Will Read Comic Books

gailsimone:

Lois Lane:

Everyday I write the book. The book of what it’s like to be married to him. The kindness. The strength. The sense of decency that radiates off him so intensely, it’s almost visible. I want the world to know about him — how he looks when he’s sleeping, how he loves blueberry pancakes, but only if the berries are fresh, not frozen..and how, sometimes, in my heart of hearts, how even I still find new mysteries in him.

Because life with Superman isn’t all blueberries and light suppers on the moon.

Sometimes it’s alien invasions and mad scientists and Kryptonite poisoning. Sometimes it’s having honest-to-gosh demons and wizards on you enemies list. And yet the only thing that really scares him, the only thing that ever slows him down is the thought of the people he loves getting hurt. And that’s the kind of heroism people should know about.

People should understand his example. The super-speed kisses goodbye, the snap of his capes as he takes to the air. People should know. And every day I write the book. Be a bestseller…never leave the charts, probably. But to be honest, and more than a little selfish, I share my beautiful husband with the world enough. And these things, these small things I cherish, and these huge fears I endure — these I’m keeping for myself for awhile.

So everyday I write the book…and every night I tear it up again.

~Action Comics #830

*******

I wrote the above…writing Lois and Clark together, how they needed each other, two titans in love, was absolutely my favorite part of writing that book.

That is great monologue about what may be Comic’s greatest love. The great Gail Simone everybody.

A First Look at the Ray - aka another comic to buy

Here is the first look at The Ray 4-issue mini starting in December. I do believe I’ll be adding this to the heap.

DC Women Kicking Ass: Solict and cover for Wonder Woman #6

dcwomenkickingass:

I’m very nervous. This is another issue without Chiang on art. His work, I think, has been hugely important to this book’s success. I hope there is not a team change on this book coming (which could explain why there is a delay on the trade announcement.)

WONDER WOMAN #6
Written by BRIAN…

Sue, you’re scaring the hell out of me with this conjecture!

dcu:

Ladies and Gentleman:

DARKSEID

Hrm…..I don’t know what to think about this…

So up to this point, I think I’ve been fairly clear about how I feel about Lemire and Foreman’s Animal Man. It happens to be probably my favourite of the New52, along with Wonder Woman and Swamp Thing. Well, for #3, Lemire and Foreman brought their game faces. And by faces, I mean creepy things with no faces at all.

<SPOILERS—Sorry, but the reveal in this issue is crucial, so if you care, stop reading>

What I’m referring to are the Totems, the former avatars of the Red - many without faces -through whom Buddy actually got his powers (slight retcon) and that Maxine, not Buddy, is the true next Avatar of the Red. Up until this issue, everyone had a basic consensus that Animal and Red equaled Swamp Thing and the Green; to see that put on its head is just fantastic. 

And aside from the reveal, I feel like so much more happened in general. While Maxine and Buddy are in the Red, two of the Three Hunters go after them there, and Buddy seems to get an extra power set of looking similar to whatever animal he takes the powers of—whether this is because they are in the Red or not is left to be seen. Back on the home front, Cliff and Ellen are similarly attacked and are now on the run. This looks like a set up for multiple parallel storylines between the two parts of the Baker family for a little while, giving Lemire some extra leg-room for a more literary approach, perhaps. 

Now, no review of this issue should go without mentioning the level of creepy that is elevating with every issue. While Animal Man is certainly earning its place as part of the ‘Dark’ family of DC books, it certainly isn’t the creepiest book that came out that week. With only one fairly calm death and almost comical body-snatching (re: ala Egger from Men in Black), its creepy factor is coming from Foreman’s fantastically surreal art. And intestine tentacles.

As for Travel Foreman, I have no idea how this guy is going to top himself. The sheer amount of non-violent viscera in this book is staggering, to the point that it is abstract in its portrayal - in truth, it’s some weird shit. Couple that with great Hunter and Totem models, and you have the space for some eventually-iconic interpretations of things in the DCU. And the lovely colourist, Lovern Kindzierski, gives the ability for the human brain to even begin to comprehend what Foreman is putting down. I mean that in the nicest, most effusive way possible.

