Avengers Academy Closes Its Doors

I knew it was coming.  Marvel Comics kept saying that the storyline titled "Final Exam" didn't mean the end of Avengers Academy.  Sadly, they lied.  What a shame, too.  This was one of Marvel's best written books.  It dealt with real human issues and interactions.  It offered character development and not just boring action sequences.  These were real kids with real problems...on an elevated level.  All thanks to writer Christos Gage.  With Tigra, Hawkeye, and Giant Man as instructors at the academy, it was even getting close to being the line-up of the original West Coast Avengers, my favorite Avengers-related comic of all time.  The academy was even based at the old WCA compound! 

It's sad to say goodbye to old friends.  I'm not too confident in the Academy's replacement: Avengers Arena.  It's the younger Avengers in a Hunger Games setting.  Haven't we seen this before?  Waaaaaaaaay too many times?  Secret Wars.  Dark Side Club.  Murderworld.  Just to name a few.  

Just what we need.  A comic that's all about battle sequences with a cast of dozens.  Goodbye, character development and interaction.  Hello, boredom and uncreativity.  

Wake me when it's over.

Batman Origin, Take 58.

With DC Comics having *just* rebooted their entire universe and uprooted and revised all established superhero origins, do we really need another Batman origin story that's different from the original Batman created by Bob Kane, different from the post-Crisis Batman, different from the post-Flashpoint/New 52 Batman, different from Batman starring Michael Keaton, and different from Batman Begins starring Christian Bale?  The answer, simply, is no. They're all similar, but each tells a slightly different tale, using different somewhat characters and string of events. However, Geoff Johns and Gary Frank did an amazing job with story and art in Batman: Earth One that it's hard to say no.

I'll be the first to admit that I was not a fan of the Superman: Earth One book that came out a couple of years ago. The story was lame and...another, different Superman origin?  Really?  And what's with the "Earth One" thing?  Don't the current series in the DC Universe take place on Earth One?  Is this a different Earth One?  Besides multiple Earths, are there multiple Earth Ones, Earth Twos, etc.?

Needless to say, I hesitated buying Batman: Earth One.  I had faith in Johns and Frank, though, so I decided to give it a shot.  If it were any other creators, I probably would have skipped it.  Luckily, I wasn't disappointed.  Johns provides a different take on Batman's origin, but still sticks closely to the original premise. The Penguin is involved this time around, as is a much younger, thinner, and sober Detective Harvey Bullock. There is no Robin, but there is hint of a Batgirl in Barbara Gordon, who makes a couple of brief appearances. Rather than Bruce's parents' deaths being an accident, it's more like a conspiracy. By far the most interesting twist was that Martha Wayne's maiden name was Arkham(!), that her bloodline was doomed for insanity, and -- I think -- that the house in which she grew up was abandoned and would one day become Arkham Asylum. I would love to see that detail added to Batman's mythos. It would make for some interesting stories. And while I liked the interaction between the young Bruce Wayne and a goateed war vet Alfred, I think it was too big of a change for one of the major characters in Bruce's life for people to digest.  Alfred was the only character on this alternate Earth who didn't even come close to resembling the "real" character. 

There were some sensitive, emotional moments that Johns captured between Bruce and his parents and Bruce and Alfred, but there weren't enough to really involve the reader emotionally in the story as much as they should have been.  I know Johns has it in him, so I was disappointed that there weren't more heart-tugging moments.  Gary Frank did an amazing job on the artwork throughout, and I loved looking at every detailed panel.

All in all, it's worth the read, even if you know Batman's origin inside and out. Just don't confuse it for his real origin...whatever it may be now.

Shooting for 9

Hawkeye #2 (2012)

Long before Hawkeye was a popular movie character played by Jeremy Renner, he was one of my favorite comic book characters.  It's not every guy who can pull off wearing purple.  I loved the West Coast Avengers so much more than the regular Avengers (wait, was I the only one?) and he was a big part why.  I also enjoyed his dynamic with Mockingbird.  Although Marvel will deny it, it was obvious that Hawkeye and Mockingbird were modeled after DC's Green Arrow and Black Canary, but they felt like a totally different couple.  

