I have plenty of news this week. We’ve got several reprintings of two of DC’s favorite miniseries, another review of Rebirth (turns out the first one didn’t take”¦or something), and Firestorm umm”¦catches fire (?) with three articles all about him. And where Firestorm is writer Jolley cannot be far behind, bringing news of his other titles, including critical darling (and title with its head on the chopping block) Bloodhound. Finally, the fallout continues in Gotham, post War Games, as one creator and three heroes skip town.
But all that news pales in comparison to this one item: Ben Morse, my good college friend, one of this site’s editors-in-chief, and all around class act has gotten a brand new job. With Wizard Magazine. He’ll be hanging around for a bit, putting his affairs in order if you will, but soon he will take his leave of us and join the print media. I doff my hat to him and choke down the lump in my throat. He and I have worked together in some capacity since I was a junior in college and editor-in-chief of The College Voice while he was the News Editor. We bonded over comics and a distaste for forced team building board game related activities (thanks Coley) and stayed bonded. Three years ago, I wouldn’t have expected to be working for a website and I wouldn’t have expected that I could say one of my closest friends would be working for the most high profile comic mag in the biz. But there you go. Congrats Ben. You done did good.
For more on his upcoming position check out The Watchtower Wednesday.
Now back to my job.
Gotham’s Population Decreases by One
Yeah – Gotham Central. After some rumor, it was confirmed this week that Michael Lark, artist of Gotham Central, DC’s police procedural series set in Gotham City, was leaving both the series and the company, moving over to Marvel for a new, two-year exclusive contract. He had formerly been on an exclusive contract with DC.
Join the farewell parade marching over to Newsarama and stay behind to help sweep up the confetti and see what’s next.
This is really too bad. I greatly enjoy Gotham Central and have enjoyed seeing Lark grow as an artist on the title. I don’t begrudge him the move at all, however. This is his job, first and foremost, and sadly that sometimes means moving along when you do not entirely want to. Lark clearly loves Gotham Central, but in discussions with DC, he and the company decided it was time for him to set up his tent elsewhere. A shame, certainly, but it will be interesting to see what he ends up with at Marvel beyond the What If? work that has already been confirmed.
As for the future of GC, it is great to hear Rucka and Brubaker will march on and that a key reason for it was how excited they both were about their upcoming storylines. Glad to see them still committed to and loving this book.
A Little Sachs and Violens for an Angel
After a very public fight for survival, DC’s Fallen Angel was pulled back from the chopping block, and takes a skip in January, but returns with #19 in February for the first part of a two-part story. Handled by the regular creative team, of Peter David, David Lopez and Fernando Blanco, the story, for all intents and purposes and relative to the writer, could be called “A Little Help from My Friends,” as it features the return of J.J. Sachs and Ernie Violens.
See how a nice woman could get mixed with two characters with such suggestive names at a little dive bar I like to call Newsarama
Huh”¦that’s a different approach. Good for David though, getting a second shot with some characters he loved back in the day. It is also nice to hear that even though the lawyers were brought in to sort out the rights issues, the whole situation did not degenerate into some sort of Marvel v. DC bloodbath.
Dark Ages to Remain Cloudy for a Bit Longer
According to DC, Astro City: The Dark Age, a 12-issue maxiseries chronicling the 1970s in Astro City has been postponed and will be resolicted at a later date.
The storyline, according to creator/writer Kurt Busiek is based on what he had planned to do in Marvels 2 a sequel to his and Alex Ross’ Marvels which never got off the ground.
Squint hard and try to make out Newsarama through all this darkness.
I see”¦so”¦what happened? Is Mr. Busiek sick again? God, I hope not. Poor guy has been far too sick for far too long to get sick again after finally getting well. (Boy, was that a poorly constructed sentence!) Is Andersen behind with Rising Stars and The Pulse now on his plate as well? Is it neither of these things?
I am not asking for a book here, Wildstorm, just a reason. Or, barring that, someone to blindly lash out at and blame.
World’s Finest to Team Up with Goyer
When DC Comics announced that Jeph Loeb would be ending his run on “Superman/Batman” with issue 25, comic fans were left wondering who would take over chronicling the adventures of the World’s Finest.
Can the director of Blade III: Trinity cut it with the gods of the DCU? You’ll never know if you don’t check out Comic Book Resources
Well”¦that was brief. Goyer did some good work on JSA, no reason to think he cannot do the same here. I wonder who the talent is set to be artistically?
