Although I'm not always a fan of highly decompressed storytelling, Earth 2 #2 makes it work. Takes advantage of it, even. Seeing Mercury slowly crumble and fade, and then later watching the Flash begin to study his powers, were both moments that worked much better (and looked much cooler) because they were given ample room to breath. That's most of the issue right there, really, with the exception of an awesome opening that sets up a pretty great new status quo for the two men who were Mr. Terrific pre-New 52. And then there are the two brief scenes with Alan Scott and his boyfriend Sam, which we've all seen some of in the news surrounding Scott's sexuality last week. Though not as interesting as the superpowered stuff, these moments worked as well, and led to a cliffhanger that promises to finally make Scott into the hero we all know he'll become.
Speaking of Scotts, the penciler-inker team of Nicola Scott and Trevor Scott is really doing a great job on this title. Very detailed and expressive characters, and the scene of the Flash exploring his powers was particularly strong and clear. Also, without spoiling who it is, there is a splash page at the end of that scene introducing another character who I was very pleased to see and who looked awesome. And even though I mentioned it briefly above, Mercury's steady decaying looked spectacular, and helped to express the urgency of his message.
Really the best part of Earth 2 so far is the total earnestness the main characters all seem to possess. When Jay Garrick gets his powers, he doesn't really even question whether or not he should start saving people, he just gets right to it. And Alan Scott, in his awkward proposal to Sam, displays a similar yet distinct kind of quiet bravery. The promise of a great evil lies ahead, so it's nice to see such bright and sincere heroes coming together, however slowly, to face it.
7.5/10
Thursday, June 7, 2012
Pull List Review: The Defenders #7
Defenders was a bit more straightforward this issue than some of the recent ones, which was definitely a good thing. I think the title suffered for a bit from trying to be too chaotic or cryptic or strange. Also, the return of Terry and Rachel Dodson on art duties didn't hurt one bit. They really knock it out of the park with Black Cat, most notably when she crashes through a window and falls through the sky trying to figure out how to work a Satan Claw. Also, the Dodsons' John Aman is appropriately creepy, as is the two-page spread of his kingdom, Z'Gambo. Even though the name McKelvie can only bring me joy, I am a little sad to see the Dodsons return and then depart again so quickly, because they're just the ideal artists for this book in my mind.
The story, as I said, is fairly direct. The details learned from last issue lead our heroes to take action against John Aman, while Black Cat is hired by a mysterious group called The Antiquarians to go after Aman for their own purposes. All of this sets us up for a Wakanda-Z'Gambo war, a war which The Defenders essentially caused by asking for Wakanda's assistance, and will now no doubt be right in the middle of, along with Black Cat, who knows basically nothing about what she's heading into.
Black Cat is by far the best part of the story as well as the art, and I look forward to seeing her playing at a level of power she's maybe not used to. Red She-Hulk also continues to be one of the most entertaining characters, even though we've seen perhaps the least of her so far. She's definitely a part of the two funniest moments in this issue.
Matt Fraction has a clear affinity for his cast and a passion for the larger story he's telling about these mysterious engines, but sometimes in his enthusiasm I think he lets it all get away from him. Not the case this time out, where we get something that feels like a classic superhero tale, while remaining a bit more nuanced than that.
7.0/10
The story, as I said, is fairly direct. The details learned from last issue lead our heroes to take action against John Aman, while Black Cat is hired by a mysterious group called The Antiquarians to go after Aman for their own purposes. All of this sets us up for a Wakanda-Z'Gambo war, a war which The Defenders essentially caused by asking for Wakanda's assistance, and will now no doubt be right in the middle of, along with Black Cat, who knows basically nothing about what she's heading into.
Black Cat is by far the best part of the story as well as the art, and I look forward to seeing her playing at a level of power she's maybe not used to. Red She-Hulk also continues to be one of the most entertaining characters, even though we've seen perhaps the least of her so far. She's definitely a part of the two funniest moments in this issue.
Matt Fraction has a clear affinity for his cast and a passion for the larger story he's telling about these mysterious engines, but sometimes in his enthusiasm I think he lets it all get away from him. Not the case this time out, where we get something that feels like a classic superhero tale, while remaining a bit more nuanced than that.