After numerous mini-series and short-lived attempts a couple of monthly series, with his popularity surging from the Avengers movie, Hawkeye finally gets his own solo monthly comic book series.  Again.  (Hey, to be a success and be his longest running series EVER, it only has to last more than eight issues.) 

Immediately by looking at the covers, you can tell that this is a different Hawkeye.  They have a retro-mod look to them.  The letters are all in lower case.  The colors are minimal, but there is that predominance of Hawkeye's signature color, purple.  I wasn't sure, though, how David Aja's minimalist cover art would translate to an entire comic.  And, upon starting the first issue of the series, I seriously had my doubts. The art seemed too rough and rudimentary.  However, after reading the first two issues, I really think it works. And I love the heavy use and different shades of purple. 

The issues introduce Hawkeye with the promise that the series will be about his non-Avengers adventures:

I hope that the writer, Matt Fraction, keeps this promise.  Hawkeye is a strong enough character that he doesn't need his teammates always stopping by.  He doesn't need crossovers.  He has stories that can be told without intertwining them with other series.  So far, with the first two issues, Fraction has kept his promise.  Hawkeye's biggest worry has been taking care of the other residents in his apartment building from the big, evil landlord.  Let's hope that he continues to deal with these more human issues and interactions.  And, of course, canine issues (Clint adopts an injured dog that he rescues). 

Kudos to the start of what I hope will be an 9+ issue series! 

J.L. Ay Yi Yi

I just finished reading the complete series of DC Comics' latest attempt at a Justice League International comic.  And, by complete, I mean Justice League International #1-12 and Annual #1, because the series has been cancelled.  With good reason.  It sucked.  

Gone are the days of 1987's classic Justice League International series as written by Keith Giffen and J. M. DeMatteis, with art by Kevin Maguire.  The new JLI in DC's New 52 boasted Booster Gold, Fire, Ice, Rocket Red, Guy Gardner, Vixen, August General in Iron, and Godiva.  It was a decent line-up and actually had a lot of countries/continents represented (USA, Brazil, Norway, Russia, Africa, China, and England).  Unfortunately, the stories were all too lame and didn't capture the spirit or comradery of the original series.  The new series failed to use this generous diverse group of characters properly.  There was no personalization, no character development, and no decent interaction between any of the teammates.

After OMAC's comic was canceled with issue #8, the pseudo-Hulk joined the team on their lame adventures and brought them down even further.  And did I mention Rocket Red is killed, while Fire, Ice, and Vixen are hospitalized, taking all of them out of commission for the remainder of the series? Way to win over the female fan base, DC.  Incapacitate all of the superheroines and bring in more males.


The best part of the whole series was at the very ending of Annual #1 when it was revealed (spoiler alert!) that Booster is too late to stop Superman and Wonder Woman from sharing a kiss, thereby affecting future events...

Now if only one single issue of this series could have been as intriguing and mysterious as this scene, they may have been able to survive cancellation.

A Thorny Debate

National Comics' Rose & Thorn #1 (2012)

DC Comics again produces a better comic in a one-shot than numerous of their ongoing series.  What am I talking about?  National Comics' Rose and Thorn.  Like last month's Looker one-shot, Rose and Thorn reintroduces a character into the new DC Universe.  

Now, I absolutely loved the first Rose/Thorn character in the DCU.  It was later shockingly discovered that she was the mother of Jade and Obsidian from Infinity, Inc., having previously married the Alan Scott Green Lantern of Earth Two. That made for fantastic storytelling. 

Infinity, Inc. Annual #1 (1985)

The new Rose is a geeky high schooler whose Thorn persona comes out and does some wild things that impress even the Mean Girls.  She gets a tattoo from one of the Mean Girls' ex-boyfriend's dad and then turns into an S&M dominatrix, ties him up, and mutilates him by "branding" him with the word "MINE" across his chest.  We also discover that, as Thorn, she tried kissing her best friend in high school (another nerd) and, come to find out, the friend actually liked it.  How will Rose handle these new revelations when she can't control her second personality?

In my opinion, DC has done a better job reintroducing their characters through the National Comics medium than through their regular New 52 titles.  I hope we get to see Looker and Rose & Thorn in their own well-told monthly series one day...

