in this week's comics (and some o' last week's).
Cascade. Oh, so delighted to see her in last week's 52. I know her only from pouring over the DC Encyclopedia in search of water-based characters who would be good custom clix for my Aquaman-centric ocean map games. Hanging out with Black Adam isn't the best sign, but it keeps her in play so that some day she can find a home in the Aquaman title. Maybe by then the real Aquaman will be back in it, too.!
Dr. Psycho versus Manhunter. Is Doc P a bit overused right now? Perhaps. But given that he was absent from comics for DECADES, I don't begrudge him the screen time. Besides he's consistently and unrepentently vile; we deserve more villains like that.
Command D. Of course -- how else would something as rug-chewingly crazy as Battle for Bludhaven end except with Command D?
Bye-bye, Bludhaven. Wish I could say I'll miss you, but from the very beginning you were nothing but a parody of Gotham.
The Wolfman is a monster that kills once a month. Happy to hear that Marv Wolfman's run on Nightwing is just a few filler issues. Wolfman, the "creator of Nightwing", is, as far as I'm concerned, the Man Who Ruined Dick Grayson. But you knew that already. He is the exact opposite of what that character needs right now.
Vibe's cameo in JLA #0. Thanks, Brad!
Batman borrowing a book from the library on Themiscyra. Second best moment in JLA #0.
Captain Atom's "new outfit" at the end of Battle for Bludhaven (which apparently lots of younger readers didn't understand). A nice easter egg for us fanboys though!
Freedom Fighters. I have to agree with Devon (who, after all, erreth not): if you read only one comic book this week with strong social commentary using metahumans as a metaphor, then let it be Freedom Fighters.
Robin's great relationship with Batman. But I'm with Alfred; I mean "The Clash"? Harrumph!
Querl Dox calling Vril Dox stupid. Well, who else can get away with it?
The Legion's Supergirl. DC; can we please allow this version of Supergirl into the 21st century?
The crazy-@$$ silveragedness of the 31st century. Yes, this week we learn in one expository word balloon that the earth shifted its axis of rotation so that Australia became the south pole, rendering Antarctica liveable, where one city eventually got giantified by Bizarro-Brainaic's Enlargement Ray, and that's where Colossal Boy comes from: a city of giants living in Antarctica. Oh. Well. Of course! That's how the 31st century should be...
The art, particularly the inking, in Robin.
Doll Man's opening scene. So sweet it made my teeth hurt.
Finally, someone is going to get rid of Major Force. Who keeps thinking it's a good idea to bringing this cheesy, cartoonishly violent bowling trophy back as character? Let him go this time, please.
Uncle Sam is coming and somebody's gonna get a whoopin' out by the toolshed.
Sue's hats. Lots of them.
The Question, retooled to resemble more his JLU version (really, the only version that's ever been truly popular).
Batwoman. Batwoman skulking. Batwoman throwing batarangs. Batwoman crashing through windows. Batwoman's majorette baton of doom. Batwoman kicking ani-men butt. Batwoman making a quick exit. I don't know whether Renee is in love in Batwoman, but I sure as heck am!
What Flash discovered for the Big Three at "the Hall". Make no mistake: there are some ideas so good, you just can't kill them, folks. Thanks again, Brad.
29 comments:
Damn, my comic retailer's shipment got delayed, so I have to live vicariously through other blogs.
Command-D, eh? I'm sorta regretting not buying Battle for Bludhaven...
I'm willing to give Wolfman a chance: it seems like his arc might be more detective oriented, which wouldn't bother me.
The Question by Denny O'Neil... not popular?!
Blasphemy!
And besides, Rucka's a big fan of O'Neil's question... I think you'll probably see more a blending of the two... imho, of course.
Wait a minute...
Command-D...
Kamandi...
Oh!
"The Question by Denny O'Neil... not popular?!"
Oh, I didn't say it wasn't good; I didn't say I didn't like it. It just wasn't popular; didn't last long. I think it was bit too philosophical for most readers.
There I go... not reading the actual words again...
Apologies all around... and you're right, probably a bit too much philosophizing for most... I luved that series, tho'
"The Question, retooled to resemble more his JLU version"
Did we read the same book? The Question in 52 is much closer to the O'Neil incarnation than any other version I've seen, down to the mask-but-no-coat look he's been sporting for the last couple issues. The JLU version, while wildly entertaining, is much more eccentric and paranoid (and much closer to Rorshach).
Seriously the introduction of Batwoman this week was the awesomest act of awesomeness ever to be awesome in the history of awesomesity.
And if they resurrect Sue, that will be even better!
You don't like the Clash???
Take that back!!!
Agree with you about The Flash's discovery, though!
"Seriously the introduction of Batwoman this week was the awesomest act of awesomeness ever to be awesome in the history of awesomesity.
And if they resurrect Sue, that will be even better!"
Yes, Batwoman was, well... awesome!
As for Sue, that will only be okay with me if her spirit inhabits that straw-woman and it runs around in a pillbox hat getting in Ralph's way all the time.