7.0/10
Pull List Review: Dark Avengers #175
Faced with the challenge of introducing a new title and team without upsetting old fans, Jeff Parker intelligently starts us off with an explanation of where the old Thunderbolts are and why they need to be replaced. Then he uses Luke Cage, who has been one of the driving forces of this series for ages, to transition us into the new world of the Dark Avengers. It is Cage's reactions, first to seeing the team and then to learning of their purpose, that teach the reader everything they need to know about the Dark Avengers as a unit. Even if you haven't read their past exploits (as I haven't) the gist of it all is summed up when they first mouth off to Cage and he then attacks them on sight.
Sadly, the ending is pretty much spoiled by the cover, but it is Cage's reasons for changing his mind about leaving the program that really matters for the the story, not the contingency plan he settles on using. And even if the ending is weakened, the opening completely rules, and makes me really excited to see the new team in action on their first official outing.
That opening is also where Declan Shalvey shines brightest, mostly just because of the Masticore or whatever it was. But Shalvey brings his usual tone of chaotic energy to the entire issue, and the fight scene between the remaining Thunderbolts and the Dark Avengers is a whole lot of rock-shattering fun. The panels where Cage forces his way through Toxie Doxie's blast and then everyone sort of piles on top of each other were particularly enjoyable, as were the expressions on the Dark Avengers' faces while being kept in check by their nanites.
Basically, calling it Dark Avengers and changing the cast doesn't seem to have done much to the ultimate feel of this book. It still has all the humor and off-the-hinges action as it always did, and the characters still have widely varied motivations and moral compasses. I do hope we get the old team to meet up with this new team sooner than later, but I'm not too worried about the time in between.
6.5/10
Sadly, the ending is pretty much spoiled by the cover, but it is Cage's reasons for changing his mind about leaving the program that really matters for the the story, not the contingency plan he settles on using. And even if the ending is weakened, the opening completely rules, and makes me really excited to see the new team in action on their first official outing.
That opening is also where Declan Shalvey shines brightest, mostly just because of the Masticore or whatever it was. But Shalvey brings his usual tone of chaotic energy to the entire issue, and the fight scene between the remaining Thunderbolts and the Dark Avengers is a whole lot of rock-shattering fun. The panels where Cage forces his way through Toxie Doxie's blast and then everyone sort of piles on top of each other were particularly enjoyable, as were the expressions on the Dark Avengers' faces while being kept in check by their nanites.
Basically, calling it Dark Avengers and changing the cast doesn't seem to have done much to the ultimate feel of this book. It still has all the humor and off-the-hinges action as it always did, and the characters still have widely varied motivations and moral compasses. I do hope we get the old team to meet up with this new team sooner than later, but I'm not too worried about the time in between.
6.5/10
Pull List Review: Avengers vs. X-Men #5
What Avengers vs. X-Men needed more than anything was a shake-up, a shift in course. It gets it here, and even though I don't exactly love this issue's resolution, I was glad to see something unexpected. Matt Fraction does a good job examining Hope's take on this Phoenix situation, making her sound both as intelligent and as young as she's meant to be. And though no one can save Scott Summers from sounding fanatical, Fraction at least gives him some emotional depth beyond being extremely angry or stoic.
John Romita, Jr., for his part, delivers stronger material than the previous four issues. There are still some awkward figures and faces scattered throughout, but the baseline quality improves. And the biggest moments, like everything with Stark's giant disruptor robot and the X-Men being empowered by the Phoenix at the end, all looked great for a change.
This event still hasn't hooked me, but with slightly more than half to go, and this chapter feeling like a possible turn in narrative inventiveness and quality, I'm actually feeling what might be described as optimistic. Cautiously so, of course, because even Avengers vs. X-Men #5 wasn't a knock-out, but it was a solid superhero tale with a likable and relatable lead and a truly surprising twist at the end. So maybe all is not lost. Or maybe they got lucky once.
5.0/10
John Romita, Jr., for his part, delivers stronger material than the previous four issues. There are still some awkward figures and faces scattered throughout, but the baseline quality improves. And the biggest moments, like everything with Stark's giant disruptor robot and the X-Men being empowered by the Phoenix at the end, all looked great for a change.