Wave 3 Washes Over DC Comics

With the cancellation of four DC titles (Justice League International, Captain Atom, Resurrection Man (ironic, right?), and Voodoo) came Wave 3 and the introduction of four new series.  This is about the three new titles that I've read; I refuse to read the fourth.

Talon.  Yes, I was as sick as everyone else reading about the Court of Owls in EVERY Batman-related title for months on end.  However, I was curious about this new title and one of the Talons as a supposed superhero.  Meh.  It's an interesting concept and I think the characterization of Calvin Rose has promise, but after reading Talon #0, it wasn't enough to get me hooked (pun intended).  

Sword of Sorcery.  Worst.  Title.  Ever.  Sadly, though, this was the title I was most excited about.  Why?  Amethyst!  She was one of my favorite characters in the 1980s and I loved her monthly adventures (up until they made her a Lord of Order).  They took a fun series with a fun, energetic, youthful character and made her all serious and boring in confusing, nonsensical storylines.  Blah!  The reintroduction of Amethyst in the new Sword of Sorcery comic was actually decent.  Instead of being a 13-year-old blond girl who steps into Gemworld as a blond adult, she's now an unpopular punk high school teenager with purple streaks through her dark hair who steps into Gemworld as a blond adult, much to her disgust.  The second story featuring a new character of Beowulf was just okay.  (Although the silver fox was pretty sexy in his tight black boxer briefs.)  I'll keep reading this comic for Amethyst, but I don't expect it to survive at a $3.99 price point.

Phantom Stranger.  I've never been a fan of the Phantom Stranger, and since the disintegration of the Outsiders at Dan Didio's generic writing hand, I wasn't a fan of his writing either (although I loved what he did with DC Comics as a leader to help turn it around several years ago).  I gave PS a shot, though, and surprisingly, this turned out to be my favorite comic in Wave 3.  The writing was spot-on and I loved the characterization of this wandering soul.  And -- spoiler alert -- we got two origin stories for the price of one in Phantom Stranger #0.  There are also ties to the mysterious Pandora, another mysterious character, and the Shazam family as well.  What I thought would be a so-so comic will probably be one of the first ones I read every month if the stories are as good and well-written as this one.

Team Seven.  A team of Punishers wielding guns.  'Nuf said.  No thanks. 

I still wish DC would combine elements of the New 52 with the former DCU and its well-established characters, though.  The replacements just aren't the same...and sadly probably never will be.  They're too angry and there's little room for characterization and  personalization of their private lives.

What a Looker!

Batman and the Outsiders #31 (1986)

When Looker appeared out of nowhere and joined the Outsiders (formerly Batman and the Outsiders) back in 1985 with her heavily eye-shadowed eyes and pink bow above the hip of her bare leg, I was not a fan.  I felt like she was intruding on a great dynamic that the Outsiders had going and was a little too popular and flashy to join a group of supposed outsiders.  

Worse, when I started reading comics again in 2007, I discovered that Looker was now a vampire. WTF?  It was as jarring as learning that Jubilee from Marvel Comics' X-Men had become one, too.  It seemed that both big comic companies were taking two of their silliest creations and jumping on the vampire craze bandwagon.  

I think there's an unnecessary vampire-mania going on right now, mostly thanks to Twilight.  However, I decided to give DC's I, Vampire revival the benefit of a doubt and read the first five issues. As you can see from my review, I thought it was as awful -- if not worse -- than even Twilight.

National Comics Looker #1 (2012)

Recently, though, I purchased and read DC Comics' new Looker one-shot.  I was intrigued by the fantastic blood-red cover, and especially by the National Comics moniker.  (Quick history lesson:  DC Comics was called National Comics long, long ago.  It was the title of an anthology series from Quality Comics in the 1940s.)  

Anyway, today in 2012, DC Comics introduced this new anthology series titled National Comics, which is supposed to showcase a number of one-shot series focusing on some of DC's more obscure characters such as Kid Eternity, Looker, Rose and Thorn, Madame X, etc.  Looker reimagines the vampiress in DC's New 52.  All I have to say is:  WOW.  If only other New 52 series and characters were as interesting, well-written, and beautifully illustrated as National Comics Looker.  Ian Edginton did a fantastic job with character development.  Not just Looker (aka Emily Briggs), but also her supporting characters.  The artist, Mike Miller, gave us vivid depictions of each character and scene, bringing everything (pun intended) "to life."  I found myself reading the comic slowly to savor each panel.  I knew this was only a one-shot and didn't want the story to end.  

