Gotham Weekly Sometimes returns to brighten your Sunday! While the hosts strive to one day live up to the Weekly part of the name, Alex and Joe are back with more Batman chat and their customary tangents!
This week the comics on the docket are: the last few issues of Batman, Batman And The Shadow #3, Nightwing #23, Batman/Elmer Fudd #1, Batman Beyond #9… and a few tangents about things I don’t remember!
Episode recorded: June 28th.
It was new comic book day yesterday. What’d you get? What’d you dislike? Sound off in the comments below! While you decide on that, here’s some comic news and reviews from around the web in our morning roundup.
Around the Tubes
ICv2 – ‘Son of Shaolin’ OGN – At this point are there comics not optioned?
Norwich Bulletin – Items damaged at Putnam comic book store following Tuesday’s storms – This sucks! Go support this store!
Fresno Bee – His neighbor’s Atwater home burned down. Then he stole their comic books, police say – This is a rather strange story.
Kotaku – Marvel Heroes Stops Selling Fantastic Four Stuff – Interesting… Let the conspiracies spiral out of control!
Kotaku – Marvel vs. Capcom Infinite Aims To Prevent Endless Combos – Are folks happy or sad about this?
Around the Tubes Reviews
Newsarama – Batman/Elmer Fudd Special #1
CBR – Batman/Elmer Fudd Special #1
Newsarama – The Defenders #2
Talking Comics – Secret Empire #5
Newsarama – Secret Empire #5
CBR – Secret Weapons #1
ICv2 – Spell on Wheels TPB
Newsarama – Wonder Woman #25
The strangest and best of the DC Comics/Looney Tunes begins with a Will Eisner-esque title page, and writer Tom King, artist Lee Weeks, and colorist Lovern Kindzierski unveil a world more akin to the actually good comics by Frank Miller and not anything on a Saturday Morning cartoon. (Except for possibly Batman: The Animated Series.) Batman/Elmer Fudd is a straight-up noir starring human versions of Looney Tunes and a billionaire who dresses up like a bat. And of course, there’s a silver haired woman behind their actions, which King and Weeks use to poke holes in the classic femme fatale archetype.
Batman/Elmer Fudd, like many of the other Looney Tunes/DC Comics, because Tom King, Lee Weeks, and Lovern Kindzierski tell the story completely seriously while occasionally putting in an Easter Egg to lighten the mood. But Weeks and Kindzierski never break their chiaroscuro lit reverie, and the color palette definitely stays on the shadowy side. The hardboiled crime tone and the intense fight scenes between Batman and Elmer Fudd combined with his lispy, yet darkly earnest voiceovers creates moments of pure comedy. But then you see Elmer slumped at the bar with his stubble, downcast face, and carrot juice and feel bad for a man who lost his best chance at happiness and not constantly “wabbit hunting” when his lover Silver St. Cloud was bloodily killed by Bugs Bunny, who is a carrot chomping, mob wise guy in this comic.
Batman and Elmer Fudd work well together (And this fact is corroborated in-universe by their mutual ex, Silver St. Cloud.) because they are both driven by an obsessive 
need for justice. Batman hunts criminals, Elmer hunts rabbits, and they will do that until they fade out of pop culture relevance. Lee Weeks shows this shared character trait in an intense set of silent pages that establishes him in the top tier of action storytellers. Weeks’ poses and movements are powerful as Batman dodges Elmer’s point blank shotgun blasts, and later, there are holds as neither can get the upper hand.
Weeks is so good at depicting motion that you can feel the air move as Batman ducks and dives along with the bones that crack when Batman and Elmer team up against their common foe Bugs, who supposedly killed Silver St. Cloud. By the time the issue is over, Elmer Fudd, siwwiness and all has joined John Wick and the characters that Chow Yun Fat used to play in the gun fu using, revenge driven badass department. His no-look reverse shotgun blast has to be seen to be believed. However, Batman/Elmer Fudd isn’t all fisticuffs, and King and Weeks give Elmer a true air of melancholy in his drooping eyes and borderline pathetic internal monologue. The super depressing rain that drenches the characters and old style architecture helps a lot too and again evokes Eisner and early Miller.
At its heart, Batman/Elmer Fudd is a noir story about two men that are driven to violent revenge for a beautiful woman. Tom King plays with this classic formula by having Silver St Cloud be manipulative, yet still self aware and motivated by wanting to be out of these obsessive men’s lives. There are the wistful flashbacks of the beautiful woman, but Silver has agency and ends up being behind the whole issue’s plot. He, Lee Weeks, and Lovern Kindzierski also have a blast playing with the pop culture icons of Batman and the Looney Tunes and transposing them to this kind of setting.