This event still hasn't hooked me, but with slightly more than half to go, and this chapter feeling like a possible turn in narrative inventiveness and quality, I'm actually feeling what might be described as optimistic. Cautiously so, of course, because even Avengers vs. X-Men #5 wasn't a knock-out, but it was a solid superhero tale with a likable and relatable lead and a truly surprising twist at the end. So maybe all is not lost. Or maybe they got lucky once.
5.0/10
Pull List Review: Animal Man #10
For a while now, Animal Man has been sort of dragging its feet, and while in some ways this issue feels the same, it actually has a few big moments of forward progression. Cliff being taken in by the Rot and Buddy being promised a new body are the biggest two, but also Constantine alluding to a "Big Green Guy" who apparently isn't Swamp Thing felt like the seeding of significant things to come. So even though it's true that the character themselves didn't move very far, the story is beginning to pick up at least a little steam once again.
Ellen Baker continues to be a force against this progress, unfortunately, which is beginning to make me weary. I understand Jeff Lemire is giving her a strong and solid viewpoint, and it's a realistic and fully legitimate one, but she is starting to be a little bit of a one-note character, which is no fun for anyone, readers or cast.
Steve Pugh does much better and more consistent work when drawing the Red than the "real" world. His Zatanna, especially, never looked quite the same in any two panels, and both Xanadu and Constantine shifted, too. He draws the Baker family well, though, and the moment where Cliff is confronted by the Hunter in Buddy's body was actually a standout page, as unsettling for us as it was comforting for Cliff.
The rest of the really impressive artwork comes from the scenes in the Red, though. The Totems and their castle looked amazing, but it was the Warrior Class characters who ultimately stole the show. Maybe it's just because they remind me of some of my favorite Dungeons & Dragons monsters, but that panel where they charge down from the sky was by far my favorite of the issue. Pugh may not be quite as strong as Travel Foreman overall, but he's still an excellent fit for this title, so long as he can keep building the world of the Red.
6.0/10
Ellen Baker continues to be a force against this progress, unfortunately, which is beginning to make me weary. I understand Jeff Lemire is giving her a strong and solid viewpoint, and it's a realistic and fully legitimate one, but she is starting to be a little bit of a one-note character, which is no fun for anyone, readers or cast.
Steve Pugh does much better and more consistent work when drawing the Red than the "real" world. His Zatanna, especially, never looked quite the same in any two panels, and both Xanadu and Constantine shifted, too. He draws the Baker family well, though, and the moment where Cliff is confronted by the Hunter in Buddy's body was actually a standout page, as unsettling for us as it was comforting for Cliff.
The rest of the really impressive artwork comes from the scenes in the Red, though. The Totems and their castle looked amazing, but it was the Warrior Class characters who ultimately stole the show. Maybe it's just because they remind me of some of my favorite Dungeons & Dragons monsters, but that panel where they charge down from the sky was by far my favorite of the issue. Pugh may not be quite as strong as Travel Foreman overall, but he's still an excellent fit for this title, so long as he can keep building the world of the Red.
6.0/10
Tuesday, June 5, 2012
Boy Do I Feel Stupid: The Pointlessness of "The Culling" & "The Omega Effect"
It's not that I expect great things from comicbook crossovers. I understand that their main purpose is to boost sales across titles, and secondary to that is the telling of a good story. It may not be true for everyone involved, but it tends to be the ultimate reality. However, for both DC's "The Culling" and Marvel's "The Omega Effect" I did let my expectations rise just a little because I was already reading the titles they spun out of (Teen Titans and Daredevil, respectively). And those titles were GOOD. Teen Titans wasn't exactly flooring me, but it was one of the most genuinely fun series I followed, always full of wit and with a cast that grew on me more each month. Daredevil, meanwhile, was even better, some of the strongest work done with the hero or his alter-ego in quite a while. And more often than not, it was better than any of the other superhero titles coming out from either publisher. Not only that, but both books had been building up to their respective crossover stories for a long time. Hell, Teen Titans since it's very first issue. So I was invested, inasmuch as I always am in the stories of series I like, and I think I was reasonable in my expectation of some amount of narrative closure from the crossovers. Because I was told, in-story and through advertising, interviews, etc. that they were what everything was moving toward. Problem is, "The Omega Effect" and "The Culling" have come and gone, Marvel and DC have each made extra money off of me for one month, and I have yet to find any such closure.