My only question is, "Why isn't there a Looker monthly series instead of crap like I, Vampire?" 

The Return of Superboy?

Superboy, pre-DC's New 52

As I've intimated probably way too much on this blog, I haven't been very happy with the Superboy in DC's New 52.  I think Conner Kent became one of DC's best creations (mostly thanks to Geoff Johns in his revival of the Teen Titans in 2003), killed him, resurrected him, and then retconned his entire existence.

With the most recent issue of the Teen Titans, the new Superboy is finally starting to look like himself.  Er, old self.  

He's no longer the scrawny guy who crawled out of a lab.  

from Superboy #1 (2011)

Or the guy wearing a rejected costume from the movie Tron.

Superboy (2012)

The boy has finally got some muscle.  He's also sporting a tank top and jeans. 

There's even a jacket now, reminiscent of his beginnings in the early 1990s after Superman's "death."  

Superboy #1 (1994)

Let's hope that DC is realizing their mistake and recreating the three-dimensional Superboy that once was. 

Better... Stronger... Faster.

As a child of the 70s, I loved the Six Million Dollar Man and the Bionic Woman.  While superheroes seemed like fantasy, these two were normal, everyday people who received special abilities.  Like, of course, this could really happen with modern technology.  

I watched both TV shows (and their TV special reunions), and had all of the dolls (Steve Austin, Jaime Sommers, Oscar Goldman, and Bigfoot), and their accompanying playsets.  I never did get that Fembot doll, though -- dammit! -- which, I'm convinced, was the inspiration for Austin Powers' fembots (minus the gun nipples).  

Bionic Man #1

I was excited when Dynamite Comics started to release Kevin Smith's Bionic Man monthly comic book.  I was even more excited that it was released monthly, as scheduled.  Kevin Smith doesn't have the best track record with completing his assignments on time.  Dynamite probably knew that and that's why they took the basic story idea(s) from him and had someone else more reliable actually scribe it.  The series started out really good and then started to get a bit lackluster.  It lost its character edge and everyone seemed so generic and uninteresting in the latter single digit issues.  

Bionic Man #11

With issue #11 (the first one not bearing Kevin Smith's name across the top), character development was at its peak.  Steve's adventure-filled life comes to a slow crawl as he returns to his family's farm.  Here, we meet Steve's dying father, his strong-willed but tender mother, and his doting sister.  They all thought Steve was dead (because that's what the news reported) and are surprised and happy to see that he's still alive.  His secret soon comes out, though, and they realize that he's no longer just a man anymore. But while this story was the best in the series so far with character development, it also felt a bit weak at the same time.  The family doesn't seem truly overjoyed with the news that Steve is alive.  It was as if Steve just told his family that he got a small promotion of work and his mother replying, "That's nice, dear."  

The story does have some tender moments, though, and I'm glad that we, the readers, got to meet Steve's family.  Ironically, it made him more human than previous issues depicted.  

After reading issue #11, I can honestly now say that I'm looking forward to the next installment of the Bionic Man.  Why?  Toward the end of issue #11, we get a glimpse of something watching Steve from the woods.  It's no secret who/what it is, though, because they reveal the secret already in the "next issue" column: it's Bigfoot.  I love the image, too, because not only is it Bigfoot, Steve's nemesis from the old TV show, but Steve's wearing the red track suit (that the Steve Austin doll came with).  Euphoria washed over me seeing that nostalgic image.  

On a related note, like the TV show, Jaime Sommers was so popular in the Bionic Man series that Dynamite gave her her own monthly series in Spring 2012.  After two issues, though, the series was apparently abandoned.  I guess sales weren't as good as they had hoped, but I was really getting into the story...and I always did prefer Jaime Sommers over Steve Austin.  

I hope Dynamite continues producing a great monthly comic and that we one day will see the return of the Bionic Woman. 