Two Jolley Interviews? Take a Guess Which is Better
DC’s Bloodhound has been getting rave reviews and is a comic many consider to be flying under the radar. The series stars Travis Clevenger, a former cop turned tracker who specializes in superpowered adversaries. Clevenger was in prison when the story began, but is sprung by the FBI to track down a serial killer. The story, crafted by Dan Jolley, Leonard Kirk, and Robin Riggs, just wrapped up its first arc and is about to crossover with Jolley’s other series Firestorm, featuring artwork by Liam Sharp and Andy Lanning.
If you kind of like comics and sort of like interviews this one at The Pulse might suit you nicely.
Dan Jolley garnered a great deal of attention for his work with artist Tony Harris on DC’s Elseworlds tale JSA: The Liberty Files in 2000, but his comic credits date back to the early 1990s. With writing gigs on several high-profile ’80s toy line titles and a couple of DC Universe series launched in the past year, Dan Jolley’s been getting a lot of attention. He’s not a new face in the industry, but he may be one you haven’t seen a lot of…yet.
I recently had the opportunity to interview Dan covering the range of comics he’s involved with, buzz vs. sales, the 1980s, and a whole lot more.
If you are a real fan who loves comics, loves interviews, and loves supporting the right side in the battle for internet supremacy, you’ll probably find that Comics Nexus: BEST SITE EVER is more your speed.
Should I feel shame for those teasers? Yes. Do I? No. I have a disorder, what can I say.
In all seriousness, Chris does an excellent job with the interview, dwelling on no single book or event for too long. It is a strong review of Jolley’s current efforts.
The Pulse article is, in reality, quite good as well, but it focuses almost entirely on this past week’s Jolley special: the Firestorm/Bloodhound crossover. He does let some slip about other events in the future however, so it is still worth a look.
With Bloodhound not being granted a TPB in the future, things look rough for the criminally under bought book. For those of you who are fans of the book, like myself, now would be the time to start that letter writing campaign and for forcing your friends to start picking up the book. Otherwise, things are likely to getting irreversibly grim in a hurry.
Warm it Up Chris! He’s About to!
Do I really need to write an introduction for him? Well, if I do, too bad, as this is a long interview, and you will find out all you need to know about him below. (And don’t forget to visit his forum.)
Because I am sure that poor man has had to deal with pun enough, be nice and check out his interview at Comixtreme. Or else he’s going to make you JUMP! JUMP! Again”¦very sorry for that.
I included this interview because a.)the man is a great artist and b.) he talks about what happened with Firestorm. He is very classy about it, telling you enough to give you an idea why he had to walk away, but never resorts to finger pointing or calling anyone out. Nicely done Mr. Cross.
So, folks, which prospective Firestorm design do you think works best? Hit the message board and let your voice be heard. Word.
Birds Set to Migrate
With issue #75, the status quo for DC’s Birds of Prey changed pretty significantly. (Warning – spoilers ahead for Batman: War Games, Birds of Prey #75, and oh, by the way, Darth Vader is Luke’s father.)
Thanks to the events of the “War Games” crossover in the bat-titles, Oracle’s home and headquarters, Gotham’s Clock Tower was destroyed, when Barbara Gordon herself blew it up forcing Batman to stop his fight with Black Mask who was, surprisingly, handing Batman his ass on a plate.
The destruction was a break of sorts for Gordon, who took the opportunity of being homeless to heart – not to mention the Batman is in another one of his moods where he’s alienated everyone close to him, and that Gotham PD has declared all costumed heroes illegal – and decided to leave Gotham for good. Helping her in departing – Ted Kord, a.k.a. the Blue Beetle, who set her up with a wicked cool jetliner, Aerie One, piloted by one Lady Blackhawk (still in this era, thanks to Zero Hour). Together with Dinah Lance (Black Canary) and Helena Bertinelli (the Huntress), the Birds of Prey have left town and are in the air. First mission, as of issue #75, going after vigilantes who cross the line and kill.
We sat down with Birds of Prey writer Gail Simone to catch up.
Read all about the woman who advocates “super t—-s” (hint, another word for mammary glands, hint hint) over on the Bendis Boards at Newsarama
Sorry for that crass teaser. But I figured if anything would make you pay attention, it would be “super another word for mammary glands.” I’d like to think you are not that shallow, but honestly”¦you are.
In all seriousness, this is, bar none, one of the best books in comics right now. The writing is top notch and the art, while still a bit cheesecake has gotten better with each installment. As I have said before, I love me some Dixon Birds of Prey, but Simone’s work on the title has eclipsed Dixon’s for me.
