Quick (Not) Review - Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (SPOILERS)

It's been a week, but SPOILER ALERT anyway.

The 2013 reboot of Supeman on film, "Man of Steel," was financially successful enough to earn a sequel. But  that sequel was turned into much more: a hoped-for, full-fledged DC Comics movie universe, taking its place alongside the Marvel Movieverse. But many people had misgivings, seeing as how director Zack Snyder handled "Man of Steel." 

To jump-start the Justice League, in the quest for Avengers-sized box office, the decision was made to pair DC's two biggest icons for the first time. And have them fight. (Cliche alert.) And then throw in Wonder Woman, never before on the big screen. And add cameos of other heroes.  Thus, Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice was born. After seeing it twice in three days and digesting various opinions and reviews, as well as my own feelings on what Superman represents, here are some observations, in no particular order:

Warning: SPOILERS from here on out!

Quick Reviews: Gift For Ricki's U.N.C.L.E.

Fun with post titles...

A key plot twist in The Gift was somewhat spoiled in the trailer. This seems to be happening more and more, and I find it a terrible way to sell a movie. The good thing about this movie, at least, was that there were twists following it. Married couple Simon and Robyn (Jason Bateman, Rebecca Hall) have relocated to Los Angeles because of his new job. While shopping they run into Gordon (Joel Edgerton, who also wrote and directed it), aka "Gordo," a (barely remembered) former high school classmate of Simon's. Gordo begins dropping by their home unannounced, usually dropping off gifts. Robyn thinks he's just socially awkward while her husband thinks it's creepy. Things begin to deteriorate. As I said, there were a surprising number of twists and turns that kept me entertained to the end. But the reveal in the trailer, that Simon knows more than he lets on, took away some of the thrill. Plus, Simon -- even at the very start -- comes off as kind of a dick anyway. My grade: B-plus.

Then there's Ricki and the Flash -- which is, sadly, not about this guy...

...but about Ricki, an aging rocker (Meryl Streep) who left her family to take a shot at stardom and ends up playing a regular gig with her band, The Flash, at a little bar in California and working checkout at a market. Then she's summoned home to Indianapolis by her ex (Kevin Kline) due to a crisis involving her daughter (Mamie Gummer, Meryl's daughter). This just strikes me as a vanity project so Meryl and her daughter could play mother and daughter, and so Meryl could sing (both classic stuff and modern hits such as "Bad Romance" -- Meryl does Gaga!) It has some good moments but it's pretty predictable fluff that all wraps up in a neat little bow at the end. And if I'm being honest...which I am, so why do I need to say that? I blame Simon Cowell for saying it on "American Idol." I got it from him. Anyway, I'm rambling...the best acting in this film was done NOT by Meryl but by Rick Springfield, as Ricki's bandmate and would-be lover. My grade: C-plus.

As for The Man from U.N.C.L.E., the big-screen adaptation of the TV series which ran for four seasons from 1964-68, my big question is...why? A TV series that hasn't been in prime time in nearly 50 years is made into a movie and fell well short of the rather modest box office predictions. Did the studio really think anyone under, say, 40 (to be generous) would go and see this? It's set in 1963 and features, just like the TV show, a team-up of American (Henry Cavill) and Soviet (Armie Hammer) spies to thwart a nuclear threat from Nazi sympathizers.

Pick your favorite tag line:
a) A Brit playing an American and an American playing a Russian!
b) Superman and the Lone Ranger save the world!

It's not a bad film. It breezes merrily along, the banter is witty, there's some action and some humor and the boys look good and eventually learn to trust each other. I just can't wrap my head around why it was necessary. My grade: B-minus.

Weeks In TV, BTW...

I've decided to stop those weekly summaries of my TV viewing. Besides the fact that it's not like there's a huge audience hanging on my every word, I can't figure out a way to make it consistent. Do I go into huge detail about characters and plots and such? If I did that I'd have to take notes while watching. Also, it would be a pretty brief post when shows are on breaks (as most of them are right now). And it seems like it got repetitive. How many times can I point out the same flaws about "Gotham" from week to week? Anyway, I'm thinking I'll just use Twitter when needed.

