So there are these books, then those I bought today, and the final issue of "Flashpoint" next week, and then...well, that's the question, isn't it? Will I keep buying any books at all? Right now, I don't know. I'm not buying into the new DC Universe. (If I get around to it I'll elaborate on that.) The question is, will I bother to go to the comic book stores at all, for the Simpsons/Futurama books or other things I take a chance on from time to time?
Superboy 11
Supergirl 67
Superman/Batman 87: All three of these are the last issues of these series. There isn't going to be a Superman/Batman book in the new DC, at least not at first. And the changes to the other books starting with their new #1 issues are not to my liking at all, so this is it. All storylines are wrapped up (except for a little loose end in "Superboy") in a satisfactory way. The Superboy and Supergirl books are two that I've really enjoyed; they've been more consistently good than most of the monthly series I've been buying, and they both end (as are many of the DC books) with sweet, heartwarming final pages. "Superman/Batman?" Not so consistent, and I dropped it until these last three issues. It ends with the two heroes on a rooftop, as they so often find themselves. Hard for these two to have a private chat on the street, don't you know. Superman's not entirely satisfied with the resolution of the case, and Batman advises him to let it go, making a neat comparison of the two and their styles: "Last night, while you were paining over this, there were nine murders in Gotham. Six of them remain unsolved. You're an architect, Clark. You're building a future. I'm a fireman. I put out fires as best I can, and then move on to the next one."
Simpsons Comics 181: Ned Flanders on a cruise ship for the religious, with cruise director Reverend Roy: "The eleventh commandment is fun, fun, fun! Pan-denominational, monogamous, non-alcoholic fun, that is!" And poor Rod and Tod are left behind with the Simpsons. "Left behind" -- get it? I'm so funny!
Showing posts with label Superboy. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Superboy. Show all posts
Thursday, August 25, 2011
Sunday, August 14, 2011
My Week In Comics 8-3-11
As it is many times, it's an all-DC week. Although when September arrives and DC reboots, I really don't think I'm going to be on board. The advance publicity has revealed quite a bit, and I dislike almost every change in the series I buy regularly. Which also makes me wonder, if the only books I get regularly are the Simpsons/Futurama books, should I even bother? But that decision is for next month...
Flashpoint 4 (of 5): The story that's leading to all of those changes is nearing its end. War between the Amazons and the Atlanteans is erupting, and a desperate Flash finally convinces this world's Batman to join with other superpowered beings to try and stop it. Some of what happens is a result of what took place in some of the tie-in books. Without that background, a few characters' motivations here is fuzzy. I have to agree with some other commentary I've read, that the main Flashpoint series is being overshadowed by some of the companion books...
Flashpoint: Batman Knight of Vengeance 3 (of 3): ...and this was one of them. The amazing cliffhanger in the last issue -- (okay, SPOILER ALERT if you care about these things) where we learned that the murder of young Bruce Wayne in Crime Alley not only resulted in his father Thomas becoming Batman, but his mother Martha is the Joker -- is played out, with flashbacks interspersed revealing Martha's descent into madness.
Superboy 10: As with the other DC books I've been getting, here's the next-to-last issue. And to mark the occasion, Superboy himself appears on a grand total of two pages of the book. The last two. Good thing it's not the very last issue. (The rest of the book was flashbacks telling how the villain of the tale, Tannarak, has been around trying basically the same thing over and over since at least...drum roll...the year 45,025 B.C.)
Superman 714: This, on the other hand, is the end. The end of the series before the new one starts up, and the end of "Grounded," otherwise known as Superman's Walk Across America. Although, technically, did he complete his walk if, in order to rescue Lois from the woman who was holding her hostage in order to draw him out, he flew from Portland to Seattle? Not to mention his time walking from Vegas into and out of Los Angeles just disappearing -- seriously, it's like Hands Across America. There are gaps. Anyway, the finale wasn't all that bad, but it couldn't make up for so much bad that came before it.
Flashpoint 4 (of 5): The story that's leading to all of those changes is nearing its end. War between the Amazons and the Atlanteans is erupting, and a desperate Flash finally convinces this world's Batman to join with other superpowered beings to try and stop it. Some of what happens is a result of what took place in some of the tie-in books. Without that background, a few characters' motivations here is fuzzy. I have to agree with some other commentary I've read, that the main Flashpoint series is being overshadowed by some of the companion books...