Admittedly, "The Culling" is more successful than "The Omega Effect," at least in terms of its ultimate conclusion, but it's a worse, even less significant story along the way. Pages upon pages are filled with nothing more than teen meta-humans fighting each other without any clear victors or lasting consequences. All of which leads to even more drawn out fighting, this time between the big bad Harvest and the combined forces of the Teen Titans and Legion Lost teams. I don't mind a good old-fashioned superpowered slug-fest, even one that lasts for multiple issues, but only if it also serves to somehow move the story forward. In "The Culling," the fighting is the story, pretty much. The larger narrative arc is that the Titans and Legion want to free themselves and the other prisoners from Harvest and N.O.W.H.E.R.E.'s clutches, but basically all that amounts to is the two teams fighting various enemies on multiple fronts for four issues until the very, very end when a real plan is put into place and an evacuation begins. But by the time that evacuation and the subsequent destruction of the N.O.W.H.E.R.E. facility occur, it's hard to muster up much enthusiasm as a reader, because we've already had to slog through so much meaningless punching and yelling from such a vast number of characters that the point of the whole mess has been lost. Or, if not entirely lost, at the very least dramatically dampened by the ridiculously awful pacing and storytelling.
The other obnoxious thing about the ending of "The Culling" is that, while it arguably ties up some of the smaller threads from of the overarching story of N.O.W.H.E.R.E. and it's goals, it still doesn't even remotely attempt to explain what those goals might actually be. We learn a little bit more about Harvest than we knew going in, primarily that he is either from the future or has spent time there, but his endgame and the desires of his wicked organization remain as mysterious as ever. Which is what I mean when I talk about a lack of closure. For almost a year, Teen Titans has centered on the team's attempts to uncover and thwart N.O.W.H.E.R.E.'s undoubtedly evil plans, but even when they are in the belly of the best, the best they can do is, apparently, to blow shit up without getting any concrete answers. It doesn't help that almost all of Harvest's lines are intentionally cryptic and vague, which some of the other characters actually call attention to. But the bigger problem, I think, lies in the fact that "The Culling" spanned three different titles plus an annual, and so it was afraid to tell too complete a tale. Rather than answer any of the looming questions from the preceding Teen Titans issues, it tried to tell a story which could be understood by fans of any of its series, even if that meant drastically diluting the narrative quality of each individual chapter. Which, as I've said, is usually the main goal of any crossover, so maybe I should have anticipated it, but I believe now as I did beforehand that it would have been possible to do both, to provide new and important information regarding N.O.W.H.E.R.E.'s aims while simultaneously relating a unique and self-contained adventure involving casts of multiple titles. That the creators behind "The Culling" choose instead to do a story of so little substance that it could probably be removed from the canon entirely without majorly impacting any of the series involved is, I think, pathetic and a bit cowardly. But it's nothing compared to the utter pointlessness of "The Omega Effect."
"The Omega Effect" kind of suffers from the opposite, or maybe inverse, problem as "The Culling." Rather than being a fluffy, meaningless story with a weak bit of unsatisfying closure at the end, it's a mostly semi-interesting story that has a cop out, bullshit ending which doesn't even try for closure. And that makes it, overall, the worse of the two crossovers in my book, even if while I was reading it I enjoyed it slightly more.
