preacher #19 - Crusaders, Part I : "Of Things To Come"
  • Preacher #20 Crusaders, Part II : "Too Much Gun"
  • Preacher #21 Crusaders, Part III : "Stormbringers"
  • Preacher #22 Crusaders, Part IV : "Iron In The Blood"
  • Preacher #23 Crusaders, Part V : "Revelations"
  • Preacher #24 Crusaders, Part VI : "And Justice For All"
  • Preacher #25 - "Cry Blood, Cry Erin"
  • Preacher #26 - "To The Streets Of Manhattan I Wandered Away"
[BOOK THREE - Dixie Fried]
  • Preacher #27 - "Gun Chicks"
  • Preacher #28 - "Rumors Of War"
  • Preacher #29 - "Old Familiar Faces"
  • Preacher #30 - "Good Times Rolling"
  • Preacher #31 - "Underworld"
  • Preacher #32 - "Snakes In The Grass"
  • Preacher #33 - "Price Of Night"
  • Preacher Special: Saint of Killers #1 - "Riders At Sunset"
  • Preacher Special: Saint of Killers #2 - "Relentless"
  • Preacher Special: Saint of Killers #3 - "Angels Of Death"
  • Preacher Special: Saint of Killers #4 - "Revenant"
  • Preacher Special: Cassidy: Blood & Whiskey #1 - "Luck Of The Irish"
[BOOK FOUR - War In The Sun]
  • Preacher #34 - War In The Sun, Part I : "Once Upon A Time"
  • Preacher #35 War In The Sun, Part II : "You & Me Against The World"
  • Preacher #36 War In The Sun, Part III : "Come & Get It"
  • Preacher #37 War In The Sun, Part IV : "The Shatterer Of Worlds"
  • Preacher #38 - "Badlands"
  • Preacher #39 - "For All Mankind"
  • Preacher #40 - "Arsefaced World"
  • Preacher Special: The Story of You-Know-Who #1 - "Smells Like Teen Spirit"
  • Preacher Special: The Good Old Boys #1 - "Hill-Bullies"
  • Preacher Special: One Man's War #1 - "Apostles"
[BOOK FIVE - Salvation]
  • Preacher #41 - "The Man From God Knows Where"
  • Preacher #42 - "The Meatman Cometh"
  • Preacher #43 - "Christina's World"
  • Preacher #44 - "Custer's Law"
  • Preacher #45 - "Southern Cross"
  • Preacher #46 - "White Mischief"
  • Preacher #47 - "Jesse Get Your Gun"
  • Preacher #48 - "Good Night & God Bless"
  • Preacher #49 - "First Contact"
  • Preacher #50 - "The Land Of Bad Things"
  • Preacher #51 - "Freedom's Just A Word For Nothing Left To Lose"
  • Preacher #52 - "Even Hitgirls Get The Blues"
  • Preacher #53 - "Too Dumb For New York City & Too Ugly For L.A."
  • Preacher #54 - "I Built My Dreams Around You"
[BOOK SIX - All-Hell's A Coming]
  • Preacher #55 - "Harbinger"
  • Preacher #56 - "Smile Like The Gates Of Hell"
  • Preacher #57 - "Of The Irish In America"
  • Preacher #58 - "Dot The I's & Cross The T's"
  • Preacher #59 - Alamo, Part I : "Texas, By God"
  • Preacher #60 Alamo, Part II : "The The Thunder Of His Guns"
  • Preacher #61 Alamo, Part III : "The Wonder Of You"
  • Preacher #62 Alamo, Part IV : "And Every Dog Its Day"
  • Preacher #63 Alamo, Part V : "Jesse's Girl"
  • Preacher #64 Alamo, Part VI : "If I Knew The Way I'd Go Back Home"
  • Preacher #65 Alamo, Part VII : "Shoot Straight You Bastards"
  • Preacher #66 - "A Hell Of A Vision"
  • Preacher Special: Tall in the Saddle #1 - "Rapture"

Sunday, June 2, 2024

SANDMAN READING ORDER

 [Preludes & Nocturnes]

