Apologies in advance for a column that is a little thinner this week. Originally, Tim Sheridan was supposed to pitch and flesh out a relatively slow news week, but, sadly, due to miscommunication and unattached attachments, that did not work out. He will, however, be pitching in next week.
But not all is bad news! That’s right people, I won my Oscar pool. I went 18 for 23 and topped the likes of Ben Morse and Ben Morse’s mom. Booyah. Now Mrs. Morse and I’s grudge match is all tied up with the same number of 1st place finishes since I first was invited to participate by Ben. Next year, it’ll be different. Next year”¦it’ll be personal!
And now, the NEWS!
Dr. Didio is In
Due to the effects of a relatively hectic convention schedule on both Newsarama and DC Executive Editor Dan Didio, we had to forgo soliciting reader questions for this mont’s installment of Crisis Counseling. That said, keep an eye out, because we’ll be blowing this thing up with a double-sized Crisis Counseling with Didio schedule for the date Infinite Crisis #6 hits.
In the meantime, let’s rock and roll as Didio handles questions thrown at him by Newsarama’s Matt Brady.
You know those Dr. Angus Burger King commercials? Yeah, well, what Newsarama has here with Didio really has nothing to do with that. It was just a doctor related segue.
The really cool or really silly thing about comics (depending on your perspective) is that saying, as Didio does here (paraphrased), “Superboy pounded on the walls of the universe and that is why there are continuity errors and such,” is a perfectly acceptable line of reasoning. It’s a quick and total fix, but, given the “world” of comics, it is a totally acceptable one.
Now is it one we should use? Well”¦I’m a little fuzzier on that. My hesitance is not because I think it is “wrong” or “lazy” (although I can see someone’s point if they argued that) I am just not sure if we need to whole cloth resolve continuity errors. Big ones, sure. Jason Todd coming back from the dead? Yeah, that needs a resolution. Flash misremembering the first time he fought the Turtle (this is a made up example, as far as I know, this has not happened)”¦not so important. Generally, if we can resolve the little issues (Flash v. Turtle) while we are taking care of the big one (J.T.) then, cool. Good for us/them. The thing, I’d just assume we not mention it. I feel like that, in some way, is giving into those fans who demand a connect-the-dots continuity which is a.) damn near impossible to create or maintain and b.) often a very stifling environment to build new stories out of. Since this is the same Didio that said that they ditched Max Lord being a cyborg because he thought it was silly, I’m not worried about that kind of environment at DC. I just hate giving up any sort of ground to those sorts of fans, even if it is largely symbolic (and I am sure they hate giving up any ground to fans like me, even if it is largely symbolic).
In this same vein, I’m not sure I buy the idea that the recently deceased Doom Patrol series was set up with the idea that it was a continuity wave affected series. That seems more like an explanation after the fact. I’m not particularly invested in the truth of it, but that’s gut reaction.
Still, continuity gaffe fixing or not, I like the series. So, for me, that’s what matters.
52 Image Pickup
Dccomics.com today released a five-page preview of May’s highly-anticipated launch to their weekly, year-long series 52, filling in the gap between the “One Year Later” DC Universe “leap” that begins today”¦
Enjoy the following sneak peek”¦
Tease yourself at Newsarama
Wow. Good looking art. I like the sheen that the coloring adds. Anyone out there have a clue who drew these? Because it is some very nice work.
A couple of minor spoilers are, but nothing the average comic book fan who uses the internet hasn’t figured out yet, I would guess. My two favorite scenes in the bunch were The Question accepting his new position and Ralph developing a taste for metal.
How do these fit in with what we’ve already seen OYL though? Does Harvey Dent supplant The Question as Gotham’s protector or do they work together? Does Harvey’s presence mean that Batman did not approve of The Question or was he just completely unaware of it?
See, I’m already spinning theories and I haven’t even seen more than four pages and four covers.
Good teaser work there DC”¦good teaser work.
Also, any chance that this:
is Monolith coming out behind Montoya? He could have come to Gotham, right? That’s possible, isn’t it?
I’m just fooling myself, aren’t I?
Wolfman Makes Like a Spy
Although writer Marv Wolfman couldn’t reveal details of his story in the Infinite Crisis Secret Files, for fear of being “banished to some alternate dimension,” we did get some of his thoughts on this upcoming direction in the DCU.
The Pulse’s trained interrogators will never break him”¦NEVER!