Flashpoint: Batman Knight of Vengeance 3 (of 3): ...and this was one of them. The amazing cliffhanger in the last issue -- (okay, SPOILER ALERT if you care about these things) where we learned that the murder of young Bruce Wayne in Crime Alley not only resulted in his father Thomas becoming Batman, but his mother Martha is the Joker -- is played out, with flashbacks interspersed revealing Martha's descent into madness.
Superboy 10: As with the other DC books I've been getting, here's the next-to-last issue. And to mark the occasion, Superboy himself appears on a grand total of two pages of the book. The last two. Good thing it's not the very last issue. (The rest of the book was flashbacks telling how the villain of the tale, Tannarak, has been around trying basically the same thing over and over since at least...drum roll...the year 45,025 B.C.)
Superman 714: This, on the other hand, is the end. The end of the series before the new one starts up, and the end of "Grounded," otherwise known as Superman's Walk Across America. Although, technically, did he complete his walk if, in order to rescue Lois from the woman who was holding her hostage in order to draw him out, he flew from Portland to Seattle? Not to mention his time walking from Vegas into and out of Los Angeles just disappearing -- seriously, it's like Hands Across America. There are gaps. Anyway, the finale wasn't all that bad, but it couldn't make up for so much bad that came before it.
Wednesday, August 3, 2011
My Week In Comics 7-27-11
I need to bear down and get these posts out, as my online time might be limited in the coming days. And this was a heavy week because of two "Flashpoint" tie-ins and a couple of other books not part of my regular deal.
Action Comics 903: As with just about every series, this is the next-to-last issue before the reboot. So it's the next-to-last part of the "Reign of the Doomsdays" storyline, which I've found to be badly written. Between this and the walk-across-America story in the other Superman book, even though I detest much of what I've heard about the reboot it's arriving just in time.
Flashpoint: Project Superman 2 (of 3): This book, on the other hand, really surprised me. I enjoyed it much more than I expected. Held in a secret facility under Metropolis, young Kal-El (Subject One) is being experimented on and, ironically, it's General Sam Lane who's treating him with compassion to try and guide him into becoming the hero that Subject Zero couldn't be. We also meet Lionel Luthor and his son Lex, who is viciously attacked (thanks to some manipulation by Subject Zero and a timely push by Lionel) by Subject Two -- the dog we know in the regular DC world as Krypto. And young Kal meets young Lois Lane for the first time.
Flashpoint: Lois Lane and the Resistance 2 (of 3): Meanwhile, the all-grown-up Lois meets up with the Resistance in London, and they're after a prototype of an armored battlesuit that could help them fight against the occupying Amazons. But there's a traitor in their midst...
Gotham City Sirens 25: This time out the entire issue is focused on (and has narrative boxes from) Poison Ivy, as she escapes from Arkham with Harley Quinn, intent on killing Catwoman for her betrayal. I remember when this book was a lot more humorous. I liked it a lot more then.
Teen Titans 98: Somehow, and I suppose there's an explanation coming, Superboy-Prime (whose punches caused lots of changes in DC's continuity, but fortunately have nothing to do with the reboot in September) has returned and is out for vengeance (or something) against Superboy. The last page is amusing.
DC Retroactive: Superman - The '70s 1 (of 1): DC is doing a bunch of one-shot specials which pay homage to the 1970's, 1980's and 1990s. Each book will have a new story set in the specific decade, plus a reprint of a story from that era. In this case, the new story in part deals with a little drama between Lois Lane and Lana Lang over their love, Superman, which the old story tells how the Earth-Two Superman came to marry Lois Lane.
Futurama Comics 56: Fry blows up the Earth. Not really. It's a theme restaurant called Earthies. It leads to, among other things, Bender being chased down while on the Internet for illegal music downloads -- by the artists whose music he downloaded.
Action Comics 903: As with just about every series, this is the next-to-last issue before the reboot. So it's the next-to-last part of the "Reign of the Doomsdays" storyline, which I've found to be badly written. Between this and the walk-across-America story in the other Superman book, even though I detest much of what I've heard about the reboot it's arriving just in time.