Crossing Over

I remember when two crossover events in the 1980s really shook up and reshaped the comic industry's two biggest players.  DC's Crisis on Infinite Earths and Marvel's Secret Wars were two of the best series I'd ever read and really started the annual crossover boom.  I loved that they were both so different than each other, but both so engaging and so much fun.  Well, not fun for characters like the Flash and Supergirl, but they've been resurrected since then...several times.  Out of those came a shift from DC's multiple earths to one.  And, for Marvel, Spider-Man's black suit and The Thing manning his own series, staying on the Secret Wars planet.  Yes, they were indeed creative times. 

Sadly, following those two very successful limited series came a string of unimaginative "sequels" that played on the words "Crisis," "Infinite," "Secret," and "War." The best DC crossover since then has probably been Identity Crisis, wherein the members of the Justice League cross lines of morality.  With the exception of House of M, I haven't seen a decent Marvel crossover event story until now with Avengers Vs. X-Men (but don't get me started on the shortcut name AvX).  I tried reading Civil War, Siege, Fear Itself, Doomwar, etc.  All of them felt subpar.  And sometimes didn't even make any sense to me.  I was really looking forward to Secret Invasion because I thought the concept was fantastic.  Unfortunately, Marvel really let me down.  It was so poorly executed that I stopped reading several titles.  

Anyway, despite my initial lack of enthusiasm for Avengers vs. X-Men when hearing/reading about it, so far, I've really been enjoying it.  It feels fresh, and I don't feel like I have to read additional comics to understand what's going on.  Best of all, the Phoenix Force entity, although overused in the past, is being used in a manner that it different than previously.  It didn't bring back Jean Grey.  It didn't inhabit the body of a red-headed Jean Grey lookalike (yes, I'm talking to you, Madelyne Pryor, Rachel Grey/Summers, and Hope Summers).   Instead, it inhabited five X-Men, giving them immense powers to (so far) do good in the world, but altering their minds and personalities. 

 

While I'm on the subject, let's talk about Madelyne Pryor.  Bringing in this first Jean Grey lookalike was brilliant.  It complicated matters by confusing Scott Summers (Cyclops) and toying with his emotions.  At the same time, Madelyne had to deal with the fact that the man she loved only loved her because she looked like his one true love.  This was some amazing character development.  Unfortunately, Marvel ruined all of this by making Madelyne yet another villain.  Worse, a Phoenix knock-off and Jean Grey clone.  

Avengers Academy #32

With Avengers vs. X-Men, I can truly see why they'd be at war.   The X-Men still hold a grudge against the Scarlet Witch for what she did to their race in House of M.  Meanwhile, the Avengers are trying to stop the Phoenix Force by removing Hope Summers from the equation; the X-Men are just trying to protect their own.  With that many characters involved, though, it's difficult to actually illicit any sort of emotional response from the readers.  There is some decent character development, though mostly in related titles like Wolverine and the X-Men between Kitty Pryde and Colossus, and in Avengers Academy between Juston and his Sentinel.  

I'm looking forward to seeing where Marvel takes the remainder of this series and beyond.  However, I'm skeptical (again) about the new Marvel NOW (secret) plans that promise (threaten?) to reboot the Marvel Universe and restart with all #1 issues, much like DC's New 52 which, as you know from reading my blog postings, I'm not AT ALL happy with.  

WTF, FF?

Fantastic Four #611

Just announced:  the Fantastic Four's final issue will be #611.  What's that you say?  You thought #588 was the final issue?  What about those of you who said #416?  Well, you'd all be wrong...and right!  

This is just like Cher's Farewell Tour all over again.  Speaking of, I've gotta go check TicketMaster for the next stop on her latest Farewell Tour...

Stop it, you're Culling me.

Teen Titans (volume 2364) Annual #1

I just read "The Culling" storyline that ran through the recent issues of Teen Titans, Superboy, and Legion Lost (although I didn't read the Legion Lost issues because I don't normally read that comic).  At one point, I had to flip back to the cover of the comic I was reading to check out the credits and make sure it wasn't Felicia Henderson writing Teen Titans again.  (We all know how that turned out the last time.)   It felt rudimentary and written by a beginner who didn't care a whit about character development.  It was like reading a script for a porn movie vs. reading the script for Schindler's List.  That's how awful the story and dialogue was.