Just a couple observations on the shows based on comic books...

I'm really torn about whether to revisit "Gotham" when new episodes return in January. I want it to be successful, but consistent quality just isn't there. They're introducing more and more future Batman villains when they hardy can deal with those they've already established. The crime-of-the-week plots have been pretty dreadful, and so much of the acting ranges from over-the-top to zombie-like.

On the other hand, "Arrow," "The Flash" and "Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D" are killing it right now. The two DC properties are intertwined (there will be more crossovers), yet distinct. "Arrow" has deviated a lot more from its comic book mythology, while "Flash" is more faithful in some ways. Both shows are introducing more characters (in a better fashion than "Gotham"), basically building up their own version of the DC Comics universe -- without, of course, DC's biggest stars. It would be great if they could work these shows into their movie universe, if Warner Bros. can really get that off the ground with "Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice." But they've already cast a new Flash for a movie sometime in the future, which is too bad.

Meanwhile, "Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D." has not only its own comic book derivations but an already-established movie universe, and Marvel is apparently using the show to not only tie into their movies, but introducing concepts in the TV show that will carry over to future films. It's a shame they can't get the rights to Spider-Man and the X-Men back, though.

My Week In TV - 11/9/14

This week there were no new episodes of The Flash or Agents of SHIELD on Tuesday. ABC ran some hour-long special about Marvel Comics and their TV and movie forays, followed by election coverage. No idea why the CW had a repeat. But many of the episodes more than made up for it...

Gotham: The best episode of the series thus far. Not perfect. Still some wonky scripting and acting (I'm looking at you, woman who plays Barbara, Gordon's girlfriend) but much tighter. There was no weekly crime to solve, the entire episode focused on the aftermath of the Penguin's public appearance at Jim Gordon's arrest. I was hoping they'd keep this tighter focus but, instead, I've read in the past week of the forthcoming introductions of yet another two future Batman villains.

Arrow: The episode was titled "The Secret Origin of Felicity Smoak." Fun episode. Love her. (Her mother, not so much.)

American Horror Story: Freak Show: Wow, did this episode go places! Big revelations and plot turns, and guys in tighty-whities! I actually watched it a second time.

The Big Bang Theory: Big sweet moment when Amy starts to tell Sheldon something important and, after a minute, he stops here with "I love you too." Awwwwwwww.

Bones: I am beginning to wonder if I really need to keep watching this show. It's not awful but it's really rather standard. And with Thursday being a big TV night, maybe I can just let it go, or at least just watch episodes On Demand when I'm not watching anything else.

Scandal: I feel like this show is going in circles at times with the whole B613 thing. Someone needs to be stopped and other characters plot to stop them. And I can't fathom a seemingly smart White House chief of staff, who's played plenty of dirty tricks over the years, being stupid enough to get involved with a guy AFTER he learns the guy's a prostitute, start paying him for their "dates" and even shell out money for a place in lieu of hotel rooms. Shouldn't he suspect someone might be setting him up for something?

How To Get Away With Murder: After this one, only two episodes remain until we, the viewers, learn who actually killed Sam. So then all that's left is to find out how they get away with it? And this has me wondering what will happen in Season 2? I wonder if this show is sustainable?

The Simpsons: "Simpsorama," the crossover with Futurama. Sooooooo much better than the Family Guy crossover. Bender is sent back in time to kill Homer Simpson (as it turns out, because of something Bart did that led to creatures destroying New New York in the 31st century). Lisa: "Why must you kill my dad? Especially when cheeseburgers are doing the work for you?"

Family Guy: Another one I'm starting to tire of. Used to be kind of a guilty pleasure, although I don't really believe in that concept, but now it's more guilty than pleasure.

My Week In TV - 11/2/14

Going back to listing these in chronological order, just because...and Family Guy was a repeat again.

