Hal Pictures Green Lantern Butt's FOREVER!: May 2007

Green Lantern Butt's FOREVER!

Now with Guy Gardner's Seal of Approval!

Thursday, May 31, 2007

An Idea whose Time has Come

You can thank Kalinara for this inspiration. In her latest blog, she muses on the idea of bringing back a solo comic for Lois Lane. Except that instead of being Superman's girlfriend, she'd be the modern Lois...doing investigative reporting, solving mysteries etc. This is nice, it would take up the slack left by the late, lamented Dibnys. Lois is a clever, strong-willed, competent woman, and she's got the intestinal fortitude to tackle just about anything.

And yet...I do have a twisted fondness for those wacky old Silver Age adventures of Lois. Those had to be the strangest covers in comicbookdom. Usually, the plot had Lois scheming to get Superman to marry her, or she was trying to score off of Lana, or she was somehow granted superpowers and so on.

For example:

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This one is a triple threat! It has Lana, plans of marriage, and Lois has been turned into a toddler! Wacky hijinks ensue!

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Man, Lois will do ANYTHING to score off of Lana. I believe the plot has something to do with red kryptonite in her lipstick. Lois gets the scoop AND manages to enjoy herself.

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Ok, this one is a little on the strange side. Firstly, I was unaware that leopards roamed in packs. However if they did, it would certainly make it a whole lot easier for Batman to beat them up and snap their necks. Secondly, what the hell is that chimp doing there? Why isn't the leopard eating it? But the point is, that Lois seems to be doing all kinds of cool stuff. Like running barefoot through a jungle and picking up all sorts of horrible horrible parasites.

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Now this one is REALLY weird! See those feet? That's what happens when you are running through a jungle without shoes on, Lois!

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Rider Haggard! Heh heh. Sorry, I just always wanted to say that. I'm actually assuming that the spell in fact DID turn out to be breakable. Which was a good thing, because what would Lois have done with her 200 pairs of really nice shoes?

I'm just not sure that modern Lois can live up to these sorts of experiences.

Wednesday, May 30, 2007

Oh that Wacky Superboy

Hey, is this the same Karate Kid that is currently messing around with Roy over in the JLA and JSA crossover? By Jove, I think that it is! Apparently, he and Superman have a...history.

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Superboy has destroyed Smallville! AGAIN!! And I guess that the Legionaires are going to help him do it...or something. I have to admit that I don't and never have, gotten the appeal of the Legion. At least the Silver Age Legion, which seemed to spend all of its time humiliating various members, and setting up their own special "Club House". Wankers...all of them. They also all seem to be named something, something "Lad" and "Lass". I find this to be a bit odd.

Anyway, I couldn't help but be drawn to this drawing of Superboy. He's showing off his taut buttocks AND his chest! That can't be a comfortable pose, but by God, he's giving it the old college try. I'm surprised, usually this is a pose that is only done by large-breasted women.

Now, it's not as nice as a Green Lantern butt, but it does have its merits.

Tuesday, May 29, 2007

Nothin' Much...How Are You?

I hope that everyone has had a nice Memorial Day weekend, and vacations and whatnot. I of course attended the Windsor Locks Memorial Day parade and all the speeches aferwards. My son is in the High School Marching Band, and since he's a Senior, this is one of his last moments playing a sousaphone. I must admit that I live in the Parade Capital of Connecticut. We LOVE parades...and have them at the drop of a hat. Just about everyone comes out and watches too, because if you aren't IN the parade, odds are that you know several people who are. That's why I love small towns. We had a nice ceremony afterwards too, although I do wish that that one woman who was talking LOUDLY on her cell phone could have waited until AFTER the invocation. Sheesh!

So...back to comics.

As much fun as it is to show Batman being a dick, he really can't even begin to compete when it comes to Silver Age Superman. How the man EVER got a reputation as being a big blue boyscout, I can't even begin to imagine, considering the way that he treats Lois, Jimmy, Lana and Perry. Of course, in his defense, considering the way that they all normally treat poor Clark, I suppose it isn't all that surprising that he has this passive/aggressive thing going on.

For example:

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Now, granted, this guy seems to be QUITE annoying, but still! Superman does seem to be over
reacting...just a tad! Besides, I thought you were supposed to put pennies up your NOSE!

This one gets Batman into the fun.

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No wonder Nightwing is so messed up. The puberty that kid lived through is the stuff of nightmares!

Superman also seems to be having...issues with the rest of the Justice League.

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Man, it's a good thing he wasn't around during the JLI years. His Kryptonian head would have exploded! I also enjoy all the tasteful tearing of the costumes. Very nicely done.

That is a man who is enjoying himself.

Sunday, May 27, 2007

Not much to say today

I don't really have anything to say, because I need to go and watch the Indy 500, and THEN watch the Pepsi 600. I also spent far too much at Ikea and now need to assemble...things.

But here's a picture that makes me smile. Did anybody pick up the Spectre series? The Spectre story was dreadful, but in the back, was the Dr. Thirteen story that was an utter delight. They are going to collect it, and it is going to be out in August. I DO wish that they would make an ongoing series of these characters, because they are wonderful.

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They've got a Nazi Ape, Infectious Lass, Jeb Stuart from the Haunted Tank, and Anthro! THIS is what comics are all about people!

Saturday, May 26, 2007

A Little More Bat-Dickery

I really shouldn't be picking on Batman so much...except that it is so much fun! No, seriously, they've been making a concentrated effort lately to present him as being a little more human, and a little less of a back-stabbing, paranoid, neurotic, vengeful, suspicious jerk. And that's a GOOD thing.

Now, I can sort of understand his total need for control over everyone and everything. After all, his parents are DEAD! So, that can kind of excuse his making plans to take down his friends and comrades, creating OMAC, and a few other things.

BUT...I can't quite understand his weird fetish about beating up animals. Chris Sims has portrayed him kicking wolves in the face over at ISB, and Bully, over at "Bully says Comics Oughta be Good" has some lovely scans of him breaking the neck of a leopard, and taunting a bull. Is this just some sort of fetish with ol' Bats? Did he kick puppies as a child?

I just really can't explain this one.

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Now, exactly how does he KNOW that smacking a Rhino on the nose will subdue it? Does he go to the Zoo at night and practice? Go on safari perhaps? Or is this just one of those odd little esoteric pieces of information that a clever man might come across in his travels? Once he subdues it, what the heck is he going to do with it? Bring it home? The Cave is already full to the bursting with bat guano, I don't imagine that Rhinopoop is going to sweeten the atmosphere much. While I am sure that Purina does indeed sell Rhinochow, Alred might object to the care and feeding of such a large quadroped.

And then there is this...

Batman

I guess Robin just told him that his job description doesn't call for the care and feeding of Rhinocerousessssss. Hope he has Dental.

Friday, May 25, 2007

Birds of Prey, #106

Gosh but I am enjoying this book. I admit it, I was a late-comer, never really understood what all the fuss was about, until I came across a pile of them in the dollar box at my beloved local comic book store. Matt (my equally beloved proprietor of said comic book store) said they were pretty good, and he was running a special, 4 for a buck. Woohoo!