TL;DR

Friggin amazing, as usual. 

WK

Well I gave it my best shot.

I think I’m going to keep my review of Action Comics #3 short, mainly because I don’t want to waste any more time on this book. 

Plot-wise, Sneak Peak at Astro City on Krypton (with scary Krypto), Clark gets the shake-down by the cops, his landlord thinks he might be Superman, Metropolis doesn’t like Superman saving cats from tree, talking machines, Luther talking to (most-likely) Brainiac, Metallo. I still feel like I’m reading Spiderman, but with more aliens and inter-planetary socialites.

Art-wise, Morales makes a cool Krypton, but dumpy clark is driving me nuts. I can say that he is a trained, competent artist. I just hate almost anything he wants to put to paper.

+UPDATE+ Apparently Gene Ha did the Krypton Scenes. I’m officially cutting this and never picking up a Rags Morales book again.

Frankly, I’m disappointed. Morrison’s All-Star Superman (which I picked up just three weeks ago—forshame on me) is just amazing. It appeals to everything I love about Superman and his archetypal good-guy nature. Angst should be had over not being able to save the world, not about whether or not people like him or his inability to stop greedy politicians from doing bad—but not super villain bad—things to their constituents. 

I have a Messiah Complex to live out vicariously through Superman and Morrison is not allowing me that anymore. Now he’s gotta be really ‘down to his socialist roots’.

Whatever, I’m done.

TL;DR 

I’m dropping Action Comics because its boring and I don’t like Morrison’s Superman. I also hate Rags Morales’ art.

WK

We’ve seen in general that DC’s new52 is keeping pace with itself - the good books stay good, the mediocre books stay mediocre, and the terrible books stay terrible. While I’ve heard Stormwatch got way better, most quality jumps stayed fairly small. (I’m still not going to pick it up though.) One of the books that got marginally better with its sophomore issue was Justice League Dark.

Plot-wise, we’re still putting the pieces in place, so it’s still a little disjointed, but in this issue we get some magic dueling, as well as a piece on why Deadman, who is essentially a ghost, can’t be with his (living) girlfriend, Dove. The questions you immediately asked at the end of Brightest Day about their love post-boomerang are somewhat answered here, and definitely enters creepy, Swayze Ghost territory. While a little strange, it did perk my interest in Deadman enough to pick up the first two issues of DC Comics Presents, whose inaugural story centers on Boston Brand himself. Great cross-promotion.  

The only thing that bummed me out some was that other than the Deadman sections, I felt that the story is still moving too slow; something needs to happen soon. 

And right at the end, we get a fun twist with what seems to be a betrayal of a group that does not yet exist. Will it ever actually exist? Is this going to be like Seven Soldiers of Victory? I guess we’ll have to wait to find out.

One of the things I like about the book is how it subtly demonstrates everyone’s different magical and supernatural abilities - Zatanna’s backwards talking is different from Constantine’s rituals, which also feels very different from whatever Xanadu is doing with those cards. This is a great meld between Milligan and Janin and I look forward to seeing how they’ll work together when everyone is finally in the same room.

Speaking of the art, Janin and colorist Ulises Arreola do a bang-up job here. The style and colour palettes change with whoever we’re focused on, making for a distinct difference in tone, which of course helps the pacing of the book. The level of grit on constantine and enchantress compared to the smoothness of Zatanna and Xanadu make for a well-put-together book.

TL;DR

Another win, and possibly better than #1

WK

Last month, I spoke very highly of Wonder Woman #1, finding it to be a high action, high intrigue book with amazing visuals. The second issue is no less a success.

Read More

James Robinson’s Starman series is in my top five favourite series. It may be my favourite. I own the omnibus collections and read them often. Jack Knight, Shade, Grundy, Mikaal, Ted Knight and the O’Dares are just great characters you can return to read again and again. Why am I saying all of this? Because the series that ended 10 years ago is finally back in some measure by giving Shade his own mini-series!