I love the delicate dance of saying words but not saying anything that Wolfman works here. There might be over 800 words in this interview, but I challenge you to find a single one that doesn’t essentially amount to, “but I can’t talk about that.” Heck, even the video game he mentions he can’t tell the name. I can barely imagine the frustration of being the interviewer on this.
The Final Editor
In this seventh and final installment of our interview series with the editors of the DCU [unfortunately, we won’t be able to bring you part 8], we speak with Matt Idelson.
In addition to Catwoman, and the Crisis Aftermath: The Spectre limited series, Idelson is leaving one major DC franchise (Batman) for another (Superman), and then picking up the third character of DC’s “Trinity” when he edits the upcoming Wonder Woman relaunch. We talked to the editor about all this and more…
Matt Idelson makes like the caboose at Newsarama
“Then again, we never did work Ace the Bathound into the books, so in that respect it was an utter failure.”
Great line there.
And that”¦that’s apparently all I have to say. How sad.
Giffen So Sad and Lonely
A “Crisis” can’t last forever, even if it is an “Infinite” one. In just a few months, “Infinite Crisis” will be over and fans will be introduced to the new DC Universe. One writer that’s helped to define the new DC Universe is Keith Giffen. In the March-debuting “Blue Beetle,” Giffen along with co-writer John Rogers and artist Cully Hamner take readers to El Paso, Texas for the monthly ongoing adventures of the new Blue Beetle. In the year long series “52,” which launches in May, Giffen collaborates with writers Geoff Johns, Greg Rucka, Grant Morrison, and Mark Waid and a host of artists to take readers on an epic year long journey through the new DC Universe. CBR News spoke with Giffen about both projects.
Get it? Because he’s feeling blue! Eh, you don’t know from funny. And neither does Comic Book Resources
The new Blue Beetle series seems like the type of a book that was created specifically for people like me. A young hero who got his powers through a twist of fate. Those powers proves to be a gift and a curse. He’s often disrespected by other, more established heroes and by the public at large in general. And so on. And yet, I cannot find the motivation to be excited about it. What does that say about me, I wonder.
Bring Out Your Dead
Infinite Crisis continues to rage across the DC Universe, leaving many changes, and victims, in its wake. In recent months, we’ve taken a look at the histories of several characters that are key figures in the storyline, from Power Girl to various incarnations of Superboy to the highlights of Earth-2 Batman’s career. This time, we’d like to take a moment to acknowledge the characters that have fallen, changed dramatically, or been given a new lease on life by Crisis-related activity.
The first list of the dead is here
The second is here and they are both brought to you by Newsarama
Wow”¦it looks like a lot more dead comic characters when it is spelled out like this, huh? I mean, I knew people in the DCU were dying, but I’d never really taken the time to take a tally. That’s 24 deaths in the run-up to Infinite Crisis and 31 since the mini began. Impressive! The one’s I’ll miss the most include:
Black Bison spent all day at the beach and came back with a pretty bad sunburn
Black Bison- I didn’t even realize this guy died in the first place. I’ve never read a single story about him, but once I got cornered by the world’s #1 Firestorm (Ronnie Raymond edition, 1.0 if you will) Fan who regaled with tales of this seriously odd villain. I’ll miss in the same way I miss my ancestors. It’s a shame I never got to know ‘em.
Who knew anarchy could look so”¦colorblind.
Overthrow-He fought against the “military-industrial complex” and did so by emulating the skill set used in the most corrupt sport of the 80’s, jai alai. What’s not to love there?
Fastball was a private man who hated publicity and thus, this is the closest we’ve ever come to photographing his face
Fastball– He’s a baseball themed villain and”¦alright, even I can’t sell this one.
Would a ‘burn, baby, burn’ reference here be considered too cliché?
Firefly– No irony here. I really dug him as a Bat-villain. Dixon did some excellent work with Lyons during his ‘Tec run and while I have not seen much of him since, that made an impact with me. I’ll miss this crazy little pyromaniac.
Dr. Polaris considered lowering his arms, but was of two minds on the subject.
Dr. Polaris- I don’t know if anyone else remembers this issue, but the first time I read a Dr. Polaris comic was when Kyle fought him for the first time in New York City over Rockefeller Center. The issue ended with Kyle and Donna kissing for the first time.
Anyway, I enjoyed that issue and transferred that affection to the character. Besides, how can someone studying psychology not love a villain with Dissociative Personality Disorder?