He was right of course, he usually is. Which is why although I am delighted that Gail Simone is going to rescue Wonder Woman, I'm going to miss her on Birds of Prey.

But back to the latest issue. The Secret Six are outside the cottage where Huntress, Barda, Manhunter and Spysmasher are holed up along with Tora. The Birds are at a bit of a disadvantage, because the Six have taken Hawkgirl hostage.

Oracle is actually a bit flustered. Spysmasher is really starting to get to her I think, and she's been rocked out of her usual equanimity, which I find interesting. Naturally, the big fight breaks out, and it is as fun as you might expect. Barda vs. Knockout! Great pummelling AND witty banter. Spysmasher goes after Deadshot and even offers him a job as a government agent, but he turns her down. Manhunter vs Ragdoll is a hoot. Scandal vs Kendra. Then Misfit shows up and takes on Harley, which is just delightful. Finally Huntress gets into it with Catman. I don't think that they are REALLY all that interested in fighting one another, but they're kind of forced into it.

It's funny, because Thomas is pretty much handling Huntress with kid gloves, which of course comes back to haunt him, when she stabs him in the thigh with a couple of her arrows, after a little bit of heavy breathing and innuendo.

They are ALL in big trouble of course, because the main bad guy, that nasty old Russian dude is sending a bunch of old Rocket Reds after them with orders to torch the cottage, the village, the peasants, the Birds AND the Secret Six. All, just to get Tora back. In the meantime, Oracle is pleading with Creote to get Ice out of there, and he's trying to wake her up with a couple of slaps to the face.

Things are building to a climax, when Spysmasher taunts Deadshot and he fires a wild shot that accidentally hits Scandal. Considering that they were doing their level best to kill each other a second ago, Kendra immediately stops fighting and tries to help her wounded adversary. And this is when Tora finally comes out of her stupor...

...and she's VERY pissed. The wind kicks up, the snow storm increases, and there is sweet little Tora, creating a giant ice construct and generally being ticked off.

"Who among you? Which one of you soon-to-be dead bastards murdered me?!"

Wow! I guess that hanging out with Guy all those years finally rubbed off! Can't say that I really blame her for being a tad out of temper however. She was killed off by the Overmaster way back when in a lame battle with a lame villain, for no good reason that I can think of. Apparently, she's been encased in the old Rocket Red suit of armor for quite some time, and resurrected by some weird spell, and it is quite possible that she's being manipulated even now.
But it' rather enjoyable to see her cut loose for a change. I always thought that Tora had a lot of potential for power, she just never really used her powers up to her full potential...although she did get a bit more powerful just before she died.

Well, she's back now, and once again, I can hardly WAIT for the next issue. That BETTER NOT be her coffin on the cover for June's issue, or I'll be quite irate.

Thursday, May 24, 2007

Tony Stark IS Dr. Doom!

Well! They finally just came out and said it, Tony has gone completely over to the Dark Side. Have I made it plain that I REALLY don't like Tony Stark any more? He was never one of my favorite characters, but I liked him well enough in a mild sort of way. He seemed to be a bit full of himself, but being a billionaire arms dealer, will do that to a man. Since the Illuminati and Civil War however, my modest approval has turned sour and degenerated into deep loathing.

In She-Hulk #18, Tony really is going over the edge. Jennifer has discovered exactly what happened to her cousin, and she's REALLY PISSED! And who can blame her? After a lot of stuff going on where she manages with the help of her law firm and that smart kid, whatshisname, she shows up on the deck of the SHIELD Helicarrier, mad as hell. I LOVE the "Mission Accomplished" banner that they have stretched out on the deck, Quartermain has managed to bring in the Leader, but the rest of the idiots at SHIELD think that he's brought in the real Hulk. Tony of course knows this can't be true, but he's being cagey.

When She-Hulk shows up, she starts yelling in front of everyone that she knows what he's done, and his first plan is to shut her up and shut her down. Jen has finally come to her senses and realized that he's been lying to her and manipulating her for months, and she's had enough. THEN he starts in the the whole "Futurist" bullshit, as though being a Futurist gives you the legal and moral right to be a dictator.

"I'm a FUTURIST, Jen! I could see what was coming. Chaos. Death. Destruction. And
I FIXED it. Whether you know it or not, I SAVED the world!"

(Well actually Tony, NOVA was the one who saved the world.)

Jen is just flabberghasted by all this bombast.

"Oh my God. You don't see it, do you? A Tin-Plated Tyrant...who thinks he knows more
than everyone else. Remaking the world in his own image. You know who that is? That's
NOT Iron Man, Tony! That's DOCTOR DOOM!"

Tony is still spluttering that he's not the villain, when Jen points out that shooting the Hulk into space was a remarkably STUPID move. He's going to come back of course, and he's going to come back ANGRY. So Stark shoots Jen with his precious Nannites from Project Achilles.

And what is Project Achilles you ask? Well, SHIELD has been "acquiring" various gamma enriched individuals, and experimenting on them, developing the nannites that will shut down her powers. Tony has not turned She-Hulk back into Jennifer Walters. He also says that the effect is permanent, but hey, no hard feelings, right? He's justified of course, because he needs a permanent solution just in case the Hulk should ever come back from being betrayed and shot into spaaaaace. Gosh, that Tony...what a swell guy!

Jen gets this funny look on her face, as basically Tony is gloating. He keeps justifying himself, saying he HAD to neutralize her, it's for her own good. Boy, is it just me, or does he sound like a wife beater here? Jen smiles, and says that for a Futurist, he just made a BIG mistake. Tony, being stupid as well as a megalomaniac doesn't follow, but she points out that although he may have taken She-Hulk out of the equation, HE'S JUST PISSED OFF A LAWYER!

Omigod.

Actually, I love this development. They already showed over in New Avengers when Iron Fist and his Attorny shut down the MIGHTY Avengers, that Tony does indeed have a chink in his armor, and it is legalese. Injuntions, subpoenas, search warrants...oh, this is going to be rich.

Meanwhile, I also broke down and finally bought Nova...or Kyle Rayner, Marvel style. It's actually pretty good. Poor Kyle...oops,...Richard comes back from the Annihilation war, and finds Iron Man practically on his doorstep, when all he wants is a good home-cooked meal from Mom. Stark keeps bloviating abuot Civil War and how important it is to register. Richard in the meantime, points out that he's been a LITTLE busy lately. He sent word about the whole kerfuffle to Earth, but apparently, their little spat was too important to worry about intergalactic domination.

Tony is all, so you were fighting in space? How'd that work out anyway. Nova looks him in the eye, and says, referring to Annihilus..."I pulled him inside out and saved the Universe. What have YOU done lately Tony?"

Well, he started building an illegal and unconstitutional gulag, beat up and betrayed his own friends, and was responsible for the imprisonment and murder of Captain America. So, just life as usual.

And Marvel still keeps saying that Tony is right?

Bah!

Wednesday, May 23, 2007

50 Things I Love About Comics

Woohoo! I love this meme. So, following the example of Ragnell and Kalinara and others, I give you some of my favorite things.

l. The Green Lantern Corps. Well, duh, this surprises you? It is just such a wonderful concept with the Guardians, and the history, and Cops in Spaaaaaaaace!