In what could be called the ‘second-wave’ of the New 52, DC pumped out three mini-series this month: Huntress, Penguin, and the Shade are our protagonists of these series and while much has been made about Huntress’ connection to other post-reboot books, it is unclear whether and where the Shade’s book falls in terms of continuity. But really, who cares? It’s a book about the Shade!

The Shade is an interesting character - he’s not a hero by any stretch, but Robinson made him into something other than a villain. He’s someone who wants to protect his dear city from destruction and squalor, and is perfectly happy to kill many, many people to do it. For those who know, it is very similar to Frau Totenkinder of Bill Willingham’s Fables: a character with few morals outside of protecting those they love or owe a debt to. Scary and awesome at the same time. Whenever I can, I want to read more about him, even if (especially if) I can’t get Jack Knight on the page anymore.

The plot is essentially Shade being melancholy, but quick-witted between conversations with the new (and former) Starman, Mikaal, love interest and cop Hope O’Dare, hoping for an adventure during the month of his creation. Some other guy is being hunted on the other side of the world, who then feels the need to contact Shade to warn him of similar danger. The danger finds Shade and from there, well, I’ll keep that a secret, for now.

Robinson is awesome at writing dialogue for Shade especially, but dialogue amongst the other characters is also quite refined and subtle in its delivery. The characters’ voices are still those of ten years ago - I feel like I’m slipping into an old glove. I wish I could say more, but let’s just say the writing is on par with Robinson’s level of quality.

Unfortunately, I’m not sure that anyone not intimately close to the character and setting are going to understand word-one of this book, and, possibly, series. That’s ok, I guess, because I’m sure Starman is still riding high on the popularity train of those who’ve read about Jack Knight’s adventures before.

The art, done by Cully Hamner, with colours by Dave McCaig, is reminiscent of Tony Harris’ and Peter Snejbjerg’s work from the original series, but with enough change to make it contemporary. Shade is a lot more buffer than usual, but I can lay that aside.

TL;DR

If you’ve read Starman, pick this up. If you haven’t, read Starman Vol.2 (1994-2001), and then read this.

WK

Could #2 be as good as the long-awaited #1? 

Yes. Yes it can.

Batwoman #2 hits the ground running with Kate talking to Bette about possibly joining Batman Inc, though Kate isn’t sure if is awesome or terrible (a little meta there, maybe). This is followed by our friends at the DEO getting deeper into the case by getting Kate’s date Detective Sawyer further on the trail of Batwoman in classic love/hate triangle between Sawyer, Kate, and Batwoman. More creepy weeping woman and a two-gang slaughter of metahumans. Finish off with a superhero on detective shakedown and Batwoman under a pier about to be attacked by the Weeping Woman herself. 

While the plot is moving forward well and is keeping my interest, what I think I’m finding more interesting is the difference between Kate as Kate and Kate as Batwoman. Similar to how Bruce flits between two very different personalities - one dour, the other jovial - in many portrayals of the character, Kate is similarly shown, being silly and frivolous at times on her date, very confident, but in a quirky, off-kilter way. I like it. It certainly gives depth to the character outside of the mask.

The art, once again, is just amazing. Between Williams and Stewart, we are served with a heaping platter of lovely pages. The consistent difference of a painted Batwoman and Weeping woman certainly keeps the two on a different plane than the other characters; those other characters may be important, but they are the focus like Kate and the Weeping Woman are. Even the DEO get there own palette of harder shadows, possibly implying that the DEO are going to be after Batwoman long after Hydrology finishes up.

Williams’ splashes are, as always, just beautiful. You could get some real money just blowing those splashes up to poster size. 

My one gripe is that Kate’s date clothes are really out there. As in, not modern or up to date in fashion sense out there. Even a change of colour would have helped. Time to spend more time with vogue there, art team. 

TL;DR

Batwoman continues to be a top pick for DC’s New 52. Pick it up - It’s awesome.

WK