Daredevil had already, in the pages of his own title, discovered and obtained the Omega Drive, a device with secret financial and other information on several of the "Megacrime" organizations in the Marvel U: A.I.M., Hydra, Black Spectre, etc. It was an interesting and dangerous situation, because DD knew he couldn't keep the drive out of his enemies' hands indefinitely, nor could he effectively use it against them on his own. So "The Omega Effect" was meant to be, or at any rate set itself up to be, the story of how DD would resolve the problem of possessing such a hotly-sought-after bit of technology. And for 2/3's of the story, that's exactly what it pretended it was. DD joined forces with Spider-Man and the Punisher, and after a bit of bickering, they all agreed on a course of action that would lay this Omega Drive issue to rest for good. Then in it's final act, the story inexplicably and needlessly changed course, and by the end of the crossover literally nothing had changed. Not in regards to the Omega Drive anyway. Yes, there was some tiny character development for Punisher's new partner, Sgt. Cole-Alves, but other than that, the status quo of everyone involved was exactly what it had been before the crossover began. DD still had the drive, Megacrime still wanted it, and a plan to fix all of that still needed to be devised. Apparently, the "Effect" in "The Omega Effect" was that it had none whatsoever.
I'm still reading Daredevil and Teen Titans both, because they earned enough points with me before these crossovers took place that I wasn't going to drop them after one bad story. Especially one with extra writers in numerous titles. But as they move forward---Daredevil has had two issues since "The Omega Effect" and Titans' first post-"Culling" issue won't be until later this month---I find myself much less excited or anxious to see what's next. Which shouldn't be the case, because they're titles with strong track records and, because so little was changed by either of their crossovers, they still theoretically contain all the same story potential they did before. But I was so thoroughly underwhelmed and, more than that, truly disappointed by the crossovers that the sour taste they left in my mouth remains. Instead of using the momentum of these mini-events to launch into the next great leg of their respective narratives, these series now have to rebuild that momentum from zero. I do have hope that they can succeed, that in a few months these pointless stories will be distant, forgotten pieces of a much greater whole. Hope, yes, but no longer faith. Where once I trusted Teen Titans and Daredevil to regularly deliver the goods, I now feel only apprehension that they may no longer do so, and that right there is the biggest thing either "The Culling" or "The Omega Effect" accomplished. No great changes made within their own worlds, but out here in our world each series has at least one fewer enthusiastic fan.
Admittedly, "The Culling" is more successful than "The Omega Effect," at least in terms of its ultimate conclusion, but it's a worse, even less significant story along the way. Pages upon pages are filled with nothing more than teen meta-humans fighting each other without any clear victors or lasting consequences. All of which leads to even more drawn out fighting, this time between the big bad Harvest and the combined forces of the Teen Titans and Legion Lost teams. I don't mind a good old-fashioned superpowered slug-fest, even one that lasts for multiple issues, but only if it also serves to somehow move the story forward. In "The Culling," the fighting is the story, pretty much. The larger narrative arc is that the Titans and Legion want to free themselves and the other prisoners from Harvest and N.O.W.H.E.R.E.'s clutches, but basically all that amounts to is the two teams fighting various enemies on multiple fronts for four issues until the very, very end when a real plan is put into place and an evacuation begins. But by the time that evacuation and the subsequent destruction of the N.O.W.H.E.R.E. facility occur, it's hard to muster up much enthusiasm as a reader, because we've already had to slog through so much meaningless punching and yelling from such a vast number of characters that the point of the whole mess has been lost. Or, if not entirely lost, at the very least dramatically dampened by the ridiculously awful pacing and storytelling.
The other obnoxious thing about the ending of "The Culling" is that, while it arguably ties up some of the smaller threads from of the overarching story of N.O.W.H.E.R.E. and it's goals, it still doesn't even remotely attempt to explain what those goals might actually be. We learn a little bit more about Harvest than we knew going in, primarily that he is either from the future or has spent time there, but his endgame and the desires of his wicked organization remain as mysterious as ever. Which is what I mean when I talk about a lack of closure. For almost a year, Teen Titans has centered on the team's attempts to uncover and thwart N.O.W.H.E.R.E.'s undoubtedly evil plans, but even when they are in the belly of the best, the best they can do is, apparently, to blow shit up without getting any concrete answers. It doesn't help that almost all of Harvest's lines are intentionally cryptic and vague, which some of the other characters actually call attention to. But the bigger problem, I think, lies in the fact that "The Culling" spanned three different titles plus an annual, and so it was afraid to tell too complete a tale. Rather than answer any of the looming questions from the preceding Teen Titans issues, it tried to tell a story which could be understood by fans of any of its series, even if that meant drastically diluting the narrative quality of each individual chapter. Which, as I've said, is usually the main goal of any crossover, so maybe I should have anticipated it, but I believe now as I did beforehand that it would have been possible to do both, to provide new and important information regarding N.O.W.H.E.R.E.'s aims while simultaneously relating a unique and self-contained adventure involving casts of multiple titles. That the creators behind "The Culling" choose instead to do a story of so little substance that it could probably be removed from the canon entirely without majorly impacting any of the series involved is, I think, pathetic and a bit cowardly. But it's nothing compared to the utter pointlessness of "The Omega Effect."