Gotham: Another stupid "crime of the week" along with the usual goings-on amongst the regular characters, same major mediocrity -- up until the moment Jim Gordon is being arrested for the murder of Oswald Cobblepot, at the same moment Oswald himself waltzes into the station to reveal that he's alive after all.

The Flash/Arrow: I have a feeling I'll keep lumping these together. This week on The Flash Felicity from Arrow visited Barry Allen (who, you may remember, was introduced last year on Arrow), with the last scene between them taking place on her train going back home. The next night she wasn't on Arrow at all until almost the very end, when she walked in and asked "What did I miss?" wearing the same clothing she wore on the train. Good continuity. Meanwhile, remember the complaint I referred to last time? Here it is: each week the villain was someone who had powers, received in the same explosion that caused Barry's transformation into the Flash. Well, in this episode we were introduced to Leonard Snart, a.k.a. Captain Cold, the first of Flash's "Rogues." He has no superpowers, only a weapon that creates ice, but his real skill is his intelligence, which allowed him to get away with a number of crimes prior to acquiring that cold gun. More of this, less of the so-called "freak of the week" crooks.

Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.: A U.S. Senator uses a Hydra attack on the UN (made to look like SHIELD's doing) as a reason to propose a major offensive against SHIELD. Convienently, his brother is SHIELD agent-turned-Hydra traitor Grant Ward, now held prisoner by SHIELD. A family reunion soon, I'm sure.

American Horror Story: Freak Show: Remember those stories that had Krusty being killed off on The Simpsons? Wrong series, wrong clown. Also, we said goodbye to Patti LaBelle after only two episodes.

The Big Bang Theory: Guest-starring Billy Bob Thornton. He did quite well. I think he could have a future in acting.

Bones: A murder at a forensic scientists' convention. Oddly enough, I happened upon some other show during some remote-clicking that also featured a forensic scientists' convention. I can't remember which show it was, though, thus making this anecdote less interesting.

Scandal: This sentence, describing part of the plot of this episode, demonstrates that sometimes Wikipedia is a mess: "When a former Republican president dies, Olivia represents the allegedly assassinator, Leonard Carnihan; who claims to be innocent and he claims to prove it by matching the bullet used in the assassination to his gun." There's more, but I think I've proven my point.

How To Get Away With Murder: I'm not sure which had me more amused, Asher's dancing (and even sort of twerking) at the start of the episode or the revelation of the woman he hooked up with at the end, both of which took place the day/night of Sam's murder.

The Simpsons: They actually did a somewhat topical story, as Mr. Burns begins fracking, using Homer to persuade the town to sell their mineral rights to Burns (for $5,000 per person), until about the 47th time Marge says "Our water was ON FIRE!" and it finally gets through to her husband. Not bad, as later episodes go.

My Week In TV - 10/26/14

Because of the World Series, there was no Simpsons or Family Guy this week.. Once again I'm going to list them in general order of goodness...

American Horror Story: Freak Show: pre-Halloween creepiness! I've previously mentioned Kathy Bates using a Baltimore accent. In this episode Wes Bentley guest stars, and I have no idea what accent he's using.

How to Get Away with Murder: No gay sex scene this week but the mystery continues to play out. No, mysteries. Plural. Not just the murder that is at the heart of the show, but the smaller, interconnected plots revolving around it. Much of this is still far-fetched, though.

The Flash: Still enjoying this. I have a bit of a gripe that I'm going to defer until my next post because the problem's actually begun to resolve itself.

Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.: One thing I regret about not being into Marvel Comics is that when this show introduces characters or hints at whom certain characters actually are or will turn out to be, the geek-out factor is nonexistent for me. Not a real complaint, just a thought...

Arrow: ...on the other hand, as I have a history with DC, when the same thing happens here, I can geek out with ease. (Although if it were a Superman or Batman series it would be even easier.)

Scandal: There were some things in this episode that didn't really ring true for me. I don't enjoy it quite like I did when I first started watching. And there's still a gap of Season 2 episodes that I haven't seen, which makes me feel I'm not quite up to speed.

Gotham: Same old story: need script help, some better acting, ditch some characters, love Oswald Cobblepot's story.