  • Sandman #1 - "The Sleep of the Just"
  • Sandman #2 - "Imperfect Hosts"
  • Sandman #3 - "Dream A Little Dream of Me"
  • Sandman #4 - "A Hope In Hell"
  • Sandman #5 - "Passengers"
  • Sandman #6 - "24 Hours"
  • Sandman #7 - "Sound & Fury"
  • Sandman #8 - "The Sound of Her Wings"

[The Doll's House]

    • Sandman #9 - "Tales In The Sand"
    • Sandman #10 - "The Doll's House"
    • Sandman #11 - "Moving In"
    • Sandman #12 - "Playing House"
    • Sandman #13 - "Men of Good Fortune"
    • Sandman #14 - "Collectors"
    • Sandman #15 - "Into The Night"
    • Sandman #16 - "Lost Hearts"

    [Dream Country]

      • Sandman #17 - "Calliope"
      • Sandman #18 - "A Dream Of A Thousand Cats"
      • Sandman #19 - "A Midsummer Night's Dream"
      • Sandman #20 - "Façade"

      [Season of Mists]

        • Sandman #21 - "A Prologue"
        • Sandman #22 - "Chapter I"
        • Sandman #23 - "Chapter II"
        • Sandman #24 - "Chapter III"
        • Sandman #25 - "Chapter IV"
        • Sandman #26 - "Chapter V"
        • Sandman #27 - "Chapter VI"
        • Sandman #28 - "Epilogue"

        [Distant Mirrors]

          • Vertigo Preview #1 - "Fear Of Falling"
          • Sandman #29 - "Thermidor"
          • Sandman #30 - "August"
          • Sandman #31 - "Three Septembers & a January"

          [A Game of You]

            • Sandman #32 - "Slaughter On Fifth Avenue"
            • Sandman #33 - "Lullabies Of Broadway"
            • Sandman #34 - "Bad Moon Rising"
            • Sandman #35 - "Beginning To See The Light"
            • Sandman #36 - "Over The Sea To Sky"
            • Sandman #37 - "I Woke Up and One of Us Was Crying"
            [Convergences]
            • Sandman #38 - "The Hunt"
            • Sandman #39 - "Soft Places"
            • Sandman Special - "The Song of Orpheus"
            • Sandman #40 - "The Parliament of Rooks"

            [Brief Lives]

              • Sandman #41 - "Part I"
              • Sandman #42 - "Part II"
              • Sandman #43 - "Part III"
              • Sandman #44 - "Part IV"
              • Sandman #45 - "Part V"
              • Sandman #46 - "Part VI"
              • Sandman #47 - "Part VII"
              • Sandman #48 - "Part VIII"
              • Sandman #49 - "Part IX"
              • Sandman #50 - "Ramadan"
              [Death: The High Cost of Living]
              • Chapter I - "The Spirit of the Stairway"
              • Chapter II - "A Night To Remember"
              • Chapter III - "The High Cost of Living"

              [World's End]

                • Sandman #51 - "A Tale of Two Cities"
                • Sandman #52 - "Cluracan's Tale"
                • Sandman #53 - "Hob's Leviathan"
                • Sandman #54 - "The Golden Boy"
                • Sandman #55 - "Cerements"
                • Sandman #56 - "World's End"

                [The Kindly Ones]

                  • Vertigo Jam #1 - "The Castle"
                  • Sandman #57 - "Part I"
                  • Sandman #58 - "Part II"
                  • Sandman #59 - "Part III"
                  • Sandman #60 - "Part IV"
                  • Sandman #61 - "Part V"
                  • Sandman #62 - "Part VI"
                  • Sandman #63 - "Part VII"
                  • Sandman #64 - "Part VIII"
                  • Sandman #65 - "Part IX"
                  • Sandman #66 - "Part X"
                  • Sandman #67 - "Part XI"
                  • Sandman #68 - "Part XII"
                  • Sandman #69 - "Part XIII"

                  [The Wake]

                    • Sandman #70 - "Which Occurs in the Wake of What Has Gone Before"
                    • Sandman #71 - "In Which A Wake Is Held"
                    • Sandman #72 - "In Which We Wake "
                    • Sandman #73 - "An Epilogue - Sunday Morning"
                    • Sandman #74 - "Exiles"
                    • Sandman #75 - "The Tempest"
                    [Death: The Time of Your Life]
                    • Chapter I - "Things You Just Do When You're Bored"
                    • Chapter II - "Imaginary Solutions"
                    • Chapter III - "The Time Of Your Life"

