Comics Thread (was My OFFICIAL Apology to Dave)

[salamanca]

Only one new book on what essentially was a skip week. FOREVER EVIL featured Batman revealing his plan to stop the JLA, which won't work well as most of the earth 3 guys actually benefit from his secret weapons. We get a brief moment of humanity from Luthor and Batman with a power ring. Then the hero of this book shows up at the end (hint, beware his power). All in all it was a pretty unimpressive read.

[salamanca]

Just read the first Atomic Robo trade. I had read the digital edition of the first issue and was not mesmerized. This book needs larger pages to enjoy the chaos and about 3 issues to hook you in the concept. After that, you never want to leave. For those wondering it's a book about a robot built by Tesla in the 1920's whos is still running around today with a team of action scientists (who spend their time failing to be helpful and making fun of each other) dealing with freakish events. And it's all interspersed with flashback adventures.

[Black Jack Rackham]

Dave, I saw this over on io9 regarding the Wonder Woman appearance in BvsS. Just can't let Wonder Woman alone can they?

[salamanca]

I can't say. You keep linking to that site and it always throws pop up ads that obscure the article making it unreadable on a mobile unit. (and by the time I break out the actual laptop at a wifi spot it will be spring and nobody will care). But from their point of view, Wonder Woman is easily the strongest and most recognized property they have not put on a screen. And the character is the one thing Marvel can't touch, a strong female that could potentially carry her own film. Marvel can toss Scarlet Johansson in every film they make but she will never carry enough market for a solo film. ELEKTRA TANKED. SHE HULK would never get green-lit (pardon the pun) as they have trouble making a solid Hulk movie. WONDER WOMAN is girl power draw material that can bring the Hunger Games and Twilight fanbase if it's done right. (and doing it right will be the challenge)

[Black Jack Rackham]

I quite agree with you about all of that, but now's the point where I break your brain. The big rumor is that DC is going to make Amazons simply Kryptonians who've been on Earth a while.

[salamanca]

I am ok with that. Powers are diluted from cross breeding so no heat vision or superbreath. Limits on flight speed and still stronger than anything else. Yep, works for me. And it keeps the moral majority types from having fits about worshipping ancient greek gods.

[Black Jack Rackham]

Wonder Woman as a watered down Superman? bleh. No fundies had any problem with Thor actually being a god (despite the multiple, 'hey we're not gods, just incredibly long lived" speeches, we all know if the fundies had gone to see it they'd have complained). Leave her as she is. Let her sink or swim on her own merits.

[salamanca]

Sorry, the Hobbit multi-feature has broken any expectations I shall ever have of maintaining source material. They could make her a porple monkey at this point and I would be no less offended. Besides, anything is better than New 52 versions.

[salamanca]

Well, EARTH 2 has managed to give me an issue to once again stave off being dropped. Not stellar but just good enough to make me want to see where it goes. We get good Batman and Lois interaction, a new character that doesn't seem to have an old counterpart in the earth 2 myths, red arrow facing the parademon assault, and the inevitable return of somebody they killed a few months back. GRREN LANTERN CORPS was better than the rest of that line. John Stewart keeps proving he should be in charge as they further the current universal crisis facing the corps. Shame the editors push for these big intertwined stories because I think this team could do some great small stories if they were not in a constant story arc.

[salamanca]

Over at Marvel, SECRET AVENGERS turned in a great and very dark issue. We are delving into how deeply undercover Mockingbird was and it's intense. The only bad part of this book is the parts that involve Nick Fury and Maria Hill. Both of these characters are awful and wooden. Then there were 3 X-books. ALL NEW X-MEN continues the backstory of William Stryker and his religious zealots. It has a great resolution based on a henchman asking a question that I don't want to ruin but ask me in a week or so if you are not reading it. UNCANNY X-MEN is a stand alone issue about Magneto looking into somethings that lead to Madripoor, Mystique, Sabretooth, Blob and nobody understanding why Magneto does what he does. AMAZING X-MEN continues the adventures of the team in the afterlife possibly rescuing Nightcrawler. It's got action, pirates, true love, and Beast fighting a whole ship full of swashy demons using acrobatics and mathas his weapons. This is the most fun book on the market.

