Tim, now that 52 is over are you going to miss it?
Hmm…hard to say. I certainly enjoyed it for the most part but there were definitely times that I just wished it would end. Overall, I’m thinking of it as a great relationship that both parties outgrow. It was fun while it lasted, but it ended just in time.
Now, what that means for Countdown remains to be seen.
Links
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What I Read Last Week
Se7en #4 – Nice to get a glimpse into John’s past and what made him into the determined killer he became. But I would have liked to learn more about his victim, like the previous installments gave.
Red Menace #6 – This kind of just ended. Sure the heroes saved the day, but the ending was just flat. And there wasn’t any explanation for why Eagle changed his look. I pretty much enjoyed this book up to this issue.
Omega Men #5 & 6 – This mini ended with a bang. It was great seeing a sensitive side of Dox and getting a glimpse of an Omega Men team that could be viable. The concepts and characters (re)introduced were all pretty interesting. I do hope we see more of them.
Hyperion vs Nighthawk #4 – Ok, so how long is Squadron Supreme on hiatus? Didn’t it end on a cliffhanger? But back to this issue, nice to get an explanation for how Nighthawk was beating up Hyperion. Nice to see that the heroes didn’t save the day with this real world issue. This was a very well done mini.
JSA Classified #25 – This was a great issue. Great characterization. Great solo issue. Great uses of the almost forgotten dial. Seriously this might be the best Classified issue that I’ve read, and that includes JLA.
See, I thought it was just fine. Not bad certainly, but no great shakes.
The Dark Age #3 – I can’t explain why I love Busiek on this book and nothing else. But again, this issue hits it out of the park. The concepts, the characters, the design and the dialogue were all flawless.
Catwoman #66 – Another good issue. Great spotlight on Holly. I’m really glad that the notion of Holly as Catwoman hasn’t been aborted. Here we are OYL and she’s still in costume. And the stuff with Selina was fun too.
I can’t believe this doesn’t sell better. Month in, month out, it delivers the goods.
Blue Beetle #14 – Great issue. How great was this issue? It was so great that I actually enjoyed Guy Gardner. It had funny moments and tender moments. This is the issue that everyone who was curious about the title should pick it. It’s the best yet.
Any issue that makes me enjoy a Guy Gardner appearance is impressive. I think this is the second or third one to achieve that status.
Amazons Attack #1 – Black Lightning in action? Hell yeah! And I’ve yet to see a reason to hate the Amazons on this one. I mean apart from killing the father and son in the beginning. But except for that, I’ve no problem with the Amazons.
Firestorm #35 – Boo. DC has been doing great work with ending books on a dud. Flash, JSA and now Firestorm have ended horribly. Boo.
Too true. Too true. Manhunter’s “not actually the last issue†(both of them really) did it so much better and it turned out it didn’t even need to.
Wonder Woman #8 – Again, I’m pro Amazon on this one. Of course I enjoy the patter between Nemesis and Wonder Woman. But yeah, I’m a fan of Circe and her movement.
You are such a Amazon sympathizer.
Legion of Super-Heroes #29 – Damn that Booster Gold! He ruined things in the future because of all of his time hopping. Nice reasoning for the whole ordeal. And I’m a sucker for “I didn’t do it to win, I did it to create change” motivations.
52 Week Fifty One – So much great stuff here. Even Lobo was enjoyable. Nice to see Buddy get home. Yeah, this issue was pretty much all goodness.
X-Factor #18 – Fun issue. I love it when a plan comes together. Especially when it involves pawns being put in position. Great plotting. But, really couldn’t the Blob have been one of the 198? Just for the sake of my not wanting to vomit?
Justice Society of America #5 – Pasarin is a great guest artist. As much as I hate Silver Age Superman, I’ve got to admit that I loved the scene in the Fortress. It rocked seeing the Legion that I knew and loved again. If there’s a silver lining to Supes reverting to Pre Crisis, it’s the Legion.