                    Sunday, May 19, 2024

                    JACK KIRBY'S FOURTH WORLD READING ORDER


                    [SUPERMAN'S PAL, JIMMY OLSEN!]
                    • Superman’s Pal, Jimmy Olsen #133 - "Jimmy Olsen Brings Back the Newsboy Legion!"
                    • Superman’s Pal, Jimmy Olsen #134 - "The Mountain of Judgement!"
                    • Superman’s Pal, Jimmy Olsen #135 - "Evil Factory!"
                    • Superman’s Pal, Jimmy Olsen #136 - "The Saga of the DNAliens!"
                    • Superman’s Pal, Jimmy Olsen #137 - "The Four-Armed Terror!"
                    • Superman’s Pal, Jimmy Olsen #138 - "The Big Boom!"
                    • Superman’s Pal, Jimmy Olsen #139 - "The Guardian Fights Again!"
                    • Superman’s Pal, Jimmy Olsen #141 - "Will the Real Don Rickles Panic?"
                    • Superman’s Pal, Jimmy Olsen #142 - "The Man From Transilvane!"
                      • DNA Project: "Hairie Secrets Revealed!"
                    • Superman’s Pal, Jimmy Olsen #143 - "Genocide Spray!"
                      • DNA Project: "The Alien Thing!"
                    • Superman’s Pal, Jimmy Olsen #144 - "A Big Thing In A Deep Scottish Lake!"
                      • DNA Project: "The Torn Photograph"
                    • Superman’s Pal, Jimmy Olsen #145 - "Brigadoom!"
                    • Superman’s Pal, Jimmy Olsen #146 - "Homo-Disastrous!"
                      • DNA Project: "Arin The Armored Man!"
                    • Superman’s Pal, Jimmy Olsen #147 - "A Superman in Super-Town!"
                    • Superman’s Pal, Jimmy Olsen #148 - "Monarch of All He Subdues!"
                      • DNA Project: "Genetic Criminal"

                    [THE FOREVER PEOPLE]
                    • The Forever People #1 - "In Search of a Dream!"
                    • The Forever People #2 - "Super War!"
                    • The Forever People #3 - "Life vs. Anti-Life!"
                    • The Forever People #4 - "The Kingdom of the Damned!"
                    • The Forever People #5 - "Sonny Sumo"
                      • Young Gods of Supertown: "Lonar!"
                    • The Forever People #6 - "The Omega Effect!"
                      • Young Gods of Supertown: "Raid From Apokolips"
                    • The Forever People #7 - "I'll Find You In Yesterday!"
                      • Young Gods of Supertown: "Battle-Horse, Thunderer!"
                    • The Forever People #8 - "The Power!"
                    • The Forever People #9 - "Monster in the Morgue!"
                    • The Forever People #10 - "The Scavengers!"
                    • The Forever People #11 - "Devilance the Pursuer!"

                    [NEW GODS]
                    • New Gods #1 - "Orion Fights For Earth!"
                    • New Gods #2 - "O'Deadly Darkseid"
                    • New Gods #3 - "Death Is The Black Racer!"
                    • New Gods #4 - "O'Ryan Gang & The Deep Six"
                    • New Gods #5 - "Spawn!"
                      • Young Gods of Supertown: "Fastbak!"
                    • New Gods #6 - "The Glory Boat!"
                    • New Gods #7 - "The Pact"
                      • Young Gods of Supertown: "Vykin the Black!"
                    • New Gods #8 - "The Death Wish of Terrible Turpin!"
                      • Young Gods of Supertown: "Beat The Black Racer!"
                    • New Gods #9 - "The Bug!"
                    • New Gods #10 - "Earth -- The Doomed Dominion!"
                    • New Gods #11 - "Darkseid & Sons!"