Stallion always carried around this helpful sign so that there was no confusion about who he was.
Stallion- I’ll be the first to admit that he’s a silly villain. Still, for me, he worked. I thought he was a great part of Nightwing’s group of villains and it is shame he won’t be around for Dick to kick anymore.
Let us also pause here a moment for Risk’s Arm
Risk’s Arm: The Real Infinite Crisis Hero
It will be missed.
The 90’s Are Spawning
DC Comics today announced a partnership with McFarlane Toys and Image Comics to release a Prestige Format one-shot featuring Batman and Todd McFarlane’s Spawn. In conjunction with the 48-page comic, DC Direct, DC Comics’ toy and collectibles brand, will join forces with McFarlane Toys to create a deluxe, two-figure statue commemorating this historic crossover. Both items are slated to hit stores in December.
The series will mark the second meeting between McFarlane’s supernatural avenger, Spawn and DC Comics’ iconic hero, Batman. While plot details are still being finalized, the pairing of the two comic book powerhouses should please fans.
So much cape, so many chains at Newsarama
So the big question is: will McFarlane draw this? The answer: probably not. But I’m guessing he’ll, at the least, plot it and as anyone knows who read Torment, that McFarlane penned Spider-Man classic, that’s”¦something.
I’m sorry. I’m trying here, but I just cannot get any excitement up for this release. Maybe it’s because the first round of Batman/Spawn stories were so not good. Maybe it’s because no one I know has cared about Spawn for 10 years. Maybe it’s because McFarlane has been gone from comics (as a creator) for long that he’s just not the brand name he once way. In any case”¦color me all indifferent.
Newsarama Makes Like Clarissa
It’s that time of the month again.
If a month of anticipation, and then finally reading Infinite Crisis #5 this week have left you worn out, you’ve come to the right place. Just as we did last month, it’s time for some “Crisis Recovery”, and hopefully, a reminder that, in the end, it’s all just funny books.
And again, for those easily offended, that “funny books” thing was only the first thing that is going to come out of this that will upset you, for sure.
And yes, be warned – we will try too hard to make jokes, some of the references will go right over your heads, and some will go right over our heads. Also – with this issue in particular, there’s a little less to annotate – if you’ve been reading along, you know a lot of the setup, so we’re not going to repeat it here. Also, this issue, for some reason, was infected by a bad case of splashititis, and as a result”¦well, there’s only so much you can say about a page with a bunch of Photoshopped pictures of the earth on it and no other text. There’s even less that you can say if you’re trying to be funny.
So – with tongue firmly planted in cheek, we’ve got your Infinite Crisis #5 page by page guide with mild annotations, some of which may even be correct.
While it may seem obvious to most, a page-by-page guide WILL CONTAIN SPOILERS.
What we mean by that headline is Newsarama explains it all
Another installment of this entertaining Newsarama feature. My favorite bit this time out?
“Yeah – apparently, he’s only a super genius in certain areas, and fashion is not one of them. Sure, sure, putting Luthor in the purple and green is a nod back to the Silver Age stuff, and Lutho’s original bad guy costume, but jeez. Could we have seen the moment where Luthor was constructing his suit, thinking, “Green unitard, purple overshirt, high collar, straps across chest”¦.GENIUS!””
Because that’s pretty much exactly as I see it.
MISC.
New Printing
SUPERGIRL #5, the latest issue in the hit series, has sold out at DC Comics just one day after arriving in stores on February 22. Now, DC Comics sends this special issue back to press for a new, second printing!
The Pulse is all over this press release!
Sell-Outs
DC Comics’ RANN-THANAGAR WAR: INFINITE CRISIS SPECIAL has sold out at the publisher. Written by Dave Gibbons, with art by Ivan Reis & Marc Campos and a cover by Gibbons & Michael Bair, the Special sold out two weeks after arriving in stores on February 1.
Newsarama sure does love birds and war.
COMING ATTRACTIONS
SEVEN SOLDIERS: FRANKENSTEIN #3
Eclectic pulp storytelling done very well. Issue #1 was a masterpiece of creepiness and #2 was just plain fun. I’m excited to see where this one ends up.
SEVEN SOLDIERS: MISTER MIRACLE #4
Another piece of the puzzle and another miniseries ending. I’ve never much cared about the New Gods (I’m very sorry Kirby acolytes), but this book has made me consider changing that point of view.