The more cartoonish backup with art by Byron Vaughns and Carrie Strachan runs a few of its jokes into the ground, but has a hilarious Calendar Man cameo. However, it’s a nice relief after in-your-face crime noir with a side dish of lisps and hunting metaphors.
Story: Tom King Art: Lee Weeks Colors: Lovern Kindzierski
Backup Art: Byron Vaughns Backup Colors: Carrie Strachan
Story: 9.0 Art: 10 Overall: 9.5 Recommendation: Buy
DC Comics provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review
Wednesdays are new comic book day! Each week hundreds of comics are released, and that can be pretty daunting to go over and choose what to buy. That’s where we come in!
We’re bringing back something we haven’t done for a while, what the team thinks. Our contributors are choosing up to five books each week and why they’re choosing the books.
Find out what folks think below, and what comics you should be looking out for this Wednesday.
Alex
Top Pick: X-O Manowar #4 (Valiant) – Two years ago, I would have laughed at you if you told me I’d be super excited to get my hands on this comic (despite having access to review copies I still buy this every month), I’d have laughed at you for hours. I genuinely though X-O Manowar was a stupid name with a stupid concept. The. I gave it a chance… and now it’s one of my favourite series. Each issue is a monthly highlight for me.
Scrimshaw #1 (Alterna) – The newsprint movement returns with another comic at $1.50. I have no idea what it’s about but every one of Alterna’s newsprint comics have been great so far. No reason not to get this, really.
Shay
Suicide Squad #20 (DC Comics) – I am hella excited for the start of the “False Flag” arc. A new arc means new mayhem and after what happened last issue, it means a new team leader and I can’t wait to see how it all shakes out.
Throwaways #9 (Image) – I think they’ve finally gotten the hang of things and there’s more focus than tricks in this issue.
Deadpool vs Punisher #5 (Marvel) – We’ve come to the end of the road and I am eagerly awaiting this finale while “Let the Bodies Hit the Floor” plays on a loop in head.
Jean Grey #3 (Marvel) – The newest take on Jean Grey isn’t here for the Phoenix foolishness and she will find a way to keep her out of her mind and body by any means necessary. So obviously, I’m all the way here for this!
Paul
Top Pick: Jean Grey #3 (Marvel) – I’m really enjoying this book and love how Jean Grey is being portrayed; a strong female character out to take control of her own life. She’s gotten flashes of The Phoenix coming for her, and surprisingly the X-Men aren’t taking it seriously (you’d think after everything they’ve been through with the Phoenix the mere mention of it would cause panic). But now Jean is off on her own to get some answers and do what she can to shape her destiny and not follow the path of her past self. It’s a great read with great writing and I strongly recommend it.
The Defenders #2 (Marvel) – I’m really liking seeing these characters together in their own book, even if it is to coincide with the upcoming Netflix series. There’s plenty of action and good banter between the characters and I can’t wait to see where this title goes.
Totally Awesome Hulk #20 (Marvel) – I don’t read this title, but I am really excited about the Weapons of Mutant Destruction crossover with Weapon X. I want to keep up with all the pieces to see this puzzle come together.
Brett
Top Pick: Batman/Elmer Fudd Special #1 and Jonah Hex/Yosemite Sam Special #1 (DC Comics) – DC has been knocking it out of the park with their crossovers. First their Hanna-Barbera ones and now with Looney Tunes. Each issue has been fantastic to read and generally have been good to great. They are exactly what comics should be, lots of fun.
Bankshot #1 (Dark Horse) – Alex De Campi and Chris Cross’ new series about a man who is either a modern-day Robin Hood or a terrorist. I read the first issue and immediately wanted to check out more.
Clue #1 (IDW Publishing) – The classic board game turned movie is now a comic book. I liked the game and loved the film and can’t wait to see what IDW does with it. I’m fully expecting multiple ending fun.
Eleanor & Egret #3 (AfterShock Comics) – A beyond adorable comic series about an art thief and her bird and the policeman who’s attempting to track them down. The story is cute and art is amazing.
Medisin #2 (Action Lab: Danger Zone) – The concept is great, doctors who treat villains. The first issue hooked me and I’ve been looking forward to seeing what the second is like.
Batman/Elmer Fudd Special #1
(W) Tom King (A) Byron Vaughns (A/CA) Lee Weeks
RATED T
In Shops: Jun 28, 2017
SRP: $4.99
After a chance meeting with billionaire Bruce Wayne, Elmer Fudd’s obsession quickly escalates into stalking Batman through the dark alleys and high-class social settings of Gotham City. Welcome to Bat Season! And the bonus Looney Tunes backup story features DC characters written by Tom King and artwork by Byron Vaughns.