                    [MISTER MIRACLE]
                    • Mister Miracle #1 - "Murder Missile Trap!"
                    • Mister Miracle #2 - "X-Pit!"
                    • Mister Miracle #3 - "The Paranoid Pill!"
                    • Mister Miracle #4 - "The Closing Jaws of Death!"
                    • Mister Miracle #5 - "Murder Machine!"
                      • "Young Scott Free, Part I"
                    • Mister Miracle #6 - "'Wait For Godot', With Funky Flashman!"
                      • "Young Scott Free, Part II"
                    • Mister Miracle #7 - "Apokolips Trap!"
                      • "Young Scott Free, Part III"
                    • Mister Miracle #8 - "Battle of the Id!"
                    • Mister Miracle #9 - "Himon!"
                    • Mister Miracle #10 - "The Mr. Miracle To Be!"
                    • Mister Miracle #11 - "The Greatest Show Off Earth!"
                    • Mister Miracle #12 - "Mystivac!"
                    • Mister Miracle #13 - "The Dictator's Dungeon!"
                    • Mister Miracle #14 - "The Quick & The Dead!"
                    • Mister Miracle #15 - "The Real Big Barda!"
                    • Mister Miracle #16 - "Shilo Norman, Super-Trouble!"
                    • Mister Miracle #17 - "Murder Lodge"
                    • Mister Miracle #18 - "Wild Wild Wedding Guests!"
                    [FINALE!]
                    • New Gods Vol. 2 #6 - "Even Gods Must Die!"
                    • The Hunger Dogs #1 - ""

                    CHRONO ORDER!

                    ACT I
                    1. Superman’s Pal, Jimmy Olsen #133 - "Jimmy Olsen Brings Back the Newsboy Legion!"
                    2. Superman’s Pal, Jimmy Olsen #134 - "The Mountain of Judgement!"
                    3. Superman’s Pal, Jimmy Olsen #135 - "Evil Factory!"
                    4. The Forever People #1 - "In Search of a Dream!"
                    5. New Gods #1 - "Orion Fights For Earth!"
                    6. Superman’s Pal, Jimmy Olsen #136 - "The Saga of the DNAliens!"
                    7. Mister Miracle #1 - "Murder Missile Trap!"
                    8. Superman’s Pal, Jimmy Olsen #137 - "The Four-Armed Terror!"
                    9. The Forever People #2 - "Super War!"
                    10. New Gods #2 - "O'Deadly Darkseid"
                    11. Mister Miracle #2 - "X-Pit!"
                    12. Superman’s Pal, Jimmy Olsen #138 - "The Big Boom!"
                    13. The Forever People #3 - "Life vs. Anti-Life!"
                    14. New Gods #3 - "Death Is The Black Racer!"
                    15. Superman’s Pal, Jimmy Olsen #139 - "The Guardian Fights Again!"
                    16. Mister Miracle #3 - "The Paranoid Pill!"
                    17. The Forever People #4 - "The Kingdom of the Damned!"
                    18. New Gods #4 - "O'Ryan Gang & The Deep Six"
                    19. Superman’s Pal, Jimmy Olsen #141 - "Will the Real Don Rickles Panic?"
                    20. Mister Miracle #4 - "The Closing Jaws of Death!"
                    ACT II
                    1. Superman’s Pal, Jimmy Olsen #142 - "The Man From Transilvane!"
                      1. DNA Project: "Hairie Secrets Revealed!"