2. The JSA. A bunch of old farts that can still show the young whippersnappers how it's done. I also love the whole family/legacy aspect of the Justice Society.

3. Reading about reading comics. I admit it, I really love going and visiting all my favorite blogs in the morning.

4. Really stupendous artwork. Yeah, there is some dreadful stuff out there, (I'm looking at the 90's) but there is also some heartbreakingly beautiful work as well. Aparo, Moebius, Alex Ross, Ivan Reis, Pat Gleason, John Buscema, Neil Adams, Curt Swan, Ethan Van Sciver, Hugo Pratt, Milo Manara, Craig Russell, Darwynn Cooke, Kevin Maguire and tons of others.

5. Silver Age Insanity. I love it, you love it, you know you do.

6. FUN comics. I actually love funny books, as delivered by Giffen & DeMatteis's JLI, the Damage Control mini-series, Nextwave, the new Blue Beetle, anything with the Defenders, the Punisher vs. Archie, Hitman...and so on.

7. European comics. I love DC and Marvel, but there is some fabulous other goodies out there, such as Asterix, Tintin, Lt. Blueberry, Corto Maltese and Lucky Luke for starters.

8. Guy Gardner.

9. Blue Beetle. I love Jaime, although I still love Ted Kord more. Bring back Ted!

10. They're bringing back Thor! Not Clor! My very first comic book, purchased with my own hard-earned money back as a mere slip of a girl was a Thor comic. I loved his hair.

11. Hal Jordan.

12. Back issues, reprints, Showcase Collections, and all the ways to find the old stories without going completely broke.

13. Jonah Hex. And Westerns in general.

14. Birds of Prey and Manhunter. Two excellent books that I came late to, but have fallen in love with.

15. ACTUAL comic books. I love buying them, I love the look of them, the feel of them and even the smell of the old ones. It is a tactile and visual experience that should never go away.

16. Kyle Rayner.

17. 52. 52 was a fun book, it came out every week, and it came out on TIME!

18. Kilowog.

19. Friendships. I love Ted and Booster together, Hal and Barry, Hal and Ollie, Wolverine and Nightcrawler, Luke & Danny, Fire & Ice, and Babs and Dinah. Just makes me all smooshy inside.

20. Marriages. I'm SUCH a sap. Ralph and Sue, Barda and Scott, Reed and Sue, Clark and Lois, Alan & Molly, Jay and Joan, Wally and Linda, Peter and Mary Jane, Barry and Iris. So sweet.

21. John Stewart.

22. Cliffhangers. I like cliffhangers, and that feeling of oh my gosh! I can't wait till next issue!

23. Sandman. ALL the versions of Sandman. Wesley Dobbs, Sandy, and Hector Hall, as well as Morpheus. Darn good stuff.

24. The history, or continuity. Yes, it gets convoluted, but it is still fun knowing all the ins and outs of your favorite characters.

25. Being able to completely ignore continuity. Sometimes, you just have to wash out your brain. Guy Gardner: Collateral Damage for example never took place, and we will never speak of it again.

26. The Guardians. Omnipotent tiny blue men in red jammies, who aren't quite as benevolent as they like to appear. Sneaky little devils.

27. The Justice League. And the Avengers too, I suppose. There is a need for heroes to get together and gang up on the criminals and alien invasions.

28. The Brave & the Bold. Like the Justice League, but on a smaller scale. Marvel Team-Up for the same reason. Let's put Batman and Hal Jordan together for fun.

29. Dr. Doom. He's SUCH a cool villain.

30. Those ridiculous fan-generated matchups. Can Batman whup Wolverine or vice versa? Who's REALLy stronger, or faster, or whatever. It is silly, but still fun.

31. Super Hero Headquarters. Who wouldn't like to hang out at the JLA's Watchtower, or Xavier's Home for Wayward Mutants? The Batcave is cool, as is the Avenger's mansion.

32. The Big Three. Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman. They aren't my absolute favorite characters, but we still need them. At least on occasion.

33. Nazis, Dinosaurs and talking Apes. Comics GOLD!

34. Great writing in addition to great art. Kanigher, Stan Lee, Broome, Fox, Geoff Johns, Giffen, and so on and so on.

35. Kicks to the face. Chris Sims is right, it is always a lot of fun to have gratuitous violence.

36. Vertigo. I went through a stage when that was about all that I was reading, and there have been some sensational books from Vertigo. Still are for that matter.

37. Power Girl AND her cat.

38. Annoying characters that you love to hate. Snapper Carr and General Glory fall into this category, as does Stiltman and lately, Tony Stark.

39. The IN-justice League. Incompetent villains are always a lot of fun.

40. Warriors. We NEED to have a super hero bar. Guy doesn't have to run it, but they should bring back Warriors.

41. Super hero relatives. For some reason, I like knowing that Clark had wonderful parents in the Kents, that Hal Jordan has brothers, and that Maxine Hunkel is Ma Hunkel's grand daughter, that Alan Scott had twins and so on.

42. Comic book locations. The Daily Planet, the Bugle, LexCorp, places like Bialya and Khandaq.

43. Soranik Natu, Arisia, Katma Tui and Iolande.

44. The Bat Signal. I'm not really much of a Bat fan, (although I adore Alfred), but the Bat Signal just gives me tingles for some reason.

45. Oracle. SUCH a wonderful concept.

46. "Rebirth" by Geoff Johns and Ethan Van Sciver. We got Hal and the Corps back, dammit!

47. Wolverine. I admit it, I'm fond of the little carnivore. And, he's Canadian!

48. Wednesdays. My favorite day of the week. A religious experience if you will.

49. Fables. Bill Willingham is a genius on this book. I can no longer look at Disney in the same way.

50. Green Lantern behinds. C'mon, you KNEW I was going to have that in there at some point. They just ALL have such fabulous fabulous backsides. *sigh*

Tuesday, May 22, 2007

Justice League Quarterly #4: Cracked Ice

And now for something different. Naw...not really, just poking around in the boxes again, and I came upon this little gem. Not quite as funny as the Martian Manhunter episode with all the chocos, but it does have its moments. I must admit that I rather miss Justice League Quarterly, as well as Green Lantern Quarterly. They had two or three stories in them, all self-contained, and usually fun, that gave the reader a peek behind the scenes, or told a story that wouldn't otherwise have room in a regular issue.

The first story in this issue, concerns the Injustice League, and it is a hoot as usual, but I'm panting to move onto the second story, because it is one of my absolute favorites.

Once again, General Glory is bloviating, and is apparently on Max Lord's very last nerve. When Max finally loses his mind, and wanders off in search of a drink, Glory comes to the conclusion that Max is an alcoholic. This isn't really too important, but it does become something of a running gag throughout.

But let us move on to the really good stuff. Guy, Ice, Fire and Oberon are on a double date, to an East Village New Age Street Fair! I can ONLY assume that this was Fire and Ice's idea, because I think Guy would rather pour acid in his eyes, and Oberon isn't too far behind him. They are even in civvies, which is fun, because Guy is wearing a sweatshirt with a Bat insignia and a circle and bar through it. Guy is subtle that way.