Pasarin did do a nice job but isn’t weird that the first two installments of this important crossover fell to fill-in artists? The 80’s Legion basically does not exist to me (I don’t mean this out of rudeness, I just mean I know nothing about them) so all I could think when I say that scene was “ARRRGH! Superman was Superboy?! ARRGH!â€.
But, overall, I liked the issue. When I do my reviews next week, I’ll get deeper in the critique.
The Exterminators #16 – This book consistently goes for those gross out moments. Running over frogs in an empty swimming pool with a lawn mower. Pretty gross. Being impaled on a cactus? Equally gross. But there was plenty of development story wise to make up for it. Good read.
Outsiders Annual #1 – Man, I’m going to miss Warden Wolfe. I’m glad that team had an actual reason go going undercover, and that it justified it. Good read, worth the extra size of the issue.
Huh…I didn’t even see this on the shelf. If I’m honest, I probably wouldn’t have bought it anyway, but still. And what’s this about Warden Wolfe??!
And now, no time for Mathan preamble, just time for questions.
Soak1313 asks what if things were different. What if? What if? What if?
If the Big 3 were around during WW3 how do you think the fight with Black Adam would have gone?
Very interesting question, I enjoy playing with scenarios like this.
But, obviously WW3 would have gone differently if Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman were there to be a part of it.
First off, who knows if it would have even gotten to that point if Superman and Wonder Woman had been there during the missing year. I’m sure that at some point during the year Superman would have checked in on Black Adam. And I’m equally sure that Wonder Woman probably would have bonded with Isis and with Black Adam over being magically endowed with abilities and representing a country.
However if things did get to WW3, Wonder Woman and Batman would have been more factors than Superman. Black Adam is just too ruthless for Superman. He would have pulled the whole “magic lightning” thing and Supes would have been down for the count.
Wonder Woman, on the other hand, fights to win. She fought against a Max Lord controlled Superman and held her own pretty well. I just don’t think that an enraged Black Adam is any match for a skillfully trained Wonder Woman.
And of course Batman has a plan to take everyone down, so if he were available he’d have put his pieces in play and disabled Black Adam, leaving everyone uncomfortable with how easily Batman dispatched him. Superman probably would have been a pawn in Batman’s plan.
Tim, how do you think WW3 would have played out had Supes, Bats and Wondy been around?
Well, editorial demanded it that it take up a four issue mini and a “52†installment so I think it would take just as long.
Oh, you are looking for a more “in universe†type answer. Okay.
Umm…I confess I’m a bit at a loss.
Okay, here we go.
J’onn does not spend three issues being all mopey in space. Either Superman snaps him out of it with a nice bit of hero bonding or Batman pulls a “get the hell off the mat†moment like he had with Superman during that first World War III (in JLA, see below).
The heroes would be better organized because of a.) the inspirational quality of Superman and b.) once they are paying attention, Batman (with an assistant from third smartest man, Mr. Terrific) could coordinate the efforts.
No Titans die.
The triple threat of Captain Marvel, Martian Manhunter, and Superman put Black Adam down much quicker and probably without the creative solution.
Dhaise forces us to play favorites
What are your favorite stories involving the six leads of 52?
Steel – I don’t think that I’ve got a “favorite” Steel storyline. Nothing really stood out with John Henry. I guess I liked him in the beginning when he was pushing himself to help the world.
Despite liking Steel, I was pretty disappointed with his role in 52. It had tremendous promise in the abstract (Steel is the hero that “gets†that being a hero isn’t and shouldn’t be easy) but in practice it was preachy and made John a whiny mouthpiece, not a character.
Ralph – Um, Wicker Sue is clearly my favorite Ralph moment. I pretty much enjoyed Ralph’s whole journey. I liked him in the beginning, I liked him as the story progressed and I really liked how his story concluded. I think that Ralph was the most consistently enjoyable, for me.
