Wednesday, December 19, 2007

Things That Made Me Happy...

... in my comics this week.

  • Superman dresses down Oracle? Ouch.
  • The Penguin versus the Whale. Smart money's on the Penguin, who's got thirty years comic book experience on Tobias, and a heck of lot higher Q rating.
  • Superman defeated by alien bug monsters on the moon? Excellent.
  • Chris Kent's burp.
  • Sun Boy sings John Denver? I bet Element Lad taught him that song.
  • Dwayne MacDuffie's swift and elegant handling of a "tangential" story.
  • Tell me I'm not the only person who laughed when Superman said, "There are some things I just can't fix, and Lana's a dramatic example of that."
  • Red Arrow's Christmas gift to Mr. Twister.
  • Brilliant new role for Red Tornado; I actually like him that way, and it certainly solves a host of problem (monitor duty not the least among them).
  • Catwoman's new haircut, and her cleverness in relying on Calculator following through with his threat.
  • Superman in a baseball jacket.
  • Oh, my god, Hippolyta's been attacked by Project Runway!
  • "While this is a worthwhile cause, there's no need to break the moon, right?"
  • "Look, shiny things!"

The Countdown Special #2: The Atom, which is so chock full of Jean Loring Mania that it practically explodes off the page, to say nothing of other loopy loveliness:

The Atom defeats an earthquake with a train.
Aquaman stops a tidal wave with octopuses.
Enrichetta Negrini, more beautiful and smarter than ever.
The Wind Pirate. I mean, really, the Wind Pirate. How long were he and Blockade Boy together, I wonder?
"Our best estimates give us three hours before the pressures within Jean Loring burst free and crush our planet in an orgy of destruction."
Bosun Beyotch.
Woman Wonder loses to Officer Clean-Up.
The utter lunacy of every panel with the Secret Society of Supervillians in it.
The phallocentric horror of Star Sapphire versus the robot plane.
"The world's most sophisticated electronic billboard."
Jean Loring proposes to Ray Palmer!

14 comments:

Anonymous said...

"Brilliant new role for Red Tornado; I actually like him that way, and it certainly solves a host of problem (monitor duty not the least among them)."

Makes me nostalgical for the period when the Vision was similarly melded with the Avengers' computer, because his body too was critically damaged. It's a Marvel homage, Scipio!

Patrick C said...

Call me crazy, but wasn't the first storyline in JLA talking about how the most powerful thing about Red Tornado was his body? How it was indestructible? That Solomon Grundy wanted the body so he'd never die again?

And in the second arc, didn't we learn that one of the Legionairres was using his body, meaning it survived another 1000 years?

Maybe I missed something, but I just don't get it.

Nate said...

I did love me some baseball playing Supes.

SallyP said...

Hey, JLA was GOOD! It had Guy Gardner in it! When oh when are the artists going to realize that he DOESN'T wear his hair in the old bowl cut, and hasn't for years?

And look, Hippolyta is on the same Themyscira as Granny Athena. Who knew?

Anonymous said...

You should seek help for your obsession with Jean Loring.

Jeremy Rizza said...

"..the Wind Pirate. How long were he and Blockade Boy together, I wonder?"

That would have been during my own pirate phase, but after Weight Wizard died (since I'm not a cheater) so that would make it about two weeks. Although it felt more like five years. Damn sliding timeline!

Derek said...

The opening of Superman was pure joy.

I don't get people who say they don't like Superman. The man throws the opening pitch at a baseball game, then runs ahead of it so he can hit it himself, and he hits it out of orbit, and is trying to hit a target on the moon.

For charity.

What's not to like?

Unknown said...

I'm surprised you haven't commented on Super-Team Family 11-14 up to now. I'd think a story where Jean Loring goes crazy and causes massive destruction would be right up your alley.

David page said...

No mention of the fact that vibe got a new role as standin for the male version of phantom lady? lol

Anonymous said...

I'd think a story where Jean Loring goes crazy and causes massive destruction would be right up your alley.

According to Scipio, that's every story she's ever been in.

Anonymous said...

And no love for the interspecies homoerotic tension twixt Rex the Wonder Dog and Blue Devil?

I mean, really: Dogs! Teh Gay! Your two passions!

Scipio said...

"No mention of the fact that vibe got a new role as standin for the male version of phantom lady? lol"

"And no love for the interspecies homoerotic tension twixt Rex the Wonder Dog and Blue Devil? "

I missed all these! Now it's I who have to beg you to tell me where those are (oh, the comic book irony!).

Scipio said...

"wasn't the first storyline in JLA talking about how the most powerful thing about Red Tornado was his body?" etc.

MacDuffie realized that was kind of dumb (and inaccurate, given that "Reddy" blows up once a year), and intentionally ran roughshod over it.

I really hope RT stays put. A sentient computer that can do 24 hour monitor duty makes a heck of a lot more sense than having Superman et al. sit their butts staring at tv screens, when they could be out being heroes.

Derek said...

"I missed all these! Now it's I who have to beg you to tell me where those are (oh, the comic book irony!)."

Ooo! Ooo! I know this one.

The female Phantom Lady is in the latest Search for Ray Palmer, and Rex the Wonder Dog is in Shadowpact.