Ice stops at a booth, and is interested in a rather pretty crystal necklace. The charlatan who is selling the stuff is giving them the full spiel, and thinks that Guy should pony up $60 bucks for it, which goes over about as well as you think it would. When the guy starts complaining that Guy is messing with his "aura", Guy of course lifts him up in a green light bubble and then drops him when Ice says to put him down. In the process of course, one of the crystals is cracked. Ice makes Guy pay the proprietor $20 bucks by looking sad. Guy can't stand this of course, and pays up,but he's not very happy about it.

Oberon finds the way that Ice managed to calm Guy down, to be quite impressive, and even Fire admits that she knows what she's doing. So they are wandering around some more, and there is a lot more kvetching by both Guy and Oberon, but Ice and Fire aren't standing for it.

Then they come across some woman who does "spirit channeling". Ice of course, being fairly naive falls for it completely, but even she is disgusted when the woman goes into a "trance" and starts babbling utter gibberish, and then demands money for her "prophecy". Ice is going to knuckle under and pay her,when Fire decides enough is enough and shows how SHE channels FIRE SPIRITS! The old fraud faints in terror, and a hearty Bwhahahaha moment is had by all. In fact, in one of my favorite panels, Guy and Oberon are literally holding on to each other, they are laughing so hard. Then it occurs to them, that they are holding onto each other, and they let go in horror and a loud "Yeeukk!"

Meanwhile...Jack and Petey from the Dr. Fate book, make an appearance, they have their own booth, called "Hell & Back Investigations". Unfortunately, they are broke, and not doing too well at the fair either as Occult Detectives. They spot the four Justice Leaguers, and go after them, but lose them in the crowd.

By now, they've all decided they are tired and hungry, and go to a restaurant that specializes in Indian cuisine. Guy figures this is sissy food, so he brings in a hamburger. While the girls go off to the ladies room, the boys start to get pissy with each other, but there is nothing unnusual in that. However, in the ladies room, Ice is examining the crystal that Guy bought for her earlier, when she sees the crack...there is a SSSHHHHH, and a flash of light...and a BOOOOOMMM!

Meanwhile, Jack and Petey have hooked up with Max Lord and General Glory, hoping that Max will give them a job. General Glory keeps interupting and moaning about Max's drinking problem, and when Max tells him to shut up, he just says that that PROVES Max has a drinking problem. Eventually however, Max agrees to put the two Occult Detectives to work, when L-Ron informs him of the brouhahaha going on at the Street Fair. On their way to the Street Fair, in Max's limo, they see first Guy Gardner go flying by...backwards, followed by Fire, and even by General Glory, who had gone on ahead.

Ice in the meantime, has been possessed by the Demon imprisoned in the broken Crystal, and the Demon is about thirty feet tall, and very very pissed. Demon Ice is also doing her best to destroy the city, which is always fun in the afternoon. Guy is just devastated, and has to keep reminding the others not to hurt her. Even Fire is impressed by Guy's attitude. Demon-Ice drops Oberon, and Guy saves him, even calling him is "little buddy". Oberon is stunned and repeats the phrase, and Guy apologizes and calls him a twerp instead, which makes Oberon feel much better, but it is a sign of how perterbed he really is.

General Glory...(have I mentioned how much I can't stand General Glory?) keeps attacking and doing stupid flips and stuff all over Demon-Ice's head, which just annoys her. The Occult Detectives keep trying to come up with counter spells, but aren't doing too well. Guy's trying to
sweet talk Demon Ice, which isn't going over very well either, and she bats him away, and he lands headfirst inside a trashcan. The police are talking to Max about having to send in a SWAT team, and Guy panics and says they can't do that, she's the woman that he loves! Then he's horrified that he actually said "love" and denys it as everyone stares at him in astonishment. The little demon guy, Petey the small ugy half of the Occult Detectives meanwhile, has recognized the dialect that Demon-Ice is using and flies up to talk to her. They have a nice discussion, and the Demon agrees to free Ice. Turns out she was imprisoned in the crystal for a thousand years, and just wanted to go home.

So, the Occult Detectives helped save the day,Max discovers that Jack is a crackerjack corporate Lawyer, and puts them both on retainer, and it all ends happily except that General Glory is STILL hounding Max about his drinking.

Ice has of course heard from Fire that Guy admits he loves her, so she tracks him down...

Guy and Ice

Awwwwww! Isn't that sweet? And Ice is so purty, and so is Guy when he's not scrunching his face up. And finally..

A happy ending! Nobody got killed or shot, or maimed, or turned evil (except Ice, and she was just really confused) . It was written by J.M. DeMatteis, and pencilled by Darick Robertson, which accounts for the good art. Not quite as expressive as Kevin Maguire, but who is? Nevertheless, Roberson does a lovely job with all the expressions

The final story concerns Power Girls mangy horrible cat. She spends a fortune and a ton of time buying it the fanciest cat food, but the only kind it will eat, is the cheapest and smelliest. Then Ralph makes the supreme mistake of giving it a bath. The cat is horrified at its appearance, and immediately sneaks out to roll in the garbage cans for a while. Then it tries to eat Blue Jay, and just about wrecks the place and so on and so on. It is extremely silly, and yet so much fun.

Whatever happened to Peej's cat? Does she still have him? Will he be showing up in the JSA?

Monday, May 21, 2007

A Heck of a Weekend

Whew! Drove 90 miles to Weston, Massachusetts, for the Bachalaureate ceremony for my daughter's graduation from Regis College, stuffed my face at the Texas Roadhouse, which is in fact IN Boston, and drove home again, only to turn around and do it all again on Sunday, with Grandparents and relatives in tow. Sat in a tent in the rain on the lawn at a surprisingly raucous graduation ceremony. The graduates, and the dons were all classy as heck, but some of the audience was getting a tad out of control. Blowing air horns when your kid's name is announced really gets annoying after a while. Regis is a small women's college just outside of Boston, although sadly, next year they are going co-ed.

I guess I just expected a little more...decorum from the parents and siblings. I didn't even get to see her get her diploma, because the idiots in front of us, kept jumping up and down and shrieking, so I'm feeling a bit disgruntled. There was an excellent speaker however for a change, her speach was brief, witty and to the point, and the refreshments were excellent.

I was away from the computer for two whole days! Comic book withdrawal symptoms! So, to restore my equanimity, I will contemplate the joy of Hal Jordan ripping his shirt off.
Hal and Ollie


I can only assume that Hal is jealous of Power Girl, and wants a boob window all his own. Not that I'm complaining, mind you.

Friday, May 18, 2007

Well...THAT'S Scary!

Up until this point, I haven't even read a single page of All-Star Batman and Robin. There was a time in my life, when I thought that Frank Miller was cool. That is no longer true. Nevertheless, in proper fangirl fashion, I HAVE kept up with the various plot lines and comments about said plot lines, and I'm still not sure if Miller is just having an enormous joke at all of our expense, or if he is completely serious about this whole thing.