I thought the middle of his arc became a bit redundant (Ralph shows us, acts a bit morose and jerky or possibly crazy, and grabs an artifact) but overall, I liked it. I particularly enjoyed the “I’ve always been in control†twist that closed his storyline, even if I felt that his opponents should have been of a more personal nature to really sell it.
Renee – I loved her self loathing, self destructive behavior in the beginning. I also liked seeing her relationship with Vic grow. Her moment of self loathing during her first trip to Khandaq where she’s asking to be put out of her misery, that was a great moment for me.
Again, an arc that was tremendously repetitive about halfway through, but overall I enjoyed. I still don’t care for her becoming the Question because of the whole taking two great characters to make one factor. So, yeah, I guess I’d go with the start of her arc as being my favorite.
Black Adam – Again, I liked Black Adam’s overall journey. I enjoyed his ups (getting a family, being happy) and truly felt his lows (losing his family, staring WW3.) I guess, if I had to pick a favorite it’d be the birth of the Black Adam family.
Best overall arc. I’d give the nod to Adam’s awkward middle period as he began to grow into a more humanitarian side and let Isis and her brother into his life.
Booster Gold – I honestly like “Booster the selfish jerk.” The Supernova stuff was tolerable, but I really did love selfish Booster. That character was so pure.
This one never really rose beyond the level of background noise to me. I appreciated that Booster was smart enough to pull off the Supernova Switch, but it was diminished by the fact that all of comicdom had already figured that out.
The Question – I liked his professional courtship with Renee. Vic was great as a supporting player in Renee’s journey.
Hated him as the dying for 9 issues guy in a bed or stretcher, but loved him as the mysterious annoying guy in the first several issues.
Tim, do you have any memorable moments from 52 featuring the starring six?
I think we covered them all above. I would also include Animal Man in the starring cast though (making them seven strong) and my favorite bit with him is easily 52 Week 51.
Glen has some interesting hygiene recommendations
What do you think of Connor gaining superpowers by dunking in the Dragon’s blood.
Yeah, about that, I never actually picked up the mini.
First off, I’m not a Connor Hawke fan. I never read his adventures when he was introduced (other than his crossovers The Flash and Green Lantern) and he really never interested me as a character.
Secondly, the mini came at a time when I was so turned off by Hawkgirl that I’ve avoided anything remotely Hawk-ish. I avoided playing any Tony Hawk games. I cancelled my trip to the University of Iowa. I also cancelled my orders for both M*A*S*H and Spencer: For Hire. I’m just done with Hawks right now.
Why would you punish Spencer for Hawkgirl’s mistakes. Come on, man! Robert Urich looks like my dad for goodness sake.
Hey dad!
Finally, I didn’t want to pick up any new minis. Secret Six disappointed me and by that point OMAC was beginning to be disappointing, so I’d decided to be more careful with my cash.
I’m not a fan of giving someone powers who didn’t have them originally. It didn’t work for Guy Gardner. It didn’t work for Thomas Kalmaku. It barely worked for Snapper Carr. So as a general rule I’m against giving a character powers.
But I did look around and it appears that some people believe that powers are a temporary thing.
Tim, you read this mini, right? What are your thoughts?
To be honest, I didn’t even think of this unattended consequence until I read it in another review online. Only then did it dawn on me that, oh yeah, Connor made have lasting repercussions from that.
My thoughts are a bit jumbled. First, as I read it the first time, I figure that any power Connor might gain would be temporary. Sort of like the Lazarus Pit’s insanity. I’m sticking with that probably being how things go.
If I am wrong though, I’m conflicted. On the one hand, I don’t like the idea of giving non-powered folks powers. I’d hate a superpowered Batman, I disliked the short time that Oliver Queen was labeled a meta, etc.
On the other, powers might give Connor a chance not to be the “other Green Arrow†for the rest of his career. He could step out from his dad’s shadow and establish his own identity.
Also playing into consideration is what his powers are. If it is just a general sort of powering up of abilities (a little faster, a little stronger, a little more resistant to injury, etc) that’s a lot easier to swallow than plasma bursts from the hands and feet. I’d have to wait to see what his “gifts†were to see how I felt about it.