Flashpoint: Project Superman 2 (of 3): This book, on the other hand, really surprised me. I enjoyed it much more than I expected. Held in a secret facility under Metropolis, young Kal-El (Subject One) is being experimented on and, ironically, it's General Sam Lane who's treating him with compassion to try and guide him into becoming the hero that Subject Zero couldn't be. We also meet Lionel Luthor and his son Lex, who is viciously attacked (thanks to some manipulation by Subject Zero and a timely push by Lionel) by Subject Two -- the dog we know in the regular DC world as Krypto. And young Kal meets young Lois Lane for the first time.
Flashpoint: Lois Lane and the Resistance 2 (of 3): Meanwhile, the all-grown-up Lois meets up with the Resistance in London, and they're after a prototype of an armored battlesuit that could help them fight against the occupying Amazons. But there's a traitor in their midst...
Gotham City Sirens 25: This time out the entire issue is focused on (and has narrative boxes from) Poison Ivy, as she escapes from Arkham with Harley Quinn, intent on killing Catwoman for her betrayal. I remember when this book was a lot more humorous. I liked it a lot more then.
Teen Titans 98: Somehow, and I suppose there's an explanation coming, Superboy-Prime (whose punches caused lots of changes in DC's continuity, but fortunately have nothing to do with the reboot in September) has returned and is out for vengeance (or something) against Superboy. The last page is amusing.
DC Retroactive: Superman - The '70s 1 (of 1): DC is doing a bunch of one-shot specials which pay homage to the 1970's, 1980's and 1990s. Each book will have a new story set in the specific decade, plus a reprint of a story from that era. In this case, the new story in part deals with a little drama between Lois Lane and Lana Lang over their love, Superman, which the old story tells how the Earth-Two Superman came to marry Lois Lane.
Futurama Comics 56: Fry blows up the Earth. Not really. It's a theme restaurant called Earthies. It leads to, among other things, Bender being chased down while on the Internet for illegal music downloads -- by the artists whose music he downloaded.
Thursday, July 14, 2011
My Week In Comics 7-6-11
Let's get right to this...
Flashpoint 3 (of 5): DC Comics continues to hype their comingfinal blow to their business reboot as well as selling "Flashpoint" and its tie-ins. One thing they're saying is that some of the changes occurring in September are being hinted at or previewed in "Flashpoint." A badly-hurt Barry Allen makes that point early on in the 3rd issue of the main series: "If we don't fix this soon...I won't even realize it's wrong." Yes, but we will. Anyway, Barry makes a speedy recovery and finally convinces Batman to help him get as much of the old gang -- the Justice League -- together again. So much has changed, but since Barry learns that a rocket ship crashed from outer space years ago, he knows that somewhere out there, there's a Superman. We knew that because of the "Project Superman" tie-in book that came out a week earlier. And since events in that book take place in flashbacks and the first issue ended with the arrival of the rocket from Krypton, this book lets us see what Superman is like now (and, gruesomely, the status of Krypto).
Flashpoint: Batman Knight of Vengeance 2 (of 3): Meanwhile, in the Batman tie-in, we learn that in the Flashpoint universe there is an Oracle in Gotham, but it's not Barbara Gordon. And in a stunning and tragic sequence, we learn the identity of this world's Joker. And that is one of the most surprising and entertaining reveals I've read in a book in a while.
Superboy 9: Again, not that it matters, since everything changes in a couple of months, Superboy faces off against the Hollow Men and learns that his ally is not who he appears to be. And we learn the true mission of the from-the-near-future Psionic Lad...I mean, Psion. He changed his name. But it doesn't matter since he probably won't exist in the new DC universe.
Moriarty 3 (of 4): The "to be concluded" note on the last page solves the mystery of how long this series will last. The mystery of exactly what the threat to London (and/or the world) entails is a bit clearer, I think. Took me two reads to come up with a guess. Moriarty also "catches up" with Inspector Lestrade, using him to deliver a message to Dr. Watson. With one issue left, it remains to be seen whether or not Moriarty's presumed-dead nemesis will make an appearance. My money's still on "yes."
Flashpoint 3 (of 5): DC Comics continues to hype their coming
Flashpoint: Batman Knight of Vengeance 2 (of 3): Meanwhile, in the Batman tie-in, we learn that in the Flashpoint universe there is an Oracle in Gotham, but it's not Barbara Gordon. And in a stunning and tragic sequence, we learn the identity of this world's Joker. And that is one of the most surprising and entertaining reveals I've read in a book in a while.