However, I may have to actually break down and read this fershlugginer thing...it has Hal in it. GOD, I'm such a pushover. After shoving a "Sperm Bank" out of her way, Wonder Woman...who hates men...enters the scene and froths at the mouth for a little while, while Superman stands there sheepishly, and Plastic Man makes some rather...icky comments. She thinks that Batman is dangerous! No way!

Anyway, Hal comes up with this rationale..."Sure he plays it ROUGH. He's got not respect for the LAW. And, yeah, maybe he's a little UNHINGED. But that's no reason to run off HALF-COCKED. I say we find him and try to talk some SENSE into him. Then we take a vote."

Rough? No respect, unhinged and half-cocked? That's not Batman he's talking about, it's Guy Gardner! No wonder Hal sounds so turned on!

Now I have to go and buy the damn thing.

Wednesday, May 16, 2007

Feeling a little Cranky

Like many of you, I have been caught up in the latest brouhaha in comicdom. First it was the horror of Alex Ross portraying a realistic penis in his painting for JLA. Now it's that dreadful little statue of Mary Jane. But what is really annoying me, is the news that I'm to be considered a weirdo since I am female and read comics, and also I have no right to get upset that women are being portrayed badly, and that I should either STOP reading comics, or make my own.

First of all, you're not the boss of me! Why yes, I have children, why do you ask? In addition to being a weirdo who reads comics (and has been reading comics for about 30 years or so) I have also managed to live a modestly fulfilling life, going to college, getting married, and raising four smart-ass kids. Who ALSO read comics. Just because I am in a minority, doesn't mean that I'm not allowed to read, and occasionally complain about my hobby.

I understand that superhero comics, as created by DC and Marvel and other companies are certainly aimed mostly at men. I don't have a problem with that. I also like John Wayne movies, and books by Alastair Maclean. I have the full run of Preacher, and sniggered my way though it, along with Hitman. So I have reasonable nerd credentials. I also cook, embroider and like to rearrange furniture, buy antiques and I love Jane Austin.

...BUT...

While I love comics, that doesn't mean that I can't occasionally get a little fed up by the RAMPANT whinings of the guys who have a heart attack every time I find myself smacked in the face by the blatant sexism of yet another tawdry statue, barely-there costume, or unnecessary female characters death.

Ok...just wanted to get that off my chest. I probably won't have much time for blogging for the rest of the week. A school concert, two doctor's appointments, marching in the fife and drum corp of the Shad Derby parade in Windsor, and my oldest daughter's graduation from College this weekend are pretty much going to be taking up my time. My only niece is also graduating from Grad school this same weekend, so it is going to be a tad on the hectic side.

However, I just can't let go, without posting one of the finest scans I've ever come across.

Hal Pictures

Heehee! And the horse you rode in on!

Tuesday, May 15, 2007

Oh what the Heck

With my disdain for General Glory still seething, I feel the need to cleanse my palette. A little Kyle goodness should do nicely.

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Because you just can't beat Kyle Rayner in a loin cloth.

I do hope that he shows up in Countdown soon, because I a suffering from "Ion" withdrawal symptoms.

Monday, May 14, 2007

Stars 'n Stripes!

Ah, the stirring battle cry of none other than General Glory. The magnificent Googam, over at "Random Happenstance" has come up with a hysterical critique of DC's version of Captain America. General Glory was created as a spoof by Keith Giffen and J.M. DeMatteis in the old JLI, he was as athletic as Cap, but a lot stupider.

General Glory drives me nuts. Oh, he had his moments in the sun of course, I found his tendancy to launch into long monologues about FDR in the manner of Grandpa Simpson to be rather amusing. His fashion sense was utterly horrific, but somehow appropriate. Max Lord figured that he could serve a purpose for the League, and get them some good publicity, Mom and Apple Pie and all of that. Most of the Leaguers seemed to regard him with tolerance.

Except Guy of course. You see, General Glory, was Guy's hero when he was a little kid. Possibly as a form of escape from his dreadful home life, Guy devoured General Glory comic books and even based the notorious hair cut on that of Ernie...Glory's boy sidekick. When Glory joins the JLI, he is about the only one that can exert any sort of control over Guy, with the possible exceptions of Ice and Batman.

General Glory annoys me, because he ends up totally abusing his power over Guy. Guy calls him "Sir" and tries to stop swearing, and follows his every order as well as he can. Glory starts spouting aphorisms, and pats Guy on the head like a puppy...treats him about the same way too.

Later on, after Guy has the yellow ring, and has just spent a couple of months in space, kidnapped by the Draal, while they made an evil clone of him, Glory goes berserk when the real Guy finally shows up and tries to beat the snot out of him. Poor Guy is trying to explain what really happened, that he's NOT a murderer, and Glory just won't give him the benefit of the doubt, much less calm down and listen to him. Finally Wonder Woman shows up, and at Guy's request, puts her lasso around him. This is the only way the Glory will calm down long enough to listen to the truth. Guy is a bit put out, and I don't blame him.

But the one thing that General Glory did that REALLY cheeses me off, is his encouragment of that gawdawful boxing match between Guy and Blue Beetle, in JLI #52. Ted has put on a bit of weight, and is feeling dumpy and self-concious about his expanding waistline. So he goes down to the gym for a workout, and runs into Glory who is in the middle of a workout of his own, along with Guy. Guy, who one must admit is in pretty good shape, besides being a former gymnast is having a hard time keeping up, and no wonder, since...as he never fails to point out...Glory is the perfect embodiment of healthy super-heroness, blah blah blah.

Ted is already feeling a little on the cranky side, and Guy's picks exactly the wrong time to tease him about his weight. On the other hand, you just KNOW that if their positions were reversed, it would be Ted (AND Booster) who would have been tormenting Guy, so I'm cutting him a little slack. Ted and Guy start fighting, but it is schoolyard kind of stuff, they would have pummelled each other for a bit, and it would have been over...but Glory just HAS to take it to the next level, and decides that the two of them need to fight it out...in the BOXING RING! This just escalates a minor spat into a major production.

The rest of them all think this is just fabulously insane entertainment...with the sole exception of Ice, who is the only sane one amongst them all, realizing that this is a bad...a VERY bad idea. Fire of course is just dying to see Guy get his head handed to him. I'm rather surprised that J'onn is going along with this whole idea, not to mention Bats, who seems to be a bit bemused by the whole plan.

Of course Guy is blustering, but then so is Ted. However, Ted IS a much better hand to hand fighter than Guy, so of course he gets in the first punch. And the second. Glory, who just WON'T shut up, keeps shouting useless advice to Guy, who is beginning to lose his temper. Then Ted gives him a bloody nose and it just gets worse. Ted turns his back on Guy to brag a bit to Bea, and Guy loses whatever good sense he had,and punches Ted right in the kidneys, and then proceeds to kick him when he's down. Finally General Glory manages to regain whatever brains he ever had, and stops Guy. At this point J'onn goes ballistic and fires Guy, while Bea does her best to get her licks in too. Guy stalks off, followed by Ice. Of course, filled with rage and shame, he turns on her too.