Glen worries that Connor might be experiencing some PTSD soon.
Will killing Edison Hoon have deleterious effects on Connor? Are we going to have to read more comics aobut him whining in the ashram?
I think that it should have a pretty major effect on the character. Connor’s a Buddhist, so taking a life is kind of a big deal (like it should be in most religions.) I think that it would be irresponsible if the next time we saw Connor he was completely kosher with the killing.
I would completely accept Connor hanging up the costume to search for forgiveness and peace. Maybe he would seek council from his friends or people he knows faced similar situations.
But I do think it’s a big deal and should be handled as such.
Tim, what do you think the repercussions of the killing should be?
If I was the writer, I’d be tempted to play the demon card. That is, Hoon was not really human when Connor offed him. He was a demon and, thus, acceptable to dead. Therefore no need for guilt. This is also known as the “Batman in Cosmic Odyssey†clause.
Barring that (admitted) copout, I think it would be fine to see Connor struggle with it a bit, provided it did not overwhelm his characterization. I’d be afraid that he’d become the archer with guilt about killing much like Arsenal spent a lot of time being the former teen sidekick/addict.
My ideal way to deal with it is to see Connor return to the ashram, see him struggle with the inner turmoil (say in an issue of Green Arrow), announce he is going on a quest to purify his spirit, disappear from the DCU for a year or so, and return, refreshed, with a new identity (not literally, of course).
But, of course that’ll never happen.
Glen is sick, sick, sick!
Should Shado and Connor get “closer” if you know what I mean?
Gross.
I mean seriously. Wasn’t there speculation that Shado was Connor’s mom at some point?
As a general rule, shagging a woman old enough to be your mom is way gross. I mean unless you’re in middle school and your super hot teacher “takes advantage” of you, which is only kind of creepy.
Anyway, I’m kind of for Connor being asexual. I like that Connor tend to be portrayed as being beyond the physical in terms of sexual needs. The fact that he’s never really been involved with anyone is kind of cool. He’s like a cipher of sorts.
Creepy or sexy? You be the judge!
(Hint, the correct answer is creepy.)
But I’m going to veto a potential Shado Connor coupling.
Tim, do you have any thoughts on Connor’s love life?
I was way weirded out by the Connor on Shado action and said as much in my review several months back. What made it worse though was it happened during the whole “Chuck Dixon is a homophobe!†furor that consumed the net a little ways back. With that in my mind, it influenced how I read the book and I found myself thinking, “Dixon is so worried about Connor being viewed as gay that he’ll hook this guy up with the woman that raped his father?!†Needless to say, that made me very skeeved out.
I am so angry, I cannot wait to invoke vengeance in Joe’s name
A few months back I asked a question about which comics you would suggest me to pick up. Well, I did pick up quite a few at my local comic book shop, and they were definitely great suggestions. Now, here comes the bad part.
I was treated like a complete idiot. I went into the store with a suggestion list from you guys and the Marvel Handbook guys. I spoke to the owner, who proceeded to call me a “poser” (yeah, a poser) and he told me that he didn’t have the time to help someone who “wasn’t serious about comics”.
Now I’ll be the first to admit that I fell out of comics back in 2000, when my wife gleefully sold all of my comics. (since then, she’s become addicted to Lara Croft, Watchmen and Buffy comics, go figure). Anyways, I looked around the shop for myself, picked up a few other comics that looked interesting and went to pay for them.
While I was waiting to pay the guy, he went on a rant about how the internet has “destroyed” the comic business. Then, he just took his comics I had placed on the counter, and put them on the shelf behind him and told me to try somewhere else.
Now, I didn’t say a single bad thing, I didn’t even get upset at his bashing me. I said I’d go somewhere else, and he hit a parting shot on my way out the door by saying: “My shop is for fans, not fanboys.”