                    2. The Forever People #5 - "Sonny Sumo"
                      1. Young Gods of Supertown: "Lonar!"
                    3. New Gods #5 - "Spawn!"
                      1. Young Gods of Supertown: "Fastbak!"
                    4. Superman’s Pal, Jimmy Olsen #143 - "Genocide Spray!"
                      1. DNA Project: "The Alien Thing!"
                    5. Mister Miracle #5 - "Murder Machine!"
                      1. "Young Scott Free, Part I"
                    6. Superman’s Pal, Jimmy Olsen #144 - "A Big Thing In A Deep Scottish Lake!"
                      1. DNA Project: "The Torn Photograph"
                    7. The Forever People #6 - "The Omega Effect!"
                      1. Young Gods of Supertown: "Raid From Apokolips"
                    8. New Gods #6 - "The Glory Boat!"
                    9. Superman’s Pal, Jimmy Olsen #145 - "Brigadoom!"
                    10. Mister Miracle #6 - "'Wait For Godot', With Funky Flashman!"
                      1. "Young Scott Free, Part II"
                    11. Superman’s Pal, Jimmy Olsen #146 - "Homo-Disastrous!"
                      1. DNA Project: "Arin The Armored Man!"
                    12. The Forever People #7 - "I'll Find You In Yesterday!"
                      1. Young Gods of Supertown: "Battle-Horse, Thunderer!"
                    13. New Gods #7 - "The Pact"
                      1. Young Gods of Supertown: "Vykin the Black!"
                    14. Superman’s Pal, Jimmy Olsen #147 - "A Superman in Super-Town!"
                    15. Mister Miracle #7 - "Apokolips Trap!"
                        1. "Young Scott Free, Part III"
                    16. Superman’s Pal, Jimmy Olsen #148 - "Monarch of All He Subdues!"
                      1. DNA Project: "Genetic Criminal"
                    17. The Forever People #8 - "The Power!"
                    18. New Gods #8 - "The Death Wish of Terrible Turpin!"
                      1. Young Gods of Supertown: "Beat The Black Racer!"
                    ACT III
                    1. Mister Miracle #8 - "Battle of the Id!"
                    2. The Forever People #9 - "Monster in the Morgue!"
                    3. New Gods #9 - "The Bug!"
                    4. Mister Miracle #9 - "Himon!"
                    5. The Forever People #10 - "The Scavengers!"
                    6. New Gods #10 - "Earth -- The Doomed Dominion!"
                    7. Mister Miracle #10 - "The Mr. Miracle To Be!"
                    8. The Forever People #11 - "Devilance the Pursuer!"
                    9. New Gods #11 - "Darkseid & Sons!"
                    10. Mister Miracle #11 - "The Greatest Show Off Earth!"
                    11. Mister Miracle #12 - "Mystivac!"
                    12. Mister Miracle #13 - "The Dictator's Dungeon!"
                    13. Mister Miracle #14 - "The Quick & The Dead!"
                    14. Mister Miracle #15 - "The Real Big Barda!"
                    15. Mister Miracle #16 - "Shilo Norman, Super-Trouble!"
                    16. Mister Miracle #17 - "Murder Lodge"
                    17. Mister Miracle #18 - "Wild Wild Wedding Guests!"
                    18. New Gods Vol. 2 #6 - "Even Gods Must Die!"
                    19. The Hunger Dogs