The concept of "The Culling" itself might have been better if it wasn't already so prevalent in everyone's minds as a little story called The Hunger Games.  Worse, this story has already been done before in the last volume of Teen Titans, when it was called the Dark Side Club, pitting Titan against Titan in the ring for others' enjoyment.  Only this time, instead of getting the Terror Titans series out of the story, we get The Ravagers. Worst, the name "The Culling" itself only brings to mind Edward Cullen from the God-awful Twilight series.  They're trying to capitalize on the popularity of both Twilight and The Hunger Games in one fell swoop.  [Insert barf here.]

Superboy and Bunker

The best part of the story came after all was said and done and the team was bathing half-naked in some spa pools in a mystical dinosaur-laden land.  Here, we finally get some real character interaction that doesn't feel forced (or poorly written).  We also get a bit of comedy as we see Bunker calling out Superboy's hotness, something we don't get to see anymore now that he's no longer in a tight-fitting T-shirt and jeans.  

And speaking of costumes, where did the Teen Titans get theirs?  At the estate sale for the latest Tron movie?

Now on to The Ravagers, their name taken from the former Ravager herself, Rose Wilson, daughter of Deathstroke, leaving the new Rose Wilson in DC's New 52 without a codename.  She's just known as Rose Wilson.  Not Rose, but Rose Wilson.  This Rose Wilson still has both her eyes, though, having never lost one of them to her father's madness.  In fact, I don't think we even know if she's related to the new Deathstroke.  Who knows in the New 52?  And, seriously, at this point, who cares?  Please, please, please let this all just be happening on Earth-52 and eventually get back to Earth-1 where all of my favorite characters still reside pre-Flashpoint. 

Ravagers #1

In The Ravagers, the team consists of Caitlin Fairchild, Terra, Beast Boy, Thunder and Lightning, Rose Wilson, Warblade, and Ridge.  Fairchild has the ability to pump up her boobs.  Terra, Beast Boy, Thunder, and Lightning aren't the characters we know (and love!) from Teen Titans past.  Rose Wilson is...well, Rose Wilson.  Or some cheap white-haired knock-off of her.  Warblade is a character that might have (and did) come out of the 1990s when comic stories started to get as lame as the generic codenames that came along with them.  (See: any 1990s X-title.)  Ridge, a new character to DC Comics, seems to be the only decent character, and maybe that's because there is no former character or past history of his to fuck up. 

Young Justice #0

To summarize, Marv Wolfman and George Perez's New Teen Titans is what made me seriously start reading and collecting comics in 1981.  Geoff Johns' Teen Titans is what made me start reading comics again in 2007 after a 15-year absence.  Unfortunately, DC's New 52 version of Teen Titans might make me stop reading comics again all together.   Young Justice, the cartoon series and related comic from DC's kid-friendly all-ages line, does a better job of treating the legacy of Teen Titans (and its long-time readers) with respect. 

Has Eyes, Watches TV

I don't normally watch reality shows (because they're usually trashy crap), but I thought I'd give National Geographic Channel's Comic Store Heroes a chance.  Naturally, where else would a show about a comic store be but on National Geographic, right? 

While the series probably wouldn't engage the normal reality show passerby, it was intriguing enough for this comic book enthusiast to tune in.  The show is set in Midtown Comics in New York City where, it just so happens, I order my online comics from monthly.  It was pretty cool to see where I order my comics from, meet some of the staff (and owner), and get a little insight into their world.  The next time I'm in New York City, I'll probably finally have to pop in and check it out in person.  Hopefully I can get out without too much damage to my credit card. 

Hot Stuff #1

So, the first episode followed a couple of the staff members as they (1) tried to set up for New York City's Comic Con and (2) searched for the first issue of Hot Stuff for the owner.  Having previously worked in a small town comic store back in my youth, I appreciated seeing the amount of work that goes into running such a huge establishment.  Some of the customers they focused on, though, were a bit creepy, as should be expected.  And, like Hoarders, it was a bit awkward to see the state of people's homes that are -- shall we say, "overly involved" -- in collecting comics.  In fact, the guy with the wannabe handlebar mustache and Larry Hagman eyebrows that they bought Hot Stuff #1 from for a few hundred dollars probably has never known what it's like to be with another human being sexually.  And is in desperate need of a maid.   Which, ironically, he could afford if he sold his collection, estimated at $15 million.  Seriously?  You'd rather live in filth than sell some of your comics and live like a king?  Dude, you need some serious fucking help.  