So…obviously I’m not going back there again. My questions are:
1. Are most comic shop owners so clique-ish when it comes to their product? It seems to me that he’d want a sale, especially the amount that I had there. It only around $100…not a lot of money I know, but I felt like it was enough for someone who’s trying to get back into comics.
2. Is there a “newbie friendly” spot online or somewhere I can go, so I can catch myself up on everything related to comics so I won’t seem like such a “poser”.
First off, I want to apologize for the horrible experience that you had. That should never happen to anyone. That guy was a jerk. He gives “fans” a bad name and he should consider himself lucky that you didn’t include the store name and address as Tim and I would have gladly warned everyone about this guy and his business practices. If the guy loathed the internet before he would have been a borderline Neo-luddite after we were through with him.
To answer your first question I’d imagine that most shop owners are clique-ish to a degree, though not to the degree that they turn people away.
Most of the owners that I’ve met have been helpful and cordial. Occasionally I’ll make a list of books that I want and I’ll go “shopping.” The owners that I’ve met have helped me find things and even suggested other interesting reads.
I’ve never seen or heard of someone, effectively, trying to turn someone away from comics. It really boggles my mind. He must have been trying to make himself seem like a champion of comics by bullying someone in front of his regular patrons, who in all likelihood thought he was behaving like a d-bag.
As for your second question, I don’t buy too many comics online. But there are few places that I infrequently, um, frequent?
And that’s pretty much it. Like I said, I really don’t do too much shopping online.
If you’re looking for complete runs Ebay has the occasional gem.
But when shopping online, you’re really not going to find too much attitude.
Hopefully you’ll get your books and get back into comics.
Tim, care to voice your outrage and offer some online outlets?
I just can’t even wrap my mind around the monumental stupidity of a man who literally rejects business. I worked retail throughout my teens and I was exposed to all manner of annoying customer. However, I never, ever dreamed of not taking their money when they offered.
And no, I’m not saying Joe’s annoying. I’m making the point that I dealt with worse people and I still never told someone to take their money elsewhere when they were ready to make a purchase.
As far as online vendors, I echo all of Mathan’s suggestions (except Hill City, just because I’ve never used them) and would add to them: Impulse Creations, G-Mart, and TFAW.
Dhaise dreams a little dream
Since you guys can only be expected to know only so much lore, how about telling us what your dream team lineups are for;
The Birds of Prey, Suicide Squad and Infinity Incorporated.
As much as I’d love to break down my dream lineups for all three teams, it’d kill Tim who’s in charge of scoring all those sweet images you see every week. So basically this week, we’re going to do the Suicide Squad with the others to follow in subsequent week’s columns.
Seriously, we don’t want to work Tim too hard.
Oh, wow, did I say Suicide Squad was this week’s team? Go figure, we actually covered them a few months.
Man, life was so much more simple back then.
(Begin flashback)
First off, you’ve got to have a leader. Ulysses Hadrian Armstrong AKA The General works just fine in this position. He went up against Batman and Robin and while he lost, he was just a kid. I see him being the field leader, sort of like Rick Flag.
Obviously people are going to get hurt, so you need a field doctor. That’s going to be Hush. Not only does he have medial expertise, but he’s also going to be pretty useful in the field.
Every team needs a powerhouse and on this team is Gorilla Grodd. He’s going to have limited mental powers (his will be dampened to prevent his escape) plus the guy is a gorilla.
I think that Merlyn would fit nicely on the team. The way I see it he’s stuck in another country and about to be executed, so he cops to a crime in the US to get extradited, and that’s how he ends up on the Squad.
Oh come on! Who would do that?
Oh…right.
Of course every version of the Suicide Squad needs fodder. So here are my suggestions; from Last Laugh Meathead and Carnivora and from Nightwing Stallion and Brutale. Of course that’s provided that these forgettable villains aren’t already dead.
I think Brutale is still kicking around. Stallion did the explosion thing in Nightwing when Chemo got dropped on the city (right?). As for the other two, I can only pray they are dead.