                    Saturday, May 4, 2024

                    HITMAN BY GARTH ENNIS

                    [THE DEMON]
                    • #40 - "The Wild One"
                    • #41 - "Castle of the Damned"
                    • Annual #2 - "Introducing: Hitman"
                    • #42 - Hell's Hitman, Part I : "Fall & Rise"
                    • #43 - Hell's Hitman, Part II : "Cry Havoc!"
                    • #44 - Hell's Hitman, Part III : "A Night on the Town"
                    • #45 - Hell's Hitman, Part IV : "King of Hate"
                    • #46 - Haunted Glory, Part I : "Return of the Hanuted Tank"
                    • #47 - Haunted Glory, Part II : "Weird War"
                    • #48 - Haunted Glory, Part III : "Be All That You Can Be...!"
                    • #49 - "From Hell"
                    • #50 - "The Shanty of Captain Scumm"
                    • #51 - "Sons & Lovers"
                    • #0 - "Zero Hour"
                    • #52 - "Suffer The Children, Part I"
                    • #53 - "Suffer The Children, Part II"
                    • #54 - "Suffer The Children, Part III"
                    • #55 - "The Longest Day, Part I"
                    • #56 - "The Longest Day, Part II"
                    • #57 - "The Longest Day, Part III"
                    • #58 - The Longest Day, Part IV : "Etrigone"
                    [A Rage In Arkham]
                    • The Demon Annual #2 - "Introducing: Hitman"
                    • Batman Chronicles #4 - "Hitman"
                    • Hitman #1 - "A Rage In Arkham, Part I"
                    • Hitman #2 - "A Rage In Arkham, Part II"
                    • Hitman #3 - "A Rage In Arkham, Part III"
                    [Ten Thousand Bullets]
                    • Hitman #4 - "Ten Thousand Bullets, Part I"
                    • Hitman #5 - "Ten Thousand Bullets, Part II"
                    • Hitman #6 - "Ten Thousand Bullets, Part III"
                    • Hitman #7 - "Ten Thousand Bullets, Part IV"
                    • Hitman Annual - "A Coffin Full of Dollars"
                    • Hitman #8 - "The Night The Lights Went Out"
                    [Local Heroes]
                    • Hitman #9 - "Local Heroes, Part I"
                    • Hitman #10 - "Local Heroes, Part II"
                    • Hitman #11 - "Local Heroes, Part III"
                    • Hitman #12 - "Local Heroes, Part IV"
                    • Hitman #13 - "Zombie Night At The Gotham Aquarium, Part I"
                    • Hitman #14 - "Zombie Night At The Gotham Aquarium, Part II"
                    [Ace of Killers]
                    • Hitman #15 - "Ace Of Killers, Part I"
                    • Hitman #16 - "Ace Of Killers, Part II"
                    • Hitman #17 - "Ace Of Killers, Part III"
                    • Hitman #18 - "Ace Of Killers, Part IV"
                    • Hitman #19 - "Ace Of Killers, Part V"
                    • Hitman #20 - "Ace Of Killers, Part VI"
                    • Hitman #21 - "Kiss Me"
                    • Hitman #22 - "The Santa Contract"
                    [Tommy's Heroes]
                    • Hitman #23 - "Who Dares Wins, Part I"
                    • Hitman #24 - "Who Dares Wins, Part II"
                    • Hitman #25 - "Who Dares Wins, Part III"
                    • Hitman #26 - "Who Dares Wins, Part IV"
                    • Hitman #27 - "Who Dares Wins, Part V"
                    • Hitman #28 - "Door Into The Dark"
                    • Hitman #29 - "Tommy's Heroes, Part I"
                    • Hitman #30 - "Tommy's Heroes, Part II"
                    • Hitman #31 - "Tommy's Heroes, Part III"
                    • Hitman #1,000,000 - "To Hell With The Future"
                    • Hitman #32 - "Tommy's Heroes, Part IV"
                    • Hitman #33 - "Tommy's Heroes, Part V"
                    • Hitman #34 - "Of Thee I Sing"
                    • Hitman #35 - "Katie, Part I"
                    • Hitman #36 - "Katie, Part II"
                    [For Tomorrow]
                    • Hitman #37 - "Dead Man's Land, Part I"
                    • Hitman #38 - "Dead Man's Land, Part II"
                    • Hitman #39 - "For Tomorrow, Part I"
                    • Hitman #40 - "For Tomorrow, Part II"
                    • Hitman #41 - "For Tomorrow, Part III"
                    • Hitman #42 - "For Tomorrow, Part IV"
                    • Hitman #43 - "The Morning After, The Night Before"
                    • Hitman #44 - "Fresh Meat, Part I"
                    • Hitman #45 - "Fresh Meat, Part II"
                    • Hitman #46 - "Fresh Meat, Part III"
                    • Hitman #47 - "The Old Dog, Part I"
                    • Hitman #48 - "The Old Dog, Part II"
                    • Hitman #49 - "The Old Dog, Part III"
                    • Hitman #50 - "The Old Dog, Part IV"
                    [Closing Time]
                    • Hitman #51 - "Super Guy, Part I"
                    • Hitman #52 - "Super Guy, Part II"
                    • Hitman #53 - "Closing Time, Part I"
                    • Hitman #54 - "Closing Time, Part II"
                    • Hitman #55 - "Closing Time, Part III"
                    • Hitman #56 - "Closing Time, Part IV"
                    • Hitman #57 - "Closing Time, Part V"
                    • Hitman #58 - "Closing Time, Part VI"
                    • Hitman #59 - "Closing Time, Part VII"
                    • Hitman #60 - "Closing Time, Part VIII"

                    Sunday, April 21, 2024

                    MORRISON BATM-ANNOTATIONS: BATMAN INCORPORATED PART IV





                    [Fearful Symmetry]


