It’s the week of Countdown and you know what that means: time to get nuts! If you haven’t already, be sure to check out the ongoing debate on the book (before its street date) in the message boards. But beware: there are spoilers lurking about. It’s a big time at DC and about to get bigger so mix and mingle with your peers and chat all about the DC of yesterday and the DC of tomorrow. Barring that, please visit the DCNV portion of the board, here. The column always appreciates a little feedback. And now for something completely the same…
OOOOOOOOOOMAC!
With the revelation of the true cover of DC Countdown to Infinite Crisis, it’s obvious that the four miniseries that spin off of next week’s 80-page issue are a little…more than they’ve been reported to be. Some of the guards now dropped, we caught up with Greg Rucka to talk about how The OMAC Project can be looked at in relation to the coming “Infinite Crisis.”
Let the Rucka rain some knowledge down on you from on high…or from Newsarama. Whichever.
“It’s the worst day in the DC Universe, ever.”
I remember a certain writer saying that about a certain story in Avengers that everyone just loved (sarcasm intended). Huh…you don’t suppose…CROSSOVER?!?!?!
Now it is obviously irresponsible of me to suggest such things will no knowledge or facts to back it up, but….CROSSOVER?!?!?!?! I mean, when was the last time we saw Scarlet Witch? And what about this whole House of M thing altering Marvel’s reality? Did someone say Amalgam? I mean, I didn’t, but I thought I might have heard someone say it. Perhaps it was in the same breath as the whisper of…CROSSOVER?!?!?!?!?!
Something to think about.
Oh, and yes, by the way, from now on Greg Rucka is no longer Greg Rucka, but rather The Rucka. Much like The Batman. Or how the Pope is The Equalizer.
The Rucka. The Batman. The Equalizer. Can you say…CROSSOVER?!?!?!?!?!?!
Nah, I’m just foolin’ about that one. Although…
Gibbons Brings You the Horrors of Intergalactic War
On March 30th with the release of DC Comics’ “Countdown To Infinite Crisis,” previously known as “DC Countdown,” hidden schemes that have been evolving in the DC Universe for months will be revealed. Villains will unite, the truth behind the Omac Project will be unveiled, a Day of Vengeance will occur, and in the farthest reaches of space a conflict between two planets will erupt into “The Rann/Thanagar War,” a six issue miniseries by Dave Gibbons with art by Ivan Reis and Marc Campos which begins on May 11th. CBR News spoke to Gibbons for a front line perspective on the war and his feelings on the film version of “Watchmen” which is currently in pre-production.
Hop in the jeep and go to those front lines courtesy of Comic Book Resources
I wonder who Adam Strange will merge with in the DC/Marvel crossover. I mean, if such a thing were to occur. Which I don’t know that it will. And it would be irresponsible of me to make overtures that it is going happen without all the facts.
Anyway, I’m thinking it would be cool to see a Reed Strange or Adam Richards. If DC is taking suggestions. You know for that crossover that I couldn’t responsibly say is taking place (wink wink).
Talking specifically about this series, it’s nice to see Kyle end up anywhere, but it’s too bad it has to be space. As I’ve said before, I just think that Kyle is a better earth bound GL. His personality fits it better, his adventures were, by in large, more compelling on terra firma. Hal, on the other hand, is a great cosmic GL. He’s larger than life, he fits that space opera feel.
Then again, you often get some interesting works through juxtaposition. One reason Star Wars is so great is Han Solo, who so shouldn’t be there, by conventional wisdom. But because he is, the story is stronger for it. Maybe Kyle can benefit from that sort of relationship to the subject matter.
Remember this Crisis?
Next month, DC Comics’ IDENTITY CRISIS #1-7 FINAL PRINTINGS will arrive in stores with specially recolored covers featuring the original cover art by Michael Turner & Peter Steigerwald. The new coloring adds a striking red background to each image.
Like an old toy left out in the rain, fandom has moved on from ID Crisis. Or have they? Yes, they have. Pick up the poor thing, try it off and put in back in toy chest where it belongs to be discovered by future generations. The toy chest is at Newsarama, by the way.
In all seriousness, does everyone remember when ID Crisis was the biggest thing on earth. When I had an article on it every week? Where we ever so young?