I’m pretty sure that Menagerie formerly of the Elite is still behind bars so I’m guessing that she’d make a good member of this team.
But back to the meat of the team I think that it’d make sense that Task Force X makes a deal with Gotham, because there’s a steady supply of crooks right there. Imagine if Scarecrow were brought in for a mission, or Croc? I mean I’d love to see those two on the Squad, especially a Dr. Crane out of costume.
And since Cheshire’s not being used in Secret Six I think that she’d be a solid fit in the Suicide Squad.
Finally I think that Agent Liberty would be the “hero, what’s he doing there?” role (see I’m guilty of it too.) He’s forgotten enough to be uber expendable, yet he’s about as recognizable as Bronze Tiger was in the original series.
Ooh, and I might toss in Bane the Backbreaker too. Maybe he joins up as a way to make amends for his actions during Infinite Crisis.
And that’s how my version of the Suicide Squad would look like.
Tim, what do you think about my Squad, and what would yours look like?
Any Suicide Squad team the incorporates characters from Last Laugh both sickens and intrigues me, so I guess that’s a good thing, right? Willingham’s principle of some reaction over none at all.
Also, lest you think I’m not keen on it at all, I do appreciate your assortment of choices. You presented a nice range of characters that all could pop in this ensemble cast while none of them are so headline as too overshadow the rest (Crane’s the closest to that, but he’s still safely under headliner status).
My team is fatally flawed in that, as I review my choices, I realize I lack even the semi-headliner. I went too obscure. Alas, I soldier on regardless.
My team leader is The Jacobian. I know, I know, who? He’s the bald fella in the drawing above.
Right. And?
Well, in addition to sharing a name with a mathematical principle, he was a character in a Detective Comics backup story about five years ago. He also was once, most likely, a hero called The Moment.
Anyway, he is gifted with the ability to “look beyond the moment” (hence the name) and alter the environment around him. Essentially that makes him an excellent detective and strategist and gives him Neo-esque abilities to freeze time, etc. Given that he has problems with amnesia, it would be easy enough to set him up for a crime. He would know that he did not commit it but have no idea where he was and thus be able to provide no alibi. Once he’s behind bars, Task Force X comes a-calling and offers him a way out and, quite possibly, the chance to find out who set him up.
No, I have no idea why it occurred to me that he’d be a good choice.
Moving on…
No good Squad is complete without behind the scenes jockeying for position and leadership conflicts. With that in mind, I’ve selected Killer Moth, the anti-Batman. Or at least, that used to be the idea. Then, somewhere along the way, he get beat up by Batgirl, teamed up with Catman (pre Secret Six makeover) and Calendar Man (the costume wearing variety, not the bald headed riddle speaker), and turned into a mutant moth named Charaxes. Thankfully, in Face the Face, James Robinson introduced a new Moth. That’s this guy.
He’s smart, dangerous, and has got something to prove. This is the Catman of this book, a villain ready to rehabilitate the name.
Stealth has always been a big part of the Suicide Squad, and I’ve got three players to bring in with that in mind.
First, the twin acrobatic thieves called Double Dare. They’ve stolen for some of the best and from some of the most secure places on the planet. They can bring that talent to the covert operations of the Task Force.
Plus, there’s something sick inside of me that likes the idea of one of the twins being killed during a mission while the other survives. I think that could make for great comics.
The second selected for the ability to quietly get into places others cannot is Pathfinder. I could not find a picture of him on the net which just boggles my mind, but you may remember him from the recent Deadshot miniseries. He’s a teleported with the ability to phase through people, J’onn style. I really like his design and he fits either as a villain who gets more well known or goes down in the course of action.
My next recruit is Flash villain Double Down. He’s another guy who I think he a great design but has yet to be given a personality equal to his look. Plus, his flesh cards (ewwwww) are a form of long range weaponry and so far this team is lacking that.