Superboy 9: Again, not that it matters, since everything changes in a couple of months, Superboy faces off against the Hollow Men and learns that his ally is not who he appears to be. And we learn the true mission of the from-the-near-future Psionic Lad...I mean, Psion. He changed his name. But it doesn't matter since he probably won't exist in the new DC universe.
Moriarty 3 (of 4): The "to be concluded" note on the last page solves the mystery of how long this series will last. The mystery of exactly what the threat to London (and/or the world) entails is a bit clearer, I think. Took me two reads to come up with a guess. Moriarty also "catches up" with Inspector Lestrade, using him to deliver a message to Dr. Watson. With one issue left, it remains to be seen whether or not Moriarty's presumed-dead nemesis will make an appearance. My money's still on "yes."
Tuesday, June 28, 2011
My Week In Comics 6-22-11
It's been a bit hectic the last few days, with Sunday's softball and our sponsor being Bar of the Week (two wins and raised over $300 for the team -- woo-hoo!), and yesterday and much of today helping a friend pack up his things for a move (which I'll be helping him do tomorrow), not to mention accompanying him on his trip to the emergency room due to abdominal pains (spent like 9 hours there but he's feeling better) yesterday. I still want to write about the Phillies' current circumstances and the Flyers' dramatic moves last week (with one more big one to come?) -- but, to get something posted, I'm taking the easy way out with these...
Action Comics 902: As we continue with "Reign of the Doomsdays" (and some more clunky dialogue) there's a new player in the game, Doomslayer, who wants to destroy the original Doomsday and the Luthor-produced clones. To do so he's willing to wipe out everyone on Earth, or at least Metropolis -- which, of course, Superman and his allies want to prevent. Doomslayer seems to be a much more evolved version of the original Doomsday, or perhaps he is the original, evolved and returned from the future. That, of course, would mean he's going to kill himself, which would mean he wouldn't go from Doomsday to Doomslayer, but if he doesn't become Doomslayer because he killed himself, how does he come back to kill himself? Head...spinning... Oh, and a character died at the end of issue 901, but what does it matter since the great DC reboot is coming?
Superman 712: Here's the description of the issue from DC's website: "Meet Los Angeles's newest super hero in the latest chapter of 'Grounded': Sharif! But Sharif discovers that in today's current cultural climate, some people don't want his help – they just want him gone. Can Superman aid Sharif and quell a prejudiced public, or are there some problems too big even for the Man of Steel to solve?" Well, a funny thing happened on the way to Los Angeles. This story was replaced at the last minute. This means that Superman's walk across the country has been interrupted three times now for unrelated stories, and with only two chapters left now before the reboot, this walk is limping to an end. Something in the story of Sharif (could it be that he has powers but hey, he's a Muslim so people think he must be a terrorist?) was deemed too controversial, and so the story can never see the light of day.
Then again, the story that actually appeared in the issue was also missing in action. It was originally slated to appear a few years ago. For reasons that weren't made entirely clear at the time, it was similarly pulled on short notice. I guess it was an emergency and something had to come out on Wednesday, so here it is. "Lost Boy: A Tale of Krypto the Superdog" is set shortly after "Infinite Crisis," in which Superboy died (until "Final Crisis" brought Conner Kent back to the land of the living) and Superman went missing after losing his powers. It deals with Krypto's reaction to these events, so it's mostly wordless (except for some flashback scenes), but Krypto's expressions -- and one long, loud, glass-breaking super-howl -- effectively tell the tale. It would have been better had it arrived on schedule, but it was worth the wait.
Action Comics 902: As we continue with "Reign of the Doomsdays" (and some more clunky dialogue) there's a new player in the game, Doomslayer, who wants to destroy the original Doomsday and the Luthor-produced clones. To do so he's willing to wipe out everyone on Earth, or at least Metropolis -- which, of course, Superman and his allies want to prevent. Doomslayer seems to be a much more evolved version of the original Doomsday, or perhaps he is the original, evolved and returned from the future. That, of course, would mean he's going to kill himself, which would mean he wouldn't go from Doomsday to Doomslayer, but if he doesn't become Doomslayer because he killed himself, how does he come back to kill himself? Head...spinning... Oh, and a character died at the end of issue 901, but what does it matter since the great DC reboot is coming?