"my recollection of Wolfman's creation of Nightwing is to be exactly what you wanted. "
Then you don't really know what I want!
"Agree with you about The Flash's discovery, though!"
If you'll look closely at the page, you may come to suspect what I do...
that isn't Earth-1 discovering Earth-2.
It's Earth-2 discovering Earth-1...
"The JLU version, while wildly entertaining, is much more eccentric and paranoid (and much closer to Rorshach)."
Did ya look closely to what's in the back of the Question van?
"As for Sue, that will only be okay with me if her spirit inhabits that straw-woman and it runs around in a pillbox hat getting in Ralph's way all the time."
As long as they don't call her Sister Sue the Geek, I'd be down with that.
"If you'll look closely at the page, you may come to suspect what I do...
that isn't Earth-1 discovering Earth-2.
It's Earth-2 discovering Earth-1..."
But isn't WW wearing her modern costume in these shots (i.e. the double-pointed tiara)? What other evidence am I missing?
"Did ya look closely to what's in the back of the Question van?"
Okay, I totally missed that, and that's completely awesome. That said, he's still a bit more mellow than his full-blown crackpot JLU counterpart.
I agree about Batwoman. Tons of fun. But here's a question: how come Batwoman stops Montoya from shooting the gorilla ani-man, only to kick it out the window of the skyscraper? *puzzles*
Whoops. "xmsygr" is me. I guess I'm not old enough to operate verification codes. Sigh.
Of course, it's still more than a little jarring, to me. I mean, the DC universe elected Luthor in a landslide in 2000, which means that Florida's still first in the 'messed up close election' line when 2004 came around. (Do we even know what party the new guy in DC/America is?)
As for the League, I think that this is a stranded lineup from a pre-crisis JLA/JSA crossover being discovered by the New Earth trinity. Althgouh Power Girl really ought to be there, too.
I wonder if the parallel Earth is actually the original Pre-Crisis Earth that hung around awhile before Man of Steel was published.
I don't have JLA #0 in front of me, but I don't recall seeing Supergirl in there.
And yeah, I want the Legion Kara to take over the monthly Supergirl title. Maybe then I could actually read it.
Re: Wolfman
It can't be any worse that what we have no, right?
Based on the Newsarama interviews by both Jurgens and Wolfman, I think they realize that there is something really wrong with Dick Grayson the way he is being written now.
Also, it's the Ani-men that kidnapped Sivanna in Week 1, so that means....
Jamie
"how come Batwoman stops Montoya from shooting the gorilla ani-man, only to kick it out the window of the skyscraper?"
I was a little puzzled too at first. My first thought was that it was hilarious: "Don't just shoot it, dear! It will be much more fabulous and dramatic if I defenestrate it!"
Then I realized that, since Batwoman is Kate Kane, she knows the gun will completely evaporate the thing, leaving no evidence, which was the problem will following up on the last time Montoya encountering them. She doesn't want Montoya to destroy potential evidence when there's another way of killing the thing.
Besides... it IS more fabulous to defenestrate it with extreme predjudice.
"What's so special about Captain Atom's new/old armour?"
Oh, you kids; get offa my lawn!
That 'containment suit' they put him in was essential the costume of Monarch, the secret villain behind the "Zero Hour" reboot.
Monarch was originally intended to turn out to be Captain Atom; when that was leaked to the public, DC decided to pull a faster one and change Monarch's identity to a much less appropriate one: Hawk.
Actually, wasn't it Armageddon that this happened in? Didn't Monarch become Extant in Zero Hour?
But it looks like Cap freely embraced the Monarch role when he blew up Bludhaven. He HAD to know there were innocents still around.
Jamie
'Besides... it IS more fabulous to defenestrate it with extreme prejudice."
Especially if your chosen method of defenestration involves high-heeled boots.
With treads.
Kris
Having now read the ish of 52, I see what you mean re the JLU aspects of the Question being incorporated... nice touches, the files in the back of the van and the tobacco rant... but still, like posted above, he still retains a more mellow vibe... the detached amusement and philosophical bent of O'Neil's [and Rucka's Cry for Blood] handling of the character...
A curiosity driven Zen conspiracy theorist? Written by Rucka? Sign me up! I'd buy the regular series in a nanosecond.
Plus, it'd maybe light a fire under DC to TPB O'Neil's run... Has there ever been a TPB series that reprinted the letter columns? It wouldn't be the same without em.
Well, a man can dream, can't he?
Can't say I'm familiar with Cascade, but you've got to love a super-hero who doesn't leave spots on your drinking glasses.
Back to the Hawk/Monarch thing, I've always wondered: Am I the only one that was really bothered by the fact that in all the different future timelines that the moronic Waverider checked out, the ONLY DC hero that was ever shown battling the Monarch in ANY timeline was the Hawk, making him the only DC hero that couldn't have become that villain?
-Mindbender
I was actually pleased that the Question wasn't quite as... Rorschach-ized as the JLU version. Not that I don't love the JLU version, but I also like this one.
And Bizarro-Braniac made my day. <3
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