                    Batman Incorporated (Vol 2) #7 - "Belly of the Whale"
                    • Check out Deep Space Transmission's reading of the N52 Batman Inc issues having Tarot correspondence.
                    • Batman nabbed by the Man-Bats! Robins are too late!
                    • For all the preparation Batman made, everything still played into Talia's grand design.
                    • Jason sent to Bat-Cave East, Tim goes to track Bruce down, Dick stays with Gordon.
                    • Whale carcass in Yemen, birthplace of Heretic.
                    • Traktir & Spidra fend off Leviathan Ninja Man-Bats coming to erase evidence. Last Stand of the Super-Collectiv!
                    • Poor Beryl; she was the one who saved Cyril's life and brought him back from addiction.
                    • Damian immediately throws away the Third Ghost of Batman/666 future prophecy, claiming the Heretic is the real enemy. He gives us the recap from B&R #12 + The Return.
                    • I like that Alfred used the phrase 'Second Chances' which is a seminal Jason Todd story.
                    • So Hood was a mole for Spyral this whole time? Makes sense how he survived Matron shooting him back in Leviathan Strikes. The dialogue is almost verbatim to what was said to him.
                    • Talia gets a new Oroboro trigger with the Brunnian Ring. This can supposedly activate the ring of meta-bombs placed by Otto Netz and almost set off before Damian killed him.
                    • Nice figurine of Kali the Destroyer, bad mommy persona of Talia.
                    • I love how on top of things Tim is, he's always been the smartest of the bunch.
                    • Ellie! We last saw her in V1 #6 as a receptionist, before that in #701, and even before that in #664.
                    • Chessboard/Checkerboard! Red Queen, Black Knight! Red & Black! Life & Death! Love & War!
                    • So from #3 on, everything that Bruce has delt with was precision planned to make sure he can only escape the safe exactly when Talia wants. Psychotically brilliant. And it's all been one night I think?
                    • Lovely moment between Alfred and Damian.
                    • Gordon finally pops a cap in the Leviathan plant cop! Not sure how Dick got overpowered.
                    • Damian's ability to impersonate voices has always been an element of his character since #657.
                    • Dick's about to get merc'd!
                    • Hood brings Jason to The Headmistress! It has to be Kathy Webb right?
                    • Tim goes into the fray at Wayne Tower!
                    • And Damian flies off in the jet suit from The Return!
                    Batman Incorporated (Vol 2) #8 - "The Boy Wonder Returns"
                    Batman Incorporated (Vol 2) #9 - "Fallen Son"

                     [Batman Forever]