The Big Bang Theory: I was kind of bored by this week's episode. And now they've moved the show back to Thursdays, which complicates my TV schedule. I can record one show while watching another, but if I want to watch something else (like sports) I can't record two other shows on at the same time, so I either have to not watch the game or watch on of the shows On Demand. I don't like On Demand much, since most of the time now the fast-forward function is disabled, forcing me to sit through the commercials.

My Week(s) In TV - 10/19/14

So I missed a week. Oops. Consider this a two-week summary (any more procrastination and it'd be a three-week summary). Instead of listing them based on the day they aired, I thought I'd rank the shows in general order of awesomeness.

How to Get Away with Murder: The show has really grabbed me. I'm glad I gave it a second chance after the first episode. It's a wild ride with mostly interesting characters. Viola Davis is, not unexpectedly, tremendous, especially at the end of the third episode a week ago.

American Horror Story: Freak Show: I find it a cross between the more sinister, darker Asylum and the more campy Coven. Jupiter, Florida in 1952 is a very strange place. I'm loving the musical numbers (of contemporary songs, not songs from the time period!) and the Baltimore accent employed by Kathy Bates as the bearded lady. (Also, if anyone wants to gift me with a DVD set of Season One, which I have yet to see...)

Arrow/The Flash: I'm combining these because they're practically the same show. Same co-creators, same format featuring current events explained/enlightened by flashbacks, both shows feature the titular hero and his support team. And, of course, Barry "The Flash" Allen was introduced in Arrow last season. There are plenty of differences as well, though. Arrow, while based on a comic book, is a little darker and more grounded in something close to reality. The Flash is more obviously of the genre, but it also makes room for a little more humor.

Scandal: I'm still on board with a lot of this, but I'm starting to tire of the Olivia/Fitz drama. If you're not going to put them together as an actual couple once and for all, and I guess it's impossible -- even on this show -- for a sitting U.S. President to divorce his wife and marry his mistress, then just put this romance far, far away for a while.

Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.: I read an article somewhere which stated that it feels like this season's show will influence events in future Marvel films, unlike last season, when events in the Captain America sequel turned this series around. Of course, if the ratings aren't up to snuff, then there will be no more influencing in either direction.

The Big Bang Theory: Still solid and reliable, but at the same time it's a bit formulaic. For example, there are episodes in which the guys and girls go their separate ways -- in the case of last week's show it was the girls in Vegas while their men were at home being their usual geeky selves.

Bones: Again, kinda formulaic, although they're not above a bit of Law and Order-style headline-ripping. Or tweaking, in the case of the episode where the "corpse du jour" turned out to be an overweight right-wing radio talk show host who, it was said, didn't believe any of the conservative stuff he said but only said it because the ratings were so big. Sound like anyone you know?

The Simpsons: The 25th Treehouse of Horror special was on Sunday. Not bad, but for me the best part of it was the end of the final segment. That segment featured the Simpsons' house being haunted by the ghosts of their original selves -- from the crudely-drawn shorts on the Tracey Ullman Show. Then, under various circumstances, the current Simpsons die and become ghosts. Lisa then wonders if there can be other versions of their family, and a string of alterna-Simpsons suddenly line up at the door, including the LEGO Simpsons from last season and Simpsons looking like characters from South Park, anime shows (Maggie as Pikachu), Archer...and the minions from Despicable Me!

Gotham: I still can't figure out why I haven't stopped watching this mess. I feel like this could be such a brilliant show but they've made so many missteps. Too many characters, plotlines that are either predictable or ridiculous (or both), some bad acting...but this kid playing the young Bruce Wayne is excellent. I'm still undecided about continuing with this show.

Family Guy: Meh. Also, one week the show was a rerun for some reason. The new TV season is a month old and already there's a rerun?

My (Last*) Week In Comics 8-31-11

Well, today was the big day. The final issue of "Flashpoint," the end of the DC Comics Universe as we know it and the launch of the new DC Universe, or DCnU, to use the shorthand that someone came up with. (Was it DC themselves? Not sure.) The first of the 52 monthly titles, all starting with issue 1 -- even long-running Action Comics and Detective Comics -- was also released: Justice League #1. So let's get to what I bought today, and then we'll discuss this some more...