I applaud DC continuing to reprint this book, but by this point, I’ve really gotta wonder if it just wouldn’t have been better to have printed the hardcover for this time period instead. I mean, the first issue of this book is nearly a year old by now and DC is about to step into a whole other cycle of controversy and sold out books (I am assuming on the second). It just feels a bit like ID Crisis’s time in the sun as single issues is sort of passed and now is the time to trot out that loaded to the gills with extras hardcover. But then, my degree’s in Psychology not Marketing or Business, so what do I know?
In wonder what The Rucka thinks about all this?
Rooting, Tooting, Two Gun Shooting Wild…Jonah Hex?
One of DC Comics’ bigger – and more well received – announcements over this past weekend’s Wizardworld LA convention was an upcoming new Jonah Hex ongoing series by the Hawkman/Monolith/Twilight Experiment writing duo of Jimmy Palmiotti and Justin Gray.
Newsarama caught up with the writers as we all made our way home from Long Beach, California via the Airfone for a few early words about the new series…
Hitch up the wagon and manifest destiny yourself on over to Newsarama Now why do I feel like I used that exact same segue somewhere else?
As several of the talkback folk point out, there is still no interior artist mentioned. Cover artist for the first issue, sure. But no interior guy. So…do they not have one yet? And if that’s it, why not just say so? The book is not supposed to hit until Fall, so it isn’t like they don’t have time. I just don’t know what’s up there.
How Does He Get His Whites So White?
Within just a few pages of Joe Kelly and Ariel Olivetti’s Space Ghost series, it’s easy to forget the buffoon who hosted the Coast to Coast series and see the man for the hero he’s meant to be. The collaborators are trying to stay true to the vision of Space Ghost designer Alex Toth and have introduced a conflicted hero on a quest that almost anyone can empathize and relate to on one level or another. The success of the first few issues of the series have allowed the creators to plan for a second and possible third adventure.
Drop in on Space Ghost doing laundry at The Pulse’s laundry room to find out. Dollars to donuts, it involves Oxy Clean. That stuff is AMAZING!
I know they say that I’ll forget all about Tad Ghostly (the Coast to Coast Space Ghost) but I can’t. Not at all. Does that make me a bad person? And if so, does it also make me a bad person that I far and away prefer my Space Ghost as Tad the buffoon?
Undeniably great art thought.
Art even, I think, The Equalizer would appreciate.
I’m Superman! No, I’m Superman Times…Times…INFINITY!
Metropolis keeps its chief defender, Superman, quite busy. However, The Man of Steel will long for the relative quiet of his hometown after he visits “Infinite City” a massive interdimensional municipality in the hard cover graphic novel, “Superman: Infinite City” by Mike Kennedey and artist Carlos Meglia, coming this June from DC Comics. CBR News spoke to Kennedy for the rundown on Superman’s trip to “Infinite City’
Get your maps here, get your Infinite City maps here at Comic Book Resources
The Equalizer talks about a sort of Infinite City all the time. Except he calls it heaven.
This Infinite City doesn’t sound much like that one though.
Meglia’s art is the most striking thing about this project, no doubt of that. I’m not sure how if the art will become less or more easy swallow as the book goes on, but for now, it certainly is eye catching.
The Art of Catches a Megalomaniac in Just The Right Light
Brian Azzarello and Lee Bermejo have set the bar pretty high for themselves. In the course of the five-issue Lex Luthor: Man of Steel miniseries, the two not only have to show the world through Luthor’s point of view, but do it in a manner that’s convincing enough to start readers sympathizing with Superman’s nemesis.
From the word angle, Azzarello already explained his approach with Newsarama a couple of years back when the project was first announced. Now that it’s begun (issue #1 is on shelves now), we wanted to check in with Bermejo to get the view of the heavy lifting that he has to do for the story.
Visit Luthor’s personal portrait artist at Newsarama
I don’t have much to say about this interview beyond that I think it is just excellent. Berjemo offers some insights into his art that I found to be very interesting. And since I am really enjoyed that first issue, more preview pieces of his work are always a good thing.
And a future appearance by The Batman?! Good stuff.
I wonder if there are any plans for The Rucka or The Equalizer to appear. Or Adam Richards, for that matter.