Ted is in pretty rough shape, has a couple of broken ribs, but his pride is hurt more than anything. Guy's sitting in his room in the dark when Bea busts in and starts a tirade, then stomps out. There is a lovely couple of panels with Guy standing there with his head down and his shoulders slumped, then he collapses on the end of the bed again and very quietly says..."damn". He's completely ashamed of himself of course, and the funny thing is, from the way that I interpreted it, so is Ted to a degree.

If General Buttinsky hadn't gotten involved, it would have ended up with maybe a bloody nose and a black eye, and then beer all around, and that would have been the end of it.

I really HATE General Glory.

Saturday, May 12, 2007

Real Super Heroes

Hooboy, it's been a very long day. We had my son Christopher's Regional Special Olympics today in Hartford, Connecticut, and it was fabulous. Chris is mildly autistic, but one heck of an athlete. He won a silver medal in the Shot Putt, a gold in the Running Long Jump, a gold in the 200 meters, and another silver in the 4x100 meter relay.

The weather was simply sensational, blue skies, 73 degrees, low humidity with a gentle breeze, and a lovely time was had by all. We volunteer to help coach his team every year, and it is really a joy to work with these kids, who put their hearts and souls into competing. Not everyone wins a gold medal, but the crowd cheers for the last runner as much and sometimes more than the first.

We had a bit of a lull in the early afternoon, so I brought out a couple of my JLA trades, and the kids went nuts for them. They may not have known all of the characters, but they got a huge kick out of them anyway, and insisted that I tell them the backstories of practically every character...so we ALL had fun.

All this fresh air and exercise has left me exhausted!

Friday, May 11, 2007

Whatever

So...I'm sitting here, and staring at the computer screen because I have just tapped the well of inspiration, and it is dry. It is also raining buckets WITH thunder and lightning, and my Shi Tzu Petunia is afraid of the thunder and trying to climb into my lap. Please excuse the typos.

You know what else I liked about Green Lantern Corps? The way that everyone has a lot of respect for Guy Gardner. The rational Lanterns realize that it is VERY out of character for him to commit murder, but they all seem to realize that he's clever, resourceful and extremely powerful, so they are all handling the situation with kid gloves. There's a reason he's in the honor guard.

It's pretty obvious that Kilowog is seriously demented, and I'm waiting for someone to notice. Guy's his very best buddy, and he's just DYING to go out and execute him arbitrarily. You think that someone would pick up on this. I imagine that they will eventually, but still!

I like that the Lanterns that were rescued from Biot over in Green Lantern have been showing up in GLC. Not a lot of exposure, but enough to let us know that they aren't forgotten.

I like how Pat Gleason always shows the sparks from Guy's ring. Look at the cover. A'int it purty?

I guess I'm going to have to start picking up Nova, from Marvel, which seems to be their answer to Kyle Rayner. I'm SUCH a sucker.

So...what's happening with Ice? I want to see her get together with Guy and Fire! I've been cheated out of a reunion between Arisia and Kilowog and Guy, and I'm feeling smushy. I want to see Fire faint and Guy be twitterpated. TWITTERPATED!

I want the Zamorans to finally realize that beating up a guy is probably not the best way to get sex from him. Although with Hal, one never knows.

I found it completely hilarious that Green Arrow just consisted of practically the entire issue being mind-blowing sex between Ollie and Dinah. Even Hal can't quite top that one. Although I'm sure he'd like to try. Maybe when Cowgirl and Carol come to their senses...!

I can hardly wait until Booster Gold's new book comes out.

I want G'nort! The way that he's SUPPOSED to be, not the gawdawful version that Howard Chaykin came up with, but the loveable, brain-dead, Gardner-leg-humping, idiotic version.

Wow! I guess it's all pretty silly, but I did have some stuff on my mind after all! Who'd a thunk?
And so I'll leave you with some goodies...!

Hal Pictures

Hal Jordan being attacked by his own newspaper.

Hal Pictures

And Hal Jordan falling over some seats. Apparently IN an airplane. Excuse me, Hal, but aren't you a PILOT?

Picking on Hal just never gets old.

Thursday, May 10, 2007

Green Lantern Corps #12

Well boy howdy, things are moving fast and furious! I have to admit that I love this cover. The look on Guy's face is just priceless.

Guy pictures

We begin with Vath Sarn and Isamot flying to the same sector house that Guy visited. They are displaying a rather charming cameraderie nowadays. Anyhoo, they enter the room, and there is Guy kneeling by the bodies of Quond and Tanakata Z, looking quilty as all heck. Blood everywhere, and Tanakata has just enough breath to stammer out an accusation against Guy, who looks absolutely stunned. Vath and Isamot are looking a little stunned themselves.

A quick look in on Iolande and Soranik, who have rather cleverly saved the miners,and taken out the Children of the White Lobe, who once again commit suicide rather than face capture. It is amusing watching Soranik be all business, while Iolande is a just a tad too smug about her part in the take-down. She's not smug for long however, since she recieves a message that her father, the King of Betrassus is dying, so Soranik tells her to go home.

Back with Guy, he's being cooperative...up to a point. He tells the other two Lanterns to check the logs, and the rings, but it turns out the rings have been wiped. It's pretty obvious that Vath and Isamot are tiptoeing around Guy, not wanting to piss him off or anything, but still trying to be good Lanterns. The evidence however is starting to pile up against the Guy, and they reluctantly try to take him into custody. Guy's not having any of THAT, and busts out, then uses his Honor Guard status to override the Sector House central computer, which puts it into lockdown, and effectively imprisons Vath and Isamot.

Back on Oa, it is increasingly obvious that things are NOT all that they should be with Kilowog. He's nasty, surly and erupting into rages at the least thing. They hold an inquiry into the death of Stel, and Green Man manages to convince them that it was an accident. Salakk's not happy, and then he gets the message from Vath that two more Lanterns have been killed and they're stuck in the Sector House. You can just see Salakk's migraine start to bloom.

On Betrassus, Iolande's father is sinking fast, when Soranik shows up. She and royal physician kick everyone out, and do their best to save the king. Iolande isn't handling it very well of course, and when they come out and admit that they did their best, but that it wasn't enough to save him, she starts yelling at Soranik It's not very fair of Iolande to be lashing out at Soranik, but understandable, she's grief-stricken and confused. Soranik however is pretty cold and rude back to her partner, and she stomps off in a huff for Korugar. Hmmmm...she WAS on Mogo, not that long ago.

Speaking of Mogo...that's where Guy has hightailed it after ditching Vath and Isamot. He tells Mogo that he's been accused of murder by Tanakata, and that Tana had been on Mogo not that long ago, and was he acting strangely? Mogo pours cold water over Guy's theory that something wasn't right with Tanakata...gosh, I wonder why? Guy is all set to leave, but Mogo starts stalling him. And then Guy's getting a drink from the stream...and GAH! Little glowing yellow lights! Run, Guy, Run!

Oh, this won't end well.