Long range weaponry will also be provided by the villainous…Overthrow!!! Yes, I think he might have died in OMAC. No matter. This guy’s a new villain who purchased the gear through some sort of villain auction (perhaps in that underground market depicted in Flash during Johns run). He has an absolutely ridiculous gimmick that is still sort of useful. Sounds perfect for a Suicide Squad corpse member.
My closest headliner is Major Disaster. Sure, it appeared that he was on the straight and narrow when Kelly put him on the JLA, but it was not to be. OYL a series of events plunged Disaster back into his criminal past. Ashamed at his fall from grace, the formerly good Major is hoping to redeem himself through risking his life for the Task Force. He’s probably closest to Deadshot in attitude as he has very little concern about whether or not he lives or dies. If he lives, great, it is another time he’s done the right thing. If he dies, so be it, he’s already shamed for life anyways.
Our muscle comes from none other than Shakedown, the burly Master of Disaster. I think he makes great cannon fodder. Plus, dig that beard.
Our perspective figure is Peek-a-Boo. She’s a “criminal” who was only trying to help her father. She’s guilty, no doubt of that, but she’s no monster. The prison system threatens to swallow her up and leave her either broken or dead. At her wits end, moments from taking her own life, in sweeps in the US Government with an offer of eventual amnesty. She reacts, taking it without question, and for a time she starts to feel better. Then the missions become less clear cut, the political questions more daunting. Soon, Boo is questioning what the point of earning your freedom is when you’re selling your soul to do it.
And that is my team. I’m sort of proud of it, but I do think it is too obscure overall.
End flashback.
Wow.
As you can see, for the most part out picks are still viable. Sure, Major Disaster and Stallion are dead, but everything else is pretty much still doable.
I really wouldn’t change anything about my group, there haven’t been too many interesting villains introduced or interesting characters who’ve entered limbo that I want to save.
Tim, would you change any piece of your Squad?
I like the lineup still, but I neglected to place a picture of Pathfinder in the article for some reason, so here it is:
Ahh, all better now.
Shay is curious how the bull got back into the china closet
As an occasional batman reader, what happened to get Bullock kicked off the Force?
In Gotham Central they talk about him leaking info about a guy in witness protection to the mob but in Batman face to face they go on about him taking bribes?
Was the bribe taking ever shown in any comic or just alluded to?
What’s the real story?
Oh, the old Harvey Bullock. This guy is so beloved that we’ve faced this question a quite a few times. Everyone wants to know what happened to Bullock to drive him from the GCPD. Well here’s the basic rundown of what happened:
Harvey Bullock is another mystery. See back when James Gordon was Commissioner, Gordon got shot. The shooter, one Jordan Rich, was about to get off scot-free. Now, Harv being the loyal guy he was couldn’t have that happening. But Harv was also a cop, sworn to uphold the law. So what’s a guy to do? Well he got the mob to handle the “dirty” work for him. When his involvement in the “disappearance” of Jordan Rich came to light, by investigating Internal Affairs officers, Bullock resigned from GCPD. He was replaced by a Maggie Sawyer from Metropolis. He turned in his badge in Detective Comics #762.
I don’t think that Bullock’s ever been shown accepting an envelop full of money, but the guy does have connections to the mob. I think that it’s fair to believe that Bullock has received some favors on the side, but he’s not a dirty cop. He’s good police.
Tim, what’s your take on Bullock?
I like Bullock and I was more than a bit surprised about the whole “bribe†thing because of the witness protection bit.
See, when Gordon got shot, the guy who did it get away with it. Bullock couldn’t deal with that so he arranged for that fella to get his comeuppance. To me, that was a perfect reason for him to be exiled from the police and a solvable problem. Essentially, once he came to terms with it, he’d be able to come back because, really, no one seemed to blame him for it.
The bribery thing, I guess, is all DCU post-Superboy punch or something. As weird as it sounds, I feel like that is harder to come back from than arranging for a criminal’s death. One is born of selfishness and corruption, the other is born of frustration and truly wanting to see justice done.
But hey, that’s just me.