"The Omega Effect" kind of suffers from the opposite, or maybe inverse, problem as "The Culling." Rather than being a fluffy, meaningless story with a weak bit of unsatisfying closure at the end, it's a mostly semi-interesting story that has a cop out, bullshit ending which doesn't even try for closure. And that makes it, overall, the worse of the two crossovers in my book, even if while I was reading it I enjoyed it slightly more.
Daredevil had already, in the pages of his own title, discovered and obtained the Omega Drive, a device with secret financial and other information on several of the "Megacrime" organizations in the Marvel U: A.I.M., Hydra, Black Spectre, etc. It was an interesting and dangerous situation, because DD knew he couldn't keep the drive out of his enemies' hands indefinitely, nor could he effectively use it against them on his own. So "The Omega Effect" was meant to be, or at any rate set itself up to be, the story of how DD would resolve the problem of possessing such a hotly-sought-after bit of technology. And for 2/3's of the story, that's exactly what it pretended it was. DD joined forces with Spider-Man and the Punisher, and after a bit of bickering, they all agreed on a course of action that would lay this Omega Drive issue to rest for good. Then in it's final act, the story inexplicably and needlessly changed course, and by the end of the crossover literally nothing had changed. Not in regards to the Omega Drive anyway. Yes, there was some tiny character development for Punisher's new partner, Sgt. Cole-Alves, but other than that, the status quo of everyone involved was exactly what it had been before the crossover began. DD still had the drive, Megacrime still wanted it, and a plan to fix all of that still needed to be devised. Apparently, the "Effect" in "The Omega Effect" was that it had none whatsoever.
I'm still reading Daredevil and Teen Titans both, because they earned enough points with me before these crossovers took place that I wasn't going to drop them after one bad story. Especially one with extra writers in numerous titles. But as they move forward---Daredevil has had two issues since "The Omega Effect" and Titans' first post-"Culling" issue won't be until later this month---I find myself much less excited or anxious to see what's next. Which shouldn't be the case, because they're titles with strong track records and, because so little was changed by either of their crossovers, they still theoretically contain all the same story potential they did before. But I was so thoroughly underwhelmed and, more than that, truly disappointed by the crossovers that the sour taste they left in my mouth remains. Instead of using the momentum of these mini-events to launch into the next great leg of their respective narratives, these series now have to rebuild that momentum from zero. I do have hope that they can succeed, that in a few months these pointless stories will be distant, forgotten pieces of a much greater whole. Hope, yes, but no longer faith. Where once I trusted Teen Titans and Daredevil to regularly deliver the goods, I now feel only apprehension that they may no longer do so, and that right there is the biggest thing either "The Culling" or "The Omega Effect" accomplished. No great changes made within their own worlds, but out here in our world each series has at least one fewer enthusiastic fan.
Sunday, June 3, 2012
Totally Random Fun Thing
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| Page from The Adventures of Quik Bunny © 1984 The Nestle Company, Inc. and Marvel Comics Group |
Saturday, June 2, 2012
Smatterday 06/02/2012
Alan Scott is Gay: Not a Big Surprise or Deal
DC has finally revealed who their new "iconic" homosexual character is: Earth 2's Alan Scott. Well, to be fair, Earth 1's Alan Scott might be gay, too, if he even exists, but he's not the one everybody is talking about. Personally, I'm just glad the news is out so the speculation can end. Of course, now is when the hate starts to pour in from people who oppose the change or gay heros in general, but I prefer that to the pointless secrecy. James Robinson will be writing the character for the foreseeable future, and he has a superb track record writing full, realistic gay characters Starman without making a big display of it or any similar political nonsense. So I'm more pleased by the news than anything. But mostly I wish it weren't news.