On top of that, from interviews and random web postings of hers that I have read, Ms. Simone has proven herself a very funny, very cool creator. She clearly loves comics, period, and loves to write them at least as much as she enjoys reading them. She is also incredibly gracious and self deprecating. She is the real deal, simply put.
It is a great interview too.
Rosemann Departs Sunny Florida for Dark New York
Newsarama has learned that, after a tour that took him to sunny Florida, former Marvel and CrossGen marketing manager Bill Rosemann is back in New York, and this time, has settled into a new home at DC Comics.
To read about the latest Cross Gen expatriate hop the subway to Newsarama
Good for Rosemann. I am not familiar with the “CrossGen” they speak of (boy, that joke will never get old), but I always enjoyed him in his role as My Man @ Marvel. You heard me, my personal contact! (Alright, no, but isn’t it nice to have dreams?) What I really hope to see from him, however, is another writing gig. I am not sure what kind of time demands he’ll have at his new position, but Deadline was a great miniseries over at Marvel and it would great to see him doing similar magic for DC.
Lampert, Creator of the Golden Age Flash, Passes Away
Harry Lampert, creator of DC’s Flash in 1940 has died from brain cancer, the Associated Press reports. In an obituary on his site, Mark Evanier reports that Lampert died Saturday morning.
To pay your respects, go on over to Newsarama
I am always surprised when a comic book creator passes away and I find myself knowing nothing about them. By all rights, Lampert should be a name, like Kane, Schuster, Lee (Stan), Kirby, etc that nearly everybody into comics knows. But me, I never even knew who created Garrick or drew him in his initial adventures.
As always, our thoughts and prayers go out to his family and friends.
REPRINTING A GO-GO
Identity Crisis Will Not Be Stopped
With the second printing of IDENTITY CRISIS #1 due to arrive in stores on November 17, the second issue of this blockbuster miniseries has sold out at DC Comics and is being rushed back to press. The new printing is scheduled to arrive in stores on December 1.
Behold the sales juggernaut that is Identity Crisis at Newsarama
Identity Crisis is a great series and truly deserving of its sales success. First issue on a third printing? That’s excellent. Second issue now on a second printing? That’s great and a sign of prolonged interest in the title. I’d be prepared to declare this book DC’s biggest sales success of the year, but”¦
“¦well, let’s just say, take a look at the next two articles.
Johns, Van Sciver, GL Stop All That ID Crisis Noise Real Quick
With a week to go before its in-store date of November 17, GREEN LANTERN: REBIRTH #1 Second Printing (SEP048097) has sold out at DC Comics. Now, DC announces that the issue will go back to press again, with GREEN LANTERN: REBIRTH #1 Third Printing (SEP048378) scheduled to arrive in stores on December 1.
The Third Printing is written by Geoff Johns with art by Ethan Van Sciver, and will feature a variant version of Van Sciver ‘ s cover art from the issue ‘ s first printing.
Watch as Rebirth laps ID Crisis without breaking a sweat at Newsarama
A full two weeks before its in-store date of November 24, GREEN LANTERN: REBIRTH #2 (SEP040317) has sold out at DC Comics. Now, DC announces that the issue will go straight back to press, with GREEN LANTERN: REBIRTH #2 Second Printing (SEP048386) scheduled to arrive in stores on December 1.
Written by Geoff Johns with art by Ethan Van Sciver, the Second Printing will feature a variant version of Van Sciver ‘ s cover art.
Witness Rebirth #2 bitchin’ ID Crisis #2 in a steal cage match at Newsarama
So a fan (of sorts) brought it to my attention that my review last week of Rebirth came across as less of a review and more of a case of me acting as a Bendis apologist in reference to Avengers Disassembled. Thankfully, these two stories give me a chance to fix that perspective.
First, the motive was not to say, “Come on guys, Bendis’s Avengers ain’t so bad,” nor was it to say, “Avengers Disassembled and Rebirth are the same book.” There was one aspect of the books that struck me as similar and since I had not seen it discussed anywhere else I figured I would. As someone pointed out, perhaps there is a reason I was the only one that saw or discussed it. Perhaps. In any case, writing straight reviews can sometimes be a bore for writer and reader, especially since I am always last out of the gate. Thus, if a different approach occurs to me, I try to use it. That’s all it was. Rebirth is a different book and is, in my opinion, a better book than Avengers #500 or the whole of Chaos was.