Superman 712: Here's the description of the issue from DC's website: "Meet Los Angeles's newest super hero in the latest chapter of 'Grounded': Sharif! But Sharif discovers that in today's current cultural climate, some people don't want his help – they just want him gone. Can Superman aid Sharif and quell a prejudiced public, or are there some problems too big even for the Man of Steel to solve?" Well, a funny thing happened on the way to Los Angeles. This story was replaced at the last minute. This means that Superman's walk across the country has been interrupted three times now for unrelated stories, and with only two chapters left now before the reboot, this walk is limping to an end. Something in the story of Sharif (could it be that he has powers but hey, he's a Muslim so people think he must be a terrorist?) was deemed too controversial, and so the story can never see the light of day.
Then again, the story that actually appeared in the issue was also missing in action. It was originally slated to appear a few years ago. For reasons that weren't made entirely clear at the time, it was similarly pulled on short notice. I guess it was an emergency and something had to come out on Wednesday, so here it is. "Lost Boy: A Tale of Krypto the Superdog" is set shortly after "Infinite Crisis," in which Superboy died (until "Final Crisis" brought Conner Kent back to the land of the living) and Superman went missing after losing his powers. It deals with Krypto's reaction to these events, so it's mostly wordless (except for some flashback scenes), but Krypto's expressions -- and one long, loud, glass-breaking super-howl -- effectively tell the tale. It would have been better had it arrived on schedule, but it was worth the wait.
Tuesday, June 7, 2011
My Week In Comics 6-2-11 (With Bonus Rant)
Okay, let's get right to this so I can rant.
Flashpoint 2 (of 5);
Flashpoint: Batman Knight of Vengeance 1 (of 3): The newly altered universe Barry Allen finds himself in is very much different. Much of Europe is under water, flooded by Atlantis under its ruler, Aquaman. And England is now New Themyscira after being attacked by Wonder Woman and the Amazons. But probably the biggest reveal of the first issue of the main series is that instead of Bruce Wayne seeing his parents killed and eventually becoming Batman, it was Bruce and his mother who were killed and his father, Thomas Wayne, who becomes Batman -- but this Batman is not out for justice, but revenge. In Flashpoint #2, Barry Allen tries to persuade Batman to help him re-create the accident that gave Barry his super-speed, allowing the Flash to find a way to restore history and get the world back to where it was. The Batman tie-in miniseries focuses on the changes in Gotham City: Thomas Wayne is a casino magnate and has privatized the Gotham police force, but while many of the city's worst fiends are dead (thanks to Batman), the Joker is still around, and has kidnapped the twins of Judge Harvey Dent. Not that all of this will matter in a few months...
Superboy 8: The strange mysteries that have been building in Smallville since the start of this series -- the "broken silo," Psionic Lad, Lori Luthor -- are all coming to a head in part one of "Rise of the Hollow Men." Not that it will...
...okay, you get the idea. What I was hinting at in my last comic book post is the news that came out of DC Comics last week. Essentially, "Flashpoint" is serving as the "Crisis on Infinite Earths" of today: when it's over,
Flashpoint 2 (of 5);
Flashpoint: Batman Knight of Vengeance 1 (of 3): The newly altered universe Barry Allen finds himself in is very much different. Much of Europe is under water, flooded by Atlantis under its ruler, Aquaman. And England is now New Themyscira after being attacked by Wonder Woman and the Amazons. But probably the biggest reveal of the first issue of the main series is that instead of Bruce Wayne seeing his parents killed and eventually becoming Batman, it was Bruce and his mother who were killed and his father, Thomas Wayne, who becomes Batman -- but this Batman is not out for justice, but revenge. In Flashpoint #2, Barry Allen tries to persuade Batman to help him re-create the accident that gave Barry his super-speed, allowing the Flash to find a way to restore history and get the world back to where it was. The Batman tie-in miniseries focuses on the changes in Gotham City: Thomas Wayne is a casino magnate and has privatized the Gotham police force, but while many of the city's worst fiends are dead (thanks to Batman), the Joker is still around, and has kidnapped the twins of Judge Harvey Dent. Not that all of this will matter in a few months...
Superboy 8: The strange mysteries that have been building in Smallville since the start of this series -- the "broken silo," Psionic Lad, Lori Luthor -- are all coming to a head in part one of "Rise of the Hollow Men." Not that it will...