Before Watchmen: Not a Cool or Good Idea
Boooooooo! Wednesday sees the release of the first "Before Watchmen" series, which means after months of people arguing about whether or not it was a good idea, we can now begin the months of people arguing about whether or not they're good comics. Which, to me, is an irrelevant conversation, or anyway one that's totally disconnected from the question of if this project should exist at all. Even if these titles are somehow better than the original Watchmen (fat chance...obese, even) there is a more fundamental ethical issue underlying their very creation which has nothing to do with quality. I'm basically going to do my best to just pretend it isn't even real. Join me, won't you?
Valiant Comics: Not Exactly New or Old
This is old news by now, but last month kicked off the "Summer of Valiant," Valiant Comics' glorious return to publishing new comicbook material. Years after being sold to a company that then went bakrupt, Valiant now has new, passionate owners who have brought in a bunch of equally-passionate and talented creators, editors, etc. to relaunch updated versions of their classic titles. I did not, myself, jump on the train with X-O Manowar in May, but on Wednesday Harbinger #1 comes out, and I could not be more excited for that, if for no other reason than because I've missed Joshua Dysart since Unknown Soldier was canceled. Besides, any new comicbook company, even an old one, deserves at least one honest try, and based on what I've seen and heard so far, the Summer of Valiant is not going to disappoint.
Midtown Comics: I have no subtitle I just think this is kind of awesome
As a final bit of positivity, Manhattan comicbook shop Midtown Comics has opened a "mini-boutique" in the world's most incredible toy store, FAO Schwarz. Seems like a move designed to bring in younger readers, right? And I'm all for that. Plus it's nice to see comics being sold from such a massive and popular location. Best of luck, Midtown!
DC has finally revealed who their new "iconic" homosexual character is: Earth 2's Alan Scott. Well, to be fair, Earth 1's Alan Scott might be gay, too, if he even exists, but he's not the one everybody is talking about. Personally, I'm just glad the news is out so the speculation can end. Of course, now is when the hate starts to pour in from people who oppose the change or gay heros in general, but I prefer that to the pointless secrecy. James Robinson will be writing the character for the foreseeable future, and he has a superb track record writing full, realistic gay characters Starman without making a big display of it or any similar political nonsense. So I'm more pleased by the news than anything. But mostly I wish it weren't news.
Before Watchmen: Not a Cool or Good Idea
Boooooooo! Wednesday sees the release of the first "Before Watchmen" series, which means after months of people arguing about whether or not it was a good idea, we can now begin the months of people arguing about whether or not they're good comics. Which, to me, is an irrelevant conversation, or anyway one that's totally disconnected from the question of if this project should exist at all. Even if these titles are somehow better than the original Watchmen (fat chance...obese, even) there is a more fundamental ethical issue underlying their very creation which has nothing to do with quality. I'm basically going to do my best to just pretend it isn't even real. Join me, won't you?
Valiant Comics: Not Exactly New or Old
This is old news by now, but last month kicked off the "Summer of Valiant," Valiant Comics' glorious return to publishing new comicbook material. Years after being sold to a company that then went bakrupt, Valiant now has new, passionate owners who have brought in a bunch of equally-passionate and talented creators, editors, etc. to relaunch updated versions of their classic titles. I did not, myself, jump on the train with X-O Manowar in May, but on Wednesday Harbinger #1 comes out, and I could not be more excited for that, if for no other reason than because I've missed Joshua Dysart since Unknown Soldier was canceled. Besides, any new comicbook company, even an old one, deserves at least one honest try, and based on what I've seen and heard so far, the Summer of Valiant is not going to disappoint.
Midtown Comics: I have no subtitle I just think this is kind of awesome
As a final bit of positivity, Manhattan comicbook shop Midtown Comics has opened a "mini-boutique" in the world's most incredible toy store, FAO Schwarz. Seems like a move designed to bring in younger readers, right? And I'm all for that. Plus it's nice to see comics being sold from such a massive and popular location. Best of luck, Midtown!
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