[salamanca]

ALL NEW X-MEN (i know it was out last week but marvel sent out another issue) Scott and Jean have a great awkward arguement that is worth the price of admission, then aliens show up and now we are in a cross over so you can buy some Guardians of the Galaxy if you want to follow the story. And since we are in accelerated release mose that means 6 total issues before March!. Meanwhile over in X-MEN, the all girl team continues to hunt Arkea, the not so inert computer virus that possesses people and Lady Deathstryke. Ok, the team has spread themselves over 3 continents to follow this up and IF the danger is as bad as they keep telling each other, they are committing several crimes against humanity for not getting help from the avengers and FF. But we do see why MONET St. CROIX IS NOT IN MORE BOOKS, SHE IS JUST TOO POWERFUL. CAPT. MIDNIGHT finishes his pointless fight with a hulking goon, trashes a national monument, wrecks his special plane and figures out during the fight who is behind all his troubles (even if the writer has failed to realize that will make the villian 93 years old). MIGHTY AVENGERS features most of the team investigating crashed Inhuman ruins and fighting a shadowy villian who may think he is a horseman of the apocalypse. And Ronin may have left the team. And Luke Cage (and his wife) settle leadership issues with the Superior Spiderman the Marvel way (by tearing up a street in a brawl) and it all goes Spidey's way until the lawyer shows up and Spidey leaves the team. Aaaand HAWKEYE 16 arrived. But wait, Hawkeye 15 isn't out. Because it's not done. Book acceleration has prevented them from releasing on time so they put out the next book instead. And it features Kate in LA doing her private eye thing poorly and "helping" some Brian Wilson type character. FRACTION NEEDS TO DROP THIS ARC, PUT HER BACK IN NYC AND GET ON WITH HIS MAIN STORY.

[salamanca]

Black Widow had a second issue out too. Almost forgot since the first was just out so recently. It features Natasha taking another shady job and screwing it up enough to be mistaken for Hawkeye. AND THEN HER LAWYER TAKES CARE OF THE DIRTY WORK. What is it with Marvel comics lawyers?. MIGHTY AVENGERS, DAREDEVIL, BLACK WIDOW...ALL THE LAWYERS ARE SAVING THE DAY. (and for the record, Daredevil and Matt Murdock did not appear in anything this week that I know of).

[Lady Grace]

Remember, back in the 80's, Marvel had "Assistant Editor's Month"? Maybe their house lawyers asked for a shout-out...

[salamanca]

Well, the intellectual property dept. does a damn fine job of protecting the Mouse. One can only guess they have made an impression on the new subsidiary. Mind you the Mighty Avengers have a "Sensational" lawyer.

[Lady Grace]

Looks like Dynamite will be ending The Shadow after issue #25 -- and if it's a permanent end, I think I'll be relieved.

[Black Jack Rackham]

Got ahold of all the old Astonishing Tales starring Deathlok, so I'm going to read them to the kiddos starting TONIGHT!

[Black Jack Rackham]

The general consensus was 'Deathlok is cool, can you read us some more?'

[salamanca]

Deathlok is cool?. The cyborg guy in the red?. I shudder to see the reaction to the Vision if Deathlok is on the cool list.

[Rebecca Iavelli]

Remember Dave, these are kids that have grown up hugging Cthulhu dolls and they have their father spoon feeding them all kinds of stories. Mark tells good stories, with lots of enthusiasm so whatever he is reading to them, tends to sound cool, whether it is or not.

[Black Jack Rackham]

Hey now you're both dissing one of my favorite childhood finds. Especially when you consider that one of the last things George Perez did for Marvel before heading over to DC in 1980 was to draw the cover of of Marvel Two-In-One #54 starring The Thing and Deathlok.
Deathlok, who I might remind you is a young black man who's turned into a cyborg with half his face left over, both arms and legs missing, etc., etc., etc.