So, Mogo conjures up somebody from Guy's past who knows him well...oh crap! It's his Dad. Now we had been told that Guy was going to face his worst fear on Mogo. I was convinced that it would be the thought of his Mother moving back in with him, but it's his Dad instead. Granted, Guy had managed to reconcile with his Father, back in the Christmas issue of "Warriors", but it still has to be hard to not be afraid of the sonufabitch who beat the snot out you on a daily basis as a kid. It's fun, because to Guy's eyes, his Dad is suddenly huge, and towers over him, as though he were still a child. Guy does realize that Mogo is the one manipulating him, and yells at him to stop.

Meanwhile back at the ranch...er...Oa, Vath and Isamot have finally gotten a hold of Salakk and filled him in on the news. Ke'haan, Boodikka and Brik are all steadfast in their belief that Guy is innocent, and even Salakk agrees with them, which just makes me go squee. They want to bring him in, so that he can explain what happened, but Kilowog...KILOWOG, wants to kill him. This is his best friend, and he wants to put him down like a mad dog. Oh Kilowog, you really inhaled some Despotillis, you poor poor baby. Fortunately, Salakk is still the voice of reason, and sends Vath and Isamot out to Mogo, so that they can interview Guy, and team up with Mogo's partner. Wait...Mogo has a partner? Why yes he does, Lantern Bzzd of Apiaton, and he basically is a fly...or gnat...or little bug thing. Frankly I find this hilarious. He also doesn't take any lip from Vath, and he's a tough snarky little fly...gnat...bug.

Next up, Mogo becomes the Corps worst nightmare! Things are really starting to move along now, and I think it's going to be both exciting and bloody.

Tuesday, May 08, 2007

A (very) Rare Batman Post

Let's face it, Batman is no Guy Gardner. Or even a Hal Jordan for that matter. I find him to be brooding, occasionally petulant, and frequently an utter wanker. He seems to be improving a bit lately, which is a good thing. A very very good thing.

Rachelle over at Living Between Wednesdays likes him however,so I guess he can't be too big of a tool. And coincidentally, she has given me an idea...an epiphany if you will. Such as WHY does Batman see the need to keep teenage boys in that damp cave? He's already got Alfred doing all the work, cooking, cleaning, laundry, nursing, etc. That's a lot to ask of an old man, so I thought originally that perhaps Bruce decided that Alfred could use some help. Then it occured to me, that trying to get a teenager to pick up ANYTHING, much less do some yard work, is a lost cause.

Then it hit me. Batman needs Robin...to work his batcomputer for him. And possibly also to program his dvd player and VCR. No grown man can get the 12:00 to stop flashing! Bruce also needs Robin in order to figure out how to download all the Batporn.

The latter is probably why there will never be a trophy case devoted to Stephanie in the Batcave. While Jason was a whiz at finding Batporn, Stephanie found it and said "eeeuuuwww!" and then erased it all. No Memorial for you, Steph!

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His parents are dead you know.

Monday, May 07, 2007

Salakk

I like Salakk. I don't like him as much as Kilowog of course, but there is something admirable about a four-armed pink-headed alien who enjoys being miserable. For some reason, he sounds like Alan Rickman to me.

Green Lanterns

His best friend was an anthropomorphic squirrel, who unfortunately, was squished by a yellow school bus in "Mosaic" Horrific, and yet oddly amusing. Poor Salakk just hasn't been the same since Ch'p went to that big old tree in the sky.

I guess I like Salakk because he was one of the (very) few Green Lanterns who DIDN'T think that the sun rose and set on Hal Jordan. Way back in Vol.II, when Hal shows up and harangues the Guardians into giving him back his sector, ALL the Lanterns are just gushing about how fabulous he is...except Salakk. Salakk's attitude is more like..."oh, it's you."

Salakk was fun because, with the sole exception of Ch'p, he didn't really seem to like ANYBODY! He ended up coming to earth with Hal, John, Katma, Arisia, Ch'p and Kilowog, but that didn't mean that he was going to enjoy himself. Salakk strikes me as one of those people who are ONLY happy, when they have something to feel miserable about. But he still did his job, and was apparently a very efficient and competent Green Lantern.

He and Guy Gardner did not get along. I realize this may shock all of you, but apparently, MOST people did not like Guy Gardner when they met him for the first time. Or the second. Interestingly enough, an awful lot of the Lanterns that hated Guy's guts at first, all seem to be on pretty good terms with him now, such as Kilowog and Arisia etc. Heck, even Boodikka seems to like him now. But NOT Salakk. In fact, Salakk seems to be taking a great deal of trouble, to make Guy's life a misery to him.

This seems to be rather churlish on Salakk's part, especially considering that way back in Warrior, Guy happened to be the one to save Salakk, and a whole bunch of other ex-Lanterns from being sold into slavery. Perhaps having to be saved has rankled a bit. Or maybe Sal is just jealous that Kilowog and Guy are such best friends.

But there is more to Salakk than just being goofy-looking and morose. He's now the Keeper of the Book of Oa, and pretty much the head honcho of the Green Lantern organization, at least in its current incarnation. He's the liason to the Guardians,and he holds a whole LOT of power. I do like the fact that his personality is being delved into more. He's not the complete prick that he likes to appear, as is evident in his reaction to Soranik back in GLC #3. They've captured the Prince of Betrassus, who turns out to be a mass murderer, but since he has diplomatic immunity, they can't hold him. Guy's pissed, and Soranik is REALLY pissed, but Salakk is firm in his decision. Then he tells her not to take things for granted...and it turns out that Betrassus actually executes their own Prince.

I do like his and Guy's relationship however. He's always sending Guy off on these missions, denying him shore leave at the drop of a hat, and trying to frustrate him at every turn. Guy on his part screams and yells...but goes off and does it. It was also interesting to me, that when Guy was on Restoria, and had lost his ring, Salakk was the one to fly off and rescue him. Granted, he didn't really NEED to be rescued, but still! Salakk didn't do that for Hal when he was a POW, and had left his depowered ring behind all those months. I did love it when Sal stole Guy's Android Tigerrrrr girls. He was so relaxed after that, wandering around with a flower for a whole issue, which was a hoot.

Sal may be a tad on the anal-retentive side, not to mention prissy,haughty, and uncompromising, but he's a darn good Lantern. I just hope he doesn't get infected by the Despotillis virus that is floating around right now.

Saturday, May 05, 2007

Wherein a Song gets stuck in my HeadYou

You know that feeling. You hear an old song on the radio or something, and then the damn thing gets stuck in your head...and you can't stop thinking about it, and it drives you nuts? Well, it happened to me, with Carly Simon's "You're so Vain". I actually like this song. I've liked it for years. But it was about 4:00 in the morning, and I had to get up at 6:00, and it was driving me absolutely INSANE!

And then it occured to me. She's singing about Hal Jordan. That whole watching himself in the mirror as he walks by? Absolutely Hal Jordan. He watches himself in the mirror as he's fighting for heaven's sake! Of course he thinks the song is about him. He thinks EVERYTHING is about him.

Oh Hal.

You're a self-centered, arrogant, easily concussed bastard...and yet I still love you. Not as much as Guy of course, but still. And I don't care how many times you get hit in the head, it is still funny. I can only assume that you have a skull that is thicker than the average man's, in order to take a licking and still keep ticking as often as you do.

