Top 5 Comics Moments of the Week: Legacies lost, stolen, honored and given, plus a puppy
Spoilers for 'Batman' #93, 'Green Lantern 80th Anniversary 100-Page Super Spectacular,' 'Marvel's Snapshots: Captain America,' 'Suicide Squad' #6 and 'Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles' #105
History is an important part of modern-day comics. No superhero story is entirely separated from its legacy. This week's comics are no exceptions as we see legacies honored in different ways — in fresh perspectives, in honoring the past, a legacy gifted and one outright stolen. Plus, what's the one thing that can stop Batman from punching out a criminal? Find out, as we take a look at our favorite comics moments to come out this week.
5. Four Lanterns, to the end
While Earth has been home to a great many Green Lanterns over the years, Kyle Rayner, John Stewart, Hal Jordan and Guy Gardner are the Corps' most iconic members. The four share a bond that none of the other Lanterns have quite managed to match. In the 'Green Lantern 80th Anniversary 100-Page Super Spectacular,' a story set sometime in the future imagines the three surviving Corpsmen meeting up for an annual reunion. The three reminisce over the times past, and share a tribute to their fallen Corpsman, Guy Gardner, who was always there to take one for the team. Alive or dead, Gardner's legacy continues to be honored - and will be, forever.
4. The true cost of poverty
Mark Russell has been known for his sharp political satire, but in 'Marvel's Snapshots: Captain America,' he takes a more serious tone. In a story drawn by Ramon Perez and colored by Rico Renzi, we follow a family whose home was devastated by a villianous "madbomb" attack, whose recovery was ignored by the Avengers who focused on more affluent areas. Felix, a bright young student, is forced to give up college after the devastation to his community, the comic captures exactly how exiling poverty can be in a single, impactful moment. Captain America is good at punching sea monsters, but not so great at solving income inequality.
3. The TMNT welcome their newest member
It seems that just as the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles added a fifth member to their ranks — Jennika — that they broke up as a group, in the wake of their father's death. In the months since, they have reunited, and after a night out as regular people no longer seen as freaks in the strange world of Mutant Town, the group is back once more. Additionally, they not only reunite with Jennika back on the team, but welcome longtime ally Alopex onto it, giving her her very own green facemask. They're not just the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles any more - they're the Splinter Clan.
2. Batman's greatest weakness
Recently pardoned by the US Government, Deadshot is still on the run with the rest of the considerably more illegal Suicide Squad. When he comes to Gotham City, he finds that there's nothing that is going to stop the Batman from coming after him, well almost. In an act of desperation, Deadshot holds a puppy up in front of his face that the Suicide Squad had just rescued, stopping Batman's punch in its tracks long enough for Deadshot to explain that he's no longer a criminal in the eyes of the law. Batman's vowed never to harm an innocent life, and Deadshot's used that to his most adorable advantage.
1. The Joker's Billions
The Joker has had it with Batman and has decided to play the one card he's been holding close to his chest all these years — the knowledge of Batman's secret identity. In an elaborate plan, the Joker manages to use Catwoman herself to hack into Bruce Wayne's fortunes and rob him of everything he's got. The Batman may not have superpowers, but he's one of the richest men on the planet, and that was almost just as good. With his fortune gone, he's severely crippled, not to mention the fact that with a hundred billion dollars at his disposal, there's almost nothing the Joker can't do. At least it's clear now where the Joker War gets its funding.
What were your favorite comics of the week? Let us know in the comments!