Judge for yourself

Exhibit A


Exhibit B

[salamanca]

Yeah, cyborg isn't cool either. Iron fist is cool. Nightcrawler is cool. I will even give you Moon Knight depending on the series you pick. Daredevil is always cool. (unless it's the movie). Longshot was kinda cool. The Beast is cool. Falcon is cool in ways Hawkman never was. DR. FATE IS COOL. (ask Nabu). Power Man was cool but Luke Cage is cooler now.

[salamanca]

So it's a "skip week" for the release schedule (5th week of the month) and yet I am staring at all 5 of my DC titles. Red Lanterns features Bleez and Rancor tracking down Ratchet's old ring while Guy and the other scary aliens head to Earth. Guy goes to patch stuff up with ICE (his off again girl friend) and the aliens go sightseeing before running afoul of someone. It's light and filler and Dexstar shows up at the end. LARFLEEZE finally shows some spine in his hunt for his butler and fights several omnipotent beings. This reminds me of old Marvel "what if" comics where aunt may becomes the herald of Galactus. It's stupid and insipid and knows it should be so. GREEN LANTERN CORPS ANNUAL shapes up to be a book worth the extra size with a full story that is vital to their ongoing arc and backstories on a bunch of Lantern villian origins. (most of whom may have been misjudged by the Guardians who may have overlooked their side of the story). And the DEAD BOY DETECTIVES is really pulling out the stops in terms of referencing their original appearance in 1990. But it's a fun book. The last book gets it's own post.

[salamanca]

EARTH 2 ANNUAL features the "shocking origin of Batman". And they are not over spinning that. If you have followed Earth 2, you know Batman died stopping Darkseid 5 years ago (comic time). But then Batman showed up and he was strong and agile and smart and very determined. And in case you missed the name that slipped out a week ago in a preview I will not mention it here. But this Batman reveals his origin to Hawkwoman and Lois Lane/red tornado so they know exactly who they are following. It's not Bruce Wayne. It is a great variation on the Batman story. But like so many other things creeping into this book, Batman now is a different classic power set in the wrong costume. This Batman has the powers of another character with strong ties to the old JSA. And I like it.

[salamanca]

Let's see, what is worth mentioning:
Green Lantern and Red Lantern are a double sided "flip book" this month to try and coerce people into buying that lousy red book. It features a mysterious blond girl from krypton in a red cape suddenly having become a red lantern full of rage. No explanation how or where Supergirl ended up like this. Not sure it's worth finding out.

Mighty Avengers features the Blue Marvel helping Luke Cage move. they finally have that fatherly chat they should have had decades ago (or at least when they retcon invented the Blue Marvel) and they both stay stubborn. Then we get the reveal on just how obsessed the new White tiger character is and she needs a therapist if you ask me. Meanwhile unrelated to team activities, the Falcon stalks some arsonist for a lead that will tie into the team somehow next month.

Avengers AI has the team in the virtual reality fighting machine intelligences and admitting they are not being very helpful in aiding the innocent and nice machine intelligences. The highlight may be that Captain America shows his age by having problems adapting to the concept of a world where rality does not apply and innovative ideas will implement with a thought.

X-men (the mostly all girl team) continues chasing Arkea and the sisterhood of evil. It's mostly mopping up the debris of last month. Monet meets with Gabriel Sheppard who may be the most powerful character in the Marvel verse. Never heard of Gabe? me neither. It appears he lives in Isreal and can not only stop time in an area of at least a city block but can transmute things at an atomic level (by transforming all aspects of Akrea infection into fresh mountain air) At the End, Jubilee leads a team of the young rookies to Catalina island to face off against some mark 1 sentinels.

Earth 2 had another stellar cool issue. Batman meets most of the heroes from the last couple issues and plans get made. we also discover that the new kryptonian they found has severe agoraphobia.

[Black Jack Rackham]

Started reading the original Moon Knight (Bill Sienkiewicz) to the kiddos last night. They're enraptured (though the oldest, who is whip smart) asked if we were ever going to find out how Marc Spector created his alternate identities (or more specifically, how they came about).