Flashpoint 5 (of 5): In this issue, the war between Wonder Woman's Amazons and Aquaman's Atlanteans has begun, and unless it's somehow stopped, will result in an earth-shattering cataclysm. The attempt by some of the heroes of this world, including the Flash and this alternate world's Batman, finally gathered in an attempt to stop it, isn't going so well. Then Eobard Thawne, a.k.a. Professor Zoom, the Reverse-Flash, shows up to make things worse for Barry Allen by explaining exactly how the timeline was changed so drastically. The revelation is quite a twist. How things are resolved essentially boils down to one man's love for his mother, and another man's love for his son, and the sacrifices both must make in order to restore the correct timeline. The Amazon-Atlantis war itself is mostly an afterthought. Some characters from the various tie-in series show up dramatically for a couple of pages, but the whole thing is pretty much in the background of the Thawne/Flash/Batman drama. The final 9 pages feature a two-page sequence which bridges the old and new DCU, and hints at an upcoming threat, followed by Barry Allen waking up back at his police crime lab job. I guess it's kind of a spoiler but we all knew that when this was over Bruce Wayne would be Batman again, so it's no surprise when Flash rushes into the Batcave to find Bruce/Batman. There's a nice conversation and a touching moment.

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.

My Week In Comics 7-6-11

Let's get right to this...

Flashpoint 3 (of 5): DC Comics continues to hype their coming final 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."

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,

My Week In Comics 5-11-11

I mentioned one of these last week, because it was previewed in DC's Free Comic Book Day giveaway. So let's start with that.

Flashpoint 1 (of 5): As I mentioned, the world has suddenly changed and only Barry Allen, a.k.a. the Flash, is aware of it. Except, because of one specific event that was changed, he isn't Flash now. So he has to actually drive to get around. Poor Barry. Now he's living in my world. Except he can drive and I can not. Ummm...where was I going with this? Anyway, Barry's headed to Gotham City to find Batman, the only hero he knows for sure still exists. Except Batman is...well, that would be a spoiler -- although if you go online, you'll find out anyway. That big Bat-twist is one of the best things about this story. I still feel like this is just a variation on the many stories involving alternate timelines, though. There are characters who are different, there are apparently a few new characters, and if you believe the hype there will be lasting repercussions after this story plays out. There always are.

Superman 711: Superman's in Vegas to do some gambling, take in some shows, and...no, wait, he's still wandering across America, and is in Utah when an emergency signal (signal watch, that is -- hey there, Jimmy Olsen) brings him to Vegas and a confrontation with Livewire. In a nod to earlier continuity, there's a cameo by an outfit Superman had to wear for a while a few years ago when he...wasn't quite himself, power-wise. The last couple of issues of this "Grounded" storyline have gotten a lot better, but I'm glad it will finally end in just three more issues.

Batman, Incorporated 6: Speaking of getting back on track, after the last two issues telling a very convoluted tale, this issue is back-to-basics, explaining a lot about how Bruce Wayne wants Batman, Inc. to function and how he wants the world to perceive it, as well as setting up what major threat Batman, Inc. is about to battle. It's full of good stuff, with appearances by many Bat-characters, a criminal called "Emoticon Man," a worldwide "flashcrime" event (you know about flash mobs? This is a criminal version)...and Bruce Wayne in a

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.

My Week In Comics 3-16-11

Still alternating between movie posts and comic book posts, so guess what's next? Oh, you've already seen the title of this post? Never mind. This will be really quick, though...

Superman 709: I've been annoyed with this book for some time, with this mopey Walk Across America story, but this particular issue, guest-starring the Flash, was actually an improvement on recent issues. Besides, he's in Boulder, Colorado now, which means he's almost all the way across the country.

Simpsons Comics 176: This fabulous issue can be summed up in three words: Crazy. Cat. Lady.

See? Really quick.