And Now The Servant is The Master
Shawn Moll went from being artist Doug Mahnke’s art assistant to penciling his own work on the DC series, Outsiders. After meeting some DC editors at a convention, Moll sent in some samples. As luck would have it, a pin-up he did of The Outsiders came across the desk of DC’s Eddie Berganza. Moll isn’t sure if that picture was the clincher or just a happy coincidence, but, whatever the reason, he wound up placing his artistic take on the series.
See Shawn wrap DC around his finger at The Pulse
And this is just a neat story about one man fulfilling his dream. Nothing wrong with that. Nothing wrong with that at all.
COMING ATTRACTIONS
Not as big a DC week as I anticipated. The last week of a five week month is usually a doozy, but DC seemed to have scheduled out there books a little bit better this month. DC Countdown to etc etc is obviously the big book of the month and I’ve got it covered in my Reviews from the Future section, below. However, we can ill afford to ignore is little gem that I call:
FLASH #220
Rogue War starts here! The past year or so has built to this and really, if you think about it, Johns’s run, in a lot of ways, was heading down this path from the start of Blood Will Run (heck, even Wonderland). Porter excels at the super powered aspects of the comic world and I get the feeling the next several issues are just going to be crawling with the opportunity for him to prove that. And villains, villains, villains! Countdown may be the bigger deal, universe wide, but this is the one I’m most excited for. I’ve been tapping my fingers for this one since it was announced. Can’t. Wait. For. Wednesday. (not that I ever can, really).
OPINIONS ON THE WORK OF PEOPLE FAR MORE TALENTED THAN I
I’m covering SLEEPER VOL.2 #10 over here so that just leaves two books to review this week. And I could make a suggestion, avoid that review at all costs. It is just rotters. Honestly. Not proud of it, but boy does it ever read like I phoned it in. Sorry ’bout that, hope you haven’t wasted your time with it yet.
NIGHTWING #106
Yeah, the blue and yellow does still exist! The rest of the issue was fine, like the rest of this mini within a series. I never thought I’d say this, but while it was nice to have a Dixon/McDaniel (with Beatty assist) Nightwing again, I’m much more excited to get back to the present day and the “real” part of the series.
SEVEN SOLDIERS GUARDIAN #1
Ahh, this is more like it. Shining Knight left me a bit cold but this is just…great. Funny and brutal and inventive. Just what I was looking for from this Seven Soldiers event. Last week proved they can’t all be home runs and this one proved that some of them still can be. Stewart’s talented contribution is not to be overlooked or underreported either. Sure this is Morrison’s brain child, but Stewart style is perfect for both the brutality of the pirates and the dark weird humor of the Guardian’s “wizard” (you’ll get the movie reference if you read it). Plus, for those of you who keep track of this sort of thing, we have a great new minority hero who just isn’t a stereotype dolled up in superhero threads.
****REVIEWS FROM THE FUTURE****
DC COUNTDOWN TO INFINITE CRISIS
Come on, you had to know that this would be the one this week, right? This is the hinge the next year to two years to pivoting on and at 80 pages for a dollar, you could do worse. Way worse. The art is top notch; the writing is good and actually as seamless as advertised. However, don’t take that to mean that this baby will have all of fandom rejoicing. It won’t. Some people are going to hate it, some people are going to be very cautious about, and some people will definitely embrace it. The key, for me, is that it is clear that DC didn’t just decide to go ahead with this project on a lark. The work, as I said above, is strong and shows a commitment by the talent and editorial staff. You may or may not like the direction that the DCU is going to take for some time after this, but there is a respectable craftsmanship at work here. It’s clear, I think, that DC means no disrespect to its fan, even though it is unaware that all of them may not love everything that happens here.
Without giving away a single spoiler, (go me!), I say pick it up, read it, let it ruminate for a bit. Like it, love it, or hate it, it is worth fifteen minutes of your reading attention and a few more to ponder. If, in the end, it isn’t for you, that’s cool. But give it a shot.
Short one this time out. Hope none of you feel shortchanged.
Again, I remind you to head on over to the message board and let me know what you thought, one way or another. Thanks in advance for when you do.
Un Gajje Can’t Wait for That Crossover. Which May or May Not Happen. Wink Wink, Nudge Nudge.