...okay, you get the idea. What I was hinting at in my last comic book post is the news that came out of DC Comics last week. Essentially, "Flashpoint" is serving as the "Crisis on Infinite Earths" of today: when it's over,
Wednesday, June 1, 2011
My Week In Comics 5-25-11
This week I bought two DC books and two from Bongo Comics. However, after some news broke today, I'm not sure I should even bother writing about the books of one of these companies. (I will, of course, but not in this post. If you follow the comic book publishers' doings, you already know what I'm talking about. If the news hasn't gotten to you and you don't care to go searching for it, I will enlighten you in my next comic book post.)
Action Comics 901: So "Reign of Doomsday" has actually turned into "Reign of the Doomsdays." There are four of them now (plus the original, who's incapacitated at the moment), thanks to Lex Luthor. Each has powers similar to the Super-person it went after (for example, Superboy's Doomsday has tactile telekinesis). A new character is introduced, and some of Superman's dialogue is off. Can you ever imagine him answering a question with "Ha! What can I say? Busted!" And now this whole thing, dumb dialogue and all, is threatening Earth. Not that it will matter in a few months...
Gotham City Sirens 23: The Joker and Harley Quinn are reunited...and it feels so good, unless you're in Arkham Asylum with them. As chaos reigns, Poison Ivy arrives to break up the happy couple, while Catwoman tries to stay out of it. Bonus: both Bruce Wayne and Dick Grayson in costume. Two Batmen for the price of one! Not that it will matter in a few months...
Simpsons Summer Shindig 5: Let's see...we have the Springfield Bear Patrol in action. Remember the "We're here! We're queer! We don't want any more bears!" chant? Apparently this was an outgrowth that hasn't been explored
Action Comics 901: So "Reign of Doomsday" has actually turned into "Reign of the Doomsdays." There are four of them now (plus the original, who's incapacitated at the moment), thanks to Lex Luthor. Each has powers similar to the Super-person it went after (for example, Superboy's Doomsday has tactile telekinesis). A new character is introduced, and some of Superman's dialogue is off. Can you ever imagine him answering a question with "Ha! What can I say? Busted!" And now this whole thing, dumb dialogue and all, is threatening Earth. Not that it will matter in a few months...
Gotham City Sirens 23: The Joker and Harley Quinn are reunited...and it feels so good, unless you're in Arkham Asylum with them. As chaos reigns, Poison Ivy arrives to break up the happy couple, while Catwoman tries to stay out of it. Bonus: both Bruce Wayne and Dick Grayson in costume. Two Batmen for the price of one! Not that it will matter in a few months...
Simpsons Summer Shindig 5: Let's see...we have the Springfield Bear Patrol in action. Remember the "We're here! We're queer! We don't want any more bears!" chant? Apparently this was an outgrowth that hasn't been explored
Wednesday, May 11, 2011
My Week In Comics 5-4-11 Plus FCBD
I only had one book on my list this week. I was going to head into town on Wednesday, but a few days before that I noticed something on a bus ride to Franklin Mills: a new comic book store. Within walking distance from my house! What this does is give me an option if I can't (or don't want to) go downtown for some reason. So I decided to check out the new store on Saturday, which was 2011 Free Comic Book Day. That's the day when many publishers put out special free issues (sometimes reprints, sometimes not). There was nothing quite as exciting as last year's "zero issue" that kicked off the War of the Supermen. But I did take two free books, the maximum allowed by the store. I hope the store, which has been open for ten months, does well enough to stay open. When I went on Saturday it was really quiet. While I was there a woman came in with a couple of kids, picked up two free books and then left. That was pretty much it.
Superboy 7: This was my one issue actually purchased, and skips ahead to when the Reign of Doomsday (which intervened last issue) is resolved (which will occur in the next few issues of Action Comics) and Superboy is back in Smallville. Alas, he wakes up to a nighmarish situation which, he is told, is his doing. The twist on this story (another of those time-skipping tales with "then" and "now" labels making it a little too confusing) was that it involves a variation of a plant that was a key plot in a classic Superman tale from the 1980s called "For the Man Who Has Everything."