                    Batman Incorporated (Vol 2) #10 - "Gotham's Most Wanted"
                    Batman Incorporated (Vol 2) #12 - "Fatherless"
                    • Epic to end the Moz-Bats age!
                    • Bats-laced with anti-venom aerosol.
                    • We finally see the photonic crystal in action: invisible Batman!
                    • Batman's diatribe towards Heretic has to come from some part of self-criticism, the self-awareness of the supposed absurdity of his crusade.
                    • So Hood claims that Batman Inc was only allowed to occur because Spyral wanted it to, using it as some sort of psy-op against Leviathan. I'm assuming that's why they worked with them during V1 #4 and School of Night, to further gather intelligence.
                    • Batman Inc is now a weapon for the Headmistress, who is 100% Kathy Webb.
                    • One of the greatest pages in Batman history: "Sons are born to die in war."
                    • Heretic is a reflection of not only Damian, but Bruce himself. Truly the little boy trapped behind the Bat-Behemoth DKR visage.
                    • Talia says there are dozens more Damian clones waiting to be born...
                    • Talia calls herself Wire Mommy! Does that mean she worked with Otto Netz to make Prof Pyg? Or was it just another archetype suggested to Netz?
                    • Red Queen! Mother of Skeletons!
                    • The Big Picture unfolds! The grand design! Batman Inc goes to disarm the Oroboro ring around the world, while Bruce deals with Talia.
                    • Wayne Tower is detonated!
                    • Mirroring Chris Burnham's first page for the run back in B&R #16, Talia descends into the cave to do battle with her Bat-Beau.
                    • And she's got her own variant on the Thomas Wayne/Simon Hurt First Batman Costume!
                    Batman Incorporated (Vol 2) #13 - "The Dark Knight and the Devil's Daughter"
                    • Bruce and Jim Gordon at the end, at the beginning.
                    • Follow-up to the first page of V2 #1.
                    • Pass off the war to Gordon as Bruce being entangled with Talia, and the reason behind Batman Inc being their falling out over their son.
                    • Talia says Leviathan, like the idea of Batman, is made of vague and empty promises. It's all a smokescreen to veil the emotional engine. Like she said in V2 #2, she already has everything, everything except a family. This whole thing is all bullshit, a ploy to ruin Bruce. She's so beyond Bruce, the Devil's Daughter, the femme fatale of femme fatales, of course she sees terrorism and filicide as just a game.
                    • Gordon and Leslie Thompkins with Bruce as a child, so I'm guessing to keep in with Year One you can have Gordon go to Chicago at some point?
                    • The war against Talia is the ultimate test of Batman, the farthest he will ever have to descend into the Forever Pit. Even worse than RIP. She (and Selina and Kathy by some extent) is a woman made for an idea like Batman, but Bruce being part of that equation is where the exploitation and weakness comes.
                    • Lone-Eye Lincoln! Wonderful set of pages with Batman Inc taking down the agents of Leviathan.
                    • It all comes back to red and black, life and death, the bat and the window, the holes and the blood.
                    • The Hole in Things, the deaths of Thomas and Martha. The well that devours love. That spews heartbreak.
                    • I'm sorry I couldn't love you the way you wanted me to. Batman is Bruce is Batman, and they weren't enough. So she becomes his war, the thing he's devoted to.
                    • But Batman lies to her: You're too big for me to fight.
                    • This is Batman. The guy who beat the God of Evil. The guy who beat Time. Who beat the Devil. Who beat Death!
                    • Jason comes just in time. Notice how Dick saves him in RIP, Tim saves him in ROBW, Damian saves him in Inc V1, and now Jason at the end.
                    • So the Oroboro ring around the world would destroy the cities, purge their fuel, and the subsequent explosion would release the Oroboro meta-material to substitute. Leviathan will own it all after that.
                    • And it is a trick! Otto Netz's Oroboro was always Fool's Gold, always bullshit. Sivana's crystal was the real deal.
                    • You'll never have Gotham Citythis is Batman, who walks with Superman and Wonder Woman. This is Batman, the New God of the Fifth World. Even at the point of absolute ruination, the enemy will blink for a second, and that's all he needs to beat them. Batman. Never. Stops.
                    • Talia condemns him to be pinned to the colorful madmen of his rogues gallery (sort of true), but Kathy Webb returns to put her in the ground.
                    • It was all the secret war of two women who loved Batman, the weakness of Bruce; Martha, the Pearls, the Wire Mommy.
                    • Kathy planned the whole thing, most likely when she heard her pops getting busted out from the Falklands by Talia.
                    • She leaves him with the last gaze of the Gorgon; she's the only one who ever broke his heart, who ever really left him besides Martha. To him, she doesn't exist anymore.
                    • Bruce says Batman is dead. That it's over.
                    • Kathy clears the investigation. Bruce is free.
                    • Bruce looks into the Hole In Things, the ultimate trauma, the Forever Pit that has governed his entire history, and sees nothing. Black. Oblivion. Heartbreak. Despair.
                    • But in that ruin, in all that Nil, there is enough to build forever. There is always a chance to move forward. To rise out of the well.
                    • Alfred's back, the graves of Talia and Damian have been unearthed.
                    • Batman is never over. Because he will always be needed. There will always be a world to save.
                    • EPILOGUE: Ra's is out of the Jungfrau prison, taking control of Talia's seaside base we saw in Batman #665 and B&R #12 IIRC.
                    • Lord Death Man has been captured and his blood is being harvested to make new Lazarus Pits. That was his secret upgrade mentioned way back in the beginning of this run.
                    • Ra's vows revenge with Talia's nursery of Damian clones as his weapons!
                    • Batman is Forever. The Snake eats its own tail. His progeny mass produced. Like the constant monthly publication of the title.
                    • It never ends. It probably never will.