Panel Discussion: Scans from Batman RIP #681, Buffy Seaon Eight #19, Blue Beetle #33, and More

Every Monday, we at Geekanerd rip panels from last Wednesday's comics and post the best, the worst, and the weirdest. If you didn't read your books this week, beware of some MAJOR SPOILERS.

Best Acting - The Cast of Blue Beetle #33
The always awesome Rafael Albuquerque is at the top of this game this week, breathing life into the Beetle crew with a bunch of hilariously pointed expressions.

Here, Wonder Girl looks SERIOUSLY fed up with Robins leader-talk...or is she annoyed by Red Devil's running commentary? Whatever it is, no one seems to be paying her much mind.

Here we have strained guilt and compleate dismissal. Paco's tiny mouth is what really does it for me.

This panel is stepping into farcical sitcom territory between Peacemaker's dumbly confident smirk and Beetle's "why me" expression and posture. I will never cease to be amazed by how much facial acting Albuquerque gives the Blue Beetle with just eyeballs and a little white line.

This gag made me laugh. Big biker Peacemaker has been 16 year old Jaime's sidekick for the last year or so, and now he's taking orders from the Boy Hostage. The right panel is a perfect moment of self realization, in which the big man tries comes to some small self-realization that perhaps his time might be better spent with people he can actually have a beer with.

A familiar face for Buffy, and giant spoilers for Walking Dead and Batman, after the jump...


Best Splash Page - Batman RIP #681
This page by Tony Daniel doesn't win any points for originality, but you don't always have to reinvent the wheel to make a powerful splash page. This is classic Batman, having fought his way out of the grave and still looking hale and hearty. And as for his supposed "death" at the end of this issue....come on, people. Habeas Corpus. Show me the body.

Best Cameo - Buffy: Season 8 #19

RILEY! Everyone's least favorite Buffy boyfriend is back, and he's working for Twilight, the Big Bads of Season 8 (not the Vampire movie...kind of confusing, actually). Perhaps this shocking (but not entirely unexpected) turn of events will give Riley what the TV series never could; interesting personality traits.

Clearest Example of Batman's Insanity - Batman RIP #681
"Force of habit"? So, does Bruce ALWAYS switch cups with whoever he's drinking with when they blink? Like, even at his society luncheons and company board meetings? "Oh, that's funny, I thought I ordered diet." "HNN."

Downer of the Week - The Walking Dead #55
We've had just a few too many happy reunions since Rick & Son decided to leave their prison stronghold. Nothing like a completely unexplained suicide to get that sense of hopeless dread back to normal Walking Dead levels. Jeez.*

*Girl gripe: This is a pretty good example of Women in Refrigerators. Maggie has been one of the least developed characters in the series, and her death is only effective because now her husband (funny, smart, menchy Glenn) will be emotionally crushed. If a less disposable character (like Glenn himself) had been touched by despair and driven to take their own life, this moment would have been a lot more moving. Gripe over.

Chiller of the Week - Batman RIP #681
How many times can writers flashback to the moments before Thomas and Martha Wayne's death and still have it be chilling and sad? As many times as they want, as long as they're as good at Grant Morrison at foreshadowing. Here, Thomas Wayne discourages his son's romantic notions of vigilantism by equating it with mental sickness, as little Bruce responds only with a uncomprehending, "What?". As Joe Chill rounds the corner, the reader knows that Bruce's lessons in the lines between heroism, revenge, and insanity are just about to begin. This is a sad and poetic moment, and a great ending to Morrison's outstanding storyline.