As for the Free Comic Book Day issues, one was a reprint of a Green Lantern issue that tells (or re-tells, since this particular story was originally published in 2008) how Hal Jordan got his ring to begin with. Obviously it's promoting the movie. It also includes a preview of "Flashpoint," DC's latest huge mega-event (starting this week), in which time has been altered somehow (this happens so much!), leading to all kinds of changes in characters in the DC universe. Only Barry Allen, a.k.a. the Flash, remembers how the world used to be and has to find a way to fix things. I'm curious but not extremely excited about this. I plan to buy the main miniseries itself but probably not most of the tie-in books planned -- the ad on the last page lists one in May and a whopping 21 in June.
The other free book I nabbed was a special issue of The Amazing Spider-Man, which seems to be a new tale that's a prelude to a big storyline that's about to start. It was entertaining enough, and there was a little recap of what's been going on in Peter Parker's life recently. For example, it seems he no longer has his spider-sense. Whether it's permanent or not I have no idea, but I hate the thought of a world in which the sentence "My spider-sense is tingling!" no longer has any meaning.
Superboy 7: This was my one issue actually purchased, and skips ahead to when the Reign of Doomsday (which intervened last issue) is resolved (which will occur in the next few issues of Action Comics) and Superboy is back in Smallville. Alas, he wakes up to a nighmarish situation which, he is told, is his doing. The twist on this story (another of those time-skipping tales with "then" and "now" labels making it a little too confusing) was that it involves a variation of a plant that was a key plot in a classic Superman tale from the 1980s called "For the Man Who Has Everything."
As for the Free Comic Book Day issues, one was a reprint of a Green Lantern issue that tells (or re-tells, since this particular story was originally published in 2008) how Hal Jordan got his ring to begin with. Obviously it's promoting the movie. It also includes a preview of "Flashpoint," DC's latest huge mega-event (starting this week), in which time has been altered somehow (this happens so much!), leading to all kinds of changes in characters in the DC universe. Only Barry Allen, a.k.a. the Flash, remembers how the world used to be and has to find a way to fix things. I'm curious but not extremely excited about this. I plan to buy the main miniseries itself but probably not most of the tie-in books planned -- the ad on the last page lists one in May and a whopping 21 in June.
The other free book I nabbed was a special issue of The Amazing Spider-Man, which seems to be a new tale that's a prelude to a big storyline that's about to start. It was entertaining enough, and there was a little recap of what's been going on in Peter Parker's life recently. For example, it seems he no longer has his spider-sense. Whether it's permanent or not I have no idea, but I hate the thought of a world in which the sentence "My spider-sense is tingling!" no longer has any meaning.
Tuesday, May 3, 2011
My Week In Comics 4-27-11
Batman Incorporated 5: I'm not quite sure what was going on in this book. Maybe I need to re-read the previous two, or maybe it's just getting ridiculous. I did enjoy the first meeting between the Bruce Wayne Batman and the new Batwoman, though. And she called him "sir." I thought it was weird, but I look at it as an outgrowth of her military training. She's dealt with the Dick Grayson Batman before, but with Batman, Inc. getting off the ground, it's obvious to her that the original Batman is the five-star general.
Action Comics 900: As befits such a milestone issue, this book contained 96 pages. A large chunk was devoted to the main stories, which have finally dovetailed -- the finale of "The Black Ring" and the continuation of the "Reign of Doomsday." And yes, the return of Doomsday was a Lex Luthor machination. The Luthor story, and his confrontation with Superman (hey, he's back in his own book!) after gaining godlike powers as a result of merging with the being that created the energy spheres, was superb. The "Doomsday" storyline, in which the captured Superboy, Steel, Supergirl, Cyborg-Superman and the Eradicator have been trapped in an endless maze of sorts, felt out of place. Two separate stories instead of one that swung back and forth between the two plotlines might have been better. The other mini-features in the book have their own charms, but one in particular made a splash in the news.
Tuesday, April 26, 2011
My Week In Comics 4-13-11
I'm a little behind again. D'oh. But this will put me just one week behind, and I'll try to get to that tomorrow.
Superboy 6: This is another tie-in to the "Reign of Doomsday." You knew this was coming because Doomsday (or whatever he really is, considering his constantly changing powers) has already collected the other replacements for the then-dead Superman, and Superboy is the only one left. Before that, there's another nice little conversation with his good friend Red Robin, in which Tim teases Conner about the early days of Superboy (in Hawaii, and also in the previous Superboy series). The Doomsday story picks up in the big Action Comics #900, out this week.
