My Week In Comics 6-8-11: A DC-less Preview

It was an interesting week in a couple of ways. First of all, I bought no DC comics. None of my regular books were out, and I wasn't interested in any of the "Flashpoint" tie-ins. Considering DC's pending reboot and my disdain for, and concern about, much of it, this could happen much more often come September. Perhaps even weekly. Since my last post, DC put out its word on the Superman books, and at least two of them -- the books starring Superboy and Supergirl -- are very likely off my purchase lists. I haven't decided on the Action Comics and Superman books yet. There's also been confirmation that the Lois Lane-Clark Kent wedding will no longer exist in the new order.

And there was this piece of information that is just going to lead to a lot of confusion some day, when future stories are being planned out. Many of the events that have happened in recent years are still going to be considered to have taken place, in the timeline that DC has built for itself:

DC confirmed that stories like Blackest Night, Brightest Day, Identity Crisis, Death in the Family, and Killing Joke are still part of the DCU history. In fact, editors said, some events in those stories are specifically referenced in September.

So they will have to explain how Barbara Gordon is no longer paralyzed, I suppose? The thing is, if the characters are supposed to be younger (after all, they want to try and get young people to buy into the new continuity), how can so many of these events have happened in such a brief period? Word is that while most books are set in what the story calls "contemporary times," two books -- "Justice League" and "Action Comics" -- are set at the "dawning of the age of superheroes," which, from one report, is only about five years earlier. And "Identity Crisis" was, in part, about superheroes' families being in danger after one wife is murdered (and their actions as a result). A major plot twist turns on a past event that some characters kept secret from others. If at least some of that history is gone, if some of those relationships (such as the Lois/Clark marriage) don't exist now, then how does the rest of the story make sense? I'm just not sold on any of this.

So on to the two books I did buy...

Moriarty 2 (of ?): Still not absolutely sure this is a miniseries, but I'm guessing it is. I don't know how many issues it will last. I'm also not sure I care. The first issue of this alternate take on the greatest enemy of Sherlock Holmes was extremely wordy but intriguing. This second issue, less wordy, more action-oriented, but a lot more confusing than intriguing. And in this issue we meet this story's version of a major character in the Conan Doyle stories, in an entirely different and rather distasteful role. Come to think of it, this is like the Sherlock Holmes version of "Flashpoint."

Kevin Keller 1 (of 4): The Archie Comics' openly gay character gets his own miniseries, as previously announced. Except, for some reason, in small print above the title it says "Veronica Presents..." and next to the #1 on the issue, in a lighter shade, is "207." The publisher's information that's printed on an inside page (often the back) in tiny print also calls it "Veronica #207." The logic behind this escapes me. At any rate, Riverdale's July 4th parade serves as the catalyst for a tale in which we learn more about Kevin's background, the friends he made before he moved to town, and how his dad -- a retired Army colonel -- reacted to finding out his son is gay. And this book was the second thing that made it an interesting week: just like when he was introduced last year, both of the comic book stores in Center City I visit regularly didn't have this on the shelves last week. I ended up stumbling upon it at Barnes and Noble a few days later. (Oddly, this week when I made my comic run, the store I went to did have it. I have no idea where it was last week.)