AMERICAN VIRGIN #1
I’ve been going on about this since it was first announced. Time to see if my excitement was dead-on or misplaced.
OPINIONS ON THE WORK OF PEOPLE FAR MORE TALENTED THAN I
Just to be clear and honest here, these are my DC reviews, reprinted, from my weekly review column. I figured that since you guys have been with me longer than those who read the review column (since we all just started that this week), you have the right to read them here. However, I do urge you to check out the review column as well to see how I feel about non-DC books.
BATMAN ANNUAL #25
Huh. Well, there you go. Superboy Prime punches reality, Jason Todd lives again. You have to admire the simplicity I suppose. I don’t love it, but it works.
The rest of the issue though”¦I liked very much. I had thought Mahnke was back on art, but Shane Davis (and a nice one panel cameo from Jim Aparo) quickly made me forget all about that. I have not seen much from him but mmm, mmm, mmm, that is some good work.
Storywise, besides the actual factors causing Jason Todd’s resurrection, I bought every bit of it and loved it. Todd proving that, despite being a bit of a punk kid, he did listen and learn from Batman (digging himself from the grave) and did care about Bruce (great bit in the hospital about who Bruce is to him) was a particular highlight for me, but there were plenty of other enjoyable moments along the way.
A fitting end to Winick’s time on Batman.
DETECTIVE COMICS #817
Apparently for Batman, OYL means that everything old is new again. Bullock’s back on the force. Gordon is the Commissioner again. Batman and the cops are okay with each other. Poison Ivy is alive.
And you know what, I don’t mind it at all.
At first, I was a bit miffed that DC essentially used OYL to return Batman to his five years ago status quo but then I realized, I really liked that status quo. I would’ve liked to see some bigger risks, but I cannot fault a good story told well and this fits the bill. I’m not ready to proclaim “Batman’s back!” from the rooftops, but I am pleased with this start.
GREEN LANTERN CORPS RECHARGE #5
Just for fun, I counted how many times Kilowog said Poozer in this issue. Seven times. And he’s on like 10 pages. That’s an impressive average.
Sadly, that’s all that’s impressive here.
INFINITE CRISIS #5
When is our Superman (Kal-El) gonna step up to the plate and DO something? I’m tired of being told how great he is, let’s see it.
And what is going on with all the cosmic stuff? It’s been five issues and we’ve only seen about 10 pages of action from that subplot and most of it consists of heroes floating in space waiting. I may not have any particular interest in this storyline, but I’d rather dive into it then having just sort of uselessly flitting by in the periphery of the story.
Finally, because it bears mentioning, yes there are even more artists this time out. Yes, that does mean varying degrees of quality. No, this should not “ruin” the comic for you.
Otherwise, I’ve got no real issues with this book. This is a bit of quiet before the “true” climax of the story (which is kicked off by the closing cliffhanger that nicely mirrors Kal-L’s appearance in issue #1). As such we have some great character bits like Blue Devil suffering through mass and Booster Gold flaunting his newly acquired knowledge of the future.
There’s no denying this is a fanboy ride, but as I am a fanboy, this is a lot of fun for me. Especially when someone finally mentions Breach.
By the by, if the Flash at the end is Barry as some people are guessing, I’ll eat my hat. Or a hat. I like my hat too much to eat. But I’ll buy one special for this occasion.
EX MACHINA #18
Normally, delays on books do not bother me much. My enjoyment of the stories they are telling remains, I believe, relatively the same as if the book had come out on time or (if by miracle) earlier. With this book though, I feel the delay. A feeling of importance and “big things happening quickly” is very necessary for this book, but in the three plus months since #17 hit stands, that feeling is hard to conjure up once again. It definitely “reads” better when paired with the two previous issues of this storyline which is why it earns the grade it does. However, on its own, it was difficult to emotionally re-engage in a story that I would otherwise care very much about.
Lest I leave with the wrong impression, however, let me assure you that the entire creative team, from writing on down, is strong. They have talent to spare. This is, however, a book that does not weather delays well.
Smaller than usual perhaps, but I suppose that’s bound to happen sometimes. See you next week for Tim Sheridan and I’s team-up. Until then, hit the message boards and be sure to drop me e-mails at parallax2@juno.com about the column. Or just to congratulate me on my Oscar victory. Either way.
What’s Un Gajje Wanna Do? Drink and Fight!