How on earth are you going to explain to all those other airmen and airwomen sitting in that bar that you just transformed into Green Lantern? I used to snicker at Kyle for doing stuff like that, but you really should know better. Couldn't you at least have run outside and yelled "Help, this looks like a job for the Green Lantern!" or something?

And don't tell me that you are getting a kick out your girlfriends engaged in a knockdown, dragout catfight over you. Presumably, you are going to start fighting back at some point, right? Knowing you, you probably have thoughts of a threesome going through your twisted little noggin, but this is a family comic dammit!

Whew.

Hey, it worked, I don't have Carly Simon in my head any more! Now I've got Heart's "Crazy on You". I should just give up at this point. But just for fun, here's Hal. He is just irrisitable to the ladies.

Hal Pictures

Friday, May 04, 2007

Stopping to Smell the Flowers

It's Friday, and the weather in New England for a change is absolutely gorgeous. Tulips and forsythia are blooming, the violets are out, the birds are singing, and I can't think of a single thing to blog about.

I'm going to go outside and dig out the wicker furniture and put it on the front porch.

But just so that I don't leave all of you hangin, I will post some of the best scenes ever...depicting the old JLI, from that issue of Martian Manhunter that I did a little while ago.

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Heh heh.

Toodles.

Thursday, May 03, 2007

Green Lantern #19

I rather enjoyed this. The art by Daniel Acuna is quite different from that of Ivan Reis, but it is bright and very well done. Sometimes a little variety is a good thing. I did notice that he is doing the coloring as well, which again, is quite different from Moose Bauman, but not bad.

Hal Jordan must be in heaven. Yes, he's being attacked by Star Sapphire, but he has too gorgeous women fighting over him. Hero or not, Hal is enjoying himself. You may have noticed that he hasn't really done much of anything to take out Star Sapphire as recently embodied by Jillian/Cowgirl. He's also flying around with a mostly nekkid Carol in his arms. I find it amusing that Carol is a little bit jealous, and they even snip back and forth at each other.

This is a retcon of the Star Sapphire story, and frankly I like it. I makes sense. The Zamarons wanted to save love and emotion from the Guardians, which is an admirable motive, but unfortunately for them, things didn't quite work out. On the planet Zamaron they discovered the pink Star Sapphire crystal which encases love. The Zamarons think that they have achieved their goal of control, and want to spread their "love" all over the universe.

Of course this turns out to be a bad idea, since the Star Sapphires end up killing their mates. Apparently the Sapphire has also gone after the various women that Hal has desired. He's managed to fight it off so far, but it will keep coming back.

Carol is the one who is telling Hal all of this, she may not have been in control when she was possessed by the Sapphire, but she remembers things. She even has Hal whip up a Green Sapphire outfit for her, so that she can fight Cowgirl. Hal however subdues her first, although I imagine he gets a kick out of the catfight.

Then...BAM! The Zamorans show up. They want both Cowgirl AND Carol, to join their new corps. Man, EVERYONE is getting into the act, what with Sinestro, and Henshaw and the Manhunters. I foresee an epic and very very colorful battle.

There is also another of the Tales of the Sinestro Corps stories, which tells the saga of Karu-Sil. It is drawn very nicely by Dave Gibbons, and written of coure, by Geoff Johns. As a child, she was adopted by some rather nasty creatures, and grows up quite happily with them. She encounters a boy one day, and decides to eat him, which was a twist that I'm sure HE didn't see coming. Her pack are tucking in, when a Green Lantern shows up and kills them, thinking that he is rescuing her. She's packed off, and later is given a yellow ring by Sinestro, which she uses to resurrect the images of her pack, always circling around her. It is creepy, but fun.

Wednesday, May 02, 2007

No More 52

Sigh. It is going to all be over today. Whatever shall I do? I've grown accustomed to my weekly fix darn it! Fortunately, there is going to be Countdown, so I won't have to go through painful withdrawal symptoms.

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This is really a very nice cover. I love wrap-arounds, and I am REALLY glad that DC didn't make it into two separate covers, the way that they did for Justice League a couple of times. Grrrrrr. The front is also an homage to the very first cover of 52, which brings in a nice bit of symmetry.

I haven't read it yet, the books don't get in for another hour or so. I must say however, that it has been a heck of a ride. Some issues I liked better than others of course, but as a whole, it was a well-told tale and an interesting experiment.

While it may have taken a few years off of the lives of Keith Giffen and the other writers and artists, by GOD, they did it. They got it out every single week, on time, and complete. They made me care about characters that I didn't give two hoots about, mainly Rene Montoya. I'd barely even heard of her, and now I'm rather fond of both her and Charlie. I'm still sad about Ralph, but he DID go out in a blaze of glory. I'm really glad that Buddy and Booster aren't dead adn that the Metal Men are back, and I must say that I thought the mad scientists were hilarious and menacing at the same time.

Kudos, DC. Kudos.

Tuesday, May 01, 2007

Oh Ted, Come Home...We Miss You

Blue Beetle

Yes, I know that there are other Blue Beetles. There was Dan, who frankly I don't know a whole lot about, and darling little Jaime, who is just as cute as he can be. But Ted Kord will always be the Blue Beetle to me.

So just bring him back already!

There has been some opinion going around that nobody even liked Ted until after he was dead. Now they are making him out to be the greatest thing around since Saran Wrap. While some of that may be true, I don't think that it is the whole picture. Ted had been around for quite a while, he was in the Justice League for a VERY long time, and I think that we had just gotten used to him. And then...BANG! He's gone, and while I think that Countdown was a very well-told story, I was aghast. Not in the Head!

Ted was fun. So is Booster. They had one of the greatest friendships in comic books, and I miss that cameraderie. Ted was smart, although he didn't always act like it. It's one of the reasons that I like him so much more than Batman. Ted didn't have any special powers, he dressed up in a silly suit, to honor his friend, and armed with his atheletic skills and his brains and his ability to invent awesome awesome toys, went out and fought the good fight. And enjoyed himself all the way. Batman on the other hand, sits in a damp, guano-filled cave and probably mumbles to himself.

Besides, Ted was cute.

Blue Beetle

*sigh*

Ted also had a rather doofy kind of charm. I still love the fact that he and Barbara/Oracle were SO doing it...at least in cyber-space. I also still think that they'd be a much better pairing than she and Nightwing ever were. Women LIKE Ted. They may not take him particularly seriously, but they like him.

Blue Beetle

Ted had a bizarre sense of humor. The whole KooeyKooeyKooey disaster for example. C'mon, you've got to admit that it was funny. Stealing J'onn's chocos, torturing Guy, hitting on Wonder Woman, he does manage to enjoy himself.

JLI

*choke* Now, I can't see this without getting all misty-eyed. While we are at it, let's see if we can rehabilitate poor old Max Lord. I LIKED Max. I liked his shifty-eyed enthusiasm, his greed and his ability to shirk doing anything he didn't like. He was great character, and he should never had been turned into a villain. He was so much better as a slightly shady businessman and manipulator.

Booster Gold has a new book coming out, and I will be hoping that he can do something..anything to right this grevious wrong.