Hello again GEN readers! It’s Jill a.k.a. The Nerdy Bird back with this week’s installment of DoubleDCoverage. What could I possibly describe as Flashdance meets House of a Thousand Corpses? You’re not nearly prepared for the answer or for the death of a beloved teenage hero. Reviews for Batman and Robin #3 and Teen Titans #74 are ahead, also, check out my star ratings for my other pulls from last Wednesday!

BATMAN AND ROBIN #3

I haven’t been this disturbed since…well, since the first issue of Batman and Robin. Damn that Grant Morrison. Just when you think you’ve become accustomed to his warped comic scenarios, he makes a pig man drop it like it’s hot. I mean, hog. ::shiver::

Dick Grayson is channeling Bruce this issue and seeing as how I prefer Bruce in the cowl anyway, that’s the next best thing. In the main Batman title, Dick is grandstanding and smiling for the cameras, not exactly Batman behavior, so it’s refreshing to see him dragging an informant off the side of a Bat RTV and saying things like, “I’m Batman,” here. He’s got what he needs and is off to join Damian who’s been captured by Professor Pyg and his Dollotrons. And here’s where the creepy comes in. Pyg sets his pink iPod to “sexy disco hot” and proceeds to dance for Damian, wielding a power drill and saw, baring his chest and expressing his wish to be sick in front of people. It’s Flashdance meets House of a Thousand Corpses and every filthy inch of it is spectacular. In Damian’s words, “You just redefined ‘wrong’.”

While Damian breaks loose and goes wild on the Dollotrons, Dick is trying to prevent Pyg’s plan from going into effect. The Dolls are literally vomiting on people. Turns out they’re carrying an aerosol narcotic that spreads like the flu. “Addiction you can catch!” Damian promises to help the latest Doll, the young Sasha, but is quick to leave her behind when he gets caught up in the fight. Dick arrives in time to save his life and expedite the capture of Pyg but the girl is nowhere to be found. Though far from over, this completes the first story arc of Batman and Robin while at the same time bringing Morrison’s Batman RIP full circle. Le Bossu’s takedown from the first page of RIP is rehashed here, this time without the iconic, “Batman and Robin will never die!” There’s one more surprise left. Sasha has made it to a hospital with all the Dollotrons and proceeds to murder them all. When she’s discovered, someone comes to her rescue and offers her a partnership – the Red Hood.

One arc down and this series is truly blowing me away. I’m shaming myself just thinking it but there’s only one reason I wouldn’t want Bruce to come back and it’s this book. Damian breaking his promise and leaving Sasha behind to certain doom perfectly illustrates how vastly different a Robin he is and he definitely holds qualities we’ve never seen before in the role. I think his particular look has something to do with my enjoyment of this title as well. Frank Quietly has him looking his age here and it really reminds you just how crazy Batman is to be toeing along a kid, not to mention that kid kicking some major butt of his own. Philip Tan and Jonathan Glapion are taking over the art duties for the next arc but Quietly will return after that concludes. Pyg’s identity may have been revealed, circus boss Lazlo Valentin, yet his true face never is and that’s just as it should be. Pretty much everyone who’s talked about Batman and Robin uses the word creepy, and rightfully so, but the important distinction is it’s done impeccably by Morrison. He’s created a mighty new addition to Batman’s rogue gallery in Pyg. Anyone who dares replicate the magic he produced in these three issues is going to fail miserably. I mean, creepy can be creepy, but a dancing pig man? That’s just the right kind of wrong.

TEEN TITANS #74

In comics I tend to take the stance, “I’ll believe it when I see it.” So when the cover of this issue said, “Another Titan dies,” I took it with a grain of salt assuming it was just a ploy to get people to buy the book. I was wrong. A Teen Titan is dead and I’m wearing a sad face.

The Teen Titans aren’t even really a team right now. Some of them are there to escape and others are just killing time but the attack on San Francisco has thrown them into an impromptu test of their teamwork abilities. While they deal with the destruction from the Fearsome Five, Eddie sits powerless back at headquarters after learning of a nuclear signature. He thinks his attempts to warn the authorities are brushed off and he does the only thing he can, take the jet and try to do something about it in person. In reality, the person responsible for the attacks in the first place, Calculator, was intercepting Eddie’s calls for help. As a result, his subsequent arrival at the scene was met by some confused, and rather rude, FBI agents.

The team splits up but manages to finally overtake the Five. Traci 13 displays some powerful magic we’ve never seen from her before in the form of a giant Medusa creature and Miss Martian uses her mental abilities to subdue Mammoth. It isn’t until she gets a mental tap on the shoulder that any of them realize Eddie had joined the fight. He tracked the nuclear signature and upon discovering it was in fact a person and not a bomb he chose the only option that would save everyone but himself. He takes the man on a speedy trip in the jet as far up as he can go and it explodes. He died a hero. An all-too-small funeral is held for Eddie and serves to reinforce Cassie’s determination about leading the team. Calculator may have failed at killing them all but he’s captured Kid Eternity and is forcing him to project his dead son Marvin. Looks like he’s going to be there for a while. There wasn’t much plot advancement with Ravager’s second feature, just fighting the thugs that were sent to kill her.

Poor Eddie. He was stripped of his powers not too long ago so I guess it should have been obvious that he was a prime candidate for death but I’m sad to see him bite the bullet. Bryan Q. Miller did a decent send off considering he only had three issues to accomplish it. But seriously, that funeral was lame. I know Kid Devil wasn’t the most popular hero but there was hardly anyone there! No past Teen Titans, not even Tim or Blue Devil showed up. With a name and history like Kid Devil though, I’m hopeful for a resurrection. Maybe he’ll go to heaven and come back as Kid Angel. Yes? No? Yeah, ok, even I don’t want him to come back like that.

BATMAN: WIDENING GYRE #1 (OF 6) – Second creepiest book of the week goes to Kevin Smith for this one. I may not be picking up issue #2.

BLACKEST NIGHT: TITANS #1 (OF 3) – Oh come on! It’s only three issues and you’re NOT going to show us the money shot of Donna’s Black Lantern babies yet? Fail.

DETECTIVE COMICS #856 – Your hair matches my cummerbund. Wanna dance?

THE FLASH: REBIRTH #4 (OF 6) – I had to read this twice. Also, Ethan Van Sciver is a god.

GOTHAM CITY SIRENS #3 – Who knew the Riddler was a Siren? Answer: the Riddler.

GREEN LANTERN #45 – Black Lantern Xanshi! Hal Jordan construct! Larfleeze is so screwed!!

JUSTICE SOCIETY OF AMERICA #30 – The team is becoming increasingly divided with each passing day. And can I just say how much I love the new Doctor Fate?

SUPERMAN #691 – General Lane finally steps into the light of day and reveals he’s not dead. But goddammit, it’s all part of the plan.

SUPERMAN’S PAL, JIMMY OLSEN SPECIAL #2 – Just when you thought you could forget about the Everyman Project. Holy crap!

WEDNESDAY COMICS #8 (OF 12) – Metamorpho gets the win this week. I wonder how long it took Gaiman to put that together.

WONDER WOMAN #35 – Wonder Woman happy magic fun sword girl sexy, sexy, fight, fight. Yup, that about sums it up.

My pull list for this week:

BATMAN #690
JUSTICE LEAGUE: CRY FOR JUSTICE #3 (OF 6)
SUPERGIRL ANNUAL #1
WENESDAY COMICS #9 (OF 12)

Which two should I review for DoubleDCoverage #24?

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• DoubleDCoverage #26
• DoubleDCoverage #22