While the show dragged a little bit (as most reality shows do), the best part was definitely meeting and learning about Jill Pantozzi who writes the popular blog, Has Boobs, Reads Comics.  Now, I've seen her name and blog before.  I thought it was pretty cool that there are female readers out there as excited about the world of comic books as many men and, of course, I laughed at the title of the blog.  However, I didn't realize what a truly amazing person she is.  See, Jill is so young and suffers from muscular dystrophy.  She has an amazing attitude, though, and loves her comics (and her fans).  She's a real life Barbara Gordon/Oracle in a wheelchair (with red hair to boot!). 

Will I keep watching?  Sure.  I'll give it a shot.  Luckily, there's not much else on TV this summer that attracts my attention. 

DC: 52 Weeks Later

Do you hate DC's New 52 as much as I do?  Do you miss your favorite characters?  Are you disappointed that they took all of your DC Comics' childhood memories away?  Do you feel cheated reading comics now?

Take a Nielsen survey and tell them so before voting closes! 

The Silly X-Men

I've been reading the new Wolverine and the X-Men comic that resulted from the team "Schism."  Now, it doesn't take a marketing genius to know that the split of the 500+ issue series Uncanny X-Men into two new series (a new Uncanny X-Men series and a Wolverine and the X-Men series) was just an excuse to increase sales because X-Men-related comics are the biggest sellers.  I guess DC was offering more Batman monthly titles and Marvel had to find a way to compete.  

Naturally, I'm one of the gullible souls who was reading only the original Uncanny X-Men (no X-Men Legacy, Astonishing X-Men, or even just X-Men) but now have been purchasing Uncanny X-Men and Wolverine and the X-Men at $3.99 each, so they got me for an extra $4 per month.  And lately, they've been releasing each comic twice monthly, so they're making an extra $12 from me every month. 

The extra money spent wouldn't be so bad if it weren't for the awful product I'm getting in return.  I'm speaking specifically of Wolverine and the X-Men, which should really be retitled as The Silly X-Men.  Yes, Wolverine does appear in the comic (although seriously, what comic doesn't Wolverine currently appear in?).  However, it's primarily about a bunch of young silly mutants that I don't even know or care to know.  Quentin Quire?  Who the hell is he?  Isn't he the oversexed dude on Family Guy?  Oh, no, wait.  My bad.  He's a stupid punk-ass kid with pink hair, a la Perez Hilton.  Or, as I like to refer to him, the Danny Chase of the X-Men.  (See: When the New Teen Titans Went South.) 

I liked the concept of the "Schism" storyline wherein Cyclops would lead a team of X-Men off the coast of San Francisco on Utopia and Wolverine would start up a new school in Westchester, NY.  I also liked that Wolverine and the X-Men promised to feature Wolverine, Kitty Pryde, and the Beast teaching at the new Jean Grey School.  Sadly, we barely get glimpses of Kitty Pryde, Beast, or even Wolverine (!).  We mostly see these younger X-Men in training.  And they're not even the good Young X-Men.  Where are the characters from the Young X-Men short-lived series?  Dust?  Anole?  Graymalkin?  These characters had depth and personality.  The current motley crew consist of a bunch of whiny, annoying brats whose names I don't even know.

So, Marvel, I'm taking my $4 (or $8) and putting it toward the new Astonishing X-Men.  With Marjorie Liu scripting and Northstar making headlines, it's bound to be the better pick. 

DC's Newest Comics

DC Comics announced today four new monthly series beginning this fall:  “Night of the Owls” spinoff Talon, the fantasy Sword of Sorcery (anchored by “Amethyst, Princess of Gemworld” with a “Beowulf” back-up), The Phantom Stranger, and the DCU/Wildstorm-merging Team Seven. I've already commented on Sword of Sorcery, so now I'll take a moment to comment on the others based on the information DC provided in their press release and images: 

Team 7?  Seriously?  A group of Punishers?  Pass.  

Does anyone really think that the Phantom Stranger can carry his own comic book series?  He may be okay as part of a team-up book, but no one's ever said, "The Phantom Stranger is my favorite superhero," have they?  

