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Friday, December 30, 2011

BATMAN FRIDAY 

Why We Love Detective Comics
"Pipeline"It doesn't always have to be about Batman. The Caped Crusader is, by far, the most popular character who ever had a regular series in Detective Comics, but he has shared these pages with more than a few worthy heroes. Like Pow-Wow Smith. Or Roy Raymond: TV Detective.

A little more recently, Detective Comics was home to a back-up series that featured The Question. Not the dude from the 1960s who was the basis for Rorschach in "Watchmen." That dude died. But before he died, he trained a successor.

Meet the new Question:
She's Renee Montoya, who was a supporting character in Batman and Detective Comics and various Batman-related series for a long time. I think she goes back to about 1990. Maybe a little earlier even. She was a policewoman with the G.C.P.D. A fan favorite for a long time.

When I started reading comics again after a long hiatus (6 or 7 years), I found that much had changed. Renee Montoya had, at some point, fallen on hard times, been kicked off the force, and had become an alcoholic. But the old Question took her in and gave her life meaning again. (Or something. I haven't read any of these comics. I pieced it together mostly from the backs of sugar packets.)

So she appeared in the back of Detective Comics #854 to #865. (Most of these issues feature, as the main story, the glorious return of Batwoman. So it is very much worth it to track these down. These are some good comics.) The story is called "Pipeline" and Renee Montoya, as The Question, folows the clues and stumbles on a gang of criminals who kidnap women for use as sex slaves. The Question takes on a number of tough customers, tracing the ultimate source of the slave pipeline. She joins forces with The Huntress about halfway through. Oracle (Barbara Gordon) shows up in one issue. And at the end, they meet up with a very unexpected (but very welcome) villain. Somebody who's been around for a long time. A very long time. A very, very long time.

(But I won't say who. I didn't know until I read the issue. It was so cool. It's so nice not to have EVERYTHING spoiled by my constant dicking around on the Internet.)

Great art. Great writing. Everybody is acting in character. Action. Suspense. Exotic locales. People getting beat up. The Question and The Huntress in peril! Constantly! How will they get out of this!

"Pipeline" is one more reason why we love Detective Comics.

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Monday, December 26, 2011

MONDAY MINI-CONCERT 

Boxing Day Edition

"Little Drummer Boy" by Joan Jett.

"Mi Burrito Sabanero".

"Hark! The Herald Angels Sing!" by Charlotte Church.

"Good King Wenceslas" by Bing Crosby.

"Little Drummer Boy" by Johnny Cash.

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