Aaron gets nervous when the folks fight
I remember reading that Batman and Green Lantern were “feuding” when Hal reclaimed the GL mantle. Has Bats come around to accepting the whole “ring impurity” excuse for Hal’s insanity thingie? Or is theirs an uneasy alliance built on suspicion and distrust?
Yeah, Batman was a bit leery of Hal becoming Green Lantern again. And can you blame him? First off, Hal had the ring and went crazy. Then Hal became Parallax and tried to restart the universe. And then, later Hal became the Spectre and made everyone forget that Wally West was The Flash.
Now this is Batman, Mr. “I have a plan to take out anyone if they should abuse their abilities” and Hal “Great power goes to my head” Jordan. Of course these two are going to clash.
But they don’t have an “uneasy alliance.” Before Hal got drunk on power, he and Bats shared plenty of adventures and were teammates on the JLA. I think that Batman is willing to accept that Hal’s time as Spectre and Parallax were anomalies in his behavior.
And I’m pretty sure that Hal accepts that Bats is just being protective, if overly so. Hal knows that Batman’s looking out for everyone’s best interest. He also knows that he does still have to prove himself in the eyes of many.
Tim, what do you think about the relationship between Bruce and Hal?
I think those crazy kids are gonna make it.
Snark loves sweet green Martian flesh (and who can blame him?)
Since Martian Manhunter is going to be off the shelves soon, do you think that they’ll end up reverting him back to the way he was before eventually?
While Martian Manhunter’s recent mini was pretty much forgettable, I don’t think that DC is going to make J’onn the same nearly nude Martian he used to be anytime soon.
First and foremost J’onn’s new look is the result of WW3 and part of OYL. So to give those events weight it’s much easier to keep the J’onn that’s around as a reminder that what happened, did happen.
On the other hand it’s not like J’onn’s appearing anywhere at the moment. He’s not part of any team and doesn’t seem to have any upcoming appearances. That could be a sign that no one wants to use the guy.
And it’s interesting to point out that while the Big Three have become decidedly “Pre Crisis” J’onn’s actually shown some growth.
I do think that J’onn will probably end up returning to his more familiar form at some point down the line. I mean really, how long do you think that public is going to tolerate a complete and utter lack of green Martian skin?
I know I need it. I know that in a few years I’ll probably demand that J’onn return to his nearly nude form. If there’s one thing that fans of the DCU want it’s Martian nipples.
Tim, do you think that J’onn needs a makeover?
No, what he needed was a series that showed what was so great about him as a character. What he got was a series that seemed centered around the idea that, “he’s an alien so he must be mad as us.†Brilliant.
The Shade has worm issues
What do you think of Mr. Mind’s new look?
Mr. Mind always bothered me. He’s kind of cool in principle, but really lame in execution.
I mean, how threatening is a corny worm going to be, even if he’s got mind powers. I mean in the Golden and Silver Age the guy had big animated eyes. He was cartoony!
So in that regard I’m all for his makeover. It takes away that corny stigma the characters carried for so many years.
But, on the other hand his new look kind of takes away the one cool thing about him; his versatility. I mean one of the coolest reveals in recent memory was in JSA when the Atom found out that Mr. Mind had taken up residence inside of Brainwave. That was cool.
I don’t dig Mr. Mind’s former appearance, but I liked what it afforded him in terms of subterfuge. I just don’t think that his new look is going cause anyone to be unsuspecting of him.
So I hope that Mr. Mind’s new look is temporary. I think.
Tim, any thoughts on Mr. Mind’s new look?
It was a great reveal (loved Booster’s “It’s so hideousâ€) and it worked for the story. Long term though, no way does it work. Unless someone wants to make Mr. Mind DC’s butterfly-esque Galactus, he’s only going to see work as a worm with glasses and a radio around his neck.
And thus the column is over.
Send questions or post them in the forums.
My question to you; now that 52 is over, what’d you think of it?
“With precision we’re slicin’ and dicin’. Peace to the East New York, Perverted Monks and Mike Tyson.”