I will point out, though, that his newest look somewhat resembles one of my favorite character's costumes, Obsidian, who apparently doesn't exist in DC's New 52 because of his now-gay dad, Alan Scott, the original Green Lantern.  Sigh... :(

Of the four new announced series, Talon probably has the greatest chance of survival.  It has a good title and an interesting new character and scenario.

So, will I pick these up?  I probably will, except for Team 7, just to see what they're about.  But I don't imagine staying with them unless they're exceptional.  I'm already considering dropping a lot of my favorite pre-New 52 mainstays like Teen Titans because I'm not particular fond of the new vision.

The Return of Amethyst (but probably not for long)

DC Comics announced today four new series that will begin in Fall 2012.  One of them features the return of Amethyst, Princess of Gemworld (happy squeal!). 

When I was a teenager, I loved the 1983 twelve-issue maxi-series of Amethyst, followed by the sixteen-issue monthly series.  After Amethyst became this weird mystic and Lord of Order, though, Amethyst's subsequent appearances (and mini-series) were pretty lame.  She was no longer youthful and innocent.  She was just another other-worldly being.  She was at her best being this teenage girl who (like Billy Batson) became an adult superhero.  Her situation was different than Captain Marvel/Shazam's in that she only became Amethyst when she stepped into another dimension, the dimension of Gemworld with its twelve individually gem-themed kingdoms.

From DC's press release:

SWORD OF SORCERY – Writer: Christy Marx. Artist: Aaron Lopresti.
Featuring the return of Amethyst, Amy Winston leads a strange life on the road with her mother and resents it. She’s about to learn it’s all been necessary when she discovers she’s the lost princess of Gemworld—and she’s being hunted by her murderous aunt. With a back-up story written by Tony Bedard with art by Jesus Saiz, set in a post-apocalyptic wasteland, the monstrous warrior Beowulf is charged with finding and defeating the evil Grendel.

My first impression?  The comic's title sucks.  A good title is the first key to success.  I get that DC is trying to revive their old, old titles (and probably keep their copyrights), but this title alone will drive it into cancellation.  Example: the first Sword and Sorcery from 1973 only lasted five issues. 

Worse than that, there's a back-up story, which means the comic will most likely cost $3.99 instead of $2.99.  How many $3.99 comics out there survive today, other than X-Men or Batman-related titles?  

With all these obstacles stacked against her, DC isn't even giving Amethyst a fair chance to start.  I also hope they don't fuck up her origin/story like they have with so many other characters during this recent New 52 reboot.  I have too many fond memories of the Princess of Gemworld.  

 

Sayonara, Daken

Daken #23 (final issue)

With issue #23 of Daken: Dark Wolverine, we say goodbye to Wolverine's son.  SPOILER: It's not only the last issue of the series, but Daken supposedly dies.  Of course, we all know how that goes in the superhero world.  After a few months of no appearances, he'll show up again.  Maybe in Marvel's new Dark Avengers ongoing series.   

It's quite sad to see Daken lose his own series.  He's a very intriguing and complex character, and I'm sure there are many excellent storylines that writer Rob Williams could have come up with for future issues.  Sadly, we'll never see them.  Instead, we'll see dozens of mediocre Avengers and X-Men comics on the shelves featuring the same characters over and over and over.  (Yes, I'm talking to you, Wolverine and Spider-Man.)

Daken #10

Daken had such great, well-written storylines when he took over Wolverine's own series for awhile that he was given his own monthly series.  Unfortunately, Daken's self-titled series started out a bit slow with the ho-hum "Wolverine Goes to Hell" and Madripoor storylines.  However, it quickly livened up when Daken hit Hollywood and writer Rob Williams came onboard and shook things up, showing us why we fell in love with Daken in the first place.  He's a bad boy.  And who doesn't love a bad boy?  I guess it was too late at this point, though.  Readers had already jumped ship and sales declined enough to warrant Daken's cancellation.  Such a pity.  Wolverine appears in all the X-books (literally) and yet his more complex, mysterious, hot-headed, selfish, bi-sexual son can't even get one. 

Here's hoping that Marvel sees the error of their ways...and Daken never does.