Red Robin 22: Speaking of Red Robin, I picked up this book because the DC info said this was part 1 of a three-part crossover with Gotham City Sirens (which I'm still buying every month) as well as Batman (which I don't). So I figured that it would be best to get this in order to not feel like I'm missing part of the story when I got Gotham City Sirens. Turns out this book was Part 2 of the story, not Part 1.
Superman 710: Meanwhile, Superman continues to walk across the country. He's gotten to Ogden, Utah when his super-vision spots an "S" logo in a cloud. It's a signal. You know, like the Bat-signal. Naturally, the signal's from Batman -- the original Bruce Wayne Batman who's all over the place putting Batman, Inc. in place, not the Dick Grayson Batman who sticks to Gotham City and the Justice League -- and the two reminisce about an adventure they had before they began their superhero careers. And then Batman joins the list of people counseling Superman about the funk he's in. The last couple of issues of this book have been better, but I still want this walk to be over.
Superboy 6: This is another tie-in to the "Reign of Doomsday." You knew this was coming because Doomsday (or whatever he really is, considering his constantly changing powers) has already collected the other replacements for the then-dead Superman, and Superboy is the only one left. Before that, there's another nice little conversation with his good friend Red Robin, in which Tim teases Conner about the early days of Superboy (in Hawaii, and also in the previous Superboy series). The Doomsday story picks up in the big Action Comics #900, out this week.
Red Robin 22: Speaking of Red Robin, I picked up this book because the DC info said this was part 1 of a three-part crossover with Gotham City Sirens (which I'm still buying every month) as well as Batman (which I don't). So I figured that it would be best to get this in order to not feel like I'm missing part of the story when I got Gotham City Sirens. Turns out this book was Part 2 of the story, not Part 1.
Superman 710: Meanwhile, Superman continues to walk across the country. He's gotten to Ogden, Utah when his super-vision spots an "S" logo in a cloud. It's a signal. You know, like the Bat-signal. Naturally, the signal's from Batman -- the original Bruce Wayne Batman who's all over the place putting Batman, Inc. in place, not the Dick Grayson Batman who sticks to Gotham City and the Justice League -- and the two reminisce about an adventure they had before they began their superhero careers. And then Batman joins the list of people counseling Superman about the funk he's in. The last couple of issues of this book have been better, but I still want this walk to be over.
Sunday, March 20, 2011
My Week In Comics 3-9-11
A week after I had nothing to buy, I ended up with five books -- thanks to one featuring a storyline tie-in and another being the final issue of a miniseries. So we'll get to them first...
The Outsiders 37: This is the tie-in book, that story being the "Reign of Doomsday." Much of the book was about the Outsiders themselves, though, and not only was I not interested in that aspect of it, I didn't like the writing throughout very much at all. But hey, just like in the recent Steel special, Doomsday displayed new powers and easily absconded with a severely wounded, if not dead, Eradicator. If you're familiar with the post-death of Superman period in the comics, he had four replacements. Two, Steel and the Eradicator, have now been attacked by Doomsday. So obviously Superboy and Cyborg Superman are in Doomsday's sights.
Victorian Undead II -- 5 (of 5): While this whole "Sherlock Holmes vs. ______" idea was fun, I think it's sort of run its course. After defeating zombies, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde and, in this concluding issue, Dracula, I'm not sure they can keep going back to the well. Or can they? Holmes vs. Frankenstein? The Mummy? The Wolfman? For now, my Holmes fix has to come from...
The Outsiders 37: This is the tie-in book, that story being the "Reign of Doomsday." Much of the book was about the Outsiders themselves, though, and not only was I not interested in that aspect of it, I didn't like the writing throughout very much at all. But hey, just like in the recent Steel special, Doomsday displayed new powers and easily absconded with a severely wounded, if not dead, Eradicator. If you're familiar with the post-death of Superman period in the comics, he had four replacements. Two, Steel and the Eradicator, have now been attacked by Doomsday. So obviously Superboy and Cyborg Superman are in Doomsday's sights.
Victorian Undead II -- 5 (of 5): While this whole "Sherlock Holmes vs. ______" idea was fun, I think it's sort of run its course. After defeating zombies, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde and, in this concluding issue, Dracula, I'm not sure they can keep going back to the well. Or can they? Holmes vs. Frankenstein? The Mummy? The Wolfman? For now, my Holmes fix has to come from...
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