So, rather than leave you all short changed with last week mini essay that perhaps did not make my enjoyment of Rebirth or the reasons why clear, here is a proper and more traditional approach.
My e-mail address name checks Hal Jordan’s dastardly identity, Parallax, for a reason. I loved the character arc that they put Jordan through, the journey from good soldier to grief stricken mad man, to a figure hell bent on righting all the universe’s wrongs, regardless of the consequences or morality of it. His fate during Final Night, I thought, was a great capper and a fitting redemption for the fallen hero. Even Batman seemed to be letting bygones be bygones by the conclusion of Jordan’s funeral in GL #81. Then Day of Judgment came alone and Jordan was turned to the Spectre, a move I will charitably call “not the best choice.” I was all for letting the man rest in peace and this move seemed like a regression from his heroic end.
I thought Kyle Rayner had made a fine replacement for Hal and I saw no reason to return him to his ring slinging roots. In fact, if DC had called me and said that the decision fell to me, I would have had him return to the grave and the light perpetual.
Sadly, DC did not ask and it was deemed necessary to bring back “the greatest of the Green Lanterns”.
All that being said, how can anyone begrudge the move when this issue is so well done?
Unsurprisingly, Johns’s script was pitch perfect. He manages to hit all important current and former GLs in the DCU without making any of it seem labored. There is plenty of action, but none of the conversations feel rushed. No element feels shortchanged.
Van Sciver has turned in some great art work prior to this. His work on Flash: Iron Heights (also with Johns) made me unconcerned with the lack of Kolins in the one shot. His art on Morrison’s X-Men was far and away better than Kordey’s. I knew to expect great things from him in this mini-series.
Even considering that, I was still blown away. Van Scive’s work has never, ever, ever looked this good. Ever. He makes Black Hand look cool”¦very cool. He sneaks in a hidden glimpse of Parallax that lends an even deeper sense of foreboding to Jordan’s struggle with the Spirit of Vengeance. There is not a misstep to be found in this art.
It is a great book; one well worth your dollars.
Meanwhile, its sales are nothing but well deserved good news. I’d be curious to see how it matches up to ID Crisis in terms of units sold, but no doubt it is beating the best selling miniseries in terms of quickest to need additional printings. It is only 2 issues in (well, the second is not even out yet) and it has already required three additional printings between those two issues. ID Crisis, meanwhile, is on its penultimate chapter with the same number of reprintings needed.
Huzzahs all around, I say. HUZZAH!
ID Crisis Shoots Back With, “Yeah, but Who is #1 in October?
The fifth issue of the blockbuster miniseries IDENTITY CRISIS is the best-selling comic released in October, according to Diamond Comic Distributors. IDENTITY CRISIS #5 (AUG040390) topped both the units and dollars charts for the month.
Written by bestselling author Brad Meltzer with art by Rags Morales & Michael Bair and a cover by Michael Turner & Peter Steigerwald, the issue features the heroes of the DCU continuing to hunt for Sue Dibny’s killer.
See ID Crisis comfort itself with the knowledge that it remains top dog at The Pulse
I hate to acknowledge bad behavior but I really must applaud ettacandy’s postings in the talkback section of this article. He, in only 3 sentences, accuses DC of being whores, says the book is lousy, and claims that the series is a mistake on par with Emerald Twilight (translation: a really large one). It is an impressive distillation of the bad attitude that often mires talkbacks. No reasons are given to back up his viewpoint and there is no effort made to actually review the story. Instead, it is just name calling, oversimplification, and guesswork. It is fine to dislike something, it is fine to tell others why (it is more than fine actually), but to do this”¦it’s a waste of everyone’s time. You are not going to convert any one to your side with that sort of rhetoric and you shortchange any reader who is looking to their peers for an honest appraisal of Identity Crisis. You don’t like it, tell us why and cite examples. I hardly think that is too much to ask.
After all those stories, I’ve gone and run long for the second week in a row. Sorry ‘bout that. I’ll spare you my brief reviews for this week as a sign of penance, but they will return next week. As always, please hit the message boards and tell me what you thought of this week’s installment. Also, be sure to check out Mathan and Ben in Who’s Who in the DCU on Wednesday, Jim and Daron on Thursday with The Marvel Handbooks, my counterpart Matt in Marvel News and Views, and all the other great content this site boasts.
Bye for now.
Un Gajje’s lifts a cup of mead to Benjamin J. Morse. Good show”¦good show.
